I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Brainwyrms on audiobook. This book is so disturbing and dark, definitely check trigger warnings, but I could not put it down. The characters were fascinating and the twist in the story was completely unexpected. I definitely loved this creepy, disgusting, wonderful book. The audiobook was well narrated and had great sound quality.

This book is not your average horror. Tor Nightfire’s website tags it as Splatterpunk. Going into it, I didn’t realize the genre, so I had to stop and adjust my mindset before going forward. At first, I thought “horror smut”, but then it turned extreme. It was shocking, disturbing, exciting, and everything else that Alison Rumfitt set out for it to be. While it shocked me in the beginning, the story grows into a wild story of identity and love.
Although it wasn’t for me, I would recommend it to the right audience that wouldn’t squirm as much as me when it comes to sexual body horror.
The narrators for the audiobook were perfectly chosen and it was produced very well.

A Disgustingly Brilliant Masterpiece

Alison Rumfitt has done it again! "Brainwyrms" is not for the faint of heart, but if you're like me and love a good, disgusting horror tale, then this book is a must-read.

The story is a rollercoaster of emotions, from the gut-wrenching events that shake Frankie's world to the mysterious allure of Vanya. Rumfitt doesn't shy away from the grotesque; in fact, she revels in it. The body horror elements are so vividly described that they almost become a character in themselves, adding layers of complexity to an already intricate narrative.

What I particularly loved about this book is how it tackles serious issues like transphobia and political terrorism without sacrificing the essence of a good horror story. It's a difficult balance to strike, but Rumfitt nails it.

The LGBTQIAP+ representation is also commendable. As a queer individual, it's refreshing to read a horror novel that doesn't just include queer characters but also addresses the unique challenges they face.

In summary, "Brainwyrms" is filthy, searing, and hideously intimate—a modern classic in the making. If you're a fan of transgressive queer horror, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. You won't regret it.

This isn’t a high or low three stars. It’s a very middle ground “I don’t know how I feel” three stars. I found myself struggling to pick this up, but once I did I found myself having no strong feelings while listening to the audiobook.
However, there are many things I really did like about this book. I think trans political horror as a genre always has incredibly interesting ways to discuss the rise of rampant and violent transphobia we have seen in several countries in recent years.
As a nonbinary, fem presenting, AFAB person, it is easy for me to go undetected in the world where it isn’t so easily done for trans masc, but especially trans-fem individuals, so listening/reading a story told through the lense of people who are far more affected that myself is always insightful. Trans horror is one of the best subsets of the horror genre and this simply adds to that.
I also really enjoyed Rumfitt’s narrative style. This story provoked visceral reactions in me and I found myself wondering where the line was for me as a reader only just dipping their toes in extreme horror. I also appreciated that in the middle of a chapter a little over half way through Rumfitt interjections and encouraged the reader to take a step away from the work and take a moment to relax before continuing due to the sheer depravity about to happen.
I would pick up another one of her books, but I definitely don’t think her work will be for everyone.

I sadly didn't like this one. I always really enjoy this authors ideas but their writing style just doesn't work for me. I'm not sure what it is but I know its just a me thing cause everything about this book should work but it just didn't. I think plenty of others will love this book I'm just sadly going to miss out in it.

Rep: bi/pan trans mc, bi/pan trans li, queer scs

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book!!

I don’t really know how to rate this book. Did I enjoy it? Not really. Was it different and deal with some important topics? Definitely. I’m just not the demographic for it. I’m sure lots of people will love it though. I don’t like to write bad reviews. I think all books can be enjoyed by people. Just not everyone. Here’s just some of my thoughts and opinions on Brainwyrms.

This book is a horror, but not really scary. It’s just gory, disturbing and grotesque. It has body horror, lots of intense kinks and fetishes, and transphobia, among other things. It felt like the author was really going for shock value. It was very heavy on that and light on the plot. The political terrorism and TERF aspect got lost in my opinion. It was surrounded by so much sex and grotesqueness.

I read Rumfitt’s previous book, Tell Me I’m Worthless, and found that one to be intense. I was conflicted, confused and disturbed at times. This one was on another level. I went into Brainwyrms not knowing it was the same author and not really looking up reviews and content warnings. Which is 100% my fault. If I had, I really don’t think I would’ve requested this book. It does have warnings at the beginning, but I didn’t think it would be this intense. This is definitely the most intense and disturbing book I’ve ever read. Way more disturbing than Tell Me I’m Worthless, somehow.

To be honest, if I had been reading the physical book, I probably would’ve DNFed after the first few chapters. The only reason why I finished it is because it was an audiobook. I multitasked and definitely zoned out on some parts. Some things are a blur and I was already disturbed enough that I didn’t even bother going back to see what I missed. It somehow got more and more disturbing.

The story flips through different character povs, and even different perspectives, which got confusing at times. It even had a few scenes of breaking the fourth wall. Those had me chuckling a bit.

Another reviewer mentioned how they’re surprised this got traditionally published. I am as well. I’m shocked a publisher kept everything in. I can’t even imagine if they made Rumfitt cut anything out, how intense those scenes would’ve been.

There was definitely a social commentary going on with how trans and queer people are treated in the world. There’s so much hate and bigotry out there. Political terrorism is a big thing with queer rights right now. So many countries have been dealing with this hate. I appreciate this aspect of the book.

It’s always nice to see more queer and trans books. Especially in the horror genre. I feel bad rating a queer book so low. But unfortunately I can’t love every book I read. It’s still nice to have these options out there for people to read.

The cover is terrifying and fits the book perfectly. Yes, worms become a major point of this book. The narrator did a great job as well. They’re actually a trans person, which is great.

Overall, this book is not for me. I do hope other people enjoy it. It had some good elements, but for me they were overshadowed by the disturbing content.

Again, please check trigger warnings before starting this book! Read other reviews. Even check out ones where people enjoyed the book so that if you chose to read it, you can go in knowing what to expect and that it wont be triggering or too much for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book

DNF @ 40%
I really tried hard with this one but honestly just can’t do it anymore. I feel like at 40% there should have been something that made me want to keep reading. This book had its moments but they were far and few between.
The author consistently switches narration styles between 1st 2nd and 3rd person and as a reader I found that to be super confusing.
I feel like I have a grasp on what the book was setting out to do (Queer, Horny, Horror.) but it didn’t do it well. I think there were a lot of themes and the book lacked focus. As far as the horror goes it felt like the writing was trying hard to be “disturbing”.

3.25 stars
I do wish this book was more horror (ex. Tell me I'm Worthless) instead of the focus on the grotesque. "Downright filthy" scenarios don't do much for me and leave me bored. The cover conjures up more images in the reader's head than the worm body horror in my opinion. I wanted to be affected by the internal worm scenarios but it never reached that point. I was always waiting for those scenes to finally get to that climax but it never happened. Those scenes left me unfulfilled. I wasn't a fan of how Rumfitt wrote the political terrorism outside of the woman bomber. I think in some ways the kink and sex distracted from the message. There were times where I replaved the audio in those sexual moments to see if I missed something that would move the novel along. All in all it was too gross and sexual that it slightly distracted from the " reality of political terrorism while exploring the depths of love, pain, and identity."
1 am looking forward to her novel as she is the only author l've encountered who writes about trans identity (specifically women which is sadly under written) in a transgressive horror style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. This was my second read by Alison and I think it will be my last. I think Rumfitt wrote a very compelling and interesting story, but I struggled through this. I ended up switching to reading the physical ARC of this one and I found myself skimming a lot of the book.

Very well written story but the body horror was a bit much for me.

Another queer horror masterpiece by Alison Rumfitt.

Brainwryms was so kinky and incredibly revolting, yet I could not put it down and I finished in one day.

There were definitely some jaw dropping, nauseating, and cringing moments, but I could not tear my eyes from the pages.

What I liked:
- short chapters
- shocking content
- broken characters
- dual POV (Frankie & Vanya)
- nod to a certain British terf

What I didn't like:
- sometimes Vanya's chapters, which were just a constant stream of their consciousness, were a bit difficult to read (thankfully the audiobook helped with these chapters)!
- the ending felt rushed

Overall, I was captivated by this read and found the experience to be enjoyable. I think I would only recommend this book to people who enjoy more extreme/graphic body horror.

Thank you to netgalley for the eARC and ALC!

‼This is Extreme Horror‼‼

TW: use of c-word, language, mention of rape, graphic sex scenes, watersports, eating disorder, scat, molestation, grooming, incest, sexual kinks, r-word, gaslighting, suicide

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:When a transphobic woman bombs Frankie’s workplace, she blows up Frankie’s life with it. As the media descends like vultures, Frankie tries to cope with the carnage: binge-drinking, fucking strangers, pushing away her friends. Then she meets Vanya. Mysterious, beautiful, terrifying Vanya.The two hit it off immediately, but as their relationship intensifies, so too does Frankie’s feeling that Vanya is hiding something from her. When Vanya’s secrets threaten to tear them apart, Frankie starts digging, and unearths a sinister, depraved conspiracy, the roots of which go deeper than she ever imagined.
Release Date: October 5th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

What I Liked:
1. Great cover
2. Some of the kinks made me laugh
3. That orgy scene

What I Didn't Like:
1. Writing style
2. Very political
3. A lot of parts just rambled about nonsense
4. Midway if feels so repetitive

Overall Thoughts:
There is a LOT of kinky stuff in this book.

This book was intense and someone else commented that they couldn't believe a major publisher published this - I agree. I'm shocked. This is like something that should be on Amazon Kindle Unlimited.

Omg I think I just threw up... The worms and oral sex. Omg. Omg. Omg.

Omg omg omg they put fox shit inside themselves.

You reach a certain point in this book about the halfway mark where it just feels like you're kind of repeating the same stuff over and over again. There's no real story going on other than this person getting broken up with, another person that is obsessed with parasites living inside them, and there's a bombing. I wish there was more story to this book besides the over the top kink addition going on throughout.

There is so much insane stuff going on in this book that the peeing on someone seemed about the most normal thing that was happening. There was guy who eats shit. A pregnancy kink. And so so much more.

I did like how things tied up for the ending and it was Vanya's mother was the bomber.

Omg that weird incest worm scene that Frankie was dragged into.

Final Thoughts:
So this book is intense. There is so much sex that is outside the scope of what people call normal.

This book started out so good but I grew kind of bored from the obsession it felt to be over the top. In that way it reminded me a lot of John Water’s Pink Flamingos. You should check that movie out, some serious obscene things happen in it.

I did not care for the writing style. It never felt as though it flowed and at certain points it felt choppy and would just go on white rambling.

I did give it 3 stars because there were things that happened in this book that I found shocking and I thought added to the story and the characters.

After the orgy scene I raised it to 5 stars. Insane! Insane!

Recommend For:
• Eric LaRocca
• Extreme Horror

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Tor Publishing for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Disgusting, I love it.
So many “extreme horror” books seem to be over the top without reason other than to be over the top, which is fine. However, when it can combine the gruesome, graphic scenes with actual meaning and story, it’s an automatic win. I finished in one day, I simply couldn’t stop.
The narration was perfect, no notes.

I would like to just preface this review by saying none of my feelings towards this book are due to the characters being trans. I saw a lot of the reviews were positive and where I landed with this book I wanted to make that absolutely clear that this has nothing to do with that, I just did not like this book. We will always support everyone no matter what their sex or gender is.

I wish I could tell you what the story is about but I am still not entirely sure. The narrative was confusing and it changed perspectives with little to no warning which left me guessing which character we were following.

From the cover and the description I was expecting a horror book but I don’t know for sure what this would classify as. The book does come with a warning that it will have some extreme elements but I shook that off as thinking it was nothing I couldn’t handle. I was wrong and we now know what my limit is. This story follows people who have a fetish of getting and receiving parasites. I don’t know if this is a real fetish and to be honest, I am too afraid to find out. The detail given in this is just downright disturbing. Parasites turning someone on in a sexual way made this a book I just did not know how to connect to.

Normally when a story doesn’t click with me I find other good points but I struggled for that here. The writing was extremely inconsistent. Some descriptions and other situations were written so well and so clearly and then in other areas “lol” was used. It almost seemed like two different authors.

I hate finishing a book and feeling like it's a tough sell to recommend but unfortunately, that’s where I am at with Brainwryms.

Rumfitt’s debut, Tell Me I’m Worthless, is one of my horror favorite novels of the last few years. I recommend it to everyone. Brainwyrms is different.

Frankie, a trans woman, is lucky to be alive after a terf bombs her workplace. Then she meets Vanya, who is hiding a secret, disturbing fetish. The reader is dragged into a strange underworld, and Frankie experiences levels of hatred no one deserves.

I love that this book exists. It is brutal, disgusting, violent, and sometimes vomit-inducing (the narrator suggests the reader grab a cup of tea and take a moment before a particularly gross section). Don’t get me wrong, none of the above strikes me as unnecessary; it all fits into the narrative.

It’s been disturbing to see how much trans hatred has developed over the last few years. With “celebrities” constantly voicing their misguided views on trans people, it feels like people would rather choose blind hatred over understanding and compassion. Rumfitt has captured this hate-filled panic in an effective but brutal way, but no more disturbing than the treatment of real trans people (one recent example is Brianna Ghey).

Nicky Endres does a fantastic job of narration. They really capture the various characters, and I swear I could detect a smile in their voice in the more disturbing parts of the book. An absolutely perfect choice.

Brainwyrms felt like a departure from Worthless, but still undeniably Rumfitt. Her writing is urgent, political, violent, and necessary. This is next-level horror, and not for the faint-hearted.

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt 🧠🪱💜💚

This book was filthy and disgusting and I LOVED it. I requested an e-galley and missed the chance, so when I saw this title available as an audiobook I jumped fast. I’m so freaking glad I did! This book has been absolutely haunting me in the best way ever since I finished it. This is going to be an automatic buy for me on pub day - I need a physical copy. 😂

Frankie and Vanya were iconic characters that I couldn’t get enough of. The wyrms have wriggled into my brain and made a home, and I’m not even mad about it. Along with the pure kink and gore, there’s an insanely good storyline. I couldn’t stop listening to this. I restarted and rewound it so many times. God, was this an amazing read (listen). If you’re a fan of extreme (& bonus: queer) horror, pick this up no matter what the form. This was my first experience with the author and I cannot wait to pick up Tell Me I’m Worthless.

We get to explore the depths of pain, obsession, love and identity in this title. I can’t wait to read it again! What absolute filth, I can’t say again how much I loved it. October 10th can’t come soon enough!! Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!! 🩷📚🎧

Obscene body horror at it's most invasive.
Did I almost puke listening to this audiobook? Yes.
Should you listen to this audiobook immediately? Also, yes.

This waking nightmare of a book follows two trans folks, Frankie and Vanya. Frankie struggles to cope after she's caught in a terrorist bombing targeting the trans health clinic she works at. We follow the speed run destruction of her life through hard drugs, binge-drinking and sex with strangers. Her life becomes entangled with Vanya's when they meet at a club and start seeing each other. Vanya is a damaged, non-binary, eighteen year old with dark secrets and an obsession with having insects/worms living inside their body.

The social commentary around bigotry/violence against the trans community juxtaposed with the wyrms storyline is what elevates this from a traditional body horror to something so much more insidious. This story will stay, like a wyrm, in my brain for a long time.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. Narrator Nicky Endres does an amazing job infusing the many character voices with their own cadence, tone and intonations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listener copy.

This book is best read outdoors, alone in the forest where no one can see you dry heaving into the bushes.

I liked this one more than anticipated. It was grossly inappropriate at times and horrifyingly vile in others, with more than one or two wtf moments.

So, of course, I liked it.

Amongst the kink and viscera there is also a very good horror story in here. Conspiracies, politics terrorism, bigotry. It reads like an underground kink and fetish 8mm film. Fun for the whole fam damily.

3-1/2 to 4 Stars!

I've been trying to find the right place to begin with this review and I'm still not sure where that is. Brainwyrms is extremely vulgar and unsettling, but you can't look away from it. It's a forest fire worth watching.

Our two main characters, Frankie and Vanya develop an instant romantic relationship after meeting. They're both messy and complex, which are two traits that I love in characters. You find yourself repelled at times by them, but other times, you can't help but enjoy their company.

The descriptions were what made my rating decrease in the end. Listening to this novel on audio, I found myself cringing and having to pause quite frequently. Despite reading Tell Me I'm Worthless, I was not prepared for what this book was offering and that's honestly my fault.

When it came to the descriptions of the worms I was reminded of reading Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca. I had found myself squirming at moments of that story, too as I don't believe I am one to read about people ingesting and/or supporting the lives of parasites.

If you are into extreme horror, then, by all means, I believe you would enjoy this novel. It's entertaining, but just keep in mind that it can be a lot to digest. The author places trigger warnings at the beginning of this novel, and rightfully so, as you need to be aware of what you are getting yourself into.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc of Brainwyrms in exchange for an honest review!

Utterly disgusting in the best way! I thought Brainwyrms was better than Tell Me Im Worthless as well. Hard to follow at times but Im guessing thats the point? Either way it was a fun read

Brainwyrms is a difficult, sometimes disgusting horror novel. The depths that Allison Rumfitt is willing to explore in search of metaphor can be unsettling and overwhelming-- and honestly? This is most of what I love about the book. The implied social commentary is clear and insightful, the characters are interesting and surprising, and the book, Brainwyrms, helps the reader viscerally understand the stakes of our social & political climate. Rumfitt is not necessarily for the feint of heart, but has so much to offer a careful and willing reader.