Wetbones

by John Shirley

A flesh-and-soul-devouring addiction runs rampant through the dark playground of the Hollywood elite

Welcome to Los Angeles, where every addiction is encouraged…

Struggling Hollywood screenwriter Tom Prentice can hardly believe that the emaciated and mutilated corpse lying on the morgue slab was once his ex-wife. Then his roommate’s missing brother turns up in a local hospital having sliced open his own chest and legs for some sick, inexplicable reason. In Oakland, the Reverend Garner, a recovering addict, leaves his ministry in search of his teenage daughter, who was last seen in the company of her ghoulish kidnapper. And the Los Angeles police are meanwhile baffled in their hunt for the elusive “Wetbones” serial killer who leaves nothing of his victims behind except a damp, grisly pile of bones.

Though Tom, the reverend, and the LAPD are on separate quests for answers, they are all being led into the darkest shadows of Hollywood, where the debauchery never ceases and pleasure is a drug that devours human flesh, blood, and sanity. But the true source of the all-consuming addiction is the most horrifying revelation of all, for it is not of this rational Earth.

From International Horror Guild Award–winning author John Shirley, the acclaimed “splatterpunk” classic Wetbones combines the monstrous inventiveness of H. P. Lovecraft with the exquisite excess of Clive Barker. A true masterwork of modern terror, it’s decidedly not for the faint of heart.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Splatterpunk, Audiobook, Fantasy, Supernatural, Novels

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

John Shirley won the Bram Stoker Award for his story collection Black Butterflies, and is the author of numerous novels, including the best-seller DEMONS, the cyberpunk classics CITY COME A-WALKIN', ECLIPSE, and BLACK GLASS, and his newest novels STORMLAND and A SORCERER OF ATLANTIS.

He is also a screenwriter, having written for television and movies; he was co-screenwriter of THE CROW. He has been several Year's Best anthologies including Prime Books' THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR anthology, and his nwest story collection is IN EXTREMIS: THE MOST EXTREME SHORT STORIES OF JOHN SHIRLEY. His novel BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE telling the story of the creation and undoing of Rapture, from the hit videogame BIOSHOCK is out from TOR books; his Halo novel, HALO: BROKEN CIRCLE is coming out from Pocket Books.

His most recent novels are STORMLAND and (forthcoming) AXLE BUST CREEK. His new story collection is THE FEVERISH STARS. STORMLAND and other John Shirley novels are available as audiobooks.

He is also a lyricist, having written lyrics for 18 songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult (especially on their albums Heaven Forbidden and Curse of the Hidden Mirror), and his own recordings.

John Shirley has written only one nonfiction book, GURDJIEFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND IDEAS, published by Penguin/Jeremy Tarcher.

John Shirley story collections include BLACK BUTTERFLIES, IN EXTREMIS, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY WEIRD STORIES, and LIVING SHADOWS.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Adam Light · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because I found it cheap at the used book store. It didn't really call out to me to read it, but I figured I would try something I knew nothing about.
I have read a few of Shirley's short stories, most notably "Cram", which was a masterpiece of short horror in the most gruesome way.
I sure am glad I took a chance on this little baby. Wetbones was a refreshing read for me, taking me back to the feeling I got when I read The Ruins by Scott Smith, or The Descent by Jeff Long. I was not expecting something so grand and apocalyptic in scale. And I was completely blown away!
The book is about several different people dealing with the fallout of a series of killings perpetrated by a group of psychic vampire types that feed on and destroy their victim's souls, while manipulating them like marionette's to achieve their own diabolical ends. These dastardly Hollywood big-shots had, at one time, been associated with a man named Ephram Pixie, who has defected from their ranks to seek his own sick thrills manipulating, torturing and murdering people in hideous fashions, some of the victims turning up as steaming piles of blood soaked bones stewing in pools of liquified organs and blood.
The story is action packed and filled with gruesome and horrific scenes to rival anything ever produced by the splatter-punk genre - in fact, I now understand John Shirley is considered one of the fathers of that movement - and it never relents. It just keeps picking up steam until all the divergent story-lines come crashing together in what is one of the most crushing and visceral depictions of otherworldly horror and gore I have read in a very long time.
For me, this book was transcended my expectations, and mad me a fan of the author right away.
There are strong overtones of Lovecraft throughout, and the theme of addiction is dealt with none too subtly. In fact, Shirley poses a most chilling explanation of the origins of human addictions that will make you think twice before picking up any bad habits.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror. Unless you think horror is about sparkling vampires. This book is not for the easily offended at all.
Five huge stars.

[B.J. Swann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuine splatterpunk classic that blows most other horror books out of the water.

Tom Prentice has to identify the strangely emaciated and mutilated body of his ex-wife. A reverend’s daughter is kidnapped by a creep who can violate minds as well as bodies. Human remains start turning up on the streets of LA, pulped beyond all recognition. All threads lead to the Double Key Ranch, a spawning ground of fathomless hunger and perversion.

WETBONES is a rare treat, beautifully executed in so many ways. The dialogue is great, the characters are well realized, the prose is sleek with well-chosen moments of captivating richness. There’s almost no fat on the book; we get just enough information to propel things along at a perfect pace. Best of all, WETBONES feels truly original. It also tackles truly disturbing subject matter and delves into genuine existential fears. Are human beings just meat machines, programmed by animal impulses of pleasure and reward? Where do we sit in the murky zone between free will and biology, between choice and addiction, spirit and flesh? Shirley tackles these themes in a gloriously hideous way. WETBONES is truly gruesome, but the scenes of trauma and cruelty never feel gratuitous or simply intended to shock. They feel organic, vital, necessary.

If I had to compare this to something else, I’d say it's somewhat like a cross between THE HELLBOUND HEART and HPL’s “From Beyond,” except that it’s better than both and truly original in so many ways. This one’s in my top ten horror books of all time.

[David Agranoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading horror novels for a quarter of a century now. Since I discovered Clive Barker and Stephen King in the 7th grade I have read several hundred horror novels and equal number of science fiction. I have read horror novels that effected me emotionally like the family tragedy in King's The Shining, terrorized me like McCammon's vision of nuclear aftermath in Swan Song, Poppy Z. Brite made me squirm in disgust with Exquisite Corpse, and Barker expanded my thinking of the fantastic with The Great and Secret Show.
One novel has affected me on all those levels deeper than any other. John Shirley's 1990 masterpiece Wetbones. I think of this book as Requiem for Dream written by Lovecraft and directed by a young David Cronenberg.
John Shirley is a master at using the horror and science fiction novel as means of making a socio-political point. Wetbones is very much a horror novel about addiction, and while it drags the reader through a disgusting and hurtful gutter that reflects real life all too well it also has monsters.
Freaky as hell monsters, probably one of the sickest and most awful serial killers in print, without a doubt my favorite horror novel ever written. How about some other opinions...

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, this novel did not really click with me, although it possesses ungodly amount of splatterpunk goodness. I think Shirley's works and I just do not mix well. I loved his Cellars, but everything else of his I have read? Better than meh, but not much.

Wetbones contains a large cast and Shirley takes some time introducing them all; we know they will come together sometime, but most of the novel just follows their storylines, with Shirley rapidly shifting POVs. Our main protagonist, Prentice, works as a screen writer; he has one sold and really wants to make it big time. Prentice leaves NYC for LA, hoping to 'make connections' in the show biz world, but the novel starts with him IDing his dead ex-wife's body. He and Amy separated years ago (largely his fault as he could never keep his dick in his pants) and she moved to LA before he did. His old buddy Jeff also works as a screen writer and via him, Prentice gets to meet some big shots in the film industry...

Meanwhile, we have a father and daughter up new San Francisco; he works as a guidance councilor for drug addicts (he was one himself back in the day) and Constance starts off the tale working in a hardware store. While working, she catches the eye of our lead antagonist, Ephram, and things go quickly south for her. Ephram somehow (saying more involves spoilers) has the ability to 'tweak' people's minds. He can give them immense pleasure or punish them. Worse, he gets pleasure by seeing people suffer and die. So young Constance and Ephram start off on a quite rampage, heading toward LA, leaving bodies of dead hookers and others in their wake...

Shirley blends splatterpunk 'in your face' horror with cosmic horror here, the implications of the latter slowly emerging as the tale progresses. He also serves up a slice of late 80s LA, a very gritty slice indeed, filled with addicts, gangs and of course, sleazy people in the film industry. Again, all things I usually enjoy in a novel, but still, I bogged down with this one. I found all the characters pretty hard to root for to say the least. Prentice, a real asshole, lead the asshole brigade here. Constance was simply a puppet 'enslaved' to Ephram, and Ephram? I found him royally annoying, especially with his little Ha Ha at the end of almost every sentence. I like dark fiction, and believe me, this is dark. I also love splatterpunk and yeah, plenty of that here; the pages practically ooze blood! The overall story however? Meh. Worse, the ending felt to contrived and involved a deus ex machina that had me rolling my eyes. 2.5 stars, rounding up for GR for the shear gruesomeness.

[Baal Of · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly original, gruesome, violent, disgusting and utterly griping. This book is one nasty piece of work and all the better for it. It really does stand out in the field of horror with its blend of Lovecrafting cosmic horror with splatterpunk sensibilities, delivered in an almost deadpan matter-of-fact way. Shirley delves deep into the nasty side of humanity, but one manipulated by etheric beings making things even worse. His characters are horribly flawed but remain sympathetic despite it all. Definitely not for the squeamish.

[Smiley III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost-improbably, John Shirley's entry into the horror genre is an empathy-expanding trip a degree one'd find lacking in more of the mainstream lit. titles that aim to expand your heart and your worldview; broken hearts and lost children is the agenda, here, not blood & guts. And, aside from Shirley's own Crawlers, it's hard, too, to think of a genre novel that convinces you, so handily, that the story easily could have happened ... you just wouldn't have been told about it. Hard to shake, and worth the ride.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is all kind of crazy sh@t going on in this one. It starts off quick and does not let go, upping the ante of gore and slowly revealing the terror that is behind Wetbones.

Arrangements are made with the Akishra to grant pleasure, power and pain. There are only a select few that have the ability to “see” them and that can utilize their power to influence others. People have started disappearing and it is up to a small group of very interesting characters to try and save them before they become wetbones themselves.

Written well, with well developed characters and appropriate amounts of blood dripped on the pages. My first Shirley, but not my last.

I hear John frequents my favorite bookstore cafe in SF. I look for him every time I go, but unfortunately, don't get out there that often. One of these days I will run across him and buy him a cup o’ joe.

[Lizz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t write reviews.

And I don’t typically love serial killer stories, unless…. there’s a twist. Shirley, good man he is, never gives it to you straight forward. There are layers upon layers if you choose to think on them. You could read this as merely an allegory of addiction, but I think that’s selling the writer, and the reader, short.

Humans are susceptible to outside forces, be these forces, ambivalent, self-serving or downright evil. I think if you look closely, you can see these powers take over weaker-minded humans - yes, I’m talking real life “possession” or whatever word better suits this phenomenon. For a lighter version, that’s one of the easiest to notice, look at the way regular folks become brainwashed by seemingly harmless television or by less harmless propoganda. Before you know it, man turns against family, friends and ultimately, himself.

Now, look me in the eyes and tell me with truth, that you’ve never seen it happen. Or more frighteningly still, that you’ve never felt it begin to happen to yourself. What if you were actually rewarded, chemically, for falling into the trap? The experience was so strong that you’d do anything to keep the feeling going. Or conversely, you were wracked with physical punishment that disallowed you from attempting to save yourself from this nightmare.

These are the roads Shirley travels. He has room in his car, if you’d like to travel with him. Are you strong enough to resist the evil that will use you up until you’re nothing, but wetbones?

[Kelsi - Slime and Slashers · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down for GR. Fast, gruesome and gripping read! An awesome, grungy, and splattery old school book!

[Tony Vacation · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not every day that you encounter a book that brings together ectoplasmic worms, interdimensional free-floating gullets, furniture fashioned out of body parts, rape as a nearly gymnastic exercise and coerced serial killers; and all in the service of trying to create a sincere metaphor about the hardships of addiction. Better editing and some patient characterization could have made this an even more perplexing horror novel; as is, this reads more like a script for a quirky but unpleasant gorefest flick.

