✨ARC Book Review✨

This little horror novella was so humorous to me.

The story follows Donna and Greg, who are on vacation in Austria when travel is delayed because an asteroid is orbiting too close to Earth. With nothing else to do while waiting for the airlines to resume service, they decide to visit a museum. While they’re there, a series of wild events unfolds, sending their lives in dramatically different directions than either of them could have ever imagined.

It’s obvious from the interactions and POV chapters between Donna and Greg that they’re just existing together rather than truly enjoying life together. I really liked Donna. She’s just trying to enjoy herself, maybe do a little shopping, while dealing with what literally feels like the possible end of the world. Okay, I’d be the same way, sis!

Honestly, I didn’t like her man either! The way he treats Donna multiple times had me thinking “Okay, sir, you’re not it.”

When the spidraliens finally entered the story, I was dying. It was a completely different direction than I expected the story to take, but I was living for it! The drama, betrayals, and dialogue were all top tier!

Let me just say, the ending had me totally gagged! Literally, are you kidding me?! I freaking loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harrogate Lane Books, and E.A. Hoffmann for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderfully fast-paced and captivating horror novella from E.A. Hoffmann! Donna and Greg are perfectly relatable characters in so much as they both get wrapped up in their thoughts, despite their way of thinking being entirely different. I really appreciated Greg's take and his course of action. I won't give anything away since this is a short book, suffice to say it was worth the read!
Thank-you, Harrogate Lane Books and E.A. Hoffmann, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I've got a thing for spiders in horror so I immediately said "Please count me in." Oh my gosh this was fun and surprisingly hilarious. I pretty much finished in one sitting because it flowed so well.
One of the funniest things was how unlikeable the main characters were, which usually irritates me. But they were so relatable and it just made the horror more suspenseful (should I feel bad during the times I cheered for the aliens?).
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Well, that was a fast, fun read! I loved Greg and Donna even though Greg is on a continuous guilt trip and Donna spirals on a regular basis. Donna's internal dialogue is just neverending, even the hive mind gets a bit fed up, lol. Her argument with the alien is just hilarious. Well written, plenty of action and, at the end, I actually wanted to know what happens next!
Thanks to Netgalley, Harrogate Lane Books, and E.A. Hoffmann for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this arc read!

Why do I torture myself with spider horror 🫣I’m terrified of them and yet I can’t stop reading about them. This book was so good the story was amazing and creepy I can’t believe the husband just left her wtf Greg! And I need more what happened it just ended on a cliffhanger please tell me there will be another one I’m definitely reading more books by this author.

Spidralien by E.A. Hoffmann is a total masterpiece of creature horror and chaotic Sci-Fi dread. If you're looking for a book that will make your skin crawl while keeping your heart hammering in your chest, this is it. Hoffmann captures the exact horror of being trapped with something completely unnatural. The atmosphere is thick with paranoia every shadow feels threatening, and the tension builds so relentlessly that you're holding your breath through half the chapters. The design and presence of the central horror itself are top-tier it's visceral, uncomfortable, and described with the kind of vivid detail that stays behind your eyelids when you close your eyes at night.
What really elevates this beyond a standard creature feature, though, is the character work. You actually care about who lives and who dies, which makes every gruesome encounter carry real weight. The pacing never drags for a second it's punchy, dark, and utterly unapologetic from the opening sequence right through to the explosive, jaw-dropping ending. Zero notes. It's gross, tense, ridiculously fun, and easily a top read of the year for horror fans.

Funny alien spider novella

This was a great little novella about marriage AND about alien invasion.

Donna, an attorney, and Greg, a high teacher and basketball coach, are in Vienna, Austria for their ten year anniversary. Their flight home is cancelled because of a possible meteor shower so they head to the local museum with dire results.

This was a hilarious story about Donna and Greg's marriage, about Donna's ADHD (or AuDHD), about their marriage counseling, and more. And then the alien spiders come and try to deal with Donna!

I received this Digital Review Copy from Harrogate Lane Books through NetGalley. Thank you.

Hahahahaha this was so freaking great! Best ending I’ve read in a very long time.

E A Hoffmann writes in a way that is super accessible, but the twists and turns are so sophisticated and unpredictable, it’s always a good time.

This novella is so short I was wondering how much could be packed into it, and the answer is A LOT. And all of it is entertaining. As a late diagnosed AuDHD peep (though I’m definitely not a republican) with OCD, parent trauma and a penchant for shopping I thought Hoffmann nailed the character of Donna on the head, right down to the masks, the stubbornness and the inner monologue that never shuts up.

Add spidraliens and you’ve got a bloody good time!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spidralien was sadly a very short read. I would have liked to read more, especially about what happened when Donna reunited with Greg. My favourite part was Donna’s neurodiversity being the reason the Spidralien was unable to take over her brain. It gave me Venom vibes towards the end, although I’m not quite sure how I feel about the ability to vomit up baby spiders!

I read this in one sitting and definitely found it an entertaining, quick read.