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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a dark exploration of faith, fame, and the end of the world. The story is told through a unique docu-fiction type format. The book unfolds like a documentary. Like you are binge watching a documentary on any streaming platform which combines interviews, footage, transcripts, and personal accounts that make the story feel immersive and real.
What really struck is that it felt like watching a season of American Horror Story, especially the Apocalypse season.
I'm not usually drawn to religious themes in fiction, this book’s rock music vibe had me finishing the story.
Highly recommend if you’re into cult psychology, rock themes, horror, or a fan of AHS.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📖 My Ex, the Antichrist
🖋️ Craig DiLouie
🗣️ Lisa Flanagan, Jesse Vilinsky, Alexander Cendese, Pete Simonelli
Published: July 1, 2025
I would like to thank NetGalley, Orbit Books, Hachette Audio, and the author for an advanced copy of the ebook and audiobook. All opinions are my own.
“And like a bird allowed to fly once or twice a week, my spirit would soar over the crowd while I shredded my tunes on stage. I’d belt out song after song in a manic catharsis of joy and freedom and power.”
Read if you like:
🎸 Rock music
🧟♀️ Toxic relationships
☄️ Apocalyptic settings
🫣 Horror
> 4️⃣ POVs
📍Bethlehem, PA USA 🇺🇸
In the late 90s Lily Lawlor meets charming Drake Morgan who has the uncanny ability to know exactly what she wants. Everywhere he goes he inspires devotion or fear. They form a band and their music has strange effects on their audience. When their battle of the bands performance ends in a riot and deaths, Lily suspects that her boyfriend has ungodly powers. Now, in the present day, the band is opening up about their experience in an interview.
I don’t read a lot of horror but I really liked this one. It’s really not that heavy on horror, and wasn’t overly grotesque. I loved the format with the different band members and other accessory characters giving their own stories in an interview style and how everything fit together. The full cast audio made it binge-able. If you’re looking for something different, give this one a try.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m sure many of us have an ex that we have deemed as the devil, but for Lily, there is no exaggeration there. Drake Morgan turns out to be the actual anti-Christ, come to bring the apocalypse.
Most of the book focuses on the beginnings of The Shivers, a punk band, as they work to achieve fame. However, not all is as it seems, as we come to find out Drake’s true identity.
I’ll be honest, this was weird, it was campy, but it was still wholly enjoyable! It’s told through “tell-all” interviews from the band members and other notable people to their story. It’s reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six or The Favorites, and it’s a method of storytelling that I really enjoy! It feels very immersive.
I do wish we had a bit more of the anti-Christ shenanigans, as it felt like more of a side plot to the overall story of the band.
I listened to the audio version, and as with other interview-based stories, it truly shines in this format! The cast of narrators all were great, and there was even a couple snippets of a The Shivers song added in!
Overall, recommend if you want some weird, slightly tongue in cheek horror!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!!
Most of the book focuses on the beginnings of The Shivers, a punk band, as they work to achieve fame. However, not all is as it seems, as we come to find out Drake’s true identity.
I’ll be honest, this was weird, it was campy, but it was still wholly enjoyable! It’s told through “tell-all” interviews from the band members and other notable people to their story. It’s reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six or The Favorites, and it’s a method of storytelling that I really enjoy! It feels very immersive.
I do wish we had a bit more of the anti-Christ shenanigans, as it felt like more of a side plot to the overall story of the band.
I listened to the audio version, and as with other interview-based stories, it truly shines in this format! The cast of narrators all were great, and there was even a couple snippets of a The Shivers song added in!
Overall, recommend if you want some weird, slightly tongue in cheek horror!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!!
I was lucky enough to receive the ebook and the audiobook for this story. I love a good immersive read where I get to follow along.
This story is told in interview style where we hear from different people from the bands accounts of how things started and what happened. I find this perspective very interesting and I was unsure of who I could trust. The narrators did an amazing job of portraying the different personalities with each perspective and I really felt like I was there watching these interviews. The unhinged nature of some of these interviews is amazing. This book was such a surprise and I loved every minute of it. The energy of these characters and narrators is electrifying and I actually googled some of these things to see if they were based on a true story. So good.
This story is told in interview style where we hear from different people from the bands accounts of how things started and what happened. I find this perspective very interesting and I was unsure of who I could trust. The narrators did an amazing job of portraying the different personalities with each perspective and I really felt like I was there watching these interviews. The unhinged nature of some of these interviews is amazing. This book was such a surprise and I loved every minute of it. The energy of these characters and narrators is electrifying and I actually googled some of these things to see if they were based on a true story. So good.
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was really excited going into this book with the interview format! I really loved that for Daisy Jones and the Six, so I was even more stoked to read a horror book with a similar set up.
Although I appreciate the level of work that goes into the multi-narrator audio, this story fell flat for me. I just felt like nothing really happened and there wasn't enough character development for me to care about the things that did happen. I love religious horror, I love multiple POV's, and I love music, so I wondered - why am I not enjoying this? As mentioned, each POV lacked background to create a likable character, the religious aspect was almost too much and also not enough in some ways, and where was the horror or suspense? Additionally, coming form a DIY punk/emo/hardcore background, I found the whole music element very, very cheesy. But, that is truly a me issue. I am picky and sometimes pretentious when it comes to the descriptions of music and music scenes, especially when it comes to an alternative genre.
This was a miss for me, but I don't think that will be the case for everyone. It has an audience, I was just not a part of it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hatchette Audio, and Craig DiLouie for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Although I appreciate the level of work that goes into the multi-narrator audio, this story fell flat for me. I just felt like nothing really happened and there wasn't enough character development for me to care about the things that did happen. I love religious horror, I love multiple POV's, and I love music, so I wondered - why am I not enjoying this? As mentioned, each POV lacked background to create a likable character, the religious aspect was almost too much and also not enough in some ways, and where was the horror or suspense? Additionally, coming form a DIY punk/emo/hardcore background, I found the whole music element very, very cheesy. But, that is truly a me issue. I am picky and sometimes pretentious when it comes to the descriptions of music and music scenes, especially when it comes to an alternative genre.
This was a miss for me, but I don't think that will be the case for everyone. It has an audience, I was just not a part of it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hatchette Audio, and Craig DiLouie for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
The amount of days I have stayed up until 2 AM trying to finish this book. It took some willpower for sure. My Ex, the Antichrist is about upcoming rock band, The Shivers. Lily Lawless is the lead singer, giving her interviews from jail. Her ex, Drake Morgan, who was once part of the band, happens to be the antichrist.
This book is set up in interview format. I usually like this. It worked for this book, l'd say. I don't read a lot of horror, so this book was surprisingly entertaining! I liked all of the characters, and they are seriously well-developed. I did find the writing monotonous often, and the pacing was a bit off for me. Sometimes I was really engaged with the book, and there were points where I just wanted it to be over.
Thanks to Orbit Books and their imprint Run For It for an arc in exchange for a review.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated