Review of Digital Galley

Sometimes, life needs to take a different path.

Madison, determined to do something positive for herself, signs up for a fitness/mental residential boot camp called No Days Off. But is the extreme camp really the answer she’s seeking and is Ellie really concerned with her best interests?

Musician Johnny Blake, troubled with OCD, takes a nasty fall during his concert and ends depending on pain pills. In an effort to get his life back on track, he decides to spend some time detoxing in a remote cottage, courtesy of his friend, Ivan. But what is hiding in the cottage? And why has the Boggart come for Johnny?

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This disturbing tale, mostly a psychological thriller about two people desperate to “fix” themselves, puts Madison in the position of being manipulated while Johnny dealings with the Boggart bring into play the supernatural aspects readers have come to expect from a horror story. There’s an underlying sense of dread that keeps the readers on edge as the unfolding story shows the ramifications of dire choices

But . . . L-O-N-G chapters have a tendency to impede the story and pull readers out of the telling of the tale. And there’s only the most tenuous of connections between Johnny’s story and Madison’s story. In addition, the overuse of a particularly offensive expletive . . . one that does absolutely nothing to move the story along . . . is likely to offend many readers.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Little, Brown and Company / Mullholland Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#IllQuitWhenImDead #NetGalley

This book is publishing in October just in time for spooky season. This was a fun read for me, I thought it was intriguing from the synopsis and was thrilled when I received the approval. Thank you NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the eARC in exchange for my review.

The story follows two main characters, Johnny and Madison who are both struggling with their own monsters/personal demons. This book is more psychological horror then anything with some some supernatural elements and body horror. Honestly this book was completely unpredictable in the best possible way and I ate it up. Such a fun read!!

Oh what a fun read! This is one where there are two main stories going and you don't really know how they will tie together but once they do it's so satisfying. By far one of the best endings I've read in a while!
This is definitely a story where you're not sure where it's going since the two main characters are nowhere near each other in every sense of the word. Keeps you guessing until the end, then leaves you smiling.
Very straightforward and easy read; a great book to read to unwind at the end of the day.

This book had an interesting premise but I really just wasn’t interested once I started reading it. I really can’t consider it really “horror” as I expect it but more a psychological thriller-ish anyway. But the two stories didn’t really mesh or have the ability to suck me in really. It just wasn’t the format for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: I'll Quit When I'm Dead by Luke Smitherd
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: October 14, 2025
📖 384 pages

Extreme Weight Loss Boot Camp
OCD Representation
Alternate World
Psychological Abuse

Review: This is such a strange horror. It bounces between Johnny, a rocker with OCD and a penchant for trouble, and Madison, a young lady who feels she lacks discipline and enrolls in a hardcore boot camp. I was fairly entertained by the twist in Johnny's story, seeing as it actually felt like I was reading a horror story, but felt that Madison's story was upsetting because of how she's manipulated and, though the boot camp operated more like a cult, it wasn't truly horror and wish it had been written to mesh a bit better with Johnny's.

While this one wasn't for me, I feel that if you enjoy horror with psychological aspects, you might want to give I'll Quit When I'm Dead a read!

Thank you so much Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy!

I really enjoyed Madison and Johnnys story. This book was definitely unsettling but in the best way. I think it will be perfect for an October release also the cover is amazing just saying

I have absolutely no idea how to rate or review this book. It's well-written and the premise is original and intriguing, and for once I don't think that the blurb calling the author a “major voice in horror to watch” is exaggerating. I'd happily read more of his books (depending on the subject matter) and I hope that this one does extremely well.

At the same time, however, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead is just not my type of horror at all. Madison's timeline in particular was rough for me. It started out super interesting and I was so curious as to where things were headed, but I have a really hard time with the whole “awful manipulative person does awful manipulative person things under the guise of being helpful” type of horror, and I also don't really like realistic violence in my novels. Slasher reads? Eh, whatever, they don't bother me at all. Even gore is fine. But the abusive violence that takes place in this book? Can't do it. I mean, I suppose I did do it and I read the entire thing, but I was super uncomfortable the whole time. Also, Madison is kind of dumb and there's an animal death.

Johnny's timeline, on the other hand, focuses more on the supernatural side of horror. There's a boggart and it's very, very creepy. It's an unsettling juxtaposition going back and forth between “an evil creature wants to eat you” and “whatever-in-the-Mommie-Dearest Madison's timeline is,” but I did think that the way the two timelines eventually converge is quite original and clever.

Trigger warnings include: violence, abuse (both psychological and physical), animal death, addiction, and, um, boggarts?

My overall rating? Let's say 4.25 stars for the writing, 2 stars for Madison's timeline and 3.4 stars for Johnny's. If I can math (and I often can't so take this rating with a grain of salt), that gives us 3.22 stars, rounded down. Seems fair.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is October 14, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the free digital copy for an honest review.


Positives while reading:

1. The opening to the first chapter was a very strong start. I felt the anxiety and struggle, it was a good hook for me to keep reading.
2. This felt really close to home with Madison. I get how she felt and it made we want to read more about her.
3. The concept of the shallows and monsters within the shallows and deep place was interesting.
4. When scenes were getting intense they had me at the edge of my seat and they were my favorite parts to read and where I think the author shined with telling horror.

Negatives while reading:
1. My least favorite part is how long each chapter were. From somebody who has a short attention span it felt like hours trying to go through one chapter. My attention would wonder and after awhile the story was over my head sadly.
2. I felt lost in the middle of where this story was headed and it took some time for it to hook me back in.
3. I can’t lie that I was confused quite a bit

Overall review:

I liked the concept of the story that was here. The idea of the No Days Off along with Johnny’s journey was interesting to follow. At first the story really hooked me for each characters path. However while reading I kept finding myself enjoying one POV more than the other, it kept switching through out the book. The author did a good job at setting a scene of dread they were my favorite scenes to read about it. However each chapter was sooo long. It felt like stuff just went on and on and I think it would’ve been better if they were broken up. Because of this it did make reading on my part less enjoyable as I was nearing the end. Instead of wanting to keep on reading to find out the outcome of these characters it instead felt like a drag. Still I think the author wrote some really good moments in this story. Some I won’t forget for some time.

This book is an absolute hidden gem and a terrifyingly brilliant surprise that had me gripping the pages in sheer suspense! What makes this book truly exceptional is how it blends psychological torment with outright horror, making you question what’s real, and what’s imagined. This was the first book that I have read by the author. This was a fun read and a wild ride.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley.

I got hooked into reading I’ll Quit When I’m Dead with the description, but what followed was… not what I expected, in the best way possible.

The story follows two different characters - Johnny, a musician who has a fall at a show and is going into retreat to rediscover himself, and Madison, who is reeling from personal issues of her own stemming from self-esteem and a recent breakup. Both need a reset.

Johnny moves into a secluded cottage and something doesn’t feel right. There’s what looks like an altar set up, with a very questionably placed bag of Werther’s Originals, and he doesn’t remember setting anything up. Madison goes to the gym and runs into an old acquaintance who looks AMAZING, but is cagey about how she got that way.

What follows is Madison discovering No Days Off - what sounds like an intense bootcamp run by a woman named Ellie. She’s looking for change - and she gets more than she bargained for. When a group of ten starts the challenge, she discovers she can quit - to a point - and that punishment in the form of Hard Corrections are something to fear. You’ll never look at a bottle of Pepsi the same way again after reading that chapter! Once eight quit and there are only two remaining, Madison realizes that Ellie may not be as put together as she seems and things get…. nuts.

Johnny’s new path to self-discovery takes him to the cottage’s attic, where he meets the Boggart and realizes that he made an agreement he can’t remember. Never take painkillers again, or be eaten by a huge monster. How could anybody decide?

While parts of the story dragged a bit, the big reveal at the end, for both characters, was worth it. This was a fun read and a wild ride.

I'll Quit When I'm Dead by Luke Smitherd is a darkly humorous, deeply gripping exploration of obsession, addiction, and the limits of human endurance. The story’s protagonist pulls you in with his raw, cynical perspective, and Smitherd’s sharp writing keeps the pace fast and unpredictable. It’s a clever mix of suspense and biting wit, with twists that leave you questioning everything. A fantastic read for anyone who loves a story that’s both thrilling and thought-provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing a copy of this book to give my honest review!

The story starts off by introducing us to Johnny and Madison, our main protagonists. Each one has their own trauma that they wish to resolve by enrolling themselves into a program that they heard about from friends. You can probably see where this is going.

The story is spooky and disturbing. A psychological horror where we as the reader get to watch as both of our characters minds start to unravel. Now, as the story moves along, it can get a bit confusing. I found at times that we weren't really seeing any personal growth, that both characters were always wanting more, unable to be satisfied with what life has given them.

There are strange entities that come out throughout the story that we get introduced to. Now, you don't know if it's supernatural or not. If you want to find out the answer, you would have to read the story.

All in all, it wasn't bad. Gave me 80's horror vibes. If you like dark psychological horrors, you will probably enjoy this story.

This book had such an interesting premise, and it landed in my lap just as I was starting a 21-day challenge of my own—so I had to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I became engrossed in the story.

Madison is desperate for a change. Fresh off a painful breakup and frustrated by endless diets and workouts that never seem to work, she’s low on motivation and direction. When she bumps into an old friend at the gym—someone who looks completely transformed—she’s immediately intrigued. Her friend introduces her to Ellie Fellowes, a former military woman who runs an unconventional boot camp.

Once Madison arrives, she’s completely cut off from the outside world—no electronics, and only one brief check-in per week with a single person. Her fellow participants are… unusual. Some follow Ellie’s every command without question, while others seem far less trustworthy. As strange events unfold, Madison’s unease grows—and she starts to question everything and everyone around her.

Meanwhile, we meet Johnny Blake, a musician battling addiction. He heads to a secluded cottage for a reset, but when the previous guests linger and give off unsettling vibes, he has an eerie feeling he’s not alone—even after they leave.

You definitely need to suspend disbelief for this one. At first, I felt like I was on a bizarre trip, but once I leaned into the atmosphere, I really enjoyed the ride. The eerie, isolated setting, the blurred line between reality and imagination, and the steady psychological tension kept me turning the pages. The characters are well developed, and the pacing had me hooked until the end. I even had to keep the lights on while reading!

This is a perfect blend of horror and psychological thriller—I couldn’t put it down.

*I’ll Quit When I’m Dead* is a spine-tingling horror novel that blends psychological tension with nightmarish twists. Madison and Johnny’s journeys toward self-improvement take horrifying turns, as they each face the terrifying consequences of their desperate choices. With vivid, disturbing imagery and an atmosphere of dread, Smitherd crafts a relentless narrative about the price of change and the horrors that may await when you push yourself too far.

This book was unhinged in the best way. It’s horror with a side of self-destruction, and it fully leans into how far people will go when they’re desperate to change. Madison’s storyline gave me major “fitness cult but make it terrifying” energy—like if a motivational Instagram account grew fangs. She signs up for this boot camp thinking it’ll fix her life, and yeah, it does… but not in the way anyone would want. The vibes go from intense to straight-up terrifying real quick, and I honestly couldn’t look away.

Then there’s Johnny, hiding out in a creepy cabin to detox. His storyline is quieter but deeply unsettling. The thing stalking him is so eerie and weird, and the idea that staying sober is literally a matter of life or death? Brutal. But it works.

Both stories run parallel but are thematically so connected—this messed-up look at how people try to “fix” themselves when they’re completely broken. There’s body horror, addiction horror, cult vibes, and just this constant pressure simmering under every page.

Some moments felt a little chaotic and weird (like… what is happening right now?), but the originality and sheer vibes more than made up for it. If you’re into horror that’s a little off-kilter, deeply metaphorical, and not afraid to get gross and weird, this one’s for you. Just… maybe skip your next boot camp.

I’ll Quit When I’m Dead by Luke Smitherd is an intense, deeply unsettling psychological horror novel that took me completely by surprise. With elements of both suspense and raw emotional realism, it’s the kind of story that crawls under your skin and stays there. Madison and Johnny are two of the most compellingly flawed characters I’ve come across—each navigating their own personal hell, yet written in such a grounded way that their pain and desperation feel achingly real. Madison’s descent into the cult-like world of a fitness boot camp is terrifying in its subtlety, while Johnny’s battle with addiction and the terrifying choices he's forced into give the story a dark, claustrophobic edge.

Smitherd expertly weaves in themes of mental health, addiction, and control with a razor-sharp narrative and just the right dash of dark humor. The pacing is relentless, and the alternating perspectives offer a balanced, thought-provoking look into two very broken lives spiraling toward something far more sinister. There’s a raw, emotional weight to the story that elevates the horror beyond jump scares—it forces you to confront the psychological torment that’s often scarier than anything supernatural. It’s a gripping, emotionally charged read that fans of psychological thrillers and horror fiction won’t want to miss.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you for the opportunity to preview I will Quit When I die. This is an interesting novel. It seems like two novellas in one. One tell the story of a young woman who signs up to become a better version of herself and the other of a musician who has partying has gone a bit too far.
Both of them find themselves in a new Situation that may be more than they bargained for.
Good reading. 3.5 stars

3 stars, but torn. Definitely 3.5 stars for Madison’s story, 1 star for Johnny’s.

Madison has been through a big breakup, she is eating her feelings (hey, I’m doing that right now! Cheers, Madison!) and she needs to get her life back on track. She runs into an old friend at the gym and can’t believe her transformation. The friend tells her about an all-women bootcamp led by Ellie Fellowes. Now, allow me to say, I did one of these all-women boot camps for awhile. At 5 a.m. That’s in the morning. I was practically the worst one there; these girls ran marathons on the weekends. I was never coordinated enough to do burpees. I was such a failure. But I digress.

Ellie’s military-style group is extremely intense and allows almost no contact with the outside world. Madison signs up and heads for Vermont. It feels weird, Ellie seems too powerful and the other students are acting strangely. But it’s working.

Meanwhile, Johnny Blake is a musician who has been struggling with addiction. He heads to a cottage to do a detox, but something is lurking there….and it is going to eat Johnny if he doesn’t stay sober.

So, these are two completely different stories with only the thinnest nexus (you’ll know it, but it doesn’t really matter.) I really enjoyed Madison’s story, but, boy, did I loathe Johnny. Hated every action he took and every thought he thunk. Ugh. Made this one hard to rate overall.

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown and Company for the ARC of I'll Quit When I'm Dead. If you are a fan of horror and thriller books I highly suggest picking this one up! I had to admit, I really enjoyed Johnny's character in the book and his story, it reminded me of the old Twilight Zone. I can't go into too much without giving spoilers away, but just know, if you are looking for something to completely blow your mind and give you a good twist this is it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company, Mulholland Books for an ARC of I'll Quit When I'm Dead.

First, I want to say that I absolutely LOVED Johnny's story. I was completely captivated (and terrified) by the amazing details and world building. If the entire book had been dedicated to a more complete telling of Johnny's journey it would have been an easy 5 star read for me. Madison's story, on the other hand, was honestly just pointless. Trying to connect their stories felt forced and unnatural. It's like the author had two, wildly different, half-finished story ideas and just shoved them together in an effort to publish a book. Ultimately, a memorable read but one that sadly did not achieve its full potential.

3.5 stars