"The Divine Flesh" is a wild, surreal mix of sci-fi and horror. The concept—sharing your body with an eldritch entity—is fascinating, but the execution is chaotic. Some moments shine, but the graphic intensity won’t be for everyone. An intriguing, unsettling read,

What brought me into the Divine Flesh was its absolutely gorgeous cover, it would rank into top 5 for one the most beautiful covers I have seen for the horror genre in 2025. The themese of body horror, but also body horror through this lenses of romance was so beautiful to read, as well as how gruesome and terrifying it was. It felt new and fresh the descriptions for each I couldn't help myself but reread those parts. When it came to characters, Divine Flesh stole my heart, so weird and horrifying and beautiful, I fell in love her as well. Unfortantely, that is where the love ends for me with this book. When it came to the plot, I understand the premise of what the author of was saying and at times I understood the idea and the concept was laid out but I do not think execution matched it and at times I was bored.

A love story, filtered through the haze of an eldritch deity snorting bath salts.

This novel is a lot, but that is by design. If you read the description and the content warnings, and then look at the cover, well, you should have an idea of what you are getting into. With that said, there is some order to be found in this obscene, fleshy chaos. The writing itself is very visceral, it brings you in and leaves you slicked with sweat and other secretions. It moves quickly, and as the narrative goes deeper it moves across a few different character POVs seamlessly. This, combined with the fact that there is a good deal of internal/telepathic conversations means it is constant work to know where you are, the narrative is slippery and moves around. This isn’t to say confusing, but feverish and disorienting in ways that serve the story and the experience. There are a number of narrative twists and turns, as described in the jacket copy, but it does a sensational job of confusing the ideas of protagonist and antagonist. Within that vibrating, maximalist narrative there is strong world-building, what small-town, rural Idaho looks like, especially the view from a trailer that sits in front of another burnt out trailer. The environment and the characters populating it feel real, or as close as they can in this story. Nominally our central character is Jennifer, but the Divine Flesh and Jenifer’s ex Daryl are equally important pivot point the story rotates around. All of them feel robust and exciting. Obviously The Divine Flesh doesn’t feel “real” in the sense of being a character you can relate to, but the depiction of the whims and intentions of eldritch deities is explored in interesting ways. Both Jennifer and Daryl are broken, complicated messes, but from that damage they are trying to find themselves however they know how. They are trying to find themselves and each other, and learn what it might mean to be human in a world that has been almost nothing but pain for them from their traumatic, damaging childhoods up until the present. The pace of the story never slows down, so we don’t spend too many contemplative moments with the characters as I would like, but they are still developed, and they have satisfying journeys to go on throughout the story.

There is an unhinged quality to the writing that does work. Maybe some things aren’t needed, such as a secondary (and maybe even tertiary) plot with the boss of the interdimensional drug smuggling operation that Jennifer is a part of, for instance… But, as they are written they do fit into this meat puzzle, even if they aren’t quite robust as I would want them to be, and with a plot this epic and mind-numbing it is hard to nitpick. There is a relentlessness to the story and the writing, and that all does come through. There is heart and care for the characters, even when they are doing awful things. There is graphic violence and sex and torture and yet it is all working in concert, overloading your senses, flooding all your receptors so you are left with some unvarnished ideas to look at. Because while this novel isn’t ever trying to preach anything, and if it were then it would almost certainly intentionally undermine or sabotage any message right away, it is asking interesting questions.

In its multiple mouth-covered hearts this story is asking questions about autonomy, consent, and control. In terms of one’s body, yes, but also one’s beliefs, one’s heart, and one’s unspoken hungers that can take control if not addressed. The pure absurdity of power that is expressed by eldritch entities that have no way of really recognizing what is valuable to human existence offers some insight, or at least investigation, into what human emotions are and how love, if it is truly going to live up to its all-encompassing and salvific potential, needs to be born from mutual respect and understanding. It cannot be domineering or controlling and still be “love.” At the same time the story gnaws on ideas of grief and redemption, of excess and balance, and of appearance and judgement, among others. It gives an almost omnipotent eldritch flesh god a childish single-tracked mind that actually is layered with innocence and trauma and the constant confusion of wanting to do what is right but also fulfill your own needs, as best you understand them. What does it mean to be your best self?

This story is a mess. A disgusting, glorious mess. There are some plots strands and ideas that aren’t as satisfying as they could be, and even in this maximalist style I think there could be some things that were tightened to make the experience more impactful. While I don’t know that this is anything close to extreme horror, as some may label it, it is certainly extreme, and it doesn’t pull any punches. Yet nothing feels like it is done just for shock value, every mutilated corpse and moist appendage filled with chittering mouths makes sense in this world, the grotesqueries fit together. It’s a lot, and won’t be for everyone, and even some who might find those engaging ideas embedded in this pulsating nightmare may not think the destination is worth the journey. I can’t fault anyone for that. But for me all of that graphic imagery made for an intensely introspective experience, one that grabbed me with all of its sticky tentacles and hasn’t let go yet.

(Rounded up from 3.5)

I want to thank the author, the publisher Dark Matter INK, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wanted to enjoy this SO badly but I just couldn’t. There’s unfortunately too much dialogue for my own liking and it causes me to be confused at times. I loved everything else about it, it felt unique and kept my attention. Unfortunately the constant dialogue was such a deal breaker when giving more stars

The Divine Flesh is an ambitious apocalyptic novel that explores the relationship between two strong main characters and the enmeshment of several dichotomies, principally good/evil and Self/Other.

I loved the skillful narration that allowed me to easily know which POV I was currently reading, and believe me, in that novel, it's an actualt feat of strength because it's not an easy task. I also thoroughly enjoyed Jennifer's characterization, as we do not see this kind of anti hero being any way credible often. I would have loved getting more details about her!

Now I know that asking for more details on a character is gonna sound bizarre in contrast with my main disappointment about this book: it was wayyy too long for what it was about. The descriptions, which feel at first lush and intricate just become dull and convoluted over the 400 + pages of this novel. It felt as I was becoming resistant to them, honestly. As the story becomes more intense action-wise, the narration style also becomes a bit clumsy and not unlike Sally Rooney's writing. Nominal sentences are basically the default setting at some point, and it's just not my personal favorite so it got dedundant.

This was my first Drew Huff book and I will be looking into more of her books in the future, but maybe some shorter fiction first!

Please look up TW if needed.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Should you judge a book by its cover? In the case of The Divine Flesh, the answer is unequivocally yes. Huff has crafted a fantastic novel that marries beauty with the grotesque, and I can't overstate just how wonderful a wordsmith she is. But she also doesn't pull punches. If there is a body to vivisect, she's done it. If there's a cold, cruel truth this world has to offer, she's put 100,000 lumes on it, no looking away. If you ran this book through "Doesthedogdie?" almost every box would be checked.

And it might go without saying that The Divine Flesh bucks many of the conventional writing rules.

The story itself is split between multiple POVs and it tosses you immediately into the action. The primary POV is Jennifer's a twenty-three years old, the vessel of a cosmic entity who dubs herself The Divine Flesh, and is perhaps the most self-destructive woman on the face of the earth. In part, perhaps because she can't die. Or maybe because her husband is dating the parasitic god inside of her. The husband in question is Daryl, who gets away without much criticism, despite being toxic and codependent himself. He's a man who can't let anything go—even once they're dead. And then, finally, there's The Divine Flesh herself.

I think it's safe to say that The Divine Flesh is everyone's favorite. She's saccharine and murderous, but not in a malicious way. She's Frankenstein without the grave robbing, desperate to bring the dead and dying new life in new and improved forms. All Hail the Divine Flesh. (Add a little star over that 'I'.) Most cosmic horror doesn't really get the cosmic part right, but Huff definitely does.

As for the plot, well, the plot goes absolutely haywire. Is it a murder mystery? A cosmic horror? A small town Stephen King drama (but written much better)? It's here that I found The Divine Flesh to be at its weakest as I tried to keep the threads from tangling too much as I read, and at points it dragged. In the end, I feel like it was a little too messy, but I have to wonder if that's intentional. Like a thousand random different events, culminating into a perfect moment--

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. That being said, Huff lays down ample foreshadowing throughout the book. Throwaway lines and visuals have weight once you look back them, and the entire book is honestly very clever.

If you adore horror, masterful writing, and characters that are painfully human (or even inhuman), The Divine Flesh is for you. Take a bite, She doesn't mind.

Did I have a good time reading this book? No! But did I love it? Yes! I received a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

The Divine Flesh is not going to take it easy on you. It’s just people doing the best with what they’ve been given, but unfortunately what they have been given is some kind of cosmic horror sharing the body of the main character.

Expect body horror, violence, and shitty people.

Wow, what a wild ride! What happens when the fate of the earth is left in the hands of a drug addict who is her own worst enemy? Well, you will need to read this book to find out. This was a highly entertaining gore fest, with truly detestable characters that you can’t help but root for. A worthy addition to any TBR for fans of cosmic, body, and splatterpunk horror!

super trippy and perpetually completely bonkers. like an Awad with a hefty dose of flesh. 4 stars, because it opens slow. tysm for the arc.

Hmmm… I don’t know about this one.

This book follows Jennifer, who has to share her body with a being called the Divine Flesh, a murderous, kind of crazy, alien being. Jennifer takes a drug that splits the two of them into 2 bodies, but the divine flesh goes on a bit of a rampage, and chaos ensues.

What I liked:
This book was incredibly unique and I’ve definitely never read anything like it. I mean, read that plot synopsis and you can see how interesting of a concept it is. I think this author is undeniably very talented and has a brain that is made for writing odd little books.

The whole mirror people/eggs subplot was really cool to me, and honestly more engaging than anything else happening in the story.

The Divine Flesh herself was really funny and I liked the sections focusing more on her. It was fresh and I liked those parts significantly more than when Jennifer was at the helm.

What I didn’t like:
Man, I hated Jennifer. I also hated Daryl. I understand this is probably intentional, but I can only take so much. At least the Divine Flesh was fun despite the crazy messed up things she was doing. I just did not connect with either of them in any way, and as the story is mostly about them, I felt very disconnected from a lot of the book.

I also think this book was just a little too long. It dragged HARD in parts for me and it made it hard to finish. I found myself reading like a page at a time and then closing the book and repeating for days on end because I was just not engaged.

If you like very strange, disturbing, gory little books about weird possessions and alien entities, I think you’ll should give this a shot! I normally like those things, but unfortunately the disconnect I felt from two of the main characters was just too much for me to overlook. I do think I would pick up future books by this author, though, as they clearly are incredibly inventive and I do like that.

2 stars for a undeniably unique yet not super enjoyable read.

A bit like edgy emo Clive Barker on crack?
Less funny John Dies at the End with more theological discussions and relationship talk?

This took to about the 30% mark to catch up with the blurb and that´s pretty long... It is very violent, very gory, so not for the squeamish but I also found the description of the violence and gore to be a bit long and I got bored a bit by them? I do like fictional violence but there are only so many ways organs can be taken out and rearranged that hold my attention tbh.
I am not sure whether I liked the stream of consciousness-y style (still need to think about that) but I did enjoy the use of the parenthesis and italics, that was clever and well done. Having two different characters 's PV in first person was a bit confusing at times. Not too bad because they were distinguishable, though. I loved D.F., btw. Great character. Everybody else was very unlikeable to me but also nicely fleshed out and believable, down to the many side characters.

I am not convinced the mirror people storyline was needed as their contribution to the story could have been done in another way and I took nothing away from their being there. Might have gotten a little too long through that?
At some point I thought I reached the big finale and then saw I had another 50% left. Our MC's getting caught, running off, making a plan, getting caught etc... could maybe have been cut a bit?
Do prepare for lots of theological discussions, it might be that the word "god" was used as much as the letter e. Also lots of futile relationship discussions and self analysis for the MC's.

I was expecting to have more fun in a psychotic, manic way, this was not the romp I was hoping for but overall I did enjoy it.

More of a 3.5 rounded up, not bad but not one of my new faves either. Will keep an eye out for the author though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the e-arc copy of this book.

Well this unfortunately doesn't happen often, but 2 stars for this book. This was just a really big miss for me.

I'll start with what I enjoyed - I loved the banter between The Divine Flesh and Jennifer. Well, really TDF and whoever. She was spunky and spicy and funny. That alone kept this book from just being a one star. I also enjoyed the plot in general- this was unique and fun in some ways. I also really loved the cover and felt it conveyed the book well. I enjoyed the body horror elements as well.

In theory this should have been a 4 star read for me, I think, but there was a lot that held it back. I love horror of all varieties so this should have been an easy win.

The main thing was how it was written. This story feels like 85% dialogue and a lot of it is internal monologue between TDF and Jennifer/Daryl. Unfortunately, it's kind of hard to keep up with WHO is talking to WHOM and so on.

Secondly, I honestly didn't care for any of the characters. They all were awful people, so it was hard to care about any of their plights. TDF excluded but that's the 'monster' so...

Thirdly, this book felt painfully long. By about 100 pages in I felt like the story had ran its course but somehow still had 177 more pages to go. It was just super long winded and I was ready to be done at about 30% but kept up since this is an ARC read and I rarely fully DNF. Alas though, as it didn't get better.

Anyway - I applaud the author for the unique horror twists, and a nice attempt with body/cosmic horror. Ultimately this would have been a little better as a novella I think, but I'm sure others will love it anyway!

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this title. I will be checking out the authors other works, even if this one wasn't for me.

This is a spoiler-free review! This is an ARC review - The Divine Flesh will be available on March 4, 2025. Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Dark Matter INK for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. There is an insane amount of body horror in this book, and after the excellence that was The Substance (2024), I was excited to see what the genre had in store for us this year. This book was so much more intense than I expected - the author does not hold back, and brings the readers in for a ride they did not see coming. The fascinating concept of the Divine Flesh and Jennifer existing together a single body truly adds a level of self-awareness and power dynamics to their characterizations.

The internal struggle we see not only with the Divine Flesh and Jennifer, but a multitude of side characters, was a great touch by Duff. We are able to contextualize the significance their actions have on the outside world, and how their power struggle influences a domino effect on a number of people. The intensity of change in which every character had to experience, whether it being trapped, hunted, or seeking a common goal, was absolutely more than I expected. This book went places I never expected, and the author truly pushed the boundaries of body horror and everything in between.

Jennifer and the Divine Flesh being one individual while simultaneously being two entirely different beings really drove the story to its true conflict point, and without their internal battle with each other, so many consequences could have been avoided. The Divine Flesh's reasoning to be separated from Jennifer differed from Jennifer's own reasoning to be separated, and with that came the downfall of so many individuals. Daryl's involvement with both the Divine Flesh and Jennifer could be considered the major factor that lead to the explosion of events in this book, and his presence throughout the story has significant impact on Jennifer and the Divine Flesh's actions.

Horror enthusiasts will be thrilled by Huff's work, and the squeamish should proceed with caution. The tone of the book is heavy and extreme - every single action had an immediate consequence that could lead to even more potent reaction from another character. Every single page had presented with something new and absolutely unimaginable - there were so many instances where I could not believe what I was reading. Every page felt as through I was exposed to something so completely out of the park, and Huff's ability to create so many nuanced characters while still upholding the integrity of the book's main theme kept me drawn in.

Emotionally, these characters are put through the ringer, and physically, they are completely transformed by the end of this book. Much like how humans evolve and grow, these characters are challenged beyond their wildest expectations and realities in order to get to their final form. Literary fiction and body horror merge together to form a symbiotic connection, much like Jennifer and the Divine Flesh's beginning relationship.

The Divine Flesh is an absolute mind-bender of a book—one that’s weird, wild, and completely unforgettable. From the moment you dive into Jennifer Plummer’s chaotic world, you’re hooked. The premise is delightfully weird: Jennifer and the entity known as the Divine Flesh are trapped inside her body, locked in an uneasy coexistence, both despising each other, yet both somehow in love with Jennifer’s ex-husband, Daryl. It’s an absurd setup that leads to an even more absurd, but thoroughly entertaining, journey.

The plot takes off when Jennifer takes a risky experimental drug to rid herself of the Divine Flesh once and for all. But instead of freedom, she unleashes a catastrophic chain of events. Expelled from her body, the Divine Flesh becomes a cosmic, all-consuming entity capable of loving everyone to death, literally. And now Jennifer, along with Daryl (her clueless yet surprisingly capable ex-husband), must figure out how to save not just their relationship, but the entire universe from total annihilation.

Huff’s writing is darkly comedic. She seems to relish the absurd, creating an insane tale that just worked for me. The dynamic between Jennifer and the Divine Flesh is funny, tragic, and oddly relatable. And let’s not forget about Daryl, the unassuming electrician from rural Idaho, who somehow ends up in the middle of this cosmic battle. Huff does an amazing job of balancing the outrageous with the sincere. There’s humor here, but also a surprising amount of depth—especially when it comes to Jennifer’s relationship with both the Divine Flesh and Daryl. It’s a perfect storm of chaotic energy and heart.

If you’re looking for a book that’s utterly unique, wildly original, and completely unpredictable, The Divine Flesh is it. It’s a rollercoaster from start to finish, and I couldn’t put it down. Absolutely five stars—this one’s a keeper. I cannot wait till it comes out and I can buy a copy for my shelf. The cover is brilliant!

Thank you to Drew Huff and NetGalleh for the e-arc in exchange for an honest view.

I loved the premise of the book, and was completely drawn in by the synopsis and the beautiful book cover art. Unfortunately the writing style didn’t work for me - a little too choppy and disjointed. 2 stars for the concept alone. With further editing, I think it could be a solid 3.5.

DNFd at 23% -- I had an inkling at about 5% that this novel wasn’t for me, but I wanted to give it a fair chance before giving up.

The premise was interesting, the body horror cool, even The Divine Flesh is an intriguing menace (who honestly was my favorite part), but the writing style did not jive with my brain. Though the confusion and chaos added something to the narrative, I do not think I am the ideal reader to appreciate or lean into it. I felt thrown into the deep end quite a bit and the confusion between Jennifer-baby, TDF, and the other speakers didn’t help matters. If this was a novella or a graphic novel, I think maybe I would have had a chance.

All that being said, if you are someone who is into dark themes, a vague sensation of being lost, and unhinged, parasitic goddesses, this might be exactly the book you’re looking for!

Thank you Drew Huff and Dark Matter INK for sending me a copy to read and review.

So I liked the concept of this book. But It was so confusing and I had to read certain pages twice to see if I missed something. That was irritating.

I hate that this didn't satisfy me because I was hoping it to be my first 5 star read of the year. Maybe the writing style wasn't for me. But I freaking loved the Divine Flesh parts. I wished that she was more the center of the story.

Thank you so much Netgalley and publisher for this earc. I really appreciate it.

Drew Huff delivers an intense and brutal narrative that doesn’t shy away from its grotesque and visceral nature. While the unrelenting horror may be too graphic for some tastes, the story’s creativity and unapologetic approach to its dark themes are undeniably impressive. Huff crafts a chilling atmosphere that immerses the reader in a vivid and horrifying world. Though the grotesque elements pushed my personal comfort zone, I can appreciate the skillful storytelling and the unique way the author delves into this type of horror. It’s a work that will resonate with fans of extreme and boundary-pushing fiction.

The Divine Flesh started off strong. I loved the parasitic relationship between Jennifer and The Divine Flesh and the love triangle with Darryl. Even though the Divine Flesh was full of tendrils and gore, it felt erotic, disgusting, and grotesque. Then, the world got too big in Part 3 and Part 4 completely lost me. In a way, it felt very Lynchian, and you need to pay very close attention to details because everything is connected.

A cosmic body horror WTF read that will leave you reeling! From the description, I knew this would be a wild ride from the description, but I couldn't even imagine how wild! Well written with excellent world building, I highly recommend it.