This was a decent horror book. It really explored the exploitation of child actors and the pressure of Hollywood. I do think that some of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more but the main character Laura was an interesting main character. I thought the ending lacked power and made what Laura did softer than she deserved.

Laura Warren is an experienced and respected journalist. When she is assigned to a case that takes her to a film set that is remaking the cult horror classic The Guest House. A reportedly haunted film that ended in the death of 8 of the cast members. A haunted film that Laura is all too familiar with because it ruined her life…. She has moved across the country, changed her name, dyed her hair, and basically started again to escape her cursed past. She was once the child star of The Guest House. Now thrust into this unwelcome story the past refuses to stay buried and the notorious slasher has returned to exact long awaited revenge…..
My Reading Experience: this book was a fun and fast paced behind the scenes kind of horror story. A cult classic film, an unspeakable curse that has plagued the film and any production that had tried to reproduce it. It was a twisty, unpredictable story with an undercurrent of the supernatural throughout. It was fun and a bit nostalgic with a found footage 80’s slasher vibes!
Final Recommendation: If you love movie / behind the scenes books, slashers, paranormal and a creepy as hell murder mystery then this is your book! I never would have imagined the twists this would take, it had me up late into the night! My only regret is that it sat in my TBR for this long!

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

Burn the Negative starts so strong. Journalist Laura is sent to write an article about a new production at Netflix (seems very Mike-Flanagan-coded), but the program is a remake of a famously cursed 90s-era horror film--a cursed horror film in which Laura starred (and is trying to move past). Multiple people in the original production died tragically, mirroring the deaths in the film. Now, deaths have started again and Laura's secret identity is close to being exposed.

The story stays strong for most of the book, then takes a turn in the last few chapters. They aren't bad, they just don't match the tone of the story we've read so far. Still, Josh Winning is great at suspense and building a story, so I can't wait to read more by him.

I loved the premise of this book -- the Poltergeist-esque cursed set was so compelling. That said, I think the second half leaned too heavily on well-known horror tropes (supernatural/demonic elements, physical/practical horror, thriller) and got lost in all the moving parts. It led to it certain plot-lines feeling predictable. It was also soo camp in a way that was fun, but also required a certain suspension of disbelief, lol.

I would've loved to see more subversion and maybe a tighter story, but overall this was a fun and propulsive read! 3.5 ★

Creepy movie realness. Gonna be following this author's books because I think he's gonna be huge. I love cursed books and movies and the idea of a film being remade and the cast being cursed and this was just such fun to read. Old slasher vibes

It took me forever to read this and I am sad about that. I was hooked by this from the beginning. I loved the idea of of a cursed film. The writing was direct and easy to follow.
It had me guessing who the bad guy was and what was going on, which was fun.

I enjoyed this one more than Heads Will Roll by the same author.

The only downfall was the ending. I’m not sure I fully followed the main characters choices or reasons for doing what she did. Still enjoyable nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Journalist Laura Warren travels to Las Angeles to get the scoop on a remake of an occult horror film from the 90s called The Guesthouse. As Laura interviews those involved with the remake and visits the set, she is forced to confront what happened on the set during the original film. Laura, unbeknownst to everyone, was a child actor on the original film where she witnessed the horrific and mysterious deaths of her fellow castmates. As she investigates the remake, mysterious things begin to happen again.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Josh Winning puts an interesting spin on an old trope. This book is extremely cinematic, very much reading like a movie or an episode of Supernatural.

I loved Josh Winning's first book and this is a more than worthy follow up! Has lots of fun with playing with the legends and lore that often sprout up around horror movie production- masterfully teasing and subverting tropes to keep the reader guessing.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.

This was so much longer than it needed to be, which sucks bc the idea was great! Tighter editing would make this a bestseller!

What a unique horror story! I was not expecting such a cool take on a horror story. The tie in about old horror movies and remakes is so relevant to today's movies.

The ending was a cool twist and I was actually surprised!

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.