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The Body
The Body
is a pulse-pounding supernatural horror story from bestselling author Bethany C. Morrow, where one woman must survive a series of bizarre and escalating attacks on her marriage.
Mavis broke from her parents’ congregation years ago, but she still hasn’t recovered. Their impossible expectations and soul-shredding critiques have dug deep into her mind, and she’s taunted by the knowledge that even when she’s done nothing wrong, she’ll never be right.
Now Mavis is afraid she’s about to lose the only thing she has: her husband, Jerrod. The man she’s always known was too good to be true. No one thinks she deserves him—not even after surviving the serial cheater they wanted her to stick by—and soon they’ll all find out they were right.
Mavis is already unraveling when a brush with death shows her what real fear looks like. Soon, she’s under constant attack from all directions. As the assaults turn increasingly vicious and bizarre, Mavis realizes that Hell isn’t reserved for the afterlife.
And sinner or not, no one is coming to save her.
Mavis broke from her parents’ congregation years ago, but she still hasn’t recovered. Their impossible expectations and soul-shredding critiques have dug deep into her mind, and she’s taunted by the knowledge that even when she’s done nothing wrong, she’ll never be right.
Now Mavis is afraid she’s about to lose the only thing she has: her husband, Jerrod. The man she’s always known was too good to be true. No one thinks she deserves him—not even after surviving the serial cheater they wanted her to stick by—and soon they’ll all find out they were right.
Mavis is already unraveling when a brush with death shows her what real fear looks like. Soon, she’s under constant attack from all directions. As the assaults turn increasingly vicious and bizarre, Mavis realizes that Hell isn’t reserved for the afterlife.
And sinner or not, no one is coming to save her.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 10, 2026
98 people are currently reading
12167 people want to read
About the author
Bethany C. Morrow
16 books1,465 followersBethany C Morrow is a national bestselling author.
Her young adult novels include A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and the Little Women remix, So Many Beginnings, and she is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology Take The Mic, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award.
Her adult novels include Mem, and the social horror, Cherish Farrah. Her upcoming release, The Body, is a churchianity horror.
Honored as SLJ Gold Selections, a Locus, Fiyah, and Audie finalist for Best YA Novel, and an Indies Introduce and Indie next pick, her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.
Her young adult novels include A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and the Little Women remix, So Many Beginnings, and she is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology Take The Mic, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award.
Her adult novels include Mem, and the social horror, Cherish Farrah. Her upcoming release, The Body, is a churchianity horror.
Honored as SLJ Gold Selections, a Locus, Fiyah, and Audie finalist for Best YA Novel, and an Indies Introduce and Indie next pick, her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
January 19, 2026
This horror mystery novel was very entertaining and was much like a fever dream to me. It starts off very strong, slows down in the middle, then slowly builds up towards the end. To me, this novel is unsettling and different. I am a huge fan of the horror and thriller genre’s and I will say that this was a decent read for me, not the worst and not the best. It is gripping and it has supernatural and religious elements in it. With this book being under 300 pages, a lot happens in it!
Some of the themes that this novel explores are the consequences of oath, gaslighting and identity. It does come with gore in the book, just a heads up for readers that can’t handle gore in a horror book. This novel was well executed and easy to read. Even though this book was disturbing, I still found it enjoyable and interesting. Overall, I give this book a solid 3 out of 5 stars! This gave me the book “Sister, Maiden, Monster” by Lucy A. Snyder vibes!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be released on February 10, 2026!
Some of the themes that this novel explores are the consequences of oath, gaslighting and identity. It does come with gore in the book, just a heads up for readers that can’t handle gore in a horror book. This novel was well executed and easy to read. Even though this book was disturbing, I still found it enjoyable and interesting. Overall, I give this book a solid 3 out of 5 stars! This gave me the book “Sister, Maiden, Monster” by Lucy A. Snyder vibes!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be released on February 10, 2026!
November 23, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2
Characters can be flawed and morally precarious, but still likable. They can also be unblemished and virtuous, but detestable. I found these characters to be located in the netherworld between, equally amoral and repugnant.
Ok, let me start by saying I typically don’t like horror stories centering around religious circumstance, so for a book to overcome this requires other aspects to be so impressive that they extinguish my preconceptions. That was definitely not the case here. I found the plot to be unmoving and devoid of purpose. There were no reasons offered to explain why any of this happened. The character work, as already explained, didn’t resonate. The writing was good, so there’s that, but I found little else to take pleasure in.
Characters can be flawed and morally precarious, but still likable. They can also be unblemished and virtuous, but detestable. I found these characters to be located in the netherworld between, equally amoral and repugnant.
Ok, let me start by saying I typically don’t like horror stories centering around religious circumstance, so for a book to overcome this requires other aspects to be so impressive that they extinguish my preconceptions. That was definitely not the case here. I found the plot to be unmoving and devoid of purpose. There were no reasons offered to explain why any of this happened. The character work, as already explained, didn’t resonate. The writing was good, so there’s that, but I found little else to take pleasure in.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Body by Bethany Morrow is an unholy union of religious horror, obsessive devotion, female rage, and supernatural phenomena. Mavis was born and raised in the church, something that has inflicted extreme emotional trauma on her psyche and etched religious discord into her very soul. Mavis has been led to believe that her only value as a woman is to become a compliant daughter and dutiful wife, something she obviously experiences significant moral dissonance over. She finally steps away from the church, but hyper religious deprogramming is arduous, and she understandably faces a lot of doubt trying to navigate who she is outside of the congregation and marriage. No one thinks she is deserving of her marriage to Jerrod Dwyer nor her status as Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Carson’s only child. The pressure of perfection and sanctimonious judgement has been crushing for Mavis to bear, but she has always smiled and suffered silently, rarely cracking to expose the pain and anger seething underneath. Mavis’ illusion of perfect poise and control is already slipping when Death seemingly begins to hunt the couple, each bloody encounter escalating in ferocity and brutality. Fueled by fear, self-loathing, paranoia, and rage, Mavis will undergo a cataclysmic conversion of self, finally realizing she has more power than she initially thought, and she might not really need salvation after all.
