Title: Benny Rose, the Cannibal King
Author: Hailey Piper
Edition: Paperback
Page Count: 152 pages
Rating: 5 / 5 ✨✨✨✨✨
Spooky stories about urban legends and small towns are some of my favorites, so it’s no surprise that having Hailey Piper blend those two familiar horror tropes together would lead to some amazing reading. What should also be unsurprising, given Piper’s talent with the written word, is how unique the story would be, despite the familiarity one might have with the the different things inspiring it – and yet, somehow, I am still completely blown away after finishing it!
In BENNY ROSE, Piper introduces us to a group of teenagers in a small town in Vermont, preparing themselves for their upcoming Halloween festivities. The new girl in town, Gabrielle, thinks she’s being invited to join new friends in a night of fun, but the other girls have a little jealous payback in mind for Gabrielle catching the eye of one of the townie girls’ boyfriends. This all sounds a little YA, but I promise you that it’s handled in a way that’s much less Sweet Valley, and much more teen slasher horror – you’ll have to trust me here! And unfortunately for both Gabrielle and her new “friends”, there’s a darker force at play in their sleepy town on Halloween night, and he’s hungry!
Benny Rose is such a terrifying villain, and the way that Piper vividly describes the grisly details throughout the story are stomach turning, but in the best way! I won’t spoil too much, but he isn’t the only scary thing at play in the story, and I really loved how this short little novella had so many extra layers to it, with surprises around every corner.
If you’re not already with the REWIND OR DIE series being published by Unnerving, it’s got a lot of really great, fun horror books that you should definitely check out! I’ve read three of them so far, and have loved them all! Can’t wait to read more, and to read anything else forever that Hailey Piper publishes – she’s the real deal, buy all her books! If you’re the type to make themed playlists, this one would be an excellent addition to any Halloween TBR list – but honestly, the Halloween spirit can be felt year round, so why wait? 🎃
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Amazing review!! I just read this one a couple weeks ago and it was soooo freaking good. It was my first time reading anything of Hailey’s and I’m sad it took me so long because now I want to read everything she ever writes! 😍😍