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Morsel
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Expected 14 Apr 26The Blair Witch Project meets The Ritual, with a generous helping of The Menu, in Morsel, a delicious folk horror novella perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Paul Tremblay.
Lou did what the children of parents with back-breaking, poor paying jobs are supposed to do; pulled up her bootstraps, went to college, and got an office job with coworkers who won’t stop talking about their multi-level marketing scheme disguised as self-betterment.
Determined to lift her ill mother out of poverty before it's too late, and in the spirit of climbing the corporate ladder, Lou accepts an assignment in the rural hills of Ohio. She quickly finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a sabotaged truck, a dog she’s determined to keep safe, and something stalking her through the ancient Appalachian woods.
If she can’t escape the woods in time, she’ll come face to face with the fact that her job isn’t the only thing that wants to eat her alive.
Morsel is a chilling testament to the burden of generational poverty and the all-consuming nature of capitalism, where the monster and the monstrous, in the end, are not the same.
Lou did what the children of parents with back-breaking, poor paying jobs are supposed to do; pulled up her bootstraps, went to college, and got an office job with coworkers who won’t stop talking about their multi-level marketing scheme disguised as self-betterment.
Determined to lift her ill mother out of poverty before it's too late, and in the spirit of climbing the corporate ladder, Lou accepts an assignment in the rural hills of Ohio. She quickly finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a sabotaged truck, a dog she’s determined to keep safe, and something stalking her through the ancient Appalachian woods.
If she can’t escape the woods in time, she’ll come face to face with the fact that her job isn’t the only thing that wants to eat her alive.
Morsel is a chilling testament to the burden of generational poverty and the all-consuming nature of capitalism, where the monster and the monstrous, in the end, are not the same.
208 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 14, 2026
9 people are currently reading
1362 people want to read
About the author
Carter Keane
1 book6 followersCarter Keane resides in and is inspired by the frequently odd and often horrifying state of Ohio. Keane writes books where the monster and the monstrous, in the end, are not the same.
Keane’s student loan debt hails from an overly expensive liberal arts college on a hill where they acquired a Bachelor’s of Creative Writing and Environmental Studies. They were radicalized by the combination of growing up dirt poor and the one-two-punch of Literary Theory followed closely by a course on Sustainable Agriculture.
After college, Keane was a fast-fashion copywriter, donut glazer, apprentice commercial appraiser, pizza delivery driver, and an overworked employee at a nonprofit in quick succession.
Each experience further energized Keane towards anti-capitalism.
Keane takes the timeless fear of being chased through deep, dark woods by something unknown and pairs it with modern existential terrors like being bodily consumed by our work, spiritually flayed by nationalism, and brutalized by the state. They spend their time in the Burning River City gardening, talking to their neighbors, training their dogs, and rereading David Graeber.
Keane’s student loan debt hails from an overly expensive liberal arts college on a hill where they acquired a Bachelor’s of Creative Writing and Environmental Studies. They were radicalized by the combination of growing up dirt poor and the one-two-punch of Literary Theory followed closely by a course on Sustainable Agriculture.
After college, Keane was a fast-fashion copywriter, donut glazer, apprentice commercial appraiser, pizza delivery driver, and an overworked employee at a nonprofit in quick succession.
Each experience further energized Keane towards anti-capitalism.
Keane takes the timeless fear of being chased through deep, dark woods by something unknown and pairs it with modern existential terrors like being bodily consumed by our work, spiritually flayed by nationalism, and brutalized by the state. They spend their time in the Burning River City gardening, talking to their neighbors, training their dogs, and rereading David Graeber.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
December 8, 2025
Well, that was certainly not what I was expecting. I guess I can see where the comparison to The Ritual comes in, but there's not as much of a “monstering in the woods” plot as the publisher's blurb makes it seem. In fact, the majority of the horror in this novel is people-related (much like real life, eh?) and the supernatural-y stuff only really makes an appearance toward the end. And, since I much prefer monsters and hauntings to humans being jerks, I was a little disappointed in how things played out. Oh, well. C'est la vie, I suppose.
But, anyway, I do appreciate that the author tells you at the very beginning that the dog is going to live. And, I mean, I guess it does, but seriously?? The dog in this novel does not exactly spend the entire time happily frolicking in a field of flowers, so be forewarned if you're an animal lover.
One thing I did really like about this book is the setting. I spent six years (ages 12-18, so not exactly by choice, mind you) living in Appalachian Ohio, just a stone's throw from where the events of this story take place. And, I mean, if there's one area where you're going to be potentially murdered in the woods by a bunch of crazies, southern Ohio is probably it. I can't say that I particularly enjoyed my time living in Appalachia, but it's a great setting for a horror novel.
The plot, though? I don't know, you guys. I wanted monsters and instead I got … people. The whole thing has kind of been done before and everyone in this book is dumber than a pile of rocks, except for maybe the dog. When the main (human) villain was revealed, I literally LOL'd because there's no way the cops wouldn't have put said person at the top of the suspect list after about three seconds of proper investigation if things had gone as planned.
But, still, if you liked The Ritual (I didn't particularly), there's definitely a non-zero chance you'll enjoy this one. It's pretty fast-paced and not overly long and I could see it making a decent low-budget horror film.
2.8 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is April 14, 2026.
But, anyway, I do appreciate that the author tells you at the very beginning that the dog is going to live. And, I mean, I guess it does, but seriously?? The dog in this novel does not exactly spend the entire time happily frolicking in a field of flowers, so be forewarned if you're an animal lover.
One thing I did really like about this book is the setting. I spent six years (ages 12-18, so not exactly by choice, mind you) living in Appalachian Ohio, just a stone's throw from where the events of this story take place. And, I mean, if there's one area where you're going to be potentially murdered in the woods by a bunch of crazies, southern Ohio is probably it. I can't say that I particularly enjoyed my time living in Appalachia, but it's a great setting for a horror novel.
The plot, though? I don't know, you guys. I wanted monsters and instead I got … people. The whole thing has kind of been done before and everyone in this book is dumber than a pile of rocks, except for maybe the dog. When the main (human) villain was revealed, I literally LOL'd because there's no way the cops wouldn't have put said person at the top of the suspect list after about three seconds of proper investigation if things had gone as planned.
But, still, if you liked The Ritual (I didn't particularly), there's definitely a non-zero chance you'll enjoy this one. It's pretty fast-paced and not overly long and I could see it making a decent low-budget horror film.
2.8 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is April 14, 2026.
November 16, 2025
It's "eat or be eaten" in Carter Keane's debut horror novella and while it wasn't what I expected it to be from the cover, it sure was a delicious little read for me. Which might be a weird thing to say about this book, because the protagonist Lou really has the absolute worst time from beginning to end. She has a sick mother and is constantly working to provide for the two of them, but even with all the extra hours in the world it is never enough to cover all the bills. At the start of the book she is worried that her boss will fire her, but he actually decides to send her to do some photographing in the middle of nowhere and literally everything is better than an office job when you don't really fit in with your bleached-teeth, wellness-enthusiastic, lowkey rich colleagues. So Lou takes her dog and is off to the Appalachian woods. And because this is a horror novella, her trip of course isn't of the calm and relaxing kind and everything immediately gets as bad as possible and then even worse as the story goes on. I will not spoil what this book is actually about, but I did expect it to be more about creepy nature and/or monsters when that was only one part of the story. It's not the isolated-in-the-potentially-lethal-woods horror that I thought it would be, because there are also plenty of horrible people involved and at the core it's about the worst thing known to mankind: capitalism. It's both supernatural and very real and I overall really liked the mix. The horror elements range from rabid animals over the middle class working itself to death to people being turned into mush, and that's not even half of everything that is happening in this short book. It really was an endless string of horrible situations and Lou has to face them all without any chance of being saved. I did feel for her and I could understand perfectly how she became the rough person that she is now. I also simply love a protagonist who is confronted with something dangerous, but who still picks up their dog first and only then starts to run. Despite all the horror, the author also managed to involve me emotionally, especially when it came to the portrayed mother-daughter relationship. Here and in other places Morsel reminded me of Nat Cassidy's When the Wolf Comes Home and that is one of my favorite books of the year, and I think it's very possible that Carter Keane might make it onto that list one day too. Their debut was already great to me, even if it sometimes left me wishing for more descriptions or an overall stronger plot. The ending was positively wild, though, and I'm altogether very pleased with this story.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a really strong debut. I wasn't completely sold on every aspect, but I did love that the author took it all the way. There were some great descriptions and few twists that took me completely by surprise.
If you're going to deliver me gore, I want it all out. They didn't hold anything back in this one, and I appreciate that risk. Overall, a super solid story with some toe-curling descriptions and intriguing social commentary.
Full review to come...stay tuned!!!
Original:
ARC received! Thank you, Tor Nightfire!!
If you're going to deliver me gore, I want it all out. They didn't hold anything back in this one, and I appreciate that risk. Overall, a super solid story with some toe-curling descriptions and intriguing social commentary.
Full review to come...stay tuned!!!
Original:
ARC received! Thank you, Tor Nightfire!!
November 5, 2025
The first half of Morsel started off strong. The writing was witty, and the plot was moving at a suspenseful pace; I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen next, and I loved that. Unfortunately, the plot twist towards the end felt a bit out of place, and the supernatural element didn’t feel aligned with the rest of the story. Still, Morsel was an immersive, quick read that should satiate those craving a gory, thriller/horror read.
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
November 3, 2025
I always want to know what’s waiting in the woods, and I love when a book makes me regret that.
I think this novel wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be.
Given that this is taking place in the Appalachian forest- I thought I was in for some major Appalachian monster folklore.
I mean come on- it’s like the birthplace of so many terrifying legends, that are still haunting people today.
It turns out that wasn’t exactly what I was in store for, as it’s less about strange scary monsters and more about strange scary people. but, it was still a good creepy story.
It is quite eerie, and heavily occult- which I think made this worth the read for me.
Think “American Horror story: Roanoke” level. (That’s a compliment from me.)
There were some points where I was a bit confused. But that is often a given for me when it comes to horror.
Luckily, I think I grasped this one by the end.
This is very short, and reads super quickly (again, a compliment from me).
And it still managed to pack a spooky, gorey punch and not leave me feeling unsatisfied. So I think that’s a win.
Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Publishing Group | Tor Nightfire and author Carter Keane for providing me with the eARC of “Morsel” in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: April 14, 2026
I think this novel wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be.
Given that this is taking place in the Appalachian forest- I thought I was in for some major Appalachian monster folklore.
I mean come on- it’s like the birthplace of so many terrifying legends, that are still haunting people today.
It turns out that wasn’t exactly what I was in store for, as it’s less about strange scary monsters and more about strange scary people. but, it was still a good creepy story.
It is quite eerie, and heavily occult- which I think made this worth the read for me.
Think “American Horror story: Roanoke” level. (That’s a compliment from me.)
There were some points where I was a bit confused. But that is often a given for me when it comes to horror.
Luckily, I think I grasped this one by the end.
This is very short, and reads super quickly (again, a compliment from me).
And it still managed to pack a spooky, gorey punch and not leave me feeling unsatisfied. So I think that’s a win.
Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Publishing Group | Tor Nightfire and author Carter Keane for providing me with the eARC of “Morsel” in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: April 14, 2026
November 12, 2025
While I found it to be a bit of a slow start, and it took me about five or six chapters to get truly invested, once things start kicking off, they don't stop. Lou was a fine main character, but Ripley stole the show, unsurprisingly. What a girl.
The horror elements here are super well done, with some important themes surrounding class and capitalism thrown into the mix. The gore descriptions icked me out majorly - this is a compliment. I fear I can't say much else because the last chunk of this took me by surprise and I don't want to risk spoiling it, but it was a very fun ride.
A solid debut, and I'll definitely be reading whatever they release next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC!
The horror elements here are super well done, with some important themes surrounding class and capitalism thrown into the mix. The gore descriptions icked me out majorly - this is a compliment. I fear I can't say much else because the last chunk of this took me by surprise and I don't want to risk spoiling it, but it was a very fun ride.
A solid debut, and I'll definitely be reading whatever they release next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC!
December 1, 2025
"This job was supposed to save us, but all I got was credit card debt, chloroformed, and coworkers who call my dog by the wrong name."
I knew I was going to like this book when the author told me up front in the preface that the dog was not going to die in the end.
I knew I was going to like this book when the author told me up front in the preface that the dog was not going to die in the end.
November 30, 2025
I requested from netgalley primarily because the cover screams "cozy cabin in the woods... with teeth," and as someone who's spent way too many late nights scrolling Appalachian folklore on TikTok, I was like, yes please, feed me that folk horror stew. Carter Keane's debut is this zippy little novella that basically takes our person Lou, a broke-as-hell office drone juggling their mom's medical bills and a side hustle that sounds suspiciously like pyramid scheme lite, into the misty bowels of Ohio's hills for a "simple" photography gig. Truck gets sabotaged (classic, right?), phone dies, and suddenly she's playing tag with some creep who might be a person, might be a cultist, might be the ghost of every bad decision she's ever made. Oh, and Ripley the dog is the best part, the MVP. If this pup doesn't steal your heart while you're white knuckling the pages, check your pulse.
I dig the jabs at the soul sucking grind of capitalism without turning it into a TED Talk. Lou's inner monologue had me, ("generational poverty is just the family heirloom nobody wants"). Hellooooo, relatable rage against the machine. The woods feel alive in this gross, cicada buzzing kinda way, like the forest is chewing on her sanity, which is a metaphor for rent hikes if I've ever heard one.
It starts a bit slow but give it a few chapters. Some of the social commentary lands with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to a piñata (ACAB rants, white dude stereotypes, valid points, but dialed up to eleven), and that ending is a wild swing that either cathartically explodes or leaves you squinting like, "Wait, did the dog just...?"
Worth the bite, just don't expect it to hug you back.
- Stranded queer protagonist vs. the wilderness
- Loyal dog sidekick
- Creepy cult lurking in the hills
- Capitalism as the real monster
If you're into books that make you laugh, flinch, and unionize all at once. Just pack bug spray. And maybe a union card.
I dig the jabs at the soul sucking grind of capitalism without turning it into a TED Talk. Lou's inner monologue had me, ("generational poverty is just the family heirloom nobody wants"). Hellooooo, relatable rage against the machine. The woods feel alive in this gross, cicada buzzing kinda way, like the forest is chewing on her sanity, which is a metaphor for rent hikes if I've ever heard one.
It starts a bit slow but give it a few chapters. Some of the social commentary lands with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to a piñata (ACAB rants, white dude stereotypes, valid points, but dialed up to eleven), and that ending is a wild swing that either cathartically explodes or leaves you squinting like, "Wait, did the dog just...?"
Worth the bite, just don't expect it to hug you back.
- Stranded queer protagonist vs. the wilderness
- Loyal dog sidekick
- Creepy cult lurking in the hills
- Capitalism as the real monster
If you're into books that make you laugh, flinch, and unionize all at once. Just pack bug spray. And maybe a union card.
November 27, 2025
Morsel was an okay read: quick, eerie, and easy to finish in one sitting. I liked the Appalachian woods atmosphere, the tension, and the little moments of weirdness sprinkled throughout. It kept my attention, and I enjoyed following Lou and Ripley through the chaos. A solid horror snack when you’re in the mood for something fast, creepy, and a little unhinged.
November 3, 2025
Lou, a women on the brink of losing her job due to not mentally being present at work because of her mother's illness, agrees to head out to the sticks for a property appraisal at her bosses request. However after she finishes the job, she finds out that her vehicle won't turn on. Did someone drill into her gas tank? Who would do that out in the middle of nowhere?
I think this book is for fans of "Crafting For Sinners" as they have very similar plots, including podcast segments. Dare I say however that I liked Morsels more. It was a very fast paced novel, I easily finished it in 24 hours. I love folk horror and felt it had a good amount of gore to it. Also there is a dog in this book and I promise by the end the dog is okay.
I loved the themes of capitalism in it. Lou has spent her entire life trying to get somewhere, only to constantly having everyone take a piece of her until it feels like there is nothing felt. Which made her own character arc at the end very satisfying to me. I wasn't sure where this book was going but I definitely loved the way it all came together and ended. I also enjoyed the parts that explored Lou's grief and struggles when it came to her mother's illness. There were a couple of twists that I didn't expect.
I do think the critism on the lack of character development is fair. There were also parts I felt I had to reread to understand what was going on. Parts of this book I feel like maybe could have been cooked a bit and developed out. However it is a debut and honestly I dont think it hindered the novel in a significant way.
Thank you to Nergalley & Tor Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I think this book is for fans of "Crafting For Sinners" as they have very similar plots, including podcast segments. Dare I say however that I liked Morsels more. It was a very fast paced novel, I easily finished it in 24 hours. I love folk horror and felt it had a good amount of gore to it. Also there is a dog in this book and I promise by the end the dog is okay.
I loved the themes of capitalism in it. Lou has spent her entire life trying to get somewhere, only to constantly having everyone take a piece of her until it feels like there is nothing felt. Which made her own character arc at the end very satisfying to me. I wasn't sure where this book was going but I definitely loved the way it all came together and ended. I also enjoyed the parts that explored Lou's grief and struggles when it came to her mother's illness. There were a couple of twists that I didn't expect.
I do think the critism on the lack of character development is fair. There were also parts I felt I had to reread to understand what was going on. Parts of this book I feel like maybe could have been cooked a bit and developed out. However it is a debut and honestly I dont think it hindered the novel in a significant way.
Thank you to Nergalley & Tor Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 5, 2025
Fast-paced, gory, and surprisingly a bit relatable, "Morsel" is a nice little novella perfect for readers looking to get a quick horror fix.
With this being a short read it's mainly all plot driven, but our main character, Lou, does have some very well-defined motivations behind her actions. Basically she's willing to make a lot of sacrifices, and some very questionable choices that are not in the interest of self-preservation, in order to seek financial success to provide a better life for her mother who did her best to raise Lou as a single mother living in near poverty.
At its core, this is a fairly straightforward horror story—although not without a few twists and turns—about a girl that's just doing her best to not get murdered in the middle of the woods. But sprinkled through the novella are little critiques about society and corporate greed that provide a little extra food for thought. You can really feel Lou's desperation in how she's just doing her best to take all the right steps in life, but is still finding herself struggling to achieve success.
As far at the writing goes, the prose was smooth and flowed well making for an easy read—Keane definitely did a good job with the imagery here, although those who are weak to gore might not agree with me there! I also enjoyed how we had little aside sections between some of the chapters that provided extra context via text conversations between the characters and transcription snippets from a podcast about a missing hiker in the woods. They might have just been very short additions, but I think they were timed very well and give the reader a good point to pause and reflect over what they just finished reading in the previous chapters.
Overall I would recommend this one to any horror readers who are looking for a quick story they can get through in one or two sittings!
(Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for providing an advance review copy via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)
With this being a short read it's mainly all plot driven, but our main character, Lou, does have some very well-defined motivations behind her actions. Basically she's willing to make a lot of sacrifices, and some very questionable choices that are not in the interest of self-preservation, in order to seek financial success to provide a better life for her mother who did her best to raise Lou as a single mother living in near poverty.
At its core, this is a fairly straightforward horror story—although not without a few twists and turns—about a girl that's just doing her best to not get murdered in the middle of the woods. But sprinkled through the novella are little critiques about society and corporate greed that provide a little extra food for thought. You can really feel Lou's desperation in how she's just doing her best to take all the right steps in life, but is still finding herself struggling to achieve success.
As far at the writing goes, the prose was smooth and flowed well making for an easy read—Keane definitely did a good job with the imagery here, although those who are weak to gore might not agree with me there! I also enjoyed how we had little aside sections between some of the chapters that provided extra context via text conversations between the characters and transcription snippets from a podcast about a missing hiker in the woods. They might have just been very short additions, but I think they were timed very well and give the reader a good point to pause and reflect over what they just finished reading in the previous chapters.
Overall I would recommend this one to any horror readers who are looking for a quick story they can get through in one or two sittings!
(Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for providing an advance review copy via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)
Want to read
October 31, 2025A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
November 28, 2025
Anticipated Release date: April 14, 2026
Genre: horror
Series: standalone
“This is starting to feel like a bad horror movie.”
From the cover and the blurb I was expecting a folklore thriller (something along the lines of The Watchers) but instead I got some batshit crazy people.
Don’t read this if you have a phobia of cicadas (they’re mentioned 27 times in 23 chapters)
I think this book didn’t know what it wanted to be. The last 20% was extremely metaphorical between employees and capitalism. However, in the beginning it was very on the nose for far-left topics such as acab, anti organized religion, anti capitalism, and pro unions. I think it would’ve fared better taking a metaphorical approach to all the topics instead of so bluntly.
I felt queasy while reading it, and it was a bit too gory for my personal taste, but, since this is a novella I decided to stick it through.
If you are a fast reader (and not in the middle of holiday travel), you can definitely knock this one out in one day.
This is a debut for this author, and I would be interested in future titles to see how their writing progresses.
What to expect
Application woods setting
Decent into madness
Queer mc
There is a dog and the dog is okay in the end
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Quote taken from an uncorrected proof subject to change in the final version
Genre: horror
Series: standalone
“This is starting to feel like a bad horror movie.”
From the cover and the blurb I was expecting a folklore thriller (something along the lines of The Watchers) but instead I got some batshit crazy people.
Don’t read this if you have a phobia of cicadas (they’re mentioned 27 times in 23 chapters)
I think this book didn’t know what it wanted to be. The last 20% was extremely metaphorical between employees and capitalism. However, in the beginning it was very on the nose for far-left topics such as acab, anti organized religion, anti capitalism, and pro unions. I think it would’ve fared better taking a metaphorical approach to all the topics instead of so bluntly.
I felt queasy while reading it, and it was a bit too gory for my personal taste, but, since this is a novella I decided to stick it through.
If you are a fast reader (and not in the middle of holiday travel), you can definitely knock this one out in one day.
This is a debut for this author, and I would be interested in future titles to see how their writing progresses.
What to expect
Application woods setting
Decent into madness
Queer mc
There is a dog and the dog is okay in the end
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Quote taken from an uncorrected proof subject to change in the final version
November 17, 2025
I'm hootin' and hollering! This was so good that it got me out of a reading slump. Another reviewer was spot on saying Morsel had an AHS: Roanoke feel. Folk horror-ish.
Morsel is a bit wilderness horror with a handful of gore and a sprinkle of the occult and supernatural. I gasped, cringed and made faces of distate (a compliment if you ask me). Oh, and it was creepy as fuck.
I would have loved if the novella was slightly longer (although I guess it wouldn't be considered a novella anymore) so some parts could be expanded on. Lou had all the elements to be a fully fleshed out character and I wanted to know more about her grief and plight.
