Vanity Kills

De: Erica Summers

Narrado por: Jake Blagburn

Duración: 6 h y 40 m

Resumen del Editor

Haunted by his tragic past, Jack LeBlanc, a heavily scarred introvert, finds himself volunteering for the clinical trial of a miraculous new tissue-regeneration drug nicknamed Obsidian. Jack and the other test subjects soon discover that the medication is not what was promised. They’re about to find out the hard way that the pills have nightmarish consequences and that Jack’s pained conscience isn’t the only thing with teeth.

With every pill taken, one thing becomes more clear: the path to perfection will be paved with gore. From the author behind Bad God's Tower, Writhe, and Mantis comes a truly unsettling, Cronenberg-style body horror novel that will make your skin crawl and have you questioning every pill you take.

©2023 Erica Summers (P)2024 Erica Summers

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Definitely one of my favorite reads this year!" - Justin Boote, author of They Are All Monsters

"Summers drops you right into the story and refuses to let you look away." - Mia Coppola Faller, author of Buried Women Speak

"Vanity Kills is creative, terrifying, and beautifully written." - Nat Whiston, author of Feel Her Pain.

vanity

Loved the narration of Jake Blagburn, who brings out suspense and thrills

Jack is suffering from flashbacks from a accident four years earlier. The accident left him severely disfigured. Jack is struggling with the way he looks. He is was once a handsome, popular and confident man. When offered a chance with a clinical trial for a new drug, he grabs it with eager hands.
At the trail he meets Iris a kindred spirit in Iris. They become close.
When Jack meets the Doctor in charge of the trials for the first time, he knows the familiar face, his guilt and the thought of truly being cured, makes him stay and continue on.

Mick is part of the trial, he's wheelchair bound and also hoping to be healed. He is also Jack's friend. Mick believes some people are being given a placebo. So he decides to take matters into his own hands, the pills get into the wrong hands.
Everyone seems to be healing though, Jack seems to be getting worse. His nightmares are getting worse too, more real.

This book will have on your toes.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

What would you do?

Would you undergo a completely experimental test to possibly remove any scars or ailments, even if you are completely unsure of any side effects?

In Vanity Kills, seven people said yes, yes they would. From a model with an appendectomy scar, to a paralyzed man, to a woman with a vicious scar from a hideous attack, they all agreed to be Dr. Walsh's guinea pigs. They would be paid handsomely to live in a test center for three weeks while they are given a new drug called Obsidian, a pill that comes with the promise of getting rid of any old scars and ailments.

Jack is riddled with burns from a car accident years back that killed his wife (in a rather... interesting death scene). He is extremely self conscious of these, and has found life very difficult in the time after recovery. He is desperate to get rid of them, even after seeing who was behind the study.

Does the treatment work? And if it does, at what cost?

The characterization is STRONG in Vanity Kills. It's a slow burn that doesn't really feel like one. Once you get to the true meat of the book, it's brutal and it's descriptive, and you can really see everything well in your head. And the last third of the book really hits hard when everything finally comes together.

The narrator did a fantastic job.

If you're looking for a disturbing and fascinating look into body horror, this is the book for you.

Vanity Kills

Story was good, a little slow to start but got interesting pretty fast. Didn't care for the narrorator at first but he grew on me as the story went on.

Well written story

Enjoyable story line with well written characters. Mick was my favorite. Don't mix your meds lady's and gent's.

How far would you go to fix your “flaws”

This story follows a group of people testing a miracle drug that heals all injuries and scars. If that sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is.

I really enjoyed this one. The narrator read a little fast, sometimes blending multiple sentences together but it was still easy to follow along.

Side Effects from Hell

A group of people undergo an experimental drug trial unaware what they are really just guinea pigs for the worst nightmare that they have ever had. This story has everything that i love in a horror novel suspense, gore, drama, horror, humor, and a little steam if you know what I mean. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books that depi t unique horror but must be 18+. The book is absolutely phenomenal and so are the characters. I received this book for free upon my request. I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased review here of my own volition.