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APNEA: a novel of the future
A 2023 Quarter-Finalist for the BookLife Prize from Publishers Weekly in the category of sci-fi/horror.
IF YOU FALL ASLEEP, YOU DIE.
In the future, a virus threatens humanity with extinction. During the Great Sleep, nearly all men on the planet suddenly perish, throwing the world into chaos.
For the few left behind, but one hope an experimental drug that keeps carriers of the virus awake for 21 straight days.
The treatment offers a slim chance of survival, but those willing to undergo the trial do so at the risk of losing their very minds.
Joseph Conrad is about to begin this treatment...AGAINST HIS WILL.
BookLife Reviews called APNEA "delightfully surreal," "Cronenbergian" with "vivid prose," and "gut-churning, taboo-flouting horror."
...If you've enjoyed books such as I am Legend by Richard Matheson, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, or Misery and Gerald's Game by Stephen King, then this novel will surely satisfy your taste for something new....
GET YOUR COPY NOW.
IF YOU FALL ASLEEP, YOU DIE.
In the future, a virus threatens humanity with extinction. During the Great Sleep, nearly all men on the planet suddenly perish, throwing the world into chaos.
For the few left behind, but one hope an experimental drug that keeps carriers of the virus awake for 21 straight days.
The treatment offers a slim chance of survival, but those willing to undergo the trial do so at the risk of losing their very minds.
Joseph Conrad is about to begin this treatment...AGAINST HIS WILL.
BookLife Reviews called APNEA "delightfully surreal," "Cronenbergian" with "vivid prose," and "gut-churning, taboo-flouting horror."
...If you've enjoyed books such as I am Legend by Richard Matheson, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, or Misery and Gerald's Game by Stephen King, then this novel will surely satisfy your taste for something new....
GET YOUR COPY NOW.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 7, 2023
13 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 20, 2023
Hot damn, this was one helluva story. A total mindscrew, if you will. Especially when the shoebill stork started talking and speaking his ‘manifesto.’ I suffer from insomnia and have had bouts where I didn’t sleep a full night for months on end. I never had this vision, but wish I did. So COVID-19 opened up a lot of possibilities for future outbreaks. And this story used a similar concept, but in a much more extreme manner. But then again, with COVID, you had people refusing vaccines and dying, extreme political turmoil, the entire world shutting down, stocks plummeting, food and supply shortages, mask mandates, among other unprecedented events, so who’s to say something even worse doesn’t happen down the road? Scary stuff, indeed! Now here almost half of the male population die from a virus and an uncertain government initiative to test a suspicious vaccine, with at least a 40% chance of extreme and dire side effects, most likely resulting in death. And those who survive the vaccine regimen are left in a vegetative state, then used as sperm donors and test subjects. You have Judith, a woman with a very bad set of experiences, who now leads a rebel group fighting both the remaining male authority and the government’s objectives which are equally harmful to women, too. Virginia is a jaded wife who finds out her husband, Joe, is infected and proceeds to hold him as a prisoner in his own home. This felt like an updated version of Stephen King’s Misery, and was handled very well, mostly in its brutality. And there are hallucinations stemming from lack of sleep, which is also an side effect from the vaccine, happening throughout from each of the characters, which makes you constantly wonder what is real versus fiction. Lots of awesome, creepy visuals. I’m not a huge fan of these dystopian future plots, but I absolutely loved this, and it won me over in a huge way. Fans of horror and science fiction can equally find a fantastic literary experience here. From one author to another, bravo!
April 18, 2023
Oh man, this book was crazy on so many levels!
I just loved the characters, the premise of the virus, and how the plot unfolded. There were so many unexpected parts, the bird and torture, the babies… my goodness!
The Butchies were awesome and I’d love to read more about their exploits against the government.
The surrealism Joe experienced was vividly described and I felt nauseous at times at what was happening to him and around him. Poor Milo, my heart, he’s one of the great tragedies of the tale 😭
I’ll definitely be thinking about this book for a long while.
I just loved the characters, the premise of the virus, and how the plot unfolded. There were so many unexpected parts, the bird and torture, the babies… my goodness!
The Butchies were awesome and I’d love to read more about their exploits against the government.
The surrealism Joe experienced was vividly described and I felt nauseous at times at what was happening to him and around him. Poor Milo, my heart, he’s one of the great tragedies of the tale 😭
I’ll definitely be thinking about this book for a long while.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2023
Fun book - if you like your pandemic horror with some strange Xapnea hallucinogetics on the side. I really enjoyed the love/hate/torture/sex between the two main characters (didn't go where I thought it was headed - which is great). I like it when a story veers off to the extreme, and this one had a fun go at it with some very deep thoughts about life and eternity and much else thrown in for the ride. There was only one part of the book that felt too much like an information dump, but very quickly recovered, otherwise would have been a five star.
January 30, 2023
This felt like a fever dream. I was confused and yet I couldn’t get enough of it.
January 28, 2023
Such a great read! I didn’t want it to end and It reminded me of Stephen Kings writing so much! The writing is so descriptive that I could picture in my head what was happening which made it all the more frightening! I finished this book a few weeks ago and still think about it!
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September 1, 2023I listened to the audiobook and I really liked it! I went in blind because I usually like to be surprised by what I’m reading and I wasn’t disappointed. This was a crazy, dystopian thriller which ended up being a nice palette cleanser from the splatter/extreme novels I’m usually knee deep in. I loved how there was never a dull moment either.
I’m looking forward to reading more from this author :)
I’m looking forward to reading more from this author :)
November 27, 2024
I lived in this book. It pulled me in from the very beginning, and then it really sucked me in. Time was irrelevant, I had to know what happened next at the end of every page of this book. It is a tale of post-viral horror. A virus, a cure and heinous side effects of both. It was beautiful. The characters were so clearly described I feel like I know them. I felt their joy, their pain, their loss… everything. I was left horrified time after time and at the end… boom. The perfect ending for a monster of a story.
If you haven’t read APNEA by Jay Sizemore you 100% NEED to. You will not see the end coming. You will not see many things coming in this book. It will shock you, scare you and rewrite your thinking in many ways. Absolutely terrifying world they live in, and the imagery skill flowing from this author is immeasurable. 5/5 or 10/10 or whatever you wanna call it, it definitely needs to be put before many, many pairs of eyes and ears!
Of all the post-apocalyptic/pandemic/medical/militia/existential horror I’ve read… this one surpasses them by far. Such an original concept, such a dark lifestyle, and absolutely amazing characterization. I hated and loved and feared every character in this book and by the end I didn’t know how I felt but I knew how I felt. A truly brilliant book never really leaves you, and this one has not and will not leave me. I’m sharing the heck out of this book every opportunity I get. I’ve seen it all and read it all and this one truly sticks out among a small handful of others that will likely never vacate my being.
If you haven’t read APNEA by Jay Sizemore you 100% NEED to. You will not see the end coming. You will not see many things coming in this book. It will shock you, scare you and rewrite your thinking in many ways. Absolutely terrifying world they live in, and the imagery skill flowing from this author is immeasurable. 5/5 or 10/10 or whatever you wanna call it, it definitely needs to be put before many, many pairs of eyes and ears!
Of all the post-apocalyptic/pandemic/medical/militia/existential horror I’ve read… this one surpasses them by far. Such an original concept, such a dark lifestyle, and absolutely amazing characterization. I hated and loved and feared every character in this book and by the end I didn’t know how I felt but I knew how I felt. A truly brilliant book never really leaves you, and this one has not and will not leave me. I’m sharing the heck out of this book every opportunity I get. I’ve seen it all and read it all and this one truly sticks out among a small handful of others that will likely never vacate my being.
February 20, 2023
If you've read Misery by Stephen King and thought "sheesh I wish it was a little more dystopian and trippier" it's exactly what Apnea serves. Reading Apnea is like plunging in an uncomfortable and unflinching fever dream and coming out the other side feeling sympathetic to people you spent most of the time wanting to punch in the throat.
In the story there is a virus which seemingly affects the Y chromosome and at some point the narrator states that gender stuff is just a trend and later there is a group shouting weird slogans about fascists and woke kills so it's really like watching TV on a regular day. On top of that there is a lot of potentially triggering stuff in there including but not limited to so yeah approach with caution if you're not in the headspace to deal with that stuff.
In the story there is a virus which seemingly affects the Y chromosome and at some point the narrator states that gender stuff is just a trend and later there is a group shouting weird slogans about fascists and woke kills so it's really like watching TV on a regular day. On top of that there is a lot of potentially triggering stuff in there including but not limited to so yeah approach with caution if you're not in the headspace to deal with that stuff.
June 27, 2023
Sometimes, you expect one debut novel to astound you, then an entirely different one comes along, and makes your jaw drop. Jay Sizemore's 'APNEA' could easily be described as a mashup of sorts, between two great Stephen King books, 'Misery' and 'Gerald's Game'; however, it stands very much alone, thanks to the book's science fictional, dystopian and cynical atmosphere, the original and gory imagery, and the author's relentless tramplng on all kinds of triggers. The tension rose within me with every page, and the plot made my blood run cold, as I slowly realised where this was going. The characters' names brought a smile on my lips (Joseph Conrad?! Alice Munro?! Judith Butler?!), but that was the only thing that made me laugh. The psychological deconstruction of the lovely couple cunningly described throughout the book does not allow for many happy moments, and the social situation of a COVID-like pandemic infecting the males through sleep was a brilliant idea, driving the story forward as an integral part of it. I found the ending a bit ambiguous; still, I'm ambiguous even about the ambiguity itself. Others may have found it less opaque. Ok, I'll avoid spoilers, and just say that the book moves at a great pace and I highly recommend it to all horror lovers.
February 5, 2023
Since Amazon owns Goodreads, I'm not sure why they make readers review on both. Since they do however, I'm going to review this book here as well as there:
Basically, I'm not a horror reader -- it freaks me out too much -- but dystopian fiction, esp. when it's related to infections, is kind of my jam. So, I read this since I really like Jay Sizemore's poetry. With this book, Sizemore shows that really gets the world we could be heading towards: disease, poverty, isolation, humans turned monstrous, basically the horrors already present in our lives which could escalate at any time.
All of the characters in the book contain the best and worst of humanity in them -- they're multilayered rather than just "good" vs. "evil" (this strikes me as the difference between good dystopian fiction and meh). He shows these factors playing out in the near-future US.
But he doesn't stop at just creating layers of horror; the book is an interrogation of toxic gender roles, governmental interference in individual lives, all kinds of isms. And he does it in a short novel that reads fast.
Basically, this is good dystopian fiction -- subtle, terrifying, mind-blowing. If you liked The Book of the Unnamed Midwife or Feed by "Mira Grant," you'll love this.
Basically, I'm not a horror reader -- it freaks me out too much -- but dystopian fiction, esp. when it's related to infections, is kind of my jam. So, I read this since I really like Jay Sizemore's poetry. With this book, Sizemore shows that really gets the world we could be heading towards: disease, poverty, isolation, humans turned monstrous, basically the horrors already present in our lives which could escalate at any time.
All of the characters in the book contain the best and worst of humanity in them -- they're multilayered rather than just "good" vs. "evil" (this strikes me as the difference between good dystopian fiction and meh). He shows these factors playing out in the near-future US.
But he doesn't stop at just creating layers of horror; the book is an interrogation of toxic gender roles, governmental interference in individual lives, all kinds of isms. And he does it in a short novel that reads fast.
Basically, this is good dystopian fiction -- subtle, terrifying, mind-blowing. If you liked The Book of the Unnamed Midwife or Feed by "Mira Grant," you'll love this.
February 14, 2023
I was hooked from the first page. This book drags you spitfire through several different characters stories that all culminate in a surreal existential type of dread that will leave you thinking for days. Sizemore's style is definitetly guided by Stephen King, but his own uniqueness shines through and he sticks the landing in a way that King sometimes misses.
I genuinely believe that most fans of horror will love this book, although there are some scenes that may cause some squirming from the more squeamish. What are you waiting for? Buy this book!
I genuinely believe that most fans of horror will love this book, although there are some scenes that may cause some squirming from the more squeamish. What are you waiting for? Buy this book!
May 20, 2023
A happy little tale of virus Y that kills only men. Join Joseph and Virginia on their journey when Joseph tests positive and decides he wants to die. But nooooo, Virginia decides he’s going to take the shots and live, not matter what! Well, it gets beyond crazy with them and, oh yea, nevermind the other crazy shit going on in the book. Well written and the scenes were so descriptive that I felt like I was part of the story!
June 29, 2023
Not For the Weak
A literal mindf*ck that will leave you reeling for days! I had a love/hate relationship with the characters. The descriptive writing provided everything I needed without feeling like something was missing and left very little to the imagination.
A literal mindf*ck that will leave you reeling for days! I had a love/hate relationship with the characters. The descriptive writing provided everything I needed without feeling like something was missing and left very little to the imagination.
May 25, 2023
I just finished this book and have to say with all honesty that it is easily one of the better novels I’ve ever read. It is well-written, engaging, and the flow of the story was perfectly executed, with excellent structure to the overall story. The amount of simile and metaphor used throughout was at a level that more writers would do well to match- not too little and not too much. The atmosphere of the reality painted was rich and complex, but also realistic, which made it easier to feel more immersed in the story. The level of detail in setting, characters, actions, and narrative aspect was very descriptive and vivid, but not to the overdone level that distracts the reader from the story itself.
The writing style is similar to Steven King’s more quality works, mainly his older ones, and I actually felt that this was a smoother and more engaging read than some of Kings books even. A couple points in the story reminded me somewhat of Misery and The Shining, two of my favorite King books.
There was an underlayer of certain topics throughout this story that I thought were interesting, explorations of morality. The dangers that can come from an unchecked sense of victimization- the victim can become the monster quicker than they’d ever think, but through self-delusion trick themselves into thinking they’re still the victim, never seeing the monster they became. The abandon of morality and basic decency in favor of the security of belonging to something in a time of duress. A brilliant highlight of a nightmare situation where love, once pure and good, can be twisted into a selfish, sick manipulation and abuse of the one once loved, to sate the needs of the other person. Throughout time there have billions, maybe trillions, of both wretched and divine acts committed in the name of love, and this story gives a gruesome and heartbreaking look into one of those situations.
Overall this was a fantastic read. I really enjoyed it and hope that more people read and enjoy it as well. It is a unique, well-crafted, and entertaining piece of art and I look forward to reading this author’s future novels.
The writing style is similar to Steven King’s more quality works, mainly his older ones, and I actually felt that this was a smoother and more engaging read than some of Kings books even. A couple points in the story reminded me somewhat of Misery and The Shining, two of my favorite King books.
There was an underlayer of certain topics throughout this story that I thought were interesting, explorations of morality. The dangers that can come from an unchecked sense of victimization- the victim can become the monster quicker than they’d ever think, but through self-delusion trick themselves into thinking they’re still the victim, never seeing the monster they became. The abandon of morality and basic decency in favor of the security of belonging to something in a time of duress. A brilliant highlight of a nightmare situation where love, once pure and good, can be twisted into a selfish, sick manipulation and abuse of the one once loved, to sate the needs of the other person. Throughout time there have billions, maybe trillions, of both wretched and divine acts committed in the name of love, and this story gives a gruesome and heartbreaking look into one of those situations.
Overall this was a fantastic read. I really enjoyed it and hope that more people read and enjoy it as well. It is a unique, well-crafted, and entertaining piece of art and I look forward to reading this author’s future novels.
February 28, 2023
If the cover of Apnea by Jay Sizemore doesn’t scare you, then the story will !! I thought I was going to have to sleep with the lights on for the forseeable future….that is to say if I would ever sleep again !!
In Apnea the men only are being hit with a virus called Virus Y that is killing them. The men have to test their blood every morning and every night to see if they have contracted the virus. If they haven’t they get to live another day worry free. If the test comes back stating that they have contracted the virus, they have to contact their government. There is supposedly a cure called YAPNEA which is a series of shots being administered for 21 days which makes the recipient unable to sleep.
In Apnea readers are introduced to a handful of men and women who are dealing with different perspectives of the virus….however you are mainly focusing on Joseph and Virginia, a husband and wife. Joseph tested himself one morning and found out he was positive for the virus and instead of contacting the government like instructed, he turns off the machine. He decides that he would rather die than deal with the virus. Unfortunately Virginia turns on the machine and sees that he tested postive and decides for him that he is going to receive the injections and she is going to give them to him. But seeing as Joe does not want to receive them, she has to handcuff him to their bed.
Readers will get lost in this story and loss sleep for reasons unlike the Y virus. You will want to see the outcome of Joseph’s treatment and what happens with their lives….as well as everything else going on in the story. I have just given you a glimpse inside this crazier than Stephen King novel…..
Now if you will excuse me I am going to go play with kittens…..
Apnea is a captivating story and readers will enjoy it as long as them remind themselves that it is not real….open at your own risk.
In Apnea the men only are being hit with a virus called Virus Y that is killing them. The men have to test their blood every morning and every night to see if they have contracted the virus. If they haven’t they get to live another day worry free. If the test comes back stating that they have contracted the virus, they have to contact their government. There is supposedly a cure called YAPNEA which is a series of shots being administered for 21 days which makes the recipient unable to sleep.
In Apnea readers are introduced to a handful of men and women who are dealing with different perspectives of the virus….however you are mainly focusing on Joseph and Virginia, a husband and wife. Joseph tested himself one morning and found out he was positive for the virus and instead of contacting the government like instructed, he turns off the machine. He decides that he would rather die than deal with the virus. Unfortunately Virginia turns on the machine and sees that he tested postive and decides for him that he is going to receive the injections and she is going to give them to him. But seeing as Joe does not want to receive them, she has to handcuff him to their bed.
Readers will get lost in this story and loss sleep for reasons unlike the Y virus. You will want to see the outcome of Joseph’s treatment and what happens with their lives….as well as everything else going on in the story. I have just given you a glimpse inside this crazier than Stephen King novel…..
Now if you will excuse me I am going to go play with kittens…..
Apnea is a captivating story and readers will enjoy it as long as them remind themselves that it is not real….open at your own risk.
April 22, 2023
I'm almost at a loss for words... almost.
I came out of this book questioning my own sanity as much as the characters were. Speaking of, Jay does a great job with his characters, making them both sympathetic and despicable, sometimes simultaneously!
I was left a little wanting in the area of world building. I won't go too deeply into this to avoid spoilers, but there is some very interesting groundwork laid out and I would have loved some more detail about how life and society had evolved in this timeline.
Overall, it was a compelling, fast-paced story with a couple small twists and shock moments thrown in for good measure. It had me hooked from the start and I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
I came out of this book questioning my own sanity as much as the characters were. Speaking of, Jay does a great job with his characters, making them both sympathetic and despicable, sometimes simultaneously!
I was left a little wanting in the area of world building. I won't go too deeply into this to avoid spoilers, but there is some very interesting groundwork laid out and I would have loved some more detail about how life and society had evolved in this timeline.
Overall, it was a compelling, fast-paced story with a couple small twists and shock moments thrown in for good measure. It had me hooked from the start and I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
March 20, 2023
Very interesting and riveting storyline! I read it in one afternoon. Though I couldn’t put it down, it left me wanting more- more information about the bird and the significance of Joe writing on the wall with his blood. Were the women really birthing aliens or was it a side effect of Xapnea? In the end I had more questions than answers… but I also felt that way after reading King’s novel, The Stand. I’ll definitely read Sizemore’s next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2023
If you like Cronenberg, don't miss this novel.
5 Stars*****
5 Stars*****
February 1, 2023
An original, disturbing take on a dystopian future. To borrow from other reviewers- “fever dream” really is such an accurate description! Big Stephen King vibes.
January 30, 2023
A genuinely harrowing fever dream that will make you question what is real and what is your own imagination. A story of a world driven mad by plague that shows the bloody lengths people will go for what is truly important to them. Disturbing in it’s actually of human nature.
March 5, 2023
This book needs to be made into a movie, immediately! Once I really got started I could not put this book down… it was such a great read!
July 29, 2023
Apnea: a novel of the future
5/5 Needlesticks!
Does the thought of losing your free will frighten you? Yes? Good. This book is for you. Would you like to read about women serving vengeance over the atrocities committed by men against women? Here ya go. Also, there’s a giant demon bird that may or may not be a hallucination created created from the lack of sleep.
Apnea by Jay Sizemore is a very well conceived dystopian horror novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
The story mainly follows a husband and wife, Joseph and Virginia, who quickly become mad. Joseph comes down with Virus Y, an infection that only affects males, regardless of age. But don’t think that females are the sole winners here. Virginia successfully administers the anti-viral treatment to her unwilling husband, and herself. The XAPNEA treatment takes their marriage to a whole new level.
Here is a favorite quote from when Virginia initiates Joseph’s first XAPNEA dose. “She was already setting the pieces, meticulous and obsessive, building the spiral arm of an impressive run of Dominoes that would stretch for God knows how long. One false move, and they would all begin to fall.” That is a superb pair of poetic sentences!
Then there’s Judith, who may become your favorite character. I know I rooted for her. She leads the Butchies. The Butchies are a badass revolutionary mass of women fighting against the male sex, getting revenge for all women. They seen some shiz, lived it, and shared it all.
I’ll leave you to find out about the giant demon bird yourself.
Honest review in exchange for gifted book. I loved this book. Thank you Jay!
5/5 Needlesticks!
Does the thought of losing your free will frighten you? Yes? Good. This book is for you. Would you like to read about women serving vengeance over the atrocities committed by men against women? Here ya go. Also, there’s a giant demon bird that may or may not be a hallucination created created from the lack of sleep.
Apnea by Jay Sizemore is a very well conceived dystopian horror novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
The story mainly follows a husband and wife, Joseph and Virginia, who quickly become mad. Joseph comes down with Virus Y, an infection that only affects males, regardless of age. But don’t think that females are the sole winners here. Virginia successfully administers the anti-viral treatment to her unwilling husband, and herself. The XAPNEA treatment takes their marriage to a whole new level.
Here is a favorite quote from when Virginia initiates Joseph’s first XAPNEA dose. “She was already setting the pieces, meticulous and obsessive, building the spiral arm of an impressive run of Dominoes that would stretch for God knows how long. One false move, and they would all begin to fall.” That is a superb pair of poetic sentences!
Then there’s Judith, who may become your favorite character. I know I rooted for her. She leads the Butchies. The Butchies are a badass revolutionary mass of women fighting against the male sex, getting revenge for all women. They seen some shiz, lived it, and shared it all.
I’ll leave you to find out about the giant demon bird yourself.
Honest review in exchange for gifted book. I loved this book. Thank you Jay!
June 7, 2023
Thanks to the author for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.
So this was quite a good story, that tried to be a leetle bit fancy (I wasn’t keen on the purple prose in the beginning) but unfortunately it went a little off the rails towards the end (I’m looking at YOU, big nutty bird-thing!), but was still entertaining nonetheless. I did like the usage of characters from different genders and sexualities, as well as the concept of the virus, and its mark on society, but I felt that the author was putting too many ideas in, for the number of pages it was. I would have preferred a longer book, that goes into the history and the characters a bit more, and perhaps the ending may have felt a bit less rushed then.
I also liked that the situations with some of the characters made me wonder what I would do in them. There were some very uncomfortable, evocative and genuinely unpleasant moments in the story, which was really good. I just felt that it needed either a little more narrative tightening if it wanted to be a shorter novel, or more explanation of the character’s worldview and situations if it was going to be a longer one. But Kudos for the author in giving it a go – dystopian body horror is a difficult genre, and in the scheme of some of the things I’ve read, it wasn’t *all that bad* if you’ll pardon my pun! 3.5 stars
So this was quite a good story, that tried to be a leetle bit fancy (I wasn’t keen on the purple prose in the beginning) but unfortunately it went a little off the rails towards the end (I’m looking at YOU, big nutty bird-thing!), but was still entertaining nonetheless. I did like the usage of characters from different genders and sexualities, as well as the concept of the virus, and its mark on society, but I felt that the author was putting too many ideas in, for the number of pages it was. I would have preferred a longer book, that goes into the history and the characters a bit more, and perhaps the ending may have felt a bit less rushed then.
I also liked that the situations with some of the characters made me wonder what I would do in them. There were some very uncomfortable, evocative and genuinely unpleasant moments in the story, which was really good. I just felt that it needed either a little more narrative tightening if it wanted to be a shorter novel, or more explanation of the character’s worldview and situations if it was going to be a longer one. But Kudos for the author in giving it a go – dystopian body horror is a difficult genre, and in the scheme of some of the things I’ve read, it wasn’t *all that bad* if you’ll pardon my pun! 3.5 stars
July 25, 2023
Whew..... I've been thinking for days how to review this one. Apnea is a story you won't soon forget, if you ever do. I had the pleasure of interviewing Jay recently and opted to save writing my review til then.... I needed to see in person, the man who was able to create this apocalyptic miasma of a world with just his imagination.
This story starts out heavy, as if the walls are closing in on you right from the beginning, as I was reading I actually caught myself breathing heavier as the story progressed. Was I afraid? No, but I had an unshakable feeling of dread and heartache that just intensifies throughout the story.
Jay's ability to form these characters, that become so vivid in your mind that you actually hurt along with them or feel their fear is a skill that has ensured I will continue reading his future works.
The scenes in Apnea although undescript in setting come to life through the eyes of Joseph, Judith, Virginia, Alice..... so much so that you feel as if you're watching all this play out in front of you.
Although Joseph is the main protagonist in Apnea, Judith is who really stood out to me, her development throughout the story is one I feel that anyone who's suffered an immense trauma can relate to if not sympathize with and you find yourself almost rooting for her, even when she goes to the extreme.
I would absolutely recommend this book and forwarn anyone reading it to set time aside once you start because you're not going to want to put it down. Yes the there's lots of pandemic/virus books out there but Apnea is a case study all it's own on what would you be willing to do if you had nothing left to lose.
This story starts out heavy, as if the walls are closing in on you right from the beginning, as I was reading I actually caught myself breathing heavier as the story progressed. Was I afraid? No, but I had an unshakable feeling of dread and heartache that just intensifies throughout the story.
Jay's ability to form these characters, that become so vivid in your mind that you actually hurt along with them or feel their fear is a skill that has ensured I will continue reading his future works.
The scenes in Apnea although undescript in setting come to life through the eyes of Joseph, Judith, Virginia, Alice..... so much so that you feel as if you're watching all this play out in front of you.
Although Joseph is the main protagonist in Apnea, Judith is who really stood out to me, her development throughout the story is one I feel that anyone who's suffered an immense trauma can relate to if not sympathize with and you find yourself almost rooting for her, even when she goes to the extreme.
I would absolutely recommend this book and forwarn anyone reading it to set time aside once you start because you're not going to want to put it down. Yes the there's lots of pandemic/virus books out there but Apnea is a case study all it's own on what would you be willing to do if you had nothing left to lose.
November 15, 2023
Absolute madness!!!
I love a good story about forced sleep deprivation. I've always had a fascination with the Russian Sleep Experiment and have searched for many books relating to this as either an experiment or a means of torture so after reading the description for Apnea, it definitely piqued my interest.
Absolute freaking madness is the best way to sum up Apnea. With a virus killing off the male population, a new world was born, and so was Xapnea, a drug that keeps you awake with terrifying side effects altering one's mind of their reality.
Extremely well written, Jay's words paint such a vivid picture of this story that it plays like a movie inside of your head. You'll feel every emotion. You'll love the characters, then hate the characters. You'll be disgusted, angry, sad, and hopeful. Jay doesn't hold back, so if you have triggers, heed his warning, although I think you'd be missing out on a masterpiece.
This story was an addictive, terrifying, psychological mind f*ck, insane ride from beginning to end. A must-read for horror lovers.
I love a good story about forced sleep deprivation. I've always had a fascination with the Russian Sleep Experiment and have searched for many books relating to this as either an experiment or a means of torture so after reading the description for Apnea, it definitely piqued my interest.
Absolute freaking madness is the best way to sum up Apnea. With a virus killing off the male population, a new world was born, and so was Xapnea, a drug that keeps you awake with terrifying side effects altering one's mind of their reality.
Extremely well written, Jay's words paint such a vivid picture of this story that it plays like a movie inside of your head. You'll feel every emotion. You'll love the characters, then hate the characters. You'll be disgusted, angry, sad, and hopeful. Jay doesn't hold back, so if you have triggers, heed his warning, although I think you'd be missing out on a masterpiece.
This story was an addictive, terrifying, psychological mind f*ck, insane ride from beginning to end. A must-read for horror lovers.
May 1, 2023
Joseph and Virginia live in a scary world where a virus is taking the lives of all the men in the world.
They have to test frequently and send their results in to the State Bureau of health because if someone is positive and they are forced to hang a blue wreath on their door. If that happens, things will get very dark very fast for Joseph.
Judith and her Butchies do no allow men to live because in their eyes every single man has hurt women one way or another. She has also seen what XAPNEA does and it’s catastrophic.
Virginia is a loving wife who will do anything it takes to save her husband and keep Judith and the Butchies away from her husband. Even if that means keeping him prisoner in his own home.
They have to test frequently and send their results in to the State Bureau of health because if someone is positive and they are forced to hang a blue wreath on their door. If that happens, things will get very dark very fast for Joseph.
Judith and her Butchies do no allow men to live because in their eyes every single man has hurt women one way or another. She has also seen what XAPNEA does and it’s catastrophic.
Virginia is a loving wife who will do anything it takes to save her husband and keep Judith and the Butchies away from her husband. Even if that means keeping him prisoner in his own home.
May 29, 2023
There are moments a cover catches your eye and makes you crave the pages within. This is that cover. What makes it even better is the story within the pages. The descriptions of every character in this book give me strong King vibes. You will become emotionally invested in these characters and hate them while you pity them. The plot is written so realistically that you could envision this being part of our not so distant future. The characters blend together making the story even more pleasurable. Make sure to give this gem a chance. You'll be glad you did.
June 9, 2023
What a fever dream of a dystopian-pandemic-extinction mindfuck. From the very first page I was hooked. Sizemore’s writing is great, but his idea & execution was even better. All of the characters & their actions were completely believable within the context of the world they’re living in, which sometimes isn’t the case, as I’ve found in other dystopian stories. The rapid descent into madness and anarchy had me wanting to speed through the story just to see the terror that would unfold. Highly recommend if you love dystopian horror!
June 11, 2023
This book was really good! I asked for recommendations for books with dystopian settings and this author recommended this book. Did not disappoint! In a world where a pandemic affects males, a woman was set out to make her husband the exception. I also loved the side story regarding the Butchies. If you like reading about how a pandemic can make a world go AWOL, Gerald’s Game, or human experimentation - this is the book for you.
RIP to Milo though 😭
Great read! Kudos to the author for the recommendation.
RIP to Milo though 😭
Great read! Kudos to the author for the recommendation.
June 18, 2023
Holy Trigger Warning!
Jay Sizemore TAP DANCED on my triggers and left me ready to come back for more. He is seriously not kidding, if there's anything you're sensitive about, he'll find it. I won't go into detail because I went in pretty much blind and I feel like that's the way to go with this one. Unless, of course, you're easily triggered, in which case, use your judgment. This book was the first in one in ages to give me a literal nightmare, which means I am now eagerly awaiting this author's next novel.
Jay Sizemore TAP DANCED on my triggers and left me ready to come back for more. He is seriously not kidding, if there's anything you're sensitive about, he'll find it. I won't go into detail because I went in pretty much blind and I feel like that's the way to go with this one. Unless, of course, you're easily triggered, in which case, use your judgment. This book was the first in one in ages to give me a literal nightmare, which means I am now eagerly awaiting this author's next novel.
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