Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette for an ALC! While the narration was fabulously done, I just could not connect to the story and the writing. I was a bit bored during the parts of starting the band as it felt monotonous. The “Antichrist” parts did not feel evil enough for him to be this devilish figure. I did like the religious points made throughout the text, but that was pretty much the only thing that grabbed me. Lastly, I felt the ending was quite rushed and underwhelming.

A punk-rock religious horror about the end of the world.

This was a ton of fun to listen to. Our narrators Lisa Flanagan, Jesse Vilinsky, Alexander Cendese and Pete Simonelli all did great jobs bringing me right into the story. It felt like I was in the room with them as they recounted their memories. I love how one person would say something, and the next person would respond to it.

I listened to this in two sittings, which is WILD when you account for the fact that this is a 9 hour audiobook. I just couldn't put it down. I needed to know what would happen next.

The characters were fun and interesting. The plot had great momentum. The idea of the antichrist being a rockstar was fun. This played out like a film in my mind as I listened. I wish that this had some explicit scenes. We're told that Drake Morgan is hot, has swagger, all the guys want to be him and all the women want to be with him; but I think scenes of intimacy between Drake and his girlfriend Lily, would have demonstrated their connection better.

If you liked Evil in Me by Brom, then this will definitely appeal to you.

This book is best read while holding your guitar, as a weapon.

This audiobook is a wild, frenetic ride and I loved every chaotic second of it. Told in a full cast, interview style format, it feels more like an audio documentary than a traditional novel, which makes for an incredibly immersive listening experience. The production quality is top notch, with each band member bringing a distinct voice and energy to the story.

That said, it’s definitely a slow burn. If you're expecting non stop horror or demonic chaos from page one, temper your expectations. This is more Daisy Jones & The Six meets We Sold Our Souls: a gritty, nostalgic journey through the 90's punk scene with a supernatural twist simmering just beneath the surface.

While I did wish the horror element had more bite given the premise, the pop culture nods, character dynamics, and sheer creativity of the format made up for it. It’s more punk rock myth making than pure horror, but if that’s your vibe, it’s well worth the listen.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Craig DiLouie, and Hachette Audio for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

Ahhhhhh this was SO GOOD!

My Ex, the Antichrist follows The Shivers, a punk/pop-punk group in the late 90s and the strange events that seem to follow them to their shows.

The books is set up like a series of interviews and the audiobook features a full cast! And let me tell you, this cast put their heart and soulllllll into this recording it was so outstanding! This is one of those books that is absolutely going to be better in audio.

The story itself gave me Daisy Jones and the Six meets We Sold Our Souls featuring the tragic events of Astroworld. I didn't want to put it down! I definitely highly highly recommend to anyone that enjoys Grady Hendrix, horror, stories about bands, music, or just a damn good story.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the chance to listen to this!

Thank you Hachette Audio for the gifted ALC!

I have to admit this is not *at all* what I was expecting, and at first I chalked that up to me misreading the synopsis, but after finishing I went back and re-read it, and I think maybe it is a little case of mismarketing?

What I enjoyed was that we got a full cast narration, and the element of an ex-boyfriend who happened to be the antichrist? Definitely interesting. Where it sort of lost me was the Daisy Jones & the Six-ish element throughout the book. Again, it wasn't something I was expecting and even though I'm a big music lover it wasn't the part of the story I was particularly interested in.

The story took a bit of a turn at the end that I'm not sure I really enjoyed... jury is admittedly still out for me.

I have recently become a huge fan of DiLouie and now I read anything that he puts out. He is such a mastermind when it comes to creating unique storylines and fascinating characters so when I saw this book, I knew I would waste no time requesting it.

Similar to DiLouie's Episode Thirteen, this book is told through transcripts, giving it the feeling like you're reading through the script of a documentary. I really liked this choice because it made the book play out in my head so vividly. There are a lot of rock references which may be a hinderance for readers who aren't in to that genre of music but otherwise, this was a wonderfully crafted story that I became such a sucker for. So when you see me auto-buying DiLouie in the future, don't fret!

The narration really brought this story to life and it was quite a joy to listen to the interview nature of it,

I was very excited to read this based on the title alone. Such an amazing title but this lacked in many areas for me. I listened to the audiobook and had a hard time knowing who was speaking at times. It seemed like this book tried really hard to be Daisy Jones and the Six but fell short. There was hardly any character development and I didn’t see where there was any horror.

Overall this book was not for me but I’m a huge fan of the title based on similar personal experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Hatchette Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a unique and fun story, especially when dark and twisted. As a pop punk addict, I couldn’t wait to get into this one. The premise is top tier. The audio and production really brings it to life. I know this is said too often but this would make an INCREDIBLE and crazy movie. This book doesn’t take itself too seriously. During the comedic bits, it worked well. During the darker moments, it felt a little disconnected. People were dying by the dozens and the characters were just like … damn, that sucks. Let’s go grab some lunch. Lol. The interview style worked extremely well within audio as well. It can be tricky to keep the storyline easy to follow in that format via audio but these narrators did a great job.

This is like Daisy Jones & the Six but make it campy horror.

The idea was super intriguing. I thought it was a really good audiobook because this is done interview style and there are multiple narrators. Unfortunately, I didn't deep down connect with the characters. The story was pretty slow burn which I didn't mind but I felt like the climax and conclusion of the book were a little too rushed for how long it took to get there.

I listened to the audio format of this book, and the production was pretty great. Having a full cast always makes a book more immersive and enjoyable, however this one jumped from character to character so frequently and without mention of who was talking I found myself scrambling in the first hour or so to remember which voice was which character. The narrators each had a unique sound, so this very well could just be a me problem. I'm curious how the distinction was made in the print format.

This audiobook reminded me a lot of Fantasticland- with the different voices and the interview style. To be clear the stories aren't remotely similar- just the format which I really love. I think the narrators were fantastic and fit the unique characters personalities.

As for the story- In really enjoyed the different character perspectives and getting different takes on the same story, as well as seeing how the different characters viewed each other. There was a lot of neat dynamics there.

In the beginning I was hooked. This story was wild and unique and I was really interested to see where it was going, but as I reached the climax and last two hours of the story I found myself just really bored. I feel like this one was a slow burn without enough of a payoff. I think I'd have DNFed if I read in print- the narration really carried me through the story.

This is my first Craig DiLouie book, which I'm kind of shocked by. I heard so many good things about Episode Thirteen, especially the audiobook version, so when I saw this one Netgalley, I knew I had to get it.

The audiobook was kind of like watching a documentary, but if you were only able to listen to it. You hear multiple snippets of different characters but aren't told who is who, so you kind of have to figure it out on your own and get familiar with the voices. It's not really that difficult to do since they are so distinct, but I didn't realize it going into this.

I thought it was a fun listen, with a lot of camp and ridiculous stuff going on. It was almost like a mix of 'We Sold Our Souls' and 'Preacher', though I may be alone with that one. It was very light on horror and action, in my opinion. There was a lot of religious commentary in regards to free will vs. if everything is predetermined. Some of that stuff, especially when Malcolm got going, wasn't always my favourite, but I'm sure a lot of other readers will enjoy it.

Overall, I thought this was a decent, fun book. I enjoyed all the characters but I loved Ramona.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the audiobook ine exchange for my honest review.

I recently finished an advance audiobook copy of My Ex, The Anti-Christ by Craig diLouie. His previous horror novels, Suffer the Children and Episode Thirteen were both hits for me, so I was excited to get into this one.

The story is told through recorded interviews of the band members from the punk rock group, The Shivers. Beginning with Lily Lawlor meeting her boyfriend/bandmate Drake Morgan, who together, start the band in 1998. As the band reaches the fame they all have craved for so long, they also see that their front man, Drake isn’t quite the cool dude they thought he was. Then things get super dark when, in 2009, Lily confesses to murder and the band breaks up.

The way this horror story mixes music, heartbreak, and the apocalypse, kept me hooked from start to finish. I really loved the full cast narration, and the cool music weaved in.

This one ROCKS as an audiobook and I totally recommend it! Pub date is July 1! My thanks to @netgalley for the arc opportunity.

Music + Horror = Greatness

Craig DiLouie's upcoming novel, My Ex, The Antichrist, was one of the most fun reading/listening experiences I have had. I listened to this book in 1 day. I could not stop.

My Ex, The Antichrist is about Lily Lawlor, her ex, Drake, and their band, The Shivers. This book is written in a series of interviews with those two, the other band members, and a few outside characters after an Armageddon-like event, and it absolutely flies. The audiobook is exceptional - different narrators for each character and music trickled throughout (actual singing too), make the experience all the more immersive and so much fun.

This book is extremely self-aware — it's got some dark moments, some gnarly scenes, some sad bits, but more than anything, it's honestly funny as hell and just a really really fun time. I encourage you not to take this one too seriously because it's just not that kind of book. I guarantee we'll see negative reviews from people not allowing themselves to have fun. It very much compares to Grady Hendrix's We Sold Our Souls, but it is its own unique story. It's so cool and, I say again: SO MUCH FUN.

Overall, this one was an easy 4.5/5 from me. I highly recommend you all check it out. Especially if you're looking for something to make you smile, make you laugh, and also scratch that horror itch. It's such a great time and the audio is one of the better ones l've listened to.

The antichrist is sooo punk rock

Over 20 years ago, two bands battled it out at a music festival for it to end in disaster with multiple people dead. At the front of this band was a woman named Lily who then 10 years later walked into a police station to confess to murder. She now sits in prison but has agreed to finally talk about what happened all those years ago. What follows is an interview style tell-all from Lily, the band members, and the people in their circle.

Let's start with what this book did well. The entire book is written interview style but everyone's POVs cross over each other like they are all in a room telling a collective story. I "immersive" read this and the audiobook narration played such a huge hand in separating the characters from each other. I was clearly able to keep track of everyone with the constant POV changes.
We very early on learn that the front man of the band, Drake, is the antichrist. So I figured there would be a lot of religious symbolism woven into their music. What I really liked was the dive into religion and how it relates to morality and our obligation to other people. "Freedom isn't free until you test it" was Drake's whole shtick. It makes you think deeply about what would you do, how would you act if there were no repercussions? If even your own moral compass or your fear that some all-knowing being was watching you was not stopping you?

Now where everything fell apart...

I felt completely disconnected from these characters. The interview style, which I was originally excited for, was the root of this issue. The way in which we switch so constantly between the characters without sitting with either of them for longer than a page, makes so very surface-level exploration into who they are as people. This did not work with the story as we were supposed to be caring about their fate.

The nail in the coffin was the way in which a very pivotal scene was played out. Without giving too much away, it was a large confrontation with the antichrist and it was.... cheesy. It reminded me of a disney channel horror movie with the over-dramatized lines and ridiculous end. I'm pretty sure the exact lines used were "We'll settle this on the stage" and "The fate of the WORLD is at stake".

From that point on, the entire story felt melodramatic. I think it would’ve done better as a YA and making the band members around 16.

I gotta be honest: I am very disappointed with this book. :(
Not the audio! The audiobook was magnificent!
I did like the idea of this book. Not only the plot itself but also how the author chose to tell this story, through interviews. It was a very cool choice for the narrative.
However, this book took FORERVER to sound (or read) like a horror story. I was expecting a HORROR story, and through most of this book, it isn't. It's about this group of people getting together and getting to know each other with the goal of becoming a band, and then how this band got famous and the relationships among the members and so on, up until one day this accident happens and the band breaks up.
It is a very dramatic story for the most part, and then becomes a little spooky.
Having read other books by this author, I was expecting more horror and their specific sense of dark humour. Sure, there is some dark humour on here, but nothing like DiLouie's previous books. And barely no horror at all.
I guess what I need to say is: if this plot appeals to you, go for it. But don't expect it fo be fun or scary.

Thank you, NetGalley and Hachette Audio, for the ALC.

Such a great audiobook. I loved every minute of this story. Thank you for letting me listen in advance. Can't wait to see what else this author has to offfer. Loved the narrator.

This book really struck a chord with me—pun intended. It’s about forming a band, but it’s so much more than that. The way it explores religion and how faith intertwines with music felt incredibly profound. Music isn’t just something these characters play; it’s almost like their own kind of religion, shaping who they are and how they see the world.

I loved how the story showed the highs and lows of creating something together, and how belief—whether in a higher power or in the music itself—can deeply affect us. It wasn’t preachy or heavy-handed; instead, it felt honest and thoughtful.

If you’ve ever felt music move you in ways words can’t describe, this book will definitely resonate. It made me think about how art and spirituality connect in unexpected ways.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

This is a hilarious, campy play on an apocalyptic battle of the bands. If you loved the 90s grunge and rock music scene, this book is probably for you. I had so much fun reading this book and laughed so much. It was nostalgic and absolutely worth the read.

I love how DiLouie used the oral history format for the history of a band, with the twist that it's a horror story. I enjoy books that have a mood, taking me to another place and time, showing the hopes and dreams of people creating art.
My Ex, the Antichrist is horror, but low key and almost subtle. This is more realistic to me and makes me wonder what other horrors I'm missing in the world. DiLouie is a must read author for me now, and thanks to NetGalley I got to listen to the audiobook, which was very well done. I had trouble keeping track of when things were happening because I listened on my way between places, but the performances were great.

Daisy Jones meets the apocalypse. This was a fun horror read. This was more fun of a romp than I expected, honestly. It was clever but didn’t take itself too seriously. I tend to like most books that center on music, and this one was no different.