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Don’t Read This or You Might Die
THIS BOOK IS DEFINITELY CURSED.
You probably shouldn't read it. Looks like you're going to anyway.
Don't say I didn't warn you...
Hannah Howarth has always wanted to land a coveted internship at Visage Magazine. It’s clear from her very first day working at Visage that she doesn’t fit in and is looked down upon by the Editor in Chief, Grace, and her legion of intimidating, fashionable staff writers.
Hannah tries her best to fit in, but when she is tasked with studying the magazine's special training manual, it becomes clear that there's more than meets the eye to her new job. Hannah grapples with her past as more and more strange and unsettling occurrences plunge her head-first into a living nightmare.
You probably shouldn't read it. Looks like you're going to anyway.
Don't say I didn't warn you...
Hannah Howarth has always wanted to land a coveted internship at Visage Magazine. It’s clear from her very first day working at Visage that she doesn’t fit in and is looked down upon by the Editor in Chief, Grace, and her legion of intimidating, fashionable staff writers.
Hannah tries her best to fit in, but when she is tasked with studying the magazine's special training manual, it becomes clear that there's more than meets the eye to her new job. Hannah grapples with her past as more and more strange and unsettling occurrences plunge her head-first into a living nightmare.
145 pages, Paperback
Published October 4, 2022
7 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Dalrymple
81 books295 followersWendy Dalrymple loves to explore the beauty in horrific things.. When she’s not writing #pinkhorror or Florida Gothic horror, you can find her hiking with her family, painting (bad) wall art, and trying to grow as many pineapples as possible. Follow her on IG or TikTok @wendydalrymplewrites.
Www.wendydalrymple.com
Www.wendydalrymple.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 23, 2023
4 Stars for Don’t Read this or You Might Die (audiobook) by Wendy Dalrymple read by Hallie Ricardo.
This was a fun story, it’s helping me get ready for Halloween. It seems like fashion industry is the perfect setting for vampires. It’s not a stretch to think that they could live in that world and go undetected.
This was a fun story, it’s helping me get ready for Halloween. It seems like fashion industry is the perfect setting for vampires. It’s not a stretch to think that they could live in that world and go undetected.
November 27, 2022
My back is like hella itchy and I’m really hungry. I don’t think it’s related to reading this book I absolutely shouldn’t have read, or maybe it is. Wendy Dalrymple literally titled this book “Don’t Read this, or You Might Die” but I said “whatevs” and read it. On one hand, I’m happy AF I did because this felt like Mean Girls made by David Cronenberg, Clive Barker wearing a puffy pink coat, Lovecraft cosplaying as Kirby. A perfect illustration of being a fledgling trying to make it in the corporate world. I would say I’ll read it again, but I don’t know if I’ll be around that long. K thx.
May 3, 2023
I'm still alive!
May 10, 2024
“Her head began to spin with vertigo as she forced herself to sit upright. The air pressure in the room seemed to change, and Hannah realized something was very wrong. And then, something sat next to her on the bed. The side of the pristine, perfectly made bed that Hannah hadn’t touched was dented in the shape of a person. A very large, very heavy person.”
I read They Come From the Water last year in November (see review here), and I just ADORED it so much. It was scary, spooky, OMG WTF, and I needed more. So when I saw this book be promoted on Twitter by the author I knew, instantly, that I needed it. And boy, I can tell you one thing, I need more of this author’s horror stuff. This book was once again epic. Weird. Strange. A dash of disturbing. A bit of gore, but all the way WOW.
In this one we meet a woman named Hannah. She has BIG plans and has just landed a coveted internship at Visage Magazine. I was so hyped about this one and curious how it would go. And then right from the start. Right from the moment we meet the boss and the trio of bitches (they are, I am sorry) I was just on edge. I knew something was iffy from that moment and I was just excited to see how messed up it would be. How far things would go! And right from the bat things are going weirdly. The trio of bitches are either on a powertrip or something bigger is going on. The author really gets the characters and the atmosphere right. We see Hannah struggle to make sense of it and wonder if she should stick around or not. At times I was definitely hoping that she would just be like NOPE, FUCK THIS, but I could also understand that she stayed. I mean, she doesn’t have anything left, so what do you do then?
And as soon as Hannah gets a certain item, a book that talks/hums to her and always seem to find its way back (a big big red nope flag in my head) things start to get stranger, weirder, and bloodier. I won’t spoil anything, but DANG. I loved it! It makes a lot of sense given what we heard about the boss and about the trio and also several other hints we have gotten. I just love how the pace picked up and how things got more and more dangerous/crazy/NO THANK YOU. I loved when Hannah confronted her boss/the girls and all that went up next. It was a rollercoaster. Boy, I just want to tell you all, but I don’t want to give anything away. I can just say, have fun! Teehee.
Hector was such a fun character and I really loved how he stuck to Hannah despite having a vague idea that things were messed up in Visage Magazine. I mean, most peeps would just be like HECK no when their new best friend brings along the Devil’s handbook with humming and scary stuff, but he stuck around.
I also loved that we got some glimpses in Hannah’s past. Because she hasn’t had the easiest lives. I am very happy that the author showed these glimpses because there is a BIG reveal at the end that just makes everything click together. I first thought that maybe she had all these issues because she was LGBT, but oh heck no, it is much bigger than that and I was just chuckling when it was all revealed, oh ho ho ho. YES!!! YES!!!
The ending (before the epilogue) was perfect. The epilogue. Oh ho ho, you went there, eh author? I will take it! It was a bit frustrating, but I was also chuckling.
All in all, if you need a fun horror novella with great characters and creepy/weird/WTF moments, check this one out!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I read They Come From the Water last year in November (see review here), and I just ADORED it so much. It was scary, spooky, OMG WTF, and I needed more. So when I saw this book be promoted on Twitter by the author I knew, instantly, that I needed it. And boy, I can tell you one thing, I need more of this author’s horror stuff. This book was once again epic. Weird. Strange. A dash of disturbing. A bit of gore, but all the way WOW.
In this one we meet a woman named Hannah. She has BIG plans and has just landed a coveted internship at Visage Magazine. I was so hyped about this one and curious how it would go. And then right from the start. Right from the moment we meet the boss and the trio of bitches (they are, I am sorry) I was just on edge. I knew something was iffy from that moment and I was just excited to see how messed up it would be. How far things would go! And right from the bat things are going weirdly. The trio of bitches are either on a powertrip or something bigger is going on. The author really gets the characters and the atmosphere right. We see Hannah struggle to make sense of it and wonder if she should stick around or not. At times I was definitely hoping that she would just be like NOPE, FUCK THIS, but I could also understand that she stayed. I mean, she doesn’t have anything left, so what do you do then?
And as soon as Hannah gets a certain item, a book that talks/hums to her and always seem to find its way back (a big big red nope flag in my head) things start to get stranger, weirder, and bloodier. I won’t spoil anything, but DANG. I loved it! It makes a lot of sense given what we heard about the boss and about the trio and also several other hints we have gotten. I just love how the pace picked up and how things got more and more dangerous/crazy/NO THANK YOU. I loved when Hannah confronted her boss/the girls and all that went up next. It was a rollercoaster. Boy, I just want to tell you all, but I don’t want to give anything away. I can just say, have fun! Teehee.
Hector was such a fun character and I really loved how he stuck to Hannah despite having a vague idea that things were messed up in Visage Magazine. I mean, most peeps would just be like HECK no when their new best friend brings along the Devil’s handbook with humming and scary stuff, but he stuck around.
I also loved that we got some glimpses in Hannah’s past. Because she hasn’t had the easiest lives. I am very happy that the author showed these glimpses because there is a BIG reveal at the end that just makes everything click together. I first thought that maybe she had all these issues because she was LGBT, but oh heck no, it is much bigger than that and I was just chuckling when it was all revealed, oh ho ho ho. YES!!! YES!!!
The ending (before the epilogue) was perfect. The epilogue. Oh ho ho, you went there, eh author? I will take it! It was a bit frustrating, but I was also chuckling.
All in all, if you need a fun horror novella with great characters and creepy/weird/WTF moments, check this one out!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
August 23, 2024
Mean Girls meets Night of the Demons with a corporate America paint job.
This book was a lot of fun!
This is my second book I’ve read of Wendy’s and this is my favorite so far. Imaginative, witty, and evil when it mattered. I can honestly say, I’ve not read anything quite like this yet and I enjoyed this plot and the main character, Hannah, who was taking an internship for Visage magazine with hopes of breaking into the workforce doing what she loved.
By the end, I was satisfied with this story and where it went. In addition to having one of my favorite titles, this book is a box office plot with B-movie horror and it works wickedly perfect!
This is a good read to die for! (See what I did there?)
This book was a lot of fun!
This is my second book I’ve read of Wendy’s and this is my favorite so far. Imaginative, witty, and evil when it mattered. I can honestly say, I’ve not read anything quite like this yet and I enjoyed this plot and the main character, Hannah, who was taking an internship for Visage magazine with hopes of breaking into the workforce doing what she loved.
By the end, I was satisfied with this story and where it went. In addition to having one of my favorite titles, this book is a box office plot with B-movie horror and it works wickedly perfect!
This is a good read to die for! (See what I did there?)
July 7, 2023
C+
Hannah Howorth has dreamed of writing for Visage Magazine since she stole a copy off the newsstand as a child. When she gets the opportunity to intern at Visage, it seems like a dream come true. She quickly finds that her co-workers are monsters. Their mean-girl tactics have Hannah on the brink of submitting her resignation -- and that's before the supernatural shenanigans begin.
Don't Read This or You Might Die is a quick, fun read. Although both twists are predictable, the plot moves quickly, and the characters are well-developed. Wendy Dalrymple has a knack for writing unlikeable bitches. In this case, that's a good thing! All of her characters are fully realized with unique motivations.
Hannah Howorth has dreamed of writing for Visage Magazine since she stole a copy off the newsstand as a child. When she gets the opportunity to intern at Visage, it seems like a dream come true. She quickly finds that her co-workers are monsters. Their mean-girl tactics have Hannah on the brink of submitting her resignation -- and that's before the supernatural shenanigans begin.
Don't Read This or You Might Die is a quick, fun read. Although both twists are predictable, the plot moves quickly, and the characters are well-developed. Wendy Dalrymple has a knack for writing unlikeable bitches. In this case, that's a good thing! All of her characters are fully realized with unique motivations.
January 1, 2023
From corporate hell to literal hell, this book goes from 0 to 100 really quickly.
I loved the fast paced action and while I thought I knew what was happening the real explanation was a pleasant surprise.
This book is a great read if you’re looking for something original and captivating.
I loved the fast paced action and while I thought I knew what was happening the real explanation was a pleasant surprise.
This book is a great read if you’re looking for something original and captivating.
March 28, 2023
That was... fun? Like a witchy-bitchy, non-chrisrmas version of Secret Santa.
June 9, 2023
This says don’t read, but damn this rollercoaster was enjoyable! I know the fashion industry is evil but damn 🤣🤣🤣
July 6, 2023
3.5/5 stars ⭐️
This gave me Bunny (by Mona Awad) vibes
This gave me Bunny (by Mona Awad) vibes
August 9, 2025
If you've ever thought your boss is the devil and your coworkers were sent from hell SPECIFICALLY to torment you, this is the book for you!
Hannah is a reserved, but determined young woman trying to make it at Visage as the fresh new intern, but when the senior writers, AKA the Corporate Coven, bully and humiliate her in, quite frankly, creative ways, she has to decide if she's going meekly slink or rise to the torturous occasion. To everyone's surprise, she chooses to play their game, which earns her....a training manual?
This manual has more than dresscode violations and attendance policies within its pages however. It feels alive, and it makes Hannah's mouth taste like the waters of the Hillsborough River (truly a place of evil). It feels almost as if it knows her, and the dreams it sends after she tries to dispose of it in the LEAST holy place in Tampa Bay, the Hillsborough River that her mouth tastes of, have GOT to be an hr violation of some sort!!
As Hannah's hunger for recognition and flesh grow, so does her unease that her mother's dying words were right. Abomination. A new haircut and a satin jumpsuit can't hide the maw within her that demands blood. The question becomes, will Hannah stay the timid girl she came to Visage as, or will she join the deranged ranks of the Corporate Coven? Or...is there a secret third option tied to thr core of her being and her true identity...?
Don't Read This Or You Might Die is part The Devil Wears Prada, part The Exorcist, with a dash of Souther Gothic seasoning thrown in for flavor. It's been a minute since I've had so much fun reading about diabolical Corporate scare tactics. Usually those are real life horrors involving lawyers (another clade of demons, I'm sure), but this book scratched that itch with its long, fabulously manicured talons.
Do yourself a favor and disregard the title of this book, absolutely DO Read This Book even if it kills you.
Hannah is a reserved, but determined young woman trying to make it at Visage as the fresh new intern, but when the senior writers, AKA the Corporate Coven, bully and humiliate her in, quite frankly, creative ways, she has to decide if she's going meekly slink or rise to the torturous occasion. To everyone's surprise, she chooses to play their game, which earns her....a training manual?
This manual has more than dresscode violations and attendance policies within its pages however. It feels alive, and it makes Hannah's mouth taste like the waters of the Hillsborough River (truly a place of evil). It feels almost as if it knows her, and the dreams it sends after she tries to dispose of it in the LEAST holy place in Tampa Bay, the Hillsborough River that her mouth tastes of, have GOT to be an hr violation of some sort!!
As Hannah's hunger for recognition and flesh grow, so does her unease that her mother's dying words were right. Abomination. A new haircut and a satin jumpsuit can't hide the maw within her that demands blood. The question becomes, will Hannah stay the timid girl she came to Visage as, or will she join the deranged ranks of the Corporate Coven? Or...is there a secret third option tied to thr core of her being and her true identity...?
Don't Read This Or You Might Die is part The Devil Wears Prada, part The Exorcist, with a dash of Souther Gothic seasoning thrown in for flavor. It's been a minute since I've had so much fun reading about diabolical Corporate scare tactics. Usually those are real life horrors involving lawyers (another clade of demons, I'm sure), but this book scratched that itch with its long, fabulously manicured talons.
Do yourself a favor and disregard the title of this book, absolutely DO Read This Book even if it kills you.
October 21, 2023
The premise has big "The Devil Wears Prada" vibes, but Dalrymple takes that title soooo literally. It's a lot of fun to read in an afternoon. It all tied itself together relatively neatly, insofar as one can in 134 pages. The characters are well-developed for a novella, and Dalrymple gives clear cues on her characters without leading the reader by the nose. There are some terrific twists and turns, even if they seem to come out of nowhere at times. (Looking at the ending, specifically.)
All in all, definitely worth the time to be a fun weekend read.
CW for gore and body horror.
All in all, definitely worth the time to be a fun weekend read.
CW for gore and body horror.
November 18, 2023
The Devil Wears Prada but with actual demons..sort of. Or at least that's the feeling I got the second I started this novella. A fun enough read it was just middle of the road me.
October 18, 2024
Man, i really do like short story horror, huh?
January 5, 2025
I laughed, i gagged(the poor attendant 😂😂), and thought this was a good quick read. The supernatural of the book was pretty simplistic but done entertainingly.
April 20, 2023
I think this is a great introduction to horror for all those contemporary romance femmes looking to dip their toes into the genre. Low stakes, sassy dialogue, very much Mean Girls meets The Devil Wears Prada and you know what? I love that about this book, it stays well within it’s own boundaries and knows exactly the audience it’s for. While it’s not my preferred type of horror,I would have loved a bit more plot and doom and gloom, it’s still a fun book. I’ll readily recommend it to friends looking to get into horror but don’t want my usual stomach churning recs.
November 3, 2024
My sister : You like “ what the fuck” books so you should read this.
This is The Devil(literally)Wears Prada with a hint of Bunny by Mona Awad which are 2 pieces of art that i love.
I think this book would’ve benefited from being longer because the flow was a bit choppy and there was too much unexplainable plot lines , more than it was needed(because I do get that “ the unexplained” is , at times, necessary for the ✨vibes) .
For instance, what’s up with Hannah’s background and family? That never got explained fully and I think it should’ve been.
I also didn’t love the writing. I don’t really know how to explain what I didn’t like about it other than it felt too “ wattpad-y” at times which isn’t a bad thing(I have nothing but love for wattpad!) , it’s just not my preferred style when it comes to such a genre.
All that being said , I did enjoy this short read. It was definitely a fun experience and I did think “ holy shit…what am I reading” which is what I seek when reading books like this!
I’m not too sure if this is more of a 2.75 or 3⭐️
This is The Devil(literally)Wears Prada with a hint of Bunny by Mona Awad which are 2 pieces of art that i love.
I think this book would’ve benefited from being longer because the flow was a bit choppy and there was too much unexplainable plot lines , more than it was needed(because I do get that “ the unexplained” is , at times, necessary for the ✨vibes) .
For instance, what’s up with Hannah’s background and family? That never got explained fully and I think it should’ve been.
I also didn’t love the writing. I don’t really know how to explain what I didn’t like about it other than it felt too “ wattpad-y” at times which isn’t a bad thing(I have nothing but love for wattpad!) , it’s just not my preferred style when it comes to such a genre.
All that being said , I did enjoy this short read. It was definitely a fun experience and I did think “ holy shit…what am I reading” which is what I seek when reading books like this!
I’m not too sure if this is more of a 2.75 or 3⭐️
March 28, 2023
“How can a book hurt me?”
“See these symbols? My grandma always told me never to mess with that stuff.” Hector shook his head and handed the book back to her. “Seriously. You could get hurt.”
“They’re just symbols.”
Imagine if "devil wears Prada" and "mean girls" had a demonic baby, this book would be exactly that. Fast and fun, horror with a sprinkle of fashion industry and the ghouls that look glamorous but could eat you, literally. I picked this up for #transrightsreadathon as soon as I learned that there's a NB character and I didn't expect them to be this awesome and interesting. In the end you can literally hear the book whispering"hail seitan" or maybe it was Satan, I'm not sure, that might have been just voice in my head. You will need to read and find out yourself, what exactly lurks in the shadows of the blinds in glamorous building full of people and not exactly people. Also, the narrator was great and I loved every second of this book.
“See these symbols? My grandma always told me never to mess with that stuff.” Hector shook his head and handed the book back to her. “Seriously. You could get hurt.”
“They’re just symbols.”
Imagine if "devil wears Prada" and "mean girls" had a demonic baby, this book would be exactly that. Fast and fun, horror with a sprinkle of fashion industry and the ghouls that look glamorous but could eat you, literally. I picked this up for #transrightsreadathon as soon as I learned that there's a NB character and I didn't expect them to be this awesome and interesting. In the end you can literally hear the book whispering"hail seitan" or maybe it was Satan, I'm not sure, that might have been just voice in my head. You will need to read and find out yourself, what exactly lurks in the shadows of the blinds in glamorous building full of people and not exactly people. Also, the narrator was great and I loved every second of this book.
November 9, 2023
Devil Meets Prada meets H. P. Lovecraft meets Mean Girls and then throw in a splash of Bunny by Mona Awad too. It kinda worked but the ending left a bit to be desired, there needed to be more build up to the twist/reveal at the end because the little clues peppered through the story weren’t enough and the twist felt more like a deus ex machina. I’m not sure why this story didn’t entirely land for me, it felt as though the emotion were missing at the heart of it. I think because I loved Bunny so much, it’s hard to compare similar offerings. Still, when things got crazy in this story it was fun! 2.75 stars.
July 11, 2023
I liked this to start, with a Cover Story Mean Girls premise and a bit of Fan Club or Bunny vibes, but then it just went a bit too cheese-tastic for me.
April 7, 2024
Overall I really enjoyed this book. For the first 60%-ish percent I ABSOLUTELY loved it, and I was thinking this was gonna be an all time great. There's a reveal around this point that I didn't really care about. And it goes through to basically the rest of the book, although I will say I enjoyed the very end. Don't mince the words though, I really did like this, as I've liked EVERYTHING I've read from Dalrymple. If you want a horror novella that starts as a spooky Ugly Betty, and transforms into a crazy hellish nightmare, I'd highly suggest this one
March 24, 2024
I didn't die after I read this, but I did drop my kindle in the bath after I finished the last page, which is almost as bad ( hopefully it dries out) So after that, I do consider this a cursed book. It was great though, a fun read. The Devil wears Prada meets The Lost Boys, meets Good Omens. An odd mix but it works and the humour is funny. I loved Hannah but I think my favourite character was Fox or maybe Hector. Also, I would HATE to work at a place like that, a real literal Hell in itself.
January 28, 2025
In 2025 I’m making a conscious effort to not judge an author by the one books I’ve read from them and instead try and read multiple of their books. This is the 2nd book I’ve read from this author and I feel like the books are getting worse 😂 so damn bad!
December 6, 2022
A quick, fun horror novella that will appeal to all fans of the dark and weird!
February 22, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! The twist is took and the direction it went was totally unexpected! I highly recommend this one. READ IT NOW!
March 18, 2023
An entertaining enough book but I’m still unsure what age group this was written for…definitely read as YA.
March 23, 2023
This was a fun quick read. It has the feel of The Devil Wears Prada but with actual demons. Loved the twist at the end.
April 18, 2023
This was a fun, quick read!
April 22, 2023
This was just fun. Corporate Coven? How can you not enjoy this :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews