Bad Parts

I truly wasn't expecting to like this supernatural horror novel as much as I did.

In a poor attempt to summarize after a night of little sleep: Ash is a musician who has her hand destroyed by a mysterious attacker after a show one night. A big gig is coming up, and she's desperate to fix it. Healing on it's own would take too long. In her home town, there happens to be a creek where an entity - I'm unsure if it's referred to as a demon in my tired state - can trade people body parts for their bad ones. There are some catches. Only one body part of any type is available. This goes for sets as well. One of the major points in the book revolves around a set of eyes. The only way to get a new pair once claimed is to either kill the current owner of them or drive them beyond the town's border where they will lose them. Everyone who trades with the entity are forced to stay within a certain radius. In order to get her hand, Ash is forced to gather people to trade specific parts. Meanwhile, the Traders are led by a lady named Candace who opposes Ashley and all her attempts.

For whatever reason, despite the description in the book, I kept picturing Sue Atkins as Candace. Yikes?

Once I started, I was really driven to finish this book. It gets wilder and wilder. I couldn't believe at the halfway point with everything going on in the book that there was still another half to go. It was all worth it. It doesn't necessarily end on too happy a note. There were characters I liked a lot that didn't make it which is acceptable for the type of book it is. I was shocked at how some of them went down. I also realized towards the end that nobody really has any set of morals. Even the good people are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want (body parts, ect.)

The first chapter should have been listed as the prologue. The second chapter was the weakest for me. The music aspect of the book was a turn off but that's a personal thing.

The author also hints in the notes afterwards about more to come so hopefully there'll be a followup.

4 STARS

When rock guitarist Ash Hudson suffers a career-ending hand injury, she seeks out the only thing that can heal it--her hometown's darkest secret. . . .

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Although BAD PARTS is marketed as a "Supernatural Thriller", it definitely toes the line between thriller and horror. With thrills, twists and a good smattering of gore, this book is sure to please fans of both genres!

The story follows Ash (aka Ashlee) the bad-ass lead guitarist and manager for the rock band "Bad Parts." After a chance encounter with a back alley thug, she is forced to return home after a decade to seek out the help of Snare, the town's local creek demon, in hopes of "trading" her broken hand for a brand new one. The catch? Snare has her own agenda that will threaten to tear the small town apart.

I know I say this quite frequently, but I swear I could NOT put this one down! It completely sucked me in and wouldn't let me go (pun completely intended if you've read it.) I couldn't for the life of me figure out where this book was going and all of the twists completely took me by surprise! My only issue (and why it's not a 5 star read for me) is because I felt the build up to the finale took a little bit longer than I would have liked. However, I have to say that I fully enjoyed the ride and can't wait to find out where the author takes these characters in the follow up novel!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC. BAD PARTS is out June 23!

Well I've never read a supernatural thriller before, will I again? If Brandon McNulty has written it then definitely.

This book is a page turner. I just didnt want to put it down. The Plot was well paced. the characters were well defined and I just had such a good time reading this.

Is there anything bad I can say about this book? I stayed up later then I should to finish it, but that's about all. :)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy

Definitely a unique horror approach. Until I read this, my Imagination could not have encompassed such a concept. I've read fiction a time or two about Organ-trading and the black market in human anatomy, but BAD PARTS is way beyond that--out of this world. Lots of gore and violence, overflowing terror; you really don't want to read this at night.


For me, though, other than this Incredible concept, the best aspect was the characters: the good, the villains, the wolves disguised as sheep, character evolution and devolution. That's what made the story for me.

I love a crime thriller, and I love a supernatural thriller, too. Bad Parts by Brandon McNulty turned out to be a fantastic concoction of both. I hadn't heard of Brandon McNulty before his novel caught my attention over on NetGalley, and I must admit that it's not often I come across a novel of this genre, so this felt really exciting for me, to discover a new author and delve into a genre at the same time. The cover absolutely caught my attention and after a swift read of the blurb, I was sold. I couldn't wait to begin and I Just had a feeling that this was a book I was going to click with instantly. I'm always drawn to the sinister, the strange and the unusual, and Bad Parts looked to be exactly that.

Bad Parts by Brandon McNulty introduces readers to a demon of a different brand. A demon who desires human body parts, bad human body parts, and in return, gives back a brand-new body part. So for example, if you're blind, then the demon can exchange your bad eyes for a shiny new pair of eyes, but of course, an exchange such as this comes at a price. That price being that you cannot go any further than a certain point on the map of Hollow Hills, and that if you do, your 'part' will agonisingly disappear. Just like that. Poof! Gone.
Human beings can be greedy or, in some people's instances, they can be desperate. Brandon McNulty certainly brings every example of human behaviour to the surface in Bad Parts, showcasing just how far people will go to get what they need. If you've ever read 'Needful Things' by Stephen King, then I'd definitely go so far as saying that Bad Parts had that sinister yet subtly playful vibe to it, the sort that readers are compelled by yet wary of. I really enjoyed the chilling undertones to this book, and really can't compliment the author enough on his ability to crawl beneath the skin and chill their reader to the bone. There was a thick, cloying atmosphere to this novel that remained with me right the way through, and it added a whole heap of extra creepiness to the book that I absolutely welcomed with open arms.