[Timothy Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I want to give a shout-out to Glorious Trash for turning me on to this book. I'd always thought of John Shirley as a science fiction writer from the new school until encountering this punch in the gut. I'd read his City Come A-Walking book a few years ago, found it decent, just nothing to get excited about. No way was I prepared me for Wetbones. Holy Mother of Pearl, this book takes a chainsaw to just about everything sacred in Hollywood.
The story is split between many different points of view. Under a lot of lessor writers, this would bog down the plot. Shirley, on the other hand, is able to use this technique to show different aspects of it. In some ways, he uses this book to slam the entire entertainment industry. If Wetbones has one over-riding theme its how corrupt and damning the entire system is to everyone connected with it.
The cast of characters include:

* Tom Prentice, a screenplay writer who has seen better days.
* Rev. Gamer, a liberal christian minister who helps addicts.
* Gamer's teenage daughter Constance.
* Tom's brother.
* Ephram Pixie, a college professor turned serial killer.
* Orpheus, a street kid from the 'hood.
* Eurydice, his sister.
* The More Man, a sinister enterainment executive.
* An immortal German matriarch
* The Handy Man, a sinister henchman
* An avenging hippie living in a shack
* The Akishra, worm-like psychic vampires who live off human desires.

And these are just some of the major characters.
Of course all of these people are going to end up in the same place: a decrepid mansion near Hollywood called "The Keys", where a degenerate entertainment producer and his equally degenerate wife live. The place is falling apart and guarded by a huge black guy who is paid to look the other direction. Because what lurks inside The Keys is hideous beyond belief: people embedded in rose bushes, couples forced to have sex until they drop dead, people who self-mutilate, and worse. The human allies of the Akishra have developed mind control techniques which allow them to force their will on anyone.
There's even reverse astrology consisting of such constellations as The Hangman, The Black Widow, etc. The serial killer Ephram consults the sky constantly trying to find direction in this sinister zodiac. He's also the main focus of the book's title: Wetbones being an evil ritual which turns people inside out, leaving them in a pile of goo and calcium.
Shirley displays his political bent by turning his nose up at another character's NRA dad and making a not-so-suttle reference to Reagan's first Secretary of the Interior as one of the worm creatures best allies. But his depiction of a ghetto is not the sort of thing which would ever pass for PC. Shirley is disgusted at every facet of Los Angeles in general and Hollywood in particular. The overall theme: This is where hedonism leads.
One of the best books of the "splatterpunk" movement and not to be read on an empty stomach.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely foul. This book, more than any other, delves deeper into the sewers of splattery horror than anything I've ever read. Without giving anything away, the writing is surprisingly strong considering the gore quotient, as Shirley maintains a quick pace while giving us a fair bit of character development. Plot developments don't always unfold smoothly, and parts of the book feel rushed (especially the ending), but the good greatly outweighs the bad, and the extremity on display is a wonder to behold. There were several scenes that actually made my physically queasy, which almost never happens. Sometimes I re-read those scenes; other times I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wouldn't recommend this book to most people I know, but if you're reading this, you've probably heard something of the legends surrounding Wetbones and your curiosity led you here. It's probably too late for you anyway. Enjoy the carnage, and don't say you weren't warned. One final heads up: the violence against women is especially harsh. It's not completely unbalanced, but if you're sensitive to these things even a little bit, I would urge you to skip this book. All joking aside, this is perhaps the most extreme book I have ever read, for better or worse.

[Ms. Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

These vampire-like people are using the power of "aliens" for lack of a better word, to control someone and their pleasure/pain receptors. The V's can make anyone do anything, even kill, and get pleasure from doing so. This read wasn't edge-of-your-seat and kinda moped along at a leisurely pace dropping crumbs of horrific deeds here and there. A little better than alright.

[Horror Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether or not you love or hate LA, you have to admit that John Shirley sure as hell can write about it.

[Elke · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I purchased this book I was not quite sure what I would get. I had a rough image of very explicit gore mixed with some esoteric sounding mind control. Considering this, the book did not disappoint me. However, it did not rise above my cautious expectations either, though I liked that the author did not just write a plain torture novel, but put some interesting idea behind the how and why with the Akishra and Spirit involved.

There are some really disgusting scenes in this book, if you are into this kind of stuff. But there are also stories of several people accidentally thrown into the perverse universe of the Doublekey Ranch, who not only have to face the sadistic owners, but also some fantastic force - the above mentioned Akishra - which makes it possible to control both mind and body.

The masters of this power are able to stimulate the pleasure centre of the brain while at the same time forcing their victim to mutilate the own body. Thereby causing extreme pain to oneself - or other victims - is not only made tolerable but even badly desired in order to reach the highest planes of pleasure.

This is a really sick idea, and Shirley did a great job expanding it into a complete novel. So, keep hold of your stomach and enjoy the ride.

[Mike (Hail Horror Hail) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wetbones seems to have everything I would want. Well written prose, a range of interesting characters, splatterpunk meets cosmic horror and an uncanny amount of gore and gruesome killings, yet it didn't quite click for me.