That being said, I feel I must give this all the stars. It had been a second since I devoured a book like this one. I will be impatiently waiting for what Carter Keane writes next.
Thank you to Nightfire and especially Jordan Hanley for always giving me an opportunity to read absolute bangers like Morsel.
Morsel is a bit wilderness horror with a handful of gore and a sprinkle of the occult and supernatural. I gasped, cringed and made faces of distate (a compliment if you ask me). Oh, and it was creepy as fuck.
I would have loved if the novella was slightly longer (although I guess it wouldn't be considered a novella anymore) so some parts could be expanded on. Lou had all the elements to be a fully fleshed out character and I wanted to know more about her grief and plight.
That being said, I feel I must give this all the stars. It had been a second since I devoured a book like this one. I will be impatiently waiting for what Carter Keane writes next.
Thank you to Nightfire and especially Jordan Hanley for always giving me an opportunity to read absolute bangers like Morsel.
November 2, 2025
Morsel by Carter Keane is definitely a crazy ride. The story starts off strong as we follow Lou and her loyal dog, who are just trying to survive while caring for Lou’s ailing mother. When Lou accepts a job assignment in the rural hills of Ohio, things take a dark and disturbing turn. She ends up stranded with her dog, and from that point on, the book becomes a roller coaster of one shocking event after another.
There were moments where I felt genuinely confused about what was happening, but I will say that everything does come together by the end. I landed on a 3 star rating because, while I did enjoy the story and its intense pacing, the characters felt underdeveloped. Lou and the other characters could have used more depth, and I also wish a few elements had been explained more clearly or given some backstory.
That said if you’re looking for a quick, disturbing story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try.
Thank you to Netgalley for this arc
There were moments where I felt genuinely confused about what was happening, but I will say that everything does come together by the end. I landed on a 3 star rating because, while I did enjoy the story and its intense pacing, the characters felt underdeveloped. Lou and the other characters could have used more depth, and I also wish a few elements had been explained more clearly or given some backstory.
That said if you’re looking for a quick, disturbing story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try.
Thank you to Netgalley for this arc
November 7, 2025
This is very easy to read, finished in one sitting. Very fever dream, fairly gory, pretty good ‘rat race’ commentary.
The story starts a little slow but picks up quickly, which is good because this is pretty short. I think making this a novella was a good choice, making it a full novel I think would have lost some of its punch.
I think this has a little more horror elements than the average T Kingfisher book but the creepy vibes are similar. Would definitely recommend.
There’s a couple of lines that kind of beat you over the head with the point and that took me out of the story briefly but it’s only a few.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story starts a little slow but picks up quickly, which is good because this is pretty short. I think making this a novella was a good choice, making it a full novel I think would have lost some of its punch.
I think this has a little more horror elements than the average T Kingfisher book but the creepy vibes are similar. Would definitely recommend.
There’s a couple of lines that kind of beat you over the head with the point and that took me out of the story briefly but it’s only a few.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2025
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!
This book was so fun! I love a horror that takes place in the woods. This book follows Lou going to a job site in the middle of rural Ohio, when a bunch of odd things start to happen. I find that with a lot of horror books, the end feels lack luster, but this book is so good through and through! It was short, but had did everything it needed to do. The end was also amazing!
This book was so fun! I love a horror that takes place in the woods. This book follows Lou going to a job site in the middle of rural Ohio, when a bunch of odd things start to happen. I find that with a lot of horror books, the end feels lack luster, but this book is so good through and through! It was short, but had did everything it needed to do. The end was also amazing!
November 15, 2025
*Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for early copy for review*
This fantastic body gore filled novella explores living paycheck to paycheck and barely having enough to survive. The feeling of breaking your body down as the capitalist train feeds on you and spits you out when you're no longer useful to them. This had heart stopping moments and had you feeling like you couldn't trust anyone.
More importantly than that the dog lives.
This fantastic body gore filled novella explores living paycheck to paycheck and barely having enough to survive. The feeling of breaking your body down as the capitalist train feeds on you and spits you out when you're no longer useful to them. This had heart stopping moments and had you feeling like you couldn't trust anyone.
More importantly than that the dog lives.
December 2, 2025
Horror is nothing without love”
A fast-paced, gut wrenching horror story that honestly thrilled me. It took a minute to get off the ground but boy the action comes out of nowhere and doesn’t let you go until the last page. the visceral descriptions of gore juxtaposed against eerie but beautiful wilderness and craven animals is a perfect backdrop.
I am a big fan of hunger and consumption as grief and rage and suffering and Morsel really delivered. Sometimes the social commentary feels forced, but the conclusion really drove it home and almost earned it. I would have loved to be shown the message more than being hit over the head in the first part of the book, but I do think it wins in the end.
I lost my dog recently who was like Ripley to me—a sweet devoted little guy who would have followed me into the maw of a cursed forest just like her. Lou and Ripley’s deep love for each other really spoke to me, and was an unexpected genuine addition to a genre that sometimes is so devoid of tenderness. So much love is buried beneath the gore and guts of this novella, and made me finish the last half in one sitting.
No spoilers but if you love your horror chock full of blood and viscera and eldritch beings with a side of ride or die sidekicks, this one is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with a copy!
A fast-paced, gut wrenching horror story that honestly thrilled me. It took a minute to get off the ground but boy the action comes out of nowhere and doesn’t let you go until the last page. the visceral descriptions of gore juxtaposed against eerie but beautiful wilderness and craven animals is a perfect backdrop.
I am a big fan of hunger and consumption as grief and rage and suffering and Morsel really delivered. Sometimes the social commentary feels forced, but the conclusion really drove it home and almost earned it. I would have loved to be shown the message more than being hit over the head in the first part of the book, but I do think it wins in the end.
I lost my dog recently who was like Ripley to me—a sweet devoted little guy who would have followed me into the maw of a cursed forest just like her. Lou and Ripley’s deep love for each other really spoke to me, and was an unexpected genuine addition to a genre that sometimes is so devoid of tenderness. So much love is buried beneath the gore and guts of this novella, and made me finish the last half in one sitting.
No spoilers but if you love your horror chock full of blood and viscera and eldritch beings with a side of ride or die sidekicks, this one is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with a copy!
November 5, 2025
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. here are my thoughts on Morsel by Carter Keane:
Read this if you love books that make you question the narrators reality, descriptions of dark supernatural things, horror stories about scary happenings in the woods. My favorite Stephen King book is The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and I could swear Keane must have read it, too.
The pros: Keane is clearly exceptional with their use of language, especially when it comes to metaphors. This book is riddled with them but instead of coming across as overkill it truly feeds (ha! pun intended) into the story they're building. The title of the book becomes the most important metaphor and it is SO well executed.
Lou's inner dialogue had me intrigued from the very beginning. There's something**odd** that's difficult to put a finger on. Much in the way of some Stephen King books, it was hard to tell in the beginning if something supernatural was happening or if everything was all in her head (I encourage you to read this and discover the answer for yourself).
Also, shout-out to the state of Ohio. You can tell the author lives there, the descriptions feel very real and make it easy to immerse yourself in the story from the very beginning.
Now for the cons: Honestly there aren't many. This story is about 200 pages and fairly quickly paced so I ended up devouring it in just a couple days. The first 25% though does seem a bit rocky. There is HEAVY and blatant stereotyping which was especially confusing to me as a reader who picked this book up without any idea what it was about other than "girl in woods and it's a horror." There's a weird throwaway line about how queer white people in Columbus will do anything to support the police and I'm still annoyed because I have no idea what that's referencing - I imagine a lot of other readers will feel the same.
Outside of some weirdly specific stereotyping comments about poor trailer park residents, police and LGBTQ (There really aren't that many but they're so blatant you will definitely notice them) I really loved this story and would recommend it to others.
Read this if you love books that make you question the narrators reality, descriptions of dark supernatural things, horror stories about scary happenings in the woods. My favorite Stephen King book is The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and I could swear Keane must have read it, too.
The pros: Keane is clearly exceptional with their use of language, especially when it comes to metaphors. This book is riddled with them but instead of coming across as overkill it truly feeds (ha! pun intended) into the story they're building. The title of the book becomes the most important metaphor and it is SO well executed.
Lou's inner dialogue had me intrigued from the very beginning. There's something**odd** that's difficult to put a finger on. Much in the way of some Stephen King books, it was hard to tell in the beginning if something supernatural was happening or if everything was all in her head (I encourage you to read this and discover the answer for yourself).
Also, shout-out to the state of Ohio. You can tell the author lives there, the descriptions feel very real and make it easy to immerse yourself in the story from the very beginning.
Now for the cons: Honestly there aren't many. This story is about 200 pages and fairly quickly paced so I ended up devouring it in just a couple days. The first 25% though does seem a bit rocky. There is HEAVY and blatant stereotyping which was especially confusing to me as a reader who picked this book up without any idea what it was about other than "girl in woods and it's a horror." There's a weird throwaway line about how queer white people in Columbus will do anything to support the police and I'm still annoyed because I have no idea what that's referencing - I imagine a lot of other readers will feel the same.
Outside of some weirdly specific stereotyping comments about poor trailer park residents, police and LGBTQ (There really aren't that many but they're so blatant you will definitely notice them) I really loved this story and would recommend it to others.
November 16, 2025
Lou is struggling financially, and can’t seem to get ahead. She saw her mom struggle to raise her her whole life, and how that she’s an adult and her mom is sick, Lou has taken on that financial responsibility. She knows she’s been slacking at work because she’s overwhelmed with her mom’s illness, but she needs this job. She’s terrified of being fired, so when her boss brings up her performance, he offers to let her change tasks for a while, which will be taking photos for property appraisals. Her first assignment takes her deep into rural Ohio, and this is where the red flags begin. But she’s desperate for money, so she ignores them against her better judgement.
I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but what follows is a creepy, horror-filled thrill ride that has Lou fighting for her and her dog’s, life. I loved how big of a role her dog, Riley, played in the novella too. It’s only about 200 pages, so it’s a fast read, perfect for someone who wants quick story with bite - 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but what follows is a creepy, horror-filled thrill ride that has Lou fighting for her and her dog’s, life. I loved how big of a role her dog, Riley, played in the novella too. It’s only about 200 pages, so it’s a fast read, perfect for someone who wants quick story with bite - 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an ARC of Morsel.
I enjoyed the fast pace of this book and fever-dream style storytelling, unfortunately, there wasn't much more that I liked. Almost right away I was put off by the constant digs and stereotyping towards certain groups of people (white men and cops were mentioned many times), it felt unnecessarily abrasive and didn't contribute to the plot in any way. The main character was also whiny and just generally unlikeable, which made them difficult to root for. I love a good "descent into madness", but this story just stopped making sense entirely and the ending was unsatisfying. In my opinion, the beautiful cover was better than anything I found on the inside of the book. Usually I vibe with almost anything Tor publishes so this was a real bummer!
2 stars
I enjoyed the fast pace of this book and fever-dream style storytelling, unfortunately, there wasn't much more that I liked. Almost right away I was put off by the constant digs and stereotyping towards certain groups of people (white men and cops were mentioned many times), it felt unnecessarily abrasive and didn't contribute to the plot in any way. The main character was also whiny and just generally unlikeable, which made them difficult to root for. I love a good "descent into madness", but this story just stopped making sense entirely and the ending was unsatisfying. In my opinion, the beautiful cover was better than anything I found on the inside of the book. Usually I vibe with almost anything Tor publishes so this was a real bummer!
2 stars
November 7, 2025
This was fast paced and gory, which I can appreciate in a horror novella. I liked the parallels of the horrors of capitalism to our protagonists insatiable hunger.
I kind of sensed where the plot was going and I wish Lou was more fleshed out for us as a character; she felt very two dimensional.
Overall, this was very entertaining and well done for a debut. I can see myself reading more from this author.
[Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
I kind of sensed where the plot was going and I wish Lou was more fleshed out for us as a character; she felt very two dimensional.
Overall, this was very entertaining and well done for a debut. I can see myself reading more from this author.
[Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
November 22, 2025
At 208 pages, you’ll devour this one quickly!
The cover is beautiful. It perfectly illustrates the story of the book.
I would definitely read more books by the author.
It has cults, creepy woods, and monsters! What more could you ask for?
Thank you to NetGalley, Carter Keane and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read it. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.
The cover is beautiful. It perfectly illustrates the story of the book.
I would definitely read more books by the author.
It has cults, creepy woods, and monsters! What more could you ask for?
Thank you to NetGalley, Carter Keane and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read it. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.
Want to read
May 9, 2025"The Blair Witch Project meets The Ritual, with a generous helping of The Menu, in Morsel, a delicious folk horror novella perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Paul Tremblay"
Read
November 6, 2025Thank you Tor Nightfire for an eARC of this book.
Review to come closer to publication.
Review to come closer to publication.
November 9, 2025
4.75 ⭐️ The dog lives!! what a spectacular horror, emotionally and psychologically
November 2, 2025
Yes thank you, precisely the “what the fuck?!” kind of spooky season story I needed, complete with gorgeous cover. I just wanted more depth/backstory, but I really really enjoyed this.
November 25, 2025
A brutal, fever-dream folk horror that gnaws at your bones. Lou’s desperate trip into the Appalachian woods spirals into a nightmare — her truck sabotaged, her dog by her side, and something ancient stalking her. Morsel is sharp social critique and visceral terror all wrapped into one haunting novella.
November 24, 2025
Loved it! Very eat the rich/violence inherent in the system meets Deliverance but fourth wave feminism. Female rage made manifest as a reaction to institutionalized oppression and late stage capitalism
But funny and with heart, really enjoyable read.
But funny and with heart, really enjoyable read.
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