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Quarantine
In the early stages of a global pandemic, an alcoholic author is losing everything. Dealing with the changes in society, and coping with his feelings of inadequacy, his sane mind is hanging on by a thread. After his wife has a terrible accident, he begins to see things in a new light. His relationship turns into his priority, but the past has returned to haunt him. He will do just about anything to keep moving forward, but is he a victim of a conspiracy, or has he lost his mind?
Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2021
10 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Lebold
24 books40 followersAaron Lebold is an author of psychological horror, sometimes dabbling in extreme elements. His love of the genre began at an early age with all the best slasher films. Writing has always been something of interest but he didn’t make any serious attempts at it until 2017. Since that time he has completed several novels and novellas. His short stories can be found in various anthologies by various publishers. Some of his short stories have been narrated for the Cryo-Pod Podcast. His novel “Born Sick” took second place at the Godless 666 awards for best novel of 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 17, 2024
This isn't my first read from Aaron, but it is my new favourite. Not just my favourite by Aaron, but one of my favourites for this year! It's incredible stuff! I enjoy how Aarons mind works, his books really get inside your head and they have a wild time messing with your mind while they're in there. My first book by Lebold was Born Sick and I still think about it to this day. I have a feeling I’m going to be thinking about this one for years to come too!
Quarantine is a beautifully written, captivating, bleak and hypnotic psychological horror. The tension was rife throughout, I was on the edge of my seat with my breath held the whole time! Set during Covid, it explores feelings we all experienced during those scary times, the feelings of fear, desperation, trepidation, cabin fever, panic, paranoia and delusion. You will feel so much empathy with the main character, despite his actions. This book is absolutely terrifying in its insanity!!!!
Caught in a downward spiral of depression and drinking too much, James feels the need to go out and connect with the real world for a bit, albeit on a cold, dark, drizzly night. Caught between reality and the illusion that the alcohol brings with it, he contemplates what he truly wants from life, and whether, in fact, he actually wants that life at all..
After his wife suffers an accident at home, he decides to quit drinking and concentrate on their declining relationship. It's not easy though and the withdrawals quickly become too much. He resolves this by hitting the bottle again, but that's ok, because things seem to be looking up now. He starts to reflect on happier times and learns to appreciate his wife more, even writing a book about their lives together. His reminiscing has made their relationship so much better already, bringing them closer than they've been for a long time. But, has he left it too late? Is the quarantine causing him to go stir crazy? Or is it the guilt he has carried with him since he was 15 years old, gnawing at him all that time, until it eventually broke through and created this rapid, disturbing decline in his psyche?
Things quickly take a sinister turn when his Mother-in-law visits to check on her sick daughter and it seems that alcohol may just be the answer to all his problems after all…
Is everyone conspiring against him? His wife’s parents, the people at the supermarket, the government, the police….? His mental decline is so vivid, so heartbreaking, so real. A man at breaking point, confused, scared, his life falling apart around him one piece at a time. His battle with alcohol becoming a battle with life itself, and murder seems like his only answer going forward. His increasing paranoia and delusion cause him to make silly mistakes, mistakes that eventually lead to his downfall.
How does an alcoholic serial killer that is slowly losing his mind, cope with all the restrictions of quarantine that are hindering his every move? Addiction during lockdown, the fear, anxiety and difficulty in maintaining it, along with the hallucinations that fuck with his mind, when the lines between reality and illusion start to blur, thats when things really take a turn for James, and its heart wrenching. Powerful, poignant and incredibly, emotionally disturbing, his misconception and utter belief in what he has done, is doing, and his reasons why, continue to the very end, and that is truly unnerving.
Fans of extreme psychological horror will LOVE this!! If you're a fan of Portrait of a Nuclear Family by JP Behrens, I'm pretty convinced you'll enjoy this too!! 🖤
Phenomenal!!
Quarantine is a beautifully written, captivating, bleak and hypnotic psychological horror. The tension was rife throughout, I was on the edge of my seat with my breath held the whole time! Set during Covid, it explores feelings we all experienced during those scary times, the feelings of fear, desperation, trepidation, cabin fever, panic, paranoia and delusion. You will feel so much empathy with the main character, despite his actions. This book is absolutely terrifying in its insanity!!!!
Caught in a downward spiral of depression and drinking too much, James feels the need to go out and connect with the real world for a bit, albeit on a cold, dark, drizzly night. Caught between reality and the illusion that the alcohol brings with it, he contemplates what he truly wants from life, and whether, in fact, he actually wants that life at all..
After his wife suffers an accident at home, he decides to quit drinking and concentrate on their declining relationship. It's not easy though and the withdrawals quickly become too much. He resolves this by hitting the bottle again, but that's ok, because things seem to be looking up now. He starts to reflect on happier times and learns to appreciate his wife more, even writing a book about their lives together. His reminiscing has made their relationship so much better already, bringing them closer than they've been for a long time. But, has he left it too late? Is the quarantine causing him to go stir crazy? Or is it the guilt he has carried with him since he was 15 years old, gnawing at him all that time, until it eventually broke through and created this rapid, disturbing decline in his psyche?
Things quickly take a sinister turn when his Mother-in-law visits to check on her sick daughter and it seems that alcohol may just be the answer to all his problems after all…
Is everyone conspiring against him? His wife’s parents, the people at the supermarket, the government, the police….? His mental decline is so vivid, so heartbreaking, so real. A man at breaking point, confused, scared, his life falling apart around him one piece at a time. His battle with alcohol becoming a battle with life itself, and murder seems like his only answer going forward. His increasing paranoia and delusion cause him to make silly mistakes, mistakes that eventually lead to his downfall.
How does an alcoholic serial killer that is slowly losing his mind, cope with all the restrictions of quarantine that are hindering his every move? Addiction during lockdown, the fear, anxiety and difficulty in maintaining it, along with the hallucinations that fuck with his mind, when the lines between reality and illusion start to blur, thats when things really take a turn for James, and its heart wrenching. Powerful, poignant and incredibly, emotionally disturbing, his misconception and utter belief in what he has done, is doing, and his reasons why, continue to the very end, and that is truly unnerving.
Fans of extreme psychological horror will LOVE this!! If you're a fan of Portrait of a Nuclear Family by JP Behrens, I'm pretty convinced you'll enjoy this too!! 🖤
Phenomenal!!
November 23, 2024
‘Quarantine’ is a great little extreme horror story that takes the reader on James’s personal journey, leading from one type isolation eventually to an entirely different one altogether.
Plenty crazy thoughts and ‘chats’ set within a disturbingly, dark narrative that includes a range of killing methods and some bloody good action, right through to a scene or two telling of sharing showers with the in-laws for purification and general cleansing purposes. All unexpectedly unusual at times, but most definitely effective and final.
Opening chapters- good and mid-section - excellent, but sadly the road to the story’s conclusion a little too normal, predictable and flat - despite the odd shiv making a notable, but surprisingly gloriously unforeseen appearance, that is!
Very enjoyable - highly recommended.
Rating: 4.4 brightly glowing stars of deep and deathly, secluded insanity.
Plenty crazy thoughts and ‘chats’ set within a disturbingly, dark narrative that includes a range of killing methods and some bloody good action, right through to a scene or two telling of sharing showers with the in-laws for purification and general cleansing purposes. All unexpectedly unusual at times, but most definitely effective and final.
Opening chapters- good and mid-section - excellent, but sadly the road to the story’s conclusion a little too normal, predictable and flat - despite the odd shiv making a notable, but surprisingly gloriously unforeseen appearance, that is!
Very enjoyable - highly recommended.
Rating: 4.4 brightly glowing stars of deep and deathly, secluded insanity.
June 15, 2024
A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
Quarantine by Aaron Lebold
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
Quarantined, face masks, hand sanitizer and six-feet distances, It’s mid-March of 2020 and a full blown pandemic is imminent. While society is shutting down, an author is battling alcoholism, self abuse and reoccurring issues with his marriage. When the lines between illusion and reality become blurred, the burden is too much. His self destruction leads him to a lack of sanity, increased paranoia, government conspiracies and murder.
This is my review of Quarantine by Aaron Lebold, it’s gonna be a wild one so hang on. This book straddles the line of extreme fiction and true-crime, which in turn gives it a very disturbing taste of reality. Justified violent acts of a twisted love is what peaked my curiosity and drew my attention. Then my landscape of serene morbid curiosity quickly coagulated into intense shock. You are literally placed into a psychological story with gore soaked extreme elements. Aaron Lebold you had me at “crimson snail trail.”
Aaron Lebold has this poetic style of writing that is so beautiful, all the while the elegance of his written word slowly transforms into full blown anxiety. Before ya’ know it, your showering with dismembered corpses. I pretty much had the facial expressions of Nicholas Cage from the movie 8mm the whole time reading this. When it comes to Quarantine, ya’ better double up on the heavy duty garbage bags.
This extreme experience is brought to you by none other than Gloom House Publishing. (I also hold you responsible for the mental scars I have endured!) By the way, love the picture of the dreaded fifteen stairs, it gave me goosebumps every time I looked at it. Dark, Disturbing and Brutal. This is a must read five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
Quarantine by Aaron Lebold
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
Quarantined, face masks, hand sanitizer and six-feet distances, It’s mid-March of 2020 and a full blown pandemic is imminent. While society is shutting down, an author is battling alcoholism, self abuse and reoccurring issues with his marriage. When the lines between illusion and reality become blurred, the burden is too much. His self destruction leads him to a lack of sanity, increased paranoia, government conspiracies and murder.
This is my review of Quarantine by Aaron Lebold, it’s gonna be a wild one so hang on. This book straddles the line of extreme fiction and true-crime, which in turn gives it a very disturbing taste of reality. Justified violent acts of a twisted love is what peaked my curiosity and drew my attention. Then my landscape of serene morbid curiosity quickly coagulated into intense shock. You are literally placed into a psychological story with gore soaked extreme elements. Aaron Lebold you had me at “crimson snail trail.”
Aaron Lebold has this poetic style of writing that is so beautiful, all the while the elegance of his written word slowly transforms into full blown anxiety. Before ya’ know it, your showering with dismembered corpses. I pretty much had the facial expressions of Nicholas Cage from the movie 8mm the whole time reading this. When it comes to Quarantine, ya’ better double up on the heavy duty garbage bags.
This extreme experience is brought to you by none other than Gloom House Publishing. (I also hold you responsible for the mental scars I have endured!) By the way, love the picture of the dreaded fifteen stairs, it gave me goosebumps every time I looked at it. Dark, Disturbing and Brutal. This is a must read five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
June 3, 2024
Aaron Lebold's 'Quarantine' is quite the achievement! This is a first-personal account of a man's life falling into pieces, seemingly due to his inability to stop his alcohol addiction, and in spite of the severely adverse results. The downward trajectory takes him into depravities beyond belief, all described in disturbing detail.
However, though his spiraling out of control is absolutely real, and his alcohol addiction the apparent cause of this mess, I'd say that what he goes through is a severe case of narcissistic collapse: a sort of psychotic break, triggered when his ego cannot handle anymore the fact that he's a complete failure, morally, intellectually, and emotionally. Alcoholism is just his self-medication. His mind goes into overdrive, in order to convince himself that he's still the confident, strong man who's always able to cope, even as he acknowledges his flaws (but does nothing about it). As everything around him is crumpling, and he's walking among the ruins of his family and professional life, he keeps patching everything up with lies, delusions, and convenient hallucinations. An entirely different story is transpiring in his mind, and we, the readers, have to realize what is implied, by reading between the lines, even when the horror of his actions is displayed openly and the insanity has to be faced head on.
Lebold's book is a fast-paced, entertaining read (if you're a horror fan!) that grabbed me right away and kept me invested right till the end. Sometimes, the (unspoken) horror becomes too much and the stressful situations feel darkly (very darkly) humorous; other times, there's some sharp social criticism lurking in the shadows, waiting to be articulated properly (fortunately, this never happens).
Lebold has a real talent for capturing twisted personalities, their internal conflicts and delusions, without putting more words on the page than necessary. He's definitely a writer to watch.
However, though his spiraling out of control is absolutely real, and his alcohol addiction the apparent cause of this mess, I'd say that what he goes through is a severe case of narcissistic collapse: a sort of psychotic break, triggered when his ego cannot handle anymore the fact that he's a complete failure, morally, intellectually, and emotionally. Alcoholism is just his self-medication. His mind goes into overdrive, in order to convince himself that he's still the confident, strong man who's always able to cope, even as he acknowledges his flaws (but does nothing about it). As everything around him is crumpling, and he's walking among the ruins of his family and professional life, he keeps patching everything up with lies, delusions, and convenient hallucinations. An entirely different story is transpiring in his mind, and we, the readers, have to realize what is implied, by reading between the lines, even when the horror of his actions is displayed openly and the insanity has to be faced head on.
Lebold's book is a fast-paced, entertaining read (if you're a horror fan!) that grabbed me right away and kept me invested right till the end. Sometimes, the (unspoken) horror becomes too much and the stressful situations feel darkly (very darkly) humorous; other times, there's some sharp social criticism lurking in the shadows, waiting to be articulated properly (fortunately, this never happens).
Lebold has a real talent for capturing twisted personalities, their internal conflicts and delusions, without putting more words on the page than necessary. He's definitely a writer to watch.
August 27, 2024
5 ⭐️
This is my first book by Lebold. It takes place during the early days of the pandemic where toilet paper was scarce and everyone was afraid to leave their home, but that is just really a minor part of this story. The real story lies within a man named James and his wife, Patricia both have currently been laid off due to the pandemic, James is suffering from a severe drinking problem and Patricia is debating on leaving him. James wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Patricia and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get him there. This is by far one of the best stories I’ve not only read recently, but this entire year. It was so well executed, brutal and rather sad. If you seek true to life, horror look no further.
This is my first book by Lebold. It takes place during the early days of the pandemic where toilet paper was scarce and everyone was afraid to leave their home, but that is just really a minor part of this story. The real story lies within a man named James and his wife, Patricia both have currently been laid off due to the pandemic, James is suffering from a severe drinking problem and Patricia is debating on leaving him. James wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Patricia and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get him there. This is by far one of the best stories I’ve not only read recently, but this entire year. It was so well executed, brutal and rather sad. If you seek true to life, horror look no further.
February 15, 2021
Lebold has penned a dark, gritty story that shows one man's downward spiral. It's a very human story, offering insight into the inherent flaws and depraved parts of ourselves we keep secret or hide even from ourselves...until we can't. There are plenty of real horrors in this mad world, and Lebold doesn't shy away from highlighting that fact.
June 14, 2024
Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2024/06/14/quarantine/
Quarantine by Aaron Lebold is an extreme psychological horror read that takes place during the early days of the Covid-19 lockdown, but isolation is but one facet of the horrors on the pages.
Lebold’s true-to-life depiction of the main character’s struggle with addiction will chill you to your bones, and the horrors that spiral out from his spiral downward are impactfully, gasp-out-loud shocking. This is a very compelling read, but honestly, I was as concerned about what might happen next as I was intently curious. “Concerned?” Yes, the story and main character are disturbingly evocative.
Aaron Lebold’s stories never fail to impress—the social relevance, the skillful wordsmithing, the engaging storylines—and Quarantine is no exception. There is a whole lot of what-if realism among the gut-twisting suspense and brutality. This incredible story will haunt you for days.
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2024/06/14/quarantine/
Quarantine by Aaron Lebold is an extreme psychological horror read that takes place during the early days of the Covid-19 lockdown, but isolation is but one facet of the horrors on the pages.
Lebold’s true-to-life depiction of the main character’s struggle with addiction will chill you to your bones, and the horrors that spiral out from his spiral downward are impactfully, gasp-out-loud shocking. This is a very compelling read, but honestly, I was as concerned about what might happen next as I was intently curious. “Concerned?” Yes, the story and main character are disturbingly evocative.
Aaron Lebold’s stories never fail to impress—the social relevance, the skillful wordsmithing, the engaging storylines—and Quarantine is no exception. There is a whole lot of what-if realism among the gut-twisting suspense and brutality. This incredible story will haunt you for days.
March 14, 2021
Stunning
I heard of Aaron after being involved in a joint project alongside him for breaking the rules publishing called just 13. Having read his contribution to the story I was very impressed and wanted to learn more about him.
Quarantine is the first novel of his own that I have read and I have to say, he didn't disappoint.
This novel set amongst the new covid world we now inhabit, is a cleverly written piece of work. Aaron lebold's story of one man's spiral into a fog of confusion and murder bought on by a drinking habit he can no longer control, is nothing short of exceptional. Aaron's writing story is very well crafted and beautifully written.
Watch out for this emerging talent. I am sure we are going to hear a lot more from him.
I heard of Aaron after being involved in a joint project alongside him for breaking the rules publishing called just 13. Having read his contribution to the story I was very impressed and wanted to learn more about him.
Quarantine is the first novel of his own that I have read and I have to say, he didn't disappoint.
This novel set amongst the new covid world we now inhabit, is a cleverly written piece of work. Aaron lebold's story of one man's spiral into a fog of confusion and murder bought on by a drinking habit he can no longer control, is nothing short of exceptional. Aaron's writing story is very well crafted and beautifully written.
Watch out for this emerging talent. I am sure we are going to hear a lot more from him.
October 23, 2024
Quarantine is a book that researches a negative side of human's mind. The main character is an alcohol addict. He was not aware how serious is this. In the terms of pandemia, he struggles with daily problems with his work and his wife. After a strange accident, he wants to get rid of his alcohol addiction, but it becomes too late. Caught in his own madness, he turn into a cruel killer. He is asking for a reason to justify his acts, because people in his life did not accept him as he expected.
Descriptions of his murders and dealing with corpses are so brutal, so few times I was interrupting my reading.
The author make an interesting plot, writing in a first character. As the story is going further, the killer is crueler and loses his regret. Recommended for fans of slasher's horrors.
Descriptions of his murders and dealing with corpses are so brutal, so few times I was interrupting my reading.
The author make an interesting plot, writing in a first character. As the story is going further, the killer is crueler and loses his regret. Recommended for fans of slasher's horrors.
June 19, 2024
Get ready for a wild ride through one man’s personal hell as he attempts to navigate his life’s downward spiral. Quarantine by Aaron Lebold puts you inside the head of a man having a bit of difficulty adjusting to the beginning days of lockdown.
This brutal first person psychological horror does a great job of capturing the MC’s decent into madness as he succumbs to his severe paranoid delusions, leaving a trail of body parts in his wake. When you don’t know who you can trust, the world becomes a scary place.
This brutal first person psychological horror does a great job of capturing the MC’s decent into madness as he succumbs to his severe paranoid delusions, leaving a trail of body parts in his wake. When you don’t know who you can trust, the world becomes a scary place.
May 22, 2025
So, I just finished reading Quarantine by Aaron Lebold. It was a strong, claustrophobic book with a dark emotional core and an unreliable narrator. Centered on an alcoholic during the pandemic, the protagonist finds himself at the center of an escalating crisis that takes him in directions he did not expect. Told through a very distinctive perspective and containing some pretty brutal moments of gore, this is a fast paced novel is not for the faint of heart!
March 30, 2021
The drinking binge to hell and back!
Over a few days, we enter the hungover, hair of the dog, bender world of a paranoid drunk and his murderous escapades. A frightening lightning journey of madness and mayhem well-written at bottleneck speed. A frightening but no less enjoyable read. (Not for the faint-hearted ha haha!)
Over a few days, we enter the hungover, hair of the dog, bender world of a paranoid drunk and his murderous escapades. A frightening lightning journey of madness and mayhem well-written at bottleneck speed. A frightening but no less enjoyable read. (Not for the faint-hearted ha haha!)
February 12, 2025
Quarantine is one of those books which can be likened to watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know this can't lead anywhere good, and yet you can't look away. James is one of those guys who can't get out of his own way, made even worse by the pressures of COVID quarantine. Buckle up for a wild ride through James' brain. 4 stars
November 22, 2025
Well somehow author has me hooked on these books. I can tell you they are not my normal reading material but so quickly I was interested and couldn’t put it down. Some parts gross, which I don’t normally read lol. But it was like a scary movie you can’t watch but you peak anyways. Loved it and can’t wait to read more.
August 19, 2024
Current read by another cool author I met at the @texasauthorandreadercon ! @aaronleboldauthor ; Quarantine was great! Loved the way everything played out in the story! As if those conditions weren’t bad enough before Things really went to schnit! Sick book!
January 13, 2025
Lebold’s work is POWERFUL! This book really got under my skin, possibly more so than anything I have ever read before. A dark tale that will truly stick with you. That’s all I can say in fear of giving any spoilers. 100% recommend.
April 6, 2021
Excellent! You’ll want to blast through this book to find out how the gory tale of a man lost in a pandemic and alcohol-fueled haze ends.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews