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The Body
Not yet published
Expected 10 Feb 26
The Body
is a pulse-pounding supernatural horror story from bestselling author Bethany C. Morrow, where one woman must survive a series of bizarre and escalating attacks on her marriage.
Mavis broke from her parents’ congregation years ago, but she still hasn’t recovered. Their impossible expectations and soul-shredding critiques have dug deep into her mind, and she’s taunted by the knowledge that even when she’s done nothing wrong, she’ll never be right.
Now Mavis is afraid she’s about to lose the only thing she has: her husband, Jerrod. The man she’s always known was too good to be true. No one thinks she deserves him—not even after surviving the serial cheater they wanted her to stick by—and soon they’ll all find out they were right.
Mavis is already unraveling when a brush with death shows her what real fear looks like. Soon, she’s under constant attack from all directions. As the assaults turn increasingly vicious and bizarre, Mavis realizes that Hell isn’t reserved for the afterlife.
And sinner or not, no one is coming to save her.
Mavis broke from her parents’ congregation years ago, but she still hasn’t recovered. Their impossible expectations and soul-shredding critiques have dug deep into her mind, and she’s taunted by the knowledge that even when she’s done nothing wrong, she’ll never be right.
Now Mavis is afraid she’s about to lose the only thing she has: her husband, Jerrod. The man she’s always known was too good to be true. No one thinks she deserves him—not even after surviving the serial cheater they wanted her to stick by—and soon they’ll all find out they were right.
Mavis is already unraveling when a brush with death shows her what real fear looks like. Soon, she’s under constant attack from all directions. As the assaults turn increasingly vicious and bizarre, Mavis realizes that Hell isn’t reserved for the afterlife.
And sinner or not, no one is coming to save her.
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 10, 2026
8626 people want to read
About the author
Bethany C. Morrow
16 books1,452 followersBethany C Morrow is a national bestselling author.
Her young adult novels include A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and the Little Women remix, So Many Beginnings, and she is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology Take The Mic, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award.
Her adult novels include Mem, and the social horror, Cherish Farrah. Her upcoming release, The Body, is a churchianity horror.
Honored as SLJ Gold Selections, a Locus, Fiyah, and Audie finalist for Best YA Novel, and an Indies Introduce and Indie next pick, her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.
Her young adult novels include A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and the Little Women remix, So Many Beginnings, and she is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology Take The Mic, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award.
Her adult novels include Mem, and the social horror, Cherish Farrah. Her upcoming release, The Body, is a churchianity horror.
Honored as SLJ Gold Selections, a Locus, Fiyah, and Audie finalist for Best YA Novel, and an Indies Introduce and Indie next pick, her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
November 23, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2
Characters can be flawed and morally precarious, but still likable. They can also be unblemished and virtuous, but detestable. I found these characters to be located in the netherworld between, equally amoral and repugnant.
Ok, let me start by saying I typically don’t like horror stories centering around religious circumstance, so for a book to overcome this requires other aspects to be so impressive that they extinguish my preconceptions. That was definitely not the case here. I found the plot to be unmoving and devoid of purpose. There were no reasons offered to explain why any of this happened. The character work, as already explained, didn’t resonate. The writing was good, so there’s that, but I found little else to take pleasure in.
Characters can be flawed and morally precarious, but still likable. They can also be unblemished and virtuous, but detestable. I found these characters to be located in the netherworld between, equally amoral and repugnant.
Ok, let me start by saying I typically don’t like horror stories centering around religious circumstance, so for a book to overcome this requires other aspects to be so impressive that they extinguish my preconceptions. That was definitely not the case here. I found the plot to be unmoving and devoid of purpose. There were no reasons offered to explain why any of this happened. The character work, as already explained, didn’t resonate. The writing was good, so there’s that, but I found little else to take pleasure in.
January 19, 2026
This horror mystery novel was very entertaining and was much like a fever dream to me. It starts off very strong, slows down in the middle, then slowly builds up towards the end. To me, this novel is unsettling and different. I am a huge fan of the horror and thriller genre’s and I will say that this was a decent read for me, not the worst and not the best. It is gripping and it has supernatural and religious elements in it. With this book being under 300 pages, a lot happens in it!
Some of the themes that this novel explores are the consequences of oath, gaslighting and identity. It does come with gore in the book, just a heads up for readers that can’t handle gore in a horror book. This novel was well executed and easy to read. Even though this book was disturbing, I still found it enjoyable and interesting. Overall, I give this book a solid 3 out of 5 stars! This gave me the book “Sister, Maiden, Monster” by Lucy A. Snyder vibes!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be released on February 10, 2026!
Some of the themes that this novel explores are the consequences of oath, gaslighting and identity. It does come with gore in the book, just a heads up for readers that can’t handle gore in a horror book. This novel was well executed and easy to read. Even though this book was disturbing, I still found it enjoyable and interesting. Overall, I give this book a solid 3 out of 5 stars! This gave me the book “Sister, Maiden, Monster” by Lucy A. Snyder vibes!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be released on February 10, 2026!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Body by Bethany Morrow is an unholy union of religious horror, obsessive devotion, female rage, and supernatural phenomena. Mavis was born and raised in the church, something that has inflicted extreme emotional trauma on her psyche and etched religious discord into her very soul. Mavis has been led to believe that her only value as a woman is to become a compliant daughter and dutiful wife, something she obviously experiences significant moral dissonance over. She finally steps away from the church, but hyper religious deprogramming is arduous, and she understandably faces a lot of doubt trying to navigate who she is outside of the congregation and marriage. No one thinks she is deserving of her marriage to Jerrod Dwyer nor her status as Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Carson’s only child. The pressure of perfection and sanctimonious judgement has been crushing for Mavis to bear, but she has always smiled and suffered silently, rarely cracking to expose the pain and anger seething underneath. Mavis’ illusion of perfect poise and control is already slipping when Death seemingly begins to hunt the couple, each bloody encounter escalating in ferocity and brutality. Fueled by fear, self-loathing, paranoia, and rage, Mavis will undergo a cataclysmic conversion of self, finally realizing she has more power than she initially thought, and she might not really need salvation after all.
This is a book to pick up if you enjoyed Jordan Peele movies---it has a similar creepy atmosphere heightened by increasing suspicion, and the audience doesn’t ever really have a solid grasp on what exactly is so wrong under an ostensibly normal exterior until it’s too late. I thought the story was good, though at times the plot got dragged down by pacing issues and then lurched forward abruptly. Specifically, Mavis’ tendency to launch into long internal monologues of self-flagellation was a little over done, and there were a couple spots where the writing jumps so suddenly into a key story point, it was a bit disorienting and hard to follow. This was remedied by simply rereading the parts, but it happened more than once. I feel that the author was trying to create an unreliable narrator situation, but it wasn’t clearly executed. Overall, this was an entertaining story and a quick read, so I do recommend it to thriller enthusiasts!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own.
This is a book to pick up if you enjoyed Jordan Peele movies---it has a similar creepy atmosphere heightened by increasing suspicion, and the audience doesn’t ever really have a solid grasp on what exactly is so wrong under an ostensibly normal exterior until it’s too late. I thought the story was good, though at times the plot got dragged down by pacing issues and then lurched forward abruptly. Specifically, Mavis’ tendency to launch into long internal monologues of self-flagellation was a little over done, and there were a couple spots where the writing jumps so suddenly into a key story point, it was a bit disorienting and hard to follow. This was remedied by simply rereading the parts, but it happened more than once. I feel that the author was trying to create an unreliable narrator situation, but it wasn’t clearly executed. Overall, this was an entertaining story and a quick read, so I do recommend it to thriller enthusiasts!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own.
January 25, 2026
storyline was dumb and all the characters were dumb
December 1, 2025
This book triggered me in every which way. 😮💨
Bethany C. Morrow’s 2026 horror novel, THE BODY, is in the top five most anticipated reads for me. With a short synopsis (don’t look up spoilers) and an absolutely captivating cover, I knew this was something I must read. Thank you @tornightfire for my gifted copy!
I am going to keep the synopsis review short because that’s where this book wins. After Mavis is in a car accident, she begins to wonder if she’s being targeted. She left her parents’ congregation years ago, but family is forever. 😬
The book opens strong with a visceral panic attack and the promise of cult-shadowed horror, but the momentum slips as the story sinks too deeply into Mavis’ limited perspective. I wish the book went deeper and darker, but it kept me turning the pages regardless. While the concept behind the bizarre attacks is clever, the pacing drags and supporting characters—especially Mavis’s husband Jerrod—never feel fully developed, making it hard to invest in the emotional stakes. If you pick up this book, you’ll know exactly why it triggered me (IYKYK).
THE BODY has sharp moments of discomfort and an engaging throughline of feminine rage and religious trauma. The ending was actually my favorite part of the story because it ends perfectly. Readers who appreciate unreliable narrators and slow-burn unease will definitely enjoy this one. It reminded me very much of the movie Midsommar meets Daisy Pearce’s Something in the Walls. I’m curious to see what this author has next for readers in the horror space. STARS: 3, PUB: 2/10/26
Bethany C. Morrow’s 2026 horror novel, THE BODY, is in the top five most anticipated reads for me. With a short synopsis (don’t look up spoilers) and an absolutely captivating cover, I knew this was something I must read. Thank you @tornightfire for my gifted copy!
I am going to keep the synopsis review short because that’s where this book wins. After Mavis is in a car accident, she begins to wonder if she’s being targeted. She left her parents’ congregation years ago, but family is forever. 😬
The book opens strong with a visceral panic attack and the promise of cult-shadowed horror, but the momentum slips as the story sinks too deeply into Mavis’ limited perspective. I wish the book went deeper and darker, but it kept me turning the pages regardless. While the concept behind the bizarre attacks is clever, the pacing drags and supporting characters—especially Mavis’s husband Jerrod—never feel fully developed, making it hard to invest in the emotional stakes. If you pick up this book, you’ll know exactly why it triggered me (IYKYK).
THE BODY has sharp moments of discomfort and an engaging throughline of feminine rage and religious trauma. The ending was actually my favorite part of the story because it ends perfectly. Readers who appreciate unreliable narrators and slow-burn unease will definitely enjoy this one. It reminded me very much of the movie Midsommar meets Daisy Pearce’s Something in the Walls. I’m curious to see what this author has next for readers in the horror space. STARS: 3, PUB: 2/10/26
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January 31, 2026I'm generally a fan of religious horror, but this definitely takes a different tack than other things I've read with the plot centering on a somewhat niche religious practice that wasn't part of the religious communities I grew up in, but is apparently common in certain churches.
It follows a married couple who no longer attend the church they were married in. Mavis is injured in a car accident at the start of the book, and as things unfold we learn more about her marriage, their families, and their complicated histories with religion. It's propulsive and gruesome, touching on the misogyny that too often pops up in the uneven application of morality standards. The characters are all very unlikeable which probably won't work for everyone, but I would be interested to see more in this genre from Morrow. The audio narration is done pretty well. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
It follows a married couple who no longer attend the church they were married in. Mavis is injured in a car accident at the start of the book, and as things unfold we learn more about her marriage, their families, and their complicated histories with religion. It's propulsive and gruesome, touching on the misogyny that too often pops up in the uneven application of morality standards. The characters are all very unlikeable which probably won't work for everyone, but I would be interested to see more in this genre from Morrow. The audio narration is done pretty well. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
January 30, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
The Body by Bethany Morrow starts off strong with Mavis’ accident and the shocking, horrific events that follow. The opening immediately grabs your attention and sets a dark, unsettling tone. Unfortunately, after that strong beginning, the story slows down considerably. The middle and ending feel like long, which made it hard to stay fully engaged.
While I understood Mavis’ mission to uncover who is responsible for the horrific acts happening to her, I struggled to connect with her as a character. I didn’t find her particularly likable, which made it harder to stay invested in her journey.
The Body by Bethany Morrow starts off strong with Mavis’ accident and the shocking, horrific events that follow. The opening immediately grabs your attention and sets a dark, unsettling tone. Unfortunately, after that strong beginning, the story slows down considerably. The middle and ending feel like long, which made it hard to stay fully engaged.
While I understood Mavis’ mission to uncover who is responsible for the horrific acts happening to her, I struggled to connect with her as a character. I didn’t find her particularly likable, which made it harder to stay invested in her journey.
January 5, 2026
Review in the January 2026 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: religious cult horror, secrets and trauma, supernatural thriller
This is a supernatural horror about a marriage under attack.
Or it is a psychological suspense novel about a woman with serious family trauma and secrets who is unreliable and mentally unstable.
Or it is a cult horror novel about a church and a congregation that require vows not be broken or else-- and the or else is not just terrifying to think about-- readers see the consequences ion the page
Or it is all of the above and that combination makes the novel more enjoyable to readers. It can be what they want it to be with the author doing the work to make it work for all readers.
Draft Review: Readers are introduced to Mavis as she is rushing home, clearly preoccupied and nervous, as her car is hit by a driver who ran a red light, landing her in the hospital, an eye-catching and unsettling start to the story of Mavis and Jerrod as they enter the seven year itch stage of their marriage. In the next few days, the couple faces more threats on their lives, attacked by people they know, action that clearly invite readers to ask themselves if they are reading a domestic suspense novel with an unreliable but clearly trauma inflicted narrator. Or is this a supernatural, cult horror novel about a church dealing out horrific penalties to those who break their vows? The answer very well could be both, and readers are invited to dig deeply into their own discomfort as they turn the pages in an attempt to unearth the truth.
Verdict: Morrow delivers a thrilling reading experience that feels like Gone Girl by GIllian Flynn collided with Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle glazed with an overcoat of Model Home by Rivers Solomon.
The entire book is only from Mavis' POV and she is clearly unreliable. She knows she is and she reveals why to the reader slowly over time. And she makes bad choices. But also, this church her parents are leaders in-- wow. They are intense. And not complying, especially by breaking your wedding vows-- is VERY bad.
Oh and there is lots of digging
Now, are the attacks against Mavis and Jerrod (her husband), are they really happening or is Mavis the victim of severe trauma. I think both.
A book that can be described as Gone Girl by Flynn meets Camp Damascus by Tingle, with the family trauma and psychological horror as seen in books like Model Home by Solomon.
Three Words That Describe This Book: religious cult horror, secrets and trauma, supernatural thriller
This is a supernatural horror about a marriage under attack.
Or it is a psychological suspense novel about a woman with serious family trauma and secrets who is unreliable and mentally unstable.
Or it is a cult horror novel about a church and a congregation that require vows not be broken or else-- and the or else is not just terrifying to think about-- readers see the consequences ion the page
Or it is all of the above and that combination makes the novel more enjoyable to readers. It can be what they want it to be with the author doing the work to make it work for all readers.
Draft Review: Readers are introduced to Mavis as she is rushing home, clearly preoccupied and nervous, as her car is hit by a driver who ran a red light, landing her in the hospital, an eye-catching and unsettling start to the story of Mavis and Jerrod as they enter the seven year itch stage of their marriage. In the next few days, the couple faces more threats on their lives, attacked by people they know, action that clearly invite readers to ask themselves if they are reading a domestic suspense novel with an unreliable but clearly trauma inflicted narrator. Or is this a supernatural, cult horror novel about a church dealing out horrific penalties to those who break their vows? The answer very well could be both, and readers are invited to dig deeply into their own discomfort as they turn the pages in an attempt to unearth the truth.
Verdict: Morrow delivers a thrilling reading experience that feels like Gone Girl by GIllian Flynn collided with Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle glazed with an overcoat of Model Home by Rivers Solomon.
The entire book is only from Mavis' POV and she is clearly unreliable. She knows she is and she reveals why to the reader slowly over time. And she makes bad choices. But also, this church her parents are leaders in-- wow. They are intense. And not complying, especially by breaking your wedding vows-- is VERY bad.
Oh and there is lots of digging
Now, are the attacks against Mavis and Jerrod (her husband), are they really happening or is Mavis the victim of severe trauma. I think both.
A book that can be described as Gone Girl by Flynn meets Camp Damascus by Tingle, with the family trauma and psychological horror as seen in books like Model Home by Solomon.
November 16, 2025
Okay, first off, I feel so bad not finishing this, but I just really couldn't connect with it.
Mavis grew up in a super religious family, but escaped (kind of? she does seem to have a relationship with her parents) and married Jerrod, who is ~perfect~. (Note: he's written so perfectly, at least for a while, that he comes across as very bland, like cardboard.) When she's in a car accident, things begin to unravel in her life.
I stopped after the gruesome scene of her and her husband defending against a home invasion. I like horror, but the scene read, at least to me, as being shocking just for shock's sake, as opposed to something that furthers the story.
I'm at least 40% in and I just can't read this anymore. In addition to the uninspired plot, the writing is terrible. Pronouns exist! You don't need to repeat Mavis' name endlessly. It gets really old after a while.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy.
Mavis grew up in a super religious family, but escaped (kind of? she does seem to have a relationship with her parents) and married Jerrod, who is ~perfect~. (Note: he's written so perfectly, at least for a while, that he comes across as very bland, like cardboard.) When she's in a car accident, things begin to unravel in her life.
I stopped after the gruesome scene of her and her husband defending against a home invasion. I like horror, but the scene read, at least to me, as being shocking just for shock's sake, as opposed to something that furthers the story.
I'm at least 40% in and I just can't read this anymore. In addition to the uninspired plot, the writing is terrible. Pronouns exist! You don't need to repeat Mavis' name endlessly. It gets really old after a while.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy.
August 14, 2025
ARC review
This was that oddly coincidental kind of horror that makes you feel like both you and the main character are losing your mind lol The synopsis says ‘bizarre attacks on marriage’ yeah that and some lol. Honoring your marital vows might be the only thing that saves you but if you break them chillleeee you just might have to suffer the consequences.
I can appreciate that this isn’t just scary for scary’s sake. However, there were parts of the story that had me ready to just throw the damn book because uhh hello girl are you cool? If you’re into religious cult horror this might just be for you.
This was that oddly coincidental kind of horror that makes you feel like both you and the main character are losing your mind lol The synopsis says ‘bizarre attacks on marriage’ yeah that and some lol. Honoring your marital vows might be the only thing that saves you but if you break them chillleeee you just might have to suffer the consequences.
I can appreciate that this isn’t just scary for scary’s sake. However, there were parts of the story that had me ready to just throw the damn book because uhh hello girl are you cool? If you’re into religious cult horror this might just be for you.
January 19, 2026
Got an arc through Libro.fm
So as I mentioned before the ending of Cherish Farrah still haunts me to this day, one of my fav thrillers, so I had high expectations for this one! And I think that was the issue, was my own expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this, just not quite as much.
This has some incredible depictions of anxiety, spiraling, panic attacks, etc. I deeply related to mavis on that front, it reminded me of myself and my own anxiety spirals before I got medicated. I also appreciated that she wasn’t necessarily a “good” person, like just because she’s been emotionally abused and has these spirals, she doesn’t have to be the perfect victim. She makes some god awful decisions and fuck ups and that made her feel more like a rounded person to me. You can be horrified by the stupid shit she does and still not wanna see her suffer at this level.
I think my biggest issue was with the ending: it didn’t feel quite in line with the rest of the book. Mavis has done awful things by this point but I don’t think she deserved to end up in the position she was in the epilogue. I felt she should have to contend with her actions outside without being pulled back into the sphere of her abusers, if that makes any sense?
So yeah, overall a solidly disturbing book!
So as I mentioned before the ending of Cherish Farrah still haunts me to this day, one of my fav thrillers, so I had high expectations for this one! And I think that was the issue, was my own expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this, just not quite as much.
This has some incredible depictions of anxiety, spiraling, panic attacks, etc. I deeply related to mavis on that front, it reminded me of myself and my own anxiety spirals before I got medicated. I also appreciated that she wasn’t necessarily a “good” person, like just because she’s been emotionally abused and has these spirals, she doesn’t have to be the perfect victim. She makes some god awful decisions and fuck ups and that made her feel more like a rounded person to me. You can be horrified by the stupid shit she does and still not wanna see her suffer at this level.
I think my biggest issue was with the ending: it didn’t feel quite in line with the rest of the book. Mavis has done awful things by this point but I don’t think she deserved to end up in the position she was in the epilogue. I felt she should have to contend with her actions outside without being pulled back into the sphere of her abusers, if that makes any sense?
So yeah, overall a solidly disturbing book!
Want to read
July 24, 2025I loved a previous deliciously dark horror story from this author! Can't wait to read this one!
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
The moment I first laid eyes on the red shovel and stained glass on this cover, my brain immediately went, "Oh yeah, that's some church horror." My suspicions were confirmed when I saw Bethany C. Morrow describe The Body as being about the horror of churchianity, Godless religion, and of abuse begetting abuse. My own body is likely wholly unprepared for The Body, but in Morrow's capable hands, I look forward to what promises to be an absolutely bloody reckoning. —Vanessa Diaz
The moment I first laid eyes on the red shovel and stained glass on this cover, my brain immediately went, "Oh yeah, that's some church horror." My suspicions were confirmed when I saw Bethany C. Morrow describe The Body as being about the horror of churchianity, Godless religion, and of abuse begetting abuse. My own body is likely wholly unprepared for The Body, but in Morrow's capable hands, I look forward to what promises to be an absolutely bloody reckoning. —Vanessa Diaz
December 26, 2025
1 ⭐
First off, thank you to Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read this early. I couldn't finish this book. I read 48% and it just wasn't for me. From what I read, I didn't find anything to be "horror" or suspenseful. But I understand how some might find church cult drama and hardly (imo) descriptive, unaliving horror. The biggest horror for me was the disjointed babbling by Mavis and the lack of explanation of situations, but over-explaining unimportant things with a whole chapter. This book definitely fell short for me.
First off, thank you to Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read this early. I couldn't finish this book. I read 48% and it just wasn't for me. From what I read, I didn't find anything to be "horror" or suspenseful. But I understand how some might find church cult drama and hardly (imo) descriptive, unaliving horror. The biggest horror for me was the disjointed babbling by Mavis and the lack of explanation of situations, but over-explaining unimportant things with a whole chapter. This book definitely fell short for me.
January 24, 2026
Rating: 3 / 5
Format: eARC via NetGalley
The Body by Bethany C. Morrow is a psychological thriller horror novel. The main character, Mavis, has separated from her parents’ church congregation after marrying her husband, Jerrod. Although this separation has been beneficial to Mavis for her emotional and mental well-being, to heal from the frequent gaslighting, self-blaming, and to better find her own identity, the church and specifically the oaths she and her husband shared with its congregation cannot be escaped easily.
The story starts off with Mavis surviving a car crash, and things get more chaotic while she tries to understand why she is continually being physically attacked. Throughout the novel, Mavis’s history with the church and her upbringing is featured to explain her difficulties with both herself and relationships with those around her. Morrow does a good job creating a suspenseful and thrilling atmosphere, though there is a lot of telling, especially with the info-dumping of Mavis’s backstory, which I would have enjoyed more showing instead. The book features suspense, tension, paranoia, cult-like churches, gore, and body horror. This book heavily focuses on the areas of marriage, church, and infidelity. Based on this, I could easily see this book as a pick for popular book boxes such as Book of the Month or Aardvark for their readers that enjoy psychological thriller horror stories featuring the elements mentioned.
Thank you, Tor Publishing Group, for providing me with this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Format: eARC via NetGalley
The Body by Bethany C. Morrow is a psychological thriller horror novel. The main character, Mavis, has separated from her parents’ church congregation after marrying her husband, Jerrod. Although this separation has been beneficial to Mavis for her emotional and mental well-being, to heal from the frequent gaslighting, self-blaming, and to better find her own identity, the church and specifically the oaths she and her husband shared with its congregation cannot be escaped easily.
The story starts off with Mavis surviving a car crash, and things get more chaotic while she tries to understand why she is continually being physically attacked. Throughout the novel, Mavis’s history with the church and her upbringing is featured to explain her difficulties with both herself and relationships with those around her. Morrow does a good job creating a suspenseful and thrilling atmosphere, though there is a lot of telling, especially with the info-dumping of Mavis’s backstory, which I would have enjoyed more showing instead. The book features suspense, tension, paranoia, cult-like churches, gore, and body horror. This book heavily focuses on the areas of marriage, church, and infidelity. Based on this, I could easily see this book as a pick for popular book boxes such as Book of the Month or Aardvark for their readers that enjoy psychological thriller horror stories featuring the elements mentioned.
Thank you, Tor Publishing Group, for providing me with this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
dnf
January 29, 2026This book was not for me. It felt very abrupt and I didn’t really know what the point of the story was. One thing I will say is that fight scene in the bedroom that was gruesome and graphic and done really well!!! I ate that scene up!!!! I made it to 50% of the book and it just wasn’t gripping enough for me! It didn’t give me horror and the storyline wasn’t suspenseful enough for me. The start with the digging and all was super intriguing and that just fell off and I was not feeling it. I can see why this may be for some people. If you like fast paced action packed books this may not be for you. If you are looking for a slow burn type of book with bits and pieces of creepy elements you will eat this up!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I don't know how to feel about this book... it's marketed as a supernatural horror, but reads more as if it's wanting to be a literary horror (?), in my opinion. The main character is unlikeable (even if she has my sympathy for the trauma she went through), an unreliable narrator, and the religious overtones were odd. I pushed myself to finish it, just because more and more Final Destination-type things were happening and I wanted to see how it all ended, but I'm not surprised that others have DNF'd.
Thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted copy.
Website | Bookstagram | BookTok
Thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted copy.
Website | Bookstagram | BookTok
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The beginning had me in an absolute chokehold, but this one lost me about halfway through... I tried switching to an immersive read halfway through which helped, but it just wasn't for me.
This would be perfect for those who like religious trauma or cult like behaviour.
This would be perfect for those who like religious trauma or cult like behaviour.
January 28, 2026
The Body by Bethany C. Morrow is… complicated. I went in expecting pulse-pounding supernatural horror, I wanted to be scared or at least a little spooked, and instead got something far more literary, introspective, and abstract. Not bad! It just wasn’t what I came for.
Mavis’s story is a deep dive into religious trauma, psychological manipulation, and the aftermath of betrayals that cut to the bone. Her history is messy, painful, and sometimes impossible to watch unfold. The writing is undeniably sharp, with haunting moments and a fever-dream quality that lingers. There’s body horror, there’s tension, there’s attempted terror — but it never really landed for me. Instead of keeping me on edge, I felt a little adrift, unsure where the story was going or what to latch onto.
Mavis herself is compelling but difficult to root for. Her obsessive worry over her husband, her self-inflicted gaslighting, and her codependent patterns made her fascinating in theory but occasionally exhausting to follow. Jerrod and the supporting cast aren’t much easier to connect with — a parade of characters who often felt more like symbols than people. Books can have unlikable characters, but I need at least one thing to cling to in order to root for them, and I didn’t find that with any of these characters.
If you’re looking for a psychological, slow-burn, literary horror that meditates on trauma and relationships, this could be for you. If you’re expecting a traditional supernatural horror with teeth and genuine suspense, you might leave this one staring blankly at the wall wondering what just happened because it’s not at all what you were expecting.
Overall, The Body is fine. Solid writing, ambitious themes, and some genuinely unsettling ideas. But for me, it never fully grabbed me, and I ended the book more perplexed than thrilled. I do think this will find its audience within a niche community of readers who enjoy horror but prefer for that horror to come across as less terrifying and more quietly unsettling.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing | Tor Nightfire for this eARC!
Mavis’s story is a deep dive into religious trauma, psychological manipulation, and the aftermath of betrayals that cut to the bone. Her history is messy, painful, and sometimes impossible to watch unfold. The writing is undeniably sharp, with haunting moments and a fever-dream quality that lingers. There’s body horror, there’s tension, there’s attempted terror — but it never really landed for me. Instead of keeping me on edge, I felt a little adrift, unsure where the story was going or what to latch onto.
Mavis herself is compelling but difficult to root for. Her obsessive worry over her husband, her self-inflicted gaslighting, and her codependent patterns made her fascinating in theory but occasionally exhausting to follow. Jerrod and the supporting cast aren’t much easier to connect with — a parade of characters who often felt more like symbols than people. Books can have unlikable characters, but I need at least one thing to cling to in order to root for them, and I didn’t find that with any of these characters.
If you’re looking for a psychological, slow-burn, literary horror that meditates on trauma and relationships, this could be for you. If you’re expecting a traditional supernatural horror with teeth and genuine suspense, you might leave this one staring blankly at the wall wondering what just happened because it’s not at all what you were expecting.
Overall, The Body is fine. Solid writing, ambitious themes, and some genuinely unsettling ideas. But for me, it never fully grabbed me, and I ended the book more perplexed than thrilled. I do think this will find its audience within a niche community of readers who enjoy horror but prefer for that horror to come across as less terrifying and more quietly unsettling.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing | Tor Nightfire for this eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Body follows Mavis, a woman whose marriage is on the brink of collapse, after she gets into a huge car accident that sets into motion a strange chain of events seemingly focused on her and her husband.
The concept of this was very enthralling and definitely helped the story along most, but I found that the pacing was disjointed. One moment we would be in a tense, fast-paced situation, then it would switch to a long-winded flashback or Mavis's internal monologue.
There are a lot of topics touched on, particularly religious trauma and mental health, that I found to be explored well and led Mavis to be a sympathetic, if not unreliable, main character. Beyond Mavis, however, there is not a lot of character development for any of the side characters, so it felt sort of flat as things went along, particularly involving her husband Jerrod.
This started off very strong for me with some genuinely creepy moments, but I think somewhere in the middle it got a bit too meandering and focused too much on introducing past context and explorations of Mavis's parents and their congregation, that by the time we reached the end there was a lot of built-up tension that got lost along the way unfortunately.
I really loved A Song Below Water and I think Morrow's writing is very strong, this one in particular just didn't click for me. I hope to see her write more horror in the future because I would love to give it another try!
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
The concept of this was very enthralling and definitely helped the story along most, but I found that the pacing was disjointed. One moment we would be in a tense, fast-paced situation, then it would switch to a long-winded flashback or Mavis's internal monologue.
There are a lot of topics touched on, particularly religious trauma and mental health, that I found to be explored well and led Mavis to be a sympathetic, if not unreliable, main character. Beyond Mavis, however, there is not a lot of character development for any of the side characters, so it felt sort of flat as things went along, particularly involving her husband Jerrod.
This started off very strong for me with some genuinely creepy moments, but I think somewhere in the middle it got a bit too meandering and focused too much on introducing past context and explorations of Mavis's parents and their congregation, that by the time we reached the end there was a lot of built-up tension that got lost along the way unfortunately.
I really loved A Song Below Water and I think Morrow's writing is very strong, this one in particular just didn't click for me. I hope to see her write more horror in the future because I would love to give it another try!
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
January 24, 2026
4 stars. This was way darker than I was expecting, which I liked! It was also much better written than I was ready for. I struggled with the character of Mavis because she was so pathetic. But by the end of the book I really got the character so much more, and oh was her character arc dark.
Don’t be fooled by the cover on this one, it’s not a thriller. It is absolutely a horror book with some religious trauma tossed in for a little “fun”!
Don’t be fooled by the cover on this one, it’s not a thriller. It is absolutely a horror book with some religious trauma tossed in for a little “fun”!
January 30, 2026
I like how this book just jumped straight into the story/action, but the way the story unfolded was a little too obscure in its explanations. It felt like by the end, everything was just downplayed so much and now we’re just carrying on like it’s business as usually. Definitely an interesting concept, but there wasn’t much depth to it. The narrator was good though and did a great job performing as Mavis!
November 19, 2025
Thanks to Tor Nightfire for sending me this ARC.
This kind of felt like a revenge story... but more like self-revenge mingled with self-sabotage.
The story follows an abused, manipulated, and grossly oppressed FMC as she is thrown into a world of deciet, anxiety and a string of bizarre events. As a reader you quickly find yourself questioning her sanity, but by the end you're questioning the sanity of everyone around her.
This reads like a quick thriller with some fun moments..
This kind of felt like a revenge story... but more like self-revenge mingled with self-sabotage.
The story follows an abused, manipulated, and grossly oppressed FMC as she is thrown into a world of deciet, anxiety and a string of bizarre events. As a reader you quickly find yourself questioning her sanity, but by the end you're questioning the sanity of everyone around her.
This reads like a quick thriller with some fun moments..
Read
February 3, 2026DNF. I was hopeful! I swear. I love a religious aspect in a horror but this is like the 3rd eye gouging book in 2026. Enough is enough
October 26, 2025
I’m being nice with my rating because I received a free copy of this book through a giveaway. The concept for this book is there. The main idea is a good one. I felt like the writing got in the way of the storytelling a few times. The writing was unnecessarily convoluted. There were also some moments in the story that were good plot points, and then others that didn’t make much sense and took away from the value of the work as a whole. One good thing I liked about it is that it is fast-paced and a quick read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Bethany C. Morrow’s “The Body” is the kind of story that refuses to settle into just one genre or let you settle either. It’s part supernatural horror, part psychological suspense, part religious nightmare, and part searing social commentary. What begins as a story about a second-chance marriage quickly becomes something stranger and more unsteady: a story where trauma, belief, and truth blur until you’re no longer sure what’s real or whether that distinction even matters.
At the center of it all stands Mavis, a woman raised under the crushing expectations of a devout, insular congregation led by her parents. Her first marriage failed, a shame her community won’t let her forget, so she pours everything she has into being the perfect wife this time around. But when bizarre, brutal attacks begin targeting Mavis and her new husband Jerrod, such as accidents, assaults, and rituals that feel far more deliberate than random, Mavis becomes convinced something from her past is demanding retribution. The unease intensifies as Mavis reveals just how unreliable she might be, teasing out fragments of memory, guilt, and suppressed rage that complicate every answer she finds.
Morrow writes with an emotional sharpness that makes Mavis’s interiority feel claustrophobic and raw. The story is steeped in dread, threaded with feminine rage, religious repression, and the legacy of being told your body and your choices belong to others. Mavis is not always easy to like, and that feels intentional: her self-destructive impulses, confusing decisions, and inability to fully process her pain make her both infuriating and heartbreakingly real. Whether the escalating horrors are manifestations of trauma, the consequences of cult-like vows, or something literally supernatural is up for interpretation, and that ambiguity makes the story even more unsettling.
Pacing-wise, “The Body” hits hard from the start, then slows as flashbacks complicate the narrative momentum, before accelerating again toward an unnerving conclusion. The writing did feel dense and occasionally difficult to parse, which made me lost attention to the plot at times. The structure itself felt fragmented as if it were mirroring Mavis’s fractured self. Yet these stylistic choices reinforce what Morrow does best: immersing you in a psychological space where faith, fear, desire, and delusion coexist.
What lingers most isn’t just the horror, but the way the story interrogates who controls a woman’s story, whether that be her community, her partner, her past, or herself. Morrow forces you to confront how trauma shapes truth, how identity is policed through religion and expectation, and how the body becomes both battleground and proof.
Overall, “The Body” is an unsettling horror story that cuts deeper than jump scares. It’s for those who appreciate unreliable narrators, domestic unease, religious horror, and stories where the real terror may be the cage you were raised inside. While not every mystery is neatly resolved and not every character is easy to embrace, Morrow delivers a tale that haunts because it asks questions that linger long after the lights are off.
Bethany C. Morrow’s “The Body” is the kind of story that refuses to settle into just one genre or let you settle either. It’s part supernatural horror, part psychological suspense, part religious nightmare, and part searing social commentary. What begins as a story about a second-chance marriage quickly becomes something stranger and more unsteady: a story where trauma, belief, and truth blur until you’re no longer sure what’s real or whether that distinction even matters.
At the center of it all stands Mavis, a woman raised under the crushing expectations of a devout, insular congregation led by her parents. Her first marriage failed, a shame her community won’t let her forget, so she pours everything she has into being the perfect wife this time around. But when bizarre, brutal attacks begin targeting Mavis and her new husband Jerrod, such as accidents, assaults, and rituals that feel far more deliberate than random, Mavis becomes convinced something from her past is demanding retribution. The unease intensifies as Mavis reveals just how unreliable she might be, teasing out fragments of memory, guilt, and suppressed rage that complicate every answer she finds.
Morrow writes with an emotional sharpness that makes Mavis’s interiority feel claustrophobic and raw. The story is steeped in dread, threaded with feminine rage, religious repression, and the legacy of being told your body and your choices belong to others. Mavis is not always easy to like, and that feels intentional: her self-destructive impulses, confusing decisions, and inability to fully process her pain make her both infuriating and heartbreakingly real. Whether the escalating horrors are manifestations of trauma, the consequences of cult-like vows, or something literally supernatural is up for interpretation, and that ambiguity makes the story even more unsettling.
Pacing-wise, “The Body” hits hard from the start, then slows as flashbacks complicate the narrative momentum, before accelerating again toward an unnerving conclusion. The writing did feel dense and occasionally difficult to parse, which made me lost attention to the plot at times. The structure itself felt fragmented as if it were mirroring Mavis’s fractured self. Yet these stylistic choices reinforce what Morrow does best: immersing you in a psychological space where faith, fear, desire, and delusion coexist.
What lingers most isn’t just the horror, but the way the story interrogates who controls a woman’s story, whether that be her community, her partner, her past, or herself. Morrow forces you to confront how trauma shapes truth, how identity is policed through religion and expectation, and how the body becomes both battleground and proof.
Overall, “The Body” is an unsettling horror story that cuts deeper than jump scares. It’s for those who appreciate unreliable narrators, domestic unease, religious horror, and stories where the real terror may be the cage you were raised inside. While not every mystery is neatly resolved and not every character is easy to embrace, Morrow delivers a tale that haunts because it asks questions that linger long after the lights are off.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Disclosure Statement: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been influenced by the author or the publisher in any way.
With the rise of Christian nationalism throughout the country, we've been seeing a lot more religious horror crop up in recent years. But while many of those books focus in on the kind of damage done by faith and its supremacist leanings, The Body goes in an entirely separate direction, leaning into the social aspects of a congregation, and less on the aspects of faith itself.
And that leads the book into entirely novel territory. The basic horrors of The Body aren't in the religious dogma itself, but in the way in which a congregation of people will weaponize their own prejudices as a means of controlling the greater body of gatherers itself. The book is full of all kinds of violence, but it is the internalized traumas of how faith is weaponized to control behaviors, thought patterns, and self-construction that makes this book terrifying.
I've been comparing a lot of books to Shirley Jackson lately, but that's maybe because her work's persistent examination of social networks becoming traps that prevent people--and women especially--from being able to live their own lives authentically. Jackson's work reflects on how these social snares affect the psychology of the marginalized, so that they are often unable to define themselves in any other way except through their various oppressions, their very identity wound up in the ways through which they are prohibited from experiencing real freedom and self-management.
And while I don't know that The Body is specifically riffing on Shirley Jackson, I do think it is dealing with the same psychological trauma that comes from the perpetual reinforcement of social propaganda--how a congregation of people will use something like religion as a vehicle for control, and how that control can then poison a mind and debilitate one's self-evaluation and identity construction. The anxieties of the book are all wrapped up in the main character's sense of worthiness, what she is allowed to feel worthy of and what she fears not being good enough to have, and how her self-perception, poisoned as it is, guides her (and those around her) to truly destructive ends.
Fascinating and unpleasant, The Body is every bit what modern horror should be doing. In this case, it is addressing how our environments affect our self-perceptions and influence the fidelity of our relationships, and nothing is more horrifying than having to confront the ways in which society has failed you, and the ways you then fail yourself and the ones you most cherish.
With the rise of Christian nationalism throughout the country, we've been seeing a lot more religious horror crop up in recent years. But while many of those books focus in on the kind of damage done by faith and its supremacist leanings, The Body goes in an entirely separate direction, leaning into the social aspects of a congregation, and less on the aspects of faith itself.
And that leads the book into entirely novel territory. The basic horrors of The Body aren't in the religious dogma itself, but in the way in which a congregation of people will weaponize their own prejudices as a means of controlling the greater body of gatherers itself. The book is full of all kinds of violence, but it is the internalized traumas of how faith is weaponized to control behaviors, thought patterns, and self-construction that makes this book terrifying.
I've been comparing a lot of books to Shirley Jackson lately, but that's maybe because her work's persistent examination of social networks becoming traps that prevent people--and women especially--from being able to live their own lives authentically. Jackson's work reflects on how these social snares affect the psychology of the marginalized, so that they are often unable to define themselves in any other way except through their various oppressions, their very identity wound up in the ways through which they are prohibited from experiencing real freedom and self-management.
And while I don't know that The Body is specifically riffing on Shirley Jackson, I do think it is dealing with the same psychological trauma that comes from the perpetual reinforcement of social propaganda--how a congregation of people will use something like religion as a vehicle for control, and how that control can then poison a mind and debilitate one's self-evaluation and identity construction. The anxieties of the book are all wrapped up in the main character's sense of worthiness, what she is allowed to feel worthy of and what she fears not being good enough to have, and how her self-perception, poisoned as it is, guides her (and those around her) to truly destructive ends.
Fascinating and unpleasant, The Body is every bit what modern horror should be doing. In this case, it is addressing how our environments affect our self-perceptions and influence the fidelity of our relationships, and nothing is more horrifying than having to confront the ways in which society has failed you, and the ways you then fail yourself and the ones you most cherish.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Body by Bethany C. Morrow opens with a jolt. While Mavis is racing home, anxious and distracted, her car is hit hard from the side by someone running a red light, which lands her in the hospital. The driver of the other car turns out to be a friend of the family, who had died because of the accident. Not just any family friend, but someone who had attended Mavis’s marriage to Jerrod. A marriage that was punctuated by a congregational vow of marriage after Mavis and Jerrod had completed their own intimate vows. Till death do you part never meant so much.
Told entirely from Mavis’s perspective, Morrow’s The Body leans hard into Mavis’s unreliability. She knows she’s compromised, and the reader slowly learns why, piece by piece. This choice heightens the tension but also narrows the lens; at times, I wished the story went deeper or darker, particularly with the supporting cast. Jerrod, Mavis’s husband, never feels as fully realized as he could be, which slightly dulls the emotional stakes of the escalating attacks. Mavis’s parents could have brought a strong psychological depth to the story, rather than being almost like stick figures. Still, the concept behind those attacks, especially the church’s fixation on broken vows, is chilling, clever, and deeply uncomfortable in the best way.
Where the novel truly shines is in its thematic throughline: religious trauma, feminine rage, secrecy, and the inescapable gravity of a dysfunctional family. The slow-burn pacing may not work for everyone, but it kept me turning the pages, even when I felt I just needed quit. Fortunately, there’s a payoff. The ending is excellent. Clean, sharp, and perfectly chosen. The one thing that I specifically enjoyed about this book is that the story was nothing like anything I had read before. Pick a genre and I know, most likely, how it will end. The Body keeps the reader guessing until the very end. There were, however, two things that did not impress me. One, the author constantly used the word: TALON. Forty-seven times! My eyes rolled every time I saw the word. Two, the epilogue was a little too vague for me. I was like, what’s happening here. I hope when you read the epilogue, you can understand it.
Readers who enjoy cult horror, unreliable narrators, and creeping dread will find a lot to admire here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the advance copy of The Body by Bethany C. Morrow.
Told entirely from Mavis’s perspective, Morrow’s The Body leans hard into Mavis’s unreliability. She knows she’s compromised, and the reader slowly learns why, piece by piece. This choice heightens the tension but also narrows the lens; at times, I wished the story went deeper or darker, particularly with the supporting cast. Jerrod, Mavis’s husband, never feels as fully realized as he could be, which slightly dulls the emotional stakes of the escalating attacks. Mavis’s parents could have brought a strong psychological depth to the story, rather than being almost like stick figures. Still, the concept behind those attacks, especially the church’s fixation on broken vows, is chilling, clever, and deeply uncomfortable in the best way.
Where the novel truly shines is in its thematic throughline: religious trauma, feminine rage, secrecy, and the inescapable gravity of a dysfunctional family. The slow-burn pacing may not work for everyone, but it kept me turning the pages, even when I felt I just needed quit. Fortunately, there’s a payoff. The ending is excellent. Clean, sharp, and perfectly chosen. The one thing that I specifically enjoyed about this book is that the story was nothing like anything I had read before. Pick a genre and I know, most likely, how it will end. The Body keeps the reader guessing until the very end. There were, however, two things that did not impress me. One, the author constantly used the word: TALON. Forty-seven times! My eyes rolled every time I saw the word. Two, the epilogue was a little too vague for me. I was like, what’s happening here. I hope when you read the epilogue, you can understand it.
Readers who enjoy cult horror, unreliable narrators, and creeping dread will find a lot to admire here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the advance copy of The Body by Bethany C. Morrow.
November 22, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
Bethany C. Morrow’s The Body is a haunting, genre-bending novel that fuses psychological suspense with social commentary, exploring how identity, trauma, and truth collide in the most unsettling ways. It’s a book that lingers long after the final page, not because of its twists alone, but because of the questions it forces the reader to confront.
The Body is about the aftermath of violence—how communities respond, how survivors carry scars, and how truth is often contested in the shadow of power. Morrow crafts a narrative that is both intimate and expansive, centering on characters whose lives are irrevocably altered by a single act, yet refusing to reduce them to victims alone.
Morrow’s characters are layered, flawed, and deeply human. Their voices carry urgency and vulnerability, making the reader feel the weight of their choices and silences.
The novel’s settings—whether domestic interiors or public spaces—are charged with unease. Morrow uses the environment as a mirror for psychological states, heightening tension without resorting to melodrama.
This book interrogates how bodies are politicized, how trauma is inherited, and how narratives of violence are shaped by who gets to tell them. It’s as much about memory and erasure as it is about crime or mystery.
Morrow balances suspense with reflection, allowing the story to unfold in layers. The pacing is deliberate, ensuring that revelations feel earned rather than forced.
Her prose is sharp yet empathetic, weaving lyrical passages with stark realism. Dialogue carries emotional weight, often revealing more in what is left unsaid than in what is spoken.
The Body succeeds as a thriller and a meditation on identity. It’s not simply about solving a mystery but about confronting the ways society defines and distorts truth.
For readers who value crime fiction with psychological depth and cultural resonance, Morrow delivers a novel as thought-provoking as it is gripping.
Bethany C. Morrow’s The Body is a haunting, genre-bending novel that fuses psychological suspense with social commentary, exploring how identity, trauma, and truth collide in the most unsettling ways. It’s a book that lingers long after the final page, not because of its twists alone, but because of the questions it forces the reader to confront.
The Body is about the aftermath of violence—how communities respond, how survivors carry scars, and how truth is often contested in the shadow of power. Morrow crafts a narrative that is both intimate and expansive, centering on characters whose lives are irrevocably altered by a single act, yet refusing to reduce them to victims alone.
Morrow’s characters are layered, flawed, and deeply human. Their voices carry urgency and vulnerability, making the reader feel the weight of their choices and silences.
The novel’s settings—whether domestic interiors or public spaces—are charged with unease. Morrow uses the environment as a mirror for psychological states, heightening tension without resorting to melodrama.
This book interrogates how bodies are politicized, how trauma is inherited, and how narratives of violence are shaped by who gets to tell them. It’s as much about memory and erasure as it is about crime or mystery.
Morrow balances suspense with reflection, allowing the story to unfold in layers. The pacing is deliberate, ensuring that revelations feel earned rather than forced.
Her prose is sharp yet empathetic, weaving lyrical passages with stark realism. Dialogue carries emotional weight, often revealing more in what is left unsaid than in what is spoken.
The Body succeeds as a thriller and a meditation on identity. It’s not simply about solving a mystery but about confronting the ways society defines and distorts truth.
For readers who value crime fiction with psychological depth and cultural resonance, Morrow delivers a novel as thought-provoking as it is gripping.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I disliked this book so much, I actually felt relief when it was over.
Usually, when I’m not enjoying a book at all, I DNF it, but I kept going because I typically really enjoy books that have weird culty religions and I did want to see what the deal was with the religion Mavis left. But the religion just sounded a lot like christianity with an added sort of supernatural element that made people murderous, and there was no real explanation of what made them behave that way. I think it might have been a critique of how seriously the christian religion takes abstaining from premarital sex and adultery, but I’m not positive because the story was kind of all over the place.
None of the characters are likeable, which can be perfectly fine but didn’t feel that way in The Body. It was impossible for me to to connect or empathize with a single one of them and I didn’t hate them either. They were just… there. Mavis and Jerrod both had times where they behaved way out of their established character, which threw me for a loop and left me feeling confused.
Speaking of being confused, I didn’t know what was going on several times throughout the book. It felt like I was supposed to know more about the religion than I did.
It felt like the pacing was extremely slow, but it’s probably closer to medium-paced. I think I just felt to me like it dragged on because I was a bit bored for a lot of it.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was good. She did a great job of capturing the correct tone of voice for each line of dialogue. Something I thought was funny was that if there was ever a word that has more than one pronunciation, she pronounced it differently than I do. I certainly don’t hold it against her though. I’d listen to her again for sure. It just made me laugh.
I received an ALC of this book from Macmillan Audio.
Usually, when I’m not enjoying a book at all, I DNF it, but I kept going because I typically really enjoy books that have weird culty religions and I did want to see what the deal was with the religion Mavis left. But the religion just sounded a lot like christianity with an added sort of supernatural element that made people murderous, and there was no real explanation of what made them behave that way. I think it might have been a critique of how seriously the christian religion takes abstaining from premarital sex and adultery, but I’m not positive because the story was kind of all over the place.
None of the characters are likeable, which can be perfectly fine but didn’t feel that way in The Body. It was impossible for me to to connect or empathize with a single one of them and I didn’t hate them either. They were just… there. Mavis and Jerrod both had times where they behaved way out of their established character, which threw me for a loop and left me feeling confused.
Speaking of being confused, I didn’t know what was going on several times throughout the book. It felt like I was supposed to know more about the religion than I did.
It felt like the pacing was extremely slow, but it’s probably closer to medium-paced. I think I just felt to me like it dragged on because I was a bit bored for a lot of it.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was good. She did a great job of capturing the correct tone of voice for each line of dialogue. Something I thought was funny was that if there was ever a word that has more than one pronunciation, she pronounced it differently than I do. I certainly don’t hold it against her though. I’d listen to her again for sure. It just made me laugh.
I received an ALC of this book from Macmillan Audio.
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