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Shared by Two
Nestor Castle—a bestselling, award-winning extreme horror author—has the perfect life, having transitioned from indie darling to mainstream success. Although he dislikes the limelight, he finds comfort cooped up in his lake house with his loving wife and healthy daughter. However, after announcing his next book—a departure from the horror genre—he finds himself targeted by a disgruntled fan who calls himself ‘Butterfly.’
Butterfly’s messages grow more aggressive, more disturbing, and more threatening each time. When strange occurrences start happening around him, Nestor begins to fear that he is being stalked and he starts to suspect everyone—his agent, his neighbors, the deliveryman, his wife.
Who is Butterfly?
Jon Athan, the author of The Groomer and Lovesick, brings you a psychological horror novel with an extreme edge. There is a fine line between fan and fanatic. Will you cross it?
WARNING: This novel contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
Butterfly’s messages grow more aggressive, more disturbing, and more threatening each time. When strange occurrences start happening around him, Nestor begins to fear that he is being stalked and he starts to suspect everyone—his agent, his neighbors, the deliveryman, his wife.
Who is Butterfly?
Jon Athan, the author of The Groomer and Lovesick, brings you a psychological horror novel with an extreme edge. There is a fine line between fan and fanatic. Will you cross it?
WARNING: This novel contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2023
130 people are currently reading
880 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
April 5, 2023
I wish that life was less busy while I was reading this book. I really enjoyed it, and other things kept getting in the way of my enthusiastic reading. C'est la vie. I finally finished the book last night, and it left me with a bittersweet feeling. First of all, you need a strong stomach to get through all the physical violence that occurs, especially during the second half. The psychological elements are deep, and understanding the relationship between the main two male characters is complicated. Who do we believe? How much do we believe? The ending drops like a boulder. The author has risen to a new level of maturity with his writing skills, and I can't wait to read what he publishes next. Life is good, Jon Athan!
December 9, 2023
SHARED BY TWO [2023] By Jon Athan
My Review 4.0 Out Of 5.0 Stars
The premise of this new extreme horror by Jon Athan pulled me in by both its intriguing premise and its knock-it-dead Cover Artwork.
In simple terms, our protagonist Nestor Castle has made that transition from indie to mainstream money and professional success. He is a rangy nice-looking guy but is an introvert at heart and dislikes the limelight in all of its facets. Nester is lucky in life and has a wife who loves him and he recently became the father of a healthy little girl.
The stress in the novel ostensibly originates from a disgruntled fan of Nester’s “extreme horror,” and the man who professes to be Nester’s biggest fan calling himself “Butterfly.” It is strongly stated by the harassing presence of “Butterfly” that he is advised to return to his roots, notably the extreme violence which made Nester famous.
Nester recently announced that he was transitioning from extreme horror to a horror fantasy type novel in the future. Nester is aware that his newfound financial success and his new role as a husband and father of a little girl may not be compatible with his former type of violent fiction.
Butterfly becomes more inflamed by Nester’s failure to address his concerns, and later violent when Nester shuts him out completely by refusing all correspondence. The stalker becomes more violent and determined, which in turn makes Nester increasingly paranoid about everyone around him with the exception of his wife and child. It is strongly suggested that he has a backstory with domestic violence, sexual abuse, and/or mental illness in his childhood. The upshot is that the wife and daughter move out because she is becoming afraid of the person Nester is becoming. Nester is pretty much certifiable at this juncture.
Nester indulges in security measures for his lakefront house, but his own paranoia works against him. The man who is violently upset with him (“Butterfly”) arrives on the scene and is essentially watching his every move. It is important at this point to reference the gut-wrenching intro, its reason for existing unclear until certain revelations are made to Nester by the man calling himself “Butterfly.”
The “intro” to this book is the story of a family who is held captive by a psychopath. It is all the more heartbreaking and nauseating because the monster is the father of the woman and the boys. The wife is very sick, and so is the oldest boy, 12-year-old Harrison Hammer. This albeit short story that prefaces the separate plot of the book is the most gut-wrenching I have read in any of the works of the extreme horror authors I have read to date.
By Chapter 19 Harrison AKA Butterfly has made Nester a high-definition video of the torture murder of Nester’s agent Candace. She has done nothing other than support, advise, and attempt to advance Nester’s professional career. Nester has developed a headful of paranoid ideation involving Candace, thus although he “buys” the reality of the carnage he is seeing on the video, it is unlikely he is truly affected due to the strength of his paranoia. He distances himself from the torture murder of his friend and agent by failing to believe that Butterfly was responsible.
By the next day, Nester wakes up in the cottage to the reality of being physically restrained. “Here’s Johnny……!!!!” (or in this case Harrison AKA Butterfly) Nester is scared shitless of course, and Harrison…. well, knowing what happened to the boy and his mother and brothers when he was 12 years old…. I would believe he would do anything to get his point across. And he does.
