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Repugnant:
A vicious killer is on the loose in a small town. Every person he encounters is killed in horrific and brutal ways. But one of his victims won't stay dead!
Sabra Rockford woke up in the morgue on Halloween night, mutilated beyond recognition. She only has one night to find and stop her killer before he can send the entire town to hell!
WARNING: THIS IS AN EXTREME AND GRAPHIC NOVEL. IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THE EASILY OFFENDED.
Sabra Rockford woke up in the morgue on Halloween night, mutilated beyond recognition. She only has one night to find and stop her killer before he can send the entire town to hell!
WARNING: THIS IS AN EXTREME AND GRAPHIC NOVEL. IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THE EASILY OFFENDED.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2021
22 people are currently reading
573 people want to read
About the author
Judith Sonnet
89 books1,342 followersUsed to write extreme horror but now I write WEIRD horror and I'm having a blast with it! Check out OUR SARNATH on November 22nd!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 24, 2024
I started this with high expectations. Fresh off Sonnet’s Chainsaw Hooker, and having had so many great experiences with this author, I just anticipated an amazing story. Unfortunately, this fell short in a lot of ways. Sabra was supposed to be the main focus, and in many ways was, but there were sizeable portions where she was nowhere to be found. Instead, we had tons and tons of characters introduced, some if which had somewhat lengthy showings, but were just used as glorified victims for The Sender. I also felt like the plot was just ok, but overcomplicated itself more than necessary. So between the deluge of characters and the muddled plot, I found myself having to take frequent breaks to get through everything. The ending was also mediocre, too. Far from being my favorite Judith Sonnet story, I would highly recommend Chainsaw Hooker for a far superior read with a similar premise.
April 10, 2024
This was a reread and and it's still 5 stars
The time I read all the stories.
----
Second book I've read by Judith Sonnet and this was a few short stories before Repugnant being the longer of them. I did like the shorter ones too but skiped one about Animal cruelty, I could just read a few sentences before it go to much. I really liked the Repugnat. Horrifying, disgusting and very addicting to read. I loved the revenge plot. One of the victims of a extremely deranged serial killer, comes back from the dead to stop him. Loved the ending and it was very memorable. This is an extreme horror.
The time I read all the stories.
----
Second book I've read by Judith Sonnet and this was a few short stories before Repugnant being the longer of them. I did like the shorter ones too but skiped one about Animal cruelty, I could just read a few sentences before it go to much. I really liked the Repugnat. Horrifying, disgusting and very addicting to read. I loved the revenge plot. One of the victims of a extremely deranged serial killer, comes back from the dead to stop him. Loved the ending and it was very memorable. This is an extreme horror.
January 19, 2022
What a fun gory ride that was! If you like extreme horror/splatter you’ll enjoy this one. I’ll be checking out more of the author’s work.
CW: among other things it includes violent child death.
CW: among other things it includes violent child death.
July 17, 2022
Sabra "wakes up" in the morgue after a fatal attack on her by The Sender, a savagely sadistic serial killer that mangles his victims and creates interesting images with their anatomy, and one that just….won't….die! One of the most savage killers I've ever "met"! (I won't lie, I'm quite fond of him now! His kills are awesome!😉)
After discovering what he did to her, and with the help of some new found friends, she is intent on getting her revenge! She is granted her wish on Halloween and sets out to follow his brutally bloody trail!
What follows is intensely brutal and delightfully supernatural, gory and even emotional! I mean, this book is what it says it is….Repugnant!! In the absolute, best possible way! This book is chock full of slasher action, creative kills, gore, horror, dark magic, demons, and cannibalism. There are lots of characters and different storylines going on, but they are so well written and easy to follow! A shit ton of blood and guts from the very beginning to the insane, visceral ending!
Who doesn't love a bit of barbaric hellish karma? This book was absolutely brilliant, I cannot praise it enough, I LOVED it! It needs to be made into a movie! My only regret is that I waited so long to read it! If you have this book, or you go out and get it, read it straight away, don't make the same mistake I did!!!!
