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Revenge Arc
When controversial comic creator Riley Langdon is faced with an unimaginable crime committed in her name, she retreats from the spotlight she spent years seeking. But as media, fandom, and obsession churn, Riley's story takes on a life of its own.
Riley Langdon has never shied from extreme horror, especially not in her deep web revenge comic, Red . But now that a cult fandom has put her on a pedestal, she doesn't know how to respond to a mysterious death that too much resembles pages she wrote. As she tries to pick up the pieces of the life she's made for herself, the fandom of Red turns against itself and an obsessed fan attempts to make the deep web what he hoped it would be. Told in blog posts, chat logs, emails, and more, Revenge Arc blends horror and mystery for an unforgettable experience.
Riley Langdon has never shied from extreme horror, especially not in her deep web revenge comic, Red . But now that a cult fandom has put her on a pedestal, she doesn't know how to respond to a mysterious death that too much resembles pages she wrote. As she tries to pick up the pieces of the life she's made for herself, the fandom of Red turns against itself and an obsessed fan attempts to make the deep web what he hoped it would be. Told in blog posts, chat logs, emails, and more, Revenge Arc blends horror and mystery for an unforgettable experience.
166 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2023
3 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 17, 2024
I have to say this is the first physical book I’ve read in a really long time. And I wasn’t disappointed. I saw this book being recommended on TikTok and ran out and bought it right away.
This book is formatted so differently than other books. There are texts, tumblr messages, discord chats and diary entries. And more! It kept me wanting to turn the pages.
This book is formatted so differently than other books. There are texts, tumblr messages, discord chats and diary entries. And more! It kept me wanting to turn the pages.
August 20, 2023
I highly recommend this vook to all. It is great. I shall give a full review later today.
May 19, 2024
Touted as ‘the first fully formatted, fully illustrated found fiction novella’, Revenge Arc moves between tweets, emails, blog posts, reddit threads and messages on a Discord server as it tells the story of an online comics artist mired in controversy. Read it if you liked Idol, Burning, the graphic novel
Parasocial
or the film Red Rooms.
June 9, 2023
This is fantastic, the conversations and the mixed use of mediums in the Novel are simply a masterclass! Cat is a growing voice in horror and with delights like this, it isn’t hard to see why. I still think about this ending at least once every few hours. Don’t walk, RUN to wherever this is available.
December 12, 2023
Wow, I'm definitely addicted to this book. Could not even take a minute to take a sip when reading this, the fear of missing something even if it's a book. The formatting is perfection, the story is so interesting. I wonder if I should read it again someday, because I had the impression I missed some Easter's eggs.
By the way, every movie rating come from a real movie, I loved to guess which one it was.
Can't wait to read this author next novel.
By the way, every movie rating come from a real movie, I loved to guess which one it was.
Can't wait to read this author next novel.
April 12, 2023
A epistolary horror filled with mystery, murder and suspense - Revenge Arc is a unique read you should definitely pick up this summer.
Told through e-mails, discord chats, tumblr posts and more, this book tells of comic creator Riley's story when a crime is committed connected to her name and work.
The many voices that make up the story and add pieces to the puzzle are amazing, so many of them hiding behind screens, behind fake pictures...
Cannot wait to see how beautiful this is going to look in print!
Told through e-mails, discord chats, tumblr posts and more, this book tells of comic creator Riley's story when a crime is committed connected to her name and work.
The many voices that make up the story and add pieces to the puzzle are amazing, so many of them hiding behind screens, behind fake pictures...
Cannot wait to see how beautiful this is going to look in print!
November 10, 2024
Revenge Arc is groundbreaking found-media horror. While this subgenre of horror has a long history, Voleur and Archive of the Odd went all out to create an immersive experience. Shout out to Cutthroat Queens for introducing me to both author and publisher!
While the formatting drew me in, the story did not disappoint. Revenge Arc is an unflinching look into warped expectations forced on women who write horror. Unhinged parasocial relationships and unreliable narrators abound.
The ebook is the most immersive option as the found media consists of forums, blogs, and text messages. That being said, one of the biggest challenges with making this book happen was finding a publisher willing to do the unconventional formatting justice. I decided to read the print version to see all that hard work translate to physical media.
I read this book on the way to Authorcon IV, adored it, then got caught up in the magic and neglected to actually put a review into writing. The fact that this book persists in the back of my mind a month later speaks to its impact. 🔪
While the formatting drew me in, the story did not disappoint. Revenge Arc is an unflinching look into warped expectations forced on women who write horror. Unhinged parasocial relationships and unreliable narrators abound.
The ebook is the most immersive option as the found media consists of forums, blogs, and text messages. That being said, one of the biggest challenges with making this book happen was finding a publisher willing to do the unconventional formatting justice. I decided to read the print version to see all that hard work translate to physical media.
I read this book on the way to Authorcon IV, adored it, then got caught up in the magic and neglected to actually put a review into writing. The fact that this book persists in the back of my mind a month later speaks to its impact. 🔪
May 11, 2023
Absolutely charming, especially considering the subject matter! I'm in awe at the presentation, and how much dedication went into making the social media posts as accurate and realistic as possible. It works very well and adds depth to the story, making it hard to put down (except to revel in the amazing movie references!)
August 14, 2023
I’ve never really gotten into creepy pastas, or spooky spaghettis. I think that’s where I hear a majority of dark web stories come from? I don’t know I’m old and in the way. Anyway, Cat Voleur has put together a really eerie book based on some of that with Revenge Arc. I’ll mention the formatting here first. Revenge Arc is set up like someone gathered a ton of info from the web, and personal notes to create a story. Think a readable House of Leaves or S. Underline readable because Revenge Arc is damn near impossible to put down once you start falling into the rabbit hole that Voleur has put together. This truly took me back to the nights of staying up until 4am reading weird fan theories about movies and books. Remember that movie Deep Rising? I was in that for like two months. Revenge Arc feels authentic as well. The things you’re reading could very well happen and the format adds to that level of creep. There’s also a theme here about how much a creator is responsible for the effects of the art they create, as well as how much of a focus some of us put into the most “violent/extreme/brutal/shocking” aspects of the media we consume and ignore the rest. In closing, I’ll just stick to Google. K thx.
February 23, 2024
This is a wild, sometimes eerily realistic look into fandom, pop culture, and what happens when obsession turns terrifying.
Red is the name of a web comic that has a rabid fan base with forums, discord servers, and fan fiction websites devoted to it. It's an extreme horror comic about the infamous red rooms from dark web lore and it's creator is unapologetic about it's themes.
When she goes missing though, things are going to get even more strange as an obsessed fan has decided to recreate the events in the comic for real.
This is all told through interviews, forum posts, discord chats, website fan threads, etc. I thought this was an excellent way to tell the story because we get to actually read the posts and see how hardcore fans interact. And this style also brings a realism that's chilling. If you've ever gone down a rabbit hole of obsessive fandom (for anything) you'll recognise how true to life this narrative is.
Of course, the subject matter makes this even more horrifying to think about as it deals with some pretty gruesome urban legends which someone wants to turn into reality!
I highly recommend this for fans of this kind of storytelling. It's terrifying to think about yet you could see this playing out in real life. Great job!
Red is the name of a web comic that has a rabid fan base with forums, discord servers, and fan fiction websites devoted to it. It's an extreme horror comic about the infamous red rooms from dark web lore and it's creator is unapologetic about it's themes.
When she goes missing though, things are going to get even more strange as an obsessed fan has decided to recreate the events in the comic for real.
This is all told through interviews, forum posts, discord chats, website fan threads, etc. I thought this was an excellent way to tell the story because we get to actually read the posts and see how hardcore fans interact. And this style also brings a realism that's chilling. If you've ever gone down a rabbit hole of obsessive fandom (for anything) you'll recognise how true to life this narrative is.
Of course, the subject matter makes this even more horrifying to think about as it deals with some pretty gruesome urban legends which someone wants to turn into reality!
I highly recommend this for fans of this kind of storytelling. It's terrifying to think about yet you could see this playing out in real life. Great job!
December 30, 2023
The layers in this story was fantastic! And the perfectly placed snippets of multimedia-styled information made for an addictive read… I can only imagine how hard something like this would be to put together 🤯 Excellent job, Cat Voleur 😎
December 12, 2023
This was a very cool story. The story is told through different conversations on the web. This was a very interesting story about the dark web.
August 9, 2023
Grabs you right away and doesn't let go. Read this in about 24 hours from start to finish. I'm not quite sure what happened but like the readers of Red, I have theories and the author isn't giving up anything.
September 14, 2023
I really wish this was a longer novel. Otherwise, I liked everything about it, it sucked me right in into the story, which is why I felt a little disappointed when I realized it was only 180 pages long.
May 15, 2024
I love love loveee mixed format books. This one basically starts you off with nothing, and delving into a terrifying look at online communities, the dark web, and serial killers all unfolding in real life.
May 27, 2024
UPDATE: changing this rating to 4 stars because after examining the ending a couple of times, I actually emailed the author to make sure it was intentionally ambiguous and I wasn’t just missing things. Apparently it is! But there are clues sprinkled throughout, so now I need to re-read to see if I can figure it out :)
This book wasn’t really “it” for me. I actually didn’t realize the book was compiled of journal entries, Reddit posts, discord chats etc. I thought it was neat and that’s why this book gets 3 stars instead of 2. I really liked the creativity, it made it more immersive.
It’s about a writer named Riley who creates a comic titled “Red.” It’s a gore comic that focuses on women who are abducted (or volunteer) to participate in an online “Red Room.” This is essentially something that can be accessed on the deep web. It’s where women are restrained and tortured physically/sexually while being live-streamed. Viewers pay in bitcoin to determine their punishments and torture methods. This SOUNDS disturbing in theory, but the book *never actually details* any of it. They basically describe it the way I just did: glossing over the topic. We never see the comic as the reader.
I think I added this book to my TBR because I saw a TikTok post listing “the most disturbing books” someone had read. It had a lot of likes so I thought the notion might have some credibility. After reading this, though, I have to say I’m not disturbed at all. Or disgusted or anything. The book talks about disturbing events without actually detailing them or describing them in the moment. They’re only mentioned after they’ve happened and only briefly, like I said above
I also found it a bit confusing in the end so I’d like someone to clear it up for me if possible. Maybe reading the other reviews (which I haven’t done yet) would shed some light on it.
Spoilers below pertaining to the ending
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So this is what I’ve deduced: this “Re-Creator” character, who was inspired by the Red comic, abducts a woman to test out the idea of bringing the comic to life. This woman dies quickly due to some missteps on his part. He abducts a second woman and this one “lasts.” He does his experiments on her (which we don’t get details on). But it seems like the second victim picks up writing the second half of the book. She escapes and kills him — which seems to be his intention since it mimics what happens in Red. But then she gets into Riley’s apartment and takes Riley captive. She goes back and forth on whether she should kill Riley or not, since she blames her for this entire situation (the abductor was inspired by her work, after all).
The last thing we read written from the second victim’s POV is her internal debate on whether she could kill Riley or if she should walk away.
Then we skip to the epilogue where Riley is doing an interview about how she was abducted by the Re-Creator and held in captivity alongside this other woman whom he referred to as “Red” after the comic. She says she escaped and told “Red” she would come back with help, but she never did. She says she drove away from the place she was being held captive in the abductor’s truck, and then crashed and was found by an officer.
So… Riley is lying? What happened? I’m lost. Was Riley behind this the whole time? What happened to the other girl? Did Riley kill her and hide it? Like….. what?!
This book wasn’t really “it” for me. I actually didn’t realize the book was compiled of journal entries, Reddit posts, discord chats etc. I thought it was neat and that’s why this book gets 3 stars instead of 2. I really liked the creativity, it made it more immersive.
It’s about a writer named Riley who creates a comic titled “Red.” It’s a gore comic that focuses on women who are abducted (or volunteer) to participate in an online “Red Room.” This is essentially something that can be accessed on the deep web. It’s where women are restrained and tortured physically/sexually while being live-streamed. Viewers pay in bitcoin to determine their punishments and torture methods. This SOUNDS disturbing in theory, but the book *never actually details* any of it. They basically describe it the way I just did: glossing over the topic. We never see the comic as the reader.
I think I added this book to my TBR because I saw a TikTok post listing “the most disturbing books” someone had read. It had a lot of likes so I thought the notion might have some credibility. After reading this, though, I have to say I’m not disturbed at all. Or disgusted or anything. The book talks about disturbing events without actually detailing them or describing them in the moment. They’re only mentioned after they’ve happened and only briefly, like I said above
I also found it a bit confusing in the end so I’d like someone to clear it up for me if possible. Maybe reading the other reviews (which I haven’t done yet) would shed some light on it.
Spoilers below pertaining to the ending
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
So this is what I’ve deduced: this “Re-Creator” character, who was inspired by the Red comic, abducts a woman to test out the idea of bringing the comic to life. This woman dies quickly due to some missteps on his part. He abducts a second woman and this one “lasts.” He does his experiments on her (which we don’t get details on). But it seems like the second victim picks up writing the second half of the book. She escapes and kills him — which seems to be his intention since it mimics what happens in Red. But then she gets into Riley’s apartment and takes Riley captive. She goes back and forth on whether she should kill Riley or not, since she blames her for this entire situation (the abductor was inspired by her work, after all).
The last thing we read written from the second victim’s POV is her internal debate on whether she could kill Riley or if she should walk away.
Then we skip to the epilogue where Riley is doing an interview about how she was abducted by the Re-Creator and held in captivity alongside this other woman whom he referred to as “Red” after the comic. She says she escaped and told “Red” she would come back with help, but she never did. She says she drove away from the place she was being held captive in the abductor’s truck, and then crashed and was found by an officer.
So… Riley is lying? What happened? I’m lost. Was Riley behind this the whole time? What happened to the other girl? Did Riley kill her and hide it? Like….. what?!
October 31, 2024
Really didn’t expect such a short book to have so many layers. I had to go back and re read things multiple times. The format made the story even more compelling and the ambiguous ending still has me speechless. This might be one of my surprised favorites of the year.
July 7, 2025
What a crazy story mixed with a beautiful illustration. I love love loved it!
Read
October 19, 2025immersive. the mixed media format is done very well and there is such attention to detail to make media as realistic as possible. story itself was fine - not the most chilling, but it puts forth a discussion on women writing horror and the double standards involved in this act. also just a very insightful look into the other side of reading/watching horror.
December 16, 2024
need more books with ao3 fics included
favorite line:
“But you know what a forest lodge is? It’s a cabin in the woods. Semantics matter.”
favorite line:
“But you know what a forest lodge is? It’s a cabin in the woods. Semantics matter.”
November 6, 2024
I LOVED the format of this and the found file style it was written in was so I treating! Overall this was a great mystery with plenty of horror elements and felt like a deep dive rabbit hole online but in paperback! Loved it!
July 7, 2023
Revenge Arc is not just an awesome book, it is a master class on how epistolary/found media should be done. This book was not just written, it was build. You can really see the care and attention put into each page. I initially found it jarring because of the style, but soon found myself immersed in the story. Like an online post full of drama, I'm here for the comments.
May 3, 2023
4.5/5
Wow! This book was so much more than I was expecting just based off of the description, and I was not prepared for how cool this was!
First off, this story was incredibly immersive and engaging. The first few chapters were almost nostalgic. I felt like I had been thrown back into deep diving into fandom controversies and conspiracies again, and with how the posts and conversations were written and formatted, it was so realistic. I used to go to conventions all the time and constantly debate theories in fan groupchats, and the discord conversations in here as well as the tumblr transcript posts were so well done. Every once in a while, I was jumpscared by a new website format, and would go “wait, is this a Tumblr post?!” or “Reddit?!?!”. The one that really got me was Archive of Our Own. I had to set down the book for a second after that one (in a good way, of course). The amount of effort that went into this found file idea of formatting is so wild to me and paid off so well. It really is what makes this story so unique and worth checking out.
I don’t have many criticisms for this book, honestly. I think that the red text and font used in part 4 was slightly jarring, and threw me out of the story for a moment, but I got used to it. The epilogue didn’t feel satisfying to me as an ending, but I get that it’s a fairly good conclusion to the storyline.
The use of so many different websites and formats together to tell one story is something that I’ve never seen done so well before, and it makes this book a must read. I recommend checking this out as soon as you can.
Unrelated to the story, feel free to skip:
My copy is an ARC, and not all elements are final, but I do want to mention there were some minor spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as pages where the words were printed too close to the spine to read properly.
Thank you so much to the publisher, author, and formatter for this ARC!
Wow! This book was so much more than I was expecting just based off of the description, and I was not prepared for how cool this was!
First off, this story was incredibly immersive and engaging. The first few chapters were almost nostalgic. I felt like I had been thrown back into deep diving into fandom controversies and conspiracies again, and with how the posts and conversations were written and formatted, it was so realistic. I used to go to conventions all the time and constantly debate theories in fan groupchats, and the discord conversations in here as well as the tumblr transcript posts were so well done. Every once in a while, I was jumpscared by a new website format, and would go “wait, is this a Tumblr post?!” or “Reddit?!?!”. The one that really got me was Archive of Our Own. I had to set down the book for a second after that one (in a good way, of course). The amount of effort that went into this found file idea of formatting is so wild to me and paid off so well. It really is what makes this story so unique and worth checking out.
I don’t have many criticisms for this book, honestly. I think that the red text and font used in part 4 was slightly jarring, and threw me out of the story for a moment, but I got used to it. The epilogue didn’t feel satisfying to me as an ending, but I get that it’s a fairly good conclusion to the storyline.
The use of so many different websites and formats together to tell one story is something that I’ve never seen done so well before, and it makes this book a must read. I recommend checking this out as soon as you can.
Unrelated to the story, feel free to skip:
My copy is an ARC, and not all elements are final, but I do want to mention there were some minor spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as pages where the words were printed too close to the spine to read properly.
Thank you so much to the publisher, author, and formatter for this ARC!
January 5, 2025
second reading: couldn't get the format of this out of my head! really enjoyed coming back to this and reading the making of section!
oooh!! this style of story was completely new to me - all told through discord logs, Tumblr posts, dms, handwritten notes, and more - and all presented in a way that looks like actual screenshots or photos of notes. it's not just a gimmick that sells this either, because there's truly a nuanced and compelling story here. and that ending!!! I'd definitely read more from this author!
oooh!! this style of story was completely new to me - all told through discord logs, Tumblr posts, dms, handwritten notes, and more - and all presented in a way that looks like actual screenshots or photos of notes. it's not just a gimmick that sells this either, because there's truly a nuanced and compelling story here. and that ending!!! I'd definitely read more from this author!
October 22, 2025
Revenge Arc
By: Cat Voleur
Illustrated by: Bri Crozier
Publisher: Archive of the Odd
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
ASIN: B0CDP379S9
Page Count: 166
Triggers: Abduction, violence, online harassment, obsession, psychological trauma
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: ☠️☠️ (mind-bending horror that hits too close to home)
What Did I Just Walk Into?
An author writes an extreme horror comic, a cult fandom takes it too far, and reality starts blurring with the darkest corners of the web. Told through chat logs, blog posts, emails, and social media fragments, Revenge Arc feels like you accidentally stumbled into a cursed Google Drive folder.
