Unpopular opinion, but this book is very middle of the road. I didn't like any of the characters besides Kimi, who's not even a part of the main friend group. When reading slashers, I really want memorable killings and at least one main character to root for, which this book doesn't fulfill. I really started to get tired of hearing about the trauma and secrecy surrounding Hannah's fiancé's death. While some of the deaths were well written, a couple were only a couple sentences long. It reads like a low-budget slasher that you would see on a TV channel at 1am. On a positive note, I did really enjoy the setting and the Waylon Barlow backstory, and it was a very quick and easy read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

When a slasher is bad, it’s still pretty good. When a slasher is good, it’s always a fabulous time. Am I weird for saying that? Anyway, I flew through this one. I loved how we went deeper with the main character than your typical slasher. The rest of the cast, eh, whatever. They weren’t the point. The final twist was kind of meh and predictable but honestly I didn’t even care. The action was there and it was perfectly paced. The flashbacks to the engagement day were perfect moments of distraction that help keep your grounded from the chaos of the retreat. How the author tackled Hannah’s guilt and trauma of that day was also a real highlight for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc!

This is a pretty fast-paced horror with some gore, cult vibes, and a friend group that all hate each other. There is definitely some classic slasher vibes such as a group of people staying in a secluded area, cut off from technology, characters not following the buddy system so each lonely character eventually gets cornered and killed, and so on.

I can't tell if I was entertained or not by everyone hating each other. The drama was amusing but it also started to become immature. It would have been nice if there was some connection and support among the characters. Instead they really seemed like strangers.

I was expecting a bit more when it came to Ben's death and the ending. With Ben's death, it felt like Hannah was keeping something more sinister to herself and not fully telling the truth. I thought the ending was going to leave me speechless but it unfortunately fell short.

Excellent slasher novel! The gore scenes were excellent and I love that it was told via the victim to really get a feel of their horror of knowing they are going to die. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a slasher horror novel and loves a good twist. It kept me reading to the end because I just wanted to know who done it!

My first book by this author was Curse of the Reaper (which I gave 5 stars to) so I was extremely excited to see this book! The cover is incredible, the title is clever, but (although I did enjoy the story) it felt very rushed. However, I finished it in a day because I couldn’t put it down. 👏🏻

Hannah is on a downward spiral a year after her fiancé died in a tragic accident. She’s abusing her prescription, hallucinating, and avoiding friends. When it gets bad enough that there’s a mishap at the hospital she works at, resulting in her indefinite leave of absence, her psychiatrist suggests that a break is just what she needs. Thankfully, her best friend presents her with just that: an exclusive, spiritual style retreat in Joshua Tree. The group of college best friends load up and head out expecting a fun weekend in a resort. But they’ll soon find out that the horror of being completely unplugged, sleeping in an animal skin yurt, and using a compost outhouse will be the absolute least of their troubles. A mystery killer is on the prowl.

If you enjoy a horror that gives good old fashioned slasher camp/retreat vibes, dysfunctional friend group, overcoming trauma, and twists and turns, then I recommend giving Breathe In, Bleed Out a try! 🖤

This was such a fun read and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be able to select it as my Camp NetGalley read! Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ✍🏻

Breathe In Bleed Out by Brain McAuley brings the horror to the desert. Imagine heading off to a desert resort spa to unwind, only to be faced with a murderer that no one believes is real. It is a psychologically mind blowing experience for the characters to find themselves face to face with a slasher.
This is perfect horror for a summer day. The characters are a bit unlikeable so you may be cheering for their demise as you wait to see who will become the final girl, or even if there will be one. Who the slasher is will shock you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy.

This sits around a 4.25-star read for me. It was good, especially for any slasher fans!

The entire book was easy for me to picture and if you are squeamish know you probably will be with some of the scenes. This one is written in a way I could see it being turned into a film no problem! The ending was exactly what I was hoping for, so I was not disappointed!

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my advanced reader copy. This was a quick and fun read!

I have nothing negative to say about this book.
I love everything from the cover to the last page.
This was such a fun time. I read it in 24 hours.

“Breathe In, Bleed Out” is a fast-paced, horror-slasher novel that is impossible to put down.
I was enthralled from the very first chapter. Hell, the very first sentence!
This whodunit thriller kept me on the edge of my seat with all the misdirection. I really thought I had the killer pegged, but the final reveal put my jaw on the floor.

If you are a fan of “Scream” and “Nine Perfect Strangers,” there’s no way you won’t LOVE this book. The vibes were vibin’!

There was that classic Horror movie feel where you have that character that you think is dead but turns out not to be and comes back to “save the day.” Yes! Thank you! Loved that!
And the slasher gore was ever-present and much appreciated.
This story gave me Everything I want to read in Thriller/Horror/Slasher novel.

I will definitely be looking into more reads by Brian McAuley

And don’t skip the Author’s Note on this one! It’s a real treat.


Thank you @NetGalley and @PoisonedPenPress for the eARC.
All opinions are my own


⚠TW⚠
Psychological Trauma
Greif
Mental Illness


#BreatheInBleedOut #BrianMcAuley #ARC #HorrorSlaher #Thriller #WhoDunItThriller #Suspence #HorrorNovel #SlasherNovel #NetGalley

I really want to give this book 4.5 stars. This is the first time I’ve read this author, and I really enjoyed his writing style. It was a fun, twisty murder mystery. It had interesting, yet reasonable plot twists. Anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery with a sprinkle of horror would probably enjoy this book. I was hooked by the first line and finished in one day since it was so easy to get stuck in this thrilling world filled with deception. I really appreciate this eARC provided by NetGalley.

