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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5/5⭐, rounded up
Pretty cagey, wild stuff in this novel that leads a grief-stricken young man down a road into the sinister, horrific corners of the dark web and all the depravity it contains. But soon Sammy stumbles into an impossible world of video footage of deaths that should not be, and he is drawn deeper into a perverse and merciless world of individuals who place bets on death. As Sammy tries to work out what’s real he must become a monster himself.
Pretty cagey, wild stuff in this novel that leads a grief-stricken young man down a road into the sinister, horrific corners of the dark web and all the depravity it contains. But soon Sammy stumbles into an impossible world of video footage of deaths that should not be, and he is drawn deeper into a perverse and merciless world of individuals who place bets on death. As Sammy tries to work out what’s real he must become a monster himself.
“You’re not a good person. Maybe you were at some point. I think you probably were. But you were shown a dark corner of the earth and you immediately turned rotten.”
As Sammy investigates the seemingly impossible footage looking for answers and retribution, he throws in with a couple of others who are also on the hunt for those responsible.
“They’re AI-backed algorithms, but you gotta remember that humans make algorithms, right? Humans make AI too, it doesn’t just come out of the sky.”
The novel starts off strongly with an intriguing plot and a dark premise. The writing was powerful and conveyed the dread, grief, and self-abhorrence of Sammy, whose traumas just keep piling up. The plot did lose momentum for me just after halfway through, where it slowed considerably, before it picked back up just for the ending, which culminates in an interesting, but somewhat ambiguous conclusion.
My thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the best books that I never want to read again.
This one will stick with me for a long time. I was originally drawn in by the dark web aspect of the novel and expected an interesting techno-thriller with some splatter punk thrown in. Instead I found a novel that hit my emotions more than anything I've read in recent memory (maybe ever). The thriller and gore aspects are definitely there in heavy doses but it also provided a deep dive into the psyche of young man who just lost the love his life in a car accident. It follows his dark spiral in grief. At times, I honestly wanted to DNF because it was just too hard to read. But it was so enthralling that I had to follow it through to the end. It was a journey that I both didn't want to end but couldn't wait to be over.
This one will stick with me for a long time. I was originally drawn in by the dark web aspect of the novel and expected an interesting techno-thriller with some splatter punk thrown in. Instead I found a novel that hit my emotions more than anything I've read in recent memory (maybe ever). The thriller and gore aspects are definitely there in heavy doses but it also provided a deep dive into the psyche of young man who just lost the love his life in a car accident. It follows his dark spiral in grief. At times, I honestly wanted to DNF because it was just too hard to read. But it was so enthralling that I had to follow it through to the end. It was a journey that I both didn't want to end but couldn't wait to be over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Murder
A story of grief and tragedy that weaves in body horror and Black Mirror-esque themes through technology and the dark web. Our main character, Sammy, is a walking tragedy. After losing his uncle in a devastating way, he copes by writing stories called ‘The Wax Man’ on Creepypasta. With the lack of family support that he needed, he really turned to these stories to find solace. At least he had his girlfriend and soulmate, Ellery, to keep him grounded and moving forward. Until the car accident. Spiraling, he turned back to the dark web and was sent a link that would unravel his life in ways he never expected that turned his online obsession into a real life manhunt.
Who runs this profane site and what is real?
I’ve never read something like Rekt. Sometimes it was a deeply tragic story of grief, sometimes I was cringing at the body horror, and other times I was on the edge of my seat. It really highlights the hidden horrors of the internet and how an obsession can change your psyche into not knowing what’s real and what isn’t. If you were a creepypasta fan, you will absolutely eat this one up. Overall, I really liked this. My only minor complaints is there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and some parts were a bit slow. Otherwise, this is a really unique book that I think a lot of people will really enjoy!
Thank you @erewhonbooks and @nahitsjustalex for the advanced copy!
Who runs this profane site and what is real?
I’ve never read something like Rekt. Sometimes it was a deeply tragic story of grief, sometimes I was cringing at the body horror, and other times I was on the edge of my seat. It really highlights the hidden horrors of the internet and how an obsession can change your psyche into not knowing what’s real and what isn’t. If you were a creepypasta fan, you will absolutely eat this one up. Overall, I really liked this. My only minor complaints is there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and some parts were a bit slow. Otherwise, this is a really unique book that I think a lot of people will really enjoy!
Thank you @erewhonbooks and @nahitsjustalex for the advanced copy!
** I received an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review**
Rekt is a book that is all about grief. From the very first page, the main character’s grief is just jumping off the page. Sammy has lost his girlfriend in a car accirdent and is having trouble processing the trauma. Throw the deep dark web into the mix, and you have a recipe for disaster.
I really enjoyed the story, and I personally had no issue with the pacing. There was a lot happening, which managed to keep me engaged enough through out the chapters. Though, I would have liked for the chapters to be a little shorter. Some parts dragged just a little bit, but this was not too big of a bother for me. The scariest part of the book is how close to reality it comes. Lots of things I can see happening in real life, with all of the AI going on.
There was much more gore in this book than I initially expected. Though, it definitely does not reaches the height of extreme horror and splatterpunk books. Not all characters had been equally developed, but the main character -who felt very unlikable, and that’s how I like my morally grey characters- felt very deep. His trauma, grief and insecurity really brings him to life.
Besides the dragging at some parts, the ending felt entirely anti-climactic and I was somewhat disappointed. The story felt a little unfinished. I guess it’s an open ending and up for interpretation? But that’s not the type of ending that I like. I would have given it 4 or maybe even 4,5 stars if the ending had been different.
Rekt is a book that is all about grief. From the very first page, the main character’s grief is just jumping off the page. Sammy has lost his girlfriend in a car accirdent and is having trouble processing the trauma. Throw the deep dark web into the mix, and you have a recipe for disaster.
I really enjoyed the story, and I personally had no issue with the pacing. There was a lot happening, which managed to keep me engaged enough through out the chapters. Though, I would have liked for the chapters to be a little shorter. Some parts dragged just a little bit, but this was not too big of a bother for me. The scariest part of the book is how close to reality it comes. Lots of things I can see happening in real life, with all of the AI going on.
There was much more gore in this book than I initially expected. Though, it definitely does not reaches the height of extreme horror and splatterpunk books. Not all characters had been equally developed, but the main character -who felt very unlikable, and that’s how I like my morally grey characters- felt very deep. His trauma, grief and insecurity really brings him to life.
Besides the dragging at some parts, the ending felt entirely anti-climactic and I was somewhat disappointed. The story felt a little unfinished. I guess it’s an open ending and up for interpretation? But that’s not the type of ending that I like. I would have given it 4 or maybe even 4,5 stars if the ending had been different.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly I’m sad I can’t rate this one higher. The premise is what drew me to it initially—I’m a sucker for stories about grief, and stories that involve the dark web. But for whatever reason, it took me forever to get into, and I just didn’t want to pick it up. Towards the end, the story is told through mixed media, and I felt like that worked much better for this sort of plot—I wish the whole thing would’ve been told that way. Overall, I’m glad I gave this one a shot, even though it didn’t quite meet my expectations.