This Book is Cursed

by Robbie Dorman

This book is cursed. It always ends the same way.

Bookseller Annie Maddox has stumbled upon the find of a lifetime. A rare book, one of one, and worth big bucks. An interactive gamebook, written by a reclusive author, before his untimely and gruesome death. After a terrible tragedy, Annie discovers the truth.

This book is cursed. Choose the wrong path, and it kills you.

Annie digs into the history of the book, and into its secrets. Because inside that curse is a tantalizing promise, one that can undo all its bloodshed.

Read the book, choose the right path, and reverse the horror.

Can Annie find her way through the book? Or will she be cut down by its curse?

Genres: Horror

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2024

About the author

Robbie Dorman believes in horror. Words of Christ in Red is his seventeenth and newest novel. When he's not writing, he's making cocktails, walking his dog, or playing video games. He lives in Florida with his partner Kim, their three cats, and the best dog in the world.

Reviews

[Kiki Marie Bookish Wh0r3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

First and foremost, I want to thank Robbie Dorman for this book! It was a great read with twists and turns that I didn't see coming, a moment where I got a little misty eyed and moments I gasped out loud.

The only reason this is not a 5 star read for me is because there were moments that I felt it kinda dragged and the scene(s) could have been cut shorter. BUT overall, a great story!!!

This Book is Cursed follows Annie as she comes across a choose your own adventure book that is a one of a kind with a dark history. The grief in this story is very consuming for Annie as well as the reader. Everything that follows after her finding the book is a rollercoaster of an adventure all in itself. Just remember that NO ONE is safe ... the book is cursed lol

I absolutely will be buying a physical copy to display on my shelves! A great read that is written so immersive its as if you're transported into the Sentinel Lodge yourself!!!

Thank you again Robbie Dorman for this awesome story that just kept coming with those right hooks!!!!!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! What a ride! I totally did not see that ending coming. Fantastic book! Sucked me right in, especially the homage to Stephen King and The Shining. Read it in about 4-5 hours total. This was the second book I purchased from Robbie and I'm looking forward to reading them all. Thanks Robbie, from the weird girl that saw you at Will's and again at West End but too late on that one! Can't wait for the next adventure!

[Jon Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun with this one, and it gave me exactly the sort of story I was hoping for. Fantastic cover to boot.

Full video review here.

[Ashley Mess · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! I was hooked from the first page. I love when a story jumps right in, no nonsense, BAM!, you're already off and running! This has so many great twists and turns. You start to feel like you're the main character, trying to solve the mystery of the book within the book, the hotel. And I love the homage to Stephen Kings 'The Shining' and other great authors.
It's a fast-paced read that I highly recommend. I can't wait to read more from Robbie Dorman!

[Mike Eakins · Rating 4 out of 5]

So there I was surfing TikTok when I came across author Robbie Dorman’s page. This was my introduction to his work, and was offering an arc of This Book is Cursed to boot. Since I’m always lusting after new horror, I figured I’d throw my name in the mix and see if I could snag a copy and I’m glad I was able to because Robbie Dorman has become one of my favorite new (to me) authors.

This Book is Cursed opens in Annie and Eddie’s bookstore. Two proprietors with dreams of spines and chapters who are always on the lookout for new and exciting tomes to fill their shelves. After a trip to an auction, their lives would be forever changed. When they realize what book they have in their possession is more than just your run-of-the-mill Choose Your Own Adventure book. The rare book they have stumbled upon is truly a one-of-a-kind item… and it’s cursed. Now Annie must – wait for it – choose her own adventure as she tracks down the history of the book only to be greeted with dead ends and dead people. The ending is such a punch in the gut, it will make you restart the book out of sheer need to read it again.

There are even some well-placed quips that will make you laugh a bit; as it acknowledges its influence from other well-known stories; similar to hearing The Who and recognizing that Pearl Jam is carrying on their tradition of greatness. Robbie Dorman’s writing is like riding a roller coaster that’s in its initial drop, but it doesn’t end. It just keeps speeding into the unknown. This Book is Cursed needs to be in your TBR stack and should be near the top.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie Maddox is a bookshop owner who wants to give everyone the chance to browse and discover new books to read. When she and her business partner Brad become the unknowing owners of a one-of-a-kind novel by a famous choose your own adventure author, they have the chance to secure their financial security in a way that will allow them to focus on making their bookstore dreams a reality for many years to come.

When Annie and Brad learn that the book is connected to mysterious deaths, including the death of the book’s author, they have to decide if the book is worth selling or if they should get rid of it.

Annie doesn’t want to acknowledge the power this book has to change the lives of it’s readers. When Annie has to decide whether she should sell the book to the highest bidder or hide it to save anyone else from experiencing the story, Annie has to make the right choice to save those she loves.

Annie is a character every reader can relate to. She cares deeply about the stories she loves and wants to help others find their perfect read. This Book is Cursed perfectly balances brutal slasher violence with nostalgic reading experiences of the 80s and 90s. This book was impossible to put down and had me questioning my theories until the end. With great commentary on reading, authorship, grief, and purpose, THIS BOOK IS CURSED is an action-packed ride that stays with you long after you put the book down.

Learn more about Robbie Dorman’s books on his website.

[Nick Krenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read just one Choose Your Own Adventure book as a kid. It was something to do with a costume party at a mansion where the other guests turned out to be monsters. It probably wasn't the best book written, but as a kid, the choices and different endings were a cool feature. I've always wondered why no one has taken a more serious approach to writing a book like this, especially a horror one that took a mature approach. Robbie Dorman's This Book Is Cursed doesn't necessarily go that route, but uses such a book as its main premise, except the decisions you make when reading the book carry through to reality. It's a great concept, and I dig that intentional Shining-esque cover art.

This Book Is Cursed is a fast, fun read with likable protagonists, a couple of shocking deaths, and a fantastic ending. I don't think it's my favorite Dorman read (that's still The Other), as I found parts of Cursed a little repetitive, though some of it is intentional. But I did like that Robbie built in a greater mythology of these other cursed artifacts in the world.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Check it out!"

[Joshua Ginsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some things, some topics and types of stories that I tend to gravitate towards as a reader. Often they 1) incorporate nostalgia - I grew up in the 80's with Atari and plenty of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, 2) involve cursed objects - they just make for very fun stories, often of the "wish fulfillment gone wrong" type, and 3) deal with meta literature - books about books (perhaps about the very book your reading), stories about stories, movies about movies (think "The Player"). Any of these subjects will pique my interest, and author Robbie Dorman has crafted a fun story (a bit like a darker, horror version of Ready Player One) that delivers on all of them. I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say, I've already another book by this author in my cart.

[Scott Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book might actually BE cursed considering how much trouble it's had getting to market. But I'm glad it did. This inventive, clever story is filled with Robbie's unique brand of horror. The scares are many, but more important, it makes the reader think. The ending couldn't be more perfect. I look forward to his next book!

[Heather Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Stephanie Vicente · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is cursed had me hooked from the beginning. It was a fast paced book but a great read as well. It was an action packed ride

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books has one of my favorite endings ever written. Is it weird that even though I know the book is cursed- I really, REALLY want to read it?!