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Bodymore #1
Bleed More, Bodymore
HORROR IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN EVIL OVERTAKES THE HEART.
Joey’s a Baltimore mechanic. One night, she receives a call from her best friend, asking for his car to be picked up from the infamous body dumping grounds of Baltimore: Leakin Park. When she arrives, there’s little more around than a stalled-out car and a couple of ravens, so she leaves only with the car. Back at the body shop, it doesn’t take long for the smell of rot to permeate the trunk. Inside? A corpse. The cops said her friend did it. His absence is his guilt, but Joey knows better. She will find her missing friend and she will prove his innocence.
But something isn’t right in Baltimore. It’s not just the feeling that someone is always watching from the city’s abandoned buildings... Her search for her friend reveals something much worse hiding under Baltimore. A ghost town, a reaper, regret. Suddenly, the city’s rage and the stink that rising out of the dirt make much more sense.
Joey’s a Baltimore mechanic. One night, she receives a call from her best friend, asking for his car to be picked up from the infamous body dumping grounds of Baltimore: Leakin Park. When she arrives, there’s little more around than a stalled-out car and a couple of ravens, so she leaves only with the car. Back at the body shop, it doesn’t take long for the smell of rot to permeate the trunk. Inside? A corpse. The cops said her friend did it. His absence is his guilt, but Joey knows better. She will find her missing friend and she will prove his innocence.
But something isn’t right in Baltimore. It’s not just the feeling that someone is always watching from the city’s abandoned buildings... Her search for her friend reveals something much worse hiding under Baltimore. A ghost town, a reaper, regret. Suddenly, the city’s rage and the stink that rising out of the dirt make much more sense.
302 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2021
8 people are currently reading
1646 people want to read
About the author
Ian Kirkpatrick
10 books128 followersIan Kirkpatrick is an award-winning author and Majima stan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
August 5, 2021
I have received a free advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Ian Kirkpatrick, Steak House Books and Net Galley for this opportunity!
4/5
The sky in Baltimore, Maryland is never serene. Even on a seemingly sunny day, there's always a tinge of gloom in the air, and the smell of death and rot plagues the town. It's not like the denizens of Baltimore actually mind though, and if they do, they've probably buried that discontentment deep down and just accepted the twisted laws that rule the land as a way of life. In Baltimore, passing by streets littered with black plastic bags knowing there's a 50/50 chance of finding either some trash or a corpse inside is as normal as seeing a hot dog stand at the side of the road (not that Baltimore seems to have any of those). Cops have thriving careers in these hoods, since high crime equals high frequency calls for work, but don't be fooled into thinking they're the bastions of fairness and honour. Overall, Baltimore isn't the type of town you'd want to live in if you have thin skin, and our main character Josephine, who goes by Joey, is luckily anything but that. She needs all the skin she can get, since after finding a mutilated corpse in the trunk of her friend Wayland's car after being asked to pick it up from the town's body dumping grounds, Joey's life takes a drastic and chaotic turn.
Where is Wayland? Why the hell would he leave a dead body in his trunk and ask for it to be picked up? Was he the one who committed the crime, or is he a victim of someone else's twisted agenda? Joey finds herself drowning in all of these questions and her life spirals down out of control the more she tries finding answers, as she unwittingly comes across the dark secrets that lurk underneath Baltimore and are the breeding grounds of all the horrors, deaths and darkness that have haunted the city ever since Joey could remember.
This is my first time reading Ian Kirkpatrick's work, and I went into it expecting a dark and twisted tale. That I did indeed get, but what I was not expecting was the heavy dose of absurdist writing style that flavoured this entire work, reminding me of Christopher Moore's "A Dirty Job", with heavy doses of introspection as we read the story from the first-person perspective of Joey, whose mind is anything but dull. From the very first chapter, I was instantly drawn into Josephine's world, her perspective on life tinged with the intensity of her angst and her surprising wisdom, being painfully aware of life's harshness, with zero sugarcoating and refreshing honesty.
This is where Ian Kirkpatrick shines as a writer, her writing style being very beautifully descriptive, not shying away from portraying Joey's damaged life as authentically as possible, being vulgar in all the right ways to make all the right impacts. The world building was pretty good and the atmosphere was beautifully crafted. I could nicely visualize the locations in Baltimore and the lands beyond, with the dark skies and the blackened moon and stars and the way the lights shine purple on the leaves at nighttime, and the cold fog that mutes out all the surrounding sounds when it spreads around you. The presence of ravens that symbolize death added a nice gothic touch to this world that's teeming with spooky delights.
With all of its darkness and grit, Bleed More, Bodymore is also a pretty funny read. Joey's blunt humour is probably her coping mechanism for surviving life at Baltimore, and she uses it here in spades. Her wit and her bombastic comebacks alongside the reactions of other characters to her strong personality will at the very least provide you with amused chuckles.
Storytelling wise, the plot is fast moving and Ian Kirkpatrick spares us from the details of the little things like commuting and the spaces between intense moments. You won't have to wait 2 chapters for your characters to get from point A to B, it's fast and the pace favours action. If you like your books a little bit more drawn out with these aspects, this might irritate you, but I found it to be a relief, because this is the kind of story I'd wanna be in the middle of the action of.
The character work was alright, though I would have preferred for certain characters whom we spend a while wondering about to have been a bit more fleshed out and have had more of a personality. Since the main focus was on the first-person perspective of Joey, some other characters felt a bit underdeveloped compared to her. I hope the next installment in this series gives a little more depth to the rest of our cast.
This book is a perfect Halloween read, which is awesome since it's coming out on the 31st of October later this year. If you'd like to have a spooky read this Fall season, with a good amount of humour to accompany it, make sure to pick this book up and plunge into the broken and spooky world of Baltimore!
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"I don't know what it is about this place that makes people desperate. Desperate for a future. Desperate for money. Desperate for someone else. It's always everything we don't have that's going to solve that desperation."
October 25, 2021
Ok, let's start with what I liked. The concept of a ghost town with reapers and ravens, soul collection and second chances sounds right up my alley! l think there was a lot of thought put into this idea about what this world could be. Unfortunately, for me it wasn't executed well.
The writing felt stream of consciousness and gave a weirdly disorienting feeling to where I wasn't quite sure where I was in the story or why. The narratives on Baltimore, its citizens, society, and the police were all repetitive generalizations. Baltimore is terrible, police officers are incompetent, Sol is emotionless, and Joey has a lip ring. It was too much for no reason. Some of the things that happened to Joey were too convenient (like her final "deal") and hard to believe.
As for the characters, no one was fully fleshed out, especially Joey. She deals with a lot of trauma, but all I got were poor decisions, clichés about not crying and dumb jokes. Oh, and these characters had zero chemistry.
I won't be continuing with this series. The main questions of this book (what happened to her friend and who's in the trunk?) go unanswered. Hopefully, the characters get some more depth and the plot a little more concise and engaging.
Shout out to NetGallery and Steak House Books for the eARC.
The writing felt stream of consciousness and gave a weirdly disorienting feeling to where I wasn't quite sure where I was in the story or why. The narratives on Baltimore, its citizens, society, and the police were all repetitive generalizations. Baltimore is terrible, police officers are incompetent, Sol is emotionless, and Joey has a lip ring. It was too much for no reason. Some of the things that happened to Joey were too convenient (like her final "deal") and hard to believe.
As for the characters, no one was fully fleshed out, especially Joey. She deals with a lot of trauma, but all I got were poor decisions, clichés about not crying and dumb jokes. Oh, and these characters had zero chemistry.
I won't be continuing with this series. The main questions of this book (what happened to her friend and who's in the trunk?) go unanswered. Hopefully, the characters get some more depth and the plot a little more concise and engaging.
Shout out to NetGallery and Steak House Books for the eARC.
August 4, 2021
[I received a digital arc from NetGalley for an honest review]
"We live in Bodymore, Rocky. The status quo is bleeding on the pavement without a pulse."
As a fan of Ian Kirkpatrick's writing I was excited to see what new story and characters had created, and I was not disappointed!
Bleed More, Bodymore follows Joey, a mechanic who has had a not so pleasant life which doesn't get any better when she's called to tow in her best friend's car. She hasn't spoken to him in days and when she finds a body in the trunk and an odd substance that burns her skin, her already sh*tty life is sent into a tailspin. Stumbling onto bodies left and right, seeing dead people, trying to find her friend, visiting the afterlife, she does what she has to do in order to survive her godforsaken town.
