The Boyfriend

Every Parent's Worst nightmare

By: D. E. McCluskey

Narrated by: Alan Turton

Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Lisa Quinn has a boyfriend: Sean Knight.

She is just 16 years old, and he is her first. He's handsome, and, with his charm, he wins over her usually overprotective parents.

Yet there is a dark side to Sean.

When Lisa's parents go away on vacation, Sean's dark side emerges, and he viciously attacks her over a two-day period, sending pictures of his work to someone he calls Jay.

Lisa's life is turned upside down, and her allies are few and far between. Luckily, she has a close friend to confide in.

When her parents return from vacation, Lisa seems like a different person.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold.

How well do we really know the people in our lives? Do we truly know which way their moral compass spins?

Monsters come in all shapes, sizes, and guises. Is there such a thing as a hero? In this novel, as in life, even the good guys have deeper shades of grey.

Please check online trigger warnings for this publication.

©2023 Dammaged Productions (P)2023 Dammaged Productions

a little too dark

the scenes were a little too graphic and detailed; the dark scenes dragged on too long. A little after 1/2 way through the book it became too predictable.

Great story, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the narration.

The narrator was good except when he was talking as one of the teenagers. Otherwise, I enjoyed it.

what a crazy ride

just finished it and I just don't know where to start. I got to admit that I didn't know what I was getting myself into, i didn't read the hypnosis, (my fault for sure )trigger warnings for sure for s.a, extremely violence,brutal. there was a part I had to stop and I started crying because the details of this history are so vivid, it felt like I was in it. as a survivor of s.a it did brought alot of feelings back. It gets pretty gruesome very fast and it just gets crazier and crazier. make sure you are in a good head space for this one, it touches a very strong subject matter, I almost stopped, not because it wasnt good but because it was so descriptive and real ,but I'm glad I didn't because the ending brought me closure, i felt for Lisa and I was rooting for her justice (and In a way mine that i never got). I really liked the ending.

I had to fast forward

I wish I would have read the reviews. It’s gross, and I wonder if the author really thinks teenage girls act like that…

STILL

trying to wrap my head around this … jaw dropping!! D.E.McCluskey is gifted with his storytelling.

Why did I wait so long??

I really enjoyed this book. Monsters come in all shapes & sizes. It is very brutal & graphic and I loved every second. IThe ending is superb!

Speechless

I went into this blind. I was intrigued by the title (didn't read the back cover or even a synopsis) and had always wanted read the book itself, but never did, so when I had the opportunity to obtain the audio book, I jumped at it. Wow! What a rollercoaster.

If I'm being perfectly honest, I'm usually not a fan of international narrators, but after the first few chapters, I didn't even notice his accent anymore. The story was well read, and the pitch changes for each character were superbly done. The only suggestion I would make in the audio book is maybe a warning in the beginning, for the context of certain chapters. I hate to use the phrase "trigger warning" as I feel it is often overly exaggerated or misrepresented.

The use of graphic description is excellent. I felt as though I could visualize and physically feel what the characters were experiencing. Now, whether that's good or disturbing is questionable, lol, but the authors attention to detail is incredible. The twist at the end threw me. I won't lie, my whole mouth dropped. Well done, sir, well done!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to listen to and review this book. I highly recommend it to everyone, but there is GRAPHIC SA and Violence, so please, be prepared.

wow!!!

First of all, I would like to say that I can be a man and admit when I am wrong. And boy[friend] was I wrong! Due to some unsavory experiences with a handful of readers and authors in the splatterpunk community, finding many of their attitudes, efforts, and our interactions quite unpleasant, unfortunately, I let those negative interactions drastically influence me to stereotype an entire sub-genre. For that, I was wrong, and I do apologize.

In the past, every splatterpunk story I read had all shared a common theme. They lacked a developed plot and/or complex characters. For the most part, what I found was simply just a disgusting mix of shock and offense for the sake of shock and offense. The Boyfriend by DE McCluskey changed everything I thought I knew about splatterpunk. Yes, it is brutal! Yes, it is disgusting! And yes, it is certainly offensive! But, it also has a great plot and excellent character development; something many stories, self-published or traditionally published -- regardless of genre -- seem to possess in this ever-changing pursuit of preserving classically-written literature.

As a writer myself, I find in telling a good story, you must be able to manipulate the readers' emotions. Throughout The Boyfriend, which I listened to on audiobook, I found myself often on edge, eagerly anticipating what came next, even if I had suspicions that later came to fruition. I thank McCluskey's ability for writing such gripping, ongoing suspense for that! In the end, I was more than satisfied! In the end, especially when hearing the author's personal note -- the cherry which topped a very well-deserved ending like a hot fudge sundae of emotion -- I cried. I cried because though it might have been under different circumstances and lengths, I too was a victim. I too know how it feels. THAT is how you connect with a reader!

Bravo, Dave! You earned and deserve all the success this book brings you. You've earned i! Thank you for making me feel something I clearly needed to.

5/5 Stars!

What an ending!

Really enjoyed this one. Had no idea this would be more on the extreme end so that was an interesting development for me!

i think about this book all the time

I previously read this book,but I prefer audiobooks so I knew I had to listen to it! Everyone should know this is a DARK and GRAPHIC book. It does have a HEA. My only criticism is the voices were interesting lol the overall narratation was amazing but Shawn sounded feminine and Lisa and Janet were almost the same high pitch and hard to tell apart. I love this anyways and this will be a reread book.