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Exist
From Caroline Angel, author of Less and the Origin of Evil series, comes a new apocalyptic tale…
Something sinister is happening, something terrifying. Seemingly normal men begin removing their clothes and gorging on their own flesh. Women throw themselves towards Death. The animals and insects disappear…
Bizarre events begin on one fateful night, throwing a motley band of uninfected people together in search of survival and answers. United they must face new terrors at every turn as they desperately seek a safe haven… a place to Exist.
This story contains gruesome scenes and sexual violence which some readers may find distressing.
Something sinister is happening, something terrifying. Seemingly normal men begin removing their clothes and gorging on their own flesh. Women throw themselves towards Death. The animals and insects disappear…
Bizarre events begin on one fateful night, throwing a motley band of uninfected people together in search of survival and answers. United they must face new terrors at every turn as they desperately seek a safe haven… a place to Exist.
This story contains gruesome scenes and sexual violence which some readers may find distressing.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2022
1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Angel
14 books35 followersWriter of Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Caroline lives alone on a small farm in rural Victoria, Australia, with her beloved Arabian horses, her dogs and cats. She has always been passionate about writing, having written many short stories as a child and teenager, but found life got in the way and put her dreams of being an author aside for many decades. In her fifties, she finally found the courage to start putting her stories online, from fanfiction and flash fiction, she moved into her favorite genre and wrote horror. After winning several awards and competitions, and achieving the 'most read' on fiction websites she finally started her first novel and has not stopped writing since. Gaining her BA in Creative Writing, she constantly expands her writing horizons by delving into different genres and platforms.
Caroline lives alone on a small farm in rural Victoria, Australia, with her beloved Arabian horses, her dogs and cats. She has always been passionate about writing, having written many short stories as a child and teenager, but found life got in the way and put her dreams of being an author aside for many decades. In her fifties, she finally found the courage to start putting her stories online, from fanfiction and flash fiction, she moved into her favorite genre and wrote horror. After winning several awards and competitions, and achieving the 'most read' on fiction websites she finally started her first novel and has not stopped writing since. Gaining her BA in Creative Writing, she constantly expands her writing horizons by delving into different genres and platforms.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 5, 2024
I met the author at an expo. Bookworm me saw her stall and zoned straight in on that. She interrupted her ice cream to talk to me. When I responded to her question of what type of horror I liked to read with 'the more extreme end', she slipped this book into my hand. We talked about its coming about and I let her get back to her ice cream, excited about the new book I just scored.
And boy was I not disappointed. The premise of this is just so interesting! At first glance, I want to say zombies but zombies really isn't right for what happens here. It gave the occasional Bird Box vibe with people murking themselves but that's where that comparison would stop.
Myrus, of course, my absolute favourite. That man is a champion and a delight. The kids! Who wouldn't try to do the same?!
The horror of not just having to fear the people already 'turned' but the fact that anyone could at the drop of a hat.
The only grumble I have is I'm undecided on how I feel about the lack of resolutions in dystopian stories. BUT... You don't know.. you wouldn't know.. some things would just happen and you'd never know why.. so maybe it makes a lot of sense to some degree.
Overall, a sometimes gruesome and exciting read.
And boy was I not disappointed. The premise of this is just so interesting! At first glance, I want to say zombies but zombies really isn't right for what happens here. It gave the occasional Bird Box vibe with people murking themselves but that's where that comparison would stop.
Myrus, of course, my absolute favourite. That man is a champion and a delight. The kids! Who wouldn't try to do the same?!
The horror of not just having to fear the people already 'turned' but the fact that anyone could at the drop of a hat.
The only grumble I have is I'm undecided on how I feel about the lack of resolutions in dystopian stories. BUT... You don't know.. you wouldn't know.. some things would just happen and you'd never know why.. so maybe it makes a lot of sense to some degree.
Overall, a sometimes gruesome and exciting read.
August 21, 2023
I bought this book at supernova Melbourne, you recommended it to me and said if I like The Last Of Us, I should give it a go.
My first impression when reading this was a mixture of shock horror and amazement! The whole idea of not know what is going on is a frightening thought and I really felt that within the first couple of chapters!
I love the uniqueness of the zombie virus, we never truly ever know what caused it or if the bombs at the end put a true stop to it. The idea of being infected was something that always seemed to be forgotten after a while in series like The Walking Dead, I was amazed that fear was upheld throughout the book.
The uniqueness of people stripping their clothes off was something that instantly caught me off guard, in a good way! My friend described it as the a way to strip away the remaining amount of humanity of the person before they became fully infected. - the fact the infected women were the main food source, while the infect men were the main spreaders, was another fascinating and unique addition.
The confusion and the fear was massively felt through out the whole book and I found myself reading large sections of this book before I realised it was 2am in the morning.
My friend kept saying that this writing could not compare to Stephen King, but I disagree with her. The description of the world, the relationships built with characters and the true foundations of horror was purely amazing! The body horror made my stomach turn and made my physically gag, so I don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing. This book is certainly not for the light hearted, as my friend I let read this after me could not finish it
I do admit that the book ending in a way where we do not know if some people are dead, or alive, and left left asking, 'Will there before more?', was rather frustrating. But in a world where you dont know what's around your every turn, an ending like that is justified.
My first impression when reading this was a mixture of shock horror and amazement! The whole idea of not know what is going on is a frightening thought and I really felt that within the first couple of chapters!
I love the uniqueness of the zombie virus, we never truly ever know what caused it or if the bombs at the end put a true stop to it. The idea of being infected was something that always seemed to be forgotten after a while in series like The Walking Dead, I was amazed that fear was upheld throughout the book.
The uniqueness of people stripping their clothes off was something that instantly caught me off guard, in a good way! My friend described it as the a way to strip away the remaining amount of humanity of the person before they became fully infected. - the fact the infected women were the main food source, while the infect men were the main spreaders, was another fascinating and unique addition.
The confusion and the fear was massively felt through out the whole book and I found myself reading large sections of this book before I realised it was 2am in the morning.
My friend kept saying that this writing could not compare to Stephen King, but I disagree with her. The description of the world, the relationships built with characters and the true foundations of horror was purely amazing! The body horror made my stomach turn and made my physically gag, so I don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing. This book is certainly not for the light hearted, as my friend I let read this after me could not finish it
I do admit that the book ending in a way where we do not know if some people are dead, or alive, and left left asking, 'Will there before more?', was rather frustrating. But in a world where you dont know what's around your every turn, an ending like that is justified.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2026
This is the first book I’ve read by Caroline Angel, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but, WOW this is an awesome and unique zombie apocalypse story.
Although calling them zombies doesn’t quite fit, sure, they will eat you if they catch you, but they aren’t dead, and it’s not just them you need to be worried about.
At times it reminded me of early seasons of The Walking Dead with where no character is safe, but there is more to the story than just zombies, and fighting with other survivors, there is the fact that almost all of the animals have vanished or died, and not everyone who get infected strips off and tries to take a bite out of you.
The writing is very smooth and easy to read, with great characters and settings, and keep me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story.
If you liked Bird Box, or The Stand, they I think you will love this.
Although calling them zombies doesn’t quite fit, sure, they will eat you if they catch you, but they aren’t dead, and it’s not just them you need to be worried about.
At times it reminded me of early seasons of The Walking Dead with where no character is safe, but there is more to the story than just zombies, and fighting with other survivors, there is the fact that almost all of the animals have vanished or died, and not everyone who get infected strips off and tries to take a bite out of you.
The writing is very smooth and easy to read, with great characters and settings, and keep me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story.
If you liked Bird Box, or The Stand, they I think you will love this.
January 7, 2026
I was wandering around the stalls at a curiosity and oddities expo when I saw a table of books. I've been exploring the horror genre recently so I was excited to find a local author. The author clocked me immediately as a fan of extreme horror and pressed this book into my hands, I was so flattered but I had maxed out my budget so I took her card and promised myself to buy one of her books in the future.
Apparently the future was about 10min later after complaining to my partner that I wanted more horror books, so we went back to her stall and he bought me this book as an early Christmas gift.
I'm so glad he did because this book was an absolute ride. incredibly fast paced and my heart was racing through the entire thing. It was gorey, dark, and heavy but I loved every second!
I liked that it was left open in the end, because the real horror was what people become when society breaks down.
Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of extreme horror. Just be sure to read the trigger tags as it does have some heavy scenes.
Apparently the future was about 10min later after complaining to my partner that I wanted more horror books, so we went back to her stall and he bought me this book as an early Christmas gift.
I'm so glad he did because this book was an absolute ride. incredibly fast paced and my heart was racing through the entire thing. It was gorey, dark, and heavy but I loved every second!
I liked that it was left open in the end, because the real horror was what people become when society breaks down.
Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of extreme horror. Just be sure to read the trigger tags as it does have some heavy scenes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2026
4.5 stars!!
i met this author at an expo and she was so so sweet! i loveeee horror so i was super excited to read this one and AAAA it was amazing! i loved the different points of view, and i loved how bleak so many of the scenes were, definitely excited to read more books written by her!
i met this author at an expo and she was so so sweet! i loveeee horror so i was super excited to read this one and AAAA it was amazing! i loved the different points of view, and i loved how bleak so many of the scenes were, definitely excited to read more books written by her!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews