Horror fans, gather around. We need to have a serious chat about splatterpunk and extreme horror—aka the literary equivalent of watching a slasher film with the lights off while whispering “this is fine” to yourself. These subgenres are not for the faint-hearted, the easily disturbed, or the people who think Stephen King (I love you Stephen. I am Just saying…I’ll shut up now) is peak horror. Yet, somehow, folks influenced by TikTok horror recs keep diving in blind and then melting down in the review section like they just walked into a haunted house without reading the warning signs.

Extreme Horror: It’s Called That for a Reason

Look, splatterpunk horror isn’t here to give you cozy autumn chills. It exists to shove your brain into a blender and press purée. It’s meant to be shocking, visceral, and disturbing. And guess what? The authors warn you about it—loudly! Writers like Aron Beauregard and Matt Shaw slap trigger warnings and content advisories all over their books like crime scene tape, but somehow, some readers plow through anyway, only to act surprised Pikachu when the book turns out to be, well… a horror novel on steroids.

The Review Bombing Epidemic

Here’s the problem: when people jump into extreme horror books unprepared and then rage quit, they don’t just walk away quietly. Oh no. They go full keyboard warrior, leaving 1-star reviews that scream, “This book is disgusting! How dare you write something so vile?!”—as if that wasn’t the whole point. But of course, they don’t just stop there either. Reviewers with a platform will also encourage their beige colored fanbase to bomb their reviews as well. This kind of review bombing is devastating to indie horror authors who don’t have a mega publishing house backing them up. Unlike bestselling authors with PR teams and damage control budgets, indie writers rely entirely on fair and informed reader reviews.

Know Your Limits, Save Your Sanity

Before you crack open an extreme horror novel, ask yourself:

✔️ Do you enjoy horror that pushes boundaries?

✔️ Are you okay with gore that makes “Saw” look like a Disney movie?

✔️ Did you actually read the content warnings, or are you speed-running into trauma?

If you hesitated on any of these, maybe don’t read it. And that’s fine! There are plenty of horror subgenres that won’t mentally scar you. But if you do decide to read splatterpunk horror, go in fully aware and review accordingly—because “this was too disturbing for me” is not a valid critique of a book designed to be disturbing.

Final Thought: Read Responsibly, Review Thoughtfully

So, the next time TikTok tells you to read the “most messed-up book ever”, take a deep breath and research first. Read the trigger warnings, check out sample chapters, and assess your mental stability before you hit that purchase button. Because horror should terrify you—not blindside you because you didn’t do your homework.