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nikkirene00's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book because so many other people seemed to enjoy it, but I just didn't.
sjj169's review against another edition
3.0
Don't do drugs kids...just don't
This book. It's going to take a bit to get it out of my head. Not for the fainthearted at all!!!
Don't do drugs
I received an copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book. It's going to take a bit to get it out of my head. Not for the fainthearted at all!!!
Don't do drugs
I received an copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
4.0
Many thanks to Maxine at Booklover Catlady Publicity & Reviews and the author as I won an e copy of this book in a give away on Maxine's Facebook page.
Milk-Blood is quite a disturbing read. I mean how could it not be when the main character Lilly, a ten year old, is a drug addict. I had such empathy for Lilly. Even before her birth, it was quite obvious the world she was going to be brought into was going to be a cruel one.
The story flicks between chapters that are told in the third person to chapters told in the first by Lilly herself. Through the authors descriptions I could sadly visualise what Lilly must look like to others.
I think the fact that this novella is described as an urban horror gives the reader an idea of what to expect. Even though essentially Milk-Blood is a horror story the drug aspect of it is sadly very real. I think the true horror though lies with Lilly as, as a parent I felt a whole array of emotions of the kind of life she has to live.
Milk-Blood is a relatively quick read with it being a novella and is a perfect quick fix for any horror fans out there.
Milk-Blood is quite a disturbing read. I mean how could it not be when the main character Lilly, a ten year old, is a drug addict. I had such empathy for Lilly. Even before her birth, it was quite obvious the world she was going to be brought into was going to be a cruel one.
The story flicks between chapters that are told in the third person to chapters told in the first by Lilly herself. Through the authors descriptions I could sadly visualise what Lilly must look like to others.
I think the fact that this novella is described as an urban horror gives the reader an idea of what to expect. Even though essentially Milk-Blood is a horror story the drug aspect of it is sadly very real. I think the true horror though lies with Lilly as, as a parent I felt a whole array of emotions of the kind of life she has to live.
Milk-Blood is a relatively quick read with it being a novella and is a perfect quick fix for any horror fans out there.
david_john's review against another edition
4.0
I was given an advance copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I was particularly drawn to the subject as I work as a clinical social worker and have often had clients who struggled with various addictions. This is a very unsettling dark urban horror tale and what makes it especially disturbing is how realistically it portrays the horrors of drug addiction, poverty, child abuse, murder, sexual assault....well you get the idea. This is a gritty look at one aspect of inner city life and for some it may be too real to be considered entertainment or an enjoyable read. It is not for everyone but it is very well written and a compelling story.
brittlovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Deals with some pretty heavy subjects. I could have done without the "author's notes" throughout the novella.
wellwortharead's review against another edition
4.0
This story is unusual in that it is told from the point of view of each main character.
Zach who is taking care of his elderly mother, as best as her monthly checks allow, Latrice his girlfriend who finds herself pregnant after a strange encounter with Jervis.. the squatter in a burned out hovel, and Lilly the product born of that encounter.
This was a very unique story. A tale of poverty, child neglect, drug abuse, and sprits that do not rest in peace. The real star of this show would be Lilly, who is uncomfortable at her best and suffering pain at her worst. Often left alone and hungry and friendless. It was a dark and disturbing read.
I received a complimentary copy for review
Zach who is taking care of his elderly mother, as best as her monthly checks allow, Latrice his girlfriend who finds herself pregnant after a strange encounter with Jervis.. the squatter in a burned out hovel, and Lilly the product born of that encounter.
This was a very unique story. A tale of poverty, child neglect, drug abuse, and sprits that do not rest in peace. The real star of this show would be Lilly, who is uncomfortable at her best and suffering pain at her worst. Often left alone and hungry and friendless. It was a dark and disturbing read.
I received a complimentary copy for review
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
4.0
This is a serious as shit, no holds barred, urban horror story. It was difficult to read at times and I've read a lot of horror books. Trust me on this.
Being an addiction counselor, Mark Matthews knows what he is talking about when it comes to drug addictions. There are scenes here where characters are using drugs and the things they do-the things they put their bodies through- they're hard to stomach. Really hard.
When these scenes involve children, it's even worse. Somehow though, he reels the reader in-and with no soft promises that everything is going to be okay- either. Everything is definitely NOT okay. In fact, there is one scene from this story that I will never forget and even now, (I read this some months back before it was released), it sends chills up my spine.
It sounds like a brutal book, and it was, but in a way, I still found hope in it. Maybe just in the fact that someone noticed Lilly or thought about Lilly and her life. Or maybe I have to feel that way, so I don't have to admit that lives like this actually exist.
Highly recommended for fans of urban horror!
lauriereadslohf's review against another edition
4.0
Milk blood is a bleak, unflinching look at people in desperate situations. When I say bleak, I am not exaggerating. These people are more than down on their luck, they have hit rock bottom. It’s a gripping mix of the horror show that is drug addiction and otherworldly horror that feels so natural your skin may crawl. It’s descriptive and gut-wrenching and some truly terrible things happen to an innocent young girl. You might want to have something upbeat nearby because some of these scenes may wreck you. Unless I’m just getting wimpier as the years go by. Nah. I don't think that's it.
I listened to this story in its unabridged audiobook format which immerses you in the desolation of the story. The narrator is deadly serious (as he needs to be) and, to be honest, though it’s only 3 hours or so, I had to take breaks and listen to some silly horror podcasts in between. This story is intense and bothered me on a level that most horror can’t reach. It’s similar to Lynda Barry’s Cruddy in that way. Only without the humor. There's nothing humorous here.
Don’t do drugs people.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I listened to this story in its unabridged audiobook format which immerses you in the desolation of the story. The narrator is deadly serious (as he needs to be) and, to be honest, though it’s only 3 hours or so, I had to take breaks and listen to some silly horror podcasts in between. This story is intense and bothered me on a level that most horror can’t reach. It’s similar to Lynda Barry’s Cruddy in that way. Only without the humor. There's nothing humorous here.
Don’t do drugs people.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
ctgt's review against another edition
4.0
I guess I should get the disclaimers out of the way, I was a beta-reader for this book and the author sent me a free copy, so if you have a problem with me reviewing this book then move right along, no further reading necessary.
This is a tale of urban decay, drug addiction and a family. The majority of the story is spent in the real world but slips into the supernatural from time to time. The main character, Lilly seems doomed from the very beginning with her, shall we say, strange conception and her very dysfuntional family life. So right off the bat you're cheering for Lilly to overcome. But she really faces an uphill battle considering her dad, uncle, the kids at school and Jervis the squatter in the burned out house across the street.
There are some unforgettable scenes in the story including the previously mentioned conception of Lilly, the bathroom sequence with grandma and the transformation of Lilly(in several ways). All told I thought this book did a good job of straddling the line between a bleak reality and the supernatural and presented some pretty memorable characters.
This is a tale of urban decay, drug addiction and a family. The majority of the story is spent in the real world but slips into the supernatural from time to time. The main character, Lilly seems doomed from the very beginning with her, shall we say, strange conception and her very dysfuntional family life. So right off the bat you're cheering for Lilly to overcome. But she really faces an uphill battle considering her dad, uncle, the kids at school and Jervis the squatter in the burned out house across the street.
There are some unforgettable scenes in the story including the previously mentioned conception of Lilly, the bathroom sequence with grandma and the transformation of Lilly(in several ways). All told I thought this book did a good job of straddling the line between a bleak reality and the supernatural and presented some pretty memorable characters.