Tapeworm: A Vampire Novel

by A.P. Thayer

From Dusk till Dawn if the characters hooked up with The Thing in this twisted, gory horror debut, where a group of friends must confront questions of identity, aging, and desire during a vampire infestation in an isolated Californian desert.

It needs to feed.

After the recent separation from his wife Trish, Victor hopes his friends' annual weekend retreat to the Californian desert town of Superstition will loosen him up and reforge the group's fraying bonds. But something is waiting underneath Superstition, crawling its way into their group, and feeding into their desires.

Victor knows too well what it means to repress his desires. He's always attempted to be the perfect partner, yet often found himself lacking. With Trish skipping the trip, he begins falling into the wild underbelly of Superstition in new ways. When the leader of the town's Welcoming Committee approaches him with a romantic, sexually charged offer, Victor wonders if it's too good to be true.

But the Welcoming Committee expects a price to be paid for its services. One that cannot be fulfilled by willing bodies alone. By the end of the weekend, group bonding will have developed a whole new meaning.

Because something is hungry for Victor and his friends.

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Fiction, Queer, Horror Thriller, LGBT, Thriller

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 18, 2026

About the author

A.P. Thayer is a queer, Mexican-American writer of speculative fiction. His work has appeared in Apex Magazine, Dark Matter, Uncharted Magazine, the Los Suelos multimedia anthology, and more. He is a staff writer for Frivolous Comma and has been an editor at Constelación and Para El Pueblo magazines. His debut novel, Tapeworm, is a body horror novel set in the California desert. It is forthcoming from Evil Twin in August of 2026. Outside of writing, A.P. loves cooking for others, playing RPGs around a table or on PC, and being yelled at by a small dog for lack of attention.

Reviews

[Zana]

DNF @ 74%

When the worms started "happy screeching" as they bathed in the MMC's cum, I absolutely lost it and knew I couldn't do it lmao

This was 80% drama about a friend group and marital problems and 20% campy-verging-on-corny erotic horror. I thought that this was going to be more of a serious horror type of book, but it felt too much of a B movie made for Tubi. Also, there were too many people in the friend group and I ended up not caring for any of them.

Thank you to Evil Twin and NetGalley for this arc.

[Nikki Lee (Nikkileethrillseeker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT DID I JUST READ 😳😳😳😳
RTC

[Linda Ayala · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐ 1 Star (ARC via NetGalley)

What the hell did I just read?

Tapeworm was one of my most anticipated horror ARCs because the premise sounded absolutely bonkers in the best possible way: vampiric worms, body horror, an ancient god, and an isolated desert town. The prologue opened with genuine promise as an ancient entity is unleashed and chooses Trish as its first victim. I was all in.

Then the story jumps forward a year.

And proceeds to do almost nothing for 95% of the book.

Instead of leaning into the horror, gore, or body horror elements promised by the synopsis, the novel shifts to Trish's estranged husband Vic and his deeply unlikable friend group. What follows is hundreds of pages of relationship drama, sexual tension, midlife crises, and conversations that felt like they were constantly two seconds away from becoming an orgy.

I kept waiting for the horror to start.

It never really did.

The biggest frustration was that there are genuinely interesting ideas buried somewhere in this novel. Questions of aging, desire, identity, and repression could have made for a fascinating horror story. Instead, those themes overwhelmed the actual plot to the point where the vampiric worms felt like an afterthought.

The pacing was glacial, the characters were difficult to connect with, and the narrative often felt like it was wandering aimlessly. By the time the horror elements finally showed up in any meaningful way, I was already completely disconnected from the story.

And then there was the ending.

A massive WTF moment, but not in a good way.

This felt like a book that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be literary fiction, relationship drama, body horror, or social commentary, and in trying to be all of those things, it failed to deliver on any of them.

Unfortunately, this was a complete miss for me.

Tropes & Themes:

• Body horror
• Vampiric creatures
• Ancient evil awakening
• Desert town setting
• Midlife crisis
• Toxic friendships
• Repressed desires
• Literary horror
• Cosmic horror elements
• "What did I just read?" ending

[Lora Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY EFFING CRAP THIS BOOK IS AMAZING
I have never read anything like this ever and I am beyond obsessed. I also had the heebie jeebies the entire last 25% of the book. I could not put it down. OMG. I LOVE

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hoping for a horror novel when I started ‘Tapeworm’ by A.P. Thayer. The cover even promised ‘A Vampire Novel’.
I did not get what I expected.
While reading this tale, I entered a nightmare that at first seemed surreal, then quickly latched onto fears and phobias that turned my fingers flipping the pages quite sweaty. Verging on repulsive at times, I barreled through the pages, eating up the carnage. I was horrified yet addicted.
A group of friends, a weekend getaway in a remote desert location, mysterious strangers - seems like tropes of well worn tales. ‘Tapeworm’ turns this scenario into a story that folds together the right portions of real life hardships, sexual fluidity, body horror, deep rooted fears, and bloodsucking creatures. The actions are just believable at each unpredictable turn, the bloodshed and gore is over the top in a glorious way, and the outcome is refreshingly bold. Bravo.

[CurlUp&Hex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Tapeworm by A.P. Thayer, recommended by my bookish bestie @dezreadswithtotoro.

Tapeworm is an immersive horror novel that had me feeling like I was watching From Dusk Till Dawn while reading.

A group of friends heads to the desert town of Superstition for their annual retreat. After a recent separation, Victor is struggling with the absence of his wife, Trish, and finds himself feeling isolated among their longtime friend group. While wandering through town, he encounters the sexy and enigmatic Xochi, who serves as the unofficial “welcoming committee” of Superstition. What follows is a surreal journey filled with blood, desire, horror, and unforgettable twists.

I really loved this book. It kept me hooked from the beginning and constantly wanting to read just one more chapter. Thayer does an excellent job developing the friend group, making each relationship feel authentic and layered. Interestingly, I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likable—and somehow that made the story even more compelling.

I had a pretty good idea of what was happening about 60% of the way through, but I was completely unprepared for the final 25%. It was absolute chaos in the best possible way.

This is definitely body horror, and yes—there are worms. If that’s something you can handle, you’ll be fine. It’s also a queer horror novel with more sexual content than I expected, but it fit the story well and added to the wild, blood-soaked ride.

This is Thayer’s debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what he writes next.

Thank you to @apthayer and @netgalley for the advanced copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

[Joshua Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC copy.

A. P. Thayer has a wonderful voice in their character writing. The cast of characters felt like very real people and the dynamics of their relationships as friends, couples, the kinds of changes and experiences you’d expect from years longs friends felt very realistic.

I appreciated the “normalness” of including characters of differing kinds of queerness while also not feeling forced or as if a checklist was being ticked off for diversity. I love to see diversity of backgrounds and orientations in characters and I feel Thayer did great about making these people feel like real people you’d meet and have in an average friend group. Even the pettier issues, such as the clash of personalities and differing loyalties between Diego and Vic felt all too common having had personal experience in my own friend groups with the awkwardness that comes when two friends break up or fall out in a way that ends up impacting the friend group as a whole.

The horror of this book was a slow creep that steadily built up until it finally reveals itself in all its grotesque glory and never pulls any of its punches. Some scenes absolutely had me gritting my teeth and literally gasping out loud at times.

For all of its strengths I did find the ending to be a little rushed and somewhat predictable by the time things start taking off about 70% through the books length. I felt a certain characters motivations made sense but the how, when, why and other details of what they had done didn’t really feel very satisfying. I think the story would have benefited by having a little bit more information on that while not needing to get so detailed that it detracts from the eldritch nature of what this creature, entity, being actually is or how it came to be. I believe eldritch horror is best when it remains incomprehensible but I do think that the human efforts in the face of the unknowable shouldn’t necessarily hold to that same level of obscurity.

Overall Tapeworm is still absolutely worth the time spent reading and even if the ending didn’t match my expectations or satisfaction I’m still left impressed with Thayers writing and look forward to reading more from them in the future.

[Caitlin Stucky]

DNF at 22%. I just don’t like any of the characters, especially the main MC.

[Gainze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8 The book was good, the story dragged a bit, the characters were okay, and I was just wanting more. The writing shines for itself. A.P. Thayer knows his craft and gets you into his world no matter what. The main character was annoying, but the whole friend dynamic was so real and fresh to see. I think it needed more, but to be a debut, it is really impressive work. Again, the writing: chef's kiss.

Thank you, evil twin, for the arc. This is my honest review of the book.

[unstable.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tapeworm delights in making readers deeply uncomfortable, not only through some grotesque imagery, but through emotional vulnerabilities it exposes. It's a messy, visceral blend of body horror and relationship drama wrapped up in a creature feature that transforms a friends' getaway tradition into something terrifying. At its heart is Victor, a man struggling with the collapse of his marriage and quietly questioning the life he is facing. His emotional uncertainty makes him a compelling center of the novel as the group's annual retreat spirals into a nightmare populated by voracious parasitic vampires that are far removed from the genre's romantic interpretations. Thayer's monsters are hungry, invasive, and repulsive, delivering some body horror that is both creative and stomach-churning. Tapeworm goes beyond the premise in the way it explores identity and desire. We see the masks people wear within long lasting friendships. As loyalties reveal themselves and hidden feelings surface, the horror becomes just as psychological as it is physical. The novel embraces queer relationships and fluid sexuality with a sense of normalcy, allowing those details to exist naturally within the story versus feeling performative. The pacing is deliberate and slower building, and once the horrors take hold, the tension does not let up. Gruesome and emotionally heavy, Tapeworm offers an inventive spin on vampire mythology that is for readers seeking horror that is emotionally messy and gloriously disgusting. I think this book would be a good fit for fans of Eric LaRocca and the book Spread Me by Sarah Gailey. Thank you to Zando's horror imprint, Evil Twin, for sending me a review copy. This book publishes August 18th, 2026. Look out for full coverage from me over at The Fundamentals magazine soon!

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feasted on every single page of this book. The story revolves around Victor and his feelings of grieve consuming him due to his failed marriage; but as the story goes we duels over the emotions crawling and feasting on this group of friends on a vacation weekend at superstition; the story is heavy on emotions, the suppressed feelings, resentment, desires, insecurities and all this happens while the best gory nightmare/fever dream/ other realm/ hell it self… is boiling down the surface, through the perfect sand storm and lots of worms predicting the rotting of the plot. The way every single detail is described to me was the perfect way to simmer a story that slowly infest you to the core and I’m not even mention the weirdly but deeply erotic and smutty orgy you get invited to, seducing you into a jaw dropping finale. I’m still like wtf I just read but I never been this satisfied at being this “confused and chocked”. Is not only a solid debut for me, but also one of my favorite reads of this year so far 🪱🌵
GO PRE-ORDER this book NOW!

Arc by NetGalley, all my thoughts are my own.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I read a book, and when I finish, I can only go, “what the f*ck did I just read?”

This was one of those.

It’s not really a vampire story, I’ll put that first - the worms are part of an ancient being. From Dusk til Dawn felt like a heavy influence, and I’m not complaining. The story is a relationship drama first, and the horror doesn’t truly start until the last 30%.

It is also very sexual focused - a lot of fluid sexuality, a lot of nudity, and half mast mentions.

It’s a weird one, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.

[Bella Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This piece was well-written, lacked redundancy, and contained a thoroughly complex plot. Moreover, there were elements of fantasy, erotica, alongside realistic fiction, which contrasted one with one another. In direct relation, it was oddly descriptive and described sexual matters uniquely. Overall, I lack critiques for this novel.

[KC Mannisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I can definitely say that I’ve never read anything like this before. There were absolutely parts that made me shudder and have to close the book for a moment before I proceeded. If queer, body horror isn’t your thing, this book will not be for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. 5/5 stars.

#Tapeworm #NetGalley

[Chewable Orb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tapeworm by A.P. Thayer
4.10 rounded down to 4🔮orbs
Est. Pub. Date: Aug. 18, 2026
Zando/Evil Twin

Beneath the surface…

💡 Orbs Prologue: The yearly friend excursion is a time for excesses, and our exuberance for debauchery clutches our reality. Standing outside our home away from home, I gaze into the distant California desert sky, scorching beams of light descending upon the town of Superstition. And through this blinding illumination, darkened figures appear, surfacing from beneath the cracks of the surface, erupting as though in search of something or someone. Fields of distortion blur our vision. A large dusting of pheromone clouds envelops the land, where feathery mists of chaotic abundance writhe in scenes of mayhem…

🧐 A small glimpse: Victor’s marriage has hit the skids. Troubles have been brewing for quite some time, but as of now, this has not been conveyed to their immediate friend group. Therein lies the problem. You see, they are part of the same circle of “friends,” yes, just like the show. Victor and Trish were an odd match from the start, and this disconnection has put a dent in Victor’s confidence. So, how does one solve this problem, wallowing in self-pity amidst a breakup? Of course, the yearly getaway to Superstition would help unwind, but with its own set of problems, how to explain the absence of Trish? In the end, author A.P. Thayer sees fit to send Victor on a retreat to find himself and move on with his life. So with friends by his side, he endures. From the onset, readers become quite aware of the bizarreness of Superstition. In what could only be described as a horrifically good time, the novel clasps our hands and leads us into the pitch-dark recesses of unknown spaces. Places where seduction meets naivety until the moment strikes like a venomous cobra, and the vile creatures' thirst can be adequately quenched. Time twists, landscapes change, and the mind bends. For what is true anymore?

👍 Orbs Pros: The pacing! How can something so deranged and psychotic be so cohesive? And yet, here I am to say, yes indeed, it worked marvelously. Thayer lends readers some helpful insight while withholding other breadcrumbs, which kept me engaged throughout. The setting of Superstition! The town name is awesome enough, and Superstition lives up to its name. Victor! Our MC is emotional, fragile, and single, looking to mingle with either sex. However, he is broken, which allows for some very interesting turbulence with his friends. Zesty fun! I will mark this as a pro, as plenty of people love their stories zesty these days! Same-sex marriages, bisexual happenings, and revelry lay waste under the California sun! Impulsive wants and desires float to the surface, and you, dear reader, have a front-row seat.

👎 Orbs Cons: Sexy time! Is this a con? I suppose it might be if you are uncomfortable with carnal desires in handwritten form. Randomness! Thayer does an excellent job of keeping the train on the track, but there were times when I was like, "What in the world..." However, I do love me a strange tale... If you love a more straightforward affair, there might be times of unsettlement.

Highly Recommended: This was a great time. I embraced the uncomfortableness and rode it all the way to a satisfying conclusion. The bar scene of “From Dusk till Dawn” kept recurring in my mind throughout portions of this book. The same wacky feelings that I enjoyed so much in the movie were on display here. I will be reading more of Thayer’s work going forward!

💡 Orbs Epilogue: Choking within the mist of a pollen-like fog, liquid emotions spilled from our orifices and were quickly lapped up by organisms never meant to bless the Earth. The ripe smell of our sinewy flesh draws them nearer. Coaxing us, beckoning our common sense to desist, to relinquish our power, and to succumb to something greater. Indeed, we are needed, but not for friendship, no, but to ensure they survive here in this place of isolation. Finding solace within the safety of the home, the voices surround me, loved ones since deceased, but still heard… Come outside, Orb, come outside!

Many thanks to Zando/Evil Twin for the ARC through NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Krista B · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so sorry, I really wanted to like this book. I LOVE a good horror novel about WORMS. Which, as a concept, greatly horrify me to begin with, so we were starting out at an advantage.

From the outset, we learn that Vic (Victor) has just separated from his wife Trish, whom we learned in the prologue was infected by a Creature/worm monster. (I don't consider this a spoiler, as we learned this in the first few pages.) Vic heads off for a getaway in the town of Solitude, as he and Trish are taking turns spending time with their shared friends.

Immediately things started taking a turn for the worse. Vic meets some extremely sketchy people in the gas station, who are so blatantly untrustworthy and cartoon villain creepy that we know immediately that this must be The Bad Guy. However, instead of being extremely sketched out that people are touching his vehicle at the gas station, Vic immediately gets... turned on and starts thinking very graphically about the girl who is hitting on him.

HUH? Sir, you just got divorced. I know the rebound energy is big, but why are we like this? Why are we slavering over a complete stranger who is touching your VEHICLE?

I hate to report that the rest of the book went similarly. Vic is a singularly unlikeable character, and so is everyone else at the cabin. Vic spends half of his time thinking lustfully about various people, especially his best friend Matty, who is a MARRIED MAN, and the other half snarkily thinking mean comments about how everyone else is so mean, awful, and surely must be cheating on their significant other. I lied, I guess Vic also spends time thinking self-pityingly about the end of his relationship with Trish.

We get some truly awful segments just detailing the awful corrosive "friendships" between these "friends", who are all so awfully unlikeable. I really didn't think I'd make it through this book, because of all the ridiculously horny and unimpressively explicit trains of thought, and by the time I was at like 65%, I was like, ARE there still any worms in this book? Or am I just being subjected to watching these horrible people in their shitty relationships arguing, being catty, and not even liking each other? Idk, they get drunk some.

Vic argues with Diego, who has accused him of being physically abusive to Trish, which Vic denies. Shenanigans happen, and Diego's boyfriend Charles breaks up with him, then everyone drives off angrily. Diego and Charles, who call each other 'babe' with grating frequency, break up over this accusation. And then not a FEW PAGES LATER????? One of them calls the other babe again? Are we broken up? Did they get back together? HUH?????

Finally Vic kicks off the plot by going back to town and hooking up with the sketchy biker girl, whom at this point we've been told has been possessed by the worm creature. And then when he returns, everything has gone to hell. Except I literally don't care. I was power reading through the ending, and I was so grateful when the worm monster got each of them. I was EXCITED that I never had to hear from any of them again.

A couple of nitpicks that stuck out to me, in my frustration - someone's laughter is described as gibbous. Did you mean gibbering? Gibbous refers to the state of a moon. Then the Worm Monster is described as a great 'chitinous horror'. I googled this, and discovered that worms do indeed have chitin. But at the time that I was reading it, I was completely thrown because I was imagining a bug with a prominent exoskeleton, not a worm.

At the very end we are treated to Vic in the afterlife with... a mysterious woman (Trish?) in black, and there is the implication that they've both died and are trapped with the consequences of their actions while living...?

I wanted to like this book more, especially because I was thrilled to see non-white characters represented in horror, but everyone was just so ridiculously horned up and cruel to each other that I could not care less about any of them or their gruesome fates.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Zando for an advance copy of this new work that is a mix of different kinds of horror, the horror of life going tragically wrong and the horror of the different the strange things that lurk at the corner of the eye, always waiting to get close, and cause harm.

With many genres I can pinpoint the books, or even the movie that made me a fan of it. Horror thought is the great blind spot in my entertainment biography. Even now I am surprised when my eyes go past action, documentary science fiction on movies and go to horror. Or stopping to look at a book that I never knew existed, with a cover so frightening I can't put it down. I have no gateway book, no Stan Lee pronouncement of 'Make Mine Horror'. It has just happened. Maybe it is growing older and seeing a world that seems to be more full of evil, cowardice and cruelty than in any Jason or Freddie films. Maybe it is lifes disappointments, a feeling that sadness, and fear come from being alone in the world, that things are permanent. Maybe its the wind at night, or maybe not, the creak of a stair, the fear that something out there is controlling things and controlling me in ways I don't know, or understand. A cosmic Artifical Intelligence. Or an ancient evil under the Earth. Tapeworm, by A.P. Thayer is a story about love gone wrong, friends gone stall, corruption of the soul, the heart and the mind, and of course dark things just out of sight, but waiting to take over.

The ground shifts and something is awoken in the desert. Something ancient, something angry, something wanting more. Contact is made, corruption is begun, control achieved and a bird is killed. And so is a relationship. A year later Vic is wondering where and when things went wrong with his wife Trish. Vic is older, wiser, but afraid that Trish will end things, like she ended not wanting to come to annual retreat. A place to met old friends and remember what it was like being young. The desert should be empty, but the places always seem to have the same faces, new in ways, but asking questions and making suggestions that both annoy and intrigue Vic The friends Vic was looking forward to seeing don't seem the same either. And there is a feeling in the desert, of something wrong, something watching, and something full of darkness and rage.

A book that is about the horror of growing old, being uncool, being sexually unattractive, and being alone. That said this is a book that is very horndog. Like a lot. The story starts strong, becomes a meditation on the male condition in the 2020's and has lots of sexy talk. As the book progresses, things get odder, weirder, and darker, with body horror, and lots of psychological horror. Vic has a characters can get a little annoying, but he does show change and growth. His friends are people who well deserve their fate. The ones you cheer who get killed by the killer of the summer camp. The horror is more about the real world, love gone wrong, sex is confusing and much more varied than people think, with a dash of cosmic horror. Not for all types but a story that keeps the reader guessing right up to the end.

[Kimberly Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

If you love disgusting body horror and a quirky take on vampires, this book is for you. Think Nick Cutter's The Troop meets smutty vampires meets Gen Z's the Big Chill for a weedend of sex, drama, and worms.

Main character Vic is facing divorce from his wife Trish at the same time as the annual trip out west to spend the weekend with their friend group rolls around. Trish insists that Vic go alone, to try to enjoy time with their closest friends while she packs up her things in peace. While he's reluctant to go, he relents and heads to the house owned by friends Becky and Linda where they will be joined by Matty and Estela, and Charles and Diego. So it's three couples and Vic, and it seems like once everyone finds out about the split, they will be picking sides. What no one knows is that the entire town of Superstition, CA is infested with vampire worms that take human form.

What was great about this story: vampire worms, I mean come on! The body horror was INTENSE. There was plenty of LGBTQ+ representation and fluid sexuality was included as just part of the characters' personalities and totally normal, which I really liked. I loved the desert setting and the way dust storms were used to reshape the town and create an ever-changing environment that kept Vic second guessing himself.

Things that didn't work as well for me: No real chapter breaks. The narrative was told over the course of the maybe three days they were in Superstition. The writing had clear breaks from one scene to another which would have been natural chapter breaks and would have propelled the story forward more quickly, at least for me. I love a book with a bunch of short chapters rather than extremely long blocks with no separation. And my absolute biggest complaint was the overly excessive use of the work McRanchsion, which was what Vic called the house where they stayed. While I can appreciate that the author probably got a real kick out of coming up with this, for a good portion of the book I felt like that term was on every single page. It was way, way too much.

However, the intense body horror, truly disgusting vampires, and the tension the author created around whether any of the friends would escape certain death overcame the small things and I ended up really enjoying my time with Vic and the gang.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Off Service Book Recs · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one tells you that the annual friend retreat might look a little different when you get a divorce. But Victor is hopeful that he'll still have a good time, and that the elephant in the room - in this case, the absence of Trish - won't dampen the mood. So with a car full of cheap booze and a mind full of regrets, he leaves the glitz of big city California for the smaller vacation retreat owned by his friends in aptly-named Superstition. Though he doesn't know it, the guilt gnawing away at him will leave room for something else hungry to fester - because something in Superstition is waiting, gnawing, writing, and ready.

And it's ready most of all for him - from the leather-clad, sexually-charged "Welcoming Committee" who proposition him at the gas station to the dead hummingbirds littering the streets, Victor and his friends are both predator and prey as they attempt to loosen up from their middle-aged ways while simultaneously unearthing the ugliest parts of themselves while under the influence, braking each other's years and slowly becoming untethered at Superstition's denizens circle closer and closer like sharks in blood-infested waters. But the time Superstition is done with them, their group bonding trip will be completed in more ways than one.

"Until Dawn hooks up with The Thing" was an excellent comp title/description for this book, and overall it was a very gory and decent horror debut that left my skin itching and made me want to avoid a vacation in the desert for a long, long time. I like when 'vampires' are allowed to stretch (or not stretch, in this case) their proverbial wings, taking on new shapes and digging into more of the verb than the noun of 'vampire' - while this was primarily a body and psychological horror, I would have also loved to know more about the lore behind this specific brand of vampirism, but the information given was enough to run with the story. While I wouldn't say I liked any of the characters, I think they reflected well on securities any one of us could have and a lot of them felt like amalgamations of people I've known, which was great from a realism perspective - we've all done the wrong things for the right reasons, and vice versa, and that was a big theme here. Overall a decently entertaining horror read that will leave your stomach sour for various reasons (really didn't want any alcohol for a while after this book, wither), and congrats to the author on their debut!

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title/Author: Tapeworm by A. P. Thayer
Format Read: NetGalley eBook/Physical ARC from the publisher
Pub date: August 18th, 2026
Publisher: Evil Twin/Zando
Page Count: 304 pages
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978163893...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
- "From Dusk Till Dawn meets The Thing"
- Setting: LA/desert/fictional town called "Superstition"
- V. Castro's "Horny Horror" or Eric LaRocca's brand of horror
- Body horror, Vampires, Worms, Eldritch horror
- Toxic friend groups, domestic drama, raves, drinking/drugs/fever dream
- A LOT OF SEX, Horny thoughts, Hook-ups, and Jerking off
- Final girl tropes
__
Minor complaints:
- too horny for me-more time spent on sexy time rather than plot
- annoying characters
- the whole thing with the hummingbirds was weird and I didn't get it and they were harmed in the making of this book :(
- This reminded me a lot of Nothing but Blackened Teeth in the sense that the story is centered on the interpersonal relationships and not the supernatural horrors happening around the characters

Final recommendation: 
A group of friends who are in their thirtysomething era are struggling in their relationships, situationships, and longterm partnerships. They travel to a small town in the desert to party and reconnect but the MC, Vic, is pretty broken up about his recent divorce from his wife, Trish. After getting really turned on by a stranger at a gas station, Vic finds himself in a bad situation that can't be undone. There is a lot of horny thoughts and explicit sexual encounters that ratioed the supernatural ones. Too many competing ideas and none of them were executed faithfully. Is it a parasitic outbreak? Is this ancient eldritch gods? Is this a vampire novel? I don't know...there are a lot of mentions of hummingbirds and their little bodies being harmed...but do hummingbirds even eat worms? I was confused. The sexual, drug-induced fever dreams/possible mental breaks had a huge impact on the flow of the story as well--taking me right out of some solid sections of discovery; just really disorienting.
This wasn't my cup of tea, unfortunately.
Comps: V. Castro (Immortal Pleasures, Maria the Wanted) Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda, The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by Clarence A. Haynes, Spread Me by Sarah Gailey

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have many things to say about Tapeworm by A. P. Thayer. As with most of my reviews, I received this as an ARC. At this current point in time, Tapeworm is a DNF for me. I might go back and finish it simply because I’m 70% of the way through it. However, this book has annoyed me for far too long to make me want to continue.

Here’s my conundrum with this book: Thayer’s writing is wonderful, but I am so tired of the book being half Victor’s sexual struggles and half of how much he hates himself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a romantasy girlie so sexual content is not an issue for me. However, when a book focuses almost exclusively on Victor’s inability to get off, his sexual frustration, and how he basically wants to have sex with every person he meets, it’s just too much. I want to read about the vampires…I want to know how vampires and worms correlate, but I cannot handle any more of Victor’s complaining about his issues getting laid.

Truly, I wanted to like this book, yet I cannot bring myself to enjoy it. I can’t stand any of the characters in it. They’re all terrible. Victor is a whiny 40-something man who acts like a teenager. I do understand he has lost himself inside a marriage that has now fallen apart, but this level of immaturity is a little too much for me.

Yet Thayer’s prose and style are evocative. The only reason I think I’ve made it so far through the book is because of his writing. While I can’t stand the rest of the novel, the writing could potentially make up for it. The idea of vampires as worms (although I don’t know for sure if that is their true form, seeing as I have DNF’d the book) is intriguing, and I wish that had been more of the focus for the novel.

I know this review is short, but it doesn’t seem fair to give it a lengthy review when I quit three-quarters of the way through.

I can’t say I wouldn’t recommend Tapeworm. I’ve already told a few friends about it, and some have stated how excited they are to read it, while others, like me, aren’t particularly interested in Victor’s lack of a love life that leads him to make dumb decisions. Maybe I will go back and finish it just because I adore Thayer’s writing style, but I don’t know at this point.

[Stephanie Ravenscroft · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I spend several paragraphs whinging, thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced reader copy in exchange for a review.
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You ever watch the 2002 movie Gerry, directed by Gus Van Sant? I've always used that movie as a one-star to describe really boring, monotonous, plotless fiction, but Tapeworm is even more like Gerry than most. Not just because it's a story where friends walk off into the desert and face the consequences. I look around at all these five stars just like I do when I look at Gerry and wonder what everyone else is seeing. My first complaint is that the subtitle of the book is 'a vampire novel' despite the fact that the monsters in the book can only be described as vampires in the same way a bumblebee can. By the end of the book, you'll realise this is eldritch horror and nothing remotely vampiric, and I feel like 'eldritch' is generous.

I will say that the author does very effectively write hallucinations; it all very much felt like that one ancient Simpsons episode with the talking dingo. My problem is that there is no payoff, lots of pieces are placed on the board and by the end, they are meaningless red herrings. It's frustrating because I honestly would have accepted the cliché "native americans have been holding this thing at bay for generations, and due to being colonised, they can't", etc, but no. Nada, kaput.

I got to the end and just genuinely felt like I had wasted my time, thanks to all those red herrings. Nothing mattered. Also, the power creep of the creature made everything goofy. There was lots of gore, sex and bodily fluids, and since those were the best written parts of a book devoid of plot, I do wonder if this was just a book acting as a playroom to kill queer people in. Though the part that actually bothers me the most is one of the things the book brings up is that hummingbirds eat worms. Dear audience, Hummingbirds do not eat worms. 80% of their diet is nectar and they grab a few spiders and flying insects along the way.

Overall, very disappointed, the writer clearly has good technique, but without a plot to drive it's just pretty vapid writing.

[Janine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A body horror novel about a group of friends meeting for a weekend party overcome by a parasite that destroys all common rules of appropriate behavior.

Victor, a recently divorced man, joins a group of friends - at one point called the weekend warriors for their partying ways - in the town of Superstition (where the book actually starts one year previously and we are introduced to an evil being released after an earthquake). A parasitic invasion has taken over the town and it targets Victor and his friends. Things start to go horribly wrong as the parasites feed on the desires and urges of these people resulting in some pretty awful things. The ending is positively awful - I wouldn’t even bother reading it.

I’m not sure what kind of a story this book was trying to tell. But it wasn’t like any vampire book I’ve read - and I’ve read a lot of them. While this book is subtitled a vampire novel (so I was instantly intrigued - my thanks to NetGalley and Zando for the ARC - because one of my favorite October reads usually includes a few vampire stories), I think the title itself should have been a clue that vampire might be a misnomer. The allusion to vampires as a parasitic source defeats the mythology of the vampire who is generally viewed as a micro-predator. Both live on a source but vampires briefly attack versus living within a source - that’s their horror. I think the subtitle needs to be removed or revised so future readers understand what the correct source of the evil and horror is.

To say I was disappointed is to say it all. While the book explored what evil lurks in the hearts of man - a fairly good premise - it’s grotesque desire to show awfulness without hinting of redemption I think defeats the purpose of good storytelling. Horror for horrors sake isn’t my cup of coffee.

This is a book for readers of body horror who don’t need a resolution to evil.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vic is trying so hard not to let his impending divorce ruin his annual friendship retreat to the isolated California desert town of Superstition. However, his friends start catch on, toxic friendship dynamics start to fester, and what the hell is going on in Superstition?

What I expected: vampires! Worms! Maybe a combination of the two like in The Strain? Maybe even something like Sinners.

What I got: WORMS! Toxic queer friendship dynamics. Body horror. Gore. lowercase vampires? Isolated desert setting. WORMS WORMS WORMS.

My absolute favorite part about this book was the setting. The town of Superstition was so atmospheric, it was isolated in the way that the arctic was in The Thing. The storm and the missing locals added to the paranoia of the characters in such a delicious way. The way the wind would blow and obscure the visual cues was a really nice touch. And the tunnels! I love a good tunnel! A worm tunnel? Outstanding. I didn’t know how much I appreciated a good desert setting.

This book focused very heavily on interpersonal relationships. There are a lot of characters introduced all at once, so it was a little overwhelming to keep everyone distinguished at first. I appreciated how the paranoia of the overall plot was affected by these relationships. My main criticism is that the book focuses too heavily on these relationships before following the overall mystery of the town. Give me my vampires, damnit!

Personally, I feel like Tapeworm is a fun exploration of toxic queer friendships in the California desert with WORMS! Calling it “A Vampire Novel”, doesn’t feel like the most genuine description, the creatures are parasitic in a different way. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it for fans of Spread Me by Sarah Gailey or The Thing or anyone who loves assimilation horror and WORMS.

Thank you to NetGalley and Evil Twin/Zando for sending me a digital ARC for a review!

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that make you say, “what did I just read?”

This was incredibly bizarre and gory, especially at the end. The pacing was a bit slow for a good chunk of this book but once it picked up, it really picked up. The horror slow burn became worth it in the end. I thought this was an interesting take on "vampirism" too. This felt like a loose interpretation to me, but that's not necessarily an insult. It made this book unique.

While practically all of this book revolved around the interactions between Victor's group of friends, they all still felt pretty bland to me. A lot were verging on being unlikeable, but I mostly felt indifferent about all of them. I didn't feel any sort of connection to any of them which led to a strong sense of apathy once the real conflict began. I wish I had a stronger emotional investment in some of the characters so that when the trauma began, I would've felt that deeper connection.

There were some parts where I found myself confused. This book felt a bit like a fever dream so I think that played into some of my confusion. But it also appeared to be intentional. Victor himself was confused, therefore I was confused. It did all come together in the end mostly.

This was an entertaining read as long as you can stomach the content. Tons of body horror, death, and gore in the last 20% of the book. Also, this should be obvious, but please don't read this if you can't handle to read about worms. You're going to have a horrible time otherwise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

CW: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

[Meghann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC!

This is not a vampire novel, I'm not sure why it's marketed as that. One of the characters makes a statement about how the creatures can't come in the house because it's like vampire rules and there's some bits about them drinking blood. But the creatures are actually some sort of cosmic horror worm that consumes an entire being. It's a cool concept, very disturbing at times, but if you're hoping for vampire horror you're going to be very disappointed.

There was a lot to enjoy about this. It's a lot like a fever dream B horror movie, with a cast you'd find in one of those Tubi movies. They were all fairly interesting characters and I admit I kept reading because I was curious about the drama of all their relationships. There's also a great mix of sexualities represented and they all come off as real people. The tension of what everyone is hiding is built up super well. There's a great uneasy psychological quality to the descriptions of the deteriorating relationship between the MMC and his wife.

The body horror is also insane and disturbing. There's some liminal space and trippy breaks in reality. This book would have easily been a 5 star for me if not for one thing

There is so much explicit crude sexual content. I read romantasy a lot, I enjoy smut, I love Hellraiser, but this was just bad. It was crude for the sake of being crude. At one point the cosmic entity,as worms, laughs while wiggling in cum. The MC is so horny he even asks himself in narration why he's so extra horny lately. There's talk of fingering a prostate and licking cum while worms get off.

It felt like those really bad "Lovecraftian" movies that promise you cosmic horror but are really just a thinly veiled porn movie with tentacles and deep one sex. It's really a shame because this could have been something really amazing.

[j · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I guess I'll just get right into it...why was this called a vampire novel? In what world is this vampiric? Just like the endless hunger, or what? I mean, we definitely get worms and a lot of them, but I'm not really following the whole "vampire" aspect.

The story starts with Vic, a recently divorced 35ish-year-old, who is driving to Superstition, California, to hang out with his similarly aged friends. Right from the get-go, this man has been divorced for nigh 2 weeks, and he is INSTA lusting over this girl who came into the gas station. I mean, like instant raging boner from just seeing her. I knew this story was going to have some lust aspect, but I was not prepared for the sheer totality of it. I mean, this book does not shy away from hook-ups, orgies, and exhibition. I was kind of shocked reading this (is this how we should act at that age? Is it normal for friend groups to just have sex in front of one another?). Maybe it's the fact that they all met raving (seems like a stereotype, but ok), but Vic is just a weird guy. He is incredibly lustful towards not only this random woman, but also his married friend.

I think the author does a good job of describing the almost "trip-like" experiences that Vic has because of his close interactions with this worm creature. He knows how to make the reader feel like they are feeling an extreme disorienting and unsettling experience, so I'll give him kudos for that.

Otherwise, this book was just bizarre and not in the way I wanted; I wanted MORE worms and LESS lust. Honestly, I see how it feeds off emotions and ramps them up, but why is the worm so horny?

[Dez Reads With Totoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

So impressed. Thank you NetGalley, Evil Twin/Zando and the author for this advanced copy.

Release Date: 8/18/26

Set in the desert town of Superstition, California, the story follows eight longtime friends, four couples who reunite every year for their annual getaway. The focal point on the MMC and FC Vic & Trish. What starts as a familiar tradition slowly unravels into something dark, disturbing, and literally unforgettable.

I went into this “mostly” blind knowing only that there were elements of vampires and worms involved, and honestly, I had no idea how those were going to come together. Somehow, they blended perfectly. The character development was one of the strongest parts of this book for me. Even without “multiple” POVs, I felt deeply connected to every character and invested in all of their relationships and dynamics. The MMC Vic really capativating me the entire time.

It has to be said that the writing was immersive and incredibly vivid. This felt less like reading a book and more like watching a horror film unfold scene by scene. The atmosphere, tension, and imagery were so well done, and I could easily see this becoming an amazing movie adaptation someday. (Really hoping)! Theres a perfect balance of gore and also lots of sexual undertones that really fit with the story. I appreciated the story encapsulating lgbtq and the diversity. You might even learn a few spanish words along this journey.

Yes it involves worms but that’s a layer of the foundation to a deeper story! I am not big on bugs and I handled this just fine. If you enjoy horror with vampires, ancient gods, relationship drama, emotional depth, and body horror, I highly recommend adding this one to your pre-order tbr.

[Shelly Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ebook ARC from NetGalley.

Vic is recently separated from his wife Trish. She talks him into going to their annual friend-group trip out into the desert. Vic is lost between self hatred for letting his marriage fail and wanting to show their friends he’s going to be alright. A dangerous, sexy stranger seems to have a strong desire for him, he’s so desperate to restore his ego, he doesn’t ask questions and, as tempers flair amongst his friends, he learns that the stranger may be after more than what he’s willing to give.

The writing is good, great even. The story built this beautiful, nightmare world, I felt claustrophobic and it did have a very From Dusk to Dawn isolation vibe. The characters are flawed humans, meaning they weren’t very likable, but that too is similar to From Dusk to Dawn.

The Monster is interesting, I wish we learned a little more about its origins or why it needed the fog or what the fog even was, the sex (when at first it seemed to enjoy negative emotions more) or the people.

The last hour or so of the book was very fast paced and intense, I wish we had had more of that throughout, but I think the author preferred the fever dream aspect, not sure what’s real or not.

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but when I think body horror, I don’t think “a lot of sex”. Really karma sutra sex, but I guess I’m at the age where performative sex in entertainment causes an eye roll. The sex parts were a bit too much like stories in penthouse, so I skimmed and wish they had been minimized or at least a reason for their necessity given.

Overall, I think plenty of people will enjoy this read, it just wasn’t quite for me, yet I’ve rated it as I did because I did not get bored and the last hour was good and bloody.

[Rhiannon Boyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. This was a disappointment. Not really a vampire novel at all, but a bug horror. The writing was fine but the story completely missed the mark for me. It started out promisingly enough: a group of 8 friends always vacations together at the same house in the desert. When one of the 4 couples' marriage disintegrates and they split up it gets awkward when Vic attends solo. But on the way he meets a mysterious woman who seems to exert some power over him.

At first the relationship building was interesting but then it just dragged on and on with nothing substantial happening. At 60% in I put the book away and went on to something else. Returned to it 4 days later and still no improvement but I finished it.

Here’s why it disappointed me: It said it was a vampire novel. And the opening chapters set up the isolated desert town to good effect and I could absolutely get that vibe. But the book was really a bug infestation horror story, with some vague cosmic overtones, seen through the lens of the newly single Vic who is mourning his marriage. He’s insufferable, as are pretty much most of the characters. I didn’t care about any of them. The vampire aspect is a HUGE stretch. Now, I like all horror, but the setup promised a Dusk Til Dawn vibe (and it had that for a scene that was pretty much a direct crib of the movie) and the fact that this took so long to get anywhere, and then ultimately end up being worms and a completely unexplained reappearance and killing of hummingbirds 🙄… well that plus the slow plot just frustrated me. It felt... messy.

Two stars for decent writing and setting but that’s about it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Zando Projects for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.