After ten years of marriage, Mike and Emilia's relationship falls apart after Emilia admits to having an affair - an affair with a man who gave her HIV. Once Mike finds out what she's done, he will go to any length to ensure she dies a slow, painful death, just like the one he's sure his wife has sentenced him to.
The book opens on some very bad news for the main character and you know that it isn’t going to head anywhere good from there - it rapidly descends in to depravity and certainly lives up to the warning in the title! The story is truly shocking and actually made me wince a few times, if you like horror extreme you’ll love this!
Let’s talk about this as the people we really are deep down inside, not the everyday face we project to strangers and coworkers. We are the readers, the writers, and the lovers of true horror – so, let’s not pretend that we don’t have a rough outline of what we would like to do in any number of different situations. We’ve watched enough CSI and Forensic Files to help us feel pretty confident about our chances of getting away with… things – even our host Bill Curtis would agree!
What would you do if you found out that your spouse was cheating on you? What if it wasn’t a ‘just’ a one night stand, but a three month affair? What if you found out that your lying, cheating spouse had a three month affair with someone who infected them with HIV, and they’ve lovingly shared it with you?
Mike Hickman is pondering these exact thoughts in Dawn Cano’s new short BUCKET LIST. Needless to say… Mike is pissed! He is going to make sure that his wife Emilia dies a very slow, and very painful death. He thinks “she owed me”, well… she sure is gonna pay! Like us, Mike has watched a fair amount of horror movies and read a metric fuck-ton of horror books – so he has some pretty nifty ideas in store for his loving wife. He even pulls out a recent title from one of his favorite extreme horror authors to use as a guide… this is gonna be FUN!
Our Dawn is becoming one hell of an author! Her work leans a little more towards the extreme horror side, but she is writing great books without compromising her stories for mere shock value. Another thing that I appreciate while reading Dawn’s work… whether she’s hidden something in a little quote that only a select few will ‘get’ right away, christened her characters with noteworthy names, or just taken the direct route and specifically named other authors and/or books… she ‘pays tribute’ to the people that have influenced her, and helped get her to where she is today. I think that is awesome, and it gives me a warm fuzzy <3
I cannot wait to see what else she has in store for us!
Read the full review, and join the BUCKET LIST discussion HERE. Tell us... what would you do?
Don't get me wrong, this book is disgusting. Tragic, indeed, but disturbing for sure... and so well written. I just couldn't resist turning the pages at a lightning pace to see what the next page would reveal about the depraved revenge Mike has in store for Emilia. And does Emilia deserve the tortures Mike is going to make her endure? The moral compass spins on this one. You will have to read it and decide for yourself.
Dawn Cano's second book is a sadistic cracker. It's a tale of revenge, in the most brutal ways, a broken mind can conceive. Usually im not a fan of sex in the books i read, but on this occasion it was acceptable. Great story and super nasty.
When a husband finds out his dear wife cheated on him but also gave him a deadly disease ... {All Hell Breaks Loose!} Especially when this hubby is a die hard horror fan! Lol. This was a short gory, bloody revenge story. Graphic details. But ending could have been better.
What would you do if the woman (or man) you were married cheated on you? Now, think of them messing around and you contracting AIDS because of their extra-marital affairs—what would you do? This is not a story for everyone, but it is one that makes you think. The story taps into the vile and demented part of the human experience, one that hides deep within and most of us will never act upon. The author makes you question what would it take for you to reach, to awaken that suppressed side of us all. The side that is shrouded, hiding the vile, callous, and sadistic behaviors buried deep but innate within us all. Here’s a story that proves no matter the length, a book is worth reading or not based on the talent of the author.
This is a bloody, gory revenge short than any lover of horror genre would love to read. His wife's infedelity lead to both of them contracting AIDS. His love of horror made his revenge perfect for him.
Dawn Cano surely deserves some praise among gorehounds as long as this page-turner delivers a good load of twisted gutwrenching fun. The plot is offensive as well as smart and realistic. It keeps you reading until the finale all the way. The writing is clever and I find it pretty talentes in its way. Worth buying, reading and adding to your sick book collection at all costs!
The book does what it intends to which is make you feel disgusting. For me almost a little too graphic, I understand this is the point of the story but there wasn’t enough story other than the gore to make me more interested hence 4/5. Short read, fans of gore will love this novella.
Who doesn't love a revenge story that comes with a stern warning? (Seriously, pay attention. The warning is there for a reason.) Dawn Cano is a new author to me and I cannot wait to read more.
EXTREMELY dark. The writing was good and it really is VERY descriptive. The beginning makes you feel for him because it’s just a horrible scenario but you’ll hate him by the end.
Mark and Emilia have been married 10 years and now Em has a little confession, she's been having an affair but that's not even the kicker, just for a big fat ass cherry on top of that little treat...she gave him AIDS. Obviously Mark is floored and beside -outside- himself, he knew they were having issues and she'd seemed distant lately but DAMN this is a lot to take in. After a visit to his doctor he makes a decision. A pretty hardcore life unaffirming decision. She's gotta pay for robbing him of EVERYTHING. After binge watching some of his favorite near X rated horror movies, he invites her over to "talk" and then begins some reenactments... I can't help but think that due to his hidden inclinations and unacted upon taboo desires that this guy really was just one measly crisis away from turning into a sadistic psychopath anyway...eg; lousy dentist appointment or one too many red lights on his daily commute. This gets GRAPHIC and INTENSE. It's only about 30 pages, super quick read...very pleasant right before bed. With a perfect ending!
I'm really impressed with Dawn's writing technique, she's good! I also liked how it was told in the first person POV from the guys perspective. I think sometimes us ladies wonder what it would be like to have a pecker and no principals, just pissed off and poking about. Ooor maybe that's just me....oh and her too apparently. YAY company! Lol I really have been somewhat of a big disappointment to my own gender these days, I so need to be reading MORE women in horror, I'm sure they rock out just as hard as the men.
Mostly I just admire this new author. I believe it's only her 2nd short story (both released solo ~ not in anthologies) and at no time did she decide to dip a toe in to test the waters first, she just cannonballed her ass right into the deep end with the big fishes. Love her or hate her, gal's got balls!! And personally, I love her and hope she tackles a full novella soon. :D
My major issues with this story are the yawn-inducing first third that provides neither depth of character nor of story; the total lack of stated or shown motivation (a reason isn't motivation) for the brutal attack by the husband on his wife until it is revealed via dialogue halfway through the attack ; and the contradictory actions of the husband during the attack. The husband is repeatedly characterized as weak and sick, and thirty seconds later is engaged in strenuous physical activities. He gleefully plucks out an eyeball but is too weak stomached to look at the optic nerve. He reminisces about his love for his wife and tenderly strokes her hair while gouging a hole in her stomach. Hello? This is not a case of a remorseful husband, either; it is a case of a confused author. Nothing rings true. Nothing flows. I don't care about these people and I didn't care what happened because they didn't care themselves, and the author apparently didn't either. Skip this and read something by Sam West or Matt Shaw.
This book gets straight down to the story so by the time you get to page 4/5 your well and truly hooked and can't put it down till the end. There are parts that are very disturbing but if you've read any of Matt Shaw's books then you must read some of Dawn Cano she is right up there with the best once you pick up one of her books you can't put it down and its refreshing to know a woman can write these kind off books. I can't wait to read more of her work.
So ... Dawn Cano is extreme, and this lovely twisted tale of hard-core revenge comes with the appropriate warning right on the cover. I really have only two comments for perspective readers. First of all: It's a great read, and I am a fan. And ... it actually made me smile a bit ... because ... well ... come on ... revenge can make us giddy. Right?! Get your copy and let Dawn (and the world) know what you think. Perhaps you are just as twisted as this story ... and Dawn.
What a terrible story. I couldn't imagine the ultimate betrayal suffered by the husband and wondered how he would seek his revenge, but this story was probably the worst I've ever read. Poorly written, total nonsense, sadistic. I tried to get a sample, but unfortunately the sample was only the pages leading up to the story., so my curiosity ended up wasting 99 cents. I can't wait to remove it from my Kindle. I am embarrassed to have this garbage in my cloud! Wish I could give it zero stars.
I would have left no stars but I couldn't, so one star it is...from the description on Amazon, I was expecting something really suspenseful but all you get is a 'none story' that feels like someone has got drunk with their mates at the pub and collectively written down the most gruesome, gross scenarios they could think of and then the author has written a few connective words to group them together and called it a story. I like a good horror story and have quite a strong stomach for some of the gorier stuff but at least give us a good story to wrap around it.
An entertaining little read. While I truly believe Dawn has the talent to go far, I was hoping that she would present us with something more original than the standard extreme horror fayre that the market is currently oversaturated with. I'm looking definitely looking forward to reading more from Miss Cano and I just hope that she can find the confidence to put her own stamp on her future works rather than emulate other writers.
Miss Cano has done it again in her 2nd short story! This one involves betrayal, and really, who knows what one would do when betrayed?! But when you start with someone who just might be unstable or demented to begin with...well, you'll see! Highly recommend this to all fans of modern horror.
If you are, in ANY way, sensitive to flat out Gore and perversion, this book isn't for you! The things I read had me absolutely horrified. I can't believe the sick sh*te that was happening. I can only hope this has never, and will never, happen to a real person. Rob Zombie himself may not even venture this far!!!
This is a story of revenge! Am I crazy to root for the main character and hope the one who gave him a death sentence( intentional or not) gets what she got coming to her I guess I am but I wouldn't ACT on it but it does make you think how would you react . Not for the weak of stomach or the faint of heart I highly recommend to all fans of modern horror
Dawn Cano has once again delivered an intensely visceral depraved story. Love love love it!! (Thanks for the mention as a beta reader!)
I love revenge stories and this is one effed up revenge story. The grotesque things she has the main character do to his wife is extremely God awful and deliciously demented.