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Monstrous
Not yet published
Expected 22 Sep 26256 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 22, 2026
About the author
Bryan Smith
120 books797 followersBryan Smith is the Splatterpunk Award-winning author of more than forty horror and crime books, including 68 Kill, the cult classic Depraved and its sequels, as well as The Killing Kind, Slowly We Rot, The Freakshow, and many more. Bestselling horror author Brian Keene called Slowly We Rot, "The best zombie novel I've ever read."
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
68 Kill was adapted into a motion picture directed by Trent Haaga and starring Matthew Gray Gubler of the long-running CBS series Criminal Minds. 68 Kill won the Midnighters Award at the SXSW film festival in 2017 and was released to wide acclaim, including positive reviews in The New York Times and Bloody Disgusting.
Bryan also co-scripted an original Harley Quinn story for the House of Horrors anthology from DC Comics. He has worked with renowned horror publishers in both the mass market and small press spheres, including Leisure Books, Samhain Publishing, Grindhouse Press, Death’s Head Press, and more. His works are available wherever books are sold, with select titles also available in German and Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Monstrous" moves very quickly through several different horror tropes, allowing the reader hardly a breather: serial killers, mental issues, liminal spaces, eldritch entities, reality rewrites, lost media, analog horror, psychopathy, hints of cosmic horror, and even workplace horror - it's only thanks to the author's great storytelling skills this all gels into one coherent story, despite the relatively short length and the relentless pacing! Layers upon layers are slowly revealed through the actions of a number of four interestingly yet enormously self-involved characters (characters which might have been more extensively fleshed out, yet, act and reason quite realistically when placed in the most absurd of situations).
The vibe reminded me a lot of the Backrooms (the movie), in the sense that it too combines the liminal and the supernatural with personal issues in an organic manner, not to mention the author devotes major parts of the book to the seemingly aimless wondering through bizarre architectural structures. However, in terms of both plot structure and claustrophobic atmosphere, "Monstrous" delivers an entirely different story: the sense of mystery in the book is far stronger than it is in the movie (whereas, admittedly, the feel of creepiness is less palpable), the core ideas often have a disturbing psychological point, bringing the varied plotlines closer to matters of retribution and redemption (thus avoiding consuming itself merely in liminality and ambiguity), and the ending seems to deliver a rather disquieting metaphysical message relatively to what has gone before (in contrast to the hand-waving resolution of the movie).
That said, the strongest aspect of the novel seemed to me ultimately to be its premise. I found the execution very uneven, even messy, especially as we get closer to the conclusion: it's repetitive (OK, that's to be expected since recursion is integral to liminal spaces), heavy truths are kept hidden for too long (resulting in frustration and mistrust on the part of the reader, hence it looks like the book doesn't repay the investment), and the different plotlines do not always cohere well together (especially the striking imbalance between tell and show in each story was a little tiresome).
Perhaps it'd be better if readers went into this blind. The strangeness of the plot and the vivid imagery (merely hinted at in the synopsis) are hugely attractive, and I believe the narrative would have only been strengthened with an even greater emphasis on the story's sinister aspects of the supernatural and liminal themes!
The vibe reminded me a lot of the Backrooms (the movie), in the sense that it too combines the liminal and the supernatural with personal issues in an organic manner, not to mention the author devotes major parts of the book to the seemingly aimless wondering through bizarre architectural structures. However, in terms of both plot structure and claustrophobic atmosphere, "Monstrous" delivers an entirely different story: the sense of mystery in the book is far stronger than it is in the movie (whereas, admittedly, the feel of creepiness is less palpable), the core ideas often have a disturbing psychological point, bringing the varied plotlines closer to matters of retribution and redemption (thus avoiding consuming itself merely in liminality and ambiguity), and the ending seems to deliver a rather disquieting metaphysical message relatively to what has gone before (in contrast to the hand-waving resolution of the movie).
That said, the strongest aspect of the novel seemed to me ultimately to be its premise. I found the execution very uneven, even messy, especially as we get closer to the conclusion: it's repetitive (OK, that's to be expected since recursion is integral to liminal spaces), heavy truths are kept hidden for too long (resulting in frustration and mistrust on the part of the reader, hence it looks like the book doesn't repay the investment), and the different plotlines do not always cohere well together (especially the striking imbalance between tell and show in each story was a little tiresome).
Perhaps it'd be better if readers went into this blind. The strangeness of the plot and the vivid imagery (merely hinted at in the synopsis) are hugely attractive, and I believe the narrative would have only been strengthened with an even greater emphasis on the story's sinister aspects of the supernatural and liminal themes!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
‘Monstrous’ features some solid ideas capitalising on the current popularity for weird architecture/’liminal spaces’. This was one of the aspects which drew me to the book in the first place, and it delivers on that front, with shifting rooms, melting floors, and a skyscraper ruled by nightmare logic. The idea of an eldritch force recruiting victims of trauma and tragedy to rewrite the narrative is genuinely interesting, but apart from a few other problems I had with the book which I’ll detail in a moment, it’s just too short. At approx. 250 pages, no single element has enough time to linger, and any sense of creeping mystery or conspiracy falls flat. A shame. Given another hundred pages a lot of issues might have been smoothed out.
Additionally, the book’s characters tend to be one-note/simplistic. David is the weakest of all, representing a failure to understand that although characters don’t need to be likeable, they do need to be interesting, and this generally implies dimensionality outside of satire. The one gesture towards a more complex character (his abuse as a child) is never more than a brief mention. Gina/Gabby has more depth but plays into regressive mental health stereotypes in the name of adding a shocking twist - it’s built into the premise that our major players are not nice people, but we don’t even really feel anything when they get their brutal comeuppances! Not to mention that some story elements played up as important to these characters never come to fruition. The book’s conceit that these characters are having their stories rewritten on the fly by a fairly amoral alien force means some of these threads are abandoned by design, but knowing that doesn’t necessarily make it any more satisfying to read.
The prose is simple, sometimes simplistic. It’s functional but not much more, with a tendency to overdescribe which serves only to ram an image or event down the reader’s gullet to make sure we get it, e.g. “There was only one proper way to deal with those who commit violence against you, and that was by responding with even greater violence, by showing no mercy” - everything beyond the first comma weakens the overall sentence! Obviously this comes down to the individual reader’s taste, and the book is eminently readable. I had hoped that with a pitch as strong as this one’s, the writing itself would match up.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Additionally, the book’s characters tend to be one-note/simplistic. David is the weakest of all, representing a failure to understand that although characters don’t need to be likeable, they do need to be interesting, and this generally implies dimensionality outside of satire. The one gesture towards a more complex character (his abuse as a child) is never more than a brief mention. Gina/Gabby has more depth but plays into regressive mental health stereotypes in the name of adding a shocking twist - it’s built into the premise that our major players are not nice people, but we don’t even really feel anything when they get their brutal comeuppances! Not to mention that some story elements played up as important to these characters never come to fruition. The book’s conceit that these characters are having their stories rewritten on the fly by a fairly amoral alien force means some of these threads are abandoned by design, but knowing that doesn’t necessarily make it any more satisfying to read.
The prose is simple, sometimes simplistic. It’s functional but not much more, with a tendency to overdescribe which serves only to ram an image or event down the reader’s gullet to make sure we get it, e.g. “There was only one proper way to deal with those who commit violence against you, and that was by responding with even greater violence, by showing no mercy” - everything beyond the first comma weakens the overall sentence! Obviously this comes down to the individual reader’s taste, and the book is eminently readable. I had hoped that with a pitch as strong as this one’s, the writing itself would match up.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Monstrous follows several characters whose lives collide under very strange circumstances.
David is an aspiring serial killer who takes his intended victim, Calista, to a remote mountain location. Gina hiking in the same area attempting to hide evidence of a brutal crime. An unnatural storm suddenly descends and they find themselves transported into a mist shrouded field. In the centre of this strange landscape stands a solitary massive skyscraper, the only identifying feature a plaque on the door with the word monstrous. Each of them enter this strange building and experience disturbing horrors while trying to figure out where they are and why they are there.
This was such a strange book, and absolutely not what I expected from the blurb. I finished it feeling incredibly confused by what I’d read. The premise sounded really interesting – a potential serial killer and a woman hiding a crime swept into a cosmic nightmare – however for me it just didn’t meet my expectations.
I actually liked the initial mystery and the atmosphere. There was definitely something creepy about the setting, and I enjoyed not knowing exactly what was happening at first. The whole situation had that unsettling, liminal feeling where you know something is very wrong but can't quite figure out what. I definitely got some backrooms vibes from the initial chapters when they first find themselves in this strange building. However, this curiosity soon waned and what started off as intriguing quickly became frustrating. I kept waiting for everything to click into place and make sense, but all I got was more questions than answers.
I don't mind books that make you work things out for yourself, but I still need to feel like there is some kind of payoff at the end. With this, I just felt unsatisfied. There were some interesting ideas around morality, guilt, punishment and what makes someone a monster, but I don't think they were explored in a way that really worked for me.
There were some genuinely disturbing and gruesome moments, and the atmosphere was pretty creepy but I just wish that by the end I had something more concrete in regards to what was actually going on. Not a terrible read by any means, but just not a book for me.
David is an aspiring serial killer who takes his intended victim, Calista, to a remote mountain location. Gina hiking in the same area attempting to hide evidence of a brutal crime. An unnatural storm suddenly descends and they find themselves transported into a mist shrouded field. In the centre of this strange landscape stands a solitary massive skyscraper, the only identifying feature a plaque on the door with the word monstrous. Each of them enter this strange building and experience disturbing horrors while trying to figure out where they are and why they are there.
This was such a strange book, and absolutely not what I expected from the blurb. I finished it feeling incredibly confused by what I’d read. The premise sounded really interesting – a potential serial killer and a woman hiding a crime swept into a cosmic nightmare – however for me it just didn’t meet my expectations.
I actually liked the initial mystery and the atmosphere. There was definitely something creepy about the setting, and I enjoyed not knowing exactly what was happening at first. The whole situation had that unsettling, liminal feeling where you know something is very wrong but can't quite figure out what. I definitely got some backrooms vibes from the initial chapters when they first find themselves in this strange building. However, this curiosity soon waned and what started off as intriguing quickly became frustrating. I kept waiting for everything to click into place and make sense, but all I got was more questions than answers.
I don't mind books that make you work things out for yourself, but I still need to feel like there is some kind of payoff at the end. With this, I just felt unsatisfied. There were some interesting ideas around morality, guilt, punishment and what makes someone a monster, but I don't think they were explored in a way that really worked for me.
There were some genuinely disturbing and gruesome moments, and the atmosphere was pretty creepy but I just wish that by the end I had something more concrete in regards to what was actually going on. Not a terrible read by any means, but just not a book for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow, one of the most surprising books of the year for me. Bryan Smith has created an unputdownable tale of cosmic horror that starts rocking from page one and slowly, organically expands into a complex, mysterious world.
Readers are best going into this one blind, and I’m intentionally being restrained in what I say because I feel like anything more would take away from the experience. The synopsis is essentially exhausted within the first 10% of the novel, and I appreciated the way Smith gradually builds both the world and the mystery rather than front-loading the reader with exposition. The pacing is relentless, making it nearly impossible to put this book down.
It’s atmospheric, visceral, and surprisingly thought-provoking. The horror elements are absolutely spot on—the weaponization of liminal spaces, the gore (which exists to serve the plot instead of the other way around), the psychological horror, and more all work together to destabilize the reader as they navigate this bizarre world.
