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Pixel Perfect: A Y2K Horror Story
When an anonymous bully rattles Kate's self confidence after a talent show, she is desperate to look just like the pop star posters on her bedroom walls. Lost in the toxic online world of thinspo blogs, she meets Ana, a digital stranger who convinces Kate to accept a deal that will transform her into her own thinspo. But there is a cost for everything. How far is Kate willing to go to become pixel perfect?
A Y2K horror short story that has:
💿 body image pressures
💿 teenage identity struggles
💿 toxicity of online communities
💿 00s nostalgia
Edited by: Nico Bell
Cover artist: Drew Huff
CW: eating disorders, body image, body horror
A Y2K horror short story that has:
💿 body image pressures
💿 teenage identity struggles
💿 toxicity of online communities
💿 00s nostalgia
Edited by: Nico Bell
Cover artist: Drew Huff
CW: eating disorders, body image, body horror
ebook
Published November 22, 2025
1 person is currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 19, 2025
This book has all of the 2000 nostalgia and I loved every minute of it. Honestly you had to be there it was an experience and this book captured it. This was a quick read but full of depth.
Kate, a young woman in high school who isn’t picture perfect as everyone else. Unfortunately after a talent show she is unkindly reminded of how her body shape is different from others. She meets a person online that can give her the body she wants but at what cost? We follow Kate down a path of destruction.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good story, fast paced and entertaining. Thank you Renee, for allowing me to read this book and providing me a copy.
Kate, a young woman in high school who isn’t picture perfect as everyone else. Unfortunately after a talent show she is unkindly reminded of how her body shape is different from others. She meets a person online that can give her the body she wants but at what cost? We follow Kate down a path of destruction.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good story, fast paced and entertaining. Thank you Renee, for allowing me to read this book and providing me a copy.
November 24, 2025
Renee Thomasin SLAYED with this Y2K horror short story! A huge thank you to her for allowing me the chance to read this early! Pixel Perfect comes out FOR FREE!!! on November 28, 2025!
A bit of a content warning: Pixel Perfect goes heavy with body image issues & eating disorders.
This 19 page short story HITS. Pixel Perfect by Renee Thomasin is filled with ✨Y2K nostalgia✨. From Britney Spears & Tae Bo to Jansport backpacks & AIM. This story is sure to transport you back to the days of butterfly hair clips and see-through funky electronics (forever jealous of anyone who has those iMacs with the rounded backs in fun colors!)
But this hits with more than just nostalgia. There’s a heavy emphasis on body image issues & wow did I not realize this story was going to remind me of the days I begged to be what I thought was perfect. I remember taking diet pills in high school and scrolling through the internet searching for “thinspo,” a word that’s used a bit in Pixel Perfect .
Even though it dredged up memories that were long buried, I absolutely appreciated this story. I felt ✨seen✨ in ways I didn’t realize that I needed. This short story had a HUGE impact & it was an easy 5⭐️ read for me. I cannot wait to read more of Renee’s work!
Oh! & the story was also legitimately terrifying — from the concept of not knowing who you’re talking to online to straight up body horror. Very well done, Renee 👏👏
A bit of a content warning: Pixel Perfect goes heavy with body image issues & eating disorders.
This 19 page short story HITS. Pixel Perfect by Renee Thomasin is filled with ✨Y2K nostalgia✨. From Britney Spears & Tae Bo to Jansport backpacks & AIM. This story is sure to transport you back to the days of butterfly hair clips and see-through funky electronics (forever jealous of anyone who has those iMacs with the rounded backs in fun colors!)
But this hits with more than just nostalgia. There’s a heavy emphasis on body image issues & wow did I not realize this story was going to remind me of the days I begged to be what I thought was perfect. I remember taking diet pills in high school and scrolling through the internet searching for “thinspo,” a word that’s used a bit in Pixel Perfect .
Even though it dredged up memories that were long buried, I absolutely appreciated this story. I felt ✨seen✨ in ways I didn’t realize that I needed. This short story had a HUGE impact & it was an easy 5⭐️ read for me. I cannot wait to read more of Renee’s work!
Oh! & the story was also legitimately terrifying — from the concept of not knowing who you’re talking to online to straight up body horror. Very well done, Renee 👏👏
November 29, 2025
This was a fun short story. I believe it was like 19 pages, so it’s easy to read in one sitting. I found it entertaining and it kept my attention. It had some fun early 00’s nostalgia. TW: ED
January 2, 2026
After a humiliating school talent show, Kate becomes obsessed with fixing the one thing she thinks is ruining her life... herself. Late at night, she scrolls through "thinspo" blogs, chasing the glossy perfection of the pop stars taped to her bedroom wall. That's when she meets Ana, an anonymous online "mentor" who seems to understand Kate's darkest insecurities. Ana promises transformation in her confidence, beauty and popularity if Kate follows her rules exactly. As Kate's world narrows to strict routines and secret messages the line between obsession and possession blurs. Her reflection starts to change. Her friends grow worried. Kate's thinspo transformation, mental, physical or otherwise comes at a cost. The question is, how far is Kate willing to go to become pixel perfect?
Oh boy this one took me right back to those early internet days of LiveJournal and AIM, I could practically hear the dial up tone! This bite size (under 20 pages) Y2K body horror story is nostalgic creeping dread and I loved every second of it! Kate's spiral into toxic beauty culture is unsettling, heartbreaking and disturbingly believable. As someone who struggled with body dysmorphia this one hit me right in my feels. Definitely check out triggers because this touches on some sensitive topics including disordered eating, anorexia, and bullying. My only critique is I wanted more!! Smart, sharp, and scarily relevant, if you like your horror with a dose of nostalgia and a punch of psychological terror then Pixel Perfect is one you won't forget!
Thank you so much to Renee Thomasin for this eARC! I can't wait to see what you do next!
Oh boy this one took me right back to those early internet days of LiveJournal and AIM, I could practically hear the dial up tone! This bite size (under 20 pages) Y2K body horror story is nostalgic creeping dread and I loved every second of it! Kate's spiral into toxic beauty culture is unsettling, heartbreaking and disturbingly believable. As someone who struggled with body dysmorphia this one hit me right in my feels. Definitely check out triggers because this touches on some sensitive topics including disordered eating, anorexia, and bullying. My only critique is I wanted more!! Smart, sharp, and scarily relevant, if you like your horror with a dose of nostalgia and a punch of psychological terror then Pixel Perfect is one you won't forget!
Thank you so much to Renee Thomasin for this eARC! I can't wait to see what you do next!
December 13, 2025
Remember that all-consuming Y2K pressure to be super thin? Seeing all the starlets in their lowrise Frankie B jeans and their hipbones protruding? What if you could look just like them? What if you too, could have the body of your dreams? This short and sweet novella dives into just that, but of course their is a high price to pay 💀
Lots of fun early 2000's nostalgia mixed with grody body horror, this one was a fun and quick read! My only gripe is that it isn't a full-length novel! Loved this, and looking forward to more from this author 💖
Lots of fun early 2000's nostalgia mixed with grody body horror, this one was a fun and quick read! My only gripe is that it isn't a full-length novel! Loved this, and looking forward to more from this author 💖
December 1, 2025
Y2K horror?? Okay hard yes from me. Short read but this really encapsulated the 2000’s thinspo nostalgia so well.
January 1, 2026
As someone who has struggled with an eating disorder since they were 13 (and is currently battling a relapse) I was wary going into "Pixel Perfect." So many stories (horror or otherwise) either incorrectly portray eating disorders, include too much info into behaviors that can be dangerous for those in recovery or who are struggling, or glamorize the behaviors.
Renee Thomasin's short story is an exception.
It was scary how similar this short story was to my experience as a y2k 13 year old. I fell under the influence of a person on Yahoo Messenger who taught me behaviors and monitored them, as well as my eating disorder progress.
It was incredibly toxic, and Thomasin's short story highlights the incredible dangers of "thinspo" and "pro-ana" sites that were a very intimate part of my experience - as well as so many other people I know. The incorporation of y2k nostalgia also did well to create a subtle atmosphere of the times.
Thomasin portrayed eating disorder behaviors in a way that wasn't too explicit, but also highlighted how these sites and people involved, unfortunately, cause young folx struggling with body image concerns to fall prey.
My one critique, is that this story was too short. If it were expanded, it would be a 5 star read. The author did say she was considering expanding it into a novella, which I am greatly hoping for!
Expanding the character of "Ana" further, as well as Kate's progression into her eating disorder, would make this a MUCH NEEDED horror novella that gets eating disorders, body image concerns, and bullying RIGHT. As it stands now, it does feel rushed, and there is room to expand the characters/concepts explored.
However, this is still a prime example of horror and eating disorders, as well as how they should be portrayed.
Thank you, Renee, for portraying an experience that is real life horror - while giving it a classic horror twist.
Renee Thomasin's short story is an exception.
It was scary how similar this short story was to my experience as a y2k 13 year old. I fell under the influence of a person on Yahoo Messenger who taught me behaviors and monitored them, as well as my eating disorder progress.
It was incredibly toxic, and Thomasin's short story highlights the incredible dangers of "thinspo" and "pro-ana" sites that were a very intimate part of my experience - as well as so many other people I know. The incorporation of y2k nostalgia also did well to create a subtle atmosphere of the times.
Thomasin portrayed eating disorder behaviors in a way that wasn't too explicit, but also highlighted how these sites and people involved, unfortunately, cause young folx struggling with body image concerns to fall prey.
My one critique, is that this story was too short. If it were expanded, it would be a 5 star read. The author did say she was considering expanding it into a novella, which I am greatly hoping for!
Expanding the character of "Ana" further, as well as Kate's progression into her eating disorder, would make this a MUCH NEEDED horror novella that gets eating disorders, body image concerns, and bullying RIGHT. As it stands now, it does feel rushed, and there is room to expand the characters/concepts explored.
However, this is still a prime example of horror and eating disorders, as well as how they should be portrayed.
Thank you, Renee, for portraying an experience that is real life horror - while giving it a classic horror twist.
November 24, 2025
Can anyone read this? Absolutely.
But it’s definitely for the Millennials!
Chat rooms we shouldn’t have been in, diet culture that never should have reigned supreme, toxic pop star influences..it’s all there in 19 pages.
As a young girl growing up during the late 90s/early 00s, I can unfortunately say this read was way too relatable. A dose of the nostalgia we love so much and a heaping pile of trauma, there was so much to unpack in this short story.
But it’s definitely for the Millennials!
Chat rooms we shouldn’t have been in, diet culture that never should have reigned supreme, toxic pop star influences..it’s all there in 19 pages.
As a young girl growing up during the late 90s/early 00s, I can unfortunately say this read was way too relatable. A dose of the nostalgia we love so much and a heaping pile of trauma, there was so much to unpack in this short story.
November 24, 2025
For a short story- easy 5 stars! Even though I love short form content, I would’ve devoured so many more pages of this, which is indicative of a great short story to me. Definitely trigger warnings for eating disorders and if you’re not in a good place to read about that, please skip. But if, like myself, you were subjected to the weird ultra-thin aesthetic of the 90s and Y2K with supermodels/runway models, and/or if you’ve ever suffered from an ED in the past, this will certainly be a very quick, impactful read for you. The author packed a lot of punch into this story without having to do much character or world building, and I really appreciated the visceral emotion. It felt very genuine and the writing was great!
Thank you so much to the author, Renee Thomasin, for providing me with a copy of this arc. The official release date is 11.28.25 and I’m excited to see more people get their hands on this one and review it!
Thank you so much to the author, Renee Thomasin, for providing me with a copy of this arc. The official release date is 11.28.25 and I’m excited to see more people get their hands on this one and review it!
November 26, 2025
For a short story, wow this was detailed and so well done. I was drawn to this story first by the nostalgic cover, and the story didn’t disappoint in bringing me back to the 2010s. Unfortunately I’m sure a lot of us will also be able to relate to being a teen and going through body image issues, witnessing some of the peak times of “thinspo”. I know I definitely related to Kate’s thoughts and discovery of online chat rooms and blogs that didn’t do me any good when I was younger. With all of that being said, the story also brought in some great creepy/body horror vibes that I loved as well. Easy 5 stars. I’ll definitely be recommending this one.
And thank you so much Renee for an early copy of the book! So excited for it to come out so everyone can read it.
And thank you so much Renee for an early copy of the book! So excited for it to come out so everyone can read it.
November 24, 2025
From the first sentence, I was instantly hooked. The nostalgia vibes here having lived through the Y2K as a teenager just really drew me back in, and I had to remember this was just a story as the author made me feel like perhaps they had lived my own life and we’re writing my story.
I feel like this is such a timely piece, considering the amount of thin heroin chic making a return and the value of a human being and the lengths that will go to to be society acceptable.
I hope that the author will consider turning this into a develop someday as I want more!!!
I feel like this is such a timely piece, considering the amount of thin heroin chic making a return and the value of a human being and the lengths that will go to to be society acceptable.
I hope that the author will consider turning this into a develop someday as I want more!!!
December 9, 2025
4.5/5: Pixel Perfect
Are you a millennial girl:
✅ who remembers the "itsy bitsy" swimsuit commercial?
✅ spent the early 2000's in chat rooms, on Xanga, or on Myspace?
✅ worked out to Tae Bo?
(Check, check, and CHECK for me!)
Pixel Perfect is a short story about Y2K body horror: the era when *everyone* was too fat. It's diet culture meets nostalgia meets trauma.
Thank you SO MUCH to my friend Renee for the opportunity to read this incredible story! I can't wait to see what you write next!
Are you a millennial girl:
✅ who remembers the "itsy bitsy" swimsuit commercial?
