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02/14/2026 Danielle's Dark Corners

  • Writer: Danielle Yvonne
    Danielle Yvonne
  • 1 hour ago
  • 8 min read

Happy Saturday and Happy Valentine’s Day! There is a zero percent chance that I am bringing you any sort of lovey-dovey, happily ever after romance. But there is a one hundred percent chance that I am bringing the absolute horrors. So, grab a box of chocolate, throw some rose petals around, and embrace the chaos!



REAL TELEVISION

By Matthew Salinas


Once the public was turned into a frantic mess, the rest of the pieces silently fell into place, like a painted backdrop. Now the ruling class placated their apathetic cravings with televised displays of callous, ultra-violent entertainment. At first, it was just a rumor on the internet, like everything else. No one believed the hushed whispers from the corners of the internet, except for the few “crazy enough” to express their concerns.

This. Book. Was. Incredible.

 

Simple as that. That’s it. That’s my review.


Kidding, I have way more to say. Salinas is an author whom I am familiar with but have never read--until now. And wow, I am a fan for life. REAL TELEVISION is a dystopian horror that feels incredibly too realistic, given the state of the world. My jaw dropped almost immediately, and I am not sure if I have even picked it back up yet. This is one of those books that will live rent-free in my head for the rest of my life. And I mean that in a really good way, I think. Because again, it’s a dystopian horror… and it hits the nail on the head with the current political climate in the United States, BUT Salinas manages to do it in a way that, in my opinion, was brilliant. Now, brilliant is a strong word to use in a book review. It isn’t one I use often, and I don’t take it lightly. That being said, this book is freaking brilliant.

 

I went into this book completely blind. I expressed above that it’s dystopian horror, but I wasn’t expecting it to have some super solid extreme/splatterpunk elements to it. And I was really impressed with that as well. And for those that sort of straddle the line on whether or not they want to take the plunge with something more on the extreme end, this is the book I would recommend. There’s a point to all the chaos and depravity. The writing style was amazing. The characters were done fantastically. I was also surprised by how much this book put me in my feels about a lot of things, from cover to cover.

 

It’s a new release, so there hasn’t been a TON of chatter yet, but I see this one being brought up in a lot of recommendations and discussions in general. It is absolutely going to be on one of my Top Reads of 2026 lists. If someone asked me right now what one book I would recommend everyone read that I have read so far this year, it’s this one. (Yes, I am aware it is only February, but I am confident I will still feel this way in December, lol.)

 

All of the proceeds for both the eBook and paperback are being donated to the American Cancer Society in honor of Salinas sister, whom he unfortunately lost to cancer. So, if you need another excuse to grab this and move it up on your TBR, I think it’s a pretty damn good one.


SYNOPSIS:

The rules are simple: Survive or Die Trying. Five strangers wake up in a cold, industrial warehouse in the heart of the entertainment district. Each contestant is forced to compete in a brutal, life-or-death game broadcast live to millions. The games are violent, grotesque, and twisted beyond imagination.


The diabolical host, Chet Steazle, a charming yet sadistic showman, orchestrates the madness with a smile. As the blood flows, humanity shows its true colors and the line between entertainment and atrocity blurs.


Settle in and join the million others watching. In the words of Chet himself, "Don't touch that dial!"


This book is dedicated to Lisa Salinas. All proceeds from eBooks and Paperback copies sold will be donated to the American Cancer Society in her honor, so that hopefully one day no one will have to experience the pain of losing a loved one to cancer.




PIECE OF SHIT LOSER SCRUMBAG: THIS IS NOT A MEMOIR

By Matt Micheli


You take a sip from your dying coffee and the longer it sits there, the worse it tastes. The longer you sit there, the worse you feel. It’s cold, but more of an internal cold. The apartment’s not cold. It’s you.

Wow. What a fantastic collection of stories. And wow. I didn’t realize I have been reading Micheli for two years now. My first review for one of his books was PORNAGEDDON in March of 2024. That was a great book. Then I read a few of his chapbooks over the last year or so, my favorites being THE CALL CENTER and THE BOX. I was really excited to see that THE BOX was the closer to this collection. It fits perfectly. And that story is amazing.

 

Anyway, PIECE OF SHIT LOSER SCUMBAG: THIS IS NOT A MEMOIR features 12 stories, and every single one of them will bring you on a hell of a ride. Micheli’s writing style is one that, regardless of the story he’s telling, has me in a chokehold immediately. He is also an author who plays around with second-person narration/point of view, and that’s something I don’t see a lot of, but Micheli manages to nail it every single time. In this collection, I found myself really drawn to the story WORDS, MISERABLE FUCKING WORDS. That’s the story the quotes you see sprinkled in this review are from. It ruined my entire life. In a good way, I think, lol, it will certainly live rent-free in my head forever. Most of these stories will actually.


If there was a way to retract words after they were spoken, then that would be something. If you could un-say words after you’ve said them. Words. Fucking…words. Words, or more like, your words, have always got you in trouble. They’ve ruined everything you’ve ever almost had.

 

I always point out that I am not a synopsis person, but it really provides the best grasp of the overall theme of this book. Shitty men exist, and unfortunately, we all know more than one. Which makes some of these books relatable in ways, sadly. But I actually liked the relatability factor. It brought raw emotions to the pages, and it really hit differently than other transgressive/horrific/sad/even funny stories. I know, that’s a lot to take in. This whole book is a lot to take in. This is one of those times where I feel lost for the right words to do this collection justice, because I could ramble all damn day about each one.

 

Bottom line is that this book and the stories give a wide range and a little bit of everything for everyone. There really isn’t a person I wouldn’t recommend this book to. It’s super well-rounded, really well written, and again, it offers something for everyone. I highly recommend everyone take a chance on this one. If the title alone doesn’t grasp your attention, I promise that the stories will!


SYNOPSIS:

PIECE OF SHIT LOSER SCUMBAG: THIS IS NOT A MEMOIR is a collection of stories that explore the hidden inner workings of men who are far from good, and unfortunately, all too recognizable. Transgressive, sometimes funny, oftentimes sad, and horrifically human, this collection will leave you embarrassed for our species with a heart much heavier than before, sitting in your doctor’s office, waiting to discuss the spontaneous burning rash on your genitalia.




PIGCHIMP CARNAGE IN FAT CITY: MONDO PERVERSO PULPAGEDDON #5

By Peter Caffrey


The man’s eyes opened even wider with terror, and he stammered, ‘It was a … a massive chimpanzee with … with the head of … the head of a pig!’

Ahh! We have reached BOOK FIVE of this series, and I am still living for every single one of these stories. Like I’ve mentioned in past reviews, each story is totally different from the others, so you don’t need to read them in any sort of order at all. They also run about 65 pages each and are perfect for a binge in one sitting type of read. Oh, and laugh? You will laugh. You may also cringe and gag quite a bit, too. But damn, these stories are a hell of a good time, and PIGCHIMP CARNAGE IN FAT CITY is no exception. I can’t even type the title without chuckling a bit to myself.

 

It’s no surprise that Caffrey is a favorite author of mine. Every single thing I have read by him, whether it be 10 pages or 400, has been an easy five stars for me. He is an extremely talented writer and has one heck of a range. This man has been able to get me to LOVE two different tropes that I typically don’t go near. I’m not even exaggerating.

 

It’s hard to say a lot in my reviews for the books in the MONDO PERVERSO PULPAGEDDON series due to the length and due to my not wanting to give away the entire plot with a million spoilers. If you’ve ever read Caffrey, then you have half a clue what to expect, maybe. If you haven’t read anything by him yet, I really think these stories are great starting points. You truly can’t go wrong with any of his work.

 

The sixth and I believe final installment is currently sitting on my Kindle waiting for me. So get ready for that review to pop up soon! But in the meantime, make sure you grab this one along with the others that are available!


SYNOPSIS:

Fat City, the new-build metropolis for the rich and gifted, is a gleaming aspirational location for everything good in the modern world. However, built on the site of an indigenous settlement, it also has an ancient resident: Pigchimp. When the official launch of the city disturbs the beast, things quickly become shittier than a shit sandwich at Shitfest! Can anyone defeat Pigchimp and save the city?




SPLATTER

By Angelique Jordonna, Rowland Bercy Jr., Michael R. Collins, Chisto Healy


As soon as I saw the author line-up and heard about the concept, I knew that SPLATTER was going to be an unhinged hell of a ride! And boy oh boy, was it ever! If you are familiar with even one of these authors, you know you’re going to get yourself into something chaotic, but all four? Ha, pure insanity. In the best way possible!

 

I love how this book is kind of like a collaborative novel, but also different. It’s four separate novellas, each told by one of the authors, but at the center of the entire book is a diabolical family that is into anything and everything you can think of. Cannibalism? YUP. Incest? SURE! Why not! Violence and depravity? You betcha!

 

This book goes hard from cover to cover. Each author came out and showed the best versions of themselves. Some moments got some solid chuckles out of me, and many moments got some gags out of me! It just gets more and more unhinged as you go on, then BOOM. That’s all I can say. I refuse to ruin anything. So, BOOM. No, I am not trying to trick you; there really just is a whole boom moment at the end where I audibly said WTF. Chaotic and insane. Two fantastic words to describe this book as a whole. And in this genre? That’s one heck of a compliment in my eyes!

 

If you even enjoy one of these writers, I highly suggest you get your hands on this book. Even if you’re not familiar with any of them, READ IT. Just do it. Please, lol. I need more people to talk about the shenanigans that took place and how unhinged Granny is!!

 

I also had to skip a quote for this one because I could not choose just one author, and I also couldn’t do four quotes. Not because I didn’t have plenty of lines highlighted, but I will most definitely be banned on social media platforms for the quotes I wanted to use, lol.


SYNOPSIS:

4 Authors.

1 Family.

Gallons of Blood.


Meet the Collins family.


There are run-of-the-mill psychopaths and then there’s the Collins’s.


When Grandma Collins returns from a mental institution, she finds her family in a state of disarray. Sure, they’re murdering people, but it’s just not being done right.


Under their grandmother’s watchful eye, the Collins clan are about to get even crazier.


Welcome to the family.


Owner: Candace Nola

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