After discovering what he did to her, and with the help of some new found friends, she is intent on getting her revenge! She is granted her wish on Halloween and sets out to follow his brutally bloody trail!
What follows is intensely brutal and delightfully supernatural, gory and even emotional! I mean, this book is what it says it is….Repugnant!! In the absolute, best possible way! This book is chock full of slasher action, creative kills, gore, horror, dark magic, demons, and cannibalism. There are lots of characters and different storylines going on, but they are so well written and easy to follow! A shit ton of blood and guts from the very beginning to the insane, visceral ending!
Who doesn't love a bit of barbaric hellish karma? This book was absolutely brilliant, I cannot praise it enough, I LOVED it! It needs to be made into a movie! My only regret is that I waited so long to read it! If you have this book, or you go out and get it, read it straight away, don't make the same mistake I did!!!!
December 27, 2022
Halloween Kills meets The Resurrectionist—but make it a good-for-her revenge tale with a BADASS ZOMBIE female protagonist and trans sidekick—and feed it all the steroids. One word: EPIC.
April 4, 2023
The book opens with 2 amazing short stories, one of which contains a magnificently satisfying kill scene (if you know me you know I'm a sucker for a well executed kill scene).
The main story contains some of the most over the top scenes I have ever been given the opportunity to read. I really liked the way Sonnet introduced new characters only to off them shortly after, truly no one was safe. The ending was also pretty satisfying.
I enjoyed this book so much that I have already purchased my next Sonnet book!
The main story contains some of the most over the top scenes I have ever been given the opportunity to read. I really liked the way Sonnet introduced new characters only to off them shortly after, truly no one was safe. The ending was also pretty satisfying.
I enjoyed this book so much that I have already purchased my next Sonnet book!
June 8, 2022
This book blew me away. Well written characters, an interesting plot and extremely gory descriptive kills. I am in love with the character of Sabra and want to be her best friend.
What caught my attention the most was the many different ways the author described blood. "creamy" and "melted cherries" brought very visceral images to my mind. This author is one to watch!
What caught my attention the most was the many different ways the author described blood. "creamy" and "melted cherries" brought very visceral images to my mind. This author is one to watch!
March 3, 2022
Not even two chapters in I decided that I loved this book. So like a normal, sane member of society I went and purchased two more of Sonnet’s books, then another one a few days later!
This mother trucker is extreme in the best way, with creative death scenes and a main character that you will try to avoid imagining at all costs due to her disfigurement caused by The Sender, a wanted serial killer who has gone cross country on a killing spree the likes of which has never been seen before. After her death, Sabra Rockford comes back to “life” a couple days later, trapped inside her destroyed body. Only one thing is keeping her soul on this Earth, and that’s seeking revenge on the horrid man that desecrated her and turned her into something less than human.
Repugnant is chock full of characters both lovable and easy to identify with, as well as ones that were crafted for the singular purpose of making you happy when you watch them bleed. Even when I wasn’t reading the book, I caught myself thinking about the book, wanting to know more about the depravity Sonnet had in store for me. This is a quality I don’t see too often in books, and it speaks volumes about Sonnet’s talent as a writer.
If you like whispering to yourself “what the f*ck” multiple times while reading, this is the one for you!
This mother trucker is extreme in the best way, with creative death scenes and a main character that you will try to avoid imagining at all costs due to her disfigurement caused by The Sender, a wanted serial killer who has gone cross country on a killing spree the likes of which has never been seen before. After her death, Sabra Rockford comes back to “life” a couple days later, trapped inside her destroyed body. Only one thing is keeping her soul on this Earth, and that’s seeking revenge on the horrid man that desecrated her and turned her into something less than human.
Repugnant is chock full of characters both lovable and easy to identify with, as well as ones that were crafted for the singular purpose of making you happy when you watch them bleed. Even when I wasn’t reading the book, I caught myself thinking about the book, wanting to know more about the depravity Sonnet had in store for me. This is a quality I don’t see too often in books, and it speaks volumes about Sonnet’s talent as a writer.
If you like whispering to yourself “what the f*ck” multiple times while reading, this is the one for you!
August 6, 2022
Well alright. First off this is my first time reading Judith Sonnet and I got to say I'm definitely not disappointed cuz holy fucking shit this was a slasher like no other.. Kinda zombie\paranormal demon revenge slasher with a cosmic occult type feel. This was so awesome and some of the most brutal, gnarly ,nasty, and over the top gory kills I've read in a while. This was fast paced good story good characters and very disturbingly descriptive on the gore and the kills. Highly recommended if you want a over the top gory slasher with triggers a plenty. Check this out its fucking worth it.
July 10, 2023
I went into this one blind and since I got the Goddamned edition, I thought it was neat that there were three short stories before Repugnant, which gets a nice introduction and made me feel like I was watching a movie!
All the stories were interesting, although I had a tough time reading the short “Zoo” because I’m a dog lover. Thankfully it had a satisfying ending, but I physically had to look away from the book at times because I really didn’t want to picture those details 🙈 but I knew what I signed up for.
Repugnant is a wild ride. It was giving me an extreme version of Halloween with body horror.
The story started off strong and had my attention from start to finish. The book is disturbing and filled with disgusting kills… especially the diner scene… wow again lol. Made me look at the cover differently that’s for sure 😅.
After reading the afterward, I really want to go check out some Italian horror movies & scores and try to read one of her other novels with it like she recommended.
Overall, fun isn’t a right word to use for a book like this, but I liked the way the goddamned edition of plays out like a movie, so I’d highly recommend checking this one out for extreme horror fans!
4.5/5⭐️
All the stories were interesting, although I had a tough time reading the short “Zoo” because I’m a dog lover. Thankfully it had a satisfying ending, but I physically had to look away from the book at times because I really didn’t want to picture those details 🙈 but I knew what I signed up for.
Repugnant is a wild ride. It was giving me an extreme version of Halloween with body horror.
The story started off strong and had my attention from start to finish. The book is disturbing and filled with disgusting kills… especially the diner scene… wow again lol. Made me look at the cover differently that’s for sure 😅.
After reading the afterward, I really want to go check out some Italian horror movies & scores and try to read one of her other novels with it like she recommended.
Overall, fun isn’t a right word to use for a book like this, but I liked the way the goddamned edition of plays out like a movie, so I’d highly recommend checking this one out for extreme horror fans!
4.5/5⭐️
November 24, 2023
Violent and Visceral
What a blood and gore fest… filled with feistiness and a good old revenge trope. If you like your books bloody and with a hint of dark humour then this is a book for you!
What a blood and gore fest… filled with feistiness and a good old revenge trope. If you like your books bloody and with a hint of dark humour then this is a book for you!
January 23, 2022
Vile, violent, disgusting, and a HELL of a good time!
That would be my blurb for the back of Repugnant by Judith Sonnet if I had to write one.
This story starts with Sabra, the victim of a horrific murder, WAKING UP IN THE MORGUE. But don't go thinking this is a zombie book though because it's not. Deep down, Repugnant is like the kill scene of a slasher movie on steroids, but with a religious and cosmic origin story.
Sabra is on a mission to find her killer, and along with the help of the attending mortician and his girlfriend, they chase behind the killer's insanely violent path.
Sonnet definitely kept me guessing how this was all going to resolve itself, and when you get to that big reveal of what's happening, it evoked an audible reaction out of me, which is always an indicator of how much I'm enjoying the book.
This definitely falls into the extreme subgenre of horror, which means I obviously loved it. If you haven't explored any extreme horror, this is a great place to start.
That would be my blurb for the back of Repugnant by Judith Sonnet if I had to write one.
This story starts with Sabra, the victim of a horrific murder, WAKING UP IN THE MORGUE. But don't go thinking this is a zombie book though because it's not. Deep down, Repugnant is like the kill scene of a slasher movie on steroids, but with a religious and cosmic origin story.
Sabra is on a mission to find her killer, and along with the help of the attending mortician and his girlfriend, they chase behind the killer's insanely violent path.
Sonnet definitely kept me guessing how this was all going to resolve itself, and when you get to that big reveal of what's happening, it evoked an audible reaction out of me, which is always an indicator of how much I'm enjoying the book.
This definitely falls into the extreme subgenre of horror, which means I obviously loved it. If you haven't explored any extreme horror, this is a great place to start.
September 15, 2022
Gory Slasher
Great gory slasher, perfect Halloween read! It's a fast paced fun read if you love horror and gore! Judith is a new author to me but I can't wait to read more!
Great gory slasher, perfect Halloween read! It's a fast paced fun read if you love horror and gore! Judith is a new author to me but I can't wait to read more!
January 9, 2022
have read many slasher novels this year and holy heck lemme tell ya- Repugnant is the most insanely original of the bunch. part straight up gory as all heck slasher, part supernatural revenge thriller. there's zombies, some of the most unique (and grotesque) kill sequences I've read and oh right it's set on Halloween night. c'mon, what more needs to be said? highly recommended to splatterpunk fans and anyone who likes to get a little gross and have a few laughs.
January 30, 2022
This one is over the top gory, and so much fun!!!
December 19, 2024
You know, I've always liked that word... 'repugnant'... yet so rarely have an opportunity to use it in a sentence. Well one thing you learn with Judith Sonnet is, she doesn’t mince words. If she had a book titled “Harpoon Through the Taint” or “Oh No! I Got Exploded Baby All Over My Favorite Sweater,” you can bet your sweet ass that’s what’s inside its pages. So with a book like Repugnant: the Goddamned Edition, you KNOW it’s going to be gross. Then you can giggle at ‘godamned’ every few chapters. 🤭
Quick Synopsis:
Sabra wakes up in a morgue, furious. Ok not really, but very confused how she got there. Why she’s not dead, and where did the rest of her go? Turns out she was the victim of the ultra-violent serial killer simply known as The Sender. Not one to be a victim, the motley crew she assembles is out to put an end to The Sender’s roaring rampage. Will they find him before most of the town gets mashed to a gloopy pulp? Probably not, but that’s basically what anyone even looking into this kind of book wants. KILL EM GOOD & KILL EM OFTEN, YEEHAW.
So what makes the Goddamned Edition so Goddamned is, there’s THREE Goddamned short stories that we start with that…very much prepare you for what’s in store for you. Bed bugs, basement-dwellers, and furry vengeance. All 3 were pure Goddamned treats, but nothing compared to the feature presentation. Judith said you want gross out? You want to know how I won the 2022 KillerCon Gross-Out contest? Well, you asked for it. This book had some of the most deplorable, cursed, VILE deaths I have read TO DATE. Like there’s scenes I can still vividly picture in my head weeks later. They just won’t go away. Our killer is just SO diabolical. You get through a scene where this living thing that once had hopes and dreams and lungs has just become…a concrete-staining smear of hissing, farting street meat. Your humanity wants to kick in & say STOP THIS but…you. just. need. more. Then you get through this truly blood-soaked epic & Sonnet poignantly bids you adieu with “Cry about it, motherFucker.” Literally. The crowd goes wild. Your shoulders pry themselves from the sides of your head & you burp a lot because…phew. 😮💨 This just got added to my top 5 Sonnet list. I’ll read it again someday when I probably just healed from it. Can’t recommend this more. I must spread this Goddamned repugnant curse to everyone & so should you.
Quick Synopsis:
Sabra wakes up in a morgue, furious. Ok not really, but very confused how she got there. Why she’s not dead, and where did the rest of her go? Turns out she was the victim of the ultra-violent serial killer simply known as The Sender. Not one to be a victim, the motley crew she assembles is out to put an end to The Sender’s roaring rampage. Will they find him before most of the town gets mashed to a gloopy pulp? Probably not, but that’s basically what anyone even looking into this kind of book wants. KILL EM GOOD & KILL EM OFTEN, YEEHAW.
So what makes the Goddamned Edition so Goddamned is, there’s THREE Goddamned short stories that we start with that…very much prepare you for what’s in store for you. Bed bugs, basement-dwellers, and furry vengeance. All 3 were pure Goddamned treats, but nothing compared to the feature presentation. Judith said you want gross out? You want to know how I won the 2022 KillerCon Gross-Out contest? Well, you asked for it. This book had some of the most deplorable, cursed, VILE deaths I have read TO DATE. Like there’s scenes I can still vividly picture in my head weeks later. They just won’t go away. Our killer is just SO diabolical. You get through a scene where this living thing that once had hopes and dreams and lungs has just become…a concrete-staining smear of hissing, farting street meat. Your humanity wants to kick in & say STOP THIS but…you. just. need. more. Then you get through this truly blood-soaked epic & Sonnet poignantly bids you adieu with “Cry about it, motherFucker.” Literally. The crowd goes wild. Your shoulders pry themselves from the sides of your head & you burp a lot because…phew. 😮💨 This just got added to my top 5 Sonnet list. I’ll read it again someday when I probably just healed from it. Can’t recommend this more. I must spread this Goddamned repugnant curse to everyone & so should you.
July 23, 2022
Sabra wakes up in the morgue, but she is not dead. The story has an action packed start. I was hooked from the first page. This is an extreme slasher that has one crazy body count for a Novella. There was actually a good amount of character devolpment for a slasher story. There is some humor in this story. can't wait to read more of this author's work.
January 9, 2022
What can I say, Judith manages to top herself with each new release. This book is scarier, gorier and more perverse than her last two books combined. What I love most about this book is that Judith knows how to write very detailed and descriptive scenes of carnage and gore but doesn’t sacrifice character or plot to get there. There are characters in this book that I absolutely loathed, ones I loved to hate and others that I flat out enjoyed and was rooting for. The less said about the story the better. All I will say is that the book went in directions I wasn’t expecting and that really enhanced my enjoyment of it. If you’re looking for a well written extreme horror novel that wears its influences on its sleeve, you really can’t do much better than Repugnant.
February 6, 2022
3.5 stars. It's hard to rate this extreme horror genre and I usually end up rating it low but I liked this one. It's gory all the way through with unique kills. I really liked the queer characters especially the devil being gender non-conforming. This is camp.
January 3, 2023
An anthology, first story Love Bug was very real to me to a point. I too was infested with bed bugs took a long to get rid of them. Just reading the story gave me the willies. Repugnant is like another Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers an evil being that won't die.
January 22, 2022
An over the top, super gory slasher
Sonnet has a unique take on the slasher genre with Repugnant. A victim of Sender, a notorious serial killer, wakes up on the slab in the morgue and wants revenge. But how do you kill an unstoppable, supernatural murderer who won't stay dead. The final showdown between reanimated victim and demon possessed killer is epic. I enjoyed reading Repugnant but it does have several triggers and extreme violence that may upset some readers.
Sonnet has a unique take on the slasher genre with Repugnant. A victim of Sender, a notorious serial killer, wakes up on the slab in the morgue and wants revenge. But how do you kill an unstoppable, supernatural murderer who won't stay dead. The final showdown between reanimated victim and demon possessed killer is epic. I enjoyed reading Repugnant but it does have several triggers and extreme violence that may upset some readers.
July 22, 2023
I think I need Jesus after this one.
Well, Miss Sonnet. You have managed to enthrall me again. Giving me a glimpse into otherworldly carnage. Your storytelling gives me such a detailed movie to watch in my head while reading. Amazing details, charater builds. You truly bring horror to life.
Well, Miss Sonnet. You have managed to enthrall me again. Giving me a glimpse into otherworldly carnage. Your storytelling gives me such a detailed movie to watch in my head while reading. Amazing details, charater builds. You truly bring horror to life.
July 15, 2022
Taking into account that this book easily falls within the horror sub-genre of Extreme Gore/Splatter Horror, I got exactly what I expected from this short read. Severed body parts, cannibalism, ooze, puss, bloody mucous, defecation, semen, and many other foul scenes were graphically explained. However, this dismal rating is not because I was especially disgusted by this book. I mean, I was, but that's what I expected from gore/splatter.
What was absolutely unforgivable was the complete lack of editing before this book was released. Everything from misspelled to missing words and the misuse of apostrophes (the difference between possessives and plurals evidently unknown) to the incorrect use of your/you're made it hard to finish this book. And if that isn't enough, there's an overuse of cliches (such as "easily as a hot knife through butter") and misused pronouns, so it was uncertain who he/she/they was actually referencing in certain scenes.
Overall, this book will be one of the most depraved thing you've read in a while. But if you find yourself easily drawn to picking out editing misses, just skip this one. It will frustrate you more than gross you out.
What was absolutely unforgivable was the complete lack of editing before this book was released. Everything from misspelled to missing words and the misuse of apostrophes (the difference between possessives and plurals evidently unknown) to the incorrect use of your/you're made it hard to finish this book. And if that isn't enough, there's an overuse of cliches (such as "easily as a hot knife through butter") and misused pronouns, so it was uncertain who he/she/they was actually referencing in certain scenes.
Overall, this book will be one of the most depraved thing you've read in a while. But if you find yourself easily drawn to picking out editing misses, just skip this one. It will frustrate you more than gross you out.
August 7, 2023
Gives me Saw movies/Terrifier vibes.
August 21, 2024
This is extreme gore with splatter. It’s a fast read but the book wasn’t edited. I guess I’m a little OCD when I see misspelling, or the correct way to use an apostrophe.
November 23, 2024
Judith Sonnet is an incredibly underrated and talented indie-horror writer whose imagination is unlike anyone else's. Her love for the genre speaks loudly from the page. Her work is often ambitious, violent, hilarious, and unique. Repugnant is one of her slasher genre novels, which thanks to the reprint is paired with a couple of really unique short stories.
Love-Bug:
Melinda has always been a trusting individual, so she buys a mattress from an online seller. But when she wakes up one night to find her new second-hand mattress covered in bedbugs, leaching off her blood, she immediately decides to get rid of it, her trust in others squashed. However these bugs aren't any ordinary bedbugs, they've grown fond of Melinda and will do anything to get her back.
Love-Bug is a short but gruesome and truly horrifying story that gets very sexual and graphic. It's hard to discuss much without giving anything away, but if you're not a fan of bugs this one will get under your skin! 9/10
Don't Feed The Baby:
Rose is babysitting Albert again on a dark and stormy night, but when she sees a note on the fridge saying 'Don't Feed The Baby', her evening changes from one of comfort to darkness. Something horrible is hiding in the basement and Rose is determined to find out what it is.
As Judith explains in the afterword this story is much more 'Tales from The Darkside' than splatterpunk. The ending of this one is shocking, but the narrative is mainly one of trepidation and foreboding as a young woman tries to uncover a sinister truth. 10/10
Zoo:
Herb Walter is a monster, he and his friend Vincent film and release snuff-films online to eager paying customers of them killing or molesting dogs. Someone in a wolf head has found out who they are and he's out for vengeance.
This is an unsettling and grotesque horror story that is unfortunately only far too real, this isn't an easy read and is quite painful to get through. It's a brilliantly written story with a satisfying ending, but if you're an animal lover, either be on your guard or don't read it. 10/10
Repugnant:
Two nights ago Sabra was violently murdered and raped by The Sender, a serial killer who's wreaked havoc across the country. But when she awakes on Halloween in a morgue, she finds out she has become a member of the undead and for today only she gets a chance to have her revenge. The Sender is killing innocents across town and only she can stop him.
Judith Sonnet has written a supernatural slasher that is incredibly fun, violent, engaging, gruesome, and off-the-balls crazy. I liked our main cast of characters and you feel for Sabra and her situation, desperately hoping she gets her revenge. The Sender is a truly diabolical and disgusting villain who has a disturbing fascination with Satanism and the occult. It's a very action-packed and bloodthirsty novel that concludes with a satisfying and explosive finale. 9/10
Overall: 38/40
Love-Bug:
Melinda has always been a trusting individual, so she buys a mattress from an online seller. But when she wakes up one night to find her new second-hand mattress covered in bedbugs, leaching off her blood, she immediately decides to get rid of it, her trust in others squashed. However these bugs aren't any ordinary bedbugs, they've grown fond of Melinda and will do anything to get her back.
Love-Bug is a short but gruesome and truly horrifying story that gets very sexual and graphic. It's hard to discuss much without giving anything away, but if you're not a fan of bugs this one will get under your skin! 9/10
Don't Feed The Baby:
Rose is babysitting Albert again on a dark and stormy night, but when she sees a note on the fridge saying 'Don't Feed The Baby', her evening changes from one of comfort to darkness. Something horrible is hiding in the basement and Rose is determined to find out what it is.
As Judith explains in the afterword this story is much more 'Tales from The Darkside' than splatterpunk. The ending of this one is shocking, but the narrative is mainly one of trepidation and foreboding as a young woman tries to uncover a sinister truth. 10/10
Zoo:
Herb Walter is a monster, he and his friend Vincent film and release snuff-films online to eager paying customers of them killing or molesting dogs. Someone in a wolf head has found out who they are and he's out for vengeance.
This is an unsettling and grotesque horror story that is unfortunately only far too real, this isn't an easy read and is quite painful to get through. It's a brilliantly written story with a satisfying ending, but if you're an animal lover, either be on your guard or don't read it. 10/10
Repugnant:
Two nights ago Sabra was violently murdered and raped by The Sender, a serial killer who's wreaked havoc across the country. But when she awakes on Halloween in a morgue, she finds out she has become a member of the undead and for today only she gets a chance to have her revenge. The Sender is killing innocents across town and only she can stop him.
Judith Sonnet has written a supernatural slasher that is incredibly fun, violent, engaging, gruesome, and off-the-balls crazy. I liked our main cast of characters and you feel for Sabra and her situation, desperately hoping she gets her revenge. The Sender is a truly diabolical and disgusting villain who has a disturbing fascination with Satanism and the occult. It's a very action-packed and bloodthirsty novel that concludes with a satisfying and explosive finale. 9/10
Overall: 38/40
November 2, 2024
I've previously read
No One Rides for Free
by Judith Sonnet, and I liked it enough that I was curious to check out more of her work. Repugnant has a very striking cover, and since it's set around Halloween I decided this would be a good October read. I think I very marginally prefer Repugnant to
No One Rides for Free
.
There's a few characters the story follows, but our principle players are the victim of a notorious killer brought back to enact revenge, and the killer himself. This allows for plenty of moments of extreme horror, and Sonnet's writing feels most assured when depicting moments of depravity. There are times when the extremity of the horror borders on excessive, but I think this is handled better in Repugnant than No One Rides for Free - I think the premise here just more naturally lends itself to the extreme violence on offer.
There's a supernatural element here that I think Sonnet handles well, and I appreciated the slasher movie inspirations. As a side note, I found it interesting in Sonnet's Afterward that she also referenced Aron Beauregard's Scary Bastard as an inspiration, which I've only just finished reading and absolutely adored. Much like in Scary Bastard , we once again have an assortment of characters, and Sonnet does a pretty good job of quite deftly bringing them to life (usually before ruthlessly dispatching them). There's a certain fun to be had here in seeing how their story strands intersect... or meet an abrupt end.
My absolute biggest criticism for this book is that it's sorely let down by a lack of editing. There are so many typos and grammatical errors littered throughout this story, and each time I came across one it just yanked me out of the plot, shattering my immersion. I honestly think I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been tightened up - I can forgive a typo here and there, but they're a disappointingly constant presence.
I did find Repugnant to be a fairly fun read, and it's perfect for Halloween season. There's enough chaos and carnage here to like (especially providing you can overlook the editing issues), and the story is compelling enough that I never felt particularly bored and was always keen to see what mayhem would be unleashed next.
3/5
There's a few characters the story follows, but our principle players are the victim of a notorious killer brought back to enact revenge, and the killer himself. This allows for plenty of moments of extreme horror, and Sonnet's writing feels most assured when depicting moments of depravity. There are times when the extremity of the horror borders on excessive, but I think this is handled better in Repugnant than No One Rides for Free - I think the premise here just more naturally lends itself to the extreme violence on offer.
There's a supernatural element here that I think Sonnet handles well, and I appreciated the slasher movie inspirations. As a side note, I found it interesting in Sonnet's Afterward that she also referenced Aron Beauregard's Scary Bastard as an inspiration, which I've only just finished reading and absolutely adored. Much like in Scary Bastard , we once again have an assortment of characters, and Sonnet does a pretty good job of quite deftly bringing them to life (usually before ruthlessly dispatching them). There's a certain fun to be had here in seeing how their story strands intersect... or meet an abrupt end.
My absolute biggest criticism for this book is that it's sorely let down by a lack of editing. There are so many typos and grammatical errors littered throughout this story, and each time I came across one it just yanked me out of the plot, shattering my immersion. I honestly think I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been tightened up - I can forgive a typo here and there, but they're a disappointingly constant presence.
I did find Repugnant to be a fairly fun read, and it's perfect for Halloween season. There's enough chaos and carnage here to like (especially providing you can overlook the editing issues), and the story is compelling enough that I never felt particularly bored and was always keen to see what mayhem would be unleashed next.
3/5
July 20, 2022
“Cry about it, motherfucker” - Judith Sonnet, Repugnant.
I’m edging into this review backwards, because that quote just tickled my fancy and it was absolute perfection in tone and placement. To be honest, I highlighted so many quotes, that I think my poor Kindle felt overwhelmed. That’s how beautifully and graphically distinct the prose was…
Before I get ahead of myself, let me back up a bit and tell you all about the awesomeness that I just read.
This vivid tale has all the hallmarks of a brilliant slasher story, with a twist on the protagonist, and an ending that was absolutely perfect. This author expertly layers numerous subplots to flesh our these complex characters.
When a demonic killer comes to town, who else is better to take him down than one of his own kills?
You all need to read this one, but reader beware… “You’re gonna hurt for me baby”.
I’m edging into this review backwards, because that quote just tickled my fancy and it was absolute perfection in tone and placement. To be honest, I highlighted so many quotes, that I think my poor Kindle felt overwhelmed. That’s how beautifully and graphically distinct the prose was…
Before I get ahead of myself, let me back up a bit and tell you all about the awesomeness that I just read.
This vivid tale has all the hallmarks of a brilliant slasher story, with a twist on the protagonist, and an ending that was absolutely perfect. This author expertly layers numerous subplots to flesh our these complex characters.
When a demonic killer comes to town, who else is better to take him down than one of his own kills?
You all need to read this one, but reader beware… “You’re gonna hurt for me baby”.
January 19, 2023
I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this book? On one hand, I am absolutely falling in love with Judith Sonnet's writing - her ability to write the most gross and disgusting shit is amazing - and every time I read something new by her, I instantly wanna read more. With that said, I felt maybe so much gore and grossness just becomes too much over a course of 300 or some pages? It's nothing on the writing as such, maybe more a personal preference for myself. I wanted a little more substance and a little less senseless murder and gore at times and I think the scale of substance to senseless murder was tipping too much towards the gore.
But despite that, I liked the story and the characters and I've already bought a few more of her books to read next!
But despite that, I liked the story and the characters and I've already bought a few more of her books to read next!
September 14, 2022
The author always warns us about extreme horror and gore, and I'm happy to say she always delivers. This is the third book I've read by this author, and I will probably read more. Loved this one. While obviously, it's self-published (nothing against that! Just a few noticeable mistakes), I think it's still a stellar story. Sonnet knows how to tell an engaging story in all her works, and such small things as spelling mistakes don't matter because it's just that damn good. If you are a fan of horror and can handle extreme graphic gorry descriptions, give this book a read.
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