Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the earc in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this over all. It gives midsummer cult in some aspects, other aspects were dark, creepy and overall a good time. This touches on some topics that can be tough for some. Go into it knowing that. Overall, I enjoyed this and would read more by this author.

Grace Byron’s debut novel, Herculine, isn't just a horror story; it's a raw and visceral plunge into the depths of identity, trauma, and the search for belonging. The book masterfully blends the mundane horrors of a trans woman’s daily life with a truly chilling supernatural narrative, creating a unique and compelling reading experience that will stick with you long after you've finished the final page.

The unnamed narrator is a magnetic and complex character. She's not a simple victim; she's a survivor armed with holy oil and a biting wit, battling not only a string of awful jobs and even worse exes but also tangible, mist-like demons. Her voice is the true strength of the novel—equal parts cynical, weary, and surprisingly humorous. When a new, more powerful evil begins to hunt her through New York City, her decision to flee to a secluded, all-trans commune in rural Indiana seems like a sensible, if desperate, choice.

This commune, named after the 19th-century intersex memoirist Herculine Barbin, is where the story truly takes hold. Byron paints a vivid, unsettling picture of this scrappy, wooded camp. The sense of community is initially a welcome relief, a warm contrast to the narrator's isolation. But the idyllic facade soon cracks, revealing a deeply creepy underbelly. The subtle shift from a sanctuary to a cage is handled with expert precision. Whispered conversations, strange rituals, and cryptic notes in the library's books build a palpable sense of paranoia and unease. The dread is slow-burning, a quiet whisper that grows into a scream.

The horror in Herculine is both physical and psychological. Byron doesn't shy away from gruesome details—disemboweled pigs and cult-like rituals are just a few of the grotesque images that fill the pages. But the true terror lies in the slow erosion of trust and the blurring of lines between friend and foe. The supernatural elements are seamlessly woven into the narrator's personal struggles, creating a narrative where internal and external demons are one and the same.

While the ending might feel a bit rushed, not fully resolving all the tangled threads of the story, it doesn't diminish the power of the journey. Herculine is a bold and fearless debut that uses the framework of horror to explore deeply personal and political themes. It's a novel that challenges, disturbs, and ultimately, captivates. It’s a must-read for anyone looking for a horror story that is as thoughtful as it is terrifying.

Herculine was extremely bleak but I believe that was the point. Our unnamed narrator describes her experience as a transgender woman haunted by a fundamentalist Christian childhood. The all-trans girl commune the narrator is sent to is demonic and terrifying. My only critiques are the book started a bit slow, and I would have liked to have more of the narrator's feelings described.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up dnf'ing this at 14%. After several attempts, I just couldn't get into it. The writing style and characters weren't it for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing me an eARC of this title.

3.5 stars

This started out feeling like a literary horror (which I generally love) and ended feeling like a fever dream (which I also tend to enjoy). I enjoyed this book, but I feel like I will need to reread to really solidify my feelings. I love cults and possession stories, and I was very intrigued by this one. I just think the way it is written had me a little confused for parts of it. Overall I enjoyed the experience, and I will definitely reread this one down the road.

I was very excited for this read based on the review from Gretchen Felker-Martin, whose books I have greatly enjoyed, and the premise of a midwestern "all-trans girl commune/cult." Unfortunately, the story fell a bit flat for me. I found the main character not very likeable, which is always hard for me to get through. She was very passive throughout the novel, and I did not find her reasons for inaction well explained. I love a good cult story and wish there had been more to make me feel Ash's power and charm, versus being told she had it. Overall, I did enjoy some aspects of this book, and do think it will be some people's new favorite! Just not mine this time around. Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

Herculine by Grace Byron follows a main character that is struggling to make ends meet so she moves to a community her ex best friend started and things progress from there.

I really enjoyed this story as a whole. I think it had a lot of interesting conversations around what it can be like to be a trans person and the way that looks different for everyone. I loved the cult vibes and the twists and turns this book took in the second half. The writing was easy to become absorbed in and I will definitely pick up more books from this author.

I do think the pacing was a bit strange. This book is on the shorter side but the first half felt incredibly long. This is to really get into the head of the main character but it kind of bogged down the story. The second half picked up quite a bit and I flew through it but just know going into this book, the beginning takes awhile to get going!

If you like weird books that have great discussions on current events, check this one out!

2.5 stars rounded up. Demons, cults, and possession? On the surface it sounds like a slam dunk of a horror novel. The novel was definitely dark and filled with creepy, backwoods nightmare fuel.

Our main character has faced demons throughout her life, quite literally. She’s just lost her crappy job in New York when her ex/best friend invites her to join a utopia commune for trans girls she has just started in rural Indiana. As expected, it’s anything but utopia.

I definitely appreciate the creepy vibes and the nitty horror parts of this novel. However, I found the pacing and writing to be a bit choppy at times. It took me a while to get through mostly because of the pacing. At times I thought maybe I was too cis or just not smart enough to understand some of this book. There’s a lot more sex than I expected, which doesn’t bother me BUT it didn’t really add to the story in any way, it was just kind of there. It felt like it was forced in just to be there.

I felt like the ending as also a bit rushed. All of these events happen and then it’s just over. The story itself is solid and compelling, and it’s definitely worth the read especially if you like demon or cult horror.

Herculine is such a raw and thoughtful book. Grace Byron writes about sexuality, religious trauma, and identity in a way that feels really honest and vulnerable. I especially connected with the parts about faith and shame—it captures so well what it’s like to try and hold onto yourself when religion tells you otherwise.

Some sections leaned a little too heavy on theory for my taste, but the personal writing was beautiful and moving. It’s one of those books that lingers with you and makes you rethink how we inherit both trauma and possibility.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Girls will be girls!
I really enjoyed Herculine! It took some time for me to get invested, just not knowing exactly where the story would go. I didn't expect part 2 to be what it was! It's campy, spooky, emotionally intense. I love seeing religious trauma/nostalgia in queer literature, it's a demographic I feel hasn't been catered to enough. At least not in such a tender and honest way as this book handled it. Highly recommend!

DNF at 51%

I really struggled with this book and think I’m just not the right audience for it. I was excited going into it because I love a good horror-inspired story, especially one with a unique premise. By the end of the first chapter, I was already questioning what I had gotten myself into. The language was crass, there was so much talk about drugs (I mean, how much ketamine do New Yorkers really do!?), and the narration was, in my opinion, very lazy. It felt more like a frantic list of things that happened rather than a cohesive story for the first almost 30% of the book. Maybe this was part of Byron’s way of building that sense of paranoia that’s discussed in the book blurb, but it just didn’t land well for me.

I kept telling myself it would pick up for me when the narrator (do we ever learn her name?) got to the trans-girl community, but it didn’t. I was really forcing myself to read, but I feel that if I kept doing that, I would come to totally resent the book and low-ball the rating, which I don’t feel is fair to the author. I’m scoring this book as a 3-star because I did get at least half-way through, I feel like there is a better audience out there than me, and we need more trans representation in the literary world. I want to encourage the author to keep writing and keep reaching their audience because I know there are people that will eat this book up!

DNF, but only because I'm the wrong reader for this book!

I recently learned the term ‘dirty realism’ – which is a literary movement/writing style – and thus finally have the words to explain why books like Herculine don’t work for me. I just don’t like this style! I understand what it’s doing, what the point of it is, and I think Byron is very good at it; it’s very effective here. I have no critiques; what I read of Herculine was objectively great. I don’t even have any nitpicky comments! (And if you’ve followed me for a while, you know how rare that is!)

But dirty realism is too freaking bleak for me, so. Alas, dear Herculine – we part as friends!

If you DO like dirty realism, then you will adore this, methinks. It's bleak and sharp and wry and gritty, occasionally snarky; Byron has a great way with words (I highlighted several BANGER lines!); and the main character had me gently banging my head against the wall (complimentary). Myself, I'll be paying close attention to whatever Byron publishes after this - I'll be crossing my fingers that I'll be a better fit for some future book of hers!

I felt like the writing style of this was a bit strange. It felt almost disconnected and was also kind of choppy. The tone was eerie and that worked, but I think it needed to be accompanied by a different writing style or tense or something.

I also think that has a really cool cover. Simple, but effective. Great shade of green.

This book sounded like so much fun, but I was kind of disappointed with it. It seemed like it would be way more action-packed throughout, but the action was kind of concentrated to just a few chapters.

We've got demons and culty vibes and a trans main character and conversion camp and secrets and paranoia that makes you question what you're being told, and so much more. All the ingredients to something that could've been so dramatic. And I did have fun with some parts of it, I just wanted more. I still had a good time and still think this is a good book.

Maybe I need to try the audiobook next summer or something. Sometimes, the format changes how I feel about it, maybe the strange writing will work better when read aloud. We shall see, we shall experiment.

Writing style preferences are so different person-to-person, so I'm sure that there will be plenty of readers who like it and don't find it strange to read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

This debut is for the queer girlies with religious trauma (which is to say, all of my friends). Herculine follows a young trans woman who decides to fight her malaise—and her demonic visions—by joining her ex’s trans girl commune in rural Indiana. What could go wrong! Byron’s novel is dark and voicey and funny in a way that makes you feel like you’re talking to a cool friend who you’re secretly worried about. Like if your coolest, most unstable friend decided to open up to you about the literal demons that have been following her around but you thought you guys were just gonna grab coffee and catch up about boyfriend drama. You know the vibe. I always love when a novel captures a voice so clearly, and I love a novel that’s creepy and spooky, and this book delivers on all of that. Plus, the cover! Come on. Your sleep paralysis demon is begging you to read Herculine.

As an absolute sucker for a cult book this was a must.

It felt creepy and claustrophobic from the start and just got weirder and more intense as it went on. I really enjoyed the writing and the way the backstories were told through unburdening to others but threw you back into the trauma in a visceral way.

I’d recommend it to people that love weird scary shit with a caveat to check some trigger warnings for they are plentiful.

(SA, toxic relationships, violence, conversion therapy, homophobia, transphobia, animal death)

Thanks to netgalley and saga press for eARC.

YES YES YES
I want to see more unapologetically trans and queer main characters.
It delves into real world issues of not only being a woman, but being a trans woman, and even just simply being trans.
I think the entire premise is stellar and I loved reading it.
My only complaint would be pacing. It went from incredibly slow to incredibly fast with little in between.

Herculine by Grace Byron follows an unnamed trans woman who, after fleeing a dangerous situation in New York City, finds herself at an all-trans girl commune in rural Indiana. At first, it seems like a safe space, but the commune has its own dark secrets.

I absolutely love the concept of this book, the idea, the setting, and the focus on trans experiences in a horror context are all really compelling. That said, the execution didn’t fully work for me. Some parts felt underdeveloped, and the story needed a little more time to come together. While there are moments that are sharp and striking, overall it didn’t hit as strongly as it could have.

Overall, the idea is brilliant, and I appreciate what Byron was going for, but the novel didn’t completely land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing an advanced digital copy of this book.

I am incredibly glad to be able to read more books with Trans-Fem protagonists. I always feel like I am searching for more, especially in these trying times. That being said, Herculine left me a little wanting. The writing, while entertaining at times, was a little dry for me in others. I think there is a sardonic wit on display that I just didn't appreciate sometimes. All in all I would love to read more from this author, but I do approach with caution.

2.5/5

Thank you to Savannah Breckenridge from Saga Press and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of "Herculine" in exchange for a review!

From the premise, this book seemed like it was going to be really interesting! A horror novel about an all trans-woman commune and demons? Count me in! When I started reading it, however, I wasn't really... sure what to think. The writing is definitely unique, but in the sense that it jumped from thought to thought pretty often and felt almost confusing at times. I've seen it described as feeling like a fever dream and honestly... yeah?

To me, part one wasn't actually that bad and I kind of vibed with the book at first. However, when it got to part two and the narrator got to the commune, it went downhill and got less enjoyable for me. None of the characters were that enjoyable, even the ones that seemed like they were supposed to be, and the demon related stuff seemed almost like an afterthought to the repetitive sex. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with characters having sex! But that's all that really happened until the demon stuff was thrown back in. The ending was anticlimactic, which was honestly disappointing. If the plot had been a little more coherent and the characters a little more likeable, I think it would have been a good ending! But there just wasn't enough in the book to make an ending like this feel like it was worth it.

I think the idea behind this book with horror and gender identity and relationships could have been really interesting, but it just didn't really deliver on that, which sucks to say because the premise really did sound so interesting.

Thank you again to Savannah from Saga Press for giving me this ARC and to NetGalley for distributing it.

Okay so this debut was insane. BUT in the best way. Think of paranoid girl diary & what if your sleep paralysis demons actually followed you to brunch lmao. It gave me rural Indiana cult commune but make it all trans girls and also haunted as hell. The narrator was a freaking disaster, a hilarious, sad, paranoid hot mess of a disaster. She’s been through conversion therapy, shitty jobs, shitty exes, and now she’s literally arguing with demons in the mirror. I love her. I hate her. I want to shake her. She’s that girl. And then there’s the commune, which is supposed to be safe. It’s literally named after Herculine Barbin (Google her if you don’t know). But the vibes was so off. People stop talking when she walks into a room, there are weird cryptograms in the books, pigs show up disemboweled…...No thank you.

What works here is the tone. It’s horror but it’s also so trans. Not in a “here’s a sad metaphor for gender” way, but in a “trauma and community and paranoia are literally indistinguishable from the monsters in the woods” way. It’s raw, it’s messy, it’s actually kind of funny at times, and then it punches you in the throat.

This book feels like if you mixed Hereditary, a group chat meltdown, and a t4t situationship gone very wrong. I ate it up. If you want horror that’s bloody, weird, and deeply, unapologetically queer–This is your next obsession. What an amazing debut wow.

4 ⭐️ thank you Saga Press!