This is a book to pick up if you enjoyed Jordan Peele movies---it has a similar creepy atmosphere heightened by increasing suspicion, and the audience doesn’t ever really have a solid grasp on what exactly is so wrong under an ostensibly normal exterior until it’s too late. I thought the story was good, though at times the plot got dragged down by pacing issues and then lurched forward abruptly. Specifically, Mavis’ tendency to launch into long internal monologues of self-flagellation was a little over done, and there were a couple spots where the writing jumps so suddenly into a key story point, it was a bit disorienting and hard to follow. This was remedied by simply rereading the parts, but it happened more than once. I feel that the author was trying to create an unreliable narrator situation, but it wasn’t clearly executed. Overall, this was an entertaining story and a quick read, so I do recommend it to thriller enthusiasts!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own.
This is a book to pick up if you enjoyed Jordan Peele movies---it has a similar creepy atmosphere heightened by increasing suspicion, and the audience doesn’t ever really have a solid grasp on what exactly is so wrong under an ostensibly normal exterior until it’s too late. I thought the story was good, though at times the plot got dragged down by pacing issues and then lurched forward abruptly. Specifically, Mavis’ tendency to launch into long internal monologues of self-flagellation was a little over done, and there were a couple spots where the writing jumps so suddenly into a key story point, it was a bit disorienting and hard to follow. This was remedied by simply rereading the parts, but it happened more than once. I feel that the author was trying to create an unreliable narrator situation, but it wasn’t clearly executed. Overall, this was an entertaining story and a quick read, so I do recommend it to thriller enthusiasts!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own.
January 25, 2026
storyline was dumb and all the characters were dumb
December 1, 2025
This book triggered me in every which way. 😮💨
Bethany C. Morrow’s 2026 horror novel, THE BODY, is in the top five most anticipated reads for me. With a short synopsis (don’t look up spoilers) and an absolutely captivating cover, I knew this was something I must read. Thank you @tornightfire for my gifted copy!
I am going to keep the synopsis review short because that’s where this book wins. After Mavis is in a car accident, she begins to wonder if she’s being targeted. She left her parents’ congregation years ago, but family is forever. 😬
The book opens strong with a visceral panic attack and the promise of cult-shadowed horror, but the momentum slips as the story sinks too deeply into Mavis’ limited perspective. I wish the book went deeper and darker, but it kept me turning the pages regardless. While the concept behind the bizarre attacks is clever, the pacing drags and supporting characters—especially Mavis’s husband Jerrod—never feel fully developed, making it hard to invest in the emotional stakes. If you pick up this book, you’ll know exactly why it triggered me (IYKYK).
THE BODY has sharp moments of discomfort and an engaging throughline of feminine rage and religious trauma. The ending was actually my favorite part of the story because it ends perfectly. Readers who appreciate unreliable narrators and slow-burn unease will definitely enjoy this one. It reminded me very much of the movie Midsommar meets Daisy Pearce’s Something in the Walls. I’m curious to see what this author has next for readers in the horror space. STARS: 3, PUB: 2/10/26
Bethany C. Morrow’s 2026 horror novel, THE BODY, is in the top five most anticipated reads for me. With a short synopsis (don’t look up spoilers) and an absolutely captivating cover, I knew this was something I must read. Thank you @tornightfire for my gifted copy!
I am going to keep the synopsis review short because that’s where this book wins. After Mavis is in a car accident, she begins to wonder if she’s being targeted. She left her parents’ congregation years ago, but family is forever. 😬
The book opens strong with a visceral panic attack and the promise of cult-shadowed horror, but the momentum slips as the story sinks too deeply into Mavis’ limited perspective. I wish the book went deeper and darker, but it kept me turning the pages regardless. While the concept behind the bizarre attacks is clever, the pacing drags and supporting characters—especially Mavis’s husband Jerrod—never feel fully developed, making it hard to invest in the emotional stakes. If you pick up this book, you’ll know exactly why it triggered me (IYKYK).
THE BODY has sharp moments of discomfort and an engaging throughline of feminine rage and religious trauma. The ending was actually my favorite part of the story because it ends perfectly. Readers who appreciate unreliable narrators and slow-burn unease will definitely enjoy this one. It reminded me very much of the movie Midsommar meets Daisy Pearce’s Something in the Walls. I’m curious to see what this author has next for readers in the horror space. STARS: 3, PUB: 2/10/26
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January 31, 2026I'm generally a fan of religious horror, but this definitely takes a different tack than other things I've read with the plot centering on a somewhat niche religious practice that wasn't part of the religious communities I grew up in, but is apparently common in certain churches.
It follows a married couple who no longer attend the church they were married in. Mavis is injured in a car accident at the start of the book, and as things unfold we learn more about her marriage, their families, and their complicated histories with religion. It's propulsive and gruesome, touching on the misogyny that too often pops up in the uneven application of morality standards. The characters are all very unlikeable which probably won't work for everyone, but I would be interested to see more in this genre from Morrow. The audio narration is done pretty well. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
It follows a married couple who no longer attend the church they were married in. Mavis is injured in a car accident at the start of the book, and as things unfold we learn more about her marriage, their families, and their complicated histories with religion. It's propulsive and gruesome, touching on the misogyny that too often pops up in the uneven application of morality standards. The characters are all very unlikeable which probably won't work for everyone, but I would be interested to see more in this genre from Morrow. The audio narration is done pretty well. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
November 16, 2025
Okay, first off, I feel so bad not finishing this, but I just really couldn't connect with it.
Mavis grew up in a super religious family, but escaped (kind of? she does seem to have a relationship with her parents) and married Jerrod, who is ~perfect~. (Note: he's written so perfectly, at least for a while, that he comes across as very bland, like cardboard.) When she's in a car accident, things begin to unravel in her life.
I stopped after the gruesome scene of her and her husband defending against a home invasion. I like horror, but the scene read, at least to me, as being shocking just for shock's sake, as opposed to something that furthers the story.
I'm at least 40% in and I just can't read this anymore. In addition to the uninspired plot, the writing is terrible. Pronouns exist! You don't need to repeat Mavis' name endlessly. It gets really old after a while.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy.
Mavis grew up in a super religious family, but escaped (kind of? she does seem to have a relationship with her parents) and married Jerrod, who is ~perfect~. (Note: he's written so perfectly, at least for a while, that he comes across as very bland, like cardboard.) When she's in a car accident, things begin to unravel in her life.
I stopped after the gruesome scene of her and her husband defending against a home invasion. I like horror, but the scene read, at least to me, as being shocking just for shock's sake, as opposed to something that furthers the story.
I'm at least 40% in and I just can't read this anymore. In addition to the uninspired plot, the writing is terrible. Pronouns exist! You don't need to repeat Mavis' name endlessly. It gets really old after a while.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy.
January 30, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
The Body by Bethany Morrow starts off strong with Mavis’ accident and the shocking, horrific events that follow. The opening immediately grabs your attention and sets a dark, unsettling tone. Unfortunately, after that strong beginning, the story slows down considerably. The middle and ending feel like long, which made it hard to stay fully engaged.
While I understood Mavis’ mission to uncover who is responsible for the horrific acts happening to her, I struggled to connect with her as a character. I didn’t find her particularly likable, which made it harder to stay invested in her journey.
The Body by Bethany Morrow starts off strong with Mavis’ accident and the shocking, horrific events that follow. The opening immediately grabs your attention and sets a dark, unsettling tone. Unfortunately, after that strong beginning, the story slows down considerably. The middle and ending feel like long, which made it hard to stay fully engaged.
While I understood Mavis’ mission to uncover who is responsible for the horrific acts happening to her, I struggled to connect with her as a character. I didn’t find her particularly likable, which made it harder to stay invested in her journey.
January 5, 2026
Review in the January 2026 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: religious cult horror, secrets and trauma, supernatural thriller
This is a supernatural horror about a marriage under attack.
Or it is a psychological suspense novel about a woman with serious family trauma and secrets who is unreliable and mentally unstable.
Or it is a cult horror novel about a church and a congregation that require vows not be broken or else-- and the or else is not just terrifying to think about-- readers see the consequences ion the page
Or it is all of the above and that combination makes the novel more enjoyable to readers. It can be what they want it to be with the author doing the work to make it work for all readers.
Draft Review: Readers are introduced to Mavis as she is rushing home, clearly preoccupied and nervous, as her car is hit by a driver who ran a red light, landing her in the hospital, an eye-catching and unsettling start to the story of Mavis and Jerrod as they enter the seven year itch stage of their marriage. In the next few days, the couple faces more threats on their lives, attacked by people they know, action that clearly invite readers to ask themselves if they are reading a domestic suspense novel with an unreliable but clearly trauma inflicted narrator. Or is this a supernatural, cult horror novel about a church dealing out horrific penalties to those who break their vows? The answer very well could be both, and readers are invited to dig deeply into their own discomfort as they turn the pages in an attempt to unearth the truth.
Verdict: Morrow delivers a thrilling reading experience that feels like Gone Girl by GIllian Flynn collided with Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle glazed with an overcoat of Model Home by Rivers Solomon.
The entire book is only from Mavis' POV and she is clearly unreliable. She knows she is and she reveals why to the reader slowly over time. And she makes bad choices. But also, this church her parents are leaders in-- wow. They are intense. And not complying, especially by breaking your wedding vows-- is VERY bad.
Oh and there is lots of digging
Now, are the attacks against Mavis and Jerrod (her husband), are they really happening or is Mavis the victim of severe trauma. I think both.
A book that can be described as Gone Girl by Flynn meets Camp Damascus by Tingle, with the family trauma and psychological horror as seen in books like Model Home by Solomon.
Three Words That Describe This Book: religious cult horror, secrets and trauma, supernatural thriller
This is a supernatural horror about a marriage under attack.
Or it is a psychological suspense novel about a woman with serious family trauma and secrets who is unreliable and mentally unstable.
Or it is a cult horror novel about a church and a congregation that require vows not be broken or else-- and the or else is not just terrifying to think about-- readers see the consequences ion the page
Or it is all of the above and that combination makes the novel more enjoyable to readers. It can be what they want it to be with the author doing the work to make it work for all readers.
Draft Review: Readers are introduced to Mavis as she is rushing home, clearly preoccupied and nervous, as her car is hit by a driver who ran a red light, landing her in the hospital, an eye-catching and unsettling start to the story of Mavis and Jerrod as they enter the seven year itch stage of their marriage. In the next few days, the couple faces more threats on their lives, attacked by people they know, action that clearly invite readers to ask themselves if they are reading a domestic suspense novel with an unreliable but clearly trauma inflicted narrator. Or is this a supernatural, cult horror novel about a church dealing out horrific penalties to those who break their vows? The answer very well could be both, and readers are invited to dig deeply into their own discomfort as they turn the pages in an attempt to unearth the truth.
Verdict: Morrow delivers a thrilling reading experience that feels like Gone Girl by GIllian Flynn collided with Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle glazed with an overcoat of Model Home by Rivers Solomon.
The entire book is only from Mavis' POV and she is clearly unreliable. She knows she is and she reveals why to the reader slowly over time. And she makes bad choices. But also, this church her parents are leaders in-- wow. They are intense. And not complying, especially by breaking your wedding vows-- is VERY bad.
Oh and there is lots of digging
Now, are the attacks against Mavis and Jerrod (her husband), are they really happening or is Mavis the victim of severe trauma. I think both.
A book that can be described as Gone Girl by Flynn meets Camp Damascus by Tingle, with the family trauma and psychological horror as seen in books like Model Home by Solomon.
August 14, 2025
ARC review
This was that oddly coincidental kind of horror that makes you feel like both you and the main character are losing your mind lol The synopsis says ‘bizarre attacks on marriage’ yeah that and some lol. Honoring your marital vows might be the only thing that saves you but if you break them chillleeee you just might have to suffer the consequences.
I can appreciate that this isn’t just scary for scary’s sake. However, there were parts of the story that had me ready to just throw the damn book because uhh hello girl are you cool? If you’re into religious cult horror this might just be for you.
This was that oddly coincidental kind of horror that makes you feel like both you and the main character are losing your mind lol The synopsis says ‘bizarre attacks on marriage’ yeah that and some lol. Honoring your marital vows might be the only thing that saves you but if you break them chillleeee you just might have to suffer the consequences.
I can appreciate that this isn’t just scary for scary’s sake. However, there were parts of the story that had me ready to just throw the damn book because uhh hello girl are you cool? If you’re into religious cult horror this might just be for you.
February 10, 2026
Thank you netgalley for the arc. this was not for me and felt poorly written. i wonder how many times the author wrote the word “baby.” it was so laughable that it kept taking me
out of the story. the premise sounded amazing and the execution was not there, unfortunately.
out of the story. the premise sounded amazing and the execution was not there, unfortunately.
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
The moment I first laid eyes on the red shovel and stained glass on this cover, my brain immediately went, "Oh yeah, that's some church horror." My suspicions were confirmed when I saw Bethany C. Morrow describe The Body as being about the horror of churchianity, Godless religion, and of abuse begetting abuse. My own body is likely wholly unprepared for The Body, but in Morrow's capable hands, I look forward to what promises to be an absolutely bloody reckoning. —Vanessa Diaz
The moment I first laid eyes on the red shovel and stained glass on this cover, my brain immediately went, "Oh yeah, that's some church horror." My suspicions were confirmed when I saw Bethany C. Morrow describe The Body as being about the horror of churchianity, Godless religion, and of abuse begetting abuse. My own body is likely wholly unprepared for The Body, but in Morrow's capable hands, I look forward to what promises to be an absolutely bloody reckoning. —Vanessa Diaz
January 19, 2026
Got an arc through Libro.fm
So as I mentioned before the ending of Cherish Farrah still haunts me to this day, one of my fav thrillers, so I had high expectations for this one! And I think that was the issue, was my own expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this, just not quite as much.
This has some incredible depictions of anxiety, spiraling, panic attacks, etc. I deeply related to mavis on that front, it reminded me of myself and my own anxiety spirals before I got medicated. I also appreciated that she wasn’t necessarily a “good” person, like just because she’s been emotionally abused and has these spirals, she doesn’t have to be the perfect victim. She makes some god awful decisions and fuck ups and that made her feel more like a rounded person to me. You can be horrified by the stupid shit she does and still not wanna see her suffer at this level.
I think my biggest issue was with the ending: it didn’t feel quite in line with the rest of the book. Mavis has done awful things by this point but I don’t think she deserved to end up in the position she was in the epilogue. I felt she should have to contend with her actions outside without being pulled back into the sphere of her abusers, if that makes any sense?
So yeah, overall a solidly disturbing book!
So as I mentioned before the ending of Cherish Farrah still haunts me to this day, one of my fav thrillers, so I had high expectations for this one! And I think that was the issue, was my own expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this, just not quite as much.
This has some incredible depictions of anxiety, spiraling, panic attacks, etc. I deeply related to mavis on that front, it reminded me of myself and my own anxiety spirals before I got medicated. I also appreciated that she wasn’t necessarily a “good” person, like just because she’s been emotionally abused and has these spirals, she doesn’t have to be the perfect victim. She makes some god awful decisions and fuck ups and that made her feel more like a rounded person to me. You can be horrified by the stupid shit she does and still not wanna see her suffer at this level.
I think my biggest issue was with the ending: it didn’t feel quite in line with the rest of the book. Mavis has done awful things by this point but I don’t think she deserved to end up in the position she was in the epilogue. I felt she should have to contend with her actions outside without being pulled back into the sphere of her abusers, if that makes any sense?
So yeah, overall a solidly disturbing book!
February 5, 2026
A twisted tale of epic proportions
Hinderance, blasphemy, domineering parents; religious affiliations, pious thoughts only.
Victimizing one’s own child, bringing them down to the lowest level, making them feel as if they are unworthy of love-made to feel as if nothing said nor done is ever good enough
A hard read, emotionally angry, watching the conditioning of ill thoughts take its toll
The thoughts, uncontrollable at times as they flood the brain, making the victim almost neurotic, panic and anxiety inducing
Makes one want to throttle the character out of frustration!!
Thanks to TOR Nightfire for this arc and try a new author!
Hinderance, blasphemy, domineering parents; religious affiliations, pious thoughts only.
Victimizing one’s own child, bringing them down to the lowest level, making them feel as if they are unworthy of love-made to feel as if nothing said nor done is ever good enough
A hard read, emotionally angry, watching the conditioning of ill thoughts take its toll
The thoughts, uncontrollable at times as they flood the brain, making the victim almost neurotic, panic and anxiety inducing
Makes one want to throttle the character out of frustration!!
Thanks to TOR Nightfire for this arc and try a new author!
Want to read
July 24, 2025I loved a previous deliciously dark horror story from this author! Can't wait to read this one!
December 26, 2025
1 ⭐
First off, thank you to Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read this early. I couldn't finish this book. I read 48% and it just wasn't for me. From what I read, I didn't find anything to be "horror" or suspenseful. But I understand how some might find church cult drama and hardly (imo) descriptive, unaliving horror. The biggest horror for me was the disjointed babbling by Mavis and the lack of explanation of situations, but over-explaining unimportant things with a whole chapter. This book definitely fell short for me.
First off, thank you to Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read this early. I couldn't finish this book. I read 48% and it just wasn't for me. From what I read, I didn't find anything to be "horror" or suspenseful. But I understand how some might find church cult drama and hardly (imo) descriptive, unaliving horror. The biggest horror for me was the disjointed babbling by Mavis and the lack of explanation of situations, but over-explaining unimportant things with a whole chapter. This book definitely fell short for me.
February 12, 2026
This was just weird, not bad weird but I really don’t know what I just read. Mavis ends up leaving her parents congregation after her abusive ex, well, abuses her and parents allow it. After that, there’s weird and strange happenings that occur and seem to be the cause of her not listening to her “womanly duties” & obeying her parents. Very culty & definitely hazy.
dnf
January 29, 2026This book was not for me. It felt very abrupt and I didn’t really know what the point of the story was. One thing I will say is that fight scene in the bedroom that was gruesome and graphic and done really well!!! I ate that scene up!!!! I made it to 50% of the book and it just wasn’t gripping enough for me! It didn’t give me horror and the storyline wasn’t suspenseful enough for me. The start with the digging and all was super intriguing and that just fell off and I was not feeling it. I can see why this may be for some people. If you like fast paced action packed books this may not be for you. If you are looking for a slow burn type of book with bits and pieces of creepy elements you will eat this up!
January 24, 2026
Rating: 3 / 5
Format: eARC via NetGalley
The Body by Bethany C. Morrow is a psychological thriller horror novel. The main character, Mavis, has separated from her parents’ church congregation after marrying her husband, Jerrod. Although this separation has been beneficial to Mavis for her emotional and mental well-being, to heal from the frequent gaslighting, self-blaming, and to better find her own identity, the church and specifically the oaths she and her husband shared with its congregation cannot be escaped easily.
The story starts off with Mavis surviving a car crash, and things get more chaotic while she tries to understand why she is continually being physically attacked. Throughout the novel, Mavis’s history with the church and her upbringing is featured to explain her difficulties with both herself and relationships with those around her. Morrow does a good job creating a suspenseful and thrilling atmosphere, though there is a lot of telling, especially with the info-dumping of Mavis’s backstory, which I would have enjoyed more showing instead. The book features suspense, tension, paranoia, cult-like churches, gore, and body horror. This book heavily focuses on the areas of marriage, church, and infidelity. Based on this, I could easily see this book as a pick for popular book boxes such as Book of the Month or Aardvark for their readers that enjoy psychological thriller horror stories featuring the elements mentioned.
Thank you, Tor Publishing Group, for providing me with this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Format: eARC via NetGalley
The Body by Bethany C. Morrow is a psychological thriller horror novel. The main character, Mavis, has separated from her parents’ church congregation after marrying her husband, Jerrod. Although this separation has been beneficial to Mavis for her emotional and mental well-being, to heal from the frequent gaslighting, self-blaming, and to better find her own identity, the church and specifically the oaths she and her husband shared with its congregation cannot be escaped easily.
The story starts off with Mavis surviving a car crash, and things get more chaotic while she tries to understand why she is continually being physically attacked. Throughout the novel, Mavis’s history with the church and her upbringing is featured to explain her difficulties with both herself and relationships with those around her. Morrow does a good job creating a suspenseful and thrilling atmosphere, though there is a lot of telling, especially with the info-dumping of Mavis’s backstory, which I would have enjoyed more showing instead. The book features suspense, tension, paranoia, cult-like churches, gore, and body horror. This book heavily focuses on the areas of marriage, church, and infidelity. Based on this, I could easily see this book as a pick for popular book boxes such as Book of the Month or Aardvark for their readers that enjoy psychological thriller horror stories featuring the elements mentioned.
Thank you, Tor Publishing Group, for providing me with this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 8, 2026
I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinion are my own.
This was so creepy and intense, I don't usually have to take breaks from horror books, but I had to put this down and read something while I was reading this. I'm not sure how to classify what type of horror book this is. While this does have some paranormal/magical realism (I think), I think I would classify this more in the social horror category. Morrow's books tend to fall in that space and this one is an unsettling commentary on religion, power dynamics, misogyny, morality, and more.
Mavis was brought what I would consider by two religious zealots. She never could quite live up to her parents expectations, and when she didn't marry the man they wanted their judgement and guilt trips become almost unbearable. When she finally gets married and breaks away from their church, she is still harshly judged, but Mavis is able to gain a bit of control over her life or so she thinks. Now seven years into her marriage, she suspects that something is wrong and takes things into her own hands. Her choices and actions lead her down a path of gruesome attacks on herself and her marriage that have her turning back to the two people she least wants advice from.
This book was unexpected, and while Mavis seems naive at times and you are often left asking "what did you think would happen?" Her upbringing and desire to please lead to a reckoning when she finally lets her rage out and she has to come to terms with the consequences. The ending was equally unexpected, but it fits the story perfectly. This felt like a fever dream the whole time where you weren't sure if Mavis was actually experiencing what was going on or if was all made up. It had moments of "gore" but they weren't over the top, most of the horror was phycological and trauma based as Mavis comes to terms with what is going on and the things she has experienced and been told to accept. I'm not usually one for religious or cult horror but this was dark and creepy in the best way!
This was so creepy and intense, I don't usually have to take breaks from horror books, but I had to put this down and read something while I was reading this. I'm not sure how to classify what type of horror book this is. While this does have some paranormal/magical realism (I think), I think I would classify this more in the social horror category. Morrow's books tend to fall in that space and this one is an unsettling commentary on religion, power dynamics, misogyny, morality, and more.
Mavis was brought what I would consider by two religious zealots. She never could quite live up to her parents expectations, and when she didn't marry the man they wanted their judgement and guilt trips become almost unbearable. When she finally gets married and breaks away from their church, she is still harshly judged, but Mavis is able to gain a bit of control over her life or so she thinks. Now seven years into her marriage, she suspects that something is wrong and takes things into her own hands. Her choices and actions lead her down a path of gruesome attacks on herself and her marriage that have her turning back to the two people she least wants advice from.
This book was unexpected, and while Mavis seems naive at times and you are often left asking "what did you think would happen?" Her upbringing and desire to please lead to a reckoning when she finally lets her rage out and she has to come to terms with the consequences. The ending was equally unexpected, but it fits the story perfectly. This felt like a fever dream the whole time where you weren't sure if Mavis was actually experiencing what was going on or if was all made up. It had moments of "gore" but they weren't over the top, most of the horror was phycological and trauma based as Mavis comes to terms with what is going on and the things she has experienced and been told to accept. I'm not usually one for religious or cult horror but this was dark and creepy in the best way!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I don't know how to feel about this book... it's marketed as a supernatural horror, but reads more as if it's wanting to be a literary horror (?), in my opinion. The main character is unlikeable (even if she has my sympathy for the trauma she went through), an unreliable narrator, and the religious overtones were odd. I pushed myself to finish it, just because more and more Final Destination-type things were happening and I wanted to see how it all ended, but I'm not surprised that others have DNF'd.
Thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted copy.
Website | Bookstagram | BookTok
Thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted copy.
Website | Bookstagram | BookTok
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The beginning had me in an absolute chokehold, but this one lost me about halfway through... I tried switching to an immersive read halfway through which helped, but it just wasn't for me.
This would be perfect for those who like religious trauma or cult like behaviour.
This would be perfect for those who like religious trauma or cult like behaviour.
Read
February 3, 2026DNF. I was hopeful! I swear. I love a religious aspect in a horror but this is like the 3rd eye gouging book in 2026. Enough is enough
February 3, 2026
Format: 🎧
_______
I received an ARC of this audiobook from NetGalley and… I truly don’t know what I just listened to. Mavis was everywhere. The pacing was all over the place, nothing connected, and it honestly started giving me a headache. I kept pushing through because I wanted to like it, but… huh??
Maybe this works better in physical form so you can actually keep track of the million moving pieces, because the audio experience was absolutely not it 🥴
The only thing I walked away with is that some bizarre congregation vow she and her husband made at their wedding was trying to kill them?? Like… okay lol. And that ending?! How was that fair at all. Smh.
_______
I received an ARC of this audiobook from NetGalley and… I truly don’t know what I just listened to. Mavis was everywhere. The pacing was all over the place, nothing connected, and it honestly started giving me a headache. I kept pushing through because I wanted to like it, but… huh??
Maybe this works better in physical form so you can actually keep track of the million moving pieces, because the audio experience was absolutely not it 🥴
The only thing I walked away with is that some bizarre congregation vow she and her husband made at their wedding was trying to kill them?? Like… okay lol. And that ending?! How was that fair at all. Smh.
February 14, 2026
The Body
by Bethany C. Morrow
Thriller
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Feb 10, 2026
Tor Publishing Group
Ages: 16+
After a failed engagement, because her fiancé kept cheating, Mavis' parents blamed her for not accepting and forgiving, thus the failure was her fault. Now, years later, and seven years into her marriage to Jerrod, a man she feels is too good to be true, she fears she is about to lose him because she isn't a good enough wife, and his itch is going to destroy their marriage, but she suspects he has already satisfied it.
On her way home, she is struck by another car that went through a red light, then, while home recovering, there's someone is digging in their backyard in the middle of the night. And as the days progress, there are more threats against her.
Because of the blurb, I really thought this was going to be a twisted mystery of scary, but nope, instead it was a lot of internal rambling of a woman with low self esteem, groomed by her religious parents, cheated on by a man her parents forced upon her, then blamed her for being a bad person when she breaks off the engagement because of his cheating.
Her insecurities continue and grow as the years progress, put there and constantly fed by her disapproving parents, Jerrod's parents, and the congregation Mavis distanced herself from.
As for the supernatural element, zzzzz... The only interesting thing that happened was … spoiler... but it was only a blip in a dragging monologue by a woman so messed in the head by cruel parents and the church that she does … spoiler... which.... spoiler....
The spoilers were the only thing that brought a little bit of life to the story. The ending, eh. Makes me dislike her more.
I'm kicking myself for not DNFing this when I told myself to, but instead skimmed it and wasted time. Other than the religion, there's nothing that I would consider scary, so this is more of a thriller with a wannabe supernatural element.
I can only remember three violent scenes in this story, similar to what you can see on TV, but no adult content other than a mention here and there. Overall, it's suitable for readers sixteen and older, though I doubt younger readers would enjoy it.
1 Star
by Bethany C. Morrow
Thriller
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Feb 10, 2026
Tor Publishing Group
Ages: 16+
After a failed engagement, because her fiancé kept cheating, Mavis' parents blamed her for not accepting and forgiving, thus the failure was her fault. Now, years later, and seven years into her marriage to Jerrod, a man she feels is too good to be true, she fears she is about to lose him because she isn't a good enough wife, and his itch is going to destroy their marriage, but she suspects he has already satisfied it.
On her way home, she is struck by another car that went through a red light, then, while home recovering, there's someone is digging in their backyard in the middle of the night. And as the days progress, there are more threats against her.
Because of the blurb, I really thought this was going to be a twisted mystery of scary, but nope, instead it was a lot of internal rambling of a woman with low self esteem, groomed by her religious parents, cheated on by a man her parents forced upon her, then blamed her for being a bad person when she breaks off the engagement because of his cheating.
Her insecurities continue and grow as the years progress, put there and constantly fed by her disapproving parents, Jerrod's parents, and the congregation Mavis distanced herself from.
As for the supernatural element, zzzzz... The only interesting thing that happened was … spoiler... but it was only a blip in a dragging monologue by a woman so messed in the head by cruel parents and the church that she does … spoiler... which.... spoiler....
The spoilers were the only thing that brought a little bit of life to the story. The ending, eh. Makes me dislike her more.
I'm kicking myself for not DNFing this when I told myself to, but instead skimmed it and wasted time. Other than the religion, there's nothing that I would consider scary, so this is more of a thriller with a wannabe supernatural element.
I can only remember three violent scenes in this story, similar to what you can see on TV, but no adult content other than a mention here and there. Overall, it's suitable for readers sixteen and older, though I doubt younger readers would enjoy it.
1 Star
January 28, 2026
The Body by Bethany C. Morrow is… complicated. I went in expecting pulse-pounding supernatural horror, I wanted to be scared or at least a little spooked, and instead got something far more literary, introspective, and abstract. Not bad! It just wasn’t what I came for.
Mavis’s story is a deep dive into religious trauma, psychological manipulation, and the aftermath of betrayals that cut to the bone. Her history is messy, painful, and sometimes impossible to watch unfold. The writing is undeniably sharp, with haunting moments and a fever-dream quality that lingers. There’s body horror, there’s tension, there’s attempted terror — but it never really landed for me. Instead of keeping me on edge, I felt a little adrift, unsure where the story was going or what to latch onto.
Mavis herself is compelling but difficult to root for. Her obsessive worry over her husband, her self-inflicted gaslighting, and her codependent patterns made her fascinating in theory but occasionally exhausting to follow. Jerrod and the supporting cast aren’t much easier to connect with — a parade of characters who often felt more like symbols than people. Books can have unlikable characters, but I need at least one thing to cling to in order to root for them, and I didn’t find that with any of these characters.
If you’re looking for a psychological, slow-burn, literary horror that meditates on trauma and relationships, this could be for you. If you’re expecting a traditional supernatural horror with teeth and genuine suspense, you might leave this one staring blankly at the wall wondering what just happened because it’s not at all what you were expecting.
Overall, The Body is fine. Solid writing, ambitious themes, and some genuinely unsettling ideas. But for me, it never fully grabbed me, and I ended the book more perplexed than thrilled. I do think this will find its audience within a niche community of readers who enjoy horror but prefer for that horror to come across as less terrifying and more quietly unsettling.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing | Tor Nightfire for this eARC!
Mavis’s story is a deep dive into religious trauma, psychological manipulation, and the aftermath of betrayals that cut to the bone. Her history is messy, painful, and sometimes impossible to watch unfold. The writing is undeniably sharp, with haunting moments and a fever-dream quality that lingers. There’s body horror, there’s tension, there’s attempted terror — but it never really landed for me. Instead of keeping me on edge, I felt a little adrift, unsure where the story was going or what to latch onto.
Mavis herself is compelling but difficult to root for. Her obsessive worry over her husband, her self-inflicted gaslighting, and her codependent patterns made her fascinating in theory but occasionally exhausting to follow. Jerrod and the supporting cast aren’t much easier to connect with — a parade of characters who often felt more like symbols than people. Books can have unlikable characters, but I need at least one thing to cling to in order to root for them, and I didn’t find that with any of these characters.
If you’re looking for a psychological, slow-burn, literary horror that meditates on trauma and relationships, this could be for you. If you’re expecting a traditional supernatural horror with teeth and genuine suspense, you might leave this one staring blankly at the wall wondering what just happened because it’s not at all what you were expecting.
Overall, The Body is fine. Solid writing, ambitious themes, and some genuinely unsettling ideas. But for me, it never fully grabbed me, and I ended the book more perplexed than thrilled. I do think this will find its audience within a niche community of readers who enjoy horror but prefer for that horror to come across as less terrifying and more quietly unsettling.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing | Tor Nightfire for this eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Body follows Mavis, a woman whose marriage is on the brink of collapse, after she gets into a huge car accident that sets into motion a strange chain of events seemingly focused on her and her husband.
The concept of this was very enthralling and definitely helped the story along most, but I found that the pacing was disjointed. One moment we would be in a tense, fast-paced situation, then it would switch to a long-winded flashback or Mavis's internal monologue.
There are a lot of topics touched on, particularly religious trauma and mental health, that I found to be explored well and led Mavis to be a sympathetic, if not unreliable, main character. Beyond Mavis, however, there is not a lot of character development for any of the side characters, so it felt sort of flat as things went along, particularly involving her husband Jerrod.
This started off very strong for me with some genuinely creepy moments, but I think somewhere in the middle it got a bit too meandering and focused too much on introducing past context and explorations of Mavis's parents and their congregation, that by the time we reached the end there was a lot of built-up tension that got lost along the way unfortunately.
I really loved A Song Below Water and I think Morrow's writing is very strong, this one in particular just didn't click for me. I hope to see her write more horror in the future because I would love to give it another try!
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
The concept of this was very enthralling and definitely helped the story along most, but I found that the pacing was disjointed. One moment we would be in a tense, fast-paced situation, then it would switch to a long-winded flashback or Mavis's internal monologue.
There are a lot of topics touched on, particularly religious trauma and mental health, that I found to be explored well and led Mavis to be a sympathetic, if not unreliable, main character. Beyond Mavis, however, there is not a lot of character development for any of the side characters, so it felt sort of flat as things went along, particularly involving her husband Jerrod.
This started off very strong for me with some genuinely creepy moments, but I think somewhere in the middle it got a bit too meandering and focused too much on introducing past context and explorations of Mavis's parents and their congregation, that by the time we reached the end there was a lot of built-up tension that got lost along the way unfortunately.
I really loved A Song Below Water and I think Morrow's writing is very strong, this one in particular just didn't click for me. I hope to see her write more horror in the future because I would love to give it another try!
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
February 8, 2026
This is my first book by Bethany C Morrow. And I will say in the end I actually do really like the story. This is classified as a supernatural horror, and I will say it is that. We have Mavis and Jerrod. They have been married for seven years and I will say, even though it is a supernatural horror, it has religious themes when Mavis and Jerrod got married. Mavis did not want a specific aspect in their wedding and Gerard ended up going with Mavis‘s mother and adding it to it and because of this certain things are now happening. Am I always do think that it is very vague in the synopsis. I did kind of read some reviews right before jumping into this and some people were saying that the outside packaging a.k.a. the cover didn’t match what they were getting inside and maybe even the title. I will agree about the title, but I kinda can see where the cover actually goes with the book. At first glance, if I read the title and looked at the cover and didn’t read the synopsis what I got inside the book I might be a little disappointed. But I do personally think that the story inside is actually very good. I really liked in the writing and I really liked the characters development. It very much makes me want to go and jump into other books by Morrow at a later date, especially if there were coded. I did think the ending was interesting. I kind of figured it was going to end in that direction so I’m not surprised by it. It was a very fast read, and I will say that the audio was fantastic. Nesta Cooper did a fantastic job in the narration. She made it very easy to listen to at low and high rates of speed. I liked her pacing. I really have no complaints and I’m definitely gonna be checking out other audiobooks by her.
Thank you to McMillan audio for the complementary copy all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to McMillan audio for the complementary copy all thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 9, 2026
I’ve read some domestic suspense, but I haven’t read much domestic supernatural horror. The Body felt like a fever dream that had me filled with anxiety the whole time. Religious horror fans who can handle a little gore should check this one out.
The audio version worked well for me. Nesta Cooper did a fantastic job narrating. I think I would have struggled to finish in a different format.
The body went in a direction I wasn’t expecting. When I thought I had everything figured out the story flipped. There was a fair amount of me screaming “what are we doing!?!?” The pacing sometimes felt a bit off to me. One moment it’s full throttle and the next we’re in an introspective past POV.
The Body is a wild ride that will keep you entertained and horrified. It is out Feb. 10th! Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my review copy.
The audio version worked well for me. Nesta Cooper did a fantastic job narrating. I think I would have struggled to finish in a different format.
The body went in a direction I wasn’t expecting. When I thought I had everything figured out the story flipped. There was a fair amount of me screaming “what are we doing!?!?” The pacing sometimes felt a bit off to me. One moment it’s full throttle and the next we’re in an introspective past POV.
The Body is a wild ride that will keep you entertained and horrified. It is out Feb. 10th! Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my review copy.
January 24, 2026
4 stars. This was way darker than I was expecting, which I liked! It was also much better written than I was ready for. I struggled with the character of Mavis because she was so pathetic. But by the end of the book I really got the character so much more, and oh was her character arc dark.
Don’t be fooled by the cover on this one, it’s not a thriller. It is absolutely a horror book with some religious trauma tossed in for a little “fun”!
Don’t be fooled by the cover on this one, it’s not a thriller. It is absolutely a horror book with some religious trauma tossed in for a little “fun”!
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