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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
A hidden door cracks open, pushing inwards.
A secret room. Scooby fucking Doo.
“Breathe In, Bleed Out” surprised me! The first 30% of the book established characters that admittedly I didn’t care too much about, but it did a good job setting us up for the action to follow. Was the killer in Hannah’s mind? What was real? Why was she being followed by 2 ghosts?
The plot had excellent twists and the suspense was palpable. This was a very fun slasher story and a bloody good read!
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
First Line: Dragging a body through six inches of snow is even harder than I expected.
Reasons to Read:
Haunted Survivor
After losing her fiancé in the wilderness, Hannah’s grief clings like a shadow—one that follows her straight into the Joshua Tree desert.- Wellness Horror
Sound baths, yoga, and self-discovery take a dark turn when a blood-soaked killer crashes this retreat. - Untrustworthy Peace
Even as Hannah begins to feel healed, the serene setting unravels—and her friends start to disappear - Gripping Descent
As the bodies pile up and reality fractures, Hannah must confront her trauma before her past—and a very real killer—destroys her completely.
Good For People Who: like a fun horror story, unreliable characters, Final Destination deaths
Rating: 4 yoga mats
Thoughts: This book got me with that twist ending. And I have to say that if you like ridiculous death scenes, this book is right up your alley. It’s hard to really get into our main character Hannah’s head because she is genuinely all over the place. And there are quite a few mysteries like what happened to her fiance, who she can trust from her friend group, etc. But this book really had fun, and I like that!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Breathe In, Bleed Out was a crazy, gruesome thriller/horror. First, I loved the setting. I think you see a lot of thrillers at places like health retreats or resorts. But the isolation and rusticity of Avidya added to the atmosphere in a way that felt original. The deaths throughout are out there. This read like a really great early 2000's slasher movie - Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer etc. It was a really fun read. I was completely thrown by the ending. My thoughts and assumptions about who did it was wrong so many times.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was so much fun! It really epitomises a slasher film in book form in the best possible way.
Hannah was a believable main character who was struggling with her own trauma while questioning whether what she was living was real or a side effect of her past.
Her friend group was a massive group of misfits who experienced deaths that felt both ironic yet justified after their futile attempts at civility when left in situation they couldn’t run from. The deaths were creative and kept me hooked the entire time.
I can’t tell if Pax is a genius or an absolute nut case. Probably both in true healing retreat fashion. I loved the introspective chapters where each character had an epiphany moment that came too late for them to act upon, and how Pax was indirectly responsible for them.
The plot twist at the end was slightly obvious but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment I had reading the story.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.
Hannah was a believable main character who was struggling with her own trauma while questioning whether what she was living was real or a side effect of her past.
Her friend group was a massive group of misfits who experienced deaths that felt both ironic yet justified after their futile attempts at civility when left in situation they couldn’t run from. The deaths were creative and kept me hooked the entire time.
I can’t tell if Pax is a genius or an absolute nut case. Probably both in true healing retreat fashion. I loved the introspective chapters where each character had an epiphany moment that came too late for them to act upon, and how Pax was indirectly responsible for them.
The plot twist at the end was slightly obvious but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment I had reading the story.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
Five star horror ride with pop culture sprinkled in to get you in to understanding the characters/ situations more. This book is extremely well written. The death scenes were amazing. No spoiler but, the one that happens at the end of Chapter 21 was so apropos. I was so convinced I knew where the book was headed as far as who the killer was and I was so wrong! Which shows you even more the strength of the writers talent. #CampNetGalley
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Racism, Sexual content, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Vomit
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars! A funny, fast-paced slasher that feels perfect for the summertime. For whatever reason, I am not a huge slasher movie girl, but I eat them up in book form. I'm so glad that this delivered on everything I hoped it would be. I will definitely be checking out Brian McAuley's previous works and anything else he writes in the future.
One of my favorite things about this was the funny, tongue-in-cheek writing style. I don't often describe the books the books I read as funny, but I found myself smiling to myself at things the (unlikeable, caricature-like) characters would say to each other or the at the way a death scene would be written. This reminded me a lot of The Last Word by Taylor Adams and Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson in that way, two of my all-time favorite thrillers.
The author's note at the end is what really solidified this book as a 4.5 (rather than a 4) for me. It was really neat to learn about McAuley's long history with horror movies and the ways he included (and adapted) hallmarks of the genre in this work. A definite recommend from me.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
One of my favorite things about this was the funny, tongue-in-cheek writing style. I don't often describe the books the books I read as funny, but I found myself smiling to myself at things the (unlikeable, caricature-like) characters would say to each other or the at the way a death scene would be written. This reminded me a lot of The Last Word by Taylor Adams and Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson in that way, two of my all-time favorite thrillers.
The author's note at the end is what really solidified this book as a 4.5 (rather than a 4) for me. It was really neat to learn about McAuley's long history with horror movies and the ways he included (and adapted) hallmarks of the genre in this work. A definite recommend from me.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.