✅ spent the early 2000's in chat rooms, on Xanga, or on Myspace?
✅ worked out to Tae Bo?
(Check, check, and CHECK for me!)
Pixel Perfect is a short story about Y2K body horror: the era when *everyone* was too fat. It's diet culture meets nostalgia meets trauma.
Thank you SO MUCH to my friend Renee for the opportunity to read this incredible story! I can't wait to see what you write next!
November 25, 2025
oye vey. TW: disordered eating
I am definitely not proud to say that I was a part of the LJ ED groups with the infatuation with thinspo. This definitely hit the nail on the head with this teen girl culture from the early 2000s. It was grossly nostalgic and sad but it was a good quick read.
It reminded me of Gag Reflex by Elle Nash
Thanks to the author for an e-arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
I am definitely not proud to say that I was a part of the LJ ED groups with the infatuation with thinspo. This definitely hit the nail on the head with this teen girl culture from the early 2000s. It was grossly nostalgic and sad but it was a good quick read.
It reminded me of Gag Reflex by Elle Nash
Thanks to the author for an e-arc copy in exchange for my honest review.
December 5, 2025
I absolutely loved this short horror story! As a girl who came of age in the Y2K era, I felt like Renee not only invoked pure nostalgia for early 2000s pop culture, she pushed it further and actually transported me into some kind of darker alternate past. It was viscerally relatable and disturbing. I felt like Kate could've been me or one of my teen friends. It's an expertly crafted short horror story with emotional depth and I highly recommend it!
November 26, 2025
This was a fabulous short story! I loved the aesthetic, it was very true to the y2k horror aspect and that really added to it for me! Very relatable topic, body dysmorphia, wanting to look like others, but what would you pay for that? Kate finds out the answer here. Very well written and is a good cautionary tale!!
November 26, 2025
circa 2009 I carved the word "fat" into my thigh so. yeah. this perfectly encapsulates that era. weird and fun and entirely too accurate in the worst way.
December 2, 2025
The story wasn’t bad, but I feel like it would have benefited from being longer and more fleshed out (please forgive the unintended pun)
December 17, 2025
was expecting something darker, but meh. could also use better editing and typesetting.
December 15, 2025
"Pixel Perfect" is the new short story release from one of my peeps, Renee Thomasin. She is the hottest pink horror queen totally coming into her power with this short story. 👑💖
Let the chime of AIM invoke nostalgia, and brace yourself to confront some of the soul crushing body shame of adolescence. The main character, Kate, deals with body shaming cruelty from a classmate by connecting with a stranger on AIM. Something I remember doing as a teen as well, and if you're a Millennial, you probably did too.
This story will crack your heart open and will bring to the surface the vulnerability that comes when you are growing into your body and yourself. There is Britney Spears, LimeWire, LiveJournal and thinspo posts. I can remember looking at magazines and wondering why I didn't look like the girls on those pages. There is horror simmering under the surface as the relationship between Kate and her AIM buddy aNaOnEmPtY gets more and more toxic.
This story edited by Nico Bell along with the gorgeous cover from Drew Huff is pink horror perfection.
You can read this gem of a story for free! Check Renee's Instagram profile for the links and give her a follow @reneewritesdeliciously. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Renee will expand this into a novella 👀🤞🏻
You can hear more from Renee by listening to the horror podcast Horrifically Well Read, Bled, and Said interview with the fabulous Rebecca Allen. Renee is making things happen, and I'm here for it! 🙌🏻 You go, girl! 💖
Let the chime of AIM invoke nostalgia, and brace yourself to confront some of the soul crushing body shame of adolescence. The main character, Kate, deals with body shaming cruelty from a classmate by connecting with a stranger on AIM. Something I remember doing as a teen as well, and if you're a Millennial, you probably did too.
This story will crack your heart open and will bring to the surface the vulnerability that comes when you are growing into your body and yourself. There is Britney Spears, LimeWire, LiveJournal and thinspo posts. I can remember looking at magazines and wondering why I didn't look like the girls on those pages. There is horror simmering under the surface as the relationship between Kate and her AIM buddy aNaOnEmPtY gets more and more toxic.
This story edited by Nico Bell along with the gorgeous cover from Drew Huff is pink horror perfection.
You can read this gem of a story for free! Check Renee's Instagram profile for the links and give her a follow @reneewritesdeliciously. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Renee will expand this into a novella 👀🤞🏻
You can hear more from Renee by listening to the horror podcast Horrifically Well Read, Bled, and Said interview with the fabulous Rebecca Allen. Renee is making things happen, and I'm here for it! 🙌🏻 You go, girl! 💖
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews