Review by Booklist Review
Self-publishing sensation Tingle burst onto the traditional publishing scene with one of the best books of 2023 (Camp Damascus), but his follow-up is even better. Misha, a semicloseted horror screenwriter, has built quite a career for himself over the last two decades, but when asked to kill off the female leads of his popular show right after they kiss, he refuses. However, the algorithm, which rules Hollywood, demands he obey, or else. With the help of his best friend and boyfriend, Misha becomes the unlikely hero of not only his own story but also that of the entire world, endangered by a powerful, insidious evil. Tingle's effortless narrative flows from an uneasy tone that steadily builds to full-on, existential terror, along the way taking readers on a highly entertaining, fast-paced ride, filled with thought-provoking satire, original monsters, and some of the most realistic characters they will encounter on any page, all to prove that love is real and horror itself is, at its core, a celebration of life. A book for anyone who likes the immersive, high-stakes thrillers of Blake Crouch or horror novels like A Light Most Hateful (2023), by Hailey Piper, or Horror Movie (2024), by Paul Tremblay.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Tingle (Camp Damascus) cements his place in horror with this gory romp, which doubles as a love letter to every queer kid who wished for TV characters like themselves and a sharply pointed warning about the state of entertainment and the rise of AI. Misha Byrne is a gay screenwriter hoping to make a career helming the queer shows and movies he wanted to see when he was growing up. He knows how to tell a good story, and he's got the Oscar nod and a successful ongoing show to prove it. So when his studio executives tell him their algorithm says he has to kill off his lesbian lead characters to boost viewership, Misha refuses, despite the threat of cancellation and the undeniable success of the studio's new AI-driven movie. He's stressed, but holding firm, until a series of increasingly terrifying encounters with stalkers dressed as horror movie monsters he created for past projects shake his conviction. Someone is trying to scare him to death--and it's his own stories he now has to survive. Tingle's vivid, visceral storytelling combines with prescient insight into the corporate dynamics that rule mainstream media. The result is smart, subtle, and a bloody good time. (July)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Now firmly established as a mainstream voice in queer horror, self-publishing phenom Tingle (Camp Damascus) returns with a story that skewers LGBTQIA+ representation in Hollywood. Misha is a successful Hollywood screenwriter who has just been nominated for an Academy Award, but the studio he works for demands that he kill off his show's two gay leads because "the Algorithm" said they had to die for ratings. Expecting a legal fight with the studio, Misha is surprised when the terrifying creations he's written for the studio (and born from his own psychological trauma) begin stalking him and his friends while the clock ticks down toward the cancellation of Misha's life. Tingle once again demonstrates his skill by offering a metafiction horror story that takes a cutting yet nuanced look at how LGBTQIA+ heroes are either underrepresented or objectified. Narrator André Santana voices inspirational protagonist Misha with valiance and determination as he pushes back against the queer tragedy trope. Along with Santana, other well-established writers like CJ Leede and Sarah Gailey offer their voices in asides that dovetail seamlessly with the overall story of Misha vs. the Algorithm. VERDICT A triumph for Tingle and an audiobook that fans of queer horror will devour.--James Gardner
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