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Monsters #2
Am I A Monster?
The follow-up book to, They Are all Monsters!
Six years ago, not one but two monsters came to Belton, causing widespread terror until both were eventually caught. The villagers thought they were safe again.
They were wrong.
Sarah is ecstatic. She has just received an email informing her that her first novel has been accepted by a publisher and will soon be published in all major bookstores. Her parents decide to book a trip to Barcelona, somewhere Sarah has always wanted to go, to celebrate. Sarah tells her friends at school then a boy she has had a crush on for years overhears her telling the good news and invites her out. Sarah cannot believe how everything is turning out so good for her.
Until it all goes wrong.
Sarah makes the mistake of humiliating Andrew one night and this is something she is going to regret for the rest of her life. Assuming she survives, that is, which is highly doubtful. Because behind the façade of being the cool kid in school, Andrew is a very dangerous boy. A monster, in fact, as Sarah is about to find out.
This is a novel of extreme horror featuring SA. Do not read if easily shocked.
Six years ago, not one but two monsters came to Belton, causing widespread terror until both were eventually caught. The villagers thought they were safe again.
They were wrong.
Sarah is ecstatic. She has just received an email informing her that her first novel has been accepted by a publisher and will soon be published in all major bookstores. Her parents decide to book a trip to Barcelona, somewhere Sarah has always wanted to go, to celebrate. Sarah tells her friends at school then a boy she has had a crush on for years overhears her telling the good news and invites her out. Sarah cannot believe how everything is turning out so good for her.
Until it all goes wrong.
Sarah makes the mistake of humiliating Andrew one night and this is something she is going to regret for the rest of her life. Assuming she survives, that is, which is highly doubtful. Because behind the façade of being the cool kid in school, Andrew is a very dangerous boy. A monster, in fact, as Sarah is about to find out.
This is a novel of extreme horror featuring SA. Do not read if easily shocked.
- GenresHorrorSplatterpunk
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2023
211 people are currently reading
829 people want to read
About the author
J. Boote
20 books184 followersJ. Boote is the alter-ego of Justin Boote, author of horror and dark fiction. J. Boote writes primarily extreme horror, not for the faint-hearted or easily offended.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
May 8, 2023
Am I A Monster? is an extreme horror, one not for the faint of heart. Please proceed carefully. I would only read a horror novella akin to this if I knew I was in the right place mentally to do so. Nightmare fuel compressed into a 200 page package, which could make you want to DNF (tbh I almost did when the horror started) but then you can’t look away. Even though I felt physically sick at times and had to skim read.
The extreme horror genre sometimes helps me control my anxiety around my own past traumas, this coping mechanism might not be for everybody and that’s okay. I’ve always used fiction, but especially the horror genre, this way.
The author puts a note at the beginning to warn readers that there are graphic scenes involved and to not read it/move on if you feel as though this will affect you. It’s fine to not consume fiction that is going to be detrimental to you. I for one extremely dislike it when there is no prior warning to the content, for example in a manga I was reading currently… if a topic is shoehorned in for no reason aswell. The part that made me wince the most is that the main character is also called Sarah 😅😬
J. Boote has a well-written missing person mystery story written here in amongst the gory details. There were a couple errors I found, like called Karen Eric’s ex-friend when Eric is Sarah’s dad and Karen is a young girl whose boyfriend is called Dave.
Sarah Greenwood is delighted to have her first book published, it will be available in all major book stories. To celebrate, her parents have booked a trip to Barcelona. Sarah excitedly tells her friends the good news, when a guy called Andrew who she’s had a crush on for years overhears and invites her out on a date. She cannot believe her good luck, her life is going perfectly! How could it all go wrong?
Well, she makes the mistake of humiliating Andrew by rejecting him. In his mind, that is the worst thing that could have happened. His mind is screwed up by his upbringing by a sadistic father and an alcoholic mother. Or was he born a psychopath? He is an extremely dangerous individual and Sarah will live to regret it. Will she survive Andrew’s wrath? Will she get to return home to her worried parents?
TW:// torture, SA
The extreme horror genre sometimes helps me control my anxiety around my own past traumas, this coping mechanism might not be for everybody and that’s okay. I’ve always used fiction, but especially the horror genre, this way.
The author puts a note at the beginning to warn readers that there are graphic scenes involved and to not read it/move on if you feel as though this will affect you. It’s fine to not consume fiction that is going to be detrimental to you. I for one extremely dislike it when there is no prior warning to the content, for example in a manga I was reading currently… if a topic is shoehorned in for no reason aswell. The part that made me wince the most is that the main character is also called Sarah 😅😬
J. Boote has a well-written missing person mystery story written here in amongst the gory details. There were a couple errors I found, like called Karen Eric’s ex-friend when Eric is Sarah’s dad and Karen is a young girl whose boyfriend is called Dave.
Sarah Greenwood is delighted to have her first book published, it will be available in all major book stories. To celebrate, her parents have booked a trip to Barcelona. Sarah excitedly tells her friends the good news, when a guy called Andrew who she’s had a crush on for years overhears and invites her out on a date. She cannot believe her good luck, her life is going perfectly! How could it all go wrong?
Well, she makes the mistake of humiliating Andrew by rejecting him. In his mind, that is the worst thing that could have happened. His mind is screwed up by his upbringing by a sadistic father and an alcoholic mother. Or was he born a psychopath? He is an extremely dangerous individual and Sarah will live to regret it. Will she survive Andrew’s wrath? Will she get to return home to her worried parents?
TW:// torture, SA
July 15, 2025
Am I A Monster? (The Monsters series. Book 2) [2023] By J. Boote
My Review 4.0 Stars
I read this second installment of Indie author J. Boote’s “Monster” series this week. It was a “Buddy Read” for me and a really good reading buddy of mine who loves every letter in both words of the designation “extreme horror”.
The premise of the storyline looked pretty simple at first blush. A teenager named Sarah received the incredible news that a manuscript for a horror novel she had written and submitted to an editor for review had been accepted for publication. Sarah is a good girl with two loving parents, her father a police officer in the small English village. All of the girls at school worshipped the handsome 16-year-old blond guy who was in their classes. Sarah had harbored a crush on Andrew for years, but had never approached him. She is delighted when he asks her out for a date. They meet for pizza and Sarah unwisely goes back to his flat with him. There is a negative outcome and Sarah is terribly upset by the incident. She is surprised when he meets with her the following day and apologizes for his roguish behavior after ingesting too many shots of Jack Daniels. Sarah is not dubious about his rage from the night before dissolving into mild mannered Clark Kent. Similarly, Sarah was not rated high on possessing safe judgment calls before and was not about to suddenly wise up. The young girl walks into a sadistic psycho’s lair. Following Andrew to his apartment was the worst decision of her life.
I was predisposed to dislike this book because I had read the first book and was aware that the author deployed third person POV for the main characters of the novel. I am quite prejudiced on this topic. Using the First Person POV for Sarah, the main character and protagonist of the novel, would have given the reader an intimate look into what thoughts and feelings she was experiencing. The technique obviously leads to strong character development. Most importantly though the use of First Person POV evokes powerful emotions in the reader and creates a deep bond between the reader and what is happening in real time to the main character. It does not feel personal and simply does not make the reader “feel” the victim’s pain, become involved emotionally in the victim’s plight.
Readers know going in that the 16-year-old girl named Sarah is going to be abducted and held captive by a sadistic sexual predator. Given the horrific torture that was inflicted upon the victim I pretty quickly realized that this was a stroke of luck. The details of the acts of hellish applications of pain and disfigurement were genuinely disturbing thus it was more tolerable to intellectually “log” the long list of egregious torture than to be empathizing with the victim figuratively holding back sympathy for her and off the charts disgust and hatred for the perpetrators.
Issues related to the need for the reader to suspend disbelief bothered me. For an example I felt that it was rather far-fetched that a 16-year-old high school student could write a horror novel that was readily accepted for publication. Later in the narrative, the author includes some back story that may reverse my opinion that her selling a horror novel in particular at age 16 was implausible.
The actions of the father who works as a police detective bothered me quite a bit. For an example, he was aware that his wife had been convinced that there had been an altercation of sorts the first night that Sarah met the new boy from school. This did not appear to have any bearing on the father Eric looking at the last person to see her and viewing him with prejudice given the wife’s convictions. Moreover, I could hardly believe that Eric conducted his search of Andrew’s secret flat in the manner he did. I will not elaborate here due to potential spoiler. Obviously, I was at odds with decisions made by the head of the investigation pertinent to police actions and inactions. This issue led directly to an action by Eric that was problematic for me as a reader for a number of reasons. Readers of the book will understand what I am referring to albeit may or may not agree with my assessment of Eric’s actions and overall judgment skills.
Given the aforementioned reservations I was actually surprised that going into the final quarter of the book I started to add the positive aspects or points I liked about the novel. This was due to the “about face” of the plot line, the “superpowers” of a “Big Mac”, and a miracle of improvement in Sarah’s ability to think and recall. Sarah’s appearance is worse than a female prisoner of Auschwitz Prison Camp at the end of the war. That said, I liked where the narrative went so, I was more than happy to stop my harping on credibility gaps. I loved the ending, albeit it was rough reaching that point. The author inserted a satisfying plot twist at the end, which explained a bit about why Sarah was capable of writing a damn scary book. It was a salve applied to a nasty burn, though. But that was only when I rewound the surprise ending and played it a second time. I bumped the rating to 4 Stars. Readers love this guy. My friend was impressed enough to slap down a 5-Star Rating and declare the book’s perfection as a work of extreme horror.
Justin Boote writes extreme horror novels under the pen name of J. Boote. His main topic to write about is demonic possession, and then there are ghosts as well. Boote is regurgitating actual true crime abominations, and then writing a fictional account of the case, perhaps a compilation of cases. He essentially tells us this in his author’s notes and I was impressed by the extent of his research. An interesting angle for this aspiring and lavishly praised writer of some truly sick tales that happen to be true. He is good at what he does.
TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION UNLESS YOU ARE READING J. BOOTE!
My Review 4.0 Stars
I read this second installment of Indie author J. Boote’s “Monster” series this week. It was a “Buddy Read” for me and a really good reading buddy of mine who loves every letter in both words of the designation “extreme horror”.
The premise of the storyline looked pretty simple at first blush. A teenager named Sarah received the incredible news that a manuscript for a horror novel she had written and submitted to an editor for review had been accepted for publication. Sarah is a good girl with two loving parents, her father a police officer in the small English village. All of the girls at school worshipped the handsome 16-year-old blond guy who was in their classes. Sarah had harbored a crush on Andrew for years, but had never approached him. She is delighted when he asks her out for a date. They meet for pizza and Sarah unwisely goes back to his flat with him. There is a negative outcome and Sarah is terribly upset by the incident. She is surprised when he meets with her the following day and apologizes for his roguish behavior after ingesting too many shots of Jack Daniels. Sarah is not dubious about his rage from the night before dissolving into mild mannered Clark Kent. Similarly, Sarah was not rated high on possessing safe judgment calls before and was not about to suddenly wise up. The young girl walks into a sadistic psycho’s lair. Following Andrew to his apartment was the worst decision of her life.
I was predisposed to dislike this book because I had read the first book and was aware that the author deployed third person POV for the main characters of the novel. I am quite prejudiced on this topic. Using the First Person POV for Sarah, the main character and protagonist of the novel, would have given the reader an intimate look into what thoughts and feelings she was experiencing. The technique obviously leads to strong character development. Most importantly though the use of First Person POV evokes powerful emotions in the reader and creates a deep bond between the reader and what is happening in real time to the main character. It does not feel personal and simply does not make the reader “feel” the victim’s pain, become involved emotionally in the victim’s plight.
Readers know going in that the 16-year-old girl named Sarah is going to be abducted and held captive by a sadistic sexual predator. Given the horrific torture that was inflicted upon the victim I pretty quickly realized that this was a stroke of luck. The details of the acts of hellish applications of pain and disfigurement were genuinely disturbing thus it was more tolerable to intellectually “log” the long list of egregious torture than to be empathizing with the victim figuratively holding back sympathy for her and off the charts disgust and hatred for the perpetrators.
Issues related to the need for the reader to suspend disbelief bothered me. For an example I felt that it was rather far-fetched that a 16-year-old high school student could write a horror novel that was readily accepted for publication. Later in the narrative, the author includes some back story that may reverse my opinion that her selling a horror novel in particular at age 16 was implausible.
The actions of the father who works as a police detective bothered me quite a bit. For an example, he was aware that his wife had been convinced that there had been an altercation of sorts the first night that Sarah met the new boy from school. This did not appear to have any bearing on the father Eric looking at the last person to see her and viewing him with prejudice given the wife’s convictions. Moreover, I could hardly believe that Eric conducted his search of Andrew’s secret flat in the manner he did. I will not elaborate here due to potential spoiler. Obviously, I was at odds with decisions made by the head of the investigation pertinent to police actions and inactions. This issue led directly to an action by Eric that was problematic for me as a reader for a number of reasons. Readers of the book will understand what I am referring to albeit may or may not agree with my assessment of Eric’s actions and overall judgment skills.
Given the aforementioned reservations I was actually surprised that going into the final quarter of the book I started to add the positive aspects or points I liked about the novel. This was due to the “about face” of the plot line, the “superpowers” of a “Big Mac”, and a miracle of improvement in Sarah’s ability to think and recall. Sarah’s appearance is worse than a female prisoner of Auschwitz Prison Camp at the end of the war. That said, I liked where the narrative went so, I was more than happy to stop my harping on credibility gaps. I loved the ending, albeit it was rough reaching that point. The author inserted a satisfying plot twist at the end, which explained a bit about why Sarah was capable of writing a damn scary book. It was a salve applied to a nasty burn, though. But that was only when I rewound the surprise ending and played it a second time. I bumped the rating to 4 Stars. Readers love this guy. My friend was impressed enough to slap down a 5-Star Rating and declare the book’s perfection as a work of extreme horror.
Justin Boote writes extreme horror novels under the pen name of J. Boote. His main topic to write about is demonic possession, and then there are ghosts as well. Boote is regurgitating actual true crime abominations, and then writing a fictional account of the case, perhaps a compilation of cases. He essentially tells us this in his author’s notes and I was impressed by the extent of his research. An interesting angle for this aspiring and lavishly praised writer of some truly sick tales that happen to be true. He is good at what he does.
TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION UNLESS YOU ARE READING J. BOOTE!
September 17, 2023
Fantastic! Even better than the first one, I could not stop reading, reminded me of the Junko Furuta case. Warning it's very very extreme. Might be difficult to read even for splatterpunk veterans.
February 23, 2025
Another 5 star book from Justin Boote! This is the second novel in the Monsters series and is even more disturbing and graphic then the first! Sarah is ectastic when Andrew, a popular boy she has a crush on, asks her on a date. Unfortunately, it ends horribly when she manages to humiliate Andrew and he proceeds to get revenge on Sarah in the most horrific ways.
This novel gives off The Girl Next Door (by Jack Ketchum) vibes but at the same time makes that story look tame. Be warned though: this is heavy on sexual assault so if that's a trigger for you you may want to skip this one. It also has a twist in the end that I did not see coming but seems to fit. Now I am eager to read book 3. Pigs and Monsters!
This novel gives off The Girl Next Door (by Jack Ketchum) vibes but at the same time makes that story look tame. Be warned though: this is heavy on sexual assault so if that's a trigger for you you may want to skip this one. It also has a twist in the end that I did not see coming but seems to fit. Now I am eager to read book 3. Pigs and Monsters!
May 9, 2024
Sarah is a young 16 year old girl who just got her novel published! Her parents were so happy for her they planned her a trip. She went to school the next day and was talking about it with her friends when the most popular boy in school, Andrew, overheard and asked her out. Sarah was so happy to be going out with Andrew. It's too bad she soon realizes what kind of monster he really is.
This was gnarly!!! Lots of torture, rape, and everything in here but man was it great! Proceed with caution with this one because some of the scenes and descriptions are insane but....wow! You love to hate people like Andrew because he is such a piece of shit! Ooo and that ending, that revelation!! This monsters series by J.Boote is one of the very best and also my favourite book series! I'm excited for book 3! I cannot recommend this enough!
This was gnarly!!! Lots of torture, rape, and everything in here but man was it great! Proceed with caution with this one because some of the scenes and descriptions are insane but....wow! You love to hate people like Andrew because he is such a piece of shit! Ooo and that ending, that revelation!! This monsters series by J.Boote is one of the very best and also my favourite book series! I'm excited for book 3! I cannot recommend this enough!
January 16, 2025
This was a whole level up in terms of depravity from the first book.
The evil acts from the MC was gobsmacking and you're really hoping that he reaches his demise at every chapter, then furious about the events unfolding.
The evil acts from the MC was gobsmacking and you're really hoping that he reaches his demise at every chapter, then furious about the events unfolding.
January 2, 2026
Andrew and his friends are a "litte crazy"... Sarah is the "victim"... a story that can only be written By J. Boote, is not am easy read...for those who like the type!
June 14, 2025
This book was so good. It is very violent and very graphic. It's very well written. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series.
December 12, 2024
wtf
Omg such a horrible gross book!!!! This poor girl. I really liked how it linked to the first book in the end. I absolutely loved it. I will definitely move on to book three. Read at your own risk. Enjoy!!
Omg such a horrible gross book!!!! This poor girl. I really liked how it linked to the first book in the end. I absolutely loved it. I will definitely move on to book three. Read at your own risk. Enjoy!!
May 6, 2023
Extreme, psychological, revenge horror about the (human) monsters that walk among us. You can tell that the author did ample research regarding abnormal personalities and disorders. This is an intense, sadistic, unrelenting tale with a twist. And for fans of Boote's BURIED... wait til you read the first chapter of AM I A MONSTER! 🌹
I love his wicked mind and highly recommend this book for readers with NO triggers. This is J. Boote's most extreme yet! You have been warned!
Thank you to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love his wicked mind and highly recommend this book for readers with NO triggers. This is J. Boote's most extreme yet! You have been warned!
Thank you to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 28, 2023
Honestly, after reading the first book in the Monster series, I was hesitant to believe that Boote could outdo it. And boy, was I ever wrong.
This particular book was hard to stomach. It is loaded with SA and torture, so it's not for the faint of heart or stomach. But aside from that it a story of strength and resilience with the perfect dash of revenge. It will leave you questioning your morals. Can a victim become the monster? Does that make it excusable?
This book has a phenomenal twist that I wasn't anticipating, and I'd be shocked if you ever see it coming! Overall, it's just a really well thought out story!
Like in his previous story, Boote definitely did his homework. To be honest, it is one of my favorite things about how he writes. It's no secret that sometimes fact is even scarier than fiction. At points while reading this story, you may stop and shake your head and say "absolutely no way could that/ would that happen." I hate to tell you, yes, it can, and yes, it 💯 does. In this particular story, Boote used the case of 17 year old Suzanne Caper as an inspiration behind his female MC and the torment she endured.
So let me leave you with this... Was She a monster? Grab a copy today, and you will be the judge.
This particular book was hard to stomach. It is loaded with SA and torture, so it's not for the faint of heart or stomach. But aside from that it a story of strength and resilience with the perfect dash of revenge. It will leave you questioning your morals. Can a victim become the monster? Does that make it excusable?
This book has a phenomenal twist that I wasn't anticipating, and I'd be shocked if you ever see it coming! Overall, it's just a really well thought out story!
Like in his previous story, Boote definitely did his homework. To be honest, it is one of my favorite things about how he writes. It's no secret that sometimes fact is even scarier than fiction. At points while reading this story, you may stop and shake your head and say "absolutely no way could that/ would that happen." I hate to tell you, yes, it can, and yes, it 💯 does. In this particular story, Boote used the case of 17 year old Suzanne Caper as an inspiration behind his female MC and the torment she endured.
So let me leave you with this... Was She a monster? Grab a copy today, and you will be the judge.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2023
This is the long awaited and much anticipated sequel to the incredible They Are All Monsters, also by J, Boote 🖤 IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! 🖤
Ok, so by just having read a mere 2% of this book, I was wincing out loud and taking the biggest sharp intake of breath!! Holy shit what an opening chapter!! 😲🌹I knew there and then that this was going to be an excellent sequel!
Sarah has had her manuscript for her first horror novel accepted and is excited to become a real published author at the ripe old age of 16! This brings her the attention of her school crush, Andrew. Everything seems to be falling into place for her finally, her excitement however, is short lived! After things get out of hand one night at Andrew's flat, she convinces herself that things aren't as bad as she remembers them, and decides to give him another chance. That is her first big mistake!!
After years of hurt and abuse at the hands of his parents, Andrew wants to finally make someone else pay, and he's going to do it in the most degrading, humiliating, brutally savage and sickening way! For Andrew it is all about control, hes delusional, and when he loses control, when he isnt obeyed, things get terrifyingly fucked up!
Sarah finds herself trapped in a situation of unrelenting horror, and relentless rape and torture, leading to her mind breaking completely and utterly, when all she can think about is getting her completely justified revenge! My heart tore apart for her, absolutely heart-wrenching scenes that were vividly described, hit you solidly in the face, causing so many physical reactions from me. And the thought of her parents, going through their own kind of torture was so sad. And then, as if the torture isnt bad enough, he uses her as a slave too, when she can barely move for the pain she is suffering. She endures this horrific ordeal for months!!
We see a rapid decline in both her physical and mental health, to the point where her only wish is for death! But they won't even allow her the dignity of that! Eventually, Sarah 'wakes up' and all becomes clear, kicking off her need for revenge! And boy does she get revenge (with me cheering her on fully the whole time!).
The final showdown is a pure, blood soaked massacre….and extremely fucking satisfying!! Sometimes there are punishments far worse than death and sometimes they are wholly justified!! Sarah has to be the unluckiest girl EVER, but she is determined that this time, her experiences will only make her stronger! My god I hope we get to read more about her life in the future, this girl is going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with and going to kick some serious ass in her lifetime!
This book was incredible, very dark, very disturbing, absolutely chilling and brutal in ways I never expected. But with the fantastic twist, this was also an empowering, gripping, wholly immersive read, that really did leave me feeling extremely satisfied and happy. Considering the content, that might seem like a weird thing to say, but the justice served by Sarah, and her state of mind and pure grit and determination at the end was refreshing and exciting!!
Definite Jack Ketchum 'The Girl Next Door' vibes with this one, so if you're a fan of that, you may want to give this a go! I highly recommend you do! 🖤🌹🖤
Ok, so by just having read a mere 2% of this book, I was wincing out loud and taking the biggest sharp intake of breath!! Holy shit what an opening chapter!! 😲🌹I knew there and then that this was going to be an excellent sequel!
Sarah has had her manuscript for her first horror novel accepted and is excited to become a real published author at the ripe old age of 16! This brings her the attention of her school crush, Andrew. Everything seems to be falling into place for her finally, her excitement however, is short lived! After things get out of hand one night at Andrew's flat, she convinces herself that things aren't as bad as she remembers them, and decides to give him another chance. That is her first big mistake!!
After years of hurt and abuse at the hands of his parents, Andrew wants to finally make someone else pay, and he's going to do it in the most degrading, humiliating, brutally savage and sickening way! For Andrew it is all about control, hes delusional, and when he loses control, when he isnt obeyed, things get terrifyingly fucked up!
Sarah finds herself trapped in a situation of unrelenting horror, and relentless rape and torture, leading to her mind breaking completely and utterly, when all she can think about is getting her completely justified revenge! My heart tore apart for her, absolutely heart-wrenching scenes that were vividly described, hit you solidly in the face, causing so many physical reactions from me. And the thought of her parents, going through their own kind of torture was so sad. And then, as if the torture isnt bad enough, he uses her as a slave too, when she can barely move for the pain she is suffering. She endures this horrific ordeal for months!!
We see a rapid decline in both her physical and mental health, to the point where her only wish is for death! But they won't even allow her the dignity of that! Eventually, Sarah 'wakes up' and all becomes clear, kicking off her need for revenge! And boy does she get revenge (with me cheering her on fully the whole time!).
The final showdown is a pure, blood soaked massacre….and extremely fucking satisfying!! Sometimes there are punishments far worse than death and sometimes they are wholly justified!! Sarah has to be the unluckiest girl EVER, but she is determined that this time, her experiences will only make her stronger! My god I hope we get to read more about her life in the future, this girl is going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with and going to kick some serious ass in her lifetime!
This book was incredible, very dark, very disturbing, absolutely chilling and brutal in ways I never expected. But with the fantastic twist, this was also an empowering, gripping, wholly immersive read, that really did leave me feeling extremely satisfied and happy. Considering the content, that might seem like a weird thing to say, but the justice served by Sarah, and her state of mind and pure grit and determination at the end was refreshing and exciting!!
Definite Jack Ketchum 'The Girl Next Door' vibes with this one, so if you're a fan of that, you may want to give this a go! I highly recommend you do! 🖤🌹🖤
May 28, 2023
J. Boote pulls no punches in his sequel to They Are All Monsters. I've learned to expect the worst (remember the cactus?) going into a Boote book so I was prepared, but it was still a hard read and I had to push to get through some of the torture scenes. You ask yourself, how can someone survive this, but I know that the author did extensive research for this book (and the first one) and people have survived these types of situations in real life. The will to live is a powerful thing. Also in normal Boote fashion, the storyline shines and kept me invested throughout, really caring about what was happening to these characters. Definitely a 5/5 skulls 💀
August 8, 2023
outstanding!
By far better than the first book! I’ve read both books in two days! I cannot wait for the third!!!
By far better than the first book! I’ve read both books in two days! I cannot wait for the third!!!
December 12, 2025
Summary: Sarah’s life is going perfectly: her first novel is accepted for publication, her family plans a celebratory trip to Barcelona, and her long-time crush, Andrew, finally notices her. Then one terrible mistake changes everything... and this may cost her life.
Review: Following on from We Are All Monsters, this novel is deeply disturbing and brutally intense. Designed to shock and horrify, it succeeds on every level, so readers should be mindful of trigger warnings - this is extreme horror. Despite (or because of) its brutality, it’s impossible to put down. The final twist is a devastating shock that left me utterly gutted by what unfolds. Brilliant.
Review: Following on from We Are All Monsters, this novel is deeply disturbing and brutally intense. Designed to shock and horrify, it succeeds on every level, so readers should be mindful of trigger warnings - this is extreme horror. Despite (or because of) its brutality, it’s impossible to put down. The final twist is a devastating shock that left me utterly gutted by what unfolds. Brilliant.
April 30, 2025
I stayed up all night just to finish this. Am I tired? Yes. Do I regret it? NO.
I'm hooked on this series. This one was different from the first one, but I was glued to each page, like... I HAD TO KNOW. Poor Sarah... The things she's going through were a lot to digest, and it's scary to realize these series are based on true events. People go to these lengths, and they are this messed up.
This book made me feel things, especially hope towards the end, despair, and some relief. Now, if you excuse me, I NEED to get book 3.
I'm hooked on this series. This one was different from the first one, but I was glued to each page, like... I HAD TO KNOW. Poor Sarah... The things she's going through were a lot to digest, and it's scary to realize these series are based on true events. People go to these lengths, and they are this messed up.
This book made me feel things, especially hope towards the end, despair, and some relief. Now, if you excuse me, I NEED to get book 3.
November 11, 2025
Am I A Monster 😱 book 2
Justin is one of all time fav authors, I have this full series signed & I’m slowly but surely making my way through it. I did manage to get an audible code for this & book 3 so it’s meant I can read quicker. And wow this hit me hard!!!
Sarahs feeling the happiest she could be. She’s finally had an acceptance email & is having her first book published! Her mums taking her on a celebratory holiday to Barca AND her crush Andrew (that every girl would die for) has asked her on a date! She’s walking on cloud nine, life cannot get any better right now.
However the first date doesn’t go as planned, Andrew gets a little too tipsy and a lot too handsy leaving Sarah running home feeling deflated. He apologises & asks to meet up again, he promises no more alcohol & he’ll be respectful so of course she’s happy to give him a second chance…
This ends up being her biggest mistake, held captive for over 3 months she suffers the unthinkable. Will she ever be found or will she die at the hands of Andrew & his friends 😭
Omg it just kept on going 😭 my heart broke for Sarah 😢 I was so invested, it was like watching a movie & praying for the best outcome. Honestly Justin the way you have wrote this is just incredible, it hit me in all the feels. I think more so because this obviously does happen & the victims have been through some of these scenarios 😢
Absolutely heartbreaking but so brilliantly done. Also loved the ending! I wasn’t sure which way it was going to go! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’d give it a thousand stars if I could!! There is just something about captivity books that really pull you in, I think it’s so close to a reality that does happen that you can just relate & feel every emotion from it!
I think I need a minute to recover before I can move on to book 3! Born or bred: pigs and monsters but I will be reading it soon, I am hooked!! Look out for my next review of this series 👏🏼
Do check your triggers, it’s very hard to read in places 🤎
Justin is one of all time fav authors, I have this full series signed & I’m slowly but surely making my way through it. I did manage to get an audible code for this & book 3 so it’s meant I can read quicker. And wow this hit me hard!!!
Sarahs feeling the happiest she could be. She’s finally had an acceptance email & is having her first book published! Her mums taking her on a celebratory holiday to Barca AND her crush Andrew (that every girl would die for) has asked her on a date! She’s walking on cloud nine, life cannot get any better right now.
However the first date doesn’t go as planned, Andrew gets a little too tipsy and a lot too handsy leaving Sarah running home feeling deflated. He apologises & asks to meet up again, he promises no more alcohol & he’ll be respectful so of course she’s happy to give him a second chance…
This ends up being her biggest mistake, held captive for over 3 months she suffers the unthinkable. Will she ever be found or will she die at the hands of Andrew & his friends 😭
Omg it just kept on going 😭 my heart broke for Sarah 😢 I was so invested, it was like watching a movie & praying for the best outcome. Honestly Justin the way you have wrote this is just incredible, it hit me in all the feels. I think more so because this obviously does happen & the victims have been through some of these scenarios 😢
Absolutely heartbreaking but so brilliantly done. Also loved the ending! I wasn’t sure which way it was going to go! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’d give it a thousand stars if I could!! There is just something about captivity books that really pull you in, I think it’s so close to a reality that does happen that you can just relate & feel every emotion from it!
I think I need a minute to recover before I can move on to book 3! Born or bred: pigs and monsters but I will be reading it soon, I am hooked!! Look out for my next review of this series 👏🏼
Do check your triggers, it’s very hard to read in places 🤎
May 12, 2024
How are people this horrible to others!? Sarah is a FIGHTER! Yeah these books are EXTREMELY disturbing and graphic but the story is good! This was book 2 of a 4 book series and I’ll be starting the 3rd here soon!
I do have one complaint! There are quite a few typos in this book and it really bothers me. Also there was one part that was said about a character but what it was explaining had actually been done to a different character.
I do have one complaint! There are quite a few typos in this book and it really bothers me. Also there was one part that was said about a character but what it was explaining had actually been done to a different character.
May 8, 2023
Loved this one! I didn't think it would hold up to the first one, but this was definitely my favourite one out the two. Read in one sitting, and kinda neglected my stay at home mum duties to finish it as I really wanted to know what was next 😂
February 29, 2024
Better than the first one and even I didn’t make the connection with characters. Well written but not one for the faint hearted
May 19, 2025
Oh man! I think this one pissed me off more than the 1st book. And that connection at the end to the 1st book broke my damn heart!
June 7, 2023
Just as good if not better than They are All Monsters. The fact that things like this happen every day in the "real" world makes this even more gut-wrenching.
August 23, 2023
Although I found the ending utterly ridiculous and very hard to take seriously, still, this is a 5-star book. Why? Well, first of all, the writing is so good it kept me up all night and I finished the whole book in one sitting. The pacing is excellent, and the prose very easy to read. Secondly, the relentless escalation of the torture scenes is handled with great care and objectivity, making me feel like I was watching a true crime documentary. No fancy twists, just plain (and graphic) descriptions of the situations and the settings, as well as genuinely honest insights into the psychological makeup of the teen perpetrators. This in-your-face, non-judgemental portrayal of Sarah's predicament was very effective -at least, until the last fifth of the book, when things went a bit bonkers. Finally, Boote knows how to make the reader care about the story, he knows how to get them involved, and, indeed, did I get involved! I was enraged with some of the developments (the near-misses), and I was almost shouting to Sarah's father to do this, don't do that, and so on. No mean achievement from an "extreme horror" book! So what happened in the ending? Keeping the review spoiler-free, I think Boote wanted to make a point, the way some old morality tales bend reality in order to provide a specific lesson: Boote's own explanations in the end of the book show that he had a very specific story in mind, and he would have told it no matter what. In any case, it was nice to see Sarah's story linked to the first book, as well as the references to Boote's own 'Carnivore' and 'Buried.'
May 13, 2023
3.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
So why not a 4-star rating..... Well for starters this book was written in the third person pov, and it doesn't feel as personal and hard to take earnestly. I'm just not a huge fan of the whole third-person POVs. Also, another thing that took me away was the reality that these were all 16-year-olds and I can't explain in words right now why that bothered me so ( it could be it's 2 in the morning and I need to sleep). It was a great plot, I also like all crime documentaries and always watch the ID channel. Reading this book had a lot of elements taken from a lot of those docuseries that I have watched before, as reading the things that happened was like oh this seems familiar to something that I have watched before on the ID channel I watched (can't think of a certain case right now). Also if you love crime history and make-up you should check out Bailey Sarian on YT or FB, she's awesome, she does her make-up (which always looks so gorgeous) while telling about an infamous murder mystery. Furthermore, a very huge 🚧WARNING🚧 DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE A SENSITIVE READER!!! Although you have to remember the things that happened to Sarah, have happened in real life to other unfortunate victims. Sarah was brutally abused so again I do NOT recommend it to a reader who has a weak stomach!
So why not a 4-star rating..... Well for starters this book was written in the third person pov, and it doesn't feel as personal and hard to take earnestly. I'm just not a huge fan of the whole third-person POVs. Also, another thing that took me away was the reality that these were all 16-year-olds and I can't explain in words right now why that bothered me so ( it could be it's 2 in the morning and I need to sleep). It was a great plot, I also like all crime documentaries and always watch the ID channel. Reading this book had a lot of elements taken from a lot of those docuseries that I have watched before, as reading the things that happened was like oh this seems familiar to something that I have watched before on the ID channel I watched (can't think of a certain case right now). Also if you love crime history and make-up you should check out Bailey Sarian on YT or FB, she's awesome, she does her make-up (which always looks so gorgeous) while telling about an infamous murder mystery. Furthermore, a very huge 🚧WARNING🚧 DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE A SENSITIVE READER!!! Although you have to remember the things that happened to Sarah, have happened in real life to other unfortunate victims. Sarah was brutally abused so again I do NOT recommend it to a reader who has a weak stomach!
November 27, 2025
Holy shit.
This was wild from beginning to end. Unlike book #1, the violence made sense and was understandable. Please note, this is not my condoning what happened, but more a comment on the author's choices while writing.
The ending genuinely made me gasp, once again a change from the first book. Overall, this was an incredible journey and one of the few books that I would rate higher (if I could).
The antagonist(s) are reprehensible and disgusting. I genuinely felt hatred for these fictional characters and that doesnt happen often.
Well worth the time I spent reading it and its also important to note that this is *NOT* a standalone novel. You need to read them in order.
6 out of 5 severed thumbs-up, because its my arbitrary rating scale and I can do what I want.
This was wild from beginning to end. Unlike book #1, the violence made sense and was understandable. Please note, this is not my condoning what happened, but more a comment on the author's choices while writing.
The ending genuinely made me gasp, once again a change from the first book. Overall, this was an incredible journey and one of the few books that I would rate higher (if I could).
The antagonist(s) are reprehensible and disgusting. I genuinely felt hatred for these fictional characters and that doesnt happen often.
Well worth the time I spent reading it and its also important to note that this is *NOT* a standalone novel. You need to read them in order.
6 out of 5 severed thumbs-up, because its my arbitrary rating scale and I can do what I want.
April 30, 2023
Oof, this was a tough read. Most definitely NOT for the faint of heart. Not even for the not-so-faint of heart that might think they can handle this. Like another reviewer said... don't read this unless you have NO triggers. What poor Sarah, the kidnapped character of this story, is subjected to is just awful. What's worse is knowing that what's depicted here is something that could have (and has, actually) happened in real life. Because there are some messed up people out there. Despite all that, once I started reading this it was hard to put down. And the story definitely drew me in because I just needed to know how it would end. Another fantastic work from Mr. Boote!
April 23, 2023
Holy s**t!!! This book right here was almost a DNF for me and I don't squirm too easily...that being said, this is probably one of J. Boote's best work yet! The way he describes the scenes and what is happening to Sarah, had me tense, made my stomach turn and gave me some of the worst anxiety from reading a book that I have ever had! It is vile, gruesome and very bloody.
If you have triggers, especially with body horror, this isn't the book for you. I highly suggest it for those who feel they can handle it though. And the end....WOW!
If you have triggers, especially with body horror, this isn't the book for you. I highly suggest it for those who feel they can handle it though. And the end....WOW!
May 3, 2023
This book was amazing! I literally read it in one sitting, and was so invested in finding out what happened that I pretty much ignored everyone in my family today. It was absolutely horrific, brutal, violent, but also a great story about survival and the strength of the human spirit. Sarah was such a wonderfully written character, and I was cheering for her the entire book, and was so excited when she got the revenge she so rightly deserved. Bravo J. Boote! You have definitely become a favorite author of mine, and I will read anything you write.
November 17, 2025
This one was brutal!! The vivid descriptions of the violence and graphic scenes caused me pain!
Sarah had everything a young girl could ask for. A great relationship with her parents, good grades, and she just signed a publishing deal! But good things don't last. She ends up being captured, tortured and abused in unimaginable ways.
Sarah had everything a young girl could ask for. A great relationship with her parents, good grades, and she just signed a publishing deal! But good things don't last. She ends up being captured, tortured and abused in unimaginable ways.
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