Cherry Kills

by Sean Thomas McDonnell, Butcher Billy (Illustrator), Shane Bzdok (Layout)

Cherry Kills wants to be left alone. 

Unfortunately, her Alternates: an overprotective lug, a happy-go-lucky child, and a mute rabbit the size of a man, have other plans. They’ve haunted her since her father’s violent death, following her from grimy punk clubs to the TV-static halls of her apartment building. The doctor calls them hallucinations, symptoms of trauma.

But when her Alternates start interacting with the world around her, Cherry realizes it might not be all in her head.

178 pages, Paperback

Published February 13, 2026

About the author

Sean Thomas McDonnell is a contest-winning Bay Area horror writer who specializes in blending visceral imagery with moments of quiet dread. His stories delve into themes of powerlessness vs. agency, moral ambiguity, and human fragility.

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

What a gloriously weird little book. I mean that in the best possible way. This zany, fast-paced read will have you scratching your head, wondering what's real and what's just Cherry's wild imagination. I did snort with laughter in a few spots, but I also found it tackled some pretty heavy stuff. I'm super excited to dive into more of this author's offbeat adventures.

Thanks to Book Sirens for sending me an advanced copy to read and review

[Torrie Lennon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll be completely honest, it took me until about chapter 4 to fully lock in. But once I did, I absolutely devoured this book. I read it every chance I had.

What started as getting to know cherry turned into a mystery I needed to unravel. Every chapter gave you just enough to keep me guessing, and I found myself reaching for it every spare moment I had to figure out what was going on!

Cherry is such a stand out main character. Her sarcastic dry edge felt so real, especially the way it was shaped from her childhood. Her alternates though? They balanced her personality perfectly. The dynamics between them all added so much depth and it made her world seem more layered then her just being crazy and chaotic.

This is a genuine re read for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[J. R. Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was one of the lucky few to read this novella early. This was a fast paced read perfect for when you are deep in that reading hangover.

The main character is painted in vivid rebellion and gut punch decision making. Cherry is being stalked and forced to face unimaginable horrors, but are they even real? This book keeps you guessing what truly is haunting Cherry. Is it her memories, her grief, or actual eldritch monsters? This book is a potent mix of fantasy, noir mystery, cosmic horror, and a dose of mythos. As the reader you will find yourself questioning what is real, and what is just in her head. Normal, sane, crazy, it's all the same in the world of Cherry Kills.

[Zimbellina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry has 3 imaginary friends and no job. She quickly gets pulled into some bizarre, deadly things.

I loved this book! It was a great read, I read it all in one sitting. I loved Cherry and her alternates and the ending was so so good. Excellent story!

[Jean Marie Bauhaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kick-ass book that's relentlessly entertaining from cover to cover. If Wonderfalls was more action-oriented, it would be a lot like Cherry Kills. As a GenXer, I couldn't get enough of the '80's and early '90s pop culture references. This was just a fun read, and I zoomed through it. I've never been disappointed by this author's writing, and this was no exception.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brogan Plot Twist & Chill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not going to lie this book was super interesting and a quick read but it did take me a little bit to get into it. I am glad I did though because the message I got from Cherry was that no matter what experiences you go through in life you should always trust your instincts and yourself.

Grief can be very self-destructive and sometimes you have to find other ways to cope with your grief and Cherry did just that. Her “Alternates” were definitely a breath of fresh air for her and it just took a little time for her to realize that.

This was definitely a good book to read after reading an emotionally damaging 600 page book. I wish the story would have been longer because I am used to reading longer books but I was very impressed with the authors writing style and can’t wait to see more what other books he has written.

Thank you Booksirens for my advanced readers copy!

[Ginny Wallis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I feel like ive been on a trip of an alternative kind. what a wonderous, imaginative story.

I finished this in a couple of hours, and they were hours well spent. A nice quick fun read, that will get you get you questioning "did i just read that?" in the best possible way. I was quickly drawn into the world and storytelling. The main character is likeable, she appears to be a bit of a train wreck at first, but you soon discover theres alot more to her.

I loved the pace, the characters, the plot. The only thing that would have earned that extra star is if it was a little darker.

[blueberrylilac · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a weird, fast-paced, and fun little book! I had a great time with this read, never felt bored, and was thrilled to read a wacky adventure novel right after reading a couple books with heavier subject matter. It’s fun and refreshing, and while not typically up my alley genre-wise, it has made me want to give more books like this a go. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[merlin513 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like someone dropped acid while reading a MAD magazine story, and the artwork only enhances the trip!

Short and sweet and oh so deserving of multiple helpings of Cherry Kills. Here’s hoping for many happy sequels!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Keith Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books and covers and judging. Let’s just say, the cover is a definite factor in if I check out a book by an unknown author, more than the back blurb honestly Cherry Kills screams read me. It looks real damn good. The book itself reads smooth and quick with moments of horror that kick like a horse. The vibe felt to me like John Dies at the End crossed with Whalefall and dotted with the 80’s nostalgia of Ready Player One. I loved it. It was endearing, fun, well written, with horror flash-welded in, all paced well and cut up to perfectly sized bites. The physical boom itself deserves a review all its own, is gorgeous. The cover is stunning and informed my mental reading of the characters. The layout is so professional and crisp, I was showing it off to my friends. It’s currently out on load to one of them. The size is wonderful too, I want way more books like this size.
This is a piece of art to be proud of, for all involved.
Also, spoiler warning for the ending:
I like that Cherry maintained the near-omnipotent ability to wish for things in the end. Most stories give their MC an ability like this and then take it away in the end, but not Cherry. I thought that was cool.

[Alex Jeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry Kills is all kinds of fun! It felt like a crazy, punk rock, psychedelic trip. This punk noir novella shines due to Sean Thomas McDonnell’s wild imagination and tasty literary flair.

[Hijab Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cherry Kills by Sean Thomas McDonnell is a dark, weird, emotionally bruised horror novel with punk energy, grief, occult chaos, and a protagonist who feels jagged in a very human way. Cherry starts off as sharp-tongued, messy, funny, and deeply wounded, haunted by her father’s death and surrounded by the “Alternates” she thinks are just hallucinations. The book gradually turns that emotional instability into something stranger and bigger. I do not want to get too specific because this is a book that is better when some of its madness is left to unfold on its own.

What worked best for me was Cherry herself. Her voice is the strongest thing in the book: sarcastic, wounded, funny, and sad all at once. Even when the plot gets bonkers, her narration keeps it grounded. The emotional core is really about grief, abandonment, identity, and the fear that trauma has made you “broken”, and the story keeps returning to that through her relationship with her dead father, her mother’s mystery, and the strange family she forms with Uncle, Daisy, and Elwood. That emotional thread gives the story more weight than the wild premise alone would have had. Daisy especially gives the book a surprising amount of heart, and the strange tenderness running through Cherry’s relationships with the Alternates ended up meaning a lot to me.

The atmosphere is another big strength. The book has a grimy, neon, late-night feel with punk club energy, shabby apartments, weird restaurants, strange creatures, and a constant sense that reality is about to split open. The prose is vivid, gritty, and theatrical in a way that really suits the story, and even at its strangest it keeps the mood immersive. I also loved how the book slowly reframes the Alternates and gives the found-family thread real emotional payoff. This was not an instant five-star read for me, though. It took me until around chapter five to fully get into it, and I would have liked a little less explanation in places and more room for certain things to unfold naturally. Still, those are small criticisms compared to how much I admired the voice, atmosphere, and heart of the book. Overall, this felt messy in the best way: heartfelt, bizarre, and full of personality.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Thank you Book Sirens for the e-ARC.

[Linnea · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Sean Thomas McDonnell’s Cherry Kills is a strange little book that is pretty much perfect for curing a reading slump if you don’t mind a bit of horror and violence. The book also has some very nice artwork that help set the mood.

Cherry has been haunted by three strange, possibly imaginary creatures since her father’s death. When she gets pulled into some strange events, the at-times-frustrating Alternates turn out to be more helpful than Cherry could have imagined. The story moves along fast, but you still get a good feel of the characters and care about what’s happening to them.

Cherry Kills reminded me of episodes of Buffy and Charmed; it has humour, some very creepy stuff, mythology and a lovable bunch of characters. The ending also suits the tv series metaphor, since it feels like the characters might be back for another season but the story still feels complete enough.

[Chris Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the story itself wasn't necessarily my thing, I really liked how original this book was. The characters (especially the main ones) felt unique and well-developed, and I enjoyed the writing style and the fast pacing too. All around a great book.

Also: Almost forgot about the sick artwork! Love it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lyndsey Resnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild ride! Raucous, funny and unexpectedly tender-hearted, Cherry Kills packs a punch. Action, mystery, dark magic--this story truly does have it all.

[Hanna Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.
A fun, fast-paced novella with just enough mystery to keep it all tidy at the end for the big reveal and the tidy-up.
I enjoyed the psychological edge and the Egyptian themes throughout. It's a tight, confident tale with a great range of characters, magic and thrills. Probably going to read this again one day.

[IDMT · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crazy, entertaining read about grief & loss but also about friends and finding a new family.

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an Ecopy of Cherry Kills by Sean McDonnel to read and review.
All opinions are my own.




We follow Cherry and her band of Alternates, a lumberjack of a man, a small girl, and an anthropomorphic bunny rabbit. The relationship she has with her alternates is fair at best, with her frequently running away to her favorite local dives to escape the constant barrage of opinions from Uncle and little Daisy's need to call her "Mama".

Cherry knows her alternates are only in her mind, a product of trauma due to witnessing her father's horrific death. They shouldn't be able to interact with the world, but when Cherry is put in a life-threatening situation and her Alternate Uncle is able to thwart the attack, Cherry starts to question if her Alternates truly are in her head. Glyphs begin appearing on her body, her ANKH earrings thrum with a newfound power, as she searches for answers to questions her father had left behind for her to ask.

Rating: 3.3 Stars

C.A.W.P.I.L.E. REVIEW

Characters: 7/10
The characters in this story were very loveable, especially our mute Bunny friend and young Daisy.
Cherry is a sarcastic and funny which I appreciate.

Atmosphere: 6/10
As other reviews have stated, there is definitely a bit of a steam punk aura to Cherry's world. For a short story the amount of detail in the world building is to be expected.

Writing Style: 5/10
It was clear throughout the book that McDonell is a very descriptive writer. The writing felt flat when it came to Daisy, with the sentences "…her little brown legs moving as fast as they could", "the bottle of paint loosely gripped in her tiny brown hand" and "…Daisy lifted her little brown hand…" all appearing within the same page (pg. 108). Copper? Chocolate? Mahogany? Espresso? Almond? Melanin rich? Just a few words besides brown that can be used for future reference when describing the only Black character in a book.
If it weren't for this gripe, I would have rated the writing style higher.

Plot: 5/10
While there was a uniqueness to the story line, I do feel that it could have been more fleshed out.

Intrigue: 10/10
I was immediately drawn to the cover and brief description of the book given on BookSiren.

Logic/relationships: 7/10

Enjoyment:7/10

I did not enjoy this book as much as I was hoping to, but I do see the talent and potential in this author's future works. For this reason, I would recommend this book to others and am looking forward to reading more from Sean McDonnell.


Thank you to BookSiren and Tiny Worlds Publishing for gifting me a copy of Cherry Kills by Sean McDonnel
Publishing Date: February 13th, 2026

[Read By Redbeard · Rating 3 out of 5]

THIS IS A REVIEW FOR A FREE COPY PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER. THIS REVIEW IS OFFERED VOLUNTARILY WITH NO EXPECTATIONS.

General Thoughts

Just to be up front, I really enjoyed this book. My actual rating would be a 3.75 stars, but this site does not allow that specific of a rating. This was the perfect book for me to read on a trip I was taking. It took me about 3-3.5 hours to complete this book. It is listed as a horror book on some sites, but I did not find it leaning too much into the genre. I was fine with that, but if you are expecting a deep horror story, this may not be it for you.

Positive Aspects

The characters were entertaining. Daisy, by far, was my favorite. The story and main plot are well developed and enacted for a book that is less than 200 pages. I have read books of 300+ pages that let the plot fall through and lost me as a reader. I really enjoyed the semi-Frank Miller's Sin City feel of the writing and the story. The art on the start of each chapter really added to that feel. The villain reveal is well done and even the hints that are dropped are subtle but there. Once I got to that part in the book, I did scroll back and started seeing some of those hints that I initially missed.

Possible Improvements (completely based on my opinion)

Like I stated, the villain reveal was great, but once that happened, it was kind of a let down to the main story between our hero and her antagonist. Everything after that felt really easy to put together and I had the importance of the MacGuffin figured out. I also would have liked to have more added with some of the flashbacks between Cherry and her dad as well as the triggering event that created our villain. It was touched on a little but I think even another page or two into it would have helped me have some more compassion for the villain. I also don't believe that in a Frank Miller-esque setting that Cherry, at least by the time she was an adult, would have figured out what it was that her dad truly did for his job. I do not remember this ever being addressed.

Wrap-up

Again, this is a great shorter story that I would highly recommend for a perfect travel book. If you have a long drive or flight somewhere sometime soon, and you are a fan of that "Sin City" style of story telling, I would highly recommend picking up this book.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry Kills is very outside my genre comfort zone of “mystery/thriller” but I was very pleasantly surprised by this fast paced, fantastical adventure.

Cherry is like a more irreverent Buffy Summers. Issuing quips while trying to solve a mystery and stay alive. All of this while she continues to feel grief over the horrible death of her ambiguously employed single father eight years prior.

Cherry has an endearing crew of friends (much like Buffy’s Scooby Gang) who follow her everywhere. But unlike Willow and Xander, these friends are all in Cherry’s head, manifested the night of her father’s death.

There is more to “The Alternates”, as Cherry calls them, as well as the new bizarre incidents happening to Cherry after she met a woman named Mai at her favorite restaurant but you will need to check out Cherry Kills to find out more as I am attempting a spoiler free review!

On a total side note, I sometimes have issues with the novella format. They always seem to leave me feeling like the story was either under developed or too rushed. Cherry Kills felt like neither of these things, it was a perfect story for the length.

(I received a copy of this book to review ahead of publication, thank you to the author!)

[Alena Hatter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry Kills is a short, punchy, and unapologetically brilliant read that blends comedy, horror, and surrealism with grief quietly humming underneath it all.

I’ll be honest: the first chapter gave me a bit of trouble. The writing style took a moment to click, and I wasn’t entirely sure where the book was taking me. But somewhere in chapter two, it locked in, and from that point on, it was a glorious, unhinged ride.

Once it finds its rhythm, everything works. The characters, the plot, the strange logic of the world, and the vivid, almost feral descriptions sent my imagination into overdrive. This is the kind of book that doesn’t just ask you to picture things; it drags you along and dares you to keep up. I loved every second of it.

Cherry Kills is perfect for readers who want something a little experimental, but still crave an emotional hit that comes fast and hits hard. It’s bold, weird, funny, unsettling and heartfelt.

A strong 5 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an advance review copy for free (thanks, BookSirens!) and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Paul R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the distinct pleasure of pre-reading Cherry Kills. I have read several short stories from Sean and he has knack for writing imaginative stories that are really tethered to matters of the heart. My biggest take away from Cherry Kills is how we deal with grief especially when losing the ones we love. I think Cherry Kills has a resonant message of how grief can sometimes define us-only if we let it. If we persevere we can use that grief to become stronger and learn to love ourselves. I was excited to read this story and Cherry Kills didn't disappoint. Sean has a real gift.

[Jessica Maison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry Kills is a little bit horror, a little bit punk noir, and a whole lot of heart. At first Cherry seems to be losing her mind, interacting with imaginary friends, her Alternatives, but then something sinister and supernatural starts tracking her, and she starts to believe that these Alternatives might actually be real. She's also trying to deal with the trauma of her father's death and the dark powers he may or may not have been involved with. It's pulpy in a great way, and the mystery's resolution is super satisfying.

[EJ Trask · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry Kills is a ride you've never been on before. At once nostalgic and totally unexpected, it is an exciting, inventive, and emotionally resonant read. McDonnell is so good at creating characters you want to fight for, and I wanted to fight for (and alongside) Cherry and her alternates from the first page. I hope I'll get to see her on a another adventure one day.

[J. Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry Kills is a metaphysical tour-de-force that never feels pretentious. Big ideas arrive dressed as pop culture and dark humor. I finished it and immediately wanted to talk to someone about it. That’s the mark of a dangerous, memorable book.

[Tamara L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry Kills is a page turner! A little mystery, a lot of suspense, great characters and just the right touch of magic.

[Red Noronha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Sean Thomas McDonnell’s Cherry Kills and… wow! Loved the voice, the Egyptian themes, the punk energy, everything. My only question is: when’s the sequel coming out?

[Thomas Schecter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really fun read for anyone who likes their horror with a psychological twist—and a pretty powerful treatise on grief, too, and what it can do to us. Sean always brings the goods.