A messed up love story that only the granddaddy of them all-mr Clive Barker would have conceived, him and now Drew Huff. This book made me feel a lot of things and I think that's by design. I don't think I'll ever read anything quite as bonkers as this again. Read if you like your cosmic horror Clive flavoured.

Loved the originality and unhinged-ness of this. I didn’t realize it was more splatterpunk horror, but that didn’t detract me from it at all. It felt gory and messy but I liked it nonetheless! Definitely interested to see more from this author

The Divine Flesh was a bit of a struggle at times, and I almost didn’t finish it. What initially drew me in was the cover—it looked exciting and intriguing. While the story wasn’t always easy to get through, there were some parts that kept me interested. Overall, it was an okay read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early copy.

I really wanted to like The Divine Flesh—the concept sounded super interesting and right up my alley. But honestly, it just didn’t work for me.

The writing felt kind of heavy and overly poetic, which made it hard to stay focused or really get into the story. I kept finding myself rereading sections just trying to figure out what was going on. I get that it was going for a dreamy, unsettling vibe, but instead of feeling intrigued, I mostly felt confused.

The characters also didn’t do much for me. They didn’t feel fleshed out (no pun intended), so it was hard to care about what was happening to them. There were a few cool, creepy moments, and I can tell the author has a strong vision—but it didn’t all come together in a way that made sense or left much of an impact on me.

Overall, I’d say The Divine Flesh had potential, but it missed the mark. If you’re into super experimental, abstract horror, you might get more out of it than I did. For me, it just wasn’t a hit.

I went into this with some pretty high hopes. From the premise, it sounded like something that would be right up my alley and I believed it would be something that I would really enjoy.

Sadly, this fell very flat to me. It felt almost like the author had bitten off more than they could chew. I felt like so much was happening but at the same time nothing was happening? I don’t know if that even makes any sense but it does in my head.

The cover is stunning and I do love good body horror in a horror novel. Perhaps this is a book that I just need to sit with.

Overall, I would be interested in checking out other works by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Drew Huff for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

dnf. mainly just due to the fact that it was very fast in the beginning and then became very slow towards the mid end and i became uninterested in the book. however, the writing style is phenomenal honestly. huff really packs a punch with her prose. and the main characters are complicated and complex.

Wow. I don't usually read cosmic horror but this was hard to read. I DNF at @40%. I wanted to keep reading but it read kind of messy. There’s so much going on, and I couldn't keep track of who’s who or what’s really important. If you're into weird interdimensional sci-fi body horror, this is for you!

Right, this one was a lot. I went in fully expecting to love it — the premise had me hooked and the cover is stunning — but honestly? I spent most of the book feeling completely lost 😅

There were moments of beauty — raw, poetic, and deeply unsettling — but half the time I had no clue what was actually happening. Like wandering through a nightmare with gorgeous prose but no map.

There are moments of brilliance, and the writing is undeniably beautiful in places — dark, lyrical, and strange. But half the time I wasn’t sure what was real or what I was supposed to be taking from it all.

It’s ambitious, atmospheric, and definitely not afraid to be weird.

If you like things totally unhinged, this might be for you. But go in knowing it’s a trip. 😵‍💫

Thank you, Net Galley and Dark Matter INK, for the ARC

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

"The Divine Flesh" is a surprisingly funny book about a person who shares her body with an eldritch horror who is also obsessed with the body's ex-husband. While I did enjoy the concept, the novel was too long for my liking and I found myself drifting off a lot. I also wasn't really surprised by any of the twists of the story and partly failed to engage with the characters on an emotional level. Maybe this wasn't the right book for me at this point in my life. Sorry!

I am a fan of body horror, and this novel brought that to the table. I loved how visceral it got with the plot and how the characters interacted. I simply couldn't put this book down at all.

4.5 stars
I'm not sure what to say besides that I absolutely loved everything about this book. Despite being a very surreal story, the various characters and their traumas feel real. I'd recommend it if you enjoyed Bunny but beware this book is considerably more disturbing and deals with subject matters some might not stomach.

magine a cosmic horror rom-com set in a meth lab, doused in viscera, and narrated by a kawaii flesh goddess. The Divine Flesh is utterly deranged—and I kind of loved it for that.

At the center of this blood-soaked fever dream is Jennifer, a drug mule in Idaho whose biggest problem isn't the drugs or the trauma—it's that her body is also home to an ancient, flesh-obsessed, all-consuming deity who is in love with Jennifer’s ex-husband. When Jennifer tries to evict said deity with a miracle drug, she accidentally unleashes the Divine Flesh on the entire universe. Oops.

Drew Huff’s writing is unhinged in all the best ways. The book is fast, chaotic, slippery. POVs shift like spilled oil, dialogue spirals into telepathic tangents, and the plot refuses to stay put. One minute you’re knee-deep in rural Americana despair, the next you’re watching a multi-mouthed demigod seduce a trailer park with promises of eternal, gooey love.

It’s disorienting and grotesque—by design. The violence is extreme. The sex is warped. The tone is gleefully nihilistic. Think Jennifer’s Body meets Venom meets Chuck Palahniuk, all filtered through the lens of someone who maybe licked an eyeball for fun. And yet, in the midst of all this maximalist horror, there are very real questions about consent, autonomy, trauma, and what it actually means to love something—or be consumed by it.

The middle drags a little, and there are probably one or two too many subplots (mirror people, drug lords, Idaho bigots, and divine reproduction?), but by the end it somehow stitches itself together with sticky, beating heart-tissue logic.

It’s not for the squeamish. Or the sane. But for those who like their horror weird, wet, and weirdly tender, The Divine Flesh is a glorious, messy, unforgettable ride.

I tried to give this my best shot but unfortunately DNF @ 30%.

I usually love weird stuff but this did not do it for me. Unfortunately, I was so insanely confused that I could not enjoy the story. The author’s voice is super unique, I will give them that! I just didn’t know what was going on.

May appeal to people who liked Bunny- it has that same kind of chaotic WTF energy.

This is a dark, gritty horror novella that blends body horror with psychological tension. It's a quick but intense read that dives deep into obsession, transformation, and the grotesque, with vivid, unsettling imagery that sticks with you. Huff’s writing is raw and visceral, making the horror feel almost too close for comfort.

The weirdest of weird fiction, but man did it pull me in quickly. Very effective formatting.
It felt like a trans allegory here and there! Which I enjoyed immensely before Huff went more body-horror/cosmic-mystery. Heartbreaking character moments - really went beyond “oh, my dad’s screwed up, that’s why I don’t treat women right” or whatever else you’re expecting.
Could have used a few more pages, honestly, to pull a couple of plot threads together a bit more. Things got pretty snarled toward the middle, it was a little tough to get everything to align later. Clearly a lot of planning and foreshadowing work, just a little messy. That’s fine, tho.

I don’t really know what to say about this weird and unique book. The writing was fun, the author really brought out some real gross words. This book felt very grimy and dark. The visuals and cosmic horror elements were well written throughout.

My issues with the overall book is the pace and how much the story jumps around. I really wanted to like this more but I think it’s simply not for me. This isn’t because it was gore, I can handle that, it just wasn’t keeping me engaged. I wouldn’t discourage others from reading though, I’d just simply say this is a weird story.

First of all thank you everyone involved for the Arc.
This book was just not for me sadly, I wanted to read something completely different from my usual reads, but unfortunately in this case it just did not work out. I DNF'ed it after some time, because I could not really get into it and it was confusing to follow up with the different characters. But readers who like weird horror books will surely like it better, because the concept in itself is definitely interesting.

Put them all in jail. NOW.

I don’t rate things lower than a 3 usually, but this was just a mess. It was confusing and contradictory. Maybe that was the point, I don’t know. Almost DNFed it but pushed through and I don’t know why I did (probably for my NetGalley ratio I guess). At least it was fast paced and slightly entertaining.

Definitely need a happy read now!!

Officially DNF’ing @ 36%

Thank you NetGalley for the DRC!
This book was just not for me sadly

The MC is a career drug addict with a cosmic God sharing her body. It started off with me thinking oh, she has DID. Then, oh! She’s in some sort of drug induced psychosis. Then, no wait.. all of this is real??? I don’t follow… this story is strange and confusing (for me!). Strange scifi-esque cosmic horror with lots of body horror. I was having to push myself too hard through the confusion for it to be enjoyable. I know this would be a perfect book for some so giving 3 stars as to not ruin the collective rating.

DNF but not necessarily because it is a bad book. I am not usually reading this style, I wanted to experiment a new style and expend my readings. Sadly, I do think I may be a little bit too sensitive. It wasn’t really pleasant to me ): I think to someone who is more into this style, the book will fit well!
Not giving it a bad rating because it was just to experiment and I don’t want to interfere with the rating system!
I may come back to this book when I feel in a better mood to explore it :)