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Damned From Birth
While attempting to abduct a teenager from her home, notorious serial killer Victor Brooks meets his ten 9mm bullets. In a puddle of his own blood, sprawled across a stranger’s kitchen floor, Victor’s life begins to flash before his very eyes. He sees the living and the dead, peace and carnage, friends and foes, success and disappointment, love and hatred. He sees a life defined by anger, pain, and sorrow. The light at the end of Victor's tunnel is red—red with blood. Jon Athan, the author of Lovesick and Into the Wolves’ Den, takes you on a journey through a serial killer’s life—from death to adolescence—in one of his bleakest, most disturbing novels to date. This is the making of a serial killer. This is the story of a man damned from birth. This novel contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
- GenresHorrorSplatterpunk
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2020
172 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 4, 2025
I was really torn on my rating, so I’m aiming for a 3.5. This reminded me of a Phantom of the Opera prequel that I read years ago. I can’t remember the author, but it focused on Erik’s horrendous childhood and adolescence, eventually leading to him become our beloved theater spectre. And all I kept thinking of was how it was all just so overkill. Trauma after trauma after trauma, and so forth. Like any single or small grouping of the awful events could have been plenty to make someone struggle with their mental health and potentially act out in awful ways. And that’s how this made me feel about Victor in this story. It wasn’t just his abusive father, or the child abuse he suffered, or the bullies at school, or seeing Duke get killed, or meeting Derrick, etc. It just kept going and began to drag after a while. I feel like if this focused on something simple, ie Derrick grooming Victor from a very, very young age, encouraging him to hurt people, and it developed over many years, it would have been more effective. And the way Jon Athan wrote this present to past was very innovative, however, I feel like there should have been a small snippet at the very end to bring everything full circle. It just sort of ended. But it was very clever, nonetheless. And I do want to caution readers that there is some very disturbing content here, some involving child molestation. This is also a fairly long book for the author, clocking in at over 260 pages, so it is a journey I would caution readers to be fully prepared for. It is just chapter after chapter of body horror and watching Victor’s reverse evolution into a serial killer.
January 16, 2026
I love the way this book was written
May 5, 2025
Man!! This one has some hard scenes to get through, but it's so worth it, honestly. I can't say I've read many books told in the reverse before, but I quite liked it. As usual, Athan managed managed to make me hate and sympathize with our horrific MC. I have always loved true crime, so the stories that sort of tote the line between fact and fiction always get me!
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 6, 2025
I have the absolute pleasure of being part of Jon Athan's street team and I received a physical copy of the newly re-released Damned at Birth ARC. This book is out now, and I highly recommend you check it out if you're a fan of extreme horror and can handle the themes in this book. If you're new to Jon Athan, just know he is great at his craft of writing, but it is extreme horror, and it will most likely rip your soul out at some point! But I swear, it is worth it every time.
This story was different than other stories I have read before. It starts out in the present time and what is happening to Victor Brooks right now. He's at the end of his life and about to die after he gets caught in his attempt to abduct a teen girl from her home. From there, the story slowly starts to go backwards and explores the trauma and events that have happened throughout Victor's life that led him to his end. The title - says it all. Victor grew up in a traumatic home with an abusive (in every single way) father and a mother who didn't do much else but drink herself to oblivion. Even though Victor does so many disgusting and deplorable things in his life you get to see the disgusting and deploring things that were also done to him. This story digs into the age-old argument of nature vs. nurture. What would Victor's life have been like had he been able to choose parents that were actually deserving of a child to love?
I have read about 7 of Athan's books so far and this one is the bleakest and most depressing. You start out hating Victor and as much as I wanted to continue knowing the person he turned into, I couldn't help but to feel this deep sadness for him. This book reaffirmed for me how incredibly happy I don't have children of my own. It is a horror story within a horror story thinking about how scary it must be to feel like you're going to have children and do it all wrong and mess them up so much. There were scenes in this book that were pretty tough to get through. I'm used to some brutal scenes with Athan's books, but this one had scenes that really affected me. I don't give spoilers but for me, chapters 12 and 16 made me wanna call Jonny Athan up on the phone and be like BRO WHY!!
This was not my favorite Athan book (Shared by Two is, if you wanted to know) but as always, I started it and couldn't stop and when it was over I needed to stare at the wall for an hour before I wrote the review. Thank you again so much to Jon Athan and Carrie for the opportunity to be on the street team and to have the chance to ARC read. Happy reading to you all!
This story was different than other stories I have read before. It starts out in the present time and what is happening to Victor Brooks right now. He's at the end of his life and about to die after he gets caught in his attempt to abduct a teen girl from her home. From there, the story slowly starts to go backwards and explores the trauma and events that have happened throughout Victor's life that led him to his end. The title - says it all. Victor grew up in a traumatic home with an abusive (in every single way) father and a mother who didn't do much else but drink herself to oblivion. Even though Victor does so many disgusting and deplorable things in his life you get to see the disgusting and deploring things that were also done to him. This story digs into the age-old argument of nature vs. nurture. What would Victor's life have been like had he been able to choose parents that were actually deserving of a child to love?
I have read about 7 of Athan's books so far and this one is the bleakest and most depressing. You start out hating Victor and as much as I wanted to continue knowing the person he turned into, I couldn't help but to feel this deep sadness for him. This book reaffirmed for me how incredibly happy I don't have children of my own. It is a horror story within a horror story thinking about how scary it must be to feel like you're going to have children and do it all wrong and mess them up so much. There were scenes in this book that were pretty tough to get through. I'm used to some brutal scenes with Athan's books, but this one had scenes that really affected me. I don't give spoilers but for me, chapters 12 and 16 made me wanna call Jonny Athan up on the phone and be like BRO WHY!!
This was not my favorite Athan book (Shared by Two is, if you wanted to know) but as always, I started it and couldn't stop and when it was over I needed to stare at the wall for an hour before I wrote the review. Thank you again so much to Jon Athan and Carrie for the opportunity to be on the street team and to have the chance to ARC read. Happy reading to you all!
May 6, 2025
Well, this is a Jon Athan book, so it's bound to be disturbing, that's all good and expected. But "Damned From Birth," in my view, is also the closest Jon Athan has come to writing a splatterpunk novel, instead of just another of his (terrific, explosively violent, super-brilliant) extreme horror books. By "splatterpunk" I mean extreme horror with a message, be it an ecological, a political or a social one; in this case, the "nature or nurture" question about the origins of evil.
On the other hand, perhaps I'm just wrong in this, and I've been unduly affected by the storytelling structure: the events are told in the reverse time order, starting with Victor, a serial killer-slash-stalker-slash-voyeur being captured, and ending with a scene from his childhood. What transpires in the middle is ugly, nasty, and, well, horrific and shocking as hell. If the story were told in the proper order, it'd be obviously an extreme horror novel, the trauma swamped in horrendous acts of abuse and violence against both animals and children. It'd be a four-stars book, and that's it. The choice, however, to "deconstruct" Victor, so to speak, made it a five-stars book for me, since the ending hit me very hard: it's full of hope (Athan stresses the same point in his afterword), Victor promised he can be anything he wants, little suspecting the abusers and the groomers he's yet to meet, encounters which will shape his future and turn him(?) into a monster. So sad. Damned from birth indeed.
In any case, this 2025 lightly retouched reprint of the 2020 book is still relevant, entertaining (NB: entertaining for extreme horror readers - watch out for some triggering scenes of CA and the innovative and shocking murder of a disabled kid), and hugely satisfying not only for Jon Athan fans, but anyone who appreciates horror broaching big questions with very hard answers - if any.
On the other hand, perhaps I'm just wrong in this, and I've been unduly affected by the storytelling structure: the events are told in the reverse time order, starting with Victor, a serial killer-slash-stalker-slash-voyeur being captured, and ending with a scene from his childhood. What transpires in the middle is ugly, nasty, and, well, horrific and shocking as hell. If the story were told in the proper order, it'd be obviously an extreme horror novel, the trauma swamped in horrendous acts of abuse and violence against both animals and children. It'd be a four-stars book, and that's it. The choice, however, to "deconstruct" Victor, so to speak, made it a five-stars book for me, since the ending hit me very hard: it's full of hope (Athan stresses the same point in his afterword), Victor promised he can be anything he wants, little suspecting the abusers and the groomers he's yet to meet, encounters which will shape his future and turn him(?) into a monster. So sad. Damned from birth indeed.
In any case, this 2025 lightly retouched reprint of the 2020 book is still relevant, entertaining (NB: entertaining for extreme horror readers - watch out for some triggering scenes of CA and the innovative and shocking murder of a disabled kid), and hugely satisfying not only for Jon Athan fans, but anyone who appreciates horror broaching big questions with very hard answers - if any.
May 26, 2025
Man…. I’ve never been so conflicted about how I feel towards a killer in a book…. But Victor…he was a terrible man, but my heart broke for him. And I loved the layout of this book. Basically started with the ending, and went back in time, telling us his story and everything he went through since he was a child. This is a fantastic read. It’ll have you in all your feels… but definitely check the trigger warnings.
May 23, 2025
Jon Athan did a fantastic job here of taking your typical, cliché serial killer blah blah story and turning it into a very layered story about a monster who was once a helpless and innocent little boy.
This book is told in a reverse chronological timeline. So it begins with Victors failed attempt at kidnapping a young woman, ultimately being shot multiple times by the police. As Victor is dying, he is reflecting on his life, all the way back to his childhood when he was just a little kid.
This was of course a horror so there’s plenty of blood and guts but.. underneath that red splattery glow.. there’s also a very sad story of an abused child who wasn’t necessarily evil from the start, but was lashing out at the world for all the hurt he endured.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TW: animal abuse (+ all the other typical horror triggers)
This book is told in a reverse chronological timeline. So it begins with Victors failed attempt at kidnapping a young woman, ultimately being shot multiple times by the police. As Victor is dying, he is reflecting on his life, all the way back to his childhood when he was just a little kid.
This was of course a horror so there’s plenty of blood and guts but.. underneath that red splattery glow.. there’s also a very sad story of an abused child who wasn’t necessarily evil from the start, but was lashing out at the world for all the hurt he endured.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TW: animal abuse (+ all the other typical horror triggers)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2025
When his plan to abduct a teenage girl goes wrong, Victor ends up being killed and his life flashes before his eyes.
Each chapter is from an earlier time in Victor's life, going back to when he was just six years old.
This one took me a little while to adjust to. I've never read a book where the storyline goes backwards, but it certainly made it interesting. Doing it in this way makes us as a reader feeling sympathy for Victor, rather than seeing him for the awful person he became. We get to see what a hard life he's led, the abuse he's endured, and what made him the way he ended up. I ended up absolutely loving this one, and I can't wait to read more from this author.
As always with this author and genre, check the TWs.
Each chapter is from an earlier time in Victor's life, going back to when he was just six years old.
This one took me a little while to adjust to. I've never read a book where the storyline goes backwards, but it certainly made it interesting. Doing it in this way makes us as a reader feeling sympathy for Victor, rather than seeing him for the awful person he became. We get to see what a hard life he's led, the abuse he's endured, and what made him the way he ended up. I ended up absolutely loving this one, and I can't wait to read more from this author.
As always with this author and genre, check the TWs.
May 20, 2025
3.5/5🍒
Victor is a serial killer. The book opens with him breaking into someone’s house to kill them. This doesn’t go well and he gets shot by police.
While dying he begins to become overwhelmed with flashes of his life. Almost like he knew he’d end up in this predicament and wasn’t exactly sad about it.
After this the book begins to go backwards. The book begins at the end and ends at the beginning. As we travel back in time through Victors life we see how he slowly becomes a killer.
He’s bullied, beat and abused. It makes you think about the age old theories that killers are born and made. We get to see in a way how Victor was made into the killer he was.
This book wasn’t one of my favorites from Jon. But I love his work and of course will continue reading his work!
Victor is a serial killer. The book opens with him breaking into someone’s house to kill them. This doesn’t go well and he gets shot by police.
While dying he begins to become overwhelmed with flashes of his life. Almost like he knew he’d end up in this predicament and wasn’t exactly sad about it.
After this the book begins to go backwards. The book begins at the end and ends at the beginning. As we travel back in time through Victors life we see how he slowly becomes a killer.
He’s bullied, beat and abused. It makes you think about the age old theories that killers are born and made. We get to see in a way how Victor was made into the killer he was.
This book wasn’t one of my favorites from Jon. But I love his work and of course will continue reading his work!
May 25, 2025
What can I say except for…wow?!?!
Damned From Birth started off strong with the violence and gore that we commonly see in extreme horror, BUT there is also a story there. It honestly took me a few chapters to understand how the timeline, but once I did, I was 100% there for it. Vic is far from likable, but as I got to know him better I almost felt like I could at least almost understand why he became the person that he did. I appreciated the way that the backstory was revealed and how the author gave additional insight into not only Vic, but the side characters, as the story progressed. This is one book that really made me think and it will stick with me for a while (in true Jon Athan style).
Damned From Birth started off strong with the violence and gore that we commonly see in extreme horror, BUT there is also a story there. It honestly took me a few chapters to understand how the timeline, but once I did, I was 100% there for it. Vic is far from likable, but as I got to know him better I almost felt like I could at least almost understand why he became the person that he did. I appreciated the way that the backstory was revealed and how the author gave additional insight into not only Vic, but the side characters, as the story progressed. This is one book that really made me think and it will stick with me for a while (in true Jon Athan style).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2025
Just like any Athan book, this was one sick and twisted read! This was brutal and disturbing. The way it was written made you absolutely hate Victor the main character but also sympathize for him somehow as well. This story unravels backwards as it tells the story of Victor and how he became the way he is. There were some pretty hard to read scenes in this one like any Athan book. But this story was also more emotionally charged than his others as well. You definitely get a whole range of emotions you will feel while reading this one. Check triggers before diving into this read for sure!
May 28, 2025
This story was totally unlike Athan's previous reads for me. It works in a backwards manner, which I found really unique. But overall I found this story hard to rate because I just didn't enjoy it as much as I have previous stories. I did have a lot of sympathy for the main character though, and as always there's some serious brutality inside.
May 16, 2025
Have you ever wanted to dig deep inside a serial killers mind? Do you ever wonder what made them that way? Well.. you get that in this book! This book goes in reverse order and follows Victor throughout his life. You get inside his mind, and get to see why he is the way he ended up being.
This book does not miss gore or depravity. You can always count on Jon for a truly fucked up book.
The reverse timeline was seriously SO GOOD! Thank you Carrie & Jon for the ARC 😇
This book does not miss gore or depravity. You can always count on Jon for a truly fucked up book.
The reverse timeline was seriously SO GOOD! Thank you Carrie & Jon for the ARC 😇
May 30, 2025
Is anyone really damned from birth? Or is there a reason people are evil?
Well come and meet serial killer Victor Brooks and make your own decision. Well I say meet him, when we do first meet Victor it’s in a kinda sorry situation. He attempts to abduct a teenager and is left greeted by a shower of bullets. This one took me a couple of chapters to realise that Victor’s story is being told in reverse. This format is new to me but I loved it! Now you’re not supposed to feel sorry for serial killers but we follow Victor’s life in reverse from his present life as a serial killer right back through his love life, his friends, his enemies, his family and his childhood traumas. From this you can decide if Victor Brooks really was Damned From Birth. This book won’t be for everyone, it does contain some quite grim scenes, some go into great description while others you are left to imagine, but you are gonna imagine the worst and this is why I love Jon’s writing, he gives you enough to set the scene for the most horrific scenes that you end up creating yourself.
Well come and meet serial killer Victor Brooks and make your own decision. Well I say meet him, when we do first meet Victor it’s in a kinda sorry situation. He attempts to abduct a teenager and is left greeted by a shower of bullets. This one took me a couple of chapters to realise that Victor’s story is being told in reverse. This format is new to me but I loved it! Now you’re not supposed to feel sorry for serial killers but we follow Victor’s life in reverse from his present life as a serial killer right back through his love life, his friends, his enemies, his family and his childhood traumas. From this you can decide if Victor Brooks really was Damned From Birth. This book won’t be for everyone, it does contain some quite grim scenes, some go into great description while others you are left to imagine, but you are gonna imagine the worst and this is why I love Jon’s writing, he gives you enough to set the scene for the most horrific scenes that you end up creating yourself.
