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Butterscotch: An Extreme Horror Novella
Washing up at the edge of a lake, Xia is badly beaten with no memory of how she ended up that way.
Seeing smoke swirling above the tree line, she uses what strength she has to follow it.
Arriving upon a cabin, she seems help from the ones who live there. When she's thrown down into their basement, she quickly realizes she made a mistake.
Her memory begins to flood back in waves and she becomes familiar with where she is and who is holding her captive. She does everything she can to fight for her life again, but when it comes to trauma... Nothing is ever what it seems.
Seeing smoke swirling above the tree line, she uses what strength she has to follow it.
Arriving upon a cabin, she seems help from the ones who live there. When she's thrown down into their basement, she quickly realizes she made a mistake.
Her memory begins to flood back in waves and she becomes familiar with where she is and who is holding her captive. She does everything she can to fight for her life again, but when it comes to trauma... Nothing is ever what it seems.
227 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2023
17 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Asia Brito Guerrero
10 books102 followersAsia Brito Guerrero is an eccentric, chaotic mess of a person who has written spooky stories all her life -- most of which are created from personal experience mixed together with a deranged imagination and unhinged ideas sparked from a lot of sleepless nights.
Asia currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her partners where they are raising many feral children together. She can usually be found on her couch watching Lord of the Rings (extended versions) on repeat with her laptop nearby, drinking too much iced coffee, and eating tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Asia currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her partners where they are raising many feral children together. She can usually be found on her couch watching Lord of the Rings (extended versions) on repeat with her laptop nearby, drinking too much iced coffee, and eating tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 16, 2025
A really good effort by Asia Brito Guerrero! As I read this, I just kept thinking of that Xia’s, our lead, experiences made me no longer feel capable of speaking on my family-based traumas. Terrible, unforgivable things done to this poor girl, right from the start of her life. Now this had some really uncomfortable content, but didn’t strike me as being terribly extreme. Violent and ugly, but not necessarily worthy of that classification. The story itself was vividly detailed and kept a good level of mystique throughout, keeping the reader kn the hook. Now the way things concluded made me reminiscent of I Am The Cheese by Robert Cormier. Can’t say that I loved the ending, as it sort of all happened pretty abruptly. I wish there was a little bit of a retooling there to make it flow better. In an ideal situation, I feel like Xia’s journey would have been more powerful if it was grounded in reality. But that just may be my personal preference. My first, but hopefully not last, read from the author, was quite the adventure.
May 5, 2024
The doctor exhaled and placed the patient folder back into her filing cabinet and pulled out another. Grabbing a butterscotch candy from the dish at the corner of her desk, she popped it into her mouth and swirled it for a minute with her tongue before she tucked it in her cheek. She picked the receiver up again and when the charge nurse answered, she said, “Hello, me again. I’m ready for Mason Trawley now.”
February 1, 2024
Read this as a buddy read and it definitely didn't disappoint!
We start off by meeting Xia, beaten and left for dead at a river. She has no recollection of what's happened to her or where she is. Scared and alone she wanders to find help. She stumbles on this cabin with a sweet lady that helps her out...but somethings off. Just when Xia thinks she's safe, she realizes that she may have stumbled to the people that have done her harm
The amount of twists and turns this book has was wild! When you thought you knew something, WRONG! Definitely worth a shot if you love extreme horror and some gross elements! Definitely checking out more work from Asia!
We start off by meeting Xia, beaten and left for dead at a river. She has no recollection of what's happened to her or where she is. Scared and alone she wanders to find help. She stumbles on this cabin with a sweet lady that helps her out...but somethings off. Just when Xia thinks she's safe, she realizes that she may have stumbled to the people that have done her harm
The amount of twists and turns this book has was wild! When you thought you knew something, WRONG! Definitely worth a shot if you love extreme horror and some gross elements! Definitely checking out more work from Asia!
January 24, 2024
Just when I thought that I predicted every detail of this story, BOOM 🤯 the plot twist came out of nowhere and left me speechless.
The writing was very good, great story line, sick and twisted characters, and just the right amount of gore for this story.
The writing was very good, great story line, sick and twisted characters, and just the right amount of gore for this story.
January 30, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔪 🩸 💩 😱
Check Trigger Warnings‼️
“She wanted him to feel fear of her the way she had feared him all her life.”
Follow Xia as she desperately tries to remember who exactly she is and why she woke up on the shore of a lake covered in wounds and healing rope burns around her hands & feet. After regaining a small amount of strength she manages to stumble her way through the woods and find a cabin where she hopes to find help. Xia realizes the woman who lets her in seems nervous and that the cabin itself is kind of familiar. It’s only too late when she realizes help will be the last thing she finds in that cabin.
This novella was short, scary, and twisted! It had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page and it didn’t let my attention go until I was finished with the book. The writing style, the descriptions, the pacing, it was all spot on. I felt like I had literally been sucker punched as I read the last chapter. I read it with my mouth agape. I ALWAYS see the ending coming..and I did not see that coming. That is most deservedly worth a 5 ⭐️ rating.
🔪 🩸 💩 😱
Check Trigger Warnings‼️
“She wanted him to feel fear of her the way she had feared him all her life.”
Follow Xia as she desperately tries to remember who exactly she is and why she woke up on the shore of a lake covered in wounds and healing rope burns around her hands & feet. After regaining a small amount of strength she manages to stumble her way through the woods and find a cabin where she hopes to find help. Xia realizes the woman who lets her in seems nervous and that the cabin itself is kind of familiar. It’s only too late when she realizes help will be the last thing she finds in that cabin.
This novella was short, scary, and twisted! It had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page and it didn’t let my attention go until I was finished with the book. The writing style, the descriptions, the pacing, it was all spot on. I felt like I had literally been sucker punched as I read the last chapter. I read it with my mouth agape. I ALWAYS see the ending coming..and I did not see that coming. That is most deservedly worth a 5 ⭐️ rating.
January 5, 2024
F-ing horrible in the best way, the tension was palpable. I couldn’t put this novella down as I was so desperate to know what would happen next. It was a lot less bug oriented than I expected but they weren’t missed - it just went in a different direction than I thought (trying to be as spoiler-free as possible). This novella is fast paced and absolutely brutal and I enjoyed it as much as you can ‘enjoy’ extreme horror! Definitely recommend reading if you’re a fan of this genre. I can’t wait to read more of Asia’s work.
As always, check TWs if applicable to you. I would add a few including: rape, physical and emotional abuse, DV.
Thank you so much to Asia for my ARC copy of this novella.
As always, check TWs if applicable to you. I would add a few including: rape, physical and emotional abuse, DV.
Thank you so much to Asia for my ARC copy of this novella.
December 16, 2023
I was very, very excited to be given an advanced reader copy of this extreme horror novella — and man was it worth the wait! Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop, finishing this book in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed each twist and turn, and was not expecting the end at all! This story drew me in from the first few pages. This was an incredible, and disgusting read that I will definitely recommend! Excited to read more from this author in the future
December 23, 2023
Extreme horror with heart!
Butterscotch is equal parts depraved, unhinged, soul crushing and heart lifting.
Asia has an amazing way of capturing readers with fully alive characters and gut wrenching emotions.
Fans of the bleak and disturbing will thoroughly enjoy this one but it also sticks in your mind for its substantial hold on your psyche.
Asia is one to watch and her stories are not to be missed!
Butterscotch is equal parts depraved, unhinged, soul crushing and heart lifting.
Asia has an amazing way of capturing readers with fully alive characters and gut wrenching emotions.
Fans of the bleak and disturbing will thoroughly enjoy this one but it also sticks in your mind for its substantial hold on your psyche.
Asia is one to watch and her stories are not to be missed!
January 21, 2024
I read this in two quick sittings, and it’s excellent. A fierce, bloody exploration of the psychological and physical effects of trauma, along with the dark corners of human nature, with a satisfying conclusion.
January 1, 2024
This novella truly packed a punch.
It was heartbreaking, tragic, gory, and I loved it.
I love how we got to go back and forth between Xia’s past and present, leading up to the finale. (And, wow, what a finale it was!)
The writing was incredible, and highly detailed. I love how it was so easy to imagine everything happening, and going on in this novella. I don’t find many novella’s that are super detailed, but this one was, and I loved it 👏🏻👏🏻
Asia did a phenomenal job writing her characters. The one’s we were supposed to hate, I truly hated, and the one’s we were supposed to love, I loved. I loved seeing the development of our MC, Xia. By the end, she was a force to be reckoned with.
I loved the twists and turns at every page. I never knew what to expect from this novella. I never knew where something was going. And that ending?!? How cow, was I not expecting that ending!!
I cannot wait for this novella to be published because EVERYONE needs to read this. I read it in less than 24 hours, because it’s seriously that good!
