Defeating the Moose

by Laura Bilodeau

It’s a story we’re all familiar with…Girl meets boy…Boy meets the streets. When drugs sink their poisons hooks into the love of her life, Arabella takes matters into her own hands. Armed with only her wits and feminine rage, she takes on an underworld of crime and drug lords. She hopes for a happy ending to her love story, but she will learn a hard lesson. When push comes to shove, how far can the bow bend before it breaks? There are no happy endings in the streets.

Genres: Horror

99 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 9, 2024

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so close to being a powerful story, but just barely missed the mark. Arabella, our lead, was so badly abused and disadvantaged, finally having enough. And she went berserk, all in the name of revenge. Now, there were a lot of structural related issues throughout, including typos, run-on sentences, and sporadic labeling of which chapters were past versus present. On the content end, everything moved very quickly, without proper development, which is where all of the desired effects were negatively affected. And I so desperately wanted to like this more than I did. But I needed a lot more on Arabella and Marcus. It wasn’t clear why he suddenly became so abusive to her or even why she was allowing it all to happen. I can surmise what the author was trying to set up, but it wasn’t made fully transparent to the reader. And since the pacing was off, there wasn’t an adequate amount of emotional depth to everything happening with our lead, either. Things just moved too quick and the devolving situations didn’t have enough time to simmer with the reader before the next event took place. I enjoyed the story, but there were a good deal of variables that took away from the overall experience. Lots of easy fixes that could have vastly improved the final result here. I’m curious to see more from this author.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I wasn’t sure about this book, the title kind of threw me off (I have the sweetest pup named Moose, so am biased).

I dug into the story and soon understood the relevance of the title. I was completely captivated with this heart wrenching tale of suffering and bittersweet revenge. After staying up wayyyy too late reading it, the words and actions of the characters have been stuck in my head all day.

Arabella met the love of her life Marcus one night and they spin into a whirlwind romance. Several years later, Marcus’ addictions and abuse drive Bella to drastic measures. She’s not interested in dealing with just her boyfriend though, and decides to go straight to the source of her town’s problems.

I believe this is Laura’s debut story, and it is absolutely incredible. I’ve been so lucky to get to read a number of revenge tales from indie female authors recently. Each one is so unique, so personal to each writer, and just makes me so happy to see them put their stories out into the world. “Defeating the Moose” is 100% a must-read for everyone.

[Asher Dark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I read this so fast. Note to the Reader had me intrigued right off the bat. This story was flawless. The writing was impeccable. The story follows Arabella, who is stuck in an abusive relationship with an addict named Marcus. Laura does a fantastic job of making you feel like you are standing right there beside the MC the whole time. I felt each blow she was delt and the heartache and trauma she had to endure at the hands of someone who was suppose to love and protect her. Sometimes a woman can't take but so much before she snaps and that is exactly what happened with Arabella. The ending had me sobbing. Remember the name Laura Bilodeau because she is going to be big!

[renee w · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Tony splatterpunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about Arabella who works hard and party’s hard then she meets Markus and her life completely changes as Markus gets drawn into a world of drugs Arabellas life goes into a downward spiral, then it’s time for her to seek revenge from her abusive partner…….
A debut novel that is a very enjoyable read, definitely will read more from this author, highly recommended.

[Psy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick but thoroughly enjoyable read. Arabella is trapped in an abusive relationship with an addict and we are taken through her entire journey from day one up through present day via non-linear storytelling that's done in an effective way. We see the progression of Marcus's abuse and control over Arabella, we see every chance she had to get out before things got to the point they're at when the book begins, and we see her choose to go against her better judgment time and time again because, despite it all, she loves him as much as she hates him. That's what a toxic relationship does to you and the author illustrates that dichotomy quite well.

For a brief moment we celebrate with Arabella as she exacts revenge hoping to achieve a catharsis, but as the reality of what she's done sinks in we find ourselves saddened as she finds that no catharsis has come. What she is left with is an emptiness, a fear, a loneliness, and a hopelessness that she wasn't expecting. Most revenge stories end with the heroine feeling a sense of empowerment and taking the first step toward healing, but not this one. Because life doesn't always turn out that way. Sometimes all revenge leaves us with is a new hole bigger than the one we were trying to mend. The ending of Arabella's story is raw with emotion and rather humbling.

Now why did I leave 4 stars instead of 5? That's just me being nitpicky. There were numerous typos throughout the book. Nothing too egregious, mind you. It was mostly punctuation, a few misspellings, and some run-on sentences but nothing that hindered my ability to enjoy the story I was reading. I truly see a lot of potential in the author and I hope she keeps at it.

[Paige Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely remarkable debut story! Defeating the Moose is a story about addiction and domestic abuse that everyone needs to read whether you personally have battled these demons or a loved one has. I felt all the emotions in this one and the ending left me in a whirlwind of sadness.

Laura did a fantastic job crafting this heart-rending tale. Can’t wait to see what she conjures up next for us!

[L.M. Kaplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defeating The Moose by Laura Bilodeau is a tough read. Although the story is a work a fiction, knowing many of the situations the MC finds herself in are based on the author’s past relationship with a domestic abuser and drug addict makes the story hit that much harder.

What starts off rooted in personal experience for the author finishes as a tale of revenge with the MC fulfilling the fantasies that she can’t satisfy in real life.

At under 100 pages, the book will only take you a day or so to get through, but the impression it leaves will last a lot longer than that.

[Madison Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful short read!
I was taken through all the emotions of love, envy, frustration, and hate all in a short read. I was taken through a story that started out with love and then was transformed into abuse, drugs, and violence. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and couldn’t put it down.

[Rachal Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arabella is trapped in an abusive relationship with Marcus who is in love with drugs, filled with desperation and fear Arabella finds herself in a position of freedom and revenge, I could feel the rage that consumed her and was left heartbroken by her choices.

[Danielle Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Welcome aboard the fucking Crazy Train. Pleasure having you along for the ride. I’ll be your conductor today, do as I say, and this should go over much more smoothly for us both. Please keep your hands, feet and personal belongings inside the vehicle at all times and enjoy the ride.”

What an absolutely beautifully written debut story. 🤌🏼 It’s brutal as hell as far as subject matter, but if I didn’t know Laura, I wouldn’t believe this was her debut based on the writing style etc.

This story is the embodiment of feminine rage when pushed to a certain point. I’m not sure what’s scarier… the subject matter, or the fact that although this is a work of fiction, there’s so much relatability / reality / real life scenarios for so many people within it. It’s a heavy hitter to the emotions and throws waves of feels from cover to cover. 🫡

I didn’t go into this one completely blind like I usually do, but I was expecting to write a slightly more unhinged review. 😅 It’s not a bad thing though. No, it’s actually a compliment that given the vileness and depravity, it was still written in a way that requires me to take a more serious tone. Quite impressive in my opinion. 👏🏼

I don’t typically recommend books to a certain crowd per se, but this one needs it... If you or anyone you’ve ever loved has ever dealt with domestic abuse or addiction, it’s going to punch you in the gut, but it’s definitely a must read. Even if you’ve been fortunate enough to avoid these things in life, I’m still calling this a must read. The triggers can get heavy, but they’re there for a reason and make the story what it is.

I’m really excited to see this on the Short Smack intention list because it certainly deserves a spot… moreover, I would like to see this one go further in the competition, so I highly recommend everyone grabbing a copy to read and vote for! 🙌🏼

[Aneka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the honor to read “Defeating the Moose” by Laura Bilodeau early.

This book is trauma and trigger heavy so please, please check the triggers before reading.

Bilodeau writes a deep, dark story that tackles loving an addict and when things don’t go right. She captures feminine rage, being an anti hero, and getting revenge for those harmed (past, present, and future).

Overall, this book was such a quick read for me. I found myself understanding the female main character largely because I have dated an addict that was deep in the trenches of his addiction. It wasn’t pretty. It was unpredictable and scary. Bilodeau captures this with a different perspective. The character is completely fed up by the time we meet her.

One thing I do wish was that the revenge plot was trickled into the earlier scenes to help me further connect with Bells. She has valid reasons for doing what she does, I just wish there was a scene that signifies the moment where we see her decide this is what she needs to do. I also would love to see the research she put into it. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was captivated by Bilodeau’s writing by style and story telling. If you’re into dark worlds and themes, this is something you want to keep an eye out for.

[Svea Neitzke · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a book full of feminine rage, this is it! Arabella falls in love with Moose, but his true colors begin to show. He is an evil abuser who becomes a drug addict. The book floats between the past and the present. We gain insight into what she went through with him. The scenes are brutal, and it’s devastating to see her being abused. Instead of remaining a victim, she uses her anger to seek revenge. This novel is very personal to Laura Bilodeau, and I feel many can relate to it. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future!

[Chris Carelse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phweeeoooofffff…

Hmm…
Do you know the story behind WHY I Spit on Your Grave got made?
If not, you should probably look it up. It’d also shine an entirely different light on that cult classic.

(Don’t worry, I do have a point here, somewhere…)

Revenge thrillers are always going to be dark.
This one is going to seriously fuck with some people.

If you read the synopsis, then no, you do not need trigger warnings. This story is ugly, it is raw, and it is exactly what it needed to be.
Words cannot express how proud I am of Laura for writing this and putting it out there for, hopefully, the right eyes to get an opportunity to read it.


*as an aside:
Second consecutive read that mentioned it, so I had to google to find out what a “Keurig” was

[Craig King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Defeating the Moose by Laura Bilodeau - Author and all I can say is holy hell that was intense.

This book is feminine rage to its extreme. When Arabella’s life is turned upside down by drug addiction, she will go to extreme lengths to obtain her revenge.

This little novel will hit home with anyone who has ever been the victim of domestic violence or lost anyone to drugs. There was one particular scene (no spoiling) that had me choked up.

The ending of the book gets a little fantastical but falls squarely within the realms of extreme horror.

Definitely check your triggers on this one because it has them all!!!

[Shaun Filion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite all of the books that I read, very few make an actual emotional impact on me. This book is immediately in my top five of books that have accomplished that!!
To know that the basis of this book is from the author's reality is heartbreaking.
Thankfully, she is still here to share her story with us. ( And also, thankfully, some of this is completely fiction)
I would give this story 6 stars if I could 👏👏👏

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully devastating horrifying beautiful story. Tears will be shed. A story of a broken woman who seeks revenge on those who are destroying lives; who helped destroy her life. I’ve never been in an abusive relationship. I’ve never been an addict. But this story sucker punched me right in the heart. 💔

[Crystal DeBoard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defeating the Moose is a wild ride for sure. Well written. A quick read that you can't put down.

[SARAH · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

Very good story very hard touches on the hardest of bad relationships and drugs recommend it to everyone to give a shot

[Meriah Gutterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story for the current times

A story of despair, revenge, struggles, and addiction, Laura Bilodeau brings the devastation of addiction to the forefront, and really opens your eyes to the struggle

[David Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gut-wrenching tale of love, drugs and revenge. Laura Bilodeau expertly eviscerates the emotions with an eloquent story leaving nothing but gore in its wake.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartbreaking and brutal look into a relationship that turns horribly bad. Bilodeau does a great job of showing us the abuse and struggles the main character Arabella goes through without flinching. In the first half we learn how she gets with her drug addicted boyfriend Marcus, or Moose, and what she goes through dealing with him and his addiction. The second half is Arabellas revenge and the story doesn’t let up until the heartbreaking ending. I feel Bilodeau nailed that ending opting for a more morose end than a victorious one. I look forward to seeing where the authors writing career goes from here.

[Erin Sterett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defeating the Moose is a great, short read! I believe this is the authors first story, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. The best way I can describe it is if “good for her” was a book. You really feel for Arabella and all she goes through. I can’t wait to see what the author creates in the future. I’ll definitely be reading it!

[The Yeti Reads and Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arabella falls for Marcus, and Marcus falls for drugs. What follows is an abusive relationship that spirals out of control until Arabella has finally had enough.

This is a fantastic debut from an author I really look forward to seeing more from. With excellent storytelling and relatable characters, Laura is an author to watch. Keeping the review short means you spend less time reading this and more time with this book.

4 severed fingers out of 5

[Kimberly Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing debut! As a friend of Lauras I was already stoked to read her first book. What I was not prepared for was the emotional chokehold this book now has on me. From connecting with our FMC Arabella(Bella) on the surface to feeling her very raw yet very real emotions, this book was a rollercoaster of a ride in the best of ways! As someone who has experienced DV myself as well as watching the very real epidemic of drugs overtake and destroy the lives of those I care for and love(d) I feel as though Laura hits the nail on the head with how helpless we can feel as the ones on the other end of this type of unfortunate situation. Yet highlights exactly what we’d all love to do to take care of the situations ourselves. Highly recommend!

[Lauren Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely heartbreaking but handled the rough topics with a real sensitivity. I would love to read more from this author!

[Mallory Krebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Knowing that this book was based partly on real-life events made it even better. The writing was superb. I could really feel the desperation of the main character. I was really rooting for Arabella the whole time, and I was really sad at the end.

[kasey culp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short read had me intrigued right from the note to the reader. It’s fast, brutal and doesn’t hold back. This book follows Arabella who is in a toxic relationship with someone addicted to drugs who sees no way out. What will Arabella go through to get away from her abuser and the drugs?

Heavy dr*g use in book

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book! So many emotions and such a well written story. It was a very fast and intense read.
Definite must read!

[Alexandra Nisneru · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sad story about the devastating effects of drug addiction and abuse. It pains me to know how real this story is to our present society and how many people fall victims to drugs or physical/emotional abuse. If only more people would have the courage to ask for support, a lot of suffering would be avoided.