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AFTERTASTE
"Absolutely gut-wrenching. Kyle M. Scott will turn your stomach as you keep turning pages!”-- Tim Miller, author of Hacked and Hell, Texas When 'Waldo's Burger Emporium' rolls into the small town of Plainfield, Ohio, to open the doors of its first fast food restaurant, the whole town is excited. It's a big deal for such a quiet community, and soon the families are flocking to taste its wares. High school renegade, Slim, can read the writing on the wall. And in the bright, smiling world of Waldo's, she sees a burgeoning franchise that will swat aside the mom and pop businesses of Middle-America like flies. She understands how these corporations work. Not to mention what they put in their products... John has witnessed first-hand the immediate and violent illness that has overcome his best buddy, Sam. He's convinced there's something sinister at work in Waldo's. For Slim, John and their loved ones, avoiding the junk food being peddled at Waldo's is a matter of principle. It's also the only chance they have... Within the garish, multi-colored walls of Waldo's, a darkness is nesting. And there's something in the meat... Something that feeds on more than human flesh. Something that consumes a person's will. Something unimaginably evil has come to Plainfield, and soon the quaint little town will come to understand the perversity and darkness that resides in the human soul. The people of Plainfield are about to swallow their morals, whole...
- GenresHorrorSplatterpunk
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2015
7 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Kyle M. Scott
32 books85 followersKyle M. Scott is a horror author from Scotland. His works include:
Devil's Day
The Club
Aftertaste
Where the Dead Ones Play
A Better Life
Razorblade Candies
Consumed
&
Dark Island.
He enjoys chatting with his readers, and can regularly be found on social media, despite his somewhat tenuous grasp on technology.
Contact Kyle at:
www.facebook.com/kyle.scott.9026
authorkylemscott@outlook.com
Devil's Day
The Club
Aftertaste
Where the Dead Ones Play
A Better Life
Razorblade Candies
Consumed
&
Dark Island.
He enjoys chatting with his readers, and can regularly be found on social media, despite his somewhat tenuous grasp on technology.
Contact Kyle at:
www.facebook.com/kyle.scott.9026
authorkylemscott@outlook.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 9, 2022
Waldo's Burger Emporium is the new happening place for fast food. Residents flock to get their burger and fries. There is something lurking in the food at Waldo's that turns the customer into a vile, raging cannibals. Slim and John knows something is wrong. They have seen the transformation before their very eyes. Can they make it out of town before becoming a human happy meal?
This book was written for splatterpunk fans. Page to page of blood and gore. You will not be disappointed.
This book was written for splatterpunk fans. Page to page of blood and gore. You will not be disappointed.
February 10, 2025
This was a mind numbing, absolutely debaucherous, and entertaining horror adventure. Demons, killer fast food, and Simon McHardy level gore and sex? Um, I'm definitely in. I seriously had to keep checking who the author was, as I literally thought at several points that this was a McHardy joint. That's not a bad thing, but rather a great compliment to the author. But I so thoroughly enjoyed the actually quality of the writing, and while the content was really vulgar and splatterpunkerific (I've wanted to invent a word lately and there it is. Sorry it wasn't better, lol.), it was a great deal of fun. If you aren't into over the top books, this one is definitely not for you. The violence and intimate situations extend far beyond the normal descriptions that standard horror fare would. I was thrown off on two occasions with scene transitions being a little wonky, but beyond that, the book is overall really well done. This was my first outing with Kyle M. Scott, but I'm now officially a fan, and can't wait to see what other insanity he's developed for his other stories.
July 11, 2016
My first sample of Kyle M. Scott proved to be fairly tasty. An increasingly gore laden book that throws in some nasty sex scenes to up the ante, Aftertaste depicts what happens when a new burger franchise that is actually a front for something much nastier than the pursuit of profit at the expense of quality foods opens in small town America.
A simple enough and straight forward premise, Scott's novel begins well enough, introducing main character Slim and her battles with her meat-loving family. But as the narrative progresses, some less than stellar support characters that are neither realistic nor relatable begin to undermine proceedings. The worst example of this is one whose 180 degree arc is not at all set-up and feels too much like a good idea coming too late in the process without the necessary re-write of the early sections to "earn it".
The ultimate villain responsible for the evil inflicted on the town also came across as too simplistic and juvenile for my tastes.
Those criticisms aside, there was some good old fashioned, nasty fun to be had with Aftertaste. I also quite liked Scott's writing style - effectively straight forward without being overly wordy - so I will be back for a second-helping.
3 Parasite-Riddled Burger Paddies for Aftertaste.
A simple enough and straight forward premise, Scott's novel begins well enough, introducing main character Slim and her battles with her meat-loving family. But as the narrative progresses, some less than stellar support characters that are neither realistic nor relatable begin to undermine proceedings. The worst example of this is one whose 180 degree arc is not at all set-up and feels too much like a good idea coming too late in the process without the necessary re-write of the early sections to "earn it".
The ultimate villain responsible for the evil inflicted on the town also came across as too simplistic and juvenile for my tastes.
Those criticisms aside, there was some good old fashioned, nasty fun to be had with Aftertaste. I also quite liked Scott's writing style - effectively straight forward without being overly wordy - so I will be back for a second-helping.
3 Parasite-Riddled Burger Paddies for Aftertaste.
June 10, 2015
Nostalgia. It’s a funny word, one that has resonant meaning to me. It brings about fond memories of many an evening, tucked up in bed, sipping a cold Pepsi and reading a good book. My reading taste has varied over the years, from the obvious Laymon, King and Hutson, to the more secretive aspect of my reading library in Enid Blyton, The Three Investigators and Sherlock Holmes. Where these aren’t a surprise to a few – hello, Mum – they helped shape my book taste to this very day. True, I love a good horror, but I started off humble and basic, with books that spoke of childhood adventure and discovery.
So, what has this got to do with my review today? We’ll get to that in a second.
Aftertaste is the third book from Kyle M. Scott (following his impressive debut, Consumed Volume 1 and his excellent follow up, Devil’s Day – scroll down my blog for the review). Plainfield, Ohio, a normal town in the heart of America. When Waldo’s Burger Emporium comes to town, their very first fast food restaurant, nearly everyone is eager to get their hands, and mouths, on the delicacies within. Some inhabitants aren’t so welcoming, preferring their health to the processed food. However, this turns out to be a wise move when they discover something isn’t quite right with Waldo’s…which is when people start to act a little weird…
I’ve said this many times – horror always works best when reality plays a key part. Fast food has long been the bane of many a celebrity chef, conscious parent or health freak, gradually addicting people to its SMG goodness and ‘I’ll just have one more’ mentality. How many people do we know that can’t resist one more takeaway or an extra portion of fries? It’s a constant trope in society, one that doesn’t look like disappearing anytime soon. The human mind is fickle, it seems, when food can be served so ‘quickly.’ In a world where speed is king and time is cherished, the problem is everygrowing. In fact, with a society dominated by consumerism, dietary advice and warning labels on every piece of food from here to Texas, it’s a surprise that Aftertaste wasn’t written sooner.
I’m glad it wasn’t. Scott takes an issue that many take for granted and turns it into a horror masterpiece.
From the very first page, the threat of Waldo’s is clear. A graphic set piece, which will change your outlook on trapped wind and hamburgers forever, opens the book in gory, blood soaked style. From that point, the book is a relentless juggernaut. Much like his previous book, Scott develops a likeable set of characters – a bunch of teenagers this time, some intelligent, some sexy, some dumb – who become the emotional heft of the tale. As their town – and fellow man – crumbles in chaos around them, we are with them every step of the way. We see what happens, we live it, feel it and, at times, you can even smell it. One particular scene sees a chubby girl shovelling food into her face. I couldn’t help but smell a McDonald’s on the air, envisioning myself sat opposite her, staring in disgust and amazement. The detail, the nuance of the story itself, the little touches, they really bring the book to life. If you’ve been to KFC or Burger King, this book will make you think twice. Ever considered a salad instead? After reading this, you just might.
As the book rolls along, picking up pace with every chapter, Scott doesn’t skimp on the good stuff. Blood? Check. Violence? Check? Sex? Check. There are lashings of these, to suit everyone. People die, people copulate and people attack one another, sometimes combining all of the three in some of the most graphic sex scenes since Society in 1989. Some may find it too much – be warned, Scott pulls no punches -, but in the context of the story, it works perfectly. Once again, much like Devil’s Day before it, we get a sense of unpredictability with the characters. We love them, we hate them, but we never really know who is safe from the chop at any given time. This uneasiness adds to the tension of the piece, where anything can happen purely because the inhabitants of Plainfield have no control…which is horror 101. If we can predict it, it’s no fun. Aftertaste, thankfully, is a lot of fun…just don’t eat it with a Big Mac in your hand.
The setting is familiar, the characters developed in scenes of immense horror, scenes which have been written by a scribe with a firm knowledge of his genre. Scott knows how to scare, to repulse and to generate emotion. Which brings me to my original point: Nostalgia. Aftertaste is written in such a way that you relive your childhood adventures. My teen years flew by all too quickly, but Aftertaste brought them crashing back to me in a heartbeat. The highs, the lows, the epic fails in young love, and the self discovery. True, I never visited a Waldo’s in my youth, that may have changed the outlook of this review drastically, but I did spend a lot of time at the local Wimpy, chase after a girl or two that were way out of my league and I also sought those urban legends, the horror stories that might not have been true but made the imagination fun again. A wasted youth? Maybe, but it was how we lived before the internet and Facebook and mobile phones. I may have read a lot of books, but I still had time to explore, make friends and discover the world of a teenager. Simpler times, ones I remember fondly. When a book can generate this reaction in a reader, you know you’re onto a winner.
So, five stars? Of course. Kyle M. Scott nailed my favourite book of the year in 2014. He’s in the running for 2015 too. Aftertaste is a fine example of extreme horror, one that uses a simple plot device to devastating effect. Great characters, wonderful set pieces – watch out for the sex scene in the alley, you’ll wince – and plenty of horror for even the most rabid horror reader. Not since Richard Laymon have I enjoyed reading someone’s work so much…which is ironic because if Scott carries on like this, we may have found a successor to the great man himself. An excellent read.
So, what has this got to do with my review today? We’ll get to that in a second.
Aftertaste is the third book from Kyle M. Scott (following his impressive debut, Consumed Volume 1 and his excellent follow up, Devil’s Day – scroll down my blog for the review). Plainfield, Ohio, a normal town in the heart of America. When Waldo’s Burger Emporium comes to town, their very first fast food restaurant, nearly everyone is eager to get their hands, and mouths, on the delicacies within. Some inhabitants aren’t so welcoming, preferring their health to the processed food. However, this turns out to be a wise move when they discover something isn’t quite right with Waldo’s…which is when people start to act a little weird…
I’ve said this many times – horror always works best when reality plays a key part. Fast food has long been the bane of many a celebrity chef, conscious parent or health freak, gradually addicting people to its SMG goodness and ‘I’ll just have one more’ mentality. How many people do we know that can’t resist one more takeaway or an extra portion of fries? It’s a constant trope in society, one that doesn’t look like disappearing anytime soon. The human mind is fickle, it seems, when food can be served so ‘quickly.’ In a world where speed is king and time is cherished, the problem is everygrowing. In fact, with a society dominated by consumerism, dietary advice and warning labels on every piece of food from here to Texas, it’s a surprise that Aftertaste wasn’t written sooner.
I’m glad it wasn’t. Scott takes an issue that many take for granted and turns it into a horror masterpiece.
From the very first page, the threat of Waldo’s is clear. A graphic set piece, which will change your outlook on trapped wind and hamburgers forever, opens the book in gory, blood soaked style. From that point, the book is a relentless juggernaut. Much like his previous book, Scott develops a likeable set of characters – a bunch of teenagers this time, some intelligent, some sexy, some dumb – who become the emotional heft of the tale. As their town – and fellow man – crumbles in chaos around them, we are with them every step of the way. We see what happens, we live it, feel it and, at times, you can even smell it. One particular scene sees a chubby girl shovelling food into her face. I couldn’t help but smell a McDonald’s on the air, envisioning myself sat opposite her, staring in disgust and amazement. The detail, the nuance of the story itself, the little touches, they really bring the book to life. If you’ve been to KFC or Burger King, this book will make you think twice. Ever considered a salad instead? After reading this, you just might.
As the book rolls along, picking up pace with every chapter, Scott doesn’t skimp on the good stuff. Blood? Check. Violence? Check? Sex? Check. There are lashings of these, to suit everyone. People die, people copulate and people attack one another, sometimes combining all of the three in some of the most graphic sex scenes since Society in 1989. Some may find it too much – be warned, Scott pulls no punches -, but in the context of the story, it works perfectly. Once again, much like Devil’s Day before it, we get a sense of unpredictability with the characters. We love them, we hate them, but we never really know who is safe from the chop at any given time. This uneasiness adds to the tension of the piece, where anything can happen purely because the inhabitants of Plainfield have no control…which is horror 101. If we can predict it, it’s no fun. Aftertaste, thankfully, is a lot of fun…just don’t eat it with a Big Mac in your hand.
The setting is familiar, the characters developed in scenes of immense horror, scenes which have been written by a scribe with a firm knowledge of his genre. Scott knows how to scare, to repulse and to generate emotion. Which brings me to my original point: Nostalgia. Aftertaste is written in such a way that you relive your childhood adventures. My teen years flew by all too quickly, but Aftertaste brought them crashing back to me in a heartbeat. The highs, the lows, the epic fails in young love, and the self discovery. True, I never visited a Waldo’s in my youth, that may have changed the outlook of this review drastically, but I did spend a lot of time at the local Wimpy, chase after a girl or two that were way out of my league and I also sought those urban legends, the horror stories that might not have been true but made the imagination fun again. A wasted youth? Maybe, but it was how we lived before the internet and Facebook and mobile phones. I may have read a lot of books, but I still had time to explore, make friends and discover the world of a teenager. Simpler times, ones I remember fondly. When a book can generate this reaction in a reader, you know you’re onto a winner.
So, five stars? Of course. Kyle M. Scott nailed my favourite book of the year in 2014. He’s in the running for 2015 too. Aftertaste is a fine example of extreme horror, one that uses a simple plot device to devastating effect. Great characters, wonderful set pieces – watch out for the sex scene in the alley, you’ll wince – and plenty of horror for even the most rabid horror reader. Not since Richard Laymon have I enjoyed reading someone’s work so much…which is ironic because if Scott carries on like this, we may have found a successor to the great man himself. An excellent read.
June 16, 2015
This was a great story. It had me cringing almost from the off.
It had a quite clever way of showing just how horrible the human race can be with just a little push.
It's violent, it's gory, it's gross.
Definitely worth a read.
It had a quite clever way of showing just how horrible the human race can be with just a little push.
It's violent, it's gory, it's gross.
Definitely worth a read.
March 9, 2015
This book was absolutely amazing, I loved it. Kyle M. Scott is a brilliant and very talented writer. I have read his other work and have loved everything I have read.
This is, hands down, a 5 out of 5 stars book and will go on my best of 2015 list.
A big thanks to Kyle for giving me an ARC copy to read and give an honest review.
This is about a small town where strange, evil things start happening after a Waldo's Burger Emporium opens up in the town. Slim and John are worried after their friend Sam goes missing, so they start to investigate and find out that more is going on than they thought. As they continue investigating they are joined by their friend Meg and an elderly gentleman named Tom. Tom knows what is going on and is determined to stop it with help from Slim, John, and Meg, but first he must convince them of the evil that it really is. Will all go well? Will they stop this terrible evil? I won't go into anymore detail, so as not to spoil anything, but I will say this...READ THIS BOOK!
This book had my attention from the time I read the prologue (which I thought was great) to the time I read the last word. I didn't want it to end. I felt like I was there with the characters. The detail with which Kyle writes is exceptional and I did my fair share of cringing as I was reading, in a good way.
I highly recommend this book if you love horror and gore. You will not be disappointed.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...
http://lisasandberg88.wordpress.com/
http://thezeroshour.com/
https://m.facebook.com/lisa.sandberg8...
https://m.facebook.com/thezeroshour?r...
http://1988lisa1988.tumblr.com/
Twitter - @1988Lisa1988
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1NU...
This is, hands down, a 5 out of 5 stars book and will go on my best of 2015 list.
A big thanks to Kyle for giving me an ARC copy to read and give an honest review.
This is about a small town where strange, evil things start happening after a Waldo's Burger Emporium opens up in the town. Slim and John are worried after their friend Sam goes missing, so they start to investigate and find out that more is going on than they thought. As they continue investigating they are joined by their friend Meg and an elderly gentleman named Tom. Tom knows what is going on and is determined to stop it with help from Slim, John, and Meg, but first he must convince them of the evil that it really is. Will all go well? Will they stop this terrible evil? I won't go into anymore detail, so as not to spoil anything, but I will say this...READ THIS BOOK!
This book had my attention from the time I read the prologue (which I thought was great) to the time I read the last word. I didn't want it to end. I felt like I was there with the characters. The detail with which Kyle writes is exceptional and I did my fair share of cringing as I was reading, in a good way.
I highly recommend this book if you love horror and gore. You will not be disappointed.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...
http://lisasandberg88.wordpress.com/
http://thezeroshour.com/
https://m.facebook.com/lisa.sandberg8...
https://m.facebook.com/thezeroshour?r...
http://1988lisa1988.tumblr.com/
Twitter - @1988Lisa1988
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1NU...
March 23, 2015
This was a quick-paced gory book, just what I was looking for at the time. Lots of imagery, some pretty disgusting so I had to skim it, but nothing I couldn't deal with. It's definitely a book for mature audiences, as there are not only gore but sexual scenarios involved.
I will mention briefly that there are numerous typos involved. However I really enjoyed the story, and I will be looking for more by this author.
I will mention briefly that there are numerous typos involved. However I really enjoyed the story, and I will be looking for more by this author.
March 23, 2016
Yummy ...
I'm a gore fest kind of gal ... So I enjoyed the book ... a lot! The storyline kept me guessing and the disturbing parts were ... damn disturbing! Scott rocked this one out. I always purchase recommended reading from fellow authors ... but I'm not always as satisfied with the read as I was with this one.
I'm a gore fest kind of gal ... So I enjoyed the book ... a lot! The storyline kept me guessing and the disturbing parts were ... damn disturbing! Scott rocked this one out. I always purchase recommended reading from fellow authors ... but I'm not always as satisfied with the read as I was with this one.
April 9, 2015
Today I finished reading Aftertaste on my Kindle app. Before I tell you about it, there are some things you should know, first. A disclaimer, if you will.
Kyle and I got connected through social media sometime last year, as we discussed writing with other authors in cyberspace. Finding much in common we've built up a friendship and I have read, I'm pretty sure, all of his currently available work to date. He and I both feature in the anthology Carnage: Extreme Horror. However, my opinions are my own and just as sure as Kyle would tell me if he thought I'd written a stinker, I would tell him the same. This is an honest review, based on my interest in horror fiction from the reader's perspective and from the angle of a fan of Kyle M Scott's work so far, as opposed to his friend or collaborator.
I hope you'll read on and hopefully look up more information from the links I'll pop on below, so you can take in a range of views on this story. Or, what the hell? Just take my word for it.
Here goes...
The town of Plainfield is where we lay our scene, a small, quiet community in Ohio. The main strip is filled with family-owned, traditional businesses, until one day, a fast food chain sets up store and becomes the novelty place to be for the town's inhabitants.
Almost immediately, things take a sinister turn; the chronic stomach problems, the strange behaviours, the disappearances and the unstoppable gluttony of the fast food joint's patrons.
John and the object of his unrequited love, Slim, observe the goings-on with suspicion and begin to join the dots, but as friends and loved-ones around them succumb to an all-encompassing madness, they have to re-evaluate their own morals in the face of an enemy whose very energy is derived from the corruption of civilised values.
The first thing that struck me with Aftertaste, as with Devil's Day and Consumed Vol. 1 before it, is Kyle M Scott's way of building up not only believable characters, but the totally credible relationships and dynamics between them. He nails the awkwardness of the single dad with the teenage daughter he both loves and fears, cultivates cliche-busting unrequited love and then knocks you for six when all of the relationships are tested as the main plot takes hold.
Fans of movies such as Invasion Of The Body-Snatchers, The Faculty and Disturbing Behaviour will certainly get a kick out of this story. There is all the gruesome dismantling of human beings you come to expect from Kyle's work, as well as sacrifice, betrayal and even a special appearance that made me laugh out loud (just didn't see this call-back coming). The shocks are plentiful and some of the scenes will make you grit your teeth - but that's because he made you care - those who are particularly squeamish won't enjoy a few particular scenes.
Slice the story open and examine its innards a little closer and you'll find commentary on man's capacity for evil and the ease with which one can slip into corruption. It is not unusual for Kyle to have a pop at our glutinous society, consuming resources, wealth and lives at an alarming rate, so I was not surprised to find that artery threaded through this tale. He does it well, and the characters will disgust you yet seem somehow familiar to you.
In the end, if he hasn't put you off your dinner altogether, Kyle will ensure that you chew your food properly, right after you've made sure you know where it all comes from...
Another hard-core, supercharged horror tale from one of our rising stars in horror. This gets five stars from me.
Kyle and I got connected through social media sometime last year, as we discussed writing with other authors in cyberspace. Finding much in common we've built up a friendship and I have read, I'm pretty sure, all of his currently available work to date. He and I both feature in the anthology Carnage: Extreme Horror. However, my opinions are my own and just as sure as Kyle would tell me if he thought I'd written a stinker, I would tell him the same. This is an honest review, based on my interest in horror fiction from the reader's perspective and from the angle of a fan of Kyle M Scott's work so far, as opposed to his friend or collaborator.
I hope you'll read on and hopefully look up more information from the links I'll pop on below, so you can take in a range of views on this story. Or, what the hell? Just take my word for it.
Here goes...
The town of Plainfield is where we lay our scene, a small, quiet community in Ohio. The main strip is filled with family-owned, traditional businesses, until one day, a fast food chain sets up store and becomes the novelty place to be for the town's inhabitants.
Almost immediately, things take a sinister turn; the chronic stomach problems, the strange behaviours, the disappearances and the unstoppable gluttony of the fast food joint's patrons.
John and the object of his unrequited love, Slim, observe the goings-on with suspicion and begin to join the dots, but as friends and loved-ones around them succumb to an all-encompassing madness, they have to re-evaluate their own morals in the face of an enemy whose very energy is derived from the corruption of civilised values.
The first thing that struck me with Aftertaste, as with Devil's Day and Consumed Vol. 1 before it, is Kyle M Scott's way of building up not only believable characters, but the totally credible relationships and dynamics between them. He nails the awkwardness of the single dad with the teenage daughter he both loves and fears, cultivates cliche-busting unrequited love and then knocks you for six when all of the relationships are tested as the main plot takes hold.
Fans of movies such as Invasion Of The Body-Snatchers, The Faculty and Disturbing Behaviour will certainly get a kick out of this story. There is all the gruesome dismantling of human beings you come to expect from Kyle's work, as well as sacrifice, betrayal and even a special appearance that made me laugh out loud (just didn't see this call-back coming). The shocks are plentiful and some of the scenes will make you grit your teeth - but that's because he made you care - those who are particularly squeamish won't enjoy a few particular scenes.
Slice the story open and examine its innards a little closer and you'll find commentary on man's capacity for evil and the ease with which one can slip into corruption. It is not unusual for Kyle to have a pop at our glutinous society, consuming resources, wealth and lives at an alarming rate, so I was not surprised to find that artery threaded through this tale. He does it well, and the characters will disgust you yet seem somehow familiar to you.
In the end, if he hasn't put you off your dinner altogether, Kyle will ensure that you chew your food properly, right after you've made sure you know where it all comes from...
Another hard-core, supercharged horror tale from one of our rising stars in horror. This gets five stars from me.
March 10, 2016
WOW. What an absolute belter of a book. It's shocking beyond comprehenion, brutal and sadistic like nothing else ive ever read. But so brilliantly written.
May 10, 2017
Holy consciousness concussions! I love stories where evil entities attack small towns. I also love stories where the food supply is tampered with. And, I love stories with kick ass heroines. This awesome book has all those elements- and much, much more! It's a gore-soaked rumination on thoughtless consumerism, willful gluttony, complicity, consumer apathy, and greed (among other things). But it's not a sermon, this is a killer story. Check it out if you like your Horror on the rough side of things. And remember, don't eat at Waldo's!
May 6, 2019
Poorly written
The prose are too clunky and uneven. The novel has zero flow. Very hard to get through. Pity, nice idea. Poor execution.
The prose are too clunky and uneven. The novel has zero flow. Very hard to get through. Pity, nice idea. Poor execution.
March 11, 2015
"Aftertaste" is a tasty morsel of a read. It sells you with the sizzle, then satisfies with the steak. Kyle M. Scott serves up a Super Sized, gut busting bucket of discomfort and depravity & by the last page you'll be picking the gristle out of your teeth... with a shard of bone.
I had a great time with these characters, some are developed more than others but they are all interesting and all do a service to the tale. And while not completely invested in their well being, more so rooting for the madness, some of the many losses hurt.
It's hard to imagine a town without a corporate eatery as they have infested the country. Yes I know that "Fast-Food" is a world wide phenomenon, but I also know that the the integrity of ingredients is less forced in the U.S.* And you will recognize the deep, profound, largely known and mostly ignored moral of the story is that corporate food sources don't have your best interest at heart.
This work, as with all of Mr. Scott's work, is labeled as an extreme horror novel and he delivers on the grue. In spades. There's enough gore spilling through these pages to satisfy any horror fan's bloodlust. Stopping just shy of offensive, which is a good thing. I want to be shocked as much as any reader but I don't want to be outraged.
I hope to see where John's choices have taken him.
*Full disclosure: I do partake in the occasional corporate food meal, not nearly as often as I used to. But I have taken up a better observation of what is going into my food and where my dollar is headed.
I received a review copy, these are my honest thoughts.
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May 11, 2016
This is a story of the corporate takeover of mom-and-pop shops disguised as a horror novel--and a very good, bloody, gory horror novel.
A new fast food restaurant opens in a small town. Everyone is excited, except for the small business owners who will soon be out-of-business. Turns out that is the least of their problems
People start acting very strangely soon after the restaurant opens. Slim is a vegetarian, so she has never eaten there and doesn't feel its effects. She and her friend John, who didn't get a chance to eat his mean, start investigating around town to see if they can figure out what's going on. They see some very strange things ranging from dead cats to people having sex right in the middle of the street.
A stranger comes to town and tells them what he thinks is happening and what they have to do. I liked this guy. He didn't have all the answers, but he cared and he came to help. He tells Slim they have to go to war.
This is an entertaining book. The way the author described Pauline eating was so disgusting I could barely read it. There is a lot of sex in the book, along with the regular horror story components of really bad ways to die, gross creatures, and barbecued what? What was that again?
The only problem I have with the book is all this supposedly happened in a day or two. How could every person in town have been affected in that short a time? Also, at the end, the characters seem a bit too happy considering what they've done and what they've lost. Other than those two things, this is a really good story.
A new fast food restaurant opens in a small town. Everyone is excited, except for the small business owners who will soon be out-of-business. Turns out that is the least of their problems
People start acting very strangely soon after the restaurant opens. Slim is a vegetarian, so she has never eaten there and doesn't feel its effects. She and her friend John, who didn't get a chance to eat his mean, start investigating around town to see if they can figure out what's going on. They see some very strange things ranging from dead cats to people having sex right in the middle of the street.
A stranger comes to town and tells them what he thinks is happening and what they have to do. I liked this guy. He didn't have all the answers, but he cared and he came to help. He tells Slim they have to go to war.
This is an entertaining book. The way the author described Pauline eating was so disgusting I could barely read it. There is a lot of sex in the book, along with the regular horror story components of really bad ways to die, gross creatures, and barbecued what? What was that again?
The only problem I have with the book is all this supposedly happened in a day or two. How could every person in town have been affected in that short a time? Also, at the end, the characters seem a bit too happy considering what they've done and what they've lost. Other than those two things, this is a really good story.
April 9, 2015
Kyle M Scott writes brutal dark, fiction that is full of violence. Under all of that is some pretty intelligent horror. There is a message here and that message is quite easy to see once you delve deeper into the novel. This is a writer that writes some of the most brutal fiction ever, but the thing to remember is that Aftertaste is a fast paced novel that is not for the weak of heart or stomach.
What makes Aftertaste so good is that Scott uses the violence as a part of the story and while it may seem excessive at times, it fits into the novels progression. It's not violence for the sake of violence. That is what makes this novel so good. It takes the idea of blind consumerism and twists it into something dark and terrifying. Like Richard Laymon, Kyle takes something ordinary and puts a sinister spin on it.
As the novel progresses so does the violence and depravity. It almost becomes too much to read but it shows you just how quickly the madness spreads. It's a darker take on the simple premise of good vs evil. It's the kind of novel that stays true to the splatterpunk genre yet also brings forth an intelligence that one rarely sees. There is a reason for what's happening that's even more shocking than what you read on the page. Will I ever eat fast food again? Of course I will but now thanks to Kyle I'll always wonder what if.
What makes Aftertaste so good is that Scott uses the violence as a part of the story and while it may seem excessive at times, it fits into the novels progression. It's not violence for the sake of violence. That is what makes this novel so good. It takes the idea of blind consumerism and twists it into something dark and terrifying. Like Richard Laymon, Kyle takes something ordinary and puts a sinister spin on it.
As the novel progresses so does the violence and depravity. It almost becomes too much to read but it shows you just how quickly the madness spreads. It's a darker take on the simple premise of good vs evil. It's the kind of novel that stays true to the splatterpunk genre yet also brings forth an intelligence that one rarely sees. There is a reason for what's happening that's even more shocking than what you read on the page. Will I ever eat fast food again? Of course I will but now thanks to Kyle I'll always wonder what if.
April 27, 2015
The story itself was interesting and kept me engaged, but there are some pretty big editing issues that need to be addressed. I don't know if it was just the copy I had from Amazon, but the typos became a distraction and actually drew my attention away from what I was supposed to be doing, which was enjoying the book.
January 12, 2016
I scored this a 4 star because....
I scored this a 4 star solely due to the face that the spelling and grammar are terrible. I understand not everyone has a proof reader but sometimes the mistakes were extremely off putting. Other than that I enjoyed this book, some parts were slightly drawn out but it did not stop me wanting to finish and get to the end of the book.
I scored this a 4 star solely due to the face that the spelling and grammar are terrible. I understand not everyone has a proof reader but sometimes the mistakes were extremely off putting. Other than that I enjoyed this book, some parts were slightly drawn out but it did not stop me wanting to finish and get to the end of the book.
May 19, 2016
Read on empty stomach
This book reminds me a little of the store by Bentley Little, but much more hard core. I have to say I enjoyed the plot and liked how it made Americans big attitude and big appetite the monster. I highly recommend for all fans of modern horror
This book reminds me a little of the store by Bentley Little, but much more hard core. I have to say I enjoyed the plot and liked how it made Americans big attitude and big appetite the monster. I highly recommend for all fans of modern horror
April 15, 2015
Very good book!!
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