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Them
Jeanette thought she’d get to enjoy the cozy, rainy evening after the hellacious week she’d just endured. Snuggled up on her couch with her Labrador, Nico, everything seemed perfect. Rest couldn’t come sooner. Then it happened. The program on the television cut to black. EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM. Jeanette’s heart stops. The signal is choppy, yet the message is “They look like people.” And then the power goes out. Someone knocks on the door. It is soon made clear to Jeanette that the world she once knew has ended. The place she once called home is now anything but. The world beyond the threshold of her door is a passageway to the deepest bowels of hell itself. Will she survive?
211 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2023
320 people are currently reading
2993 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 480 reviews
July 23, 2024
I wish I could give this 0 stars as a rating so it would more accurately impact the overall rating. Generally I don’t rate books I DNF, but this one deserves the warning. I’m all for graphic gratuitous violence, pushing the envelope, and all that - this is just taking it to an absurd level intentionally to upset and disturb people. Think: murder of a pregnant woman by her parents with scissors who then rip the unborn child from her through her vaginal cavity, sodomize it, tear it in half, and then ejaculates in the dead woman’s eye socket. The description of these events goes on for 2 or 3 pages.
Yes, this says it’s an extreme horror novel. This isn’t extreme horror, this is being fucked up simply for the sake of being fucked up/trying to upset people. Maybe it’s working.
It’s not just the stupidly absurd gore though. The writing is pretty horrible. I swear this was written by a high school student who swears they’re the next big thing in horror whose friends and family just don’t have it in them to be honest about how horrible the writing is. Then, if anyone doesn’t like their writing, they’re dismissed because they “just don’t get it” or aren’t “tough enough” to handle the extreme gore. Poor dialog, meandering sentences, the premise is somewhat interesting but it’s not executed or thought out well. It’s clearly just a vehicle for the author to be edgy as possible.
Don’t read this.
Yes, this says it’s an extreme horror novel. This isn’t extreme horror, this is being fucked up simply for the sake of being fucked up/trying to upset people. Maybe it’s working.
It’s not just the stupidly absurd gore though. The writing is pretty horrible. I swear this was written by a high school student who swears they’re the next big thing in horror whose friends and family just don’t have it in them to be honest about how horrible the writing is. Then, if anyone doesn’t like their writing, they’re dismissed because they “just don’t get it” or aren’t “tough enough” to handle the extreme gore. Poor dialog, meandering sentences, the premise is somewhat interesting but it’s not executed or thought out well. It’s clearly just a vehicle for the author to be edgy as possible.
Don’t read this.
August 11, 2023
The writing is just awful so many errors I don't think I read the same book as everyone else giving it such high ratings it was just plain bad. Did there really have to be a scene sodomizing a fetus? I've read and enjoyed many splatter punk slasher horror but this was just someone trying to do as many edgy horror stuff as they can into one. Also the descriptions weren't well written the first half and frankly confusing.
May 15, 2024
3.5 stars. This was my first read from Mique Watson. I enjoyed his writing style, the content, and thought both the characters and premise were a lot of fun. So, being an extreme horror, which I am an avid fan of, I was fully prepared to dive into this adventure. And it did not disappoint. There is a ton of gore, vulgar language, and a particular scene with Samantha (No spoilers) that was absolutely ugly and disgusting. So anyone not prepared to read a story with tons of grisly violence, rape/sexual assault, and such should steer clear of this. Now, I finished the story, but still had a lot of questions. For instance, what exactly was happening to the people who were affected by this plague? I don't recall seeing any formal explanation, so that was a big missed opportunity. And I also questioned some of the sexual content, which felt very forced at times. Particularly the one scene with Samantha and her parents, and also the sequence a little past the halfway point, between Jeanette, Shannon, and the crazed group of people. I fully understand that people would get extremely crazy if something like this was actually happening, and things like rape would probably become a common occurrence. But it just felt out of place here. The 'event' had only been happening for less than two days, and already you had crazed groups of people looking to mutilate and rape women? I'd surmise that it'd maybe take a little longer, as people became more affected and desperate. And to the extent that these scenes went just seemed a bit much, too. Like having the group rape the women and then try to eat them or outright kill them immediately after would be more reasonable, right? And I also didn't understand the internal logic of the creatures being so verbal and sexually ferocious either. Again, I think this all had a place here, but was used a bit excessively and without proper reasoning. The space used for all this oddly placed sexual content could have been replaced with some additional layering for Jeanette, who I enjoyed as the lead, and to give more explanation as to what was happening, and why certain affected people were just zombies, while others were mutated and rapey, others looked and acted normal but were actually dead inside, etc. It was a good overall experience, but just needed to tighten things up a bit further to bring it all together.
August 25, 2023
Can I please get an extreme horror novel where the most disturbing scenes aren’t gratuitous SA of women and/or children? Can we use another plot device? please for the love of god use another plot device.
The beginning was intriguing and I felt uneasy along with the main character. Because of this, I was anticipating a five star rating for this one but I was quickly proved wrong.
The slow burn unease was abandoned for grotesque and (I would argue unnecessary) scenes of extreme torture and SA of a pregnant woman that went on for an unbearable amount of pages. I am not one to shy away from depictions of SA when it is necessary to illustrate a point, but I felt like it was unwarranted.
The whole vibe of the novella could have changed and dare I say, improved, if they had ramped up the fear of the unknown. But all the great progress was abandoned for shock value. Lazy writing in my opinion.
It took me awhile to finish this novella because I was turned off by it. I held on until the end hoping it would redeem itself by a little bit, but I was disappointed.
The beginning was intriguing and I felt uneasy along with the main character. Because of this, I was anticipating a five star rating for this one but I was quickly proved wrong.
