A Feast of Putrid Delights

by Valentina Rojas

Ever since surviving the attack of a local queer nightclub, Antonia's life has unraveled. She can't sleep, she can't think, and she certainly can't focus on the new restaurant she and her friends recently opened together in New York. The only solace comes in the form of a new experimental street drug called Cloud, gifted to her by a mysterious stranger with a peculiar lifestyle. Chronic insomnia miraculously cured, Chef Antonia finds herself consumed by a singular obsession: crafting the perfect dish, one purified from all the rot of the universe. But perfection has a price—and Antonia is running out of time to pay it back.

Genres: Horror, Queer, Novella

108 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Valentina Rojas is a writer whose work delves into the forsaken and the unknown. She is the writer of A Feast of Putrid Delights. Her recent work can be found in "Ghoulish Tales", "Coffin Bell Journal", and "Mouthfeel Fiction". A graduate of the University of St Andrews with a degree in International Relations, she’s been seeking redemption ever since

When not crafting her web of horror, Valentina can be found working in games or haunting the Rockies with her partner and their three dogs; Zelda, Olivia Souffle, and Toast.

Follow Valentina on Social Media!
Instagram/threads - @styxteeth
TikTok- @styxteeh

Reviews

[inciminci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antonia who is a co-owner of a hip NY restaurant suffers from insomnia ever since an attack on an lgbtq-bar by some radical attacker, and the only thing that helps her a drug called clout, but it has side effects. But even those side effects push her towards something the drug is supposed to help her with – it's supposed to help you find your superpower. So by and by it becomes clear that the nausea and perception of malodors has a reason which lead her to an appalling realization about herself.

It took me a while to realize what's going on in this book and that's actually a thing a book of 93 pages can't afford. Other than that I quite liked what this book addresses, and a quick, pleasant enough read.

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Here’s an uglier thought: there’s a high horse for realizing your own ugliness. I mean really seeing, as I can now. As I have been able to since Cloud entered my life."




This reads like a fever dream / streams of consciousness style of writing. Unsure which part is pure hallucination or result of psychological breakdown. MC Antonia has been battling with Insomnia and PTSD for quite a while. Things started to get even weirder and horrendous after she got introduced to Cloud. One of which is her inexplicable and sudden obsession for bodily decay...and consumption.

The book cover and blurb captured my interest since I love unhinged female characters. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this one. I was expecting to love this more and I'm disappointed to have to rate it low. For a novella, this one dragged a bit although it did finally pick up towards the end and I liked the ending. I can usually stomach extreme horror and all sorts of grotesque things in writing but unfortunately, the unnecessary animal cruelty, torture and murder (most esp cats) just for the sake of shock factor ruined the overall reading experience. I would have rated this higher without a particular scene which was graphic albeit a short one.


Big thanks to the publisher, Booksirens for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Horror Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deliciously disgusting novella which will put you off eating for awhile! A female chef takes a new street drug called Cloud to help her insomnia.

Several years earlier, she survived a horrific attack at a gay nightclub by an anti LGBTQIA psycho. She's been traumatized ever since and cannot sleep.

The answer might be a street drug, Cloud. It helps her sleep but the side effects are going to do more harm than she could possibly imagine.

My only very minor criticism is that I wanted it to be longer. There are a few story arcs which I really enjoyed and wanted to explore more within the context of the story. But that's just me.

All in all, this is a fantastic twisted psychological horror with body horror twists which you will not want to read while eating! I highly recommend this one.

[That Horror Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I received an ARC copy from Booksirens in exchange for a honest review**

2,5⭐️ rounded up for Goodreads

I was hoping to like this book more than I did. It felt like the story only started by the end of it and I was reading a long introduction to a splatterpunk book.

Toni is a very unreliable narator and I liked that quite a bit! But it felt like I was missing a lot of story, which could have been explored much more.

It was a fun enough read, but very forgettable. That being said, there definitely is some potentional for this author.

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very weird read, exquisitely painful and unsettling. It's full of uncanny moments and strange situations, dealing with insomnia and trauma, essentially the extended impact of a traumatic event on the main character's life (PTSD). She can't sleep, going sleepless for weeks at a time, recognizing herself that this is not normal (and normally impossible).

For a moment, I thought this would be the high literary version of the "Russian Sleep Experiment," but no - the author had something entirely different in mind, equally horrible and gory, yet emotionally and psychologically more complex than the notorious creepypasta: the poor woman turns to a new drug, ending up in a maze of addiction and culinary horror (she's a professional chef), slowly destroying her somatic integrity and undoing her own sense of self.

The ending is obviously shocking and fully meant to be so; unfortunately, it was also a bit predictable (to me), since it's rather unsubtly hinted in the last twenty pages or so.

That said, the writing reflects perfectly the protagonist's confusion and despair (occasionally through a devious use of the unreliable narrator technique), often conveying a sort of existential resignation as well, as if there's no way she can avoid what fate has in store for her. This is why I understand the novella as successfully broaching themes of fatalism and nihilism, filtered through mental collapse and the ambiguities of a shattered identity.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kiera ☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 (rounded up for GoodReads)

In theory, this should have been a slam dunk for me, however I notably seem to struggle with fever dreamesque books. I found it quite laborious to read the MC's slow decent into madness for such a short read. There is plenty of gross, extreme and graphic WTF moments and they are certainly what kept me pushing through to finish it. The ending was shocking and I didn't see it coming (however, I probably should have) but that saved it from a lower score. Overall, I would say that this one is a bit forgettable for me. Mostly, this just kind of reminded me of 'To Be Devoured' but throw in a mystery, seemingly recreational drug.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to this deliciously disgusting horror novella. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily (albeit it is late!). I am currently obsessed with books about a woman's descent into madness and oh baby did this hit the mark. The writing was so gorgeous and really made me feel like I was going mad with her. It did a great job of portraying her disjointed and frantic thoughts, while still telling the story. The story itself sucked me in, I love the idea of a chef who can't stomach her food anymore and is disgusted by literally every single food smell around her until it drives her off the wall, especially when we find out what food she CAN eat. I think it ended fabulously as well. It was a little slow in the beginning, but I feel like it really picked up in act 2. I think this book packed a bunch in not so many pages, and I enjoyed every second of it.

[DA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure madness. Toni is the most unreliable narrator I have ever read. Is this a dream? A drug induced hallucination? A psychological breakdown from PTSD? I've finished the book and I still don't know.
What I do know is that I was trapped in this world from the start and honestly I'm not sure if I was able to get out.
A very well rounded story with characters that you don't really learn that much about, but somehow can still see them as real.
For a debut this book is one for every horror reader's list.

I received an ARC copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michael Tichy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her debut novella, A Feast of Putrid Delights, Valentina Rojas doesn’t so much seat you at an ornate table and pamper you with a sumptuous course of delicacies. Instead she straps you to a chair, shoves a funnel in your mouth, and stuffs you. There is an intensity to the prose here, with short sentences abutting one another with all the raw energy of a dance club filled way beyond capacity. Rojas captures the desperation of an unreliable narrator who is alternately on the edge of collapse and on the edge of whatever is well beyond that. If you’ve lived with trauma, obsessive anxiety, and insomnia, you will find the feral mind of Antonia (the main character) painfully familiar. If you haven’t, then you can only surrender to the bewilderment whose authenticity is as immersive as it is overwhelming. There are elements that reminded me of A Scanner Darkly, of losing oneself to the things we at first find in an attempt to avoid losing ourselves. And the glitches, those moments when we become increasingly aware that Antonia’s perceptions and her memories are not to be entirely trusted, leave us in a sort of free fall. We can only cling to what we’re given. And this is the paradox of grief and of trauma. Knowing that the world you once inhabited was nothing more than a polite fiction, and that the pain that inhabits you might be no more real, but having no other solid ground to stand on. There’s a little of Antonia in all of us, living in times when it often seems there is no possible future and no past that provides an escape from a suffocating present. We all just want to find a feeling, however fleeting, that we still have a grip on the rudder. A Feast of Putrid Delights will stay with you like a flash of recollection of a bomb blast.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark and visceral cautionary tale, steeped in grotesque body horror and hallucinatory insomnia, A Feast of Putrid Delights packs an incredible punch for such a clean-cut novella. With bloody, feverish prose, readers are sent tumbling down the rabbit hole and into the sleepless, skin-crawling mind of a woman caught in the throes of drug addiction and violent jealousy, peeling her eyes open into her skull to see the world for what it truly is: imperfect, impure, seething with poison and filth. Perfect for fans of Mona Awad and Tender is the Flesh, A Feast of Putrid Delights takes a fantastic swing at an unreliable and often unlikeable narrator, using dark, witty humour and plenty of surrreal, gruesome imagery in a literary undoing that doesn’t pull its punches. Bursting with morbid ambition, artistic obsession and the kind of existential dread and unconventiality that festers under the skin and rots away at your flesh, author Rojas goes beyond the horror genre alone to examine addiction as a trope in itself - compulsions and obsessions, food as power and as punishment, all meeting in the middle in a severe, twisted form of self-destruction. I do wish some character-driven moments were developed further, and while there were some niggling inconsistencies between english rhetoric and an all-american setting, I thought it was a strong, unsettling novella that defies the niceties of the weird-girl-lit-fic genre and takes on a life all of its own. 4 stars.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 rounded up)
The cover and title of this immediately caught my attention. I’m glad I decided to read this. I had an idea as to where the story would go but the author went in a slightly different direction. I’d say this was short and sweet but it was short and disgusting (in a good way).

This read almost like a fever dream and the narrator was very unreliable. There’s some nasty stuff in this so if you aren’t into gore, animal death, murder, etc then this isn’t for you. This was definitely for me though.

A Feast of Putrid Delights reminded me of the show The Bear if it had horror in it. In my opinion, this is a good thing.

Overall, I liked the book. I just wish it had gone further. Especially when it came to Antonia’s interactions with customers and coworkers at the restaurant. I think maybe the book needed to be a bit longer to explore more of Antonia’s backstory, more about how the drug works, a more prolonged decent into madness, etc.

I’d recommend this to those who enjoy shows like The Bear and want a little horror thrown in. What I don’t recommend is eating while reading this, just trust me. Once I knew the subject matter I just knew this would get gross. I’d read from this author again.

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to BookSirens and the author for the ARC.

[The Grim Reader UK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. On paper, I was absolutely sold by the blurb of this one but this novella was a bit of a let-down for me. There's some decent writing, but the author made some odd choices that completely took me out of the story and broke any tension that had been developed. In general, there is a bit of a fever dream vibe to this story and I know that, as a reader, I tend to prefer things more concrete and spelled out, so this my negativity may just be a result of some personal biases.

I think this writer clearly has some decent chops though: in particular there's some particularly vivid imagery in this book that is truly stomach-churning. It just didn't hang together well enough as a story overall for me, but I'd be interested to see where this author goes next.

I'm rounding up my 2.5 stars to 3 for this book.

[Danielle Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“All you have to know is there was a thing that happened. And that I haven’t slept since.”

Whoa. This book… this book was something. For a little less than 100 pages, this book packs one hell of a punch.

The writing style was amazing. The prose? 10/10. The subject matter was hard but also done really well. The narrator was unreliable AF, in the best way possible. Lots of grief. Lots of trauma. Lots of horror.

Fever dream? Psychological breakdown? All of the above?! I don’t even know. But I loved it. Incredibly impressive debut. Something I would absolutely recommend to all horror readers.

It releases on the 25th and with a cover like this one, it’ll be hard to forget.

[Zimbellina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toni can’t sleep until the drug Cloud comes into her life. But it opens her up to something else.

This was awesome, I loved it. Toni was messed up and it all built to a wonderfully crazy ending. The ending really shocked me and made me go noooo Toni don’t do it. Excellent book!

I got an ARC of this book.

[Luna ꪆৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

English version here, Dutch version below

4 🌟

Before I begin I want to thank the author, Valentina Rojas, and ghoulishbookstore for giving me this ARC.

4 🌟

This was so disturbing, but I really liked it. I was sucked into the story and its universe. I felt so disgusted, and it felt like there was something under my skin itching to get out; that was how it felt reading this. I really made the mistake of reading the last third of this while I was eating. I still feel the food in my throat. It feels like it's stuck there, and even though I drank some water, the feeling doesn't leave.

Overall this is amazing but you really should look up the content warning before you start reading this. I definitely want to read more!

Dutch version here

4 🌟

Voordat ik begin wil ik de auteur, Valentina Rojas, en ghoulishbookstore bedanken voor het toesturen van dit ARC.

