dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

5 stars because that ending was šŸ¤ŒšŸ»šŸ’‹
Bloody. Gory. F*cked up in so many ways. But I read this whole book in one sitting. Check the triggers before diving into it. If you donā€™t have any, I recommend this 100%!!! 

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dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wow. What a book. I loved this, one of the most realistic yet still shocking and fun horror books I've read to date. Would reccomend to anyone who can handle the topic of n3cr0ph1li4.

Loved it!

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challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

 Rating: ā­ā­ā­ā­.75

To the authors: What the f***?

This book was so much darker and more disgusting than I expected, but in the best way. Motel Styx follows Ellis Mercer as he checks into a necrotelā€”a motel where people legally indulge in the "recreational use" of corpsesā€”to recover his wifeā€™s remains. The story is twisted, explicit, and unsettling, but the writing is sharp, and the humor (much-needed, trust me) was perfectly placed.

I have to say, thereā€™s only one likeable character in the whole bookā€”and itā€™s not Ellis. But in a story about necrophiles, does there need to be? Thatā€™s the only thing keeping me from a full 5 stars.

Iā€™m not a splatterpunk expert, but this went beyond what I was expecting in terms of shock value. That said, it never felt like it was gross just to be gross. The story itself was unique and so well-executed that I couldnā€™t look away. The fake hotel reviews and political statements scattered throughout were hilarious and added just the right amount of absurdity to balance the darkness. Oh, and the authors went all out with a real website for the motel (motelstyx.com), which is just as insane as the book itself.

Motel Styx is disturbing, thought-provoking, and unlike anything Iā€™ve ever read. Iā€™m giving it 4.75 stars, and now I need something fluffy to cleanse my brain. 

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challenging dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have been a fan of Jonathan Butcher's previous work, so when I heard he was co-writing Motel Styx with Michelle Von Eschen, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy, and it did not disappoint. I loved the cognitive dissonance that arose from being in the "necrotel" environment and enjoying many of the characters as people despite their questionable tastes. The fact that I could never decide who the "good guys" were was interesting and added a layer of mystery fueled by moral ambiguity. I also appreciated the unfolding of the plot answering multiple different questions about different characters, and the ending was definitely poetic, but also quite disgusting, which is perfect when I'm reaching for an extreme horror title. I would highly recommend this to extreme horror fans new and experienced, and also to anyone interested in giving the genre a try. There's plenty of action in the storyline to go alongside some of the more graphic scenes, and everything about the book is creative from the concept, to the website, to the characters. It's a page turner that's going on my list of favorites!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I love this book, it's wild and so fun

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dark medium-paced

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