I acquired a evaluation copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my evaluation and all opinions are my very own.

Feeders by Matt Serafini

Mogsy’s Ranking: 4 of 5 stars

Style: Horror

Collection: Stand Alone

Writer: Gallery Books (Could 20, 2025)

Size: 416 pages

Writer Data: Web site | Twitter

I only in the near past watched The Substance, that loopy physique horror film starring Demi Moore, and my mind nonetheless hasn’t totally recovered. It’s the sort of darkish satire that relishes making you uncomfortable whereas shining a twisted gentle on our deepest societal insecurities, particularly with reference to vainness and self-destruction. With Feeders by Matt Serafini: identical vibes, however totally different angle. Whereas the guide doesn’t do sci-fi or transformational horror, it does boast its justifiable share of gore and follows a protagonist so determined for validation and celeb that she’s prepared to debase herself and harm others to get it.

The story follows nineteen-year-old Kylie Bennington, a group faculty pupil utilizing college as a stepping-stone towards one thing greater—however what she actually needs is to grow to be a web based influencer. Perpetually envious of her greatest pal Erin who has thousands and thousands of followers on social media and will get comped items from sponsors, Kylie is hungry for a similar consideration and determined to be somebody, but that dream at all times appears to really feel simply out of attain. That’s till MonoLife comes into the image. When a clip of a former classmate’s brutal homicide begins circulating on-line, Kylie is made conscious of the underground video sharing app, which options layers of cryptic guidelines and consumer ranges. Signing up is straightforward, however maintaining your account is one other story. The primary rule of MonoLife is you don’t speak about MonoLife, or you’ll face dire penalties. The app additionally requires at the very least two day by day logins or else it is going to delete itself, leading to lack of entry endlessly.

Her curiosity piqued, Kylie is rapidly drawn into MonoLife’s distinctive however warped tradition, one pushed by a userbase that thrives on edgy content material that pushes boundaries. Her ambition additionally regularly turns to obsession as she turns into hooked on unlocking the app’s particular ranges, that are earned by gaining extra followers and clout. In time, what began as a couple of innocent prank movies start escalating to extra excessive stunts and vile acts. But her viewers is insatiable—and the extra wicked the content material she posts, the extra the algorithm rewards her with fame and materials wealth. Thus, by the point the story reaches its last act, Kylie has flung herself throughout nearly each moral line there may be.

First, let’s speak in regards to the characters. These are all terrible individuals, which is ok since you are undoubtedly meant to despise and infrequently even pity them. These aren’t simply morally grey personalities; some are darker than the pits of hell. Kylie, for one, is equal elements horrifying and engaging—a useless, self-absorbed, and unstable powder keg prepared to go to any size for subscribers and likes. Whereas I needed to hold reminding myself that her over-the-top characterization is by design, there’s additionally one thing disturbingly actual about her zeal, contemplating the quite a few research displaying that a big proportion of Gen Zers checklist social media influencer as their dream job. For what it’s value although, Serafini even doesn’t attempt to redeem his protagonist, and I respect that. It makes you query if Kylie was ever an excellent particular person, or if her thirst for fame was at all times simply lurking beneath the floor—in all probability the case, given her obsession with influencer tradition and the best way she worships her hero Katy Perry like a faith.

As for the horror, all I can say is, it really works, at the same time as a number of types are vying for dominance right here. On the one hand, you’ve gotten bloody violence aplenty, sufficient to fulfill style lovers whose tastes would possibly run in the direction of slasher flicks. On the opposite, there’s the existential dread, the why behind Kylie’s downward spiral into depravity and corruption. MonoLife doesn’t simply encourage evil. It rewards it by triggering these surges of dopamine, resulting in a necessity for more and more increased doses for extra intense engagement. Feeders is a brutal metaphor for the worst elements of social media, and watching Kylie succumb to it’s a lot like watching a automobile crash in gradual movement—you merely can’t look away.

My last verdict: Feeders is a darkish and disturbing novel steeped in social commentary, one which feels particularly related in these hyper plugged-in instances. Keep in mind it’s additionally a satire that’s fully over-the-top and under no circumstances shy about making you squirm. So, for those who’re into daring topical horror that holds completely nothing again, this guide is perhaps for you. Who it’s not for are the squeamish, or for readers searching for blissful endings and sympathetic characters to root for. Nonetheless, it leaves an impression, and possibly even a couple of lingering ideas to chew on.