01/24/2026 - Danielle's Dark Corners
- Danielle Yvonne
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Happy Saturday! Per usual, I come bearing the goods. Let's just do this!
RUNTS
By Daniel J. Volpe
"Human meat roasted over the open flames of the fireplace. The smell was intoxicating, and the Runts couldn't wait to eat. It had been years since they had human flesh; not since Pickles died and they risked eating him."
RUNTS is absolutely one of the most fun books I have read in a while! Volpe nailed it with this one, and I NEED a sequel in my life asap. There should be zero questions about why this book is nominated for a Splatterpunk Award. I would be shocked if it didn’t take the win to be honest.
It’s so foul, lol. It’s so depraved. But damn, it is so good!! The characters are done so freaking well, and Volpe is just a hell of a writer, so you can just imagine! It’s surely not for the faint of heart, but if you like Splatterpunk or Extreme Horror, especially if you’re an Ed Lee fan, you will LOVE this book! It definitely got a ton of hype when it was released, and I know why. My only regret is taking so dang long to read it!
It keeps you on your toes from cover to cover, it’s filled with all the gross stuff, but add in Volpe’s humor and boom, you’re ready for a damn good time! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
SYNOPSIS:
Skylar, Jackson, Emmett, and Trenton want nothing more than to get home for winter break, but
a blizzard changes their plans. As the roads worsen, they have no choice but to seek refuge in the
town of Braxton.
But Braxton is a town with a dark secret. For decades, many of the children born to unsuspecting
parents wore horrific mutations. Some parents did the unthinkable, killing the innocent, while
others surrendered them to an old woman known only as Grammy.
With the snow piling up and food short, Grammy and her Runts are desperate to eat, whether it
be man or beast.
Will the college students brave the storm and make it home or will they become victims of the
cursed town?
Amazon: https://a.co/d/b2KJWZp
F**KIN’ DIE, FINAL GUY
By Elton Skleter
"I love to view the world through the tiny box of the eyepiece, to view life condensed in the framing of the lens. It makes you feel detached enough to capture something without changing it. It feels like hiding. There’s something so intimate about it."
F**KIN’ DIE, FINAL GUY is the sequel to F**K YOU, MARY SUE, which was an easy five-star read for me. When I saw that there was a sequel, I immediately grabbed it and read it in MAYBE two sittings, but definitely closer to one. I am OBSESSED with the writing style of Elton Skelter. His storytelling is unmatched in my opinion and shines through this series.
You don’t need to read the first one to read this one, but I definitely recommend that you do, simply so you have the background information, and it’s just a more enjoyable read in my opinion. I love the representation within the characters; that’s something I notice with Skelter’s books and really appreciate.
This one was hard-hitting. Heck, all of Skelter's reads are pretty hard-hitting. There’s quite a bit of brutality and heartbreak. But damn, there’s something so beautiful about the story and the way it’s told.
SYNOPSIS:
Four years ago, four friends made the biggest mistakes of their lives following a massacre that rocked their town. No one knows what they did.
Until now.
When tragedy brings them all back to Sandower, it becomes clear that someone knows their secret. Someone is watching.
And there's going to be hell to pay.
Set against the town's Pride parade, the final four will face the fight of their lives.
They were just kids, but even kids ought to know better.
Live fast.
Die young.
Take your secrets to the grave.
The sequel to F**k You, Mary Sue brings the unique cast of outsiders back home for another fight with their demons. But can they overcome the past, or will this last F**k You usher in their demise?
Amazon: https://a.co/d/fnDTWDV
THE BOYS OF BARREN COUNTY
By Stuart Bray
"He was a narcissistic little prick with no moral boundaries, and it became worse every time he stuck that little glass pipe between his lips."
THE BOYS OF BARREN COUNTY is a book that I read for the first time in January 2024. No idea where two years went, but here we are. I love this book by Bray, and I don’t think it’s talked about enough. It’s a transgressive story with some heavy themes that puts you in your feels beyond the “typical” Splatterpunk / Extreme Horror stories.
It is sick, twisted, and depraved at times, but it’s one of my favorites because I think that Bray curated some superbly memorable characters and their development throughout the book is a wild ride. I love the fact that it’s told in multiple POV’s. One being a meth addict, the others being his terrible friends and victims.
It sits at just over 150 pages, and I binge-read it all in one sitting. It also has a faint theme of Valentine’s Day, which makes it perfect for those who seek reads for the holidays. I actually decided to start my own little tradition and read it every year around Valentine’s Day.
As I said above, this is one of my favorite books by Bray, and I highly recommend everyone take a chance on it! I think people will really be both impressed and moved by the entire thing from cover to cover!
SYNOPSIS:
The Boys of Barren County is a dark and gritty story about a group of teenagers who love to live life on the edge, so much so that they resort to sex, drugs, and murder. All in the name of keeping themselves occupied.
Amazon: https://a.co/d/imQY40x
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