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mudmule's review against another edition
4.0
Wow what a read. It's graphic and brutal. It starts off rather confusing and ramped up well.
lifeinthebooklane's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, what a dark and twisty read. It is incredibly gruesome, violent and depraved towards the end. I'm not normally a horror fan but this really drew me in. I really didn't expect the twists and turns of the book.
sea_caummisar's review against another edition
4.0
This book starts out with a teen girl, tied to a bed, nude, and a stranger questioning her. The author does a great job of building sympathy for the young girl, but does the girl deserve it?
The first of the book got boring in my opinion, but the last half easily made up for it with gore and violence.
This is one of those that the story slowly unravels and the reader experiences a spectrum of emotions. Even after finishing, I have to ask myself. Who are the true victims? And who weren't.
The first of the book got boring in my opinion, but the last half easily made up for it with gore and violence.
This is one of those that the story slowly unravels and the reader experiences a spectrum of emotions. Even after finishing, I have to ask myself. Who are the true victims? And who weren't.
vikingwolf's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Hillary is fifteen and wakes up naked, tied to a bed and with no memory of what has happened to her. Three people enter her life-a doctor, his wife and a psychiatrist and they tell her that when her memory returns, she can go home. Plagued by nightmares and fear, Hillary just wants to escape and starts trying to come up with a plan.
When we are introduced to Hillary, we are as much in the dark about what is happening to her as she is. She has nightmares about being tortured and abused by mystery captors, and wakes up confused, tied to the same bed and trying to remember any small detail about her life. The reader can see things happening ie Hillary's attempt to escape but she has no memory of these events when she wakes up each time after it. Nobody answers her questions or gives her any information which feeds her need to escape. Gradually the author begins to fill in a few details of the story which makes you even more curious about who Hillary is.
Plot wise, it is an interesting idea. The first half focuses on Hillary's plight and what is being done to her though I admit that I found it a bit slow and repetitive. Hillary was continually asking the same things and having the same tantrums which were understandable given her situation but it did go on a bit long for me. It is the second part that really explodes into life with graphic torture, gore and sexual violence. It is not for the faint hearted! I thought the second part of the story from the hypnotism onwards was brilliant. It was funny in a twisted way, it was an entertaining gorefest and it was imaginative. I can imagine that it made many male eyes water quite a bit! These horror scenes were very well written and you were swept along by the story, waiting to see how it was all going to end.
The characters were also quite interesting. You were never sure where the plot was going so you were never sure who was good or bad or what these people were being motivated by. That kept things interesting. Even when you found out what was really happening, it was hard to think of anyone as being really innocent in the whole situation! I have no intention of using spoilers so you'll have to read it for yourself to find out what I'm talking about! I think Monica was probably the character that nterested me most. She was never sure how to treat Hillary or whether to believe the girl's accusations against her husband, just as the reader was unsure about the truth. I think these flawed characters added to the story and fit in perfectly with the 'who is the good and bad guy here' theme of the story.
My niggle was the slowness of the first half of the book, though I understand that the story was being set up for the later horror. I would've given the first half 2 stars, meaning it was ok, but 4 or 5 stars for the second half. That left me puzzling what to rate this overall! I decided to base my decision on the second half of the book.
***WARNING*** This book includes brutally graphic scenes of torture, gore and cannibalism. There are scenes of rape and death as well. Those with weak stomachs need not apply. If you like your blood and gore in the Jack Ketchum style, then this could be the book for you. Recommended for adult horror fans.
Hillary is fifteen and wakes up naked, tied to a bed and with no memory of what has happened to her. Three people enter her life-a doctor, his wife and a psychiatrist and they tell her that when her memory returns, she can go home. Plagued by nightmares and fear, Hillary just wants to escape and starts trying to come up with a plan.
When we are introduced to Hillary, we are as much in the dark about what is happening to her as she is. She has nightmares about being tortured and abused by mystery captors, and wakes up confused, tied to the same bed and trying to remember any small detail about her life. The reader can see things happening ie Hillary's attempt to escape but she has no memory of these events when she wakes up each time after it. Nobody answers her questions or gives her any information which feeds her need to escape. Gradually the author begins to fill in a few details of the story which makes you even more curious about who Hillary is.
Plot wise, it is an interesting idea. The first half focuses on Hillary's plight and what is being done to her though I admit that I found it a bit slow and repetitive. Hillary was continually asking the same things and having the same tantrums which were understandable given her situation but it did go on a bit long for me. It is the second part that really explodes into life with graphic torture, gore and sexual violence. It is not for the faint hearted! I thought the second part of the story from the hypnotism onwards was brilliant. It was funny in a twisted way, it was an entertaining gorefest and it was imaginative. I can imagine that it made many male eyes water quite a bit! These horror scenes were very well written and you were swept along by the story, waiting to see how it was all going to end.
The characters were also quite interesting. You were never sure where the plot was going so you were never sure who was good or bad or what these people were being motivated by. That kept things interesting. Even when you found out what was really happening, it was hard to think of anyone as being really innocent in the whole situation! I have no intention of using spoilers so you'll have to read it for yourself to find out what I'm talking about! I think Monica was probably the character that nterested me most. She was never sure how to treat Hillary or whether to believe the girl's accusations against her husband, just as the reader was unsure about the truth. I think these flawed characters added to the story and fit in perfectly with the 'who is the good and bad guy here' theme of the story.
My niggle was the slowness of the first half of the book, though I understand that the story was being set up for the later horror. I would've given the first half 2 stars, meaning it was ok, but 4 or 5 stars for the second half. That left me puzzling what to rate this overall! I decided to base my decision on the second half of the book.
***WARNING*** This book includes brutally graphic scenes of torture, gore and cannibalism. There are scenes of rape and death as well. Those with weak stomachs need not apply. If you like your blood and gore in the Jack Ketchum style, then this could be the book for you. Recommended for adult horror fans.
vikingwolf's review
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Hillary's happy life vanishes the night that her father starts to molest and rape her. After months of agony she confides in her mother who refuses to help her. Alone and angry, Hillary discovers a new friend inside her head who knows exactly how to make everyone listen to her.
In book one we see the psycho that Hillary became and there was no real sympathy for her or her actions but this prequel novel shows how a good, normal teenage girl becomes that twisted monster because of the abuse she has been subjected to. Her gradual descent into madness was gripping and compelling, seeing the girl you have sympathy for inflicting horrific cruelty on her family and former friends. I had no sympathy for Michael or Kathy for their part in Hillary's appalling experiences but I felt sorry for her brother and sister who really had done nothing wrong. And poor Storm! I couldn't even READ that scene because I love beagles and I didn't want to see it in print!
We get more opportunity to see what kind of girl Hillary was before the abuse and how Michael's reign of terror affected firstly Kathy and then his daughter. Kathy is a sympathetic figure at the start of the book when you see the monster that Michael was, manipulating, violent, bullying, leaving her with no self esteem or mind of her own. It is when she betrays her daughter that my sympathy for her ended. Hillary herself is a bit of a pantomime villan through the book and I did laugh at a few of her twisted comments during the torture. Not sure what that says about my personality!
This book will appeal to horror fans who like the Jack Ketchum/Edward Lee kind of twisted gorefest. The plot as before is brutal and gory with scenes of rape, incest, cannibalism, torture and death. If you don't have a strong stomach, don't go there! I'm looking forward to seeing the continuation of Hillary's story and will also be keen to see what else the author writes in the future.
Hillary's happy life vanishes the night that her father starts to molest and rape her. After months of agony she confides in her mother who refuses to help her. Alone and angry, Hillary discovers a new friend inside her head who knows exactly how to make everyone listen to her.
In book one we see the psycho that Hillary became and there was no real sympathy for her or her actions but this prequel novel shows how a good, normal teenage girl becomes that twisted monster because of the abuse she has been subjected to. Her gradual descent into madness was gripping and compelling, seeing the girl you have sympathy for inflicting horrific cruelty on her family and former friends. I had no sympathy for Michael or Kathy for their part in Hillary's appalling experiences but I felt sorry for her brother and sister who really had done nothing wrong. And poor Storm! I couldn't even READ that scene because I love beagles and I didn't want to see it in print!
We get more opportunity to see what kind of girl Hillary was before the abuse and how Michael's reign of terror affected firstly Kathy and then his daughter. Kathy is a sympathetic figure at the start of the book when you see the monster that Michael was, manipulating, violent, bullying, leaving her with no self esteem or mind of her own. It is when she betrays her daughter that my sympathy for her ended. Hillary herself is a bit of a pantomime villan through the book and I did laugh at a few of her twisted comments during the torture. Not sure what that says about my personality!
This book will appeal to horror fans who like the Jack Ketchum/Edward Lee kind of twisted gorefest. The plot as before is brutal and gory with scenes of rape, incest, cannibalism, torture and death. If you don't have a strong stomach, don't go there! I'm looking forward to seeing the continuation of Hillary's story and will also be keen to see what else the author writes in the future.
fabledeux's review against another edition
1.0
TW ; pedophilia , rape
I wish I could give this book a half star rating because…. god. Too much pedophilia and rape for my taste… Don’t know why someone would write about that shit to begin with. Even without those aspects of the book I didn’t care about any character and didn’t care what happened to them. Hillary is one of the worst written characters I’ve ever seen and I actually have so much hatred for her? A 15 year old psycho serial killing cannibal is just not interesting to me. You’re telling me 4 grown adults couldn’t have fought off Hillary when she was extremely weak and just skin and bones? She’s a 15 year old girl for crying out loud. And the little prologue at the end for book two really sealed the deal that this book is just terrible and not worth anyone’s time. It’s just not interesting and was hard to get through because I found it boring. Some of the gore was interesting and shocked me for a few seconds but that’s all it did. I didn’t care what happened to anyone. I felt nothing. The only people I cared about were Patty and Amber Skye and they were only in the book near the end for maybe 10 minutes… Would not recommend.
I wish I could give this book a half star rating because…. god. Too much pedophilia and rape for my taste… Don’t know why someone would write about that shit to begin with. Even without those aspects of the book I didn’t care about any character and didn’t care what happened to them. Hillary is one of the worst written characters I’ve ever seen and I actually have so much hatred for her? A 15 year old psycho serial killing cannibal is just not interesting to me. You’re telling me 4 grown adults couldn’t have fought off Hillary when she was extremely weak and just skin and bones? She’s a 15 year old girl for crying out loud. And the little prologue at the end for book two really sealed the deal that this book is just terrible and not worth anyone’s time. It’s just not interesting and was hard to get through because I found it boring. Some of the gore was interesting and shocked me for a few seconds but that’s all it did. I didn’t care what happened to anyone. I felt nothing. The only people I cared about were Patty and Amber Skye and they were only in the book near the end for maybe 10 minutes… Would not recommend.
franny_mae's review
5.0
Hillary: Flesh and Blood gives readers Hillary's backstory, who we first meet in Hillary: Tail of the Dog. She is a beautiful, innocent looking teen, but that is only in appearance. In the first installment we learn just how sinister Hillary can be, and witness the twisted behavior she is capable of. Flesh and Blood gives you a glimpse of how Hillary became the person she is today. This story depicts how a father's actions altered his daughter's life, and the way she decided to compensate for the abuse. If she had not experienced the abuse she received at home, she just might have turned out differently. We find that the pattern of abuse did not begin with Hillary. The one person she expected to help her also suffered at the hands of her father, and their denial of the situation causes Hillary to fall deeper into despair. Hillary then resorts to other methods to voice herself and regain a sense of power.
Angel Gelique continues her bold storytelling, and touches on topics few want to, or prefer to ignore. You will likely not read a book like hers for a while! Flesh and Blood is a great read which holds your interest. Some scenes are cringeworthy, but in a good way... in the "I can't believe this is happening" kind of way. I could feel the anger and hatred Hillary felt towards her family, as well as her anguish that no one was coming to her aid. This book had me emotionally vested, to the point that I wanted to scream at Hillary to confide in someone who wasn't a family member so her suffering could end. If you are tired of reading the same kind of book over and over again, read this book! You definitely will not be bored.
Angel Gelique continues her bold storytelling, and touches on topics few want to, or prefer to ignore. You will likely not read a book like hers for a while! Flesh and Blood is a great read which holds your interest. Some scenes are cringeworthy, but in a good way... in the "I can't believe this is happening" kind of way. I could feel the anger and hatred Hillary felt towards her family, as well as her anguish that no one was coming to her aid. This book had me emotionally vested, to the point that I wanted to scream at Hillary to confide in someone who wasn't a family member so her suffering could end. If you are tired of reading the same kind of book over and over again, read this book! You definitely will not be bored.
franny_mae's review against another edition
5.0
This book does not tiptoe through the daisies! It delves into topics that few are bold enough to venture in, which is why I found this book to be a very interesting read. We get different viewpoints throughout the book, glimpses of what all the characters are feeling, which I liked. The whole time you are wondering how this situation could have happened, and are rooting for Hillary to escape... then bam! Everything changes. I was blind-sighted by this twist, and never in a million years would have expected it. I like being surprised, and this book definitely did that. I recommend others to give this book a go, I enjoyed it and think others will as well. I must say that some individuals may not be able to stomach some of the situations which occur in this book.
The little sneak peak in the end piques your curiosity further :)
The little sneak peak in the end piques your curiosity further :)
hannas_heas47's review against another edition
3.0
Wow, what a train wreck. I found this to be one of those books you can't put down because its so horrifying you have to see what happens next. The cannaballistic nature of this girl was truly horrifying and never really explained. She was sexually abused but I have never heard of this extreme behavior as a result. The excerpt at the end gave way to what the second book will explain, which to me should have been the first book.
hannas_heas47's review
4.0
Definitely not for the faint at heart, I had to put it down for a bit before I could pick it up again. I understand that Hillary underwent abuse from her father for two years but as she starts killing that truly goes out the window for me. You can't help but feel for the people that she is brutally torturing, and the cause of it all gets the quicker death. The author only reveals that Hillary went through horrible sexual acts for her father but doesn't delve into exactly how bad they were so its hard to garnish this sort of contempt for the people she is killing. Mainly what she does to Calleigh, really made me angry because just as Hillary was helpless about her situation so was Calleigh. Hillary projected her hate onto Calliegh only because her sister did not have to suffer the abuse. Which made me think Hillary was just plain out of her mind and broken so badly by the abuse that her mind broke. The ironic thing was the mother lived and I truly think if she had been a stronger person, none of this would have happened. Her mother could have listened to her, which might have been the point that truly broke Hillary. Really good work from the author and deeply disturbing graphic ideas.