So, no more spoilers, and I have tried to avoid scenes and conversations in the book between Lester and his biggest fan, about his family, and about how things arrive at a “satisfactory” resolution between the author and his fan by the time the credits roll.
This is only my second novel by Jon Athan. I reasoned that the horror of the “story” at the beginning about Harrison was necessary to the plot. That only leaves all the scenes and conversations you have to read the book to learn about. But based upon the escalation between the men and the concept that the two tortured men were confronted with I felt like the ending of the novel was pretty perfect overall.
JON ATHAN REWRITES FRANKENSTEIN IN THIS UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION
My Review 4.0 Out Of 5.0 Stars
The premise of this new extreme horror by Jon Athan pulled me in by both its intriguing premise and its knock-it-dead Cover Artwork.
In simple terms, our protagonist Nestor Castle has made that transition from indie to mainstream money and professional success. He is a rangy nice-looking guy but is an introvert at heart and dislikes the limelight in all of its facets. Nester is lucky in life and has a wife who loves him and he recently became the father of a healthy little girl.
The stress in the novel ostensibly originates from a disgruntled fan of Nester’s “extreme horror,” and the man who professes to be Nester’s biggest fan calling himself “Butterfly.” It is strongly stated by the harassing presence of “Butterfly” that he is advised to return to his roots, notably the extreme violence which made Nester famous.
Nester recently announced that he was transitioning from extreme horror to a horror fantasy type novel in the future. Nester is aware that his newfound financial success and his new role as a husband and father of a little girl may not be compatible with his former type of violent fiction.
Butterfly becomes more inflamed by Nester’s failure to address his concerns, and later violent when Nester shuts him out completely by refusing all correspondence. The stalker becomes more violent and determined, which in turn makes Nester increasingly paranoid about everyone around him with the exception of his wife and child. It is strongly suggested that he has a backstory with domestic violence, sexual abuse, and/or mental illness in his childhood. The upshot is that the wife and daughter move out because she is becoming afraid of the person Nester is becoming. Nester is pretty much certifiable at this juncture.
Nester indulges in security measures for his lakefront house, but his own paranoia works against him. The man who is violently upset with him (“Butterfly”) arrives on the scene and is essentially watching his every move. It is important at this point to reference the gut-wrenching intro, its reason for existing unclear until certain revelations are made to Nester by the man calling himself “Butterfly.”
The “intro” to this book is the story of a family who is held captive by a psychopath. It is all the more heartbreaking and nauseating because the monster is the father of the woman and the boys. The wife is very sick, and so is the oldest boy, 12-year-old Harrison Hammer. This albeit short story that prefaces the separate plot of the book is the most gut-wrenching I have read in any of the works of the extreme horror authors I have read to date.
By Chapter 19 Harrison AKA Butterfly has made Nester a high-definition video of the torture murder of Nester’s agent Candace. She has done nothing other than support, advise, and attempt to advance Nester’s professional career. Nester has developed a headful of paranoid ideation involving Candace, thus although he “buys” the reality of the carnage he is seeing on the video, it is unlikely he is truly affected due to the strength of his paranoia. He distances himself from the torture murder of his friend and agent by failing to believe that Butterfly was responsible.
By the next day, Nester wakes up in the cottage to the reality of being physically restrained. “Here’s Johnny……!!!!” (or in this case Harrison AKA Butterfly) Nester is scared shitless of course, and Harrison…. well, knowing what happened to the boy and his mother and brothers when he was 12 years old…. I would believe he would do anything to get his point across. And he does.
So, no more spoilers, and I have tried to avoid scenes and conversations in the book between Lester and his biggest fan, about his family, and about how things arrive at a “satisfactory” resolution between the author and his fan by the time the credits roll.
This is only my second novel by Jon Athan. I reasoned that the horror of the “story” at the beginning about Harrison was necessary to the plot. That only leaves all the scenes and conversations you have to read the book to learn about. But based upon the escalation between the men and the concept that the two tortured men were confronted with I felt like the ending of the novel was pretty perfect overall.
JON ATHAN REWRITES FRANKENSTEIN IN THIS UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION
May 14, 2023
Holy Guacamole! I was so sad when I finished this book! It was so insane! I loved it!! The author and his crazy obsessed fan feels like a true story, although the “joining” at the end hopefully would never happen.
Pick up this extreme horror and read it asap!
Pick up this extreme horror and read it asap!
February 21, 2023
Nestor Castle is a successful horror author and family man. He's also been spiraling since receiving several emails from a fan called Butterfly. A man dangerously obsessed with Nestor's old extreme horror novels.
.
.
Jon Athan's latest novel is a brilliant mix of psychological thrills and heart pounding horror. I don't want to ever over hype something, especially when it hasn't hit the market yet but... SHARED BY TWO is Jon Athan's scariest book. At least, to me. I won't be giving any spoilers but I'll tell you that the third act gave me fuckin' whiplash.
.
.
Shared By Two explores para-social relationships between creators and their fans... which seems to be more relevant than ever now that the internet has whittled away the barriers between the two. Being an author and a fan, reading this book made me feel like I was being stalked! Especially while I was reading late at night in an empty home!
.
.
Jon Athan's writing is as crisp as ever. There's a big emphasis on suspense over gore... until the third act. You definitely start to forget that this is an extreme horror story, and then the torment and gore smacks you right in the gut!
.
.
I'm really excited to hear what others think about this book. When it's out, I also look forward to discussing the climax with other readers! The ebook is available for pre-order on Amazon now!
.
.
Jon Athan's latest novel is a brilliant mix of psychological thrills and heart pounding horror. I don't want to ever over hype something, especially when it hasn't hit the market yet but... SHARED BY TWO is Jon Athan's scariest book. At least, to me. I won't be giving any spoilers but I'll tell you that the third act gave me fuckin' whiplash.
.
.
Shared By Two explores para-social relationships between creators and their fans... which seems to be more relevant than ever now that the internet has whittled away the barriers between the two. Being an author and a fan, reading this book made me feel like I was being stalked! Especially while I was reading late at night in an empty home!
.
.
Jon Athan's writing is as crisp as ever. There's a big emphasis on suspense over gore... until the third act. You definitely start to forget that this is an extreme horror story, and then the torment and gore smacks you right in the gut!
.
.
I'm really excited to hear what others think about this book. When it's out, I also look forward to discussing the climax with other readers! The ebook is available for pre-order on Amazon now!
January 27, 2023
Alright... First off Thank you Jon Athan for the ARC of this awesome book. Second this book was crazy as hell. Not only is it intense in a paranoid psychological very REAL way it is also creepy as fuck in a stalker \voyeuristic\obsessive type way. The way that Jon Athan writes in this one is very intense and keeps you engaged till the last page. I don't want to give to much away I will say I think Jon Athan is getting better with each book he releases and this is some of his best work. I highly recommend this and I can't wait till the next one.
May 25, 2023
jon athan.. you're insane for this one
if this doesn't give me nightmares, idk what will😳
if this doesn't give me nightmares, idk what will😳
April 6, 2023
I liked how the main character was an extreme horror author, but I was kind of hoping for more from this story. Creative torture scenes, and there was one kill scene I will never forget!
September 24, 2025
Crazy!
I can say I'm a casual fan of the horror genre, but "Shared by Two" belongs in the extreme horror category. This isn't the type of book & Jon Athan isn't the type of author for those of you not into gratuitous, descriptive extreme violence, nonstop blood and gore lol. Period. This one was a freebie on audible. Beau Thomas did brilliant job with the narraton.
Shared by Two kept me entertained and engaged.
I can say I'm a casual fan of the horror genre, but "Shared by Two" belongs in the extreme horror category. This isn't the type of book & Jon Athan isn't the type of author for those of you not into gratuitous, descriptive extreme violence, nonstop blood and gore lol. Period. This one was a freebie on audible. Beau Thomas did brilliant job with the narraton.
Shared by Two kept me entertained and engaged.
April 24, 2025
Whoa! This story was very intense and extremely interesting! Nestor Castle, an extreme horror writer, announces that he's branching out and writing in other genres. His "#1 Fan", a man who calls himself "Butterfly", is not happy and proceeds to send correspondence to Nestor, each one more ominous than the last. Nestor is afraid for his and his family's lives.
This story takes a different turn than what I expected but then I remembered the title. It has a lot of psychological horror but it's extreme horror so it has scenes of intense, graphic violence so it it's not for the faint of heart.
This story takes a different turn than what I expected but then I remembered the title. It has a lot of psychological horror but it's extreme horror so it has scenes of intense, graphic violence so it it's not for the faint of heart.
August 31, 2024
Extreme horror author Nestor Castle has been venturing from the genre lately and one fan - perhaps his number one fan doesn't like this. The mysterious fan who calls themselves "Butterfly" starts with sending Nestor emails, which quickly turn passive aggressive and angry, warning Nestor against turning his back on his original horror fans. Nestor doesn't respond, as is his policy with negative emails or other correspondence from readers, but he can't stop thinking about it.
Upon giving him great news about a potential movie deal in the works, his agent is shocked at his lack of enthusiasm, not understanding why this mystery fan is bothering him so much. Nestor forwards some of the hate mail to her and she simply tells Nestor this is just a disgruntled troll and that all artists deal with this and to simply ignore it.
Things only escalate from there, and Nestor cannot block the negative emails fast enough, for as soon as he blocks one another one pops back up. Next comes a short video of a man cutting his wrist. Then, a story arrives in the mail from Butterfly - an extreme horror story about a man who breaks into his favorite author's home and brutally murders him his wife and their baby. But it's the small details that disturb Nestor the most, like the name of the Japanese anime his wife just started watching with their daughter, and the make and model of his neighbor's car, not to mention how did Butterfly find his address in the first place?
Not having a clue who Butterfly is, Nestor goes to the police for help, but is frustrated with the lack of action they take. He scours his social media looking for clues to the stalker's identity. He installs a home security system with motion detector lights and camera doorbells, but nothing can assuage his increasing paranoia and anxiety. He trusts absolutely no one at this point, and everyone is a potential suspect.
Who is Butterfly and what does he want from Nestor?
-------------------
From the prologue I had my own theories about Butterfly and Nestor and I was only slightly right. This book was a super quick and engaging read and I couldn't wait to find out who Butterfly was and what was going to happen when the two finally met.
Upon giving him great news about a potential movie deal in the works, his agent is shocked at his lack of enthusiasm, not understanding why this mystery fan is bothering him so much. Nestor forwards some of the hate mail to her and she simply tells Nestor this is just a disgruntled troll and that all artists deal with this and to simply ignore it.
Things only escalate from there, and Nestor cannot block the negative emails fast enough, for as soon as he blocks one another one pops back up. Next comes a short video of a man cutting his wrist. Then, a story arrives in the mail from Butterfly - an extreme horror story about a man who breaks into his favorite author's home and brutally murders him his wife and their baby. But it's the small details that disturb Nestor the most, like the name of the Japanese anime his wife just started watching with their daughter, and the make and model of his neighbor's car, not to mention how did Butterfly find his address in the first place?
Not having a clue who Butterfly is, Nestor goes to the police for help, but is frustrated with the lack of action they take. He scours his social media looking for clues to the stalker's identity. He installs a home security system with motion detector lights and camera doorbells, but nothing can assuage his increasing paranoia and anxiety. He trusts absolutely no one at this point, and everyone is a potential suspect.
Who is Butterfly and what does he want from Nestor?
-------------------
From the prologue I had my own theories about Butterfly and Nestor and I was only slightly right. This book was a super quick and engaging read and I couldn't wait to find out who Butterfly was and what was going to happen when the two finally met.
January 31, 2023
Nestor Castle is trying to move away from the extreme horror genre, moving into thrillers and fantasy. Nestor Castle is going to realise that this is a mistake, and his biggest fan will go to any lengths to make him see this. Even if it means potentially bringing the most graphic and disturbing parts from fiction into the real world...
I adore Jon Athan and I cannot begin to express the excitement I felt when he asked if I wanted a copy of his new book. This will always be a BIG yes. He never disappoints, I loved every part of this. Gruesome, chilling and yet I couldn't look away.
My name is also on the dedication page, which I LOVE! I've never had that before!
I adore Jon Athan and I cannot begin to express the excitement I felt when he asked if I wanted a copy of his new book. This will always be a BIG yes. He never disappoints, I loved every part of this. Gruesome, chilling and yet I couldn't look away.
My name is also on the dedication page, which I LOVE! I've never had that before!
July 13, 2024
This book is insane! Brilliant story, and what a fantastic choice for narrator! The voice gave me the absolute ick!!! It's definitely one of my top reads from Athan so far.
Great storyline, tons of gore...exactly what I have come to expect from this author. The gore is a lot, so please be mindful of that when grabbing your own copy!
Great storyline, tons of gore...exactly what I have come to expect from this author. The gore is a lot, so please be mindful of that when grabbing your own copy!
August 4, 2025
3.5 rounded up. I love this author. I've given him many 5 stars. I couldn't do this one. the writing was on point, like always, but I couldn't get into the story
April 8, 2025
Very meta! A fun twist on the Misery schtick.
Reading the first half, I wondered if Jon Athan was (similar to his protagonist) going for a less extreme horror, more psychological thriller type story this time around. Nope.
Reading the first half, I wondered if Jon Athan was (similar to his protagonist) going for a less extreme horror, more psychological thriller type story this time around. Nope.
June 27, 2023
I’m so sad cause this book was SO close to 5 starts for me - but the ending ruined it );
This book was SO gory it isn’t even funny. There are so many torture methods detailed out to the point where some of them made me feel physically nauseous - and I love that. Props to the author for their description. I would read this author again for sure..
POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
I’m unsatisfied with the ending tho /:
I feel like, the way it was left, was almost like it was unfinished. I wanted to know Mina’s response to the letter. But also, if I was to write this book, I would have made the ending more of a twist. Since it outlines Nestor’s mental health issues and the fact that he suffers from schizophrenia, the ending could have been totally different to what it was (I thjnk you guys know what I mean - if you read the book. Trying not to spoil for people who wanna read this review) and I think that ending actually would have been better than the one that was provided.
If the ending was just different, or even longer, this could have been a 5 start book for me.
So close, yet so far 😢
This book was SO gory it isn’t even funny. There are so many torture methods detailed out to the point where some of them made me feel physically nauseous - and I love that. Props to the author for their description. I would read this author again for sure..
POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
I’m unsatisfied with the ending tho /:
I feel like, the way it was left, was almost like it was unfinished. I wanted to know Mina’s response to the letter. But also, if I was to write this book, I would have made the ending more of a twist. Since it outlines Nestor’s mental health issues and the fact that he suffers from schizophrenia, the ending could have been totally different to what it was (I thjnk you guys know what I mean - if you read the book. Trying not to spoil for people who wanna read this review) and I think that ending actually would have been better than the one that was provided.
If the ending was just different, or even longer, this could have been a 5 start book for me.
So close, yet so far 😢
May 24, 2023
The premise of this one is *chef’s kiss* genius.
The incessant dread I felt
right from the slamming of the convention door,
all the way through to the bitter end.
JonAthan has a *true talent* at fully immersing the reader in a story that unfolds before you like a movie reel you can’t peel your eyes away from 🎥🍿
and he just paints the prettiest friggin pictures that live in my head rent free 🫣🤯🤢😵
Rating: 5/5 butterflies most definitely!! 🦋⭐️🙌
The incessant dread I felt
right from the slamming of the convention door,
all the way through to the bitter end.
JonAthan has a *true talent* at fully immersing the reader in a story that unfolds before you like a movie reel you can’t peel your eyes away from 🎥🍿
and he just paints the prettiest friggin pictures that live in my head rent free 🫣🤯🤢😵
Rating: 5/5 butterflies most definitely!! 🦋⭐️🙌
January 18, 2024
This made me SO uncomfortable on multiple levels. The doxxing, the downward spiral and the torture each had me squeamish as hell.
This definetly felt like a personal novel, which I always appreciate. It's terrifying what people are capable of, and Athan is honestly the best at showing the worst.
This definetly felt like a personal novel, which I always appreciate. It's terrifying what people are capable of, and Athan is honestly the best at showing the worst.
January 20, 2023
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬--𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬--𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤. 𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥. 𝐖𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠!
With the advent of social media, it's become so easy to connect with people we admire, and for a reader, being able to connect with authors is a dream come true. But can social media give us an imaginary friendship, a presumed bond with these people? Do we come to believe an author owes us something because we love their books?
I discovered Jon Athan and extreme horror in January of 2022 and quickly became a fan. I've read almost all of his books (over 50) that are COVERED in warnings due to graphic content, but somehow his most controversial book THE GROOMER ended up in a psychological thriller group that I was a member of. When a book gets this much negative attention, my curiosity gets the best of me, and I read it and loved it. It brought attention to pedophilia in a way that I hadn't read about before, and once I digested the material, I questioned how was it any more shocking than some Criminal Minds episodes I had seen? I read in a few horror groups that Jon received so much hate mail and rage-filled emails full of death threats and vile content because of the subject matter of his books.
So with that history, SHARED BY TWO reads so much like an autobiographical account. Part psychological thriller and part extreme horror, this is the story of author Nestor Castle, a bestselling extreme horror author who begins dabbling in other projects. A homebody and introvert, he dislikes the limelight but because he's now more mainstream, his agent tells him he'll be doing more author events and book signings, which he grudgingly agrees to.
After he announces his new project, a total departure from extreme horror, he starts receiving messages from someone named Butterfly. At first the messages are friendly yet still invasive, full of details about Nestor's personal life, but when Nestor doesn't respond, their tone becomes more and more threatening. Nestor begins seeing danger everywhere and begins to distrust everyone. Is Butterfly just a harmless keyboard warrior or someone much more dangerous? In true Jon Athan fashion, the tension in this book ramps up to a violent, blood-soaked climax that will leave you stunned.
SHARED BY TWO will release March 30, 2023, and you don't want to miss this one! I'm forever grateful to the author for trusting me with an early copy.
With the advent of social media, it's become so easy to connect with people we admire, and for a reader, being able to connect with authors is a dream come true. But can social media give us an imaginary friendship, a presumed bond with these people? Do we come to believe an author owes us something because we love their books?
I discovered Jon Athan and extreme horror in January of 2022 and quickly became a fan. I've read almost all of his books (over 50) that are COVERED in warnings due to graphic content, but somehow his most controversial book THE GROOMER ended up in a psychological thriller group that I was a member of. When a book gets this much negative attention, my curiosity gets the best of me, and I read it and loved it. It brought attention to pedophilia in a way that I hadn't read about before, and once I digested the material, I questioned how was it any more shocking than some Criminal Minds episodes I had seen? I read in a few horror groups that Jon received so much hate mail and rage-filled emails full of death threats and vile content because of the subject matter of his books.
So with that history, SHARED BY TWO reads so much like an autobiographical account. Part psychological thriller and part extreme horror, this is the story of author Nestor Castle, a bestselling extreme horror author who begins dabbling in other projects. A homebody and introvert, he dislikes the limelight but because he's now more mainstream, his agent tells him he'll be doing more author events and book signings, which he grudgingly agrees to.
After he announces his new project, a total departure from extreme horror, he starts receiving messages from someone named Butterfly. At first the messages are friendly yet still invasive, full of details about Nestor's personal life, but when Nestor doesn't respond, their tone becomes more and more threatening. Nestor begins seeing danger everywhere and begins to distrust everyone. Is Butterfly just a harmless keyboard warrior or someone much more dangerous? In true Jon Athan fashion, the tension in this book ramps up to a violent, blood-soaked climax that will leave you stunned.
SHARED BY TWO will release March 30, 2023, and you don't want to miss this one! I'm forever grateful to the author for trusting me with an early copy.
September 4, 2025
I enjoyed this, but it's definitely not my favourite book by Athan, and I found it a little drawn out.
March 29, 2023
"Shared By Two" by Jon Athan. I was sent my copy in exchange for an honest review.
"As far as expectations go, by now, I thought most readers would notice I like go buck the trend. I've never liked being in a box, being pigeonholed, in the first place."
Nestor Castle is a horror author who acquired a stalker, a deranged fan who goes by the name Butterfly. As the correspondences from Butterfly become more and more aggressive, Nestor begins to spiral out of control, questioning everything in his life that he once knew to be true. Who is this fan, and what does he want? Nestor will have to risk everything to find out.
"Real artists aren't afraid to express themselves. You're a real artist, aren't you?"
I always love it when I get the time to pick up an Athan book. I love his writing style so much, and his stories truly never disappoint.
This story isn't as extreme as some of his other works are but I would definitely say it has some extreme scenes, so please check the triggers before you dive into this one and find yourself unexpectedly uncomfortable.
I loved the suspense of this story, I was never quite sure what was going on or what was going to happen. The pillowcase scene scarred me for life and is an Athan kill scene I will remember forever.
I also really liked the writing style of this book; the correspondences between Nestor and Butterfly added a sense of suspense and uncertainty for me.
For those of you who also enjoy Athan, keep your eyes peeled for two more of his upcoming releases, "Do Not Disturb 3: Goldrush" and "Blender Babies." You can find both these works for preorder now on Amazon.
"As far as expectations go, by now, I thought most readers would notice I like go buck the trend. I've never liked being in a box, being pigeonholed, in the first place."
Nestor Castle is a horror author who acquired a stalker, a deranged fan who goes by the name Butterfly. As the correspondences from Butterfly become more and more aggressive, Nestor begins to spiral out of control, questioning everything in his life that he once knew to be true. Who is this fan, and what does he want? Nestor will have to risk everything to find out.
"Real artists aren't afraid to express themselves. You're a real artist, aren't you?"
I always love it when I get the time to pick up an Athan book. I love his writing style so much, and his stories truly never disappoint.
This story isn't as extreme as some of his other works are but I would definitely say it has some extreme scenes, so please check the triggers before you dive into this one and find yourself unexpectedly uncomfortable.
I loved the suspense of this story, I was never quite sure what was going on or what was going to happen. The pillowcase scene scarred me for life and is an Athan kill scene I will remember forever.
I also really liked the writing style of this book; the correspondences between Nestor and Butterfly added a sense of suspense and uncertainty for me.
For those of you who also enjoy Athan, keep your eyes peeled for two more of his upcoming releases, "Do Not Disturb 3: Goldrush" and "Blender Babies." You can find both these works for preorder now on Amazon.
June 28, 2023
Jon writes a very personal extreme horror novel that you've never read before. This one was a big reflection of his experiences as a writer dealing with absolutely insane fans and unhinged critics, albeit with more mutilation and torture than what you'd usually get out of an author's meta fiction. The ending raises some questions, but that's part of the fun.
I do feel pretty terrible for having emailed Jon a long time ago to tell him we shared the same day of birth, which was in his author bio on Amazon. The deranged person his main character deals with in this book makes it a point to tell that character they were born on the same day a couple times. So, I'm not saying it was inspired by me, but if it was, I'm sorry Jon. I just thought it was a neat fact.
For an Athan book, the torture does take a while to get rolling. You do get some book-within-a-book chapters to break up the monotony, and they do have some horrific scenes. But once the story goes full throttle you'll miss the more mundane chapters about the main character's day to day home life. My eyes hurt.
I do feel pretty terrible for having emailed Jon a long time ago to tell him we shared the same day of birth, which was in his author bio on Amazon. The deranged person his main character deals with in this book makes it a point to tell that character they were born on the same day a couple times. So, I'm not saying it was inspired by me, but if it was, I'm sorry Jon. I just thought it was a neat fact.
For an Athan book, the torture does take a while to get rolling. You do get some book-within-a-book chapters to break up the monotony, and they do have some horrific scenes. But once the story goes full throttle you'll miss the more mundane chapters about the main character's day to day home life. My eyes hurt.
May 23, 2023
This book was too violent for me. I love violent books but this seemed to be crude for no reason.
DNF’d this at 60 pgs.
DNF’d this at 60 pgs.
May 22, 2023
This book bothered me for a few reasons. It got really weird really quick at the end, for one. It seemed like it was going in one direction, but ends with main character completely accepting his fate/death/union with his torturer. He claimed to live his family so much but gave up so completely. Also, his previous "illness" of "schizoid" is never fully explained. His past behavior/breakdown, what makes his wife so scared for him, is never explained either. We get glimpses into his past only right at the end from a third POV (the Butterfly's, re his memoirs). There is also some mentions if his headaches and right eye problems, which made it seem as if there was something to do with that, but then it's forgotten. The Butterfly even shaves/destroys that same eye! What's the deal with the eye?? I'm left confused. Was there a connection or some kind of of psychic link? Or was Butterfly (and ultimately main character) just nutso? This left an unfinished feeling, and not the good kind that asks the reader to fill it in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2023
Make time!
If you haven't read any of its authors works, then you need to make time to. This is one of those reads your attention is fully committed to each and every word, your heart is in your mouth, your stomach turns and you are taken into the story seeing everything happen. Feeling every emotion, every wave of terror and each and every brutal action inflicted. You won't be disappointed with any part of the story. It's fascinating how you can see this sort of thing happening all over the world and how Jon Athan brings to life the brutal and horrific, yet fascinating insights of what can happen. An excellent and compelling read. I loved Nesters character, how he changed from a happy excited young father and husband with a great career to someone whom was so paranoid it turned his whole life upside down. But little did everyone know, he had good reason. A brilliant insight, a great read from an amazing author. Not a book have I read from him been disappointing. Fully recommend but remember it is extreme.
If you haven't read any of its authors works, then you need to make time to. This is one of those reads your attention is fully committed to each and every word, your heart is in your mouth, your stomach turns and you are taken into the story seeing everything happen. Feeling every emotion, every wave of terror and each and every brutal action inflicted. You won't be disappointed with any part of the story. It's fascinating how you can see this sort of thing happening all over the world and how Jon Athan brings to life the brutal and horrific, yet fascinating insights of what can happen. An excellent and compelling read. I loved Nesters character, how he changed from a happy excited young father and husband with a great career to someone whom was so paranoid it turned his whole life upside down. But little did everyone know, he had good reason. A brilliant insight, a great read from an amazing author. Not a book have I read from him been disappointing. Fully recommend but remember it is extreme.
July 19, 2023
jon athan.. you're insane for this one. he’s hands down my favorite author. this book… i’m speechless. i devoured it within a day. unputdownable!!!
gruesome, gory, fucked up, horrifying and beautiful. jon athan writing skills?? OUT OF THIS UNIVERSE. this plot is less realistic compared to the other books of his i read, but it still made me question the human psyche!
i can’t emphasize enough IF YOU ENJOY EXTREME HORROR THEN JON ATHAN IS THE GUY.
gruesome, gory, fucked up, horrifying and beautiful. jon athan writing skills?? OUT OF THIS UNIVERSE. this plot is less realistic compared to the other books of his i read, but it still made me question the human psyche!
i can’t emphasize enough IF YOU ENJOY EXTREME HORROR THEN JON ATHAN IS THE GUY.
June 19, 2023
overkill
If Face-Off, Misery and Secret Window was combined into one story and add torture porn…. That’s what I just read. Though interesting, it’s a little too far-fetched. No one can live that long through that kind of torture and mutilation. It so unrealistic.
If Face-Off, Misery and Secret Window was combined into one story and add torture porn…. That’s what I just read. Though interesting, it’s a little too far-fetched. No one can live that long through that kind of torture and mutilation. It so unrealistic.
May 30, 2023
I have never read a book where I got to a certain point, hated where it was going, and then suddenly it goes in the direction that redeems itself. There was a certain point in the book that I just got annoyed. The plot points were getting lazy, or so it seemed. This book pushed me to power through, and on a rare occasion, I was surprised.
One of the frustrating things for me when it comes to extreme horror is writers often throwing out storytelling over blood and gore. I want the disturbing and the depraved, but where it makes sense.
After reading The Groomer, I was about to completely give up on Jon Athan after finishing this book. In The Groomer, most people hated the trigger warnings involving children. This was not my reason for hating it. I found the story, the character motivations, and the book after we get into Andrew's story to be unbearable. It just wasn't to my standards.
The last 20% of Shared By Two is when it turned around. When a certain transition begins to take place, it is when I thought: this is not bad. It just got better and better. By the time we see the transition take full effect and give us that bittersweet ending (bittersweet to me at least), Jon redeemed himself. I am going to give a few of his books a chance.
The reason I am giving it 4 stars is I found the first chapter to be too over-the-top and I have read too many drunk, wife-beater husbands, and also a certain death I felt was kind of needed, but was overdone where I felt, "Okay, I get it." I like things to be a bit realistic in my extreme horror and these two books have shown me that Jon Athan may get carried away with the shock value.
But the suspense, Jon Athan did an amazing job. I was reading this in the dark and the events leading up to his confrontation with the stalker actually made me feel as paranoid as him. I had to turn the light on.
To put in perspective how this made me feel, it made me feel excited in the way that Gone to See the River Man did for me a month ago. It left this satisfying feeling, even though what I read was disturbing, it made me appreciate the writer's storytelling.
One of the frustrating things for me when it comes to extreme horror is writers often throwing out storytelling over blood and gore. I want the disturbing and the depraved, but where it makes sense.
After reading The Groomer, I was about to completely give up on Jon Athan after finishing this book. In The Groomer, most people hated the trigger warnings involving children. This was not my reason for hating it. I found the story, the character motivations, and the book after we get into Andrew's story to be unbearable. It just wasn't to my standards.
The last 20% of Shared By Two is when it turned around. When a certain transition begins to take place, it is when I thought: this is not bad. It just got better and better. By the time we see the transition take full effect and give us that bittersweet ending (bittersweet to me at least), Jon redeemed himself. I am going to give a few of his books a chance.
The reason I am giving it 4 stars is I found the first chapter to be too over-the-top and I have read too many drunk, wife-beater husbands, and also a certain death I felt was kind of needed, but was overdone where I felt, "Okay, I get it." I like things to be a bit realistic in my extreme horror and these two books have shown me that Jon Athan may get carried away with the shock value.
But the suspense, Jon Athan did an amazing job. I was reading this in the dark and the events leading up to his confrontation with the stalker actually made me feel as paranoid as him. I had to turn the light on.
To put in perspective how this made me feel, it made me feel excited in the way that Gone to See the River Man did for me a month ago. It left this satisfying feeling, even though what I read was disturbing, it made me appreciate the writer's storytelling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2025
This was a lot, even for a reader quite well versed in splatterpunk like myself.
The story starts simple, following a gruesome prologue, with a socially anxious author attending a convention. Following this his life drastically spirals as he becomes aware of a stalker, and nobody in the world will take his concerns seriously.
The first half reads well, the same as any mystery genre, albeit interspersed with the stalker's brutal stories of murder.
The second half however? Pure gore, some of the most viscerally described torture I've ever seen put to page. This ticked most of my triggers and I could scarcely read some of the later pages.
Unfortunately it ended more or less as I expected. I was hoping for a happy ending, especially as subversion is mentioned a lot early on, but that wasn't the case.
All in all a fantastic, gory, tough read.
The story starts simple, following a gruesome prologue, with a socially anxious author attending a convention. Following this his life drastically spirals as he becomes aware of a stalker, and nobody in the world will take his concerns seriously.
The first half reads well, the same as any mystery genre, albeit interspersed with the stalker's brutal stories of murder.
The second half however? Pure gore, some of the most viscerally described torture I've ever seen put to page. This ticked most of my triggers and I could scarcely read some of the later pages.
Unfortunately it ended more or less as I expected. I was hoping for a happy ending, especially as subversion is mentioned a lot early on, but that wasn't the case.
All in all a fantastic, gory, tough read.
August 8, 2023
If there’s one thing you can always count on Jon Athan to do it’s to absolutely destroy an orifice
January 19, 2025
This psychological thriller is I would like to call a slow burn. It started slow and toward the end it was very fast paced. For the majority of this book I thought Nector was just another deranged man. But I was wrong and this body sharing, souls sharing was absolutely knockers. Especially when it came to the face sharing. Like Face/off movie. This butterfly was one crazy individual.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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