Happy Sweetest Day!

October 15th, 2016

CONSUMED by Matt Shaw

CONSUMED
The “TASTY” new horror novel from Matt Shaw

Since I am a huge fan, and I follow both of Matt’s Facebook pages, I got to watch as he began writing & posted updates for this one. His teaser posts made me crazy! ‘Warnings’ by him included things like ‘I may have crossed the line on this bit’ or ‘I might get some complaints on that bit’, “WARNING: NOT FOR THE EASILY SHOCKED. SOME SCENES MAY BE DISTRESSING!” Warnings, to me, are a wonderful selling point. (I like to say that warning labels on books are like warning labels on prescription bottles, the worse the warning…the better the content. Alcohol may intensify the effect? Thanks for the suggestion! Don’t read this on a full stomach? Don’t mind if I do!)
I do love what the Amazon page says…” A tasty new horror from the author who brought you “The Cabin” and “Smile” – this book is not for the easily offended nor is it for people who don’t appreciate shocks galore. Having previously had positive feedback for his numerous horror and ghost stories – Matt Shaw decided to write “Consumed” for the more gore-hungry horror fans…And he delivers by the bucket load!”
I sat on this book for a couple days before opening it, scared to finish it too fast! Then, I couldn’t take it any more & devoured it (see what I did there?).
Going into a horror novel about cannibalism & seeing “non non nom” is a delightful way to spend a day!

The story starts with a group of college age friends packing up & leaving for a camping trip. Deciding that using the GPS is for pussies, they disconnect & rely on their map reading skills. (Guess how that goes). I don’t know if it was just my mindset, or his writing, but I had a TCM vibe going from Jump Street. So, when they run into a little trouble & strangers come to the rescue – I’m saying ‘don’t do it! Don’t go! Oh…you dumb ass…!’
Some ‘down-home’ hospitality is offered, insisted upon, and our friends just can’t say no. The sexy young sister greeting the boys at the house didn’t hurt, either! Around this time, I’m having feelings of House Of 1000 Corpses, but – Rob Zombie didn’t have a dinner party like this one at the Firefly house!
I have to stop here, fearing I might give too much away. CONSUMED read a little different than the other stories. A little more ‘fluff’ than usual – but, that really turned out to be a good thing in this story. A little bit more background on the characters just makes you love/hate them even more! You get to know the bad guys history a bit…and that’s a bonus! A great thing about it is that it goes into the how’s and why’s of the family eating ‘long pork’. How they started & why they continue – not too much, though. Just enough. You might think you know this story – but Matt gives his unique spin on it, making it fresh & new. Blood was shed, gory good times were had, definate cringe worthy scenes and stomach turning moments! All that AND a great story line to back it up!

Another five star book from Matt! Don’t pass this one up!

From this point on – I’m calling out SPOILER ALERT! Read at your own risk!

While writing CONSUMED, Matt had a little ‘contest’.
He was searching for names for some of the characters, and made a post on Facebook asking if any of us would be interested in lending our name to one of the bad guys.
The response was huge & I tried to get in on it – as a bad guy, or even just a random victim! The name Becki just doesn’t have a good “flow”. Two hard sounds, a ‘BUH’ and a ‘KEY’ – see? Not a good flow.
I’m still excited! Because, if I couldn’t be immortalized in this one, and least a friend of mine could! Suzanne M. made the CUT (see what I did there?) – and reading this a second time, focusing on Suzanne’s character, was so much fun!
First introduced at 42%, the part with her character that I enjoyed the most came at 88% … “Suzanne looked at Robert whilst nibbling on one of Charlotte’s fingers… which she had already bitten off.” The giggles were great! The visual was even better!

nomnomnom

Sadly, Suzanne meets with a grisly demise at around 91% – but, she can be proud of the fact that she wasn’t the first to go, and she lasted almost to the end 🙂
I’m not giving up. I’m keeping the dream alive. One day, there will be a character to whom I can lend my name.
Until then, I’m still in a cartoon!

Peace, Love, & Necrophillia ♥
~ Shadow Girl

Check out my most recent interview –
LOW TEA WITH MATT SHAW
4/20/13

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As Mark Wahlberg, playing Chris Cole, said in Rock Star …

“You know, I’m just a regular guy who grew up with the posters of these guys on my wall… and now I’m one of them! That’s right, I’m standing here, living proof that if you work hard enough, and you want it bad enough… dreams do come true. So follow your dreams…” que music for We All Die Young

Guess who made it into the newest book of short stories…
Don’t miss INSOMNIA in SHORTS