I read "The Girl Next Door" in 2023, in a single day. I heard it was the grandfather of extreme horror, so I was expecting a fun splatterpunk deal. Instead, it was emotionally damaging. For real. I kept reading hoping there'd be some hope at the end, then learning it was based on a true crime case was even more disturbing. Human beings are the real monsters, and that's why I tend to stick to paranormal/monster books.

The worst thing about The Girl Next Door is that don't even have the comfort of knowing it's fiction. Cause it's not. It's heavily inspired if not just a strait up retelling of the Sylvia Likens case. This shit happened. ALL this shit happened.

I read "The Girl Next Door" and stayed up-to-date with who the people really are and where they are today. The sister of the tortured girl ended up having her own terrible tragic accident when her and her husband ended up driving off the side of the road and had to survive for days stuck in a snow drift surviving only on what they had in their car. It didn't end well for them. The woman who tortured the girl, died without ever facing the consequences of her actions. One of the girls who participated in the torture grew up to be a high school special ed teacher (or high school counselor?) somewhere in the midwest. She ended up getting let go when her identity was revealed and was forced to move to another town and changed her name. The characters in this book didn't just ruin their lives, they ruined every life close to theirs.

I love your bookshelf btw. It's really nice to see a bookshelf that looks used and not like a museum display. It was fun hunting through and trying to see which books I recognized.

My main takeaway from Tender is the Flesh was that no matter how hard some people try to be a good person, desperation can create the worst of monsters. I loved that book so much and I was definitely disturbed by it for at least a week after I read it. One if my favorites.

As a chronic pain patient, myself I'm definitely interested in reading 'His Pain,.' Thanks for the rec!

this was just a reminder that i need to finally read dead inside - i bought it last year but i’ve just forgotten about it.

Why did KZfaq decide I needed to see this? I had never even heard of extreme horror before, so how did I end up here?

Hey anda, I’ve been having a rly rough time mentally and been in a bad depressive episode and have been looking forward to this extreme horror video for a while. Waking up to see this was uploaded today filled me with so much joy and appreciation so I wanted to say thank you so much! Can’t wait to hear your extreme horror reads in 2024 😁🥳

Awesome vlog! I too have difficulty finding ppl who appreciate the horror genre. Everyone i have talked to look at me like im crazy. I dont bring it up anymore. I agree about the hidden meanings and how we interpret them. Its very cathartic. Thank u for sharing how u feel. U r def a person that is so genuine. Thank u!

Thanks for another charming book suggestion episode. I look forward to a new year of new extreme horror reviews and recommendations

I love gore, torture, and even real life things like the girl next door, but CANOT DO scat, gross food, and specific types of body horror think “woom”

Wow, just wow, thats an amazing list, thank you so much! Looking forward to reading some of these. At some of the book names/descriptions I literally laughed out loud, love it!

Laterally, I just got back into reading and started with misery, and now im halfway done with tender is the flesh. Im definitely checking out the other books you read. Got yourself another sub.

I love how you discussed "Dead Inside" and it's #1 on my extreme horror tbr list! Also since watching your videos, you've inspired me to get back into writing horror and get WILD with it! I too have loved horror since I was a kid and was considered "the weird kid" in class and I'm still weird. Thank you for making this!

I loved Tender is the Flesh. I agree with you about taking a more subtle (ha!) touch when it comes to social commentary. When an author gets too preachy it knocks me right out of the story. This was one of my favorite reads from last year, as well.

I highly recommend Along the River of Flesh by Kristopher Triana! So good! with twists I did not see coming! I'm in the middle of Full Brutal and it's great, too! And I've picked out my next two Triana reads--Ex-Boogeyman and Toxic Love! Thanks, Anda! I just discovered your channel, and you're my favorite Booktuber!❤

I love your videos so much, I watch them while getting ready for work in the morning ✨

I was an avid reader many years, then quit. Just getting back into it....and ur videos have been a great goalpost for where to start! I like weird gross hard to read horror, so nice to see its not just me 😂

Carnie kind of just sounds like Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Love your extreme horror videos!

Yo i just gotta say, i felt weird being addicted to extreme horror novels and wondered why i was at all. But your comment on feeling "dead inside growing up" really hit home.

Anda, have you read any Poppy Z. Brite? Really well written extreme stuff. Exquisite Corpse is a good one to start with

Great video and list! I highly recommend Exquisite corpse and The Resurrectionist! I think you'll like them a lot.

If you liked cows, I just finished Zola by D E McCluskey. 😳. That’s kinda all I have to say lol. It was funny but also easily the most disgusting book I’ve ever read in my life and I will never recover. It’s on kindle unlimited and it’s very short, highly recommend 👍

Dead Inside and Cows are two books that were on my list that I read because of your videos on them and they're now two of my favorite extreme horror novels/horror books in general. I read them one after another and the parallels are so crazy I could write an essay lol

I absolutely loved Baby Fights! It is so funny and also has so much heart. I am looking forward to reading more of Robert Essig in the future because it was definitely a happy surprise.

Great video, Anda. Very insightful.

I def recommend Jon Athan’s extreme horror novels! The Groomer, Blender Babies and even Into The Wolves Den! They are super plot heavy and I couldn’t put them down! Also recommend Along the Path of Torment by Chandler Morrison (Same writer for Dead Inside). Also Zola and Grandpappy were some of the grossest books I’ve ever read! 😝

Because of your review, I just ordered the Extended uncensored version of "Baby in a Blender"

Idk if you’ll see this but based on your list I have a couple 2024 recommendations I think you’ll love: Full brutal by Kristopher triana!!!!! The Resurrectionist by Wrath James White! Prodigal Blues by Gary A Braunbeck. Survivor by J.F. Gonzalez. The summer I died by Ryan C.Thomas. And finally, The black Farm by Elias Witherow Happy reading!! And thanks for a great year of creepy literature

I read Tender is the Flesh because of you and I loved it so much. The ending messed me up.

Loved gone to see the river man! I dnf'd the hell out of the girl next door about 180-something pages in. It got to the point that I was in fight or flight mode every chapter and thought - why am I putting myself through this? No desire to ever pick it back up

I've never read any extreme horror, but what all this reminds me of is actually an essay we read in high school by Jonathan Swift. It's called A Modest Proposal and basically, he's describing in great detail how the poor could profit off of selling their babies as food. He has this whole system figured out for it! It's meant to be satirical, but some of us at school were freaking out thinking he was being serious. It's definitely one of the weirdest things I've read and it was written in 1729!

Dead Inside is one of my all time favorite books! So glad you liked it too!

Son of the Slob is probably the worst thing I’ve ever read. I gave up after the halfway point and after having finished The Slob, I was just exhausted. If you could arrest someone for writing a book too fucked up, that’d be the book they wrote.

I like this, when you go a bit deeper into each book.

I really enjoyed the extreme horror book videos 😄

Great video! I know I don’t have the gut to read any of these, but so interesting 😂

Gonna read all of these thank you!!

loooove your channel!! added all your favs to my tbr. i like jack ketchum but the characters in off season pissed me off so bad i didn’t rate it super high 😂

"but thats really it" tells me you definitely have read some nessed up stuff cause human hotdogs sounds craaazy haha. Love the vid btw, even though i dont read horror

I know that really reading extreme horror books is your thing. But I would also be really interested to know your thoughts on Urban Spook's Analog Horror series "the Painter". It's here on KZfaq, and the entries and series itself are all fairly short. But the series itself has gotten some pretty significant flack for the extreme nature of the subject matter, and it being perceived as disrespectful of it. I'll be honest I think it has more to do with the stigma around extreme horror itself as a genre. But I would be very interested to know what your thoughts on it are.

Thanks to you, I read Maeve Fly and I REALLY enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to her next book that is supposed to come out in October. Not sure if you're familiar with him, but I really enjoy the works of Alex S. Johnson. I recommend Bad Sunset or Thee Order Ov Unholy Flesh by him, but he also does a lot of short story collections. He also co-created Floppy Shoes Apocalypse, which I highly recommend. Keep up the great content. :-)

All I can say is that you got me in to extreme horror so you messed up my mind big time lol 😂😂😂prayers and blessings for you and your husband and families love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤

Reading Tender Is The Flesh is what actually drove me to start reading books again. Before picking it up I had no expectations, I just saw it on my recommendation list for audio books on Spotify so I thought I would give it a read. I hated that book but in the best way. The ending left me with a black hole in my chest that made me want more books like that.

Just reminds me that I have to do more reading, you ever read Chuck Palahniuks Haunted ?

I had never heard of Godless before. What a Godsend, thank you.

Just finishing up Baby Fights right now because of this. Legitimately so good!!

Highly recommend The Resurrectionist by Wrath James White. It is a great commentary on why we as readers enjoy extreme horror.

I read "The Girl Next Door" about 15 years ago. Every time I see it on my bookshelf, I get this thought that I should read it again, but no... It is excellent, but you are right, it stays with you. Have you read "Magick" by Judith Sonnet? I read it recently & it disturbed me so much!

I try to explain why I love “Dead inside “ and nobody gets it, I’m glad you do!!

There’s a sequel to The Slob, it’s called Son of the Slob. Also, like others have said, you should read Along The River of Flesh. It’s the sequel to Gone To See the River Man and it’s a continuation of Edmund’s story. It’s such a good book.

I have a condition called small fiber neuropathy which means that my small nerves are damaged so my entire body feels like it's constantly on fire and simple things like blinking, holding things and walking are excruciating. I can definitely relate to His Pain so will be definitely giving it a read - thank you for the recommendation!

have you read Fluids by May Leitz? i definitely feel like it's the type of extreme horror book that you can dig into and find some meaning. highly recommend

Tender is the flesh is such a good book , I picked it up in the bookshop randomly and best decision ever. Would recommend

This is the second time within as many days that I’ve heard about The Girl Next Door. I’m tempted to pick it up.

“Extreme horror” to me is a type of story that unsettles your mind and spirit as much as your stomach. I love Richard Laymon because on a certain level he has accomplished that with a lot of his work but to me I just love his style of writing and what he perceives to be frightening. Not sure if you read him but his novel “cuts” is what I define as extreme horror

Loved it! I grew up as well in horror and I have my fair share of being alone in my likings. Thanks for having a partner that shares a weird mind like mine 😂 I'm finishing my first book now, it's not extreme I guess, but I can't judge myself on that analysis hahaha Loved your channel! I'm from Brasil btw. There's always a certain beauty behind the ugliness of horror. Bye, talked too much already😂

Read many of those and yesss, Dead Inside and Gone to see the Riverman are two of my favs as well! :D

Could you maybe give me some suggestions which extreme horror books actually have an engaging and interesting plot? Like a real storyline? I feel like many are just disgusting slice of life stories and I don’t find that interesting ❤

This is super random but the green/teal abd gray book by your right elbow, what book is that? I have War and Peace and it is identical to that and I cannot read what it says. Love the video btw

In an earlier vlog you briefly mentioned the new Duncan Ralston novel "**** Island Bloodbath" and as I greatly enjoyed his "Woom" I wonder if you have gotten around to reading his latest?

Oh my gosh, I’ve read Gone to see the River Man and I really enjoyed that! Now I’m currently reading Dead Inside and oh my gosh, how do you manage to get through this? 😅

I love reading, especially horror etc. But in general I don't like yters that cover books. You are the exception, please stay the way you are. Thank you for your work.

🎶 Baby in a blender- I know, I know, it's seriooouuus 🎶

I loved "Gone to See the River Man" so much. Did you read the sequel? It was great too! :)

This is starting my tbr list for extreme horror. Normal horror just doesn't do it for me anymore, I want to find something that pushes things beyond the social norm.

dead inside was one of my favorite reads from 2023, i love it so much😭

Please read Borrasca or listen to the QCode audio version of the story, it’s one the best creepypastas I have ever read.

I would love to see you read Necrosis by Rayne Havok and Magick by Judith Sonnet

It feels a little odd to not see it mentioned. But Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door is based on a real true crime.

There was a sequel to Off Season that was pretty good. It's called Offspring. It was the first book of his i read

I loved Maeve Fly, but I was confused afterward when I found out it was being pconsidered extreme horror. I don't agree at all. I haven't read much extreme horror, and while Maeve Fly was pretty violent and gruesome, there were plenty of times where the author could have taken things much further that would have made it truly "extreme." I mean Mary by Nat Cassidy made me more uncomfortable than Maeve Fly did. I feel like labeling Maeve Fly as extreme horror was more a marketing trick than anything else.

you made me curious and i’m not even into the genre. i’ll read some of it

One of the most extreme books I've ever read wasn't really a horror book, it has some elements of horror and occultism and superstition but the real horror is in the brutal reality of the lives and inner thoughts of its characters. I'm talking about Fernanda Melchor's Hurricane Season, and I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes fiction that feels like the harshest reality imaginable while simoultaneously elevating it with a writing style that just won't take its foot off the gas for a single second. But of course there will be some things people will find offputting in these characters so discretion is advised.

I've watched plenty of horror movies, but I've never read a horror book. What is a good entry point to the genre?

I loved Holly because I never see anything spoken like that, and because it will be interesting to read it again in a few years and feel validated with what we went through.

Oh! I need some extreme horror recommendations :)

You should check out Let's Go Play At The Adams' by Mendal Johnson. A similar pretext to The Girl Next Door, and also emotionally damaging - I think it too may have been inspired by what happened to Sylvia Likens. It focuses on children who abduct the babysitter who was left to watch over them for the week while their parents were out of town. LGPATA predates TGND by almost 15 years, and came out right in the middle of Gen X. I found it incredibly salient on the impact of neglect of children in their own homes by their boomer parents. I still think about this book regularly.

Ketchum is a Splatterpunk. Love his writing. The girl next store is messed up.

The end of Dead Inside was ironically hilarious 😬😆

How do you compare the torture in the slob to lovesick by Jon Athan? I did not love Lovesick but am curious about the slob. I’m not sensitive to anything (other than animal cruelty/death) but Lovesick felt mean for the sake of being mean.

Off Season is one of a trilogy! I recently read the final book in the series, The Woman. Somehow, book 2 got made into a movie (a pretty good one actually). Both ae tiled Offspring.

The worst/best part about being a horror fan is chasing the rush of terror. Becoming numb to vanilla horror is a curse!

You should try Ironbones by Thomas Emson, published last year. A brutal, page-turning, snappy little beast of a book.

I love finding more people who loved Dead Inside online. Not many people irl I can talk to about this book haha

same story for me. im a girl who always loved horror stuff, mostly horror movies, and i could never find friends who were into that stuff either. i read the berserk manga and my god did that fug me up lmao. i saw this anime, i think called midori, and that fugged me up even more and that was before reading berserk! currently im reading blood meridian so i mean, i love horror stuff. i also like dissecting stuff like that. some of my fav horror movies today are italian giallo movies. dario argento and the other guy who i can't remember now, made soo many good horror movies. horror movies where they dont edit out the kills, they show them and my god are they horrible and glorious! my brain isn't working well today, i can't remember shet right now, but one of the movies has a scene that i think will always just make me shiver. i dont wanna spoil what it is but ill say what it involves: spiders. i love the scene but also hate it because of how much i hate it lol. its the second movie in a trilogy of movies from the director i can't think of right now. same guy made the zombi movie. city of the dead i think is the first movie in his dead series. the second one i can't remember and the third is house by the cemetary. so angry i can't remember the name of one of my fav italian horror movies.

Have you read any of Rob’s books on godless? He’s in the top ten most weeks and one of my best mates xx

If you like Tender is the Flesh, you'll love Meat! It was such a good story. So much more going on then the "people" good!

I really loved The girl next door for the exact same reason you hated it. Gone to see the river man is just perfect. Maybe you can try The Bighead by Edward Lee, I think you are ready for that messed up reading.

I really liked Dead Inside also. Definately one of the best extreme horror books out there

The Girl Next Door and the real case that happened is one of those stories that stay with you. Also, if you haven’t read it: *Exquisite Corpse* is a good extreme horror read, just very sad.

I just finished the Girl Next Door and yeah it's pretty messed up. I trust your recommendations.

my wife and i read the slob late last year after enjoying playground, but the slob couldn't match it. the slob was so repetitive for something so short, it kind of got boring. 😭

Perfectly describes my own feelings towards feeling the disconnect between my childhood love of horror/true crime and the typically digested content of kids. I swear, I think my first read through of Stephen Kings It must have been in like 7th grade! It’s nice finding our people though, instant sub over here 🫡

I’m not so sure that his books are extreme horror, but they are close, they certainly have extreme moments, but David Sodergren books are very good. Forgotten Island is very good. I’m currently reading Maggie’s Grave, which started out awesome. For me, the term extreme horror is really so subjective. What may seem extreme to one person may not seem extreme to someone else.

Why are you shocked that good horror existed in the 80s? That was literally the golden age of horror.

Have you read Last Days by Brian Evenson? Story of a really unsettling cult. Also The Fisherman by John Langan both worth a read.

May I suggest Darkest Heart by Eddie Evans