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Bad Appetites: Author's Enhanced Edition
Cindy Moore, a morbidly obese woman with serious self-esteem issues, has struggled to lose weight for years. Hours of exercise and a nutritious but inconsistent diet have only led to disappointment and depression. On the verge of giving up on everything, her life takes a drastic turn when she discovers a ‘miracle’ diet pill that allows her to lose weight without dieting or exercising.
The pills, however, come with disturbing side effects, including dangerous changes to her body, mind, and appetite. Her insatiable hunger for more—more success, more love, more food—brings her to the deepest depths of depravity.
Jon Athan, the author of Dead Body Disposal and Lovesick, mixes grotesque body horror and pure psychological terror to deliver a skin-crawling, stomach-churning experience.
Rewritten and re-edited from the ground up, the 2022 Author’s Enhanced Edition of this book is an uncut, extended version of the original story. It is the definitive Bad Appetites experience.
WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
The pills, however, come with disturbing side effects, including dangerous changes to her body, mind, and appetite. Her insatiable hunger for more—more success, more love, more food—brings her to the deepest depths of depravity.
Jon Athan, the author of Dead Body Disposal and Lovesick, mixes grotesque body horror and pure psychological terror to deliver a skin-crawling, stomach-churning experience.
Rewritten and re-edited from the ground up, the 2022 Author’s Enhanced Edition of this book is an uncut, extended version of the original story. It is the definitive Bad Appetites experience.
WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
122 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
April 1, 2025
Maybe it’s because I’m a clinical exercise physiologist and have had so many patients like this over the years, but I felt so much empathy for our main character, Cindy. She was overweight, depressed, and felt totally hopeless, as all options seemed to be exhausted. She couldn’t go anywhere without being self-conscious, or do anything without hearing that self-depricating inner voice telling her to give up and kill herself. The one line summed up depression so well and stated ‘it’s like your mind is trying to make your body self-destruct, but your heart keeps fighting.’ Just wow! So Cindy met Deki at her gym, who reveals that he had a solution too good to be true. And sure enough it was. And things just began to go from bad to worse once she gives into his sly sales tactics. Now I’ve never read Stephen King’s Thinner, but believe there are some similarities. I’d have a hard time acknowledging that King went as extreme as Jon Athan did here, as Cindy’s downfall was one of the nastiest and most memorable experiences that I’ve ever seen. No one was spared and there were a few points that I even had to breathe through. The ending also caught me off guard, but was a very good conclusion. Lots of hateful acts, gore, and foul things in here, with a truly great character at the forefront, who acts as both the protagonist and antagonist. Another great read by Jon Athan!
July 24, 2024
I'm torn 50/50 on this book...I neither liked it or disliked it, if that makes sense? I found it a little like a rollercoaster, it started very slow...built up and up...got faster and faster then plummeted down towards the ground. It wasn't the best read for me from Jon Athan I've read so much better from him. The characters....yes all of them totally annoyed me and the storyline line didn't grip me..I wasn't impressed by the ending either. If you're a JA fan then you will need to make your own mind up on this one...it's worth reading just for the gory gruesome bits, but other than that, not the best read for me...Sorry!!
December 25, 2017
When I read the blurb, I thought that this one will be like THINNER by Richard Bachman (King). Turns out I was very, very wrong...and it was a good thing.
It started a little slow, with a fat girl and her issues with her weight, who has a boyfriend who's even bigger than her and a gorgeous girlfriend who happens to be her best friend.
But once it got going, it went fast.
She gets offered a "miracle" drug that will help her, for a huge price, of course, and if you know this author than you know that the shit is about to hit the fan!
This story is not without its problems - I have to mention that I do feel this author tends to make his supporting characters "too"...and what I mean with that is that they are "too" nice, "too" friendly, "too" much of this or that.
However, this author is still young and with the amount of work he publishes, his schedule seems like an insanely hectic one, so I am willing to forgive him that.
I gave this book 5 stars because it entertained me - which is what it was supposed to do. Did it have a nice twist? Yes! Did it have a good ending? Oh, yes! Did he have a scene that was SICK? Hell, yeah!!
Okay, Jon, if you read this, I love your covers. Bought a bunch of your books this year, which is probably the biggest compliment I can give you at this stage. Have a good New Year!
It started a little slow, with a fat girl and her issues with her weight, who has a boyfriend who's even bigger than her and a gorgeous girlfriend who happens to be her best friend.
But once it got going, it went fast.
She gets offered a "miracle" drug that will help her, for a huge price, of course, and if you know this author than you know that the shit is about to hit the fan!
This story is not without its problems - I have to mention that I do feel this author tends to make his supporting characters "too"...and what I mean with that is that they are "too" nice, "too" friendly, "too" much of this or that.
However, this author is still young and with the amount of work he publishes, his schedule seems like an insanely hectic one, so I am willing to forgive him that.
I gave this book 5 stars because it entertained me - which is what it was supposed to do. Did it have a nice twist? Yes! Did it have a good ending? Oh, yes! Did he have a scene that was SICK? Hell, yeah!!
Okay, Jon, if you read this, I love your covers. Bought a bunch of your books this year, which is probably the biggest compliment I can give you at this stage. Have a good New Year!
September 9, 2025
What in the ever loving...favourite Athan book so far!
In a world that is currently joining the quest to be better, slimmer, fitter, prettier and richer, this book is disturbingly relevant.
Imagine if Monjaro had this side effect. Lord.
In a world that is currently joining the quest to be better, slimmer, fitter, prettier and richer, this book is disturbingly relevant.
Imagine if Monjaro had this side effect. Lord.
September 21, 2018
Morbidly obese and resentful, Cindy Moore is a miserable young woman who thinks that life has cheated her out of beauty, thereby stripping her of all the perks that the fortunate, good-looking people enjoy--meaningful friendships/relationships, fun and wealth.
"Even when the sun shined, a black cloud poured venom over her head."
In her warped mind, people can't be overweight and happy. She is ridiculously jealous of anyone who is thinner, even if they are genuinely warm and caring. Incredibly insecure and embittered, she thinks that everyone is cruelly mocking her misfortune. She grows increasingly hateful and becomes so consumed by her toxic thoughts that she begins thinking and acting irrationally.
When she meets a man who offers a solution to her weight problem, she's willing to give it a try, at great expense--not just to her bank account but quite possibly to life and limb as well....
I think Cindy had too many fatty deposits in her brain that severely limited her ability to think sensibly. What a mess she was--mostly mentally and emotionally. She was so immature and quite honestly, pathetic. I totally disliked her and felt that she didn't deserve an ounce of sympathy. She was selfish, whiny and foolish. Her boyfriend, Joe, on the other hand, was the exact opposite--confident, kind, caring, patient and level-headed. I really liked him a lot, as well as Cindy's friend, Charlotte.
The story was very engrossing. Despite the fact that I didn't care at all for Cindy, I was compelled to read on and find out what would happen. The pacing was good and the descriptive language (and resulting imagery it provided) was great. For me, the more gore, the better, so I appreciated the scenes of graphic violence and disturbing material. I will definitely be reading more books by Jon Athan.
"Even when the sun shined, a black cloud poured venom over her head."
In her warped mind, people can't be overweight and happy. She is ridiculously jealous of anyone who is thinner, even if they are genuinely warm and caring. Incredibly insecure and embittered, she thinks that everyone is cruelly mocking her misfortune. She grows increasingly hateful and becomes so consumed by her toxic thoughts that she begins thinking and acting irrationally.
When she meets a man who offers a solution to her weight problem, she's willing to give it a try, at great expense--not just to her bank account but quite possibly to life and limb as well....
I think Cindy had too many fatty deposits in her brain that severely limited her ability to think sensibly. What a mess she was--mostly mentally and emotionally. She was so immature and quite honestly, pathetic. I totally disliked her and felt that she didn't deserve an ounce of sympathy. She was selfish, whiny and foolish. Her boyfriend, Joe, on the other hand, was the exact opposite--confident, kind, caring, patient and level-headed. I really liked him a lot, as well as Cindy's friend, Charlotte.
The story was very engrossing. Despite the fact that I didn't care at all for Cindy, I was compelled to read on and find out what would happen. The pacing was good and the descriptive language (and resulting imagery it provided) was great. For me, the more gore, the better, so I appreciated the scenes of graphic violence and disturbing material. I will definitely be reading more books by Jon Athan.
October 16, 2025
Another great story by Jon Athan. We follow Cindy who struggles with her weight not only physically but mentally. Always on the endless circle of diet/exercise and binge eating until she meet Duckie who offers her the miracle capsule. Will this capsule give everything Cindy she ever wanted or will it cost her? Check trigger warnings this is an extreme horror story.
May 6, 2024
Another amazing story by Athan, is there anything he can't do?
A pill that can make you lose weight drastically with no other effort involved, and our main character takes a bit too much. A very depressing and extremely violent book and I loved it all the way through!
4/5
A pill that can make you lose weight drastically with no other effort involved, and our main character takes a bit too much. A very depressing and extremely violent book and I loved it all the way through!
4/5
July 13, 2025
another quick & fun read by athan.
this made me starve. 🥲
i very much liked the way he wrote vivid descriptions of body horror.
all the weird & horrific things miss girl discovered within herself i thought she would’ve died at the end but i guess not.
[she should’ve with her burnt out brain.]
this is a good introduction if you want to get into the genre of body horror.
just know this heavily deals with obesity, weight loss, miracle medications.
this made me starve. 🥲
i very much liked the way he wrote vivid descriptions of body horror.
all the weird & horrific things miss girl discovered within herself i thought she would’ve died at the end but i guess not.
[she should’ve with her burnt out brain.]
this is a good introduction if you want to get into the genre of body horror.
just know this heavily deals with obesity, weight loss, miracle medications.
March 27, 2023
Just another reminder of why Jon Athan is my favorite extreme horror author!! He kills it every single time (no pun intended lol). In Bad Appetites we meet Cindy, an incredibly insecure overweight woman doing all she can to drop the pounds. Nothing seems to be working so when the handsome "doctor" at the gym offers her miracle capsules that will "eat" her fat away she finally feels hopeful again. But Cindy doesn't listen to his instructions and starts experiencing some disturbing and disgusting side effects. Soon after, Cindy gets desperate to feel normal again and the violence and real gruesomeness begin. If you like body horror than you'll love this book! A 5/5 skull read 💀
August 17, 2024
This is the most fun I’ve had reading in a while! My first Jon Athan read and definitely not my last, he’s definitely made a fan out of me with this book. This was triggering, disturbing, terrifying and disgusting. My stress levels ran high on this one as I waited on bated breath to see what was going to happen next.
The pacing was great and the story flowed really well and kept me coming back for more and more. ‘Bad Appetites’ gets progressively more deranged and vile as you read on. As someone who’s struggled with gaining and losing weight practically my whole life, I really related to the main character in the beginning chapters as we’re introduced to her. The desperate desire to look and feel good will have you pushing yourself to “quick fix” solutions that are not good for you.
I felt a wide range of emotions from empathy to anxiety to disgust as I read this book, with the ending getting more and more extreme. Parts made me gag and parts made me laugh. This is what I’m looking for in my extreme horror!
The pacing was great and the story flowed really well and kept me coming back for more and more. ‘Bad Appetites’ gets progressively more deranged and vile as you read on. As someone who’s struggled with gaining and losing weight practically my whole life, I really related to the main character in the beginning chapters as we’re introduced to her. The desperate desire to look and feel good will have you pushing yourself to “quick fix” solutions that are not good for you.
I felt a wide range of emotions from empathy to anxiety to disgust as I read this book, with the ending getting more and more extreme. Parts made me gag and parts made me laugh. This is what I’m looking for in my extreme horror!
February 7, 2017
First let me say that I owe Jon Athan a ton of reviews for 2016.
I go on binges for one reason or another, then I get backed up on that author's reviews, and it's this whole big vicious circle (Just ask Kimberly A. Bettes about my #BettesBinge(s)!). So - for this, I am truly sorry. I hate to say that THIS TIME there is a valid excuse for starting off my year already owing another review for Bad Appetites, but I'm about to make a quick blog post to fill everyone in on 2017 - The Year of Suck, so if you're interested... pop over and look in about an hour.
As for Bad Appetites - a few quick words until I can get a proper review posted...
I gotta tell ya... I was pleasantly surprised at Jon Athan's new body horror novel :) No, it's not that I expected anything bad, but I thought I knew exactly where the story was going to go, and stay, until the last page. I was wrong. Sure - you can't have a book like this without going there at all, but this isn't a story based upon eating up mankind. Give it a go - it has a little something 'new' for us, and I think that Jon Athan is going to become a better known name among our circles this year! Like I said... proper review to come very soon.
NOT a spoiler here, just a note to the author that you probably don't care to read...
Peace, Love & Necrophillia ���
~sg
I go on binges for one reason or another, then I get backed up on that author's reviews, and it's this whole big vicious circle (Just ask Kimberly A. Bettes about my #BettesBinge(s)!). So - for this, I am truly sorry. I hate to say that THIS TIME there is a valid excuse for starting off my year already owing another review for Bad Appetites, but I'm about to make a quick blog post to fill everyone in on 2017 - The Year of Suck, so if you're interested... pop over and look in about an hour.
As for Bad Appetites - a few quick words until I can get a proper review posted...
I gotta tell ya... I was pleasantly surprised at Jon Athan's new body horror novel :) No, it's not that I expected anything bad, but I thought I knew exactly where the story was going to go, and stay, until the last page. I was wrong. Sure - you can't have a book like this without going there at all, but this isn't a story based upon eating up mankind. Give it a go - it has a little something 'new' for us, and I think that Jon Athan is going to become a better known name among our circles this year! Like I said... proper review to come very soon.
NOT a spoiler here, just a note to the author that you probably don't care to read...
Peace, Love & Necrophillia ���
~sg
August 16, 2023
This started out a little slow (I was still interested though), but quickly veers into debauchery.
Athan does a great job of showing Cindy’s obsession with being “thin” and its implications. Something I loved about the book was Athan’s ability to create a main character that I sympathized with but still saw her narcissistic flaws. Athan does this often in his stories which I appreciate—it feels realistic (as if the “magical” diet pill and body horror aspects are so realistic lol).
Overall, another great read from Athan that had me laughing yet depressed at times, and in shock at some of the horrific (yet hilarious) body horror scenes.
Athan does a great job of showing Cindy’s obsession with being “thin” and its implications. Something I loved about the book was Athan’s ability to create a main character that I sympathized with but still saw her narcissistic flaws. Athan does this often in his stories which I appreciate—it feels realistic (as if the “magical” diet pill and body horror aspects are so realistic lol).
Overall, another great read from Athan that had me laughing yet depressed at times, and in shock at some of the horrific (yet hilarious) body horror scenes.
November 3, 2025
Read this as seen @stephs_creepy_reads reviewed it on her TikTok 🔥 I loved this book, I literally inhaled it. The themes of body image and self loathing were relatable. The body horror was grim and had me genuinely squirming. One I won’t forget in a hurry.
December 11, 2023
Cindy is extremely overweight, and hates herself for it. And also hates everyone else. She feels they judge her, and make comments. When Cindy find a miracle of losing weight quickly, she jumps at the chance. But Cindy doesn't realise this pill has consequences - deathly consequences.
This is one of Jon Athan's 'less extreme' books, although does still have some pretty gory parts. This one could be a good starting point for people looking into the extreme horror genre.
This is one of Jon Athan's 'less extreme' books, although does still have some pretty gory parts. This one could be a good starting point for people looking into the extreme horror genre.
September 13, 2024
This was a really quick, fun read! Lots of body horror, ugh (appreciatively)
January 23, 2018
No Thanks
This author definitely has me more than a little confused. In my experience so far his books are either pure horror written in a way that any fan of the genre would be eager to read and find hard to put down or else they are just all over the place duds, like this one. I wish there was a simple way to discern which is which before trying another because I'm getting really tired of the duds like this one.
This author definitely has me more than a little confused. In my experience so far his books are either pure horror written in a way that any fan of the genre would be eager to read and find hard to put down or else they are just all over the place duds, like this one. I wish there was a simple way to discern which is which before trying another because I'm getting really tired of the duds like this one.
April 29, 2023
The minute I read the premise of this book, I was in like sin. Cindy is a desperate woman dealing with the daily perils of being overweight, depressed, and suffering from serious self esteem issues. She is offered a magic pill that promises to at least fix her weight problems. She’s told to only take it twice a week & keep eating. Don’t stop eating, no matter what. Thinking more pills & less food would mean faster results, she doesn’t follow the “doctor’s” instructions yet the weight melts off of her. Then the side effects start to kick in with horrifying consequences. She needs to eat to stay alive, by any means necessary. We witness body horror taken to a new level as she spirals out of control. In order to survive, Cindy has no choice but to eat or be eaten.
p.s. Dropped a star because some of the tropes were…well, tropey. Also: of all the graphic, bloody, nauseating imagery in this story; that ending was the part I really winced at. By far the worst avenue she could have taken. Can’t blame her tho.
p.s. Dropped a star because some of the tropes were…well, tropey. Also: of all the graphic, bloody, nauseating imagery in this story; that ending was the part I really winced at. By far the worst avenue she could have taken. Can’t blame her tho.
April 11, 2022
Unfortunately, even after two months, Amazon has still not updated the Kindle edition, so, although I read a digital ARC, I have to post the review here. The rewrite has improved the book immensely. Cindy's paranoia but also a real sense of desperation about her weight, come through clearly and make for an interesting, though predictable, story. There's a lot of empathy and psychological insight; Athan has a good grasp of the situation of obese people and tries to show how Cindy's choices are motivated, and not just the outcome of insanity. However, this goes on for about 80% of the book (this explains why I couldn't give it 5 stars). It's a slow burn, yes, but then the final 20% explodes and we finally have some (extreme, raw, brutal) horror; the scene with the baby, I'd never seen that done before, and, even though I'm an extreme horror veteran, it won't leave my mind easily. Highly recommended.
September 27, 2025
Bad Appetites by Jon Athan Review
Jon Athan does it once again! Great body horror story telling with interesting characters that kept the story going. Fun fact: this story almost made me barf! I was feeling queazy already from being a tad bit sick and a scene popped up that made me almost throw up chunks. Only a few authors can do that.
So, let me complain about our main character for a minute. It will only take a sec, so bear with me.
Cindy is kind of a Witch, but replace the ‘W’ with a ‘B’. I know we should feel for her, and as a fat guy I did for a while, but from the get-go Cindy had a lot going against her. When you discover what’s in those capsules makes you wonder if those little organisms inside her were the reason for her being a monster, or was this monster lying dormant inside her this whole time? I like to believe this monster just needed a push in the right direction to do evil, and the horrid things it does is just horrendous.
What she does to the people in this book is horrifying and very, very descriptive. I felt bad for her victims, even the scum bag of the story that deserves what’s coming deserved better. Just wow! Brilliant story telling!
This story has so much going for it. The gore mixed with body horror had me at the edge of my seat! I give this story a 5/5 stars!
The Ending did frustrate me, but I think that was the intention. It’s the Fairytale ending that I didn’t want. Justice is just a figment of the imagination in this tale.
Jon Athan can definitely write a story that gives me the heebie-jeebies. Wow! What a talented writer!
Jon Athan does it once again! Great body horror story telling with interesting characters that kept the story going. Fun fact: this story almost made me barf! I was feeling queazy already from being a tad bit sick and a scene popped up that made me almost throw up chunks. Only a few authors can do that.
So, let me complain about our main character for a minute. It will only take a sec, so bear with me.
Cindy is kind of a Witch, but replace the ‘W’ with a ‘B’. I know we should feel for her, and as a fat guy I did for a while, but from the get-go Cindy had a lot going against her. When you discover what’s in those capsules makes you wonder if those little organisms inside her were the reason for her being a monster, or was this monster lying dormant inside her this whole time? I like to believe this monster just needed a push in the right direction to do evil, and the horrid things it does is just horrendous.
What she does to the people in this book is horrifying and very, very descriptive. I felt bad for her victims, even the scum bag of the story that deserves what’s coming deserved better. Just wow! Brilliant story telling!
This story has so much going for it. The gore mixed with body horror had me at the edge of my seat! I give this story a 5/5 stars!
The Ending did frustrate me, but I think that was the intention. It’s the Fairytale ending that I didn’t want. Justice is just a figment of the imagination in this tale.
Jon Athan can definitely write a story that gives me the heebie-jeebies. Wow! What a talented writer!
February 10, 2025
I am on a Jonny Athan journey and I won’t lie, I was worried about reading this one. As someone who has struggled with body image, a lifetime of failed diets and “lifestyle changes”… I am continually trying to rid the world of fatphobia and body shaming. But Athan delivered in this book and it’s at the top of my favorites from him.
Cindy is our main character and she is absolutely insufferable. However, she is so completely relatable. When you have struggled with your weight and diet culture for a majority of your life and you never really get to decide how you feel about your body because the rest of the world decides before you can, you can easily end up just like Cindy.
When an opportunity to truly get the weight off after years of trying everything, the desperation Cindy feels isn’t surprising. What is annoying and surprising though is she wanted to try something she knew in her gut was going to hurt her.
As we see Cindy’s descent into complete madness, we also get a wonderful book with some of the nastiest and most brutal body horror I have ever read. I could feel the textures and smell the smells and gagged at least once. Thank you Athan, for being so descriptive!
This book most represents the absolute danger and criminal world that is the diet industry. It is a CULTure that can prey on the vulnerable and the desperate. This story is a reminder of how sometimes, for me, it’s just better to be fat and happy… as at least I’m alive and not melted into fat and viscera in my bathtub. 🛀
Love this insane book. 📕 Go give it a try! Bring snacks.🍿
Cindy is our main character and she is absolutely insufferable. However, she is so completely relatable. When you have struggled with your weight and diet culture for a majority of your life and you never really get to decide how you feel about your body because the rest of the world decides before you can, you can easily end up just like Cindy.
When an opportunity to truly get the weight off after years of trying everything, the desperation Cindy feels isn’t surprising. What is annoying and surprising though is she wanted to try something she knew in her gut was going to hurt her.
As we see Cindy’s descent into complete madness, we also get a wonderful book with some of the nastiest and most brutal body horror I have ever read. I could feel the textures and smell the smells and gagged at least once. Thank you Athan, for being so descriptive!
This book most represents the absolute danger and criminal world that is the diet industry. It is a CULTure that can prey on the vulnerable and the desperate. This story is a reminder of how sometimes, for me, it’s just better to be fat and happy… as at least I’m alive and not melted into fat and viscera in my bathtub. 🛀
Love this insane book. 📕 Go give it a try! Bring snacks.🍿
January 22, 2025
My new obsession body horror. I just watched The Substance and even that movie stuck with me for awhile and Bad Appetites made me think more on it. Would I take a diet pill? No. Something to make me famous? Absolutely not. Make me younger? Couldn't even trick me into it....but I would take something to make my psoriasis go away and that's where they would get me. The thought of having clear skin would make me trade me first born kitten for it even though I know it would turn out badly but hopefully I would be smarter then most and FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS...probably not though. Just makes me wonder what most people would do and give up for their perfect image of themselves and what they are jealous of other people having. I need more body horror and my favorite shelf is really getting sick of seeing Jon Athan on it. But damn can this guy like my boy Matt Shaw make me think about their books for days on end.
July 6, 2025
I liked this one, even though it was pretty slow for awhile. But Jon Athan often writes slow-burn stories without much action at first. Our lead, Cindy, is 280 pounds and hates the way she looks. She even imagines everyone is talking about her. Then, she meets Deki, who offers her miracle weight loss capsules. But she doesn't follow Deki's instructions and takes more than she should in a short amount of time and doesn't eat enough. She soon finds herself with bad appetites, eating things not normally eaten in order to survive.
June 9, 2017
This was an awesome, gruesome, read. Cindy is overweight and basically hates everyone who is thinner than her. She's pretty narcissistic, and I really didn't like her, although, I know that we're not supposed to. She takes a flesh earing diet pill (excellent concept) but she doesn't follow the instructions the way she should have. What follows is just harrowing. The plot was significantly creative, the characters are interesting for as long as they lasted, and the pace moves along nicely. It was an exceptionally gripping tale,and very well written. :)
August 21, 2023
I love a good body horror book and this was definitely a “treat”. As a person who has taken diet supplements in the past the thought terrified me. I’m also a nurse and that made the “ingredients” of these “capsules” very familiar for me. Do not recommend, lol. It was a grotesque, albeit not entirely foreign, ride through the life of someone wanting what they don’t have. It was also kind of sad. If you enjoy body horror, this is it at its finest.
December 29, 2025
Bad Appetites by Jon Athan is a fun but deeply disturbing read that turns a woman’s weight loss journey into a full-blown nightmare. Cindy is consumed by self-hatred and envy toward everyone around her, making her an easy target when a mysterious doctor approaches her at the gym with “miracle capsules.” If something seems too good to be true, it usually is, and everything that can go wrong does.
This story is dark, uncomfortable, and unapologetically brutal, exploring obsession, insecurity, and the extreme lengths people will go to in pursuit of perfection. Jon Athan delivers shocking twists and relentless horror that kept me hooked.
This story is dark, uncomfortable, and unapologetically brutal, exploring obsession, insecurity, and the extreme lengths people will go to in pursuit of perfection. Jon Athan delivers shocking twists and relentless horror that kept me hooked.
October 26, 2024
Genuinely one of the worst books I've ever read. I really have enjoyed other works by this author, but this one did not work for me at all.
January 9, 2026
Oh Cindy, I related to her weight loss struggle but things GOT INSANE
March 24, 2022
Goodness, I love a horror story about the struggles of slipping mental health that take the concept seriously. Jon Athan proves once again that he's more than just the promise of extreme grotesqueries that draw you to his writing. There's plenty of that too- unspeakable acts of increasing ludicrous and entertaining but in a way you kinda hate yourself for violence.
November 1, 2022
This is definitely not my favorite book by Jon Athan so far. I didn’t hated it though it was still an enjoyable read.
There was some really good and disgusting body horror parts I really liked. The book was slow but that actually didn’t bothered me. One thing I hated was the main character. She hates herself because her weight also ashamed about her boyfriend who loves her and tells her she’s beautiful but she just doesn’t care about him. Also she secretly hates her beautiful and caring best friend too just because she’s jealous of her.
Overall I enjoyed the book and loved Jon Athan writing style.
There was some really good and disgusting body horror parts I really liked. The book was slow but that actually didn’t bothered me. One thing I hated was the main character. She hates herself because her weight also ashamed about her boyfriend who loves her and tells her she’s beautiful but she just doesn’t care about him. Also she secretly hates her beautiful and caring best friend too just because she’s jealous of her.
Overall I enjoyed the book and loved Jon Athan writing style.
April 3, 2023
Oofta..... the body horror. i was gagging so many times! jon athan does a great job with character development, and that's something i typically find missing in extreme horror novels. not in any of athan's books!
definitely recommend if you're a fan of extreme horror and aren't turned off to body horror. maybe don't read while grubbing, though.
TWs: literally everything you expect from extreme horror, but especially self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, child murder
definitely recommend if you're a fan of extreme horror and aren't turned off to body horror. maybe don't read while grubbing, though.
TWs: literally everything you expect from extreme horror, but especially self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, child murder
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