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Our Dead Girlfriend: Author's Enhanced Edition
While walking through the woods, a group of boys—Daniel Burke, Gavin Graves, and brothers Connor and Tyler Parker—discover the abandoned body of a female high school student. The body is bruised but clean, lifeless but fresh. Torn between fear and fascination, the boys decide to keep the corpse hidden in a ditch in the woods in order to keep her as their girlfriend—to converse with her, to flirt, to practice, to love.
What follows is a story of adolescence, friendship, love, envy, hatred, and extreme horror.
Jon Athan, the author of Are Your Parents Home? and The Groomer, brings you a disturbing tale of 'young love' and human horror. Could you ever love a dead body?
Rewritten and re-edited from the ground up, the 2025 Author’s Enhanced Edition of this novel is an uncut, uncensored, and extended version of the original story. It is the definitive ‘Our Dead Girlfriend’ experience.
This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
What follows is a story of adolescence, friendship, love, envy, hatred, and extreme horror.
Jon Athan, the author of Are Your Parents Home? and The Groomer, brings you a disturbing tale of 'young love' and human horror. Could you ever love a dead body?
Rewritten and re-edited from the ground up, the 2025 Author’s Enhanced Edition of this novel is an uncut, uncensored, and extended version of the original story. It is the definitive ‘Our Dead Girlfriend’ experience.
This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 27, 2025
431 people are currently reading
803 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
March 1, 2025
Daniel flabbergasted me!
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
I wanted to read a brutal story that would captivate and surprise me, and suffice it to say that Our Dead Girlfriend: Author’s Enhanced Edition by Jon Athan was incredibly satisfying.
I haven’t read the previous edition of this story, which, in my opinion, enhanced my appreciation of this book. I love Jon Athan’s writing style, and his works keep improving with each new release.
I really enjoyed the character development and the plot. Most people would call the police if they found a corpse, but these four kids did the exact opposite, and worse. I knew that the more I read, the more disturbing the events would become, but I didn’t anticipate the sheer level of disgust I would feel or the bewilderment I would experience. I laughed and gagged at the same time. The descriptions of certain scenes were so realistic and disturbing that I had to pause. And the level of delusion in the main character was so unbelievable that I laughed out loud multiple times.
I highly recommend this book if you want to have a good time reading about gruesome death and insanity.
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
I wanted to read a brutal story that would captivate and surprise me, and suffice it to say that Our Dead Girlfriend: Author’s Enhanced Edition by Jon Athan was incredibly satisfying.
I haven’t read the previous edition of this story, which, in my opinion, enhanced my appreciation of this book. I love Jon Athan’s writing style, and his works keep improving with each new release.
I really enjoyed the character development and the plot. Most people would call the police if they found a corpse, but these four kids did the exact opposite, and worse. I knew that the more I read, the more disturbing the events would become, but I didn’t anticipate the sheer level of disgust I would feel or the bewilderment I would experience. I laughed and gagged at the same time. The descriptions of certain scenes were so realistic and disturbing that I had to pause. And the level of delusion in the main character was so unbelievable that I laughed out loud multiple times.
I highly recommend this book if you want to have a good time reading about gruesome death and insanity.
February 15, 2025
This book was honestly phenomenal. Was the subject matter horrifying? Sure, but the way Athan presented it made it hard to stop reading. When I finished chapter one, I knew this book was going to disturb me, but I didn't know that it would impact me in the ways that it did.
I have said it before, and I'll reiterate again and again that no one writes extreme horror quite like Athan. I fully expected to read this book and for it to just disgust me and evoke no other feelings. This turned out to be the furthest thing from the truth....Athan made me feel for the "monster." By the time I closed the book, though, I was rethinking that sympathy. Jesus christ, things escalated quickly!
There are other things I want to say, and I'll probably edit this review again after I sit with my thoughts some more.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have said it before, and I'll reiterate again and again that no one writes extreme horror quite like Athan. I fully expected to read this book and for it to just disgust me and evoke no other feelings. This turned out to be the furthest thing from the truth....Athan made me feel for the "monster." By the time I closed the book, though, I was rethinking that sympathy. Jesus christ, things escalated quickly!
There are other things I want to say, and I'll probably edit this review again after I sit with my thoughts some more.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2025
this author never fails me
Seriously . What a crazy plot . The amount of unsuspecting turns this book took keeper me locked in .
The detail was not overly gross , but just enough .
And the ending, I would love a second book!
Seriously . What a crazy plot . The amount of unsuspecting turns this book took keeper me locked in .
The detail was not overly gross , but just enough .
And the ending, I would love a second book!
October 14, 2025
Content Warning: Bullying, Racism, Extreme Violence, Gore, Sexual Violence
Never in my whole life have I read a book that frustrated me this much. SPOILERS ahead...
DON’T READ this if you're looking for a story with a karmic justice ending or you can't go through extreme horror, though I wouldn't call this horror, it's just pure gore.
For a long while I wanted to give this a 5 stars rating. But no, it was absolutely impossible when I reached the last third of the book, when I saw the insanity and absolutely unreal scenario unfold.
’Our Dead Girlfriend’ starts really well and for more than half of it, the novel seems to have something to tell us. Four kids find a dead girl (Sydney by her real name; named Jenny by Daniel) in a ditch in the forest and Daniel decides to keep her as their ‘girlfriend’, to test and practice on her (his words). While the rest of them are not entirely okay with that decision, they agree with it because they care for their friend, Daniel.
From the very first page you can tell each of the kids’ personalities. They are different and it can be seen even in the tone and their speech, so big shout out to the author for managing this level of detail.
Characters
Daniel is the kid that’s bullied and depressed, calling himself a loser on many accounts. Full of aggression and frustration, easily seen in the way he talks and thinks and acts.
Gavin was their leader sort of, a rather popular kid, he’s also a victim of racism but doesn’t act in any way to that verbal abuse.
Connor was the only kid I felt truly sorry for. He was the sweet boy, the caring brother, he had a great relationship with his parents, he was loved and cared for and often acted as the voice of reason in the group, albeit Daniel always smothered his pleas.
Tyler was Connor’s little brother. The innocent boy who got caught up in all this and paid a horrible price for nothing but just being around the other boys.
Story
There's a lot of psychological and ethical matters being questioned here and that's probably the purpose of this story or was for a while. The scenes are incredibly uncomfortable and yet utterly captivating, you simply cannot stop reading. It was incredibly infuriating to read this, but I also couldn't stop, I wanted to know how it ends. I hated it and I loved it. It was masterfully written.
As we fly through the pages, because believe me, as appalled as you may be, you won’t be able to stop, it’s addictive, gripping, captivating, you will witness Daniel’s descent into the darkest corners of his mind which were hidden until that point. He is clearly operating on different parameters than his friends. He is sexually attracted to the corpse, he falls in love with her, and he ends up killing, among other disturbing things he does with Jenny. There are many hints throughout the book that betray the sickness in his head, and no amount of sad origin stories made me feel any different about him.
His friends will try to make him stop, to call the police and deal with that, they will point out at the messed up things he does, they will witness their friend commit the ultimate crime and will try to cut contact with him.
The audacity of some people to say they somehow understand why Daniel did those things and how bad they felt for him left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth. Forgive my callousness then, but No. Bullying does not make you a necrophiliac and doesn't make you kill people left and right. Stop attributing this level of deviant behaviour, that some are evidently born with, to society's aggression.
Call me a psycho or lacking empathy but I couldn't feel anything close to pity or compassion for Daniel. If he would've been unaware of what he was doing or that it was bad what he was doing, I would've felt sorry, yes, but he is aware of his despicable acts towards the other girl, towards his friends and family, he knew it was wrong. The way he killed his brother and friends is heinous, extremely violent. It was not the violence that disgusted me, or the explicit descriptions of the kills, I read horror like that often and have no problem with it. This was disgusting because it was a kid who thought he was entitled to kill for his trauma and his deranged and delusional obsession. It was disgusting because there were innocent lives taken by a mental case that shouldn't even be in school with the others in the first place.
There are things that were just straight up exaggerated and improbable:
Sydney was missing for weeks now and they knew she went jogging and the police had search parties yet they never found her in the forest. Are you serious? Especially when there was also another killer in the area preying on children.
Daniel is a kid capable of manipulating like a grown arse Ted Bundy. At that age me and my friends were absolutely idiots. We had no idea what world we lived in. But, maybe that’s again one hint that there was something inherently wrong with him. He manipulates his friends on a psychological level, he demands them to offer him the green light to kill a girl to ‘protect’ them all. Look at this, that’s all I’m saying.
This 13 y/o boy is killing kids and adults like it’s an easy job, and absolutely no one in about three days notices this, the level of idiocy in that town is beyond belief.
Needless to say I won't be reading the sequel because I don't see the point of it. The conclusion is truly disappointing.
Never in my whole life have I read a book that frustrated me this much. SPOILERS ahead...
DON’T READ this if you're looking for a story with a karmic justice ending or you can't go through extreme horror, though I wouldn't call this horror, it's just pure gore.
For a long while I wanted to give this a 5 stars rating. But no, it was absolutely impossible when I reached the last third of the book, when I saw the insanity and absolutely unreal scenario unfold.
’Our Dead Girlfriend’ starts really well and for more than half of it, the novel seems to have something to tell us. Four kids find a dead girl (Sydney by her real name; named Jenny by Daniel) in a ditch in the forest and Daniel decides to keep her as their ‘girlfriend’, to test and practice on her (his words). While the rest of them are not entirely okay with that decision, they agree with it because they care for their friend, Daniel.
From the very first page you can tell each of the kids’ personalities. They are different and it can be seen even in the tone and their speech, so big shout out to the author for managing this level of detail.
Characters
Daniel is the kid that’s bullied and depressed, calling himself a loser on many accounts. Full of aggression and frustration, easily seen in the way he talks and thinks and acts.
Gavin was their leader sort of, a rather popular kid, he’s also a victim of racism but doesn’t act in any way to that verbal abuse.
Connor was the only kid I felt truly sorry for. He was the sweet boy, the caring brother, he had a great relationship with his parents, he was loved and cared for and often acted as the voice of reason in the group, albeit Daniel always smothered his pleas.
Tyler was Connor’s little brother. The innocent boy who got caught up in all this and paid a horrible price for nothing but just being around the other boys.
Story
There's a lot of psychological and ethical matters being questioned here and that's probably the purpose of this story or was for a while. The scenes are incredibly uncomfortable and yet utterly captivating, you simply cannot stop reading. It was incredibly infuriating to read this, but I also couldn't stop, I wanted to know how it ends. I hated it and I loved it. It was masterfully written.
As we fly through the pages, because believe me, as appalled as you may be, you won’t be able to stop, it’s addictive, gripping, captivating, you will witness Daniel’s descent into the darkest corners of his mind which were hidden until that point. He is clearly operating on different parameters than his friends. He is sexually attracted to the corpse, he falls in love with her, and he ends up killing, among other disturbing things he does with Jenny. There are many hints throughout the book that betray the sickness in his head, and no amount of sad origin stories made me feel any different about him.
His friends will try to make him stop, to call the police and deal with that, they will point out at the messed up things he does, they will witness their friend commit the ultimate crime and will try to cut contact with him.
The audacity of some people to say they somehow understand why Daniel did those things and how bad they felt for him left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth. Forgive my callousness then, but No. Bullying does not make you a necrophiliac and doesn't make you kill people left and right. Stop attributing this level of deviant behaviour, that some are evidently born with, to society's aggression.
Call me a psycho or lacking empathy but I couldn't feel anything close to pity or compassion for Daniel. If he would've been unaware of what he was doing or that it was bad what he was doing, I would've felt sorry, yes, but he is aware of his despicable acts towards the other girl, towards his friends and family, he knew it was wrong. The way he killed his brother and friends is heinous, extremely violent. It was not the violence that disgusted me, or the explicit descriptions of the kills, I read horror like that often and have no problem with it. This was disgusting because it was a kid who thought he was entitled to kill for his trauma and his deranged and delusional obsession. It was disgusting because there were innocent lives taken by a mental case that shouldn't even be in school with the others in the first place.
There are things that were just straight up exaggerated and improbable:
Sydney was missing for weeks now and they knew she went jogging and the police had search parties yet they never found her in the forest. Are you serious? Especially when there was also another killer in the area preying on children.
Daniel is a kid capable of manipulating like a grown arse Ted Bundy. At that age me and my friends were absolutely idiots. We had no idea what world we lived in. But, maybe that’s again one hint that there was something inherently wrong with him. He manipulates his friends on a psychological level, he demands them to offer him the green light to kill a girl to ‘protect’ them all. Look at this, that’s all I’m saying.
Say the word and I'll do it.[...] I'll save all of us. Say you want me to kill her.
This 13 y/o boy is killing kids and adults like it’s an easy job, and absolutely no one in about three days notices this, the level of idiocy in that town is beyond belief.
Needless to say I won't be reading the sequel because I don't see the point of it. The conclusion is truly disappointing.
December 30, 2024
5 🩸⭐️
When Stand By Me meets Jon Athan …..
This is a story of four boys, Daniel, Gavin, and two brothers Tyler and Connor. When they are bullied out of their clubhouse they have to find somewhere else to hang out. They decide to take off to the woods where they find a dead body of a young girl. What starts out innocently enough as curiosity takes a very dark and unsettling turn . A serial killer is on the loose while another is in the making. Lies are told , friendships are broken and lives are taken. I read the original of this book back in 2019. To say it was an honor to receive an arc of this is an understatement. This book has held to be my absolute favorite from Athan to date. After reading this that still holds to be true.
When Stand By Me meets Jon Athan …..
This is a story of four boys, Daniel, Gavin, and two brothers Tyler and Connor. When they are bullied out of their clubhouse they have to find somewhere else to hang out. They decide to take off to the woods where they find a dead body of a young girl. What starts out innocently enough as curiosity takes a very dark and unsettling turn . A serial killer is on the loose while another is in the making. Lies are told , friendships are broken and lives are taken. I read the original of this book back in 2019. To say it was an honor to receive an arc of this is an understatement. This book has held to be my absolute favorite from Athan to date. After reading this that still holds to be true.
April 12, 2025
OUR DEAD GIRLFRIEND [AUTHOR’S ENHANCED EDITION] [2025] By Jon Athan
My Review 5.0 Stars
This novel by Jon Athan is the designated “May Group Read Selection” for HGW Horror Book Club. I started reading it the first week of this month because I thought it won by popular vote for April. Duh! First, I have been a fan of Jon Athan’s works since I started taking baby steps toward the Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror side of the bleachers existing within the large auditorium housing mainstream Horror. My periodic Status Updates made a loud statement about how awed I was with this novel from start to finish. It was only upon reading the author’s “Dear Reader” notes following the end of the book that I gleaned a sharper perspective on the sheer elegance of the writing style, character development, and perfect pacing.
The original version of “Our Dead Girlfriend” was released in mid-January 2018. His afterword was written the first week of November 2024 and by the time of its publication in late February 2025 seven years had passed. Jon Athan explained both the how and the why surrounding the creation of his “Author’s Enhanced Edition”. I must confess that I was reading on the other side of the auditorium when Jon Athan published the original novel. I was surprised that Jon Athan expressed “fear of being banned for the content of (his) stories”. It was then that I fully grasped the novel I had just finished was the product of a more sophisticated scribe and that it represented the mind of an extreme horror author “Unleashed”. I reflected that the book was what a seasoned Jon Athan could produce figuratively speaking on steroids.
I read the author’s notes with interest and admiration, particularly upon learning that he remains an independent author and as the song goes, he did it “his way”. But I digress. I was enthusiastic to learn that part of the reason for the impressive re-tooling of his earlier novel was because he was in the process of writing its sequel. He shared that this was his most requested sequel ever, and that he receives messages about it every week. Perhaps in light of this review it does not require saying, but I am looking forward to the sequel and most assuredly will snap it up and read it. Oh, and he added that at the time of his “Dear Reader” notes he was working on novels #59 and #60, one of which is the sequel to “Our Dead Girlfriend”. I was blown away by the sheer number of books written by Jon Athan. I knew he was prolific, yes, but WOW!
Finally, a few words from this reader about my opinion of the book. The novel possessed a compulsive readability with fully fleshed out main characters and with sufficient detail about the peripheral characters of the boys’ families that was outstanding. It had that sense of immediacy that is so elusive for many writers to master, that “you are there” feeling that makes a reader feel like they are just one step removed from the action and events taking place.
It is the story of four young boys who collectively stumble across a body dump site in the isolated woods. They find the dead body of an attractive young teenage girl. The story begins with how a trio of 13-year-old eighth graders Daniel, Gavin, and Connor (with his 10-year-old brother Tyler in tow) process this disturbing discovery. The girl had been murdered recently and the corpse, while visibly bruised was still clean and life-life in appearance. It was not altogether surprising that the motley crew would glide beyond their apprehension and decide to hide the dead body in a ditch in the woods for further inspection and exploration. One of the boys advances the notion of keeping her as their “girlfriend” to practice such skills as conversing and flirting with a girl, and how to love a girl.
This is a tale of terror, and it could have gone sideways almost from the beginning in the hands of a lesser talented and intuitive author. The element which stunned and fascinated me the most was Jon Athan’s consummate skill in bringing these boys to life in the imagination of the reader. We are treated to the entire landscape of each boy’s environment, to include his self-identity, relationship with peers at school, home life, and the parenting skills of his parents with even his relationship with siblings.
It is evident from the beginning that one of the three boys is self-loathing to the nth degree, and in fact self-hatred would be in the running for describing his psyche. Daniel is both physically unattractive and socially awkward. He is mercilessly mocked, taunted, and despised by his school classmates. A reader could easily picture him as a lone gunman in a deadly school shooting. At home Daniel is overshadowed by his handsome, athletic, and popular older brother, and he is obsessed with hatred and envy. His parents are strict disciplinarians, or more accurately his father is brutish and beats Daniel with a folded belt while his mother looks on sympathetically. The lonely, neglected but loved Gavin is a product of a poor and stagnant neighborhood with hard working parents who walk around him without seeing him. In stark contrast, the home life of Conner and his 10-year-old brother is akin to the Brady Bunch in comparison.
There is the inevitable gradual escalation of the boys’ interest and curiosity about the attractive female corpse. The author allows the reader to eavesdrop and visualize the perverted actions by the eighth-grade boys. Daniel is the disturbed mentally unhinged maestro who prompts the other boys into sexually abusing the corpse. It is also Daniel who orchestrates subsequent visits to see “their” girlfriend (“Jenny”) in the ditch now smelling like death. The putrefying corpse is not a detriment to the sick administrations of Daniel as he sinks ever deeper into the construct of his sexual fantasies. During an ill-advised trip into the woods to see “Jenny” a catastrophic event occurs which strikes panic into all three boys but only one resorts to homicidal rage and overkill. Any additional details here would meet the definition of a spoiler. I will acknowledge that it would be a “no brainer” to predict that even prior to that fateful day that Daniel would have already assumed a malignant dominion over the other boys through manipulation and blackmail. The disaster which befalls the group only arms Daniel with additional lethal ammo to manipulate his friends into doing his bidding.
Connor, his younger brother Tyler, and Gavin passively remove themselves from all contact with Daniel. But there are some wrongs that can never be right again. The disintegration of their friendship with Daniel only serves to fuel his blossoming acute psychosis and moves him closer to the “love” of his life “Jenny”. This crisis in the woods which splintered the lives of all three boys is portrayed as a crescendo with a haunting refrain.
The final quarter of the book is indescribable from a reader’s perspective in that it was more vicariously experienced than read. I actually felt an uncomfortable chill and a sick feeling by the final period on the last sentence. The incidental discovery of a female corpse by the tight knit group of boys lit a fuse inside the boy who was inherently susceptible to deviance. Daniel was drawn to the dead girl’s corpse because she could never mock him, hurt him, or leave him. The author acquitted himself like a forensic psychiatrist in the creation of the evil, ruthless manipulative psychopath that was once a passive misfit named Daniel.
This is one of the most extreme horror novels I have ever read, largely due to the emotional impact I felt like a precordial thump. I hated the ending of the story. However, I was not “trigger happy” as I have been on occasion. If ever there was a Five Star Read in Extreme Horror, this is it. A final word, and that is relative to the genre designation on Amazon and the hilarious comments of one reviewer. I have become accustomed to their erroneous and sometimes LOL genre entries, but “U.S. Horror Fiction” and the vague “Horror Suspense” and personal favorite “Horror Literature & Fiction”. Fortuitously for all, we know Jon Athan and the caliber of “Extreme” Horror he churns out. But I read the first 5-Star Review I came to and cracked up. The customer wrote: “If you’re wanting to get into extreme horror but not quite ready to dive into something super brutal, this is a great pick. It strikes the perfect balance of “What the heck am I reading?” and slight extreme horror fun”. …and then…” Honestly, even though it’s tamer than what I usually read…” Lady, I wish you would have included your reading list!!!
SUPERLATIVE PLOTLINE AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WITH JON ATHAN AT THE APEX OF EXTREME HORROR
My Review 5.0 Stars
This novel by Jon Athan is the designated “May Group Read Selection” for HGW Horror Book Club. I started reading it the first week of this month because I thought it won by popular vote for April. Duh! First, I have been a fan of Jon Athan’s works since I started taking baby steps toward the Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror side of the bleachers existing within the large auditorium housing mainstream Horror. My periodic Status Updates made a loud statement about how awed I was with this novel from start to finish. It was only upon reading the author’s “Dear Reader” notes following the end of the book that I gleaned a sharper perspective on the sheer elegance of the writing style, character development, and perfect pacing.
The original version of “Our Dead Girlfriend” was released in mid-January 2018. His afterword was written the first week of November 2024 and by the time of its publication in late February 2025 seven years had passed. Jon Athan explained both the how and the why surrounding the creation of his “Author’s Enhanced Edition”. I must confess that I was reading on the other side of the auditorium when Jon Athan published the original novel. I was surprised that Jon Athan expressed “fear of being banned for the content of (his) stories”. It was then that I fully grasped the novel I had just finished was the product of a more sophisticated scribe and that it represented the mind of an extreme horror author “Unleashed”. I reflected that the book was what a seasoned Jon Athan could produce figuratively speaking on steroids.
I read the author’s notes with interest and admiration, particularly upon learning that he remains an independent author and as the song goes, he did it “his way”. But I digress. I was enthusiastic to learn that part of the reason for the impressive re-tooling of his earlier novel was because he was in the process of writing its sequel. He shared that this was his most requested sequel ever, and that he receives messages about it every week. Perhaps in light of this review it does not require saying, but I am looking forward to the sequel and most assuredly will snap it up and read it. Oh, and he added that at the time of his “Dear Reader” notes he was working on novels #59 and #60, one of which is the sequel to “Our Dead Girlfriend”. I was blown away by the sheer number of books written by Jon Athan. I knew he was prolific, yes, but WOW!
Finally, a few words from this reader about my opinion of the book. The novel possessed a compulsive readability with fully fleshed out main characters and with sufficient detail about the peripheral characters of the boys’ families that was outstanding. It had that sense of immediacy that is so elusive for many writers to master, that “you are there” feeling that makes a reader feel like they are just one step removed from the action and events taking place.
It is the story of four young boys who collectively stumble across a body dump site in the isolated woods. They find the dead body of an attractive young teenage girl. The story begins with how a trio of 13-year-old eighth graders Daniel, Gavin, and Connor (with his 10-year-old brother Tyler in tow) process this disturbing discovery. The girl had been murdered recently and the corpse, while visibly bruised was still clean and life-life in appearance. It was not altogether surprising that the motley crew would glide beyond their apprehension and decide to hide the dead body in a ditch in the woods for further inspection and exploration. One of the boys advances the notion of keeping her as their “girlfriend” to practice such skills as conversing and flirting with a girl, and how to love a girl.
This is a tale of terror, and it could have gone sideways almost from the beginning in the hands of a lesser talented and intuitive author. The element which stunned and fascinated me the most was Jon Athan’s consummate skill in bringing these boys to life in the imagination of the reader. We are treated to the entire landscape of each boy’s environment, to include his self-identity, relationship with peers at school, home life, and the parenting skills of his parents with even his relationship with siblings.
It is evident from the beginning that one of the three boys is self-loathing to the nth degree, and in fact self-hatred would be in the running for describing his psyche. Daniel is both physically unattractive and socially awkward. He is mercilessly mocked, taunted, and despised by his school classmates. A reader could easily picture him as a lone gunman in a deadly school shooting. At home Daniel is overshadowed by his handsome, athletic, and popular older brother, and he is obsessed with hatred and envy. His parents are strict disciplinarians, or more accurately his father is brutish and beats Daniel with a folded belt while his mother looks on sympathetically. The lonely, neglected but loved Gavin is a product of a poor and stagnant neighborhood with hard working parents who walk around him without seeing him. In stark contrast, the home life of Conner and his 10-year-old brother is akin to the Brady Bunch in comparison.
There is the inevitable gradual escalation of the boys’ interest and curiosity about the attractive female corpse. The author allows the reader to eavesdrop and visualize the perverted actions by the eighth-grade boys. Daniel is the disturbed mentally unhinged maestro who prompts the other boys into sexually abusing the corpse. It is also Daniel who orchestrates subsequent visits to see “their” girlfriend (“Jenny”) in the ditch now smelling like death. The putrefying corpse is not a detriment to the sick administrations of Daniel as he sinks ever deeper into the construct of his sexual fantasies. During an ill-advised trip into the woods to see “Jenny” a catastrophic event occurs which strikes panic into all three boys but only one resorts to homicidal rage and overkill. Any additional details here would meet the definition of a spoiler. I will acknowledge that it would be a “no brainer” to predict that even prior to that fateful day that Daniel would have already assumed a malignant dominion over the other boys through manipulation and blackmail. The disaster which befalls the group only arms Daniel with additional lethal ammo to manipulate his friends into doing his bidding.
Connor, his younger brother Tyler, and Gavin passively remove themselves from all contact with Daniel. But there are some wrongs that can never be right again. The disintegration of their friendship with Daniel only serves to fuel his blossoming acute psychosis and moves him closer to the “love” of his life “Jenny”. This crisis in the woods which splintered the lives of all three boys is portrayed as a crescendo with a haunting refrain.
The final quarter of the book is indescribable from a reader’s perspective in that it was more vicariously experienced than read. I actually felt an uncomfortable chill and a sick feeling by the final period on the last sentence. The incidental discovery of a female corpse by the tight knit group of boys lit a fuse inside the boy who was inherently susceptible to deviance. Daniel was drawn to the dead girl’s corpse because she could never mock him, hurt him, or leave him. The author acquitted himself like a forensic psychiatrist in the creation of the evil, ruthless manipulative psychopath that was once a passive misfit named Daniel.
This is one of the most extreme horror novels I have ever read, largely due to the emotional impact I felt like a precordial thump. I hated the ending of the story. However, I was not “trigger happy” as I have been on occasion. If ever there was a Five Star Read in Extreme Horror, this is it. A final word, and that is relative to the genre designation on Amazon and the hilarious comments of one reviewer. I have become accustomed to their erroneous and sometimes LOL genre entries, but “U.S. Horror Fiction” and the vague “Horror Suspense” and personal favorite “Horror Literature & Fiction”. Fortuitously for all, we know Jon Athan and the caliber of “Extreme” Horror he churns out. But I read the first 5-Star Review I came to and cracked up. The customer wrote: “If you’re wanting to get into extreme horror but not quite ready to dive into something super brutal, this is a great pick. It strikes the perfect balance of “What the heck am I reading?” and slight extreme horror fun”. …and then…” Honestly, even though it’s tamer than what I usually read…” Lady, I wish you would have included your reading list!!!
SUPERLATIVE PLOTLINE AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WITH JON ATHAN AT THE APEX OF EXTREME HORROR
March 16, 2025
My only complaint about Jon Athan's novels are that they aren't long enough for me. I keep wanting more. Anyway, this book was no exception. It follows four boys-Daniel, Gavin, Connor, and Tyler-who find a dead teenaged girl in the woods and decide to make her their "girlfriend". For Daniel, though, she soon becomes an obsession. Just how far will he go to protect their secret? Looking forward to the sequel!
July 3, 2025
To be reviewed
February 12, 2025
This book was so incredibly bleak and so brutal! I did read the original when it first came out, but I really appreciated getting another deeper glimpse into the boys' lives, particularly Connor and his dilemma. His struggle felt so real to me, and I found myself stressing about his situation right beside him. Jon Athan is a master of splatterpunk and extreme horror, and his enhanced edition of Our Dead Girlfriend is a perfect example of his steady growth and originality. Do not miss the book, and I promise you will not see the ending coming!! ⅘ skulls ☠️
September 10, 2025
This was a great read. The author's note mentions a sequel?
January 29, 2025
5/5 🍒
No one will keep him from Jenny.
This book was absolutely insane. I have the original book but had not read it yet. So I went into the enhanced edition blind. Four boys are out and about in the woods looking for a new hangout spot after some bullies kicked them out of their original spot.
As they come to ditch they make a grizzly discovery. A dead body. A dead girls body to be exact. It seems as though the girl has been murdered. Fear, confusion, excitement and disgust flow through the group of boys. Each on having a separate reaction to the girls body.
Daniel’s reaction to the body is not one “most” people would have. He is in awe. He hypes his friends up with an odd statement of “she could be our girlfriend” somehow he gets them to agree. This is when the story gets crazy. They molest this girls body and call her their gf for a while.
Things get out of hand when one of the boys Conner feels guilt and regret and just doesn’t want to do it anymore. But how can he stop? He would be putting his little brother’s life in danger since their DNA is all over her body now. So they agree to just allow Daniel to do what he wants with her.
Did I say the story for crazy already? Well it gets insane towards the middle. This book is not for people who have weak stomach or get yucked out by gore, necrophilia, or murder. There were a couple scenes I didn’t expect and one hit me a little harder than the rest. But there was one thing I did see coming and I’m excited to see there will be a sequel to delve more into that world.
This book is going to be released February 1st 2025. Mark your calendars and get this new edition with a new beautiful cover and updated story! Jon will always be a favorite extreme horror writer of mine and that hasn’t changed. Can’t wait to continue to devour his large amount of novels 🩵
No one will keep him from Jenny.
This book was absolutely insane. I have the original book but had not read it yet. So I went into the enhanced edition blind. Four boys are out and about in the woods looking for a new hangout spot after some bullies kicked them out of their original spot.
As they come to ditch they make a grizzly discovery. A dead body. A dead girls body to be exact. It seems as though the girl has been murdered. Fear, confusion, excitement and disgust flow through the group of boys. Each on having a separate reaction to the girls body.
Daniel’s reaction to the body is not one “most” people would have. He is in awe. He hypes his friends up with an odd statement of “she could be our girlfriend” somehow he gets them to agree. This is when the story gets crazy. They molest this girls body and call her their gf for a while.
Things get out of hand when one of the boys Conner feels guilt and regret and just doesn’t want to do it anymore. But how can he stop? He would be putting his little brother’s life in danger since their DNA is all over her body now. So they agree to just allow Daniel to do what he wants with her.
Did I say the story for crazy already? Well it gets insane towards the middle. This book is not for people who have weak stomach or get yucked out by gore, necrophilia, or murder. There were a couple scenes I didn’t expect and one hit me a little harder than the rest. But there was one thing I did see coming and I’m excited to see there will be a sequel to delve more into that world.
This book is going to be released February 1st 2025. Mark your calendars and get this new edition with a new beautiful cover and updated story! Jon will always be a favorite extreme horror writer of mine and that hasn’t changed. Can’t wait to continue to devour his large amount of novels 🩵
February 27, 2025
The discovery of a young girl's corpse ignites a tinderbox of emotions within three young friends, forever altering their lives. This is a stark and unflinching exploration of the human condition, delving into the murky depths of abuse, the delicate balance of trust, the corrosive power of mistrust, the insidious nature of bullying, and the complexities of love, heartache, and profound loneliness. As the story unfolds, the weight of secrets threatens to suffocate the bonds that once held these boys together. The narrative masterfully evokes empathy for each character, even the flawed and the broken. Perhaps most compelling is the antagonist, Daniel, a figure who simultaneously repels and elicits the most emotional reactions. Born from years of relentless bullying and a crippling sense of isolation, he traverses a transition from victim to perpetrator. We witness the festering of his insecurities, and the morphing of his hurt into a simmering rage. Consumed by a desperate desire for control and fueled by a warped perception of love, Daniel decides that nothing, and no one, will stand between him and his twisted fantasy of eternal companionship. His actions, though reprehensible, are rooted in a deep-seated pain, forcing us to confront the uncomfortable truth that even monsters are often forged in the crucible of trauma. Even monsters have feelings, can feel the weight of loneliness and desperation. The story compels us to examine the seeds of darkness that can sprout within even the most vulnerable souls. As always, Jon Athan has won my heart and destroyed my brain, while spoiling the contents of my stomach at every turn. Must read.
March 1, 2025
This was honestly a brilliant read! I felt so many emotions reading this. The relationship between the boys, the relationship between each boy and their families, the bullies, the pressures of coming of age.. I really felt like there was a great depth of detail and extra information that helped you connect with all the characters. It was bleak, it felt hopeless, I was disgusted and horrified and I was unbelievably sad in parts. Absolutely worth reading if you've got few triggers. I'm really excited for the sequel!
May 8, 2025
As horrific as this was
I'd rather be reading this than watching the current news. This was an insanely intense ride on the crazy train heading to killer ville. I will be reading another book by this author. What stuck out for me here was there was some gore I've never even imagined yet it was so vivid my mind could easily create visuals. I didn't get nauseous as I thought I would at the descriptions of the boys and their dead girlfriend. I was more upset at the bullying. Overall, I am glad I read this as a group read and get other views on it as well.
I'd rather be reading this than watching the current news. This was an insanely intense ride on the crazy train heading to killer ville. I will be reading another book by this author. What stuck out for me here was there was some gore I've never even imagined yet it was so vivid my mind could easily create visuals. I didn't get nauseous as I thought I would at the descriptions of the boys and their dead girlfriend. I was more upset at the bullying. Overall, I am glad I read this as a group read and get other views on it as well.
June 21, 2025
Didn't see the microwave coming. Grotesque and made me grapple with my conscience to read. Scratched the extreme horror itch.
May 2, 2025
Jon Athan continues to impress. This is an uncomfortable romance and coming of kind of tale for its first 75% and then goes completely off the rails with violence. The characters are great, each developed well enough that we start to route for them. Daniel is both a character that we can empathise with but there is a lot more to his character and subtle clues are laced throughout the narrative. There's a child killer subplot that ties to the boys "plaything" but also weaves itself into the later story. The only let down for me was the ending which wasn't really satisfying to me.
April 14, 2025
… how do I explain myself.
Was this book disgusting? Yes. Was it horrifying? Absolutely. Did I enjoy reading it? Not particularly.
Filthy, grotesque, and very EW WTF, but totally on brand for this author. Giving 4 stars for the fact I sped through it and (sorta) enjoyed it more than The Groomer (which is still the most horrifying book I’ve ever had the unpleasure of reading).
***Read with caution, fr fr***
Was this book disgusting? Yes. Was it horrifying? Absolutely. Did I enjoy reading it? Not particularly.
Filthy, grotesque, and very EW WTF, but totally on brand for this author. Giving 4 stars for the fact I sped through it and (sorta) enjoyed it more than The Groomer (which is still the most horrifying book I’ve ever had the unpleasure of reading).
***Read with caution, fr fr***
June 29, 2025
6/29/2025 - For an extreme horror book, I thought the story was very well-written. The storylines outside of the woods intrigued me more than what happens inside the woods. I also enjoyed how unpredictable the last section was, especially who survives and who does not.
September 14, 2025
4.5⭐️ - I honestly did not know what to expect with Our Dead Girlfriend, and wow, Jon Athan delivered something truly disturbing. Four boys stumble upon the corpse of a young girl in the forest, and instead of calling the police, they do the unthinkable and make her their "girlfriend". What follows is a chain of horrifying events that had me simultaneously laughing and gagging. The sheer level of disgust is almost overwhelming, yet I couldn’t put the book down.
What makes this story so gripping is the character development. Each of the boys feels fully fleshed out, their flaws, fears, and secrets laid bare in a way that makes you care even when their actions are completely reprehensible. Athan forces you to feel for these characters, including the ones doing monstrous things, and that tension between empathy and horror kept me hooked.
The writing is unapologetically brutal and darkly funny. The descriptions of certain scenes were so realistic and grotesque that I had to pause several times, yet the absurdity of the main character’s delusions had me laughing out loud more than once. Athan balances the grotesque with moments of genuine emotion, exploring the complexities of friendship, loneliness, and the ways trauma shapes behaviour.
This book is not for the faint-hearted, but it is brilliant. I was horrified, disgusted, heartbroken, and oddly entertained all at once. I cannot wait for the sequel!
What makes this story so gripping is the character development. Each of the boys feels fully fleshed out, their flaws, fears, and secrets laid bare in a way that makes you care even when their actions are completely reprehensible. Athan forces you to feel for these characters, including the ones doing monstrous things, and that tension between empathy and horror kept me hooked.
The writing is unapologetically brutal and darkly funny. The descriptions of certain scenes were so realistic and grotesque that I had to pause several times, yet the absurdity of the main character’s delusions had me laughing out loud more than once. Athan balances the grotesque with moments of genuine emotion, exploring the complexities of friendship, loneliness, and the ways trauma shapes behaviour.
This book is not for the faint-hearted, but it is brilliant. I was horrified, disgusted, heartbroken, and oddly entertained all at once. I cannot wait for the sequel!
February 16, 2025
"𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒆...𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆.𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏...𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒆."
Who says coming-of-age can't be extreme horror? Jon Athan has taken his classic tale of boys who find a dead girl in the woods and has given it a new cover, a fresh edit, and expanded several scenes that smoothly pave the way for a sequel.
Four friends, Daniel, Gavin, and brothers Tyler and Connor are bullied out of their usual hangout, so they have to find somewhere else they can claim as their own. when they venture into the woods, they discover the fresh yet very dead body of a high school girl. They consider calling the authorities but decide to make her their girlfriend instead. I promise, their intent begins innocently enough--none of them have ever had a girlfriend, and they practice talking to her and even kissing her. But when one boy decides that she was placed there for him to finally have someone to love, things take a dark, horrific turn.
What really struck me in the book was the desperate loneliness and alienation that one boy in particular feels. Something is happening to our kids, and I don't think we can blame Covid anymore. There is a disconnect, a self-loathing, and an ache to belong, and when you mix that in that with the usual family dysfunction and the hierarchy at school where kids like these don't even register, it's a headline waiting to happen.
Thank you so much to the author for this stunning early copy. It will be available everywhere February 27, 2025.
Who says coming-of-age can't be extreme horror? Jon Athan has taken his classic tale of boys who find a dead girl in the woods and has given it a new cover, a fresh edit, and expanded several scenes that smoothly pave the way for a sequel.
Four friends, Daniel, Gavin, and brothers Tyler and Connor are bullied out of their usual hangout, so they have to find somewhere else they can claim as their own. when they venture into the woods, they discover the fresh yet very dead body of a high school girl. They consider calling the authorities but decide to make her their girlfriend instead. I promise, their intent begins innocently enough--none of them have ever had a girlfriend, and they practice talking to her and even kissing her. But when one boy decides that she was placed there for him to finally have someone to love, things take a dark, horrific turn.
What really struck me in the book was the desperate loneliness and alienation that one boy in particular feels. Something is happening to our kids, and I don't think we can blame Covid anymore. There is a disconnect, a self-loathing, and an ache to belong, and when you mix that in that with the usual family dysfunction and the hierarchy at school where kids like these don't even register, it's a headline waiting to happen.
Thank you so much to the author for this stunning early copy. It will be available everywhere February 27, 2025.
March 28, 2025
Rating off how horrifyingly disgusting this book was.
4 words: disturbing, deranged, vile, and insane. The ending? Absolutely crazy. My mind can’t process this right now. I just cannot like I didn’t not expect any of this. I just cannot believe this I’m at a loss for words seriously.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
I WANTED to feel bad for the death of Connor, Tyler, and Gavin specifically Connor and Tyler. But I just can’t like someone should’ve called the police ASAP especially Connor instead of falling into peer pressure and monkey see monkey do, now look what happened. All of them are just so sick and deranged the things they did I just cannot believe it. I seriously did not expect Daniel to be killing all the families like that fr. Even putting the baby in the microwave? Who even thinks of such a thing… this is beyond anyone’s right mind of thinking. I already knew the person in the woods who kept making a rustling noise had to be the killer they were mentioning from the news because there were many times each person heard a rustling sound. The ending absolutely threw me for a loop, honestly the whole book like seriously what the hell?
4 words: disturbing, deranged, vile, and insane. The ending? Absolutely crazy. My mind can’t process this right now. I just cannot like I didn’t not expect any of this. I just cannot believe this I’m at a loss for words seriously.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
I WANTED to feel bad for the death of Connor, Tyler, and Gavin specifically Connor and Tyler. But I just can’t like someone should’ve called the police ASAP especially Connor instead of falling into peer pressure and monkey see monkey do, now look what happened. All of them are just so sick and deranged the things they did I just cannot believe it. I seriously did not expect Daniel to be killing all the families like that fr. Even putting the baby in the microwave? Who even thinks of such a thing… this is beyond anyone’s right mind of thinking. I already knew the person in the woods who kept making a rustling noise had to be the killer they were mentioning from the news because there were many times each person heard a rustling sound. The ending absolutely threw me for a loop, honestly the whole book like seriously what the hell?
January 12, 2025
While searching for a new hangout in the woods after been bullied from the old one, the four boys come across a dead body and decide to experiment and make her their girlfriend, One of the boys Daniel starts having feelings for her and soons falls in love with the dead body, while the others distance themselves from him he starts to visit the body on his own,after a beating from his dad for been late the story takes and a very dark and brutal turn as Daniel turns into a psychopath.
A great read please read the trigger warnings!
A great read please read the trigger warnings!
January 1, 2026
I hate hate hate rating an indie book so low... but this just wasn't it for me.
Our Dead Girlfriend follows a group of newly teenage boys after they find the corpse of a high schooler in the middle of the woods. The group of boys decide to keep her as their 'girlfriend' - they can practice having a real girlfriend with Jenny. Quickly, the group fractures as they have opposing views on what they should do, and how far they should go.
The central plot is interesting and I like that one of the boys gets too possessive too quickly and the rest of the group struggles with their friend's actions... but Daniel isn't that scary. He's a 13-year-old boy. It's not clear to me how Daniel was able to manipulate all of the rest of the boys.
As well, I do not like that these boys are 13 years old (the younger brother of one of the boys is 10, even!) in a plot this mature. Nothing would have been lost if the group were 18 years old, and in fact, it would have made Daniel a whole lot more believable. I could not suspend my disbelief at a 13-year-old on a murder spree towards the end.
One thing with the writing style as well - we were told so much instead of being shown it, which is a pet peeve of mine!
Unfortunately not the book for me.
Our Dead Girlfriend follows a group of newly teenage boys after they find the corpse of a high schooler in the middle of the woods. The group of boys decide to keep her as their 'girlfriend' - they can practice having a real girlfriend with Jenny. Quickly, the group fractures as they have opposing views on what they should do, and how far they should go.
The central plot is interesting and I like that one of the boys gets too possessive too quickly and the rest of the group struggles with their friend's actions... but Daniel isn't that scary. He's a 13-year-old boy. It's not clear to me how Daniel was able to manipulate all of the rest of the boys.
As well, I do not like that these boys are 13 years old (the younger brother of one of the boys is 10, even!) in a plot this mature. Nothing would have been lost if the group were 18 years old, and in fact, it would have made Daniel a whole lot more believable. I could not suspend my disbelief at a 13-year-old on a murder spree towards the end.
One thing with the writing style as well - we were told so much instead of being shown it, which is a pet peeve of mine!
Unfortunately not the book for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️/5
To be entirely honest? I expected a lot more because I don’t mind Jon Athan and his writing? I’ve taken into consideration that this story is about 4 young boys so the writing would be a bit different, I guess I was just annoyed to see how possessive Daniel got. His killing spree at the end was pretty unnecessary. There was no need for Daniel to go off the rails the way he did, but you do you I guess?
Also seeing how emotionally invested Daniel was, and how much Connor, Gavin and Tyler were being manipulated like they were puppets? Even though Daniel was a child? He still is pretty messed up.
This was also my first story I’ve ever read that included themes of necrophilia, which clearly was icky.
I wouldn’t really recommend this book to people who don’t read splatterpunk, but if you’re already familiar with JA? Don’t bother reading this book, he’s written better.
To be entirely honest? I expected a lot more because I don’t mind Jon Athan and his writing? I’ve taken into consideration that this story is about 4 young boys so the writing would be a bit different, I guess I was just annoyed to see how possessive Daniel got. His killing spree at the end was pretty unnecessary. There was no need for Daniel to go off the rails the way he did, but you do you I guess?
Also seeing how emotionally invested Daniel was, and how much Connor, Gavin and Tyler were being manipulated like they were puppets? Even though Daniel was a child? He still is pretty messed up.
This was also my first story I’ve ever read that included themes of necrophilia, which clearly was icky.
I wouldn’t really recommend this book to people who don’t read splatterpunk, but if you’re already familiar with JA? Don’t bother reading this book, he’s written better.
February 14, 2025
You know when you love someone so much, you would do anything for them?! ANYTHING!
Now this is one of Jon’s books that I hadn’t read, I was lucky enough to receive an arc of his author enhanced edition and it did not disappoint. I’ll just add at this point it is an extreme horror and if you’re like me and make assumptions from the title then you’re probably right about the direction the book is going to take.
I will admit when I started reading this one I thought nah that’s stupid that would never happen, but not long after I was drawn in and it soon all became a possible reality. A group of boys make a grim discovery in the woods, they find a body of a female student. Under normal circumstances you would freak out, call the police……… however the group of boys make the decision between them to make her their dead girlfriend, to practice their love skills, talking, flirting and more.
What follows from here is a is a love story that will cause rifts and break friendships. How far would you be willing to go for the person you love? And would you really be willing to share? This is a disturbing tale of young love, friendships, jealousy and human horror. That’s what I love about Jon’s books, he does human horror well, no matter what the story line he will pull you in and make you believe anything is possible.
Now this is one of Jon’s books that I hadn’t read, I was lucky enough to receive an arc of his author enhanced edition and it did not disappoint. I’ll just add at this point it is an extreme horror and if you’re like me and make assumptions from the title then you’re probably right about the direction the book is going to take.
I will admit when I started reading this one I thought nah that’s stupid that would never happen, but not long after I was drawn in and it soon all became a possible reality. A group of boys make a grim discovery in the woods, they find a body of a female student. Under normal circumstances you would freak out, call the police……… however the group of boys make the decision between them to make her their dead girlfriend, to practice their love skills, talking, flirting and more.
What follows from here is a is a love story that will cause rifts and break friendships. How far would you be willing to go for the person you love? And would you really be willing to share? This is a disturbing tale of young love, friendships, jealousy and human horror. That’s what I love about Jon’s books, he does human horror well, no matter what the story line he will pull you in and make you believe anything is possible.
August 18, 2025
Book Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Disturbing. But I Couldn’t Look Away.
📖 Our Dead Girlfriend by Jon Athan
Okay, let me just say this: I almost tapped out after the first “scenario” with the dead girl “Jenny.” That part was Straight up horrifying. I had to stop for a second and ask myself if I really wanna keep reading this sick shit? But something in me needed to know how it all played out,I’m nuts like that.
Let’s talk about Daniel.. shall we real quick??That kid messed me up. Hell yes, I hated him. He’s so freaking twisted he made my skin crawl. You slowly start to realize how very lonely and broken the kid really is and somehow, against ALL logic, you start to feel bad for him. I like what the author did there. That’s talent. That’s storytelling!
Jon Athan is no stranger to messedup plots Ive read plenty of his stuff, but one thing he always nails is character development. Even when the people you’re reading about are literal assholes, you still get sucked into their world. That’s exactly why I keep coming back to Jon Athan’s books.
______________________________
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Disturbing. But I Couldn’t Look Away.
📖 Our Dead Girlfriend by Jon Athan
Okay, let me just say this: I almost tapped out after the first “scenario” with the dead girl “Jenny.” That part was Straight up horrifying. I had to stop for a second and ask myself if I really wanna keep reading this sick shit? But something in me needed to know how it all played out,I’m nuts like that.
Let’s talk about Daniel.. shall we real quick??That kid messed me up. Hell yes, I hated him. He’s so freaking twisted he made my skin crawl. You slowly start to realize how very lonely and broken the kid really is and somehow, against ALL logic, you start to feel bad for him. I like what the author did there. That’s talent. That’s storytelling!
Jon Athan is no stranger to messedup plots Ive read plenty of his stuff, but one thing he always nails is character development. Even when the people you’re reading about are literal assholes, you still get sucked into their world. That’s exactly why I keep coming back to Jon Athan’s books.
______________________________
January 10, 2025
I really liked the writing, the contrast between the boys' nativity and the narrator who's clear about how messed up their actions are. It was creepy AF, and the fact that the boys didn't necessarily have bad intentions just made it creepier.
The characters were all relatable, even in their darkness, which made the story feel like something that could actually happen
(I received an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily)
The characters were all relatable, even in their darkness, which made the story feel like something that could actually happen
(I received an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily)
April 6, 2025
Gore was horrendous and beautifully depicted. Jon Athan does not ever disappoint in that aspect. I could've done without the intimacy in the woods I'm not gonna lie; that in particular actually made me gag. But the descriptions of the violence?! So sickening. Bravo 👏🏻
February 28, 2025
Do you remember being 13 and trying to fit in? If your experience was anything like mine growing up, it was miserable. I was picked on, made fun of for being the chubby kid and I was also a weirdo and overall had a hard time making friends. Some of the real trauma in this story is a reminder of how terrible it is to be teenager, especially one who has had a target on their back for years of being the punching bag for all the other kids.
In this book we follow Daniel, Gavin, Connor and Connor’s little brother, Tyler. While they all experience a little bit of trouble with being bullied, Daniel gets the worst of it. Although he is deemed the “creepy kid”, Connor and Gavin know how tough Daniel’s home life is and try their best to stick up for him and be there for him.
While trying to find a new hang out spot in the woods as their other spot was taken from them, they make what should be a horrifying discovery of a dead body. She’s young, blonde and pretty and it looks like she didn’t just trip and fall, she may have been murdered. While Connor thinks they need to get out of there and alert police immediately, Daniel steps into action and talks the group into keeping this secret and goes as far as suggesting that she be their “girlfriend”. As much as it sounds insane, no one protests enough to stop it.
I won’t say too much more about the plot but you can guess that things start to unravel. Daniel has an obsession, Connor wants for it all to stop and when another person finds out about their secret girlfriend, a tornado of consequences start happening around them.
This book is extreme horror and has some disturbing themes. I love extreme horror and I love the way that Athan can truly create an entire story where you can get to know the characters but also is so brutal and mean and rips you apart with the depravity on the pages. Every Athan book I read I end up thinking the same thing, that he must say “screw your happy ending” whenever he completes a book.
I have to say, I hate Daniel. Even with his crappy upbringing and family, I genuinely had zero sympathy or empathy for him and just was grossed out by him entirely. I appreciate characters that make me wanna toss the book in a wood chipper.
Lastly, the ending. I’m still going over that in my head. I truly can’t wait for a sequel.
Thank you so much to the author for sending an ARC. This books comes out on February 27th and I hope you all give it a shot. Happy reading. 🪦🩸👧🏼
In this book we follow Daniel, Gavin, Connor and Connor’s little brother, Tyler. While they all experience a little bit of trouble with being bullied, Daniel gets the worst of it. Although he is deemed the “creepy kid”, Connor and Gavin know how tough Daniel’s home life is and try their best to stick up for him and be there for him.
While trying to find a new hang out spot in the woods as their other spot was taken from them, they make what should be a horrifying discovery of a dead body. She’s young, blonde and pretty and it looks like she didn’t just trip and fall, she may have been murdered. While Connor thinks they need to get out of there and alert police immediately, Daniel steps into action and talks the group into keeping this secret and goes as far as suggesting that she be their “girlfriend”. As much as it sounds insane, no one protests enough to stop it.
I won’t say too much more about the plot but you can guess that things start to unravel. Daniel has an obsession, Connor wants for it all to stop and when another person finds out about their secret girlfriend, a tornado of consequences start happening around them.
This book is extreme horror and has some disturbing themes. I love extreme horror and I love the way that Athan can truly create an entire story where you can get to know the characters but also is so brutal and mean and rips you apart with the depravity on the pages. Every Athan book I read I end up thinking the same thing, that he must say “screw your happy ending” whenever he completes a book.
I have to say, I hate Daniel. Even with his crappy upbringing and family, I genuinely had zero sympathy or empathy for him and just was grossed out by him entirely. I appreciate characters that make me wanna toss the book in a wood chipper.
Lastly, the ending. I’m still going over that in my head. I truly can’t wait for a sequel.
Thank you so much to the author for sending an ARC. This books comes out on February 27th and I hope you all give it a shot. Happy reading. 🪦🩸👧🏼
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