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Pocketknife Kitty
Jamie is a thirty-year-old banker wedged between grief and newfound freedom. Through a domino cascade beyond her control, she winds up stuck in her suffocating hometown. The monotony is broken swiftly when, following a night of spite-fueled impulse, Jamie soon begins to undergo a rapid and gruesome transformation. She finds herself teetering on the edge of her own sanity as she pieces together if rescue will ever come for her. And if not, what is she going to do about it?
Exploring themes of sexual empowerment, revenge, and loneliness, POCKETKNIFE KITTY asks the reader to explore exactly how far they'd go to save their own skin.
Exploring themes of sexual empowerment, revenge, and loneliness, POCKETKNIFE KITTY asks the reader to explore exactly how far they'd go to save their own skin.
124 pages, Paperback
Published June 24, 2024
12 people are currently reading
971 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Riley
5 books284 followersShannon Riley (she/her) grew up covertly sharing, during lunch period, gore stories starring her friends and family rather than catching up in math class. She is the author of the revenge novella Pocketknife Kitty (Ghoulish Books, 2024), and her short fiction has been seen in the Dark Blooms: Girls' Coming-of-Age Horrors anthology, in PUNK Goes Horror (Truborn Press), as well as various other spooky places online. She lives with her husband and daughter in a mediumish suburb outside of Pittsburgh. If you like chatting about 2000s emo and post-hardcore music, you can go yell at her on IG @shannon_wryly, or @shannon_said on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
October 2, 2025
even though this was a bit predictable after the MC finds out what's going on & how to fix it, this book has some of the most disgusting body horror I've ever read. 5 stars.
Read
June 22, 2024As the author, it's not fair of me to rate this, but I did read it! Many, many, many, many, many, many times.....
June 14, 2024
This was such a gross body horror about a curse that gets passed on through sex. As with all body horrors, this was filled with some very disturbing imagery that makes you want to go and dunk your head in bleach just to get the images out of your head.
December 17, 2025
TW/CW: Language, drinking, cheating, bullying, toxic relationships, death of parent, cancer, grieving, blood, violence, revenge porn, trauma
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Jamie is a thirty-year-old banker wedged between grief and newfound freedom. Through a domino cascade beyond her control, she winds up stuck in her suffocating hometown. The monotony is broken swiftly when, following a night of spite-fueled impulse, Jamie soon begins to undergo a rapid and gruesome transformation. She finds herself teetering on the edge of her own sanity as she pieces together if rescue will ever come for her. And if not, what is she going to do about it?
Release Date: June 24th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 124
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing style was good
2. Gory scenes
What I Didn't Like:
1. Book comes off boring a lot of the time
2. Repetitive
3. Characters are generic
4. Feels like a rip off
5. Plot holes
6. No surprises
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
The author writing about steel mill towns and them opening clubs that no one needed nor wanted had me wondering if the author was from Cleveland or Pittsburgh and look at that she's from Pittsburgh. I get it. I'm from Cleveland so I understood a crumbling steel mill town too. So relatable.
So creeped out that she told him where she works and then takes him, a stranger back to her house. I would never.
So she doesn't clean up after sex instead just filling her underwear with the strangers sperm. Okay ew. I hate that she didn't even mention the condom. She thought of it but never talked to him about it. We, women need to normalize saying condoms are a must and not leaving it up to men.
How does Jamie live an isolated life working as a loan officer? Isn't she talking to people all day? Isn't she only working like 9 to 5? Isn't she off on ALL holidays and a few hours on Saturday?
I wish we could have known what Jamie wanted. Alex just stood around doing nothing. Was that the point? To just show up and intimidate Jamie?
Frankie works in the medical field but she steps into this biohazard house with no protection after seeing what's happening. She has no idea if Jamie is contagious but she doesn't even wear gloves. She continues to come into contact with all of Jamie's bodily functions. Friend or foe you always wear protection. Remember when she saw her in the office and she put gloves on in there and Jamie wasn't this bad then?
Omg Frankie just put her hand in the bath water to pull away Jamie's hand. What?? Now she's going to go to the clinic. Ah!
This whole Alex thing is so stupid. Honestly. He's been trying to get ahold of her and now he is at her work and has stolen money from her computer. He knew exactly where she was and when she left but rather than following her home he snuck into her work to use the computer he somehow knew she left unlocked. Oh and then nevermind the cameras at the bank. Or that there would be a timestamp when she left on the cameras and a time when her computer was used after she was already gone. Nevermind that rather than Bill the bank manager calling the police to come to her house for the stolen money Bill talks to her "boyfriend" about the whole issue like it's not a matter between Jamie, the bank, and the police. Okay so he snuck in on Tuesday into her office but they have CAMERAS so they would see him in her office!!
Frankie helps Jamie find the man who gave this to her but I don't think it took a detective to figure out this mystery. She had his phone number, po box, and Alex even mentioned how he was hanging out at the bar still. Doesn't seem like much of a mystery.
3 references to not being able to afford an ambulance.
Jamie catches up to Dylan in the bar. He trips when trying to get to get to the exit but suddenly Jamie has the strength to lift a grown man up, grab him, and push him against the wall. An hour ago she couldn't even stand but now she's tossing me around. Dylan says she has to pass it along. So we know she's going to give it to Alex. Big surprise.
Do you have to reach an orgasm for it to work? Is it only sex? She says it's done after she reaches orgasm so I'm assuming it works like that, which would suck for a lot of women.
So the book ended like I thought it would.
Final Thoughts:
So, yes things happen in this book but it comes at a snails pace. There is no excitement as Jamie's world is shattered.
A lot of things that happen feel recycled from chapters previous. You keep waiting for Jamie to do anything but she just lies around never advancing the plot forward. She refuses to calls for an ambulance or go to the er because hospital bills but babes teeth are coming out. There's a point she reaches where she says they can't do anything for her but then seeks the medical advice of her friend, which makes zero sense.
Jamie doesn't act like a normal person to me. I get people put off medical help but she just shrugs when serious things continue to happen and acts like this is all normal.
There are no surprises in this book because it is what you get. It just follows a straight line and you know where that line is taking you. I was never shocked or surprised by what happened. It feels like a paint by numbers horror book.
Too much happening in this short novella;
A. We have Jamie getting this sex disease from Dylan
B. We have Jamie dealing with the trauma of having lost her mother a year before
C. We have Jamie being stalked by her ex-boyfriend Alex
It's all just too much. And I understand grief is a horrible thing but there's so much about her mother. It's also overwhelming and yet annoying at the same time. The book tries to tie in that her trauma of losing her mother has something to do with her having this disease but those things don't have anything to do with each other so it's confusing why it's put in there.
Lastly this just feels like a rip of It Follows (movie) and the graphic novel Black Hole. The whole time reading this you get this sense you've already seen this. It doesn't feel new or unique. It feels like it already exists.
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Jamie is a thirty-year-old banker wedged between grief and newfound freedom. Through a domino cascade beyond her control, she winds up stuck in her suffocating hometown. The monotony is broken swiftly when, following a night of spite-fueled impulse, Jamie soon begins to undergo a rapid and gruesome transformation. She finds herself teetering on the edge of her own sanity as she pieces together if rescue will ever come for her. And if not, what is she going to do about it?
Release Date: June 24th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 124
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing style was good
2. Gory scenes
What I Didn't Like:
1. Book comes off boring a lot of the time
2. Repetitive
3. Characters are generic
4. Feels like a rip off
5. Plot holes
6. No surprises
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
The author writing about steel mill towns and them opening clubs that no one needed nor wanted had me wondering if the author was from Cleveland or Pittsburgh and look at that she's from Pittsburgh. I get it. I'm from Cleveland so I understood a crumbling steel mill town too. So relatable.
So creeped out that she told him where she works and then takes him, a stranger back to her house. I would never.
So she doesn't clean up after sex instead just filling her underwear with the strangers sperm. Okay ew. I hate that she didn't even mention the condom. She thought of it but never talked to him about it. We, women need to normalize saying condoms are a must and not leaving it up to men.
How does Jamie live an isolated life working as a loan officer? Isn't she talking to people all day? Isn't she only working like 9 to 5? Isn't she off on ALL holidays and a few hours on Saturday?
I wish we could have known what Jamie wanted. Alex just stood around doing nothing. Was that the point? To just show up and intimidate Jamie?
Frankie works in the medical field but she steps into this biohazard house with no protection after seeing what's happening. She has no idea if Jamie is contagious but she doesn't even wear gloves. She continues to come into contact with all of Jamie's bodily functions. Friend or foe you always wear protection. Remember when she saw her in the office and she put gloves on in there and Jamie wasn't this bad then?
Omg Frankie just put her hand in the bath water to pull away Jamie's hand. What?? Now she's going to go to the clinic. Ah!
This whole Alex thing is so stupid. Honestly. He's been trying to get ahold of her and now he is at her work and has stolen money from her computer. He knew exactly where she was and when she left but rather than following her home he snuck into her work to use the computer he somehow knew she left unlocked. Oh and then nevermind the cameras at the bank. Or that there would be a timestamp when she left on the cameras and a time when her computer was used after she was already gone. Nevermind that rather than Bill the bank manager calling the police to come to her house for the stolen money Bill talks to her "boyfriend" about the whole issue like it's not a matter between Jamie, the bank, and the police. Okay so he snuck in on Tuesday into her office but they have CAMERAS so they would see him in her office!!
Frankie helps Jamie find the man who gave this to her but I don't think it took a detective to figure out this mystery. She had his phone number, po box, and Alex even mentioned how he was hanging out at the bar still. Doesn't seem like much of a mystery.
3 references to not being able to afford an ambulance.
Jamie catches up to Dylan in the bar. He trips when trying to get to get to the exit but suddenly Jamie has the strength to lift a grown man up, grab him, and push him against the wall. An hour ago she couldn't even stand but now she's tossing me around. Dylan says she has to pass it along. So we know she's going to give it to Alex. Big surprise.
Do you have to reach an orgasm for it to work? Is it only sex? She says it's done after she reaches orgasm so I'm assuming it works like that, which would suck for a lot of women.
So the book ended like I thought it would.
Final Thoughts:
So, yes things happen in this book but it comes at a snails pace. There is no excitement as Jamie's world is shattered.
A lot of things that happen feel recycled from chapters previous. You keep waiting for Jamie to do anything but she just lies around never advancing the plot forward. She refuses to calls for an ambulance or go to the er because hospital bills but babes teeth are coming out. There's a point she reaches where she says they can't do anything for her but then seeks the medical advice of her friend, which makes zero sense.
Jamie doesn't act like a normal person to me. I get people put off medical help but she just shrugs when serious things continue to happen and acts like this is all normal.
There are no surprises in this book because it is what you get. It just follows a straight line and you know where that line is taking you. I was never shocked or surprised by what happened. It feels like a paint by numbers horror book.
Too much happening in this short novella;
A. We have Jamie getting this sex disease from Dylan
B. We have Jamie dealing with the trauma of having lost her mother a year before
C. We have Jamie being stalked by her ex-boyfriend Alex
It's all just too much. And I understand grief is a horrible thing but there's so much about her mother. It's also overwhelming and yet annoying at the same time. The book tries to tie in that her trauma of losing her mother has something to do with her having this disease but those things don't have anything to do with each other so it's confusing why it's put in there.
Lastly this just feels like a rip of It Follows (movie) and the graphic novel Black Hole. The whole time reading this you get this sense you've already seen this. It doesn't feel new or unique. It feels like it already exists.
IG | Blog
August 3, 2024
While I liked the body horror aspects, I just couldn’t stand the characters. I’m sorry, but who sees (what looks like) track marks on a stranger’s arm and then chooses to have unprotected sex with them? Doesn’t even stop to get an explanation?
October 18, 2024
It's got them It Follows vibes except with body rot. Icky, goopy, and intense. Suffice it to say, this was very much my jam.
November 30, 2025
thank you to this book for reminding me to never have a man within 10 meters of me ever.
November 25, 2025
I was craving something short and stabby after slogging through a doorstopper l that shall remain nameless. This gut punch of a novella has the kind of body horror that makes you pause your drinking of coffee and wonder if your skin's always been THAT itchy. It reminds me of watching Cabin Fever for the first time, or when I learned ticks existed and demanded a full body check.
It's got It Follows energy, but swap the slow walking demon for a sexually transmitted curse that turns you into a walking (then oozing) revenge plot. Jamie, our beleaguered 30yo banker heroine, is fresh off a breakup and her mom's death. The grief's got her in a chokehold, so she does what any of us might in a spite fueled haze: bangs a nameless stranger with obvious track marks. Okay, well, maybe not me. I’ll about you though. (Pro tip: If your hookup's arms look like a connect-the-dots gone wrong, maybe pump the brakes? Just a thought.)
Then begins a rapid descent into gooey apocalypse with pus-y lesions that pop like overripe pimples, bleeding orifices, and full-on organ prolapse that's described with such gleeful precision, you'll swear Riley's got a medical textbook open next to her thesaurus. Jamie's body unravels faster than my resolve at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, and she's left piecing together this curse's origin… like, is it a jilted lover's hex or just karma with a side of STD? The emails framing each chapter add a creepy, fragmented vibe, like reading someone else's frantic group chat from hell, and it builds a tense, kinda feral momentum as she hunts down answers.
The female rage simmering under all that sludge, I love. Jamie starts as this lonely, impulsive mess stuck in her hometown, dodging grief , and morphs into this deranged avenger who owns her mess with zero apologies. It's empowering in the grossest way possible, like if Carrie White traded telekinesis for a revenge STD that says, "You hurt me? Fine, but now you're leaking regret from every pore."
I suspected the ending but it was still satisfying as hell.
Jamie's choices DID have me yelling at the page like a bad true crime podcast listener: Girl, track marks? Unprotected? In the year of Beyonces Internet, 2025? I get the vulnerability spiral, but it veers into "why are you like this" territory.
Still, for a quick read that leaves you equal parts queasy and cackling, it's a win. If you're into extreme horror that doesn't pull punches (or if you need a reminder to vet your one night stands better than I vet my impulse buys), grab this. Just maybe keep a bleach wipe handy.
- Sexually transmitted curse (the ultimate "pass the buck" horror)
- Body horror transformation (from hot mess to hot MESSSSSS: gooey edition)
- Impulsive one night stand gone VERY wrong (revenge porn, but make it grotesque)
- Grieving protagonist with zero chill (mom's gone, boundaries? What boundaries?)
(Oh, and random gripe: Why "Pocketknife Kitty"? I kept picturing a tiny cat with a switchblade, which would've been adorable.)
It's got It Follows energy, but swap the slow walking demon for a sexually transmitted curse that turns you into a walking (then oozing) revenge plot. Jamie, our beleaguered 30yo banker heroine, is fresh off a breakup and her mom's death. The grief's got her in a chokehold, so she does what any of us might in a spite fueled haze: bangs a nameless stranger with obvious track marks. Okay, well, maybe not me. I’ll about you though. (Pro tip: If your hookup's arms look like a connect-the-dots gone wrong, maybe pump the brakes? Just a thought.)
Then begins a rapid descent into gooey apocalypse with pus-y lesions that pop like overripe pimples, bleeding orifices, and full-on organ prolapse that's described with such gleeful precision, you'll swear Riley's got a medical textbook open next to her thesaurus. Jamie's body unravels faster than my resolve at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, and she's left piecing together this curse's origin… like, is it a jilted lover's hex or just karma with a side of STD? The emails framing each chapter add a creepy, fragmented vibe, like reading someone else's frantic group chat from hell, and it builds a tense, kinda feral momentum as she hunts down answers.
The female rage simmering under all that sludge, I love. Jamie starts as this lonely, impulsive mess stuck in her hometown, dodging grief , and morphs into this deranged avenger who owns her mess with zero apologies. It's empowering in the grossest way possible, like if Carrie White traded telekinesis for a revenge STD that says, "You hurt me? Fine, but now you're leaking regret from every pore."
I suspected the ending but it was still satisfying as hell.
Jamie's choices DID have me yelling at the page like a bad true crime podcast listener: Girl, track marks? Unprotected? In the year of Beyonces Internet, 2025? I get the vulnerability spiral, but it veers into "why are you like this" territory.
Still, for a quick read that leaves you equal parts queasy and cackling, it's a win. If you're into extreme horror that doesn't pull punches (or if you need a reminder to vet your one night stands better than I vet my impulse buys), grab this. Just maybe keep a bleach wipe handy.
- Sexually transmitted curse (the ultimate "pass the buck" horror)
- Body horror transformation (from hot mess to hot MESSSSSS: gooey edition)
- Impulsive one night stand gone VERY wrong (revenge porn, but make it grotesque)
- Grieving protagonist with zero chill (mom's gone, boundaries? What boundaries?)
(Oh, and random gripe: Why "Pocketknife Kitty"? I kept picturing a tiny cat with a switchblade, which would've been adorable.)
July 6, 2024
Holy gross, batman. I read it in one sitting because I was certain if I put it down, I wouldn't be able to stomach picking it back up again.
A revenge curse, that became more than the creator had initially anticipated, is passed from person to person through sex, like a super infectious chain letter (where my Gen Xers at?!). To undo what was done to you, you must do it to someone else, and FAST. You are running out of time, biatches!
The body horror in this one was so nasty I almost vomited in my mouth. I promise you won't look at sex the same after this one.
Be careful who you fuck, kids.
A revenge curse, that became more than the creator had initially anticipated, is passed from person to person through sex, like a super infectious chain letter (where my Gen Xers at?!). To undo what was done to you, you must do it to someone else, and FAST. You are running out of time, biatches!
The body horror in this one was so nasty I almost vomited in my mouth. I promise you won't look at sex the same after this one.
Be careful who you fuck, kids.
June 1, 2024
This one will stick with you long after reading. It's a body horror novella filled with the disturbing, disgusting, and revolting images which body horror is known for. And I mean that in the best possible way.
It's also got a fantastic narrative about a sexually transmitted... well... let's call it disease... which turns the recipients into messy gooey blobs after a few days. Their hair falls out, puss filled lesions cover their skin, and blood from almost every orifice. Yeah, body horror!
As our protagonist tries to piece together what's happening to her after a one night stand with a stranger, she'll soon find out the horrifying truth and what must be sacrificed if she hopes to live.
It's brutal and gory but also a terrifying story to go along with the bloodshed. I loved it and I recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book through Booksirens with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
It's also got a fantastic narrative about a sexually transmitted... well... let's call it disease... which turns the recipients into messy gooey blobs after a few days. Their hair falls out, puss filled lesions cover their skin, and blood from almost every orifice. Yeah, body horror!
As our protagonist tries to piece together what's happening to her after a one night stand with a stranger, she'll soon find out the horrifying truth and what must be sacrificed if she hopes to live.
It's brutal and gory but also a terrifying story to go along with the bloodshed. I loved it and I recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book through Booksirens with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
June 25, 2024
I have to start off by saying that I picked this book for 2 reasons. The cover is simple yet intriguing. I mean the title is Pocketknife Kitty...there is no telling WHAT this story was going to be about. The second reason was because it was short and I was looking for something short. That said, lets dive into this review.
This synopsis does not do this story justice. As women, we have this fear of the unknown one-night-stand. We want to to be fun, playful, completely anonymous but at the same time we are terrified at the thought of catching an STI or worse. I don't know what to say without giving away too many details about the book but let me say this. I was getting flash backs to watching the move "Cabin Fever"...the 2002 horror movie about some college kids getting a flesh-eating virus while staying at a cabin in the woods.
Here's the thing though...it was right up my alley! I love gross, horrifying, and disgusting movies like that. I love thrillers, terror, and being scared. I didn't know what was going to happen in this book but I was sucked in fairly quickly! I got grossed out. I had to cover my eyes as I read the last 15% or so. I felt a physical reaction and I loved it! This was a hard and fast 5 star read for me! If you don't like gross things...then maybe skip this one but it was so good!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
This synopsis does not do this story justice. As women, we have this fear of the unknown one-night-stand. We want to to be fun, playful, completely anonymous but at the same time we are terrified at the thought of catching an STI or worse. I don't know what to say without giving away too many details about the book but let me say this. I was getting flash backs to watching the move "Cabin Fever"...the 2002 horror movie about some college kids getting a flesh-eating virus while staying at a cabin in the woods.
Here's the thing though...it was right up my alley! I love gross, horrifying, and disgusting movies like that. I love thrillers, terror, and being scared. I didn't know what was going to happen in this book but I was sucked in fairly quickly! I got grossed out. I had to cover my eyes as I read the last 15% or so. I felt a physical reaction and I loved it! This was a hard and fast 5 star read for me! If you don't like gross things...then maybe skip this one but it was so good!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
December 10, 2024
Pocketknife Kitty
Shannon Riley
4.25 / 5
(Rounded up based on the epic title alone.)
I simply couldn't peel my eyes from this truly stomach churning body horror nightmare.
With 'It Follows' vibes, combined with the body horrors of an early Eli Roth film, this pocket-sized novella, Pocketknife Kitty is iconic. I actually had to skim a small section, because I felt faint.
My only issue was the sheer annoyance I felt at the main character - mainly based on some of the extremely dubious choices she made at the beginning of the story.
Other than that, it was the purrrfect little body horror that I needed.
4.25 / 5
Rounded up
Shannon Riley
4.25 / 5
(Rounded up based on the epic title alone.)
I simply couldn't peel my eyes from this truly stomach churning body horror nightmare.
With 'It Follows' vibes, combined with the body horrors of an early Eli Roth film, this pocket-sized novella, Pocketknife Kitty is iconic. I actually had to skim a small section, because I felt faint.
My only issue was the sheer annoyance I felt at the main character - mainly based on some of the extremely dubious choices she made at the beginning of the story.
Other than that, it was the purrrfect little body horror that I needed.
4.25 / 5
Rounded up
May 3, 2025
This book was disgusting in a good way. Really good and graphic body horror. I was rooting for her the whole time
October 12, 2025
Oh sweet heavens! It’s been days and I’m still thinking about this book. Reminded me of the movie ‘It Follows,’ but way better! This was so freaking wild, disgusting, and entertaining. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. The body horror was exceptional!
The less you know going into this one the better because it’s so short. It takes place in October, so if you’re a mood reader looking for something short to read, give this one a try.
The less you know going into this one the better because it’s so short. It takes place in October, so if you’re a mood reader looking for something short to read, give this one a try.
November 30, 2025
This is like a mix of the horror movies Contracted and It Follows!
June 23, 2024
Wow. I was completely enthralled by this. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this but the revelation of it all blindsided me. This was so well written, it was seamless to read and I couldn’t put it down once I started. I’m a huge fan of all things body fluids in my horror/extreme horror reads and this ticked all of the boxes. The revulsion you feel reading this is great! Certainly a few parts that made me cringe away, almost covering my eyes and still trying to peek between my fingers to keep watching the horror unfold. I’m not one to issue 5 stars recklessly, but this for me was on par with some of my favourite horror authors and I am now including this one into my roster.
December 11, 2024
Toto, We aren’t in Kansas anymore.
So, this is a tad different compared to my usual reads. Horror is a genre I am wholly and violently intimidated by. This is coming from the woman who had nightmares after reading ‘Coraline’, so take that how you will. The body horror had me breathing a la lamaze, peeking from behind my fingers to keep reading as I was deep breathing through it. What a smash hit, and all kinds of gross.
Female rage, revenge, gore, and more. Shannon Riley, icon that you are, you crushed this.
So, this is a tad different compared to my usual reads. Horror is a genre I am wholly and violently intimidated by. This is coming from the woman who had nightmares after reading ‘Coraline’, so take that how you will. The body horror had me breathing a la lamaze, peeking from behind my fingers to keep reading as I was deep breathing through it. What a smash hit, and all kinds of gross.
Female rage, revenge, gore, and more. Shannon Riley, icon that you are, you crushed this.
October 29, 2025
This is the first time a book has ever made me wretch while reading it. I think Shannon Riley should be proud of that accomplishment.
I'm a sucker for extreme horror written from a feminist or queer perspective and this is up there. Seeing that Eric LaRocca was an inspiration makes total sense as this pushes boundaries in a similar way. If you have a strong stomach and love body horror, then this comes highly recommended.
I'm a sucker for extreme horror written from a feminist or queer perspective and this is up there. Seeing that Eric LaRocca was an inspiration makes total sense as this pushes boundaries in a similar way. If you have a strong stomach and love body horror, then this comes highly recommended.
October 23, 2024
⭐️ 4
Super gross, visceral body horror - I felt sick to my stomach throughout. There was enough tension and interpersonal drama to keep me invested alongside the gore, and a satisfying conclusion.
Very well-done for what it is. I don't think any body horror can get 5 stars from me, it's just not my preferred genre, but this was fantastic.
Super gross, visceral body horror - I felt sick to my stomach throughout. There was enough tension and interpersonal drama to keep me invested alongside the gore, and a satisfying conclusion.
Very well-done for what it is. I don't think any body horror can get 5 stars from me, it's just not my preferred genre, but this was fantastic.
June 14, 2024
An impressive amount of "yuck" packed into a small space. The body horror here is grody as Jamie deals with the aftereffects of an unfortunate encounter. This one is a quick read and I don't want to give too much away, but it's gross and that'll stick with you I've you're done!
June 25, 2024
This was a fantastic body horror story that leaves you on the edge of your seat. I was extremely enthralled with the story the whole way through and was almost sad when it was over. An amazing read and I can't wait to see what else the author comes out with in the future. * I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. *
November 26, 2025
4.5-wtf did I just read.
May 20, 2024
3.5 rounded to 4. Shannon Riley's novella 'Pocketknife Kitty' is an enjoyable read of body horror, about a curse passing from person to person under certain, rather uncomfortable, conditions (can't say much more without spoilers.) Having recently read a very extreme horror version of the same premise, I felt this far tamer version focused more on characterization, drawing a full picture of its main character, and turned pretty quickly into a morality tale of sorts, a tale of revenge, despair, wrong choices, and the need for justice. The descriptions are spot on, the writing is calm, precise, and plain, though the visuals will upset the stomach of anyone who has had no experience of body horror before. The sex scenes are (intentionally) the most awkward in recent horror fiction, though neither gory nor offensive. Just hugely awkward! And I'm embarrassed to say I still have no idea why the novella has the title it has.
May 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this. Disgusting body horror to the mix. Similar to it follows. I don't want to give alot away because it's short. Just read it! Lots of fun. Watch who you sleep with!
May 16, 2024
Many thanks to BookSirens, Ghoulish Books, and especially the author - Shannon Riley. I received a free ARC, and this review is voluntary.
Jamie is our main protagonist, and her life is a little upside down at the moment. Her career is going well, but her wings wish to expand; to find a life different than the one she has known. As the author notes in the synopsis, a “night of spite-fueled impulse” now finds Jamie on a trajectory that is changing her body, and her mind. Unable to control what is happening with her body, Jamie scrambles to find answers. The pressure is increasing, and being overwhelmed is now the new normal. Will Jamie be able to figure out what is going on with her body before time runs out?
There were themes of IT Follows, and Promising Young Woman. Moreover, I noticed there was inspiration from another source - a horror movie, actually, but naming that movie would not just be a spoiler, but reveal a bit too much about the plot. So in fact this story combines three different elements, but it has its own voice. It’s hard to write my usual analysis for this book because it would reveal too much. However, I think the less a person knows, the better. It’s clear in what it wants to say, and it was more than effective in how it was said.
Jamie is our main protagonist, and her life is a little upside down at the moment. Her career is going well, but her wings wish to expand; to find a life different than the one she has known. As the author notes in the synopsis, a “night of spite-fueled impulse” now finds Jamie on a trajectory that is changing her body, and her mind. Unable to control what is happening with her body, Jamie scrambles to find answers. The pressure is increasing, and being overwhelmed is now the new normal. Will Jamie be able to figure out what is going on with her body before time runs out?
There were themes of IT Follows, and Promising Young Woman. Moreover, I noticed there was inspiration from another source - a horror movie, actually, but naming that movie would not just be a spoiler, but reveal a bit too much about the plot. So in fact this story combines three different elements, but it has its own voice. It’s hard to write my usual analysis for this book because it would reveal too much. However, I think the less a person knows, the better. It’s clear in what it wants to say, and it was more than effective in how it was said.
January 1, 2025
out of sorts after an ugly breakup, a young woman uncharacteristically hooks up with a total stranger she meets at a bar and almost immediately after the - what turns out to be decidedly off-putting - encounter has ended, she finds herself experiencing.. concerning symptoms, and within the course of a few days her body becomes a horrifying, grotesque, disintegrating wasteland. THIS 👏 WAS 👏 SO 👏 FUCKING 👏 NASTY!!!! this was IMPRESSIVELY rank. there was one passage in particular that honestly nearly made me gag. shannon, girl.. my word. there was a lot packed into this little book, wedged in between foul chunks of pus and stringy globs of viscera - grief, regret, despair, desperation, helplessness and the rage that comes along with it, and a feral sort of resolve. also, as legitimately fucking disgusting as this book was, i didn't at any point feel like it was unwarranted, over the top, gross for the sake of grossness etc, which personally i consider a pretty significant feat. this was fierce and deranged, def recommend, 4/5.
(full disclosure: i work for the publisher, so while my review is genuine, my feelings won't be hurt if you prefer to overlook it.)
(full disclosure: i work for the publisher, so while my review is genuine, my feelings won't be hurt if you prefer to overlook it.)
August 7, 2024
You may have noticed that your girl Cass has been in a bit of a reading slump. Every month I've been reading less and less, and a lot of that is due to DNFing some disappointing banner titles this year. This where I'm going to once again shout out my absolute current adoration of all things Ghoulish Press. If you haven't been checking them out, join me on this rotten bandwagon.
I absolutely demolished Pocketknife Kitty. Its an instant page-turner about bad decisions making post tumultuous breakup. We start with a spectacularly cringe-worthy one night stand that turns into a dripping, aching, festering full-body shredding STI. As we follow our decaying narrator on her hunt for a cure, we learn more about the origin of this illness, and race against time before she turns into a walking, talking bloody pulp.
It's really disgusting, but it's playful and really fun and charming at the same time.
If you're craving a good body horror, I'd definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to BookSirens and Ghoulish for a copy of this title.
I absolutely demolished Pocketknife Kitty. Its an instant page-turner about bad decisions making post tumultuous breakup. We start with a spectacularly cringe-worthy one night stand that turns into a dripping, aching, festering full-body shredding STI. As we follow our decaying narrator on her hunt for a cure, we learn more about the origin of this illness, and race against time before she turns into a walking, talking bloody pulp.
It's really disgusting, but it's playful and really fun and charming at the same time.
If you're craving a good body horror, I'd definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to BookSirens and Ghoulish for a copy of this title.
July 8, 2025
Pocketknife Kitty by Shannon Riley is a real messed up story. This follows Jamie, a woman who is in the depths of a rough breakup and whose mother has recently died. In a weak moment, she has a one night stand with a man whose name she doesn’t even learn. She wakes up the next day bleeding, and her body deteriorates quickly over the next few days. Jamie realizes she needs to track the man down before she succumbs to whatever he has infected her with. If you enjoy body horror, this is the novella for you. I had to take breaks because parts of this are intense. I love this title, I will give it that. Pocketknife Kitty is badass. I felt real uncomfortable for most of this. But I think that was the point. This isn’t a comfortable tale. It is disturbing, revolting, appalling. I struggled to find Jamie’s actions believable at times. Some of it just didn’t work for me. In general, I appreciate this as a horror story. It gives all the feelings you want when you read horror. It put me on edge and left me unsettled. 3/5 stars.
June 8, 2024
Pocketknife Kitty - Shannon Riley
Psychological Thriller
129 Pages
Publishing Date - June 24th 2024
Thank you to BookSirens for granting me access to this book prior to publishing date, which is June 24th 2024. I am honoured to receive an Advanced Readers Copy of this. All thoughts, opinions, and ratings are my own and have not been coerced from me by any means. Thank you.
My Review •
This was unexpectedly SO good. I had no idea where the story was going and wow I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I read this easily in a couple hours and was genuinely upset when I finished. Definitely hoping there is a second book to this so I can see how this continues! If you like QUICK paced thrillers, with some gore here and there. THIS is the one for you!
My Rating •
4.25/5⭐️
1/5🌶️ ( sex scene described )
2/5🩸 ( check triggers / there is gore )
Psychological Thriller
129 Pages
Publishing Date - June 24th 2024
Thank you to BookSirens for granting me access to this book prior to publishing date, which is June 24th 2024. I am honoured to receive an Advanced Readers Copy of this. All thoughts, opinions, and ratings are my own and have not been coerced from me by any means. Thank you.
My Review •
This was unexpectedly SO good. I had no idea where the story was going and wow I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I read this easily in a couple hours and was genuinely upset when I finished. Definitely hoping there is a second book to this so I can see how this continues! If you like QUICK paced thrillers, with some gore here and there. THIS is the one for you!
My Rating •
4.25/5⭐️
1/5🌶️ ( sex scene described )
2/5🩸 ( check triggers / there is gore )
June 15, 2024
This one follows Jamie as she deals with the repercussions of an anonymous one-night stand. She was already struggling with the grief of her mother’s death and a toxic ex-boyfriend. Will she succumb under the weight of her problems or will she fight back?
Pocketknife Kitty was a quick read for me. I wouldn’t say that I “enjoyed” it, but the imagery and themes have certainly left their mark and I can’t ask for much more than that from a book.
Riley leaves little to the imagination as she delivers the body horror in graphic detail. I was reminded of the movies Contracted and It Follows, which is a big plus in my opinion. If you were a fan of either of these movies you are going to appreciate Pocketknife Kitty. I will certainly be keeping my eye out for more work from Shannon Riley in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Pocketknife Kitty was a quick read for me. I wouldn’t say that I “enjoyed” it, but the imagery and themes have certainly left their mark and I can’t ask for much more than that from a book.
Riley leaves little to the imagination as she delivers the body horror in graphic detail. I was reminded of the movies Contracted and It Follows, which is a big plus in my opinion. If you were a fan of either of these movies you are going to appreciate Pocketknife Kitty. I will certainly be keeping my eye out for more work from Shannon Riley in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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