What do you think?
Rate this book
Reception
While her rehab counselor’s advice replays in her mind, Ansley Boone takes on the role of dutiful bridesmaid in her little sister’s wedding at an isolated resort in the middle of hill country, a place where cell reception is virtually nonexistent and everyone else there seems a stranger primed to spring. Tensions are already high between the Boones and their withdrawal suffering eldest, who has since become the family embarrassment, but when the wedding reception takes a vicious turn, Ansley and her sister must work together to fight for survival and escape the resort before the groom’s cannibalistic family adds them to the post wedding menu.
210 pages, Paperback
First published March 11, 2019
55 people are currently reading
2562 people want to read
About the author
Kenzie Jennings
25 books135 followersKenzie Jennings is an English professor suffering in the sweltering tourist hub of central Florida. She is the author of the Splatterpunk Award nominated books Reception and Red Station (Death’s Head Press). Her short horror fiction has appeared in the anthologies Rampage on the Reef, Slash-Her, Baker’s Dozen, Slice Girls, Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror, Dig Two Graves, Vol. 1 and Deep Fried Horror: Mother's Day Edition.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
March 24, 2021
Holy shitzies, friends, I was NOT expecting that ending!
I know I've mentioned this many times before, but do you have any idea how much I love books which surprise me? And man, oh man, did this one ever. And in the horror genre too...that is not an easy thing to do!
So, this story does involve cannibalism...if that turns you off, maybe give this one a pass. However, if you love the gross, the gory, and the macabre, you definitely need to add this to your TBR list.
Kenzie Jennings is an amazing writer (this is her debut!), and an even more amazing person. I adore her. I'm thrilled and inspired by her success in this industry, which is one of the reasons I'm so happy to recommend Reception.
Told entirely through Ansley's first person account of events, this story delves deeply into the mind of a woman suffering through opiate withdrawal, while attending her sister's wedding weekend at an isolated ranch. I personally loved Ansley's wit, and found her to be an intriguing character. Everything about this story just worked for me.
4.5 stars!
AVAILABLE NOW!
I know I've mentioned this many times before, but do you have any idea how much I love books which surprise me? And man, oh man, did this one ever. And in the horror genre too...that is not an easy thing to do!
So, this story does involve cannibalism...if that turns you off, maybe give this one a pass. However, if you love the gross, the gory, and the macabre, you definitely need to add this to your TBR list.
Kenzie Jennings is an amazing writer (this is her debut!), and an even more amazing person. I adore her. I'm thrilled and inspired by her success in this industry, which is one of the reasons I'm so happy to recommend Reception.
Told entirely through Ansley's first person account of events, this story delves deeply into the mind of a woman suffering through opiate withdrawal, while attending her sister's wedding weekend at an isolated ranch. I personally loved Ansley's wit, and found her to be an intriguing character. Everything about this story just worked for me.
4.5 stars!
AVAILABLE NOW!
December 16, 2021
Ansley Boone leaves rehab on a weekend pass to be a bridesmaid at her sister's wedding. The wedding party has all come together to an isolated resort in the middle of nowhere where there is no cell reception, because why not. Nothing suspicious there. Things go sideways at the reception when the groom and his family decide to make everyone else part of the dinner menu. Not willing to be turned into a ribeye steak Ansley and her sister make a run for it. This book was bloody fun. You can feel the tension and the need to escape pouring off the pages. I did not see the ending coming. It blew me away. Awesome read.
🐱🐱🐱🐱
🐱🐱🐱🐱
February 17, 2021
Just last month I read RED STATION, Book 7 in the Splatter Western Series written by Kenzie Jennings and published by Death's Head Press. I was so blown away by her storytelling, I decided to host a read along on #bookstagram of her debut novel, RECEPTION.
The group read was scheduled to start on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2021 but before I was even able to open a group chat for discussion, I had participants saying they had already binge-read the book and were finished!
An indication of good horror! Unputdownable.
Sometimes, when a book gets too much early hype, I get anxious that it will fail my expectations. With so many rave reviews, did RECEPTION manage to live up to all the praise?
Yes. And then some!
After about 50 pages I realized that RECEPTION doesn't take itself too seriously. The narrator/protagonist, Ansley is fresh out of rehab and really trying to pull it all together so that she can be there for her sister Shay on her wedding day.
The first half of the novel is spent setting up the family dynamic and reads like a domestic drama. But this is not dry or boring. Kenzie Jennings is HILARIOUS. The relationship between Shay and Ansley is authentic and endearing. Ansley has this habit of creating nicknames for people she encounters and doesn't bother learning their names which is great because she's at this wedding reception where she doesn't really know anyone except her side of the family and a few of her sister's friends.
The last half of the book starts like this:
"And that--right then, right there--was when everything turned to blood and shit."
From this moment on, the volume on the Splatterpunk horror is turned all the way up. It's the loudest noise but complimenting all the gore and mayhem is the comedy and it's the perfect ride all the way to the ending. And what a fucking ending!! I mean, in my head, I leapt off the couch and jumped onto the coffee table with an impromptu standing ovation right here in my living room for Kenzie Jennings. She really pulled this off. This is the most fun I've had with a book in a long time and even more special, I got to make some new horror-loving friends with my big ol' #RedReception group read. Fun times.
However.
I am giving this book 4 stars because I did feel like the set up was long. Like literally half of the book, about 100 pages upfront and then 100 pages of Splatterpunk. Jennings *did* give lots of asides and hints and breadcrumbs along the way, and those were fun to pick up and enjoy while anticipating the craziness to start but it did feel like maaaaaybe 30 pages too long of the foreplay and not enough of the actual 'good stuff'. But it's a minor complaint.
Recommended to fans who love movies like READY OR NOT, PALM SPRINGS and PARENTS. Books like, Grady Hendrix's mash-up of satire and horror, David Wong or Carlton Mellick III stuff.
The group read was scheduled to start on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2021 but before I was even able to open a group chat for discussion, I had participants saying they had already binge-read the book and were finished!
An indication of good horror! Unputdownable.
Sometimes, when a book gets too much early hype, I get anxious that it will fail my expectations. With so many rave reviews, did RECEPTION manage to live up to all the praise?
Yes. And then some!
After about 50 pages I realized that RECEPTION doesn't take itself too seriously. The narrator/protagonist, Ansley is fresh out of rehab and really trying to pull it all together so that she can be there for her sister Shay on her wedding day.
The first half of the novel is spent setting up the family dynamic and reads like a domestic drama. But this is not dry or boring. Kenzie Jennings is HILARIOUS. The relationship between Shay and Ansley is authentic and endearing. Ansley has this habit of creating nicknames for people she encounters and doesn't bother learning their names which is great because she's at this wedding reception where she doesn't really know anyone except her side of the family and a few of her sister's friends.
The last half of the book starts like this:
"And that--right then, right there--was when everything turned to blood and shit."