4 🌟

Dit was zo verontrustend, maar ik vond het echt goed. Ik werd volledig meegezogen in het verhaal en het universum. Ik voelde me zo walgelijk, het was alsof er iets onder mijn huid zat dat eruit wilde kruipen; zo voelde het om dit te lezen. Ik maakte echt de fout om het laatste derde deel te lezen terwijl ik aan het eten was. Ik voel het eten nog steeds in mijn keel zitten. Zelfs nadat ik wat water had gedronken, ging dat gevoel niet weg.

Over het geheel genomen is dit geweldig, maar je moet echt eerst de content warnings opzoeken voordat je begint te lezen. Ik wil zeker meer lezen!

[Saoirse Chiaragáin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels inaccurate to say that I enjoyed this book. Reading 'A Feast of Putrid Delights' is like being caught in an awful, restless dream. Even before the horror ratchets up, Rojas crafts a dizzyingly unpleasant and realistic portrayal of extreme sleep deprivation, one in which reality takes on a kind of fluidity, ebbing and flowing queasily around the book's protagonist, Antonia. From there, we venture ever further into the psychotropic madness of survivor's guilt, drugs, and nauseating hallucinations. A beautifully-realised nightmare, this is a confident debut novella with an ending that will haunt me for some time.

[Frank Torn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valentina Rojas’ A Feast of Putrid Delights is a visceral journey into the chaotic, sleepless mind of Antonia, a chef struggling with insomnia, existential dread, and her sense of identity. Blending sharp wit, grotesque imagery, and biting social commentary, Rojas delivers a darkly humorous tale that is as unsettling as it is addictive.

Strengths:

Dark Humor: The novel excels in its use of morbid, irreverent humor to tackle heavy themes such as trauma, obsession, and self-doubt. Rojas’ sharp, biting wit turns even the most grotesque moments into laugh-out-loud commentary, making the book a deliciously twisted read.

Immersive Narrative Voice: Antonia’s voice is raw, sardonic, and captivating. Her unfiltered perspective pulls the reader into her sleepless world, where reality and delusion blur. Her dry humor and unapologetic honesty create a deeply relatable yet profoundly unsettling protagonist.

Atmospheric Setting: The culinary world is depicted with vivid, almost grotesque detail. From the stench of spoiled food to the frenetic chaos of a restaurant kitchen, Rojas immerses readers in a sensory overload that mirrors Antonia’s unraveling psyche.

Themes of Creativity and Perfectionism: The novel explores the dark side of creative ambition, delving into the toll it takes on mental health and relationships. Antonia’s obsession with proving herself in the culinary world resonates deeply with anyone who has grappled with imposter syndrome or burnout.

Surreal and Grotesque Imagery: Rojas’ descriptions are richly grotesque, transforming mundane objects and situations into unsettling, almost surreal experiences. The imagery enhances the book’s dark humor and underscores its themes of decay and transformation.

Weaknesses:

Fragmented Narrative: While the fragmented, stream-of-consciousness style reflects Antonia’s mental state, it can be disorienting for readers. Some may find it challenging to follow the narrative’s twists and turns.

Unresolved Subplots: Certain subplots and characters feel underdeveloped or abruptly abandoned. A more cohesive resolution could have strengthened the story’s overall impact.

Audience Appeal:

A Feast of Putrid Delights will strongly appeal to readers who:

Enjoy dark humor and satire with a macabre edge.

Are drawn to stories about flawed, complex protagonists.

Appreciate sensory, grotesque imagery that heightens emotional impact.

Enjoy themes of artistic obsession, existential dread, and identity.

Fans of Chuck Palahniuk, Ottessa Moshfegh, or Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal will find this novel particularly captivating. Its mix of culinary horror and biting humor makes it a standout for readers seeking something bold and unconventional.

Overall Impression:

Valentina Rojas’ A Feast of Putrid Delights is a bold and unforgettable debut. Its masterful use of dark humor, grotesque imagery, and unflinching honesty creates a story that lingers long after the final page. For those who dare to dive in, this novel offers a feast of sharp wit and profound insight into the human condition.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

[Ivy Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars

A Feast of Putrid Delights by Valentina Rojas

Insomnia

Gore

Addiction

What couldn't go wrong?

Before I dive deeper into this review, I would like to point out that this story is for mature audiences, and themes like gore and substance abuse are approached in moderation.

A Feast of Putrid Delights jumps into Chef Antonia's story right after a local queer nightclub is attacked; putting the reader in the shoes of someone who is just trying to get over a massive trauma.

From the beginning, I was hooked on the theme of this book, and as I read it, I was torn between loving it and throwing it across the room. Antonia is not okay. We are not okay with her choices but hey, I get it. Trauma hits people differently and this book does an amazing job of painting this vivid picture of just that.

The part that I struggled with loving and the reason it's 3.5 stars instead of 5/5 is the way it's written.

**** SPOILER****

As Antonia partakes in Cloud, she begins to lose chunks and fragments of time. Her clarity begins to fog and you're thrown in this trippy ride as Antonia tries to get her footing back in life. She blacks out and eventually wakes back up in a different time and different place without the reader being clued in. While the author intends to leave out large chunks of information for a big reveal later on, I personally felt cheated of this amazing buildup for the story's climax.

I applaud Valentina Rojas for her incredible writing as they tried to immerse the reader with an experience as if they too were on Cloud.

And if it weren't for the blackouts, I would have rated this book 5/5. I loved the theme and the characters, and I was floored by the plot twist. I cannot wait to read more of Valentina's work in the future and I hope this review does not deter anyone from reading A Feast of Putrid Delights by Valentina Rojas.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[The ARC Bro · Rating 3 out of 5]

🔥 BRO vs. A FEAST OF PUTRID DELIGHTS 🔥

🥊 The Book: After surviving a brutal nightclub attack, Antonia’s life spins out—sleepless nights, faltering restaurant dreams, and one mysterious street drug called Cloud that unlocks sleep… and obsession. As she seeks culinary perfection, the question becomes: is she chasing art, or feeding madness?

💪 The Bro: I’m a sucker for a good “unraveling psyche” story, and this one serves it up on a blood-slicked silver platter.

⸻

🥊 ROUND 1: First Impressions
• Antonia starts as a sympathetic mess—traumatized, anxious, but still somewhat grounded.
• You watch her slow spiral like a car crash in slow-mo, and it’s both horrific and hypnotic.
• Cloud is a neat twist: part miracle, part madness fuel.

⸻

🥊 ROUND 2: In the Thick of It
• The writing is sharp and lush, like a beautiful cut of meat left just a bit too long on the counter.
• The surrealism is effective—but occasionally veers into fog. Some major beats are hard to interpret because of Antonia’s fractured perception, and we’re left unsure of what’s real and what’s Cloud’s doing.
• Still, even in the haze, you feel the rot setting in. And there’s some flavor in that.

⸻

🥊 ROUND 3: Final Verdict
• This story is gross, inventive, and full of teeth.
• It’s not for everyone—readers who need clean arcs and tidy closure may tap out early.
• But if you like your horror weird, slippery, and laced with paranoia, there’s plenty on the plate here to dig into.
• And that final scene? Yeah… that one’s gonna stick to your ribs.

⸻

🔥 FINAL BELL: The ARC Bro Scorecard 🔥

🥊 Split Decision – A Feast of Putrid Delights doesn’t pull every punch—it throws a few wild ones that don’t connect—but when it lands, it hurts. Visceral, surreal, and ambitious horror for readers who like their stories cooked rare and bleeding.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Books For Decaying Millennials · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
-
In the second installment of Director Christopher Nolan's NeoLiberal Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight, The Scarecrow responds to a complaint about his Fear Toxin " I Told you that my compound would take you places. I never said they were places you wanted to go." This quote popped into my head while reading A Feast of Putrid Delights and continued to echo until the end of the novella.

First of all to Valentina a loud sincere :Thank you, Chef!". I have never worked in Food Service, but working Forbidden Magick in the Kitchen is something I love to do. For that reason, anytime a story revolves in a significant way around cooking and the kitchen, I get excited. Especially when it's Food and cooking seen through the eyes of someone who has had a reality altering experience akin to what happens to Philip Swann towards the end of "Lord of Illusions". Whether commenting on food, class,trauma, sexuality or addiction, Rojas cuts quickly and deeply into some major arteries.
There's a disconnect between urban the urban gentrified class and the urban proletariat that "Putrid Delights ". Added to that there are the blinders that people put on, not seeing suffering or addiction in it's many forms unless it falls within someones comfort zone.
Antonia's deepening spiral devolves (one might say mutates) into something strangely feral, birthed from the stygian darkness buried deep inside.
Rojas' story will grip your attention, with same intensity and hunger that grips Antonia as she itches and stumbles with a torrent of changes. Upon finishing the last line of the last page I tossed my e-reader across the couch with a shocked flury of expletives. Putrid Delights delivers a full course meal of body horror fueled delights, with an ending that will leave you sitting in silence, savoring the flavor.

[Rogomelec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a lot, in the best way. You think you’re getting a story about a chef taking a drug that makes processed food look disgusting, but it spirals into something so much deeper—imposter syndrome, unrequited love, PTSD, insomnia, addiction, and an unraveling reality that keeps you questioning everything.

The writing? Incredible. You don’t just read about Antonia’s descent—you feel it. The confusion, the paranoia, the way reality bends in unsettling ways. At times, I was just as lost and off-kilter as she was, and I loved that. Despite being a short read, it pulls you in so hard that by the time you finish, you’re left blinking, wondering what the hell just happened.

And the horror? Oh, it’s visceral. The descriptions of food alone had me feeling queasy, but it’s the slow realization of what’s actually going on that really gets under your skin. What’s real? What’s the drug? What’s Booth’s deal really??? By the end, I wasn’t sure I even wanted answers—it was better that way.

That said, I needed more exploration of certain plotlines—especially the farm and her aunt's home. The glimpses we get are so creepy and intriguing, but it never fully dives in, and I wanted it to. If this had been a little longer, a little more developed in some areas, it could’ve easily been a five-star read.

Still, A Feast of Putrid Delights is exactly what the title promises—deliciously rotten, impossible to look away from, and guaranteed to leave you feeling just a little sick.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cavak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt like a fever dream read. I had to take breaks because of the dazed frenzy with which events take place. Considering that the protagonist is delirious from extreme insomnia at the start, that sorta makes sense. Took me time to get used to it. By the time I did, the story was over.

For me, the sensory details were present, but somehow not enough for me to fully engage with Antonia's decline. So I could still eat while the more heinous acts occur during Act III's segments. Although the narration disturbed me with the eating disorder moments. Those parts were the most real and haunting to me. Combined with the fear of coming out of the closet, and we're set for unsettling reading sessions.

Also got me to think about the science of us existing too. We're all dumpsters of bacteria, whether we like it or not. Most living things are. Isn't that a pleasant thought?

I felt like I needed a few more moments to curve out that ending, even with the anticipation for it. I was still saying "What happens next?" like a ninny rather than feeling like it had completed its arc. Some sort of transition or key takeaway so that it didn't feel like a jump scare. Being stuck on that final shot gets to me. Maybe that's the point.

A Feast of Putrid Delights is a snappy and messy debut rich in its disgusting mania. Perfect for a short horror. Not a cheerful read for the kiddies nor sensitive readers. I'll be keeping an eye on Rojas! She's got a funky voice that grows on me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was an interesting read for many reasons.

Let's start with the good - I really loved the concept and idea. To sum up the plot quickly, Antonia, our protagonist, is suffering from insomnia and a lot of other mental issues after being present at a shooting at a queer nightclub, clearly borrowing from all the horrific attacks on the LGBTQ community in our sad reality. Due to this, after helping open her own restaurant with her best friend/love of her life who got away. She ends up trying an experimental drug called Cloud, which could be a hyped up version of DMT, which essentially drives her insane and only seeing the rot of the universe.

So the idea is wonderful, the only issue, for me personally, is the writing style. Written from Antonia's POV, the book reads much like a train of thought. Some readers may enjoy this style of writing, but for me it ended up making some of the book feel more like a chore instead of something I wanted to read and get to the end of.

That said, it is relatively short enough and features enough craziness for most hardened horror or splatterpunk fans to pull something from and enjoy. And that ending, while some may see it coming, still works well enough to leave the book on a good note.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I can’t quite be sure what my expectations were going into this one, I can confirm that they were a little higher than what the reading experience was able to deliver for me. This past year has been packed full of some excellent subversive horror reads, and so A Feast of Putrid Delights suffers some from the comparison.

The frenetic pace of the story succeeds in conveying Antonia’s fracturing psyche, but some of the unexpected redundancies of language, even from early on in the text, pulled me back from fully immersing in the narrative. It’s always a little distracting once you have to stop and consider whether a particular passage included an editorial oversight or a deliberate stylistic choice.

That said, Valentina Rojas has offered up some highly consumable horror that most effectively shines as it approaches its conclusion. Though it is served up in a compact format, I think Rojas’ jam-packed descriptive style may have benefited from a more fully fleshed out volume. Of course, on second consideration, perhaps the lean frame of a novella lends itself well to the story at hand.

This is an unpaid and honest review, willingly provided in kind for access to an ebook review copy of this title.

[Chad Landon Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jealousy and longing manifesting itself into rancid hunger, all of that awakened by the trauma of surviving a massacre and the urge to tune it all out with the latest hipster drug craze. It's the desire to consume in order to fill all of one's wounds-- self-inflicted or otherwise-- and yet finding nothing to eat because the world stinks of the impurity that made you the wretch you are.

A couple of the threads here don't quite pan out. Antonia's longing for her friend, and the way she makes it worse for herself by merely entering a business partnership with him, ends up feeling like the most important aspect of what's going down, while the Antonia's identity, the bar bombing, etc feels more like a hazy, almost forgotten memory. That does play Antonia's loss of time, etc, so it makes sense that she doesn't dwell on the specifics of things further in the past than what she's dealing with in her immediate surroundings.

[O.F. Cieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Feast of Putrid Delights is the Vegetarian without pulling punches. Our main character, Toni, survived a hate crime several years before the start of the book and hasn't slept since. At night she goes out dancing to kill time, despite the flashbacks. During the day she struggles to launch her new restaurant, Iris, with her business partner and former lover. Toni is a mess when the book starts, but as the narrative unfolds we learn how much of a mess she was before the narrative begins. As the novel progresses she regresses into former bad habits just for the chance to sleep, sacrificing her cooking, health, and personal connections. The more we learn about Toni, the more tragic and inevitable her unwinding seems.

Beautiful prose that lights up during scenes of violence that kicks off into one final scene of horror.

[Megan Magee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Feast Of Putrid Delights is perfect for fans of Tender Is The Flesh, the show The Menu, or The Lamb by Lucy Rose. The brutality really shines through in such a short novel. I felt at turns horrified, disgruntled, and at my lowest point- I could relate. I agree so heavily with Antonia that it feels so alien to see a child raised in a concrete jungle, and can commiserate even more with the poison we almost have no choice except to shovel into our bodies for our nourishment. The amount of processed foods forced upon us IS truly this disgusting and dehumanizing. I would have had no problem rating this five stars if it had followed a bit of a more detailed stream of consciousness- that aspect of the writing left me trailing off on tangents and losing focus of the plot. I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[LeighAnn Albanese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wild ride. Deeply unsettling and an exploration of the mind unraveling after surviving a horrific trauma. Antonia has been struggling to sleep and only finds relief after trying a street drug called Cloud. The side effects, however, may be more than she bargained for.

I should have seen the ending coming, but it will definitely stick with you long after you finish reading… like a five-star dinner—rich, satisfying, and leaving you savoring every detail long after it’s over or depending on your experience a bad one that clings like a disappointing dish you sent back, memorable only for the lesson not to order it again."

Thank you BookSirens for sending me an advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Well this was unhinged. But also just really sad and lonely and that’s why I liked it. It’s basically a story about a woman who slowly loses her mind and herself. It’s a very creepy tale of how one can get detached from reality. The person may think they are actually getting better but in truth they are really only sinking deeper into madness. At one point the lines become blurred so much that the person is not able to get better on their own anymore.

I’m vegan so a couple of scenes I had to just gloss over but still I think the book has something to offer and it’s truly masterful in its creepiness.

[sarah panic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe there has only been one or two other books that actually made me physically gag before and well, now this one can be added to that list. That is by NO MEANS equating this to a decrease in my appreciation for the book as it is in fact the exact opposite.

Antonia’s character develops well throughout the book and you can see how the Cloud changes her appearance, behavior, and personality as the storyline carries out.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.