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Survivor: The Definitive Edition
It was supposed to be a romantic weekend getaway for Lisa and Brad. Instead, it becomes a nightmare when Lisa is kidnapped. But her abductors aren't asking for ransom. They want Lisa to star in a snuff film. What they have in mind for her is horrifying. But even more horrifying is what Lisa will do to survive... and protect her unborn child.
Heralded by readers, critics, and historians as a seminal work of extreme horror, SURVIVOR by J. F. Gonzalez is back in print for a new generation. This definitive edition includes two bonus tie-in short stories by the author, an essay by Gonzalez on the creation of the novel, a second nearly 10,000-word essay by Gonzalez on the history of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror, and an Introduction by Brian Keene.
SURVIVOR by J. F. Gonzalez... What Would You Do To Survive?
"This novel's moral compass holds steady even during the worst moments... It is easy to feel repulsed by this novel. yet it's hard to resist; it pushes your eyes off the page and then pulls them back, forcing the kind of visceral relationship between writer and reader that the best horror fiction can produce." -- The New York Times
"...filled with the most disgusting and vile things you can imagine two humans doing to one another." -- Dread Central
"A work of nihilistic brilliance..." -- Hellnotes
Heralded by readers, critics, and historians as a seminal work of extreme horror, SURVIVOR by J. F. Gonzalez is back in print for a new generation. This definitive edition includes two bonus tie-in short stories by the author, an essay by Gonzalez on the creation of the novel, a second nearly 10,000-word essay by Gonzalez on the history of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror, and an Introduction by Brian Keene.
SURVIVOR by J. F. Gonzalez... What Would You Do To Survive?
"This novel's moral compass holds steady even during the worst moments... It is easy to feel repulsed by this novel. yet it's hard to resist; it pushes your eyes off the page and then pulls them back, forcing the kind of visceral relationship between writer and reader that the best horror fiction can produce." -- The New York Times
"...filled with the most disgusting and vile things you can imagine two humans doing to one another." -- Dread Central
"A work of nihilistic brilliance..." -- Hellnotes
- GenresHorrorSplatterpunkEbooks
440 pages, Paperback
Published September 26, 2023
100 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
June 1, 2024
Brad smiled down at the headstone, feeling strong, feeling more pure and good than he had felt in years. "I'll be seeing you soon, honey. Be good to yourself, okay?"
Then he turned and walked back to his car and drove off to his new life.
Then he turned and walked back to his car and drove off to his new life.
November 3, 2024
SURVIVOR: The Definitive Edition [Rereleased 2023] By J.F. Gonzalez
My Review 5.0 Stars
“Heralded by readers, critics, and historians as a seminal work of extreme horror, SURVIVOR BY J.F. Gonzalez is back in print for a new generation.”
-Brian Keene
I read this horror classic by the great horror icon of yesteryear, or it may be more accurate to say I “experienced” it, this past week over a series of cold turbulent days in the Fall of 2024. The heart rendering Introduction by Brian Keene, a legend in his own time, had me ready to read through my pooling tears. Keene penned a poignant and heart-warming Introduction, and this rerelease also includes two bonus tie-in short stories by the author, Gonzalez sharing with us from beyond on the creation of his timeless classic about unspeakable horror, unbelievable courage, and unrelenting remorse. There is also a memorable and enlightening essay in this reprint edition on the history of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror by Gonzalez, so readers out there today have an abundance of reasons to check out this rerelease.
This is the story of two young professionals, Lisa and Brad, who have planned a romantic weekend getaway. Lisa has just learned that she is pregnant and can hardly wait to share this wondrous news with Brad. The couple had tried very hard to conceive and this included in vitro remedies which had failed to produce results until now.
Lisa is abducted and restrained by kidnappers who are not ransom seekers nor garden variety rapists whose desire is to violate her and then beat her senseless and discard her body in a ditch like a bag of garbage. No, Lisa won Hell’s lottery on this one when she learns that her planned fate is to be slowly tortured to death in front of a cameraman while her death throws are captured for posterity on the reels of a snuff film.
I did not think that this book review was the proper venue to praise the “extras” that were packed with this reprint edition of the horror classic written by a young J.F. Gonzalez, member of the real-life “Splatterpunk” horror junkies and geniuses of yesterday. But there are a couple of salient points that hit home to me as I read the words of Brian Keene, and the Editorial Reviews. First, it is poignant and yet a victory salute that Gonzalez desperately wanted the reading world to view him as a legitimate author of books from several genres and not be viewed solely for his success in the arena of extreme horror. The talented writing that Gonzalez exhibited in his novel “Survivor” is clearly exceptional and very easily could be parlayed into a different genre. Second, (and this little gem was from a reviewer at the NYT). I read this description, and it was an aha moment for me. It is precisely how I felt reading “Survivor”.
Review
"...it pushes your eyes off the page and then pulls them back..." -- New York Times Review of Books, October 31, 2004
I loved this book. It pulled me in and there was no escape. They planned to torture Lisa as creatively and horrifically as possible, rendering the murder and its brutality as graphically and shockingly as they could manage while the cameraman captured all of the grisly details.
The hook? Even more horrifying than their plans for Lisa’s death is what Lisa will do to survive. This is simply an amazing novel. Gonzalez exhibits a gravitas I would expect to see from a veteran. His pacing of the action was extraordinarily well done because I remained a nervous wreck through most of the book. There is a brief period where Lisa is safe and ostensibly will remain that way. I was more rattled then than when Animal had her in his grip. It seemed that the good guys were leaking information on where she and Brad were every few seconds. I was ready to throw a lamp and yell why don’t you just hire a sky writer to put your location across the sky above. It was nerve-wracking and to the tension the writer was able to build in the reader.
Gonzalez exhibited talent with the action sequences that were great, but he also spent time with fleshing out his main characters. I might add that he also created unique, colorful villains that I will never forget, particularly “Animal” and the utterly unique geriatric Margaret they sent to Vegas. She was a scream a minute. It was mind numbingly horrible, but the black humor had me laughing at some things that rolled off her tongue.
The author showed that he could write believable and also chilling dialogue. He executed a dramatic plot twist at the end that I did not see coming at all. The most heartless villain was hiding right under my nose. Gonzalez masterfully transformed good into evil with the skill of a master. The scene in the bathroom where the master mind of the plot slowly lowered his mask and revealed his true nature was brilliant.
The showdown in the desert between victim and captors was exciting and riveting. The Epilogue or ending I did not figure out in advance at all. This novel was in many ways a clinic on right and wrong and the concept of our moral compass staying true or becoming unsteady by our decisions. The heart of the matter is whether we are wired to accepting or disavowing its deviation and the fallout that resulted. I questioned myself after I read the final sentence. I asked “why” I could not divine the ending, and anyone could figure that one out.
There is no doubt that this is a horror classic, and Jesus made all of his friends proud. He studied at the feet of the Splatterpunks and he made a contribution to their bodies of work, and like them, his work will never be forgotten.
This is an extreme horror novel from the late Jesus Gonzalez that was much more than its genre designation promised. It is simply brilliant. It is also a unique story of belief, remorse, and redemption. It was originally published over two decades ago and still holds a truth for us to embrace today. Perhaps more than any other time, today.
JUST AS TOPICAL TODAY AS IT WAS TWO DECADES AGO
My Review 5.0 Stars
“Heralded by readers, critics, and historians as a seminal work of extreme horror, SURVIVOR BY J.F. Gonzalez is back in print for a new generation.”
-Brian Keene
I read this horror classic by the great horror icon of yesteryear, or it may be more accurate to say I “experienced” it, this past week over a series of cold turbulent days in the Fall of 2024. The heart rendering Introduction by Brian Keene, a legend in his own time, had me ready to read through my pooling tears. Keene penned a poignant and heart-warming Introduction, and this rerelease also includes two bonus tie-in short stories by the author, Gonzalez sharing with us from beyond on the creation of his timeless classic about unspeakable horror, unbelievable courage, and unrelenting remorse. There is also a memorable and enlightening essay in this reprint edition on the history of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror by Gonzalez, so readers out there today have an abundance of reasons to check out this rerelease.
This is the story of two young professionals, Lisa and Brad, who have planned a romantic weekend getaway. Lisa has just learned that she is pregnant and can hardly wait to share this wondrous news with Brad. The couple had tried very hard to conceive and this included in vitro remedies which had failed to produce results until now.
Lisa is abducted and restrained by kidnappers who are not ransom seekers nor garden variety rapists whose desire is to violate her and then beat her senseless and discard her body in a ditch like a bag of garbage. No, Lisa won Hell’s lottery on this one when she learns that her planned fate is to be slowly tortured to death in front of a cameraman while her death throws are captured for posterity on the reels of a snuff film.
I did not think that this book review was the proper venue to praise the “extras” that were packed with this reprint edition of the horror classic written by a young J.F. Gonzalez, member of the real-life “Splatterpunk” horror junkies and geniuses of yesterday. But there are a couple of salient points that hit home to me as I read the words of Brian Keene, and the Editorial Reviews. First, it is poignant and yet a victory salute that Gonzalez desperately wanted the reading world to view him as a legitimate author of books from several genres and not be viewed solely for his success in the arena of extreme horror. The talented writing that Gonzalez exhibited in his novel “Survivor” is clearly exceptional and very easily could be parlayed into a different genre. Second, (and this little gem was from a reviewer at the NYT). I read this description, and it was an aha moment for me. It is precisely how I felt reading “Survivor”.
Review
"...it pushes your eyes off the page and then pulls them back..." -- New York Times Review of Books, October 31, 2004
I loved this book. It pulled me in and there was no escape. They planned to torture Lisa as creatively and horrifically as possible, rendering the murder and its brutality as graphically and shockingly as they could manage while the cameraman captured all of the grisly details.
The hook? Even more horrifying than their plans for Lisa’s death is what Lisa will do to survive. This is simply an amazing novel. Gonzalez exhibits a gravitas I would expect to see from a veteran. His pacing of the action was extraordinarily well done because I remained a nervous wreck through most of the book. There is a brief period where Lisa is safe and ostensibly will remain that way. I was more rattled then than when Animal had her in his grip. It seemed that the good guys were leaking information on where she and Brad were every few seconds. I was ready to throw a lamp and yell why don’t you just hire a sky writer to put your location across the sky above. It was nerve-wracking and to the tension the writer was able to build in the reader.
Gonzalez exhibited talent with the action sequences that were great, but he also spent time with fleshing out his main characters. I might add that he also created unique, colorful villains that I will never forget, particularly “Animal” and the utterly unique geriatric Margaret they sent to Vegas. She was a scream a minute. It was mind numbingly horrible, but the black humor had me laughing at some things that rolled off her tongue.
The author showed that he could write believable and also chilling dialogue. He executed a dramatic plot twist at the end that I did not see coming at all. The most heartless villain was hiding right under my nose. Gonzalez masterfully transformed good into evil with the skill of a master. The scene in the bathroom where the master mind of the plot slowly lowered his mask and revealed his true nature was brilliant.
The showdown in the desert between victim and captors was exciting and riveting. The Epilogue or ending I did not figure out in advance at all. This novel was in many ways a clinic on right and wrong and the concept of our moral compass staying true or becoming unsteady by our decisions. The heart of the matter is whether we are wired to accepting or disavowing its deviation and the fallout that resulted. I questioned myself after I read the final sentence. I asked “why” I could not divine the ending, and anyone could figure that one out.
There is no doubt that this is a horror classic, and Jesus made all of his friends proud. He studied at the feet of the Splatterpunks and he made a contribution to their bodies of work, and like them, his work will never be forgotten.
This is an extreme horror novel from the late Jesus Gonzalez that was much more than its genre designation promised. It is simply brilliant. It is also a unique story of belief, remorse, and redemption. It was originally published over two decades ago and still holds a truth for us to embrace today. Perhaps more than any other time, today.
JUST AS TOPICAL TODAY AS IT WAS TWO DECADES AGO
June 15, 2025
ummm DNF @58 percent. This is very disturbing and TW galore. One trigger warning I just couldn’t get past was the infant (i’m not going into details because Honestly I just can’t) i wanna vomit thinking about it. If this author would have skimmed past it, stopped bringing it up every 5 pages MAYBEEEE i could have finished this book. It was impossible tho. It kept getting brought up and then I’d look at my baby and wanna cry. So that’s my limit. The writing wasn’t actually bad. The things in this boook tho horrific, Personlly wouldn’t recommend to anyone. Now I need something fluffy to make my heart happy.
I’m counting this as a book toward my goal since I read over half of it
I’m counting this as a book toward my goal since I read over half of it
October 18, 2023
"Depraved fiction for depraved times." While this quote was taken from the essay written on splatterpunk and extreme horror that wraps up this definitive edition almost 20 years ago, it still holds true today, if not more so.
Survivor is extremely extreme and extremely well written. The tension is white knuckle inducing with every turn of the page. The pace is unrelenting and unforgiving. You can't read as fast as the story demands.
The violence is shocking in its ultraviolence and is just as often splattered about its surroundings, dripping in gore.
I was riveted throughout. I was shocked and openly gasped more than a few times. But, I also cared for the characters and their plight, no matter how harrowing the outcome(s). Highly recommended for those without triggers. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
Survivor is extremely extreme and extremely well written. The tension is white knuckle inducing with every turn of the page. The pace is unrelenting and unforgiving. You can't read as fast as the story demands.
The violence is shocking in its ultraviolence and is just as often splattered about its surroundings, dripping in gore.
I was riveted throughout. I was shocked and openly gasped more than a few times. But, I also cared for the characters and their plight, no matter how harrowing the outcome(s). Highly recommended for those without triggers. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
March 9, 2024
4.5/5 (rounded up for GoodReads)
This was an absolutely incredible book. Probably one of the most quietly disturbing books I’ve ever read in the fact that not everything is described and instead Gonzalez lets the reader read between the lines. Let’s your mind take you to the dark places he’s implying.
The opening of this book packed a MAJOR punch I did not see coming, no pun intended haha. It really set the scene for the horrors that would follow. The only reason this lost a half point for me is because there were some chapters I felt dragged and I found myself skimming through them and I just can’t in good conscious give 5 stars to something I felt the need to skim at parts.
That being said, this was an intensely brutal, gut wrenching, traumatic read that will stick with me well long after I’ve finished it. It keeps you turning the pages to find out what’s going to happen next and will keep you at the edge of your seat. A shocking look into a the world of the truly disturbed snuff scene and a sober reflection of how intense trauma affects someone. Brings forth a question of even if you survive something, you may wish you hadn’t.
This was an absolutely incredible book. Probably one of the most quietly disturbing books I’ve ever read in the fact that not everything is described and instead Gonzalez lets the reader read between the lines. Let’s your mind take you to the dark places he’s implying.
The opening of this book packed a MAJOR punch I did not see coming, no pun intended haha. It really set the scene for the horrors that would follow. The only reason this lost a half point for me is because there were some chapters I felt dragged and I found myself skimming through them and I just can’t in good conscious give 5 stars to something I felt the need to skim at parts.
That being said, this was an intensely brutal, gut wrenching, traumatic read that will stick with me well long after I’ve finished it. It keeps you turning the pages to find out what’s going to happen next and will keep you at the edge of your seat. A shocking look into a the world of the truly disturbed snuff scene and a sober reflection of how intense trauma affects someone. Brings forth a question of even if you survive something, you may wish you hadn’t.
February 17, 2025
The amazing introduction by Brian Keene and the bonus material at the end of the book alone (especially the reading list) would get 5 stars from me but then there is the story itself and it blew me away.
Lisa and Brad are so incredibly normal. Normal couple, normal jobs, normal life. Their last name is Miller for crying out loud. It’s also so normal! But nothing - NOTHING - that happens to them in this story is normal in any sense.
After a terrifying citizens arrest road rage situation, Brad is thrown in jail for the weekend and Lisa is left to wait for him to see the Judge Monday morning. Instead, she is kidnapped. And although nothing about kidnapping is normal, the unfolding of events is so far beyond what anyone could imagine. Lisa is introduced to the world of snuff films and it turns out she’s about to be the next star for one of these violent and depraved movies. Nothing could prepare her for her introduction to the other star of the film - Animal.
Even though Lisa seems fairly doomed, the instinct she has for survival kicks in. No one is expecting it, especially her captors. Lisa’s choices are skewed so much and she makes a decision that changes everything. Even if she survives after this decision… can she live with it?
Characters you’ll hate, characters you’ll love. Choices that are made will have you feeling like “wtf!” and also cheering for our final girl. This book has truly disturbing scenes involving rape, torture and acts so deplorable that I am seriously advising you to think twice before you read it. I don’t have a lot of triggers and can power through most scenes but when it came to Alicia and Mandy, I was so uncomfortable and sad. But it was also so powerful to the story and the emotions I felt just sucked me in and couldn’t stop me from turning the pages. Billy (the lawyer) in all his alcoholic glory is totally my favorite character. He’s the stereotypical booze fueled good guy lawyer that is an absolute mess but has a good heart and amazing instinct. While this story is extreme in nature, and it will disturb you, I loved the crime aspect - it’s as much crime, psychological and trauma horror than it is extreme.
If you are curious at all about some of the beginnings of splatterpunk and extreme horror I would say run, don’t walk.. to get to this book. RIP to J.F. Gonzalez. Happy to hear your words live on.
Happy reading. 📕⛓️🩶
Lisa and Brad are so incredibly normal. Normal couple, normal jobs, normal life. Their last name is Miller for crying out loud. It’s also so normal! But nothing - NOTHING - that happens to them in this story is normal in any sense.
After a terrifying citizens arrest road rage situation, Brad is thrown in jail for the weekend and Lisa is left to wait for him to see the Judge Monday morning. Instead, she is kidnapped. And although nothing about kidnapping is normal, the unfolding of events is so far beyond what anyone could imagine. Lisa is introduced to the world of snuff films and it turns out she’s about to be the next star for one of these violent and depraved movies. Nothing could prepare her for her introduction to the other star of the film - Animal.
Even though Lisa seems fairly doomed, the instinct she has for survival kicks in. No one is expecting it, especially her captors. Lisa’s choices are skewed so much and she makes a decision that changes everything. Even if she survives after this decision… can she live with it?
Characters you’ll hate, characters you’ll love. Choices that are made will have you feeling like “wtf!” and also cheering for our final girl. This book has truly disturbing scenes involving rape, torture and acts so deplorable that I am seriously advising you to think twice before you read it. I don’t have a lot of triggers and can power through most scenes but when it came to Alicia and Mandy, I was so uncomfortable and sad. But it was also so powerful to the story and the emotions I felt just sucked me in and couldn’t stop me from turning the pages. Billy (the lawyer) in all his alcoholic glory is totally my favorite character. He’s the stereotypical booze fueled good guy lawyer that is an absolute mess but has a good heart and amazing instinct. While this story is extreme in nature, and it will disturb you, I loved the crime aspect - it’s as much crime, psychological and trauma horror than it is extreme.
If you are curious at all about some of the beginnings of splatterpunk and extreme horror I would say run, don’t walk.. to get to this book. RIP to J.F. Gonzalez. Happy to hear your words live on.
Happy reading. 📕⛓️🩶
November 23, 2023
Wow, what a wild ride! It's disturbing, brutal, and packed with raw emotions. The unexpected twists kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. This book will snatch you right out of your comfort zone and make you question humanity.
October 8, 2023
Every bit as good as when I read it 20+ years ago
April 19, 2024
I crossed “Finally read Survivor” off my bucket list & now I kinda wanna read it again. I totally see why it deserves all the accolades that is has received for so long. A true masterpiece, a gritty cinematic maelstrom of unimaginable torment/tangible pain both physical and emotional throughout.
Quick synopsis: A couple has a chance encounter with an odd stranger that sets off a chain off events that quickly becomes a sucking vortex of ineffable loss. As the story progresses, the couple is split up and the culprits on either side come to light. One being seedy and repugnant, the other equally so but from so out of left field, you WILL clutch your pearls. Then the cast of villains expands and comes full circle, leaving you gagging at the revelations. The ending was gut-wrenching, one the reader won’t soon forget.
I know a lot of books claim a cinematic story, but I legit watched this whole movie from the first page. RIP to Gonzalez, one of the truly great horror writers of our time. His ability to paint a visceral masterpiece for the mind’s eye is unsurpassed. The story is simply one that every true fan of the genre should experience. The emotional minefield that he laid caught me off guard more than a few times. The icing on the cake, that would push this book to 6 stars out of 5 would be the new edition’s addendum of bonus content. So much great content explaining the history of Splatterpunk, as well as a better education of what the confusing-to-some genre is and isn’t. Can’t recommend this book enough, a definite contender for one of my top 5 books I’ve read to date!
Quick synopsis: A couple has a chance encounter with an odd stranger that sets off a chain off events that quickly becomes a sucking vortex of ineffable loss. As the story progresses, the couple is split up and the culprits on either side come to light. One being seedy and repugnant, the other equally so but from so out of left field, you WILL clutch your pearls. Then the cast of villains expands and comes full circle, leaving you gagging at the revelations. The ending was gut-wrenching, one the reader won’t soon forget.
I know a lot of books claim a cinematic story, but I legit watched this whole movie from the first page. RIP to Gonzalez, one of the truly great horror writers of our time. His ability to paint a visceral masterpiece for the mind’s eye is unsurpassed. The story is simply one that every true fan of the genre should experience. The emotional minefield that he laid caught me off guard more than a few times. The icing on the cake, that would push this book to 6 stars out of 5 would be the new edition’s addendum of bonus content. So much great content explaining the history of Splatterpunk, as well as a better education of what the confusing-to-some genre is and isn’t. Can’t recommend this book enough, a definite contender for one of my top 5 books I’ve read to date!
July 20, 2025
Well, this had a lot of potential to be a strong extreme horror book. it was just painfully repetitive and I found myself saying OK. I get it! At nearly 450 pages long, this needed to pack more of a punch to justify its length.
November 22, 2023
A harrowing book, perfectly written, with strong characters and plenty of gut wrenching moments. This one deserves its place as a classic in the genre.
January 8, 2024
4.5 This book was better than I expected, but it was also completely different from what I expected due to the cover and the back blurb.
The book really reels you in keeping your attention. Sometimes, it felt a bit repetitive, but it made perfect sense in the context, so it didn't really bother me.
The ending of chase, finding the culprit, was a little bit predictable, but that was fine and the actual end was surprising, but it wasn't, because part of me felt that's what the author was already working towards.
Overall, this is an amazing book for any horror lover.
The book really reels you in keeping your attention. Sometimes, it felt a bit repetitive, but it made perfect sense in the context, so it didn't really bother me.
The ending of chase, finding the culprit, was a little bit predictable, but that was fine and the actual end was surprising, but it wasn't, because part of me felt that's what the author was already working towards.
Overall, this is an amazing book for any horror lover.
March 23, 2024
Story itself was great and well-written. My issue with the book was how names would get mixed up and I would be so confused for pages until I went back and realized the mess up. Debbie Suddenly became Suzie. They switched Mabel's and Al's last names out. Just weird mistakes. Also got annoyed how many times "trussed" was used in a short period in the book. I would have given 5 stars if it weren't for that and the name mistakes. Just made the book slightly less enjoyable for me personally.
January 11, 2024
Could not finish…I like dark, but I stop cold in my tracks when it comes to babies.
September 24, 2025
Still as good as it was several years ago, when I read it for the first time.
February 3, 2025
Really strong extreme horror novel. More than guts and gore (though this one really smashes the brutality button), there’s great characters and a well-plotted mystery of who are these horrible people and why are they doing this. Must-read for extreme horror fans.
December 30, 2024
3.75
not my normal pick - but i enjoyed it nonetheless
absolutely fuxked novel though
not my normal pick - but i enjoyed it nonetheless
absolutely fuxked novel though
February 22, 2024
Ok, Gonzalez really knows how to write, but this one is not for everyone. It's very dark and graphic.
March 10, 2024
4.5⭐️
Lisa and Brad are your average couple. They're lawyers, happily married, and Brad is about to find out that Lisa is pregnant. When they're on their way for a nice relaxing vacation, they find trouble on the road. They have no idea just how much trouble this car ride would actually be.
This was an excellent book! I really enjoyed the gore and tough scenes. Lisa's character and her choices really pissed me off, which is what affected the star rating. There was a scene that did confuse me a bit, felt a tad rushed, and I felt it should have been explained with more detail since it was towards the end. Overall it was a solid read and I definitely will recommend. If you enjoy crime shows, you'll enjoy this. I enjoyed the characters, good and bad.
I really enjoyed Mabel and her recipes at the end of the book. You'll find out what I mean 😏
Lisa and Brad are your average couple. They're lawyers, happily married, and Brad is about to find out that Lisa is pregnant. When they're on their way for a nice relaxing vacation, they find trouble on the road. They have no idea just how much trouble this car ride would actually be.
This was an excellent book! I really enjoyed the gore and tough scenes. Lisa's character and her choices really pissed me off, which is what affected the star rating. There was a scene that did confuse me a bit, felt a tad rushed, and I felt it should have been explained with more detail since it was towards the end. Overall it was a solid read and I definitely will recommend. If you enjoy crime shows, you'll enjoy this. I enjoyed the characters, good and bad.
I really enjoyed Mabel and her recipes at the end of the book. You'll find out what I mean 😏
March 25, 2024
Great read
This was a Great read!! One you can really get into and feel the emotional torment and heartache. But also feel the gritty sense of urgency and harsh reality of what this read highlights. I was hooked from the first page struggling to stop for a bathroom break. It really was that intense. Actually I think it would make a good movie if they could pull off the sheer scale of horror, but we all know the book is always way better. Anyway if you enjoy a good intense horror, then this is a must read. I'd definitely recommend!
This was a Great read!! One you can really get into and feel the emotional torment and heartache. But also feel the gritty sense of urgency and harsh reality of what this read highlights. I was hooked from the first page struggling to stop for a bathroom break. It really was that intense. Actually I think it would make a good movie if they could pull off the sheer scale of horror, but we all know the book is always way better. Anyway if you enjoy a good intense horror, then this is a must read. I'd definitely recommend!
October 9, 2025
Taking away a star because it seems like no one proofread this book. The car goes from a Lexus to a Saturn back to a Lexus? One of the character’s name just changes halfway through the book? A bunch of typos and mistakes. It took me out of a story that I mostly enjoyed.
March 3, 2024
Not shocked. What can I say. 🤷🏼♀️
November 27, 2023
A book I would recommend to almost no one and which challenged my sensibilities to even complete it at times. I struggled to know how to rate it, but ultimately, I had to go with a “5” for many reasons, like it or not. The New York Times wrote of this novel 20 years ago when it first came out that, “This novel's moral compass holds steady even during the worst moments... It is easy to feel repulsed by this novel. yet it's hard to resist; it pushes your eyes off the page and then pulls them back, forcing the kind of visceral relationship between writer and reader that the best horror fiction can produce." That’s pretty apt as during one or two scenes that rank amongst the most disturbing things I’ve ever read I was averting my eyes from the page and taking a moment before diving back in to see how things turned out. Though a longtime horror aficionado (of both film and books), I’d never want to see a film adaptation of this one. It requires the reader’s ability to stop and start as able, to pace sensibly. There are chunks of the novel that beg to be devoured and others which require a break. I haven’t had a reading experience like this in a long, long time which is largely what earned it a 5. I had to read this one once I was pulled in. I’ve read other works by the late, great J.F. Gonzalez but this one has remained elusive as it’s been out of print for many years and I’ve never stumbled across an affordable copy. Now with the “Definitive Edition” it’s widely available once more including supplemental short stories and essays. It’s well worth a place on the shelf of any devoted fan of the genre but as I hope I’ve stressed, if books by Clive Barker or Stephen King, movies like “Hostel” or “The Devil’s Rejects” leave you faint of heart run far from this one which turns those sentiments up to 11. I’ll parrot the NYT though, in that it’s never celebratory of the evil or their perpetrators. It’s always clearly on the side of the victims, it’s always a clear demarcation between good and evil. Shocking and vile, but not antihuman or “edgelord”. You will cheer at a certain point when vengeance is served, even if later that may become lukewarm (and realistic). I’d rank this one alongside “Let’s Go Play with the Adams” and “The Girl Next Door”, the 3 most disturbing, affecting horror novels I’ve ever read. There are certainly even more depraved works of fiction out there in the “extreme horror” subgenre this and its kin sired, but most of those lack the emotional core, heart, and (despite its naysayers) literary chops of this one. Trigger warnings of all kinds to all potential readers, but there’s something of value and historical importance to be found here for longtime horror fans.
January 12, 2024
If you choose to dip your toes into the waters of "extreme horror", there are few titles that frequently get called out as essential. This book, however, is a frequent addition to those fabled ranks and it was unavailable (new) for some time, leading me to build up expectations that probably couldn't be met.
Finally, this new "definitive" edition was released and I was able to get my hands on it. Turns out, it's pretty damn good. But for a different reason than I expected.
Lisa and Brad are on their way to a well-deserved vacation. However, a road-rage incident leads one to jail for the weekend and the other to a hotel room. That is, until they are kidnapped from the hotel room. With few leads and time passing by, a world of underground snuff films is uncovered and there may be a new video starring our protagonist.
The subject matter is disturbing for sure, but this is not a gross-out book. There's enough horrific moments to cut deeper than the standard King/Koontz style horror novel, but what really shines is the emotional component to it. The realizations that our characters go through and the emotional toll of those are what really hits. In so many books and movies, people go through terrifying events and just walk away like nothing happened, or even more ridiculous, like they have been forged in fire, stronger than ever. Not here. Survival is the goal, but being a survivor is not all it's cracked up to be sometimes.
Looking for something horrific but with a heart? This is a great choice. And the "Definitive Edition" includes additional writings by the author and others that add context to the story as well as the life of J.F. Gonzalez.
Finally, this new "definitive" edition was released and I was able to get my hands on it. Turns out, it's pretty damn good. But for a different reason than I expected.
Lisa and Brad are on their way to a well-deserved vacation. However, a road-rage incident leads one to jail for the weekend and the other to a hotel room. That is, until they are kidnapped from the hotel room. With few leads and time passing by, a world of underground snuff films is uncovered and there may be a new video starring our protagonist.
The subject matter is disturbing for sure, but this is not a gross-out book. There's enough horrific moments to cut deeper than the standard King/Koontz style horror novel, but what really shines is the emotional component to it. The realizations that our characters go through and the emotional toll of those are what really hits. In so many books and movies, people go through terrifying events and just walk away like nothing happened, or even more ridiculous, like they have been forged in fire, stronger than ever. Not here. Survival is the goal, but being a survivor is not all it's cracked up to be sometimes.
Looking for something horrific but with a heart? This is a great choice. And the "Definitive Edition" includes additional writings by the author and others that add context to the story as well as the life of J.F. Gonzalez.
July 31, 2024
Extremely disturbing (in a good way), but let down by poor editing.
This book was recommended to me because I was looking for something genuinely dark and disturbing, and I definitely found it! Although by today’s standards it’s actually fairly tame, the true horror comes from what is not included but only mentioned or alluded to, most notably being the fate of Alicia’s baby, Mandy. The characters were all pretty engaging and I have to say, I thought I had cleverly deduced the hidden villain near the start but was pleasantly surprised to have been wrong.
What let this book down though was the very poor editing. The preface of the “Definitive” edition says that the author painstakingly edited his novel to remove errors he found “embarrassing”; I dread to think then what the first version was, since this was riddled with spelling, grammatical and punctuation mistakes, and most annoyingly of all many examples of blatant repetition, either of whole ideas or phrases, or just the same word being used twice in very close proximity. For this reason I had to drop the rating down from a 5 to a 4, because those kinds of mistakes really do bring me out of the reading experience.
But other than that, I would definitely recommend this very dark and very disturbing novel!
This book was recommended to me because I was looking for something genuinely dark and disturbing, and I definitely found it! Although by today’s standards it’s actually fairly tame, the true horror comes from what is not included but only mentioned or alluded to, most notably being the fate of Alicia’s baby, Mandy. The characters were all pretty engaging and I have to say, I thought I had cleverly deduced the hidden villain near the start but was pleasantly surprised to have been wrong.
What let this book down though was the very poor editing. The preface of the “Definitive” edition says that the author painstakingly edited his novel to remove errors he found “embarrassing”; I dread to think then what the first version was, since this was riddled with spelling, grammatical and punctuation mistakes, and most annoyingly of all many examples of blatant repetition, either of whole ideas or phrases, or just the same word being used twice in very close proximity. For this reason I had to drop the rating down from a 5 to a 4, because those kinds of mistakes really do bring me out of the reading experience.
But other than that, I would definitely recommend this very dark and very disturbing novel!
March 9, 2024
On her way to spend a weekend on holiday with her husband, Lisa is kidnapped, but not for ransom, these men have a darker purpose in mind, one that will force her into a position to make a devastating decision just to get out alive.
Survivor is a distressing and deeply affecting novel, one that will assault your perceptions, and leave you questioning how it is that your own imagination can wander into some very dark places.
There are passages in this novel that left me shattered and broken, reeling from its power, from its unflinching eye, and I’m not sure that I will ever be able to process some of it entirely.
Whilst it is true that it can be viewed as relatively restrained by today’s standards, it is no less horrifying, as the connection you will have with these characters will draw you in, and hold you hostage while Gonzalez engages in a complex conversation with you about the blackest depths of human depravity, and the effect that it has on anyone unlucky enough to come near it.
One of the many reasons why I admire what Gonzalez has done with this book is that while the subject matter is egregious, it never reads as exploitative, it is not just for show, there is a back story behind every element, a reason for it to exist. It is a challenging and confronting book, and one of the finest extreme horror novels I have read to date.
Survivor is a distressing and deeply affecting novel, one that will assault your perceptions, and leave you questioning how it is that your own imagination can wander into some very dark places.
There are passages in this novel that left me shattered and broken, reeling from its power, from its unflinching eye, and I’m not sure that I will ever be able to process some of it entirely.
Whilst it is true that it can be viewed as relatively restrained by today’s standards, it is no less horrifying, as the connection you will have with these characters will draw you in, and hold you hostage while Gonzalez engages in a complex conversation with you about the blackest depths of human depravity, and the effect that it has on anyone unlucky enough to come near it.
One of the many reasons why I admire what Gonzalez has done with this book is that while the subject matter is egregious, it never reads as exploitative, it is not just for show, there is a back story behind every element, a reason for it to exist. It is a challenging and confronting book, and one of the finest extreme horror novels I have read to date.
October 10, 2023
This book was just on an whole new level for me. Raised the bar for what I'll consider the gold standard of this particular subgenre. Is it the most depraved? No. Is it the goriest? No. Is it the grossest? No. What the book is, is a perfect marriage of realism while not being afraid to lean into depravity and unflinching violence. The story here is well written, and the further you get into the book the less it leans into the extreme aspects and more into the world and characters that Gonzalez built. I read alot of extreme horror, particularly in the last year or two. The ending of this book had my eyes watery.
March 6, 2024
It's hard to review this one. In terms of just heinous material, this is probably the worst of my recent sojourn into the depraved. The writing was pedestrian at best and everything fell apart in the last third, just a jumble of ideas with a corny ending. That said, when the awfulness was happening, you felt it. The terror, the helplessness, the horrors being perpetuated were there in a sense that made them feel real. For about thirty sum pages, this was Hell. That's probably why you would read this book anyway, so if you made it this far and you're interested, let 'er rip. Pun intended.
May 29, 2024
There were some spelling errors (which probably bug me more than they should)
Also I’m pretty sure one of the characters name changed from Debbie to Susie at one point and it’s sort of repetitive
Despite that I thought the story was great for an extreme horror novel
It sort of reminded me of I Spit On Your Grave with a much more sinister plot
If you’re like me and have an interest in this genre then I’d definitely recommend this one
The author included a lot of great recommendations at the end as well
Survivor shows the reader that people with seemingly good hearts can do the most heinous things imaginable when faced with a certain, brutal death
The scariest part of this book is that these things actually happen
July 28, 2024
While there are some glaring continuity and grammatical errors, the exposition and inner monologues are often rambling and excessive, and the overall writing style is on the simple side, this is still a worthwhile read, as it contains some of the most disturbing material I've experienced thus far, and the overarching moral conflict absolutely drives the story. I found myself truly feeling for the main character, wondering what I would have done in the same situation and how I would have dealt with the outcome had I chosen similarly. The bonus material in this edition is excellent as well.
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