In "Burn the Negative" , Josh Winning masterfully blends horror and suspense, creating an explosively fun read. Don't Burn the Negative is a love letter to cult-classic frights, a twisted exploration of the monsters we make, and a chilling reminder that some curses refuse to stay buried.

Journalist Laura Warren arrives in Los Angeles to cover the set of a new streaming horror series—a remake of a notorious ’90s slasher film. But this isn't just any film; it's the cursed ’90s horror flick called "The Guesthouse", in which Laura starred as a child. The film's eerie history haunts her, especially after eight cast and crew members died in ways mirroring the on-screen deaths. Laura changed her name, accent, and even moved across the Atlantic to escape the film's curse. Yet, some scripts don't stay buried.

As the body count rises again, Laura finds herself on the run with her aspiring actress sister and a jaded psychic. Together, they aim to end the curse and evade the Needle Man—the terrifying antagonist from "The Guesthouse". Is the show truly cursed, or is it Laura's past coming back to haunt her?

"Burn the Negative" delivers a pulse-pounding narrative that pays homage to classic horror. Winning's writing captures the cult-classic ambiance, complete with interspersed documents—social media posts, script pages—that add texture to the story. The mystery is compelling, and the details unsettling from the start. Laura's struggle to unravel the curse keeps readers engaged, even if characterizations occasionally feel oversimplified.

The nods to movie magic and monsters resonate with horror fans, reminding us that horror is a lifelong passion. The novel's pacing, eerie atmosphere, and unexpected twists make it a must-read for genre enthusiasts. While some character actions may falter, the overall experience is a madcap adventure that leaves a lasting impression.

In summary, "Burn the Negative" is a spine-tingling, rip-roaring yarn that hearkens back to the thrills and chills of the best ’80s slasher horror. Hand this book to readers who enjoyed "The Final Girl Support Group" by Grady Hendrix, "My Heart Is a Chainsaw" by Stephen Graham Jones, or " My Sister, the Serial Killer* by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

Personally, I LOVED IT. Five stars from this enthusiastic reader, this book is great fun!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

Amazingly great thriller - I would recommend it!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I really enjoyed this book - a slasher mixed with paranormal!! 🔪👹 However, one specific thing in this book has left me a little confused - can’t get into more without giving spoilers though!! 🙅🏼‍♀️ I’d still recommend it though because overall I really enjoyed it!! ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley, Putnam Books, and Josh Winning for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Unfortunately this one was not for me. I tried really hard to get into it, but my attention faltered. I pushed through to almost 50% and gave up. The voice was hard for me to follow and I didn’t really identify or empathize with the characters. I might try to pick it back up again in the future, but not right now.

I was so excited for this book before I read it but sadly, it was a DNF. I may try to read it again in the future. Maybe I was not in the right mood?

I had low expectations for "Burn the Negative" after having read a few unenthused reviews for it. But Josh Winning won me over with his movie-set horror novel, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Which is even more surprising because I seem to be in a reading rut, with most books not doing much for me these days.

I know other reviewers have said that the story takes an unrealistic turn and has one twist too many. I agree with both these sentiments up to a point, but in regard to the story being a little out there, I would argue that the book is a horror novel -- most horror novels are out there. And yes, Winning throws in a twist at the end that I wish had never happened. I would've much preferred he'd come up with a clever surprise that reshaped the story in a different way.

But all in all, I found "Burn the Negative" to be propulsive enough to hold my interest for hours at a time. I'll be reading Winning's next book for sure.


My sincerest appreciation to Josh Winning, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All thoughts and opinions herein are my own.

This was one of my highly anticipated reads but unfortunately the file would not open on my computer or my kindle. The only way to read was on my small phone through the netgallery app which is not a pleasurable experience.

"Burn the Negative" by Josh Winning is a literary rollercoaster that takes readers on a thrilling journey through the shadows of the human psyche. This psychological thriller is a tour de force, showcasing Winning's mastery in crafting a narrative that is both chilling and thought-provoking. The novel introduces us to a world where reality blurs with the surreal, and the boundaries between sanity and madness are constantly tested. The protagonist's descent into the labyrinth of their own mind is both harrowing and mesmerizing. Winning skillfully delves into the complexities of mental health, presenting a narrative that is as poignant as it is unnerving. The writing is a standout feature of the book. Winning's prose is sharp, evocative, and unflinchingly honest. The narrative unfolds with a sense of urgency, keeping readers hooked with every twist and turn. The author masterfully creates an atmosphere of tension and unease, making it impossible to put the book down.

An interesting story with some scary moments. The plot was good and kept me engaged.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. An interesting take on slasher movies and the child actor industry.

I love a good slasher, and this was extremely good. Tense and fun and engaging. I definitely recommend it for fans of the genre.

I like it. The story was a bit chaotic, and I was hoping for a bit more reasoning behind the "curse" but otherwise it was enjoyable. I did not expect to commiserate with Laura/Polly over the situation with her mother, it hit very close to home with me taking care of my dad after he had a stroke after him being horrible to me my entire life and him being a different person.

This was a very solid, well written horror! I can't say I loved it, though I'm not sure I could spell out the "why". Winning did a great job setting the spooky tone and giving the audience all manner of possible explanations and suspects for what was happening to Laura and those being targeted. And what a killer of a epilogue! I think I got a bit annoyed with some of the repetitive descriptions for reactions (hands going numb, stomach turning to ice, etc). There are so many ways to say someone felt scared, yet Winning relied very heavily on two or three for Laura. Overall, this is a good horror read about the consequences of letting negativity fester.

**Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC**

A creepy story that evokes cursed films and childhood trauma, particularly of child actors, even if the resolution offers no clear ending.

This is a horror/thriller novel about a woman confronted by her past. Laura Warren was a child movie star who was in a now infamous horror film that has become notorious for being cursed. Think The Omen or Poltergeist; the cast and crew keep dying in weird circumstances. Laura has changed her name and career in hopes of going unnoticed, but when she is sent to interview the cast and crew of a remake of the movie she was in, the strange events start happening again. While this is definitely creepy, I didn't really care for the way the ending was tied together. I don't know how it could have been a little better, but I just was not a fan of the way things ended. However, overall I enjoyed this book.

Burn The Negative
By Josh Winning
Review and Rating 3 ⭐️

Burn The Negative is a horror novel perfect for fans of 80’s and 90’s slasher films. Creepy and campy but the twists and turns are plenty. If you go into this one just looking to have a good time, like watching your favorite horror movie, and not expecting too much, you won’t be disappointed! 3 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.


Book Rating Key
⭐️ Not Recommended
⭐️⭐️ Readable Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Near Perfect Book
***Note*** I seldom give ⭐️or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings. If I feel a book is a ⭐️sometimes I just prefer to not finish reading it and not rate it. As for 5 ⭐️books, I think of those as books I would want to take with me to a deserted island 🏝️, and this means I read a whole lot of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️star books. Happy Reading!

Burn the Negative
Written by Josh Winning
Read by Stephanie Cannon
Book 223/200
Genre: Horror
Format: Digital/Audio, ARC
Pages/Time: 368/10hr 6min
Published: 2023
Rating: 8.5/10
Horror: 👻👻👻

Josh Winning's new horror novel takes on the scariest of Hollywood's phenomena, the remake of a classic movie. Burn the Negative is a super interesting and exciting read! Almost the entire cast of The Guesthouse was murdered shortly after the film's release, and now more mysterious killings are taking place now that the movie is being remade.

Winning's new book is a very well done spooky story for the Halloween season. Throughout the story, I kept going back and forth on what I think was going on, and the twist at the end was very well handled. I had a lot of fun with this read!

As a fan of 90's horror movies, and loving of all things 'cursed films' (e.g. Poltergeist) I was very excited to be approved to read Burn the Negative. The synopsis sounded like a movie I would definitely have picked up from Blockbuster. The plot was fun, but ultimately just didn't deliver. I found Laura to be an incredibly unlikable character, and it was really hard to pull for her. It was really hard to cheer or care for any of the characters. By the end we've gone full-on Jason Borne in terms of action, disguises, and cop chases, and just became ott for me. I also felt this was really pulling *heavily* from Wes Craven's New Nightmare. I was on the fence on whether or not I liked the ending, but decided I guess I did. I'd read another book from Josh Winning, and would recommend this to horror fans, especially those that love cursed films lore.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Burn the Negative does something I LOVE: combines a story with outside elements like newspaper articles, script pages, etc that, for me, just make my immersion into the story so much better!

Laura is sent to LA to write a magazine article covering the remake of the cursed movie she starred in at age 7….and bad things happen.

I loved this story. Fast moving, interesting, with a creepy monster and great setting. I’d recommend for fans of slasher horror movies and books like Night Film by Marisha Pessl (one of my favs). Burn the Negative will be one of my top reads of 2023.

This is an instance where I’d recommended a physical copy of the book. On the kindle version it was hard to read the pages where there was a movie script, blog post, etc. I requested my library purchase a hardcover and they did which I promptly borrowed.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.