All the Rage

Rage #1

by David Hardy

Childhood trauma doesn't change people, it breaks them. Nathan Burns would be no different! Once a caring teen, now a diagnosed sociopath in the state penitentiary for murder Then he is thrown into a chaotic world where everything involves RAGE! The parasitic worms make animal to human transfer sending the world into a frenzy of apocalyptic bloodshed. For once he can let himself free destroying all that get in his way. That is until he meets her. His one true trigger from years ago. An illusion at best but accompanied by another what shares his same fate. Will he be able to break his diagnosis or will they all end up as a pile of flesh, bone and blood!

Genres: Horror

165 pages, Paperback

Published July 13, 2023

About the author

Hello Fleshbags,

I'm a self proclaimed Horror Aficionado, Self Published Horror Author who loves any and all things Macabre. If I'm not writing, I'm geeking out on space stuff or watching Horror Movies. I can spend hours talking about the universe, or how horror has shaped the entertainment industry as we know it. I have a deep rooted love of anything zombies thanks to the king Mr. George Romero.

Outside of the fascinating deplorable world that is my imagination, I......well.......I don't really know cause my imagination is my world. If it involves go fast automobiles, gearhead/petrolhead, dark disturbing horror, or space, we will probably get a long just great.

As always, thanks for your support. Without you, I would be another blade of grass in a boring world.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the deep dive into both of our main characters here, as well as the top notch writing quality. Fans of of the zombie subgenre of horror will soak this up and love everything about it. Nothing necessarily groundbreaking, but everything the author did was done well. I will say that there were a lot of sexually-charged aspects of the story, which did feel a bit out of place at times. And there were a bunch, so maybe trimming some of that down would have made the remaining parts seem more feasible. I also got thrown a few times as the POV shifted between Ashlee and Nathan, but not consistently and with no prompts. Again, a very easy fix would just be to label their respected sections with their names, as to not confuse the reader. But otherwise there are a lot of moving pieces here, all balanced well in a 'rager'-filled environment. Worth a read for zombie fans.

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, do you want a post-apocalyptic story that isn’t the fecking handmaid’s tale? Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with reading it, please do, but god it really wasn’t for me. I need a little more meat on the bones, a bit more gore with my main, do you know what I mean?

All the Rage by David Hardy delivered scenes that made me cross my legs, scrunch my eyes shut and want to throw my kindle across the room all at the same time. Oh and a messed love story thrown into the mix, yeah, I’ll be there with bells on. The world has gone to shit and people are being infected with a virus that turns them into raging blood thirsty zombies. Nathan is a prisoner in a high security prison and Ashlee is a patient in a mental facility (what a combo – but one that strangely works.)

The back stories of these characters are truly heartbreaking but really left me with a true portrayal of life. Bad stuff happens to good people all the time and although it’s horrifying, it is life none the less and David Hardy did an exemplary job of highlighting it.

The ending was a gut-punch, one I did not see coming. How that left things for Ashlee could be very interesting indeed come book two, which I will be picking up asap.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I loved the concept, the ideas, and the work that went into setting up this story, it just didn’t work for me as a reader.

It just needs more polishing to be truly excellent. With stilted dialogue and inner monologue, characters constantly yelling/screaming for no reason, grammatical and editing errors that just take away from the story, etc it was hard to stay focused and enjoy the story.

[stephreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start out by giving David a round of applause. I absolutely loved this book. Zombies, yes, but he nailed this one!

We follow Ashlee and Nathan on a journey through literal hell, the world is falling apart zombies eating and puking everywhere, h0rny b@stards running wild, and they are just trying to stay alive; if it wasn’t for Ashlee’s roommate, Stacy, Nathan would have killed her on his quest to safety. The best part about the entire book is we are given a story inside the story and alternating through Ashlee and Nathan’s perspective. I don’t want to give too much away, because you really need to just read it for yourself, but it had just the right amount of gore, lots of puke, warning SA. Nathan’s journey through prison and pain he had to endure before and during…Ashlee’s journey from being sent to the institute to how they ending up crossing paths was just *chefs kiss* perfect in every way.
This action packed story will leave anyone sitting on the edge of their chair. My heart was racing, I was able to connect with the characters and grew quite fond of both of them. I felt like a fly on the wall the entire time. My heart jumped with them, it ached with them.
But that ending, that ending, THE ENDING, I don’t think I have ever ended up with my stomach in knots and at a loss for words. Like a literal loss. I felt so upset (still am I can’t stop thinking about this), I had that funny feeling in my throat like I was going to puke, pun intended. I was so upset I had to message David to let him know how not right that was!! I really hope this isn’t the end.
Outstanding work!! You really did a wonderful job with this. When the opportunity comes, READ THIS I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT 😂🙈.

[Phrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Hardy was asking for beta readers for his upcoming book, with just the cover reveal. Me, being the cover whore that I am, said gimme gimme gimme. I had no idea I was in for such a (sickening) treat!

We have two main characters, both very different but both trying to surivive in a world that’s quickly careening out of control. Nathan, breaking out of an overturned prison bus & Ashlee, a psych ward. (A perfectly orchestrated rendezvous btw.) Both aching to breathe free air, both being greeted by insanity as the world they knew has become a nightmare of violence and mayhem. Big 28 Days Later vibes here.

As they travel through the insanity, getting a little more blood stained each destination, we learn more about their (fucked-up) backstories. Hardy gives you a trigger warning at the beginning of the book, so you were warned cuz…wow. Knowing their story adds to the mood of the whole book, knowing why they are fighting to stay alive/stay free.

What you came for: violence, gore, RAGE, depravity, fucked-upedness. All delivered. ☑️

What you stayed for: all of the above plus great story telling, world building, character development, excellent revenge/comeuppance, and an epic ending that hopefully means a sequel or 7.

Keep your eye out for this one when it drops, I highly recommend it.

[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pacing, very action packed, I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT ENDING THOUGH

[Spooky Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please read trigger warnings before reading this book. There is a lot of SA scenes but other than that it was a good book. It kinda reminded me of the movie The Crazies.

[Jennifer Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: All the Rage
Author: David Hardy
Release Date: July 27, 2023
Rating: 4/5

I have seen All the Rage talked about in some of my horror groups and jumped at the opportunity when the author posted looking for ARC readers. This book is a mashup of extreme horror and post-apocalyptic fiction and grabbed my attention from the very beginning!

This book follows two main characters, Ashlee and Nathan, as they battle everything from their own trauma and demons to the rage-filled humans that threaten the existence of life as they know it. I found the story to be extremely engaging and entertaining. This is a book that contains graphic gore and violence, but it all contributes to the story by adding to the mood and the experiences of the characters. Although Ashlee and Nathan weren’t immediately lovable characters, I found myself connecting with them as I was drawn further into their histories and their shared experiences. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoilers, but I will say that this story is one that will stick with me for awhile!

Thank you to David Hardy for the opportunity to review an advance copy of this title. I’m looking forward to experiencing more of your writing in the future!

[Maritza · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off strong and then got worse with every chapter.

What didn’t work for me:
* As a reader it’s really annoying when a book tells you something, instead of showing us. The fmc and mmc are both flawed characters but instead of showing us, we are repeatedly reminded about how they were both raped and thus are “messed up.” Readers should be trusted to understand the character development.
* If there is going to be body horror, there has to be some type of research done. Brain is not soup. There was at least 5 mentions of brain being soup that it was just so unbelievable and takes you out of the story.
* The dialogue is cringe between the fmc and mmc. They will literally be having a conversation and one will start yelling at the other lol I’m actually going to open up some of my highlights for this.
* The ending. A breeding facility? What 😂 that came out of left field. It opens it up for book 2, but it was just so random. Also the random tidbits in the epilogue 🤣🤣 foot fetish while digging for bodies?

What worked for me:
* This book was action packed and moved really fast.

[Bethany Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I love zombie books in general but this book was a whole new level, in a great way. The descriptions of every aspect of the book was what sucked me in. I am not usually a person for gore but this book was done so perfectly when it came to descriptions that I had to keep reading. If you’re a fan of gore, I highly recommend the book.

I loved the alternating perspectives and the backstories of both of the characters. I feel this definitely added to the suspense and overall story. I think my favorite part of the book was the fact that the backgrounds of both characters were so well put together and descriptive.

That ending though. That is all I will say regarding that. I highly recommend this book! I really enjoyed the extreme horror, characters, and all around storyline of the book.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

More please?! I loved everything about this book! David did a wonderful job with this book. Descriptions were perfect, the amount of gore was spot on. These aren't the zombies you're used to. I hope David explores this world further in the future.

[Kimberly Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I. NEED. MORE!

Apparently I’m a fan of a twisted love story in my gruesome horror. Who would’ve known? I need more! I ate this sh*t up so fast and felt attached to the main characters in a beautiful way. I need a second one, please and thanks! 🖤😅

🩸🩸🩸🩸

[G0r3_Wh0r3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a intense emotional ride!!! And that ending!!! Highly recommend

[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was intriguing and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I found it very good. I do wish however that maybe it had been reviewed because in the last twenty or so pages there were two grammatical errors and or misuse of words. I also found the book to wrap up quite suddenly and not come to a satisfactory conclusion which could either be brilliance or a deadline. I will give this author’s other books a read because I did enjoy the style of writing.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forget the traditional undead, the Ragers are here!

Told through alternating POV of two Main Characters, after some brief and considered characterisation we hit the ground running, and don’t stop.

A fun and quick read.

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was bloody (eh, see what I did there?) brilliant!
I haven't read a ton of dystopian novels, but I am really glad I came across this one.
David Hardy came through with a dual POV, post apocalyptic, extreme horror that really surpassed my expectations. The cover alone had me reaching for this one, but the way the world was built and how the characters traversed through their never-ending storm of bloodshed, I was hooked from the very beginning. Ashlee and Nathan are not your typical match, but how they come together and the whirlwind of their past stories, you can't help but root for them.
This book is less than 200 pages, but don't let that fool you because it packs one hell of a punch. Excited to see what happens next for our friends.
Absolutely loved it!

[Charlie Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

TW- Assault and Rape mentioned

This book was chosen by my horror book club to read, and I can easily say that all of us were excited. The concept- zombies, road trips, morally gray characters- all seemed incredibly interesting, so the work immediately grabbed my attention. I will say, some of these concepts do hold up- for example, the zombies (also known as ragers) are introduced in an incredibly unique way, and it’s evident that a lot of thought was put into their design. There is also a lot of potential in the main character Nathan, but unfortunately the text seems to fall a bit short on development. This is especially true for the second main character, Ashlee. Even while witnessing her perspective, I couldn’t help but feel that Ashlee was a side character in her own life, with her existence’s only purpose in the book to be a voice for Nathan to sometimes direct his thoughts at. It seems that Ashlee’s only character trait would be her abuse backstory as a whole, which leads to my biggest problem with this story.

This book relies FAR too heavily on the abuse and rape of the main characters as plot points in the story. Both can be heavily important in telling why a character might act the way they do, or perhaps cause an interesting shift in character if it were to happen in the story, but Hardy uses both methods so heavy-handedly that I could not help but roll my eyes each time it was mentioned. At least twice were there “dramatic” scenes with tension- where the threat of incoming Ragers was imminent- and Nathan had to become the savior. Instead of using the obvious threat, though, Hardy chose to have the female characters get raped in both scenes. While one might think this would be a traumatic event that could be a segway to a later conversation, they would be wrong, as the characters hardly ever speak to each other about the current events at all. When they do, it’s simply exposition the reader already is aware of, making the book far more repetitive than it already was.

Overall, the book had a lot of potential, but fell short in many categories. I do hope Hardy continues writing and finds way to improve upon this, because it’s obvious that a lot of heart went into the setup- later books may just need more polishing, though.

[Reynareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving it 3 stars only because of the potential this book had. I jumped in and was loving everything until I came across all the grammatical errors and typos. Did no one review this before it was put out? As aforementioned, the characters seemed to really have potential. Then, it was just like "ok let's just wrap it up" and not even mention actually explain the premise of the story. The ending? If it wasn't for the fact, I actually really liked Nathan, I would have given this book a 1 star rating.

[Pyroclastic Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello There. Are you an avid horror reader? If so, feel free to move along. I'm not deep enough in this world for my review to mean much to you.

If you are still here, I'll assume you are not an avid horror reader. You have maybe touched one or two horror books? Mabe this is your first consideration for testing the waters of "extreme" horror. You are looking at All The Rage and wondering, "Is this the one? Will this be my gateway?"

Well...I am here to tell you that this gateway is drenched in blood, violence, and depravity. If you want to continue to dive in with this novel, bring a few vomit bags...for various reasons. One reason is a spoiler, and I'll leave it at that.

There is child abuse and SA in this, and prepare to feel disgusted and furious. It happened more often in the story than it needed to and pulled away from horror and leaned more towards depravity. When a writer wants to show how dystopic and broken society is, some turn to child abuse and SA (in many genres). Other inhumane acts also occur in crumbling societies, and instead of throwing SA around in every other chapter, an effort could be made to depict other deviations of society. There are other triggers in this as well. Read the TWs because this gets graphic.

Now, look at my rating, see that I have finished, and notice the high rating. 4 whole damn stars. There is apparent dissonance here. I finished this book because of its writing, blood, guts, and gore. I love a good, gory film and wanted to try this book. Hardy is a damn good writer. He could probably write other genres and do very well. Though the content was rough, I will not dock any stars for that. This was promoted as an "Extreme" horror, and Hardy understood the assignment. I could have DNF'd, but I didn't, and that says something about the pacing and the writing.


PSA: The cover is not clickbait. EXPECT ALL THE GORE.

Emphasis: I AM NOT A REGULAR HORROR READER. Please check out reviews from other readers to get a grounded viewpoint.

[Simona Sampaolo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The WORST book I've read probably...ever?
I wish I could rate it lower. It was basically the supposed 'horror gore' ramblings of a teen boy with a laptop who has seen one too many extreme horror movies and who has never encountered a woman, let alone spoken to one.

The 'horror' was just repeated descriptions of sexual assault and an idiot psychopath MMC who somehow has fighting super powers and a penchant for killing anything that moves and absolutely no idea of how human physiology works.

The dialogue was the most horrifying part of the book! Has this guy ever heard 2 people speak to each other ever? I'm not estranged from a swear word, but every sentence out of everyone's mouth starting with a fucking this or fucking that....pathetic.

The writing was terrible, the grammar was awful, the mistakes were plentiful and the plot contained literally every single horror trope that exists shoved into less than 200 pages.

It was just so bad I can't stop myself from explaining how bad it was! I don't know what book the other ratings here are about, because they can't be for this disaster of a novella.

Absolute trash.

[Kaylyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

"All the Rage" is a mix of zombie apocalypse and romance, and I gotta say, it's a bit of a rollercoaster. I gave it three stars because it had its moments, but it's not without its issues.

So, picture this: the world's gone to hell, zombies everywhere, survival mode activated. But wait, there's a twist – romance in the apocalypse. It added a cool layer to the usual survival drama, giving the story a unique flavor.

The main character's growth was a highlight for me. You see them evolving through the chaos, and developing feelings for each other, and it's rather cool. The relationships bring out different sides, making things more interesting.

However, the pacing's a bit all over the place. Some parts are rushed, and others drag on. It can mess with the flow and make it harder to get into the story's groove.

And oh boy, the ending. It's like the author just ran out of steam. Everything felt unresolved, leaving me hanging and not in a good way. A good ending can make or break a book, and this one broke it for me.

Despite the flaws, I enjoyed the unexpected romance angle and the character growth. The zombie apocalypse ride was wild, but the execution stumbled in places. It's a decent effort, but with a bit more polish in pacing and a better wrap-up, "All the Rage" could've been a solid hit.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate that you can’t give ratings with decimals because this books is 4.5⭐️

This is one of the first survival horrors that I’ve read and I really enjoyed it!

It follows 2 people, Nathan and Ashlee. Nathan is an inmate at a high security prison and Ashlee is a patient in a mental facility

Their paths cross when a virus outbreak begins which turns people into ‘Ragers’ which I saw as zombies. The way the outbreak spreads is through vomit which did make me feel ill a couple times 🤢

I felt so sorry for both Ashlee and Nathan learning about their back stories. I actually had to stop reading for a minute when you got to know Ashlee properly. It was heartbreaking 💔

With the kindle version coming in at 122 pages this book still packs a punch! I wasn’t expecting the hint of a romantic subplot either, it took me by surprise but it fit in well

I really need the second book now, with All The Rage ending on a massive plot twist and cliffhanger I need to know what happens!

[Callie Towne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me preface by saying I'm not USUALLY a zombie book fan. Mindless, brain eating humans? Meh.
BUT Hardy took these to another level. The cover alone sucked me in and made me wonder what lurks inside.
We follow two main characters on their journey through the end of the world. Depravity coats this book. Both Ashlee and Nathan are from very odd backgrounds and, though difficult to feel for them at the beginning of the story, you slowly grow to love them in a strange way. You start rooting for them and waiting on the edge of your seat for the next move.
And be prepared for the ending. That's all I can say on that without spoiling it or upsetting myself again.

[Alexandra Nisneru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promising book, a mix between extreme horror and post apocalyptic fiction. I really enjoyed the story but I would have like more background about the characters and their past. It was all revealed at the ending but I would have enjoyed it more if I would have discovered those things slowly throughout the story. I would have liked more explaining on "the virus" that makes people become violent. Some extremely creepy moments like the one with a mother and her newborn (people who read this will know which one I am talking about).

[Ash Readz · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Hardy is the master of apocalyptic tales! All the rage is one of my favourite reads this year! Packed with the most vile gore, David will have you holding the holy shit handles all the way through. Always a palette cleanser for me because his writing is fun and packed with excitement. Grab your barf bags and get ready for the roller coaster of your life… and if you finish this starved for more, then go read CONSUMED BY RAGE, because it will fulfill your wildest horror wet dreams! 10/10. David is a beast.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh...I fricken loved this book! I've kind of moved from my romance and romantasy Era to horror and thrillers. And let me tell you..this is extreme horror! This is extremely graphic and violent and a lot of f*cked up stuff happens in this book so proceed with caution if you're triggered by gore and sexual abuse. But the "zombies" and apocalypse were *chefs kiss*! Hardy did such an amazing job with this, it wasn't just about the horror and gore, the story line was also clear and present. This does end on a major cliff hanger so be aware. I can't wait for the second book to come out in October! I need more!

[Veronica ☠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy. Shit!

This was such a fast apocalyptic novella you need to read! The title says it all! Something is infecting people turning them into raging zombies! And fast zombies to boot! This was fucking brutal! And fucking disgusting...but I loved it! I had to stop snacking but it was worth it! Lol

"Liquid soup" ...🤮🤮🤮🤮 ahhh!! But it was so fast paced and good! The ending was ...🤯🤯! Like what are the odds?!?!?! This was hard to put down and I can't wait to read the second book!

[Leighah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Ive never been a fan of the zombie apocalypse genre. This book however may have changed my mind. I loved how it wasn't all about close calls. Bad things happen to the main characters which made it more real. Story is well written and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. I didn't think I was going to like the two main characters but they worked well in this story. Im kinda curious to see if a sequel will be written to this.

[I'mogén · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was totally unexpected for me! That came out of nowhere! Then there was more hits after that.

Anyway, this was absolutely bonkers. It was grotesque and violent and kept me somewhat interested. I think the spin on the end is what will having me intrigued enough to pick up the sequel.

I think if I didn't have the audio assist, and it wasn't just a a duology of novellas, I may not have continued on.

Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked from the beginning. I devoured this book so quickly! The way the author dives into his characters and keeps you guessing was absolutely refreshing. A dark, apocalyptic setting where two main characters are fighting for survival and their own past trauma. You can't help but wish for more long after it's finished!