From this moment on, the volume on the Splatterpunk horror is turned all the way up. It's the loudest noise but complimenting all the gore and mayhem is the comedy and it's the perfect ride all the way to the ending. And what a fucking ending!! I mean, in my head, I leapt off the couch and jumped onto the coffee table with an impromptu standing ovation right here in my living room for Kenzie Jennings. She really pulled this off. This is the most fun I've had with a book in a long time and even more special, I got to make some new horror-loving friends with my big ol' #RedReception group read. Fun times.
However.
I am giving this book 4 stars because I did feel like the set up was long. Like literally half of the book, about 100 pages upfront and then 100 pages of Splatterpunk. Jennings *did* give lots of asides and hints and breadcrumbs along the way, and those were fun to pick up and enjoy while anticipating the craziness to start but it did feel like maaaaaybe 30 pages too long of the foreplay and not enough of the actual 'good stuff'. But it's a minor complaint.
Recommended to fans who love movies like READY OR NOT, PALM SPRINGS and PARENTS. Books like, Grady Hendrix's mash-up of satire and horror, David Wong or Carlton Mellick III stuff.
August 20, 2025
Ready Or Not but make it cannibalism lol
That ending pushed it to a 4 star! This took me quite a bit to fully get into, which is odd for a book this short, but the second half was worth the ride.
That ending pushed it to a 4 star! This took me quite a bit to fully get into, which is odd for a book this short, but the second half was worth the ride.
July 1, 2019
FUN with a capital F!
RECEPTION is bloody, nightmarish satire -- a horror story that's hilarious and at the same time a comedic tale that's gruesome and damned scary! Recommended.
RECEPTION is bloody, nightmarish satire -- a horror story that's hilarious and at the same time a comedic tale that's gruesome and damned scary! Recommended.
February 4, 2023
Reception has been recommended to me countless times and I'd built an immense amount of hype for this story in my own mind, so I'm happy to say that I finally read it — and I can see why so many people have raved about it! I love stories about terrible rich people doing terrible-rich-people things (one of my all-time favorite horror films is Ready or Not, which this reminded me of once or twice), and though I don't read it as often as I'd like to, I thoroughly enjoy a good splatterpunk story.
I would say the splatterpunk element is where Kenzie Jennings absolutely shines in this story, because the gore and violence are on point. It takes a while to reach the moment where the violence kicks in, but once it starts, it doesn't let up until the climax of the story, and there were descriptions in this novella that had me positively cringing because they sounded so painful. I loved that aspect of Reception — I only wish it had come sooner.
Unfortunately, despite this novella only being a little over 200 pages long (or 8 hours for the audiobook I listened to), it dragged a bit for me in the first half. It takes exactly 50% of the story for shit to hit the fan, and while the first half does a good job of setting the scene and introducing the characters, that isn't necessarily what I went into Reception expecting. Realistically, that's possibly less Kenzie Jennings' fault and more my own for mismanaged expectations. Aside from that, I didn't love the ending, but I saw with a quick glance at friends' reviews that I seem to definitely be the odd duck out in this feeling, so take my opinion with a grain of salt!
Minor issues aside, this story was a fun time and I'm so glad I read it. The audiobook was solidly produced and I liked the narrator, so if you're an audiobook reader as well, I definitely recommend it! Whatever format you prefer, Reception is a disgusting, sometimes hilarious story featuring lots of gore, a lovable and comedic bickering set of sisters, and some really fucked up dinner plans, and I happily recommend it to my fellow horror lovers.
✨ Content warnings for:
Thank you so much to Fireside Horror for providing me with this audio copy in exchange for an honest review!
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
I would say the splatterpunk element is where Kenzie Jennings absolutely shines in this story, because the gore and violence are on point. It takes a while to reach the moment where the violence kicks in, but once it starts, it doesn't let up until the climax of the story, and there were descriptions in this novella that had me positively cringing because they sounded so painful. I loved that aspect of Reception — I only wish it had come sooner.
Unfortunately, despite this novella only being a little over 200 pages long (or 8 hours for the audiobook I listened to), it dragged a bit for me in the first half. It takes exactly 50% of the story for shit to hit the fan, and while the first half does a good job of setting the scene and introducing the characters, that isn't necessarily what I went into Reception expecting. Realistically, that's possibly less Kenzie Jennings' fault and more my own for mismanaged expectations. Aside from that, I didn't love the ending, but I saw with a quick glance at friends' reviews that I seem to definitely be the odd duck out in this feeling, so take my opinion with a grain of salt!
Minor issues aside, this story was a fun time and I'm so glad I read it. The audiobook was solidly produced and I liked the narrator, so if you're an audiobook reader as well, I definitely recommend it! Whatever format you prefer, Reception is a disgusting, sometimes hilarious story featuring lots of gore, a lovable and comedic bickering set of sisters, and some really fucked up dinner plans, and I happily recommend it to my fellow horror lovers.
✨ Content warnings for:
Thank you so much to Fireside Horror for providing me with this audio copy in exchange for an honest review!
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
August 20, 2019
Reception requires a lot of patience, taking nearly half the book to get to the good (gory) bits. Whilst the prolonged set-up established the cast of characters, it detracted from the intense opening stanza and limited the impact once the cannibal carnival kicked off. As far as survival horror goes, this one is decent enough with plenty of 'ready for film' moments and suspense filled scenes. 3.5/5 stars.
June 24, 2019
Terrific characters and some smart twists send this gory family drama into the stratosphere.
RECEPTION is about Ansley, a woman who's been trying to ease herself off of Benzo after getting a prescription and getting hooked. She's estranged from her family, but her little sister Shay is getting married, and Ansley is determined she can be there on her sister's big day. The event is held at a remote resort, no cell signal, and Ansley isn't sure if her growing discomfort is from her withdrawals or if something more sinister is going on with her little sister's new in-laws.
TERRIFIC, ferocious debut novelling follows! This book was funny, quirky, well-written, cleverly plotted, and absolutely merciless. It takes its time setting up the location and the characters, but never in a boring or dragging way. The opening is a great hook, and the following chapters develop characters we care for and get attached to. When the action takes off, it's explosive and surreal, with gore galore and lots of cringe-worthy moments.
The dialogue worked particularly well, flowing naturally and effortlessly, the way real people talk. More than once there were truly chilling lines delivered from some of the villains, and some great "one-liners" are popped off here and there, which add some levity to the grim proceedings.
And the humor...it's just a perfect fit here. Without the humor, I'm not sure this story would have worked so well. We all have experienced these issues with family and the drama that develops in them, and watching our heroine smart-ass her way through digs from family and other wedding guests was a delight. Then, when things turn sinister, the jokes continue to come and add a level of absurdity to the proceedings, which heightens the tension, rather than causes it to lag. Kenzie Jennings has a firm grip on how to deftly walk the line with horror and comedy, allowing them to blend here to something absolutely natural and perfectly suited to the proceedings.
There is plenty more I could say as I praise this debut novel from an author we should ALL be keeping our eye on, but I fear I may spoil the story, and I dare not do that to you. It's just too good, and I don't want to take from you the joy of experiencing this novel in its fullness. If you like horror, cannibalism, comedy, fish out of water stories, etc., you'll LOVE this gem from Ms. Jennings. I can't recommend it enough and urge you to go fetch a couple of copies. Read one, give another away, and pass the word.
