What do you think?
The Killing Rules
Seventeen-year-old Harper Westbrook isn’t afraid of monsters…she is one.
For the past three years, she’s been one of the Blood Bound―girls and women cursed with a bloodlust only satisfied by killing terrible men. Once every three months, she trades in her pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe. Her life is led by a strict set of rules to keep her dark secret as hidden as the bodies she buries.
And her number one rule? Stay away from Grayson Jones.
The boy she was totally falling for until the night her curse manifested, everything went horribly wrong, and she killed his father. It was self-defense. Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.
Grayson is an investigative reporter for their school paper, and he’ll stop at nothing to find the truth behind his father’s gruesome death.
As he follows new clues down darker and darker paths―to an unbelievable world of mythical beasts and the men who hunt them―Grayson doesn’t realize he’s on a collision course with Harper’s biggest secrets. Now, she must stop him before he exposes her family to the Hunters, even if it means risking her life and heart.
Because who could ever love a monster like her?
For the past three years, she’s been one of the Blood Bound―girls and women cursed with a bloodlust only satisfied by killing terrible men. Once every three months, she trades in her pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe. Her life is led by a strict set of rules to keep her dark secret as hidden as the bodies she buries.
And her number one rule? Stay away from Grayson Jones.
The boy she was totally falling for until the night her curse manifested, everything went horribly wrong, and she killed his father. It was self-defense. Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.
Grayson is an investigative reporter for their school paper, and he’ll stop at nothing to find the truth behind his father’s gruesome death.
As he follows new clues down darker and darker paths―to an unbelievable world of mythical beasts and the men who hunt them―Grayson doesn’t realize he’s on a collision course with Harper’s biggest secrets. Now, she must stop him before he exposes her family to the Hunters, even if it means risking her life and heart.
Because who could ever love a monster like her?
416 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
Bree Despain
21 books2,726 followersThe Short: Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo. The Dark Divine is Bree's debut novel.
The Long: As a kid, Bree would staple folded papers to make her own "novels." As a teen, she wrote stories in notebooks while her friends waited for the next page to be finished. Her teachers told her she should be a writer. But Bree thought only special people could be writers, so as the years past, she settled into the idea of becoming a lawyer or something else just as ordinary.
Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner city teens from Philadelphia and New York. With a renewed passion for story, and the young adult audience, she returned to Brigham Young University, filled her schedule with creative writing and literature classes, and started writing stories again. But regular life kicked in, and she soon found herself married with a new baby, working full-time, and with very little writing done.
That’s when the universe threw a pick-up truck in her path. The car accident left Bree with an understanding that life was too short to not do what you absolutely love. A few days later, her husband brought home a used laptop computer, placed it by her bedside, and said, “You’d better start writing.” Her life has never been the same since.
In a moment of karmic perfection, Bree received the offer to purchase The Dark Divine on the 6th anniversary of the car accident that put her back on the path to becoming an author.
The Long: As a kid, Bree would staple folded papers to make her own "novels." As a teen, she wrote stories in notebooks while her friends waited for the next page to be finished. Her teachers told her she should be a writer. But Bree thought only special people could be writers, so as the years past, she settled into the idea of becoming a lawyer or something else just as ordinary.
Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner city teens from Philadelphia and New York. With a renewed passion for story, and the young adult audience, she returned to Brigham Young University, filled her schedule with creative writing and literature classes, and started writing stories again. But regular life kicked in, and she soon found herself married with a new baby, working full-time, and with very little writing done.
That’s when the universe threw a pick-up truck in her path. The car accident left Bree with an understanding that life was too short to not do what you absolutely love. A few days later, her husband brought home a used laptop computer, placed it by her bedside, and said, “You’d better start writing.” Her life has never been the same since.
In a moment of karmic perfection, Bree received the offer to purchase The Dark Divine on the 6th anniversary of the car accident that put her back on the path to becoming an author.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Yes to this young adult book! Loved it so much. A kick-butt cheerleader taking down bad men, a mystery, a love story all wrapped into one. It was such a good read. Can't wait for others to read it in August!
October 3, 2026
Okay… a cheerleader who turns into a monster and is cursed with a bloodlust that can only be satisfied by killing terrible men
……And her weapon of choice is a throwing axe named Lizzie👀
🪓The Killing Rules was a fun, dark, fast paced YA supernatural thriller with a whole lot of female rage sprinkled in. Harper Westbrook looks like she has the perfect teenage life. Cheerleader. Good student. Popular. Normal. Except… every few months she becomes something else entirely. Harper is Blood Bound…part of a supernatural group of women cursed with an uncontrollable bloodlust. Her Nana has taught her how to control it and how to make sure the men she kills are truly deserving of their fate. But living by a strict set of rules doesn't make carrying that kind of secret any easier.
She has one rule…..STAY AWAY FROM GRAYSON JONES. He isn't just the boy she used to love. He's the son of the man Harper killed.😬
Grayson is determined to investigate his father's death which means the one person Harper has spent years trying to stay away from is getting dangerously close to the truth. Harper struggles with the morality of her curse, the fear that she's becoming the very monster everyone believes her to be, and the question of whether killing bad people actually makes her good.
Underneath all the murder, mystery, and mayhem… I really liked the themes woven throughout this story. From female rage, generational trauma, identity, justice vs. vengeance, and breaking cycles. Learning that the darkest parts of yourself don't automatically make you unworthy of love.
Because at the heart of this story is one question...
Can someone see the monster inside you… and still choose you anyway?🥺
……And her weapon of choice is a throwing axe named Lizzie👀
🪓The Killing Rules was a fun, dark, fast paced YA supernatural thriller with a whole lot of female rage sprinkled in. Harper Westbrook looks like she has the perfect teenage life. Cheerleader. Good student. Popular. Normal. Except… every few months she becomes something else entirely. Harper is Blood Bound…part of a supernatural group of women cursed with an uncontrollable bloodlust. Her Nana has taught her how to control it and how to make sure the men she kills are truly deserving of their fate. But living by a strict set of rules doesn't make carrying that kind of secret any easier.
She has one rule…..STAY AWAY FROM GRAYSON JONES. He isn't just the boy she used to love. He's the son of the man Harper killed.😬
Grayson is determined to investigate his father's death which means the one person Harper has spent years trying to stay away from is getting dangerously close to the truth. Harper struggles with the morality of her curse, the fear that she's becoming the very monster everyone believes her to be, and the question of whether killing bad people actually makes her good.
Underneath all the murder, mystery, and mayhem… I really liked the themes woven throughout this story. From female rage, generational trauma, identity, justice vs. vengeance, and breaking cycles. Learning that the darkest parts of yourself don't automatically make you unworthy of love.
Because at the heart of this story is one question...
Can someone see the monster inside you… and still choose you anyway?🥺
July 29, 2026
Action, mystery, romance, thriller, and a ton of paranormal FUN! This story hit the ground running with a dual pov second chance romance 🥰 This felt like a modern day Buffy (minus the vampires).
The writing was purposeful and focused, the editing was impeccable, and I just really loved these characters from beginning to end. I found myself thinking about them even when I wasn’t reading. That’s the true sign of a great book!
I was surprised at how quickly I became invested in the mysteries, but as the reader we knew some of the answers because of the dual perspectives. It was just a really clever plotting style and made for a super engaging reading experience. I already miss Harper and Grayson 🤗
Thank you to the author, Entangled Teen, and #Netgalley for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.
The writing was purposeful and focused, the editing was impeccable, and I just really loved these characters from beginning to end. I found myself thinking about them even when I wasn’t reading. That’s the true sign of a great book!
I was surprised at how quickly I became invested in the mysteries, but as the reader we knew some of the answers because of the dual perspectives. It was just a really clever plotting style and made for a super engaging reading experience. I already miss Harper and Grayson 🤗
Thank you to the author, Entangled Teen, and #Netgalley for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2026
Thank you to Entangled Teen for an EArc! I would give this 3.5-4 stars.
This book was so good! I had so many thoughts going through this book, I kept trying to guess who did what and how it would end. I loved that the first chapter just grabs you with the action happening so soon. Although this is marketed as a YA, I would definitely recommend more as an upper YA. This has a touch of romance, but it is not any more than a little kiss between the characters. I enjoyed that the romance did not take over the plot because this book was so interesting. I kept imagining this as a show and felt like the blood beasts would look like Hyde from the Wednesday show on Netflix. I also imagined the hunters like those hunters in the movie I Am Number Four.
Really enjoyed this one. I loved watching the FMC grow from seeing herself as a curse and more into seeing herself positively and that she got the opportunity to tell her friends who accepted her. There were a few times I did roll my eyes at the MMC because like, I am not sure I could ever forgive someone if they did what they did (don't want to spoil). I understand she could not help it, but ehhh... He forgave too quickly in my opinion. Still a really good book and would recommend to someone looking for a paranormal thriller.
This book was so good! I had so many thoughts going through this book, I kept trying to guess who did what and how it would end. I loved that the first chapter just grabs you with the action happening so soon. Although this is marketed as a YA, I would definitely recommend more as an upper YA. This has a touch of romance, but it is not any more than a little kiss between the characters. I enjoyed that the romance did not take over the plot because this book was so interesting. I kept imagining this as a show and felt like the blood beasts would look like Hyde from the Wednesday show on Netflix. I also imagined the hunters like those hunters in the movie I Am Number Four.
Really enjoyed this one. I loved watching the FMC grow from seeing herself as a curse and more into seeing herself positively and that she got the opportunity to tell her friends who accepted her. There were a few times I did roll my eyes at the MMC because like, I am not sure I could ever forgive someone if they did what they did (don't want to spoil). I understand she could not help it, but ehhh... He forgave too quickly in my opinion. Still a really good book and would recommend to someone looking for a paranormal thriller.
August 24, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled: Mayhem Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“The Killing Rules” by Bree Despain is basically Buffy meets a dark YA romance, except the heroine has an axe, a genetic bloodlust, and a very inconvenient crush on the son of the man she killed. And honestly, that premise alone had me sold. Though there are times where the romance overwhelms the horror plot.
Harper looks like your typical golden-girl teenager: popular, cheerleader, good student, charitable, and generally has her life together. Except every few months, she gets an uncontrollable urge to kill. She's a Blood Bound, part of a supernatural sisterhood cursed with bloodlust, and her grandmother has taught her how to channel it by targeting truly awful men.
The problem is that Harper is starting to lose control of the monster inside her. And things get really awkward when she reconnects with Grayson, the boy she has feelings for and whose father just happens to be one of Harper's victims.
I really enjoyed Harper as a protagonist because she isn't simply a superhero who kills bad guys and feels awesome about it. She actually struggles with what she's doing. Even if her victims are terrible people, she is still killing people, and she's terrified that every time she gives in to the bloodlust, she's losing a little more of herself. That internal battle was one of my favorite parts of the book.
And then there's Grayson. Their relationship was honestly adorable, especially because they start from a friendship and slowly reconnect. Their romance felt surprisingly genuine, although at times it did take over a little too much of the supernatural plot. Still, watching Grayson investigate his father's death while Harper desperately tries to make sure he doesn't discover the truth creates some excellent dramatic irony.
Meanwhile, you've got the Hunters, a secretive group that hunts Blood Bound women and apparently has their own very questionable methods. The mythology surrounding the Blood Bound, their history, and the larger sisterhood was really interesting and made me want way more information. I would absolutely read a prequel about the origins of the Blood Bound or the Hunters' experiments.
There is a lot happening here. Harper's powers are changing, there's potentially another supernatural threat, the Hunters are closing in, Grayson is investigating his father's murder, and both Harper and Grayson are keeping massive secrets from each other. Somehow, the book manages to keep all of those pieces moving without completely collapsing under the weight of them.
The twists were a mixed bag for me. Some were pretty easy to predict, but there were still enough reveals and little clues to keep me entertained. I especially liked watching everything eventually come together and seeing how the different secrets connected. Harper's chapters were definitely my favorite, though. Grayson's investigation sometimes felt like he was slowly discovering things the reader already knew, while Harper was dealing with the much more interesting question of "Am I becoming a monster?"
The story also has some great morally gray characters. Harper isn't completely innocent, but neither are some of the people hunting her. Even the villains get enough depth that things aren't simply divided into "good people" and "bad people." Everyone has their own motivations, secrets, and questionable decisions.
The pacing was mostly pretty quick and addictive, although there were a few spots where I wanted the story to hurry up. And while I liked the ending, it did feel a little rushed; after all the buildup, everything suddenly comes together and then it's wraps up extremely quickly. I wouldn't have complained about a little more time spent wrapping everything up.
Overall, “The Killing Rules” was a fun, weird, dark, and surprisingly romantic supernatural thriller. I loved the concept of a teenage girl trying to figure out whether she's a hero or a monster while secretly falling for the son of one of her victims. The Blood Bound mythology was fascinating, the romance worked for me, and there were enough secrets and twists to keep me turning pages. This is definitely worth checking out if you like YA horror, supernatural mysteries, morally gray heroines, secret societies, and romance with an absolutely disastrous complication or two.
“The Killing Rules” by Bree Despain is basically Buffy meets a dark YA romance, except the heroine has an axe, a genetic bloodlust, and a very inconvenient crush on the son of the man she killed. And honestly, that premise alone had me sold. Though there are times where the romance overwhelms the horror plot.
Harper looks like your typical golden-girl teenager: popular, cheerleader, good student, charitable, and generally has her life together. Except every few months, she gets an uncontrollable urge to kill. She's a Blood Bound, part of a supernatural sisterhood cursed with bloodlust, and her grandmother has taught her how to channel it by targeting truly awful men.
The problem is that Harper is starting to lose control of the monster inside her. And things get really awkward when she reconnects with Grayson, the boy she has feelings for and whose father just happens to be one of Harper's victims.
I really enjoyed Harper as a protagonist because she isn't simply a superhero who kills bad guys and feels awesome about it. She actually struggles with what she's doing. Even if her victims are terrible people, she is still killing people, and she's terrified that every time she gives in to the bloodlust, she's losing a little more of herself. That internal battle was one of my favorite parts of the book.
And then there's Grayson. Their relationship was honestly adorable, especially because they start from a friendship and slowly reconnect. Their romance felt surprisingly genuine, although at times it did take over a little too much of the supernatural plot. Still, watching Grayson investigate his father's death while Harper desperately tries to make sure he doesn't discover the truth creates some excellent dramatic irony.
Meanwhile, you've got the Hunters, a secretive group that hunts Blood Bound women and apparently has their own very questionable methods. The mythology surrounding the Blood Bound, their history, and the larger sisterhood was really interesting and made me want way more information. I would absolutely read a prequel about the origins of the Blood Bound or the Hunters' experiments.
There is a lot happening here. Harper's powers are changing, there's potentially another supernatural threat, the Hunters are closing in, Grayson is investigating his father's murder, and both Harper and Grayson are keeping massive secrets from each other. Somehow, the book manages to keep all of those pieces moving without completely collapsing under the weight of them.
The twists were a mixed bag for me. Some were pretty easy to predict, but there were still enough reveals and little clues to keep me entertained. I especially liked watching everything eventually come together and seeing how the different secrets connected. Harper's chapters were definitely my favorite, though. Grayson's investigation sometimes felt like he was slowly discovering things the reader already knew, while Harper was dealing with the much more interesting question of "Am I becoming a monster?"
The story also has some great morally gray characters. Harper isn't completely innocent, but neither are some of the people hunting her. Even the villains get enough depth that things aren't simply divided into "good people" and "bad people." Everyone has their own motivations, secrets, and questionable decisions.
The pacing was mostly pretty quick and addictive, although there were a few spots where I wanted the story to hurry up. And while I liked the ending, it did feel a little rushed; after all the buildup, everything suddenly comes together and then it's wraps up extremely quickly. I wouldn't have complained about a little more time spent wrapping everything up.
Overall, “The Killing Rules” was a fun, weird, dark, and surprisingly romantic supernatural thriller. I loved the concept of a teenage girl trying to figure out whether she's a hero or a monster while secretly falling for the son of one of her victims. The Blood Bound mythology was fascinating, the romance worked for me, and there were enough secrets and twists to keep me turning pages. This is definitely worth checking out if you like YA horror, supernatural mysteries, morally gray heroines, secret societies, and romance with an absolutely disastrous complication or two.
September 27, 2026
Pure chaos and fun 😂
This was such an easy, entertaining read. It’s fast and messy in the best way. You've got a cheerleader by day who turns into something lethal at night, once every three months. There's romance, murder, teenage angst, mystery, and all the chaotic energy you'd expect from a small town with supernatural tendencies.
I had a really good time with it and honestly just enjoyed turning the pages. It’s definitely one of those books where you just have to go along for the ride. Definitely grab this one if you're looking for a fun addition to your Spooktober TBR.
I sincerely appreciate Entangled: Mayhem Books for the review copy
This was such an easy, entertaining read. It’s fast and messy in the best way. You've got a cheerleader by day who turns into something lethal at night, once every three months. There's romance, murder, teenage angst, mystery, and all the chaotic energy you'd expect from a small town with supernatural tendencies.
I had a really good time with it and honestly just enjoyed turning the pages. It’s definitely one of those books where you just have to go along for the ride. Definitely grab this one if you're looking for a fun addition to your Spooktober TBR.
I sincerely appreciate Entangled: Mayhem Books for the review copy
August 4, 2026
Originally I thought the premise of this book was kind of fun, but at the end of the day it’s just not for me.
I ended up DNFing at about 41% because I couldn’t get past the main character utilizing Dexter rules to kill bad men to satisfy her blood lust on one page and then another being concerned about “misogyny” (which I believe should be misandry since it’s about a man?) over a penis joke on another. I was just so hung up on how out of character that should be for someone who kills bad men.
The story did play in my head like a classic CW show, like the Vampire Diaries. So if that was your thing, this book might be perfect for you.
With all that said, I truly appreciate Entangled Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book!
I ended up DNFing at about 41% because I couldn’t get past the main character utilizing Dexter rules to kill bad men to satisfy her blood lust on one page and then another being concerned about “misogyny” (which I believe should be misandry since it’s about a man?) over a penis joke on another. I was just so hung up on how out of character that should be for someone who kills bad men.
The story did play in my head like a classic CW show, like the Vampire Diaries. So if that was your thing, this book might be perfect for you.
With all that said, I truly appreciate Entangled Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book!
August 5, 2026
The Killing Rules by Bree Despain was such a fun read, perfect for Summerween! The premise was wild! Harper is a normal cheerleader, but she’s also cursed to hunt down bad guys with a throwing axe every few months. Think teen Dexter full of feminine rage. The romantic tension between the main characters is Tension with a capital 'T,' since the characters are hiding some very serious secrets from one another. I enjoyed that this was a horror novel that included its fair share of murder while also not feeling overly gory. If you like stories with morally gray characters and high stakes, then this is for you!
August 28, 2026
Very different from what I expected, but very good! I was so invested that I finished the entire second half of the book in about 2.5 hours. I did not expect some of those plot twists! I would give The Killing Rules 4.1/5 stars!
August 8, 2026
A YA thriller - gifted by entangled teen - was good! I definitely didn’t see the ending coming - which is always a good sign. Definitely YA themes but still super fun and enjoyable.
September 6, 2026
⭐3.5
YA supernatural romance novel. Gave me Buffy the Vampire vibes (without the vampires). Fun, fast-paced and action packed.
YA supernatural romance novel. Gave me Buffy the Vampire vibes (without the vampires). Fun, fast-paced and action packed.
August 24, 2026
Thank you to Mayhem Books for the gifted copy!
Horror and thriller books are usually a bit outside of my comfort zone, and I still really enjoyed this book! Harper is Blood Bound, cursed (or gifted) with a bloodlust that is only quenched by killing. She meets the unique needs of her body by only killing terrible men and following strict rules to keep her secrets hidden.
This book pulled me in from the very beginning. The plot was interesting, with well placed teasers and twists that kept me invested. There are definitely some gruesome moments, but they were well balanced with high school drama, mystery, and a touch of romance. Harper's character was my favorite. She had plenty of layers and I enjoyed watching her grow and start accepting herself as she is. The romance was a nice touch and didn't take away from the action or mystery of the story at all. I do think that Grayson was a little bit quick to reconcile with Harper, but otherwise, this was such an enjoyable paranormal read!
Horror and thriller books are usually a bit outside of my comfort zone, and I still really enjoyed this book! Harper is Blood Bound, cursed (or gifted) with a bloodlust that is only quenched by killing. She meets the unique needs of her body by only killing terrible men and following strict rules to keep her secrets hidden.
This book pulled me in from the very beginning. The plot was interesting, with well placed teasers and twists that kept me invested. There are definitely some gruesome moments, but they were well balanced with high school drama, mystery, and a touch of romance. Harper's character was my favorite. She had plenty of layers and I enjoyed watching her grow and start accepting herself as she is. The romance was a nice touch and didn't take away from the action or mystery of the story at all. I do think that Grayson was a little bit quick to reconcile with Harper, but otherwise, this was such an enjoyable paranormal read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"For the past three years, she’s been one of the Blood Bound―girls and women cursed with a bloodlust only satisfied by killing terrible men. Once every three months, she trades in her pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe." Those are the first two sentences in the synopsis for The Killing Rules by Bree Despain. Girls and women who punish bad men? Heck yes. Trading in pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe? This just made me giggle. I guess I have a dark sense of humor sometimes. What a fun YA read this was!
Three years ago, Harper and Grayson were starting to fall for one another. They'd been bus buddies for a long time, and their relationship was gradually blossoming into something more. And then Harper killed Grayson's father when her Blood Bound powers first manifested. Her grandmother, who raised her, created a list of "Killing Rules" to help keep her safe. Number 1 on that list was "Stay away from Grayson Jones." Grayson, though, is still desperate for answers about who killed his father, and when another murder that's similar to his father's happens close to home, he decides to put his burgeoning investigative reporter skills to work. This will bring Harper and Grayson back together in unexpected ways.
This story is narrated entirely in the first person by Harper and Grayson in alternating chapters. The author has done quite well at crafting these two characters. Neither is perfect nor terrible. Their motivations and logic make sense for the teenagers they are. If anything, they both exude higher levels of maturity and self-awareness than one might have expected. I found myself rooting for both of them, although I didn't see how the ending could possibly be good. Well, it was good and relatively happy overall, but the events of the final chapter made it feel almost implausible. However, why quibble about that? The entire journey there was pretty fun.
The story touches upon several themes. The ones that felt most important to me are patriarchy and gendered power, inherited legacies and generational cycles, female rage, love and acceptance, and choice versus destiny. Only girls and women become Blood Bound, and they kill terrible men. Meanwhile, the exclusively male Hunters seek to kill the Blood Bound. This story is about the girls who refuse to just sit back and take it. The bloodlust is strongly connected to anger at violence against women and the fantasy of turning that violence back on its perpetrators. I totally empathize with that. The central emotional question is essentially, Can someone know the worst, darkest parts of you and still love you?
The writing style is fast-paced, cinematic, and highly accessible, driven by Harper's conversational first-person voice. Despain favors punchy sentences, short paragraphs, and vivid sensory details that make the suspense and action easy to visualize. The prose is straightforward rather than lyrical, prioritizing momentum and immersion, while Harper's sarcasm and dark humor add personality to even the most violent scenes. Graphic moments are visceral but rarely lingered over, allowing the novel to balance supernatural horror, mystery, romance, and humor without becoming overwhelmingly grim. Overall, the writing is darkly funny, suspenseful, and extremely bingeable.
The Killing Rules was a fun "girl-power" read, although I suspect both Grayson and Harper could use some therapy after everything that happens in it. This is evidenced by the following trigger warnings: death, blood, violence, firearms, murder, graphic imagery and language, kidnapping, bullying, stalking, imprisonment, animal abuse, and sexual harassment. Child trafficking, child abuse, torture, grooming, Nazis, and death of family members are also mentioned as part of the story.
This book is a great fit for readers who enjoy fast-paced YA supernatural thrillers with morally gray heroines, dark humor, and a healthy dose of female rage. Fans of monster mythology, secret societies, complicated first love, and stories that blur the line between justice and vengeance will find plenty to sink their teeth into here. Readers who enjoy Holly Jackson's propulsive, twisty YA mysteries may also want to give this one a try.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓— pom-poms, throwing axes, and female rage
💬 Let’s Discuss: Do you think violence can ever be considered justice, or does it always become vengeance?
I read a digital copy made available by Entangled: Mayhem Books through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
📚 More book reviews and bookish content:
Three years ago, Harper and Grayson were starting to fall for one another. They'd been bus buddies for a long time, and their relationship was gradually blossoming into something more. And then Harper killed Grayson's father when her Blood Bound powers first manifested. Her grandmother, who raised her, created a list of "Killing Rules" to help keep her safe. Number 1 on that list was "Stay away from Grayson Jones." Grayson, though, is still desperate for answers about who killed his father, and when another murder that's similar to his father's happens close to home, he decides to put his burgeoning investigative reporter skills to work. This will bring Harper and Grayson back together in unexpected ways.
This story is narrated entirely in the first person by Harper and Grayson in alternating chapters. The author has done quite well at crafting these two characters. Neither is perfect nor terrible. Their motivations and logic make sense for the teenagers they are. If anything, they both exude higher levels of maturity and self-awareness than one might have expected. I found myself rooting for both of them, although I didn't see how the ending could possibly be good. Well, it was good and relatively happy overall, but the events of the final chapter made it feel almost implausible. However, why quibble about that? The entire journey there was pretty fun.
The story touches upon several themes. The ones that felt most important to me are patriarchy and gendered power, inherited legacies and generational cycles, female rage, love and acceptance, and choice versus destiny. Only girls and women become Blood Bound, and they kill terrible men. Meanwhile, the exclusively male Hunters seek to kill the Blood Bound. This story is about the girls who refuse to just sit back and take it. The bloodlust is strongly connected to anger at violence against women and the fantasy of turning that violence back on its perpetrators. I totally empathize with that. The central emotional question is essentially, Can someone know the worst, darkest parts of you and still love you?
The writing style is fast-paced, cinematic, and highly accessible, driven by Harper's conversational first-person voice. Despain favors punchy sentences, short paragraphs, and vivid sensory details that make the suspense and action easy to visualize. The prose is straightforward rather than lyrical, prioritizing momentum and immersion, while Harper's sarcasm and dark humor add personality to even the most violent scenes. Graphic moments are visceral but rarely lingered over, allowing the novel to balance supernatural horror, mystery, romance, and humor without becoming overwhelmingly grim. Overall, the writing is darkly funny, suspenseful, and extremely bingeable.
The Killing Rules was a fun "girl-power" read, although I suspect both Grayson and Harper could use some therapy after everything that happens in it. This is evidenced by the following trigger warnings: death, blood, violence, firearms, murder, graphic imagery and language, kidnapping, bullying, stalking, imprisonment, animal abuse, and sexual harassment. Child trafficking, child abuse, torture, grooming, Nazis, and death of family members are also mentioned as part of the story.
This book is a great fit for readers who enjoy fast-paced YA supernatural thrillers with morally gray heroines, dark humor, and a healthy dose of female rage. Fans of monster mythology, secret societies, complicated first love, and stories that blur the line between justice and vengeance will find plenty to sink their teeth into here. Readers who enjoy Holly Jackson's propulsive, twisty YA mysteries may also want to give this one a try.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓— pom-poms, throwing axes, and female rage
💬 Let’s Discuss: Do you think violence can ever be considered justice, or does it always become vengeance?
I read a digital copy made available by Entangled: Mayhem Books through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
📚 More book reviews and bookish content:
https://www.ispeakbooknerd.com
August 13, 2026
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Bree Despain is back with a brand new supernatural thriller, The Killing Rules and it was most exciting ride indeed! I've been a fan of Bree's books since the early days and I was psyched to hear she was releasing a new novel! This is a standalone supernatural thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Harper is cursed, she's a monster of some type. There really was never a name for it, other than Blood Bound, but her grandmother says it's in their bloodline for she had it and Harper's mother had it too before she died. Once every three months Harper is overtaken by the need to kill. She becomes beast like and the cravings become overpowering, so she and her grandmother do meticulous research to find some bad guy who needs to die, such as murderers, sexual offenders, or any other man who has committed a heinous offense and has gotten away from it. She only targets men as I guess that's in some way part of the curse? It was never really mentioned why Harper might have killed a woman who would've committed such nefarious and dark crimes, but some kind of justice is still justice I suppose.
Harper's grandmother was somehow cured by this curse and she has been holding out on hope for years that she could find some way to end her own curse as it can cause quite the problem in her social life more than you would think. But lately, her "curse" has been acting up and not in the usual way. She harbors a terrible secret regarding her former friend, Grayson's father's terrible death as well.
Then we have Grayson Jones, who for the past few years has been researching his father's death and trying to find answers. But the deeper he digs, the more secrets he uncovers and everything he thought he knew is about to be challenged.
Naturally, Grayson and Harper have some chemistry and a history too! You can probably guess what happened through the blurb but there's always more to learn about every situation same as this! We get both Grayson and Harper's point of views in this one which gives us a broader perspective of what's happening with this mystery.
This was a fairly fast paced read! I was eating up the pages and trying to sneak in as much reading time as possible to see where things would go with this one. As Harper tries to subtly thwart Grayson's attempts to research a recent murder that happened in town. There's a lot of tension to this one! You kept wondering if Grayson would figure out Harper's secrets, or one of her many secrets. But Harper also learns that there are quite a few secrets in her family history as well that will change everything!
This book was just awesome! It has been too long since I read a book from Bree Despain and I truly hope there is more to come from her! This reads as a standalone, but I've said that before about many a book and we end up getting some other stories out of it. But essentially this book ends with a sense of finality with the potential for more, which is honestly the best way to end a series!
If you're looking for a book filled with some vigilante justice with a supernatural twist, then The Killing Rules is the read for you! It's a fun and fast paced novel with murder, mystery, and twists galore! The story is heartfelt and exciting as well! An all around GREAT read!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Bree Despain is back with a brand new supernatural thriller, The Killing Rules and it was most exciting ride indeed! I've been a fan of Bree's books since the early days and I was psyched to hear she was releasing a new novel! This is a standalone supernatural thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Harper is cursed, she's a monster of some type. There really was never a name for it, other than Blood Bound, but her grandmother says it's in their bloodline for she had it and Harper's mother had it too before she died. Once every three months Harper is overtaken by the need to kill. She becomes beast like and the cravings become overpowering, so she and her grandmother do meticulous research to find some bad guy who needs to die, such as murderers, sexual offenders, or any other man who has committed a heinous offense and has gotten away from it. She only targets men as I guess that's in some way part of the curse? It was never really mentioned why Harper might have killed a woman who would've committed such nefarious and dark crimes, but some kind of justice is still justice I suppose.
Harper's grandmother was somehow cured by this curse and she has been holding out on hope for years that she could find some way to end her own curse as it can cause quite the problem in her social life more than you would think. But lately, her "curse" has been acting up and not in the usual way. She harbors a terrible secret regarding her former friend, Grayson's father's terrible death as well.
Then we have Grayson Jones, who for the past few years has been researching his father's death and trying to find answers. But the deeper he digs, the more secrets he uncovers and everything he thought he knew is about to be challenged.
Naturally, Grayson and Harper have some chemistry and a history too! You can probably guess what happened through the blurb but there's always more to learn about every situation same as this! We get both Grayson and Harper's point of views in this one which gives us a broader perspective of what's happening with this mystery.
This was a fairly fast paced read! I was eating up the pages and trying to sneak in as much reading time as possible to see where things would go with this one. As Harper tries to subtly thwart Grayson's attempts to research a recent murder that happened in town. There's a lot of tension to this one! You kept wondering if Grayson would figure out Harper's secrets, or one of her many secrets. But Harper also learns that there are quite a few secrets in her family history as well that will change everything!
This book was just awesome! It has been too long since I read a book from Bree Despain and I truly hope there is more to come from her! This reads as a standalone, but I've said that before about many a book and we end up getting some other stories out of it. But essentially this book ends with a sense of finality with the potential for more, which is honestly the best way to end a series!
If you're looking for a book filled with some vigilante justice with a supernatural twist, then The Killing Rules is the read for you! It's a fun and fast paced novel with murder, mystery, and twists galore! The story is heartfelt and exciting as well! An all around GREAT read!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Entangled Teen & the Entangled Insiders for gifting me an e-ARC of The Killing Rules! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have been waiting for ages for a new Bree Despain book. I had read The Dark Divine series a long time ago in high school, and then I felt like I never saw Despain's work again. I'm very happy to see her still at it, especially with a fun, dark, and twisted read such as The Killing Rules.
"Never take unnecessary risks.
Never kill where you live.
Never kill anyone you have a personal connection to."
Cheerleader by day, murderous at night. Harper lives with her Nana, who also has a monstrous curse placed on her. Harper's Nana taught her how to kill without a mess, to channel her rage and the bloodlust into murdering the worst of the worst. of men. Her first kill was Grayson's father and her worst to hide. Deemed as an "animal attack," Grayson doesn't believe it when his father's case is dismissed and sealed away. Taking matters into his own journalistic hands, he tries his best to find who or what killed his father.
Harper has to control the bloodlust by killing. She is part of a group of Blood Bound women. Women are chosen to be part of the Blood Bound, bound by the bloodlust to rid the world of vile men and bound to the Goddess they worship. And there are a group of hunters who track and kill those with the bloodlust curse that turns, mainly women, into clawed and fanged monsters.
Harper has to balance being cursed with normal day to day life like going to school and avoiding Grayson after the accident with his father. But when a creepy teacher takes advantage of students at her school she can't help the blood lust craving and murder the "honored" teacher, and this incident becomes the catapult into a series of unfortunate events
I enjoyed reading the dual povs between Harper and Grayson. I liked the creative idea and how it reminded me a little bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she's the monster. I thought the execution and the story-telling were well developed. The Killing Rules is a fast-paced, murderous mystery with fun plot twists and exciting action scenes.
I enjoyed the rekindled friendship between the childhood friends who had a falling out after Grayson's father was murdered. Harper made it a point to stay away from him so he would not get hurt, too, even though she wanted to be closer to him. Grayson's storyline, with his love for journalism and finding out his father's murderer reminded me a bit of Pippa from A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. He was determined and a little reckless because he believed his father was not as corrupt as he ended up being in the end. How his father's death affected his mom's mental and physical health after she witnessed
The Blood Bound and the Hunters background is a messy and grim one. There are mentions of child trafficking, sexual assault, and torture. The Killing Rules is on the darker side of the YA Mystery genre with the supernatural aspects adding to it.
This was definitely a great read! It was fast-paced and kept me hooked to the end.
Side note, I really liked that her weapon of choice is an axe named Lizzie. I wish she had used it more.
I have been waiting for ages for a new Bree Despain book. I had read The Dark Divine series a long time ago in high school, and then I felt like I never saw Despain's work again. I'm very happy to see her still at it, especially with a fun, dark, and twisted read such as The Killing Rules.
"Never take unnecessary risks.
Never kill where you live.
Never kill anyone you have a personal connection to."
Cheerleader by day, murderous at night. Harper lives with her Nana, who also has a monstrous curse placed on her. Harper's Nana taught her how to kill without a mess, to channel her rage and the bloodlust into murdering the worst of the worst. of men. Her first kill was Grayson's father and her worst to hide. Deemed as an "animal attack," Grayson doesn't believe it when his father's case is dismissed and sealed away. Taking matters into his own journalistic hands, he tries his best to find who or what killed his father.
Harper has to control the bloodlust by killing. She is part of a group of Blood Bound women. Women are chosen to be part of the Blood Bound, bound by the bloodlust to rid the world of vile men and bound to the Goddess they worship. And there are a group of hunters who track and kill those with the bloodlust curse that turns, mainly women, into clawed and fanged monsters.
Harper has to balance being cursed with normal day to day life like going to school and avoiding Grayson after the accident with his father. But when a creepy teacher takes advantage of students at her school she can't help the blood lust craving and murder the "honored" teacher, and this incident becomes the catapult into a series of unfortunate events
I enjoyed reading the dual povs between Harper and Grayson. I liked the creative idea and how it reminded me a little bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she's the monster. I thought the execution and the story-telling were well developed. The Killing Rules is a fast-paced, murderous mystery with fun plot twists and exciting action scenes.
I enjoyed the rekindled friendship between the childhood friends who had a falling out after Grayson's father was murdered. Harper made it a point to stay away from him so he would not get hurt, too, even though she wanted to be closer to him. Grayson's storyline, with his love for journalism and finding out his father's murderer reminded me a bit of Pippa from A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. He was determined and a little reckless because he believed his father was not as corrupt as he ended up being in the end. How his father's death affected his mom's mental and physical health after she witnessed
The Blood Bound and the Hunters background is a messy and grim one. There are mentions of child trafficking, sexual assault, and torture. The Killing Rules is on the darker side of the YA Mystery genre with the supernatural aspects adding to it.
This was definitely a great read! It was fast-paced and kept me hooked to the end.
Side note, I really liked that her weapon of choice is an axe named Lizzie. I wish she had used it more.
August 3, 2026
Mystery, murder, and romance? The Killing Rules by Bree Despain has it all. Harper Westbrook is your average cheerleader by day, but after practice her own extra curricular activities include hunting and murdering bad man to keep her curse at bay. When Hunter becomes the hunted, she must work with Grayson Jones, who she’s forbidden from seeing, in order to solve the case.
Once I saw the vibes of this book compared to Jennifer’s Body with a mix of Dexter, I knew I had to read it. From the dedication alone, “For all the girls who would choose the bear… Be the bear,” I knew this book was going to be good. I really appreciated the journalism aspect of the story, and how including it was a great way to teach the reader about information control and bias when it comes to events happening in your world. These topics were great reminders that we need to be aware of the information being presented to us (or what information is being hidden), and use critical thinking skills to learn the facts in order to form an educated unbiased opinion. The investigating and hunter aspects reminded me of an early Supernatural episode, where the brothers would roll into town to hunt a monster and perform their own investigation to track it down.
The paranormal aspects set the mysterious/ suspenseful vibe for the story, with the investigation/ thriller side keeping you hooked and turning the page. Once I got into the story I couldn’t put it down, this book ended my reading slump. The characters were intriguing and complex, adding layers to the story and relationships. Each character had their own inner world they were experiencing behind the scenes of the main events. I loved how this showed that despite what was going on in their world, everyone continued to show up for each other and live their lives as they wanted without letting their problems control them. Harper and Grayson’s relationship was sweet, their characters had good chemistry. I enjoyed their consulting with the magic 8 ball, and how the keychain become a reoccurring character of its own.
The pacing throughout the story was steady, however the events leading up to the end felt a bit rushed in comparison. It seemed like there was still a lot of ground to cover nearing the end, that I thought this was actually going to be book 1 of a series. Despite the rushed events, I felt like the ending was able to to tie up all the loose ends nicely. The world building and lore of the Blood Bounds was very intriguing. This story felt like a small glimpse into their vast world, and I would love to see the author revisit their world in the future.
If you’ve ever wondered what Elle Woods would be like as a murder, read Harper’s story to find out. From my reading experience, The Killing Rules is a modern story that captures the vibes from early 2000s media such as Jennifer’s Body, Dexter, and Supernatural. It is the perfect read to pick up this fall if you’re feeling nostalgic and love a good mystery.
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book. All thoughts are genuine and entirely my own.
Once I saw the vibes of this book compared to Jennifer’s Body with a mix of Dexter, I knew I had to read it. From the dedication alone, “For all the girls who would choose the bear… Be the bear,” I knew this book was going to be good. I really appreciated the journalism aspect of the story, and how including it was a great way to teach the reader about information control and bias when it comes to events happening in your world. These topics were great reminders that we need to be aware of the information being presented to us (or what information is being hidden), and use critical thinking skills to learn the facts in order to form an educated unbiased opinion. The investigating and hunter aspects reminded me of an early Supernatural episode, where the brothers would roll into town to hunt a monster and perform their own investigation to track it down.
