My eyes just aren't up to reading this one from my phone. I am sorry. declined to read at this time.

Super-excited (and appreciative) for the opportunity to pre-read this prior to its pub date.

As billed, it does pay homage to horror/slasher films and touches upon the price of fame. Beyond that it touches upon adjacent themes of the potential costs of dark associations, including: those for whom celebrity is derived from horror, horror fans, and the propensity of social media/entertainment to feed off dark and horror. It whispers at these, but doesn't fully explore it and to be fair, can't be held to task for not self-examining too closely.

A spoiler-free plot summary:
30 years prior, Laura - now working as an entertainment journalist for a small print pub - changed her appearance, name, and forged a new identity in attempt to outrun her past as a childhood star. Her last movie as a child lead was in a horror/film rumored to be cursed as most of the cast members died or were killed in circumstances that paralleled the movie's plot.

When the movie opens, Laura is sent by her ex-boyfriend editor on assignment to cover the filming of a horror movie which - somehow unbeknownst to her until she's mid-flight - is a sequel to the movie she starred in as a child. She fights off panic attacks as old memories resurface and then people involved with the second movie start dying too. Is the curse real? If so, what's behind it? Demonic influences? A serial killer tied to both films? Or, is Laura herself the bad seed? (Very different plot, but sorta reminiscent of Night Film.)

The book uses 'multi-media artifacts' in support of the story - images of movie scripts, blog posts, movie reviews, posts from horror fansites, etc. These worked fine in ebook format, though they may be better and easier to interact with in a print copy.

Horror is personal--what produces fear and jangles nerves for some, might be ho hum for others. I didn't find this to be scary or thriller-ish in the typical sense, but was just curious enough to read through to the end.

There are subplots that go nowhere, characters driven by motives that range from that unseemly to highly questionable, and that ending was like - whoa, where'd this come from, but not entirely in a complimentary way. Has some interesting thematic elements including the entertainment/movie/Hollywood stage dressing, but also was a nihilistic-lite stew of horror-ish ingredients tossed together that failed to gel into a cohesive plot.

Though not my favorite, I'm not sorry I read it. Horror fans intrigued by a party co-hosted by Inside Edition and the prince of darkness might want to give this a try. (2.75 stars curved to 3)

I'm glad I gave this one a try. The campy horror of it all was right up my alley. The media add ins really made this one pop. I appreciated the Winona Ryder references. I really think this will appeal to fans of 80's and 90s horror films. The characters were interesting. The plot kept me guessing. And that ending left my jaw dropped and my horror loving heart happy.

Our protagonist Laura is sent to write an article on a remake of a cult 90's horror film, The Guesthouse - a film in which she starred as a child actress. The original movie is shrouded in mystery; after many of its cast and crew die in freak accidents during the movie's making, horror audiences speculated that The Guesthouse was cursed.

Laura is desperate to hide her childhood connection to The Guesthouse, but when the remake of the film begins to take the lives of the new crew, she has to find the answer the question that has plagued her for years: is The Guesthouse curse real, or is it all just a string of bizarre coincidences?

This book felt like a true love letter to horror movies. Full of action and great characters, it is just a fun and addictive read. The snippets of blogs, newspapers etc at the start of every chapter are amazing and they really make the 'cult' status of The Guesthouse come to life.

Thank you to the publishers and Josh for my ARC!

I really enjoyed the premise of this one, but boy would I be miffed with my editor/ex for pulling such and awful stunt. The book is full of intregue and builds tension nicely. 4* read.

My only critique was the format we were given. I had to read on my phone which took forever. I have trouble reading digitally unless it's on my Paperwhite and I didn't have that option.

A tidy, creepy
story of revenge, family,
Hollywood horror.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I write haiku reviews on Instagram but am happy to provide more feedback.

A child star in an infamous horror movie that had several real life deaths related to the movie finds herself back on the reboot of the very movie that has traumatized her into her adulthood... and the very demon she saw is back to haunt her. Journalist Laura Warren has arrived in L.A. to visit the new streaming horror series... and witnesses a man jumping from a bridge and landing right behind her car..... and she knows its all started again. Laura is in town to report on the remake of the 90′s horror movie that is believed to be curse... and that she starred in as a child and has been running from her entire life. Laura starred in The Guesthouse as a child and played the role of a little girl who had the ability to tell people how the Needle Man would kill them. Eight members of the cast and crew died in ways that mirrored the movie’s on screen death and ever since Laura has been haunted, she’s tried to leave it all behind by changing her name, dying her hair, getting a new accent, and moving all the way across the Atlantic... but now she is being sent to report on the very movie that destroyed her and it’s not a coincidence that the moment she gets on set bodies begin to drop and someone knows who she truly is. Can she finally face the monster that has been haunting her, is the film truly curse and the Needle Man a true monster or is it a human being behind all of this? Laura will have to uncover dark secrets she never wanted to and face the monster that has followed her all her life. This was definitely an interesting thriller/horror mystery that keeps you invested until the end. I liked the constant back and forth with whether or not the Needle Man was a real monster or a figment of her imagination. The ending was really interesting and the fact that the story had news articles, script moments, blog posts, and so much more really added to the story!

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a lot of fun! It gave me Nightmare on Elm Street vibes. The characters were well fleshed out and believable. The story was engaging and well-paced. It touches on some serious topics like, child actors and the abuse and trauma that some of them face.

Overall, I had a good time reading this and it kept me guessing and excited about when I would next sit down to read.

HOT DANG!!! Warning...parents be advised this one defenitly a rated R read. Be prepared to be sucked into this cursed film story immedietly from the opening credits. Oh the ways Winning had my heart rate at an all time high with these non stop action packed chapters. It was too good. For the life of me I could not pinpoint the reasoning behind all the haunting cinematic events that occur within these pages.You will think you have it all figured out then you are quickly smacked with another possible scenerio. OOF I just love a book that keeps me on the edge of my seat. Not to mention the freaking imagery was EVERYTHING. Just the way Winning described the spooky bits, had me jumping at every little noise. The Needle Man I mean COME ON, I was defenitly CREEPED. I am STILL over here trying to wrap my head around that ending. SERIOUSLY WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK?? Well done Winning, well done 👏👏👏

I enjoyed this cursed film story! It read like a fun thriller with lots of movie references for my cinefile nerd brain to digest. I just thought it could have used one two less dream sequences! But highly recommend for any horror film buff!

Just finishing Burn the Negative yesterday, and WOW. The writing, the plot, that twist at the end! It’s a touch of Good For Her, and a large measure of terrifying supernatural, with a sprinkling of body horror tossed in. Following Laura’s journey back to the thing that basically destroyed her and her family’s lives, watching the terror unfold around her, it was almost palpable.

The writing absolutely pulls you along, and gives you a front seat. You can feel the apprehension, the terror, smell the blood, and hear the Needle Man scratch his long talons as he comes ever closer. Honestly, it’s everything I typically want in a slasher horror book, up close, and digging deep into your mind.

This was good. It was campy and sort of out there which was fine, but I was completely lost and over it with anything paranormal. If you enjoy that, you will enjoy this book.

Josh Winning delivers a fantastic horror story with Burn the Negative. I love the blending of both horror tropes and film history/movie tropes that create a fun and engaging story surrounding one former film star confronting her own troubled history on the set of a remake of that "cursed film." I feel that everything meets in Winning's book with fun, engaging story and characters that are real and feel like they could exist in the real world.

Loved, loved, loved it! What a great read! Loved the pace, dialogue, characters, and plot! Would make a great movie! Filling the author for future books!

A sincere thank you for providing me a copy of “Burn the Negative” in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of BURN THE NEGATIVE by Josh Winning from a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy Sunday!

In 1993, a horror movie called “The Guesthouse” was released. It became a cult classic, not because the movie was so good, but because almost every single actor in it died (vaguely reminiscent of “Poltergeist”). Only our protagonist remains - Laura, who changed her name from Polly and moved to the United Kingdom after the movie. The deaths of the actors are almost done in a “Final Destination” style, with the actors dying the way the characters in the movie did.

Thirty years later, a streaming service is coming up on a miniseries called “It Feeds”, based off the movie and its killer, the Needle Man (think Freddy Krueger). Laura is now a journalist, and her boss send her to Los Angeles to write an article about the series - but does he know this is what Laura has been running from her whole life?

As soon as Laura arrives in LA, the deaths begin. The one thing she was worried about - that the curse of the movie is continuing on to the cast of the miniseries - is happening. As more and more people start dying, she begins wondering if she’ll ever leave the city alive. The Needle Man is out there, calling her name. Who else will die before she finds out why?

This sounds slightly cheesy and campy, because it is, but it was also quite entertaining. I loved all the Winona Ryder references and the pieces of media interspersed throughout the book. This didn’t take itself too seriously, and I’m glad for that. 3.5 stars, rounded up for so many great pop culture references!

(Thank you to Putnam Books, Josh Winning and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on July 11, 2023.)

The multimedia storytelling really sold the story for me (as did the fact that I'm a sucker for any cursed movie/show trope). The introduction of an actual supernatural element and the entire penultimate scene of discovery felt a bit rushed, but the very last scene was unexpected in a very good way and made me like the character a LOT more.

Laura has been running from her childhood for years. When she finds herself back in LA on a movie set of a revamp of the movie she played in as a kid, she can’t help but think the curse has come back when she witnesses a man jump to his death. As the body count rises, Laura gets flashbacks to her childhood. Changing her clothes and hair isn’t enough to leave the past in the past. Will she be able to figure out how everyone around her is dying before it’s too late?

What can I say about this book except wow. I loved so many things about it. For starters – the writing was amazing! So vivid and descriptive, I felt right there with Laura. This book was exactly what I look for in a horror/thriller book. The pacing was wonderful, and I didn’t want to put it down. I also really enjoyed the supernatural aspect to this one. I loved the twist at the end – it was built up that it made so much sense and flowed seamlessly with the book.

If you are looking for a delightful horror book with a touch of gore, then check this one out July 11th.

Thank you to the publisher Penguin Group – Putnam, @putnambooks, @penguinrandomhouse, and Netgalley, @netgalley, for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

BURN THE NEGATIVE 🎞
By Josh Winning

Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Genre: Horror, Mystery/Thriller

Before becoming a journalist, Laura was a child star, appearing in a cursed 1990s horror movie. Now the film is being rebooted and she has been assigned to write a story about it.
When she arrives, the curse appears to have started again.
As the body count rises, Laura, her aspiring-actress-sister, and a bitter psychic attempt to end the curse, and avoid Needle Man.

The author is clearly a horror movie buff
(references to Demons, John Carpenter, Tori Amos, Winona Ryder etc were not lost on me) and it comes through almost with glee.

I didn't take this novel seriously. I didn't find it scary or super suspenseful-- BUT it's fun. It starts quickly and continues that way-- a fast-paced shlock fest, and I mean that in a good way.

It's sort of like watching a bad horror movie and finding enjoyment in it.
This would probably translate well to film.
While reading, I pictured an Argento giallo meets DiPalma's Phantom of the Paradise-- The Funhouse and Wes Craven's New Nightmare.

If cursed films (think The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Omen), slashers, childhood trauma, Hollywood critiques, and mediums-- 70s/80s/90s horror are of interest to you, check this one out this summer!