Josh Winning delivers a fantastic horror story with Burn the Negative. I love the blending of both horror tropes and film history/movie tropes that create a fun and engaging story surrounding one former film star confronting her own troubled history on the set of a remake of that "cursed film." I feel that everything meets in Winning's book with fun, engaging story and characters that are real and feel like they could exist in the real world.

Loved, loved, loved it! What a great read! Loved the pace, dialogue, characters, and plot! Would make a great movie! Filling the author for future books!

A sincere thank you for providing me a copy of “Burn the Negative” in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of BURN THE NEGATIVE by Josh Winning from a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy Sunday!

In 1993, a horror movie called “The Guesthouse” was released. It became a cult classic, not because the movie was so good, but because almost every single actor in it died (vaguely reminiscent of “Poltergeist”). Only our protagonist remains - Laura, who changed her name from Polly and moved to the United Kingdom after the movie. The deaths of the actors are almost done in a “Final Destination” style, with the actors dying the way the characters in the movie did.

Thirty years later, a streaming service is coming up on a miniseries called “It Feeds”, based off the movie and its killer, the Needle Man (think Freddy Krueger). Laura is now a journalist, and her boss send her to Los Angeles to write an article about the series - but does he know this is what Laura has been running from her whole life?

As soon as Laura arrives in LA, the deaths begin. The one thing she was worried about - that the curse of the movie is continuing on to the cast of the miniseries - is happening. As more and more people start dying, she begins wondering if she’ll ever leave the city alive. The Needle Man is out there, calling her name. Who else will die before she finds out why?

This sounds slightly cheesy and campy, because it is, but it was also quite entertaining. I loved all the Winona Ryder references and the pieces of media interspersed throughout the book. This didn’t take itself too seriously, and I’m glad for that. 3.5 stars, rounded up for so many great pop culture references!

(Thank you to Putnam Books, Josh Winning and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on July 11, 2023.)

The multimedia storytelling really sold the story for me (as did the fact that I'm a sucker for any cursed movie/show trope). The introduction of an actual supernatural element and the entire penultimate scene of discovery felt a bit rushed, but the very last scene was unexpected in a very good way and made me like the character a LOT more.

Laura has been running from her childhood for years. When she finds herself back in LA on a movie set of a revamp of the movie she played in as a kid, she can’t help but think the curse has come back when she witnesses a man jump to his death. As the body count rises, Laura gets flashbacks to her childhood. Changing her clothes and hair isn’t enough to leave the past in the past. Will she be able to figure out how everyone around her is dying before it’s too late?

What can I say about this book except wow. I loved so many things about it. For starters – the writing was amazing! So vivid and descriptive, I felt right there with Laura. This book was exactly what I look for in a horror/thriller book. The pacing was wonderful, and I didn’t want to put it down. I also really enjoyed the supernatural aspect to this one. I loved the twist at the end – it was built up that it made so much sense and flowed seamlessly with the book.

If you are looking for a delightful horror book with a touch of gore, then check this one out July 11th.

Thank you to the publisher Penguin Group – Putnam, @putnambooks, @penguinrandomhouse, and Netgalley, @netgalley, for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

BURN THE NEGATIVE 🎞
By Josh Winning

Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Genre: Horror, Mystery/Thriller

Before becoming a journalist, Laura was a child star, appearing in a cursed 1990s horror movie. Now the film is being rebooted and she has been assigned to write a story about it.
When she arrives, the curse appears to have started again.
As the body count rises, Laura, her aspiring-actress-sister, and a bitter psychic attempt to end the curse, and avoid Needle Man.

The author is clearly a horror movie buff
(references to Demons, John Carpenter, Tori Amos, Winona Ryder etc were not lost on me) and it comes through almost with glee.

I didn't take this novel seriously. I didn't find it scary or super suspenseful-- BUT it's fun. It starts quickly and continues that way-- a fast-paced shlock fest, and I mean that in a good way.

It's sort of like watching a bad horror movie and finding enjoyment in it.
This would probably translate well to film.
While reading, I pictured an Argento giallo meets DiPalma's Phantom of the Paradise-- The Funhouse and Wes Craven's New Nightmare.

If cursed films (think The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Omen), slashers, childhood trauma, Hollywood critiques, and mediums-- 70s/80s/90s horror are of interest to you, check this one out this summer!

Burn the Negative is about a famously cursed film, The Guesthouse, where 8 members of the movie crew either died during filming or shortly after. Some say it was just a tragic coincidence. But when Laura a writer with a secret is sent to cover a reimagining of The Guesthouse called It Feeds it looks like deaths that are eerily similar have started happening again.

The idea of a cursed movie is always intriguing. Whether it’s part of real cinema mythology such as The Exorcist or Poltergeist or whether it’s part of a film’s story like The Ring or Antrum. The beginning of this book took a bit of time to get into and some of the decisions characters make are ridiculous but once it gets going it’s a really fun ride with a great mix of horror movie elements and I kind of loved the ending which was bonkers. Especially recommend to fans of horror films.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is excellent! This is definitely in my top 5 this year! This book is a love story for horror fans! If you are an 80’s baby this is your book!! Can’t wait to actually buy this one!

This was a wild ride from start to finish! It felt like a great horror/slasher film put to the page. A little bit "Poltergeist Curse" a little bit "Final GIrls". There were serial killer vibes, haunted house vibes, and some possession vibes. I liked the mash up and the unsteady feeling while reading, not knowing if this was all happening the way we saw it happen. Who was this killer? Where is he? I enjoyed the journey this group of characters went on. And the people they met along the way. The ending: WILD! But satisfying. I want to be entertained when reading a book like this and I was. The writing was easy to read. The story was fun to follow. The mixed media elements gave a little something extra for us, the reader. I'd recommend for anyone who wants a fun time, who can suspend disbelief, and wants a page turning story that will keep you guessing.

Thrillers are not a go to genre for me. However hearing this book compared to Night Film by Marisha Pessl made me interested enough to give this book a try. As I don’t want to give away any spoilers there are lots of twists along the way that kept me turning the pages and an ending that made wonder about the culprit versus who was responsible. A good read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This really had the potential to be a good one but it has an unreliable character which I am not a fan of so we are already off to a bad start. Laura is still tramatized from playing in a film The Guesthouse because of all the awful things that happened and because of her mother who forced her to do the film.

Now there is a new remake being filmed and her editor at a entertainment type magazine wants her to cover the story. She soon finds out that he actual knew who she was even with the name change becuase someone close to her told him. He thought it would be a cool angle but with her anxiety and some bad things happening it turns out to be more nightmare than cool.

Laura keeps seeing things that must be a halucination, blacks out and wakes up with chaos happening around her, this happens several times as it seems the bad vibes from the first movie have hit the remake and people are ending up dead.

I am sure that the first part won't be boring for some but for me it was just horribly boring as we are trying to figure out what is going on, then it gets confusing at some parts. We are introduced to some people that you immediately are not sure about and if your like me will start speculating about what is going on.

I felt there was a few continuity problems with Laura's missing luggage showing up but I am not sure how it got there and how everyone knew who the burned victim was when it wasn't mentioned at first but then later but those are small things. I may have even skimmed through the information when bored.

I wasn't a fan of any of the characters really, they just were not made to be likable so no one to really route for, which happens a lot in horror.

I thought the last 20% of the story was the most interesting part of the story as it was ramping up the finale and I must say it was a text book horror movie ending. You can tell that the author is a film nut.

Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean that I can't see people enjoying it so if it sounds good give it a try. It has a really high rating on Goodreads so I could be in the minority. :)

2.5 personal rating but 3 on here.

This book was very meh for me. I found it easy to put down and difficult to finish. I ultimately didn't care about any of the characters, and the ending made the book seem even more contrived than it already did.
I give it 3 stars because I finished it, but it's a very grudging 3.

Love a good horror novel! Burn the Negative is the story of a 90s horror cult classic that had a "cursed production" where many of the cast and crew had died during production or shortly after. Now in present-day, the movie's lead child star is assigned to write an article on the remake happening - and the curse is seeming to rear it's head again. The novel had elements of some of my favorite horror movies like a boogeyman as scary as Freddy Krueger and an exploration into the horrors within child stardom that reminded me of parts of Jordan Peele's Nope.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel ahead of publication.

When I first saw this title on netgalley I wasn’t really feeling it. I read the back copy and still was like meh.
I kept seeing it and it was almost like it haunted me until I requested it. I was not disappointed.

I truly enjoyed this story. Even though in parts it seemed to drag on and on it really was an enjoyable read. The characters grew and they made you feel what they were feeling.

A haunting and truly exciting read that I enjoyed and that really made me want more. For characters to leave you loving but hating them all at the same time, this turned out to be one of my favorite reads so far this year.

Highly recommend. 4.5 stars

I love the premise of this novel! This book captivated my attention and was an amazing read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“Burn the Negative” by Josh Winning presented such a cool concept, & happily, it delivered in a fun and unique way. We follow Laura Warren, a former child star, who quits acting and changes her name- essentially going into hiding-after traumatic experiences on set. Years later she is forced to confront her past in an epic showdown. I thought overall this concept really worked- I was invested and engaged, and looked forward to coming back to this book. As someone who enjoys horror movies and horror movie lore, the so-called curse on the movie set that Laura grew up working on reminded me of the real-life curse some say afflicted the set of “The Exorcist” after people involved in the movie starting dying in real-life. I think horror-movie aficionados will also enjoy this nod to classic horror-movie history but felt the camp of horror movies could have been leaned on just a bit harder to really give this book that extra edge and wit.

At times I thought I had figured out the mystery of who was behind the terrible things happening, & was scared that the climax would be predictable, but I’m happy to report I only slightly guessed correctly and it was only slightly predictable in that it was one of 3 or so predictions I had made for the reveal.

I thought the pacing of this story was great, there was overall a sense of movement and forward energy, though at times I did feel the character’s reactions to the traumatic events happening around them was a bit understated and unbelievable. I also wasn’t particularly attached to anyone in this story-except maybe Beverly, the psychic. And without trying to spoil anything, I do think the importance of having a great lawyer was extremely…unrealistic? overstated? in this novel. But hey, this isn’t a book I’d pick up looking for the most logical resolutions anyway.

Would definitely recommend this novel to any horror movie fan that’s looking for a fun, quick read. If I hadn’t been busy with work, I could have totally seen myself finishing this one in a day or two. Ultimately it was about more than just making scary movies, it touched on the morality of child labor, repressed memories, abusive parental figures, complicated sibling relationships, and ultimately facing our traumas and working through them. I think some of the deeper moments could have been fleshed out just a bit more, but I really enjoyed it and felt like it was a solid read & that the author writes with ease and confidence.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGelley and G.P. Putnam's fro this eARC!

What drew me to this book was how meta the plot synopsis sounded. I love any media that plays with the meta, especially in horror books/movies.

I think this book very much delivered on the meta aspects. Although the "cursed" movie this is centered on is fictional, there are plenty of references and call backs to classic horror movies and even some lesser known movies (the mention of Memento really made me happy, love that movie!). There is some great commentary of horror fans, the genre as a whole, the movie industry, and even childhood acting. I really enjoyed the exploration of the repercussions of childhood actors, at an individual level as well as how it effects a family as well!

I think the horror elements of this book are a really interesting mix. It takes your typical slasher movie tropes and mixes them with paranormal aspects along with a spin on the haunted house trope too. The scares feel very reminiscent of what you get in movies like Candyman, subtle yet effective. It all felt cinematic in the way that I could see this being a movie, which all adds to what I think this book was going for: a book that feels like a slasher movie while also commenting on the standard horror tropes. The ending especially felt like a direct nod to the never-ending horror franchises out there, I personally enjoyed that aspect of the ending.

While I enjoyed the ending of the book, the climax got a little too metaphorical and paranormal for my tastes. That's not to say its bad, I just like more realistic horror most of the time. It felt a little too on the nose for overcoming trauma and grief but I think others might enjoy the full circle growth for our main character.

Oh and I almost forgot my favorite parts! At the end of each chapter, there are some multi-media style snippets from various things like scripts, online forums, interviews, articles, and other books, which I think was a great addition to the book! I am eager to get a physical copy of the book so I can see the multi-media bits even better!

I would highly recommend this book for those who love horror movies, new and old!

Now, this was a fun one! Reminiscent of Riley Sager, this novel pays tribute to horror cinema in a fun meta way. I don't want to spoil too much of the plot details because I honestly think you should go in blind. Expect many twists and turns, some true scares, sharp humor, and truly compelling characterization. I look forward to adding Mr. Winning to my must-read list and telling my customers all about him and this almost-perfect horror/thriller.