Here’s What Slapped:
Cat Voleur doesn’t just tell a story, she builds an experience. Every screenshot, every log entry, every cryptic post pulls you deeper into the spiral. It’s immersive, unsettling, and disturbingly believable. Riley Langdon is a mess in the best way—flawed, defensive, traumatized, and so real you’ll find yourself scrolling back to double-check what’s fiction and what might not be.
The format is perfection for this kind of tale. It gives the same voyeuristic chill as reading someone’s hacked DMs or late-night subreddit confession. And beneath all the horror, there’s a sharp commentary on fandom culture, creator accountability, and the way the internet feeds on tragedy.
What Could’ve Been Better:
Only that I wish it had been longer. I wanted more screenshots, more comic panels, more of the creeping digital rot seeping into every page.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Epistolary horror told through digital fragments
Meta-commentary on fandoms and creators
Creepy realism that feels one refresh away from real life
Stories that make you question how much the internet knows about you
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
By: Cat Voleur
Illustrated by: Bri Crozier
Publisher: Archive of the Odd
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
ASIN: B0CDP379S9
Page Count: 166
Triggers: Abduction, violence, online harassment, obsession, psychological trauma
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: ☠️☠️ (mind-bending horror that hits too close to home)
What Did I Just Walk Into?
An author writes an extreme horror comic, a cult fandom takes it too far, and reality starts blurring with the darkest corners of the web. Told through chat logs, blog posts, emails, and social media fragments, Revenge Arc feels like you accidentally stumbled into a cursed Google Drive folder.
Here’s What Slapped:
Cat Voleur doesn’t just tell a story, she builds an experience. Every screenshot, every log entry, every cryptic post pulls you deeper into the spiral. It’s immersive, unsettling, and disturbingly believable. Riley Langdon is a mess in the best way—flawed, defensive, traumatized, and so real you’ll find yourself scrolling back to double-check what’s fiction and what might not be.
The format is perfection for this kind of tale. It gives the same voyeuristic chill as reading someone’s hacked DMs or late-night subreddit confession. And beneath all the horror, there’s a sharp commentary on fandom culture, creator accountability, and the way the internet feeds on tragedy.
What Could’ve Been Better:
Only that I wish it had been longer. I wanted more screenshots, more comic panels, more of the creeping digital rot seeping into every page.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Epistolary horror told through digital fragments
Meta-commentary on fandoms and creators
Creepy realism that feels one refresh away from real life
Stories that make you question how much the internet knows about you
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
September 19, 2024
This is how you commit to the bit on interestingly formatted books! This is so incredibly well done, and brilliantly thought through - an example of when the substance is as strong as the style, which is so often not the case with interestingly formatted books.
Personally, I do love an interestingly formatted epistolary and this delivered! The formats (tweets, blogs, reddit, etc) all fit well together and make sense in the narrative. The only thing I wasn't so keen on was a quirk in the actual layout - it tripped me up in places where the next epistle started right at the bottom of a page rather than on a fresh page but it's a small quibble.
I really enjoyed the story itself, a few interesting twists and turns that kept it fresh and interesting to the end. And, rather skillfully, the characters feel well crafted and you can get to know them which can be difficult with this sort of format.
The only thing I was unsure about was the habit of replacing the names of things - deep web instead of dark web, but also the movies Riley reviews are all fake names alluding to real movies. At first, I thought was fun, but then I started to find it odd as to why it was being done this way, and wondered if it was then part of the plot - is this an alternate reality, etc. In the end, it didn't seem to be for any particular reason and the more I thought about it the more it irked me as other things weren't changed - like websites (twitter, reddit, AO3, etc). That said, it didn't bother me so much as to ruin my enjoyment, it just made me ponder why it was done this way and perhaps whether I missed something in the plot that explained it.
Overall I enjoyed this immensely and have to give massive kudos to Cat for such a brilliantly crafted volume.
Personally, I do love an interestingly formatted epistolary and this delivered! The formats (tweets, blogs, reddit, etc) all fit well together and make sense in the narrative. The only thing I wasn't so keen on was a quirk in the actual layout - it tripped me up in places where the next epistle started right at the bottom of a page rather than on a fresh page but it's a small quibble.
I really enjoyed the story itself, a few interesting twists and turns that kept it fresh and interesting to the end. And, rather skillfully, the characters feel well crafted and you can get to know them which can be difficult with this sort of format.
The only thing I was unsure about was the habit of replacing the names of things - deep web instead of dark web, but also the movies Riley reviews are all fake names alluding to real movies. At first, I thought was fun, but then I started to find it odd as to why it was being done this way, and wondered if it was then part of the plot - is this an alternate reality, etc. In the end, it didn't seem to be for any particular reason and the more I thought about it the more it irked me as other things weren't changed - like websites (twitter, reddit, AO3, etc). That said, it didn't bother me so much as to ruin my enjoyment, it just made me ponder why it was done this way and perhaps whether I missed something in the plot that explained it.
Overall I enjoyed this immensely and have to give massive kudos to Cat for such a brilliantly crafted volume.
November 9, 2025
Sometimes writers at cons trade for books. I traded a copy of one of mine for one of Cat’s. When she said to pick one, I knew it had to be this one. The cover, the premise, I was instantly intrigued. But as things go, I haven’t read the book, and I was way overdue. I’m so glad I did! Cat’s an amazing talent, and you can feel the love and time that went into crafting this boldly formatted book.
The book is about a webcomic creator named Riley who becomes the pursuit of an obsessed fan. The webcomic is extreme horror, but this isn’t an extreme horror book. And I’d argue that Riley isn’t the main character. More on that in a paragraph.
First, I want to talk about the book format. It’s epistolary, except instead of letters, diaries, and phonograph recordings, it’s told in blog posts, discord server chats, emails, Reddit posts, and even at one point, in comic book format. This is a huge undertaking, but it is so effective. It sucked me into the possibility of the premise. And this is where the main character question gets interesting. Because so much of the book is fans on servers, I’d argue that they are the main character. This is a great literary version of Michael Myer’s mask, putting the reader into the book, perhaps even as the villain. It is so well done. It is so different from anything I’ve read, and it breaks new ground in how to write a book.
The question remains: But is it a freezer book? I don’t think this will keep you up at night quaking under your sheets. This book questions public morality and shows the horror of apathy. That’s scarier than anything else.
Type of book: fast-paced read
Type of horror: social, internet
Tropes: red room, writer as subject of own demise, epistolary
I can’t wait to find out what Cat writes next!
The book is about a webcomic creator named Riley who becomes the pursuit of an obsessed fan. The webcomic is extreme horror, but this isn’t an extreme horror book. And I’d argue that Riley isn’t the main character. More on that in a paragraph.
First, I want to talk about the book format. It’s epistolary, except instead of letters, diaries, and phonograph recordings, it’s told in blog posts, discord server chats, emails, Reddit posts, and even at one point, in comic book format. This is a huge undertaking, but it is so effective. It sucked me into the possibility of the premise. And this is where the main character question gets interesting. Because so much of the book is fans on servers, I’d argue that they are the main character. This is a great literary version of Michael Myer’s mask, putting the reader into the book, perhaps even as the villain. It is so well done. It is so different from anything I’ve read, and it breaks new ground in how to write a book.
The question remains: But is it a freezer book? I don’t think this will keep you up at night quaking under your sheets. This book questions public morality and shows the horror of apathy. That’s scarier than anything else.
Type of book: fast-paced read
Type of horror: social, internet
Tropes: red room, writer as subject of own demise, epistolary
I can’t wait to find out what Cat writes next!