THIS is how you release a debut novel...teeth bared and fists swinging. Don't miss this.
RECEPTION is about Ansley, a woman who's been trying to ease herself off of Benzo after getting a prescription and getting hooked. She's estranged from her family, but her little sister Shay is getting married, and Ansley is determined she can be there on her sister's big day. The event is held at a remote resort, no cell signal, and Ansley isn't sure if her growing discomfort is from her withdrawals or if something more sinister is going on with her little sister's new in-laws.
TERRIFIC, ferocious debut novelling follows! This book was funny, quirky, well-written, cleverly plotted, and absolutely merciless. It takes its time setting up the location and the characters, but never in a boring or dragging way. The opening is a great hook, and the following chapters develop characters we care for and get attached to. When the action takes off, it's explosive and surreal, with gore galore and lots of cringe-worthy moments.
The dialogue worked particularly well, flowing naturally and effortlessly, the way real people talk. More than once there were truly chilling lines delivered from some of the villains, and some great "one-liners" are popped off here and there, which add some levity to the grim proceedings.
And the humor...it's just a perfect fit here. Without the humor, I'm not sure this story would have worked so well. We all have experienced these issues with family and the drama that develops in them, and watching our heroine smart-ass her way through digs from family and other wedding guests was a delight. Then, when things turn sinister, the jokes continue to come and add a level of absurdity to the proceedings, which heightens the tension, rather than causes it to lag. Kenzie Jennings has a firm grip on how to deftly walk the line with horror and comedy, allowing them to blend here to something absolutely natural and perfectly suited to the proceedings.
There is plenty more I could say as I praise this debut novel from an author we should ALL be keeping our eye on, but I fear I may spoil the story, and I dare not do that to you. It's just too good, and I don't want to take from you the joy of experiencing this novel in its fullness. If you like horror, cannibalism, comedy, fish out of water stories, etc., you'll LOVE this gem from Ms. Jennings. I can't recommend it enough and urge you to go fetch a couple of copies. Read one, give another away, and pass the word.
THIS is how you release a debut novel...teeth bared and fists swinging. Don't miss this.
February 14, 2021
4.5 rounded up to 5 for Goodreads. Even though this one takes a little bit to get going, I was laughing out loud throughout this one. The second half is pure gold. I'm just still trying to decide how I feel about the ending.
January 3, 2024
Reminded me of one of my favourite horror movies, Ready or Not, only with cannibals. After an incredibly dark and enticing opening, Jennings dials it back slightly with what feels like quite a humorous dark drama as two families congregate for a wedding. Then mayhem is unleashed and the blood flies!! Not for the faint of heart. 4 stars.
December 21, 2021
This was so much bloody fun! 🤣 The ending blew my mind. Please excuse me while I go clean up brain matter scattered all over the carpet.
October 20, 2022
Sigh. I really can’t win this month, apparently. This seems to be an indie book, so I’ll try not to be too harsh…. But realistically it’s absolutely filled with problems. Some of them are stylistic and just me not liking the story, others are editing issues where the book shouldn’t have been published until they were fixed. I wouldn’t even mention that if it wasn’t for the fact that I came across it so much. Even right in the beginning there were glaring grammar issues and mistakes that took away from the reading enjoyment.
THERE WILL BE MILD SPOILERS AT THE VERY END OF THE REVIEW. STOP READING AT THE SPOILER WARNING IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE IT.
This book starts super confusing as well. Like it takes a few chapters to understand what’s going on or who anyone is. And some of the characters it takes more than just a few chapters to get a good grip on.
The premise was so interesting too. Going to your sisters wedding and finding out her husbands family are cannibals? Yes please…. Sounds like a damn blast if you ask me.
But the only thing I really liked was the gore, and as someone who needs more than just gore to enjoy a story…. This kind of fell short. I do see though that my friends who did read it seemed to enjoy it, and either didn’t notice or didn’t care about the flaws because of the fun. Which is great! But IMO the fun takes about half of the book to get started…. So there’s that. Before the cannibal stuff starts you’re just dealing with drama mostly. Which, to each their own, but the writing took me out of it and I usually love drama.
I also didn’t like the weird cliche humor the author tried to put in here. Some of it just felt kind of juvenile and like idk…. Try hardish. Especially when it comes to the cannibal family for some reason all talking like they just stepped out of an old time western. The jokes with her sister were just…. No.
AND THEN THE TWIST. Why was there a twist? Why couldn’t it just be a fun book where people eat people? The twist that was in this infuriated me. Hop down to the spoiler section if you want to know what sort of twist it is!
SPOILER WARNING
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
***spoiler***
It was the equivalent of the “it was just a dream” twist. Not exactly that…. But similar. Hate this twist.
THERE WILL BE MILD SPOILERS AT THE VERY END OF THE REVIEW. STOP READING AT THE SPOILER WARNING IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE IT.
This book starts super confusing as well. Like it takes a few chapters to understand what’s going on or who anyone is. And some of the characters it takes more than just a few chapters to get a good grip on.
The premise was so interesting too. Going to your sisters wedding and finding out her husbands family are cannibals? Yes please…. Sounds like a damn blast if you ask me.
But the only thing I really liked was the gore, and as someone who needs more than just gore to enjoy a story…. This kind of fell short. I do see though that my friends who did read it seemed to enjoy it, and either didn’t notice or didn’t care about the flaws because of the fun. Which is great! But IMO the fun takes about half of the book to get started…. So there’s that. Before the cannibal stuff starts you’re just dealing with drama mostly. Which, to each their own, but the writing took me out of it and I usually love drama.
I also didn’t like the weird cliche humor the author tried to put in here. Some of it just felt kind of juvenile and like idk…. Try hardish. Especially when it comes to the cannibal family for some reason all talking like they just stepped out of an old time western. The jokes with her sister were just…. No.
AND THEN THE TWIST. Why was there a twist? Why couldn’t it just be a fun book where people eat people? The twist that was in this infuriated me. Hop down to the spoiler section if you want to know what sort of twist it is!
SPOILER WARNING
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
***spoiler***
It was the equivalent of the “it was just a dream” twist. Not exactly that…. But similar. Hate this twist.
December 26, 2023
This book confirmed something I’ve been suspecting for a long time: I don’t think I like Extreme Horror. It’s not even the gore or the disturbing content, because I’m... weirdly not to phased by that. The problem is HOW these books are written.
Reception might be one of the better EH books I’ve picked up in terms of composition, but even this felt like the author was rushing to get to the guts and gore. And all of them have been like this - the author’s excitement to write the splatter is actually quite palpable. Which isn’t a problem in and of itself, but the same care and attention isn’t given to the other parts of the book. Case in point, I wanted to pull my teeth out everytime the MC and her sister had a conversation, the dialogue was so bad. I try to go easy on Indie pubs, but honestly I don't even know how much editing could have saved this dialogue - it was atrocious.
And still, STILL, I was going to give this book three stars. Because while I wasn't having a grand time, I wasn't... super hating it.
And then the last 3-4 pages happened and ,,, I'm actually still pretty mad about how this damned book ended. It's not even the "it was all a dream" ass ending for me, as annoying as those are - there's something kinda horrific, if slightly ableist, about a character hallucinating an entire party of cannibals only to actually cannibalize her sister. Like, there's legitimately something there. But it was so last minute, so abrupt, and none of the horrific ramifications of the reveal were explored. Forget explored, they weren't even given a little bit of room to breathe. That entire ending felt like it was only in there for shock value. For the author to go hur hur hur i'm so smart I tricked youuuu.
And to that I say, Fuck off.
Reception might be one of the better EH books I’ve picked up in terms of composition, but even this felt like the author was rushing to get to the guts and gore. And all of them have been like this - the author’s excitement to write the splatter is actually quite palpable. Which isn’t a problem in and of itself, but the same care and attention isn’t given to the other parts of the book. Case in point, I wanted to pull my teeth out everytime the MC and her sister had a conversation, the dialogue was so bad. I try to go easy on Indie pubs, but honestly I don't even know how much editing could have saved this dialogue - it was atrocious.
And still, STILL, I was going to give this book three stars. Because while I wasn't having a grand time, I wasn't... super hating it.
And then the last 3-4 pages happened and ,,, I'm actually still pretty mad about how this damned book ended. It's not even the "it was all a dream" ass ending for me, as annoying as those are - there's something kinda horrific, if slightly ableist, about a character hallucinating an entire party of cannibals only to actually cannibalize her sister. Like, there's legitimately something there. But it was so last minute, so abrupt, and none of the horrific ramifications of the reveal were explored. Forget explored, they weren't even given a little bit of room to breathe. That entire ending felt like it was only in there for shock value. For the author to go hur hur hur i'm so smart I tricked youuuu.
And to that I say, Fuck off.
April 7, 2021
Ansley Boone reconnects with family to attend her sister’s wedding as dutiful bridesmaid, yet things seem a little odd when she reaches the venue – an isolated resort without cell reception and very little staff. Eager to get the weekend over with, events take a turn when the groom’s relatives reveal their true, flesh-eating nature.
(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)
After my mini cannibal binge of February ’21, Reception has since stuck with me, and it’ll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Following Ansley as she temporarily takes leave of rehab to attend her sister’s wedding, it tackles some serious issues – addiction being a major one – with a satirical and outlandish flare. Despite taking a while to get going, with a hundred or so pages before the crazy really kicked off, it was worth sticking around and noting the details in Ansley’s life that seemed slightly off, and I’m not just talking about the familial conflict that comes hand in hand with such an event. Coupled with the obvious foreshadowing were hints of the direction the plot was going to take, and thinking back there was more than I originally picked up on, in that respect Jennings really excelled in executing her idea. As a protagonist I really liked Ansley and was constantly amused by her, I’d even go so far to say she was my favourite aspect of the book. So very flawed, she was the sort of female lead I generally adore, where she made mistakes and kicked butt. Her relationship with her family also incorporated an authenticity, especially the two sisters; they could be wonderful as well as terrible to each other.
The second half was pure, bloody gold, the calm swept away in favour of pure cannibalistic mayhem. The humour persisted even when the chaos was in full swing, the banter between siblings never letting up, yet it worked wonderfully with the overall tone of the book – once I got into the mindset of not taking things too seriously, even the unrealistic aspects thoroughly entertained me. All the while I wanted Ansley to survive the ordeal even though the odds were stacked against her, it was just one of those situations where the outcome didn’t look too bright.
When it came to the ending, oh boy, it was fantastic. For me, it hit me squarely in the face, and I had to take a few minutes to properly register what was happening. Probably a divisive direction to go, I can imagine some readers really not connecting with it for various reasons, but I loved it. It’s not often a book surprises me to such an extent, but Jennings did just that.
In conclusion: Reception was about a woman attempting to manage her benzo withdrawal while playing the part of bridesmaid. It was all about that morbid humour in the form of Ansley’s narrative, yet there was most definitely deeper meaning beneath the comedic take. The violent and gruesome imagery was everything I could’ve hoped for, with a character I quickly became invested in. The ending was unexpected in the best possible way – at no point did I sit back and predict THAT sort of climax.
Notable Quote:
Real grief, honest grief, consumed the soul, squeezing and then gnawing at the heart.
© Red Lace 2021
Blog ~ Twitter
(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)
After my mini cannibal binge of February ’21, Reception has since stuck with me, and it’ll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Following Ansley as she temporarily takes leave of rehab to attend her sister’s wedding, it tackles some serious issues – addiction being a major one – with a satirical and outlandish flare. Despite taking a while to get going, with a hundred or so pages before the crazy really kicked off, it was worth sticking around and noting the details in Ansley’s life that seemed slightly off, and I’m not just talking about the familial conflict that comes hand in hand with such an event. Coupled with the obvious foreshadowing were hints of the direction the plot was going to take, and thinking back there was more than I originally picked up on, in that respect Jennings really excelled in executing her idea. As a protagonist I really liked Ansley and was constantly amused by her, I’d even go so far to say she was my favourite aspect of the book. So very flawed, she was the sort of female lead I generally adore, where she made mistakes and kicked butt. Her relationship with her family also incorporated an authenticity, especially the two sisters; they could be wonderful as well as terrible to each other.
The second half was pure, bloody gold, the calm swept away in favour of pure cannibalistic mayhem. The humour persisted even when the chaos was in full swing, the banter between siblings never letting up, yet it worked wonderfully with the overall tone of the book – once I got into the mindset of not taking things too seriously, even the unrealistic aspects thoroughly entertained me. All the while I wanted Ansley to survive the ordeal even though the odds were stacked against her, it was just one of those situations where the outcome didn’t look too bright.
When it came to the ending, oh boy, it was fantastic. For me, it hit me squarely in the face, and I had to take a few minutes to properly register what was happening. Probably a divisive direction to go, I can imagine some readers really not connecting with it for various reasons, but I loved it. It’s not often a book surprises me to such an extent, but Jennings did just that.
In conclusion: Reception was about a woman attempting to manage her benzo withdrawal while playing the part of bridesmaid. It was all about that morbid humour in the form of Ansley’s narrative, yet there was most definitely deeper meaning beneath the comedic take. The violent and gruesome imagery was everything I could’ve hoped for, with a character I quickly became invested in. The ending was unexpected in the best possible way – at no point did I sit back and predict THAT sort of climax.
Notable Quote:
Real grief, honest grief, consumed the soul, squeezing and then gnawing at the heart.
© Red Lace 2021
Blog ~ Twitter
November 20, 2019
“I scrub my hands until they are raw and burning. Bloody crust under my fingernails, rimming my cuticles…Shay is slumped against the wall in a fluffy heap of crinoline, satin, and gore-spattered brocade” (Jennings 7)
No worries, that isn’t a huge spoiler, that quote is from the first page of Jennings’ tale. Beginning in medias res, Reception sucked me in and gave me an inkling of what to expect later on in the novel. Jennings handles this perfectly. From this gore-splattered scene, we are then led back to the beginning; we need to know how things devolved to this point. And man, do we find out. I was hooked from the middle, beginning, and through on to the finish point. Oh, and that ending? Well, let’s just say, I was taken aback. Wow. I am still not quite sure how I feel about it. Only life stopped me from devouring (wink wink) this book in one sitting.
This is the first story I’ve read from Jennings, and actually, I believe this is her debut novel. Besides the story line and pacing, I really dug the main character and Jennings’ narrative style. At times tongue-in-cheek and in others deadly serious, it did take me a minute to get used to it and to appreciate the effectiveness of this style. Ansley is quite a character and at times behaves and speaks unbelievably, but here’s the thing. I think it’s SUPPOSED to seem this way.
Perhaps splatterpunk and maybe extreme horror (I am still working on differentiating between the two; there IS a difference), Reception is definitely an experience and I will be sure to read whatever Jennings comes up with next.
No worries, that isn’t a huge spoiler, that quote is from the first page of Jennings’ tale. Beginning in medias res, Reception sucked me in and gave me an inkling of what to expect later on in the novel. Jennings handles this perfectly. From this gore-splattered scene, we are then led back to the beginning; we need to know how things devolved to this point. And man, do we find out. I was hooked from the middle, beginning, and through on to the finish point. Oh, and that ending? Well, let’s just say, I was taken aback. Wow. I am still not quite sure how I feel about it. Only life stopped me from devouring (wink wink) this book in one sitting.
This is the first story I’ve read from Jennings, and actually, I believe this is her debut novel. Besides the story line and pacing, I really dug the main character and Jennings’ narrative style. At times tongue-in-cheek and in others deadly serious, it did take me a minute to get used to it and to appreciate the effectiveness of this style. Ansley is quite a character and at times behaves and speaks unbelievably, but here’s the thing. I think it’s SUPPOSED to seem this way.
Perhaps splatterpunk and maybe extreme horror (I am still working on differentiating between the two; there IS a difference), Reception is definitely an experience and I will be sure to read whatever Jennings comes up with next.
April 22, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This book had such a slow start. I almost dnf'ed it. The ending was so great, I'm glad that I did finish it. If the ending hadn't been so great I would have rated it even lower.
This book had such a slow start. I don't mind first person POV, but I did not like the main character. Someone told me this book was great. So I pushed through, not enjoying being stuck in the head of a character I didn't care for.
It was page after page after page of build up. Then the gore started about halfway in. Which was fun. SPOILERS... But a clan of cannibals attacking the newly married in family at a wedding reception was very far fetched. It was not rational at all.
Then BAM! This book had such an awesome ending that everything made sense and was then logical. The ending saved this story. I just wish it hadn't taken so long to get to the good parts.
This book had such a slow start. I almost dnf'ed it. The ending was so great, I'm glad that I did finish it. If the ending hadn't been so great I would have rated it even lower.
This book had such a slow start. I don't mind first person POV, but I did not like the main character. Someone told me this book was great. So I pushed through, not enjoying being stuck in the head of a character I didn't care for.
It was page after page after page of build up. Then the gore started about halfway in. Which was fun. SPOILERS... But a clan of cannibals attacking the newly married in family at a wedding reception was very far fetched. It was not rational at all.
Then BAM! This book had such an awesome ending that everything made sense and was then logical. The ending saved this story. I just wish it hadn't taken so long to get to the good parts.
April 3, 2019
“Reception” starts off like a literary novel about family drama and sibling rivalry. Ansley Boone is fresh out of rehab, trying to hold it together long enough to be bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding at a remote resort. Everything seems normal until a member of the groom’s family makes a wildly inappropriate remark to Ansley. That’s her first indication that something isn’t quite right. Then the wedding party turns into a violent cannabalistic feast. If you like gory horror mixed with sardonic wit (and who doesn’t?), this novel is for you.
December 2, 2020
Bridesmaids meets Devil’s Rejects
When Jeff Strand not only recommends a book but writes the forward for it, I tend to pay attention. If, like me, this means you go into Kenzie Jenning’s Reception expecting a Strand-like light comedy horror, then prepare to be pleasantly surprised.
Ansley Boone is set to be a bridesmaid at her younger sister’s wedding, taking place in an isolated but picturesque resort. Ansley has left rehab prematurely in order to be there for the bride, Shay, with whom she has maintained a strong bond in spite of her ongoing personal issues. The same cannot be said of her estranged parents, who don’t take kindly to her presence. The family drama becomes the least of their worries however when her sister’s new in-laws turn out to have their eyes on more than the wedding cake for dessert.
The book is a slow burn to begin with. We are given plenty of time to get to know Ansley (who narrates the story in the first person) and both sides of the bride and groom’s family. It is time well spent, as one of the joys of this novel is the characters. Ansley in particular is a fascinating protagonist. Strong-willed, flawed, resourceful and self-deprecating, I cannot think of any character I have read in a long time who felt so real and three dimensional. The banter between her and Shay is hilarious and, had the whole novel been about this family relationship, I would have been a happy customer.
There is, however, a fun, From Dusk til Dawn style switch halfway through the book, where the reader is dragged from the relatively safe space of the family-based drama that we’ve been presented until now, into the full-on B-Movie mayhem that is the second half of the book. From that point on, anyone who came here looking for gore galore will not be disappointed.
Once the wedding ceremony erupts into an orgy of cannibalistic mayhem, the book makes up for the earlier slow pacing by hitting the reader twice as hard with chaos and carnage that doesn’t let up one bit until the final page. The violence is suitably over the top without stooping to pulp horror silliness, and the tension really builds once things get going thanks to all the solid characterisation that has been built up beforehand. The fate of these characters matters here, whether they are ones you desperately want to survive or those that thoroughly deserve their gruesome comeuppance.
The book balances the horror, the humour and the drama so well, it’s hard to believe this is the author’s first novel. It is all so perfectly balanced. Fun enough to bring some levity without devolving into farce, horrific enough to satisfy any hardcore horror fan, without losing sight of the family relationships at the core. There are some clever twists and surprising revelations along the way and the ending satisfies in a way that few books can manage, at once unexpected and entirely apt.
If you are a fan of extreme horror, character-driven stories, or like your humour pitch black, then this book needs to be on your to-read pile. Kenzie Jennings second novel could not come quick enough.
If Jeff Strand has any more recommendations, I’m all ears!
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
When Jeff Strand not only recommends a book but writes the forward for it, I tend to pay attention. If, like me, this means you go into Kenzie Jenning’s Reception expecting a Strand-like light comedy horror, then prepare to be pleasantly surprised.
Ansley Boone is set to be a bridesmaid at her younger sister’s wedding, taking place in an isolated but picturesque resort. Ansley has left rehab prematurely in order to be there for the bride, Shay, with whom she has maintained a strong bond in spite of her ongoing personal issues. The same cannot be said of her estranged parents, who don’t take kindly to her presence. The family drama becomes the least of their worries however when her sister’s new in-laws turn out to have their eyes on more than the wedding cake for dessert.
The book is a slow burn to begin with. We are given plenty of time to get to know Ansley (who narrates the story in the first person) and both sides of the bride and groom’s family. It is time well spent, as one of the joys of this novel is the characters. Ansley in particular is a fascinating protagonist. Strong-willed, flawed, resourceful and self-deprecating, I cannot think of any character I have read in a long time who felt so real and three dimensional. The banter between her and Shay is hilarious and, had the whole novel been about this family relationship, I would have been a happy customer.
There is, however, a fun, From Dusk til Dawn style switch halfway through the book, where the reader is dragged from the relatively safe space of the family-based drama that we’ve been presented until now, into the full-on B-Movie mayhem that is the second half of the book. From that point on, anyone who came here looking for gore galore will not be disappointed.
Once the wedding ceremony erupts into an orgy of cannibalistic mayhem, the book makes up for the earlier slow pacing by hitting the reader twice as hard with chaos and carnage that doesn’t let up one bit until the final page. The violence is suitably over the top without stooping to pulp horror silliness, and the tension really builds once things get going thanks to all the solid characterisation that has been built up beforehand. The fate of these characters matters here, whether they are ones you desperately want to survive or those that thoroughly deserve their gruesome comeuppance.
The book balances the horror, the humour and the drama so well, it’s hard to believe this is the author’s first novel. It is all so perfectly balanced. Fun enough to bring some levity without devolving into farce, horrific enough to satisfy any hardcore horror fan, without losing sight of the family relationships at the core. There are some clever twists and surprising revelations along the way and the ending satisfies in a way that few books can manage, at once unexpected and entirely apt.
If you are a fan of extreme horror, character-driven stories, or like your humour pitch black, then this book needs to be on your to-read pile. Kenzie Jennings second novel could not come quick enough.
If Jeff Strand has any more recommendations, I’m all ears!
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/...
December 9, 2019
I purchased Reception from the author at Killercon 2019. I was not familiar with Kenzie at the time, but there she sat at one of the tables during the author signing with a single title before her and a deceptively sweet smile on her face.
Me: So, tell me what your book is about.
Her: Cannibals at a wedding reception!
Me: Sold!
That is, in fact, just how it happened.
And then, recently, I read it.
Oh. My. Gosh.
Yes, cannibals at a wedding reception, but so much more than that.
Reception by Kenzie Jennings is an extreme horror novel told in first person. The character Ansley Boone takes on a journey of grief, medication withdrawal, persecution, and unimaginable horror.
Kenzie Jennings has created an unapologetically brash and realistic main character who destroys stereotypes and generalizations with every word and details realities we don’t discuss in all their stomach squashing glory. The story starts out with a big bang and flows from there with foreshadowing both blatant and subtle, compelling observations and action sequences, and engaging (sometimes darkly humorous) perceptions of other characters. Sometimes the story drags you with all due tension right in the direction you just know it has to be going, other times it takes a hard turn into unexpected and shocking places.
I enjoyed this story for its realistic characters, its dark satire, and its graphic, engaging horror. Extreme horror and Splatterpunk fans will enjoy this darkly fun story. A brilliant first novel. Add Kenzie Jennings to the list of superior female extreme horror writers.
Kenzie, you have my attention. What’s next on the menu?
Me: So, tell me what your book is about.
Her: Cannibals at a wedding reception!
Me: Sold!
That is, in fact, just how it happened.
And then, recently, I read it.
Oh. My. Gosh.
Yes, cannibals at a wedding reception, but so much more than that.
Reception by Kenzie Jennings is an extreme horror novel told in first person. The character Ansley Boone takes on a journey of grief, medication withdrawal, persecution, and unimaginable horror.
Kenzie Jennings has created an unapologetically brash and realistic main character who destroys stereotypes and generalizations with every word and details realities we don’t discuss in all their stomach squashing glory. The story starts out with a big bang and flows from there with foreshadowing both blatant and subtle, compelling observations and action sequences, and engaging (sometimes darkly humorous) perceptions of other characters. Sometimes the story drags you with all due tension right in the direction you just know it has to be going, other times it takes a hard turn into unexpected and shocking places.
I enjoyed this story for its realistic characters, its dark satire, and its graphic, engaging horror. Extreme horror and Splatterpunk fans will enjoy this darkly fun story. A brilliant first novel. Add Kenzie Jennings to the list of superior female extreme horror writers.
Kenzie, you have my attention. What’s next on the menu?
April 21, 2024
Ansley is in rehab after a rough breakup and attacking her former boss. As she is doing better with her meds, she is granted a leave to attend her sister's wedding.
The wedding and reception take place in a an old isolated resort and Ansley isn't exactly enjoying the moment as the family of the groom is obnoxious and wants to decide everything. Still, everything is going as planned until the reception.
Out of nowhere, the nightmare begins. A cannibalistic feast led by the groom's family ensues. Flesh tearing, screams and cries echo everywhere as Ansley tries to flee the general panic and save herself in order to avoid becoming the next meal.
It was a very fun quick read and the end is really wild, I did not expect that at all. If you don't mind gross cannibalistic scenes, then I'd recommend this book if you're looking for something a little bit horrifying and a little bit amusing.
The wedding and reception take place in a an old isolated resort and Ansley isn't exactly enjoying the moment as the family of the groom is obnoxious and wants to decide everything. Still, everything is going as planned until the reception.
Out of nowhere, the nightmare begins. A cannibalistic feast led by the groom's family ensues. Flesh tearing, screams and cries echo everywhere as Ansley tries to flee the general panic and save herself in order to avoid becoming the next meal.
It was a very fun quick read and the end is really wild, I did not expect that at all. If you don't mind gross cannibalistic scenes, then I'd recommend this book if you're looking for something a little bit horrifying and a little bit amusing.
November 27, 2021
4.5 😨 so much fun!
February 16, 2021
Crusted with blood, gristle stuck between your teeth, and giggles bubbling up your throat, this was the book I needed. Light hearted and fun, Reception starts off full gore and ends with no holds barred brutality.
Kenzie Jennings writes in such an entertaining way that every part of this book is enjoyable. Sisterly banter and dark foreshadowing keep the plot moving even when the blood isn’t flowing.
This is not for the faint of heart, but for more for those that like their books on the raw side.
Kenzie Jennings writes in such an entertaining way that every part of this book is enjoyable. Sisterly banter and dark foreshadowing keep the plot moving even when the blood isn’t flowing.
This is not for the faint of heart, but for more for those that like their books on the raw side.
February 27, 2021
When the reception menu includes you...
“Rich people. They can do anything to anyone at any time. Must be a dream.”
“Reception” by Kenzie Jennings gets 3 out of 5 stars!
Gore. Sex. Death. Mental health. Deception. Cannibalism. Kenzie Jennings’ “Reception” is a book that has a lot of elements blended together on top of a wedding like no other.
The opening chapter drops you right in the middle of the bloodbath and sucks you in yearning for more but then it falls flat in my opinion. The relationship between the main character, Ansley, and her family was portrayed as strained but obnoxious. There were too many situations where her and her sister had conversations, let alone arguments / temper tantrums, at not the most appropriate times. Their dialogue was too childish and her family was unsupportive based on her situation with rehab.
