Little Red Riding The Dark Web

by Anne Snow

Genres: Horror, Splatterpunk

140 pages, Paperback

Published August 7, 2026

About the author

INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/splattersnow/

Anne Snow, who is from England, started reviewing indie horror books on Instagram, supporting and pushing indie work.

She soon stumbled upon the splatterpunk and extreme horror subgenres, finally finding something that spoke to her.

After making friends with a few indie authors, she dove straight into the deep end and decided to give writing a go herself, finding it extremely therapeutic and falling in love with it in the process.

Having struggled her whole life with masking and feeling different, she has found writing to be a healing, safe space.

Horror has always been a special interest of hers, whether it be movies, books or games. Now she can create stories of her own.

Anne Snow writes about things most are scared to read, let alone write themselves.

Reviews

[Anne Snow]

You cannot censor nor ban my girl Ruby.

[Steph's_Creepy _Reads]

This blew me away. I haven't read anything with this many layers in an extreme little package!
Ruby is a character that I would really like to mother, hoping to save her from herself and the path she went down.
Is Raptor a character I would want her involved with...probably not. Am I excited to see what their next venture is together? Absofuckinlutley.

[Simon Godin]

Super fun little book. I don’t read much extreme horror but really enjoyed how this one was more than just gore. Some good twists and suspense all packed into this book that can easily be read in one sitting.

[Heather Lily]

🩸 Little Red, a lonely girl named Ruby, has no one in her life who cares for her and no one to stop her dark descent. She is unstable and the only things bringing her happiness is her compulsion to self-mutilate and the attention she gains from sharing it. One day, the big bad wolf, known as Raptor, finds her and drops into her inbox, promising her all the attention she could ever ask for. As her mind reels after she falls further into the world of the dark web, Raptor and his little red finally meet… will she become his prey? Will she find herself, or her grave?
🐺🔪 This was bleak and twisted from the start and draws you into the dark and depraved. It’s fast paced and a brutal little read. Ruby is very deranged and what unfolds through the madness is messed up! I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to go and there was a couple of little twists too. The gore is sickeningly good and I enjoyed this short extreme horror a lot. I look forward to reading more of the ‘Fairytales for Freaks’ by Anne.

(140 Pages)

[Lucy]

I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this because I just dove in at the mention of dark web horror and holy sh*t did I love this book.

This is splatterpunk and is extremely dark, disturbing, disgusting. No notes.
Loved it

Ended up needing to buy a paperback to have a physical copy in my collection

[Britney Williams]

HOLY FUCK I LOVE RUBY!!

what an amazingly horrific little story. I love Ruby so much!! Perfect for people who love extreme horror. I couldn't put this down once I started it!!

[Amy]

Once again Anne Snow knocks it out of the park and then some.
I bought a physical copy (pre-ban) because I KNEW this was right up my avenue, but jeez did I underestimate it.
Packed with gore that made me cringe and a plot that had me tearing through the pages, it also offered me some really nostalgic references (ex chronically online teen), some really nicely places references to other books and a little Easter egg for anyone who's read Anne's other titles.
On top of this, there's a sprinkle of what can only be described as THE darkest romance.
If you're after splatterpunk that reads a little different, will have you ripping through the pages and potentially offers you a bit of nostalgia, look no further!

[Margaux]

So insane, but of course, that’s what I read it for. This was thoroughly repulsive but I couldn’t stop reading, even when my mouth was stuck open in horror. Ruby is fifty shades of fucked up, and while I pity her, my sympathy can only stretch so far.

Even so, It does make you think on how childhood neglect paired with untreated mental illness can play out in adulthood, although rarely to this extreme, as in Ruby’s case. When you are deprived of love from those closest to you, one may begin to crave the wrong kind of attention from the internet instead. Especially those with more impressionable minds.

Also, the ending? I did NOT see it going in that direction, but I sort of loved it. Made even better by the fact that this only takes about an hour to finish. A nice and “easy” read.

[Dani Reads]

There’s a reason this is STILL sitting at #1 on the Godless chart. This book is dark, twisted, unhinged and beautifully gory and I absolutely devoured it. 
 