The slow burn unease was abandoned for grotesque and (I would argue unnecessary) scenes of extreme torture and SA of a pregnant woman that went on for an unbearable amount of pages. I am not one to shy away from depictions of SA when it is necessary to illustrate a point, but I felt like it was unwarranted.
The whole vibe of the novella could have changed and dare I say, improved, if they had ramped up the fear of the unknown. But all the great progress was abandoned for shock value. Lazy writing in my opinion.
It took me awhile to finish this novella because I was turned off by it. I held on until the end hoping it would redeem itself by a little bit, but I was disappointed.
March 14, 2024
There's no such thing as monsters, right? Right?
There are.
And they look like you and I.
I've been terrified of the idea of doppelgangers and body-snatchers since I was a little kid. I remember waking up in the mornings and being afraid to get out of bed and say hello to my parents because I was convinced that I would wake up one day and they would have been replaced with something else. I had nightmares about it for years! Needless to say, doppelganger horror hits me in a sweet spot and Them tackled the trope pretty well. I wish there had been more emphasis on the fear of not knowing if someone is really who they say they are or a mimic, but there is one scene (I won't tell you where) that hit the nail on the head and gave me full-blown goosebumps!
I can't review this without talking about the violence and gore, because wow, this book is depraved lol. I read a decent amount of extreme horror, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm hard to please because gratuitous violence rarely affects me, but this book had a couple of scenes that left me feeling sick to my stomach for a few hours afterward. DEFINITELY check my trigger warnings below if you think you'll need them! A lot of the novella's strengths lay in the fact that Mique Watson did a great job of making me care about the characters before harm came to them, which made it hit home a lot harder.
As far as downsides go, the writing could have used a lot more editing, mostly in terms of continuity and dialogue (there are a few scenes with back-and-forth dialogue with nothing to break it up and no "she said", "so-and-so said", etc.; hard to explain in a review, but it made it tough to follow). I also wish there had been more of an explanation as to what was going on and how this all began. Honestly, Them could have been fleshed out into a full-length novel, no problem! All of that said, I had a pretty good time reading this (even if I spent a good bit of that time wrinkling my nose in disgust or cringing in sympathy) and I'll read more of this author's work soon.
✨ Content warnings for:
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June 7, 2023No
August 30, 2023
It can be tricky to rate extreme horror. Is it judged by writing quality or how much time you spend sobbing in the shower and muttering, “unclean, unclean”? At around 70% of the way into Them is the most F’d up sequence I’ve ever read. The book was relatively easy until then, a single part was gross but more comically so. And then it was just like, BAM. You’ll never unsee that one! There’s graphic rape and dismemberment and a combination of the two. I put the book down, I took a week or two. It’s a bummer, I told myself, “You’re stronger than this. You can do it”.The rest of the book is pretty standard monster stuff, unexplained copies of people running around cutting off limbs and eating the guts of anyone they meet. Society collapses pretty much instantly and we never learn the larger picture. It achieves its modest goal of terrible violence and a basic narrative. For better or worse, the twenty pages where it goes completely off the rails are the reasons anyone will remember.
cancelled-for-good-reason
July 18, 20255 stars minus 2 stars for the rape of a baby/"abortion", minus another 2 stars for all the rape and sexual abuse in general. Boring. Disgusting. Horror is not playing on people's fetishes. The rest of the book was horrible and dark, then you spoiled it with the rest of the garbage.
Minus the last star because I'm an asshole.
Minus the last star because I'm an asshole.
November 11, 2025
I love Extreme Horror, and it’s one of my go-to reads when I need something to fuel my senses. I don’t mind trigger warnings at all because after reading Survivor by J.F. Gonzales, no amount of depravity in this genre can ever faze me anymore.
But a story can’t rely on gore and perversion alone; it has to have meaning—a purpose. The reason behind these skinwalkers and morbid doppelgängers was never fully explained, and the story heavily relied on the main character’s fight for survival without giving a full picture of why any of this was happening.
Sadly, this is just a plain, boring mess masked as a bloody treat.
But a story can’t rely on gore and perversion alone; it has to have meaning—a purpose. The reason behind these skinwalkers and morbid doppelgängers was never fully explained, and the story heavily relied on the main character’s fight for survival without giving a full picture of why any of this was happening.
Sadly, this is just a plain, boring mess masked as a bloody treat.
June 30, 2025
Perhaps, no matter how civilized or educated we are–in the end, we are all just wolves disguised as men. Perhaps they are just the most honest version of us. Perhaps the biggest mistake was, indeed, mercy. In a world such as this–one that sees not in shades of grey, but red–mercy is nothing more than stupidity.
This book started out so well. It was creepy with the descriptions of the 'mimics' and how quickly things unraveled. After a while, the creepiness turns into terror as our FMC continues to fight for survival in a world she no longer recognizes.
The feeling of intense anxiety is palpable. With no answers as to what these things are, I pictured myself in this world and was equal parts petrified and disturbed. The writing is just okay. At times, it did feel a little mediocre though. However, that wasn't my issue with this book.
This premise was perfect on its own. This would've been fine without the extremely graphic scenes of rape. They came out of nowhere and added nothing of significance to the plot. The book didn't need them, in my opinion. If it weren't for that, my rating would've been way higher.
However, as it stands, I can only muster a 3 star rating.
This book started out so well. It was creepy with the descriptions of the 'mimics' and how quickly things unraveled. After a while, the creepiness turns into terror as our FMC continues to fight for survival in a world she no longer recognizes.
The feeling of intense anxiety is palpable. With no answers as to what these things are, I pictured myself in this world and was equal parts petrified and disturbed. The writing is just okay. At times, it did feel a little mediocre though. However, that wasn't my issue with this book.
This premise was perfect on its own. This would've been fine without the extremely graphic scenes of rape. They came out of nowhere and added nothing of significance to the plot. The book didn't need them, in my opinion. If it weren't for that, my rating would've been way higher.
However, as it stands, I can only muster a 3 star rating.
February 25, 2024
I want to very specifically preface this with: I am not someone who normally reads extreme horror. And it's not due to the gore- it's due to what is typically god awful dialogue.
This book had god awful dialogue.
As someone who has been an avid r/nosleep subscriber over the years (way longer than I really care to admit) the premise of this book caught my eye instantly. An invasion of creatures that mimic your friends and family? Sign me the fuck up. I am DOWN.
And the first two chapters of this book were spectacular! I've never been quite so spooked within the first two chapters of a book before. Very well done.
And then we got to chapter three and the torture porn and shitty dialogue kicked in.
When our character wasn't running into people who wanted to horrifically sexually assault her and any friends she made- this was so good. However, the 'extreme' scenes were lacking in imagination and skill.
The two actual "extreme" scenes were copy and paste:
1) Our main character meets up with two people.
2) Those two people get whittled down to one companion for our MC.
3) The remaining companion is attacked, assaulted, mutilated, and murdered in front of our MC.
4) MC escapes
The extreme scenes would have been better if the dialogue wasn't so terrible. Like the one below (TW):
Like COME ON PLEASE. Anyway, I'm on an adventure to find an extreme horror that doesn't rely on the pain of women and terrible dialogue. This isn't it.
This book had god awful dialogue.
As someone who has been an avid r/nosleep subscriber over the years (way longer than I really care to admit) the premise of this book caught my eye instantly. An invasion of creatures that mimic your friends and family? Sign me the fuck up. I am DOWN.
And the first two chapters of this book were spectacular! I've never been quite so spooked within the first two chapters of a book before. Very well done.
And then we got to chapter three and the torture porn and shitty dialogue kicked in.
When our character wasn't running into people who wanted to horrifically sexually assault her and any friends she made- this was so good. However, the 'extreme' scenes were lacking in imagination and skill.
The two actual "extreme" scenes were copy and paste:
1) Our main character meets up with two people.
2) Those two people get whittled down to one companion for our MC.
3) The remaining companion is attacked, assaulted, mutilated, and murdered in front of our MC.
4) MC escapes
The extreme scenes would have been better if the dialogue wasn't so terrible. Like the one below (TW):
Like COME ON PLEASE. Anyway, I'm on an adventure to find an extreme horror that doesn't rely on the pain of women and terrible dialogue. This isn't it.
July 28, 2025
I'm a big fan of Mique Watson's work and hope to read more books by him. This story deals with doppelgangers, or mimics, as they're called in the book. They are the definition of evil, and commit the most heinous, vile acts you can imagine. Since this is extreme horror, the acts are extremely graphic and this novel is severely heavy on sexual assault so if these are triggers, this story isn't for you. This author has a way of getting into your head and staying there.
August 24, 2023
What could have been an absolutely terrifying story devolved into 144 pages of evisceration and s*xual assault. There’s body horror, and then there’s whatever this was. The story took a super weird turn and never actually got back to what it was originally about. Full of typos and the dialogue was absolutely horrendous. No one talks like the people in this book do.
All in all, disappointing. Two hours of my life I’ll never get back.
All in all, disappointing. Two hours of my life I’ll never get back.
May 17, 2023
“Perhaps, no matter how civilized or educated we are–in the end, we are all just wolves disguised as men. Perhaps they are just the most honest version of us. Perhaps the biggest mistake was, indeed, mercy. In a world such as this–one that sees not in shades of grey, but red–mercy is nothing more than stupidity. In the end, no one is truly innocent.”
Now, this is everything an extreme horror book should be!👏👏
We start off with following Jeanette who had been looking forward to a cozy night in with her dog Nico after a tough week at work, but everything changes when an emergency broadcast interrupts the TV program. The message was garbled, but Jeanette could make out the words "They look like people." Suddenly, the power went out and she heard the knock on the door. Very soon, the real horror kicks in and author does not hold back once it does.
Let me emphasize this, as someone who read a fair amount of extreme horror, rarely do I feel the urge to physically stop myself from reading, but with this, certain scenes caused me to me pull back and gather myself, and I mean that as an absolute compliment to authors capability to gross me out, as that is exactly what I'm looking to feel when I pick up an extreme horror.
I've been watching Mique and reading his recommendations for a while now, so as soon as I heard he had a book out, I knew for a fact that I would love the way he handles extreme topics, and I'm glad to repot that I was right.
'Them' is a captivating read that delves into the darkest corners of human nature. The author does an excellent job of building suspense and creating a sense of unease throughout the story, as well as bringing the complexity of characters to life, which in turn, I found myself being emotionally invested in their fates, with all their flaws and strengths on full display.
Mique's writing style is vivid and graphic, making the horror and violance all the more intense and story easier to get lost in.
He also does an amazing job with the setting of the story, with it serving as a menacing backdrop to the events that unfold as well as ratcheting up the horror as the book progresses.
My only complaint is that I wish it was longer, which is not a complaint at all, as I'm not sure I would be able to handle it either way hah.
Overall, I would easily recommend this to the fans of the genre, as it is sure to satisfy you and take you on a terrifying ride.
Lastly, I would like to thank Mique for sending me an advanced copy and say that bonus story at the end was such a nice touch!
Now, this is everything an extreme horror book should be!👏👏
We start off with following Jeanette who had been looking forward to a cozy night in with her dog Nico after a tough week at work, but everything changes when an emergency broadcast interrupts the TV program. The message was garbled, but Jeanette could make out the words "They look like people." Suddenly, the power went out and she heard the knock on the door. Very soon, the real horror kicks in and author does not hold back once it does.
Let me emphasize this, as someone who read a fair amount of extreme horror, rarely do I feel the urge to physically stop myself from reading, but with this, certain scenes caused me to me pull back and gather myself, and I mean that as an absolute compliment to authors capability to gross me out, as that is exactly what I'm looking to feel when I pick up an extreme horror.
I've been watching Mique and reading his recommendations for a while now, so as soon as I heard he had a book out, I knew for a fact that I would love the way he handles extreme topics, and I'm glad to repot that I was right.
'Them' is a captivating read that delves into the darkest corners of human nature. The author does an excellent job of building suspense and creating a sense of unease throughout the story, as well as bringing the complexity of characters to life, which in turn, I found myself being emotionally invested in their fates, with all their flaws and strengths on full display.
Mique's writing style is vivid and graphic, making the horror and violance all the more intense and story easier to get lost in.
He also does an amazing job with the setting of the story, with it serving as a menacing backdrop to the events that unfold as well as ratcheting up the horror as the book progresses.
My only complaint is that I wish it was longer, which is not a complaint at all, as I'm not sure I would be able to handle it either way hah.
Overall, I would easily recommend this to the fans of the genre, as it is sure to satisfy you and take you on a terrifying ride.
Lastly, I would like to thank Mique for sending me an advanced copy and say that bonus story at the end was such a nice touch!
June 11, 2023
TW: language, cheating, animal death gory scenes, rape, baby death, use of c-word, scat, pee, torture, depression, toxic parent relationships
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Jeanette thought she’d get to enjoy the cozy, rainy evening after the hellacious week she’d just endured. Snuggled up on her couch with her Labrador, Nico, everything seemed perfect. Rest couldn’t come sooner. Then it happened. The program on the television cut to black. EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM. Jeanette’s heart stops. The signal is choppy, yet the message is “They look like people.” And then the power goes out. Someone knocks on the door. It is soon made clear to Jeanette that the world she once knew has ended. The place she once called home is now anything but. The world beyond the threshold of her door is a passageway to the deepest bowels of hell itself. Will she survive?
Release Date: May 14th, 2023
Genre: Extreme Horror
Pages: 144
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3.75)
What I Liked:
1. The cover is simply beautiful
2. The writing style was good
3. Some parts actually scared me
What I Didn't Like:
1. Some parts didn't make much sense
2. Some things felt repetitive
3. Storyline in beginning goes no where
Overall Thoughts:
Was so excited to receive an arc for this book. Most independent book's are issues needing editing, but Mique got Judith Sonnet to do the editing - so I knew we'd be in good hands reading this novella.
"They look like people" is such a scary line to read.
I'm going to be honest I really thought the author was going to make the person at the door be her dad. I think I've read too many taboo horror books!
So what are my favorite things about this book is that we get so much character development that it makes you invested and understand the character, you actually care about this person and what she is going through. But there's a lot of it it's about 60 pages of character development but once the carnage begins to happen it does not let up. It is like straight to the jugular.
One thing was that it felt odd that Samantha would jump out at Jeanette when she had just witnessed her brother attacking her dad. The characters seemed like they weren't really frightened.
I found Jeanette utterly annoying. All she ever does is talk about how tired she is and how she has to eat. Honest to God and she is just so calm the way she is crying over her dog dying but she literally witnessed a baby raped up its butt while it was pulled out of its mother and then witnessed the mother being skull f*cked and doesn't get emotional over that.
For some reason this book takes a turn away from the mystery of what's happening to have them raped and attacked by random men. I felt like I would have liked to continue that story though as well as the torture. A balance of both I would have liked.
Final Thoughts:
This novella reminded me a lot of Paul Tremblay's "Survivor Song" - as it's this weird thing going on changing people and two women traveling among flesh eating monsters. Though I'd definitely place this more closely related to Invasion of the Body Snatchers but with way more blood, language, gore, and over all extreme horror scenes.
I like the direction the author took with the characters. I felt their fear and despair as they had no place to go. At the beginning of this book I started at night and had to put it down. The author did a fantastic job at turning up the creep factor when the lights went off and the man knocked on the door.
The gore was definitely here. Mique brought that to the extreme in some pretty messed up moments.
The bonus at the ending was a surprise I did not expect. It was a great.
Recommend For:
• Isolated environments
• Scary scenes
• Extreme gore
• Strong female lead
IG | Blog
Thanks to the author for sending this advanced copy of the book to me. All thoughts and opinions are my own
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Jeanette thought she’d get to enjoy the cozy, rainy evening after the hellacious week she’d just endured. Snuggled up on her couch with her Labrador, Nico, everything seemed perfect. Rest couldn’t come sooner. Then it happened. The program on the television cut to black. EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM. Jeanette’s heart stops. The signal is choppy, yet the message is “They look like people.” And then the power goes out. Someone knocks on the door. It is soon made clear to Jeanette that the world she once knew has ended. The place she once called home is now anything but. The world beyond the threshold of her door is a passageway to the deepest bowels of hell itself. Will she survive?
Release Date: May 14th, 2023
Genre: Extreme Horror
Pages: 144
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3.75)
What I Liked:
1. The cover is simply beautiful
2. The writing style was good
3. Some parts actually scared me
What I Didn't Like:
1. Some parts didn't make much sense
2. Some things felt repetitive
3. Storyline in beginning goes no where
Overall Thoughts:
Was so excited to receive an arc for this book. Most independent book's are issues needing editing, but Mique got Judith Sonnet to do the editing - so I knew we'd be in good hands reading this novella.
"They look like people" is such a scary line to read.
I'm going to be honest I really thought the author was going to make the person at the door be her dad. I think I've read too many taboo horror books!
So what are my favorite things about this book is that we get so much character development that it makes you invested and understand the character, you actually care about this person and what she is going through. But there's a lot of it it's about 60 pages of character development but once the carnage begins to happen it does not let up. It is like straight to the jugular.
One thing was that it felt odd that Samantha would jump out at Jeanette when she had just witnessed her brother attacking her dad. The characters seemed like they weren't really frightened.
I found Jeanette utterly annoying. All she ever does is talk about how tired she is and how she has to eat. Honest to God and she is just so calm the way she is crying over her dog dying but she literally witnessed a baby raped up its butt while it was pulled out of its mother and then witnessed the mother being skull f*cked and doesn't get emotional over that.
For some reason this book takes a turn away from the mystery of what's happening to have them raped and attacked by random men. I felt like I would have liked to continue that story though as well as the torture. A balance of both I would have liked.
Final Thoughts:
This novella reminded me a lot of Paul Tremblay's "Survivor Song" - as it's this weird thing going on changing people and two women traveling among flesh eating monsters. Though I'd definitely place this more closely related to Invasion of the Body Snatchers but with way more blood, language, gore, and over all extreme horror scenes.
I like the direction the author took with the characters. I felt their fear and despair as they had no place to go. At the beginning of this book I started at night and had to put it down. The author did a fantastic job at turning up the creep factor when the lights went off and the man knocked on the door.
The gore was definitely here. Mique brought that to the extreme in some pretty messed up moments.
The bonus at the ending was a surprise I did not expect. It was a great.
Recommend For:
• Isolated environments
• Scary scenes
• Extreme gore
• Strong female lead
IG | Blog
Thanks to the author for sending this advanced copy of the book to me. All thoughts and opinions are my own
June 1, 2023
Mique of Mique’s Book Vlogs, you have a DISGUSTING mind (complimentary)
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April 15, 2025
There’s no such things as monsters, right? Right?
There are.
And they look like you and I.
This is my first book by Mique Watson— and I’m choosing not to rate it for a couple of reasons.
Extreme horror can be quite difficult to rate, as we know much of it is gore for gore’s sake. I take this into account every time I pick up these books— but Them is probably one of the reasons I take to splatterpunk a bit more.
I like my gory horror to have a heart.
This did not. This was filth for filth’s sake with absolutely no plot.
The premise was intriguing in the beginning, though.
Jeanette is home on a rainy night with her beloved dog after a long week of working, looking to finally relax. Suddenly— the lights go black, an emergency broadcast alert flashes on her television screen, and telephone service is cut. Plunged into complete darkness, Jeanette is confused and unnerved. The story quickly ramps up when a man she’s had an affair with walks through her back door with an ear-splitting grin on his face, and a dead look in his eyes.
He’s one of them.
But who exactly is them?
Mique Watson doesn’t provide any backstory or explanation at all— but rather immediately dives into a gore fest of sodomizing babies, beating pregnant women to death, and violent sexual assault. While it’s thoroughly understood these are deranged and disturbed beings— I wanted to know their origin and inner workings.
Rather, we’re provided with edgy and trigger-filled content just for the sake of reading it.
Then, for the next however many pages— it’s just Jeanette running away from these mimics with a couple of people she’s met. There’s a lot of death, blood, and body horror— yet it’s fairly digestible.
But afterwards, you get to that part of the book. Aside from Watson’s dim storyline— this is the primary reason I’m choosing not to give any sort of star rating.
Absolutely vile. I’ve read my share of extreme horror, but Them has helped me recognize that feral, disgusting, boisterous, and vividly depicted scenes of sexual assault are not for me. This is especially true when it’s thrown in for the hell of it.
Yet, I understand extreme horror is exactly what it says it is— so to tank the reviews after I picked up a book that warned me wouldn’t necessarily be fair.
Ultimately, there’s no rating on this book for me. There’s not much to rate to begin with.
Again, the premise was fantastic with poor execution. The writing style was choppy, the plot vague and incomplete, and the excessive descriptions of violence attempted to cover the lack of writing ability. Maybe I’ll try another book from Mique, probably not.
I need gore with some depth— I’m definitely more of a splatterpunk girl.
There are.
And they look like you and I.
This is my first book by Mique Watson— and I’m choosing not to rate it for a couple of reasons.
Extreme horror can be quite difficult to rate, as we know much of it is gore for gore’s sake. I take this into account every time I pick up these books— but Them is probably one of the reasons I take to splatterpunk a bit more.
I like my gory horror to have a heart.
This did not. This was filth for filth’s sake with absolutely no plot.
The premise was intriguing in the beginning, though.
Jeanette is home on a rainy night with her beloved dog after a long week of working, looking to finally relax. Suddenly— the lights go black, an emergency broadcast alert flashes on her television screen, and telephone service is cut. Plunged into complete darkness, Jeanette is confused and unnerved. The story quickly ramps up when a man she’s had an affair with walks through her back door with an ear-splitting grin on his face, and a dead look in his eyes.
He’s one of them.
But who exactly is them?
Mique Watson doesn’t provide any backstory or explanation at all— but rather immediately dives into a gore fest of sodomizing babies, beating pregnant women to death, and violent sexual assault. While it’s thoroughly understood these are deranged and disturbed beings— I wanted to know their origin and inner workings.
Rather, we’re provided with edgy and trigger-filled content just for the sake of reading it.
Then, for the next however many pages— it’s just Jeanette running away from these mimics with a couple of people she’s met. There’s a lot of death, blood, and body horror— yet it’s fairly digestible.
But afterwards, you get to that part of the book. Aside from Watson’s dim storyline— this is the primary reason I’m choosing not to give any sort of star rating.
Absolutely vile. I’ve read my share of extreme horror, but Them has helped me recognize that feral, disgusting, boisterous, and vividly depicted scenes of sexual assault are not for me. This is especially true when it’s thrown in for the hell of it.
Yet, I understand extreme horror is exactly what it says it is— so to tank the reviews after I picked up a book that warned me wouldn’t necessarily be fair.
Ultimately, there’s no rating on this book for me. There’s not much to rate to begin with.
Again, the premise was fantastic with poor execution. The writing style was choppy, the plot vague and incomplete, and the excessive descriptions of violence attempted to cover the lack of writing ability. Maybe I’ll try another book from Mique, probably not.
I need gore with some depth— I’m definitely more of a splatterpunk girl.
June 1, 2023
Amusing, but Overpriced and Needed a Better Editor
There was a distracting amount of typos and incorrect word choices throughout the book. For example, "coyly" is not an exact synonym for "timidly" or "shyly." It's when someone's pretending to be shy but actually trying to be alluring. The terrified woman did not "coyly" take Jeanette's hand. "Saunter" is not an exact synonym for "walk." "Saunter" specifically means to walk in a casual, unhurried, relaxed/lazy manner, so in the context of
"Jeanette stormed toward the hall, terrified that something could have harmed Samantha. She sauntered past the bathroom, past the kitchenette, hastily glancing into each room"
saunter does not work.
"she slapped herself in the face to wake herself up. She knew that this was a matter of life and death. Any form of complicity would result in her undoing."
"Complicity" is not synonymous with "complacency."
"Just as the sun rose with the promise of a new day, they were forced once again into the cloying night."
"Cloying" means unpleasantly sweet or sentimental and does not fit in the context.
Apart from that, it was a mostly amusing story. Amusing, because something about the writing style made it difficult to take seriously; it never became genuinely scary or disturbing. Intense scenes fell into the "crosses the line twice" trope. In the most gruesome moments, lines like
kill any atmosphere of dread. It's also overpriced for its length. There are many books on Kindle several times as long for the same price or cheaper. I suppose most of the 5-start reviews were written by the author's friends and/or people who got a copy for free.
There was a distracting amount of typos and incorrect word choices throughout the book. For example, "coyly" is not an exact synonym for "timidly" or "shyly." It's when someone's pretending to be shy but actually trying to be alluring. The terrified woman did not "coyly" take Jeanette's hand. "Saunter" is not an exact synonym for "walk." "Saunter" specifically means to walk in a casual, unhurried, relaxed/lazy manner, so in the context of
"Jeanette stormed toward the hall, terrified that something could have harmed Samantha. She sauntered past the bathroom, past the kitchenette, hastily glancing into each room"
saunter does not work.
"she slapped herself in the face to wake herself up. She knew that this was a matter of life and death. Any form of complicity would result in her undoing."
"Complicity" is not synonymous with "complacency."
"Just as the sun rose with the promise of a new day, they were forced once again into the cloying night."
"Cloying" means unpleasantly sweet or sentimental and does not fit in the context.
Apart from that, it was a mostly amusing story. Amusing, because something about the writing style made it difficult to take seriously; it never became genuinely scary or disturbing. Intense scenes fell into the "crosses the line twice" trope. In the most gruesome moments, lines like
kill any atmosphere of dread. It's also overpriced for its length. There are many books on Kindle several times as long for the same price or cheaper. I suppose most of the 5-start reviews were written by the author's friends and/or people who got a copy for free.
October 27, 2023
It was really disgusting but it was also good. I love his writing style.
August 28, 2023
The story itself was great and unsettling but what turned me off (and always does with extreme horror) is when the author is speaking in the third person, and uses the most extreme slang words they can come up with for genitalia in SA scenes.
Seems like a small complaint, but genuinely, if I am reading a story told from an authors perspective NOT the antagonist and I hear lines like "beefy c**t" and "meat" to describe a vagina, I look down on the author. I expect those descriptions from a bad guy, if in the first person, but if we're in the authors head, it takes me out of the book.
You have to be a special kind of lazy to shove as many of these terms in as you can for shock value. I wasn't shocked, I was bored and embarrassed that the story had to rely so heavily on that.
I love extreme horror when told well and thought out.
I felt unease and I was conscious of the anxiety of the whole situation while reading, so before the bad writing started as mentioned above, I was enjoying it.
Would read a full length book if the author tried harder. Good body horror, good story.
Seems like a small complaint, but genuinely, if I am reading a story told from an authors perspective NOT the antagonist and I hear lines like "beefy c**t" and "meat" to describe a vagina, I look down on the author. I expect those descriptions from a bad guy, if in the first person, but if we're in the authors head, it takes me out of the book.
You have to be a special kind of lazy to shove as many of these terms in as you can for shock value. I wasn't shocked, I was bored and embarrassed that the story had to rely so heavily on that.
I love extreme horror when told well and thought out.
I felt unease and I was conscious of the anxiety of the whole situation while reading, so before the bad writing started as mentioned above, I was enjoying it.
Would read a full length book if the author tried harder. Good body horror, good story.
May 18, 2023
a skin crawling, sphincter tightening, mouth tasting like battery acid read.
don’t read this without knowing what you’re getting yourself into. and even then maybe try reading with your eyes closed.
don’t read this without knowing what you’re getting yourself into. and even then maybe try reading with your eyes closed.
December 23, 2023
3.75 stars
"Us" meet "The Sadness"
Great writing, seriously when the book started it felt so creepy. I would have liked to know where the mimics came from.
The bonus story was easily 5 stars.
"Us" meet "The Sadness"
Great writing, seriously when the book started it felt so creepy. I would have liked to know where the mimics came from.
The bonus story was easily 5 stars.
August 1, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
October 17, 2023
I get that this is Extreme Horror™, and extreme horror has its style and tropes.. but the whole time reading, I felt like there was a great story lurking under the surface, waiting to be told.. but by the end, it never emerged.
If there was less of a focus on graphic depictions of extremely violent sexual assault, and more of a focus on the story, this could have easily been five stars.
I usually don't want my hand held through the plot of a book or movie, and I love weird /unexplainable stories/events, but this is one of those stories where I feel like more exposition on what was happening, and why, would have been hugely appreciated.
What is happening? What are *They*? The story seems to go back and forth and just muddies up what little sense of continuity there is. Who or WHAT are *They*? Why are *They* doing what *They* are doing?
The author seems to be riiiiiiiight on the verge of explaining things a few times, or at least hinting at an explanation, but none of those breadcrumbs ever pan out to anything that explains what's going on, why, etc..
I feel like the author should read up on the concept of Chekhov's Gun; EVERYTHING that gets put into a story *MUST* be necessary and relevant, and everything that is not should be removed. The author seems to be torn between two points; telling a good, creepy/scary story, and giving extremely detailed descriptions of acts of extreme violence and sexual assault, and sadly chose to focus on the latter rather than the former.
And, I get it. Extreme Horror™ is supposed to be EXTREME! And it was! But being extreme came at the cost of telling a potentially INCREDIBLE story, and instead focused entirely too much on the sexual violence, rather than what was happening and *WHY*!
What are *They*? Where did *They* come from? Why do they look like people you know? Why are *They* here, doing what *They're* doing? There's a brief mention of someone splitting in two, but then it's passed off as a hallucination and never touched on again. There's a brief mention of a 7 foot tall tar-covered skeleton, then nothing.
Clearly something WEIRD and FUCKED UP is going on in the world, but none of that is touched on, in favor of an overly long, puerile rape -and-murder sequence that felt like reading a future school shooters' diary full of their messed up sexual power fantasies.
I would *LOVE* to find out more of.. WHATEVER is happening in this book! The apocalyptic event described is fascinating, and I was COMPLETELY engrossed in the story.. and then, rather than keep going with these weird, unexplainable events, the author decides instead to go from compelling, mature storytelling, and into the Extreme Horror™ trope of writing ultra-detailed gross-out hyper-violent rape at the expense of telling a story that I was genuinely intrigued by.
I'd LOVE to read another story that takes place during these events, and explains things more, but the story needs to take priority over the graphic descriptions of rape, because that whole scene was by far the weakest part of the book, and, combined with the complete lack of exploration into the events (and complete disregard for the Chekhov's Gun principle), turned this story from a 5/5 to a 2/5.
If there was less of a focus on graphic depictions of extremely violent sexual assault, and more of a focus on the story, this could have easily been five stars.
I usually don't want my hand held through the plot of a book or movie, and I love weird /unexplainable stories/events, but this is one of those stories where I feel like more exposition on what was happening, and why, would have been hugely appreciated.
What is happening? What are *They*? The story seems to go back and forth and just muddies up what little sense of continuity there is. Who or WHAT are *They*? Why are *They* doing what *They* are doing?
The author seems to be riiiiiiiight on the verge of explaining things a few times, or at least hinting at an explanation, but none of those breadcrumbs ever pan out to anything that explains what's going on, why, etc..
I feel like the author should read up on the concept of Chekhov's Gun; EVERYTHING that gets put into a story *MUST* be necessary and relevant, and everything that is not should be removed. The author seems to be torn between two points; telling a good, creepy/scary story, and giving extremely detailed descriptions of acts of extreme violence and sexual assault, and sadly chose to focus on the latter rather than the former.
And, I get it. Extreme Horror™ is supposed to be EXTREME! And it was! But being extreme came at the cost of telling a potentially INCREDIBLE story, and instead focused entirely too much on the sexual violence, rather than what was happening and *WHY*!
What are *They*? Where did *They* come from? Why do they look like people you know? Why are *They* here, doing what *They're* doing? There's a brief mention of someone splitting in two, but then it's passed off as a hallucination and never touched on again. There's a brief mention of a 7 foot tall tar-covered skeleton, then nothing.
Clearly something WEIRD and FUCKED UP is going on in the world, but none of that is touched on, in favor of an overly long, puerile rape -and-murder sequence that felt like reading a future school shooters' diary full of their messed up sexual power fantasies.
I would *LOVE* to find out more of.. WHATEVER is happening in this book! The apocalyptic event described is fascinating, and I was COMPLETELY engrossed in the story.. and then, rather than keep going with these weird, unexplainable events, the author decides instead to go from compelling, mature storytelling, and into the Extreme Horror™ trope of writing ultra-detailed gross-out hyper-violent rape at the expense of telling a story that I was genuinely intrigued by.
I'd LOVE to read another story that takes place during these events, and explains things more, but the story needs to take priority over the graphic descriptions of rape, because that whole scene was by far the weakest part of the book, and, combined with the complete lack of exploration into the events (and complete disregard for the Chekhov's Gun principle), turned this story from a 5/5 to a 2/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2023
actual rating: 5/5 stars
well this is the first book to make me throw up lol.
as soon as i heard one of my very first booktube friends was coming out with a book, i knew it was going to be life-changing and i am here to say, it definietly was. this is what extreme horror should be and this story is a blueprint for the entire genre from here on out.
jeanette's world turns into a nightmare when an emergency broadcast disrupts her cozy evening, plunging her into a realm of chaos and terror, in "them" by mique watson. this masterful work of extreme horror that left me captivated from start to finish.
the delicate balance between gut-wrenching violence and a deep dive into the human psyche in "them" is absolutely mind-blowing. the intense gore may be too much for some people's stomachs to bare (including mine lol) but it goes beyond just shock to explore the twisted intricacies of our own minds. this book truly has rekindled my love for horror, and it's evident that the author poured their heart and soul into crafting every word.
mique's writing flows effortlessly, weaving together vivid character development, spine-tingling imagery, clever nods to horror media, and unputdownable suspense. their sheer genius shines through, creating an immersive experience that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. and believe it or not, amidst the chaos and terror, the characters are treated with care and respect, adding just another layer of depth to the narrative.
while I'm thrilled to have a personal connection to mique and the opportunity to read an advance copy, my love for this story goes far beyond that. this book takes you on a thrilling roller coaster ride through the darkest corners of terror, leaving you breathless and hungry for more with each heart-stopping twist.
i want to express my heartfelt thanks to mique for allowing me to get an advance copy. i'm eagerly awaiting the next twisted tale that will undoubtedly emerge from the depths of their brilliantly twisted mind.
so buckle up and get ready for a thrill ride like no other!
well this is the first book to make me throw up lol.
as soon as i heard one of my very first booktube friends was coming out with a book, i knew it was going to be life-changing and i am here to say, it definietly was. this is what extreme horror should be and this story is a blueprint for the entire genre from here on out.
jeanette's world turns into a nightmare when an emergency broadcast disrupts her cozy evening, plunging her into a realm of chaos and terror, in "them" by mique watson. this masterful work of extreme horror that left me captivated from start to finish.
the delicate balance between gut-wrenching violence and a deep dive into the human psyche in "them" is absolutely mind-blowing. the intense gore may be too much for some people's stomachs to bare (including mine lol) but it goes beyond just shock to explore the twisted intricacies of our own minds. this book truly has rekindled my love for horror, and it's evident that the author poured their heart and soul into crafting every word.
mique's writing flows effortlessly, weaving together vivid character development, spine-tingling imagery, clever nods to horror media, and unputdownable suspense. their sheer genius shines through, creating an immersive experience that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. and believe it or not, amidst the chaos and terror, the characters are treated with care and respect, adding just another layer of depth to the narrative.
while I'm thrilled to have a personal connection to mique and the opportunity to read an advance copy, my love for this story goes far beyond that. this book takes you on a thrilling roller coaster ride through the darkest corners of terror, leaving you breathless and hungry for more with each heart-stopping twist.
i want to express my heartfelt thanks to mique for allowing me to get an advance copy. i'm eagerly awaiting the next twisted tale that will undoubtedly emerge from the depths of their brilliantly twisted mind.
so buckle up and get ready for a thrill ride like no other!
October 26, 2023
This is the most depraved filth I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I love horror, particularly science fiction horror, and I never turn away gore. But this? I’m so sick of men writing depraved shit about women in the name of “art”. Leave us alone. We don’t want this shit written about us. I should be able to read horror without being re-traumatized about my experience as an afab person. There is absolutely no warning about SA let alone r*pe, LET ALONE it happening to a teen mom by her parents with SCISSORS who then sodomize a fetus. The summary of the book gives no flags about its contents. And the discretion at the beginning is even more vague. I’d love to see a man write about this kind of shit happening to another man, but it won’t happen. Because the fetishization of GBV is clearly too tempting for the masculine gaze.
January 31, 2025
I was truly divided 50/50 by this book...
I wanted to give it 5 stars just for all the extreme sickness, gore and brutality it spewed out of it's blood covered pages!!
But the story line just didn't hold up for me...I wanted to know more...why did this madness happen...who were these flesh eating sex maniac killers...where did they come from???
I was left rather empty and disappointed...even after a stomach full of horrendous mutilation and torture scenes.
I felt that the weak story line was somewhat covered up by giving the reader a large overdose of repetitive bouts of foul stomach churning filth...although good and extreme...a little over the top at some stages.
Worth reading if you like extreme horror.
But unfortunately I can only just squeeze out 3 ⭐⭐⭐'s
I wanted to give it 5 stars just for all the extreme sickness, gore and brutality it spewed out of it's blood covered pages!!
But the story line just didn't hold up for me...I wanted to know more...why did this madness happen...who were these flesh eating sex maniac killers...where did they come from???
I was left rather empty and disappointed...even after a stomach full of horrendous mutilation and torture scenes.
I felt that the weak story line was somewhat covered up by giving the reader a large overdose of repetitive bouts of foul stomach churning filth...although good and extreme...a little over the top at some stages.
Worth reading if you like extreme horror.
But unfortunately I can only just squeeze out 3 ⭐⭐⭐'s
July 27, 2023
I love Mique but this was awful. Some of the scenes were practically copies from Chandler Morrison's Dead Inside. The torture scenes were never ending (I read effed up stuff but this was just writing to be as disgusting as possible & it showed). Animal related killings usually are a cheap way to get the readers reaction which was done in the beginning. I'm really so disappointed in this book & hope Mique writes better in the future.
June 18, 2025
The writing is horrible in this—there were so many errors I had trouble keeping track of what was happening. I understand it's extreme horror, but it seemed like the author chose to draw out these seriously messed-up events that contributed not much of anything to the overall plot.
May 23, 2023
Wtf dude? What the actual fuck? I gasped out loud and laughed nervously (or not) a few times. Reading it in the car with my boyfriend's family may not have been the best idea ever. No spoilers but something really gross happens on page 154, and I've been saying forever that it should happen in more books! Thank you Mique!
The book is really good, the story is captivating, the characters are well written and interesting, the gore is impressively depraved, and everything is awful and bleak and depressing. 10/10 would recommend.
There's also a bonus short story with a sleepover urban legend vibe, which is really fun
The book is really good, the story is captivating, the characters are well written and interesting, the gore is impressively depraved, and everything is awful and bleak and depressing. 10/10 would recommend.
There's also a bonus short story with a sleepover urban legend vibe, which is really fun
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