I realllllly wanted to love this one. I thought the audio for it was fantastic, and it was a full cast. The audio made the story feel incredibly immersive. The story itself was great. I had a fun time with the story and how outrageous and horrific it got. I didn't love the interview style writing. This is my second book by this author, and I felt the same with Episode Thirteen as well. It's definitely a me problem, because I don't love that style of writing, but the stories themselves are great!
I loved the subgenre, rock horror, storyline. Stories in this area just feel so soulful and wholesome because of the passion for the music. This one did not disappoint. The importance of the music was so prominent and beautiful.
I highly recommend listening to this one if you have the opportunity! Thank you Run For It Publishing for my physical ARC and Hachette for the ALC!

Told entirely through interviews and article snippets that sent me right back to my pre-teen years watching VH1's Behind the Music, this wild ride of a novel begs to be narrated by a full cast. It's a tough style to pull off, but DiLouie makes it look easy.

I don't know how this managed to be both a slow burn and full of action, but I didn't want to put it down. It's full of vivid descriptions of being on stage, of long hours spent practicing, and of some seriously brutal violence against clergy. The band is fleshed out, with each member bringing their own baggage and wants and needs to the group and creating the sweetest found family unit. I was kicking my feet at the ending.

When I first read “Daisy Jones and The Six” all these years ago, I couldn't fathom the idea of enjoy something as stiff as an interview-written type of novel — as in, how can you make your readers care about these people and, at the same time, writing unobjectively about their journey?
Well, when I willing decided of reading this novel right here I didn't know that my questions would have been now answered, nor I even thought about any comparison till it was too late to un-notice.

It tries so hard to be everything, but ends up being nothing: not scary, not suspenseful, kinda religious without enough explains for the atheists in the back, not romantic enough for making it your whole point all along.
And I know we're talking about a punk-rock band, but please, enough with the name-dropping, enough with the music technicalities, enough with trying to make us see the music.

Maybe you'll read a thousand amazing reviews, maybe you'll think I’m the weird one and you'll feel justify in writing something bad about my tastes or whatever.
I don't care, nor about this he-said-she-said type of narration, nor about any character in this book — which would have worked wonderfully as a novella, I might add —, nor about the horror-lovers saying I don't have any imagination.
I just don't care; let him relish Hell and call it a day!

Thanks to Orbit Books, Run For It and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

"Your former lover, Drake Morgan, is the Antichrist."

Lily was raised in a strict, conservative, Catholic family. Her parents had her late in life, considering her to be a miracle baby. And as such, went about controlling every part of her life so it would be perfect. But Lily is bored with their dreams for her, until one day when she meets Drake. He's gorgeous, mysterious, and encourages her to follow her own dreams - including helping her start a band. They recruit Ramona, Eric, and Malcolm to round out it out and start playing together as The Shivers. And they sound good. Really good. Problem is, whenever they play, the audience goes into a trance...then goes crazy. Turns out Drake isn't just another lead singer whose special talent is the guitar. He's actually the Antichrist, here to usher in Armageddon. Lily dumps him, and he leaves the band. But Drake wants what he can't have, so he bargains with Lily. She loves him - and their music - but is it worth her soul?

The conversational style worked perfectly for this novel. We're basically reading interviews from the band members and a few others to learn the story of why The Shivers reign ended - and who or what was Drake Morgan. It was like a really long magazine article about your favorite band, warts and all. I'm not a music fanatic - not that I don't love music, but you won't see me arguing about punk vs. experimental vs. alt vs. indie vs. whatever - but everything about this book just worked for me. It's a little campy, a little creepy, and a little ridiculous. At this point, I just have to admit that if it's horror and written by DiLouie, count me in.

I didn't know I wanted to read Daisy Jones and the Six, but make it evil, but I definitely did! I loved the interview style of this story and it was a fast-paced, engaging read. I will definitely be reading more from Craig DiLouie!

This was the fourth book I've read from this author and, unfortunately, it is now my least favourite.
As usual, I enjoyed DiLouie's sense of humor in his writing. His books are fun, funny and creepy at the same time, and this new one was no exception.
However, this time I personally didn't care for any of the characters and, maybe, I thought this book was a little too funny. Especially in the first 2/3 of it. I could see this book as motion picture, and maybe I would have liked it better as a movie, or something.
I could recommend this book to anyone who has read a book by this author before and enjoyed it. This might work better for other readers.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an absolute nostalgic thrill ride! Beware all who don’t like pop culture references, you probably won’t like this one. However, if you were part of the pop-punk, punk or rock scene in the late 90’s and early 2000’s this could be written for you.

It’s written in a mockumentary format centering on FMC Lily Lawless years after she confesses to a murder, the FMC, her bandmates, and various characters who interacted with the band during their tumultuous rise to fame. The twist: the man who helped bring the band together, and Lily’s ex boyfriend, is the literal antichrist. I went into this with the expectation of a goofy horror centering around the ex-girlfriend of a typical archetype of the toxic male lead-guitarist that just so happens to be the antichrist. And while it was certainly all of that, there was so much more to the story and characters.

I found myself caring so much for the characters and their growth as they told their sides of the story. Lily’s character was complicated and such a good representation of morally grey without making you hate her.

As for the plot, it was intriguing from start to finish with smatterings of absolute chaos, and I loved it. There were some moments that dragged a little, but by the end I completely understand why they were essential to the overall story. The only thing that irked me is the overwhelming theme of Christianity being a sanctuary. It felt a little disjointed with the story as a whole and felt slightly forced. I chose to overlook it as it didn’t seem like the author was trying to convert readers, just provide a source of hope in the opposite of the antichrist. Overall I had a lot of fun reading this one and highly recommend this to anyone looking to add a little chaotic nostalgia in their lives.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sadly, I just could not get through this book, because I didn't find it believable at all. The prose would have been lovely if the book wasn't set up the way it was. But because it's meant to be in an interview style, I just did not believe it. It sounds incredibly unnatural to even imagine an actual person talking like that. If it were set up in a different way, it would be perfectly fine, but I was completely taken out of it because of this. I do find the concept interesting, and I think others who enjoy horror and come from a religious background and/or have an interest in religion, this would be great for them.

pretty fun horror-ish story that's pretty generally goofy and fun. would probably recommend this story. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I was really drawn to the concept (and loved the cover art!) - that's what drew me in here. I LOVE We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix and Voice by Joseph Garraty. The deal-with-the-devil concept is so rock-and-roll, and I was curious to see how DiLouie's take on that would play out. Unfortunately, I struggled with this one and found it a lot more rock and a lot less deal/devils - despite the title and blurb. My biggest issue with this one was probably the format. It's told in an interview style, rather than a full-on narrative one - and for me that meant a lot of repetition and detail about forming and being in a band, and less about the eponymous Ex/Antichrist. I am not a big music/band person so that was a bit of a slog for me, and by the time I got into the truly creepy/weird/heavy-duty stuff, I was already a bit worn out. This one wasn't really for me...

**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."