Very good, very gruesome!
595905
Its hard to believe that this was Harstads first novel. It is as good of a novel as many more established authors usually write. The main character, Carl Houseman, makes for an excellent narrator with his straight-forward,  no-nonsense style and often deadpan wit. The rest of the characters are  solid, and basically what you expect from this type of novel. The plot  itself revolves around some very gruesome, Stephen King type ritual  murders. Harstad doles out the information and twists  in such a way as to  maintain a fast pace, and keep the suspense level high throughout. I look  forward to reading more of his work soon.
2871819
Some parts of the book are gruesome to read for me but overall a very good book. I recommend this book.
4678646
This one was more gruesome than the first two in the series but still a good read! We got to know a few of the characters better and I enjoyed the twists and turns of finding out who the villain actually was!! Good addition to the series, I'd say!!
901268
It's been two days since I finished this book and I can't stop thinking about it.  I think it is one of the best horror novels I have ever read.

  It makes no sense for people to give this book a bad review because it isn't about Mayan culture or the exploration of ancient ruins.  The "ruins" the title refers to are what the characters themselves ultimately end up becoming.  These people (who can be annoying, but who can't?) are put in a horrible, impossible situation and end up becoming the victim of a relentless, unbelievably cruel and malevolent being.  This story really is an essay on what people will do when facing their ultimate doom, and how far they will go to survive.

  If you are not a fan of gore, psychological torture, self mutilation or improptu medical prodedures described in graphic detail, then stay away.  Otherwise, go outside, take a seat by your garden, crack this open and enjoy.
4951382
Oh where do I begin?

This has got to be one of the best, if not the best, episodes of both Masters of Horror seasons. This was truly gore at its finest. Some of the other episodes claim to be about horror but never really delivers. Not so with Argento's contribution.

Warning: Even though I'm a vegan, don't let that influence you when reading my review. Of course, I'm happy the characters got it in karmic spades, but I am a horror fan and feel I can contribute an unbiased critique of Argento's work.

With that said, allow me to continue: This has it all: sex, nudity, girl-on-girl, seedy people, pretty girls, blood, more blood, gore galore, humor, etc. For me, I walked away with a huge feeling of satisfaction from the conclusion of this horrific installment. Everyone connected to the racoon slaughter got what they deserved--big time!

I'd like to insert spoilers here but I know that wouldn't be fair to you. So, all I can say is go rent or buy this DVD and see if it isn't the very best episode in the whole MOH series.

To my fellow veggies, if you can stomach one racoon killing which is of course fake, then by all means watch it. You'll not be disappointed by how karma grabs her victims by the jugular and rips their throats out.

I still shudder when I think about it.
2195415
I remember seen this this movie with friends in Chicago when it was first released. It's one of the movies that still scares me! It builds suspense and the blood, guts, cannibalism, etc. are one of the most graphic ever filmed! NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!
295017
Awesome extreme horror story! If you have guilty pleasure for some violent, gory, horror, this is for you. What makes it so good is the author has a good story to go with the horror.
3222000
Truly a shocking film, Henry grabs you by the collar, shakes you several times, and then, as if that weren't enough, slaps you a couple of times for good measure. As harrowing as any experience can be, I must say I was truly disturbed after watching this film. Right from the first scene showing the bodies of some of the people Henry's killed, to the very quiet final scene, this film is truly a piece of grisly, yet wonderful Art. Director John McNaughton keeps the suspense running about the fate of the other characters, while he inexorably draws us in, slowly, bit by bit, murder by murder. Tracy Arnold plays a streetwise girl, who is also the sister of Tom Towles in the film. Tom is shown as being a very lecherous character, not sparing cute things, male of female; that aspect makes for some funny (albeit disturbing) scenes. The film undoubtedly belongs to Michael Rooker, who shines blindingly under the able tutelage of John. Some scenes are way too gory to be even DESCRIBED - such is the power and intensity of the film. Some moments are really, really bizarre, especially the ones that include the murders the two lowlives commit, deliberately, slowly, and very cruelly. There is no Police investigation ever, mainly because most of those that die are not THAT prominent...most have sleazy lives, worm-eaten and miserable. But there are also some decent people, living the good life, that fall prey to the two monsters. It's a torturous experience to watch the film, but one cannot deny that the horror and shock are, well, horrific and shocking. Don't miss it, is all I can say.
2949368
Well written!  A lot of suspense and gruesome but a great story! Very different from other books by this author.
4797156
If you have the stomach for a bit of gore, I recommend checking this book out. It surprised me in quite a few ways. I'm pretty squeamish when it comes to gore, and were this written differently, I probably would've put it down early on. What kept me engaged in this story were the characters; I found them to be honest and real, depictions that made them relatable and sympathetic. I cared about what happened to these people in an unfortunate and tragic situation.

There are a lot of horror movie-style "what are you doing!?! Don't go through that door!" moments. Much of this story had me squirming, either from suspense or revulsion. While there are many predictable moments, I can only guess that was by design as there are even more scenes where you think you know what's going to happen only to be shocked by something you can't possibly have anticipated.

I was a fan of this author's last book, and I have to say, I think I like this one even more despite my usual distaste for gore. I found myself more emotionally invested in the fates of these characters, even surprisingly with some of the "villains". There's very little investment required since it's free and short (it took me maybe 2 hours to read), so you should check it out.
920240
First off, i have to say the first thing that caught my interest was the highly original story premise, and the book delivered in that department.  This book is genuinely creepy, and after finishing it all I could think was "wow" with a mix a shock and horror. There is imagery this book created in my head that I don't think I will ever be able to forget, and some of it I would like to, because it is that gross.  Without giving any details away, the ending is absolutely frightening by its implications.  The storyline is also capitvating and totally cringe worthy. This is seriously one the most original, demented, and haunting horror novels I have read in a very long time (and I have read 100's).  Very few books impact me in such a way that I have to go talk to others about them, but this book did.  Now, onto the part of why I gave it four stars- this book is brutally graphic.  Rape/torture/ and murder of VERY graphically depicted- to the point that my husband read just a part of this book and was like "no thank you" because it was so shocking for him. But if you are cool with Jack Ketchum and Richard Layton style depictions of violence then I TOTALLY recommend this book!  It also was a bit easy of a read, I finished this book in a evening.  Nonetheless its a good all around brutal horror tale of what happens when a blessing/miracle is bestowed on a sociopath.
3048661
Great series gruesome, very realistic, wouldn't want to be there
1045990
I enjoyed this book so much. it was disturbing but so good.  read it...you won't be disappointed.  very very bloody.
1887301
I really enjoyed this book! As a longtime fan of Mary Stewart, I thought it was a nice, if a bit darker and certainly more graphic, take on that kind of gothic horror story, as told through the lens of more modern sensibilities. The characters were drawn reasonably well, and the atmosphere was outstanding. The true strength of the book, though, was the plot. The critical events that happen are very brief but really intense, which adds to the scare factor, and to the feelings of empathy toward the characters as they struggle to make sense of everything.
It's been a long time since a book creeped me out, but this truly did.
That said, I can't give it the five stars that it might otherwise deserve, as there was one critical plot point that nags at me - if someone can explain it away, please do! Otherwise it's an oversight too big to really be excused.
STOP, SPOILERS AHEAD
If, as Evangeline says, there are no secrets in a town this small, how did the three perpetrators of the crime not know that Maddy was alive before Nesbit saw her, 7 or 8 years after she turned up at the Clare's? Mr. Clare supposed scoured the countryside asking about a missing servant girl; wouldn't the Barry's be the first place he'd look? It's said they are one of the few locals to keep servants. Even if he didn't approach them directly, there's no way the story of a bloody young girl turning up on someone's doorstep wouldn't have been big news in town, and if the three men didn't make the connection between that girl and their victim, they'd be a lot dumber than they were otherwise depicted. This really bugs me. Please explain it away!!
1344384
Scary! Too much blood and gore for mepretty excessive,I thinkbut otherwise a five/five. Taking one off for the guts.
4511618
As a squeamish horror fan, it's hard to find stories in this genre that aren't lame but also not super gory. I was worried that this would be gory given the theme, but the (many) death scenes in the book didn't bother me at all. They weren't drawn in an overly-explicit way. The artist really made sure that the story was in the spotlight, not the violence. It was 95% cerebral, 5% violence. The plot is complex, so you should take your time reading. No skimming just because you think a scene isn't important- it is! Take in all the details or you'll be confused.

There are a few color pages as well, so that was great! I really, really enjoyed it. 5 stars!
3452040
Right from the start I'm going to say this book is gross in the best way possible. It's gory, and disgusting, and easily has the least pleasant apocalyptic scenario I've read yetfrom the decay to the paranormal-ish all around unpleasantness, this is a seriously nasty end of the world book.

And I loved every page.

This is not a coming out book. Lea knows right from the start that she likes to date girls, and she's already (just) started dating Aracely when the book begins. And it was really great to read a book with queer girls who not only already know they like each other from the start, but are fighting something completely unrelated to their sexuality. Aracely isn't out at the beginning of the book, but BLEEDING EARTH isn't about Aracely coming out or people's reactions to two girls datingit's about the world ending in the most disgusting and inexplicable way possible and two girls trying to survive and hold on to each other while the whole world falls apart and rots away.

This is a creepy as hell survival book that messes with your head and makes you question what you think you know. It's gory (as you would expect in a book about the world literally drowning in blood), violent, chock-full of tension and kept me turning the pages and itching to get back to the book when I wasn't reading.

I definitely recommend this one for those who can handle a little (or a lot) of grossness with their scary. It's so good even though I borrowed it from the library, I pre-ordered myself a (gorgeous!) paperback copy even though I won't get it until February.

All in all I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read more from Kaitlin Ward!