This started as a solid 3.5 star read for me, then continued to go downhill. The plot is like a B-rated slasher horror movie (which is good and fun!) but with subpar writing and one dimensional characters. Which I guess IS consistent with B-rated slasher movies. As much as I love campy books and horror, this one was just unfortunately not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author Brian McAuley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Breathe In, Bleed Out releases September 2!

If you are looking for a true old school inspired camp slasher story with character depth, a great storyline and all the horror with some thrilling twists, look no further!!

Breathe in Bleed out took me by surprise, literally. From page one I felt the tone of the story and was all in! I binged this in two sittings, it was that good!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

This slasher was a bloody good time! It was perfect to read in the summer and I’m so thankful for NetGalley, poisonedpenpress and the author for allowing me to read this arc!

Whist this book started off incredible and had me reading it within a day, the ending of the book unfortunately brought the book down. I felt as though it was a little rushed and the plot twist, while unexpected, felt so unpredictable that it seemed a little far fetched.

However, as the for the writing itself, it was written well. McAuley seems to have a way with words in which makes you not want to put the book down. Also the characters all had flaws which I feel is good as it makes you feel a little bit sympathetic towards the characters that just seemed so human.

I adored this, so so much. If a novel has arrested development nods, it wins me over.

Breathe In, Bleed Out is a story of loss and grief hidden under a campy horror / slasher story.

We meet Hannah, who after the loss of her partner is turning to Xanax to dull the pain.

After a major slip up at her nursing job, her friend invites her on a wellness retreat that’s mega exclusive.

Leaving all mod cons behind, they delve deep into what makes them human, and try to release the chains of past trauma.

Not all is as it seems, as Hannah soon starts having visions and nightmares of an old miner called Waylon Barlow.

Absolute insanity is to follow, and you’ll love every second!

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Reading Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brain McAuley felt like watching one of my favorite old school slashers. Peak nostalgia.
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Was I completely blown away by the uniqueness of the story, well no, but I think that’s the point. It’s campy, it’s a little out there sometimes, and it’s comfortable like the my old favorite sweater. My only set back during reading was the pacing at the end. It felt a bit rushed, and I was in no way ready for it all to end so fast.
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This was my first dive into McAuley’s work, and I look forward to reading more.
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This was the perfect way to start my Summerween, and I’ll be sure to recommend this book to my fellow horror loving book buddies.
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Thank you for the eARC camp Netgalley and Brian McAuley. I can't wait to put this book on my shelf!

this one wasn’t for me. i was really excited for this one, but i came out of it really disappointed. i love a good slasher as much as the next person, but this was just missing something for me. the characters were so insufferable and i don’t expect to love everyone, but i would also like to care if a person dies. at one point, i honestly hoped there was no final girl. i don’t even think the characters cared that much that people were being murdered. there was too many millennial jokes and modern slang was sprinkled in. it was trying to be relatable and it missed the mark. at the point of reveal, i didnt really care who it was and the “twist” at the end felt so silly and ridiculous. this was like a low budget horror film in book form.

although i didn’t enjoy this fully, i was relatively entertained. also we didn’t get to see what happened with that patient, unless i missed that or he’s coming for revenge in another book? i actually would read that!

thank you poisoned press and netgalley for the arc!

WOW!

This book was such a good take on the slasher genre! It's a vivid book that made me feel like watching the movie. The characters also felt like they were more developed as people, than just characters to kill (which is an infamous complaint about slasher media.) I found each character really compelling but none more than our protagonist, Hannah. Her growth as a character and her trauma as a survivor was real and cinematic (not gonna lie if this turns into a movie, I want to audition). Oh, and not to mention the setting!! Loved it all around, but I also just love a good slasher piece!

This book was everything I was hoping it would be and more! If you’re a fan of the Scream franchise, this will fill the Ghostface shaped hole in your heart.

I really enjoyed the characters and was quickly invested in them and their dynamics as a friend group.

I also loved the setting and the way the author uses this to add to the backstory of what is happening, as well as to discuss things like wellness culture and cultural appropriation.

The mystery aspect also adds another fun layer, throughout the book I was trying to figure out who was behind it all and why- I didn’t guess right.

The death scenes were creative, you can definitely feel the authors love for the genre coming through in the story and all the sprinkles of inspiration from other slashers without it feeling like it was something I had already seen before.

If you like this genre, definitely add this to the TBR!

I recommend this one if you enjoy a little bit of campy and a little bit of gore with your slasher horror. I really enjoyed this.

Our main character is grieving the loss of her fiancé. A year into her grief she is pushing away her friends and struggling with work. Her friends take her away for a wellness retreat in Joshua Tree. And then all hell breaks loose.

This felt nostalgic for me. I love the campy horror slashers of the 80’s and 90’s and I got a lot of those vibes reading this. I read this as part of Camp NetGalley for 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC. All thoughts expressed are my own. Expected publication date is September 2, 2025.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1️⃣/2️⃣

This was a great slasher story with excellent character development.


Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley, for the pleasure of reading Brian McAuley's book at Camp NetGalley.