This is one of those books where the title makes you think it's going one way but then it winds up being much better than expected.

This is a vampire novel but one that doesn't play by the rules. It's set on a private yacht that's headed to an island owned by a Jeffrey Epstein like character. The rich and famous clamour to be invited so they can make their very sick twisted desires come true.

But what they don't know is the secrets their potential prey holds. This novel has a lot of great stuff. Tension filled action sequences, multiple character arcs that will seamlessly come together, a lot of bloodshed and carnage, and vampires that are more 30 Days Of Night and not so much Twilight.

Getting to know all of these characters was great. You'll have some you'll love and some you'll despise and that will cause your heart rate to go up as they find themselves in danger from every side. And they all won't make it.

Being set in the ocean gave this book a claustrophobic feel as there is no place to run and very few places to hide. And once they arrive at the island, it's not much better.

I really loved this one and I highly recommend it if you like your scares straightforward and gruesome.

This fast-paced novel is set mostly on a small ship, and on a tropical island. Seventeen year old Clarissa is "called" by her twin sister. The problem? Her sister disappeared ten years ago, at the time their parents were grusomely murdered.

I'd recomend checking trigger warnings on this one, if you have any. I didn't think the gore was over the top, but there are a few descriptions of child SA, which I definetely could have done without. I've realized after reading this book that extreme horror (even though I would categorize this as extreme horror light) isnt' for me.

Five, effed up, crazy stars!! I loved this book! It was absolutely horrific in classic Ralston style, but so much more than I had imagined. Going on the title alone, I expected this to be a gruesome tale filled with sick, twisted pedophiles whose actions that I would find hard to stomach. Not really. There are some parts that were definitely disgusting, don't get me wrong, but the story's main focus is on revenge. And I loved every minute of it!! The storyline was compelling and there were even some twists thrown into the mix. I loved all of the song and movie references, too. I feel like they made the story seem less fictionalized. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, and I am so glad that I gave it a shot. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

4 stars

There seems to have been a great deal of talk about this book in all of my fb horror groups. And let me tell you the hype is real. Well written, and the gore and horror aren’t just for shock, it has its purpose and is done well. I loved this book far more than I expected to, and I’ll definitely be getting more Ralston’s books on my tbr after this.