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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley & Brian McAuley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 1 star.
Genre(s): horror.
Overall impression: I'm a massive horror fan and enjoy slasher movies, so I was excited to give this book a go for the 2025 Camp NetGalley. Unfortunately, the characters were so bitter and unlikeable that it made the entire reading experience unpleasant. There wasn't a single person to root for, so I didn't really care what happened to any of them. I wasn't impressed with the language used either - it relied too heavily on stereotypes and made the book feel both racist and like it was a parody. The only good part was that I hadn't guessed the killer by the end - though I was disappointed by the reveal.
Tropes:
➵ Meditation retreat
➵ Isolated location
➵ No phone service
➵ No way out
➵ Drugs & hallucinogens
➵ PTSD, depression & addiction representation
➵ Disgraced doctor
➵ Toxic relationships
➵ Missing friends
➵ Picked off one by one
➵ "Let's split up"
➵ Open ending
⤷ Plot:
The opening scene was extremely confusing and immediately made me want to put the book down. It was a 'dream within a dream' scenario that gave us a glimpse as to why Hannah needed to go on a meditation retreat. We then got to see her life completely spiral out of control where she overdosed on prescription medication and nearly killed a patient because of her negligence. Her lack of basic knowledge really pissed me off because even a junior doctor knows that in an opioid overdose, you don't slap the patient's face to try wake them up. You have to administer naloxone and BLS.
The rest of the story revolved around the wellness retreat. Characters slowly started getting picked off by the unknown slasher, often in very predictable ways. It was full of gore and got a bit more exciting towards the end as the tension started to peak. But once the killer was revealed, I felt deflated because they seemed like the most boring person to take the role. I finished the book feeling completely unsatisfied and annoyed at all of the survivors.
⤷ Characters:
The characters completely ruined the novel for me. There wasn't a single person that I wanted to root for because of how bitter and hateful they were to each other. I don't even know why the so-called friendship group decided to go on the trip together because from their first interactions, you could tell just how much they didn't like each other.
Hannah was the worst culprit for me. She was extremely judgemental and jealous of her friends, and we unfortunately had to read through her bitchy inner monologue for the entire book. Considering how terrible of a person she was, I was extremely surprised to find out that she got into medicine and was working as a doctor. She lacked compassion, empathy and human decency. Whilst it's typical for the main character to survive a slasher, it would have been more enjoyable if one of the other characters survived instead.
⤷ World-building:
Most of the book was set at the exclusive wellness retreat. There was a good amount of time spent describing the yurts, studios and general environment, so you could picture the scenes pretty clearly. But because the author relied too heavily on stereotypes, it never really felt like a believable place.
⤷ Writing:
The sentence structure was very basic, so you get through the chapters relatively quickly. Whilst the pacing was slow at times, it never really felt like it dragged. I did have an issue with the language used for a few different reasons. Firstly, it felt like the whole book had a very racist undertone - minimising Indigenous characters to stereotypes. Secondly, there was so much modern slang and overused mindfulness language that it felt like a parody novel.
⤷ Everything else:
I read this as part of the 2025 Camp NetGalley challenge. I probably wouldn't have picked up this book otherwise because of the cover, despite finding the blurb interesting.
Statistics:
➵ Date read: 23/07/2025-28/07/2025 (6 days).
➵ Page count: 304.
➵ Type: e-book.
➵ Volume: standalone.
➵ Special: NetGalley ARC.
Social Media Links:
Instagram | TikTok | Threads
Follow for reviews, unboxings and book aesthetic videos.
Rating: 1 star.
Genre(s): horror.
Overall impression: I'm a massive horror fan and enjoy slasher movies, so I was excited to give this book a go for the 2025 Camp NetGalley. Unfortunately, the characters were so bitter and unlikeable that it made the entire reading experience unpleasant. There wasn't a single person to root for, so I didn't really care what happened to any of them. I wasn't impressed with the language used either - it relied too heavily on stereotypes and made the book feel both racist and like it was a parody. The only good part was that I hadn't guessed the killer by the end - though I was disappointed by the reveal.
Tropes:
➵ Meditation retreat
➵ Isolated location
➵ No phone service
➵ No way out
➵ Drugs & hallucinogens
➵ PTSD, depression & addiction representation
➵ Disgraced doctor
➵ Toxic relationships
➵ Missing friends
➵ Picked off one by one
➵ "Let's split up"
➵ Open ending
⤷ Plot:
The opening scene was extremely confusing and immediately made me want to put the book down. It was a 'dream within a dream' scenario that gave us a glimpse as to why Hannah needed to go on a meditation retreat. We then got to see her life completely spiral out of control where she overdosed on prescription medication and nearly killed a patient because of her negligence. Her lack of basic knowledge really pissed me off because even a junior doctor knows that in an opioid overdose, you don't slap the patient's face to try wake them up. You have to administer naloxone and BLS.
The rest of the story revolved around the wellness retreat. Characters slowly started getting picked off by the unknown slasher, often in very predictable ways. It was full of gore and got a bit more exciting towards the end as the tension started to peak. But once the killer was revealed, I felt deflated because they seemed like the most boring person to take the role. I finished the book feeling completely unsatisfied and annoyed at all of the survivors.
⤷ Characters:
The characters completely ruined the novel for me. There wasn't a single person that I wanted to root for because of how bitter and hateful they were to each other. I don't even know why the so-called friendship group decided to go on the trip together because from their first interactions, you could tell just how much they didn't like each other.
Hannah was the worst culprit for me. She was extremely judgemental and jealous of her friends, and we unfortunately had to read through her bitchy inner monologue for the entire book. Considering how terrible of a person she was, I was extremely surprised to find out that she got into medicine and was working as a doctor. She lacked compassion, empathy and human decency. Whilst it's typical for the main character to survive a slasher, it would have been more enjoyable if one of the other characters survived instead.
⤷ World-building:
Most of the book was set at the exclusive wellness retreat. There was a good amount of time spent describing the yurts, studios and general environment, so you could picture the scenes pretty clearly. But because the author relied too heavily on stereotypes, it never really felt like a believable place.
⤷ Writing:
The sentence structure was very basic, so you get through the chapters relatively quickly. Whilst the pacing was slow at times, it never really felt like it dragged. I did have an issue with the language used for a few different reasons. Firstly, it felt like the whole book had a very racist undertone - minimising Indigenous characters to stereotypes. Secondly, there was so much modern slang and overused mindfulness language that it felt like a parody novel.
⤷ Everything else:
I read this as part of the 2025 Camp NetGalley challenge. I probably wouldn't have picked up this book otherwise because of the cover, despite finding the blurb interesting.
Statistics:
➵ Date read: 23/07/2025-28/07/2025 (6 days).
➵ Page count: 304.
➵ Type: e-book.
➵ Volume: standalone.
➵ Special: NetGalley ARC.
Social Media Links:
Instagram | TikTok | Threads
Follow for reviews, unboxings and book aesthetic videos.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
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:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
*Thank you to NetGalley for this arc*
I didn't like this book very much. It was hard to get into and the pacing felt off. None of the characters are likeable, so it doesn't matter to the reader that they die, there's no real stakes. I knew who the killer would be before they even left for the retreat. I really wish thriller/horror authors would stop thinking that the therapist being the killer is something new and novel. It's so overdone and as soon as the character shows up we already know who it is. There was no creativity or individuality and it was entirely too predictable because this plot has already been written so many times. It felt like the plot was written around the deaths just because the author wanted to see how gruesome he could make them without putting any effort into the rest of the book.
I didn't like this book very much. It was hard to get into and the pacing felt off. None of the characters are likeable, so it doesn't matter to the reader that they die, there's no real stakes. I knew who the killer would be before they even left for the retreat. I really wish thriller/horror authors would stop thinking that
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Breathe In, Bleed Out - Brian McAuley
"Dragging a body through six inches of snow is even harder than I expected."
A short, fast-paced horror mystery that gives you old-school slasher vibes. Without giving much away, the FMC goes on a spiritual retreat with friends after a tragic event she struggles to deal with. Rather than a relaxing girls' holiday, it turns into a nightmare as the retreat is turned into a psychopath killing ground, and she is fighting to stay alive.
"In the dark of Dead Man's Due...
Waylon Barlow waits for you...
He'll hack you up without a trace...
Pick your bones and steal your face..."
This is perfect for spooky season and is set to release a few weeks prior. If you like a quick-moving scary story, this should not disappoint.
Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a great choice to put in Camp NetGalley for sure.
Publication date is set for Sept 2, 2025
A scathing critique of the modern wellness industry in the guise of a campy slasher romp. So much fun and truly terrifying at times!
At the start of this book, I immediately grew very invested in the fate of Hannah, our protagonist who has been trying to balance her medical internship, her Xanax habit, and her extremely vivid dreams and hallucinations of her dead fiancé, when she’s placed on leave from work. Her compassionate and supportive psychiatrist, suggests that admitting herself into a treatment program might be the best move, but when Hannah hears from an old friend she’s been dodging in her haze of grief, another option presents itself: an exclusive wellness retreat with her old friend group. She accepts the opportunity, hoping for a weekend of yoga, meditation, and rekindling some neglected friendships.
Hidden off of a back road on the site of an abandoned mining camp near Joshua Tree, the isolated and tech-free wellness getaway immediately feels both idyllic and somewhat ominous. Tensions among the friends start to arise as the charismatic and eccentric leader of the retreat urges them to dig deeply into their psyches to address and purge themselves of their deepest traumas. Things take a dark turn during a hallucinogen-fueled spiritual hike when Hannah is certain she’s attacked by the ghost of a miner who died in a tragic accident. The others convince her it was all a hallucination, and with her mental state already tenuous at best, she is inclined to believe them. But it all felt very real…
The novel quickly descends into grisly chaos as the members of the group are picked off one by one by an unknown slasher and Ingrid struggles to delineate realty from delusion as she seeks the truth behind this strange wellness retreat and its idiosyncratic leader. The end of the book came out of nowhere— maybe other readers saw it coming, but I certainly did not and was delighted at the surprise.
Fans of classic slasher movies like Scream and Final Destination should definitely check this book out- I am not typically a horror fan but I very much enjoyed Brian McAuley’s take on the genre!
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to be an early reader of this title, publishing 9/2/25.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars!
This book pleasantly surprised me! I am a big fan of thrillers but wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a book that’s also categorized as horror. I went into it with an open mind, and I’m glad I did—I had a hard time putting this book down. I finished it within 24 hours!
The characters were annoying (lol), which made it hard for me to connect with them—but I think that actually worked well with the book’s slasher-esque vibe. Because of that disconnect, I didn’t find myself rooting for anyone in particular to escape the villain. Still, the story was well-written with extremely good pacing.
There were moments when I thought this book was strictly a thriller, then I became convinced it was leaning more toward the occult. I couldn’t guess how the book was going to end—which is my favorite type of thriller. I want to be bamboozled!
The conclusion felt a little anticlimactic to me, but that didn’t change how happy I felt about the book overall.
I would definitely recommend this to my horror-loving friends. But if you’re someone who can’t handle gore, you might want to skip this one. There isn’t a ton, but if you're sensitive to it, please be aware—there were times when I physically cringed while reading because the writing felt so graphic.
Anyway, I really liked this book and am glad I picked it up. I’ll be looking forward to reading more by this author!
Thank you to NetGalley, Brian McAuley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book.
This book pleasantly surprised me! I am a big fan of thrillers but wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a book that’s also categorized as horror. I went into it with an open mind, and I’m glad I did—I had a hard time putting this book down. I finished it within 24 hours!
The characters were annoying (lol), which made it hard for me to connect with them—but I think that actually worked well with the book’s slasher-esque vibe. Because of that disconnect, I didn’t find myself rooting for anyone in particular to escape the villain. Still, the story was well-written with extremely good pacing.
There were moments when I thought this book was strictly a thriller, then I became convinced it was leaning more toward the occult. I couldn’t guess how the book was going to end—which is my favorite type of thriller. I want to be bamboozled!
The conclusion felt a little anticlimactic to me, but that didn’t change how happy I felt about the book overall.
I would definitely recommend this to my horror-loving friends. But if you’re someone who can’t handle gore, you might want to skip this one. There isn’t a ton, but if you're sensitive to it, please be aware—there were times when I physically cringed while reading because the writing felt so graphic.
Anyway, I really liked this book and am glad I picked it up. I’ll be looking forward to reading more by this author!
Thank you to NetGalley, Brian McAuley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Slasher film in book form. Fast paced, gory and really fun.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Let’s get one thing straight: Breathe In, Bleed Out isn’t just a slasher. It’s a spiritual awakening with a body count.
Set under the unforgiving blaze of the California desert, Brian McAuley invites us on a trip to wellness hell with five friends, one very haunted woman, and a retreat that’s about as relaxing as a knife to the back. Literally.
Hannah is our reluctant heroine, still reeling from a traumatic trip that left her fiancé dead and her psyche fractured. Her coping mechanisms? Anxiety meds, avoidance, and "surprise" a tech-free, soul-cleansing retreat called Avidya that promises inner peace. Instead, she finds herself waist-deep in yoga, kale juice, and murder.
The genius of McAuley is that he knows exactly what slasher fans want, and then gives it to them in ways they didn’t see coming. Yes, there is a masked killer and juicy red herrings. Yes, the kills are creative, brutal, and weirdly satisfying. But what elevates this novel is how grounded it feels. The characters don’t just scream and run. They feel real, messy, and often heartbreakingly human. These aren’t just lambs to the slaughter. They’re people you root for, even when you know they might not make it past chapter twenty.
What makes Breathe In, Bleed Out such a standout is its tone, equal parts dread-soaked horror and razor-sharp commentary on grief, guilt, and performative healing culture. McAuley skewers New Age trends with the precision of a scalpel. Guru Pax, the retreat’s mysterious leader, is half spiritual messiah, half walking red flag, and watching the group slowly unravel under his watch is as gripping as the slasher plot itself.
And let’s talk atmosphere. The desert setting isn’t just a backdrop. It’s a character. The isolation, the heat, the no-cell-service doom of it all. It amplifies the tension until you’re sweating along with the characters, unsure whether you’re about to have a breakthrough or be buried in the sand.
Final verdict? Breathe In, Bleed Out is a masterclass in modern slasher fiction. It's fun, freaky, and layered with more emotional depth than you'd expect from a book with this much blood spatter. Think Scream meets Midsommar, but with better dialogue and no floral cult dresses.
Brian McAuley isn’t just playing with tropes. He’s redefining them. And if you haven’t pre-ordered this one yet, you might want to breathe in… and click that button before you bleed out from FOMO.
This was my introduction to Brian McAuley’s work, and what a bloody brilliant first impression. If he keeps delivering like this, it’s only a matter of time before he’s wearing the slasher crown.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 Poisoned Pen Press 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙫𝙞𝙖 #netgalley 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣.
#poisonedpenpress #NetGalley #CampNetGalley
Set under the unforgiving blaze of the California desert, Brian McAuley invites us on a trip to wellness hell with five friends, one very haunted woman, and a retreat that’s about as relaxing as a knife to the back. Literally.
Hannah is our reluctant heroine, still reeling from a traumatic trip that left her fiancé dead and her psyche fractured. Her coping mechanisms? Anxiety meds, avoidance, and "surprise" a tech-free, soul-cleansing retreat called Avidya that promises inner peace. Instead, she finds herself waist-deep in yoga, kale juice, and murder.
The genius of McAuley is that he knows exactly what slasher fans want, and then gives it to them in ways they didn’t see coming. Yes, there is a masked killer and juicy red herrings. Yes, the kills are creative, brutal, and weirdly satisfying. But what elevates this novel is how grounded it feels. The characters don’t just scream and run. They feel real, messy, and often heartbreakingly human. These aren’t just lambs to the slaughter. They’re people you root for, even when you know they might not make it past chapter twenty.
What makes Breathe In, Bleed Out such a standout is its tone, equal parts dread-soaked horror and razor-sharp commentary on grief, guilt, and performative healing culture. McAuley skewers New Age trends with the precision of a scalpel. Guru Pax, the retreat’s mysterious leader, is half spiritual messiah, half walking red flag, and watching the group slowly unravel under his watch is as gripping as the slasher plot itself.
And let’s talk atmosphere. The desert setting isn’t just a backdrop. It’s a character. The isolation, the heat, the no-cell-service doom of it all. It amplifies the tension until you’re sweating along with the characters, unsure whether you’re about to have a breakthrough or be buried in the sand.
Final verdict? Breathe In, Bleed Out is a masterclass in modern slasher fiction. It's fun, freaky, and layered with more emotional depth than you'd expect from a book with this much blood spatter. Think Scream meets Midsommar, but with better dialogue and no floral cult dresses.
Brian McAuley isn’t just playing with tropes. He’s redefining them. And if you haven’t pre-ordered this one yet, you might want to breathe in… and click that button before you bleed out from FOMO.
This was my introduction to Brian McAuley’s work, and what a bloody brilliant first impression. If he keeps delivering like this, it’s only a matter of time before he’s wearing the slasher crown.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 Poisoned Pen Press 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙫𝙞𝙖 #netgalley 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣.
#poisonedpenpress #NetGalley #CampNetGalley