What do you think?
Rate this book
Something Even Worse
The Highly Anticipated Sequel to Something Truly Dreadful
Wes thought he had survived the horrors of his past, but the nightmare is far from over. In this chilling sequel to Something Truly Dreadful, Wes embarks on a blood-soaked quest for revenge against Doug, the man responsible for the brutal murder of his friends. But as Wes digs deeper, he uncovers a far more terrifying truth: Doug is just a pawn in the twisted, all-encompassing grip of the ancient, evil cult of Vol' Dun, a deity whose dark influence has spread like a plague, bending even the most ordinary people to its will.
As Wes struggles to stay alive while being held hostage by his enemy, he finds himself entangled in a web of supernatural terror and madness. The lines between revenge and survival begin to blur. With every step, Wes comes closer to understanding that the true horror isn’t Doug, or even the murders—it’s something even worse.
A heart-pounding tale of vengeance, dark rituals, and unrelenting fear, Something Even Worse will leave readers questioning what happens when even the most desperate of survivors must face a terror beyond their imagination. For those who loved Something Truly Dreadful, this sequel promises to escalate the terror to unimaginable heights. Will Wes get his revenge, or will he become another sacrifice to Vol' Dun's horrifying power?
Wes thought he had survived the horrors of his past, but the nightmare is far from over. In this chilling sequel to Something Truly Dreadful, Wes embarks on a blood-soaked quest for revenge against Doug, the man responsible for the brutal murder of his friends. But as Wes digs deeper, he uncovers a far more terrifying truth: Doug is just a pawn in the twisted, all-encompassing grip of the ancient, evil cult of Vol' Dun, a deity whose dark influence has spread like a plague, bending even the most ordinary people to its will.
As Wes struggles to stay alive while being held hostage by his enemy, he finds himself entangled in a web of supernatural terror and madness. The lines between revenge and survival begin to blur. With every step, Wes comes closer to understanding that the true horror isn’t Doug, or even the murders—it’s something even worse.
A heart-pounding tale of vengeance, dark rituals, and unrelenting fear, Something Even Worse will leave readers questioning what happens when even the most desperate of survivors must face a terror beyond their imagination. For those who loved Something Truly Dreadful, this sequel promises to escalate the terror to unimaginable heights. Will Wes get his revenge, or will he become another sacrifice to Vol' Dun's horrifying power?
58 pages, ebook
Published April 1, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 17, 2025
The Sequel to Something Truly dreadful. This fast-paced cosmic horror is a quick read, coming in at around 58 pages, but it packs a punch. It is non stop entertainment from start to finish. I received an eARC copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2025
The sequel to Something Truly Dread ful
delight fully explained Doug's backstory and
his future dealing with the sinister Von
Dun
It starts with the anticipated cliffhanger
of Wes's kidnapping by Doug, the owner of
the mysterious Den of Insanity, Wes is
tormented by the ghosts of his murdered
friends to warn him of Doug's plans for him.
Doug himself is now forced to bring Wes to
Von Dung is the beastly demon who wants Wes
to continue his quest to murder more.
It is an excellent sequel to Salinas
characters from Something Truly Dreadful.
This explained and gave you sympathy for
Doug's character, as now we know he was
just as a puppet for Von Dun,
The story was wonderfully written with
anticipated scenes that had you questioned
Doug's motives, Salinas is a pro for writing
short stories, and now I'm hoping the story
of on Von Dun continues
Rating 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
delight fully explained Doug's backstory and
his future dealing with the sinister Von
Dun
It starts with the anticipated cliffhanger
of Wes's kidnapping by Doug, the owner of
the mysterious Den of Insanity, Wes is
tormented by the ghosts of his murdered
friends to warn him of Doug's plans for him.
Doug himself is now forced to bring Wes to
Von Dung is the beastly demon who wants Wes
to continue his quest to murder more.
It is an excellent sequel to Salinas
characters from Something Truly Dreadful.
This explained and gave you sympathy for
Doug's character, as now we know he was
just as a puppet for Von Dun,
The story was wonderfully written with
anticipated scenes that had you questioned
Doug's motives, Salinas is a pro for writing
short stories, and now I'm hoping the story
of on Von Dun continues
Rating 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
May 19, 2026
Loved this book
April 22, 2025
“The Highly Anticipated Sequel to Something Truly Dreadful Wes thought he had survived the horrors of his past, but the nightmare is far from over.”
This for me was a very good sequel to Something Truly Dreadful! It wasn’t as horrifying as the first but I think Matthew did a very good a job on telling us what’s going on since Wes has been kidnapped by Doug a man who is responsible for the brutal deaths of his friends. The only thing I hated was the way it ended. It was left open for a book three and I don’t want to wait! I need the answers now!
This for me was a very good sequel to Something Truly Dreadful! It wasn’t as horrifying as the first but I think Matthew did a very good a job on telling us what’s going on since Wes has been kidnapped by Doug a man who is responsible for the brutal deaths of his friends. The only thing I hated was the way it ended. It was left open for a book three and I don’t want to wait! I need the answers now!
April 9, 2025
A Review of something even worse by Matthew Salina’s Rating: 5/5 ⭐️This short read is a remarkable continuation of “something truly dreadful”. It delves deeper into Doug’s past, expands on the cosmic horror themes, and evokes sympathy for Wes as he navigates a hellish experience with Doug. The narrative effectively builds upon the previous installment, leaving me anticipating the next development in the series. Thank you Matthew Salinas for the ARC copy!
October 21, 2025
So I didn't realize that this was a sequel to Something Truly Dreadful, which I did not read.
However, I was still able to enjoy this short read and piece together the story. Now I need to go back and read the first book so I'll be ready for Book 3. I'm assuming a third book will come since the ending of this one left it open. I need to see how Vol'Dun finds his end!
However, I was still able to enjoy this short read and piece together the story. Now I need to go back and read the first book so I'll be ready for Book 3. I'm assuming a third book will come since the ending of this one left it open. I need to see how Vol'Dun finds his end!
May 31, 2025
This is a sequel to Something Truly Dreadful, which I thoroughly enjoyed. That story followed a group of friends who entered a haunted house, faced absolute terror with their worst fears, and only one of them made it out alive.
In Something Even Worse, we pick up with Wes, the survivor, who’s now been kidnapped by Doug (working for the same paranormal force from the first book).
What I appreciated here was the way the mundane and the supernatural started to blur. We get more insight into Doug, see how Wes is processing his guilt, and feel the ripple effect of what happened in book one.
That said, what held this one back for me was how much got explained, sometimes in ways that didn’t quite align with the flow of the story. I’m all for answers, but this felt a little rushed, like the mystery lost its edge because too much was laid out too soon.
I also think the length worked against it; some ideas felt like they needed more space to breathe.
And I do think this might be controversial. Some people will love that we get all the answers, and that’s wonderful!
I enjoyed seeing the aftermath unfold, and if you liked the first, this is definitely worth the read to see what comes next.
In Something Even Worse, we pick up with Wes, the survivor, who’s now been kidnapped by Doug (working for the same paranormal force from the first book).
What I appreciated here was the way the mundane and the supernatural started to blur. We get more insight into Doug, see how Wes is processing his guilt, and feel the ripple effect of what happened in book one.
That said, what held this one back for me was how much got explained, sometimes in ways that didn’t quite align with the flow of the story. I’m all for answers, but this felt a little rushed, like the mystery lost its edge because too much was laid out too soon.
I also think the length worked against it; some ideas felt like they needed more space to breathe.
And I do think this might be controversial. Some people will love that we get all the answers, and that’s wonderful!
I enjoyed seeing the aftermath unfold, and if you liked the first, this is definitely worth the read to see what comes next.
April 11, 2025
Something Even Worse by Matthew Salinas
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Another 5🌟 read from this fantastic author!
This story took me on a wild horror ride! 🚘 It’s a sequel to Something Truly Dreadful and is just as exciting!
Wes has been kidnapped by a strange man named Doug. He wants revenge on Doug because Doug murdered his friends. Wes doesn’t really understand who Doug is or what he wants and is learning that a supernatural party is involved also, Vol’ Dun.
This story is a short and fast read, and Salinas made sure it is packed with fright, murder, psychological horror and intenseness!
Thank you to Matthew Salinas for an arc of this exciting and chilling book!
*It comes out in April, so keep your eyes peeled for it! You definitely want to read this!* 👻🥞
Make sure you read the first book too,
Something Truly Dreadful!!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Another 5🌟 read from this fantastic author!
This story took me on a wild horror ride! 🚘 It’s a sequel to Something Truly Dreadful and is just as exciting!
Wes has been kidnapped by a strange man named Doug. He wants revenge on Doug because Doug murdered his friends. Wes doesn’t really understand who Doug is or what he wants and is learning that a supernatural party is involved also, Vol’ Dun.
This story is a short and fast read, and Salinas made sure it is packed with fright, murder, psychological horror and intenseness!
Thank you to Matthew Salinas for an arc of this exciting and chilling book!
*It comes out in April, so keep your eyes peeled for it! You definitely want to read this!* 👻🥞
Make sure you read the first book too,
Something Truly Dreadful!!
April 17, 2025
Something Even Worse is the follow up story to Something Truely Dreadful by Matthew Salinas. Just like the first book, this was a quick, fast-paced read that went at 100mph from the very beginning and didn't let up off the gas until the last second.
We pick right back up where the first book leaves off. Wes is now traveling across the country with the very crazy Doug who has dark and sinister plans for the poor boy. Will Wes be able to outsmart his captor and eacape, or will he be left to his fate?
Like I said, this was an extremely quick book that I was able to finish in one sitting. Salinas has a way of introducing characters you will care about with very few pages, and that is something few authors are able to do. If you finished Something Truely Dreadful than I highly recommend you pick this one up at release. You won't regret it
We pick right back up where the first book leaves off. Wes is now traveling across the country with the very crazy Doug who has dark and sinister plans for the poor boy. Will Wes be able to outsmart his captor and eacape, or will he be left to his fate?
Like I said, this was an extremely quick book that I was able to finish in one sitting. Salinas has a way of introducing characters you will care about with very few pages, and that is something few authors are able to do. If you finished Something Truely Dreadful than I highly recommend you pick this one up at release. You won't regret it
April 8, 2025
If you enjoyed “Something Truly Dreadful”, then the second installment is a must-read! It’s only 58 pages, but it manages to cram in a bunch of cosmic/body/psychological horror while still being chock-full of heart. I finished this in a single burst because I really wanted to see what happened to Wes!
The only thing I missed compared to the first story was the mixed-media/found footage feel, but that’s because I thought the polaroids and their captions were a lot of fun last time. That being said, I still enjoyed this one and it’s probably my favorite of the two! I will definitely have to read the final part when it comes out.
As an aside, there is a snippet that will make you crave all of the breakfast foods (or at least it did for me). 🥞🍳
Thanks again to the author for the ARC!
The only thing I missed compared to the first story was the mixed-media/found footage feel, but that’s because I thought the polaroids and their captions were a lot of fun last time. That being said, I still enjoyed this one and it’s probably my favorite of the two! I will definitely have to read the final part when it comes out.
As an aside, there is a snippet that will make you crave all of the breakfast foods (or at least it did for me). 🥞🍳
Thanks again to the author for the ARC!
April 18, 2025
Something Even Worse picks up right where Something Truly Dreadful left off, and it does not slow down. Wes is stuck with the seriously creepy Doug, trying to survive while unraveling a bigger, weirder mystery involving a cosmic entity called Vol’ Dun.
It’s a super quick read—just under 60 pages—but it’s packed with tension, horror, and wild twists. Salinas manages to build suspense fast and still gives us characters we care about, which isn’t easy in such a short story. The mix of psychological horror, supernatural elements, and dark humor totally works, and it gave me major Supernatural vibes in the best way.
If you liked the first one, you’re gonna want to read this. It’s intense, weird, and leaves you wanting more.
Thanks to the author for ARC!
It’s a super quick read—just under 60 pages—but it’s packed with tension, horror, and wild twists. Salinas manages to build suspense fast and still gives us characters we care about, which isn’t easy in such a short story. The mix of psychological horror, supernatural elements, and dark humor totally works, and it gave me major Supernatural vibes in the best way.
If you liked the first one, you’re gonna want to read this. It’s intense, weird, and leaves you wanting more.
Thanks to the author for ARC!
April 11, 2025
Something Truly Dreadful and Something Even Worse by Matthew Salinas are two related short stories, Something Truly Dreadful is #1 and Something Even Worse is #2. It’s hard to give a review without giving away the plot. Both were fun to read. Something Truly Dreadful starts Wes's story by discussing his misfortune and loss at the hands of Doug. Something Even Worse continues the story of Wes and Doug and gives background and motivations for Doug's actions. The end of Something Even Worse leaves an opening for more to Wes's story and perhaps a background on Doug, how he got to where he is. That would be an interesting continuation, IMO or just hope on my part.
May 3, 2025
“Something Even Worse” is the continuation of Matthew Salinas’s nightmarishly good “Something Truly Dreadful”, Although only 58 pages, there is some crucial details you don’t want to miss that will really add to it all. Who is Doug? Do you want to know more? What about what happens next to Wes? And what or who is Vol' Dun? These are the questions that plague your mind after reading “Something Truly Dreadful” and the answers you just might get as you continue this dark tale of supernatural atrocities that have unfolded so far. You don’t want to miss “Something Even Worse”. This nightmare is far from over is all I can say!!
May 3, 2025
Something Even Worse, by Matthew Salinas, is the follow up novella to Something Truly Dreadful. Without spoiling that story, all I’ll say is that the events pick up shortly after the ending of STD, and we learn more about what happened to Wes and his friends at the Halloween fun house. I loved the continuation of this story and am happy I read As It Stands first, as that made the appearance of some of the characters much more significant. I’m really hoping that a third installment is in the works!
April 5, 2025
The sequel to "Something Truly Dreadful" and I'd highly recommend both books.
Wes is stuck with Doug in his blue Sedan and all Wes wants is to save his friends from what happened to them in the first book. Some interesting things happen and I genuinely was concerned that what I was hoping would happen wouldn't.
While things end in this novella in a "good" way (you can decide on that) the epilogue leaves me to believe and hope that this wonderful novella series will be a trilogy.
Wes is stuck with Doug in his blue Sedan and all Wes wants is to save his friends from what happened to them in the first book. Some interesting things happen and I genuinely was concerned that what I was hoping would happen wouldn't.
While things end in this novella in a "good" way (you can decide on that) the epilogue leaves me to believe and hope that this wonderful novella series will be a trilogy.
April 8, 2025
I received an ARC copy of Something Even Worse, the sequel to Something Truly Dreadful. This picks up right where the first one ended. We follow Wes and Doug's journey after that fateful night and the dynamic between the two. The twists and turns had me wanting more!
I thoroughly enjoyed this follow up and hoping for a third installment. Fast read, great writing. Definitely check these books out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this follow up and hoping for a third installment. Fast read, great writing. Definitely check these books out.
April 11, 2025
The sequel to “Something Truly Dreadful” is a great bridge for the next book. It picks up where the first book left off and moves the story along nicely. Matthew Salinas expertly (and intentionally) gives just enough to grab you and just enough to keep you hanging on for the next installment. I suppose you could stop at this one BUT why would you?! I can’t wait to hear more from the characters at the end and look forward to the rest of the story! Fun read!
April 21, 2025
I absolutely loved Something Truly Dreadful, and this sequel was no different.
Starting where the first book left off, we're now cruising along with Doug and Wes in Doug's car.
I thought I really disliked Doug in the first book, but he made me dislike him even more in this book. Even though there was more of a background story for Doug, I didn't feel sorry for him because he's still the creepy deranged Doug as before.
Starting where the first book left off, we're now cruising along with Doug and Wes in Doug's car.
I thought I really disliked Doug in the first book, but he made me dislike him even more in this book. Even though there was more of a background story for Doug, I didn't feel sorry for him because he's still the creepy deranged Doug as before.
April 5, 2025
Arc reader here and not disappointed in the follow up book to Something Truly Dreadful.
A little glimpse into the nightmare Wes is trapped in after losing all his friends. Matthew Salinas offers us a just enough to get us hooked once again. Great quick read that leaves you hanging and wanting more.
A little glimpse into the nightmare Wes is trapped in after losing all his friends. Matthew Salinas offers us a just enough to get us hooked once again. Great quick read that leaves you hanging and wanting more.
April 6, 2025
This series is an absolute blast. This book picks up right where Something Truly Dreadful left off, and doesn't miss a beat. It is fast-paced and so much fun. Wes is a character you want to root for, and it was nice to see some more depth added to Doug. If you loved the first book, you will not be let down by this follow up. I'll just be sitting here impatiently waiting for a part three.
April 9, 2025
This book starts where Somethjng Truely Dreadful ends so there is no time lapse. Wes is stuck with Doug and just wants his friends back and he wants revenge. Does he get it? I guess in a way he does and in a way this book ends on a happy note (totally opinion based). However, the story doesn’t end and it looks like we will be getting a trilogy which makes me so happy!
April 26, 2025
Ok, I was very confused for a bit with this one at the start. I read the first book a while ago and probably should have read the last couple of chapters of book one again first. But once I had caught up with the story again, I would say I enjoyed it as much as the 1st one. Needless to say, this author is good at pulling you in. I'm very intrigued to see where this story goes.
April 7, 2025
Something Even Worse brings us back to Wes and Doug, who we met in Something Truly Dreadful. Doug has taken Wes on a fun filled road trip. Wes is looking for revenge, and Doug is his target. This one starts slow, but it picks up the more you read. The ending was great, not what I expected.
April 7, 2025
This was an amazing sequal to “Something Truly Dreadful”, and takes you further into the continuation of Wes and Doug in the aftermath of the first book. Great horrific moments leading to an ending that leaves everyone waiting for the next. Not a really long read, and you won’t be disappointed.
April 8, 2025
I actually enjoyed the first book a lot more. This picked up right where the first left off and I was hoping for more excitement and adventure. Nothing much happened in this storyline just a long car drive. It does seem like there’s a third book coming but I don’t know if I’m going to read it.
October 4, 2025
We follow Wes in the aftermath of Doug’s Den of Insanity on his goal of revenge!
I liked this one but not as much as the first book! This one was less scary and a little slower in my opinion but still good!
I liked this one but not as much as the first book! This one was less scary and a little slower in my opinion but still good!
April 5, 2025
Absolutely stellar! It was the follow up story I couldn’t wait to read!!!
April 6, 2025
Wes is trying to escape Doug and get his revenge. But things are not what they seem to be.
April 10, 2025
Excellent follow up to Something Truly Dreadful. I can't wait for what's next!!!
April 11, 2025
Fabulous sequel to Something Truly Dreadful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews