Do Not Prepare Yourself—You Can't.
You know you’ve read a truly incredible book when you spend the final 10% with your jaw on the floor, yelling curse words at your Kindle. On top of that, I’ve already aggressively messaged my friends telling them they need to preorder this immediately. Hi, hello—I am officially this book’s self-appointed personal cheerleader!
I originally picked this up because, if you know me, a bloody cover and a killer synopsis are all I need to be sold.
Raphael Montes’ writing is so masterfully immersive that I felt less like a reader and more like an eyewitness to a slow-motion disaster. The plot follows four friends spinning into a downward spiral of awful decisions, and I was utterly powerless to look away. Just when I thought the narrative couldn’t possibly plunge any deeper into the darkness, it did. The characters are far from likable, but watching greed and desperation slowly warp their humanity made them impossible to turn away from. I was completely locked in, desperate to see how this brilliant trainwreck would finally collapse.
And that ending… I never saw it coming. It completely caught me off guard and was the absolute perfect way to wrap up such a deliciously twisted story.
All the stars. Just all of them.
If you like horror, read this. I haven’t even listened to the audio version yet, but I already know I’ll be gifting copies of the audiobook to everyone I know!
A quick personal note to the author: Thank you for making me laugh, making me cringe, and somehow ruining Winnie the Pooh for me all in the same breath. I desperately hope the rest of your backlist gets translated, because I am now a certified superfan of anything you write!
