**Features:**
- Bill and Ted meets Daisy Jones and the Six with some horror thrown in
- Mostly set within the 90s punk rock scene
- Sheltered girl meets ‘bad’ boy who turns out to be the antichrist
- Written in an ‘interview’ style

**Synopsis:**

In 2009, punk rock star Lily Lawlor walked into the police office to confess to murder. Now, ten years later, Lily is finally willing to open up about her confession, her wildly successful music career, and the man who started it all: Drake Morgan. The charismatic Drake inspired her to leave her accounting program and family expectations behind to pursue her dreams in music with him. Their tour set the world on fire, quite literally. When Drake leaves the band in 1999 to join a new one, the epic musical battle between him and Lily’s band, The Shivers, ends in the death of three teens and The Shivers rise to the top of the music charts.

**Thoughts:**

When I first saw this title, I thought I was in for either a completely crazy ride or some over the top horror. It ended up being something in the middle. It felt very Bill and Ted (a little closer to the second movie) in its quite literal dealings with the antichrist through music. However, it is not satirical in the same way and has a lot of parallels to Daisy Jones and the Six in both story and style. The horror comes in the form of subtle tension from knowing something isn’t quite right and then watching things fall apart. Don’t get me wrong, there are some absolutely crazy moments. However, most of this feels very in touch with reality and can be very thought provoking.

This story unfolds in interview style, cycling through snippets of each character’s recounting of events as they become relevant. Lily’s account is at the heart of this story and stears the direction it takes overall. Where I really liked this style of storytelling in general, I also thought that it would occasionally switch between characters a little too quickly. I was still able to track the ideas being presented, but it was unnecessarily jarring at times. Some of the voices could have been a little more distinct, but that didn’t bother me as much.

Though the religious nature of this story made me hesitant at first, I actually think it is handled exceptionally well. Though raised Catholic, Lily has a complicated relationship with religion in general that opens the door for a more well-rounded approach. Likewise, the topic of the antichrist is addressed from multiple religious (and non-religious) perspectives right from the start which makes this a secular examination without losing touch with spirituality behind it. As someone who is not any form of Christian, I didn’t feel left out of the conversation. Still, it is impossible to ignore the religious undertones of this story and mileage may vary.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Run For It for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley for a chance to read this early for an honest review.

I don’t like horror, (and will never pick it as a genre of TV show or movie to watch), but I do like Craig DiLouie, so maybe he should be marketed as horror stories for fans that aren’t into the hardcore horror? Either way, How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive was one of my favorite reads last year and I was excited to see he was releasing this new story this year.

The way he’s been formatting his stories is different than the normal narrative structure. In this case, it’s written as a documentary with interviews of the various characters as they work together to tell the story.

I also appreciate that his characters have an emotional depth to them so they’re more than the circumstances they’re dealing with. They could have slipped into two dimensional stereotypes of band members, easily forgotten, but I was really rooting for them all to make it.

He's charming, blond, a little cryptic, always smiling.. and he's the Antichrist - HE'S A 10!!!

I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would! This is marketed as a horror/thriller (and I can definitely see why), but I was like having a ball reading this. Even some of the more brutal parts still had me like 🙂

The descriptions of Drake's music and the way it affected people were so visceral & off-putting. I thought the last chunk of the book (post-Armageddon) was great, one scene in particular had me emo!

I loved Drake... I don't know if I was meant to, or if I would simply be the weakest link if the actual Apocalypse ever rolled around, but for the entire book I was like hmmm, yeah if I ever found myself in this situation I think I'd simply follow this guy to hell.

Thank you Orbit Books & NetGalley for this great book!

"From Bram Stoker award-nominated author Craig DiLouie comes a horror novel with a twisted tale of love, heartbreak, and the apocalypse. We all have bad exes. Lily Lawlor's just happens to be the antichrist. Sometimes, love can be hell...

1998: Lily Lawlor and Drake Morgan form a punk band. Drake inspires faith in some. Fear in others. Lily is a believer.

1999: A Battle of the Bands ends in a shocking death, and a riot that claims the lives of three teenagers.

2009: At the height of her stardom, Lily walks into a police station and confesses to murder.

Now: The band has refused to talk to the press about the night of the riot, Lily's confession, or anything else. It's been over a decade, but Lily has finally agreed to an interview. And the band is following her lead.

What follows is a story of prophecy, death, and apocalypse. A story about love and love lost. A story about the antichrist. Maybe it's all true. Maybe none if it is.

Either way, this is their story. And they're sticking to it."

A demonic Daisy Jones and the Six!

My Ex, the Antichrist was a love letter to music, in all of its forms. Its unfortunate that I did not end up loving this book, because it had all the makings of something that I would enjoy. The writing style, characters, messages, and genre were all poised to be a great book for me, but it fell flat. The pacing was strange, and the first 15-20% was super slow. Overall, this book felt a little janky, but its finished version could be even better, and there is definitely an audience for this one.

HELLO!!! This was so awesome and nothing like I have read before. I will say it took a little bit until we got into the action and killing of the story, but I think that the buildup lends itself to the story. It lets you get a real feel of all of the characters and their relationships within the band. I fell in love with The Shivers without ever hearing one of there songs just by the way the band interacts. I admit I did laugh out loud a couple of times throughout reading because of the dialogue, but that made it even better for me.

Things I liked about this novel: being part of a band and recognizing the environment of what it means to play life, to not have any opportunities, to persist, and famous references to bands, video games, and pop culture as well. How the character reacts to her family and then goes back to them is a very human behavior, thinking that things change just because of some time of absence. Chaos is less about the music or the rebel attitude of the bands but the enslavement of society to profit and the taking over of technology over creativity. Young adult rebellion. To me, It's not a jump-scare horror but more of a psychological, thought-provocative journey.

The blurb for this book had me hooked! Rockstar girl whose ex is the antichrist? Iconic. Unfortunately, the excitement did not last. The interview format was interesting and had a lot of potential - it inevitably reminded me of Daisy Jones & The Six, which I loved! However in this book it didn’t seem to work for me. I never got to the point of caring about these characters, maybe it was the format, maybe it was the writing style, maybe it was the pace. From the title, I expected more humour.

I’ve been getting more into horror and I think this just isn't the kind of horror for me. I needed more interpersonal conflict, a deeper connection to the characters. I think this book would be a good fit for people with a passion for the music scene and the behind the scenes and business side. I bet an audiobook version could be especially fun for them!

Overall, i liked the idea. i liked the concept of it; Daisy Jones and The Six + the antichrist like yes please but i just did not care about these people. 😬 And it’s really hard to get into the interview style of storytelling when the characters are not interesting to you. So sadly, this one was a miss for me. The writing was fine, and like i said, the idea was interesting but the execution for me felt flat. i would definitely give this author an other chance, i have a few other books on my TBR, so i’d be curious to see how i fell about those.

Release: July 1, 2025
Author: Craig DiLouie
Publisher: Orbit Books

Rating: 3★ 

Lily Lawlor used to be in a punk band with her ex-boyfriend, Drake Morgan—who might also be the antichrist. It all started back in 1998, when they formed the band and Drake quickly became a polarizing figure—some saw him as a prophet, others as something much darker. A year later, things spiraled during a Battle of the Bands that ended in tragedy: a death on stage, a riot, and the loss of three teens.

Fast forward to 2009, Lily—now a famous musician—walks into a police station and confesses to murder. No one in the band has spoken publicly about what really happened… until now. After more than a decade of silence, Lily and her bandmates finally agree to an interview and begin to share their side of the story.

What unfolds is a strange and haunting mix of music, love, prophecy, and the possible end of the world. Whether it’s all true or not, this is the version they’re telling—and they’re not changing a word.

This book was weird, wild, and… kind of a good time? My Ex, the Antichrist is part horror, part satire, and part absurd love story—wrapped up in a mock-interview format.

The setup is outlandish: Lily Lawlor, a sheltered ex-college student, accidentally starts a rock band with her hot, brooding ex-boyfriend, who might also be destined to bring about the end of the world. No big deal. The story is told through interviews, transcripts, and commentary from bandmates, managers, critics, and a few religious fanatics, which made the reading experience unique (though I can see how the format might not work for everyone—it’s light on internal character development).

The book walks a strange line between creepy and campy. There are moments of genuine horror—demonic backup dancers, apocalyptic visions—and others that feel like scenes ripped from a B-horror comedy, complete with Doc Martens and guitar-swinging monster fights. It almost begs to be turned into a low-budget film.

The pacing is a bit uneven. The first half focuses more on band drama and character setup, and while it was a slow burn, I stayed interested. Once the supernatural elements ramped up, things got a lot more fun. That said, the ending didn’t land as hard as I hoped. With a premise this wild, I wanted the finale to go all-in, but it felt surprisingly tame.

If you’re looking for deep theology or gritty realism, this isn’t it. But if you’re into apocalyptic chaos, ‘90s/early 2000s music culture, and a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this could be a fun ride. It’s a strange book—but oddly entertaining.

Favorite Quote:
"it's hard to love someone when you can't trust them, especially when that someone might just be the antichrist."

I finished this book this morning and then got sucked into a rabbit hole of reading articles and Reddit threads discussing whether Avril Lavigne is pop-punk or just pop, and I don't even think I've heard one of her songs since 2005 or so, so why am I reading about this stuff and what has this book done to me??

*Ahem*

Anyway. My Ex, the Antichrist is a weird, slow-ish burn of a novel that somehow kept me completely riveted? Lily Lawlor is a religious, sheltered college dropout who accidentally starts a rock band with the antichrist. Oops. But also he's really cute and charismatic, so it can't be all bad, right? I mean, sure, he has a real “pretentious teenager” vibe going on and their concerts seem to always end in riots, but other than that? Drake might be the antichrist, but is he really such a bad guy overall?

Parts of this book are creepy, and parts of it are super campy. Like, it would make a fantastic low-budget horror film. Really. One moment the antichrist is giving a terrifyingly mesmerizing concert with demons from hell as backup dancers, and the next someone in Doc Martens is beaning a hell-monster with a Fender Telecaster while screaming “ROCK AND ROLL!” You can't make this stuff up. Well, I mean, obviously Craig DiLouie did, but you know what I mean.

Not that there's a ton of action, really. There are a few crazy scenes, especially near the end, but mostly this book is about the main characters forming a band while they slowly start to realize that there's possibly more to their front man than meets the eye. There is a rocket launcher involved at one point, though, so take that for what you will.

But let's talk about Julian's character for a second. Okay, so did any of you ever watch Gilmore Girls? Remember Sebastian Bach's character Gil? Imagine him but more religious and that's pretty much Julian. His character is completely ridiculous and I literally LOL'd when he … exited the story, but, yeah, I don't even know where I'm going with this paragraph. All I can say is that I desperately want someone to make this book into a movie, and I need Sebastian Bach to be cast as Julian. And also Samuel L. Jackson should be the persistent bishop. And maybe the screen writer could take a few liberties with the plot and make one of the priests go through a wood chipper like in Tucker & Dale vs. Evil? Please and thank you.

Honestly, I don't even know how I feel about this book. It is decidedly not fine literature and I'm not even sure that I'd call it decent literature, but it does have a certain je ne sais quoi. It's campy and ridiculous and it beats you in the face with Christian dogma, but it's also kind of fun?

3.666 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Run For It for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is July 1, 2025.

As frontwoman of the pop-punk band The Shivers, Lily Lawless has devoted her life to both her music and the band she’s been a part of since 1999. But in 2010, her unexpected confession of murder sent shock waves through the band. After years of silence, Lily and her bandmates agree to come forward to reveal the truth about their original lead guitarist and Lily’s ex-boyfriend, Drake Morgan. Convinced that Drake is the biblical Antichrist, Lily and her friends devise a plan to stop him before he wins the Battle of the Bands and kicks off the apocalypse.

This was a really fun book! Told in an interview-style format, the story bounced around between different points of view- Lily and the other band members, their manager, music critics, and even a religion studies professor. Personally, I enjoyed all the different perspectives and it gave me Daisy Jones vibes, but with much darker, more sinister themes. I read it on my Kindle, but this might be really fun to listen to as an audiobook!

Ultimately, this was a horror story, but the first part definitely felt more like a love story between Lily and Drake. It took awhile to get into the story because the beginning focused a lot on setting up the plot and developing the characters. However, once the band started playing shows and Drake’s true nature was revealed, the book was an exciting ride all the way until the end.

This was packed with so many music references, particularly to bands and songs from the late ‘90’s and early 2000s. If you’re into music, you might really dig this, but I can understand how the abundance of music references might not be for everyone. If you’re looking for a book filled with music, prophecy, death, and a breakup, consider checking this one out.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book!

I sent my good reads review here, however, I will also be making a TikTok with my review as well. Looking forward to reading other works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of My Ex, the Antichrist.

I've read a book by the author before so I kind of knew what I was getting into.

Yes, the Antichrist is a rock star is a cliche but I was curious to see what the author had up his sleeve.

First off, the interview format was a total turnoff for me.

Interview formats can work but in certain genres; I think it's lazy writing and the author can write.

The interview format doesn't lend itself to character development, tension, world building, none of that.

I wasn't interested in the business side of the music industry, nor did I want to know how to play the guitar or drums.

I wished I had musical talent; maybe I would have cared about these detailed descriptions more.

It felt like the author was living out a dream of being a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine or SPIN.

I also grew tired of everyone mentioning how gorgeous Lily is; the band, the reporters, other bands, their manager, everyone's got to say it, at least, once. Usually more than that.

I was bored right out of my gourd.

I didn't like or know anyone other than what I was told by Lily, Ramona, Malcolm, Eric, and a large cast of minor characters.

I was hoping the premise would have leaned heavily toward dark comedy, tragic and scary.

Don't get me wrong; there's plenty of violence, blood, and mayhem, but that ending...seriously?

It was corny as heck and a real downer.

If your premise is going to be about the Antichrist, damnation, and the end of the world, why not go all out and end the world?

Everyone and the world be damned.

Guess you can tell what my mindset is as I'm writing this review. 😆

Craig DiLouie’s horror novels — especially Suffer the Children — are typically excellent. This one, though? Oof.

First off, the idea of the antichrist being a rockstar is beyond cliched.

Second, none of the religious stuff that’s mentioned makes it even remotely possible to believe in god. I mean, was DiLouie paying attention to what he was writing? It’s yet another book that talks about the apocalypse coming because of god’s plan. Which means that nothing any of us do matters and that god is planning to murder all of us one day. Wow. Why wouldn’t I want to sign up? /sarcasm

Third, this book would have been MUCH better if DiLouie had exposed the church as murderous thugs who were not, in fact, correct. Instead, he took it all literally. Which still could have been okay, I guess, if so much time hadn’t been spent on the religious POV (must attack and kill the antichrist no matter what — despite the antichrist being part of god’s plan 🙄).

Fourth, with a title like My Ex, the Antichrist, I expected a lot more humor than the book actually delivered. Again, it was all taken completely seriously and I’m sorry, but what?

Finally, if nothing they chose to do mattered, what was the point of going through it at all?

So yeah, to say I had issues with this book would be an understatement. DiLouie managed to get two stars out of me, though, because the non-religious sections of the book were good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I had quite high hopes for this one, but I just couldn’t really get into it. I’m not sure if it was a right book, wrong time situation, but I never seemed to get used to the writing style. I may try picking it up again at a later time, but it’s safe to say I was a little disappointed.

A story about love and friendship in its different forms. A creepy wholesome horror story with lots of povs. Lovers of music will find enjoyment with this story reminded me of Granby Hendrix in some aspects.

I have loved several other novels from this author. Unfortunately, this one was a big miss. The pacing was so slow and I wasn't interested in anything about the musician's lifestyle.

I haven't read Suffer the Children or Episode Thirteen yet (they're both on my TBR though) so I can't compare this to this author's other works.

I enjoyed the interview style format. Reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones and the Six but with, y'know, the antichrist. I thought that format made the novel a lot of fun. The beginning reeled me in and had me engaged but I thought as it went on it slowly fizzled out and left me with a subpar ending. I'm also not super into 90's punk-rock culture, so I felt that a lot of the references fell flat for me--and there's a lot of references here.

Overall this is fine. I'm curious about Craig DiLouie's other works because I heard Suffer the Children is really good. If this sounds interesting, definitely check it out.

I really enjoyed this book, especially with the assumption that people may go in thinking that certain types of music lend themselves to devil worship. After two decades, a band is sharing what happened during a riot at their concert that killed three teens. This whole book left me feeling uneasy as I was reading it, and I absolutely appreciate that! It does discuss love and relationships (I may have had a few Antichrist exes). I did feel the beginning dragged a bit, but that was the character development portion of the book. Once this book gets going, it puts the pedal to the metal. I also have to say that this book also made me realize that I went through a bit of a similar time in my life where music was life, and life was good. It was slightly nostalgic in that way.