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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley. (Advanced Copy read thru NetGalley)
I wanted to love this book, the idea was good the execution was meh.
One year ago Hannah Reynolds stumbled out of the snowy wilderness onto the road riddled with frostbite and racked with hypothermia. A truck driver found her half-dead and rushed her to the hospital, her fiance Ben wasn't so lucky, his body was never found. Only Hannah emerged from the wilderness and it was only Hannah's story of her trying to drag Ben's body to safety that returned with her. Now haunted by the ghost of his memory Hannah has become a shell of the person she was, overly dependent on Xanax Hannah makes a terrible mistake at her job as a Medical Intern that puts her on leave. After an appointment with her psychiatrist, Dr. James Grady, Hannah is confronted by her best friend Tess Sampson who is determined to get her friend back and persuades her to go on a healing retreat at the exclusive Avidya Healing Retreat. Just a weekend of Hannah, Tess and their friends under the guide of Guru Pax may be the thing Hannah needs to pull her out of her stupor or it maybe the thing that triggers her trauma and pushes her over the edge. As the weekend goes on and more people start to disappear, Hannah starts to question her sanity and the truth of what happened to Ben during their last trip together starts to seep out. Is Hannah responsible for Ben's disappearance, is she behind her friends' vanishing from the retreat, or is there a dark and more sinister thing out there?
Spoilery things mentioned here.
There were several things that kinda took me out of the story such as: a character with an addiction to a prescriptive medication going cold turkey with no side effect; the inclusion of a side character who really didn't add anything to the plot - he was just a FACE to be used; the weekend seemed longer than it should be; I did not care about the 3 of the characters who were killed to care that they died, one I did feel bad for and the last two felt anticlimactic. Dehydration and lack of hygiene felt like they should have been more important topics. Hannah is a Medical Intern which means she graduated medical school and is in her first year of residency but its also been a year since Ben died so the timeline there feels off to me personally. The story line with Mr Fox kinda goes no where.
And this one is gonna sound weird but this book kinda gave the same vibes as the movie Ripper: Letter From Hell (2001) even though they arent the same plot wise or really story wise.
I wanted to love this book, the idea was good the execution was meh.
One year ago Hannah Reynolds stumbled out of the snowy wilderness onto the road riddled with frostbite and racked with hypothermia. A truck driver found her half-dead and rushed her to the hospital, her fiance Ben wasn't so lucky, his body was never found. Only Hannah emerged from the wilderness and it was only Hannah's story of her trying to drag Ben's body to safety that returned with her. Now haunted by the ghost of his memory Hannah has become a shell of the person she was, overly dependent on Xanax Hannah makes a terrible mistake at her job as a Medical Intern that puts her on leave. After an appointment with her psychiatrist, Dr. James Grady, Hannah is confronted by her best friend Tess Sampson who is determined to get her friend back and persuades her to go on a healing retreat at the exclusive Avidya Healing Retreat. Just a weekend of Hannah, Tess and their friends under the guide of Guru Pax may be the thing Hannah needs to pull her out of her stupor or it maybe the thing that triggers her trauma and pushes her over the edge. As the weekend goes on and more people start to disappear, Hannah starts to question her sanity and the truth of what happened to Ben during their last trip together starts to seep out. Is Hannah responsible for Ben's disappearance, is she behind her friends' vanishing from the retreat, or is there a dark and more sinister thing out there?
Spoilery things mentioned here.
There were several things that kinda took me out of the story such as: a character with an addiction to a prescriptive medication going cold turkey with no side effect; the inclusion of a side character who really didn't add anything to the plot - he was just a FACE to be used; the weekend seemed longer than it should be; I did not care about the 3 of the characters who were killed to care that they died, one I did feel bad for and the last two felt anticlimactic. Dehydration and lack of hygiene felt like they should have been more important topics. Hannah is a Medical Intern which means she graduated medical school and is in her first year of residency but its also been a year since Ben died so the timeline there feels off to me personally. The story line with Mr Fox kinda goes no where.
And this one is gonna sound weird but this book kinda gave the same vibes as the movie Ripper: Letter From Hell (2001) even though they arent the same plot wise or really story wise.
First I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance. This book reads like it crawled straight out of a VHS tape from a cursed video store—and I mean that in the best way possible.
It’s got all the classic slasher ingredients: an eerie setting, suspicious characters lurking in plain sight, and that delicious tension where everyone feels guilty but you’re still somehow shocked when the mask comes off. Even when I saw the kills coming, it didn’t matter. I was still yelling “DON’T GO IN THERE!” in my head like I was watching a late-night horror marathon.
It delivers exactly what it promises—nostalgic, bloody fun with a modern edge. If you grew up on 90s slashers or just crave that pulpy, popcorn horror feel, this one’s calling your name… probably from inside the house. 🔪
And honestly? Someone give this a film deal. I’ll bring the snacks. You bring the nightlight.
It’s got all the classic slasher ingredients: an eerie setting, suspicious characters lurking in plain sight, and that delicious tension where everyone feels guilty but you’re still somehow shocked when the mask comes off. Even when I saw the kills coming, it didn’t matter. I was still yelling “DON’T GO IN THERE!” in my head like I was watching a late-night horror marathon.
It delivers exactly what it promises—nostalgic, bloody fun with a modern edge. If you grew up on 90s slashers or just crave that pulpy, popcorn horror feel, this one’s calling your name… probably from inside the house. 🔪
And honestly? Someone give this a film deal. I’ll bring the snacks. You bring the nightlight.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in a remote, tech-free wellness retreat in Joshua Tree, Breathe In, Bleed Out combines slasher horror with spiritual and emotional themes. The story centers on Hannah, a medical intern dealing with the trauma of her fiancé’s death and a career jeopardized by a drug-related error. Searching for healing, she joins friends at a desert retreat led by mysterious Guru Pax. However, the peaceful atmosphere quickly turns dark as a masked killer begins to eliminate attendees one by one.
Hannah is a deeply flawed, emotionally raw protagonist. Her battle with grief, reliance on medication, and hallucinations make her relatable and compelling. Some secondary characters come across as underdeveloped and clichéd, which could detract from the overall tension. Regardless, the novel is fast-paced and self-aware, capturing the feel of 80s-90s slasher films, with inventive death scenes and nostalgic references.
Ideal for readers who enjoy fast-paced, bloody, and fun horror with a self-aware nod to cult classics such as Scream. Breathe In, Bleed Out captures the slasher aesthetic with memorable kills, a sense of atmospheric isolation, and enough emotional depth to root for the final girl. Although it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it provides the thrills—and sometimes the chills—that horror enthusiasts crave.
Posted initially on BookshelfbyTori on Instagram!
dark
tense
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
I know I am not the only one who has spent YEARS, wishing there was an 80's slasher film on paper. I can proudly announce, our time has come!
Honestly if you want to know what this book is like just watch any slasher film. It was such a fun read. In true horror fashion however some parts of it did feel rushed. But when you have someone running around, wearing other people's faces, you tend to not care about that stuff as much lol 🤷🏼♀️
Overall I think it's a must read for any horror lover. This comes out just in time to add to your spooky season TBR
Holy sh#t!!!!! .. I started writing this review at 90% and was thinking 3.5 stars.. as you can see my final rating is a little different!! Because, 👏🏼 THAT 👏🏼 ENDING 👏🏼 THOUGH!!
Our author is clearly no novice when it comes to horror! And knows exactly how to keep a seasoned horror lover on their toes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Deadnaming, Genocide, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic
I have a soft spot for slashers and after loving "Candy Cain Kills" Brian is back with another killer (pun intended). Gory, twisty and blurring the lines between reality and madness. Not only did we get a fun slasher character that would be perfect on screen, we got a FMC with depth and a history of trauma that adds in to the current delusion.
I read this as an ARC and it comes out 9/2/25.
I read this as an ARC and it comes out 9/2/25.
adventurous
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
I don't know what I expected with this story, but what I read.....not what I expected. The twists in the story will have you stopping to think. Who did it? Are they sure? I wasn't a fan of the MC, Hannah. She annoyed me. I wanted to jump in the book just to push her down. But I think that was the point. In the end, this was a great, very enjoyable story.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes