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Are Your Parents Home?
While her parents attend a work party, eighteen-year-old Ella Romero is left in charge of her two siblings—thirteen-year-old Nicholas and eight-year-old Arianna—at their secluded lake house. In her usual fashion, Ella invites her friends to hang out while her parents are away, too. It was supposed to be an easy, quiet, normal night.
But then a grizzled stranger arrives at the home. Although no one answers the front door, he knocks and talks, knocks and talks—knocks and talks. Not before long, the man’s bizarre, nonsensical ramblings turn into nasty threats.
He wants to get inside the house. He believes he’s meant to be with Ella. And he won’t let anything or anyone stop him from fulfilling his ‘destiny.’
Jon Athan, the author of Blender Babies and The Groomer, brings you a white-knuckle, high-tension, “one-shot” home invasion novel. Don't forget to lock your doors before reading...
This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
But then a grizzled stranger arrives at the home. Although no one answers the front door, he knocks and talks, knocks and talks—knocks and talks. Not before long, the man’s bizarre, nonsensical ramblings turn into nasty threats.
He wants to get inside the house. He believes he’s meant to be with Ella. And he won’t let anything or anyone stop him from fulfilling his ‘destiny.’
Jon Athan, the author of Blender Babies and The Groomer, brings you a white-knuckle, high-tension, “one-shot” home invasion novel. Don't forget to lock your doors before reading...
This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
195 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2024
761 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 798 reviews
October 8, 2024
Review to follow as soon as I stop dry-heaving. 🤢
October 15, 2024
I don't know how or where to start trying to review this unbelievably terrifying book.
This was insane, intense and incredibly frightening.
From start to finish(I loved the black & white art at the end by the way) this book definitely delivered an evil, disgusting and disturbing read.
It never stopped surprising me with every turn of the page.
Well written and a fast paced page turner... I'm still reeling from the gross things Grant did and the weapons he used to cause so much destruction.
All the way through I unfortunately found myself shouting..."DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE KILL SNOWBALL!"🙀
It has to be 5 OMG 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟's As this was one amazing house invasion extreme horror novel at it's very very best.
Well done Mr Athan 👏👏 you've excelled yourself!!
This was insane, intense and incredibly frightening.
From start to finish(I loved the black & white art at the end by the way) this book definitely delivered an evil, disgusting and disturbing read.
It never stopped surprising me with every turn of the page.
Well written and a fast paced page turner... I'm still reeling from the gross things Grant did and the weapons he used to cause so much destruction.
All the way through I unfortunately found myself shouting..."DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE KILL SNOWBALL!"🙀
It has to be 5 OMG 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟's As this was one amazing house invasion extreme horror novel at it's very very best.
Well done Mr Athan 👏👏 you've excelled yourself!!
October 10, 2024
This will satisfy any splatterpunk's appetite 🤣.
December 30, 2025
[3.75] Update: I finished this that same day I marked it as read but regarding me being sick…yeah well turns out I was actually unwell and physically sick, it wasn’t actually the book lmao
October 13, 2024
Scary. Intense and unforgiving. No state-of -the-art alarm system could stop the Visitor/Stranger from getting inside the house and wreaking havoc on the lives of the Romero siblings.
Jon Athan is truly one of the best out there. There's blood, guts, visceral splatter, gory scenes and unimaginable torture. If you're new to this genre, this will probably give you nightmares for days. Think baseball bat.
Make sure to lock all your doors before reading this.
Jon Athan is truly one of the best out there. There's blood, guts, visceral splatter, gory scenes and unimaginable torture. If you're new to this genre, this will probably give you nightmares for days. Think baseball bat.
Make sure to lock all your doors before reading this.
October 20, 2024
ARE YOUR PARENTS HOME? [2024] By Jon Athan
My Review 5.0 Stars
I read Jon Athan’s newest release this week, namely “Are Your Parents Home?” and it delivered on the promise of extreme horror. I have read a few other novels by Jon Athan, and it appears to me that most of them have an imbedded warning. In this instance, home invasions do occur in good neighborhoods, I would imagine with not near the same statistical numbers as poor housing developments, or perhaps in desolate areas.
I had that thought in my head when I noted that Ella was actually being “smart” and taking all of the correct and safe initial steps. She was smart enough to recognize a potential threat, call her parents, have the police conduct a security check, recheck all of the egresses. When did she become lax? The officer reported a potential security problem that could mean trouble. Her response was to assume. Ella doubled down with inviting her two pot smoking buddies over. The parents? Well, they assumed a lot too, didn’t they? They will be divorced within six months or one of them will have committed suicide, likely the woman and likely with pills. I have more critiques, but it only annoys to write them down.
The author did a bang-up job. I haven’t been so disgusted with gore since my last Otis Bateman book. BTW I like Otis Bateman. Seriously, Jon Athan excelled with the extreme horror because it was unpredictable. I had some pretty good guesses, and they were way off base. I should have thought a second and I would have realized that psychotic delusional and paranoid does not equal a visit from MS13. It certainly turned out that the mangy middle-aged guy with his mechanics tools at the ready was a worst-case scenario.
I started off sort of mentally cataloguing the insanely painful, disabling, and potentially fatal things he was doing to the teenagers, and I know it was likely the wrong way to feel since how do I know what I would have done in her shoes? The short answer is I do not have a clue. The fact is initially I felt like Ella was a coward.
I honestly think that Jon Athan outdone himself on this trip. I am not sure I can name a single painful or disabling thing he did not do to the occupants of the house when he gained access.
I had to silently regret my earlier negative feelings about Ella when she decided to fight. Once I knew that Snowball was in the house I went back and checked DDD and the site Splatterpunk is using. It looked like Snowball was golden, but I was preoccupied with the kitty’s well-being until she accidentally got out of the house.
Everything considered that was one hell of a ride, Jon Athan. You have a hellish imagination, and it serves you well. Congratulations. That was extreme horror a la mode.
By the way, let’s say…if you did not include a pet in your next book…my vital signs would remain more stable. I would also be a happier buyer. I already own “The Presidents Son” and “Night of the Prowler”, and the one about “The Fan” with the gorgeous cover art, “Shared by Two”! And of course, “The Wolf’s Den” and “The Groomer”. You are exceptionally sharp at what you chose to write, and I haven't seen it being done better.
EXTREME HORROR AT THE EXTREME END OF THE SPECTRUM
My Review 5.0 Stars
I read Jon Athan’s newest release this week, namely “Are Your Parents Home?” and it delivered on the promise of extreme horror. I have read a few other novels by Jon Athan, and it appears to me that most of them have an imbedded warning. In this instance, home invasions do occur in good neighborhoods, I would imagine with not near the same statistical numbers as poor housing developments, or perhaps in desolate areas.
I had that thought in my head when I noted that Ella was actually being “smart” and taking all of the correct and safe initial steps. She was smart enough to recognize a potential threat, call her parents, have the police conduct a security check, recheck all of the egresses. When did she become lax? The officer reported a potential security problem that could mean trouble. Her response was to assume. Ella doubled down with inviting her two pot smoking buddies over. The parents? Well, they assumed a lot too, didn’t they? They will be divorced within six months or one of them will have committed suicide, likely the woman and likely with pills. I have more critiques, but it only annoys to write them down.
The author did a bang-up job. I haven’t been so disgusted with gore since my last Otis Bateman book. BTW I like Otis Bateman. Seriously, Jon Athan excelled with the extreme horror because it was unpredictable. I had some pretty good guesses, and they were way off base. I should have thought a second and I would have realized that psychotic delusional and paranoid does not equal a visit from MS13. It certainly turned out that the mangy middle-aged guy with his mechanics tools at the ready was a worst-case scenario.
I started off sort of mentally cataloguing the insanely painful, disabling, and potentially fatal things he was doing to the teenagers, and I know it was likely the wrong way to feel since how do I know what I would have done in her shoes? The short answer is I do not have a clue. The fact is initially I felt like Ella was a coward.
I honestly think that Jon Athan outdone himself on this trip. I am not sure I can name a single painful or disabling thing he did not do to the occupants of the house when he gained access.
I had to silently regret my earlier negative feelings about Ella when she decided to fight. Once I knew that Snowball was in the house I went back and checked DDD and the site Splatterpunk is using. It looked like Snowball was golden, but I was preoccupied with the kitty’s well-being until she accidentally got out of the house.
Everything considered that was one hell of a ride, Jon Athan. You have a hellish imagination, and it serves you well. Congratulations. That was extreme horror a la mode.
By the way, let’s say…if you did not include a pet in your next book…my vital signs would remain more stable. I would also be a happier buyer. I already own “The Presidents Son” and “Night of the Prowler”, and the one about “The Fan” with the gorgeous cover art, “Shared by Two”! And of course, “The Wolf’s Den” and “The Groomer”. You are exceptionally sharp at what you chose to write, and I haven't seen it being done better.
EXTREME HORROR AT THE EXTREME END OF THE SPECTRUM
December 10, 2024
an intruder is in my house trying to hurt me and my younger siblings… we have a silent alarm on the front door that will contact the police if opened? do i open it? naahhh! the police would take too long to get here. i’ll just send a message to a distant neighbor on facebook messenger and hope they call the police for me.
great survival instincts. look how well that turned out
great survival instincts. look how well that turned out
October 10, 2024
Wow, just wow!!!
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
I listened, Are Your Parents Home?, by Jon Athan and I absolutely loved it.
This story made me feel a lot of emotions.
It was intense, brutal, disturbing, really incredibly violent!
At first, I thought, ‘Okay, it’s a typical slasher story, a villain breaks into a house.’ He comes in, terrorizes everyone. I expected it to be like the usual, but it wasn’t that at all.
Jon Athan created a truly nerve-wracking atmosphere. As the story progressed, the tension kept building. The story became more and more disturbing. The tortures inflicted on the victims were truly atrocious. It felt like being on a roller coaster that only went up—or down—and never stopped. The intensity just kept rising, rising, rising, and then it ended in a spectacular climax.
Honestly, I have to admit, by the end, I was left stunned.
I would only recommend this book to fans of Splatterpunk, especially those who are used to reading truly intense and depraved stories.
Story 5/5
Narration 5/5
I listened, Are Your Parents Home?, by Jon Athan and I absolutely loved it.
This story made me feel a lot of emotions.
It was intense, brutal, disturbing, really incredibly violent!
At first, I thought, ‘Okay, it’s a typical slasher story, a villain breaks into a house.’ He comes in, terrorizes everyone. I expected it to be like the usual, but it wasn’t that at all.
Jon Athan created a truly nerve-wracking atmosphere. As the story progressed, the tension kept building. The story became more and more disturbing. The tortures inflicted on the victims were truly atrocious. It felt like being on a roller coaster that only went up—or down—and never stopped. The intensity just kept rising, rising, rising, and then it ended in a spectacular climax.
Honestly, I have to admit, by the end, I was left stunned.
I would only recommend this book to fans of Splatterpunk, especially those who are used to reading truly intense and depraved stories.
November 28, 2024
I don’t mind a good splatterpunk. This was not it for me. Involving children was a big yuck, which would not have bothered me if they had been at least young adults. Also, the author had a thing for using huge words to explain body parts and then would define the words. Let me look it up, or don’t use words people don’t know. Doing both was just annoying. “Funny bone” works well enough.
And I’m sorry, but I just really don’t think you can cut through several layers of duct tape with a piece of shattered lens from a child’s pair of glasses. Let alone multiple times. When there were scissors in the room. That is only one of many examples of idiotic and unbelievable behavior from a character.
And I’m sorry, but I just really don’t think you can cut through several layers of duct tape with a piece of shattered lens from a child’s pair of glasses. Let alone multiple times. When there were scissors in the room. That is only one of many examples of idiotic and unbelievable behavior from a character.
October 6, 2024
This book pooped me out lmfao 🤣
October 15, 2024
I love Jon Athan, Ive probably read 20 of his books by now. But I cannot deal with the fact that Ella literally sat and watched while most of this happened. I get that people freeze, but this was ridiculous. She could have left, ran to the neighbors house, called the cops ASAP, then went back to the house with the neighbor. Instead, how long went by without a 911 call? Shes an idiot. It was infuriating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2025
DNF @ 50%. Once again, a male splatterpunk author writes extremely detailed and graphic sexual violence against women and children... shocker. Like in no universe does this ever need to be typed out. I like splatterpunk, but this isn’t it. Also… the edgy references and dialogue were so insufferable.
July 30, 2025
check this dude’s hard drives
June 14, 2024
"𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖...𝑰'𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅. 𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈?"
The dread and unease begin on the very first page. Eighteen year old Ella Romeo is in charge of her two siblings, thirteen year old Nicholas and eight year old Arianna at their secluded lake house while their parents attend a work party. There is a visitor outside, and his perfectly rehearsed script begins to falter as his requests are met with silence. Ella is on the phone with her mom when the visitor goes completely off script, and it's clear that the person standing outside the door is completely unhinged. The police show up, the frightening man is gone, and Ella can now devote her time to what she had previously planned, entertaining her friends.
Later that evening, Ella's friends show up, and while the mood is light and fun, the reader is filled with anticipation, knowing that it's just a matter of time before everything changes...and it does. Told in "one shot" format, I was beside myself with fear for the inhabitants of the house, who were all kids; revulsion over "The Intruder" and what's driving him, and finally, the utter helplessness parents would feel knowing they were too far away to intercede.
Home invasions are one of my absolute worst fears, and as a result, my doors and windows are always locked, the cameras are always recording, and I never open my door unless I'm absolutely sure who is on the other side. This book tapped into some pretty primal fears, one of them being the victim of a violent crime, and the other, having someone brutalize my child. While there are some pretty intense scenes of graphic violence and assault, the action was tame by extreme horror standards. One final note to those who don't read extreme horror and don't understand its appeal...books like this help me work through my fears. I can run scenarios and pit them against what the MC does in this fictional scenario. I can't explain the how/why these books help quiet my fears, but they do.
Forever grateful to the author for allowing me on his ARC team and for providing the early copy. This title will publish October 3, 2024.
The dread and unease begin on the very first page. Eighteen year old Ella Romeo is in charge of her two siblings, thirteen year old Nicholas and eight year old Arianna at their secluded lake house while their parents attend a work party. There is a visitor outside, and his perfectly rehearsed script begins to falter as his requests are met with silence. Ella is on the phone with her mom when the visitor goes completely off script, and it's clear that the person standing outside the door is completely unhinged. The police show up, the frightening man is gone, and Ella can now devote her time to what she had previously planned, entertaining her friends.
Later that evening, Ella's friends show up, and while the mood is light and fun, the reader is filled with anticipation, knowing that it's just a matter of time before everything changes...and it does. Told in "one shot" format, I was beside myself with fear for the inhabitants of the house, who were all kids; revulsion over "The Intruder" and what's driving him, and finally, the utter helplessness parents would feel knowing they were too far away to intercede.
Home invasions are one of my absolute worst fears, and as a result, my doors and windows are always locked, the cameras are always recording, and I never open my door unless I'm absolutely sure who is on the other side. This book tapped into some pretty primal fears, one of them being the victim of a violent crime, and the other, having someone brutalize my child. While there are some pretty intense scenes of graphic violence and assault, the action was tame by extreme horror standards. One final note to those who don't read extreme horror and don't understand its appeal...books like this help me work through my fears. I can run scenarios and pit them against what the MC does in this fictional scenario. I can't explain the how/why these books help quiet my fears, but they do.
Forever grateful to the author for allowing me on his ARC team and for providing the early copy. This title will publish October 3, 2024.
October 13, 2024
Utterly insane and disgusting! I was trembling in fear as I read some of the brutal violence. Here’s some of my inner monologue whilst reading: So horrible!! Why’d he put that in there, that SHOULD NOT GO IN THERE OMG!
🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇
“It’s nice to meet you”
From the minute the knocks on the door start, Ella is doomed for a night of horror. With her parents out of town, a few friends over to hang out, and her little siblings upstairs, she will soon rapidly learn that privilege isn’t protection. All the locks and alarms can’t keep this monster away from his “destiny”.
“‘Kill ‘em... Cook ‘em... Eat ‘em...”
I was just utterly shocked throughout this story. At times, even getting angry at a character who hesitates when they could flee or do something to stop the carnage. It’s an amazing story, but one that will make you want to triple check that your doors/windows are secure and that you have a baseball bat nearby as the sun sets.
🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇
“It’s nice to meet you”
From the minute the knocks on the door start, Ella is doomed for a night of horror. With her parents out of town, a few friends over to hang out, and her little siblings upstairs, she will soon rapidly learn that privilege isn’t protection. All the locks and alarms can’t keep this monster away from his “destiny”.
“‘Kill ‘em... Cook ‘em... Eat ‘em...”
I was just utterly shocked throughout this story. At times, even getting angry at a character who hesitates when they could flee or do something to stop the carnage. It’s an amazing story, but one that will make you want to triple check that your doors/windows are secure and that you have a baseball bat nearby as the sun sets.
July 30, 2024
Truthfully, I don't know how to review this. I've been sitting at my desk the last 5 minutes trying to craft a review that makes any lick of sense, but I'm not sure that I can.
Are Your Parents Home? is singularly the most brutal and visceral book that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. As a young single woman, the fear and worry of a home invasion has niggled at the back of my mind ever since I first moved out of my parents' home. It's something that's never far from my mind and leads me to check my doors several times before I go to bed every night. This book is everything I've ever feared of living on my own, of dying hard, of watching something horrible happen to people I care about and not being able to stop it.
Reading from Ella's perspective and getting a first-hand look at the brutality and senseless violence heaped on her, her siblings and her friends filled me with so much anxiety and heartsick that I had to split reading the book across a couple of days just to ground myself from the fear practically leaking from the book.
Athan has a gift for writing scenarios that send your mind on a spiral from just the slightest possibility of the events ever occurring in real life. It adds another layer to the horror and gives that unpleasant jolt of reality to his stories that you have no choice but to take notice of. Each of his books that I've read has touched on a different part of my soul for his creatively savage imagery and his unrivaled ability to make me want to retreat from all humanity and live a hermit's life behind a hundred different layers of security.
Respectfully, I'll never read this again. Not because it was badly written or too extreme, but because it was so raw and unfiltered that it touched on my lizard brain too much and made every fight-or-flight instinct I possess stand to attention.
Are Your Parents Home? is singularly the most brutal and visceral book that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. As a young single woman, the fear and worry of a home invasion has niggled at the back of my mind ever since I first moved out of my parents' home. It's something that's never far from my mind and leads me to check my doors several times before I go to bed every night. This book is everything I've ever feared of living on my own, of dying hard, of watching something horrible happen to people I care about and not being able to stop it.
Reading from Ella's perspective and getting a first-hand look at the brutality and senseless violence heaped on her, her siblings and her friends filled me with so much anxiety and heartsick that I had to split reading the book across a couple of days just to ground myself from the fear practically leaking from the book.
Athan has a gift for writing scenarios that send your mind on a spiral from just the slightest possibility of the events ever occurring in real life. It adds another layer to the horror and gives that unpleasant jolt of reality to his stories that you have no choice but to take notice of. Each of his books that I've read has touched on a different part of my soul for his creatively savage imagery and his unrivaled ability to make me want to retreat from all humanity and live a hermit's life behind a hundred different layers of security.
Respectfully, I'll never read this again. Not because it was badly written or too extreme, but because it was so raw and unfiltered that it touched on my lizard brain too much and made every fight-or-flight instinct I possess stand to attention.
February 25, 2025
I think Jon Athan's books and I probably don't get along, and I need to accept that and stop trying them out. The plots always intrigue me, but the writing is less than ideal (and riddled with a heavy overuse of metaphor and simile), the characters are flat and self-contradicting, and the suspension of disbelief required to buy into literally ANYTHING that happened in this story was too much for me to handle. I like over-the-top gore and violence, but it has to be at least a tiny bit believable. Don't even get me started on how stupid literally every single character in this book was, either. 💀
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October 4, 2025
fuck. this. book. FUCK THIS BOOK WTFFFF
i don’t even know where to begin with this review. i’m quite literally still processing all that happened, and honestly, it felt like way too much. how the killer continued to torment these kids was absolutely vile. just when i thought he would leave them alone after literally ripping them to shreds, he’d come right back and do something even more outrageous. my jaw was on the ground from how each scene got worse and worse. like that’s quite ENOUGH SLICES. i kid you not, i got emotional and had to pause the audio a few times because majority of these characters were KIDS. it was so wild to even imagine some of the scenes in my head.
i will say it did drag on for way too long. this felt like a 400+ page book, despite it only being 200 pages. i have never wanted a splatterpunk book to end as much as i did with this one. 4 stars for the emotions this brought out of me because wth did i just read??
i don’t even know where to begin with this review. i’m quite literally still processing all that happened, and honestly, it felt like way too much. how the killer continued to torment these kids was absolutely vile. just when i thought he would leave them alone after literally ripping them to shreds, he’d come right back and do something even more outrageous. my jaw was on the ground from how each scene got worse and worse. like that’s quite ENOUGH SLICES. i kid you not, i got emotional and had to pause the audio a few times because majority of these characters were KIDS. it was so wild to even imagine some of the scenes in my head.
i will say it did drag on for way too long. this felt like a 400+ page book, despite it only being 200 pages. i have never wanted a splatterpunk book to end as much as i did with this one. 4 stars for the emotions this brought out of me because wth did i just read??
October 30, 2024
This book took me a lot longer then it should have. I had become bored in the beginning of it so I slowed down and took breaks, and I’m pretty upset that I did because it turned out to be crazy as hell.
It’s about Ella and her brother and sister who are left alone at home while their parents are away. Some guy comes banging on their door and says crazy things to them, asking if they are alone, and then comes the craziest of how he’s going to kill them and rape her. Well Ella’s parents see him on the door camera and call the police, meanwhile he’s long gone. Ella invites her friends over because she’s scared and the police come and don’t find anything. Well not much longer he’s back and he definitely looking for a wild night.
This man tortures the hell out of all the people inside, while Ella runs and hides like a lil scaredy cat. Sorry but she had me hot, she watched him through the window or closet torturing her siblings, like girl bye!!! His tortures were super disgusting, and some very sexual. This book definitely is not for everyone. I definitely enjoyed it, besides Ella 🙄
It’s about Ella and her brother and sister who are left alone at home while their parents are away. Some guy comes banging on their door and says crazy things to them, asking if they are alone, and then comes the craziest of how he’s going to kill them and rape her. Well Ella’s parents see him on the door camera and call the police, meanwhile he’s long gone. Ella invites her friends over because she’s scared and the police come and don’t find anything. Well not much longer he’s back and he definitely looking for a wild night.
This man tortures the hell out of all the people inside, while Ella runs and hides like a lil scaredy cat. Sorry but she had me hot, she watched him through the window or closet torturing her siblings, like girl bye!!! His tortures were super disgusting, and some very sexual. This book definitely is not for everyone. I definitely enjoyed it, besides Ella 🙄
June 17, 2024
Jon Athan strikes again!!
I was lucky enough to get to read this ARC and boy was it rough (in the best way)!
This book brought my absolute biggest fear as a mother and human. Imagine a home invasion happening while your children are home alone and all you can do is listen on the phone helplessly?
The bad guy of this book is incredibly realistic and could absolutely happen, which increases thst fear factor x10. I was a ball of nerves from the moment I opened this book to the very last page. Athan never fails to really incite fear or disturbing feelings and I applaud him for that truly!
Grab this in October, it is one of 2024s MUST READS
I was lucky enough to get to read this ARC and boy was it rough (in the best way)!
This book brought my absolute biggest fear as a mother and human. Imagine a home invasion happening while your children are home alone and all you can do is listen on the phone helplessly?
The bad guy of this book is incredibly realistic and could absolutely happen, which increases thst fear factor x10. I was a ball of nerves from the moment I opened this book to the very last page. Athan never fails to really incite fear or disturbing feelings and I applaud him for that truly!
Grab this in October, it is one of 2024s MUST READS
October 3, 2024
I didn’t care for the ritualistic part of this so unfortunately this home invasion story just didn’t appeal to me or scare me at all nor was anything explained. And I love gore and bloody murder but none of it was worth the read. The story was just weak in my opinion. The intruder continued to repeat the same things over and over and I was just ready to be done with this story. Thankfully it was a short one. Also this felt like a dark romance bc of what the intruder was saying but it wasn’t sooo it just didn’t work for me.
October 29, 2024
Home Invasion Horror
Are Your Parents Home? by Jon Athan is a classic home invasion story filled with brutality, violence, and gore. If you’re easily triggered, I’d suggest staying away from this book. However, if you’re a Splatterpunk or extreme horror fan looking for an intense home invasion read, pick it up now!
With seeming ease, Athan draws you into caring deeply for certain characters while making you despise others. Ella’s parents are away on a trip when a stranger rings the Ring doorbell, says a few unsettling things, and then disappears. Left to watch over her younger siblings, Nicky and RiRi, Ella is soon joined by her friends Claire and Brady.
As the night wears on, the story becomes a rollercoaster of unimaginable horrors. When the stranger finally breaches the home, things spiral out of control. What does he want? Who is he? And the biggest question—why is he doing this?
Overall, I give Are Your Parents Home? by Jon Athan a solid five out of five stars. It delivered everything I could hope for in an extreme horror home invasion story. The characters were relatable, the suspense kept me questioning at every turn, and the violence was intensely brutal. If you’re a fan of extreme horror and Splatterpunk, this book is a must-read. Grab your copy now!
Are Your Parents Home? by Jon Athan is a classic home invasion story filled with brutality, violence, and gore. If you’re easily triggered, I’d suggest staying away from this book. However, if you’re a Splatterpunk or extreme horror fan looking for an intense home invasion read, pick it up now!
With seeming ease, Athan draws you into caring deeply for certain characters while making you despise others. Ella’s parents are away on a trip when a stranger rings the Ring doorbell, says a few unsettling things, and then disappears. Left to watch over her younger siblings, Nicky and RiRi, Ella is soon joined by her friends Claire and Brady.
As the night wears on, the story becomes a rollercoaster of unimaginable horrors. When the stranger finally breaches the home, things spiral out of control. What does he want? Who is he? And the biggest question—why is he doing this?
Overall, I give Are Your Parents Home? by Jon Athan a solid five out of five stars. It delivered everything I could hope for in an extreme horror home invasion story. The characters were relatable, the suspense kept me questioning at every turn, and the violence was intensely brutal. If you’re a fan of extreme horror and Splatterpunk, this book is a must-read. Grab your copy now!
December 25, 2024
I’m not mentioning the excessive gore because obviously that was the point of the book. The entire issue with the book was the main characters complete lack of capability. It’s one thing to be frozen in fear but the intruder was completely distracted for so long with Claire and she didn’t do a single thing. She had kitchen shears and just watched the whole thing happen in its entirety. All she did was throw herself a pity party about how sad she was for being too afraid to help. They even had a silent alarm that she refused to trigger for no reason at all! She instead disarms it! Her excuse being the cops would’ve taken approximately 15 minutes to get there… And? 15 is better than them never coming at all. She absolutely would’ve saved everyone if she had triggered the alarm. But no, she watches 3 people get brutalized then Facebook messages her neighbor who MIGHT see the message and MIGHT help them. What? After that moment with the alarm I was just disappointed and disgusted with this book. At that point it just seemed like the author wanted to write about kids getting killed and didn’t care about writing a thrilling story. It’s one thing if the characters make good decisions and things just don’t work out for them but this main character didn’t even try to be smart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2024
I appreciate the cat’s fate being up in the air, because I can say she made it.
The content of this one didn’t bother me. Just wasn’t a fan of the story and the way it played out. My favorites from this author, are ones where I really love the plot. Too many questions and the first chapter had me scratching my head.
As a parent myself, if my kids are home alone and a stranger is on the doorstep saying those things? I’d instantly be booking it home, and have the police post up there until then. They just play it off as not a big deal and that bothered me 😅
The content of this one didn’t bother me. Just wasn’t a fan of the story and the way it played out. My favorites from this author, are ones where I really love the plot. Too many questions and the first chapter had me scratching my head.
As a parent myself, if my kids are home alone and a stranger is on the doorstep saying those things? I’d instantly be booking it home, and have the police post up there until then. They just play it off as not a big deal and that bothered me 😅
September 26, 2024
5/5 ⭐️
‼️Releases in October 2024‼️
I received this ARC and I’m so glad I got to read this book early. This book has a lot of potential triggers so it should be read at the discretion of the reader.
Ella is home alone with her two siblings and a stranger begins knocking at the door and won’t stop. The visitor starts saying off the wall stuff and her parents see him through the ring camera.
The police arrive after they’re called by the parents and they claim he’s gone and there’s nothing they can do. But alas the stranger is not gone and gets into the house anyways.
Ella has to fight for her, her friends and her siblings survival with everything in her because the visitor came to shed the blood of anyone getting in the way of what he came there to do.
Will they survive or will the visitor claim their lives?
‼️Releases in October 2024‼️
I received this ARC and I’m so glad I got to read this book early. This book has a lot of potential triggers so it should be read at the discretion of the reader.
Ella is home alone with her two siblings and a stranger begins knocking at the door and won’t stop. The visitor starts saying off the wall stuff and her parents see him through the ring camera.
The police arrive after they’re called by the parents and they claim he’s gone and there’s nothing they can do. But alas the stranger is not gone and gets into the house anyways.
Ella has to fight for her, her friends and her siblings survival with everything in her because the visitor came to shed the blood of anyone getting in the way of what he came there to do.
Will they survive or will the visitor claim their lives?
Read
November 22, 2024Painfully stupid characters and an equally easy villain. Writing? Just long boring description of violence.
I’m fine with violence in books and I knew this one was full of it. But where’s the story?
I’m fine with violence in books and I knew this one was full of it. But where’s the story?
December 12, 2024
“ You don’t know what you’re doing. I am here on——
-a divine mission. I am God. The Holy Spirit. The Father. The Son. I am He. I….. am …..He.”
This book was fucking brutal!!!! The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is because I didn’t like how it ended.
-a divine mission. I am God. The Holy Spirit. The Father. The Son. I am He. I….. am …..He.”
This book was fucking brutal!!!! The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is because I didn’t like how it ended.
December 12, 2024
That was the most repulsive, disturbing, fucked up book I ever read in my life.
...And yet, I was addicted.
...And yet, I was addicted.
January 28, 2025
TRIGGER AND SPOILER WARNINGS: PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
I discovered Are Your Parents Home by Jon Athan through a Facebook reading group for psychological thrillers. The feedback on the book was divisive, with many commenters either loving or hating it but offering little insight into their opinions or how this book compares to other recommendations. After reading it, I feel compelled to provide a brutally honest review of both the book and the author, especially for those curious about thriller versus horror or considering whether Athan’s writing is worth exploring.
I’m someone who enjoys scary and unsettling content across various media—books, films, music—anything that can get my heart racing and keep me thinking long into the night. That said, I absolutely hated this book. Let me address a few anticipated defenses of the novel and the genre upfront:
“This is horror, not a thriller!” True, this book belongs firmly in the extreme horror/gore/splatterpunk category. But that’s precisely why it doesn’t belong in spaces like the Psychological Thriller Readers group, or any platform not explicitly dedicated to extreme horror.
“You knew it would be graphic—don’t complain about the gore!” My problem isn’t the gore itself; it’s the abysmal writing and lazy execution surrounding it. I’ll elaborate on this below.
“The genre is supposed to push boundaries and make you uncomfortable.” Sure, but there’s a difference between pushing boundaries and churning out gratuitous, exploitative, and unimaginative shock value for the sake of it. This book consistently lands in the latter category.
The Writing: A Painful Endurance Test
This is allegedly one of Athan’s “best works,” but after nearly 60 books, I would expect far greater skill and polish from any author. The writing oscillates between overly detailed, almost AI-like drivel, and embarrassingly simplistic sentences that feel like they were scribbled by an edgy teenager trying to shock their teacher. There is no nuance or subtlety, no depth to the characters, and no sense of emotional weight to the events.
The protagonist, who endures unspeakable horrors, is entirely devoid of courage or agency. Meanwhile, the antagonist is an incoherent caricature of “crazy,” written solely to facilitate an endless string of grotesque acts. Even worse, the pacing and plausibility of the narrative collapse under the sheer absurdity of the characters’ physical endurance. Here’s a brief list of the mind-boggling injuries that characters sustain yet somehow survive:
A character is struck in the skull twice with a hammer, with skull exposed, and is still alive and conversing.
Another character has their face flayed and walks around the house as though it’s a minor inconvenience.
The protagonist herself has her thigh slashed open from mid-thigh to kneecap, bleeds profusely, suffers additional injuries (including multiple blows to the head), and yet spends the entire book running around, climbing up and down the roof, in through windows, and under beds.
These injuries don’t just defy medical reality—they obliterate any sense of stakes or tension. When survival becomes a cartoonish inevitability, the story loses all meaning. The characters become little more than props for torture, and the narrative devolves into a monotonous, purposeless cycle of violence.
The Content: Gratuitous and Hollow
It’s important to note that I chose to read this book, knowing its reputation for extreme content. I’m not offended by gore or boundary-pushing material, but I take issue with the lack of any meaningful substance beneath it. Violence for the sake of violence is not inherently compelling. There needs to be a narrative foundation—an emotional core, character development, or thematic exploration—that gives the horror weight and purpose. Are Your Parents Home offers none of these. Instead, it revels in its own shock value, relying on increasingly grotesque scenes to sustain interest rather than building a coherent or engaging story.
One particularly egregious example is the graphic depiction of an unconscious girl being assaulted with a baseball bat. It’s not boundary-pushing—it’s lazy and exploitative. This is not an exploration of fear, humanity, or morality; it’s a cheap attempt to provoke disgust, and it left me questioning the author’s intentions and creative integrity.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
The most frustrating aspect of this book is its squandered potential. It begins with a strong setup, throwing readers into the thick of the plot immediately. But whatever promise it holds quickly dissolves into a tedious, poorly written mess. The characters are hollow, the plot is nonsensical, and the violence becomes so over-the-top that it’s laughable rather than horrifying.
If you’re a fan of splatterpunk and your primary interest is testing your tolerance for gore, then this book might have some appeal. But if you value strong writing, meaningful character development, or an engaging plot, I urge you to steer clear.
Jon Athan has carved out a niche in the extreme horror genre, but after reading this, I can’t imagine recommending his work to anyone outside of the most hardcore fans of gore-for-gore’s-sake storytelling. For those exploring this genre, I would suggest seeking out more thoughtful and skillful authors who can balance shock value with substance. And to moderators of reading groups: please consider removing any Jon Athan recommendations unless the group explicitly caters to extreme horror enthusiasts.
While I feel sad to post such a harsh review of an independent author's hard work, I feel it's important to be honest about my experience here. Ultimately, Are Your Parents Home isn’t just a bad book—it’s a waste of time for most book readers. There’s no uniqueness, no investment, and no artistry to be found here.
I discovered Are Your Parents Home by Jon Athan through a Facebook reading group for psychological thrillers. The feedback on the book was divisive, with many commenters either loving or hating it but offering little insight into their opinions or how this book compares to other recommendations. After reading it, I feel compelled to provide a brutally honest review of both the book and the author, especially for those curious about thriller versus horror or considering whether Athan’s writing is worth exploring.
I’m someone who enjoys scary and unsettling content across various media—books, films, music—anything that can get my heart racing and keep me thinking long into the night. That said, I absolutely hated this book. Let me address a few anticipated defenses of the novel and the genre upfront:
“This is horror, not a thriller!” True, this book belongs firmly in the extreme horror/gore/splatterpunk category. But that’s precisely why it doesn’t belong in spaces like the Psychological Thriller Readers group, or any platform not explicitly dedicated to extreme horror.
“You knew it would be graphic—don’t complain about the gore!” My problem isn’t the gore itself; it’s the abysmal writing and lazy execution surrounding it. I’ll elaborate on this below.
“The genre is supposed to push boundaries and make you uncomfortable.” Sure, but there’s a difference between pushing boundaries and churning out gratuitous, exploitative, and unimaginative shock value for the sake of it. This book consistently lands in the latter category.
The Writing: A Painful Endurance Test
This is allegedly one of Athan’s “best works,” but after nearly 60 books, I would expect far greater skill and polish from any author. The writing oscillates between overly detailed, almost AI-like drivel, and embarrassingly simplistic sentences that feel like they were scribbled by an edgy teenager trying to shock their teacher. There is no nuance or subtlety, no depth to the characters, and no sense of emotional weight to the events.
The protagonist, who endures unspeakable horrors, is entirely devoid of courage or agency. Meanwhile, the antagonist is an incoherent caricature of “crazy,” written solely to facilitate an endless string of grotesque acts. Even worse, the pacing and plausibility of the narrative collapse under the sheer absurdity of the characters’ physical endurance. Here’s a brief list of the mind-boggling injuries that characters sustain yet somehow survive:
A character is struck in the skull twice with a hammer, with skull exposed, and is still alive and conversing.
Another character has their face flayed and walks around the house as though it’s a minor inconvenience.
The protagonist herself has her thigh slashed open from mid-thigh to kneecap, bleeds profusely, suffers additional injuries (including multiple blows to the head), and yet spends the entire book running around, climbing up and down the roof, in through windows, and under beds.
These injuries don’t just defy medical reality—they obliterate any sense of stakes or tension. When survival becomes a cartoonish inevitability, the story loses all meaning. The characters become little more than props for torture, and the narrative devolves into a monotonous, purposeless cycle of violence.
The Content: Gratuitous and Hollow
It’s important to note that I chose to read this book, knowing its reputation for extreme content. I’m not offended by gore or boundary-pushing material, but I take issue with the lack of any meaningful substance beneath it. Violence for the sake of violence is not inherently compelling. There needs to be a narrative foundation—an emotional core, character development, or thematic exploration—that gives the horror weight and purpose. Are Your Parents Home offers none of these. Instead, it revels in its own shock value, relying on increasingly grotesque scenes to sustain interest rather than building a coherent or engaging story.
One particularly egregious example is the graphic depiction of an unconscious girl being assaulted with a baseball bat. It’s not boundary-pushing—it’s lazy and exploitative. This is not an exploration of fear, humanity, or morality; it’s a cheap attempt to provoke disgust, and it left me questioning the author’s intentions and creative integrity.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
The most frustrating aspect of this book is its squandered potential. It begins with a strong setup, throwing readers into the thick of the plot immediately. But whatever promise it holds quickly dissolves into a tedious, poorly written mess. The characters are hollow, the plot is nonsensical, and the violence becomes so over-the-top that it’s laughable rather than horrifying.
If you’re a fan of splatterpunk and your primary interest is testing your tolerance for gore, then this book might have some appeal. But if you value strong writing, meaningful character development, or an engaging plot, I urge you to steer clear.
Jon Athan has carved out a niche in the extreme horror genre, but after reading this, I can’t imagine recommending his work to anyone outside of the most hardcore fans of gore-for-gore’s-sake storytelling. For those exploring this genre, I would suggest seeking out more thoughtful and skillful authors who can balance shock value with substance. And to moderators of reading groups: please consider removing any Jon Athan recommendations unless the group explicitly caters to extreme horror enthusiasts.
While I feel sad to post such a harsh review of an independent author's hard work, I feel it's important to be honest about my experience here. Ultimately, Are Your Parents Home isn’t just a bad book—it’s a waste of time for most book readers. There’s no uniqueness, no investment, and no artistry to be found here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2024
Home invasions and anyone coming into my home without consent shares the s&@$ out of me. The minute this starts-you are filled with unease and dread. That continues all the way to the very end. This is the ultimate “slasher”. The villain is realistic which makes it even more terrifying. So many terrifying things happen to the characters. This is EXTREME horror bookstafam. For those who read trigger warnings-please do so.
This is my first Athan novel and the writing is so well done, you cannot help to continue to read. I read this is probably two hours because I just NEEDED to see how it ended and it did not disappoint. Thank you Jon Athan for letting me be a part of your ARC team. I am honored.
This is my first Athan novel and the writing is so well done, you cannot help to continue to read. I read this is probably two hours because I just NEEDED to see how it ended and it did not disappoint. Thank you Jon Athan for letting me be a part of your ARC team. I am honored.
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