Brandon McNulty's characterisation within Bad Parts was fantastically executed and I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to each of his characters and learning of their place in Hollow Hills and how each of them were linked to each other as the plot progressed and more of their separate histories were revealed to me. McNulty clearly has a great ability to bring his characters to life, so much so they're practically leaping off the page to greet you and invite you into their story. There were a number of characters to meet and adventure alongside within Bad Parts, Ash being a particular favourite and standout character of mine. I loved her sassiness and fearlessness, and her unique journey throughout the novel was one I felt connected to. This is only due to the author's capabilities in encouraging the reader to like and care about his characters. The remaining faces in this book were each lively and bold, and really struck a chord with me, all of them adding their own value to the story which unfolded.

I was fascinated by this idea. Brandon McNulty's imagination is clearly the place to be, if ideas like this are what he is coming up with in the drawing room. It felt so fresh and new to me, to be reading something so different. I absolutely welcomed this dark and devious world into my life and loved every moment spent within the pages. It was a breath of putrid air and I found myself conjuring up all sorts of wild images when thinking of Hollow Hills, and how prominent the author managed to build this setting within my very own mind.

Bad Parts by Brandon McNulty was a wonderfully wicked and utterly enveloping book. With its dark, sinister and completely enchanting world, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and couldn't wait to see where the author would take me, or his characters, next. If you're a fan of books that are totally different and standout, ones which are rich in imagination and creativity, then this one could be one for you. Like a particularly treacherous fairy-tale, this will surely captivate and scare in equal measure.

With thanks to the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book, that of which has no reflection on my providing a fair and honest review.

#NetGalley #BrandonMcNulty

This debut novel by this Brandon McNulty it's every bit as good as it sounds.

The lead female character, Ash is an interesting gal. She plays guitar for a heavy metal band approximately named Bad Parts. But the main reason for the title has a more sinister meaning, already described in the book synopses. I enjoyed getting to know her as she reunited with family and recruited people to trade their body parts to Snare, the river demon in exchange for working parts in a deal made with the demon to restore her hand that had been crushed by an unknown assailant. The family dynamics were strained, to say the least. Her fellow bandmate, named Cheeto, was a very likeable character who I enjoyed. I liked the lil bit of romance that blossomed between the two.

There is another female character named Candace who I ended up not liking at all. She was not what she seemed! The character development was done very well and i really enjoyed this paranormal/supernatural story, the first of a new series called "Dark Parts".

(I didn't get very detailed in my review because in my opinion the book's description gave away too much already.). I look forward to reading more about Ash.

Bad Parts by Brandon McNulty is a fast-paced supernatural horror thriller that I read in almost one sitting. The book revolves around Ash Hudson, a guitarist for a maybe up and coming heavy metal band named Bad Parts. She loves thrashing on her guitar and her entire life revolves around her band. One night after playing, Ash is brutally attacked by a man in a ski mask who claims he hates her music, but he will let her live if she promises to never play again. To insure that Ash follows through on this promise. he savagely slams her left hand again and again until it is permanently injured. Ash feels that she has no identity without her music, so she is determined to fix her hand and play again. Ash knows how to fix her dilemma, but she'll need to revisit her past in her hometown of Hollow Hills to do it. Ash knows about a "demon" who lives in Snare Creek who can trade bad body parts for perfectly good body parts. There are a few catches to this trade (as one would expect when dealing with a creek demon). There is only one of each body part than can be lent out at a time and if you leave town, that person will lose the borrowed body part. Ash is willing to do whatever it takes to be able to play guitar again. Now if you're worried I'm somehow spoiling the book here -- trust me I am not because this all happens at the beginning of the book. What follows is a crazy adventure ride that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I really liked this book. On its surface, it is a supernatural horror; however, it is so much more than just trying to cut deals with a creek demon. This is a story of redemption and of finding oneself by discovering what is truly important. It is a story about sacrifice, love, and hope. I was not expecting to find these elements and it was a pleasant surprise. I also liked the character development that took place in this book. I liked seeing how the characters changed throughout the story. I will not spoil anything, but I will say that I enjoyed the back story of our supernatural being and would have loved to know more about it. Since this is Book 1 in a series, hopefully we can get more information about the supernatural elements in the future. I really look forward to reading more in this series and I will be putting Brandon McNulty on my watch list.

Bad Parts although marketed as a supernatural thriller was SO much more than I antipcated. In my opinion it is very much a fast-paced supernatural horror thriller. This book was packed with so many key elements of both thriller and horror that I would be pressed to try and limit it to one.


The overall plot is fantastic and fairly unique although the trading of damaged body parts was reminiscent of the horror goth musical " Repo the genetic Opera". Which I must admit was not a bad thing for me at all! The concept of the creek "demon" and the traders had sort of satanic/ cultish/ black market feel to it and I was 1000% there for it. Overall this was just a thrilling read that kept me on my toes. There was enough mystery, fear, gore and action to keep me interested and turning the page. Also I absolutely love a good book that focuses around a bad ass heroine and Ash's character really delivered that.

I recieved a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley im exchange for an honest review.

The story: Hardcore rocker Ash Hudson is attacked one night after leaving a Battle of the Bands, her hand smashed and battered, possibly beyond hope. Or is it? Ash comes from the quaint little town of Hollow Hills, Pennsylvania, and Hollow Hills has it’s own way of dealing with BAD PARTS.

For decades, something in the water of Snare Creek, a demon, a ghost, a spirit of some sort has been miraculously blessing the people of Hollow Hills – people known as the Traders – with new healthy parts in exchange for their bad ones. The only catch? People with a traded part can never go more than ten miles from the town, or their parts disappear. Painfully.

Ash has a huge show coming up and she knows the only way to heal her hand in time is by asking for a new part from the creek demon – called Snare by the townsfolk – but if she wants to be able to leave town to get to her show, she’s going to have to make a deal with the devil, as it were.

A deal that could have great rewards for all the Traders…or disastrous consequences.

A story of a Faustian bargain gone terribly wrong (as they do), fast paced, gruesome, full of pain and blood and hard decisions, containing horrors both supernatural and all too human, this debut novel packs a punch and rates four of five stars. I will definitely be looking forward to more books by Mr. McNulty.

I received a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5.0 Stars

BAD PARTS – A fast-paced supernatural page-turner I didn’t want to put down. Highly Recommend!

’When rock guitarist Ash Hudson suffers a career-ending hand injury, she seeks out the only thing that can heal it--her hometown's darkest secret.’

Reminiscent of NEEDFUL THINGS, one of my favorite books, the commonality amongst many of the characters in BAD PARTS is that of a want or need to replace a diseased or injured body part for a healthy one; however, there's always a catch...

Thank you, NetGalley and Midnight Point Press, for loaning me an eBook of BAD PARTS in exchange for an honest review.

I tried to get into this book, I couldn't. I think I'm just not the target group for it. As far as I could go into the story, which was not much, I can tell it's well written.

On a side note: What made me cringe, was going through the main character's chapters. All in bold typeface. A thing I could not change in the app settings, and not for lack of trying. I'm giving it four stars because of this. Also, because I couldn't finish it, and would be unfair for me to rate it lower.

This is just my opinion and has nothing to do with the story: chapters are there to separate points of view, using bold typeface in some, is not only unnecessary, it gets annoying really fast.

Thank you for the free copy!

This was probably one of the most original stories I've read this year.

When rock guitarist Ashley (Ash) Hudson, damages her hand irreparably before a big show, she immediately seeks out the help of her hometown's creek demon, Snare. Snare has been known to trade people's "bad parts" for new ones - need a new body part? No problem! Snare will take your busted limb and replace it with a brand new one! There is (of course) a catch - 1) only one body part is available at a time; and 2) you can't leave town with Snare's parts or they'll disappear.

As a rock star who is constantly on tour, this deal just won't cut it for Ash. How can she perform at her upcoming show if she can't leave town? So Ash strikes a new deal with the demon and promises to do whatever it wants in exchange for a permanent hand and the freedom to leave town.

I thought this book was a lot of fun to read. It's a wild and thrilling ride, with a few gory details thrown in (it is, after all, a book about trading body parts).

I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more character development in the next book so I'm definitely looking forward to reading second book when it comes out.

In Bad Parts, rock guitarist Ash Hudson suffers a career-ending hand injury during an unexpected attack in the parking lot after a show.

But Ash still has one hope...a secret legend from her hometown of Hollow Hills, Pennsylvania.

For decades rumors have circulated that some residents have offered their diseased and injured body parts to a creek demon named Snare. In return, Snare rewards its Traders with healthy replacement parts, with the provision they never leave town.

Ash wants a new hand, but living in Hollow Hills isn't an option. Especially since her band has a once-in-a-lifetime gig opening for a legendary band in Florida at the end of the week.

So Ash decides to strike a bargain with the demon. But as you can imagine, demons are the most trustworthy creatures to strike deals with.

[ a full review will be posted at zengrrl.com on June 19, 2020]

Bad Parts is a good original story, but it suffers from too many characters that I just didn't care about. Even Ash - it just felt like she made one bad decision after another, and it was hard to feel sorry or even any kind of connection. I found I cared more about her dad, bandmate Cheeto, and nephew Jake.

I also didn't feel that any of the sex scenes were necessary for the story, and they were kind of cringeworthy, too.

But Bad Parts is still a good original horror story, with decent twists and carnage. It was also a fast read for me.

I'd give Bad Parts by Brandon McNulty 3.75 out of 5 stars.

Wow what a ride!!

I love anything supernatural/horror and have read a lot of books in this genre, the story is so unique and refreshing, it’s something I have definitely not come across before!

The book revolves around Ash a guitarist in a band looking to make it big! Unfortunately her hand is destroyed and she desperately needs a new one to continue her career, so she returns home to trade with a demon called Snare.

Now that sounds quite weird I know, but I’m so glad I gave this book a chance because it was brilliant! The attention to detail on the characters brought them to life. I really started to care for the characters and gained a great understanding of what they were doing and why.

This book starts off quite strange and not scary at all, quite interesting actually, but don’t let that fool you as it takes a dark turn which will have you on the edge of your seat!

As you can probably tell I absolutely loved this book, it introduced me to something completely new and fresh and it hooked me! My only hope is that there may be scope for a sequel!!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Oh, this was a blast of a read. It’s graphic, violent, and so exciting!

The concept was really unique and I was all in on our characters. Expect your heart to break more than once and expect to loudly root for a couple of wonderful characters.

Dark, unique, and a rollercoaster of a horror ride.

Loved this!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and look forward to more by this author. Nice twists and great storyline. I recommend this

i enjoyed the horror and mystery genre and they did a really good job reading this. The atmosphere was scary and I enjoyed the suspenseful read.

Took me a few chapters to really get into Bad Parts but from then on it was Wow!
It has essential aspects of human nature. Fear & Loss. What people will do to stay alive and well. Who you will blackmail. Who you can trust. Family? Friends? Lovers?
Great atmosphere and storytelling, creepy, dark, haunting read. Loved it and look forward to the next book from Brandon McNulty.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

WOW! When you come across a story this unique, you have to wonder how long it has been living in Brandon McNulty's head. A great concept that I know so many people would consider were it true, damn the consequences.

A professional musician is assaulted, permanently injuring her hand. The injury has far reaching consequences as she is a guitarist, her hands are her music. As the doctors keep shaking their heads, she returns to her hometown, Hollow Hills, Pennsylvania where lives a demon known as Snare that can "trade" your bad part out, with a few conditions. Again, this is just such a unique story line, at this point the world takes a few dark steps to the side. It reminds me of an episode of Twilight Zone....did I just tell you my age? I can hear Rod Stirling.....what will this young woman trade to have her hand returned undamaged? Her bargain with a demon may not have the ending she hoped.....

WOW! Just WOW!

This supernatural thriller follows Ash Hudson, a rock guitarist who goes home after an injury causes her to put her music on hold until she can heal it. Her home, Hollow Hills, is the home of a supernatural being capable of doing just that for her, as it has been doing for the residents for years. Trading parts allows for the residents to live a relatively happy life without fear of disease or death. The only catch is that should they leave town, the parts disappear. With a potentially career-making gig coming up, Ash can't be stuck in town, so she makes a deal that changes everything.

The above description contains minor spoilers but gives nothing away that isn't in the summary of the book. This was a very unique and interesting take on the simple them of organ donation/organ trafficking. I wasn't sure what to expect when I read it, but I'm glad I did. I finished this book in less than 24 hours and it didn't disappoint. I gave this 4 of 5 stars because it just wasn't quite up to par for me in storytelling. I think there could've been some more to it. Other than that, solid story.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review!

Author Review. Added Bad Parts to my NetGalley list last year for testing purposes. Leaving this review so I can have this completed on my NetGalley checklist.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read Bad Parts!

This book grabbed me from the very beginning. What if you could trade your bad parts for perfectly good ones? Bad kidneys, eyes, hips, knees, all was available but only 1 set of each. The catch, you cant leave town or your parts go back.

That all changed after lead guitarist, Ashlee had her hand smashed to pieces. When she went to trade, an offer was made, for the exchange of 5 parts, everyone would be free. Could Snare, the creek monster be trusted?

So many twists and turns throughout the book and lots of casualties involved. This was a twisty, fast read. I really liked the short chapters and the way the story was laid out. It is told from a few different oersoectives, but that adds to the story line. You get more background on the main characters that way. This book was a great read!