What do you think?
Rate this book
The Fovea Experiments: A Novel
An experiment gone wrong. A survivor under suspicion. A teen searching for the truth.
Ostracized by her friends, Nala finds solace creating true crime content for her YouTube channel. When she breaks into her mother's private investigator files and finds evidence of multiple teen deaths during a sleep experiment in the 2000s, she's shocked to see the sole survivor is her schoolteacher. She creates a sensationalist video, outing him as a suspect.
Josh is tormented by what happened during The Fovea Experiments. He gets through the days by throwing himself into his job as a teacher, and survives the nights with a little liquid courage. Nala's video puts him under suspicion once more, and the trauma he experienced as a teen takes him to breaking point. As he fights to clear his name, he discovers his worst nightmare is unfolding.
Because The Fovea Experiments are happening again. And, this time, the people behind it are determined to see it through to the end.
Some say the eyes are the window to the soul. Or are they a doorway to something far worse?
Ostracized by her friends, Nala finds solace creating true crime content for her YouTube channel. When she breaks into her mother's private investigator files and finds evidence of multiple teen deaths during a sleep experiment in the 2000s, she's shocked to see the sole survivor is her schoolteacher. She creates a sensationalist video, outing him as a suspect.
Josh is tormented by what happened during The Fovea Experiments. He gets through the days by throwing himself into his job as a teacher, and survives the nights with a little liquid courage. Nala's video puts him under suspicion once more, and the trauma he experienced as a teen takes him to breaking point. As he fights to clear his name, he discovers his worst nightmare is unfolding.
Because The Fovea Experiments are happening again. And, this time, the people behind it are determined to see it through to the end.
Some say the eyes are the window to the soul. Or are they a doorway to something far worse?
210 pages, Paperback
Published July 4, 2025
39 people are currently reading
872 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Mars
23 books161 followersMJ Mars is a geek, ghoul, and horror enthusiast living in Lancaster, UK. Her debut novel, The Suffering, was published by Wicked House in 2023. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find MJ playing pool, trying to skateboard (badly), or listening to rock music. She owes every success to her mis-spent youth.
Short story collection, We’ve Already Gone Too Far out now!
NEW! The Fovea Experiments, a second novel to be published by Wicked House, is out now. MJ is currently working on a sequel to The Suffering, and a series of novellas based around the short story, Jeff Through the Trees.
Join her on Twitter @MJMars, Instagram /mjmarsauthor, and her Facebook page, MJ Mars Author.
Short story collection, We’ve Already Gone Too Far out now!
NEW! The Fovea Experiments, a second novel to be published by Wicked House, is out now. MJ is currently working on a sequel to The Suffering, and a series of novellas based around the short story, Jeff Through the Trees.
Join her on Twitter @MJMars, Instagram /mjmarsauthor, and her Facebook page, MJ Mars Author.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
July 29, 2025
MJ has created an incredibly creepy tale here. Sleep experiments with participants dying in gruesome manners after attending. Yikes!!
I was definitely getting the heebie jeebies throughout the story. I can’t say that I overly liked or got to know any of the characters. It was so fast paced, probably extending the story would’ve worked in this case. If we had more time with the initial participants and the new ones, I think their deaths would’ve been more meaningful. Instead we zoom through a couple pages here and there with the current study attendees POVs, and then they… well… you know… ☠️
The ending was intense, but again, wayyy too quick. It didn’t feel meaningful for the main narrators that just went through an insane ordeal. Very “throw a bow on it” and DONE!
Definitely give it a read, but I personally do like some of the author’s other works of horror a bit more.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Wicked House Publishing for a copy!
I was definitely getting the heebie jeebies throughout the story. I can’t say that I overly liked or got to know any of the characters. It was so fast paced, probably extending the story would’ve worked in this case. If we had more time with the initial participants and the new ones, I think their deaths would’ve been more meaningful. Instead we zoom through a couple pages here and there with the current study attendees POVs, and then they… well… you know… ☠️
The ending was intense, but again, wayyy too quick. It didn’t feel meaningful for the main narrators that just went through an insane ordeal. Very “throw a bow on it” and DONE!
Definitely give it a read, but I personally do like some of the author’s other works of horror a bit more.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Wicked House Publishing for a copy!
September 14, 2025
this was a creepy one for sure. lots of unsettling moments and honestly nasty body horror, very enjoyable and a quick fast paced read. my only major dislike is that i found some of these characters irritating, esp the daughter. like i know it’s not supposed to be realistic, but omg how could she ever think it’s a good idea to post videos about her moms confidential case files, and that’s not even counting the other big dumb decision she makes farther into the book!! it just annoyed me so bad that it took away from the story a bit
September 11, 2025
3.5★
”Nature is truly powerful in times of distress.”
This was much different than I was expecting it to be in multiple ways 😳
”Nature is truly powerful in times of distress.”
This was much different than I was expecting it to be in multiple ways 😳
September 17, 2025
My first experience with author MJ Mars was with her debut novel, The Suffering, and while there were your typical blemishes present from a debut, you could see the talent was there. In The Fovea Experiments, Mars displays a much more polished approach.
Josh, a sleep experiment at a local college gone wrong survivor, attempts to stifle the nightmares through his job as a teacher by day and crawling into a bottle of booze at night. The volatile combination destroys his relationship with Lacey, and they go their separate ways. Years later, Lacey’s daughter, Nala, starts up a YouTube channel to pass the time. For juicy content, she breaks into her mother’s computer and steals the case files her mother worked on as a private investigator. She learns that her mom’s old boyfriend Josh was the lone survivor of the Fovea Experiments and was at one time a suspect. Of course, Nala, in order to get as many views as possible on her channel, recklessly suggests that Josh was more involved in the murders than the investigation revealed. At the same time that Josh is attempting to clear his name, The Fovea Experiments start up again under a different professor. Mysterious deaths begin stacking up, adding fuel to the fire under Josh’s feet. Will he be able to prove his innocence and stop the experiments from claiming more lives, or is there something sinister at work here looking to finish what it started years ago?
Mars expertly crafts characters that pull different emotions from the reader. You feel for Josh and all he’s been through. Frustration mounts towards Lacey as you question her parenting choices. And with Nala, anger builds as you’d like to boot her in the ass for her yellow journalism with no regard for the collateral damage it may cause to Josh, as long as her channel benefits from the views. And let’s not forget the horror of what the Fovea Experiments unleash. A couple of minor plot holes along the way with the science involved in the experiments were present, but didn’t dampen my enjoyment. I did think the ending was a bit abrupt, but overall a very solid story.
4 Chewed Eyeballs out of 5
Josh, a sleep experiment at a local college gone wrong survivor, attempts to stifle the nightmares through his job as a teacher by day and crawling into a bottle of booze at night. The volatile combination destroys his relationship with Lacey, and they go their separate ways. Years later, Lacey’s daughter, Nala, starts up a YouTube channel to pass the time. For juicy content, she breaks into her mother’s computer and steals the case files her mother worked on as a private investigator. She learns that her mom’s old boyfriend Josh was the lone survivor of the Fovea Experiments and was at one time a suspect. Of course, Nala, in order to get as many views as possible on her channel, recklessly suggests that Josh was more involved in the murders than the investigation revealed. At the same time that Josh is attempting to clear his name, The Fovea Experiments start up again under a different professor. Mysterious deaths begin stacking up, adding fuel to the fire under Josh’s feet. Will he be able to prove his innocence and stop the experiments from claiming more lives, or is there something sinister at work here looking to finish what it started years ago?
Mars expertly crafts characters that pull different emotions from the reader. You feel for Josh and all he’s been through. Frustration mounts towards Lacey as you question her parenting choices. And with Nala, anger builds as you’d like to boot her in the ass for her yellow journalism with no regard for the collateral damage it may cause to Josh, as long as her channel benefits from the views. And let’s not forget the horror of what the Fovea Experiments unleash. A couple of minor plot holes along the way with the science involved in the experiments were present, but didn’t dampen my enjoyment. I did think the ending was a bit abrupt, but overall a very solid story.
4 Chewed Eyeballs out of 5
July 2, 2025
First of all, I just want to shout from the rooftops that I loved this book. It was a fast-paced, panic-inducing read that I devoured in two sittings. But then again, as the author of my all-time favorite haunted house story, The Suffering, so I had a feeling MJ Mars would deliver another knockout novel.
The story centers mostly around a teenage girl named Nala, who has been investigating a cold case about a series of experiments in which science and the occult collide, resulting in the deaths of a group of teens. And even worse, it's happening again.
This book had me on the edge of my seat, and literally forced me to squeeze my eyes shut at several points to make sure I wasn’t going insane. This book gets under your skin. It crawls through your eyes and then claws at you long after you’ve finished the story. There aren’t a lot of books out there that actively make me anxious, but in The Fovea Experiments, Mars masterfully gets into your head, and refuses to let go.
I also have to admit I’m a total sucker for books that take place in a shared universe. While it isn’t a sequel to The Suffering, there is a crossover character that will make you squeal with joy, and squirm with fear upon seeing their return. With The Fovea Experiments, Mars proves that her talent cannot be ignored. If you want an intense, rollercoaster of a read, this book will serve you a total feast for the eyes.
The story centers mostly around a teenage girl named Nala, who has been investigating a cold case about a series of experiments in which science and the occult collide, resulting in the deaths of a group of teens. And even worse, it's happening again.
This book had me on the edge of my seat, and literally forced me to squeeze my eyes shut at several points to make sure I wasn’t going insane. This book gets under your skin. It crawls through your eyes and then claws at you long after you’ve finished the story. There aren’t a lot of books out there that actively make me anxious, but in The Fovea Experiments, Mars masterfully gets into your head, and refuses to let go.
I also have to admit I’m a total sucker for books that take place in a shared universe. While it isn’t a sequel to The Suffering, there is a crossover character that will make you squeal with joy, and squirm with fear upon seeing their return. With The Fovea Experiments, Mars proves that her talent cannot be ignored. If you want an intense, rollercoaster of a read, this book will serve you a total feast for the eyes.
July 10, 2025
I really enjoyed this. The premise was different to your usual horror story and it worked really well. The eyes! My God, why the eyes! Certainly some squeamish scenes and gruesome deaths here. The story was interesting too, as well as the characters. It all fit together well.
I do have a couple of gripes though:
- there's not really a clear explanation as to how Josh avoided the demons for so long. Is drinking yourself to sleep enough?
- the experiments that took place, nothing was administered to the patients, no hypnotism, nothing like that, all they were asked to do was lie down, close their eyes, and focus on the shapes/colours behind their eyelids. If this were all that was needed then surely most of the population would be releasing demons on the world. Why just the selected experiment group when nothing special was done to them?
I'd seen this book branded about on social media but I've been stung before when trying works by a writer I've never read before so I was a bit reluctant. But this one worked out, I'm pleased to say. Overall, it was an absolute blast (despite my nit picking).
Will certainly make me wonder about those shapes behind my eyelids!
I do have a couple of gripes though:
- there's not really a clear explanation as to how Josh avoided the demons for so long. Is drinking yourself to sleep enough?
- the experiments that took place, nothing was administered to the patients, no hypnotism, nothing like that, all they were asked to do was lie down, close their eyes, and focus on the shapes/colours behind their eyelids. If this were all that was needed then surely most of the population would be releasing demons on the world. Why just the selected experiment group when nothing special was done to them?
I'd seen this book branded about on social media but I've been stung before when trying works by a writer I've never read before so I was a bit reluctant. But this one worked out, I'm pleased to say. Overall, it was an absolute blast (despite my nit picking).
Will certainly make me wonder about those shapes behind my eyelids!
July 5, 2025
Welcome to the Fovea Experiment, please buckle up this is a hell of a ride. This book was so intense at times that I had to put it down. And take a breath. Margory Ellis has taken over her father's experiments. And once the experiments started there was no going back. The Fovea Experiment has just the right amount of gore. And all the suspense you will need.
"When the side of her face split open, a voice right next to her ear began to whisper."
What do you see when your eyes are closed?
Did you know they say the eyes are the window to the soul? But what if the eyes are the windows into your insanity?
"When the side of her face split open, a voice right next to her ear began to whisper."
What do you see when your eyes are closed?
Did you know they say the eyes are the window to the soul? But what if the eyes are the windows into your insanity?
September 14, 2025
Our main character Nala, loves to create youtube content about true crime. One day she finds a very mysterious case that she definitely wants to investigate and talk about.
Back in 2000 there was an experiment where multiple teens lost their lives. She was also shocked to find out the only survivor of the experiment is her schoolteacher. The experiment was supposed to be a simple sleep experiment. So what happened to those teenagers? Why did they die?
On top of that, The Fovea Experiments are happening again. Are they going to be safe this time around?
This was such an interesting story about unlocking our potential through our eyes and the dangers that entails. It has great characters, the story is fast paced and it was definitely very unnerving.
This book will have you at the edge of your seat and even though I wish I had spent more time with the participants of the experiments, their deaths were brutal and bloody which means they were very satisfying to me.
The book did leave some questions unanswered specially about how the experiments exactly work but nevertheless, this was a fun fast paced, bloody read.
Back in 2000 there was an experiment where multiple teens lost their lives. She was also shocked to find out the only survivor of the experiment is her schoolteacher. The experiment was supposed to be a simple sleep experiment. So what happened to those teenagers? Why did they die?
On top of that, The Fovea Experiments are happening again. Are they going to be safe this time around?
This was such an interesting story about unlocking our potential through our eyes and the dangers that entails. It has great characters, the story is fast paced and it was definitely very unnerving.
This book will have you at the edge of your seat and even though I wish I had spent more time with the participants of the experiments, their deaths were brutal and bloody which means they were very satisfying to me.
The book did leave some questions unanswered specially about how the experiments exactly work but nevertheless, this was a fun fast paced, bloody read.
Read
July 22, 2025*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this!*
I’m a huge fan of what Patrick and Wicked House Publishing have been doing and the books they’ve been releasing have been a ton of fun so far. I’ve had my eye on Mars ‘The Suffering,’ which came out a few years ago, but haven’t managed to get to reading it yet.
After taking a break for a bit from Netgalley, recently I’ve been jumping back on and when I saw this one, I hit request super quick. I’m a huge fan of the ‘sleep experiments’ trope of Reddit/Urban Legend/ Creepy Pasta type stories. The Russian Sleep Experiment is probably the one that’s spread the most of the years, and seeing that this one was based on a sleep experiment gone wrong, I was stoked to dive in and see what Mars conjured for us.
What I liked: Set roughly twenty years after a sleep experiment went wrong, teen girl Nala, is trying to find her space in the online webisphere of blogging. She’s created a true crime channel and sneaking a look at her mom’s case files – her mom was a detective but after a traumatic incident is now a private investigator – she gets some content. One such file sticks out – about the sleep experiments gone wrong AND it looks like the prime suspect from all those years ago, just happens to be Nala’s current high school teacher.
Naturally, she makes a video and posts it with no regard to what anyone will think and it goes mega viral. Her teacher, Josh, meanwhile has been dealing with sleep issues ever since he was the lone survivor of that prior experiment gone wrong. Now, he needs confront the literal demons he’s been keeping at bay since all those years ago.
Mars dives in with all the grace of an atomic bomb. It’s one blast after another of revelations and jagged deaths. A new sleep experiment is taking place, and it’s being lead by the daughter of the doctor who did the previous one Josh was in. Things go crazy quick here and we see just what horrors lie in the darkness when the participants close their eyes and the blackness forms into a shape.
The final quarter of the book is a full on occult-demon assault that ramped up the creepiness and the body count. It all lead to the terrifying conclusion, which was spot-on perfect.
What I didn’t like: There was a few things that kind of stuck out to me. For the depth of the story that was within, I just don’t think it was explored enough. It would’ve benefited from being another one hundred or even two hundred pages long. That would’ve given it the time to explore the occult back history, give us more depth of the first experiment and would’ve allowed the second experiment participants to not be characters I never really cared for or connected with.
As well, there’s a major, major death that happens involving a focal point of the book and the lack of any sort of real reaction just didn’t work – for me at least. I would’ve expected a surviving character to be crushed and break down and they weren’t. They just kept kind of plodding along and it didn’t feel like a natural reaction.
Why you should buy this: This slotted nicely into that Creepy Pasta world and was a ton of fun. I think for many of the voracious readers out there, this will be an unsettling, occult, one-sitting read that will keep them awake at night and question every shadow. Mars did a wonderful job of setting up the pins and knocking them down, which made for a very engrossing read.
I’m a huge fan of what Patrick and Wicked House Publishing have been doing and the books they’ve been releasing have been a ton of fun so far. I’ve had my eye on Mars ‘The Suffering,’ which came out a few years ago, but haven’t managed to get to reading it yet.
After taking a break for a bit from Netgalley, recently I’ve been jumping back on and when I saw this one, I hit request super quick. I’m a huge fan of the ‘sleep experiments’ trope of Reddit/Urban Legend/ Creepy Pasta type stories. The Russian Sleep Experiment is probably the one that’s spread the most of the years, and seeing that this one was based on a sleep experiment gone wrong, I was stoked to dive in and see what Mars conjured for us.
What I liked: Set roughly twenty years after a sleep experiment went wrong, teen girl Nala, is trying to find her space in the online webisphere of blogging. She’s created a true crime channel and sneaking a look at her mom’s case files – her mom was a detective but after a traumatic incident is now a private investigator – she gets some content. One such file sticks out – about the sleep experiments gone wrong AND it looks like the prime suspect from all those years ago, just happens to be Nala’s current high school teacher.
Naturally, she makes a video and posts it with no regard to what anyone will think and it goes mega viral. Her teacher, Josh, meanwhile has been dealing with sleep issues ever since he was the lone survivor of that prior experiment gone wrong. Now, he needs confront the literal demons he’s been keeping at bay since all those years ago.
Mars dives in with all the grace of an atomic bomb. It’s one blast after another of revelations and jagged deaths. A new sleep experiment is taking place, and it’s being lead by the daughter of the doctor who did the previous one Josh was in. Things go crazy quick here and we see just what horrors lie in the darkness when the participants close their eyes and the blackness forms into a shape.
The final quarter of the book is a full on occult-demon assault that ramped up the creepiness and the body count. It all lead to the terrifying conclusion, which was spot-on perfect.
What I didn’t like: There was a few things that kind of stuck out to me. For the depth of the story that was within, I just don’t think it was explored enough. It would’ve benefited from being another one hundred or even two hundred pages long. That would’ve given it the time to explore the occult back history, give us more depth of the first experiment and would’ve allowed the second experiment participants to not be characters I never really cared for or connected with.
As well, there’s a major, major death that happens involving a focal point of the book and the lack of any sort of real reaction just didn’t work – for me at least. I would’ve expected a surviving character to be crushed and break down and they weren’t. They just kept kind of plodding along and it didn’t feel like a natural reaction.
Why you should buy this: This slotted nicely into that Creepy Pasta world and was a ton of fun. I think for many of the voracious readers out there, this will be an unsettling, occult, one-sitting read that will keep them awake at night and question every shadow. Mars did a wonderful job of setting up the pins and knocking them down, which made for a very engrossing read.
August 3, 2025
Veel dank aan Wicked House Publishing en Netgalley voor het recensie-exemplaar.
Via Netgalley kun je allerlei boeken lezen die nog uit moeten komen in ruil voor een bespreking. Zo heb ik toch al best een aantal leuke boeken ontdekt, zo ook dit The Fovea Experiments van MJ Mars. Voor horrorliefhebbers die van wat bloederigheid en goorheid houden en die niet vies zijn van wat bovennatuurlijke en occulte elementen is dit een prima horrorverhaal.
Nala heeft een true-crime YouTubekanaal waar ze vertelt over oude moordzaken. Ze krijgt het dossier in handen dat gaat over tieners die in de jaren 2000 overleden nadat ze meededen aan een slaapexperiment. Ze komt erachter dat haar leraar de enige overlevende is van dit experiment en verdenkt hem ervan dat hij schuldig is aan de sterfgevallen van zijn vrienden. Toch verandert alles wanneer blijkt dat het slaapexperiment opnieuw plaatsvindt en dat de arts achter het experiment bereid is om tot het uiterste te gaan.
Onuitstaanbare personages
Mars heeft een heel fijne, makkelijk leesbare schrijfstijl en heeft gekozen voor een fijne opbouw, waarbij je vanuit verschillende perspectieven steeds meer te weten komt over wat er precies aan de hand is met de experimenten. Zoals het horror betaamt is er een aantal onuitstaanbare personages die het natuurlijk niet al te lang volhouden (lees: die al vrij snel op gruwelijke wijze aan hun einde komen). Daarentegen zijn de hoofdkarakters eigenlijk stuk voor stuk sympathiek en hoop je als lezer continu dat de waarheid aan het licht komt en er een einde komt aan de duistere praktijken rondom de experimenten.
Mars beschrijft zeer expliciet hoe de deelnemers aan het experiment één voor één sterven. Ze schrikt daarbij zeker niet terug voor gore, bloederige details. Het zijn experimenten die om de fovea draaien, een deel in het oog waar het zicht het scherpst is en in de dagen dat ik dit boek las, dacht ik toch wel even twee keer na voordat ik ’s avonds mijn ogen dichtdeed om te gaan slapen.
Uit de bocht
Zoals echter bij zoveel horrorverhalen vliegt de boel richting het einde een beetje uit de bocht. Ik houd ervan wanneer verhalen iets te maken hebben met het occulte, maar hier werd het me in de uitwerking uiteindelijk toch allemaal net wat te gortig. Ik kon dan ook niet helemaal meegaan in de wendingen die het verhaal in de laatste hoofdstukken neemt en die ik toch te ver van de realiteit vond staan.
Hoewel ik niet onverdeeld enthousiast ben over The Fovea Experiments, vond ik deze horror wel uiterst vermakelijk en zeker de eerste helft heb ik met ongelooflijk veel plezier gelezen. En daar gaat het natuurlijk allemaal om in horror, om te kunnen genieten van alles waar je eigenlijk niet van zou mogen genieten. Wat dat betreft is Mars met vlag en wimpel geslaagd.
blogpost
Via Netgalley kun je allerlei boeken lezen die nog uit moeten komen in ruil voor een bespreking. Zo heb ik toch al best een aantal leuke boeken ontdekt, zo ook dit The Fovea Experiments van MJ Mars. Voor horrorliefhebbers die van wat bloederigheid en goorheid houden en die niet vies zijn van wat bovennatuurlijke en occulte elementen is dit een prima horrorverhaal.
Nala heeft een true-crime YouTubekanaal waar ze vertelt over oude moordzaken. Ze krijgt het dossier in handen dat gaat over tieners die in de jaren 2000 overleden nadat ze meededen aan een slaapexperiment. Ze komt erachter dat haar leraar de enige overlevende is van dit experiment en verdenkt hem ervan dat hij schuldig is aan de sterfgevallen van zijn vrienden. Toch verandert alles wanneer blijkt dat het slaapexperiment opnieuw plaatsvindt en dat de arts achter het experiment bereid is om tot het uiterste te gaan.
Onuitstaanbare personages
Mars heeft een heel fijne, makkelijk leesbare schrijfstijl en heeft gekozen voor een fijne opbouw, waarbij je vanuit verschillende perspectieven steeds meer te weten komt over wat er precies aan de hand is met de experimenten. Zoals het horror betaamt is er een aantal onuitstaanbare personages die het natuurlijk niet al te lang volhouden (lees: die al vrij snel op gruwelijke wijze aan hun einde komen). Daarentegen zijn de hoofdkarakters eigenlijk stuk voor stuk sympathiek en hoop je als lezer continu dat de waarheid aan het licht komt en er een einde komt aan de duistere praktijken rondom de experimenten.
Mars beschrijft zeer expliciet hoe de deelnemers aan het experiment één voor één sterven. Ze schrikt daarbij zeker niet terug voor gore, bloederige details. Het zijn experimenten die om de fovea draaien, een deel in het oog waar het zicht het scherpst is en in de dagen dat ik dit boek las, dacht ik toch wel even twee keer na voordat ik ’s avonds mijn ogen dichtdeed om te gaan slapen.
Uit de bocht
Zoals echter bij zoveel horrorverhalen vliegt de boel richting het einde een beetje uit de bocht. Ik houd ervan wanneer verhalen iets te maken hebben met het occulte, maar hier werd het me in de uitwerking uiteindelijk toch allemaal net wat te gortig. Ik kon dan ook niet helemaal meegaan in de wendingen die het verhaal in de laatste hoofdstukken neemt en die ik toch te ver van de realiteit vond staan.
Hoewel ik niet onverdeeld enthousiast ben over The Fovea Experiments, vond ik deze horror wel uiterst vermakelijk en zeker de eerste helft heb ik met ongelooflijk veel plezier gelezen. En daar gaat het natuurlijk allemaal om in horror, om te kunnen genieten van alles waar je eigenlijk niet van zou mogen genieten. Wat dat betreft is Mars met vlag en wimpel geslaagd.
blogpost
July 5, 2025
MJ Mars continues to raise the bar with another page turner that's both terrifying and visceral.
With a well rounded cast of characters and a mystery you'll want to solve from the outset, The Fovea Experiments is relentless from the very first page. Nobody is safe, not even the reader. This one will stay with you long after you close the book. Once The Fovea Experiments begin, you'll never want to close your eyes again!
Check out that cover by Christy Aldridge. I'm OBSESSED! 😍
With a well rounded cast of characters and a mystery you'll want to solve from the outset, The Fovea Experiments is relentless from the very first page. Nobody is safe, not even the reader. This one will stay with you long after you close the book. Once The Fovea Experiments begin, you'll never want to close your eyes again!
Check out that cover by Christy Aldridge. I'm OBSESSED! 😍
July 4, 2025
The eyes are the nipples of the face, right? Well, what if they were more than that. What if they were a doorway too? I don’t even mean metaphorically speaking either. I mean like what if something materialized from the optical illusions and floaters you *see* when you close your eyes? Oh horror, will you allow your readers ANY sanctuary? We’re not even safe to close our eyes now? Absolutely diabolical. What kind of sick & twisted monster could think up such a premise, something that will leave readers questioning all the horrendous possibilities? MJ Mars, the knock-around, roughneck hooligan of horror who takes no prisoners mentally or physically, that’s who. The woman who is going to single-handedly RUIN —the already wildly unpopular— glaucoma test for hundreds.
Quick premise:
Nala has found her niche, creating true crime content on YouTube. Her edge? Her private investigator Mom’s confidential files. It’s not til she stumbles upon an old file that implicates her teacher (and someone from her mom’s past) to a string of deaths all tied to the Fovea Experiments way back when. Except now it’s years later, and someone is starting the experiments up again. Will history repeat itself or will the experiment claim the one that got away?
MJ Mars has been on my TBR list for some time, so when I saw the immaculate cover for The Fovea Experiments, I knew I was in like sin. This one read like a creepypasta that got the full 80’s horror movie treatment. From a yoga pose that gives In a Violent Nature a run for its money, to ancient occult practices held in an obscure mansion, to heads just…exploding. MJ hit us with a wallop of a story, right between the eyes. I was engrossed from cover to cover; surprised at the depths that she went and how dark she took it, and that unforgettable ending. I highly recommend this one, especially if you haven’t read Mars before. It’ll truly make you see the light. 😆 Happy drop day! 🖤
Quick premise:
Nala has found her niche, creating true crime content on YouTube. Her edge? Her private investigator Mom’s confidential files. It’s not til she stumbles upon an old file that implicates her teacher (and someone from her mom’s past) to a string of deaths all tied to the Fovea Experiments way back when. Except now it’s years later, and someone is starting the experiments up again. Will history repeat itself or will the experiment claim the one that got away?
MJ Mars has been on my TBR list for some time, so when I saw the immaculate cover for The Fovea Experiments, I knew I was in like sin. This one read like a creepypasta that got the full 80’s horror movie treatment. From a yoga pose that gives In a Violent Nature a run for its money, to ancient occult practices held in an obscure mansion, to heads just…exploding. MJ hit us with a wallop of a story, right between the eyes. I was engrossed from cover to cover; surprised at the depths that she went and how dark she took it, and that unforgettable ending. I highly recommend this one, especially if you haven’t read Mars before. It’ll truly make you see the light. 😆 Happy drop day! 🖤
June 7, 2025
From the Queen of the BoH Short Smack 2025, here comes another gruesome novel, involving one of our most favourite ghosts of The Suffering, and that is Antony Pile.
Even if he is not front and center on the scene of this story, it is nevertheless, one of the very little stories thst trully terrified me i the last few months. So much to the point, I was jump scaring myself everytime I was trying to close my eyes, and slept fitfully for half of the night, as a result of the grim events I witnessed into the book.
And feeling something, sheer fear and panic caused by a horror book, it is significantly important for me, especially since I felt I am becoming more and more insensitive when it comes to horror.
I absolutely recomend this book, but be sensible, do not read it at night, or before sleep, if you want to still have a good night sleep, because it's not going to happen.
Giving 5 stars (👁👁👁👁👁) although I wish I could give more for really being terrified for a change!
Even if he is not front and center on the scene of this story, it is nevertheless, one of the very little stories thst trully terrified me i the last few months. So much to the point, I was jump scaring myself everytime I was trying to close my eyes, and slept fitfully for half of the night, as a result of the grim events I witnessed into the book.
And feeling something, sheer fear and panic caused by a horror book, it is significantly important for me, especially since I felt I am becoming more and more insensitive when it comes to horror.
I absolutely recomend this book, but be sensible, do not read it at night, or before sleep, if you want to still have a good night sleep, because it's not going to happen.
Giving 5 stars (👁👁👁👁👁) although I wish I could give more for really being terrified for a change!
June 21, 2025
Outstanding! If a creepypasta story were to be beefed up and turned into a super-spooky, spine-chilling horror novel, one such example would be THIS! Reminiscent of "The Russian Sleep Experiment" (though that one was about insomnia), "The Fovea Experiments" is built on an equally engrossing premise: while you're falling asleep, concentrate on those multi-colored blobs and blurry lines you see with your eyes shut; try to divine shapes, motions, colors; tell us, WHAT DO YOU SEE? And here's the tale, packed as an urban legend: out of six teens who undertook this experiment as a school project, signing up to participate in a study about the part of the eye most sensitive to light (the titular "fovea"), five died; horribly; I kid you not. Things came out of their eyes!
Two decades later, teen girl Nala, an aspiring YouTuber with her own channel about bizarre cases and mysteries, rediscovers the story, and makes her own surprising discovery: the one survivor out of those unlucky six, is her high school teacher. (And her mom's ex-boyfriend.) Did he kill them all? Is he a serial killer in disguise? Time for Nala to make it BIG on YT, get those followers and become a YT sensation! And the moment her video uploads ("High School Teacher a Secret Serial Killer?" - c'mon, wouldn't YOU click on it?), the real story behind the cursed "Fovea Experiments" begins!
The plot gets dense and complex very fast; there's a large cast (this is a big story), and Mars has even some nicely placed Easter Eggs (if you've read "The Suffering")! Prepare to be astonished, angered (Nala's mom won't be everyone's favorite character; for me, her actions were an accident waiting to happen), frightened, and freaked out! The last third of the book is very fast-paced (perhaps even too fast-paced?), one massively terrifying reveal following another, the tension escalating by leaps and bounds!
That's one book I enjoyed tremendously. It was a blast from start to finish, with as much gore and mayhem as needed, coupled with a good grasp of the mother-teen daughter relationship. The second half also brought to mind one of my favorite found footage movies, the 2015 faux documentary "The Atticus Institute". If you like horror that messes with your mind, this is the book to read!
Two decades later, teen girl Nala, an aspiring YouTuber with her own channel about bizarre cases and mysteries, rediscovers the story, and makes her own surprising discovery: the one survivor out of those unlucky six, is her high school teacher. (And her mom's ex-boyfriend.) Did he kill them all? Is he a serial killer in disguise? Time for Nala to make it BIG on YT, get those followers and become a YT sensation! And the moment her video uploads ("High School Teacher a Secret Serial Killer?" - c'mon, wouldn't YOU click on it?), the real story behind the cursed "Fovea Experiments" begins!
The plot gets dense and complex very fast; there's a large cast (this is a big story), and Mars has even some nicely placed Easter Eggs (if you've read "The Suffering")! Prepare to be astonished, angered (Nala's mom won't be everyone's favorite character; for me, her actions were an accident waiting to happen), frightened, and freaked out! The last third of the book is very fast-paced (perhaps even too fast-paced?), one massively terrifying reveal following another, the tension escalating by leaps and bounds!
That's one book I enjoyed tremendously. It was a blast from start to finish, with as much gore and mayhem as needed, coupled with a good grasp of the mother-teen daughter relationship. The second half also brought to mind one of my favorite found footage movies, the 2015 faux documentary "The Atticus Institute". If you like horror that messes with your mind, this is the book to read!
July 8, 2025
I went into this thinking it'd be a standard horror with subpar writing (as alot of them tend to have prose that doesn't really work for me) but this was actually really good! not only was it well written and easy to binge, but the story was unique and compelling. I was hooked from the start and ended up reading it all in the same day lol
The first 50% was spent building up some of the characters and setting up for the remainder of the story. I enjoyed that but others might not like how the vast majority of the actual horror doesn't come until the second half.
There are quite alot of alternating povs throughout the story, but we always came back to one of the main characters. It was fun reading a chapter from a side characters pov every now and then, it kept things fresh and didn't happen so often that it felt distracting or annoying. Towards the start it was slightly confusing trying to keep track of everyone, but I figured it out pretty quickly so it didn't become a problem.
The end part felt a bit rushed and I really would've liked this to have been a bit longer, but I get it probably wouldn't have been as effective if it was drawn out.
Solid book which I'd definitely recommend if you enjoy horror. Bonus points for the cover as it scared my friend so much she wouldn't even look at it fully lol
The first 50% was spent building up some of the characters and setting up for the remainder of the story. I enjoyed that but others might not like how the vast majority of the actual horror doesn't come until the second half.
There are quite alot of alternating povs throughout the story, but we always came back to one of the main characters. It was fun reading a chapter from a side characters pov every now and then, it kept things fresh and didn't happen so often that it felt distracting or annoying. Towards the start it was slightly confusing trying to keep track of everyone, but I figured it out pretty quickly so it didn't become a problem.
The end part felt a bit rushed and I really would've liked this to have been a bit longer, but I get it probably wouldn't have been as effective if it was drawn out.
Solid book which I'd definitely recommend if you enjoy horror. Bonus points for the cover as it scared my friend so much she wouldn't even look at it fully lol
July 1, 2025
THE FORVEA EXPERIMENTS - MJ MARS
Eye didn’t know what I was getting myself into with this book (hahaha… SEE what I did there? (And there too))
This is my first book by MJ… I’ve known her for a while but never gotten around to reading her works (sorry). Anyway… I have now… I have well and truly broken my duck and I have to say that all the hype this girl gets for her writing, is truly well deserved.
This nasty little tale delves into everyone’s worst nightmares come to life. It deals with the most sensitive of subject in horror, and one of my personal favourites… the eyes.
Nefarious experiments, cultish rituals, and nosy kids abound, this tale doesn’t quit, it doesn’t let up, it also doesn’t take any prisoners and refuses to apologise for it.
Well written and rounded characters that you care about (perhaps too much)… and a fantastic narrative right the way through.
My only criticism was that it only scratched the surface on the history behind the experiments… I wanted more, more, more
A worthy 4 stars out of five, and although I’m not a huge fan of prequels… perhaps this deserves one.
July 10, 2025
This book was a blast. Easily one of my top reads for the year.
I always enjoy a good spooky story about some twisted medical experiment. When that experiment involves demons? Even better!
The story begins when a young Youtuber named Nala dives into a case about a doomed sleep experiment in which all the participants, except one, mysteriously died. Diving into the case reveals that things may not be over yet. Another round of experiments have been done, and this time there are no survivors.
I think my favorite thing about this story was the lore and the history of the experiments. So many demon/creature stories are played out, but this story had a fresh approach and a fresh solution to the problem.
I have to admit that while reading this, it made me really wary of closing my eyes because what if I see a face looking back at me?
Creepy and well-written, this was my first go at an MJ Mars story, but I understand now why her work is given such high praises! I can’t wait to snag a signed copy the first chance I get.
I always enjoy a good spooky story about some twisted medical experiment. When that experiment involves demons? Even better!
The story begins when a young Youtuber named Nala dives into a case about a doomed sleep experiment in which all the participants, except one, mysteriously died. Diving into the case reveals that things may not be over yet. Another round of experiments have been done, and this time there are no survivors.
I think my favorite thing about this story was the lore and the history of the experiments. So many demon/creature stories are played out, but this story had a fresh approach and a fresh solution to the problem.
I have to admit that while reading this, it made me really wary of closing my eyes because what if I see a face looking back at me?
Creepy and well-written, this was my first go at an MJ Mars story, but I understand now why her work is given such high praises! I can’t wait to snag a signed copy the first chance I get.
November 7, 2025
When Josh was a teen him and his friends decided to do an experiment to get some cash on the side. What does it mean when you see things with your eyes close before you go to sleep. After the experiment Josh’s friends start dying in mysterious ways and Josh is the main subject. Years later when the past is behind him Nala a young woman who is interested in making podcasts is interested in the case and starts posting it. Forcing Josh to have to be involved again. The experiments are started again and it’s up to Josh to figure out how to stop it.
This was a good read. I thought Josh’s character held true to someone who is going through lifelong trauma, and seeing how he is dealing with that was super interesting.
Nalas character was interesting but also very much how I see people who do true crime podcasts. They are aware that they are doing something wrong and hurting people but the gain and reach they are getting is worth it to them.
I did like the twist in this book I thought it was really interesting and honestly not at all where I thought the story would go. The pacing was good and I thought this was the perfect size for the book it was. I enjoyed the crime aspects of this and thriller but it also was gory and engaging , so overall a really great read!
This was a good read. I thought Josh’s character held true to someone who is going through lifelong trauma, and seeing how he is dealing with that was super interesting.
Nalas character was interesting but also very much how I see people who do true crime podcasts. They are aware that they are doing something wrong and hurting people but the gain and reach they are getting is worth it to them.
I did like the twist in this book I thought it was really interesting and honestly not at all where I thought the story would go. The pacing was good and I thought this was the perfect size for the book it was. I enjoyed the crime aspects of this and thriller but it also was gory and engaging , so overall a really great read!
July 3, 2025
I was very lucky to receive an ARC &, frankly, it was fantastic. One of my reads of the year so far.
The pace barrels through with such pulverising vigor, I was surprised when I found I was at the end. That's not to say it ends all of a sudden, far from it. I think I was just enjoying it too damn much to accept it was over!
I don't like to give much away when it comes to plots, but I will say there's a concrete, well thought out story here, with plenty of mystery & gore. Oh & eyes! Lots of nasty eye-based body horror.
But it's not just about the ick. There's a maturity to it all that's sprouted since MJ's amazing debut, the Suffering, & this is now MJ at her most efficient, and dare I say ruthless. Every action has a consequence. No one is safe, & that's exactly how I like it.
👁👁👁👁👁 5 out of 5 completely normal, definitely nothing evil & otherworldly going on here, eyes.
The pace barrels through with such pulverising vigor, I was surprised when I found I was at the end. That's not to say it ends all of a sudden, far from it. I think I was just enjoying it too damn much to accept it was over!
I don't like to give much away when it comes to plots, but I will say there's a concrete, well thought out story here, with plenty of mystery & gore. Oh & eyes! Lots of nasty eye-based body horror.
But it's not just about the ick. There's a maturity to it all that's sprouted since MJ's amazing debut, the Suffering, & this is now MJ at her most efficient, and dare I say ruthless. Every action has a consequence. No one is safe, & that's exactly how I like it.
👁👁👁👁👁 5 out of 5 completely normal, definitely nothing evil & otherworldly going on here, eyes.
July 31, 2025
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley!
Personally, I am very much into the weird & wonderful side of YouTube and to be honest, I would probably subscribe to Nala’s channel!
I genuinely struggled to put this book down because it had me on edge the whole time I was reading it and I needed to know what was going to happen. Although there were numerous characters mentioned throughout the novel, how it’s written makes it so much easier to digest and I didn’t struggle remembering who was who.
The Fovea Experiments is the perfect length for a book of this genre and even though it was on the shorter side compared to others, it doesn’t mean it’s lacking in gore. There were times I genuinely had my face screwed up while reading some of what the characters were going through!
Personally, I am very much into the weird & wonderful side of YouTube and to be honest, I would probably subscribe to Nala’s channel!
I genuinely struggled to put this book down because it had me on edge the whole time I was reading it and I needed to know what was going to happen. Although there were numerous characters mentioned throughout the novel, how it’s written makes it so much easier to digest and I didn’t struggle remembering who was who.
The Fovea Experiments is the perfect length for a book of this genre and even though it was on the shorter side compared to others, it doesn’t mean it’s lacking in gore. There were times I genuinely had my face screwed up while reading some of what the characters were going through!
July 27, 2025
Interesting concept but I just had a hard time with some of the important details. I don’t want to give anything away so this will be vague. Sorry.
Some things just cannot happen. Just because you are told about them doesn’t mean it will start happening. The shapes that you see when you close your eyes have always been there and we have all tried focusing on them to see what it may be. Participating in this experiment no way increased the likelihood that something was going to come through. Those running the experiment did nothing to the participants from what I read.
I couldn’t get past this and it clouded my whole experience
Some things just cannot happen. Just because you are told about them doesn’t mean it will start happening. The shapes that you see when you close your eyes have always been there and we have all tried focusing on them to see what it may be. Participating in this experiment no way increased the likelihood that something was going to come through. Those running the experiment did nothing to the participants from what I read.
I couldn’t get past this and it clouded my whole experience
July 20, 2025
I definitely love me a book with a good clever plot to it. It was a shorter book but it was very well plotted in my opinion to the point where crazy things were happening consistently enough to keep me completely locked into the story. And just when I assumed that I knew how it was going to end, it took me for a ride a few more times. Such a good story!
October 1, 2025
Kicking off #Spooktober with a wild ride—The Fovea Experiments by M.J. Mars 👁️ This standalone horror hooked me from page one and kept me unsettled all the way through. It’s creepy, smart, and the kind of story that lingers long after you’ve closed the book.
If you enjoyed The Lazarus Effect and/or Jacob’s Ladder, I think you’ll love this one too. The mix of psychological horror and sci-fi undertones really hit the spot for me, and there was even a scene that made me stop reading and just… stare at the wall for a minute. 😳
Huge thanks to NetGalley, M.J. Mars, and Wicked House Publishing for sending me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
My full review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPQueDKDxvq/
If you enjoyed The Lazarus Effect and/or Jacob’s Ladder, I think you’ll love this one too. The mix of psychological horror and sci-fi undertones really hit the spot for me, and there was even a scene that made me stop reading and just… stare at the wall for a minute. 😳
Huge thanks to NetGalley, M.J. Mars, and Wicked House Publishing for sending me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
My full review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPQueDKDxvq/
September 24, 2025
3.75 stars 🌟 rounded up. I read this after seeing Gab Smolders review on YouTube for her August 2025 horror book review. Honestly the beginning of the book was really good and I enjoyed the pacing but soon it got kind of boring during the middle and started to lose its creepy atmosphere appeal? Overall the book was ok and I did enjoy reading it, kind of hoped for a better ending, but it was alright.
October 4, 2025
TW: Body horror
This was such a good book!!
20 years ago, a group of teenagers joined a sleep experiment for a school project. By the end of the project, all but one, Josh, was dead. Josh was suspected of murdering them except the last one died while he was in police custody, but he had to move towns to get a fresh start.
Fast forward to the present, Josh is outed as a potential murderer by his ex's daughter on her podcast. Then he finds out from the ex (who's a private investigator) that the experiments are starting again. He's determined to stop the doctors once and for all. Meanwhile, we spend time with the different individuals participating in the new experiments and what happens to them.
The story is well told and does a great job of building suspense. It's creepy and freaky and had me afraid of looking at the backs of my eyelids.
This was such a good book!!
20 years ago, a group of teenagers joined a sleep experiment for a school project. By the end of the project, all but one, Josh, was dead. Josh was suspected of murdering them except the last one died while he was in police custody, but he had to move towns to get a fresh start.
Fast forward to the present, Josh is outed as a potential murderer by his ex's daughter on her podcast. Then he finds out from the ex (who's a private investigator) that the experiments are starting again. He's determined to stop the doctors once and for all. Meanwhile, we spend time with the different individuals participating in the new experiments and what happens to them.
The story is well told and does a great job of building suspense. It's creepy and freaky and had me afraid of looking at the backs of my eyelids.
June 9, 2025
The Fovea Experiments by MJ Mars hits a rare sweet spot between commercial horror and elevated, character-driven storytelling. It’s accessible and fast-paced, but never shallow; deeply invested in emotional realism without sacrificing suspense or momentum.
With a strong, well-developed teen lead, an emotionally complex adult protagonist, and a fresh take on the sleep-study-gone-wrong trope, this novel is both timely and timeless—and hard to shake after the final page.
With a strong, well-developed teen lead, an emotionally complex adult protagonist, and a fresh take on the sleep-study-gone-wrong trope, this novel is both timely and timeless—and hard to shake after the final page.
June 10, 2025
Fovea - fovea centralis, a hole in our eye that gives us acuity and is responsible for letting light in, causes the colours/shapes we see when we close our eyes
When a You Tuber blames the soul survivor of a sleep experiment where all his friends died, the killer, his reputation is ruined. But when the daughter of the original professor starts the trials up again he knows he has to intervene. He knows what is behind his eyes.
A whole new meaning for the eyes are the windows to the soul! Did you know that our eyes have a special enzyme to stop our antibodies from killing them as they see them as alien to the system, makes a whole lot of sense now, gateways to the gore dimensions.
This has everything, characters you really care about, occult overtones and a thrilling fast paced story that will make you worry about closing your eyes!
Had Event Horizon vibes for me and I love that film. Exceptional characterisation throughout, a big bad intent on causing maximum damage and an eye opening finale, fantastic!
When a You Tuber blames the soul survivor of a sleep experiment where all his friends died, the killer, his reputation is ruined. But when the daughter of the original professor starts the trials up again he knows he has to intervene. He knows what is behind his eyes.
A whole new meaning for the eyes are the windows to the soul! Did you know that our eyes have a special enzyme to stop our antibodies from killing them as they see them as alien to the system, makes a whole lot of sense now, gateways to the gore dimensions.
This has everything, characters you really care about, occult overtones and a thrilling fast paced story that will make you worry about closing your eyes!
Had Event Horizon vibes for me and I love that film. Exceptional characterisation throughout, a big bad intent on causing maximum damage and an eye opening finale, fantastic!
September 19, 2025
I got to meet author M.J. Mars at the Indie Horror Chapter event Chapter 3: Weston Horror Book Con, where several of her books sounded intriguing so I picked up some to try and decided to start with The Fovea Experiments - there's something about that cover that was just calling to me. It's not often this happens to me, but I strongly feel this book influenced a nightmare I had when I started reading.
The set-up to The Fovea Experiments is very strong. It opens with a Prologue that I found unsettling, and then we meet Nala, a budding YouTuber with a growing true crime channel. As we discover more about the Fovea experiments - a scientific study with fatal consequences - I found myself getting more hooked on the story. The central concept here is neatly summed up in the Prologue - "People call the eyes the windows to the soul. But in those moments before you fall asleep, it isn't just a window. It's a door. A tunnel that leads to something unthinkable."
A couple of nights after starting the book, I had a fairly long and detailed dream. I don't often remember my dreams but this one stuck with me. I have an eye condition - retinitis pigmentosa - and in the dream I was at a medical facility where they were conducting trials. I wasn't enlisted on any of the trials, but I was there to talk to the participants and was working on creating videos for a documentary. The dream started off normally enough, but I left the facility to go and interview someone who had just completed a trial, and I was running late as I stayed too long chatting to folks. When I arrived I was greeted by a nice older lady (Margaret), but she had a mean-looking husband who I figured was being stand-offish with me because I was running late. Anyway, I got the equipment set up to record the interview with Margaret and as I started recording I saw in the background, behind Margaret, an empty chair. But looking through the camera there was an incredibly old withered creepy looking woman, yet when I looked up no-one was there. I resumed the interview and all is going fine, and then Margaret had to get up for some reason or other. So I decide to review the footage captured so far, I pick up the camera, and when I looked through it all I could see was the creepy old lady up close with a knife repeatedly stabbing a framed photograph of Margaret. When I woke up I was fairly certain I was saying Margaret's name out loud. I think it's pretty fair to say that the set-up to The Fovea Experiments certainly influenced this dream, and I definitely woke up feeling very unsettled.
As the book progresses and it starts delving more into revelations, I will confess I didn't find myself quite as hooked. I think I preferred the mystery before the explanations started seeping in, but I understand that something was needed to propel the plot forward. Mars does a good job with the pace of the book and the assortment of characters we get to meet, and the moments of horror are both brutal and suitably nasty. There are some decisions made, particularly towards the end of the book, that I found to be both refreshing and audacious.
I did enjoy The Fovea Experiments. The concept is great and Mars clearly did something right for the book to get under my skin in the way it did. I read quite a lot of horror and rarely have a reaction like I did to this book, so for that alone I find it commendable.
4/5
The set-up to The Fovea Experiments is very strong. It opens with a Prologue that I found unsettling, and then we meet Nala, a budding YouTuber with a growing true crime channel. As we discover more about the Fovea experiments - a scientific study with fatal consequences - I found myself getting more hooked on the story. The central concept here is neatly summed up in the Prologue - "People call the eyes the windows to the soul. But in those moments before you fall asleep, it isn't just a window. It's a door. A tunnel that leads to something unthinkable."
A couple of nights after starting the book, I had a fairly long and detailed dream. I don't often remember my dreams but this one stuck with me. I have an eye condition - retinitis pigmentosa - and in the dream I was at a medical facility where they were conducting trials. I wasn't enlisted on any of the trials, but I was there to talk to the participants and was working on creating videos for a documentary. The dream started off normally enough, but I left the facility to go and interview someone who had just completed a trial, and I was running late as I stayed too long chatting to folks. When I arrived I was greeted by a nice older lady (Margaret), but she had a mean-looking husband who I figured was being stand-offish with me because I was running late. Anyway, I got the equipment set up to record the interview with Margaret and as I started recording I saw in the background, behind Margaret, an empty chair. But looking through the camera there was an incredibly old withered creepy looking woman, yet when I looked up no-one was there. I resumed the interview and all is going fine, and then Margaret had to get up for some reason or other. So I decide to review the footage captured so far, I pick up the camera, and when I looked through it all I could see was the creepy old lady up close with a knife repeatedly stabbing a framed photograph of Margaret. When I woke up I was fairly certain I was saying Margaret's name out loud. I think it's pretty fair to say that the set-up to The Fovea Experiments certainly influenced this dream, and I definitely woke up feeling very unsettled.
As the book progresses and it starts delving more into revelations, I will confess I didn't find myself quite as hooked. I think I preferred the mystery before the explanations started seeping in, but I understand that something was needed to propel the plot forward. Mars does a good job with the pace of the book and the assortment of characters we get to meet, and the moments of horror are both brutal and suitably nasty. There are some decisions made, particularly towards the end of the book, that I found to be both refreshing and audacious.
I did enjoy The Fovea Experiments. The concept is great and Mars clearly did something right for the book to get under my skin in the way it did. I read quite a lot of horror and rarely have a reaction like I did to this book, so for that alone I find it commendable.
4/5
June 3, 2025
Have you ever closed your eyes and noticed strange shapes and colored globs that seem to float through the darkness? Did you ever stop to wonder what these things really are, or why we're still able to "see" them, despite our eyes being shut?
This strange phenomenon is at the center of M.J. Mars's upcoming release, The Fovea Experiments, available July 4, 2025 from Wicked House Publishing. In it, a group of students volunteer to take part in research exploring "phosphenes," or the perception of light even when no outside source is present. The study focuses on the fovea in particular, a center point inside the eye, where vision is sharpest, and its relationship to phosphenes. Sounds innocent enough, and easy money for a handful of college friends looking for some quick cash and credit for a homework assignment. Within a week of participating, however, the students begin to die one by one, each in mysterious and gruesome ways, their bodies found with their faces mutilated, with their eyes torn out, jaws wrenched apart and broken.
Only one manages to escape unscathed: a young man named Josh who, in the ensuing decades that follow, lives under a heavy shroud of suspicion that he was involved somehow in the deaths of his friends. Now an adult, he's moved to another town to escape the unbearable stigma, and built a quiet life for himself as a high school teacher. He drinks too much, self-medicating against the guilt, shame, and horror of his past, but has tried to move on as best he can, at least until one of his students, a plucky teen named Nala, digs up the proverbial dirt on both the experiment and his involvement. When she broadcasts her findings on social media, Josh is once again thrust into a spotlight of suspicion, and when he discovers the enigmatic Dr. Ellis, who had conducted the original study, is enlisting new volunteers for a repeat of the same research that cost his friends their lives, he has to decide whether or not to face the truth, and his past, or lose everything -- and everyone -- he holds dear.
This is unsettling, disturbing, and scary as hell. Mars won the inaugural Books of Horror Short Smack competition for her wonderfully wicked short story collection, We've Already Gone Too Far, so there's no question she's a skilled storyteller, drawing her reader into her narrative web, building layer upon layer of tension and dread with every page. The truth behind Dr. Ellis's research is far darker than Josh or the reader can imagine, but it's worth tucking into The Fovea Experiments to find out. But be forewarned: You may never dare to close your eyes again...
This strange phenomenon is at the center of M.J. Mars's upcoming release, The Fovea Experiments, available July 4, 2025 from Wicked House Publishing. In it, a group of students volunteer to take part in research exploring "phosphenes," or the perception of light even when no outside source is present. The study focuses on the fovea in particular, a center point inside the eye, where vision is sharpest, and its relationship to phosphenes. Sounds innocent enough, and easy money for a handful of college friends looking for some quick cash and credit for a homework assignment. Within a week of participating, however, the students begin to die one by one, each in mysterious and gruesome ways, their bodies found with their faces mutilated, with their eyes torn out, jaws wrenched apart and broken.
Only one manages to escape unscathed: a young man named Josh who, in the ensuing decades that follow, lives under a heavy shroud of suspicion that he was involved somehow in the deaths of his friends. Now an adult, he's moved to another town to escape the unbearable stigma, and built a quiet life for himself as a high school teacher. He drinks too much, self-medicating against the guilt, shame, and horror of his past, but has tried to move on as best he can, at least until one of his students, a plucky teen named Nala, digs up the proverbial dirt on both the experiment and his involvement. When she broadcasts her findings on social media, Josh is once again thrust into a spotlight of suspicion, and when he discovers the enigmatic Dr. Ellis, who had conducted the original study, is enlisting new volunteers for a repeat of the same research that cost his friends their lives, he has to decide whether or not to face the truth, and his past, or lose everything -- and everyone -- he holds dear.
This is unsettling, disturbing, and scary as hell. Mars won the inaugural Books of Horror Short Smack competition for her wonderfully wicked short story collection, We've Already Gone Too Far, so there's no question she's a skilled storyteller, drawing her reader into her narrative web, building layer upon layer of tension and dread with every page. The truth behind Dr. Ellis's research is far darker than Josh or the reader can imagine, but it's worth tucking into The Fovea Experiments to find out. But be forewarned: You may never dare to close your eyes again...
September 20, 2025
Someone said that eyes are the mirror of your soul. What if it isn’t just that ? What about a doorway ? What if your eyes are a gate allowing passage through a world from another ? Who’ll pass through ? Or what.
It’s starting simple. With a teen recording a true crime vs supernatural events youtube channel after she found cold cases in her ex cop mother stuff. Her teacher, Josh, only survivor but also only decent suspect in the old murders, has to fight to prove he is actually innocent.
An experiment gone wrong, mysterious death piling up and a survivor whom looks like the perfect suspect. Josh survived once, loosing tragically all his friends when Doctor Ellis ran their scientific ocular experiment. So when the Doc is back in town for a new round of experiments and the weird and gruesome deaths are starting to piling up again, Josh has to do something.
How do you save your skin and those of the people you love when the threat is supernatural and you are - and were also 20 years ago - the perfect suspect for the local investigators?
I think I spent my whole reading, checking, kind of obsessively, my eyes through the reflexion on my Kobo reader. This Story is hell of a scare and a really well written one.
MJ manages to create a gritty and tense atmosphere and an ambiance that keeps you on your toes from page 1 to the end. And what a plot!
I loved the lore. I love the fact that MJ choose to keep the scientific part light, so you are not crushed by a mass of scientific knowledge filling plot holes or making you forget what you came here for. And I LOVED how the whole story is constructed and all those plot twists (especially the end). The rhythm is neat, the thriller development top notch.
I also like the character development and the strong backstories. I found the “villain” a bit light for my taste but it is really a matter of perception and interpretation as there is not just one “villain” in this story and the flaws of every characters are part of the whole things.
I’d say it’s a perfect entry for my Spooky Season 2025 curated list. Trust me, you won’t be able to close this book until you’ll see “the end”.
Thank you NetGalley & Wicked House Publishing for this ARC and MJ for her excellent work !
It’s starting simple. With a teen recording a true crime vs supernatural events youtube channel after she found cold cases in her ex cop mother stuff. Her teacher, Josh, only survivor but also only decent suspect in the old murders, has to fight to prove he is actually innocent.
An experiment gone wrong, mysterious death piling up and a survivor whom looks like the perfect suspect. Josh survived once, loosing tragically all his friends when Doctor Ellis ran their scientific ocular experiment. So when the Doc is back in town for a new round of experiments and the weird and gruesome deaths are starting to piling up again, Josh has to do something.
How do you save your skin and those of the people you love when the threat is supernatural and you are - and were also 20 years ago - the perfect suspect for the local investigators?
I think I spent my whole reading, checking, kind of obsessively, my eyes through the reflexion on my Kobo reader. This Story is hell of a scare and a really well written one.
MJ manages to create a gritty and tense atmosphere and an ambiance that keeps you on your toes from page 1 to the end. And what a plot!
I loved the lore. I love the fact that MJ choose to keep the scientific part light, so you are not crushed by a mass of scientific knowledge filling plot holes or making you forget what you came here for. And I LOVED how the whole story is constructed and all those plot twists (especially the end). The rhythm is neat, the thriller development top notch.
I also like the character development and the strong backstories. I found the “villain” a bit light for my taste but it is really a matter of perception and interpretation as there is not just one “villain” in this story and the flaws of every characters are part of the whole things.
I’d say it’s a perfect entry for my Spooky Season 2025 curated list. Trust me, you won’t be able to close this book until you’ll see “the end”.
Thank you NetGalley & Wicked House Publishing for this ARC and MJ for her excellent work !
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews