This is an adult horror book, intended for a mature audience who is not easily shocked or offended. With that being said, there is a chapter within this book that is shocking. To ensure there is no upset caused, there is an option to skip this chapter when you get to it. The following chapter contains a short recap which gives you, the reader, all the basic information needed to take the story forward without missing any key plot points. This is not a gimmick. The Sequel To The Number One Bestseller "How Much To" Having taken over the running of the "games", Nate thought he had a way of beating the system which meant the audience got the blood they were looking for, the people needing the money had a chance of winning it without hurting themselves, and the heads of the show were still getting the viewing figures they longed for. Nate was wrong. Now Nate finds himself forced to play a new, darker version of "The Game" for the pleasure of those watching at home. Feedback from BETA " I honestly have not a clue how you can come up with anything worse than what’s in this book 🤯 It’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever read. And the ending was brilliant!" - Cat "Holy **** dude! That whole ending scenario starting with *** ***, you ****. That was pure evil. You've taken the top spot from A Serbian Film. That was a **** hair away from being too ******* far. Bravo!" - Bryan " I think the warning should stay, and is needed. Extreme horror is what you do, so extreme horror is what the reader gets. I can imagine there may be some strong feelings from people who maybe haven't read your works before though! Am enjoying it up to this point. I need to brace myself mentally in order to continue though." - Melissa "Holy hell. I knew to expect twisted, dark and taboo before opening the book, obviously. But with every book I read by you, I don’t know if I’m more impressed or shocked with how much more twisted it gets?!" - Kade
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books "Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories" Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
‘We’ll probably just stick with The Game. It’s easy to remember. It has a ring to it and people will be able to discuss it in public without others knowing what they’re really watching…’ He mocked a man’s voice, ‘Hey, you see The Game last night?’
I think.. I'm done reading Matt books i can deal with some twisted stuff.. but what i just read was so fucking gross.. and sad and fucked up.. Nope.. no... ewww
Ill just leave you a big TRIGGER WARNING!!!! like really really fucking fucked up.
This book was fun. This is the kind of stuff that I laugh while I'm reading because it tickles my fancy. But I guess I have a 'different' sense of humor. The chapter with the option to skip wasn't half as bad as I was expecting it to be. If you enjoy gross, guts and gore.... READ THIS BOOK. It's so much fun
This is in the top three most disgusting books I have ever read! By page 12 I was ready to puke… throughout I had to stop reading and wait for the nausea to pass. Pus, boogers, snot, and spit fucking disgust me, I’m not gonna lie, this is the hardest time I’ve had getting through a book, but I absolutely loved it!
I've read almost everything Shaw's written, but for me this one fell short. The "extreme" element was there, of course, but didn't feel much of anything for any of the characters except for a smidgen of affection for Kim. The whole story imploded for me when it got to the dogs. Do whatever you want to humans -- including babies (never been the "mommy" type) -- but don't touch animals, especially dogs. Uh uh.
Beyond brutal. This book made me feel nauseous, scared, sad.....all the emotions that were obviously the authors goals so he gets 5* from me. If there's a third book in this series I won't be reading it. This one was too disturbing for me. I skipped the chapter with the warning. I wanted to try to handle it but once it was clear what was going to happen I just couldn't.
Not gonna lie, this did have some shocking scenes, even for me.
I think what I like about these books is the mind-provoking about how far people would go for the right kind of motivation, and when they would give up.
And also to see which new creative ways to be tormented Shaw has come up with.
This book was horrifying and made me gag but nothing, and I mean nothing, came close to how sick and horrified Chapter Fourteen made me feel. It made the last few chapters go down easier but MAN do not read this book before bed 🫠
I love extreme horror and I love twists-my favorite is when there are subtle things along the way that you collect for seemingly no reason, but the back of your mind puzzles them together. Then boom, the unveiling. Perfect. Seven stars!
This book took a while for me to finish bc the beginning wasn’t all that. However, it obviously picked up towards like 40%. I can’t lie the end kinda got me.
This was Matt Shaw at his best with the grotesque and most disturbing fiction. My tummy was doing somersault nearly all the way through. It is most definitely not for the faint hearted or easily offended. I love my extreme reading and not much fearsome but this was one of those I will remember but not for truly being up on top for extreme. Powerful and most fit in Every sense. If you love extreme hard-core reading this is a must read. But please please don't even bother if you are even slightly squeamish. All said and done though a great read.
Ummm… what exactly did I just read? I agree with all of the reviews saying that the chapter with the trigger warning was honestly one of the least horrifying chapter of them all. I really do enjoy books that make you say “wtf” and this book surely was one of them. As much as this book turned me off, I’ll probably end up reading the next one in the series at some point. I absolutely love the idea and premise of the series, it keeps me coming back. This one was a lot more gory and intense than the first one. Makes me wonder what the third one in the series has in store.
yeah … i knew exactly where that was going. i should have just skipped the chapter that came with a warning. fuck. that was brutal. im going to have to talk about this one in therapy.
I can't believe i paid money to read this garbage, I got to the end of this book, and I can't believe people read this... Let alone me. There is NOTHING entertaining about this book, the ending was disgusting.
With the exception of Part One, this novelette was a thrilling sequel! I appreciated examining Nate's psychological depth and complexity. The fast-paced plot and surprising twists kept me interested and had me questioning these hard moral issues, making it an appealing read.
It would be interesting to see where it goes, if there's another one. Erica or Sharon should be a contestant. Also it was silly for there too be a warning before the dog chapter; that was the lightest of all of them. Especially since it wasn't even described in enough detail
OK so my first read of any of Matt Shaw's work, and I can say it won't be the last. probably need to read the first How much books. yes, this is getting to the far end of extreme horror, but I loved the concept. the one thing that did make me laugh, strangely enough, was the warning regarding one of the chapters. in the build-up, we know our hero is tasked with eating a stillborn child, so this has to be the chapter. No the chapter in question is regarding killing a dog. we are happy with baby eating but my god you kill a dog and people freak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Now I have a strong stomach, but it was a little too much for me. Not the blood you understand, blood and guts I can deal with, hell, I'm the girl who Google's murder scenes. But some of this content, just no. No. Nope. No.
Better than the first one. You can't expect thought-provoking prose with Matt Shaw, it's just gore porn. Knowing that, it's an enjoyable read. The structure of this one was way better; the first had a lot of filler, this one had much more suspense and twists.
*FULL SPOILERS AHEAD!*
A man and woman are both forced to; 1. Eat a block of lard 2. Suck on a dead woman's used tampons (one soaked in menstrual blood, one with diarrhea) 3. Destroy their teeth by grinding them against a concrete bar 4. Lick a bunch of boogers off a wall 5. Eat a plate of toenails and wart shavings 6. Fuck themselves on a dildo wrapped in barbed wire until it shoots vinegar inside them 7. Behead their own dog (the woman refuses and commits suicide instead. The showrunners decide the man doesn't have to do it after she kills herself, but he doesn't see the door opening and kills the dog anyways) 8. Eat the stomach out of a fetus until he finds a key 9. Put the fetus back inside its parent (the next room reveals his wife, no longer pregnant. The fetus is his baby. He eats the rest rather than force it back inside his wife.)
The last chapter reveals that they'll kill the man and his wife once he's done eating. Two producers discuss how this version of The Game is too fucked up for anyone to willingly participate, no matter how much money they're offered. The women agree to start abducting contestants instead. The show is renamed from "How Much To?" to "The Game."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Nate has been put in charge of the game, How Much To? But he has decided to change things up a bit and readjust the format. Unfortunately his new plan for the show doesn’t work, instead loses viewers, and he is hauled into head office to explain himself. His boss is suitably unimpressed when she watches the footage and so offers him her own deal. If he plays ‘The Game’, he gets to keep his job and the money to boot. Refuse, and he is finished. And so Nate enters the most extreme version of ‘The Game’ to date...
This is everything it promises to be...and more. Quite literally the sickest book I have ever read! One chapter in particular has a warning, meaning you can skip it if you like - something I highly advise if you love animals - but for me, the chapters that follow are infinitely worse! I loved this book! I mean, I wholeheartedly loved this book! I’m always looking for stuff to push my buttons, and this book pushed every last single one of them.
The standard disclaimer applies - DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE THE STRONGEST OF STOMACHS AND ARE NOT EASILY OFFENDED!
This is the sort of book nightmares are spawned from.
It clicked less than the 1st book with me. (for the 1st half) The new person in charge of "the game" has gotten in trouble over changing the old format, he used too much budget, the views dropped. He tried to introduce the participants, tell their life story, and then throw them into horror-like situation.
The 2nd half is when my enjoyment increased. It goes back to the format used in the 1st book. With everyone in a room anwsering 10 questions, it does have a unique twist to it tho.
The tasks are a lot more fked up and gruesome compared to the 1st book. Be warned. One chapter even has a warning and author marked it as skippable and it gives a summary of it in the following chapter.
I'm usually the type of person that isnt sensitive and I dont care about trigger warnings, but man, this book somehow managed to find the few things that I'm uncomfortable with. It was a hard read in those moments.
I liked it but also, damn. It was just downright cruel. just to name a few things. Ugh. And that ending
OMG....this book was sick,gross, disgusting and terrifying...but I absolutely loved it....god I adored it. What a read!!! I couldn't and wouldn't put it down,it kept me up and awake at night. I wanted more and more of this horrendous gore,and when I got to the chapter with the bold black letter warning about skipping the chapter....like bloody Fuck was I not going to read it...it made me want to read it all the more.I must say it was a little inhumane and gut wrenching...but boy was it addictive? When I'd finished the book it did make me sit back and wonder who was the sickest person here....Matt Shaw for writing this book...or me for wanting and needing to read it (and sadly enjoying it)....my conclusion...both of us!!! ENJOY!!!
I felt cheated with the first book BUT this one fucking delivered
The whole book 💋 it was fucking disgusting
Did Nate deserve it 100% I was bored also reading what he did- don’t change the game, don’t lose viewers AND definitely don’t lose MONEY and it wouldn’t have happened- all in the job description- table turn and he didn’t like it:)
chapter 14- CHAPTER 14- SCREAMING
this line⬇️
“The problem was, with his eyes closed, he missed the light above his locked door turning from red to green”.————- made me want to throw my kindle across the room- I had to put it down- the thing he did wasn’t the issue it was THaT HE DIDNT NEED TO
I didn’t even knew it was a series just saw I got another 5 books- hopefully they don’t go downhill from here:)!
After reading pretty much everything this author has written so far and loving every second of the ride I was excited to read this! But omg WTF, this one defiantly pushed boundaries and was the sickest yet! Chapter 14 is hard going I wasn’t going to read it (there is a warning you can skip it) but I did read it, last chapters pretty tough too but this is what makes Matt Shaw brilliant he’s not afraid to push boundaries and explore the dark dark places most minds can’t even imagine! Awesome as always, but gotta say parts of it certainly made me feel rather uncomfortable and there’s not many things book or film that manages to do that to me!
If you already know Matt's style then you will enjoy this immensely, no beating round the bush, just disgusting stomach churning nastiness but not nasty enough to stop reading!! I thought I had a strong stomach but there were several times I thought there is something really wrong with Mathew Shaw! Great characters, great story, totally disturbing ending which I probably should have seen coming but honestly didnt! Well done Matt, succeed in making me feel pretty sick with a story that stayed with me long after I had finished! Loved it you sicko
3.5 stars. In the first book Nate the producer was an apprentice learning the ropes and the challenges were hand me downs, now he has direction and that is to completely blast away the boundaries of the extent the contestants will go to for money and he's going to do it too!. One particular chapter was completely mind blowing in a very disturbing way and the rest was sick gross and disgusting. Still, like the first book this was not quite for me as prefer a more solid story but I can't help marvel at the authors depraved imagination exhibiting just what he thinks people will do for money or viewing figures.
📖 How much to.? and How Much 2 by Matt Shaw 4 stars These are extreme horror all right. Alot of the reviews made it sound like it'd be the most disgusting thing I've ever read. Idk I might just be messed up, or my brain realizes this is all fake. 🤷♀️ I didn't think it was that bad. I liked these books. Their what I was looking for honestly. Books that give the Hostel or torture kill vibes. If you don't like that kind of thing I would not recommend these. However if you're looking for something along those lines give these a try. I'll be reading the other ones once I have money to buy them.