There's an episode of the podcast 'The Black Tapes' about the Unsound. It's a sound that eventually leads to death. There's more to it, but that's the gist.

This is kind of like that. You read a book and you suffer the consequences. Jesse, former guitarist/former addict/current dad, reads this book and quickly finds himself as a new chapter in this book. Car chase, mysterious voices, a ditch, video screens - it's all the makings of a horror story/film.

As many have mentioned, the writing is choppy. And on purpose. Because it adds tension. To the story. (OR, it's just a really clever plot device that puts the reader into the brain of Jesse as he spirals out of control and his confusion increase as time goes by.)

Still - I think in my head, I think that much like the first Blair Witch, this could have been scarier. In the age of social media, this could have been hyped a particular way - maybe that's the marketing side of me.

Either way- Will Haunt You is a scary book, but I would rather listen to the "Unsound" a few more times.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

"OBSIDEO. [...] ALWAYS WATCHING"

Friends, this was... a weird book. I finished reading it almost 2 weeks ago and honestly I don't know if I will ever shake the "WTF did I read?" from my brain. This book definitely delivered on the horror, but it is also a strange read.

"WARNING I read a book much like the one you're holding now. And this is what happened to me. Don't make the same mistake. Please, put it down. Or better yet, throw it away. This is your last warning. Turn the page, and you're on your own. Actually, that's not true. Turn the page and he'll be there, watching you."

The premise of this story is instantly gripping: a book that somehow puts you on the radar of some evil entity? Yes please. I read those opening lines the warning as I was curled up in bed, and legit noped out for something a little less creepy for my nighttime reading - which is always a good sign!

The book is told in the point of view of our main character Jesse, whose hindsight and sense of foreboding oozes off of the page. I am a sucker for stories that are kind of told in the past tense, "don't make the same mistakes as I did" perspective. Jesse and his friends are playing a reunion gig for their band in a bar as the book opens up, the first time in ten years that the band has played. We learn that while Jesse cleaned up his alcoholic rockstar life, his friends Solomon and Caspian are still living it up. The clean, married life he has lived as atonement for a dark secret from the days when he got blackout drunk is in stark contrast to the life of his friends, and a cause of tension between he and Caspian.

The narrative voice quickly descended into a gross, sexist, and misogynistic place. All of the characters are kind of horrible. From "friends" goading a recovering alcoholic into drinking to talking about his friend screwing "anything with a hole" in the parking lot, I quickly found myself wondering if this interesting story would be for me. Because of my disliking essentially everyone, even the narrator, I struggled quite a bit for the first three and a half chapters of the book. But then the horror started, things got spooky... and very weird.

"'This is no joke. And you're the one who made a mistake, not us. You're the one who asked for this. Now you have it. Now it's here. The only question is how the story ends for you. Because it's only just begun."

There's no real way to write this review without spoiling the book. Jesse's secret is the key to the personalized horror that he experiences during the course of this book, and I definitely appreciated the journey and character development that Jesse undergoes through the course of this night, and by the end I was rooting for him.

"Bury who I used to be."

Unfortunately I found the narrative a bit difficult to follow after the accident (when the spooky stuff starts to happen). I have so many notes on my eARC that are some iteration of "WTF am I reading?!" that looking back now makes me laugh. The story that Kirk has crafted is very complex and it is obvious that he is trying to make a statement about humanity and redemption, but it wasn't executed very well in my opinion. It's possible that the book is going through so additional edits before final publication, so perhaps the plotting will be tighter and easier to follow

Overall this was an interesting and eclectic horror read, if not incredibly bizarre. I am actually really interested in the overarching story of OBSIDEO and actually found myself most engaged with that mystery. This is a fast paced and action-packed read that delivers on the horror, but I found it difficult to follow the overall story. While I am still not sure what precisely happened at the end of the book, I really liked the redemption of the unlikable (to me) main character and the underlying conversations on the philosophy of being. I just wish I had a sense of understanding when I read the final pages.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me an eARC via NetGalley for review. Quotations are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon publication.

Aging rocker, Jesse, has a bit of a problem. A mysterious radio broadcast fills his ears moments before his car crashes, and he finds himself fleeing into the nearby woods, chased by identical twins and strange creatures. It’s a lousy way to end a night that should have been spent celebrating the final performance of his band, Rising Dead. A recovering alcoholic, he should have been sipping seltzer and getting home early to his wife and son. Instead, he finds himself ensnared in a conspiracy far beyond his understanding, targeted for reasons he’ll never know. All because he read a stupid book.

Brian Kirk’s Will Haunt You is told entirely from Jesse’s first-person point-of-view, and readers will no doubt find themselves just as mystified and confused by the perilous, bizarre situations Jesse is confronted with. Jesse, of course, has no idea what the hell is happening, or why, but we’re in this together, our knowledge equally, and frustratingly, limited.

Once things kick off and we’re plunged into the thick of things, Will Haunt You is positively terrifying, and Kirk delivers what may be some of the best horror writing of the year thus far. The atmosphere induces an instinctual dread, coupled with the sheer craziness of the situation we’re launched into. It’s a chaotic and confounding assault on the senses. We don’t know what is happening, let alone what could happen next. Just like Jesse, readers are denied any sort of information or hints as to why these things are occurring or who is responsible, and it’s legitimately scary stuff. The total denial of information is wholly unsteadying. Almost immediately, the rug is pulled out from under us and we’re forced to run headlong into the dark, completely ignorant of what’s out there. Kirk’s writing is highly effective and he makes Jesse’s nightmare ours, whether we want it or not.

I can’t help but compare Will Haunt You to the David Fincher film, The Game, with Michael Douglas. There’s a measure of alternate reality gaming-cum-plot, although Will Haunt You is far more conspiracy driven. It also breaks the fourth wall on occasion. Jesse is fully aware that we are reading his story and that Will Haunt You is, literally, his story. He’s written this book as a warning, but the fact that you’re reading it at all means it’s already too late. They’re watching you, and you’re next!

How well these disruptions in the narrative work will vary by reader. It’s simply a matter of how willing you are to suspend your disbelief and play along, as it were. Personally, I found these moments of direct communication to be a bit clunky, and when they first occurred I found them to be the equivalent of an ineffective jump scare. It just didn’t work for me, and I’m not really a fan of this technique to begin with. I’m also not able to suspend my levels of disbelief long enough to take Jesse at his word. Rather than taking me deeper into the story and its alternate reality, it did the opposite, reminding me that I am just reading a book. Granted, it’s at least a book that is otherwise skillfully told and highly engaging. I would have much preferred to know more about the book Jesse read that dragged him into this whole affair, but instead that particular text is a barely discussed MacGuffin. We don’t get to know much about the book Jesse read, other than it’s a commercially, widely available read that anybody could purchase. Will Haunt You, itself, physically, takes on the role of plot device, becoming both object and subject, with frequent warnings aimed at the reader. It’s an interesting experiment, and I have to applaud Kirk for attempting something different, even if these ultimately minor elements didn’t fully work for me.

I also have to give Kirk credit for making Jesse a tragically flawed monster in his own right. Jesse is an alcoholic, a liar, and a cheater, but he’s also trying to redeem himself, even if he doesn’t particularly want or value that redemption. Readers who need a likable protagonist will find that Jesse falls well short of the mark, often and repeatedly. Reading Jesse’s story is a study in conflict, vacillating between wanting to see him punished for his various misdeeds, but also rooting for him to find some degree of answers just so you know what the hell is going on. Those answers, though, don’t come cheaply or easily…for anybody.

Will Haunt You is a consistently engaging meta narrative, even if its experimental form does take a few minor stumbles on those rare occasions when the story’s artificiality attempts to assert itself upon our own reality. This is ultimately a minor quibble. Taken on the whole, Kirk’s story is brutally, oftentimes maddeningly, engaging and presents some of the best, and most sustained, WTF?! sequences in recent memory.

2.5 stars

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story is meta! It begins with a warning to the reader that were you to proceed there is no turning back and bad things will happen to you – at times “the author” even speaks directly to you. If you continue reading, you’ll be sucked into whatever craziness this is. Of course, that immediately drew me in. The book starts off with a bang. We get to meet disillusioned guitarist, Jesse, who now writes commercial jingles instead of touring with his former heavy metal band. He is barely scraping by trying to support a wife and a child with a disability. Immediately after a one-time reunion concert, he is giving his drunk friend (and frontman of the band) a lift home …. and now things get weird. As Jesse is driving down the road, ominous creatures appear out of nowhere, subliminal messages stream over a radio station, are they hunting him? why does the radio host know his name? and his friend bizarrely sleeps through all of this. Are these events related to a book Jesse recently read and who’s warning he blissfully ignored (same as you, the reader)? Or is he going crazy and all of this is happening in his head? Or could this be an elaborate prank orchestrated by his former band members? You, as the reader, may never find out. All you do need to know is that a journey through a funhouse on steroids begins and a hunt for survival begins. Honestly, that is where the author lost me. The chaos was so extreme and elaborate that I didn’t have time to even imagine the scary stuff that was happening. I was confused and irritated. I couldn’t follow the story. I know that this was done on purpose so I could experience what Jesse is experiencing but it just didn’t work for me. I wanted to be scared so badly but I never got there, and I am usually super susceptible to this kind of horror.

I am sad that this novel left me wishing for more. Great concept, much much less great execution. What I appreciated the most are the parallels between the things that happen to Jesse and his past steps to sobriety. His alcoholism led him to many questionable life choices, which he regrets but has to live through one more time.

Meet Jesse, a former member of a heavy metal band who reads a book with a warning, the same warning that was in my copy, your warned to put the book down, to throw it away. Or it will haunt you. Like me, Jesse read the book.

If Alice was in a rock band I have a feeling she would have tumbled down the same hole as Jesse.

This book is weird, it's pretty upside down and sideways. I was really unsure throughout if I was engaged in this book, if I was enjoying it, having now finished the book I'm sure I did. It lost me on occasions but it tied up nicely at the end.

Overall I'm bang in the middle, a 3 star read.

I'm done, now haunt me book!

I picked up a copy of this book because I was in the mood for a good horror novel. It has been a really long time since I have read a good horror novel. Sadly, this book did not end up being that "one. Yet, the concept was there and could have been.

It is funny as I was struggling with this book and kept putting it down after a few chapters not really able to put my finger on what the issue was. I knew that the one thing was that I could not connect or cared for the characters including the main lead Jesse. It was not until I read a few other readers thoughts that I realized what the problem was. Which, I don't typically read reviews until after I have read the book.

The problem is that the way the characters voiced their thoughts was not in full sentences. It was short and choppy. I might have been able to excuse this style of writing if I had been more into the overall book. As I stated this book did have elements of being a good horror book. It is dark and the transformation that Jesse experienced could give you nightmares. A good idea that was not executed as well in the end.

I am not really sure where to start with Will Haunt You the upcoming release by Brian Kirk being published by Flamer Tree Press. I was really looking forward to this one, but it didn’t live up to the expectation I had based on the synopsis. From the publisher:

"You don’t read the book. It reads you.
Rumors of a deadly book have been floating around the dark corners of the deep web. A disturbing tale about a mysterious figure who preys on those who read the book and subjects them to a world of personalized terror.
Jesse Wheeler—former guitarist of the heavy metal group The Rising Dead—was quick to discount the ominous folklore associated with the book. It takes more than some urban legend to frighten him. Hell, reality is scary enough. Seven years ago his greatest responsibility was the nightly guitar solo. Then one night when Jesse was blackout drunk, he accidentally injured his son, leaving him permanently disabled. Dreams of being a rock star died when he destroyed his son’s future. Now he cuts radio jingles and fights to stay clean.
But Jesse is wrong. The legend is real—and tonight he will become the protagonist in an elaborate scheme specifically tailored to prey on his fears and resurrect the ghosts from his past.
Jesse is not the only one in danger, however. By reading the book, you have volunteered to participate in the author’s deadly game, with every page drawing you closer to your own personalized nightmare. The real horror doesn’t begin until you reach the end.
That’s when the evil comes for you."

Doesn’t that synopsis sound like something you want to read? That’s what I thought but rather than a novel about a haunted text, what I got was a surreal, disjointed fever dream of a story that confused me in almost every chapter. Speaking of chapters, there are cipher keys at the top of each that you need to record and use a primer at the end of the book to decode- good fun or gimmick? I’ll let you decide. The biggest let down was that the deadly book is barely focused on! It’s mentioned but it’s provenance is hardly explored…unless it was and I was so confused I just didn’t get it, perhaps that is the case. Add to the mix characters that I didn’t really care about and it made this one hard to keep reading.

This book was really a let down. I wanted to like it so much but it just didn’t do it for me. Maybe I didn’t “get it” and like the mysterious book in the story if you read it you’ll get another story entirely, for your sake I hope so, but for this reader it totally fell flat.

Jesse Wheeler - former guitarist of the heavy metal band The Rising Dead - learns of a book that you don't read, it reads you. Jesse doesn't think much of it as it takes a lot to scare him but he will soon find out how wrong he is. Once you read the book, you agree to become a protagonist in your own personalized nightmare. The reader will be subjected to terrors that prey on their own fears and bring up ghosts from the past. Now that you have read the book, you've agreed to play the game as well.

This book was a good read, but not great. I found that it took me quite a bit of time to get through it and that I didn't really care about the characters or their plight. It never kept me interested or was something that I thought about when I wasn't reading it. This story seemed so interesting and I really wanted to like it but I felt like there could have been so much more to it. I wish that there was more information about the cursed book and who was torturing Jesse but there was really nothing. It was such a confusing read that I couldn't really get into the story and invest in the characters or the story. It's a shame too because I really wanted to like it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the ARC.

A 3.5 star read. Not quite 4 stars for me but still pretty good.

I first heard about this book on instagram. Someone posted a review of the book and it intrigued me. A story about a book that after reading, the reader enters some personal hell. That sounded really interesting. I was expecting to learn more about the history of this book, and what happens. Unfortunately, the beginning was just a confusing mess. We don't really know what is happening to Jesse, and why he is experiencing what he is. It isn't really clear this is because of a cursed book, except for a few throw away lines scattered in the narrative.

I started to enjoy the book more once Jesse went to the cabin with his AAA sponsor. At that point, it felt that there was more of a narrative. I started to relax into the story. I enjoyed it until the very end. The ending was not very satisfying for me.

This book is at times confusing. There is some philosophical and existential talk. Not my favorite genre to read. I did find the second half of the book to be an interesting story, and that is what redeemed the book for me.

I received a free ARC fron Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher Flame Tree Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I noticed the authors being published by Flame Tree, especially the legendary Ramsey Campbell, I was hopeful that Will Haunt You would be an interesting and original horror story. It was based on this, more than the blurb about this being a “haunted book” story. I have read many haunted book/haunted painting/haunted dollhouse/haunted box found at a garage sale-- even haunted rocking horse stories and they are all pretty much the same. This is not a haunted book story. More like a haunted author/haunted reader story---but really more than that too. You will see what I mean.

By around 10% into the story I realized that Will Haunt You was filled with recurring imagery and concepts and symbols expressed through characters and that I needed to read for the story (the top of a frozen pond perhaps) but also for the deeper story that lay beneath that frozen surface swimming around in the murky depths below. When I finished I was tempted to read it again, and I probably will, to get the rest of it because I need to know what is behind all those mirrors and who the mysterious Mr. O really is. Will Haunt You felt at the end to me like the first part of a larger story. I wanted a few more chapters to see what else happened.

As one reviewer pointed out—the vignette in the middle of the novel about the orphanage is so original and chilling that I thought it alone was worth the price of admission. I wonder if the writer wrote this first and then the rest of the novel formed around it.

Really liked it. Will be reading more by this author and from Flame Tree Press who I thank for the advance copy.

I give up. I made it 20% into the novel and just couldn't make myself care enough to continue. This may be someone else's cup of tea, but in the end I decided I had (much) better stuff to read. Here are my main problems with this book:


1. I had no clue what was going on. I don't mind a novel starting in media res, but at some point things have to start making some sense for me to want to keep reading. And yes, I get that there will be an "all will be revealed" moment somewhere down the line, but I honestly didn't care enough to find out.


2. While I love a good forced confinement story (Misery is one of my favorite novels ever, in any genre), this one just felt like a trip through one of these extreme haunted houses that have become popular in recent years. Instead of gripping psychological terror, it's simply torture porn and seems to be geared towards being consumed more as a film than a novel. This is made worse by the fact that the main character doesn't have enough of a personality to drive the story forward. He's simply a prop for things to happen to him.


3. The popular trope of book/video/message that curses anyone who handles it has become overused and boring. In this case, it's a book, and there are sporadic, clumsy callouts to the reader (that is, us) warning us to put the book down, or mentioning that there's a camera recording us right now... yawn. This might have worked if it had been better planned.


Otherwise, the writing was actually quite decent. I just wish it had kept me interested.


If anyone else reads this and actually likes it, I would love to chat about it. And I'm not being sarcastic here; part of the problem might be that I'm just not the right audience for this book. But hey, maybe this means I won't get killed by the creepy book. Right?


I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Flame Tree Press, Brian Kirk, and Netgalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise for this book sounded abs-freaking-lutely amazing!!! I was all for it. However, I feel it didn’t quite hit the mark. It really started off very suspenseful and downright creepy...but then it got weird, and it kept getting weird. It was so bizarre I had some trouble following the story. There didn’t feel like any rhyme or reason for why the author was taking the story in a particular direction other than it was weird. Which would have been fine but I also felt like I was missing something throughout the story. Kind of a ‘had to have been there’ thing, which was also kind of weird and I wonder if it’s just me? I really don’t quite understand the concept of the villains here. There was a lot of philosophy (which I don’t like) which could have been the problem too.

I could not tell in which direction anything was headed. I spent the majority of the time not trusting a damn thing as hope is dangled above Jesse like a carrot so often that it begins to feel so flimsy every time. That alone kept the story pretty suspenseful.

I will say though that Kirk did a stupendous job on that ending! The ending made the book.

Happy Reading

I would like to thank Flame Tree Press for the ARC through NetGalley.

A book that will lead its reader to a nightmare in real life. Will Haunt You had a premise and a main character that are a winning combination. Jesse Wheeler is an retired musician in a heavy metal band. We are introduced in the best way with a reunion concert that truly kicks butt.

The "nightmare" that ensues is very strange and creepy. However, it seems to go off the rails of possibility making it hard to follow at times. It seemed bizarre and dream like which I really loved at times, and wished made a bit more sense at times.

Overall, Will Haunt You had some issues, but also had some elements that really hit the mark. The premise, creepy situations, and main character to die for made it a fun read.

What an absolutely diabolical theme! And the ending will have you wondering...could this really happen?? The tension just keeps building and building until the slightest little unexpected sound will make you jump in your seat. That's the kind of book that...will haunt you. Highly recommended.

** I thank the publisher and/or author for allowing me to read this novel as an ARC, without recompense, in exchange for my honest review. **

I tried to finish this book but only made it about halfway through. I was going to continue since I'd gotten that far, but only out of the same stupid bravado that makes me try and keep eating a curry dish that's just too hot for me. What's the point? Life's too short. I'm not saying it's a bad book, it just wasn't for me. Horror is very personal, and the kind of thing a person finds scary is as specific as the kinds of things we find sexy. For me this book was just really unpleasant, but some people might love it. It has sort of a Stephen King vibe if you like that sort of thing.

Words cannot describe the bizarrely weird story author Kirk has written, and I mean that in a really good way. he takes you on such a rollercoaster ride of emotions as you try to understand what you're reading and what it all really means, and then... wham! The ending will kick you in the face when you see what it was all for. Brilliant!

This is a fantastic and very original story about a book that is supposed to be haunted or possessed or some other kind of evil that will terrorise the reader physically and mentally after reading. Jesse didn't believe the hype and went ahead and read it. Awful things start happening to Jesse and at first he thinks it's all a set up, some elaborate game his friends have set up for him. But then things get much worse and Jesse can no longer tell what is real and what is just in his messed up head. A twisted and sometimes gory horror with a bit of science fiction thrown in too. I loved it!

At the start of this novel I didn't notice any "rumors of a "deadly book" as mentioned in the description, but after recovering addict and rock and roller Jesse performs at a reunion of his former band there is mention that he read a book that was recommended to him. On his way home to his wife and son after the show, he hears a horrifying radio broadcast that seems to be for his ears only. I thought this was an incredibly creepy start, but as the story went on it felt more like a science fiction than the horror I was hoping for. Still it was very creative as Jesse tries to find his way out of a nightmare world that seems to have been invented only for him.

OH MY WORD.... How to explain this book! I know there are a lot of readers out there that just did not like it, but for me, Will Haunt You was absolutely fantastic!
At this point in time in my life, this has seriously been one of the most interesting books I've ever read.... and also at the top of my list as far as thought provoking goes. Never in my life have I ever read a book that had my mind so racing as to figure out the plot of the story, to understand what was happening in the main character's life and to try and understand the point to it all. Even with all my annotations to go back to and revise.... I still got the ending completely wrong!! It certainly wasn't what I thought it would be.
The genre for this novel has been set as horror/thriller/mystery, but I would also like to throw some Bizarro into that mix since there are a lot of bizarre events taking place in this here story.
This was a beautifully written and a very well plotted novel with characters I just loved to hate (I even felt a bit of disdain for the protagonist). Favorite quotes in this book: "Alcoholism isn't a disease; it's a possession. That's why we fight it with faith." or "Insecure men consider emotion a weakness. Men who have faced their demons and survived think different." *heart*
As for the author.... I loved his style in writing and the way he narrated the events of this very dark tale. At least it was done with a lot of dark humor (something else that made me like the book even more). This man's comments and sentiments about life is gloomy and beautiful at the same time, and (according to me) right on the money. Life sure isn't a Disney movie, and things are constantly thrown in our path that we need to overcome.
I wish I could divulge more about this intricate tale, but I'm afraid to do so. Afraid that the new readers out there might be able to figure this out before they come to the end and I really, badly need everyone to read to the end and feel the full impact of this story as I did.
Just one more things I need to say:
If you are anything like me (forgetful and easily distracted) I really can't stress the importance of annotations enough!! You will want them and will need them to keep the storyline straight in your head. The first half of this book can be confusing at times and you'll want to revisit those notes.
I would just like to thank Brian Kirk, Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this extraordinary book. It sure was one hell of a journey...

I'm not sure exactly how to summarize this book, but I'll give it a go:

Jesse is an aging guitarist for a metal band. After performing a reunion show with his band, he's abducted and things get really strange. Throughout the book, he's not sure what is real and what isn't. There are situations he's put in that shouldn't be possible, but are too real not to be. It doesn't help that people he knows and trusts may be in on it too - or are they? He doesn't know why this is happening or what he can do to escape. The story gets kind of meta too, which was interesting. We are told over and over not to read this book. We know Jesse read it, and that must be why he's been taken. But we don't know why. And I'm not sure if we ever really find out why. 

Will Haunt You had great atmosphere. The beginning hooks you, you want to know so badly what is going on. That feeling of mystery and anxiety carry through to the end, but I felt the ending itself was a little convoluted. This ending wasn't meant to be ambiguous, I don't think at least - I felt like there was sort of an explanation as to what had happened and why Jesse was chosen, but it wasn't clear to me. I don't mind when things aren't laid out nice and neatly for me, but I felt this book tried to do that and I just still didn't get it. I did really love the parts with the homunculus, but again. Not really sure how they were supposed to fit into the story.

There were a few other minor things that just didn't quite jive for me. Very minor, but they just aren't true to what would go on in real life.

Will Haunt You had an ambitious plot line, and I can appreciate that. The writing had a cinematic feel, it was a pleasure to read. However, some parts of the story didn't mesh well with others and the ending left me with just as many questions as I had at the beginning of the book.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press, and Brian Kirk for the opportunity to read and review this book!