Sardines (In the Dark): A Brutal Story

by Judith Sonnet

A youth group decides to play a late-night game of hide-and-seek...
...someone else decides to join them...
Someone big... and mean... and VIOLENT!

Warning: this is a gory slasher story. It features graphic violence.

Genres: Horror, Splatterpunk

68 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2023

About the author

Used 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!

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Christian youth group spend some time at a camp. Kylie isn't too sure about her faith. When Tina, a newcomer, initiates a game of hide and seek the situation escalates. Something is starting to hunt the teenagers down. Who or what is it? What has one of Kylie's friends to do with that? Will someone survive in the end? Nasty slasher for those who want to keep their faith and know more about angels (LOL). The author could pack most of the well known genre motifs into a tight and tense tale. Didn't expect that. Really recommended!

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually avoid books this short, but I’m crunched for time this week. Between working on my new manuscript and actual work, I have almost no time to read. But this fit the bill. It was short, fun, and violent. The creature in this kept making me think of Behemoth from Nightmare Before Christmas. But there’s an eclectic group of kids out in a remote cabin, drinking, screwing, and sinning (Did I mention they’re all part of a religious studies group?), and reckoning finds them. In terrible, awful ways. And it had been awhile since I read of someone’s heart being yanked out and eaten. So events like that, along with all the others made this a lovely, disgusting blood bath. The finale wasn’t unexpected, but man was it solid. Very big finish. My only critique here is that everything moved super quick and the story was over way too soon. It had a lot of good things to work with and could have built on itself quite a bit. But, again, if you have a free 30 minutes and need a good horror fix, look no further.

[inciminci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stupid me actually thought we're talking about sardines the fish, so the title was enticing. It's not fish! It is apparently a game you play in the dark, don't be fooled like me.

I thought the critique on religion could have been somewhat sharper and could have been highlighted in the end, the commentary doesn't really come through. Still some interesting violence scenes.

[Rachel Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the gore. Loved the horror. Loved the twist of who was the “bad guy”, HOWEVER going into this I didn’t realize it was anti God or I wouldn’t have read it 😩 I really enjoyed the authors writing style and descriptions, but this just wasn’t meant for me. WHICH IS FINE it just tells me that I need to do more research instead of going into stuff blindly 😂 so yeah, totally my fault, no hate to the author, every book I’ve read by her has made me uncomfortable and grossed out, which is the point of extreme horror, and will try other stories by her in the future. 🩵

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little gem of a book by Judith Sonnet that gives a whole new outlook to the childhood game I used to play!!!Even though it was a very short read(68 pages) it kept me interested throughout the whole book which was gory,brutal at times and with a good twist at the end,worth reading if you want an extreme horror quick read.
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐'s

[amerie ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn’t quite hit for me the way i thought it would, i guess i was expecting it to be somewhat like summer never ends

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and to the point with magnificent gore and a bleak ending, pretty much exactly what I expected from Sonnet, much to my delight.

[Mique Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best game of hide-and-seek EVER. 🙌 Also I read this in the dark at 3am on a Monday. ‘Twas a blast.

[Rachel M · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was some game of hide and seek! 😂

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a mini slasher story! Join a Christian youth group on their camping trip. Soon the blood will flow and bodies will be pulverized.

Judith doesn’t mince words and quickly delivers brutal scenes to readers. The twist at the end was fantastic and not at all what I was thinking would happen.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever played Sardines? Neither have I, haha, but it's a twist on hide-and-seek by the great Judith Sonnet!

This is extremely brutal as you would expect by this author, with a unique ending that I loved!

3/5

[M.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lol wtf? I fucking love Judith Sonnet.

[Sarah🥀⛓️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently stumbled across Judith Sonnet’s work. Story was dark, but intriguing- where you can’t bring yourself to put down the book! An extremely fast paced read, where time flew by! Enjoyed this one a lot more personally than Santasploitation! I don’t mind gore, but rape mixed with body horror is uncomfortable for me (to be honest). Sardines was a straight to the point gore fest, with total slasher horror vibes! Wasn’t super impressed with this book, but was a fun entertaining short read! Word of Caution- I wouldn’t recommend this author to anybody with a weak stomach.

[Jenna Woodard · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5

I love the horror genre but one thing that irks me when it is done soley for blood and gore. You can still have blood and gore and have a proper story. This short story has good bones. I just think that it falls short. It left me with too many unanswered questions. At the end things just happened without explaining the why. How did those two end up working together? And this why the story is lacking because the details aren't fleshed out enough.

[amirahlynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I didn’t really care for this story that much. I read her book, Summer Never Ends before this one and that book is much better. This felt a bit hollow and I didn’t get to connect with the characters. The ending was a nice twist but just a 3 star

Tw: death of children, murder, blood, gore, religious trauma

[T. C. Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

anyone who knows me knows I’m all for taking the piss out of religious groups/cults and safe to say I really enjoyed this one. Judith never disappoints on the gore fest and she continues to surprise me with her gritty and descriptive prose when detailing a character’s brutal demise. I can’t wait to read more by her!

[Mila Van Der Veen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a brutal slasher of a group of young christians. Honestly I thought it was a fun short read and I like this book the best from the books I read from this author. Easy to read, short and just enjoyable for the f*cked up mind. I definitely recommend this one!

[Veronica ☠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith's quick reads always get me in the mood to read! When I feel a reading slump coming I grab a Sonnet book! 🖤

This slasher didn't disappoint. Anytime an author plays with religion in a book, I'm immediately hooked!

This follows a group of kids in a Christian youth group who start to play an innocent game of hide and seek...but goes horribly wrong! This is bloody, violent and just what I needed! Thank you Judith 🖤

[Bri · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ rounded down

[Jeff Atam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story from Judith Sonnet! Lots of gross messy gore and the ending was the best!

[Richard Longmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

When considering if Sardines (In the Dark) by Judith Sonnet is right for you, please consider a few things:

1. Do you have 30 minutes to dedicate to reading?
2. Do you like slashers (books/movies/whatever)?
3. Do you enjoy "cabin in the wood" style horror?
4. Can you identify each Friday the 13th film simply by the subtle differences in the mask that is being worn by Jason Voorhees on the screen?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, please consult your Primary Care Librarian to see if Sardines (In the Dark) by Judith Sonnet is right for you.

Side effects may include: frantic disembowelments, limb tearing, restless genital syndrome, flesh rending, bible camp drum circle, sentient gall bladder, nausea, apocalyptic whoopsies, non-consensual bloodshed, Christianity, impulsive rhinoplasty, relocated teeth, burnt s'mores, un-lock jaw, pendulous oculus, beheading, reheading, threeheading, nasal dripping, tattoo repositioning, and nah-it's-fine-no-need-to-check-it's-on-the-ground-so-it's-gotta-be-dead-itis.

Sardines (In the Dark), by the makers of "For the Sake Of" series, "Chainsaw Hooker", and "Gobbler: Fuck Your Thanksgiving". Don't delay, consult your Librarian today!

[Dylan Maples · Rating 2 out of 5]

silly, gory, and not great. decently fun to read and can read it in like an hour or so but just seemed to have no definitive point and answered no questions. like where did Jackie get this massive killer angel?

[Brandon Martinez · Rating 2 out of 5]

it’s okay?

It’s a nice gory quick read but there really wasn’t any story other than it being kind of a slasher? The motive wasn’t really explained well, but other than that it was a nice way to pass time.

[Raul Arzate IV · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Sardine game aspect and the gore! Everything else was just okay. In the end it said how the ending was switched out (originally the main character gets stuck in the basement and goes mad). I would have preferred that ending more!

[Xtina Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favorite from my Gore Queen!!! As usual, I had a blast reading this little tale!!

[Kayla Lodge · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was all kinds of messed up and made me question my sanity no clue why I keep reading these books but I guess I am a sucker for punishment.

[Danny Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith Sonnet is a writer whose work I really enjoy. Similar to Bryan Smith her work feels like insane and graphic horror movies, with an awful lot to say despite their gory and violent premise. I wasn't too keen on one of her short stories, but I've enjoyed everything else I've read from her so far! Sardines (In The Dark) is one that piqued my interest immediately so obviously I picked it up as soon as I could!

A religious youth group has gone out into the woods for a camping trip, however when someone suggests they play a game of Sardines, it isn't long before things go haywire. A monster is on the loose and nobody is safe.

Judith Sonnet has written a simple slasher novella that is atmospheric and incredibly violent with a great twist at the end. It is simple, but I love how Judith used this story to comment on how a lot of preachers with heavy religious beliefs are in actuality a bunch of hypocrites who often go against the lord's word and commit sins, some of which destroy other people's lives.

Overall: It's not an amazing story, but it was really fun. 8/10

[Anjas_readingnook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s a short review of a book that is well worth 5 🖤!! FIVE⭐️

I just had to read a little quickie in between my other read and ofc I couldn’t resist this one!

THIS a little gem of a short story!
It’s written so exceptionally well! But then of course - it’s written by the one and only scream queen Judith Sonnet! I just can’t get over how extremely realistic this gal can write🙌🏻🙌🏻
This is one of her oldest stories, and she writes in the afterword that she’s especially proud of this one, and all I can say is that I totally understand that! I love this story and I’m the Tina in this one for sure😅

It’s a short, extremely well written story about a Christian youth camp, God, atheism, murder, blood, gore and a monster- or is it?!!
I love the underlying story which is a little FU to religious institutions, and it also scratches the feeling of fear for not being allowed to be yourself, to be different! That’s why I think I’m the Tina🖤The rest of it is for you to decide🖤

[Cobia Fasolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is long overdue… I read this one earlier this year on my kindle along with “Magick - Judith Sonnet” and it’s time to drop a brief review for both!

I enjoyed both novels, but I think I enjoyed Magick a little bit more. Sardines was an even easier read with just under 70 pages. Quick and right to the point, this book is… I hate to use the word “fun” for any extreme horror… but it’s a fun little slasher story about a youth group playing an old hide & seek game. Yes, this book has lots of blood & gore and involves children so again, “fun” might not be the best word, but I enjoyed the story and would still recommend it to fans of the Extreme Horror genre. This one may even be a good one to try if you’re new to the sub genre because of how short it is!

Overall, Judith hasn’t yet disappointed me with anything she has wrote, and i’m going to try my best to read everything she has to offer!

3.5/5⭐️

[Amelia Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being new to the ‘Splatterpunk’ genre, this was a perfect glimpse into the slasher vibe horror world of writing!

A Christian youth group are vacationing at a secluded camp site within the deep dark woods.
Night time is upon them, a spontaneous suggestion to play a game of hide and seek (Sardines) has gone awry!

After enjoying this fun little brutal gem, my next Judith Sonnet read by the authors recommendation, will be ‘Summer Never Ends’

- With being described as “The opposite side of the same coin”