November 30, 2025
i wanted to love this one so badly after recommendations, but we just didn’t click…
i kept waiting for that moment where everything would slot into place and i’d see what everyone else was raving about, but it never quite arrived. maybe that was the point… but for me, not what i was hoping. the format is cool and genuinely ambitious, especially the blend of prose with graphic novel pages, and i always respect an author swinging for something new. it just felt a little thin for me, like the ideas were sketched in but never fully painted. the themes around women, horror, and the pressure to self-censor are there, but they don’t land with the weight they deserve. i really do get the irony of saying i disliked it, and yet… i really couldn’t get on with it.
💥 unique concept and style that genuinely had promise
🌪️ despite the unique layout, i still felt a lack of depth (and i don’t think formatting/length were the reason)
🎀 tries to explore the hypocrisy of how women are expected to behave, but ultimately felt stiff and underdeveloped.
this may just have not been for me, but I applaud the authors unique style and will keep my eyes out for future works 🫶🏻
i kept waiting for that moment where everything would slot into place and i’d see what everyone else was raving about, but it never quite arrived. maybe that was the point… but for me, not what i was hoping. the format is cool and genuinely ambitious, especially the blend of prose with graphic novel pages, and i always respect an author swinging for something new. it just felt a little thin for me, like the ideas were sketched in but never fully painted. the themes around women, horror, and the pressure to self-censor are there, but they don’t land with the weight they deserve. i really do get the irony of saying i disliked it, and yet… i really couldn’t get on with it.
💥 unique concept and style that genuinely had promise
🌪️ despite the unique layout, i still felt a lack of depth (and i don’t think formatting/length were the reason)
🎀 tries to explore the hypocrisy of how women are expected to behave, but ultimately felt stiff and underdeveloped.
this may just have not been for me, but I applaud the authors unique style and will keep my eyes out for future works 🫶🏻
August 17, 2023
I could extol this book's careful crafting of internet lore and an intricate story made around a non-existent fan base, it's twisted, off-screen concept, or the messages of women in horror/true crime ethics. What shines the most in this book is the love of the genre it is emulating, internet horror myths, and the epistolary style in general. With my own epistolary style internet horror story, I can't help but feel both awe (and a bit of envy) at how beautifully this style was depicted. The beautiful graphics aren't what sold it though; you could have gorgeous graphics with inauthentic execution. Although everything was in the book to further plot, you really got the impression that you were intruding upon real conversations, stumbling upon message boards or fanfictions, and digging through people's text messages. It's such an authentically different reading experience that I am frankly in awe of the execution.
Bravo, Cat. What a marvelous book.
(Talk to me about your internet horror love always, by the way, I love Nexpo/ReignBot/everything you probably researched for this.)
Bravo, Cat. What a marvelous book.
(Talk to me about your internet horror love always, by the way, I love Nexpo/ReignBot/everything you probably researched for this.)
August 23, 2023
This isn’t a novel — it’s an experience! Told entirely through written documents and online chat rooms, as well as a few comic pages — this is a multimedia extravaganza like no other. This was a fun change for me. I love it when authors try new things and formats, exploring the idea of what a novel is and how stories are presented. The story itself isn’t bad either!
At first I didn’t like Riley, but the more I got to know about her the more invested I became. Velour has crafted a philosophical voyage that explores the relationship of artists to their work, and their fans, and their responsibility to their work once it’s out in the world.
I do wish we could have seen more comic pages (though I know those are expensive to produce), and I think the format limited the emotional impact of the story at times (such as when Riley is kidnapped and tortured, we get nothing but an afterward from her POV). But overall this was a refreshing tale that I recommend to others looking for uniquely formatted stories!
At first I didn’t like Riley, but the more I got to know about her the more invested I became. Velour has crafted a philosophical voyage that explores the relationship of artists to their work, and their fans, and their responsibility to their work once it’s out in the world.
I do wish we could have seen more comic pages (though I know those are expensive to produce), and I think the format limited the emotional impact of the story at times (such as when Riley is kidnapped and tortured, we get nothing but an afterward from her POV). But overall this was a refreshing tale that I recommend to others looking for uniquely formatted stories!
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