At times I was thinking, fuck yeah! Others, I'm scratching my head trying to keep straight all the characters that have been introduced and how they all relate to one another and the overall story.

Shirley is an author whose prose at times cuts right to the bone, both literally and figuratively, especially when he's writing about drug and alcohol use/abuse and the many layers of living with addiction.

There are so many ideas, so many perspectives, and too many competing plot lines that, more often than not, took me out rather than pulled me in.

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this for a while. Started in and with each chapter I started to lose interest. Faster and faster. By the time I got to the end, I really didn't care one way or the other. Had a few moments that were good. I think I'll stick to the authors pen name of D,B, Drumm. Much better.

[Tom A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

June Review #2: Wetbones: The Authorized Edition

What do a down-on-his-luck screenwriter, an escaped juvenile delinquent, and a recovering drug addict minister have in common? They are searching for the person (?) responsible for the strange and horrible afflictions that have befallen their loved ones. Their separate journeys will eventually lead them to the Mecca of debauchery: The Doublekey Ranch in Malibu, where death is the least suffering you can experience.

“Addiction Horror” is the subgenre that tries to bridge the real-life horrors of addiction with a supernatural element. This linking is to make a point: the real-life affliction is as nasty as its make-believe counterpart. Shirley adds an interesting take: all addictions that haunt mankind are induced by the otherworldly. This theory makes the book different from other addiction horror stories where the supernatural is merely symbolic of the horrors of addiction.

But most of the potential audience didn’t come for the social commentary, as they expected a gory work from one of the pioneers of the Splatterpunk movement. This book, without a doubt, delivers on that expectation. Aside from the real-life horrors of wasting and emaciated bodies of addicts, Shirley gives us cringe-worthy self-mutilation, bloody killings mixed with sex, dismemberments, disgusting deviant sexual acts, and of course, “Wetbones” killings. (the first Wetbones scene is one of the most unforgettable deaths in all of horror fiction). There is also the gleefully over-the-top finale in Doublekey Ranch, which culminates in an orgy of torn flesh, mutilation, and astral beings reminiscent of the ending of Masterton’s Feast.

Disgusting Gore. Social Commentary. An unflagging pace. What more do you need from a horror book?

Sweetbite Point : A Short Sequel to WETBONES

One of the advantages of this Authorized Edition is it contains the sequel to Wetbones. (not collected in any of Shirley’s SS Collections last time I checked). This novella concerns a small community plagued with a series of crimes but with the perpetrators having no recollection of doing the deed. It features two of the main characters from the original novel. The good thing about this sequel is that it moves the mythology forward regarding the Astral plane beings; those who loved the original for its gore might be disappointed, but it still contains disturbing scenes.

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Shirley, Wetbones (Leisure, 1993)

There are certain books that, if you mention their names, will cause the eyes of horror fans in your immediate area to rise in amazement. "You were actually aboe to FIND a copy of that?" The three I've had in my sights for about two years now are Ketchum's Girl Next Door, Caponegro's The Breeze Horror, and Shirley's Wetbones. The last of the three was the first I was able to track down.

A fun little book it is, but I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss is about. Wetbones is comprised of three (branching off occasionally into four) intertwining stories that all center around an isolated desert mansion called the Doublekey Ranch. Along the way, you get all sorts of fun stuff about mind control, various techniques for efficiently disposing of your victims, the Akishra (not going to try and describe them, read to believe), and various other interesting topics.

The various reviews I've read lead me to believe that the reason Wetbones is so sought after an item is that it's considered to have pushed the bleeding edge of splatterpunk. One wonders if the authors of said reviews were ever exposed to the early work of Robert Deveraux, whose novel Deadwight (released a year before this) has only recently found company in the corner of the envelope thanks to the emergence of Charlee Jacob. (Not to spoil the fun, but the scene I'm guessing is considered the bleeding edge, pardon the pun, is lifted almost verbatim from Iain Banks' chilling novel The Wasp Factory, released at roughly the same time as Wetbones.)

Now again, let me say that while it may sound like I'm trashing the novel, I'm not. It IS a good read, paced well, with well-drawn characters and enough of a plot to keep the reader interested in what's going to come next. I don't think, however, that when the academics get off their high horses and create a horror canon, that Wetbones is going to be one of the top nominees for a slot. *** ½

[Clare Lune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gross! Loved it.

[Vampfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the faint of heart…

[Carl I. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will be honest with you all, I don't remember much at all about this book. I remember reading it, kind of liking it, but also being a bit annoyed about some aspect or another. So from my memory, I wasn't crazy about it. But in all fairness to the book, I do intend to crack it open again and at the very least give it another breeze through, unless it grabs me and brings me back into it. So use my "review" and rating hesitantly...but do know I was not "wowed" with the book.

[J K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild stuff with a total early 1990s vibe so strong I was getting unearthly flashbacks. Gloriously grotesque all the way through, I see exactly why Clive Barker sings its praises on the cover. Baroque gore, a heavy addiction metaphor and Lovecraftian themes let loose without the cutting away coyness. I think images from this will haunt me...Saw movies are tame compared to the messed up, yet compelling situations here. Madness encapsulated. Back to the 1990s all the way....

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Shirley delivers another great horror / mystery novel with a heavy dose of social commentary; think of it as Raymond Chandler meets Clive Barker.

[Spencer Distraction · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was as freakish, weird, gross & uncomfortable as a car full of paranoid strangers passing around a crackpipe waiting for some bad magik to melt their faces off.

[Cassandra Glissadevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 stars!
Brutal read. Intense horror.
Welcome addition to serious horror collections.

[Amanda Savieri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me way too long to get through this book. Was partially that I just couldnt really get into it and I honestly struggled to want to pick it up. Almost picked up another book to come back to this one to be honest but then work got crazy busy the last month or two before holidays and I just didnt have a chance to find time TO read. finally we hit the holidays and I smashed this out in a week. Or the last of it, anyway. Look, part of it I didnt mind. The seediness of LA in the 90's. That came through through and through. This celebrity world that was disgusting and fake. The drugs on the streets. Everyone looking for their next big break and these 'things' praying off the whole atmosphere and city because it was such an easy city to pray in. An innocent girl caught up in it all, a father desperate to find her. A brother looking for another brother also fallen victim to these things and then a widow looking for answers on what happened to his ex wife. A victim of drugs or something more? Of.. Wetbones. it all sort of comes together and adds this supernatural clarity in the last 40 odd pages but then it smashed itself out so quickly that it seemed honestly rushed. I enjoyed the disgusting rank seediness of the backdrop of the book but overall, wasnt much of a fan of the overall concept as a whole.

[Nora Peevy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disgusting wet husks of what used to be humans are showing up in Hollywood and Tom Prentice has no idea what has happened to his wife. It’s probably better he doesn’t. She’s become controlled by the dopamine highs while demons feed on her, controlled by ancient beasts that walk this earth in search of new victims and now she too is “wet bones”. If I told you more, I’d spoil the book for you. It’s been a bit since I’ve read a really messy splatterpunk dealing with meat suits and all our addictions and longing to feel good. That’s what the ancient beasts do. They make you feel pleasure, so you forget everything bad in your life while they gorge on you.

Make sure you’re not eating anything resembling the human body while you partake of this tasty treat. Shirley does a marvelous job of showing the readers the ropes of human depravity and sensuality and the lengths we are willing to go to when we want them. Imagine being trapped in a body that craves a dopamine fix but is so exhausted, it doesn’t want to do what it has to do to get it. The demons are nature’s ultimate killing machines. The perfect way to pick off the human race and have our planet. The best way to feed and eliminate the parasites living here, until we’re gone and they have to move somewhere else to get their next fix. Pick up your copy today.

[Jennifer Matchett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started out a bit weird (unfamiliar books sometimes do that, so no fault there). Also, grammatical errors were bothersome, but the book is worth some misspellings here and there. Once everything came together, the story really started to pick up. There were some truly horrifying moments, some disturbing visuals and nightmarish images presented that made this book visceral. It also deals with addiction as far as how easy it is to sink into it, to relapse, and the hope given at rock bottom. The ending is a lovely gorefest horror fans can really appreciate. Despite the errors, it was well written and an overall great read!

[Cara Lynn Kasonovitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me a while to get through. I couldn’t dive into it and kept getting distracted by reading other books as well. It was very well written, although some of the gore could deter some readers - beware. After a while, it became too repetitive for me and a little annoying, as if it was only included for shock factor. The story line was okay, and the general conclusion was lacking, but I really enjoyed the characters, writing style, the true ending, and the short story sequel.