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Old Too Soon
When Kadence’s father dies, she begins hearing voices in her head. Soon thereafter, she discovers alcohol, which silences the voices, and Kadence becomes an alcoholic. To finance her addiction, she turns to a life of crime. Then she meets Arianne, the girl of her dreams.After she gets locked up, Arianne breaks up with her and begins dating Kadence’s cousin, Beatrix—a serial killer who collects human skulls. When Kadence gets released, will she be able to keep Beatrix from adding Arianne to her collection?Fans of bleak, transgressive fiction will enjoy this coming-of-age horror novel.
- GenresHorror
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2023
3 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
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December 2, 2023Full review at The Mort Report:
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/the...
“Apathy
The chosen way to be
Blindly look the other way
While you waste away with me”
PRICE TO PLAY – Staind
Oh, boy, this one is going to ruffle some feathers!
What if…?
- Thomas Scholl
- Belgica Antarctica
- Oymyakon
- Harvey Kennedy
- Genomericophobia
I want to start by saying that I absolutely love this author’s style of writing – simple and straight-forward, in the best possible way.
And then I am going to go off on a tangent first, so the start of this review will make sense.
There are two words that any good author should utilize when writing fiction: What if? It should be the foundation of any original story idea, because we all know an idea alone does not a story make. We need to build on it, to work out all the kinks, to show the reader your vision, to make them buy into something that may not even really exist and, most of all, to make them care.
This story is a rather bleak look at the future of What if…?
I may sound like an old man when I say this, but a lot of things in the world we live in does not make sense to me anymore. Where are we heading, as a species, if we look at the world today?
I had an interesting discussion with my mother-in-law a few weeks ago – no, this is not a beginning of a joke, we actually get along really well – about the internet and information being so freely available these days. We were talking about libraries and how we actually had to do things from our side to get information. And she said something very true:
“Today’s children have nothing left to discover.”
No, I am not inviting a philosophical debate here, but think about it: Just about anything they want to know, they can ask a small device that they carry with them (in some cases literally ask, they don’t even have to type) and the answer is provided.
And this sets a very dangerous precedent, doesn’t it?
One of the most upsetting things I’ve heard in years was a twenty year old who made the statement:
“General knowledge has become redundant.”
Ooh, man, I am getting hot under the collar just typing that shit and it is probably best not to elaborate on why this pisses me off so much. But, I am also not blind, and I can see why she so erroneously might think so.
Do you agree?
Well, l am going back to the beginning of my review. Who, what and why did I type them? Because, thanks to Google, as I sat down, I could find out the following:
- Who was the world’s fastest yodeler?
- Which insect is endemic to Antarctica?
- What is the name of the coldest town in the world?
- Who invented the aglet? (Spoiler – it is also the person who invented the shoelace)
- How many people did I actually fool into trying to find the meaning of a made up phobia when they saw the word?
When I was a child, none of these questions would have been answered if I didn’t go to the library and did some research in actual, made-of-paper books. Hell, if I missed an episode of AIRWOLF on a Friday night, it was gone forever if somebody didn’t tape it on a video tape (and we were one of the only families who persisted with Betamax when all my friends had VHS players, because “everything is getting smaller, right?”), which also meant I had to avoid any spoilers until I could watch it at a friend’s house.
So, there is absolutely zero doubt that today’s children does not have a lack of information (although they might suffer from a lack of knowledge – can you remember the name of the coldest town in the world without scrolling back to what you’ve read less than a minute ago?), and if you take away their curiosity, what are you left with? They want to explore the unknown, far beyond what is thought of as decent, moral and every single thing we have worked toward as a species to improve ourselves.
And this makes the older generations ask:
Where will it all end? What are we going to be left with? What will become acceptable and everyday if we continue down this path?
What if…?
OLD TOO SOON takes a path in which this question is explored, and if you are anything like me, you will not really like the picture it is painting. Mostly because – I wouldn’t have thought so twenty years ago – it is probable that the world can actually degenerate into this nightmare.
So why do I say it will ruffle some feathers?
Well, think of all the shit kids (and adults) can do, and then make the main players in the story younger…
This was a difficult read for me. Very, very difficult. I have a son who is approaching his teens – it is not so far away anymore – and I have literal nightmares about what will become of him in this world. If there is only one thing I hope I can to achieve in my lifetime as a father, it would be for him to be empathetic to the people around him who rarely are, to not poison his soul and make him just another number in this life we find ourselves tumbling through.
Fuck, man, I want to avoid making him as cynical as I have become about so many things. In the end, I want him to be a better person than I am.
And it is a hard fucking road to travel, because the world messes with you any which way it can, so trying to teach him to stay calm and talk things through before reacting makes him a target. I just hope I can teach him the tools to come out the other side stronger.
Wow, this is getting very personal, my apologies, but I need to explain why reading this book turned out to be an unpleasant experience. I couldn’t completely detach, because my real life “what if’s” went nuts in my head. It touched me in some very unpleasant places in my mind and it left skid marks on my fears.
I am absolutely loathe to rate this book, because no matter what rating I choose, it will not reflect all the dimensions of my feelings.
So, this book is vile in many ways, but it is a story I will be able to recap in full ten years from now. It was brilliantly written in my opinion, yet the reading experience left an uncomfortable taste in my mouth.
Can I rate this in the middle?
Hell, no, because the author did his job.
Can I rate it full marks?
Hell, no, because I really did not like what it did to me inside.
I will recommend it to the following readers:
Lovers of transgressive fiction and stories that pushes the boundaries of morality, this is a must read for you.
People who feel they have no triggers and want something beyond blood and gore (which it does have, but the power of the story far exceeds the visual), this is a must read for you.
Horror lovers in general who want to be physically scared, this does not have the pace you might want.
People who want trigger warnings, please avoid this story at all costs, my little lamb.
I am loathe to rate this one, as there are just too many layers here.
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/the...
“Apathy
The chosen way to be
Blindly look the other way
While you waste away with me”
PRICE TO PLAY – Staind
Oh, boy, this one is going to ruffle some feathers!
What if…?
- Thomas Scholl
- Belgica Antarctica
- Oymyakon
- Harvey Kennedy
- Genomericophobia
I want to start by saying that I absolutely love this author’s style of writing – simple and straight-forward, in the best possible way.
And then I am going to go off on a tangent first, so the start of this review will make sense.
There are two words that any good author should utilize when writing fiction: What if? It should be the foundation of any original story idea, because we all know an idea alone does not a story make. We need to build on it, to work out all the kinks, to show the reader your vision, to make them buy into something that may not even really exist and, most of all, to make them care.
This story is a rather bleak look at the future of What if…?
I may sound like an old man when I say this, but a lot of things in the world we live in does not make sense to me anymore. Where are we heading, as a species, if we look at the world today?
I had an interesting discussion with my mother-in-law a few weeks ago – no, this is not a beginning of a joke, we actually get along really well – about the internet and information being so freely available these days. We were talking about libraries and how we actually had to do things from our side to get information. And she said something very true:
“Today’s children have nothing left to discover.”
No, I am not inviting a philosophical debate here, but think about it: Just about anything they want to know, they can ask a small device that they carry with them (in some cases literally ask, they don’t even have to type) and the answer is provided.
And this sets a very dangerous precedent, doesn’t it?
One of the most upsetting things I’ve heard in years was a twenty year old who made the statement:
“General knowledge has become redundant.”
Ooh, man, I am getting hot under the collar just typing that shit and it is probably best not to elaborate on why this pisses me off so much. But, I am also not blind, and I can see why she so erroneously might think so.
Do you agree?
Well, l am going back to the beginning of my review. Who, what and why did I type them? Because, thanks to Google, as I sat down, I could find out the following:
- Who was the world’s fastest yodeler?
- Which insect is endemic to Antarctica?
- What is the name of the coldest town in the world?
- Who invented the aglet? (Spoiler – it is also the person who invented the shoelace)
- How many people did I actually fool into trying to find the meaning of a made up phobia when they saw the word?
When I was a child, none of these questions would have been answered if I didn’t go to the library and did some research in actual, made-of-paper books. Hell, if I missed an episode of AIRWOLF on a Friday night, it was gone forever if somebody didn’t tape it on a video tape (and we were one of the only families who persisted with Betamax when all my friends had VHS players, because “everything is getting smaller, right?”), which also meant I had to avoid any spoilers until I could watch it at a friend’s house.
So, there is absolutely zero doubt that today’s children does not have a lack of information (although they might suffer from a lack of knowledge – can you remember the name of the coldest town in the world without scrolling back to what you’ve read less than a minute ago?), and if you take away their curiosity, what are you left with? They want to explore the unknown, far beyond what is thought of as decent, moral and every single thing we have worked toward as a species to improve ourselves.
And this makes the older generations ask:
Where will it all end? What are we going to be left with? What will become acceptable and everyday if we continue down this path?
What if…?
OLD TOO SOON takes a path in which this question is explored, and if you are anything like me, you will not really like the picture it is painting. Mostly because – I wouldn’t have thought so twenty years ago – it is probable that the world can actually degenerate into this nightmare.
So why do I say it will ruffle some feathers?
Well, think of all the shit kids (and adults) can do, and then make the main players in the story younger…
This was a difficult read for me. Very, very difficult. I have a son who is approaching his teens – it is not so far away anymore – and I have literal nightmares about what will become of him in this world. If there is only one thing I hope I can to achieve in my lifetime as a father, it would be for him to be empathetic to the people around him who rarely are, to not poison his soul and make him just another number in this life we find ourselves tumbling through.
Fuck, man, I want to avoid making him as cynical as I have become about so many things. In the end, I want him to be a better person than I am.
And it is a hard fucking road to travel, because the world messes with you any which way it can, so trying to teach him to stay calm and talk things through before reacting makes him a target. I just hope I can teach him the tools to come out the other side stronger.
Wow, this is getting very personal, my apologies, but I need to explain why reading this book turned out to be an unpleasant experience. I couldn’t completely detach, because my real life “what if’s” went nuts in my head. It touched me in some very unpleasant places in my mind and it left skid marks on my fears.
I am absolutely loathe to rate this book, because no matter what rating I choose, it will not reflect all the dimensions of my feelings.
So, this book is vile in many ways, but it is a story I will be able to recap in full ten years from now. It was brilliantly written in my opinion, yet the reading experience left an uncomfortable taste in my mouth.
Can I rate this in the middle?
Hell, no, because the author did his job.
Can I rate it full marks?
Hell, no, because I really did not like what it did to me inside.
I will recommend it to the following readers:
Lovers of transgressive fiction and stories that pushes the boundaries of morality, this is a must read for you.
People who feel they have no triggers and want something beyond blood and gore (which it does have, but the power of the story far exceeds the visual), this is a must read for you.
Horror lovers in general who want to be physically scared, this does not have the pace you might want.
People who want trigger warnings, please avoid this story at all costs, my little lamb.
I am loathe to rate this one, as there are just too many layers here.
July 13, 2024
This is a dark, brutal, and violent coming of age story.
It's constructed very well.
The characters are well-developed.
There was a part which was so disturbing for me, I almost DNF, but I'm glad I began the next chapter and completed the book.
Bowyer certainly has a style.
It's constructed very well.
The characters are well-developed.
There was a part which was so disturbing for me, I almost DNF, but I'm glad I began the next chapter and completed the book.
Bowyer certainly has a style.
February 6, 2024
Old Too Soon is what transgressive fiction is all about. It's a extremely bleak look at violence, substance use, child abuse and broken relationships. What happens to the people inflicted with these tragedys and where could it lead? What if the story is told from the point of view of children and young adults? Thats what this story shows in psychopathic amount of brutality and enough whiskey to last six lifetimes.
I wont rehash the plot but the character of Kadence was so easy to like even though she lives on the fringe of society. I particularly loved her early chapters when she was a pre teen and getting into drugs and alcohol. I loved seeing her story arc as it progressed and secretly hoped the best for her.
Beatrix on the other hand Kadence's cousin another young teen is a fantastically written serial killer with zero conscience with a blood lust beyond anything I have read in a long time. She has no redeeming qualities at all but was definitely fun to read about.
Brian has a simple writing style telling the story in a way that is just so easy to digest it made the pages fly by.
This is a difficult read especially one scene involving the murder of a small child. Its graphic but not in an over the top way but more how Brian wrote the childs innocence and demeanour really tore at my heart strings.
Bleak beyond measure but absolutely brilliant.
I wont rehash the plot but the character of Kadence was so easy to like even though she lives on the fringe of society. I particularly loved her early chapters when she was a pre teen and getting into drugs and alcohol. I loved seeing her story arc as it progressed and secretly hoped the best for her.
Beatrix on the other hand Kadence's cousin another young teen is a fantastically written serial killer with zero conscience with a blood lust beyond anything I have read in a long time. She has no redeeming qualities at all but was definitely fun to read about.
Brian has a simple writing style telling the story in a way that is just so easy to digest it made the pages fly by.
This is a difficult read especially one scene involving the murder of a small child. Its graphic but not in an over the top way but more how Brian wrote the childs innocence and demeanour really tore at my heart strings.
Bleak beyond measure but absolutely brilliant.
May 19, 2024
If you’ve read Brian Bowyer you’ll know what to expect. This is a book that pulls no punches - bleak, graphic, relentless and yet somehow very human.
June 23, 2024
Another addictive shot of adrenaline-fueled mayhem from Brian Bowyer!
Old Too Soon is essential reading for fans of transgressive fiction and a story I will not forget in a hurry.
Beautifully done!
Old Too Soon is essential reading for fans of transgressive fiction and a story I will not forget in a hurry.
Beautifully done!
December 12, 2023
Can't get enough of Brian's writing. Violent, funny, and hyper stylised.
November 21, 2023
Available Now in eBook, paperback and Kindle Unlimited!
July 3, 2025
First, let’s get the nitty gritty out of the way. Old Too Soon contains a lot of dark themes and adult content, such as drug use, gory deaths, and references to necrophilia. It’s a brutal story with flawed characters and wildly horrific events. If you can stomach that, let’s get into this review.
From the beginning, Bowyer unveils a time and place where morals are already lacking, adults are not acting their part, and the kids are even worse. The setting laid out contains alcoholics, drug dealers, and sadists—and those are just the characters under fifteen years old. The adults are too busy drowning in their addictions, grief, or indifference.
The plot is less about one major dilemma that must be solved, but is character-focused. The story follows Kadence between the ages of eleven and sixteen, and along with that comes the growth and events of those around her: parents, friends, family, and others in the community.
Most of the people in this book dwell in a morally twisted atmosphere. There were certainly some that I was rooting for (poor Brendan), and others that I longed to watch crash and burn. On the outside, it seemed appalling to watch mere children get involved in the drug use and crime that occurs in this story. Then, Bowyer took me deeper into their lives, and I found understanding and empathy for the characters who dealt with so much. They drink to numb the pain, they take drugs to offset the drugs. Watching them spiral from one vice to another was a humble reminder of how quickly people can get caught up in simply trying to quiet the emotional pain inside them.
Between Bowyer’s short chapters and to-the-point writing style, I breezed through this book in about a week. That is very quick for me in regards to physical reads. Each chapter was a revelation of a character’s past or their brutal demise. While the writing style is concise, I still found every detail I needed to picture the world I was sucked into. Bowyer excels when it comes to “less is more”.
While the dialogue is realistic and not over-flourished, and the descriptions are tight but not overdone, I enjoyed where Bowyer took the time to slow down and focus on a particular moment or idea. For example, in a story that Kadence writes, a character is having brain surgery, and Bowyer takes us through each step of drilling into the skull and pulling back pieces of the cerebellum. There are also times when Kadence drops some interesting facts about Vikings and gladiators.
I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the metal vibes here. Kadence learns to master the guitar, referencing legends like Slayer and Pantera. She forms a band called Fear Fetish (banger of a name) and plays metal at venues. There are also some fun references to books, reading, and horror movies.
While there were a lot of intimate and violent moments portrayed in this book, most of them were referenced, which I appreciated especially because the majority of the characters were minors. The kills were savage and graphic in the best ways, but the more grotesque aspects were left to the imagination.
Old Too Soon is a vicious window into the world of ruthless kids just trying to survive. Whether quieter moments underlined with dread or fast-paced chaos, this book is a quick and fun horror book. Like any great book in the genre, it’ll make you queasy, leave you feeling uncomfortable, and force you to keep turning the pages.
A FanFi Addict Review
From the beginning, Bowyer unveils a time and place where morals are already lacking, adults are not acting their part, and the kids are even worse. The setting laid out contains alcoholics, drug dealers, and sadists—and those are just the characters under fifteen years old. The adults are too busy drowning in their addictions, grief, or indifference.
The plot is less about one major dilemma that must be solved, but is character-focused. The story follows Kadence between the ages of eleven and sixteen, and along with that comes the growth and events of those around her: parents, friends, family, and others in the community.
Most of the people in this book dwell in a morally twisted atmosphere. There were certainly some that I was rooting for (poor Brendan), and others that I longed to watch crash and burn. On the outside, it seemed appalling to watch mere children get involved in the drug use and crime that occurs in this story. Then, Bowyer took me deeper into their lives, and I found understanding and empathy for the characters who dealt with so much. They drink to numb the pain, they take drugs to offset the drugs. Watching them spiral from one vice to another was a humble reminder of how quickly people can get caught up in simply trying to quiet the emotional pain inside them.
Between Bowyer’s short chapters and to-the-point writing style, I breezed through this book in about a week. That is very quick for me in regards to physical reads. Each chapter was a revelation of a character’s past or their brutal demise. While the writing style is concise, I still found every detail I needed to picture the world I was sucked into. Bowyer excels when it comes to “less is more”.
While the dialogue is realistic and not over-flourished, and the descriptions are tight but not overdone, I enjoyed where Bowyer took the time to slow down and focus on a particular moment or idea. For example, in a story that Kadence writes, a character is having brain surgery, and Bowyer takes us through each step of drilling into the skull and pulling back pieces of the cerebellum. There are also times when Kadence drops some interesting facts about Vikings and gladiators.
I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the metal vibes here. Kadence learns to master the guitar, referencing legends like Slayer and Pantera. She forms a band called Fear Fetish (banger of a name) and plays metal at venues. There are also some fun references to books, reading, and horror movies.
While there were a lot of intimate and violent moments portrayed in this book, most of them were referenced, which I appreciated especially because the majority of the characters were minors. The kills were savage and graphic in the best ways, but the more grotesque aspects were left to the imagination.
Old Too Soon is a vicious window into the world of ruthless kids just trying to survive. Whether quieter moments underlined with dread or fast-paced chaos, this book is a quick and fun horror book. Like any great book in the genre, it’ll make you queasy, leave you feeling uncomfortable, and force you to keep turning the pages.
A FanFi Addict Review
Read
March 7, 2024Hardcore. Brutal. Transgressive. You've been warned. American Psycho meets Kids.
June 13, 2024
Pg 1, we have the cuteness of a lil girl naming a spider Cosmo—and the harsh juxtaposition of the junkie mom’s pedo BF. Talk about red neck: kids with rifles, openly bumming cigs and beer off their moms. This starts her alcoholism and stops the feeling of nervous “centipedes” in her head since her dad’s passing. Bowyer is a minimalist in prose but maximalist in debauchery and it’s quick, unfeeling pace.
By contrast, is rich cousin Beatrix who kills for diamonds and thrills as a teenager. She gets what she wants too easy in both ways though, knowing how to get away from high security without doing anything special. Then again, her mom runs the town so maybe she doesn’t have to be that careful.
Funny that Chad Lutzke is mentioned when I just read Riverside. Keeping theme with coveted books, in Kill Factor, Bowyer mentions Koontz and King also in the mitts of crime families with steel-strong matriarchs. Though creatively gross things happen, they’re not described in much detail, to the point I think the sadists do it by compulsion—not enjoyment. I think the gun-to-head-sex scene is straight out of Kill Factor too, maybe a cohesive Easter egg throughout all his work?
The humor is pretty deadpan and steady than, say, a Troma film. The dialogue can be campy with exposition or when other characters completely ignore the drama of others. Another signature here is the random dropping of horrific fun facts, like gladiator type fighters being continually chained up to rocks or the experiments done on severed monkey heads.
This ain’t really the place for it but I would have liked more of the band life. The girls getting groupies, hearing from fans, some lyrics or song titles, maybe some killer merch ideas. The drunk novelist lady inspo with the typewriter was good but I felt we should have been more focused on how the MC channeled that into songwriting or shredding. Book writers in books is just done so much, it’s too obvious to me, though it was good in the excerpt how the style got more complex and metaphorical with parallels to the original characters. Also, I would have liked a tad more of the bug theme.
By contrast, is rich cousin Beatrix who kills for diamonds and thrills as a teenager. She gets what she wants too easy in both ways though, knowing how to get away from high security without doing anything special. Then again, her mom runs the town so maybe she doesn’t have to be that careful.
Funny that Chad Lutzke is mentioned when I just read Riverside. Keeping theme with coveted books, in Kill Factor, Bowyer mentions Koontz and King also in the mitts of crime families with steel-strong matriarchs. Though creatively gross things happen, they’re not described in much detail, to the point I think the sadists do it by compulsion—not enjoyment. I think the gun-to-head-sex scene is straight out of Kill Factor too, maybe a cohesive Easter egg throughout all his work?
The humor is pretty deadpan and steady than, say, a Troma film. The dialogue can be campy with exposition or when other characters completely ignore the drama of others. Another signature here is the random dropping of horrific fun facts, like gladiator type fighters being continually chained up to rocks or the experiments done on severed monkey heads.
This ain’t really the place for it but I would have liked more of the band life. The girls getting groupies, hearing from fans, some lyrics or song titles, maybe some killer merch ideas. The drunk novelist lady inspo with the typewriter was good but I felt we should have been more focused on how the MC channeled that into songwriting or shredding. Book writers in books is just done so much, it’s too obvious to me, though it was good in the excerpt how the style got more complex and metaphorical with parallels to the original characters. Also, I would have liked a tad more of the bug theme.
November 22, 2023
Brian Bowyer is an automatic buy for me, so when his new book was announced I pre-ordered it immediately. I knew I'd not be disappointed. I've never felt anything but tremendous joy with Bowyer's books. They're dark, brutally honest, brutally descriptive in style, and extremely bleak even for transgressive fiction; yet there's hope in there somewhere, though very much hidden between non-stop drinking and getting high. His characters act without guilt, without malice. In fact, they are monsters of nature, in a sense that makes even perversion a rational act. 'Old Too Soon' is Bowyer in his darkest yet; gory, shocking, yes, but here the atmosphere of the book itself stars as well. Cruelty is taken for granted, and abuse of all kinds is permanently on the menu; the typically vicious Bowyer females appear in this book, too - but with a twist: they're mostly kids: preteen girls and savage teenagers, one an eleven-year-old victimized alcoholic, and the other her cousin, filthy rich and a total psychopath. This is a coming-of-age novel, however these kids don't seem to have ever been young in their life: hence, "old too soon." Alcohol flows freely, sex comes up every couple of pages, serial killers appear left and right, good girls do not survive, and the narrative builds up slowly, calmly, gently, female romantic relationships driving the novel into its natural resolution. The ending I found heart-breaking. What's left unsaid is the most chilling.
I cannot recommend this author highly enough!
I cannot recommend this author highly enough!
January 31, 2024
A Horror Book Recommendation
Old Too Soon by Brian Bowyer
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
After her father died in a tragic accident, a young girl is forced to grow up within a hardcore existence. Among this abusive life, there lies a different world where a cast of unsavory criminals exists. Some souls are born with pure innocence and some are born with an old soul too soon.
Author Brian Bowyer has cleverly mixed a tragic street life of delinquency with uncompromising carnage in his latest novel entitled Old Too Soon. His reality of crystal meth, alcoholism and pleasures of torture pushes the limits of extreme fiction. From randomly choosing a stranger to kill to the most ominous of drug dealers, Bowyer’s cast of fearful characters is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. Pills, heroin and my personal favorite…cocaine inseminated Dristan nasal spray bottles, all lead to a harsher Bowyer “type” gateway drug.
Old Too Soon has the smell of an empty whiskey flask and the feel of an infected cauterized wound. This ultra-violent story of glamorized carnage forces the reader into an exploration of metaphoric and physical addictions…in the most darkest of ways.
Before I go, I wanted to take a second and speak to the many WTF moments involved within this full length novel. Yup, it’s gonna be one of those reads, so check your trigger warnings at the door and leave them next to the bolt cutters, disposable gloves and industrial strength trash bags. WARNING: You Must Be This Tall To Read Old Too Soon.
Brian Bowyer is definitely a one of a kind author. On a drug dealing digital scale of one to five, Old Too Soon tops the purity and quality grade at a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. So break out those black hoodies, some Old Crow whiskey, a dime bag (R.I.P.) and your favorite guitar axe because this is gonna be bumpy read.
Old Too Soon by Brian Bowyer
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
After her father died in a tragic accident, a young girl is forced to grow up within a hardcore existence. Among this abusive life, there lies a different world where a cast of unsavory criminals exists. Some souls are born with pure innocence and some are born with an old soul too soon.
Author Brian Bowyer has cleverly mixed a tragic street life of delinquency with uncompromising carnage in his latest novel entitled Old Too Soon. His reality of crystal meth, alcoholism and pleasures of torture pushes the limits of extreme fiction. From randomly choosing a stranger to kill to the most ominous of drug dealers, Bowyer’s cast of fearful characters is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. Pills, heroin and my personal favorite…cocaine inseminated Dristan nasal spray bottles, all lead to a harsher Bowyer “type” gateway drug.
Old Too Soon has the smell of an empty whiskey flask and the feel of an infected cauterized wound. This ultra-violent story of glamorized carnage forces the reader into an exploration of metaphoric and physical addictions…in the most darkest of ways.
Before I go, I wanted to take a second and speak to the many WTF moments involved within this full length novel. Yup, it’s gonna be one of those reads, so check your trigger warnings at the door and leave them next to the bolt cutters, disposable gloves and industrial strength trash bags. WARNING: You Must Be This Tall To Read Old Too Soon.
Brian Bowyer is definitely a one of a kind author. On a drug dealing digital scale of one to five, Old Too Soon tops the purity and quality grade at a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. So break out those black hoodies, some Old Crow whiskey, a dime bag (R.I.P.) and your favorite guitar axe because this is gonna be bumpy read.
February 18, 2025
Geez. I kinda don't even know where to begin with this one.
Maybe with a signature phrase I think I've read in all three of Bowyer's books that I've read? "Let me hit that whiskey."
Someone else has already said, if you've read any Bowyer, you know what to expect. That's mostly true. You're going to get an awful lot of psychopathic behaviour, and characters who have lost all sense of morality. Bowyer tends to write one of two types of characters...those who kill, or those who will be killed. There's virtually no one in between.
Bowyer writes some really bleak, nihilistic, violent horror. He's Jack Ketchum with absolutely no conscience or morality.
And please do not take any of this as negative statements, none of it is meant that way. Bowyer is a sadistic Hemingway who writes the sparest prose I may have ever read. His killers are dispassionate in the extreme. I don't think anyone else writes like this, and I'm sure I could pick out Bowyer's writing anywhere.
I will say, having read his biography, this one reads very much like an alternative universe Brian Bowyer, as I recognized a lot of the situations from the tales he told of his own life.
This is one mean motherfucker of a book. I don't read a lot of this stuff because, quite honestly, it bothers me. But I do make the exception for Bowyer.
Maybe with a signature phrase I think I've read in all three of Bowyer's books that I've read? "Let me hit that whiskey."
Someone else has already said, if you've read any Bowyer, you know what to expect. That's mostly true. You're going to get an awful lot of psychopathic behaviour, and characters who have lost all sense of morality. Bowyer tends to write one of two types of characters...those who kill, or those who will be killed. There's virtually no one in between.
Bowyer writes some really bleak, nihilistic, violent horror. He's Jack Ketchum with absolutely no conscience or morality.
And please do not take any of this as negative statements, none of it is meant that way. Bowyer is a sadistic Hemingway who writes the sparest prose I may have ever read. His killers are dispassionate in the extreme. I don't think anyone else writes like this, and I'm sure I could pick out Bowyer's writing anywhere.
I will say, having read his biography, this one reads very much like an alternative universe Brian Bowyer, as I recognized a lot of the situations from the tales he told of his own life.
This is one mean motherfucker of a book. I don't read a lot of this stuff because, quite honestly, it bothers me. But I do make the exception for Bowyer.
December 28, 2023
Bowyer's writing goes for the throat, both figuratively and when referring to his characters, quite literally. While he's got you by the throat, he proceeds to pull you in with fleshed out characters that reach past your throat and wrap around that part of your spinal chord you once referred to as something cervical.
Old Too Soon is some kind of beautifully brutalized monster. Part coming of age, (think Standy By Me penned as Henry: Portait Of A Serial Killer), part Natural Born Killers, and part True Romance takin' to the next degree where it is shakin' not stirred by stylistic prose and hard drinkin' vile types. Riveting throughout, trigger warnings abound, and bad ass shot gun blasts shoot over head to warn yourselves... this is only a book.
Old Too Soon is some kind of beautifully brutalized monster. Part coming of age, (think Standy By Me penned as Henry: Portait Of A Serial Killer), part Natural Born Killers, and part True Romance takin' to the next degree where it is shakin' not stirred by stylistic prose and hard drinkin' vile types. Riveting throughout, trigger warnings abound, and bad ass shot gun blasts shoot over head to warn yourselves... this is only a book.
December 18, 2023
Evil has a new name:
Beatrix.
Seriously, I’ve never read a more twisted and sick villain. She’s just utterly messed up.
As are most of the characters in this oh so bleak and brutal book.
Old Too Soon features a multitude of bad people doing very bad things. I did love Kadence though. I’d have happily drank whiskey with her and listened to Slayer and jammed.
This will probably be my last read of 2023, and what a way to end it. I’ve become a huge fan of Brian Bowyer over the course of this year, and I can honestly say that this is his best book yet.
I was broken by the end.
I absolutely adore this book.
It’s freaking beautiful.
Beatrix.
Seriously, I’ve never read a more twisted and sick villain. She’s just utterly messed up.
As are most of the characters in this oh so bleak and brutal book.
Old Too Soon features a multitude of bad people doing very bad things. I did love Kadence though. I’d have happily drank whiskey with her and listened to Slayer and jammed.
This will probably be my last read of 2023, and what a way to end it. I’ve become a huge fan of Brian Bowyer over the course of this year, and I can honestly say that this is his best book yet.
I was broken by the end.
I absolutely adore this book.
It’s freaking beautiful.
February 10, 2024
I've never before read anything like Brian Bowyer. It was bleak, dark, and unapologetically disturbing. Brian's writing rips you apart, and you don't want to keep looking, but you can't help it. Anyone interested in blunt, violent horror will dig this book. I'll be reading more.
May 28, 2025
My favorite by Bowyer!!
January 24, 2024
I had the pleasure of “arc” reading this- Brian was kind enough to send me an extra copy he had. WOW! Was this an interesting ride. Bleak, transgressive horror is something I haven’t really dived into. I loved the ending, it slaps you in the face. Luther, haha I kinda saw that coming a few chapters away from the end and I was so happy he kinda got the last laugh on everyone.
I’m not sure if there is supposed to be Supernatural elements to the book, it definitely hints at it. The more I think, the more I think there is. I love something that makes you think.
I also have not read a ton of lgbtq representation in horror - so that was really cool to see.
I loved Brian’s blunt, to the point writing. I loved the layout of the writing style and details. This book was shocking but not grossly described for scenes which was a nice change up. Also the spicy scenes were not detailed either, which is nice too because a lot of horror focuses on detailed sex/and detailed gore. Brian definitely has an eye for horror and I loved the little story within a story towards the end. I can’t wait to get to his short stories eventually.
The cover is so beautiful, it made me want to pick up this book. I also stared at it for a solid five minutes after finishing, connecting it back to the story.
I also forgot these characters are teens and not actual adults. It’s a read that deals with the bad luck/situations that seem to just always follow some people.
I may reach out to Brian with a few questions I’m curious on (mostly my hunches on the supernatural aspect 🤣) but wow this was a different read and I’m so happy I got to read his work!
I’m not sure if there is supposed to be Supernatural elements to the book, it definitely hints at it. The more I think, the more I think there is. I love something that makes you think.
I also have not read a ton of lgbtq representation in horror - so that was really cool to see.
I loved Brian’s blunt, to the point writing. I loved the layout of the writing style and details. This book was shocking but not grossly described for scenes which was a nice change up. Also the spicy scenes were not detailed either, which is nice too because a lot of horror focuses on detailed sex/and detailed gore. Brian definitely has an eye for horror and I loved the little story within a story towards the end. I can’t wait to get to his short stories eventually.
The cover is so beautiful, it made me want to pick up this book. I also stared at it for a solid five minutes after finishing, connecting it back to the story.
I also forgot these characters are teens and not actual adults. It’s a read that deals with the bad luck/situations that seem to just always follow some people.
I may reach out to Brian with a few questions I’m curious on (mostly my hunches on the supernatural aspect 🤣) but wow this was a different read and I’m so happy I got to read his work!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
Without a doubt, Bowyer's best work yet...
Old Too Soon is a dark coming of age story that scares you beyond belief while simultaneously ripping your heart out. This story is very humanly driven which makes this story all the more REAL and emotional in all senses.
Kadence is my favorite character in Bowyer's world thus far. I felt strongly connected to her throughout the story. She goes through some of the worst traumas imaginable but still remains optimistic throughout. Beatrix is definitely his most evil and cruelest character by far. She is absolutely ruthless and runs on pure rage and adrenaline without a care or thought towards anyone else but herself. In other words, she is extremely impulsive and selfish.
This story put me through so many different emotions and the ending had me BAWLING my eyes out. Bowyer's writing is unsurpassed and he truly has the highest talent when it comes to crafting stories that make you feel EVERYTHING in its entirety.
Old Too Soon is now MY FAVORITE READ OF THE YEAR. Hands down. Also, the title is perfect and accurately defines Kadence's overall character.
HIGHEST OF RECOMMENDATIONS!
Old Too Soon is a dark coming of age story that scares you beyond belief while simultaneously ripping your heart out. This story is very humanly driven which makes this story all the more REAL and emotional in all senses.
Kadence is my favorite character in Bowyer's world thus far. I felt strongly connected to her throughout the story. She goes through some of the worst traumas imaginable but still remains optimistic throughout. Beatrix is definitely his most evil and cruelest character by far. She is absolutely ruthless and runs on pure rage and adrenaline without a care or thought towards anyone else but herself. In other words, she is extremely impulsive and selfish.
This story put me through so many different emotions and the ending had me BAWLING my eyes out. Bowyer's writing is unsurpassed and he truly has the highest talent when it comes to crafting stories that make you feel EVERYTHING in its entirety.
Old Too Soon is now MY FAVORITE READ OF THE YEAR. Hands down. Also, the title is perfect and accurately defines Kadence's overall character.
HIGHEST OF RECOMMENDATIONS!
January 30, 2024
Having read a fair amount of Brian Bowyer's fictional work, including his autobiography, and poetry collections, Old Too Soon almost feels like a greatest hits in a sense, a culmination of all that's gone before.
This is the book he has been heading towards for a long time. The one I genuinely feel says everything about who he is, where he's from, and what he's set himself out to achieve in his own unique style. It's brutal, honest, tragic, shocking, fast-paced, and sharply-written. It's extreme horror with a swift blade.
Brian has brought himself to the table here and served it up on a big silver platter.
Five stars. No question.
This is the book he has been heading towards for a long time. The one I genuinely feel says everything about who he is, where he's from, and what he's set himself out to achieve in his own unique style. It's brutal, honest, tragic, shocking, fast-paced, and sharply-written. It's extreme horror with a swift blade.
Brian has brought himself to the table here and served it up on a big silver platter.
Five stars. No question.
January 26, 2024
"Old Too Soon" catapults readers into an unapologetically brutal narrative.
The characters etched by Bowyer are visceral, heartbreaking embodiments of life's relentless challenges. The reader will want to cheer for Kadence even as she descends into the shadows of a world gone awry. In the dark corners of the narrative, Beatrix emerges as perhaps the most sinister woman ever written.
Caution is advised for the faint of heart, as "Old Too Soon" is unapologetically stark and unflinching in its portrayal of a world where brutality reigns supreme. Yet, for those who revel in the beauty of bleakness, relishing in the exploration of the human psyche amidst the chaos, this novel is for you.
Bowyer's style is both raw and refined, carving out characters that linger in the recesses of the mind long after the final chapter.
The characters etched by Bowyer are visceral, heartbreaking embodiments of life's relentless challenges. The reader will want to cheer for Kadence even as she descends into the shadows of a world gone awry. In the dark corners of the narrative, Beatrix emerges as perhaps the most sinister woman ever written.
Caution is advised for the faint of heart, as "Old Too Soon" is unapologetically stark and unflinching in its portrayal of a world where brutality reigns supreme. Yet, for those who revel in the beauty of bleakness, relishing in the exploration of the human psyche amidst the chaos, this novel is for you.
Bowyer's style is both raw and refined, carving out characters that linger in the recesses of the mind long after the final chapter.
January 1, 2024
Another pulse-shredding, mind-melting, horror-filled journey into depravity that knows no bounds from Bowyer. The master of the palate cleanser in my opinion and it’s always great to start a new year by reading Bowyer and seeing how dark and disturbing the world can be and the people who inhabit it. This one had everything I’ve grown to love about Bowyer’s work, and the ending in this book in particular was perfect for me, I also loved that this book felt quite like a Tarantino movie one of those cult films from a bygone era that we rarely see anymore, Natural Born Killers, True Romance, Pulp Fiction - all the hallmarks of these cult classics with all the brilliance of Bowyer… I bloody loved it!
April 28, 2025
After the death of her dad, Kadences' life becomes rough. Living with her mom, who is a drug addict, and her mom's drunk boyfriend, who abuses her physically and sexually, Kadence needs out and fast. She gets a job cutting lawns for Luther Vonn, and from there, she finds a friend in Luther. She needs more cash, so she starts to sell drugs, and her supplier is the daughter of a highly known drug dealer, her cousin Beatrix.
Vanessa and Beatrix are known as the drug dealers of town, and they have everyone on their payroll. Beatrix is a young serial killer, and she's ruthless. She loves to collect heads and enjoys tearing flesh. When Kadence gets locked up, Beatrix starts dating Kadences' ex-girlfriend Arianne, and Beatrix then becomes more unhinged. She spirals out of control, taking everyone down with her.
This was a great read! You feel for Kadence from the beginning, and you want her to better herself. She was very young and got old too soon. Beatrix is unhinged, and I kinda like her crazy. She didn't care who she killed. She had fun doing it. Luther Vonn was probably my favourite character in this book. He helped Kadence out a lot and seemed to be the only one who cared. The ending made me sad for Kadence. I wanted so much more for her. Bowyer is an excellent storyteller, and I'm excited to read more from him. This was great!
Vanessa and Beatrix are known as the drug dealers of town, and they have everyone on their payroll. Beatrix is a young serial killer, and she's ruthless. She loves to collect heads and enjoys tearing flesh. When Kadence gets locked up, Beatrix starts dating Kadences' ex-girlfriend Arianne, and Beatrix then becomes more unhinged. She spirals out of control, taking everyone down with her.
This was a great read! You feel for Kadence from the beginning, and you want her to better herself. She was very young and got old too soon. Beatrix is unhinged, and I kinda like her crazy. She didn't care who she killed. She had fun doing it. Luther Vonn was probably my favourite character in this book. He helped Kadence out a lot and seemed to be the only one who cared. The ending made me sad for Kadence. I wanted so much more for her. Bowyer is an excellent storyteller, and I'm excited to read more from him. This was great!
June 17, 2025
When Kyle Thomas, lead singer with the band Exhorder screams out the words:
“All hope for loving died”
I realised this was the perfect album to accompany Old Too Soon.
The lyrics are from Cadence (of the Dirge) and because we follow Kadence battling against the 2-9 off suit life hand she’s been dealt, this song immediately popped into my head.
The Exhorder album (The Law) with its slow, brutal builds and sudden moments of fury compliment the book perfectly.
Old Too Soon is an uncompromising slab of real life disguised as fiction. Bad people do very bad things. The writing style is unapologetic, no embellishing. This happens, that happens, deal with it, move on
There’s a couple of truly horrific moments that are played out just ‘off camera’ the bulk of the horror left to your own imagination.
Throughout the novel you’re rooting for Kadence, her own love of listening and playing music giving her an escape from the daily hell that surrounds her.
A couple of years ago, Brian Bowyer’s Autumn Gothic was my Halloween read. Turned out to be the perfect Halloween read. Everything was thrown into that book, including the Addams kitchen sink. The epitome of a ‘wild ride’.
Old Too Soon was a lot more grounded in gritty reality. I really needed to read something lighter after this. The mix of the Exhorder album and Brian’s book had pummelled me.
The ending is perfect and everything I expected.
Soul Search Me
You’re Empty
December 5, 2023
Old Too Soon by Brian Bowyer… There’s not much I can say about this book that will do it justice. Of all the novels I’ve read this year, it’s my favorite. The book features a wonderfully flawed MC navigating her most formative years through a violently skewed world. Bowyer has a way of creating characters whose humanity and civility shine though the most depraved acts.
January 17, 2024
Like all this author’s works, a lean mean book that’s hard to put down. An awfully entertaining book about awful people doing awful things while living awful lives. Definitely worth a read.
December 21, 2023
OLD TOO SOON is a heartbreaking coming of age novel that may be Bowyer's best work to date, and the MC Kadence is my favorite of his characters I have so far met on the page. This is a savagely violent powerhouse of a book where its sickest characters could slit your throat without warning or remorse. Bowyer has mastered his style here and I loved that the book contained a full short story written by Kadence. It made her feel more real and human and its meaning and importance comes through in the final pages. Highly recommended.
November 8, 2024
We follow the lives of two young girls for a handful of years. They are cousins and are each wrapped up in the small towns drug and alcohol scene but in very different ways. Beatrix enjoys being a psycho maniac murderer with no care in the world. Kadence is a drug dealer, is more sensitive and seems to only want to survive this decrepit town. But the bloodthirsty uncontrollable nature of Beatrix will force Kadence to make a tough decision.
If you can think of a trigger. This book has it. Would recommend to my horror loving friends only.
Bent cops. A powerful crooked family.
Alcoholic, drug slinging kids. Torture. Lots of unprovoked murder. Also a weird coming of age story mixed in.
The main characters and sub characters are all intermingled and related in some way since it’s a small town and everybody knows everybody. There is a vast range of atrocities that a lot of these characters perform. A few I wasn’t ready for and outwardly gasped. So much chaos. Don’t get too attached to anybody 😅
It took me a minute to get used to how young our MCs were. Smoking cigarettes, doin drugs and drinking alcohol is the norm for all these kids and the families don’t seem to mind. It’s just the way it is in this town.
Really my only negative is just there are a couple of chapters I feel don’t really add anything to the story and made it feel like it dragged on at certain points for me. I would have loved to get more insight and knowledge regarding the severed heads and that history. Maybe a monologue from Beatrix about them would have been cool. But really I couldn’t get enough. It was bleak. It was dark. It was sad and very violent. I was really captivated and curious where the roads of these young girls was going to end since they are such different characters but crossed paths at various times in the book.
If you can think of a trigger. This book has it. Would recommend to my horror loving friends only.
Bent cops. A powerful crooked family.
Alcoholic, drug slinging kids. Torture. Lots of unprovoked murder. Also a weird coming of age story mixed in.
The main characters and sub characters are all intermingled and related in some way since it’s a small town and everybody knows everybody. There is a vast range of atrocities that a lot of these characters perform. A few I wasn’t ready for and outwardly gasped. So much chaos. Don’t get too attached to anybody 😅
It took me a minute to get used to how young our MCs were. Smoking cigarettes, doin drugs and drinking alcohol is the norm for all these kids and the families don’t seem to mind. It’s just the way it is in this town.
Really my only negative is just there are a couple of chapters I feel don’t really add anything to the story and made it feel like it dragged on at certain points for me. I would have loved to get more insight and knowledge regarding the severed heads and that history. Maybe a monologue from Beatrix about them would have been cool. But really I couldn’t get enough. It was bleak. It was dark. It was sad and very violent. I was really captivated and curious where the roads of these young girls was going to end since they are such different characters but crossed paths at various times in the book.
January 9, 2024
I just finished Old Too Soon by Brian Bowyer. This book smacks you in the face and doesn't let up all the way through! A joyride down the dangerous highway of all the things we know and love a Bowyer novel for; whiskey, drugs and murder. A hellacious ride, not for the weak and timid. Loved it! Take a spin with this one and you'll never stop reading his books!
December 30, 2023
Here is a coming of a age novel that packs a punch right to the gut from the opening chapters and does not relent until the very bittersweet end. Kadence is only eleven years old when her abusive home life forces her out into a depraved world full of non-stop drinking, drugs, gang violence, torture, and murder. There are some seriously sick characters here, but none more than Beatrix, Kadence's cousin and presumable heir to a crime lord's empire who is Kadence's aunt. There is a special place in Hell for Beatrix.
Kadence is the alcoholic hero through it all and I was really rooting for her to find some sort of happiness. In life we typically look for someone to grow OLD together with, but really only once we've already grown up. For Kadence, she is plagued with a hard life TOO SOON and is looking for a girl just to grow up with. You'll have to read to find out if she does!
Because of some of Brian's videos I've seen in the past, I could tell there were some moments and aspects of the characters that were somewhat autobiographical. The point I'm making is that there is some serious weight to this story, not just shocking scenes. I would also say that the times I felt horrified was when I knew that a character's fate was sealed before they realized it themselves (usually at the hands of Beatrix).
I recommend this novel to those who want a bleak story where the world the characters live in grinds up all hope and you're curious to see what it leaves behind. Plus the cover art is so good!
I look forward to Brian's next book as well as going back and reading his other work. He pulls off some wicked stuff with this one!
Kadence is the alcoholic hero through it all and I was really rooting for her to find some sort of happiness. In life we typically look for someone to grow OLD together with, but really only once we've already grown up. For Kadence, she is plagued with a hard life TOO SOON and is looking for a girl just to grow up with. You'll have to read to find out if she does!
Because of some of Brian's videos I've seen in the past, I could tell there were some moments and aspects of the characters that were somewhat autobiographical. The point I'm making is that there is some serious weight to this story, not just shocking scenes. I would also say that the times I felt horrified was when I knew that a character's fate was sealed before they realized it themselves (usually at the hands of Beatrix).
I recommend this novel to those who want a bleak story where the world the characters live in grinds up all hope and you're curious to see what it leaves behind. Plus the cover art is so good!
I look forward to Brian's next book as well as going back and reading his other work. He pulls off some wicked stuff with this one!
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