This Isn't Who We Are

by Stuart Bray, Jason Nickey (Editor)

Marly Maddest is a deranged psychopath, but what made him that way? That's exactly what you're about to find out.

145 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2025

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 *
Engaging and fast-moving trip through the minds of psychopathy.

[Pisces51 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This Isn't Who We Are" by Stuart Bray was an interesting short read. The writing style of two first person narrators "talking" to each other in my opinion there was the need to question the concrete presence of two persons having a discourse. Marly could have been a schizophrenic with auditory hallucinations and an impressive little delusional network to support the engagement of two parents in his life. He could also have been a sadistic misogynist with a lively lot of sexual fantasies. But, there was more than one statement from Marly that included emotions such as remorse and regret that psychotics are unable to manifest. He was a character you could imagine only if a forensic psychiatrist took a handful of subject folders, threw them into the air and let them fall. He or she could grab a few files, rubber band them, and declare this is Marly and his complicated clinical pathology all explained.

The end of the narrative was always known to the reader. Marley was going to challenge the entire premise that the author was tossing about as gospel. The answer was going to be that it is who you are!
I do feel the end was chilling, but my uncertainty lies in whether "Marly" was "real" or Stuart's deviously sick and demented creation.

It will be interesting how other readers interpret this story and I am looking forward to their assessments. This was a off the cuff opinion from me.

The narrative picked up for me at 50% and I rated the read 3.75 Stars, rated up due to fractions.

[Sarah Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fucking BRILLIANT!!!!

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUTHORS ARE NOT WHAT THEY WRITE!!!!
this book does a great job of explaining that

[Danielle Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marly Maddest- “Please shut the fuck up and let me write the story how I want. I’m sure Danielle and Jason will tolerate the story regardless of how bad you think it sucks.”


It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Stuart Bray. I’ve read 99% of his published work. I love it all. But this book? This. Is. The. One.


Bray did something wild here. First of all, the plot? Ridiculous. Insane. Depraved. This story will have you questioning your own sanity. Not only did Bray do something wild, but he also did something he’s never done before. Prose? Superior to anything he’s ever done. This man inserted HIMSELF into the story, as a character, and essentially wrote it as though a reader with a crazy story to tell is writing it. It’s also written in an interview fashion, which he executed beautifully. There’s the perfect balance of violence, back and forth in the interview, and the story of the MMC.


I think a lot of times we forget that authors often times put themselves in a real weird place mentally in order to tell the story they want. And the average reader wouldn’t really know this or see it firsthand. I bring this up because I’ve watched it happen in real time. I saw it happen while this book was being written. And it shows through every word on the page. So again, I wanted to bring this up for the readers… so when they read this book, they can almost be mindful of that. Because in my opinion? This is Stuart Bray’s best book to date.

[June Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. The start was a little confusing. Chopping between Marly and Stuart Bray. But you get used to the prose and it starts to flow seamlessly. Feels like an extreme horror book but with a well written polished story

[FranWeird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I chose this to be my first read of the year

[Bethany Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

way more powerful than I was anticipating. a true and well presented argument to a lot of the critique that extreme horror authors get. I absolutely loved this.

[Risshan Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely appreciated the different vibe with this one! The whole interview aspect was pretty cool. I just couldn’t help picturing Stuart sitting there.. talking to himself 😆
Our main character is sooo messed up throughout this story. My favorite thing about this was the family twist, it made the entire book for me.

[Eunice Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darlings of darkness

Tonight I drag you, willing or otherwise, into the shadows with This Isn’t Who We Are by Stuart Bray, and oh, my morbid little heart… it got me. Stuart’s evolution as an author is stitched through every one of his works, and this one is no exception. It slips in with sharp teeth and no apology.

Now gather close, because here is a tale. I adore a book that grabs me by the throat, whispers sweet nightmares in my ear, and then twists my mind so thoroughly I forget my own name. Marly and Stuart’s conversations were delicious chaos. Marly himself is a delightful menace, an absolute gremlin of a character, and yet somehow you find yourself pitying him. And before any of you rise up like avenging phantoms, yes, I know what he did was dreadful. I am not excusing it. But the poor creature simply wanted his mother’s acceptance and that tragedy sits heavy.

For such a short story, it does not just grip you, it devours you whole. This has been a top read for me, an automatic recommendation, and frankly, a compulsory offering to the altar of darkness.

P.S. You might want to read The Black Hills while you are at it. I will not tell you why, but trust me, you will understand soon enough.

Yours in madness
E

[Rachel Osterhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about Mommy issues! Or is it Daddy issues...This one straight slapped me on the ass and called me Sally! I ate up the interview aspect. I've been a fan of Bray for some time, and this knocked my socks off. Also, some insight on what so many authors are going through. Started strong and didn't let up! Don't skip this one!

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started strong and didn't let up. I read it in one sitting couldn't put it down. I laughed, winced, and maybe there's something wrong with me, but I really enjoyed it.

The story is fast, sharp, and just the right kind of messed up. Stuart Bray’s books they never disappoint, and this one was no different.

[HAL Monostone AKA Cyber Monk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book. I loved the documentary style of it all, with segments where the author is interviewing the maniac of this story. I also liked how it dealt with the element of reality vs. fiction, reminded me a bit of the movie A Man Vanishes (Shôhei Imamura, 1967) where the line between the fictional and the real.
The ending gave med goosebumps.

[SeveredTherapy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...

This one was exceptionally well-done, with the inclusion of back and forth of Marly making it even better. The story itself is run-of-the-mill, but when you add in the interview portion, it becomes something even more well done.

Not your typical EH/Splatterpunk, but a unique trip through the mind of the author.

5.5 out of 5 severed thumbs-up