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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had so much fun reading this book, I read it all in one day which I haven’t done in forever. First off, I love the pulpy, nostalgic cover. It totally drew me in before I even started. Right from the first chapter I was hooked. This is a classic slasher horror that belongs in the same conversations as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream. It’s very witty and funny, and leans into LA/privileged stereotypes that add a good amount of social commentary. The twists and misdirection were so well done, I honestly did not see that ending coming. Overall, it was a super entertaining, bloody good read. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves horror, especially the millennium-era of horror.
I am deeply grateful to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this opportunity to read a digital ARC and provide my honest review.
I am deeply grateful to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this opportunity to read a digital ARC and provide my honest review.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
If you love slashers, read this book! (& do NOT pass up the author’s note)
This felt like a comfort slasher film as I laughed at the quips & banter between the characters while trying to guess who might be their killer. I was never bored!
Some characters were unlikable, but not insufferably so like I see in a lot of slasher films/books. In some ways I cared about them even when I didn’t like them!
I appreciate how the trauma the main character has previously experienced informs her experiences at the retreat. She is a strong, relatable, & realistic protagonist.
There was some great commentary on cultural appropriation, capitalism, mental health, cult tactics, etc.
It was also fun when the perspectives switched for some of the kills.
This is a fun, bloody, atmospheric time AND its narrative & characters have substance!
**Many thanks to Brian McAuley, NetGalley, & Poisoned Pen Press for access to the ebook!
This felt like a comfort slasher film as I laughed at the quips & banter between the characters while trying to guess who might be their killer. I was never bored!
Some characters were unlikable, but not insufferably so like I see in a lot of slasher films/books. In some ways I cared about them even when I didn’t like them!
I appreciate how the trauma the main character has previously experienced informs her experiences at the retreat. She is a strong, relatable, & realistic protagonist.
There was some great commentary on cultural appropriation, capitalism, mental health, cult tactics, etc.
It was also fun when the perspectives switched for some of the kills.
This is a fun, bloody, atmospheric time AND its narrative & characters have substance!
**Many thanks to Brian McAuley, NetGalley, & Poisoned Pen Press for access to the ebook!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary early release copy of Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley.
Breathe In, Bleed Out was a book that had me hooked from start to finish. From the first chapter I was immediately drawn into Hannah character and the events surrounding the mysterious wilderness trip. I found all of the characters in this story to be the unlikable type but they are all written in a nice weirdly likeable sort of way. I’m feeling a bit iffy about the spiritual retreat side of things but once the strange and mysterious killer is introduced I didn’t mind it as much. There was so much strange stuff going on in Breathe In, Bleed Out that it definitely kept me on edge, I tried to guess what was happening but none of my guesses were correct.
This was a decent slasher novel, the deaths were gory and rather unique. The story sometimes felt a bit slow but there was always something happening to keep me interested whether it was the strangeness of the retreat, drama/tension between characters, the mysterious killer lurking around, the mystery of what happened to Hannah’s fiancé, and of course the death scenes. I didn’t know who to trust during my whole read because all of these characters came off as unreliable. I was quite literally jumping back and forth about who to trust. Overall I’m landing on a 3.5 rating, while I was surprised with the ending of the book I’m having some mixed feelings about it.
Breathe In, Bleed Out was a book that had me hooked from start to finish. From the first chapter I was immediately drawn into Hannah character and the events surrounding the mysterious wilderness trip. I found all of the characters in this story to be the unlikable type but they are all written in a nice weirdly likeable sort of way. I’m feeling a bit iffy about the spiritual retreat side of things but once the strange and mysterious killer is introduced I didn’t mind it as much. There was so much strange stuff going on in Breathe In, Bleed Out that it definitely kept me on edge, I tried to guess what was happening but none of my guesses were correct.
This was a decent slasher novel, the deaths were gory and rather unique. The story sometimes felt a bit slow but there was always something happening to keep me interested whether it was the strangeness of the retreat, drama/tension between characters, the mysterious killer lurking around, the mystery of what happened to Hannah’s fiancé, and of course the death scenes. I didn’t know who to trust during my whole read because all of these characters came off as unreliable. I was quite literally jumping back and forth about who to trust. Overall I’m landing on a 3.5 rating, while I was surprised with the ending of the book I’m having some mixed feelings about it.
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thank you to the publisher, author, and netgalley for having this title as part of the 2025 camp netgalley selection
i was hooked from the first page and the momentum kept going the entire book. this is exactly what i needed to get out of a slump and cannot recommend it enough, perfect slasher/summerween vibes. i loved that Hannah had the dominate pov and then as each character came to their untimely end they got their own third person pov. it fully immersed me into the story and made it impossible for me to stop reading. every time i thought i knew who it was i was wrong and i loved the guessing game. the only thing that prevented this from being a five star was the ending, i wanted more from the big reveal. there was so much anticipation that kind of just fizzled out. either way i will definitely be reading more from this author.
i was hooked from the first page and the momentum kept going the entire book. this is exactly what i needed to get out of a slump and cannot recommend it enough, perfect slasher/summerween vibes. i loved that Hannah had the dominate pov and then as each character came to their untimely end they got their own third person pov. it fully immersed me into the story and made it impossible for me to stop reading. every time i thought i knew who it was i was wrong and i loved the guessing game. the only thing that prevented this from being a five star was the ending, i wanted more from the big reveal. there was so much anticipation that kind of just fizzled out. either way i will definitely be reading more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Well, call me at TV detective because I didn’t solve diddly squat. No, seriously. As Hannah’s story unfolded my mind kept racing with the age-old question, “who done it?”
Breathe in, Bleed Out (sidenote, did anyone else’s keep singing in their head Bush’s song Machinehead or was it just me and I’m dating myself?) was fast paced with twists and turns that leave you questioning everyone and everything. Well, at least it did that for me. I loved that about this book though, if too predictable my interest would fade fast. I blew through this book, in a good way because I needed to know what had happened.
I liked Hannah’s group of friends even though I don’t feel like we got to know them too well and I felt like some of them were probably not supposed to be likeable. Miles was my favorite though. I liked Hannah a lot and empathized with her loss.
Overall, this thriller maintains suspense by encouraging suspicion of multiple characters, leading readers to believe they know the identity of the killer while keeping the outcome uncertain until the very end. Bravo Brian McAuley!
*Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Brian McAuley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*
Breathe in, Bleed Out (sidenote, did anyone else’s keep singing in their head Bush’s song Machinehead or was it just me and I’m dating myself?) was fast paced with twists and turns that leave you questioning everyone and everything. Well, at least it did that for me. I loved that about this book though, if too predictable my interest would fade fast. I blew through this book, in a good way because I needed to know what had happened.
I liked Hannah’s group of friends even though I don’t feel like we got to know them too well and I felt like some of them were probably not supposed to be likeable. Miles was my favorite though. I liked Hannah a lot and empathized with her loss.
Overall, this thriller maintains suspense by encouraging suspicion of multiple characters, leading readers to believe they know the identity of the killer while keeping the outcome uncertain until the very end. Bravo Brian McAuley!
*Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Brian McAuley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐️ 4.5 Stars ⭐️
"No more running. It's time to exorcise my demons."
I must admit, this is one of the first books I have read from this genre. I didn't know what to expect, but holy moley was it an enjoyable ride. Breathe in, Bleed out was a well rendered and expertly fleshed out novel. The continued suspense almost added a sense of a predator readying to pounce at any given moment. This book will very likely be one of my most memorable reads this year.
Hannah was a very likeable (main) character. She felt REAl. Her perceptions and how she moved through scenarios remained true to the events that shaped her. Her growth and development made me feel attached to her and her success. She wasn't ashamed of who she was but she knew her limits; nor was she an overly-snarky-unlikeable-FMC. In my opinion, Brian McAuley did exactly as the genre seeks to: provides a window into the painfully-human motives that drive these stories.
For those looking to pick up a slasher and/or get started in the genre, this is an excellent read. Not in-your-face horror but a constant suspense and who-dunnit twisting story ever keeping you on your toes, especially as it begins to pick up pace.
Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and of course, Brian McAuley for the ARC.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is the perfect campfire read. It’s truly everything that a slasher should be: fun, gory, and just suspenseful enough to pull you in and keep you hooked.
In the author’s note, Brian McAuley outlines his lifelong love affair with horror. A passion that most definitely shows through in his writing. This book features many classic horror/thriller tropes - an experimental vacation in an isolated setting, an unreliable narrator, the classic group of friends, and a masked killer hunting them down one by one. McAuley manages to weave these tropes into the story in a way that feels like an homage to the genre’s most beloved movies rather than a mixed bag of cliches. Though this book stands on its own, it is deeply evocative of some of my favourite horror media, making it well worth the read for fans of classic slasher films, American Horror Story, A24 horror films, and Scream Queens (there’s a particular scene that reminded me of a certain deep fryer incident).
Despite being fairly baseline - not straying from what we've come to expect from this genre - Breathe In, Breathe Out is a compelling read. Well paced and packed with gore, it does a wonderful job of scratching the itch to consume something dark and thrilling. In fact, it wastes no time doing so. Within the first few chapters we see our first helping of gore as well as an additional brush with death.
The characters are fairly one-dimensional and none of them are particularly likeable, each serving their purpose well but not going far beyond their respective roles. This does nothing to take away from the story, however - especially when we consider the viewpoints of our antagonists - although it doesn’t serve to create any memorable depth.
While not entirely shocking, the twist at the end was an enjoyable one, and our journey to get there proves that McAuley understands the art of leading a reader through a story. He showcases a clear understanding of technical writing skills as he walks the reader down each path of speculation until deciding to let you in on the truth alongside his characters.
All in all, Breathe In, Breathe Out is a quick and digestible dose of entertainment for horror lovers, making it a good choice for anyone in search of their next palate-cleansing scary story fix.
A huge thank-you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this ebook for Camp NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quick very high level summary.
Hannah, haunted by the mysterious death of her fiancé, Ben. After a major incident in the hospital she works at her friend invites her to seek healing at an indentation only, exclusive tech free retreat. Once she arrives at the retreat she soon realizes its truly life or death as the attendees are being picked off one by one.
My Take.
This one started off a bit slow for me. There was quite a bit if character and plot development in the first 30% of the book but the ending made it all worth it. Once Hannah and her friends arrive at the retreat things really start to pick up and take off. At times it can feel a bit predictable but overall this is a fun read with an interesting twist at the end.