The multiple POVs are handled flawlessly. Often, I find myself more invested in some perspectives than others, but here I was equally invested in every one of them, each for completely different reasons. One of those perspectives belongs to the novel’s opening killer, and Smith walks a fascinating line with his characterization. Any time the reader begins to feel even the slightest sympathy for him, Smith quickly reminds you exactly who he is.
What impressed me most, though, was the restraint. Smith leaves just enough open to interpretation that I found myself thinking about the novel long after I finished it, but never so much that it became frustrating. It’s a difficult balance to strike, and one that this book absolutely nails.
This whole book feels “not right” in the best possible way. The atmosphere, the plot, and the characters all work together to create a compelling work of cosmic horror that lingered with me long after I turned the final page. Readers who enjoy cosmic horror, relentless pacing, unsettling atmosphere, and stories that trust the reader will find a lot to love here.
Readers are best going into this one blind, and I’m intentionally being restrained in what I say because I feel like anything more would take away from the experience. The synopsis is essentially exhausted within the first 10% of the novel, and I appreciated the way Smith gradually builds both the world and the mystery rather than front-loading the reader with exposition. The pacing is relentless, making it nearly impossible to put this book down.
It’s atmospheric, visceral, and surprisingly thought-provoking. The horror elements are absolutely spot on—the weaponization of liminal spaces, the gore (which exists to serve the plot instead of the other way around), the psychological horror, and more all work together to destabilize the reader as they navigate this bizarre world.
The multiple POVs are handled flawlessly. Often, I find myself more invested in some perspectives than others, but here I was equally invested in every one of them, each for completely different reasons. One of those perspectives belongs to the novel’s opening killer, and Smith walks a fascinating line with his characterization. Any time the reader begins to feel even the slightest sympathy for him, Smith quickly reminds you exactly who he is.
What impressed me most, though, was the restraint. Smith leaves just enough open to interpretation that I found myself thinking about the novel long after I finished it, but never so much that it became frustrating. It’s a difficult balance to strike, and one that this book absolutely nails.
This whole book feels “not right” in the best possible way. The atmosphere, the plot, and the characters all work together to create a compelling work of cosmic horror that lingered with me long after I turned the final page. Readers who enjoy cosmic horror, relentless pacing, unsettling atmosphere, and stories that trust the reader will find a lot to love here.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Bryan Smith is a new author for me and I would love to read more stories by Bryan. I think he is a brilliant writer. The smooth and crisp writing makes the story move quickly and is definitely the style I enjoy. While the writing is fantastic and the plot is absolutely wicked, I do have some issues with the story.
The story is about three people who are stuck in a building they find in the middle of the forest. They fight their way out with tasks required of them to move up and receive a chance to get out. They go through so much to try and reach that freedom.
It’s a fun story, but there are some parts that I wish there were more. The character development and world building lack substance. I would love to know more about David… what led him to the acts he so desperately wants to accomplish. Calista is another one, I want to know her background, too. I began to care about the characters as the story went, but in the end, I kind of just shrugged at what their ending was.
I would love to get more of an atmospheric vibe to the story. The forest, the building, the rooms… I need to feel more of the oppression. More of the fear and the hate the characters have. Having a deeper reaction to the world would have helped.
The plot is absolutely a blast. I love how the story ended, a very clever ending.
About three people are stuck in a building they find in the middle of the forest. They fight their way out with tasks required of them to move up and they have a chance to get out.
All in all, I enjoyed it. Bryan Smith is definitely an author I would read again. If this story is any indication of his work, he is certainly a keeper.
The story is about three people who are stuck in a building they find in the middle of the forest. They fight their way out with tasks required of them to move up and receive a chance to get out. They go through so much to try and reach that freedom.
It’s a fun story, but there are some parts that I wish there were more. The character development and world building lack substance. I would love to know more about David… what led him to the acts he so desperately wants to accomplish. Calista is another one, I want to know her background, too. I began to care about the characters as the story went, but in the end, I kind of just shrugged at what their ending was.
I would love to get more of an atmospheric vibe to the story. The forest, the building, the rooms… I need to feel more of the oppression. More of the fear and the hate the characters have. Having a deeper reaction to the world would have helped.
The plot is absolutely a blast. I love how the story ended, a very clever ending.
About three people are stuck in a building they find in the middle of the forest. They fight their way out with tasks required of them to move up and they have a chance to get out.
All in all, I enjoyed it. Bryan Smith is definitely an author I would read again. If this story is any indication of his work, he is certainly a keeper.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely loved this, I saw a friend talking about it and they never steer me wrong, so here we are 😍.
A serial killer or well wannabe one is looking for a place to hide some evidence and a remote location seems the easy choice, not many people and no prying eyes, but he runs into a woman and a weird weather drops them into a mist covered field with just a single insanely tall building outside that says "Monstrous" what could it mean?
Is this punishment, if so what could this woman have done that would land her with him? Do they work together and if this is punishment, how can he trust someone as morally bankrupt as he is..
I loved how off it felt the whole time I read this, I kept thinking, is this how they felt? Disoriented but desperate for answers.
What the fuck is going on and this building, do they go in?
I'm just obsessed with this weird chaos story, I need more of this?
A serial killer or well wannabe one is looking for a place to hide some evidence and a remote location seems the easy choice, not many people and no prying eyes, but he runs into a woman and a weird weather drops them into a mist covered field with just a single insanely tall building outside that says "Monstrous" what could it mean?
Is this punishment, if so what could this woman have done that would land her with him? Do they work together and if this is punishment, how can he trust someone as morally bankrupt as he is..
I loved how off it felt the whole time I read this, I kept thinking, is this how they felt? Disoriented but desperate for answers.
What the fuck is going on and this building, do they go in?
I'm just obsessed with this weird chaos story, I need more of this?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
David is a serial Killer who has nary a redeemable quality about him, think the serial Killer in Dean Koontz' book Intensity! He is interrupted during a kill by a pair of hikers. The hikers are Gina and her boyfriend Finn And are up to no good. Gina's crazy sister Carla has murdered someone and now Gina is trying to dispose of the body. Shenanigans ensue. Of course they do. We also follow Calista. David's victim at the beginning of the book.
Problem number 1. David is such a comically bad person he is in no way realistic as a character.
Problem number 2. The story did more rambling than the kid garage band down the street riffing on freebird!! This one was just too loose to make up a consistent story for me. 2 1/2 stars rounded up because the premise was great.
Problem number 1. David is such a comically bad person he is in no way realistic as a character.
Problem number 2. The story did more rambling than the kid garage band down the street riffing on freebird!! This one was just too loose to make up a consistent story for me. 2 1/2 stars rounded up because the premise was great.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A really intriguing read and entertaining take on liminal horror, not to mention characters that are so easy to be invested in, either because they're absolute cretins that you want to see doomed, or relatable and interesting so you want to see them work their way out of their predicament. Loads of fun.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I'm not hugely into liminal space horror, but this was so interesting and entertaining, not least because one character in particular was heinous and I was invested in their downfall. Brilliant character work!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another enjoyable read from Bryan Smith. Haven't read from him lately, but will need to change that. #Monstrous #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Based on the author's reputation, I was expecting this book to be more gory. There is some blood and guts but not as much as I thought there would be. Three people enter a tall skyscraper set in the middle of a field. All three have a completely different experience. The story is mind bending. The reader can never get a feel for what is happening, because it is so off the wall. If there is a reason for what is befalling the characters, we are never really let in on it. This is cosmic horror that makes you question reality.
I received a free ARC from the publisher
I received a free ARC from the publisher
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews