A fast-paced and entertaining read with plenty to please lovers of gore.

There are several little details I disliked that added up, like an odd understanding of technology, scenes that were a little too goofy to be disturbing, and some bad choices of phrasing.

Despite that, I read most of this in a single afternoon and had fun with it.

This was my first David Bernstein book, it definitely will not be my last.
Episodes of violence had me on the edge of my seat, flipping through pages as fast as possible.
If you’re not into blood, pain and destruction then you might want to skip this one.
Great book!

With a title like this, you know exactly what you are getting into and, boy, does it deliver! This book was absolutely relentless right from the start and left me wanting to read much more from David Bernstein. Just as a caution though, this book is extreme horror. It can get very brutal and graphic at times. If that's not for you, you might might to pass on this one. As for me, I loved it!
Many thanks to NetGalley, RDS Publishing, and David Bernstein for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my opinion.

I love horror stories and thought Amber was a great character if not a tad bit naïve but I knew when on the first page when Amberss opinions mirrored ones I think a man would have that I wasn’t going to like this but not to mention her boyfriends name was Demon. I can forgive a lot of things for the sake of a good book and I even don’t mind detailed sex scenes if apropos to the story but in this book they were not it was like a narrative written by a teenage boy and I guess I am too far removed from that category to enjoy it. Please forgive any mistakes I am blind and dictate my review I would like to thank the publisher for my free hardcopy via NetGalley but all opinions are definitely my own

Loved it ..So kickass. I want more.AMAZING ENDING!!!!! I definitely look forward to reading more from him. Definitely becoming a,must read author

First time reading David Bernstein, and enjoyed this book. Not for the faint of heart. Will definitely be trying to find more to read from him. #EpisodesofViolence #NetGalley

this was such a vicious horror novel in this world. It had everything that I was looking for in the description. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall concept of the book. It had that tense atmosphere and I was engaged with everything that happened. The characters worked in this world and glad I was able to read this. David Bernstein has a strong writing style and can't wait for more.

Posted on Goodreads:

3.75/5⭐️

Not going to lie. Almost DnFd at 30%. Didn’t care for Bobby, Jade and Daemon. Too much time was spent on them and not enough on Amber whose character I really liked. How her character evolves was chefs kiss and I was not disappointed.

This story is straight forward. Picture a small town. The first 3 are introduced. They’re trouble. What starts as busting mailboxes evolves into a delve into enjoying the dark. And we go dark.

Amber is introduced and the events of college become horrid, spiraling into a side she didn’t know she had. As she’s trying to cope something happens that breaks the camels back for her.

There is a lot of violence. And though it’s a straight forward story, I feel it paints an interesting picture of how some people are just bad and some become bad.

Please check trigger warnings. (Bullying, SA, torture, mutilation, gore, gun violence)

Thank you netgalley, publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved the cover!

This consisted of gore! There was several storylines to follow and it will lead readers on a journey of revenge and traumas while it explores mental health and it is an eye opener.

Some parts were repetitive but overall i found the story to keep you engaged and want to find out what was going to happen.
Would recommend to other readers and would read more from the author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Review

Likes:

The cover is gorgeous, beautiful, gives me saw vibes (a horror film I am fond of).

It talks about how people lie when they say they pity someone and never actually make a chance themselves for a better world (donation, etc.). I really liked that as it's for most true and that it got mentioned is really important.

Different perspectives from the characters and their view of the world. This already happens at the start of the story, no character is the 'main' or most important one, they all fulfil eachother and the story.

Talking about sexual abuse and how it affects someone and how most of the time no one believes someone. Also liked how Amber didn't keep quiet and tried to get her rightful justice.

Different POV's each chapter. As a reader you can get an insight of each characters view and for some even their backstory, making them more likeable and one can sympathise with them more.

Dislikes:

I got triggered by the sexual stuff, but I think that's kinda my own fault 'cause the description and title already gave it away. Kinda hoped it was all kinds of violence but nothing sexual. (I also skipped those scenes for triggering purposes).

Stupid decisions made by the first set of characters (Jade and Daemon). Bobby was more smart and saved them a lot of times.

The story was interesting, but often it was boring as unfortunately the pace was too slow. It was more focused on backstories and different POV's for a single scene that the actual story was left hanging. The beginning was the slowest, it took a few chapters till something actually started happening. I think the intro should have been a bit shorter.


What to do for a higher rating:

Faster pace, the beginning should already lure a reader and no focus of the wrong things. More realistic scenes as even with burning one can find DNA and stuff. And please, no stupid decisions made by the characters.


End note/Final thoughts:

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of Episodes of Violence by David Bernstein.



Started the book: 19. March 2024
Finished the book: 19. March 2024
Wrote the review: 19. March 2024

Not only is it a damn good book. It is an exquisite concoction of depraved violence and superb storytelling that will floor you. This book shows you just how evil the disease known as mankind is and how far we are willing to go for what we love.

David Bernstein's 'Episodes of Violence,' originally a 2017 publication, gets justifiably revamped for more people to learn of it and enjoy it. It's an excellent extreme horror novel, of stunning writing quality, mercilessly realistic imagery, and bloody good dialogue! It's unusual to find an author with such great psychological insight into his characters and the situations they have to face. Their reactions are detailed, totally convincing, and at times even too real, too concrete; it feels like reading something true, compellingly told from first-hand knowledge (presumably, it isn't.) Yes, there's lots of gore and graphic violence, but it all unfolds with uncanny precision and extreme attention to detail: triggering situations are abundant, but the pages ooze with Bernstein's talent and absolute control of his complex story, above anything else. The novel follows two different plotlines (the second coming out of nowhere in the middle of the book!), and when they collide, one realizes how high the anticipation had been all along to uncover how they were connected. On the one hand, there's a series of violent (very violent) crimes by a group of three young adults; on the other, the personal story of a female student who discovers the dark side of sororities and pledging. The characterization and the pacing in both cases are superb. I recommend this one very, very highly! #EpisodesofViolence #NetGalley

This book consists of two interconnected storylines that converge, leading readers on a journey of vengeance and confronting past traumas while exploring the theme of mental health.
Although I found certain parts to be repetitive and lacking in character growth, overall, I found it to be an engaging and compelling read.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this advance reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

A town ravaged by fear of random murders and one person determined to make them pay for the chaos they have caused to the town and to their own life.

This book was an amazing find and I'm really glad I got the chance to read it. It was very hard to put down and not finish in one sitting. The story is exciting and really builds up tension through every chapter. The characters have believable backstories and they all manage to fit very well into this setting. I never thought "this is too much" because Bernstein did an excellent job of world and character building.

The story follows three young adults on a blood soaked journey for enjoyment and one person they should not have gotten on the wrong side of. The story is very graphic and has some disturbing content to say the least, but it adds to the story and isn't just for show. You believe that these characters would actually do the acts they do.

An absolute must read for anyone who enjoys tales of revenge and doesn't mind a couple of bloody pages.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a fast paced ride through hell. I absolutely love extreme horror and splatterpunk so I was very excited to get approved for this arc. It had so much blood and gore from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a lot of blood and violence in their horror novels.

I flew through this book in 2 sittings. It would have been one if I could talk my family into shushing! David Bernstein is new to me. After reading Episodes of Violence, I will absolutely be checking out more of his work. His writing is tight, no purple prose to be seen, and the story moved along at an extremely quick pace.

Part 1: Path of Destruction- Bobby, Daemon and Jade are a trio of troublemakers. They spend their free time playing mailbox baseball to satisfy their need to destroy. After a mishap with another vehicle during their game, the three friends get a taste for destroying more than mailboxes. This part of the story is really fun. I found myself cheering for these three because they were having such a blast causing massive chaos.

Part 2: Amber- This part of the story was more intense and infuriating for me. I found myself getting more and more angry at all of the people letting Amber down after something awful happens to her.

At some point, these two tales of brutality meld together to become an amazing tale of revenge, mental illness, and evil. Bobby, Daemon, and Jade are still running around doling out violence and chaos, while Amber is trying to move on with her life and ignore the voice in her head trying to control her actions. The level of utter glee that these characters, save Amber, experience while causing pain is infectious. This is evidence of a masterful wordsmith, the ability to make you enjoy these violent scenes without feeling dirty. (Just me? Whatever.)

Highly recommend! Releases March 30th, 2024 by Uncomfortably Dark Horror

I feel a bit so-so about this one. I loved the start and very end. But I felt like the way Amber was portraited annoyed me.. I don't think what happened to her and afterward was very well thought out and it instantly put me off.

This was an alright one for me. For being gore ish it was just more repetitive than anything. I kinda couldn’t get into this one.

I would firstly like to thank RDS Publishing , David Bernstein and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of ' Episodes of Violence. Due for publication at the end of March . This is definitely not a book to be overlooked .
I have been an avid reader of splatterpunk for many years , but this is the first novel by David Bernstein I have read .

In all honesty the book is an uncomfortable read in the sense that it is very realistic at times ( The best ones always are ) The murder scenes are brutal and sadistic as the book follows a small group of undesirables and loners with a kinship for violence and terror whatever the cost .
I loved the way the book seemed to tell two completely different stories that merged together to intertwine for the conclusion .

It is certainly not a read for the Squeamish and faint of heart and belongs in the niche genre of extreme and graphic horror . The ending is action packed as the book embarks in a cat and mouse game of the hunter being hunted concluding in the anticipation that a sequel maybe still to come . A brilliant fast paced read and highly recommended #EpisodesofViolence #NetGalley

I have started getting into Splatterpunk books so the plot of this drew me in instantly. The gore and growing violence adding to the need to survive was exhilarating.