Thank you AJ and Dark Journeys Press for the opportunity to review this novel.

Unfortunately, I could not get into this novel. I gave it so many opportunities but could not connect with the characters.

Since this would be considered a DNF. I will not leave a Goodreads rating.

Thank you again for the opportunity!

Thanks for the opportunity to read an ARC of Trip! I had really high hopes for this one, as the premise mentions an author struggling with his own dark thoughts/anxiety, then add a strong hallucinogenic into the mix, and homicidal killers?! Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. The first half of the book was really slow for me to get to, and since it's pretty lengthy, I kind of lost interest by the time it picked up a bit in the second half, when things start happening. I did enjoy the way the time morphed to show how high our MC was, but sometimes reading all the trippy anxious rambling thoughts proved to be a bit difficult (for me! It may work well for a different reader!) The cover of the book is gorgeous, and I really liked the concept here, but it felt like a chore to get through.

'Trip' by AJ Humphreys is (believe it or not) a trip! Humphreys brilliantly and accurately writes about depression, jealousy and being off your face. There's a fine line when writing a character like Galen, they can be easy to dislike, however the reader is compelled to feel for him and encourage him to keep going. The moments of humour throughout are genuine and help to contrast the dark situation Galen has found himself in. Loved every moment.

Normaly I am excited for something that is trippy like this was supposed to be. Unfortunately this one made following everything unbearable.
I was hoping more trippiness I guess i can say, instead got more confusion.
Not bad, but not what I was hoping for.

With a great build up towards the more fast paced plot this books is a real trip. I need more books from Humphrey! Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Galen is a writer stuck in a rut—his creative well has run dry, and he's drowning in self-doubt. He agrees to go on a camping trip with his editor and friend, Glen (yes, the names are close enough to get mixed up more than once!). What starts as a retreat quickly turns into a chaotic adventure when the pair decide to take LSD in an attempt to spark Galen's creativity. For me, the build-up to this point felt a bit slow, as there was a lot of inner monologue and reflection from Galen, which made the pacing drag.

Once the trip kicks in, the story definitely picks up. The psychedelic journey is a mix of surreal and insightful, but just when it starts to feel meaningful, the pair’s experience takes a dark turn. They get tangled up in a brutal situation with a dangerous group of drug lords. This part of the book was by far the most intense, and I loved how unexpected and thrilling it was.

The tension doesn’t stop there. Galen and his hallucinations (or maybe they’re real?) try to escape, and the narrative gets increasingly surreal. I’ll admit, there were times I got frustrated with the constant flow of dialogue and bizarre events. Galen’s somewhat detached reaction to the chaos happening around him kept me at arm’s length from fully connecting with the story. The hallucinations were strange and disorienting, which is probably the point, given that Galen is trying to process everything through a fog of drugs.

The final stretch of the book is a whirlwind—action-packed, violent, and full of twists that left me questioning what was real and what was just another product of Galen’s drugged mind. While I appreciated the ambition of the ending, it did leave me with mixed feelings. The action is gripping, but the heavy monologue and philosophical moments made it feel uneven.

This really is a horrifying journey into what appears to be a pit of madness.
It’s a slow start but the second half grips you, catapulting the reader into a race for survival, chilling revelations and an atmospheric spiral of terrifying proportions.
An assortment of dysfunctional characters set in the wilds keeps you on your toes with twists that make you gasp out loud.
Fantastic, thrilling and utterly demented.