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andiballi 's review for:
Breathe In, Bleed Out
by Brian McAuley
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
God, I love a fun horror novel.
This is the first time I’ve picked up a book and felt like I was watching a classic slasher film. I enjoyed every second, and I truly didn’t see the twisty end coming until it was right there in front of my face. I read the entire book in two days, squinting at different lines and highlighting away like I was a little detective. There are so many juicy clues casually dropped into the actual word choices and in the behaviors of the characters. I felt so sure I knew what was going on the whole time, but I was wrong - and that’s my favorite way for horror stories to go.
The writing style is witty and often pretty funny. I saw a lot of myself in the attitudes of multiple characters, and that just cracked right me up. The death scenes were creative and disgusting too, just how I like them. I even threw my phone down once and yelled for a quick second, just to release the abject horror I was experiencing while reading through the descriptions in this novel (the snake, man… the snake…). I think the author, much like myself, loves a perfectly curated death scene.
I think this story is a lovely callback to all the things horror watchers, readers, and writers love about the classics. It has an interesting setting that I haven’t really seen done before and approaches the subject matter in a serious but also satirical way that was exciting to see. The flaws of the characters aren’t sugar coated, and often times their flaws are almost too glaring and off-putting… but there’s always more to the story than that, isn’t there?
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this - and that’s what matters most to me. I love a story that can scare me and make me giggle at the same time. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good scary movie. What’s a little fear amongst friends anyway, eh? Pick this one up and have a little fun. Signing off with the funniest line I’ve ever read, as the author so aptly says: in the name of the Freddy, the Michael, and the Jason Voorhees - slaymen.
This is the first time I’ve picked up a book and felt like I was watching a classic slasher film. I enjoyed every second, and I truly didn’t see the twisty end coming until it was right there in front of my face. I read the entire book in two days, squinting at different lines and highlighting away like I was a little detective. There are so many juicy clues casually dropped into the actual word choices and in the behaviors of the characters. I felt so sure I knew what was going on the whole time, but I was wrong - and that’s my favorite way for horror stories to go.
The writing style is witty and often pretty funny. I saw a lot of myself in the attitudes of multiple characters, and that just cracked right me up. The death scenes were creative and disgusting too, just how I like them. I even threw my phone down once and yelled for a quick second, just to release the abject horror I was experiencing while reading through the descriptions in this novel (the snake, man… the snake…). I think the author, much like myself, loves a perfectly curated death scene.
I think this story is a lovely callback to all the things horror watchers, readers, and writers love about the classics. It has an interesting setting that I haven’t really seen done before and approaches the subject matter in a serious but also satirical way that was exciting to see. The flaws of the characters aren’t sugar coated, and often times their flaws are almost too glaring and off-putting… but there’s always more to the story than that, isn’t there?
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this - and that’s what matters most to me. I love a story that can scare me and make me giggle at the same time. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good scary movie. What’s a little fear amongst friends anyway, eh? Pick this one up and have a little fun. Signing off with the funniest line I’ve ever read, as the author so aptly says: in the name of the Freddy, the Michael, and the Jason Voorhees - slaymen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use