February 15, 2020
WHAT A LIFE
Victor had an extremely hard life and what an extremely messed up individual he became. I had no issues with the story being told in reverse order; my biggest with this story (as with most J. Athan stories) is how the 'bad guys' seem to suffer way less than the victims!!! That really burns me up; Victor was the victim of his parents and school bullies but ultimately he victimized many innocent people and his comeuppance wasn't dirty enough.
Please work on that Mr. Athan🤗
Victor had an extremely hard life and what an extremely messed up individual he became. I had no issues with the story being told in reverse order; my biggest with this story (as with most J. Athan stories) is how the 'bad guys' seem to suffer way less than the victims!!! That really burns me up; Victor was the victim of his parents and school bullies but ultimately he victimized many innocent people and his comeuppance wasn't dirty enough.
Please work on that Mr. Athan🤗
November 1, 2022
interesting
The book was written form present to the past. It was interesting once I figured out what was happening. But the book just suddenly ended. I’ve been reading this author for awhile and most of his books just end. We get built up for the end and then it’s over. It’s like he got tired of writing and said the end.
The book was written form present to the past. It was interesting once I figured out what was happening. But the book just suddenly ended. I’ve been reading this author for awhile and most of his books just end. We get built up for the end and then it’s over. It’s like he got tired of writing and said the end.
April 14, 2022
Love the details
The details are so well done that they appear vividly in my head. This is an awesome read and author
The details are so well done that they appear vividly in my head. This is an awesome read and author
May 7, 2025
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🩸 are a fan of extreme horror
🏚️ had a tough home life
📖 enjoy stories that start at the end and go back to the beginning
♥️ have a lot of empathy
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
While attempting to abduct a teenager from her home, sadistic serial killer Victor Brooks meets his match: Ten 9mm bullets. In a puddle of his own blood, sprawled across a stranger’s kitchen floor, Victor’s life begins to flash before his very eyes. He sees the living and the dead, peace and carnage, friends and foes, success and disappointment, love and hatred. He sees a life defined by rage, suffering, and despair.
The light at the end of Victor's tunnel is red—red with blood.
Jon Athan, the author of The Groomer and Are Your Parents Home?, takes you on a journey through a serial killer’s life—from death to adolescence—in one of his bleakest, most disturbing novels to date. This is the making of a serial killer. This is the story of a man damned from birth.
• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
This was my third book by Athan, but unfortunately it wasn’t my favorite of his. I did love the backwards timeline though, as it was interesting to learn why he ended up dying at the very start of the story. It just kept getting worse and worse. I really did feel for him when he was a boy, as those things his parents did were completely out of his control, but his own actions were, of course, his own. It just goes to show that nature vs nurture will definitely play a huge role in the person you eventually become. I felt sorry for the innocent people he hurt along the way, but felt that he truly got what he deserved in the end. Lots of gore in this one, so I definitely recommend if you enjoy that aspect!
🩸 are a fan of extreme horror
🏚️ had a tough home life
📖 enjoy stories that start at the end and go back to the beginning
♥️ have a lot of empathy
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
While attempting to abduct a teenager from her home, sadistic serial killer Victor Brooks meets his match: Ten 9mm bullets. In a puddle of his own blood, sprawled across a stranger’s kitchen floor, Victor’s life begins to flash before his very eyes. He sees the living and the dead, peace and carnage, friends and foes, success and disappointment, love and hatred. He sees a life defined by rage, suffering, and despair.
The light at the end of Victor's tunnel is red—red with blood.
Jon Athan, the author of The Groomer and Are Your Parents Home?, takes you on a journey through a serial killer’s life—from death to adolescence—in one of his bleakest, most disturbing novels to date. This is the making of a serial killer. This is the story of a man damned from birth.
• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
This was my third book by Athan, but unfortunately it wasn’t my favorite of his. I did love the backwards timeline though, as it was interesting to learn why he ended up dying at the very start of the story. It just kept getting worse and worse. I really did feel for him when he was a boy, as those things his parents did were completely out of his control, but his own actions were, of course, his own. It just goes to show that nature vs nurture will definitely play a huge role in the person you eventually become. I felt sorry for the innocent people he hurt along the way, but felt that he truly got what he deserved in the end. Lots of gore in this one, so I definitely recommend if you enjoy that aspect!
May 19, 2025
Damned From Birth was an interesting experience for me as I've never read a book (that I can remember) told in reverse chronological order.
I'm not sure how successful the reverse chronological order storytelling was here. The story starts with Victor trying to kidnap a young girl named Jasmine but is stopped mid-attempt and shot. What follows is the story of how he became a serial killer in reverse. BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO JASMINE??? Is she alright? I know this is Victor's story, but a little closure on her since she was such a major focus at the start would be good. By the time the book was over, I'd almost forgotten entirely about her.
I couldn't help but feel some measure of pity for Victor, reading how his journey actually started. It throws some really interesting thought into the nature vs. nurture debate also. Would Victor have still grown up to do all of those horrible things, or did his tragic childhood turn him into the monster? I think in this case, nurture (or the lack thereof) won out.
And bless Jon Athan for always giving me one scene that makes me horrifically nauseous! That drill to the knee....NOPE! I catastrophically injured my knee when I was 16, and anything with nasty knee injuries makes me cringe. So thanks for that!
This was a little different than what I'm used to from Athan, especially recently. Damned From Birth wasn't my favourite, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
I'm not sure how successful the reverse chronological order storytelling was here. The story starts with Victor trying to kidnap a young girl named Jasmine but is stopped mid-attempt and shot. What follows is the story of how he became a serial killer in reverse. BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO JASMINE??? Is she alright? I know this is Victor's story, but a little closure on her since she was such a major focus at the start would be good. By the time the book was over, I'd almost forgotten entirely about her.
I couldn't help but feel some measure of pity for Victor, reading how his journey actually started. It throws some really interesting thought into the nature vs. nurture debate also. Would Victor have still grown up to do all of those horrible things, or did his tragic childhood turn him into the monster? I think in this case, nurture (or the lack thereof) won out.
And bless Jon Athan for always giving me one scene that makes me horrifically nauseous! That drill to the knee....NOPE! I catastrophically injured my knee when I was 16, and anything with nasty knee injuries makes me cringe. So thanks for that!
This was a little different than what I'm used to from Athan, especially recently. Damned From Birth wasn't my favourite, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
December 24, 2020
Depression irritated his lungs, clouded his mind, and broke his heart. And the venom of depression was more potent than ever.
Bullied from such a young, impressionable age, Victor Brooks came from a household filled to the brim with favoritism, alcoholism, drug abuse, and an angry tyrant of a father figure. Raised by parents Wayne and Pamela Brooks, he saw his fair share of a troubled marriage filled with domestic disputes and addictions to ease the pain of his own mother's sufferings. As his story unfolds for the readers to witness and take pity at the countess times things could've been reversed, you see firsthand the bullying and how it could simply warp and damage a young mind to far beyond the breaking point. Pushed horribly by his bullies Lawrence Mendoza and his crew since kindergarten, he sees this as normal, as his home life wasn't fairing much better under the abusive hand and belt of his own father. Taking a fascination in death and carnage, he sees the beauty in torture and the bittersweet feelings it could fuel within a twisted head. Losing his empathy for others with every beating, every drink his mother pressed to her lips, he felt a sickening arousal at the murder of friend Christopher (Chris) Mendoza, the younger, handicapped (from cerebral palsy) sibling of Lawrence. Tricking him into coming into the woods alone with him behind his house one sweltering day, he convinced the boy to test out his makeshift hot tub as he crudely boiled him alive, delight to his ears in the form of his shriek's and cries of agony. Boiled alive and sealed into a drum, he was helpless as he paid for his brother's crimes of abuse. Satisfied with the death, he snuck home and sliced his drunken father's wrists before leaving in his dad's truck. Along the way, he discovered and picked up a troublesome hitchhiker, Derrick Barnes, who held a promise to kill with and protect one another. A brother ship in murder and carnage, the pair set off form the small town of Meldville, and turned their sights to something larger, the state of California.
Victor spoke about two things: the love of his life, Judy Chang, and his tragic experiences in his hometown. He couldn’t discuss the latter.
With a splinter adoration to a young and beautiful 17 year old, Judy Chang, he couldn’t bear to play the games so many other young woman fell victim to at his hands. Wanting to protect and shield her from the gruesomeness that was his partner and himself, he vowed to keep her clean and healthy, and far form the gore and drugs his world tended to share. Meeting her and a friend by chance at a bar, they poised as flirtatious, twenty one year old college students looking to have a good time, and as he watched them from afar he found himself hypnotized by her. As Derrick lead his away for playtime with Charlene Garcia (brunette) and Amber Gray (blond). With a promise of a fun night at their beach house, the two girls were eager to escape the bar setting into something a little more intimate. With the homeowners slaughtered upstairs, and isolated from Neighbors, the two girls were tormented before their deaths. Struggling to see into their eyes without seeing Judy, he left his partner to the more experimental torment and tried to keep himself from appearing clumsy or weak. More than delighted to hoard all the fun, Derrick willingness to murder was very apparent.
“Breathe, baby girl, breathe. Oh, come on, it ain’t that bad. We’re just getting started. Come on, I’ll help you. How about we add a little pleasure to the pain…”
With the pages turning and their ages accelerating, we see what causes the men their early retirement form the horrid line of work they adapted to. As Judy began slipping Down into the darkness of heroine and meth, he’s helpless to save her, which only infuriated him deeper with himself and with her. Seeing her more and more as a useless whore of a junkie, he begins to see his love for her either and blister open, and as he became more volatile towards her he realized not even his immersive love for her could be enough to keep her clean. While she was fast asleep strung out in the bedroom, he stumbles inside alone on his birthday and in a fit of absolute rage proceeds to beat her to The point neighbors phone police. Upon pressing charges, he’s hauled away to prison where he waited and sulked, praying to end Judy’s life the way he wanted to, not the easy way out of an overdose.
Love was seeing perfection in someone’s imperfections. Love was about taking risks and making sacrifices.
After he was released, himself and Derrick began the hunt anew to find his wayward wife and place a bullet between her eyes finally. Closing up the loose ends, he finally found her; nude and in a bear coma from the drugs that wrecked her veins and her mind in his eyes. Trading her body for sex for the addiction, he executed the boy beside her; Daniel, as well as her and nine other homeless drug addicts in the abandoned warehouse. Feeling nothing but a number anger, he sought someone else as the two went under for a while. Now as he neared his mid forties, he spies another young beauty in the body of eighteen year old, Jasmine Umeki. An Asian American girl with a moment home alone, his impersonating as a police officer didn’t land him a chance inside her house, yet he continued to try his luck and spy on her and break inside. Terrified in a face time call with her close friend, police were alerted to the scene which lead to him being executed with countless bullets as he tried to murder Jasmine. Dying in a hail of billets, he thought longingly for his deceased dog and Judy, the only two loves of his life. With the closing chapters, readers reflect and see how his rage towards his partner’s refusal to help snapped him. As he executed Derrick as well as his lover Elaine, he felt nothing but anger for turning against the one person who should’ve had his back for life. With his life ending in a rapid succession of gunfire, he knows death is nearing closer and closer and he accepted it full heartedly.
“Mom and dad always loved you the most. Maybe they’ll finally love me.”
Did I come to talk or did I come to kill?
Hatred bred hatred.
Bullied from such a young, impressionable age, Victor Brooks came from a household filled to the brim with favoritism, alcoholism, drug abuse, and an angry tyrant of a father figure. Raised by parents Wayne and Pamela Brooks, he saw his fair share of a troubled marriage filled with domestic disputes and addictions to ease the pain of his own mother's sufferings. As his story unfolds for the readers to witness and take pity at the countess times things could've been reversed, you see firsthand the bullying and how it could simply warp and damage a young mind to far beyond the breaking point. Pushed horribly by his bullies Lawrence Mendoza and his crew since kindergarten, he sees this as normal, as his home life wasn't fairing much better under the abusive hand and belt of his own father. Taking a fascination in death and carnage, he sees the beauty in torture and the bittersweet feelings it could fuel within a twisted head. Losing his empathy for others with every beating, every drink his mother pressed to her lips, he felt a sickening arousal at the murder of friend Christopher (Chris) Mendoza, the younger, handicapped (from cerebral palsy) sibling of Lawrence. Tricking him into coming into the woods alone with him behind his house one sweltering day, he convinced the boy to test out his makeshift hot tub as he crudely boiled him alive, delight to his ears in the form of his shriek's and cries of agony. Boiled alive and sealed into a drum, he was helpless as he paid for his brother's crimes of abuse. Satisfied with the death, he snuck home and sliced his drunken father's wrists before leaving in his dad's truck. Along the way, he discovered and picked up a troublesome hitchhiker, Derrick Barnes, who held a promise to kill with and protect one another. A brother ship in murder and carnage, the pair set off form the small town of Meldville, and turned their sights to something larger, the state of California.
Victor spoke about two things: the love of his life, Judy Chang, and his tragic experiences in his hometown. He couldn’t discuss the latter.
With a splinter adoration to a young and beautiful 17 year old, Judy Chang, he couldn’t bear to play the games so many other young woman fell victim to at his hands. Wanting to protect and shield her from the gruesomeness that was his partner and himself, he vowed to keep her clean and healthy, and far form the gore and drugs his world tended to share. Meeting her and a friend by chance at a bar, they poised as flirtatious, twenty one year old college students looking to have a good time, and as he watched them from afar he found himself hypnotized by her. As Derrick lead his away for playtime with Charlene Garcia (brunette) and Amber Gray (blond). With a promise of a fun night at their beach house, the two girls were eager to escape the bar setting into something a little more intimate. With the homeowners slaughtered upstairs, and isolated from Neighbors, the two girls were tormented before their deaths. Struggling to see into their eyes without seeing Judy, he left his partner to the more experimental torment and tried to keep himself from appearing clumsy or weak. More than delighted to hoard all the fun, Derrick willingness to murder was very apparent.
“Breathe, baby girl, breathe. Oh, come on, it ain’t that bad. We’re just getting started. Come on, I’ll help you. How about we add a little pleasure to the pain…”
With the pages turning and their ages accelerating, we see what causes the men their early retirement form the horrid line of work they adapted to. As Judy began slipping Down into the darkness of heroine and meth, he’s helpless to save her, which only infuriated him deeper with himself and with her. Seeing her more and more as a useless whore of a junkie, he begins to see his love for her either and blister open, and as he became more volatile towards her he realized not even his immersive love for her could be enough to keep her clean. While she was fast asleep strung out in the bedroom, he stumbles inside alone on his birthday and in a fit of absolute rage proceeds to beat her to The point neighbors phone police. Upon pressing charges, he’s hauled away to prison where he waited and sulked, praying to end Judy’s life the way he wanted to, not the easy way out of an overdose.
Love was seeing perfection in someone’s imperfections. Love was about taking risks and making sacrifices.
After he was released, himself and Derrick began the hunt anew to find his wayward wife and place a bullet between her eyes finally. Closing up the loose ends, he finally found her; nude and in a bear coma from the drugs that wrecked her veins and her mind in his eyes. Trading her body for sex for the addiction, he executed the boy beside her; Daniel, as well as her and nine other homeless drug addicts in the abandoned warehouse. Feeling nothing but a number anger, he sought someone else as the two went under for a while. Now as he neared his mid forties, he spies another young beauty in the body of eighteen year old, Jasmine Umeki. An Asian American girl with a moment home alone, his impersonating as a police officer didn’t land him a chance inside her house, yet he continued to try his luck and spy on her and break inside. Terrified in a face time call with her close friend, police were alerted to the scene which lead to him being executed with countless bullets as he tried to murder Jasmine. Dying in a hail of billets, he thought longingly for his deceased dog and Judy, the only two loves of his life. With the closing chapters, readers reflect and see how his rage towards his partner’s refusal to help snapped him. As he executed Derrick as well as his lover Elaine, he felt nothing but anger for turning against the one person who should’ve had his back for life. With his life ending in a rapid succession of gunfire, he knows death is nearing closer and closer and he accepted it full heartedly.
“Mom and dad always loved you the most. Maybe they’ll finally love me.”
Did I come to talk or did I come to kill?
Hatred bred hatred.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2025
Damned from Birth is a story of a serial killer told in reverse. It starts out with main character, Victor Brooks, breaking into a home to kidnap a girl, but when his plan backfires, we're given his life story and how it all leads to the present.
The reason why I adore Athan is his ability to experiment. He will give you a body horror one book and an apocalyptic tale the next.
While this book had a great start, I was unsure how I felt about the structure at first. The couple chapters after the first were a bit slower for me and I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it as much as Athan's previous work, but the last half of the book really picked up for me. As the layers of Victor's life unravel, the more interested I became. The last couple of chapters were a highlight and the most disturbing. I was really fascinated by Victor's childhood and family life and became just the tiniest bit sympathetic for him.
Overall I loved this book, while it starts off with a bang, it slows down and picks right back up. It definitely got better as it went. Athan once again proves why he is a master of splatter. 4.5
The reason why I adore Athan is his ability to experiment. He will give you a body horror one book and an apocalyptic tale the next.
While this book had a great start, I was unsure how I felt about the structure at first. The couple chapters after the first were a bit slower for me and I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it as much as Athan's previous work, but the last half of the book really picked up for me. As the layers of Victor's life unravel, the more interested I became. The last couple of chapters were a highlight and the most disturbing. I was really fascinated by Victor's childhood and family life and became just the tiniest bit sympathetic for him.
Overall I loved this book, while it starts off with a bang, it slows down and picks right back up. It definitely got better as it went. Athan once again proves why he is a master of splatter. 4.5
June 1, 2025
I was honored to receive an advanced copy of “Damned From Birth” from Jon Athan to review.
There have been many debates on the topic of “nature vs. nurture”. Is this person a killer due to their horrible treatment or unfavorable situations, or were they just simply born that way? “Damned From Birth” takes you on a journey of Victor Brook’s life, but in reverse. From Victor’s last moments on earth to his childhood, you see just how much abuse, neglect, bullying, and monstrous behavior he endured and how he ultimately became a serial killer. This is an extreme horror story, so be prepared for gore and to have your heart drop kicked. This one had moments that hit me hard and I thought that was near impossible! Even with his actions, you will feel empathy for Victor and the horrors he lived. Victory was undeniably Damned From Birth. Jon Athan has a writing style that will pull you in and not let you go. I can honestly say, I’ve not had a disappointing story from him yet and I’ve read a lot of his work. This is one you absolutely do not want to miss!
There have been many debates on the topic of “nature vs. nurture”. Is this person a killer due to their horrible treatment or unfavorable situations, or were they just simply born that way? “Damned From Birth” takes you on a journey of Victor Brook’s life, but in reverse. From Victor’s last moments on earth to his childhood, you see just how much abuse, neglect, bullying, and monstrous behavior he endured and how he ultimately became a serial killer. This is an extreme horror story, so be prepared for gore and to have your heart drop kicked. This one had moments that hit me hard and I thought that was near impossible! Even with his actions, you will feel empathy for Victor and the horrors he lived. Victory was undeniably Damned From Birth. Jon Athan has a writing style that will pull you in and not let you go. I can honestly say, I’ve not had a disappointing story from him yet and I’ve read a lot of his work. This is one you absolutely do not want to miss!
May 4, 2025
**May contain spoilers **
This book puts a different spin on the timeline, that I haven’t read before. It starts with Victor in present day, and as the book progresses it reverses all the way into his past, to him as a child. You see, Victor, is a murderer. A Psychopath. Killing gives him a high, an obsession. One that he can’t and won’t avoid. He may even say he has valid reasons for each kill. However, the urge to kill is so ingrained into who he is, showing insight as to how his entire life has led up to who he has become. Even at the end, as a child you can see how he was set up, even then, for that kind of life. By the end of the book you almost feel for Victor. Has he become a murderous psychopath. Yes. Do you understand why? Also yes. Even murderous psychopaths sometimes have no choice if it’s all they have ever known. Some are just damned from birth.
Another fantastic book by Jon Athan. Don’t wait to read this! Get your copy now!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2025
I was so excited to recieve an arc of the re-release Dammed From Birth from Jon Athan.
Told in reverse this story is about Victor who is a sociopathic serial killer who laying in his own blood sees his life flash before his eyes. While attempting to abduct a teen girl from her home he finally gets caught. In reverse his story unravels and shows the reader how he got to this place through childhood trama. Victor is a vile and evil man, but as a reader I couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy towards him since he too suffered from a young age growing up in an abusive home with alcoholic parents.
It really makes the reader think if Victor was born to a different family and a different life would he still have turned out to be the evil man he was? Was he truly dammed from birth or was he just a victim of his circumstances?
Jon Athan never disapoints with his work and he doesn't with this one either.
Told in reverse this story is about Victor who is a sociopathic serial killer who laying in his own blood sees his life flash before his eyes. While attempting to abduct a teen girl from her home he finally gets caught. In reverse his story unravels and shows the reader how he got to this place through childhood trama. Victor is a vile and evil man, but as a reader I couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy towards him since he too suffered from a young age growing up in an abusive home with alcoholic parents.
It really makes the reader think if Victor was born to a different family and a different life would he still have turned out to be the evil man he was? Was he truly dammed from birth or was he just a victim of his circumstances?
Jon Athan never disapoints with his work and he doesn't with this one either.
May 5, 2025
When I started this book, I went in blind and fully expected it to go from the opening chapters back to the beginning but of his life but it didn't and I loved the reverse chronological order of it! It led to plenty of "AHA, so that's why..." moments which I love when reading. It was hard when Victor got younger and more innocent though as I'd already read what his future becomes so I couldn't feel the hope that I'd normally feel in a standard chronological book.
There were some pretty brutal moments throughout, but this book did not rely on that to entertain. Instead it was filled with a solid storyline that flowed extremely well, despite the time jumps and reverse order. Very Well done.
This book is perfect for people who like to delve into the life of a serial killer and I was very lucky to recieve it as an ARC.
There were some pretty brutal moments throughout, but this book did not rely on that to entertain. Instead it was filled with a solid storyline that flowed extremely well, despite the time jumps and reverse order. Very Well done.
This book is perfect for people who like to delve into the life of a serial killer and I was very lucky to recieve it as an ARC.
May 11, 2025
Finished the newest by Jon Athan the other day, coming soon, a rewrite of an older novel of his and of course, awesome as always!
Victor has led a troubled life, alcoholic mother who doesn't give a shit, and an abusive father who abuses him in all kinds of ways. When he's older he runs away and meets up with a friend and together they head off on a campaign of carnage and bloodshed. For both of them are hardcore serial killers, and the world needs to pay for what they've been through...
In this one, we start back to front. Starting from Victor's demise to seeing his life flash before him as he recalls in vivid detail everything that transpired to turn him into a sadistic killer. Great storyline as always, plenty of gory scenes, and certainly a pretty sad and tragic story, despite his crimes. An all too familiar scenario; born or bred?
Victor has led a troubled life, alcoholic mother who doesn't give a shit, and an abusive father who abuses him in all kinds of ways. When he's older he runs away and meets up with a friend and together they head off on a campaign of carnage and bloodshed. For both of them are hardcore serial killers, and the world needs to pay for what they've been through...
In this one, we start back to front. Starting from Victor's demise to seeing his life flash before him as he recalls in vivid detail everything that transpired to turn him into a sadistic killer. Great storyline as always, plenty of gory scenes, and certainly a pretty sad and tragic story, despite his crimes. An all too familiar scenario; born or bred?
April 6, 2025
This book was a wave of different emotions.
First you obviously hate the guy, but then it takes you through all the shit he dealt with and leaves you wondering what is the right emotion to feel for him.
Victor went through HELL as a child.
He also put a lot of innocent people through hell.
I think this book really shows that sometimes trauma in childhood can really rewire someone. Leaves you wondering if someone is born a certain way, or eventually just snap after going through so much to end up doing evil things.
Crazy that the one part that got me the most involved Duke.
Definitely recommend this one as always. I love Jon's writing and they're always such quick reads for me. I never lose interest when reading one of his books!
First you obviously hate the guy, but then it takes you through all the shit he dealt with and leaves you wondering what is the right emotion to feel for him.
Victor went through HELL as a child.
He also put a lot of innocent people through hell.
I think this book really shows that sometimes trauma in childhood can really rewire someone. Leaves you wondering if someone is born a certain way, or eventually just snap after going through so much to end up doing evil things.
Crazy that the one part that got me the most involved Duke.
Definitely recommend this one as always. I love Jon's writing and they're always such quick reads for me. I never lose interest when reading one of his books!
April 6, 2025
When I started this book I could already tell that I was going to absolutely HATE Victor. But by the time I was towards the end, I felt so sorry for him and I actually found myself justifying his actions. When you grow up with a drunk drug addict for a mother and an abusive drunk for a father you are set up for failure in life. There are definitely people who have grown up that way and overcome their situation and gone on to be very successful people in life, but Victor never succeeded. From the very first time Lawrence started bullying him and his father started physically and verbally abusing him he was damned to become a killer. He was essentially…..Damned From Birth.
April 23, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. This is one of Jon Athan's books I hadn't read before it was rereleased! The story is seen through the eyes of a sociopath named Victor. Told in reverse order, we get to see why he is the way he is and what made Victor become the awful person he is. I feel like this book is different from Jon's other books. In my opinion the story focused more on what made Victor the way he is and a lot less gory kill scenes. Honestly, I enjoyed that! Don't get me wrong there were plenty of disturbing scenes.I definitely recommend this book! This book proves once again why Jon Athan is the GOAT of splatterpunk!
June 1, 2025
This story of serial killer Victor (Vic) and the events that have taken place in his life is unique in that it’s written in reverse chronological order. I’d never read anything written in this format so I was curious to experience it. Vic is a vile human and I somehow felt bad for him? Especially as the story went on. The story is bleak af. Lots of triggers in this one.. it is an extreme horror book! But I devoured it. Honestly I’m a fan of everything Jon Athan puts out.
From the author of The Groomer, Our Dead Girlfriend, and many other stories.. this is a revamped version of the previously released Damned From Birth. You won’t want to miss this one if you dig extreme horror. 🙌
From the author of The Groomer, Our Dead Girlfriend, and many other stories.. this is a revamped version of the previously released Damned From Birth. You won’t want to miss this one if you dig extreme horror. 🙌
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