It went in directions I genuinely wasn’t expecting, and I managed to inhale the entire thing in one sitting. I also loved all the little nods and details scattered throughout, those little touches made the experience even more fun. 
 
This was my first time reading Anne Snow, and If this is anything to go by, I definitely need to see what else she has in store. 
 

[ARTISAN]

THIS IS EASILY ANNE'S BEST WORK TO DATE. THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN RUBY AND RAPTOR IS BOTH INTOXICATING AND HORRIFIC. PARALLELING THE SLOW DESCENT OF RUBY'S JOURNEY INTO DARKER AND DARKER PLACES. WHILE SHOWING JUST HOW FAR ONE CAN BE WILLING TO GO, ONCE THEY BECOME NUMB TO THE HORRORS OF THE WORLD. AFTER DEVELOPING A LUST FOR ATTENTION THAT TRANSFORMS INTO A PROFOUND ADDICTION TO DEPRAVITY. WELCOME BACK RUBY!!!!!

[PatchworkOfMagic]

One of my favorites this year, if not of all time. Ruby is a character you want to dissect to get to know a little better, and don’t worry, she fully understands the feeling. She just wants a little love and validation… and a little pain. I love dark web splatter, and the creativity and flow of Miss Snow are absolutely addicting. Blood and viscera galore and twists that will knot your stomach. Check your triggers and enter the dark web with Little Red.

[Her Dark Reads]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first book my Anne Snow and I have to say I will be getting the rest of the Fairytales for Freaks. I devoured this in an hour, couldn't put it down.

I went into this book blind not know what I was getting myself
Into. But I have to say it is definitely one I will recommend to all my Splatter readers.

Ruby can't be censored, what she craves she will get. Just not in the way she thought it would come.


This is a Splatterpunk so if you are new, proceed with caution! If you are use to the world then this is definitely one to read.
Read the triggers!!

[Rachel]

This is vile, twisted, and deranged. Anne Snow is now one of my favorite authors.

[Marley Ghostfern]

What. The. Helly?
That was splatter, good splatter! It was dark, disturbing, gory (detailed), disgusting and had a storyline! It wasn't just extreme to be extreme, if you know what I mean. Either way: it was exactly what I was looking for. This story pulled me in, made me uncomfortable at times and it was hard to aim my eyes on anything else until I was done reading. I had to know what happened next, so I read it in one go and now I will need to stare at a wall for a bit before I grab my next read.

Also: that cover? Very pretty.

[Zaq Cass]

Welcome back, Ruby

[Kazoo Mazoo]

LITTLE RED RIDING THE DARK WEB
Rating: ★★★★½ — 4.5/5

This is the clear evidence of Snow's growth as a writer.

Ruby is arguably a well developed protagonist. She is lonely, psychologically damaged and desperate for attention and validation. Her relationship with Raptor gradually becomes the mechanism through which her isolation and need for affection are exploited.

The dark-web setting is an effective modernization of the Big Bad Wolf. Instead of a literal wolf stalking a girl through a forest, Snow creates a predator operating within an online ecosystem where anonymity, spectatorship and money make depravity possible.

The strongest aspect is Ruby herself. She isn't simply an innocent victim wandering into danger. Her psychology is complicated, and the story spends considerably more time establishing why she is susceptible to Raptor.
The digital environment also gives Snow a useful thematic framework. The story examines the intersection of loneliness, self-harm, online validation, voyeurism and exploitation. The audience watching the violence becomes part of the horror.

The story's climax benefits from the stronger character groundwork. Consequently, the violence feels like the culmination of Ruby's transformation rather than merely another sequence of increasingly disgusting events.

[Annie C]

This was my first splatterpunk book. I appreciated the themes around self isolation, and (perhaps ironically) around the consumption of real crime/ real gore on the internet-- a moral conundrum that I feel is unique to us younger millenials and gen z's who have had access to these things way too easily and in a way that our predecessors didn't need to grapple with so acutely. That being said, I found the writing, verbage and editing of this story to be strangely pretentious. I appreciate that splatterpunk is a new genre to me, but the writing style really pulled me out of the experience. I wonder if it was deliberate -- as, without spoiling the nature of the story too much, it feels very much like something Ruby herself would have written.
All in all, I do not think this was a particularly great read as a standalone story, but it struck enough chords for me that I would like to read more of Anne Snow's works to see of my complaints are actually substantive, or whether my gripes are a symptom of her larger plan for her series.

[Bella Fawne]

This is the first book I've read by Anne, and I can confidently say that I am now sat for the rest of her books! As someone who has always been fascinated by the idea of the dark web, this story scratched so many itches in my brain and did not skimp out on showing how brutal the darkest parts of the internet can be.

Ruby's character is so well thought out, and I can't help but feel for her. This book is a great representation of how far some push themselves in order to be seen.

This book is gory and glorious in so many ways. Overall, I give it a 5/5! :D

[Straw Hat Sam]

I have reviewed it before... So I'm reviewing again because.. fight the power! Anne Snow created a winner here. I have a signed copy and a kindle copy, read both. Ruby is a flawed but fantastic character. The book is full of twists and turns, dark in nature. For me this is absolutely the book of the year. It's brilliantly written and you know what, Anne deserves nothing less than recognition for this amazing piece. Not for the faint of heart, but you know what, get over it... It's 100% worth the read.

[Alexis]

Holy shit! This was a bite-size read that left me wanting more. I felt sympathetic for Ruby and the mess she fell into with seeking validation. I wanted to give her a hug for everything she endured. And then things got intense with the dark web and my jaw hit the floor. The twists, the drama, the dash of, likely deluded, feminine rage. I ate it all up. I haven’t read much splatterpunk or extreme horror and this makes me want to read more, especially of Ruby and Raptor. I need the extended cut of this story pronto!

Thank you Anne Snow for granting me this ARC.

[aciddelight]

well damn okay anne... not sure what I expected but this was brutal. bought this after I saw it got banned on amazon (nothing will intrigue me more than if it's intentionally censored) I really hope she continues this story because I need to see where these characters go from here. packs a punch for such a short read. will definitely be checking out more of anne's work. trigger warnings galore you know the drill.

[DJJarvisReads]

WOW! This book is so dark and depraved. It’s very gory, and the gore is very well written and described. Which is something that I really enjoy in splatterpunk and extreme horror books. So well described that I felt a little uneasy reading it in some parts. That being said, it is honestly a really good thing when reading books like this. They’re supposed to push limits and make you feel a bit uncomfortable. Anne Snow did a really good job, and I hope to see more of RUBTOR in the future!

[Checa]

This was my first time reading Anne Snow’s work and I am HOOKED! Her writing style is descriptive, original, and easy to follow. This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and held it all the way to the end, leaving me guessing what would happen next. I highly recommend it to spatterpunk fans and am looking forward to reading her other fairytales.

[ChanaReadsHorror]

I will admit I am someone that is very leary of the dark web so this was a story that I was drawn to. This was such a wild ride and with it being such a quick read I was able to read it in just a couple of days. If you are looking for an extreme horror story that will keep you turning the pages, check this one out.

[dizzy nino]

tava morrendo de vontade de ler esse mas acabei não gostando tanto quanto imaginei

[Ashley Alexander]

Read this in one day! Absolutely loved it and could not put it down.

[Scare-o-Lyn]

Ruby hurts herself and posts pictures of the damage online as a cry for attention. She succeeds as people respond with both concern and mockery. But when a man who goes by 'Raptor' notices her, he isn't looking to help her change, but rather to lead her into further depths of depravity.

I think Anne knocked this out of the park. This is very fast-paced and could be enjoyed as a surface level gore fest, but there are definitely layers to explore if that's something you look for in a story. There is complexity to Ruby that is alluded to, but it is not the focal point.

This would lend itself very well to a sequel!

[Aaliyah]

HELL YEAH I loved this

[Clive Barker Stan]

Reviewing again because they deleted everything after the ban

Platforms stop banning horror books while having books written by actually horrible convicted people challenge

[Kswag]

I don’t know if I have the words except.. yes. Talented writer .. fairy tells told in extreme horror ..genuis ..yeah that’s the word.