There are four scenarios that really made it difficult to continue reading. They were either totally unbelievable, ridiculous and/or poorly executed. First scenario is Ansley’s midnight walk in shorts and a T-shirt looking for cell service. She abruptly meets another wedding guest, Charlie. He startles her and she pepper sprays him but falls into cacti. There’s defensive conversation between them but no mention of pulling the needles out. Ansley then invites him back to her room to help with the pepper spray as an apology. They are sitting on the bed while she’s helping him (in the same cactus covered clothing) then they get intimate (again, in the same clothing). Next morning, guess what, she puts back on the same clothing to answer the door! Plus, what was the point of the one nighter with Charlie other than having sex thrown into the story? Second scenario is the ridiculous “unplanned” luncheon full of childish behavior and an interaction with an overly hick waitress. Third scenario is after the gore filled reception started, the sisters are hiding. They start bickering when the conversation turns to their mom’s health problems (again). Unbelievably wrong timing and it’s literally an exact copy of a conversation they had earlier in the book. Was this supposed give the reader deja vu or prove part of the twist at the end? Either way, this conversation was ridiculous considering the situation at hand. Lastly, the fourth scenario is an interaction with the police. Small town or not, if people covered in blood, dirt and grime run out of the woods toward police in the dark, guns would be drawn and backup would been called immediately then questions asked.
Considering the buildup to the end, it took almost half the book to get to the action and not a lot of background on the in-laws. The last few chapters felt like add on ideas but partially helped with the twist of an ending. There were multiple instances that I almost “DNF” it because it was becoming too ridiculous. If the rambling, unnecessary dialogue and childish behavior were cut out, the approximately 200 page book would be a great novella.
Please visit my GoodReads profile or website for more reviews! Thank you!
“Rich people. They can do anything to anyone at any time. Must be a dream.”
“Reception” by Kenzie Jennings gets 3 out of 5 stars!
Gore. Sex. Death. Mental health. Deception. Cannibalism. Kenzie Jennings’ “Reception” is a book that has a lot of elements blended together on top of a wedding like no other.
The opening chapter drops you right in the middle of the bloodbath and sucks you in yearning for more but then it falls flat in my opinion. The relationship between the main character, Ansley, and her family was portrayed as strained but obnoxious. There were too many situations where her and her sister had conversations, let alone arguments / temper tantrums, at not the most appropriate times. Their dialogue was too childish and her family was unsupportive based on her situation with rehab.
There are four scenarios that really made it difficult to continue reading. They were either totally unbelievable, ridiculous and/or poorly executed. First scenario is Ansley’s midnight walk in shorts and a T-shirt looking for cell service. She abruptly meets another wedding guest, Charlie. He startles her and she pepper sprays him but falls into cacti. There’s defensive conversation between them but no mention of pulling the needles out. Ansley then invites him back to her room to help with the pepper spray as an apology. They are sitting on the bed while she’s helping him (in the same cactus covered clothing) then they get intimate (again, in the same clothing). Next morning, guess what, she puts back on the same clothing to answer the door! Plus, what was the point of the one nighter with Charlie other than having sex thrown into the story? Second scenario is the ridiculous “unplanned” luncheon full of childish behavior and an interaction with an overly hick waitress. Third scenario is after the gore filled reception started, the sisters are hiding. They start bickering when the conversation turns to their mom’s health problems (again). Unbelievably wrong timing and it’s literally an exact copy of a conversation they had earlier in the book. Was this supposed give the reader deja vu or prove part of the twist at the end? Either way, this conversation was ridiculous considering the situation at hand. Lastly, the fourth scenario is an interaction with the police. Small town or not, if people covered in blood, dirt and grime run out of the woods toward police in the dark, guns would be drawn and backup would been called immediately then questions asked.
Considering the buildup to the end, it took almost half the book to get to the action and not a lot of background on the in-laws. The last few chapters felt like add on ideas but partially helped with the twist of an ending. There were multiple instances that I almost “DNF” it because it was becoming too ridiculous. If the rambling, unnecessary dialogue and childish behavior were cut out, the approximately 200 page book would be a great novella.
Please visit my GoodReads profile or website for more reviews! Thank you!
November 20, 2019
“I scrub my hands until they are raw and burning. Bloody crust under my fingernails, rimming my cuticles…Shay is slumped against the wall in a fluffy heap of crinoline, satin, and gore-spattered brocade” (Jennings 7)
No worries, that isn’t a huge spoiler, that quote is from the first page of Jennings’ tale. Beginning in medias res, Reception sucked me in and gave me an inkling of what to expect later on in the novel. Jennings handles this perfectly. From this gore-splattered scene, we are then led back to the beginning; we need to know how things devolved to this point. And man, do we find out. I was hooked from the middle, beginning, and through on to the finish point. Oh, and that ending? Well, let’s just say, I was taken aback. Wow. I am still not quite sure how I feel about it. Only life stopped me from devouring (wink wink) this book in one sitting.
This is the first story I’ve read from Jennings, and actually, I believe this is her debut novel. Besides the story line and pacing, I really dug the main character and Jennings’ narrative style. At times tongue-in-cheek and in others deadly serious, it did take me a minute to get used to it and to appreciate the effectiveness of this style. Ansley is quite a character and at times behaves and speaks unbelievably, but here’s the thing. I think it’s SUPPOSED to seem this way.
Perhaps splatterpunk and maybe extreme horror (I am still working on differentiating between the two; there IS a difference), Reception is definitely an experience and I will be sure to read whatever Jennings comes up with next.
No worries, that isn’t a huge spoiler, that quote is from the first page of Jennings’ tale. Beginning in medias res, Reception sucked me in and gave me an inkling of what to expect later on in the novel. Jennings handles this perfectly. From this gore-splattered scene, we are then led back to the beginning; we need to know how things devolved to this point. And man, do we find out. I was hooked from the middle, beginning, and through on to the finish point. Oh, and that ending? Well, let’s just say, I was taken aback. Wow. I am still not quite sure how I feel about it. Only life stopped me from devouring (wink wink) this book in one sitting.
This is the first story I’ve read from Jennings, and actually, I believe this is her debut novel. Besides the story line and pacing, I really dug the main character and Jennings’ narrative style. At times tongue-in-cheek and in others deadly serious, it did take me a minute to get used to it and to appreciate the effectiveness of this style. Ansley is quite a character and at times behaves and speaks unbelievably, but here’s the thing. I think it’s SUPPOSED to seem this way.
Perhaps splatterpunk and maybe extreme horror (I am still working on differentiating between the two; there IS a difference), Reception is definitely an experience and I will be sure to read whatever Jennings comes up with next.
October 28, 2019
About half way through this novella (or short novel) I was all set to write - "To those of you who claim indie authors are not worth your time, I give you "Reception" by Kenzie Jennings. This story is tightly written and full of powerful imagery, better than many traditionally published books in the genre. Words are never wasted and Jenning's descriptions are beautiful and evocative, guiding you through the first person narrative."
Unfortunately, the second half wobbles somewhat. The narrative rambles and phrases are repeated taking us away from the action. Even so it is worthy of the four stars I've given it. Jennings handles the horror well, making this a visceral ride, psychological and murderous, full of humour (occasionally ridiculously timed). The dialogue between the sisters is full of wit, and that WTF end. Wow!
A great story, which could have been close to perfect if the second half had followed the same structure and brevity of the first.
Unfortunately, the second half wobbles somewhat. The narrative rambles and phrases are repeated taking us away from the action. Even so it is worthy of the four stars I've given it. Jennings handles the horror well, making this a visceral ride, psychological and murderous, full of humour (occasionally ridiculously timed). The dialogue between the sisters is full of wit, and that WTF end. Wow!
A great story, which could have been close to perfect if the second half had followed the same structure and brevity of the first.
February 16, 2021
This one took a little bit to get going and get to good gory parts, but once it gets started it's a fun bloodbath!
Ansley is taking a break from rehab to go to her little sister's wedding out in the boonies. At the wedding resort (which isn't much of a resort at all) everyone knows all about her and her benzo addiction and the groom's family is giving her creepy vibes. Turns out the groom's family is a bunch of cannibals and Ansley and her sister are on the menu.
I loved the sisterly bonding parts! I have sisters and the mix of teasing jabs and real annoyance were done really well.
The sickly sweet, but actually mean mother-in-law, Delia was my favorite character and I could read an entire novel about her and how she became the cannibal Queen.
I only took off a star for the editing and the beginning because the pacing was molasses slow, but once first blood was splattered I couldn't stop reading!
Still unsure how I feel about the end, but I'll be thinking about it for a while!
A must read for cannibal fans🩸
Ansley is taking a break from rehab to go to her little sister's wedding out in the boonies. At the wedding resort (which isn't much of a resort at all) everyone knows all about her and her benzo addiction and the groom's family is giving her creepy vibes. Turns out the groom's family is a bunch of cannibals and Ansley and her sister are on the menu.
I loved the sisterly bonding parts! I have sisters and the mix of teasing jabs and real annoyance were done really well.
The sickly sweet, but actually mean mother-in-law, Delia was my favorite character and I could read an entire novel about her and how she became the cannibal Queen.
I only took off a star for the editing and the beginning because the pacing was molasses slow, but once first blood was splattered I couldn't stop reading!
Still unsure how I feel about the end, but I'll be thinking about it for a while!
A must read for cannibal fans🩸
July 25, 2022
It could just be me, but I found that the main character in RECEPTION wanted to tell me what was going on as opposed to the author showing me what was going on. The first half of this sucked me in, it felt so real. But once the cannibalism started (ayyye) things felt weaker for me. I don't really understand the big twist either.
You may enjoy this if you like:
•Sisters sticking together
•Horror with some humor
•Cannibals
You may enjoy this if you like:
•Sisters sticking together
•Horror with some humor
•Cannibals
December 5, 2024
dude wtf
February 18, 2021
I shouldn't have to say this but for the sake of integrity, please read this review with the knowledge that Kenzie is a friend and someone I go to for advice. The fact that I have gotten to *know* her does not detract from the fact she is an amazing writer. Okay, now on with the show ...
I bought Reception the same time as Red Station as I had recently *met* Kenzie and was intrigued to read some more extreme writing from a woman. I bloody loved RS so I was very excited to read this. It took some willpower to keep it to one side and wait for Sadie's read-along.
Once I got into it, I didn't want to put it down. I agree that it took a while to get to the gory bits, but I was enjoying the story and humour so much that I barely noticed.
Kenzie and I have been chatting about what makes extreme horror readable to us, and we both agree (our opinions only) that you need a good story to complement the gore. Without decent narrative, it is just smut. Kenzie does something I love, she mixes humour with her horror and makes her dialogue genuinely funny. That is MY type of horror. There is a reason movies like Dog Soldiers and Brain Dead are top of my list. They're hilarious! Because I don't get grossed out easily, I like the nasty stuff I read to be interspersed with lol moments. It doesn't break the tension for me, it adds to the depth of the characters.
The relationship between the sisters was very genuine and the rehab stuff and mental health issues seemed very authentic. I did enjoy the *twist* but I did see it coming. Maybe that's what happens sometimes when you are a writer, you can kind of see where it might be going because that it likely where you'd go. It didn't detract from it being a kick-ass finale though.
I have now read this, Red Station and 2 of Kenzie's shorts and have loved them all. Women can't write extreme huh? Fuck that ...
I bought Reception the same time as Red Station as I had recently *met* Kenzie and was intrigued to read some more extreme writing from a woman. I bloody loved RS so I was very excited to read this. It took some willpower to keep it to one side and wait for Sadie's read-along.
Once I got into it, I didn't want to put it down. I agree that it took a while to get to the gory bits, but I was enjoying the story and humour so much that I barely noticed.
Kenzie and I have been chatting about what makes extreme horror readable to us, and we both agree (our opinions only) that you need a good story to complement the gore. Without decent narrative, it is just smut. Kenzie does something I love, she mixes humour with her horror and makes her dialogue genuinely funny. That is MY type of horror. There is a reason movies like Dog Soldiers and Brain Dead are top of my list. They're hilarious! Because I don't get grossed out easily, I like the nasty stuff I read to be interspersed with lol moments. It doesn't break the tension for me, it adds to the depth of the characters.
The relationship between the sisters was very genuine and the rehab stuff and mental health issues seemed very authentic. I did enjoy the *twist* but I did see it coming. Maybe that's what happens sometimes when you are a writer, you can kind of see where it might be going because that it likely where you'd go. It didn't detract from it being a kick-ass finale though.
I have now read this, Red Station and 2 of Kenzie's shorts and have loved them all. Women can't write extreme huh? Fuck that ...
February 20, 2021
Well, fuck...where do you go from here?!
Can I give it MORE than 5 steaks, ummm, I mean stars?! This is a debut from Kenzie Jennings?!?!
I loved every single gruesome, gory, bloody, grisly second of this book! I loved the sisterly dynamic, the banter, the rivalry between Ansley and Shay. . It was really well written, the whole book was. I loved the setting, it took the creep factor to 9 million! A has been, rinky dink “resort” in the hills of nowhere...for a Wedding?! NO THANK YOU! No cell signal, random employees appearing from no where...
Back woods family and friends all gathered to celebrate the nuptials of Shay and Nathan...when all bloody hell breaks loose. I can absolutely see this as a Tarantino movie...
Give me MORE, Kenzie! I will read whatever you write!!
I’m off to get a steak for dinner...
🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩
Can I give it MORE than 5 steaks, ummm, I mean stars?! This is a debut from Kenzie Jennings?!?!
I loved every single gruesome, gory, bloody, grisly second of this book! I loved the sisterly dynamic, the banter, the rivalry between Ansley and Shay. . It was really well written, the whole book was. I loved the setting, it took the creep factor to 9 million! A has been, rinky dink “resort” in the hills of nowhere...for a Wedding?! NO THANK YOU! No cell signal, random employees appearing from no where...
Back woods family and friends all gathered to celebrate the nuptials of Shay and Nathan...when all bloody hell breaks loose. I can absolutely see this as a Tarantino movie...
Give me MORE, Kenzie! I will read whatever you write!!
I’m off to get a steak for dinner...
🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩
Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews