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Born Sick

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When two soon-to-be doctors find themselves as roommates in medical school, they have no idea how much they have in common. As light begins to lift the shadows of the past, thoughts for the future begin to take shape. Being a doctor has been a dream for both men, but both have also struggled with their own personal nightmares. Years of counselling and searching for some kind of trauma to explain their individual desires has left them with no conclusions except for the obvious. They weren’t made into monsters by society. They weren’t tortured adolescents who were pushed into darkness. They were just born that way. They were born sick.
Follow two timelines on a twisted road trip of experiments, kidnapping, and much more. No need to worry, these men are professionals.

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2022

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About the author

Aaron Lebold

27 books49 followers
Aaron 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Diana  | Indie Book Addict.
543 reviews26 followers
August 31, 2022
Benway and Sax met up in medical school. It didn’t take them long to bond over their odd obsessions. Through the years they stayed good friends and continued with their crazy experiments. They have a close call and decide to take a break until the urge strikes again.

Born Sick is such a dark and depraved read. Benway, Sax, and Joan are the worst kind of people. Lebold did an excellent job with their characters capturing every bit of darkness in their black souls.

The storyline is gripping from start to finish. As disturbing as this book was, I needed to know what was coming next. There is plenty of suspense and twists inside these pages. I don’t want to reveal too much because this book is an experience! Just read it and you’ll know. There is disturbing content, so it won’t be for everyone, but for me this is going in my top reads for this year.

"Nothing ever happened to me that caused it. I don't know, I guess I was just born sick."
Profile Image for ✮ osanna aoki ✮.
200 reviews133 followers
January 29, 2025
Demented doctors, cannibalism, infant kidnappings, and serial killing are just a few of the twisted ideas that Lebold brings to life in his latest novella, Born Sick.

“I guess when I think about it, the only logical conclusion is that we were both born sick, my friend.”

Charles Benway and Jason Sax are a pair of longtime friends/roommates from med school, who have a shared love of biology and the human body. They create an unbreakable bond when they both find out the other is a sick psychopath. The pair engage in kidnapping, murder, torture, crackbrained “experiments” and more. Eventually, you’ll also get to meet Joan… a psychopathic woman who falls in love with Charles. Joan also gets a rush out of kidnapping and raising infants. When Joan joins the party, the duo become a trio of shared, disturbing fantasies. The three of them build a friendship like no other friend group has before, and Lebold takes us along on the journey, giving us front row seats to their sick and twisted sprees.

The book is graphic but is so well written with a great attention to detail. There’s solid character building and the idea is original. There are mad horror books about psychopaths, but this storyline was cool. There are some good twists in here, too. In my opinion, at some moments it read like a thriller.

If you’re into splatterpunk/extreme horror you’ll really enjoy this book and the author. I liked the writing style a lot, and I’ve also purchased Lebold’s other book, Genocide because I was into this one so much. This was a sick ass book, and I mean that in a variety of ways. Take it how you'd like! You've been warned.
Profile Image for Yvonne (the putrid Shelf).
1,045 reviews391 followers
February 19, 2024
Born Sick by Aaron Lebold is a depraved story of two doctors that were quite literally “born sick.” Cannibalism, insane experiments and infant abductions make this story hard to bare and yet it felt quite impossible to tear my eyes away.

This book was sick, and I loved it. It’s safe to say that I’m completely in my extreme horror era. There’s just something so visceral and real about the extreme. Bad stuff happens to people all the time and I think it’s equally as important to read stories about them. This one tested the limits of what I’m used to but I’m glad I stuck with it.

Aaron Lebold took the rulebook, ripped it up and threw it in the bin. He took elements that were difficult for readers to connect with and thought “screw it.” It worked. It was a story that would translate seamlessly to screen.

Benway and Sax are two depraved doctors. Having met in med school, they soon discovered that both of them were “born sick.” The scene with Sax and the cadaver was quite literally one of the worst scenes I’ve read, but still found myself laughing (I need to put myself in the naughty corner.) Benway meets Joan and they marry (like the next day, I told you this book was crazy.) Can I just say that this trio are absolutely bat shit insane. It’s for sure the threesome that no one needed.

Born Sick by Aaron Lebold was phenomenal in a sick and twisted way and ranks in the same category as Woom by Duncan Ralston, it’s just a pity I haven’t seen it receive the same amount of love, because it is so fantastically written.
Profile Image for Corrina Morse.
835 reviews140 followers
September 3, 2022
So this kicks off with a fascinating and intriguing storyline, which unfolds at a good, steady pace throughout! Each chapter flips from past to present, unveiling the history and reasoning behind everything that happens, and it's done so in a really easy to follow way! I really enjoyed how the story developed and how everything linked up perfectly and I particularly enjoyed finding out how 'the experiment' itself came about!

Benway has an obsession, it's not a 'normal' obsession, but luckily for him his friend understands, as does his wife! The way the three of them come to be working and living together is really interesting. They make a wonderfully grotesque friendship circle that can only last a lifetime!
It seems all three were 'Born Sick' and being born sick in this instance is an understatement! This lot are fucked right up!! 😉 And as Benway's obsession with the experiment gets out of hand and he starts to overdo things, mistakes are made, silly mistakes that come to an extremely messy head…….
But the experiment continues on, like a never ending circle of grim discovery….

Horrific, brilliant and with some great twists, this is a magnificently messed up, depraved tale of cannibalism and barbarity!!
Profile Image for Veronica ☠️.
430 reviews42 followers
July 20, 2025
Charles Benway and Jason Sax are soon to be doctors. They first meet in college and are roommates. Although they are going into different fields, they both have a passion for medicine. They also both carry very dark secrets from their childhood. Afraid they will judge one another, they keep their dark secrets hidden but not everything can be kept a secret for long.

The chapters go back and forth from past and present and we get to really know these two characters. They are truly born sick and become sicker as the story unfolds. A third character is also involved and she is just as sick as the doctors. The trio do some of the most heinous acts a person can do to other humans and children. This is a wild, sick ride, yet so unique.

LeBold didn't hold back with this one. A lot of the time I found myself staring at the wall after reading some of these scenes. I really enjoyed this storyline. Sax has to be my favourite character and he really shouldn't be. Such a unique concept and it just worked for me. LeBold is becoming a favourite author of mine.
Profile Image for renee w.
280 reviews
August 29, 2024
5🩸⭐️

Jason sax and Charles Benway meet in medical school while studying to become doctors. They quickly discover that they have more than that in common. When Charles meets his soon to be wife Joan. Joan wants nothing more than to be a mother. This Trio comes together to form the most diabolical story of sick fetishes, and experiments. At no fault of their own, they were “Born Sick” after all . After reading Quarantine , I had to have more stories from Lebold immediately. His diversity in stories is unbelievable. I highly recommend this only to those who have absolutely no triggers and enjoy the most depraved books .
526 reviews53 followers
February 2, 2023
Holy fuck...... Ok First thing I'm gonna say is EVERYBODY better start paying attention to this guy Aaron Lebold because he can fucking write. He brings the brutality and the horrifically disturbing in such a psychologically damaging \engaging way that you just keep reading and reading and the tension that builds and my brain was just like ......WHAT THE FUCK This book should be getting way more attention and so should this author. I fucking devoured this once I started. I highly recommend this book and author.
Profile Image for Jason Nickey.
Author 71 books215 followers
August 27, 2022
If this book doesn't join the viral rank of books like 'The Slob', 'Woom', 'Dead Inside', etc... I'll be very surprised. If you ask the question 'What happens when 3 twisted people join forces?', Born Sick is the answer. What a messed up story, and the splatter fans are going to love it!
Profile Image for Dakota Dawe.
195 reviews11 followers
August 28, 2022
Two soon-to-be doctors meet in a way that can only be described as fate. Both struggling with personal demons, they soon realize just how much they can understand each other when they reveal their darkest secrets to each other.

This book showcases extreme acts of depravity on small children and animals, so please see this as a warning before going any further with this book. Within these pages is darkness and scenes where good never wins out. Children are stolen from their parents at a young age and brought home to become part of the family until they become too old, then the two doctors experiment on them, trying to change the most basic of human behaviors in a twisted act of playing god.

I loved having two separate timelines in the story, one revealing more and more information about the other until the two of them finally crossed bloody paths. Born Sick’s darkness had a grip on me, holding my eyes open and forcing me to read on as things only got worse. As a father myself, I couldn’t imagine anything like what goes on in this book happening to my own son, it’s almost enough to bring tears to my eyes. Aaron LeBold’s vile imagination has birthed one hell of a story. It’s so well written while being extremely disturbing, it almost feels wrong to say I enjoyed this book. I definitely enjoyed the experience, despite the content, and I can not wait to see what else LeBold has hidden in the darkest corners of his mind.
Profile Image for Tera.
291 reviews14 followers
August 22, 2022
Jason, Charles, and Joan are a sick bunch. Charles and Joan are married while Jason is Charles’ best friend from college. Charles and Jason are both doctors at the same hospital where Joan was once a nurse. Now, she stays home to care for the babies her husband brings her. He works in pediatrics and has easy access. Both doctors engage in nefarious acts in their positions in the hospital. Jason has a nasty fetish for the warm innards of his victims. Charles is obsessed with his “experiments”, particularly seeing if someone can survive with two hearts. They have the perfect jobs to get what they need, and the children Charles has procured for Joan’s deep need to have babies, (not children, just babies) prove great for other experiments he comes up with. Between the three of them, a lot of damage has been done to living things.

This would typically be a story I would save for WTF Friday, but it is a brand new release and I wanted to be sure this review got out there! The book is very quick and full of disturbing scenes. There is violence toward animals and children. If these are triggers for you, do not read this. Additionally, there are very real depictions of drug use and a scene that was reminiscent of the book/movie Trainspotting. It was a well-written book that literally had me mouthing “WTF” every other page.
Profile Image for Jeremy Fowler.
Author 2 books33 followers
September 4, 2022
Some people are just BORN SICK!

Aaron Lebold and D&T Publishing have brought you new nightmare fuel for any age group! This book was twisted as all hell. Following the lives of two doctors that both have some very dark tendencies, Aaron Lebold has crafted some nightmare fuel that will stick with me for a while. A quick warning if you are already a little afraid of doctors, then this book will make a doctors visit even worse. In addition, the two doctors experiments continue to get darker and more deranged with each page and I found myself having to walk outside for a little bit of light. Between kidnapped babies, terrifying "experiments", cannibalism, and my renewed fear of online dating, Born Sick is guaranteed to give you some new nightmares. Check it out!

No but seriously I don't think I'll ever go on a blind date again.
Profile Image for Ian.
570 reviews90 followers
November 9, 2024
‘Born Sick’ is the grim story about three warped medical staff who become a partnership in order to act out their depraved and totally unethical biological fantasies so turning them into a sick, dark and disturbingly gross reality.

A good story with lots of grisly action to lap up and savour.

‘Six ofthe best’ for this fictional medical monstrosity.

Rating: 3.7 gory stars of insanity.



Profile Image for Aiden Messer.
Author 35 books143 followers
July 19, 2023
This book sat on my shelf for months because I couldn't remember what it was about, and the cover didn't particularly appeal to me, so I was like, meh. I finally decided to read the summary and realised that I had indeed bought it for a good reason, and that it was going to be intense. Well, that was an understatement. This book is fucking brutal.
I'm really not a fan of violence against children or alone animals, and I hadn't seen that these were proeminent themes until I opened the book. After a few pages, I was absolutely terrified of the direction it was going to take. I tried to convince myself that it wouldn't go *that* far. Well, I was fucking wrong! The exact thing I thought couldn't happen obviously happend! But I think what made me most uncomfortable was the lack of reliability and validity of the scientific experiments.
This book also has fascinating characters (disgusting, but fascinating nonetheless), and an actual, engaging plot that makes you want to know more! I couldn't put it down!
Profile Image for Brittni Quintana.
36 reviews7 followers
July 17, 2023
Whew… heed those trigger warnings, folks!

This book was gross. It was really hard to read at times. The characters are despicable. I really wanted to see their demise. And I mean all of this in a good way.

The book does require you to suspend your disbelief quite a bit: how did they not get caught, how did they find each other? But if you can move past this, you’ll “enjoy” this book.

Two doctors, Benway and Sax, and benway’s wife are evil, evil people. They abuse their power at work and at home. Just when you think you’ve seen them at their worst, you’re proven so, so wrong.

I couldn’t put this down, I was horrified to discover what was coming next. I’d recommend this book only if you have a strong stomach for abuse.
47 reviews5 followers
August 7, 2023
Once I started this book, I could not put it down even though it is incredibly extreme, grotesque, sickening, shocking....

The 3 main characters in this book are worse than devients they are the most twisted gross sick worst of the worst people. Their interests and hobbies are so horrifying that you wish you could read with your eyes closed, but you cannot put the book down as you need to know what happens next.

Its written very well. each chapter flips from past to present so you can see how where they are at presently, started from.

This is not for the feint hearted, I had to keep reminding myself its not real.

For the shock and grotesque factor, I highly recommend this book.

I was given a copy to read by the publisher for an honest review.
Profile Image for Terry Miller.
37 reviews10 followers
August 25, 2023
BORN SICK by Aaron Lebold is an intriguing read. Two doctors, best-friends since college, are in cohorts along with one's wife, to conduct a series of "experiments". These experiments are nothing sanctioned by the medical community, but birthed merely out of morbid curiosity. Their test subjects aren't their only victims. After all, test subjects must eat, right? The three main characters are truly despicable human beings and you hope they get caught by the end. Do they? You'll have to read it yourself to find out. There's probably a trigger warning or two I should tell you about, but I've grown to despise them. This is horror after all. Expect to be triggered. And expected to be absorbed in this novella.
Profile Image for Stephanie Evans.
105 reviews9 followers
July 26, 2023
I’m gonna tell you this was a pretty bad book. Now, I’ve read worse with the likes of Woom and Dead Inside, but this is a vile, disgusting, heartbreaking story. Two guys and a girl meet when the guys are in med school and realize they all have dark tendencies and they could do some interesting experiments and the like. But I’ll let you read it and learn more about these experiments. Be mindful of triggers - child and animal. But still a good read.
Profile Image for PJ.
477 reviews1 follower
June 29, 2024
This was really hard to get through because it inferred and described some animal and child abuse in the confined of scientific experimentation. The triggers definitely need to be read before getting into Born Sick. I think the only reason I even continued is because I really needed the satisfaction of the three main characters being killed in a horrific way. I won't say if I did or didn't get that but I did spend the whole 207 pages wondering how the fuck these three manage to not get caught.
Profile Image for Raven Wright.
Author 1 book
June 10, 2023
Holy Hospital, new fears unlocked

I was recommended this by a friend for a read together and it was worth every second. Dark, evil, and very well written. The characters are likeable despite what they are. If you like dark books, grab this one.
Profile Image for luna rey hall.
Author 8 books17 followers
October 5, 2022
*me waiting, very patiently, for all of this to come crashing down on these weirdos*
Profile Image for Rachal  Davis .
198 reviews7 followers
July 19, 2023
This book is great. Two upcoming med students become roommates in college and discover they have urges and it progresses from there, brilliant and disturbing. Some sicknesses can't be cured
Profile Image for Shannon Weber.
114 reviews
October 18, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this and it was unique in its story. I truly hope there’s a sequel to this.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews