Oh. My. Gosh. This book?? Absolutely unhinged in the best way possible. It’s creepy, it’s twisty, and it messes with your head in a way that had me side-eyeing my own laptop like… is it typing by itself??

The whole “book within a book” concept is chef’s kiss perfection, and the way reality and fiction start bleeding together?? CHILLS. Jewel is such a fascinating character—equal parts desperate, determined, and maybe just a little (a lot?) unwell. And don’t even get me started on the slow-burn horror of it all. That rash scene? Nope. Nope. Nope. But also, I couldn’t look away.

By the time I reached the final act, I was full-on clutching my Kindle, because every new reveal just made the story even wilder. It’s dark, it’s smart, and it’s one of those books that lingers in your brain long after you finish. Horror fans, trust me, you need this one on your shelf.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This is a fantastic, fun, twisty turny novel about madness, demonic possession, and some very unexpected reveals which will make your head spin.

Jewel is our protagonist and she races to a hospital at the beginning of this book because her sister, Deirdre, was hit by a car. Dierdre is a famous author and Jewel is a struggling self published writer. There's tension between them from the starts. But Dierdre is in a coma and covered with a disgusting rash.

Jewel finds out that Dierdre was finishing a horror novel and decides to finish it for her to meet her agents deadline. What happens next is a fever dream of possession, obsession, paranoi, and lots of bloodshed as the manuscript seems to write itself using real people as characters to kill in extremely brutal ways.

But there's a lot more going on and, as the book progresses, we're going to discover some things which completely turns the story on it's head and makes yours do the same! It's so much fun.

I absolutely loved this novel. The characters are great, the secrets reveal themselves throughout, and by the end you'll be reading wide eyed and with your mouth dropping to the floor. I highly recommend this one.

Screaming, crying, throwing up. First of all, because I received this ARC. Second of all, because this author KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK AGAIN. If you didn’t read Theme Music (you’re wrong but okay) you’ve missed this author and that’s a shame.

Now into the book itself. I could not put it down. The characters are great, the story is insane, and you almost feel a part of the tension. Parts of a manuscript have been added to the story and they are PERFECT inclusions that make the novel even more amazing. This is already going on my top horror of 2025. I even liked it more than Theme Music.

Lastly I’ll just say that I think everyone should read this okay? As soon as it’s published (August 2025). I’ll see you in line for it; because I can’t wait to have this one in my hands.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC (seriously, bottom of my heart)