The book gives us a great cast of characters, each unique in their own way. Joey, Jag and Val were my favorites. Joey was scrappy as f*ck, she knew how to get herself out of sticky situations, and she's literally a ride or die friend when it comes to Wayland. Wayland, I'm not sure how I feel about, I think I pity him but hopefully in future books his character becomes more solid for me. Next there's Jag, Joey's I want to call him her boyfriend but they definitely aren't the type of people to label things like that. Jag grew on me quickly as he stuck by Joey and tried to help her when he could, even if he didn't understand what the hell was going on. Last but not least, there's Val who I won't go into details about because he's a side character who I latched onto for some reason and I just looked forward to every time he landed on the page.
Story wise, I was engaged from the beginning and invested in figuring out what all was going on. There are more than a few creepy scenes, especially one in an old abandoned fort that gave me some serious anxiety and freaked me out. I'll be honest, I was confused for a bit around the halfway point because I had more than a few questions that I was trying to figure out before the book had made all its reveals. Thankfully, by the end it all came together, and my questions were answered.
Bleed More, Bodymore is an entertaining dark journey involving reapers, the afterlife, and not so dead a**holes. I am very much looking forward to what else Ian Kirkpatrick comes up with for the characters, because it ended with the promise of interesting things to come.
"We live in Bodymore, Rocky. The status quo is bleeding on the pavement without a pulse."
As a fan of Ian Kirkpatrick's writing I was excited to see what new story and characters had created, and I was not disappointed!
Bleed More, Bodymore follows Joey, a mechanic who has had a not so pleasant life which doesn't get any better when she's called to tow in her best friend's car. She hasn't spoken to him in days and when she finds a body in the trunk and an odd substance that burns her skin, her already sh*tty life is sent into a tailspin. Stumbling onto bodies left and right, seeing dead people, trying to find her friend, visiting the afterlife, she does what she has to do in order to survive her godforsaken town.
The book gives us a great cast of characters, each unique in their own way. Joey, Jag and Val were my favorites. Joey was scrappy as f*ck, she knew how to get herself out of sticky situations, and she's literally a ride or die friend when it comes to Wayland. Wayland, I'm not sure how I feel about, I think I pity him but hopefully in future books his character becomes more solid for me. Next there's Jag, Joey's I want to call him her boyfriend but they definitely aren't the type of people to label things like that. Jag grew on me quickly as he stuck by Joey and tried to help her when he could, even if he didn't understand what the hell was going on. Last but not least, there's Val who I won't go into details about because he's a side character who I latched onto for some reason and I just looked forward to every time he landed on the page.
Story wise, I was engaged from the beginning and invested in figuring out what all was going on. There are more than a few creepy scenes, especially one in an old abandoned fort that gave me some serious anxiety and freaked me out. I'll be honest, I was confused for a bit around the halfway point because I had more than a few questions that I was trying to figure out before the book had made all its reveals. Thankfully, by the end it all came together, and my questions were answered.
Bleed More, Bodymore is an entertaining dark journey involving reapers, the afterlife, and not so dead a**holes. I am very much looking forward to what else Ian Kirkpatrick comes up with for the characters, because it ended with the promise of interesting things to come.
November 9, 2021
Well this was a hard one. First off this is a review of the audiobook. The author is really good. The story was pretty good. The audiobook is read by a guy (the main character is a girl and the story is told by her perspective) and Kieran Regan is VERY talented. Yet, everything about this story was unsettling and unnerving.
This is a very angry story. Maybe one of the angriest stories I've read or listened to in ages. It's different, it's unique, it's something I think one needs to experience to understand what I'm saying.
I don't know if I liked it or not. I had to finish it, I wanted to know what happened. At times it was hard to turn off. Unlike a dnf that I can't get into at all, I was interested in the story. As I said before, the author is talented. I would try another book by her.
When I was a teenager I think I would have identified better with this story yet this is not a YA book by any stretch of the imagination. It makes me remember how I'd listen to a certain song repetitively when I was fit to be tied back then. Building up my emotional breakdown. These characters are the embodiment of that emotional overload.
With all that being said it still deserves a 3 star. There's a lot of talent there. Just because it made me grind my teeth and want to kick something doesn't take away from the talent. I still couldn't put it down at times.
This was an audiobook ARC from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a very angry story. Maybe one of the angriest stories I've read or listened to in ages. It's different, it's unique, it's something I think one needs to experience to understand what I'm saying.
I don't know if I liked it or not. I had to finish it, I wanted to know what happened. At times it was hard to turn off. Unlike a dnf that I can't get into at all, I was interested in the story. As I said before, the author is talented. I would try another book by her.
When I was a teenager I think I would have identified better with this story yet this is not a YA book by any stretch of the imagination. It makes me remember how I'd listen to a certain song repetitively when I was fit to be tied back then. Building up my emotional breakdown. These characters are the embodiment of that emotional overload.
With all that being said it still deserves a 3 star. There's a lot of talent there. Just because it made me grind my teeth and want to kick something doesn't take away from the talent. I still couldn't put it down at times.
This was an audiobook ARC from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 17, 2021
This isn't my usual type of book, but the summary really appealed (and the cover is also great) so I had to give it a go. (A huge thanks to both the author and BookSirens for an eARC).
The writing style is great - incredibly easy with a nice rhythm, even if it did delve slightly into the clichéd at times. The set-up was also intriguing and felt incredibly real (it made me never want to visit Baltimore, actually!).
I didn't connect with the main character, Joey, as much as I would have liked to, but the plot was solid enough, and ended up being so engaging and unique, that that didn't bother me too much. At first I was confused about where it was all going, but then as we got towards the finale I was fully invested and could see that the book had the potential to set up a series, which I would definitely be interested in continuing.
All in all, a good 4-star read which I would recommend.
The writing style is great - incredibly easy with a nice rhythm, even if it did delve slightly into the clichéd at times. The set-up was also intriguing and felt incredibly real (it made me never want to visit Baltimore, actually!).
I didn't connect with the main character, Joey, as much as I would have liked to, but the plot was solid enough, and ended up being so engaging and unique, that that didn't bother me too much. At first I was confused about where it was all going, but then as we got towards the finale I was fully invested and could see that the book had the potential to set up a series, which I would definitely be interested in continuing.
All in all, a good 4-star read which I would recommend.
December 28, 2021
Esta novela la leí como copia avanzada gracias a Steak House Books y Netgalley, así que agradezco por eso. Leí el libro durante la spooky season, mi época favorita, y estuvo muy apropiada. Nos situamos en Baltimore (¿hay lugar más gótico y spooky?), una historia donde la muerte es protagonista. La forma que tengo para recomendar este libro es simple, aunque efectiva: si te gustó el clásico de Tim Burton Corpse Bride, te vas a enganchar mucho con este libro.
October 30, 2021
OK so this book was a wild ride from beginning to end and I’m kind of here for it. First can I just say as someone born and raised in Killadelphia knowing that Baltimore has its own quirky dead name amuses me to no end. Baltimore and Philly have for decades been like twins and I loved that little aspect of the city being shown here.
Also a note about the audiobook. The narrator is a male voice but our POV character is a girl. That isn’t immediately obvious, the most feminine attribute she has is eyeliner, and that can be a little confusing or disorienting in the beginning. But once I adjusted my frame of reference here it didn’t take me out of the story; the voice used was slightly softer, a little more androgynous and by the end that’s what Joey sounded like in my head and I was totally OK with it.
Now for the story itself, I enjoyed myself. It was a little difficult at times to adjust my mental picture to what was happening. It’s almost like this blend of magical realism and urban fantasy. Because of that sometimes my brain took a little bit longer to catch up. It was like I was having the same struggles that Joey was having in orienting myself with this new reality. So while that did make it slower for me to connect in certain places ultimately I did connect.
I’m also a huge fan of this cast of characters. I did see in somebody else’s review they think that Joey reads as “not like other girls”. And while I can totally see why somebody would maybe take that away from this, I think that this is really an instance of somebody not understanding a lifestyle. Joey is quintessentially from the wrong side of the tracks. And that means that her worldview and the things that she finds acceptable and not acceptable the way that she oriented herself in the world is different. There is no safe space for her, there is no savior for her so she has to do it all herself. For people who haven’t grown up in that kind of environment I can see where that might read as being “not like other girls“. In reality I think it’s just an example of a different worldview, one that isn’t considered very often when it comes to books. I was also a huge fan of Jag 10 out of 10 would recommend. I’m very into Val also, there was snark, there was sass, he’s also turns into a creepy black bird, it was all there for me. I appreciated how Sol was this very glitch in the matrix type moment or character, I liked seeing that on the page as well.
Overall the beginning was a little bit slower but I felt like it did set the stage well for us to follow along with what was going on. It definitely created that atmosphere where the cops are incompetent and can’t be trusted, which is my lived experience too. Made it very believable that these people would try and work things out themselves because there is no trust of authority figures here. Overall I liked it I thought it was handled really well and I will be continuing in the series.
I would like to think net galley for letting me have early access to both the e-book and the audiobook, and tomorrow when it releases I will be getting a copy of my own.
Also a note about the audiobook. The narrator is a male voice but our POV character is a girl. That isn’t immediately obvious, the most feminine attribute she has is eyeliner, and that can be a little confusing or disorienting in the beginning. But once I adjusted my frame of reference here it didn’t take me out of the story; the voice used was slightly softer, a little more androgynous and by the end that’s what Joey sounded like in my head and I was totally OK with it.
Now for the story itself, I enjoyed myself. It was a little difficult at times to adjust my mental picture to what was happening. It’s almost like this blend of magical realism and urban fantasy. Because of that sometimes my brain took a little bit longer to catch up. It was like I was having the same struggles that Joey was having in orienting myself with this new reality. So while that did make it slower for me to connect in certain places ultimately I did connect.
I’m also a huge fan of this cast of characters. I did see in somebody else’s review they think that Joey reads as “not like other girls”. And while I can totally see why somebody would maybe take that away from this, I think that this is really an instance of somebody not understanding a lifestyle. Joey is quintessentially from the wrong side of the tracks. And that means that her worldview and the things that she finds acceptable and not acceptable the way that she oriented herself in the world is different. There is no safe space for her, there is no savior for her so she has to do it all herself. For people who haven’t grown up in that kind of environment I can see where that might read as being “not like other girls“. In reality I think it’s just an example of a different worldview, one that isn’t considered very often when it comes to books. I was also a huge fan of Jag 10 out of 10 would recommend. I’m very into Val also, there was snark, there was sass, he’s also turns into a creepy black bird, it was all there for me. I appreciated how Sol was this very glitch in the matrix type moment or character, I liked seeing that on the page as well.
Overall the beginning was a little bit slower but I felt like it did set the stage well for us to follow along with what was going on. It definitely created that atmosphere where the cops are incompetent and can’t be trusted, which is my lived experience too. Made it very believable that these people would try and work things out themselves because there is no trust of authority figures here. Overall I liked it I thought it was handled really well and I will be continuing in the series.
I would like to think net galley for letting me have early access to both the e-book and the audiobook, and tomorrow when it releases I will be getting a copy of my own.
September 1, 2024
Bleed More, Bodymore features a highly unique first person style that I have historically found to be hit or miss. Thankfully, with this author, it's a hit. The short, snappy flashes of emotion and action keep interest high throughout without belaboring feelings and thoughts for so long that it becomes dull; like I see done in many works of this style.
The main character, Joey, is a deeply flawed, but likable character who relies on sarcasm and snark to mask any deeper emotions that she deems weak. She holds everyone at arm's length, all except for her best friend from childhood who's disappearance the story revolves around. She holds a deeply conflicted worldview, hating the police as a whole while still utilizing them for the wellbeing of her lost friend. Some of her preconceptions, many of which are from dramatized television and not necessarily reality, are proven correct about the police and city; others are refuted and you can watch her learn from experience while still fighting her baked in beliefs.
The story starts out pretty normal, much of the horrors visited upon Joey can be chalked up to fear and anxiety making normal interactions in the dark seem far more sinister. As the story progresses, though, you are flipflopped between Joey's literal interpretation of the events and a more grounded understanding of reality. Not only is Joey questioning her sanity, so are you. I won't spoil the last third of the book, but it goes dark fast and touches upon a lot of philosophical subjects regarding existence and death. I personally feel that the topics are presented genuinely and in a way that really makes you reflect upon the real world and not just the story being told.
I knocked a star off of my rating because of the relationship between Joey and Jagger (my favorite character). While I am all about the loyalty he expresses, he is not really given a whole lot of reason to be as devoted as he is to Joey through the tortuous experience. She is generally pretty snarky to him while he is attempting to be genuine. Through the first half of the book, they seemed more like a fling where she stays distant from him in most of their interactions. I get the feeling that some story elements between them were cut out in editing to streamline the story, but it leaves these fragments of character interaction that feel disconnected and cut short that probably would have better cemented their relationship in my mind and explained his desire to help her. When things get really crazy, Jag is willing to put his life on the line for a person who has generally been cold toward him and in many cases isn't even asking for his help. But that's just my interpretation, you might think differently of them.
Overall, great book, I enjoyed it thoroughly and would recommend it to anyone interested in supernatural mystery. Looking forward to the second in the series!
The main character, Joey, is a deeply flawed, but likable character who relies on sarcasm and snark to mask any deeper emotions that she deems weak. She holds everyone at arm's length, all except for her best friend from childhood who's disappearance the story revolves around. She holds a deeply conflicted worldview, hating the police as a whole while still utilizing them for the wellbeing of her lost friend. Some of her preconceptions, many of which are from dramatized television and not necessarily reality, are proven correct about the police and city; others are refuted and you can watch her learn from experience while still fighting her baked in beliefs.
The story starts out pretty normal, much of the horrors visited upon Joey can be chalked up to fear and anxiety making normal interactions in the dark seem far more sinister. As the story progresses, though, you are flipflopped between Joey's literal interpretation of the events and a more grounded understanding of reality. Not only is Joey questioning her sanity, so are you. I won't spoil the last third of the book, but it goes dark fast and touches upon a lot of philosophical subjects regarding existence and death. I personally feel that the topics are presented genuinely and in a way that really makes you reflect upon the real world and not just the story being told.
I knocked a star off of my rating because of the relationship between Joey and Jagger (my favorite character). While I am all about the loyalty he expresses, he is not really given a whole lot of reason to be as devoted as he is to Joey through the tortuous experience. She is generally pretty snarky to him while he is attempting to be genuine. Through the first half of the book, they seemed more like a fling where she stays distant from him in most of their interactions. I get the feeling that some story elements between them were cut out in editing to streamline the story, but it leaves these fragments of character interaction that feel disconnected and cut short that probably would have better cemented their relationship in my mind and explained his desire to help her. When things get really crazy, Jag is willing to put his life on the line for a person who has generally been cold toward him and in many cases isn't even asking for his help. But that's just my interpretation, you might think differently of them.
Overall, great book, I enjoyed it thoroughly and would recommend it to anyone interested in supernatural mystery. Looking forward to the second in the series!
October 22, 2021
This book took me a little bit of time to get into, but I soon couldn't put it down! Very interesting story; I like the supernatural aspect. Definitely great for the Halloween season!
Thank you to NetGalley and Steak House Books for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Steak House Books for the ARC!
October 27, 2021
⭐️⭐️/5
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It took me so long too get through to the point that I got a slump.
I have to say that the narration was spot on. For me, it was kind of slow but the Netgalley shelf app made it easier to make the audio faster which was really helpful for me. Kieran Regan, the narrator had done a great job with sound effects which had changed the mood of the story and it helped it make sense. It was also quite interesting to hear the sound effects because it gave a simple idea and for me, a vague imagination of what was going on.
I also have to say that the world building was very good and descriptive which is what made me raise my rating to 2 stars.
However, there were some downsides to the story as well. What really got to me was the way the story was written or how it was structured. I often found myself distracted either because the storyline was slow, or because of the main character.
One thing I can say for sure is that I didn’t feel connected to the characters. They lacked development and depth to be honest. The author kept repeating a certain phrase from Joey’s POV were she sucked or bit her lip ring and I found the phrase annoying because of how many times it was repeated.
I also found that the story was quite slow, and I prefer fast paced plot lines because I often get bored easily to the point were I felt I just needed a break from the book and i just wanted to DNF it.
Overall, I think the plot line is good, but the writing style was not for me
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It took me so long too get through to the point that I got a slump.
I have to say that the narration was spot on. For me, it was kind of slow but the Netgalley shelf app made it easier to make the audio faster which was really helpful for me. Kieran Regan, the narrator had done a great job with sound effects which had changed the mood of the story and it helped it make sense. It was also quite interesting to hear the sound effects because it gave a simple idea and for me, a vague imagination of what was going on.
I also have to say that the world building was very good and descriptive which is what made me raise my rating to 2 stars.
However, there were some downsides to the story as well. What really got to me was the way the story was written or how it was structured. I often found myself distracted either because the storyline was slow, or because of the main character.
One thing I can say for sure is that I didn’t feel connected to the characters. They lacked development and depth to be honest. The author kept repeating a certain phrase from Joey’s POV were she sucked or bit her lip ring and I found the phrase annoying because of how many times it was repeated.
I also found that the story was quite slow, and I prefer fast paced plot lines because I often get bored easily to the point were I felt I just needed a break from the book and i just wanted to DNF it.
Overall, I think the plot line is good, but the writing style was not for me
September 22, 2022
Book 1 feels very much like a prequel to a much longer series.
The premise is really interesting but this installment really didn't do it for me. Joey isn't likable in the slightest, to the point that I don't understand how she even has two friends and a job.
I liked Jag, though the book couldn't quite decide if his name is Jay or Jag. Wayland isn't really a character yet, just a first book McGuffin.
There's sections of the story that are left unexplained, then repeated in a way that confused me as to why they were there the first time.
The set-up for future books is great though and I'll give the next book a shot to see if the series lands.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The premise is really interesting but this installment really didn't do it for me. Joey isn't likable in the slightest, to the point that I don't understand how she even has two friends and a job.
I liked Jag, though the book couldn't quite decide if his name is Jay or Jag. Wayland isn't really a character yet, just a first book McGuffin.
There's sections of the story that are left unexplained, then repeated in a way that confused me as to why they were there the first time.
The set-up for future books is great though and I'll give the next book a shot to see if the series lands.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 30, 2025
This novel is an atmospheric magical realism story following the scrappy Joey as she navigates the bloody ghost filled streets off Baltimore.
Some of the things that stood out to me:
- Joey the protagonist is such a breath of fresh air. Often protagonists are the everyman and lack a vibrant personality, but Joey was an icon. She was flawed and said and did dumb things sometimes, but she was also loyal and hilarious, and both her attributes and flaws are things I love about her. I felt defensive when certain characters shaded her and was upset at the injustice she faced, especially the supernatural.
- The atmosphere of the city is so good. the descriptions of the environments were immersive and this world had such a distinct character to it that I can not compare to any other! Specifically there is a scene with graffiti being interspersed with the action that I thought was amazingly done!
- Ghosts! I have a soft spot for ghost, due to having read many ghost stories as a kid. I really enjoyed how they were written as part of life aka magical realism. I haven't read magical realism before, so I don't have strong stances on it, but I loved how the Ghosts prescence in this story warped characters perspectives on reality and became part of life in Baltimore even if not fully realized for what they are by the citizens.
- Other characters I also really liked were Jag (the common sense one), Detective Stone aka Rocky (the one in rooting to become friends with Joey), and Wayland (you have to read to find out).
Anyway those are my thoughts for now! Let me know if you've read this or want to!
Some of the things that stood out to me:
- Joey the protagonist is such a breath of fresh air. Often protagonists are the everyman and lack a vibrant personality, but Joey was an icon. She was flawed and said and did dumb things sometimes, but she was also loyal and hilarious, and both her attributes and flaws are things I love about her. I felt defensive when certain characters shaded her and was upset at the injustice she faced, especially the supernatural.
- The atmosphere of the city is so good. the descriptions of the environments were immersive and this world had such a distinct character to it that I can not compare to any other! Specifically there is a scene with graffiti being interspersed with the action that I thought was amazingly done!
- Ghosts! I have a soft spot for ghost, due to having read many ghost stories as a kid. I really enjoyed how they were written as part of life aka magical realism. I haven't read magical realism before, so I don't have strong stances on it, but I loved how the Ghosts prescence in this story warped characters perspectives on reality and became part of life in Baltimore even if not fully realized for what they are by the citizens.
- Other characters I also really liked were Jag (the common sense one), Detective Stone aka Rocky (the one in rooting to become friends with Joey), and Wayland (you have to read to find out).
Anyway those are my thoughts for now! Let me know if you've read this or want to!
September 20, 2021
5/5 - One of the BEST Supernatural Suspense books I’ve read…
{ARC} I was graciously gifted an advance reader copy by the author and publisher, Steak House Books, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Bleed More, Bodymore is one of those books that takes a cool supernatural world with heart eating raven shifters, Greek mythology, horror, and expert world building, while combining a deep story about loneliness, depression, the need to be loved, and parental abandonment.
The main character, Joey, is not a protagonist that has her shit together. She’s a mess. Self-destructive. Closed off from those that love her stemmed from fear of being left again and again.
While this story is deep and dark, there’s a steak if light with Jag. He’s in love with Joey. He cares for her and tries to protect her in all the ways that he can. Jag is a good guy and no matter hard she pushes him away - figuratively and literally at times - he never gives up on her. Never. This is the type of romantic elements I search for in a book that is not from the romance genre.
Ms Kirkpatrick delivers the emotional elements, the good and bad, expertly throughout the book. The chemistry is palatable between all the characters in this story. The world building is immersive; I felt like I was walking next to Joey and experiencing Baltimore with her as a tour guide.
I’m glad this book is part of a series and I have grabby hands for book 2!
🌟 RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 31, 2021 🎃
{ARC} I was graciously gifted an advance reader copy by the author and publisher, Steak House Books, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Bleed More, Bodymore is one of those books that takes a cool supernatural world with heart eating raven shifters, Greek mythology, horror, and expert world building, while combining a deep story about loneliness, depression, the need to be loved, and parental abandonment.
The main character, Joey, is not a protagonist that has her shit together. She’s a mess. Self-destructive. Closed off from those that love her stemmed from fear of being left again and again.
While this story is deep and dark, there’s a steak if light with Jag. He’s in love with Joey. He cares for her and tries to protect her in all the ways that he can. Jag is a good guy and no matter hard she pushes him away - figuratively and literally at times - he never gives up on her. Never. This is the type of romantic elements I search for in a book that is not from the romance genre.
Ms Kirkpatrick delivers the emotional elements, the good and bad, expertly throughout the book. The chemistry is palatable between all the characters in this story. The world building is immersive; I felt like I was walking next to Joey and experiencing Baltimore with her as a tour guide.
I’m glad this book is part of a series and I have grabby hands for book 2!
🌟 RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 31, 2021 🎃
September 4, 2021
DNF at 50%
I really wanted to like this book. I’m a big fan of small town horror and the concept was really intriguing. However, I found the main character incredibly flat and uninteresting. She had a bit of ‘not like other girls’ syndrome, there wasn’t much to make the reader root for her, and she had no chemistry with her love interest.
I feel the writing often tried too hard to be relevant and ‘hip’, to the point where it already reads as dated. In one instance a character refers to something as being ‘hella sus’ in what was supposed to be a serious moment.
I’m normally all for a slow paced read, but when I hit the halfway point and still nothing significant had happened I just couldn’t keep reading. I think this would have been less of a problem if I’d connected to the protagonist by this point.
With some reworking I think this book could be a good read, but as it stands it fell flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book. I’m a big fan of small town horror and the concept was really intriguing. However, I found the main character incredibly flat and uninteresting. She had a bit of ‘not like other girls’ syndrome, there wasn’t much to make the reader root for her, and she had no chemistry with her love interest.
I feel the writing often tried too hard to be relevant and ‘hip’, to the point where it already reads as dated. In one instance a character refers to something as being ‘hella sus’ in what was supposed to be a serious moment.
I’m normally all for a slow paced read, but when I hit the halfway point and still nothing significant had happened I just couldn’t keep reading. I think this would have been less of a problem if I’d connected to the protagonist by this point.
With some reworking I think this book could be a good read, but as it stands it fell flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
October 16, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book for me to review before the publication date of Oct. 31, 2021. This review contains my honest thoughts about the novel. Also, I'm subscribed to the author's YouTube channel, where she discusses her writing.
Bleed More, Bodymore is an interesting horror read that I would recommend to fans of books with a supernatural mystery element. The author includes lots of fun wordplay, which is evident even with the title in which Baltimore is called Bodymore because of all the murder happening there. The main plot revolves around tomboy Joey looking for a missing friend that she fears is dead.
I don't think it's a spoiler to mention that this story really goes into the supernatural with ghosts and such since the author has been very clear and upfront about that in promoting the book. The first twenty percent of the book seems to be grounded as a mostly realistic urban horror story, but then the book shifts into an atmosphere that feels, to me, like a mix of Dante's Inferno and Westworld. Again fun wordplay appears in the text when Charon is jokingly called Sharon. I appreciate this type of humor since it doesn't take away from the tone in the scenes in which it happens.
As an urban supernatural horror novel, this book felt real enough to me that, with all the crime and murder mentioned, I no longer have any desire whatsoever to visit Baltimore; I wouldn't necessarily call that a negative consequence of reading this book. My only actual complaint, and it would be nitpicking, would be that the pacing felt slow in the first twenty percent of the book, but I understand the author was establishing the atmosphere and getting me to care about Joey and her desire to find her missing friend. Overall, the book is an enjoyable read with a lot of fun intrigue.
Bleed More, Bodymore is an interesting horror read that I would recommend to fans of books with a supernatural mystery element. The author includes lots of fun wordplay, which is evident even with the title in which Baltimore is called Bodymore because of all the murder happening there. The main plot revolves around tomboy Joey looking for a missing friend that she fears is dead.
I don't think it's a spoiler to mention that this story really goes into the supernatural with ghosts and such since the author has been very clear and upfront about that in promoting the book. The first twenty percent of the book seems to be grounded as a mostly realistic urban horror story, but then the book shifts into an atmosphere that feels, to me, like a mix of Dante's Inferno and Westworld. Again fun wordplay appears in the text when Charon is jokingly called Sharon. I appreciate this type of humor since it doesn't take away from the tone in the scenes in which it happens.
As an urban supernatural horror novel, this book felt real enough to me that, with all the crime and murder mentioned, I no longer have any desire whatsoever to visit Baltimore; I wouldn't necessarily call that a negative consequence of reading this book. My only actual complaint, and it would be nitpicking, would be that the pacing felt slow in the first twenty percent of the book, but I understand the author was establishing the atmosphere and getting me to care about Joey and her desire to find her missing friend. Overall, the book is an enjoyable read with a lot of fun intrigue.
August 19, 2021
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Ian Kirkpatrick and publishers!
It took me a bit to get into this book, I will admit, but once I did I really loved it. It is a spooky, horror gothic mystery style book set in a town where murder is neither a shock nor a surprise. The central characters are engaging and Joey is a great narrator! It is an easy read and good fun if you love the genre.
It took me a bit to get into this book, I will admit, but once I did I really loved it. It is a spooky, horror gothic mystery style book set in a town where murder is neither a shock nor a surprise. The central characters are engaging and Joey is a great narrator! It is an easy read and good fun if you love the genre.
November 21, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The concept of this book was what drew me to it. It was an interesting idea that I hadn't come across before so I was excited to listen to this just to see how it would play out. However, I think the execution wasn't quite there. It needed to be explained a bit more. The characters I thought weren't fully fleshed out, expecially the MC. She's sassy, sarcastic and she's definitely scrappy but she was also all over the place. Although I thought this was a well paced book, it was also confusing at times. I think with a bit more thought this could have been a really good book, it just lacked the execution.
The concept of this book was what drew me to it. It was an interesting idea that I hadn't come across before so I was excited to listen to this just to see how it would play out. However, I think the execution wasn't quite there. It needed to be explained a bit more. The characters I thought weren't fully fleshed out, expecially the MC. She's sassy, sarcastic and she's definitely scrappy but she was also all over the place. Although I thought this was a well paced book, it was also confusing at times. I think with a bit more thought this could have been a really good book, it just lacked the execution.
November 29, 2021
Right from the get-go, this book sets a vibe. Things are bleak for Joey, and not just because her hometown is piling up corpses—the latest of which might be her best friend. Her domestic life is also troublesome (to say the least), and for the most part, Joey is stuck in this mess.
The other major sense I got from Bleed More, Bodymore was mystery. To me, that was the driving factor of the book. I wanted to know where this trail of corpses was leading, and though the journey was a bit slow at times, the supernatural elements made up for it. The more the story progressed, the more prevalent the fantasy aspect of it was, and I’m all for it!
That being said, somewhere past the midpoint Joey’s attitude kinda grew old for me. Her insistent standoffishness is a defense mechanism and it makes sense, but it also makes her interactions/reactions a bit predictable. Meanwhile, the oppressing vibe set at the very beginning of the book never lets up, so there’s a risk of getting worn out if you’re not hooked by the story.
Joey’s redeeming quality, however, is loyalty. I feel like that’s an important theme in Bleed More, Bodymore , and what also worked for me was the ending! The final premise was something I didn’t know I wanted, nor expected, but I’m totally on board.
So yeah. Bring on the sequel!
The other major sense I got from Bleed More, Bodymore was mystery. To me, that was the driving factor of the book. I wanted to know where this trail of corpses was leading, and though the journey was a bit slow at times, the supernatural elements made up for it. The more the story progressed, the more prevalent the fantasy aspect of it was, and I’m all for it!
That being said, somewhere past the midpoint Joey’s attitude kinda grew old for me. Her insistent standoffishness is a defense mechanism and it makes sense, but it also makes her interactions/reactions a bit predictable. Meanwhile, the oppressing vibe set at the very beginning of the book never lets up, so there’s a risk of getting worn out if you’re not hooked by the story.
Joey’s redeeming quality, however, is loyalty. I feel like that’s an important theme in Bleed More, Bodymore , and what also worked for me was the ending! The final premise was something I didn’t know I wanted, nor expected, but I’m totally on board.
So yeah. Bring on the sequel!
January 17, 2022
An interesting story that reads more like a the main characters stream of consciousness than a traditional novel. I enjoy how this book shows rather than tells it's explanation of death and how it works, still leaving the mystery in what comes next.
May 18, 2024
While Bodymore isn't a type of book that I'm used to reading, I enjoyed it a lot. I would be lying if I said that there weren't a couple of workdays when I've somewhat neglected my duties because I couldn't put my phone down, eager to find out what sorts of trouble Joey is going to get herself in on the next page.
Read it. It's pretty good. And I myself am looking forward to reading the rest of Bodymore series in the future.
I did receive an advance review copy of the book for free on booksirens, for which I'm very grateful.
Read it. It's pretty good. And I myself am looking forward to reading the rest of Bodymore series in the future.
I did receive an advance review copy of the book for free on booksirens, for which I'm very grateful.
October 31, 2021
I received this as an ARC for the audio book on NetGalley
I don't like giving 5 stars, except for when I really love a book. This one has earned the rating.
If you've read Dead End Drive, you will see her growth as an author. Pacing, descriptions, and dialogue have all improved.
Now for the obligatory levelling out of the review:
Joey is not a character that I like and she has a habit of monologuing in her thoughts. This is not a shortfall of the author but rather just the character. I've known people like this, so it feels real. I'm fact, her not being a perfect person makes the book better. I do root for her, which matters more than adoring her.
Can't wait for the next book!
I don't like giving 5 stars, except for when I really love a book. This one has earned the rating.
If you've read Dead End Drive, you will see her growth as an author. Pacing, descriptions, and dialogue have all improved.
Now for the obligatory levelling out of the review:
Joey is not a character that I like and she has a habit of monologuing in her thoughts. This is not a shortfall of the author but rather just the character. I've known people like this, so it feels real. I'm fact, her not being a perfect person makes the book better. I do root for her, which matters more than adoring her.
Can't wait for the next book!
October 8, 2021
Bleedmore, Bodymore is a YA fantasy horror with a very nice nod to Greek mythology. Our protagonist, Joey, is thrown immediately into the fray, showing up in the slums of Leakin Park after a call requesting a tow. Only there's a body in the trunk of the car of her friend and her friend is nowhere in sight. Who is the person in the trunk? Did her friend kill him? If he didn't, why has he disappeared? Down the rabbit hole goes Joey into a whole different world transposed on the city of Baltimore and Leakin Park.
I was all for the atmosphere of this read. It's dark and gritty showing the shadowed side of Baltimore. There's a dank and mealy vibe coating everything and you can conjure the wet asphalt and garbage smell in the air without even trying. That's where the novel excelled. The pacing worked well enough though there were some slowdowns and breakneck parts.
Where it lost me was taking a hard right turn beyond the murder and mystery sticking us straight into mythology and the underworld. I was expecting paranormal. That wasn't the problem. Additionally, I love a good mythology/horror combination, but I was honestly confused enough to backtrack thinking I missed something. Once I reoriented myself, I loved the addition—this dark underworld filled with a ghost town, a river of regret to drown in, heart-devouring raven shifters, a reaper, and dead-but-not-dead abusive alcoholic fathers. (Tw - abuse, alcoholism, and suicide)
I didn't care so much for Joey aka Josephine. I wanted to like her and I wanted to care about her plight but it didn't happen. She never quite made it past a one-dimensional character for me. She comes across as being very immature and she makes some extremely stupid decisions for seemingly no other reason than "I'm tough and edgy". If I had to hear about her licking or sucking on her lip piercing ONE MORE TIME, I was going to lose it. As far as the secondary characters went, the most interesting ones were Charon and Val. I wanted to know more about them. This is a continued series though so surely the author will expand on that later.
There's plenty here that worked well of though. There is loads of action and it moves the story along fairly quickly. Joey is actually pretty witty and some of the dialogue will give you a laugh. There's some great imagery as well and the atmosphere is top notch. I feel like this would be better promoted as urban fantasy versus horror, though it certainly contains horror elements. Hopefully, book two can address some of the weaknesses and give a stronger more cohesive read.
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
I was all for the atmosphere of this read. It's dark and gritty showing the shadowed side of Baltimore. There's a dank and mealy vibe coating everything and you can conjure the wet asphalt and garbage smell in the air without even trying. That's where the novel excelled. The pacing worked well enough though there were some slowdowns and breakneck parts.
Where it lost me was taking a hard right turn beyond the murder and mystery sticking us straight into mythology and the underworld. I was expecting paranormal. That wasn't the problem. Additionally, I love a good mythology/horror combination, but I was honestly confused enough to backtrack thinking I missed something. Once I reoriented myself, I loved the addition—this dark underworld filled with a ghost town, a river of regret to drown in, heart-devouring raven shifters, a reaper, and dead-but-not-dead abusive alcoholic fathers. (Tw - abuse, alcoholism, and suicide)
I didn't care so much for Joey aka Josephine. I wanted to like her and I wanted to care about her plight but it didn't happen. She never quite made it past a one-dimensional character for me. She comes across as being very immature and she makes some extremely stupid decisions for seemingly no other reason than "I'm tough and edgy". If I had to hear about her licking or sucking on her lip piercing ONE MORE TIME, I was going to lose it. As far as the secondary characters went, the most interesting ones were Charon and Val. I wanted to know more about them. This is a continued series though so surely the author will expand on that later.
There's plenty here that worked well of though. There is loads of action and it moves the story along fairly quickly. Joey is actually pretty witty and some of the dialogue will give you a laugh. There's some great imagery as well and the atmosphere is top notch. I feel like this would be better promoted as urban fantasy versus horror, though it certainly contains horror elements. Hopefully, book two can address some of the weaknesses and give a stronger more cohesive read.
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
January 2, 2022
SPOILER ALERT
This was one emotional read/audiobook. So mixed up. I wasn't crazy about it yet once I started it, I had to know what happened. If you get upset easy or depressed, don't read it. It's depressing as hell! At times it didnt make good sense. The characters weren't likeable at all. I liked Charon and Val. Really liked Jagger. There was so much repeated dialog. Like Joey's dad saying same thing over and over. But I think it was meant for her to finally grow some balls and tell him off instead of being beat down.
The whole underlying story is about the underworld existing underneath the city of Baltimore. At times it seems the living and dead bleed into each other. Maybe that's why the title? I felt so messed up so I guess it did its job for a shock effect. Spoilers here. So I don't understand how a dead guy could kill the living. The whole story is disjointed and doesn't make sense. There's no flow and no storyline. It's like waking from a bad dream you dreamed in parts all night long repeating things and jumping into something else. It has potential but I'm sorry. I feel like I read an author's notes for a book is all.
But I had the worst problem with the main character, Josephine. She has a job and is trying to overcome a horrid life. I get it's hard to drag yourself up from that. But she is so immature and who skateboards to work unless you're a teenager? I got so tired of poor old me story. Almost like she wanted everything handed to her. She is bitter like anyone would be but there's a time in everyone's life they are old enough to choose the life they want and do something about it. No matter how bad, they can choose to be bad or good. I know someone who did. The worst part I got most tired of was the cop bashing. It's a little overdone and same sentences throughout. I understand there's had ones and I get this is fiction but the animosity is too much. They aren't all bad. The good ones don't deserve this and they certainly do want to help people and don't go looking for someone to harass. Most things the MC griped about was stuff she should've been harassed about. And she never gave them a chance. Always bitter and attacking from the start.
This book just centers on the regrets and depressions of a life one lives full of sadness and depravity only to realize when it's too late just how wrong they're been. There are just no redeeming factors to the story. There was great potential for at least a little bit but it just never happened. I tried to like it but I just couldn't.
This was one emotional read/audiobook. So mixed up. I wasn't crazy about it yet once I started it, I had to know what happened. If you get upset easy or depressed, don't read it. It's depressing as hell! At times it didnt make good sense. The characters weren't likeable at all. I liked Charon and Val. Really liked Jagger. There was so much repeated dialog. Like Joey's dad saying same thing over and over. But I think it was meant for her to finally grow some balls and tell him off instead of being beat down.
The whole underlying story is about the underworld existing underneath the city of Baltimore. At times it seems the living and dead bleed into each other. Maybe that's why the title? I felt so messed up so I guess it did its job for a shock effect. Spoilers here. So I don't understand how a dead guy could kill the living. The whole story is disjointed and doesn't make sense. There's no flow and no storyline. It's like waking from a bad dream you dreamed in parts all night long repeating things and jumping into something else. It has potential but I'm sorry. I feel like I read an author's notes for a book is all.
But I had the worst problem with the main character, Josephine. She has a job and is trying to overcome a horrid life. I get it's hard to drag yourself up from that. But she is so immature and who skateboards to work unless you're a teenager? I got so tired of poor old me story. Almost like she wanted everything handed to her. She is bitter like anyone would be but there's a time in everyone's life they are old enough to choose the life they want and do something about it. No matter how bad, they can choose to be bad or good. I know someone who did. The worst part I got most tired of was the cop bashing. It's a little overdone and same sentences throughout. I understand there's had ones and I get this is fiction but the animosity is too much. They aren't all bad. The good ones don't deserve this and they certainly do want to help people and don't go looking for someone to harass. Most things the MC griped about was stuff she should've been harassed about. And she never gave them a chance. Always bitter and attacking from the start.
This book just centers on the regrets and depressions of a life one lives full of sadness and depravity only to realize when it's too late just how wrong they're been. There are just no redeeming factors to the story. There was great potential for at least a little bit but it just never happened. I tried to like it but I just couldn't.
October 31, 2021
One night, Joey receives a call from her best friend, asking for his car to be picked up from the infamous body dumping grounds of Baltimore: Leakin Park. When she arrives, there’s little more around than a stalled-out car and a couple of ravens, so she leaves only with the car. Back at the body shop, it doesn’t take long she opens to boot to find a corpse. her friends absence is his guilt, but Joey knows better so she looks for him.
But something isn’t right in Baltimore. It’s not just the feeling that someone is always watching from the city’s abandoned buildings... Her search for her friend reveals something much worse hiding under the city. A ghost town, a reaper, regret. Suddenly, the city’s rage and the stink rising out of the dirt make much more sense.
This was a great book, whilst the writing could be a bit juvenile the story is intriguing and the uncensored writing matches the gritty tone of the book as you discover more about Baltimore and what is happening. The writing is a stream of consciousness which gives the book a strange disembodied feeling which goes with the subject and the feel of the book perfectly. It sucks you in and made me forget I was reading a book I just wanted to know what was going on.
This book is entertaining and dark and perfect for horror fans that like weirder story lines. I also loved the incorporation of some greek myth references and the obvious nod to The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe.
Overall this was a fun book and I look forward to reading more by this author
But something isn’t right in Baltimore. It’s not just the feeling that someone is always watching from the city’s abandoned buildings... Her search for her friend reveals something much worse hiding under the city. A ghost town, a reaper, regret. Suddenly, the city’s rage and the stink rising out of the dirt make much more sense.
This was a great book, whilst the writing could be a bit juvenile the story is intriguing and the uncensored writing matches the gritty tone of the book as you discover more about Baltimore and what is happening. The writing is a stream of consciousness which gives the book a strange disembodied feeling which goes with the subject and the feel of the book perfectly. It sucks you in and made me forget I was reading a book I just wanted to know what was going on.
This book is entertaining and dark and perfect for horror fans that like weirder story lines. I also loved the incorporation of some greek myth references and the obvious nod to The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe.
Overall this was a fun book and I look forward to reading more by this author
October 25, 2021
A well earned 4.3 stars.
If you’re looking for something spooky, supernatural, and thrilling with a good dose of humor from the main character, then you’ll like this. Joey has a lot of sarcasm and impulsive decision making throughout the whole story, so you never really know what she’s going to do or say next while she’s searching for her lost friend, Wayland Cross.
Throughout the book you’re introduced to Baltimore, or “bodymore” as Joey aptly calls it. It’s a city riddled with murder, violence, and an assortment of nasty street crawling criminals. Police are so overworked that they barely do their jobs, but that’s hardly the largest problem in this place.
The world building for the supernatural elements is pretty solid, and it all works its way back into the beginning of the story once Joey discovers the secrets beneath Baltimore. The themes and the analogies for suffering and regret woven into the story are also wonderful and were some of my favorite aspects.
The feeling that seeps in through this was so potent that I legitimately had to take breaks sometimes or risk beginning to mirror those emotions myself, so I’d say the atmosphere of everything was conveyed very well. There’s a lot of pain, doubt, fear, and regret, but there’s also hope for an odd new beginning at the end.
The parts that seemed to come out of left field were some of the tone changes. In the beginning, it was hard for me to tell just how close Joey and Wayland were meant to be and he felt more like someone that might be a casual acquaintance. They were obviously friends on some level, but it took several chapters before the depth of their relationship was explained. Some instances of Joey’s and Jag’s relationship also seemed a bit sudden or just lit up at unusual times, particularly the first time. However, those snags seems to smooth out towards the latter half.
This voice actor for this audiobook was excellent by the way. He was super expressive and really put in the effort to differentiate each character’s voice. It made listening to it really engaging and I could tell who was speaking without the book having to say it, so shout out to that guy.
Thank you to the author for this arc, I loved listening to it!
SOME SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT
If you’re looking for something spooky, supernatural, and thrilling with a good dose of humor from the main character, then you’ll like this. Joey has a lot of sarcasm and impulsive decision making throughout the whole story, so you never really know what she’s going to do or say next while she’s searching for her lost friend, Wayland Cross.
Throughout the book you’re introduced to Baltimore, or “bodymore” as Joey aptly calls it. It’s a city riddled with murder, violence, and an assortment of nasty street crawling criminals. Police are so overworked that they barely do their jobs, but that’s hardly the largest problem in this place.
The world building for the supernatural elements is pretty solid, and it all works its way back into the beginning of the story once Joey discovers the secrets beneath Baltimore. The themes and the analogies for suffering and regret woven into the story are also wonderful and were some of my favorite aspects.
The feeling that seeps in through this was so potent that I legitimately had to take breaks sometimes or risk beginning to mirror those emotions myself, so I’d say the atmosphere of everything was conveyed very well. There’s a lot of pain, doubt, fear, and regret, but there’s also hope for an odd new beginning at the end.
The parts that seemed to come out of left field were some of the tone changes. In the beginning, it was hard for me to tell just how close Joey and Wayland were meant to be and he felt more like someone that might be a casual acquaintance. They were obviously friends on some level, but it took several chapters before the depth of their relationship was explained. Some instances of Joey’s and Jag’s relationship also seemed a bit sudden or just lit up at unusual times, particularly the first time. However, those snags seems to smooth out towards the latter half.
This voice actor for this audiobook was excellent by the way. He was super expressive and really put in the effort to differentiate each character’s voice. It made listening to it really engaging and I could tell who was speaking without the book having to say it, so shout out to that guy.
Thank you to the author for this arc, I loved listening to it!
SOME SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT
Read
February 18, 2025eARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3, 5 stars ⭐️
What better way to open the spooky season than with a horror book?
So while it took me some time to get into the story once it happened I was glued to the pages, this is a great spooky atmospheric horror book. It was an easy read and surprisingly a pleasant one.
The characters were great and the plot was also really interesting. The reason why I'm rating it 3 stars is because it doesn't compare to other horror books I've read, but overall it's an interesting story and I recommend it if you're into the genre.
3, 5 stars ⭐️
What better way to open the spooky season than with a horror book?
So while it took me some time to get into the story once it happened I was glued to the pages, this is a great spooky atmospheric horror book. It was an easy read and surprisingly a pleasant one.
The characters were great and the plot was also really interesting. The reason why I'm rating it 3 stars is because it doesn't compare to other horror books I've read, but overall it's an interesting story and I recommend it if you're into the genre.
August 3, 2021
HOLY MOLY! This book is amazing! How do you know if you're dead? How do you know if you're alive? This story has me questioning everything - and I love it. If you love a scary-mystery-thriller (and dislike Baltimore?), read this! I promise it's like nothing else you've read. I think it would make a great movie, too!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 12, 2021
I was really intrigued straight from the synopsis of this book! It's one of those books that asks a lot of philosophical questions and ultimately changes how you view the world after you finish it. It's a really neat Edgar Allen Poe-esque mystery/thriller that keeps you on your toes.
July 28, 2021
Even if I'm dead, my life isn't over yet. No
This book is one of horror, but it excels at keeping the horror vague and creeping. The horror elements are of the more psychological variety - more often than not the creepy things are heard or felt, but not seen. This is the difference between a shocker that heavily relies on it's own images to scare you - and true horror that instead relies on the images you create in your own mind. This book is off the second variety, and it does this kind of creeping uneasyness really well.
You can easily identify this book as being about horror by the raven with it's bloody eyes on the cover. (By the way, the raven is male and his name is Val. You might be going to like him.)
Lores of old often associate ravens with dark things, with blood and murder. That has to do with the fact that ravens are completely black - and that they're carrion birds, often found on battle fields after the mayhem, picking at eyes and bits.
So ravens are often used in literature to signify dark things (just ask Edgar Allan Poe). Then again, other parts of mythology associate ravens with things not so dark, just think about Hugin and Munin. (For those of us that don't remember their Nordic Folklore: those are the names of Odin's ravens.)
Of course, I keep talking about ravens because they are playing a role in this novel.
The atmosphere is well written, and Ian does a great job blending different elements together: There's a journey reminiscent to Alice in Wonderland (in an American Horror Story style), Norse mythology (I mentioned the ravens already) and Greek mythology (who would have thought the Styx runs under Baltimore?).
What's really a letdown for me is the heroine. I can't get behind her, as her actions and reactions are quite often of the kind that makes you slap your forehead. It's like some of these movies where the first idea of the stupid teenagers is always - and with utter reliability - to split up.
What Joey does is often the equivalent to that. I'm sure Ian intends for her to be a Rebellious Young Lady With An Attitude, but Joey's taking the RYLWAA too far. I mean, come on: When Charon tells you not to stray from the path - or not to touch the waters of the Styx - then you simply do it. Rebelling for rebellion's sake is just stupid.
And the way she behaves around the people in her life makes her attitude bordering on asshole levels. There's a line between being flippant and being outrageous, and our girl Joey here is walking firmly behind that line. In fact, she's so far out, she might not even recognize that line anymore. That being said - this does not diminish the entertaining part of the novel, but those moments of cringe are making it harder for me to identify with her, which meddles with the immersion.
I've already mentioned Baltimore, so it's confession time: I have to admit that it took me quite a while to get the Bodymore joke in the title. At first I thought it had to do with the body shop Joey is working for, but I think it's just a word play with the word Baltimore. Having never been to Baltimore myself, I might be doing this book injustice by describing it's horrors as preternatural. Maybe Baltimore really is like that, with the Styx running underneath it.
Who knows? Not me. But the murder rate is actually way up high.
Another thing that keeps me from a higher score of the fact that this plot is kinda slow paced. I think we actually spend a little too much time in Joey's head, and there are really lengths in the plot. This story would work better if it were cropped a little. And the ending was, well, I'm not going to tell, but as endings go, I find it mildly irritating.
After all is said and done, I can recommend this book for genre fans. Just be prepared for the attitude and the occasional waiting periods.
You can find this review - along with others - also on Crossing The Pond Reviews.
This book is one of horror, but it excels at keeping the horror vague and creeping. The horror elements are of the more psychological variety - more often than not the creepy things are heard or felt, but not seen. This is the difference between a shocker that heavily relies on it's own images to scare you - and true horror that instead relies on the images you create in your own mind. This book is off the second variety, and it does this kind of creeping uneasyness really well.
You can easily identify this book as being about horror by the raven with it's bloody eyes on the cover. (By the way, the raven is male and his name is Val. You might be going to like him.)
Lores of old often associate ravens with dark things, with blood and murder. That has to do with the fact that ravens are completely black - and that they're carrion birds, often found on battle fields after the mayhem, picking at eyes and bits.
So ravens are often used in literature to signify dark things (just ask Edgar Allan Poe). Then again, other parts of mythology associate ravens with things not so dark, just think about Hugin and Munin. (For those of us that don't remember their Nordic Folklore: those are the names of Odin's ravens.)
Of course, I keep talking about ravens because they are playing a role in this novel.
The atmosphere is well written, and Ian does a great job blending different elements together: There's a journey reminiscent to Alice in Wonderland (in an American Horror Story style), Norse mythology (I mentioned the ravens already) and Greek mythology (who would have thought the Styx runs under Baltimore?).
What's really a letdown for me is the heroine. I can't get behind her, as her actions and reactions are quite often of the kind that makes you slap your forehead. It's like some of these movies where the first idea of the stupid teenagers is always - and with utter reliability - to split up.
What Joey does is often the equivalent to that. I'm sure Ian intends for her to be a Rebellious Young Lady With An Attitude, but Joey's taking the RYLWAA too far. I mean, come on: When Charon tells you not to stray from the path - or not to touch the waters of the Styx - then you simply do it. Rebelling for rebellion's sake is just stupid.
And the way she behaves around the people in her life makes her attitude bordering on asshole levels. There's a line between being flippant and being outrageous, and our girl Joey here is walking firmly behind that line. In fact, she's so far out, she might not even recognize that line anymore. That being said - this does not diminish the entertaining part of the novel, but those moments of cringe are making it harder for me to identify with her, which meddles with the immersion.
I've already mentioned Baltimore, so it's confession time: I have to admit that it took me quite a while to get the Bodymore joke in the title. At first I thought it had to do with the body shop Joey is working for, but I think it's just a word play with the word Baltimore. Having never been to Baltimore myself, I might be doing this book injustice by describing it's horrors as preternatural. Maybe Baltimore really is like that, with the Styx running underneath it.
Who knows? Not me. But the murder rate is actually way up high.
Another thing that keeps me from a higher score of the fact that this plot is kinda slow paced. I think we actually spend a little too much time in Joey's head, and there are really lengths in the plot. This story would work better if it were cropped a little. And the ending was, well, I'm not going to tell, but as endings go, I find it mildly irritating.
After all is said and done, I can recommend this book for genre fans. Just be prepared for the attitude and the occasional waiting periods.
You can find this review - along with others - also on Crossing The Pond Reviews.
November 7, 2021
My thanks to Steak House Books for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Bleed More, Bodymore’ by Ian Kirkpatrick in exchange for an honest review. It was narrated by
Kieran Regan and had a running time of 9 hours, 3 minutes at 1x speed.
This was a fast paced urban fantasy/horror thriller set in Baltimore, Maryland. The novel’s narrator is Josephine (Joey), a mechanic working for Bodymore Body Shop. One night she receives a call from her best friend, Wayland, who asks her to pick up his car from Leakin Park, Baltimore’s infamous body dumping ground.
She arrives to find the car attended by some ravens yet no sign of her friend. Back at the body shop it turns out that there’s a corpse in the trunk. The cops (aka the Badges) immediately suspect Joey’s friend of the crime. Yet Joey is convinced of his innocence and intends to find him and prove this.
So far a fairly standard thriller plot yet then things start becoming strange as Joey encounters more ravens, including one able to transform into human form. She discovers a city of ghosts underneath Baltimore that includes the River Styx and memorable macabre architecture. She also meets a reaper. No more details in order to avoid spoilers.
This proved an engaging novel with plenty of surprises and a willingness to explore serious themes such as pain, anger, and grief alongside the tropes of the urban fantasy sub genre. I liked Joey very much for her loyalty, strength, and quirky sense of humour. There’s plenty of sharp banter though she definitely has a complicated home life.
I started the audiobook and finding the plot quite detailed purchased its ebook edition in order to combine reading with listening. This helped a great deal to keep track of characters and events.
In terms of the setting, what is it about Baltimore? It seems to have a very gritty reputation at least in terms of its representation in fiction, films, and tv. Still, a little online research reveals that Baltimore and especially Leakin Park indeed has a dark reputation.
One very small quibble - as an admirer of corvids (indeed the cover immediately snagged my attention) I thought it strange that a few times in the text there was reference to a ‘murder of ravens’ when that term relates to a grouping of crows. Ravens are referred to as an unkindness or a conspiracy and indeed in reference to the storyline a ‘conspiracy of ravens’ feels very suitable.
With respect to the audiobook, given that Joey is female and relating the story in the first person, it was a bit disconcerting to hear a male narrator though I am aware that Kirkpatrick has used him on her other Steak House Books titles. While Kieran Regan’s voice was quite gender neutral in range on occasion I had to remind myself that Joey was female.
Perhaps the point was to challenge assumptions about gender in narrators? Uncertain, though it was a little distracting. In general, I prefer audiobook narrators to carry me into and through the story rather than being too much at the forefront.
Overall, I found this an engaging supernatural horror thriller/urban fantasy and pleased to see it listed as Book 1 in a series and will certainly be looking out for more adventures for Joey and company.
Kieran Regan and had a running time of 9 hours, 3 minutes at 1x speed.
This was a fast paced urban fantasy/horror thriller set in Baltimore, Maryland. The novel’s narrator is Josephine (Joey), a mechanic working for Bodymore Body Shop. One night she receives a call from her best friend, Wayland, who asks her to pick up his car from Leakin Park, Baltimore’s infamous body dumping ground.
She arrives to find the car attended by some ravens yet no sign of her friend. Back at the body shop it turns out that there’s a corpse in the trunk. The cops (aka the Badges) immediately suspect Joey’s friend of the crime. Yet Joey is convinced of his innocence and intends to find him and prove this.
So far a fairly standard thriller plot yet then things start becoming strange as Joey encounters more ravens, including one able to transform into human form. She discovers a city of ghosts underneath Baltimore that includes the River Styx and memorable macabre architecture. She also meets a reaper. No more details in order to avoid spoilers.
This proved an engaging novel with plenty of surprises and a willingness to explore serious themes such as pain, anger, and grief alongside the tropes of the urban fantasy sub genre. I liked Joey very much for her loyalty, strength, and quirky sense of humour. There’s plenty of sharp banter though she definitely has a complicated home life.
I started the audiobook and finding the plot quite detailed purchased its ebook edition in order to combine reading with listening. This helped a great deal to keep track of characters and events.
In terms of the setting, what is it about Baltimore? It seems to have a very gritty reputation at least in terms of its representation in fiction, films, and tv. Still, a little online research reveals that Baltimore and especially Leakin Park indeed has a dark reputation.
One very small quibble - as an admirer of corvids (indeed the cover immediately snagged my attention) I thought it strange that a few times in the text there was reference to a ‘murder of ravens’ when that term relates to a grouping of crows. Ravens are referred to as an unkindness or a conspiracy and indeed in reference to the storyline a ‘conspiracy of ravens’ feels very suitable.
With respect to the audiobook, given that Joey is female and relating the story in the first person, it was a bit disconcerting to hear a male narrator though I am aware that Kirkpatrick has used him on her other Steak House Books titles. While Kieran Regan’s voice was quite gender neutral in range on occasion I had to remind myself that Joey was female.
Perhaps the point was to challenge assumptions about gender in narrators? Uncertain, though it was a little distracting. In general, I prefer audiobook narrators to carry me into and through the story rather than being too much at the forefront.
Overall, I found this an engaging supernatural horror thriller/urban fantasy and pleased to see it listed as Book 1 in a series and will certainly be looking out for more adventures for Joey and company.
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