Sam Rebelein's debut novel "Edenville" plunges readers into the quirky lives of Campbell and Quinn, whose existence in a peculiar Park Slope apartment is far from conventional.

Campbell, a struggling novelist, finds solace in tutoring unappreciative high schoolers, while Quinn bartends at the macabre Red Yard, adorned with a portrait of its grisly history. Despite occasional moments of connection over Indian takeout and horror films, their relationship teeters on the edge of collapse. When a mysterious admirer offers Campbell a writing residency at Edenville College, Quinn's unease is overshadowed by Campbell's excitement. Little do they know, Edenville harbors a sinister secret that extends beyond its creative writing department. As they uncover the dark underbelly of Renfield County, Rebelein masterfully crafts an atmospheric tale where malevolent forces seep into every crevice, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.

Through Rebelein's skillful storytelling, Renfield County emerges as a character in itself, steeped in eerie charm and unsettling history. The blend of Catskills ambiance with cosmic horror creates a captivating backdrop for the unfolding mystery. Rebelein deftly balances tension and humor, offering readers a thrilling ride through the twisted corridors of Renfield County. "Edenville"'s gripping exploration of the human psyche and the darkness that lurks beneath seemingly idyllic facades will satisfy horror lovers and philosophical minds alike.

After publishing his debut novel, The Shattered Man, to disappointing sales and reviews, Campbell P. Marion is struggling to find inspiration for a follow-up. When Edenville College invites him to join as a writer-in-residence, he’s convinced that his bad luck has finally taken a turn. His girlfriend Quinn isn’t so sure—she grew up near Edenville and has good reasons for not wanting to move back. Cam disregards her skepticism and accepts the job, with Quinn reluctantly following along. And not much more really happens for a long time. This book is slow. And confusing. Written from multiple perspectives, they do not connect well and by the time I had finished the book I was still confused. I am not really sure what category I would this book in because it's not really a mystery and the horror is kind of lacking. Not my favorite book.

I…. Am not sure what I read or what any of it meant, but I did find it entertaining? I think? *shrugs* I do wish we had gotten a little more explanation into things, but overall appreciate why the author chose to leave things as he did.

Writer Campbell Marion is floundering after his debut novel was less than a smash. He can't seem to write a single sentence and nothing is inspiring him. That is, until he's invited to Edenville College as their writer-in-residence. Cam is thrilled with the opportunity, but his girlfriend Quinn, who grew up near Edenville, has serious reservations about returning. There's something rotten beneath the quaint facade of Edenville, and Cam doesn't seem to take Quinn's uneasiness well. Can this couple survive the turmoil churned up by this strange community?

I really wanted to love this book. Creepy small towns where there's more than meets the eye, are some of my favorite plot devices. Unfortunately, Edenville didn't work for me. The sentence structure was strange and the phrasing didn't create an easy flow. I tried multiple times to get sucked in, but I just didn't care about the characters enough to slog on. I DNF at 44%. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the gifted copy. Edenville is on sale now, everywhere you buy books.

Wow! This was a dark and twisted story! I found it to be a little bit hard to follow due to the multiple points of view from different characters.. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Edenville was an absolute wild ride. There was constantly new elements being brought to the table. I don't really think they were supposed to be amazing but Cam and Quinn were pretty insufferable for most of the book. Definitely pick it up if you're into weird sci-fi horror.




Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

This is definitely a unique horror story, at least for me as a fairly new horror reader. I will be remembering the Shattered Man for a long while after this. Very well done!

Are you looking for a creepy book that reads like King but feels almost like Hitchcock? If so, this is for you. It has a great creepy vibe and enough twists to keep one interested till the end.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. Overall, I enjoyed it although it was a bit slow.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was not what I was expecting. I found the story disjointed and hard to follow.

I received this book as an advanced copy from NetGalley

Wow, this one was interesting and disturbing at the same time. Campbell and Quinn are a young couple struggling to make it. Campbell wants to be an author who had one novel published and is trying to gain some notoriety. Quinn is working in a bar and making ends meet in a way.

So, then some strange lady shows up and wants Campbell to come be a writer in Edenville at the College. He is excited to finally be recognized, but Quinn is not sure about this. Sounds to good to be true.
They do decide to go there, and once they get there strange things are going on. They are starting to to worry more and get to the point to where they may have stayed to long and they won't be able to escape!

This is an intriguing book that caught my attention about half way through the book. It moved a little slow in the beginning of the story

I really enjoyed this book! I knew nothing going in and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly this story turns weird. And weird in a good and original way! I would definitely read another book set in this universe. I need to know more about traveling through the Spine, the Philosopher Highs, and the Great Mind.

TW: Language, scary scenes, death of sibling, gory scenes, blood, violence, drugs, drinking, smoking, death by suicide, murder, toxic relationships, cheating

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:After publishing his debut novel, The Shattered Man, to disappointing sales and reviews, Campbell P. Marion is struggling to find inspiration for a follow-up. When Edenville College invites him to join as a writer-in-residence, he’s convinced that his bad luck has finally taken a turn.His girlfriend Quinn isn’t so sure—she grew up near Edenville and has good reasons for not wanting to move back. Cam disregards her skepticism and accepts the job, with Quinn reluctantly following along. But there’s something wrong in Edenville. Despite the charming old ladies milling about Main Street and picturesque sunflowers dotting the sidewalks, poison lurks beneath the surface. As a series of strange and ominous events escalate among Edenville and its residents, Cam and Quinn find themselves entangled in a dark and disturbing history. Told with equal parts horror and humor, Edenville explores the urban legends that fuel our nightmares and the ways in which ambition can overshadow our best instincts. Sam Rebelein is an exciting, sharp new voice, sure to terrify readers for years to come.
Release Date: October 3rd, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 319
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The cover
2. The story plot
3. The ending took a turn I didn't see coming

What I Didn't Like:
1. I hate dreams in books
2. I didn't like characters
3. Go Crows used over & over
4. Some parts are confusing

Overall Thoughts:
First off I love when a book has a map of a town. It reminds me of 1980/early 1990s and Stephen King stories. I love looking around at them to see where things are.

The boy doesn't have gauges in his ears. Gauges are the measurements of the piercings.

The premise was so good and creepy but reading it was dull and just there.

Sigh. I don't need to know that someone is clicking pens or tapping windows. This came off not a fun experience.

This book did drive me crazy because it would repeat certain phrases over and over again. Sometimes it was praised to the mind and sometimes it was go crows. Sometimes it was just sounds tap tap tap tap over and over. It got pretty annoying and repetitive.

The dadom reminds me of the HBO sound that used to happen on the app.

Final Thoughts:
I went back and force between not wanting to finish it to getting halfway through and needing to know what was happening.

Omg this book reminded me so much of Brainwyrms

The book took a turn I did not see coming but was not disappointed with. There are some serious gross parts that made me go ew.

I did not enjoy the beginning of the book and was certain I was going to have to dnf it, but when I got to the halfway point my opinion turned around. I started to get sucked into the story. I'm not usually a person that changes my opinion when I've decided a book is not something I am enjoying but this book was the exception for me. A lot of things happen in the book that were confusing and you had to work out what the author was trying to tell you.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Enough ideas bursting out of this novel to fill a series of books. The main story is familiar enough but the author crams in so many unique details that his character’s worlds become that much richer as the journey continues.
Can’t wait for more.

I got a lot more, and a lot weirder, than I expected with this novel. I very much wish I had had this to recommend for Halloween-adjacent lists!

Man this is a gross one. I enjoyed this book and all it's weirdness, but the grossness got me some of the time. I don't want to say much, just know the beginning will make you queasy. If you love weird fiction and horror I would give this one a shot.

Thank you to the publisher & @netgalley for gifting me the ebook version!

Campbell and Quinn are a struggling young couple making it one day at a time. Campbell aims to be an author who managed to have one novel published called The Shattered Man but his sales fizzle with nothing else on the horizon. Quinn is holding on to a bar job and still finding an identity for herself.

So when a strange lady shows up at the bar and invites Campbell to be a writer-in-residence at Edenville College that’s a few hours away, Campbell is ecstatic to finally feel recognized. But Quinn smells trouble. Sure enough, when they arrive at Edenville, everything seems off. Why do the sunflowers feel like they’re watching? And why does the town have so many old ladies? Quinn can’t put a finger to it so goes to the town’s library to unearth the town’s history and get pulled into some very disturbing events. Meanwhile, Edenville’s faculty has an agenda with Campbell and they’re not going to let him off the hook, no matter what it takes. Soon, the couple realizes their lives are in danger but can they make it out alive?

If you like (very) dark academia vibes sprinkled with a lot of small town STRANGE folklore, violence and gore, then give this book a try. Honestly for me, the story was a little too strange and the plot continuity felt choppy at times. The pace also felt very slow for the first half of the book and sped up towards the end. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. However there are a lot of great reviews for this book so don’t let me deter you from giving it a shot.

Unsettling and Immersive!

This book was insane. The ideas behind it blew my mind and I often found myself rereading parts in utter disbelief. It felt like Stephen King meets Stranger Things with gothic vibes in an academic setting. The fictional town of Edenville felt both creepy and cozy, and I loved learning all the myths associated with it through its cast of characters. I don’t read a lot of horror anymore so this was an interesting treat. I enjoyed the build up to the main antagonist, and the gory descriptions of his underlings stuck with me even after finishing it. I also love reading anything set in New York—either the city or upstate—and this story mentioned both.

One of the main characters, Campbell—a published indie author whose book, The Shattered Man, didn’t sell and wasn’t reviewed well—accepts a temporary teaching post in Edenville. He’s portrayed as narcissistic and I found him to be annoying throughout the book. His girlfriend, Quinn—the voice of reason—tries to warn him about the strange goings on in the town before he accepts the job, having experienced eerie things herself growing up. She is definitely the character I rooted for the most, secretly hoping she’d abandon Cam and head back to Brooklyn alone.

The world Rebelein created under Edenville’s cozy exterior was disturbing and extremely gross. If you’ve ever watched a Sam Raimi horror movie, you’ll grasp the level of gore I’m talking about. There were scenes of body horror that made me feel nauseated. One in particular still sticks with me in which Quinn accepts an invitation to what she thinks is a historical society meeting, only to find out it’s her ‘transformation’ ceremony where the real villain behind the horror is introduced. A highly unique and imaginative idea I’ve never read about before, but definitely not for the faint of heart. Consider yourself warned!

3.5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
For readers who enjoy dark, gory horror with cosmic/lore/gothic vibes mixed in.

Seeing the plot, I really thought I was going to enjoy this. Sadly, this wasn't the case. Slow burn horrors are a tough sell for me.

Where to start with this one. Did I love it - parts of it I did. Did I hate it- a big chunk of it I did. It confused me. What I liked was the townswomen and hearing them tell the backstory about the history of the town. This was verging into folk horror territory and I loved it. It had a great culty vibe that drew me right in. I enjoyed this part of the story immensely and would have liked more of it.
The other two narratives were spread between the young couple who has just moved to the town and some weird type of otherworldly entity. This narrative starts heading into cosmic horror and I just didn’t care. Oh, and did I mention there is goo? There’s lots and lots of it. I was having flashbacks to that 80s horror movie The Stuff. Yes, it started heading into ridiculous campy territory with lots of extreme gore and it ultimately lost me. I wanted to stay with those interesting townswomen and hear more of their story. I’m sure there are many of you who will love this book, it just wasn’t for me. 🤷‍♀️. Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for this arc.