Thank you to Asia for sending me an eARC of this novella! 👏🏻👏🏻
It was heartbreaking, tragic, gory, and I loved it.
I love how we got to go back and forth between Xia’s past and present, leading up to the finale. (And, wow, what a finale it was!)
The writing was incredible, and highly detailed. I love how it was so easy to imagine everything happening, and going on in this novella. I don’t find many novella’s that are super detailed, but this one was, and I loved it 👏🏻👏🏻
Asia did a phenomenal job writing her characters. The one’s we were supposed to hate, I truly hated, and the one’s we were supposed to love, I loved. I loved seeing the development of our MC, Xia. By the end, she was a force to be reckoned with.
I loved the twists and turns at every page. I never knew what to expect from this novella. I never knew where something was going. And that ending?!? How cow, was I not expecting that ending!!
I cannot wait for this novella to be published because EVERYONE needs to read this. I read it in less than 24 hours, because it’s seriously that good!
Thank you to Asia for sending me an eARC of this novella! 👏🏻👏🏻
January 4, 2024
Asia Brito Guerrero's 'Butterscotch' is a must-read for extreme horror fans, taking domestic horror and blowing it up to bits! She knows how to make her characters feel real, even when you end up hating some of them and loving others. This is the kind of book that will keep you on your toes: it's constructed as a mystery, and it slowly unfolds into a horrible situation involving a family and the daughter who managed to escape from her family's abuse. There are many scenes where the violence is implied, but a couple of them really shook me up: Xia is a complex character who has to face many, many hurdles, and the solution is often worse! Finally, although the work is a novella, and so it can be finished in one sitting, it's so well-written that even if it were a novel I'd have trouble stopping. Indeed, there's one surprise I would have liked to hear more about, it really came out of nowhere, but then the ending... Well, the ending simply floored me. Beware of spoilers!
April 17, 2024
5/5 ⭐️
1/1 ✂️
Xia’s story from the jump is extremely saddening and disturbing. She wakes up on the side of a lake bruised and bloodied and has no clue how she got there, who she is, or who did this to her. She stumbles through the woods and finds a cabin.
But the cabin may be home to the very people who hurt her. Being in the condition she’s in, she doesn’t exactly have a choice to try and find a town when she’s in the middle of the woods.
The woman in the cabin helps clean her up but Xia begins to feel a twinge of fear that she is only being so nice because she feels guilty. Are these the people that hurt her? If so who are they? More importantly who is Xia and what happened to her?
This is my first book from this author but will not be my last. I loved her writing style and the way she told the story. The flashbacks were easy to follow and the writing flowed very nicely. If you love extreme horror check this book out immediately!
1/1 ✂️
Xia’s story from the jump is extremely saddening and disturbing. She wakes up on the side of a lake bruised and bloodied and has no clue how she got there, who she is, or who did this to her. She stumbles through the woods and finds a cabin.
But the cabin may be home to the very people who hurt her. Being in the condition she’s in, she doesn’t exactly have a choice to try and find a town when she’s in the middle of the woods.
The woman in the cabin helps clean her up but Xia begins to feel a twinge of fear that she is only being so nice because she feels guilty. Are these the people that hurt her? If so who are they? More importantly who is Xia and what happened to her?
This is my first book from this author but will not be my last. I loved her writing style and the way she told the story. The flashbacks were easy to follow and the writing flowed very nicely. If you love extreme horror check this book out immediately!
January 28, 2024
First off, let’s take a moment to appreciate the cover of this bc I LOVE it!!
Having just finished the book though I’m left feeling very underwhelmed with this. I had such high hopes seeing the CW and the cover, but the book fell so flat for me. The writing is kinda clunky the first couple pages and the last couple chapters got a little confusing on which timeline we were in. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad book by any means, but for me it was just kinda meh
Having just finished the book though I’m left feeling very underwhelmed with this. I had such high hopes seeing the CW and the cover, but the book fell so flat for me. The writing is kinda clunky the first couple pages and the last couple chapters got a little confusing on which timeline we were in. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad book by any means, but for me it was just kinda meh
January 30, 2024
a really good intro to extreme horror!
This book would be a great intro to extreme horror for anyone curious about the genre. There were so many twists and turns!
This book would be a great intro to extreme horror for anyone curious about the genre. There were so many twists and turns!
December 25, 2023
Butterscotch was one of my favorite reads of this year!
Description:
Xia wakes up to her body bruised and broken on the edge of a lake with no recollection of what possibly happened to her. She finds solace in a cabin only to be locked away in a basement whilst discovering the horrors that have taken place there. You’ll never look at butterscotch candies the same ever again.
I loved the plot, the pacing was great, and I really felt for Xia and her “backstories” broke me. I love a good FMC that strives to better themselves and break abusive cycles along with good ol fashion female revenge.
This story unfortunately doesn’t have a HEA. I love books that make me feel for the main characters but maybe I’m a masochist for loving books that rip my heart out.
This book isn’t for the faint of heart.
Check TW before reading.
Thank you Asia for sending me an ARC! I loved it so much.
Description:
Xia wakes up to her body bruised and broken on the edge of a lake with no recollection of what possibly happened to her. She finds solace in a cabin only to be locked away in a basement whilst discovering the horrors that have taken place there. You’ll never look at butterscotch candies the same ever again.
I loved the plot, the pacing was great, and I really felt for Xia and her “backstories” broke me. I love a good FMC that strives to better themselves and break abusive cycles along with good ol fashion female revenge.
This story unfortunately doesn’t have a HEA. I love books that make me feel for the main characters but maybe I’m a masochist for loving books that rip my heart out.
This book isn’t for the faint of heart.
Check TW before reading.
Thank you Asia for sending me an ARC! I loved it so much.
July 19, 2024
I read this expecting an extreme horror book. After finishing it, I can say it has earned that title. Though not AS extreme as other books I’ve read but to an extent it can be classified as one! Very very brutal and at some moments, pretty disgusting. I have noticed a couple of typos throughout the book but it’s really not that big of a deal, just wanted to point that out. I did enjoy reading it from start to.. almost finish. The ending, for me, was not what I expected. It was like eating a really amazing 5 course meal and when it was time for dessert, you get a pop tart. Yeah it can be a dessert but you were expecting something more and just left confused. That is my only complaint though. Otherwise, the rest of the book was very enjoyable and beyond crazy.
December 15, 2023
Another 5 🌟 for Asia Brito Guerrero!
Butterscotch: An Extreme Horror Novella is a thrilling, fast paced, gory ride!! With multiple points of views, in different times, it makes for a superbly seizing story! If life wasn't so busy right now, I would have devoured this in one sitting!
I highly recommend this novella as it has just the perfect mixture of shit and gore, and female revenge, with an absolute mind blowing twist!
Thank you Asia for the ARC, I greatly appreciate and feel so honored being able to read it first. Running to preorder it!
Butterscotch: An Extreme Horror Novella is a thrilling, fast paced, gory ride!! With multiple points of views, in different times, it makes for a superbly seizing story! If life wasn't so busy right now, I would have devoured this in one sitting!
I highly recommend this novella as it has just the perfect mixture of shit and gore, and female revenge, with an absolute mind blowing twist!
Thank you Asia for the ARC, I greatly appreciate and feel so honored being able to read it first. Running to preorder it!
December 14, 2023
I was so honored to receive an advanced readers copy of Butterscotch. Once I began reading I could not stop until I finished, within a few hours I found myself sitting on the couch wondering how I was so easily deceived the entire book. I had so many moments I was sure I had figured everything out but Asia weaves a tangled web of lies and deception! The end had me absolutely aghast. I was horrified and creeped out thoroughly but in the best way. I highly recommend to everyone!
December 19, 2023
What an awesome, fast-paced ride! I read most of it in one sitting! It has some great, unlikeable characters and appears to take place in different time periods. Multiple twists and turns keep you guessing, and who doesn’t love a good female revenge story. I kept hearing that you’ll never think of Butterscotch candy the same and that’s about right. HA! And that twist at the end? Whoa, baby - it knocked my socks off. LOL. I loved this book and highly recommend it!
April 29, 2024
Rating: 3.5
Some good ol’ fashioned hillbilly horror. The writing is good, so if you’re into this sort of genre, I do recommend giving this a read!
I found most of it to be extremely predictable , but as many other reviewers mention, you should expect the unexpected. Still not entirely sure how I feel about the ending though. On one hand, it’s a clever way to wrap everything up (I’m not a fan of open endings), but on the other hand .
Some good ol’ fashioned hillbilly horror. The writing is good, so if you’re into this sort of genre, I do recommend giving this a read!
I found most of it to be extremely predictable , but as many other reviewers mention, you should expect the unexpected. Still not entirely sure how I feel about the ending though. On one hand, it’s a clever way to wrap everything up (I’m not a fan of open endings), but on the other hand .
January 6, 2024
I count not put this down.
Asia has outdone herself with this one. It's proof that she is continuing to hone her craft. I felt so strongly for Xia throughout her struggles, and even when I had things all figured out, I didn't! Honestly I'm a little tore up after that last chapter.
Butterscotch is an emotional, revolting mess of trauma that digs its hooks into you and doesn't let go.
Asia has outdone herself with this one. It's proof that she is continuing to hone her craft. I felt so strongly for Xia throughout her struggles, and even when I had things all figured out, I didn't! Honestly I'm a little tore up after that last chapter.
Butterscotch is an emotional, revolting mess of trauma that digs its hooks into you and doesn't let go.
August 13, 2024
4.5⭐️ that ending caught me by complete surprise and made the book for me 🤯
You will feel so many emotions while reading this book; anger, disgusted, rage and sadness to name a few and I am throughly impressed by the authors ability to paint such a picture and make you feel so much in a book under 200 pages.
This is the second book I’ve read by her and cannot wait to read more!
You will feel so many emotions while reading this book; anger, disgusted, rage and sadness to name a few and I am throughly impressed by the authors ability to paint such a picture and make you feel so much in a book under 200 pages.
This is the second book I’ve read by her and cannot wait to read more!
December 15, 2023
I was so excited to receive, an advanced reader copy of Butterscotch. The minute I got this book I started reading it right away. I could not put this book down because I was engrossed into the story right away. The ending definitely shocked me because I wasn’t expecting it. I’m definitely going to recommend this book to fellow extreme horror readers.
February 10, 2024
Gripping tale from page one. Revenge style books pull me in and i get lost. Captured into the story, i felt like i knew these people...but the end...oh that ending. I did not see that coming! What a great read!
July 28, 2024
This book was a wild ride. Xia couldn't remember anything about herself but slowly her memories flood back and the realization and she ran back to the people who abused her was so painful. Then that twist ending. Broke my damn heart. So good tho
December 21, 2023
I've been dipping my toes into the thriller/horror genre and Asia has me completely hooked now. The story sucks you in pretty quickly and made me not want to put it down. Every time I thought the story was at it's end, the twists and turns throw me sideways. Well rounded writing, I loved it a lot!
January 2, 2024
I loved this book so much ! Good job. I’ll definitely be reading more. Great writing !
January 29, 2025
This wasn’t as extreme as I thought but that was a good story it made me cry at the end
I really enjoyed it read it if you like atrocities
I really enjoyed it read it if you like atrocities
January 21, 2024
The writer has grown since the last book and the story was interesting. I think more world building would help flesh it out and allow it to be more intricate.
December 17, 2023
Xia is bruised and bloody washed up on a shoreline with no memory, she stumbles towards a cabin desperate for help, the owner seems friendly and then she is forced into a basement. A dark, dirt filled basement with an old stained mattress, a crate with a toy and blood encrusted fingernail marks. As she heals her memory returns, will she survive this time?
Do not plan on putting this down once you start! An incredible story of brutality, trauma, resilience and horror, this will take you on such a journey and it is a one sitting rollercoaster ride that will leave you breathless!
The characters are so real, the casual brutality visceral and sharp, just when you think you know what’s happening, bam! another twist. You can smell the location, the stench is palpable, it evokes disgust and I guarantee you’ll want to shower after this! You live the story as Xia remembers, the past and present become fluid and then there’s the ending……you will not see it coming, incredible!
Please note this is an extreme horror, check warnings but this is so worth it. Thank you to Asia for the e-arc (views are my own) and to my wonderful friend Kirsten for recommending. It is truly wonderful to see such incredible stories from women in indie horror, more please!!!
Do not plan on putting this down once you start! An incredible story of brutality, trauma, resilience and horror, this will take you on such a journey and it is a one sitting rollercoaster ride that will leave you breathless!
The characters are so real, the casual brutality visceral and sharp, just when you think you know what’s happening, bam! another twist. You can smell the location, the stench is palpable, it evokes disgust and I guarantee you’ll want to shower after this! You live the story as Xia remembers, the past and present become fluid and then there’s the ending……you will not see it coming, incredible!
Please note this is an extreme horror, check warnings but this is so worth it. Thank you to Asia for the e-arc (views are my own) and to my wonderful friend Kirsten for recommending. It is truly wonderful to see such incredible stories from women in indie horror, more please!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews