Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
it’s a classic slasher novel, cute mystery and really well written. a story of grief and psychological torture almost, not super gore-y but enough to get the point across
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Torture, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for E-ARC of Breathe in, Bleed out by Brian McAuley in exchange for an honest review.
When I first heard Brian was releasing a new book, I was so excited I didn't even look up what it was about, he has become an auto buy author for me. So of course i rushed to Netgalley to see if i could get an early copy!
This did not disappoint, such a fun slasher with heart.
Brian's writing is very descriptive that when you read his books you can easily visualize it in your head, I mean it does makes sense as he is a screenwriter.
If you are a fan of Scream or any slasher franchise, PICK THIS UP!
If you are a fan is isolated murder mysteries, PICK THIS UP
If you love horror and what something fun, PICK THIS UP!
When I first heard Brian was releasing a new book, I was so excited I didn't even look up what it was about, he has become an auto buy author for me. So of course i rushed to Netgalley to see if i could get an early copy!
This did not disappoint, such a fun slasher with heart.
Brian's writing is very descriptive that when you read his books you can easily visualize it in your head, I mean it does makes sense as he is a screenwriter.
If you are a fan of Scream or any slasher franchise, PICK THIS UP!
If you are a fan is isolated murder mysteries, PICK THIS UP
If you love horror and what something fun, PICK THIS UP!
Slasher fans have been feasting these last few years with some fantastic literary works by giants like Stephen Graham Jones. I’m adding Brian McAuley to that list.
I read McAuley’s first book, Curse of the Reaper, last year and absolutely loved it, as it examined an aging slasher star grappling with being replaced for the big budget remake. Then I devoured his two Candy Cain novellas from the Killer VHS series, which were fun B-movie slashers in bite size book form.
Now enter Breathe In, Bleed Out, McAuley’s upcoming slasher novel from Poisoned Pen Press. This novel, a slasher set at a mindfulness retreat, is heavily influenced by Scream, in that it is both a blood-pulsing slasher coiled around a whodunit mystery. The character deaths are creative (a couple felt very Final Destination-esque) and the plot is propulsive. He employs red herrings and plot reveals in ways that do not feel cheap or unearned.
I loved the main character, Hannah, as she struggles to cope with her fiancé’s death prior to the events of the novel and her dealing with her unraveling sanity as she is constantly being gaslit by characters with questionable motives. Who can Hannah even trust?
I loved this book so much and so devoured it. If you’re a fan of slashers, this is a must-read. You’ll have a bloody good time.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC!
I read McAuley’s first book, Curse of the Reaper, last year and absolutely loved it, as it examined an aging slasher star grappling with being replaced for the big budget remake. Then I devoured his two Candy Cain novellas from the Killer VHS series, which were fun B-movie slashers in bite size book form.
Now enter Breathe In, Bleed Out, McAuley’s upcoming slasher novel from Poisoned Pen Press. This novel, a slasher set at a mindfulness retreat, is heavily influenced by Scream, in that it is both a blood-pulsing slasher coiled around a whodunit mystery. The character deaths are creative (a couple felt very Final Destination-esque) and the plot is propulsive. He employs red herrings and plot reveals in ways that do not feel cheap or unearned.
I loved the main character, Hannah, as she struggles to cope with her fiancé’s death prior to the events of the novel and her dealing with her unraveling sanity as she is constantly being gaslit by characters with questionable motives. Who can Hannah even trust?
I loved this book so much and so devoured it. If you’re a fan of slashers, this is a must-read. You’ll have a bloody good time.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC!
Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley is a slasher novel that follows Hannah and her lingering grief, along with four of her friends, to a wellness retreat as they set their individual intentions to conquer some demons. Oh, and a pickax-wielding-killer stalking their every move. Or is this just one of Hannah’s grief-induced hallucinations? McAuley slays with this horror trope! The narrative was full of suspense and twists and kept me on edge until the last page.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my first arc!
Breathe In, Bleed Out was the perfect slasher to kick off my summerween reading, and I’m even more excited for its official release this fall. Brian McAuley delivers a bloody homage to classic camp slasher films, with a modern twist that makes it feel fresh. It’s fast-paced, full of tension, and I can honestly say I had no idea whodunnit.
What sets this apart is how it blends traditional thriller and horror tropes with commentary on influencer culture, tech giants, and the exploitation of wellness retreats. It also isn’t afraid to explore the toxicity of certain long dead friendships that just refuse to end.
That being said, I was a bit underwhelmed by the reveal about what really happened to Ben. But where the mystery slightly faltered, the character dynamics picked up the slack. The tension and fractured trust among the group kept me hooked. I also loved seeing Hannah step up and take control.
Brian McAuley is definitely on my watch list now. I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever comes next.
Breathe In, Bleed Out was the perfect slasher to kick off my summerween reading, and I’m even more excited for its official release this fall. Brian McAuley delivers a bloody homage to classic camp slasher films, with a modern twist that makes it feel fresh. It’s fast-paced, full of tension, and I can honestly say I had no idea whodunnit.
What sets this apart is how it blends traditional thriller and horror tropes with commentary on influencer culture, tech giants, and the exploitation of wellness retreats. It also isn’t afraid to explore the toxicity of certain long dead friendships that just refuse to end.
That being said, I was a bit underwhelmed by the reveal about what really happened to Ben. But where the mystery slightly faltered, the character dynamics picked up the slack. The tension and fractured trust among the group kept me hooked. I also loved seeing Hannah step up and take control.
Brian McAuley is definitely on my watch list now. I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever comes next.
Brian McAuley’s latest stab at the slasher genre, a book that’s like a horror movie you’d watch at 2 a.m. with a bowl of slightly stale popcorn. It’s got blood, guts, and a remote healing retreat that’s about as relaxing as a dentist appointment with a dull drill. Its just not the kind of thing that’ll haunt my dreams or make me double-check the locks.
The setup’s got that Midsommar vibe, which the blurbs lean into hard, promising a “blood-soaked thriller” where wellness gets a body count. Our heroine, Hannah, is running from her past—classic slasher protagonist move—and lands at this desert retreat that’s supposed to fix her soul but mostly just fixes her as a target for a machete-wielding nutcase. The vibe’s eerie, the stakes are high, and the body count’s higher. Sounds like a party, right? Well, kinda.
Here’s the good: McAuley knows how to write a slasher that feels like you’re watching a grainy VHS horror flick from the ‘80s. The kills are less “boring stab” and more “whoa, that’s a new way to use a yoga mat.” The pacing’s fast, too, like a car chase where nobody’s wearing a seatbelt. You’re flipping pages, waiting for the next poor sap to bite it.
But here’s where it stumbles, and I’m not just talking about the characters tripping over their own bad decisions. The cast feels like they were plucked from a slasher trope vending machine: the troubled lead, the creepy guru, the snarky sidekick who’s too cool to live past page 100. I wanted to care about Hannah, but she’s so busy running from her vague, tragic backstory that I never got a real grip on who she is. Like, girl, give me something to root for.
The retreat setting is a highlight, though. McAuley paints this dusty, culty compound with enough dread to make you swear off wellness retreats forever. I could practically smell the sage smudging and hear the wind chimes clanging ominously. But the plot twists? Meh. They’re less “mind blown” and more “oh, I saw that coming from page five.” It’s like the book winks at you, thinking it’s pulled a fast one, but you’re already checking your watch.
I had fun, don’t get me wrong. It’s a bloody, messy romp that keeps you guessing who’s next on the chopping block. But it’s not breaking new ground. It’s like ordering a burger and getting exactly what you expected. If you’re a slasher fan who wants a quick, gory read to pair with a cheap beer, this’ll do the trick. Just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel—or the pickaxe.