The paranormal aspects set the mysterious/ suspenseful vibe for the story, with the investigation/ thriller side keeping you hooked and turning the page. Once I got into the story I couldn’t put it down, this book ended my reading slump. The characters were intriguing and complex, adding layers to the story and relationships. Each character had their own inner world they were experiencing behind the scenes of the main events. I loved how this showed that despite what was going on in their world, everyone continued to show up for each other and live their lives as they wanted without letting their problems control them. Harper and Grayson’s relationship was sweet, their characters had good chemistry. I enjoyed their consulting with the magic 8 ball, and how the keychain become a reoccurring character of its own.
The pacing throughout the story was steady, however the events leading up to the end felt a bit rushed in comparison. It seemed like there was still a lot of ground to cover nearing the end, that I thought this was actually going to be book 1 of a series. Despite the rushed events, I felt like the ending was able to to tie up all the loose ends nicely. The world building and lore of the Blood Bounds was very intriguing. This story felt like a small glimpse into their vast world, and I would love to see the author revisit their world in the future.
If you’ve ever wondered what Elle Woods would be like as a murder, read Harper’s story to find out. From my reading experience, The Killing Rules is a modern story that captures the vibes from early 2000s media such as Jennifer’s Body, Dexter, and Supernatural. It is the perfect read to pick up this fall if you’re feeling nostalgic and love a good mystery.
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book. All thoughts are genuine and entirely my own.
September 9, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC. All oppinions are my own.
Onto the review!
The Killing Rules by Bree Despain is a young adult horror thriller.
When I saw that it was like Dexter except her “dark passenger” made her kill evil men, I was over the moon. I also truly hate that Dexter’s “dark passenger” was just changed into an impulse that he has instead of actually being a supernatural entity like, I think, it was supposed to be.
One thing I liked right off the bat? The long ass content warning. You cannot say that you are going into this book unprepared as a reader. Violence, all manner of awful things that come with the territory, and things like potential SA that thankfully didn’t happen on page. I was fully aware of what the potential was and it made it far more comforting to read.
I had trouble figuring out a score for this book but I’ve settled firmly on a 3 ⭐. It was decently written, and I never felt the need to rush through it just to get it over with. I also never dreaded picking up or considered DNF-ing it.
I liked very much how the main character got wrapped up in what she was doing to the point that she forgot other aspects of her life and faced actual consequences because of that. There was the risk of losing friendships, losing her position as co-captain on the cheerleading squad, losing the balance she’d developed. It was great.
I will say that the romance didn’t really do much for me. It didn’t feel like that sort of huge heart moment of someone finally getting the person they want when they’re in high school. And the boy was kind of annoying but that’s just a personal thing.
I liked very much that the characters weren’t too stupid to live. They made smart decisions, they questioned things. There were some very dark things in this book and the ateens really struggled with them. Especially the main character. With what she could do and what she went through, it was nice to see her actually struggle with it. And struggle with the way she had to live.
There were things that I figured out easily. Things surrounding her blessing’/curse. Things surrounding some of the deaths and then about some of the characters. I think it was all pretty well done for teen readers though. Enough clues to figure things out or to sus them out without things needing to be explicitly stated.
I didn’t really dislike anything except for the fact that the ending felt a bit rushed to me. There was all this action and then it just got zipped up real quick. I don’t know, it was a little whiplash-y.
But, if you or someone you know like monsters, angry avenging girls, Dexter, and pretty solid writing, I certainly recommend this book. I’ll keep an eye out for the next thing this author writes.
Onto the review!
The Killing Rules by Bree Despain is a young adult horror thriller.
When I saw that it was like Dexter except her “dark passenger” made her kill evil men, I was over the moon. I also truly hate that Dexter’s “dark passenger” was just changed into an impulse that he has instead of actually being a supernatural entity like, I think, it was supposed to be.
One thing I liked right off the bat? The long ass content warning. You cannot say that you are going into this book unprepared as a reader. Violence, all manner of awful things that come with the territory, and things like potential SA that thankfully didn’t happen on page. I was fully aware of what the potential was and it made it far more comforting to read.
I had trouble figuring out a score for this book but I’ve settled firmly on a 3 ⭐. It was decently written, and I never felt the need to rush through it just to get it over with. I also never dreaded picking up or considered DNF-ing it.
I liked very much how the main character got wrapped up in what she was doing to the point that she forgot other aspects of her life and faced actual consequences because of that. There was the risk of losing friendships, losing her position as co-captain on the cheerleading squad, losing the balance she’d developed. It was great.
I will say that the romance didn’t really do much for me. It didn’t feel like that sort of huge heart moment of someone finally getting the person they want when they’re in high school. And the boy was kind of annoying but that’s just a personal thing.
I liked very much that the characters weren’t too stupid to live. They made smart decisions, they questioned things. There were some very dark things in this book and the ateens really struggled with them. Especially the main character. With what she could do and what she went through, it was nice to see her actually struggle with it. And struggle with the way she had to live.
There were things that I figured out easily. Things surrounding her blessing’/curse. Things surrounding some of the deaths and then about some of the characters. I think it was all pretty well done for teen readers though. Enough clues to figure things out or to sus them out without things needing to be explicitly stated.
I didn’t really dislike anything except for the fact that the ending felt a bit rushed to me. There was all this action and then it just got zipped up real quick. I don’t know, it was a little whiplash-y.
But, if you or someone you know like monsters, angry avenging girls, Dexter, and pretty solid writing, I certainly recommend this book. I’ll keep an eye out for the next thing this author writes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well this was fun!! The Killing Rules is a fast-paced YA supernatural thriller that honestly really surprised me. I started this expecting a murder mystery with a paranormal twist, but ended up getting a story that blended horror, mystery, action, and even a touch of romance into something that felt suuuuper original and entertaining.
Harper was such an interesting character. I mean, a cheerleader who turns into monster that kills horrible men? I was instantly hooked! I also loved that she’s forced to wrestle with the morality of her curse while still trying to navigate normal teenage life. The idea of a cheerleader who spends every few months hunting dangerous men is such a unique premise, and I appreciated that the story explored the emotional weight of carrying that responsibility instead of treating it as something effortless or glamorous.
The dual POV between Harper and Grayson added a ton tension. Watching Grayson investigate his father’s death while knowing Harper’s connection to it made every interaction between them feel layered with guilt, secrets, and unresolved feelings. Their romance never overshadowed the mystery, and I liked that it remained a quieter subplot rather than becoming the entire focus.
The pacing is one of the book’s biggest strengths. The short chapters, the mini cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, the constant reveals, and action-packed scenes made it hard to stop reading, and there were several twists that genuinely caught me off guard. I also enjoyed the mythology surrounding the Blood Bound and Hunters because it gave the story enough worldbuilding to feel distinct without slowing down the momentum with too many details.
My only reason for not rating it higher is that I occasionally struggled to reconcile the high school setting with some of the darker subject matter. A few moments felt like they would have fit more naturally with slightly older characters, and I think this probably would’ve been a higher rating had this been an adult book instead of YA. That said, it didn’t take away from how entertaining the overall story was.
If you’re looking for a YA thriller with supernatural horror, morally gray characters, forbidden romance, murder mysteries, and plenty of twists, The Killing Rules is definitely worth picking up! It’s wonderfully dark, suspenseful, and addictive!
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for this eARC!
Harper was such an interesting character. I mean, a cheerleader who turns into monster that kills horrible men? I was instantly hooked! I also loved that she’s forced to wrestle with the morality of her curse while still trying to navigate normal teenage life. The idea of a cheerleader who spends every few months hunting dangerous men is such a unique premise, and I appreciated that the story explored the emotional weight of carrying that responsibility instead of treating it as something effortless or glamorous.
The dual POV between Harper and Grayson added a ton tension. Watching Grayson investigate his father’s death while knowing Harper’s connection to it made every interaction between them feel layered with guilt, secrets, and unresolved feelings. Their romance never overshadowed the mystery, and I liked that it remained a quieter subplot rather than becoming the entire focus.
The pacing is one of the book’s biggest strengths. The short chapters, the mini cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, the constant reveals, and action-packed scenes made it hard to stop reading, and there were several twists that genuinely caught me off guard. I also enjoyed the mythology surrounding the Blood Bound and Hunters because it gave the story enough worldbuilding to feel distinct without slowing down the momentum with too many details.
My only reason for not rating it higher is that I occasionally struggled to reconcile the high school setting with some of the darker subject matter. A few moments felt like they would have fit more naturally with slightly older characters, and I think this probably would’ve been a higher rating had this been an adult book instead of YA. That said, it didn’t take away from how entertaining the overall story was.
If you’re looking for a YA thriller with supernatural horror, morally gray characters, forbidden romance, murder mysteries, and plenty of twists, The Killing Rules is definitely worth picking up! It’s wonderfully dark, suspenseful, and addictive!
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for this eARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Seventeen-year-old Harper Westbrook isn’t afraid of monsters…she is one.
For the past three years, she’s been one of the Blood Bound—girls and women cursed with a bloodlust only satisfied by killing terrible men. Once every three months, she trades in her pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe. Her life is led by a strict set of rules to keep her dark secret as hidden as the bodies she buries.
And her number one rule? Stay away from Grayson Jones.
The boy she was totally falling for until the night her curse manifested, everything went horribly wrong, and she killed his father. It was self-defense. Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.
Grayson is an investigative reporter for their school paper, and he’ll stop at nothing to find the truth behind his father’s gruesome death.
As he follows new clues down darker and darker paths—to an unbelievable world of mythical beasts and the men who hunt them—Grayson doesn’t realize he’s on a collision course with Harper’s biggest secrets. Now, she must stop him before he exposes her family to the Hunters, even if it means risking her life and heart.
Because who could ever love a monster like her?
I hadn't heard of this novel or this author before discovering both on the platform of NetGalley, but I couldn't resist requesting the book to read after reading its blurb. It seemed like the perfect mix between mystery and magic, and that's a combination I'm a sucker for. Just as I assumed, this story was absolutely phenomenal, and I enjoyed reading it immensely.
One thing I love in books is when characters are truly, unapologetically, flawed. The characters in this novel were both diverse and crooked, lonely and longing, and they're motives and backstories paved how they interacted with the different events of the narrative. Despain has a true skill for writing characters that hook readers more so than the narrative itself. It was impossible to put down this book, largely because of how relatable and raw the characters were.
Plus - the twists? The action? I simply couldn't get enough. This book was intense, action-packed, and full of twists. With every plot twist and every reveal, I fell deeper and deeper into the narrative until I didn't want to climb back out. It was a masterfully written novel, and I can't wait to see what else this author writes in the future.
For the past three years, she’s been one of the Blood Bound—girls and women cursed with a bloodlust only satisfied by killing terrible men. Once every three months, she trades in her pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe. Her life is led by a strict set of rules to keep her dark secret as hidden as the bodies she buries.
And her number one rule? Stay away from Grayson Jones.
The boy she was totally falling for until the night her curse manifested, everything went horribly wrong, and she killed his father. It was self-defense. Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.
Grayson is an investigative reporter for their school paper, and he’ll stop at nothing to find the truth behind his father’s gruesome death.
As he follows new clues down darker and darker paths—to an unbelievable world of mythical beasts and the men who hunt them—Grayson doesn’t realize he’s on a collision course with Harper’s biggest secrets. Now, she must stop him before he exposes her family to the Hunters, even if it means risking her life and heart.
Because who could ever love a monster like her?
I hadn't heard of this novel or this author before discovering both on the platform of NetGalley, but I couldn't resist requesting the book to read after reading its blurb. It seemed like the perfect mix between mystery and magic, and that's a combination I'm a sucker for. Just as I assumed, this story was absolutely phenomenal, and I enjoyed reading it immensely.
One thing I love in books is when characters are truly, unapologetically, flawed. The characters in this novel were both diverse and crooked, lonely and longing, and they're motives and backstories paved how they interacted with the different events of the narrative. Despain has a true skill for writing characters that hook readers more so than the narrative itself. It was impossible to put down this book, largely because of how relatable and raw the characters were.
Plus - the twists? The action? I simply couldn't get enough. This book was intense, action-packed, and full of twists. With every plot twist and every reveal, I fell deeper and deeper into the narrative until I didn't want to climb back out. It was a masterfully written novel, and I can't wait to see what else this author writes in the future.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!!!
i was so happy to be approved for this title i nearly weeped when i saw it this morning. i first read the synopsis a few months back and i was so excited for august to come. it is set in modern times, but it gives that 90s slasher thriller vibes with romance sideplot (and apparently a lot of feminine rage). genuinely this was so good and i was hooked from the start.
talking about the plot first, i was kept guessing for the first two thirds of the book. at first i was so sure that harper was losing her grip on the beast, and then the idea of a rogue came up and i was guessing some more.
spoilers for the rest of the paragraph, but i was so sure it was nana and i broke my heart to think that because i know all she wants is to keep harper safe. and then the idea that it was one of the cheerleaders came to me and i was pretty sure it was kylie who wanted her life and territory from the beginning. i figured it out during the sleepover. in the end the truth is honestly heartbreaking what happened to her being raised by the hunters. i hope she and harper get to reunite again.
and of course the romance. i loved the doomed second chance lovers thing with grayson and harper, even if they were just trying to figure out what each other knew about donner's death at first. i love how they just have natural chemistry together coupled with their history, and there was a solid actual reason why harper stayed away. (she killed his father, it's not a spoiler) yes it is them falling in love again in the midst of investigation but i was here for it all the same. honestly i'm stoked that grayson eventually understands that harper isn't a monster and actually accepts her. love wins. and the sea glass!!
"being with you this past week was the first thing i ever did for myself. because i wanted, needed, to feel like me again. and maybe it is selfish, grayson, but i love you. i think i always have."
"i love you, harper. i accept you... all of you."
"'you thought of me this many times?'
'and a million more.'"
also i love that in some way this story talks about ending the cycle of abuse, be it with the hunters and kylie or mr donner and alia and his other students.
will def check out the author's backlist titles.
i was so happy to be approved for this title i nearly weeped when i saw it this morning. i first read the synopsis a few months back and i was so excited for august to come. it is set in modern times, but it gives that 90s slasher thriller vibes with romance sideplot (and apparently a lot of feminine rage). genuinely this was so good and i was hooked from the start.
talking about the plot first, i was kept guessing for the first two thirds of the book. at first i was so sure that harper was losing her grip on the beast, and then the idea of a rogue came up and i was guessing some more.
spoilers for the rest of the paragraph, but i was so sure it was nana and i broke my heart to think that because i know all she wants is to keep harper safe. and then the idea that it was one of the cheerleaders came to me and i was pretty sure it was kylie who wanted her life and territory from the beginning. i figured it out during the sleepover. in the end the truth is honestly heartbreaking what happened to her being raised by the hunters. i hope she and harper get to reunite again.
and of course the romance. i loved the doomed second chance lovers thing with grayson and harper, even if they were just trying to figure out what each other knew about donner's death at first. i love how they just have natural chemistry together coupled with their history, and there was a solid actual reason why harper stayed away. (she killed his father, it's not a spoiler) yes it is them falling in love again in the midst of investigation but i was here for it all the same. honestly i'm stoked that grayson eventually understands that harper isn't a monster and actually accepts her. love wins. and the sea glass!!
"being with you this past week was the first thing i ever did for myself. because i wanted, needed, to feel like me again. and maybe it is selfish, grayson, but i love you. i think i always have."
"i love you, harper. i accept you... all of you."
"'you thought of me this many times?'
'and a million more.'"
also i love that in some way this story talks about ending the cycle of abuse, be it with the hunters and kylie or mr donner and alia and his other students.
will def check out the author's backlist titles.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Killing Rules was such a fun YA supernatural thriller that blends horror, mystery, romance, and action into a fast-paced, bingeable read. The premise immediately hooked me: a cheerleader living under a family curse that forces her to hunt dangerous men every few months while trying to survive high school and keep her identity secret. It felt fresh, dark, and surprisingly emotional.
Harper was an easy main character to root for. I loved that she's morally gray without ever losing her humanity, and the story constantly asks where the line between justice and vengeance really is. Her internal struggle, combined with the pressure of hiding her secret, made the stakes feel high from beginning to end.
The alternating POVs between Harper and Grayson worked really well. Seeing the mystery unfold from both sides added tension, especially knowing how deeply their past connects them. Their second chance romance felt believable because genuine reasons were keeping them apart, and I appreciated that their relationship developed alongside the mystery rather than taking over the story.
The pacing never really lets up. The short chapters and frequent twists kept me turning the pages, and I liked how the supernatural elements mixed with the investigative mystery. There were plenty of suspenseful moments, balanced with humor and heartfelt scenes, that kept the story from feeling too dark.
Beyond the thrills, I also liked that the book explores themes like generational trauma, female rage, identity, and whether people can truly accept every part of someone they love. Those deeper ideas gave the story more emotional weight without slowing down the action.
If you enjoy YA horror with supernatural creatures, morally gray heroines, murder mysteries, forbidden romance, and strong "girl power" energy, this is definitely worth picking up. It's an entertaining mix of suspense, heart, and horror, a combination that makes for a really engaging read.
Harper was an easy main character to root for. I loved that she's morally gray without ever losing her humanity, and the story constantly asks where the line between justice and vengeance really is. Her internal struggle, combined with the pressure of hiding her secret, made the stakes feel high from beginning to end.
The alternating POVs between Harper and Grayson worked really well. Seeing the mystery unfold from both sides added tension, especially knowing how deeply their past connects them. Their second chance romance felt believable because genuine reasons were keeping them apart, and I appreciated that their relationship developed alongside the mystery rather than taking over the story.
The pacing never really lets up. The short chapters and frequent twists kept me turning the pages, and I liked how the supernatural elements mixed with the investigative mystery. There were plenty of suspenseful moments, balanced with humor and heartfelt scenes, that kept the story from feeling too dark.
Beyond the thrills, I also liked that the book explores themes like generational trauma, female rage, identity, and whether people can truly accept every part of someone they love. Those deeper ideas gave the story more emotional weight without slowing down the action.
If you enjoy YA horror with supernatural creatures, morally gray heroines, murder mysteries, forbidden romance, and strong "girl power" energy, this is definitely worth picking up. It's an entertaining mix of suspense, heart, and horror, a combination that makes for a really engaging read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
STORYLINE :
I liked the storyline; girls who murder bad men, how better can it get? Our FMC, Harper, is blessed or cursed (depending on who you ask) and blood bound to kill bad men. There's no way to go about it. Beneath it all, she's an average high schooler, a good cheer leader, friend, and granddaughter. She set out to find out about what she really is and why she is the way she is.
We also have Grayson, who's the editor of the school's newspaper and played amateur sleuth with the murders happening in their small town.
I liked the plot. It played well together, and you keep reading to know what's up next. The paranormal, romance, and mystery part is good.
If anything, I think the ending was too rushed and fanciful.
CHARACTERS:
We have two main characters, Harper and Grayson, who had a past but had to put a pause to it because of circumstances. They're both amazing characters on their own, so I was rooting for them.
Harper is an amazing likeable character, and I liked how she's intent on doing the right thing and balancing her life.
Grayson is a good character, and I liked his dedication to the school's newspaper and his journalism.
WRITING STYLE:
It was okay. I have no complaints, really.
SETTINGS:
I liked the world building. It was phenomenal. I also liked the description of the settings.
OVERALL:
It was a good book and I enjoyed reading it. I read it in a couple of hours. The characters and storyline were enchanting. The ending was a little too rushed for me, and I would have liked a perfectly paved ending.
I still have some questions, too. I hope a sequel is coming because I really want to see the end of the villains, the Hunters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
STORYLINE :
I liked the storyline; girls who murder bad men, how better can it get? Our FMC, Harper, is blessed or cursed (depending on who you ask) and blood bound to kill bad men. There's no way to go about it. Beneath it all, she's an average high schooler, a good cheer leader, friend, and granddaughter. She set out to find out about what she really is and why she is the way she is.
We also have Grayson, who's the editor of the school's newspaper and played amateur sleuth with the murders happening in their small town.
I liked the plot. It played well together, and you keep reading to know what's up next. The paranormal, romance, and mystery part is good.
If anything, I think the ending was too rushed and fanciful.
CHARACTERS:
We have two main characters, Harper and Grayson, who had a past but had to put a pause to it because of circumstances. They're both amazing characters on their own, so I was rooting for them.
Harper is an amazing likeable character, and I liked how she's intent on doing the right thing and balancing her life.
Grayson is a good character, and I liked his dedication to the school's newspaper and his journalism.
WRITING STYLE:
It was okay. I have no complaints, really.
SETTINGS:
I liked the world building. It was phenomenal. I also liked the description of the settings.
OVERALL:
It was a good book and I enjoyed reading it. I read it in a couple of hours. The characters and storyline were enchanting. The ending was a little too rushed for me, and I would have liked a perfectly paved ending.
I still have some questions, too. I hope a sequel is coming because I really want to see the end of the villains, the Hunters.
August 17, 2026
The Killing Rules is a YA cheerleader story with a chilling twist that kept me on edge from the very beginning.
By day, Harper appears to be a typical teenager. She’s popular, a cheerleader, and had been falling for Grayson. But that all came to an end the night her power manifested and she killed his father. Needing to hide the truth, Harper is forced to stay away from Grayson while learning the rules of being a Blood Bound girl.
I was hooked from the very beginning of this story. Harper carries an immense amount of guilt and shame about what she is and the bloodlust she experiences. The one thing that seems to make it easier for her to live with is knowing that her victims are men who have caused serious harm to others.
As her path crosses with Grayson again, it’s easy to feel their connection rekindling. As their friendship grows, so too do the feelings between them.
But this is no ordinary high school romance. Harper is a killer desperately trying to hide the trail she has left behind, while Grayson is determined to uncover the truth about his father’s death.
The twists towards the end came together beautifully, revealing an intricate web of hidden truths while also exploring the surprising strength and resilience found within family, friendship, and love.
I really enjoyed how this ended. I hoped things might unfold in a particular way, but I genuinely didn’t know whether they would, and I was still surprised by what actually happened.
This was such an intriguing mix of YA romance, supernatural mystery, darker themes, and emotional complexity, and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering where Harper’s story would take me.
I received this book as an ARC via Entangled Publishing and NetGalley. However, this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings, shared voluntarily.
By day, Harper appears to be a typical teenager. She’s popular, a cheerleader, and had been falling for Grayson. But that all came to an end the night her power manifested and she killed his father. Needing to hide the truth, Harper is forced to stay away from Grayson while learning the rules of being a Blood Bound girl.
I was hooked from the very beginning of this story. Harper carries an immense amount of guilt and shame about what she is and the bloodlust she experiences. The one thing that seems to make it easier for her to live with is knowing that her victims are men who have caused serious harm to others.
As her path crosses with Grayson again, it’s easy to feel their connection rekindling. As their friendship grows, so too do the feelings between them.
But this is no ordinary high school romance. Harper is a killer desperately trying to hide the trail she has left behind, while Grayson is determined to uncover the truth about his father’s death.
The twists towards the end came together beautifully, revealing an intricate web of hidden truths while also exploring the surprising strength and resilience found within family, friendship, and love.
I really enjoyed how this ended. I hoped things might unfold in a particular way, but I genuinely didn’t know whether they would, and I was still surprised by what actually happened.
This was such an intriguing mix of YA romance, supernatural mystery, darker themes, and emotional complexity, and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering where Harper’s story would take me.
I received this book as an ARC via Entangled Publishing and NetGalley. However, this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings, shared voluntarily.
September 15, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🪓✨ Pom-poms by day, axe murderer by night. Honestly, high school extracurriculars are getting OUT OF HAND.
The Killing Rules was such a fun, dark little surprise! Harper Westbrook is seventeen, a cheerleader, and also Blood Bound, which means every three months an uncontrollable bloodlust kicks in and somebody needs to die. Thankfully, Harper and her grandmother have standards. She doesn’t just kill anybody. She targets terrible men who have done terrible things and gotten away with it.
So… supernatural vigilante justice with a throwing axe? You have my attention. 😂🪓
But Harper has one rule more important than all the others: stay away from Grayson Jones.
Small problem. Grayson was once her best friend and almost something more. Bigger problem? When Harper’s Blood Bound curse first manifested three years ago, she killed Grayson’s father. 😬 Grayson has never stopped searching for answers, and his investigation starts dragging him straight toward Harper, her family’s secrets, the Blood Bound, and a much larger supernatural world neither of them fully understands.
I really liked the mythology behind this one. The Blood Bound women, the Hunters, the generational secrets, female rage, morally gray justice, and the whole question of whether Harper is actually a monster just because she’s been told she is gave this YA thriller more meat than I expected.
And then there’s Harper and Grayson. Their history adds this wonderfully messy layer because she’s basically thinking, please stop investigating your father’s murder because HELLO, IT WAS ME, while also still having feelings for him. 😂 Nothing complicated about that relationship whatsoever.
I also loved that this wasn’t just supernatural horror. There’s mystery, romance, secret societies, family secrets, revenge, and plenty of danger mixed together. It felt fresh and different from a lot of YA thrillers I’ve read.
✨ Verdict: Cheerleading practice. Homework. Teenage romance. Quarterly axe murder. Harper’s calendar is BOOKED. 🪓📣
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars. Dark, fun, supernatural, and satisfyingly twisted. I came for the girl with the throwing axe and stayed for the Blood Bound mythology, secrets, and gloriously complicated Harper-and-Grayson disaster.
The Killing Rules was such a fun, dark little surprise! Harper Westbrook is seventeen, a cheerleader, and also Blood Bound, which means every three months an uncontrollable bloodlust kicks in and somebody needs to die. Thankfully, Harper and her grandmother have standards. She doesn’t just kill anybody. She targets terrible men who have done terrible things and gotten away with it.
So… supernatural vigilante justice with a throwing axe? You have my attention. 😂🪓
But Harper has one rule more important than all the others: stay away from Grayson Jones.
Small problem. Grayson was once her best friend and almost something more. Bigger problem? When Harper’s Blood Bound curse first manifested three years ago, she killed Grayson’s father. 😬 Grayson has never stopped searching for answers, and his investigation starts dragging him straight toward Harper, her family’s secrets, the Blood Bound, and a much larger supernatural world neither of them fully understands.
I really liked the mythology behind this one. The Blood Bound women, the Hunters, the generational secrets, female rage, morally gray justice, and the whole question of whether Harper is actually a monster just because she’s been told she is gave this YA thriller more meat than I expected.
And then there’s Harper and Grayson. Their history adds this wonderfully messy layer because she’s basically thinking, please stop investigating your father’s murder because HELLO, IT WAS ME, while also still having feelings for him. 😂 Nothing complicated about that relationship whatsoever.
I also loved that this wasn’t just supernatural horror. There’s mystery, romance, secret societies, family secrets, revenge, and plenty of danger mixed together. It felt fresh and different from a lot of YA thrillers I’ve read.
✨ Verdict: Cheerleading practice. Homework. Teenage romance. Quarterly axe murder. Harper’s calendar is BOOKED. 🪓📣
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars. Dark, fun, supernatural, and satisfyingly twisted. I came for the girl with the throwing axe and stayed for the Blood Bound mythology, secrets, and gloriously complicated Harper-and-Grayson disaster.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC.
Sometimes the rules are made to be broken.
Being Blood Bound is a curse, having to kill terrible men in order to satisfy a bloodlust every 3 months isn't how 17 year old cheerleader Harper Westbrook thought she would be spending her life. Instead theres a list of curated rules where her safety is the top priority.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bree's writing and how she wove a story of murder mystery and fantasy and yet kept it well balanced with the perils of being a teenager.
Through first person point of view; information is woven into the story you slowly learn the background of history between Grayson and Harper, that has them entangled in a web where they don't realise theyre both looking into the same investigation, but for two different reasons.
The chemistry between characters is a slow yearn, as they come to realise the pat might not be in the past.
The mystery of the murders is enticing and captivating, because youre experiencing and uncovering them from two completely different points of views, both with majorly compelling reasons to want these murders solved. For differing reasons of closure.
I highly recommend picking this book up if you love a thrill, fast paced writing that captures the essences of a cinematic thriller. It's fun, action packed, and highly enjoyable.
There are the following trigger warnings;
death, blood, violence, firearms, murder, graphic imagery and language, kidnapping, bullying, stalking, imprisonment, animal abuse, and sexual harassment. Child trafficking, child abuse, torture, grooming, Nazis, and death of family members mentioned as part of the story.
Sometimes the rules are made to be broken.
Being Blood Bound is a curse, having to kill terrible men in order to satisfy a bloodlust every 3 months isn't how 17 year old cheerleader Harper Westbrook thought she would be spending her life. Instead theres a list of curated rules where her safety is the top priority.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bree's writing and how she wove a story of murder mystery and fantasy and yet kept it well balanced with the perils of being a teenager.
Through first person point of view; information is woven into the story you slowly learn the background of history between Grayson and Harper, that has them entangled in a web where they don't realise theyre both looking into the same investigation, but for two different reasons.
The chemistry between characters is a slow yearn, as they come to realise the pat might not be in the past.
The mystery of the murders is enticing and captivating, because youre experiencing and uncovering them from two completely different points of views, both with majorly compelling reasons to want these murders solved. For differing reasons of closure.
I highly recommend picking this book up if you love a thrill, fast paced writing that captures the essences of a cinematic thriller. It's fun, action packed, and highly enjoyable.
There are the following trigger warnings;
death, blood, violence, firearms, murder, graphic imagery and language, kidnapping, bullying, stalking, imprisonment, animal abuse, and sexual harassment. Child trafficking, child abuse, torture, grooming, Nazis, and death of family members mentioned as part of the story.
August 29, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Teen for an ARC of The Killing Rules, written by Bree Despain.
I really enjoyed this one! I thought it was a great YA paranormal thriller and it grabbed my attention pretty much from the beginning. There was a lot going on between the mystery, supernatural elements, secrets, and trying to figure out how everything was going to come together. I definitely had my guesses along the way, but it still kept me interested and wanting to know what was going to happen.
I really liked the whole Blood Bound concept and honestly would have loved even more of the backstory surrounding them and the Hunters. I also liked watching Harper struggle with what she was and whether that automatically made her a bad person. It gave her character more depth than just being a teenage girl with supernatural abilities who kills bad people.
There is some romance, but I was glad it didn't completely take over the story. I will say there were a couple of things between Harper and Grayson where I thought forgiveness came WAY too easily because I don't know if I could have moved past everything quite that quickly
Overall, this was a really entertaining read. It had plenty of action, mystery, paranormal elements, and twists without being overly gory. I think it fits really well in the YA thriller/horror category, although I would probably consider it more upper YA because of some of the subject matter. Definitely one I'd recommend if you like supernatural thrillers with a darker premise!
I really enjoyed this one! I thought it was a great YA paranormal thriller and it grabbed my attention pretty much from the beginning. There was a lot going on between the mystery, supernatural elements, secrets, and trying to figure out how everything was going to come together. I definitely had my guesses along the way, but it still kept me interested and wanting to know what was going to happen.
I really liked the whole Blood Bound concept and honestly would have loved even more of the backstory surrounding them and the Hunters. I also liked watching Harper struggle with what she was and whether that automatically made her a bad person. It gave her character more depth than just being a teenage girl with supernatural abilities who kills bad people.
There is some romance, but I was glad it didn't completely take over the story. I will say there were a couple of things between Harper and Grayson where I thought forgiveness came WAY too easily because I don't know if I could have moved past everything quite that quickly
Overall, this was a really entertaining read. It had plenty of action, mystery, paranormal elements, and twists without being overly gory. I think it fits really well in the YA thriller/horror category, although I would probably consider it more upper YA because of some of the subject matter. Definitely one I'd recommend if you like supernatural thrillers with a darker premise!
August 17, 2026
The Killing Rules by Bree Despain is the kind of book that makes you think, “Well, this escalated quickly,” and then happily keeps reading.
Harper Westbrook has a rather unusual problem: she’s cursed with a bloodlust that compels her to kill truly awful men. Because apparently regular teenage problems weren’t stressful enough. Then there’s Grayson, whose father Harper killed, which makes their relationship just a tiny bit complicated. You know, the usual romance obstacles.
I really enjoyed the mix of supernatural mystery, dark humor, romance, and horror. Harper is a messy, complicated character, and watching her try to figure out whether she’s a monster, a hero, or some unfortunate combination of both was one of my favorite parts. The mythology surrounding the Blood Bound and the Hunters also kept the story interesting and made me want to know what was going on behind the scenes.
The pacing was a little uneven for me, and there were moments when I wanted the plot to hurry up and get to the point. Some of the relationships could have used a little more development too. Still, the story has enough twists, tension, and “wait, WHAT?” moments to keep things moving.
Overall, The Killing Rules was a dark, entertaining read with a wonderfully weird premise. It’s not quite a five-star favorite, but I definitely had fun with it—and honestly, if your dating life involves curses, murder, and supernatural hunters, maybe being single isn't so bad after all.
August 29, 2026
Title & Author: The Killing Rules by Bree Despain
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level:
Genres & Tropes: fantasy / Monster Mystery / Secret Hunter Society
Pub Date & Format: August 4, 2026/e-book
【 QUICK THOUGHTS 】
• The Vibe: falling for the monster in you. Nancy Drew too!
• What I Loved: I enjoyed the fact that despite being born a beast, Harper tries her best to stay in touch with her human side. Curse/Blessing giving her a run for her life. I love that I literally was surprised by the plot twist, and that rarely happens. This was such a good mixture of fantasy and mystery. Really did give Nancy Drew vibes. She really got the jump on me towards the end.
• What Didn't Work For Me: left me with unanswered questions, but hopefully there’s a sequel 🥹
【 SPICE BREAKDOWN 】
• Heat Level: nonexistent, but didn’t need.
• Content Warnings: death, minor talk of Psychological illness
【 FINAL VERDICT 】
• Read this if you like: a good YA high school fantasy. I liked the idea of beasts being in the midst of society and a secret hunter society. The surprise family tree expansion and a good mystery throughout. Definitely will catch you by surprise in the best way. It definitely is a slow burn start, but once you get towards maybe 30-40% through it picks up!
ARC Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by Entangled Teen on NetGalley. This review contains my honest and voluntary review.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level:
Genres & Tropes: fantasy / Monster Mystery / Secret Hunter Society
Pub Date & Format: August 4, 2026/e-book
【 QUICK THOUGHTS 】
• The Vibe: falling for the monster in you. Nancy Drew too!
• What I Loved: I enjoyed the fact that despite being born a beast, Harper tries her best to stay in touch with her human side. Curse/Blessing giving her a run for her life. I love that I literally was surprised by the plot twist, and that rarely happens. This was such a good mixture of fantasy and mystery. Really did give Nancy Drew vibes. She really got the jump on me towards the end.
• What Didn't Work For Me: left me with unanswered questions, but hopefully there’s a sequel 🥹
【 SPICE BREAKDOWN 】
• Heat Level: nonexistent, but didn’t need.
• Content Warnings: death, minor talk of Psychological illness
【 FINAL VERDICT 】
• Read this if you like: a good YA high school fantasy. I liked the idea of beasts being in the midst of society and a secret hunter society. The surprise family tree expansion and a good mystery throughout. Definitely will catch you by surprise in the best way. It definitely is a slow burn start, but once you get towards maybe 30-40% through it picks up!
ARC Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by Entangled Teen on NetGalley. This review contains my honest and voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a true surprise!
As soon as I read the description, I knew it was right up my alley. In the end, though, it turned out to be very different from what I expected—and in the best possible way.
I’m so thankful to Brittany at Entangled Publishing for sending me a complimentary eARC ahead of publication.
Told through dual POVs, this book has all the fun of a light YA horror thriller, but it goes far beyond that. Whether intentional or not, the allegories woven throughout the story offer so much to explore, especially for teen readers.
I completely coasted on vibes and devoured every page. I’m usually a very fast reader, but I intentionally stretched this one out over several days because I didn’t want it to end.
I loved how conflicted both the FMC and MMC were as individuals and enjoyed watching them navigate their personal journeys as well as their shared one. I also appreciated the supporting cast—they added depth to the story without becoming overwhelming or difficult to keep track of.
Overall, this was such a well-rounded and enjoyable read. I can’t wait to recommend it to like-minded adult readers as well as the teens in my life. It’s the perfect Summerween read. While it’s technically horror, it isn’t overly gory and strikes a great balance between suspense, atmosphere, and heart. And the fact that it’s a horrormance? The best of both worlds.
As soon as I read the description, I knew it was right up my alley. In the end, though, it turned out to be very different from what I expected—and in the best possible way.
I’m so thankful to Brittany at Entangled Publishing for sending me a complimentary eARC ahead of publication.
Told through dual POVs, this book has all the fun of a light YA horror thriller, but it goes far beyond that. Whether intentional or not, the allegories woven throughout the story offer so much to explore, especially for teen readers.
I completely coasted on vibes and devoured every page. I’m usually a very fast reader, but I intentionally stretched this one out over several days because I didn’t want it to end.
I loved how conflicted both the FMC and MMC were as individuals and enjoyed watching them navigate their personal journeys as well as their shared one. I also appreciated the supporting cast—they added depth to the story without becoming overwhelming or difficult to keep track of.
Overall, this was such a well-rounded and enjoyable read. I can’t wait to recommend it to like-minded adult readers as well as the teens in my life. It’s the perfect Summerween read. While it’s technically horror, it isn’t overly gory and strikes a great balance between suspense, atmosphere, and heart. And the fact that it’s a horrormance? The best of both worlds.
August 6, 2026
ARC review
This story was an absolute emotional rollercoaster. With every new twist, the story became more and more complex, and I really could not have imagined where it was going or how it was going to end.
Harper Westbrook seems to have a perfect life. No one suspects that the perfect girl is actually cursed and has to kill every few months in order to satisfy her bloodlust. Harper is the perfect girl… apart from when her curse takes over and makes her slaughter terrible men. Everything went south when she accidentally killed the father of the boy she liked three years ago. But now, after all this time, Grayson is still incapable of giving up until he uncovers the truth about his father’s murder. But what will happen when he discovers that the girl he’s been pining over for so long is actually the monster responsible for his father’s death?
The Killing Rules is a YA horror mystery with a supernatural aspect, which I really enjoyed. It was original and fast-paced. I was so curious about how things were going to unfold.
The romance in this book was just the right amount to get me hooked. It was so sweet and appropriate for a YA book. I was really wondering how the romance could possibly work since, you know… she killed his father. But it turns out nothing is as it seems.
I loved Harper’s character, the way she is portrayed as a strong woman, and I really loved the concept of her curse/gift, used to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves against men who managed to get away with their crimes.
I feel like if you enjoyed A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and love supernatural mysteries, this book is definitely worth picking up. If you like a girl who would do anything to protect those she loves (literally anything), you will love Harper.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the ARC
This story was an absolute emotional rollercoaster. With every new twist, the story became more and more complex, and I really could not have imagined where it was going or how it was going to end.
Harper Westbrook seems to have a perfect life. No one suspects that the perfect girl is actually cursed and has to kill every few months in order to satisfy her bloodlust. Harper is the perfect girl… apart from when her curse takes over and makes her slaughter terrible men. Everything went south when she accidentally killed the father of the boy she liked three years ago. But now, after all this time, Grayson is still incapable of giving up until he uncovers the truth about his father’s murder. But what will happen when he discovers that the girl he’s been pining over for so long is actually the monster responsible for his father’s death?
The Killing Rules is a YA horror mystery with a supernatural aspect, which I really enjoyed. It was original and fast-paced. I was so curious about how things were going to unfold.
The romance in this book was just the right amount to get me hooked. It was so sweet and appropriate for a YA book. I was really wondering how the romance could possibly work since, you know… she killed his father. But it turns out nothing is as it seems.
I loved Harper’s character, the way she is portrayed as a strong woman, and I really loved the concept of her curse/gift, used to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves against men who managed to get away with their crimes.
I feel like if you enjoyed A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and love supernatural mysteries, this book is definitely worth picking up. If you like a girl who would do anything to protect those she loves (literally anything), you will love Harper.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the ARC
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews