2.5 stars.

While I really liked the body horror, the cosmic horror, and the Eldritch monsters, I'm not sure if this really worked out as a full-length novel.

I think a novella would've sufficed, since the main plot and subplots felt like they were dragged out to reach a word count. As much as I loved the idea of multiversal monsters like the Divine Flesh and the mirror people laying their eggs and birthing their spawn across the dimensions, we only got a glimpse of that concept because this story took place solely on present-day Earth.

Other than Jennifer and her estranged husband (who's obsessed with the Divine Flesh in a gross, yet comedic, way) going around trying to stop the Divine Flesh and the mirror people, the plot was really thin. The Divine Flesh rambled a lot, terrorized people, rambled some more, terrorized more people, and rinse and repeat.

The mirror people egg subplot was kinda cool, but like the Divine Flesh plotline, it dragged out too long after the 50% mark and I found myself eager for it all to be over.

I had fun while it lasted, and I actually wouldn't mind reading more from Drew Huff.

Thank you to Dark Matter INK and NetGalley for this arc.

**Thank you so much to Drew Huff/Dark Matter INK for providing this ARC in return for an honest review via NetGalley. Expected pub date March 04, 2025**

This novel feels like an acid induced, cosmic horror, possession nightmare- and I enjoyed every last minute of it! I couldn't put this book down!
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This 448 page novel is written in nonlinear format, which worried me at first because of the length of the novel (and quite frankly my ADHD). I feel like sometimes longer, nonlinear style novels can get confusing if they're not executed properly- and thus- you end up rereading pages and filing back through the novel trying to figure things out. That doesn't happen in this novel - Drew Huff is quite gifted at controlling the pace of the story as well as keeping you intrigued the whole way. I was invested in this story and it's characters from the very beginning. I could tell reading this novel that Drew Huff takes great pride in her craft. The novel felt polished even though it's an ARC.
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I definitely need to read all the things from Drew Huff now! I definitely recommend reading this novel if you love cosmic horror/possession horror.

I think I liked this book, but totally have to sit with it a while before I’m sure lol. It was really confusing for me, but the writing style was enjoyable. I was hooked instantly but it stayed vague throughout and made me loose a little interest. Liked the cosmic horror aspect a lot.

Absolutely stunning writing style, and the heavy dramatic gruesome details, the start of the book was slightly slow but about halfway there it had me completely HOOKED


Thank you for sending me the ARC I enjoyed this book and will look forward for more Drew Huff books!!!

WHAT IS THIS.

First off, I’m so grateful to have had the chance to pick this up early (huge thanks to NetGalley!). I have to say, this book made me feel like something was crawling under my skin while reading it—in the best possible way. I absolutely love stories that evoke this kind of visceral reaction.

The premise immediately hooked me, and the potential of the story had me excited to dive in. Unfortunately, I felt it didn’t fully deliver on its promise. The writing style is quite unusual so I thought it intriguing and ambitious at first, but it soon felt like it was trying to do too much at once. As the narrative progressed, I found my initial enthusiasm waning, and it became harder to feel excited about picking it back up. That and that I just coudn't connect with any of the characters like, at all.

I’ve noticed a lot of readers enjoyed the disorienting quality of the book— we all love to be confused sometimes. I’m not convinced that being perpetually confusing is a strength, tho. For me, it just pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me deeper into it.

“Some people have mommy issues, some have daddy issues, but everyone has God issues.”

A fascinating bit of SFF horror.

The prose is quirky, interesting, has a good, chewy texture; the characters are unique and so very flawed; and the lore is plentiful, engaging, strange. In some ways, I wanted so much more — more world building, more lore — but I think the author does a nice job of keeping the focus on current events.

Equal parts body horror, horny, and heartfelt, I loved the whiplash between POVs, and you get many. And unlike some books, each character lends something to the narrative. The only detractor is that the pacing does falter toward the middle before picking up again for the last part of the story.

For all the eldrich horrors, gods, and abominations, this is really a story about what it means to be human. Is happiness — true or otherwise — worth giving up the things that make you truly you? For all your despicable actions, can you still be redeemed? Can god be killed? The themes were delightful and unexpected. For anyone into religious types of horror, and who isn’t squeamish, this one is for you.

All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

This was a DNF for me. I enjoy cosmic horror and the premise was very interesting, but the plot felt disjointed and confusing. I would definitely try out any other books by this author, but was disappointed by this one.

The synopsis sounded good and interesting, but for me it didn't deliver what I thought it would. Some things I sort of enjoyed, namely the gore-elements, but that doesn't build a story.

This book was INSANE! A crazy concept. I liked this book…didn’t love it. I found it hard to sometimes navigate the “inner” convos between the Divine Flesh and the characters. Crazy and disgusting ride overall. Know this book is trigger heavy.

The book was everything the freakish perverted part of my brain wanted. The Divine Flesh is so WEIRD, and I have to imagine it will make its rounds on those "weird girl book recommendation" lists, and if it doesn't then it should. There's something visceral and brutal (and by something, I mean the Divine Flesh herself) about this story in a way that scratches a very particular itch for me. I cannot wait to read more of Huff's work, especially if they're as deliciously horrific as this one.

The body horror is great, and I love the concept SO much, but the story is hard to follow. Both the plot and the characters lack depth and it starts to feel like the intense and gross scenes are just there for shock value. The humor also didn't land for me personally. I think this could have benefited from more editing. I honestly think it would have packed a much bigger punch as a novella.

While the premise of Te Divine Flesh is undeniably intriguing, the execution left much to be desired. The novel promises a blend of dark humor, cosmic horror, and romance, but it struggles to strike a cohesive balance among these elements. The tension between Jennifer and the Divine Flesh—a blend of hatred, dependency, and twisted love—is never fully explored. Instead, the story relies heavily on over-the-top scenarios that dilute the impact of the characters' personal struggles.

Thank you NetGalley and Dark Matter Ink for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Well, well, well. I have so many thoughts and only so many characters to type. I'll start by giving a massive kudos to Drew Huff - she knows how to make you sit and contemplate the matters of redemption and free will. I was fascinated by the depths of depravity she would write within characters and how some of them looked at their actions with a critical lens, or chose to be willfully and happily ignorant. The relationships she crafted were rife with hurt and yet you could still feel their deep love oozing from the very page. Speaking of oozing - good GOD does The Divine Flesh not flinch from being intensely graphically detailed. I loved it.

A couple not so positive points though: the consistent shifting of POV was super confusing at many points. It felt incredibly erratic, bordering on whiplash to have so many subplots and side character POVs, no matter how interesting they were (and they were). It also got super repetitive at some points and there was a lack of conciseness - it was for this reason, and the inclusion of female mutilation/rape (from a despicable character's POV) I almost gave it two stars, no matter how impressed I was with the plot/writing. It's a personal thing - I can handle everything else in this novel no matter how graphic it got, I just never ever can handle reading about women being brutalized. Hopefully trigger warnings will be added before publishing!

2/5

I really wanted to like this. I am usually a big fan of weird horror, but this was too much for me. This seemed to just be a bunch of body horror and gore with no true premise. If you were to ask me what the plot of this novel was, I would not be able to answer you. If you are a fan of gory horror, this may be for you. But it was definitely not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Dark Matter INK for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dark Matter INK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Although I DNFd this book at 25%, I plan to return to it in the future. The writing style is unique—almost experimental in a good way—with interesting characters and a killer premise. Unfortunately, the book’s numerous alternating POVs and confusing terminology made it difficult for me to stay engaged, so I’ll have to try again another time.

This is very well written, the body horror is so good, the insanity and intensity is really fun to read, and the manic nature of thoughts both from The Divine Flesh and Jennifer are wild. This is just not my cup of tea, but I know so many people who will love it!

I DNF'd this book at 25% because I genuinely struggled to wrap my head around everything that was going on. The writing was very unique and exciting to read though' It was all just very overstimulating but that's probably just me. I think if I was able to grasp it better than I did, I would enjoy it a lot more. The story is really interesting though, I love the concept, and I think I'll give it another go in the future!

Where to start when this book has SO much to throw at you?
This was an excellent read and I am so glad to have stumbled upon Drew Huff, I am sure to keep an eye out for any of his future works!
There are plenty of trigger warnings for this book but do not let this put you off; the author really does achieve to create a horror novel unlike any I have read before!
Without giving any of the plot away, I would say to just jump into the book without reading too many reviews as I think letting the book reveal itself will give you the best reading experience!

I almost feel like two is being too generous.

I love splatterpunk. I love cosmic horror. I love weird shit.

I did NOT love this. Disjointed and difficult to follow (in a bad way) and I found myself not caring enough to keep going.

While I DNF this book that is due to my own personal struggle with the writing style.

The concept is fantastic I however struggle greatly with the conversations between the divine and the FMC when they’re interacting with another character. It’s just too many POVs in a paragraph. It simply just overwhelmed my adhd brain.

But this would be a great read for someone who can handle that kind of narration between characters.