Breeding Ground by S.C. Mendes is a visceral and horrifying dive into the darkest corners of humanity and the monstrous. It’s a brutal, unflinching book that doesn’t hold back, offering readers an intense blend of body horror, psychological suspense, and social commentary.

Mendes excels at creating a palpable sense of unease. The setting—a decaying city rife with corruption and hidden horrors—is a character in itself, oozing dread from every corner. The narrative is unrelenting, pulling readers deeper into a twisted underground world that feels disturbingly plausible.

The characters are complex and flawed, with just enough humanity to make you care about their fates. Mendes doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths, weaving in themes of exploitation, power dynamics, and survival in a way that’s both thought-provoking and deeply unsettling.

The gore and horror elements are not for the faint of heart, but they’re handled with purpose, enhancing the story rather than overwhelming it. That said, there are moments where the pacing slows slightly due to heavy exposition, and some readers might find the bleakness a bit overwhelming.

Overall, Breeding Ground is a chilling and powerful read that’s perfect for fans of extreme horror with a deeper message. S.C. Mendes has crafted a story that gets under your skin and stays there—a nightmare you won’t soon forget. Highly recommended for readers who can handle its darker edges.

This novella left me wondering exactly what I had just read. The story is very strange and in parts oddly written. I can swear like a sailor, but I thought some of the word choices here were inappropriate and detracted from the horror of the story.

The story is that this couple, who everyone around them deemed the IT couple, go to a remote cabin in the woods (horror cliche I know) to rekindle their relationship and decide if they want to stay together. Apparently, their entire future planning revolved around having kids and when that fell apart they had nothing left, or so it seems.

The story is only 39 pages so you don't get a lot of time to invest in either character. They are fairly dysfunctional at baseline and honestly, neither is particularly sympathetic.

I am the first one to tout many horror books falling prey to being too long but I think this one is just too short to really establish anything. I recalled the description of the story, which made me want to read it in the first place, but when I actually got into the story itself I realized that the summary was misleading. The summary has more meat to it than the actual story.

This was a miss for me. I think this is the end of a story that needs more to flesh it out (pun intended) in order to be good.

Thanks to Blood Bound Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first by this author. Wow! What a ride!! Such a creepy spine tingling horror filled fast paced read! Highly recommend for any horror fans!

2.75⭐ rounded up

After receiving an upsetting medical diagnosis, Lexi agrees to a weekend retreat at her ex-fiance's secluded cabin with the hopes to reconnect. Things quickly turn sour and Lexi demands to leave...but something in the woods has other plans for Lexi.

Overall, there were definitely some gross scenes but nothing was too graphic in terms of body horror. It was a quick, predictable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blood Bound Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion.

A good horror short story should feel like the opening act in a horror movie. Just a little set up and then action. I had a good time with this one and will be reading more from the author. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read and review.

A couple attempts to fix their relationship on a weekend gateway. Things take a deadly turn.

Fertility is a tough subject for me so while it wasn’t my favorite topic to read, I like the plot and would have enjoyed it more if it was a novella. .

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

This was a very quick read. I liked the premise but the execution was somewhat disappointing. The gore and the horror wasn’t developed enough, it didn’t feel scary or atmospheric - rather it was mundane. Excellent bones of a story, just felt like a rough draft rather than a finished piece.

If you like pure, unadulterated horror with a touch of the repulsive, Breeding Ground is for you! This short story, by S.C. Mendes, details Lexi and Brandon’s weekend visit to a remote cabin. They are hoping to repair their broken engagement, broken after Lexi learned she was unable to have the children Brandon so desperately wanted. So what happens on the weekend? You’ll find out. And, by the way, if you have a problem with insects, you might want to pass on this little gem of a nightmare. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blood Bound Books and S.C. Mendes for this ARC.

3.5 ⭐️

I like a good short story and this one definetly filled my need for a short horror story. The little twist towards the end was great but I didn't really get the plot for the first few pages.

Thank you for an arc copy of this story. This book follows a couple who are alone taking a break from life and work when the man discovers a strange bug. And then another. This story deals with impregnation by creature and horrific and disturbing scenes. Unfortunately this book was not for me. I was confused the entire time but the writing was well done and the characters had clear and strong personalities.

Breeding Ground is the story of Lexi and Brandon visiting a cabin in the woods after having broken up a month ago. Not only is Lexi hesitant to get back together with Brandon, a few hours into the trip she gets attacked by something out of her nightmares.

"Always give a scared animal a route to escape."

What I most enjoyed about this story was the interpersonal relationship aspect. It was interesting to learn more about Lexi and Brandon's relationship in the past as well as the present. I would like to read more from this author in a different genre.

The horror aspect of this was alright. It was clear from the start where the story would go, and It occassionally veered into some weird territory. But it did come full circle in the end.

A quick read. Lexi and her ex fiancee Brandon go to a cabin for a weekend to try and rekindle their relationship, things don't go as planned. A good short story with a good twist. Thanks to Blood Bound Books and Netgalley for this review copy

Spending time with her ex-fiance, Brandon, in a cabin to rekindle old flames should be a romantic affair. But when something attacks Lexi, things go horribly wrong. Her old health issues reappear, her ex-fiance starts acting strange. Is this really happening, or is she having a psychotic break?
Breeding Ground was a little short story about rekindling old flames, and ventures into insanity and horror.

I really enjoyed the setup to the plot, with Lexi and Brandon on the way to the cabin. I enjoyed hearing about Brandon's knowledge of plant life. This, However, completely spoiled the twist at the end and made it very obvious what was going to happen, at least in theory.
Unfortunately, I found both Lexi and Brandon to be one-dimensional, and the horror wasn’t terribly scary either.
I liked the questioning element of wondering if Lexi was in the throes of a terrifying anxiety attack, or if something sinister was actually going on. Especially considering her influences at the time.

While this wasn’t my ‘cup-of-tea’, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick horror read, or to anyone looking at getting into body horror/gore, but doesn’t want to commit to a longer book.

In conclusion, I didn’t like this as much as I hoped for, but I can see the potential of the story, and I can see that it would appeal to some markets.
Thank you to Netgalley and Blood Bound Books for the Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this book. All opinions are my own.