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dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
When hebephile Regina Corsi sets her sights on young Nevada barnes, she'll do whatever she can to get him in her clutches. But how hard can it be for a gorgeous woman in her thirties to seduce a horny fourteen year old boy? And what about Ghost, the sheeted figure that does Regina's bidding?
Just after I reviewed [b:Tampa|17225311|Tampa|Alissa Nutting|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393784199s/17225311.jpg|23731028] last year, [a:Edward Lorn|5751572|Edward Lorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1492199516p2/5751572.jpg] emailed me, worried that he'd just wrote the same book. I said his approach was probably different and told him not to worry about it. Turns out, I was right.
Set in the town that gave [b:Bay's End|25739791|Bay's End (featuring Fog Warning)|Edward Lorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434485386s/25739791.jpg|19014151] its name, The Bedding of Boys is about sexual predator Regina Corsi and her prey, Nevada Barnes. It's also about male and female sexuality and the differences thereof.
When the tale begins, Nevada is living happily with his parents and foster brother August. August spends a lot of his time catatonic with periods of wakefulness but there's much more to him than meets the eye. Regina is a predator and Nevada soon falls under her gaze. The mysterious Ghost following Regina around seemed like a pretty way to conveniently keep Regina under the radar until it was explained.
Edward Lorn clearly remembers what it's like to be fourteen, to be perpetually horny and to be as hard as a shovel handle at the slightest provocation. It's all too easy to see how Nevada gets entangled with Regina.
When things go off the rails, they do in a spectacular fashion. The ending was pretty much what it had to be after everything that came before it. After all, you can't very well have a train heading toward a chasm with no bridge suddenly stop at the last minute.
I loved the callbacks to the other books set in Bay's End, like [b:Fog Warning|25751511|Fog Warning|Edward Lorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434659337s/25751511.jpg|42078167], [b:Life After Dane|35410708|Life After Dane|Edward Lorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497204030s/35410708.jpg|25131681], [b:The Sound of Broken Ribs|37537948|The Sound of Broken Ribs|Edward Lorn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|56166835], and [b:Cruelty|37503539|Cruelty|Edward Lorn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|49455089]. I'm not sure The End will recover from this one, though.
If I had to pick something to bitch about, it was the way Ghost's origin tale killed the momentum toward the end of the book. It was necessary and I'm not sure of any other way that information could have conveyed. It still felt like a speed bump, though.
While it's not my favorite Lorn book, this one is up there, just a notch below The Sound of Broken Ribs. 4.5 out of stars.
Just after I reviewed [b:Tampa|17225311|Tampa|Alissa Nutting|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393784199s/17225311.jpg|23731028] last year, [a:Edward Lorn|5751572|Edward Lorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1492199516p2/5751572.jpg] emailed me, worried that he'd just wrote the same book. I said his approach was probably different and told him not to worry about it. Turns out, I was right.
Set in the town that gave [b:Bay's End|25739791|Bay's End (featuring Fog Warning)|Edward Lorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434485386s/25739791.jpg|19014151] its name, The Bedding of Boys is about sexual predator Regina Corsi and her prey, Nevada Barnes. It's also about male and female sexuality and the differences thereof.
When the tale begins, Nevada is living happily with his parents and foster brother August. August spends a lot of his time catatonic with periods of wakefulness but there's much more to him than meets the eye. Regina is a predator and Nevada soon falls under her gaze. The mysterious Ghost following Regina around seemed like a pretty way to conveniently keep Regina under the radar until it was explained.
Edward Lorn clearly remembers what it's like to be fourteen, to be perpetually horny and to be as hard as a shovel handle at the slightest provocation. It's all too easy to see how Nevada gets entangled with Regina.
When things go off the rails, they do in a spectacular fashion. The ending was pretty much what it had to be after everything that came before it. After all, you can't very well have a train heading toward a chasm with no bridge suddenly stop at the last minute.
I loved the callbacks to the other books set in Bay's End, like [b:Fog Warning|25751511|Fog Warning|Edward Lorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434659337s/25751511.jpg|42078167], [b:Life After Dane|35410708|Life After Dane|Edward Lorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497204030s/35410708.jpg|25131681], [b:The Sound of Broken Ribs|37537948|The Sound of Broken Ribs|Edward Lorn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|56166835], and [b:Cruelty|37503539|Cruelty|Edward Lorn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|49455089]. I'm not sure The End will recover from this one, though.
If I had to pick something to bitch about, it was the way Ghost's origin tale killed the momentum toward the end of the book. It was necessary and I'm not sure of any other way that information could have conveyed. It still felt like a speed bump, though.
While it's not my favorite Lorn book, this one is up there, just a notch below The Sound of Broken Ribs. 4.5 out of stars.
leighanneslit's review
3.0
Oh boy. This book. Let me start off by saying that this is the first book I've read by Mr. Lorn and I want to go back to the beginning because I very much enjoyed his writing. But this book was INTENSE and it definitely isn't for everyone.
Read the synopsis, I won't rehash it, but Regina is one of the WORST humans I have read about. The content of this book brings the book Tampa to mind, as the subject of sex with underage boys is still a thing here, but there's a bigger horror/supernatural element. The sexual element is what dropped the star rating for me. I will admit that as I was reading, I couldn't see how everything fit together. Then all of a sudden it clicked together and I loved it. Also the ending was brilliant, and made me want to go back to the beginning of the Bay's End stories. Like I said, this book is not for everyone and its pretty fucked up, but I think the Edward is a gifted writer and I can't wait to read more.
Read the synopsis, I won't rehash it, but Regina is one of the WORST humans I have read about. The content of this book brings the book Tampa to mind, as the subject of sex with underage boys is still a thing here, but there's a bigger horror/supernatural element. The sexual element is what dropped the star rating for me. I will admit that as I was reading, I couldn't see how everything fit together. Then all of a sudden it clicked together and I loved it. Also the ending was brilliant, and made me want to go back to the beginning of the Bay's End stories. Like I said, this book is not for everyone and its pretty fucked up, but I think the Edward is a gifted writer and I can't wait to read more.
wellwortharead's review against another edition
4.0
Well Holy Yuck-a-Moly!
Regina is a serial killer with a perversion for pubescent boys. She is not a love them and leave them type, more like a love them and cleave them into pieces. She seems to have no empathy for anyone, which would suggest a borderline personality disorder until at last her twisted and shriveled heart finds what she thinks of as "Love" with her latest victim Nev, a 14 year old boy who doesn't realize how dangerous she is until it's far too late. There is also a supernatural aspect to the story, with her "ghost" who is on clean up duty, sucking up blood and chowing down on the dead bodies of her victims. Things are certainly never dull in the town of Bay's End.
Regina is a serial killer with a perversion for pubescent boys. She is not a love them and leave them type, more like a love them and cleave them into pieces. She seems to have no empathy for anyone, which would suggest a borderline personality disorder until at last her twisted and shriveled heart finds what she thinks of as "Love" with her latest victim Nev, a 14 year old boy who doesn't realize how dangerous she is until it's far too late. There is also a supernatural aspect to the story, with her "ghost" who is on clean up duty, sucking up blood and chowing down on the dead bodies of her victims. Things are certainly never dull in the town of Bay's End.
motherhorror's review against another edition
DNF
I'm no stranger to a "Did Not Finish" review. I don't feel any sense of obligation to finish a book I'm not enjoying. Reading, for me, is equal parts enjoyment, entertainment and relaxation. If a book isn't meeting me on those levels, there is no way I'm going to let it eat up valuable time I could be spending on something that's going to do it for me.
And I've DNFd some favorite authors of mine like Stephen King so an author shouldn't feel like it's personal or that I don't think they're a good writer--the problem is with that particular book and myself not finding our stride.
THIS BOOK.
This book is off the rails page one.
I was ready to chuck it 13 pages in but I purposed to see what Chapter 2 was like. Chapter 2 was BRILLIANT! Chapter 2 is why I know that Edward Lorn has chops. I was mentally checking off all the boxes with every paragraph: Capable writer, check. Gifted storyteller, check. Reaching through the pages and grabbing my feelings, check. I was ready to look past Chapter One and hang in there...but then Chapter 3 happened.
FUCK. THIS.
Regina Corsi is the most vile character I've ever read and I DNF'd Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door earlier this year for very similar reasons-- the only reason why Ketchum's "Aunt Ruth" edges Regina Corsi out as the most disgusting creature ever is because she's based on a real person but if she were fictional, Edward wrote an even worse person here and there is no way in hell I'll give that any of my interest. I'm not here in the horror industry for this level of disturbing. I have boundaries and this sprinted over the line with a ferocity I've never encountered before.
So that being said, here's your trigger warnings:
Sexual abuse on children.
Murder of children.
Softcore porny language (LOTS)
Graphic images
Foul, disturbing subject matter
LOTS OF UNCOMFORTABLE DETAILS
and I only read 50 pages. So enjoy this if you're still down with all of this but I tapped out so I can read horror that feels worthy of my valuable time.
Like the SOUND OF BREAKING RIBS--I still have that Ed Lorn book on my shelves and I plan on reading it because Ed is talented and I'll try again.
I'm no stranger to a "Did Not Finish" review. I don't feel any sense of obligation to finish a book I'm not enjoying. Reading, for me, is equal parts enjoyment, entertainment and relaxation. If a book isn't meeting me on those levels, there is no way I'm going to let it eat up valuable time I could be spending on something that's going to do it for me.
And I've DNFd some favorite authors of mine like Stephen King so an author shouldn't feel like it's personal or that I don't think they're a good writer--the problem is with that particular book and myself not finding our stride.
THIS BOOK.
This book is off the rails page one.
I was ready to chuck it 13 pages in but I purposed to see what Chapter 2 was like. Chapter 2 was BRILLIANT! Chapter 2 is why I know that Edward Lorn has chops. I was mentally checking off all the boxes with every paragraph: Capable writer, check. Gifted storyteller, check. Reaching through the pages and grabbing my feelings, check. I was ready to look past Chapter One and hang in there...but then Chapter 3 happened.
FUCK. THIS.
Regina Corsi is the most vile character I've ever read and I DNF'd Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door earlier this year for very similar reasons-- the only reason why Ketchum's "Aunt Ruth" edges Regina Corsi out as the most disgusting creature ever is because she's based on a real person but if she were fictional, Edward wrote an even worse person here and there is no way in hell I'll give that any of my interest. I'm not here in the horror industry for this level of disturbing. I have boundaries and this sprinted over the line with a ferocity I've never encountered before.
So that being said, here's your trigger warnings:
Sexual abuse on children.
Murder of children.
Softcore porny language (LOTS)
Graphic images
Foul, disturbing subject matter
LOTS OF UNCOMFORTABLE DETAILS
and I only read 50 pages. So enjoy this if you're still down with all of this but I tapped out so I can read horror that feels worthy of my valuable time.
Like the SOUND OF BREAKING RIBS--I still have that Ed Lorn book on my shelves and I plan on reading it because Ed is talented and I'll try again.
findingmontauk1's review against another edition
4.0
A female serial killer who seduces young boys, sleeps with them, and then murders them to satiate a supernatural being following her around? Yes, please! While this book had some seriously disturbing parts, I think it added to the overall horror and just made the story that much more twisted. The deaths are gory and the sex is intense. Erotic horror? Is that a thing? Maybe it is now!
While our female serial killer, Regina, comes across as the main villain of the story, it is worth saying that Ghost, the supernatural entity cleaning up her bloody messes, is creepy, ambiguous, and truly a great addition to this story. I wish we knew a little bit more about Ghost. But the lack of knowing also made him more eerie and haunting.
4 stars from me and I need more!
While our female serial killer, Regina, comes across as the main villain of the story, it is worth saying that Ghost, the supernatural entity cleaning up her bloody messes, is creepy, ambiguous, and truly a great addition to this story. I wish we knew a little bit more about Ghost. But the lack of knowing also made him more eerie and haunting.
4 stars from me and I need more!
caidyn's review
2.0
This review can also be found on my blog!
CW: pedophilia, graphic descriptions of sex with underage people, child abuse, and gore
Sorry, E. This was just a huge miss for me.
While the writing is on point and amazing, and E can definitely string a hella good story together, I just couldn’t get into this one.
I’ve read my fair share of books that have pedophilia in them. The one that stands out as a good comparison is Tampa. (Also, if you just type the title into Goodreads, be warned. The cover looks like a huge vagina.) That story focuses on a teacher who is primarily attracted to boys entering puberty. And, Regina Corsi is like that teacher.
Except, she also murders the boys once she has sex with them. Oh, and there’s a ghost following her that devours the bodies and cleans up the messes.
I think the biggest thing that didn’t work for me was the ghost plotline that got to be more and more important as the story went on. It just was a huge miss. At first, I was able to ignore it and happily did so. Then, it got more and more important. Then, there was a reveal about it and, yeah, I was done. It just didn’t work for me at all because I wasn’t able to suspend my disbelief.
The story I could get into was Regina and her goal to seduce Nevada, a fourteen-year-old she sets eyes on as the boy she wants next. If the story had just been that, I would have loved it. But, it wasn’t.
It also didn’t help that this is the first full-length novel that I’ve read by E. And this ties into his E Universe — kind of like the Kingverse for Stephen King. But, I didn’t get any of the Easter Eggs and it just left me scratching my head since I vaguely understood, but also didn’t.
All in all, I wanted to love this book, but it didn’t happen. It’s a very disturbing story, which E does best, but there were too many things that didn’t work for me. Still, I can’t wait for my next venture into his fucked up mind.
CW: pedophilia, graphic descriptions of sex with underage people, child abuse, and gore
Sorry, E. This was just a huge miss for me.
While the writing is on point and amazing, and E can definitely string a hella good story together, I just couldn’t get into this one.
I’ve read my fair share of books that have pedophilia in them. The one that stands out as a good comparison is Tampa. (Also, if you just type the title into Goodreads, be warned. The cover looks like a huge vagina.) That story focuses on a teacher who is primarily attracted to boys entering puberty. And, Regina Corsi is like that teacher.
Except, she also murders the boys once she has sex with them. Oh, and there’s a ghost following her that devours the bodies and cleans up the messes.
I think the biggest thing that didn’t work for me was the ghost plotline that got to be more and more important as the story went on. It just was a huge miss. At first, I was able to ignore it and happily did so. Then, it got more and more important. Then, there was a reveal about it and, yeah, I was done. It just didn’t work for me at all because I wasn’t able to suspend my disbelief.
The story I could get into was Regina and her goal to seduce Nevada, a fourteen-year-old she sets eyes on as the boy she wants next. If the story had just been that, I would have loved it. But, it wasn’t.
It also didn’t help that this is the first full-length novel that I’ve read by E. And this ties into his E Universe — kind of like the Kingverse for Stephen King. But, I didn’t get any of the Easter Eggs and it just left me scratching my head since I vaguely understood, but also didn’t.
All in all, I wanted to love this book, but it didn’t happen. It’s a very disturbing story, which E does best, but there were too many things that didn’t work for me. Still, I can’t wait for my next venture into his fucked up mind.
tracyreads's review
4.0
This was my first novel by Edward Lorn and it most certainly will not be my last. He has a way with words and language that just drew me right into the setting and the story. Side note: This is set in a fictional Ohio town, Bay's End, and for some reason I enjoy when books are set in my home state💁🏻.
What I liked:
The action begins "right from the get" in this one. Regina Corsi is most certainly a monster and her predilection for younger teenage boys made me CRINGE! And while I have no love for her actions (I even had to skip over a few small parts), she's a perfect villain. The character development of her and several of the other characters is extremely well done, and that means a lot to me. I cannot get invested in a book if this piece is missing.
Other thoughts: The ghost is a fascinating spectre. Bloodthirsty and eerie - I would've liked to know more about the origins of ghost earlier on in the story. I did appreciate the subtle foreshadowing regarding this.
Overall - A great read. There are a few scenes when the hebephilia and gore combine that may not be for some readers; I mentioned earlier that I had to skip just a part or two. The pacing and character/plot development are just a few of the highlights for me. I'll be picking up another one by Lorn very soon.
What I liked:
The action begins "right from the get" in this one. Regina Corsi is most certainly a monster and her predilection for younger teenage boys made me CRINGE! And while I have no love for her actions (I even had to skip over a few small parts), she's a perfect villain. The character development of her and several of the other characters is extremely well done, and that means a lot to me. I cannot get invested in a book if this piece is missing.
Other thoughts: The ghost is a fascinating spectre. Bloodthirsty and eerie - I would've liked to know more about the origins of ghost earlier on in the story. I did appreciate the subtle foreshadowing regarding this.
Overall - A great read. There are a few scenes when the hebephilia and gore combine that may not be for some readers; I mentioned earlier that I had to skip just a part or two. The pacing and character/plot development are just a few of the highlights for me. I'll be picking up another one by Lorn very soon.
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