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Burn the Negative
In this incendiary mash-up of horror and suspense, a notorious slasher film is remade…and the curse that haunted it is reawakened.
Arriving in L.A. to visit the set of a new streaming horror series, journalist Laura Warren witnesses a man jumping from a bridge, landing right behind her car. Here we go, she thinks. It’s started. Because the series she’s reporting on is a remake of a ’90s horror flick. A cursed ’90s horror flick, which she starred in as a child—and has been running from her whole life.
In The Guesthouse, Laura played the little girl with the terrifying gift to tell people how the Needle Man would kill them. When eight of the cast and crew died in ways that eerily mirrored the movie’s on-screen deaths, the film became a cult classic—and ruined her life. Leaving it behind, Laura changed her name and her accent, dyed her hair, and moved across the Atlantic. But some scripts don’t want to stay buried.
Now, as the body count rises again, Laura finds herself on the run with her aspiring actress sister and a jaded psychic, hoping to end the curse once and for all—and to stay out of the Needle Man’s lethal reach.
Arriving in L.A. to visit the set of a new streaming horror series, journalist Laura Warren witnesses a man jumping from a bridge, landing right behind her car. Here we go, she thinks. It’s started. Because the series she’s reporting on is a remake of a ’90s horror flick. A cursed ’90s horror flick, which she starred in as a child—and has been running from her whole life.
In The Guesthouse, Laura played the little girl with the terrifying gift to tell people how the Needle Man would kill them. When eight of the cast and crew died in ways that eerily mirrored the movie’s on-screen deaths, the film became a cult classic—and ruined her life. Leaving it behind, Laura changed her name and her accent, dyed her hair, and moved across the Atlantic. But some scripts don’t want to stay buried.
Now, as the body count rises again, Laura finds herself on the run with her aspiring actress sister and a jaded psychic, hoping to end the curse once and for all—and to stay out of the Needle Man’s lethal reach.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2023
About the author
Josh Winning
4 books226 followersJosh Winning is a nostalgia nut, book/film lover and author of
The Shadow Glass
, which is like Labyrinth meets Stranger Things, and
Burn the Negative
, which is like Scream meets My Best Friend's Exorcism.
He is senior film writer at Radio Times, writer at Total Film, SFX and Den of Geek, and the co-host of movie podcast Torn Stubs. He has been on set with Kermit the Frog (and Miss Piggy), devoured breakfast with zombies on The Walking Dead, and sat on the Iron Throne on the Dublin set of Game of Thrones.
Josh lives with his cat Penny and dreams of one day convincing Sigourney Weaver to yell “Goddammit!” at him.
He is senior film writer at Radio Times, writer at Total Film, SFX and Den of Geek, and the co-host of movie podcast Torn Stubs. He has been on set with Kermit the Frog (and Miss Piggy), devoured breakfast with zombies on The Walking Dead, and sat on the Iron Throne on the Dublin set of Game of Thrones.
Josh lives with his cat Penny and dreams of one day convincing Sigourney Weaver to yell “Goddammit!” at him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 643 reviews
August 1, 2024
**2.5-stars rounded up**
Even though it had a promising start, Burn the Negative really let me down in the latter half of the story. I'm bummed about it, y'all. I wanted to love this.
Let's discuss that initial set-up, shall we?
In the beginning we meet our MC, Laura, an entertainment journalist living in London. We are introduced to Laura as she is making her way to L.A. for a new assignment. She'll be covering a modern remake of a 1990s Horror-Cult Classic movie called The Guest House.
It quickly becomes clear that there is a lot of mystery and dark lore revolving around the original movie and that Laura has first hand knowledge of that film.
As it turns out, Laura was a child actress who actually had the starring role in The Guest House. Since that time and the tragedies that struck many involved in the film-making, Laura has changed her identity and never let on to anyone who she truly is.
This includes her boss who sent her on this assignment.
Obviously, she's concerned about returning to L.A. Having anything to do with this new remake, even in the slightest way, makes her nervous. It seems Laura's doubts are for a reason too, as almost as soon as she is on the ground in L.A., strange things begin happening around her.
So far, so good. I'm a sucker for stories revolving around the filming of Horror movies, series or documentaries too. It also had a strong is it supernatural, is it not supernatural-feel to it that I tend to enjoy.
I was getting major Poltergeist vibes because of all the lore surrounding the making of that movie and the aftermath; the Poltergeist Curse, if you will.
Laura, as a character, was quite mysterious herself. I was interested in learning more about her, as she slowly unveiled the truth of her time with the film, the reasons her family left L.A., and her life since. She has a rather dry personality, but I wasn't put off by it. She was fine.
There was a certain point though where I stopped enjoying the ride. More specifically, when I stopped feeling as much that it was inspired and started to feel more like it was falling into cliche territory.
I can name the point where the switch-flipped too. Without giving too much away, I will just say it had to do with a road trip, a gas station and the police.
After that point, I started to be more annoyed with the story than pleased by it. Particularly, the dialogue towards the end bordered on cringe and I'll admit, I was happy when it wrapped up.
Overall, while there were aspects of this I enjoyed, it was too much of a mixed bag for me to give it a higher rating. The concept was fun, but the execution throughout didn't stay consistent in my opinion.
With this being said, I know a ton of Readers are going to love this. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, please give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite!
Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would be interested in checking out more of this author's work.
Even though it had a promising start, Burn the Negative really let me down in the latter half of the story. I'm bummed about it, y'all. I wanted to love this.
Let's discuss that initial set-up, shall we?
In the beginning we meet our MC, Laura, an entertainment journalist living in London. We are introduced to Laura as she is making her way to L.A. for a new assignment. She'll be covering a modern remake of a 1990s Horror-Cult Classic movie called The Guest House.
It quickly becomes clear that there is a lot of mystery and dark lore revolving around the original movie and that Laura has first hand knowledge of that film.
As it turns out, Laura was a child actress who actually had the starring role in The Guest House. Since that time and the tragedies that struck many involved in the film-making, Laura has changed her identity and never let on to anyone who she truly is.
This includes her boss who sent her on this assignment.
Obviously, she's concerned about returning to L.A. Having anything to do with this new remake, even in the slightest way, makes her nervous. It seems Laura's doubts are for a reason too, as almost as soon as she is on the ground in L.A., strange things begin happening around her.
So far, so good. I'm a sucker for stories revolving around the filming of Horror movies, series or documentaries too. It also had a strong is it supernatural, is it not supernatural-feel to it that I tend to enjoy.
I was getting major Poltergeist vibes because of all the lore surrounding the making of that movie and the aftermath; the Poltergeist Curse, if you will.
Laura, as a character, was quite mysterious herself. I was interested in learning more about her, as she slowly unveiled the truth of her time with the film, the reasons her family left L.A., and her life since. She has a rather dry personality, but I wasn't put off by it. She was fine.
There was a certain point though where I stopped enjoying the ride. More specifically, when I stopped feeling as much that it was inspired and started to feel more like it was falling into cliche territory.
I can name the point where the switch-flipped too. Without giving too much away, I will just say it had to do with a road trip, a gas station and the police.
After that point, I started to be more annoyed with the story than pleased by it. Particularly, the dialogue towards the end bordered on cringe and I'll admit, I was happy when it wrapped up.
Overall, while there were aspects of this I enjoyed, it was too much of a mixed bag for me to give it a higher rating. The concept was fun, but the execution throughout didn't stay consistent in my opinion.
With this being said, I know a ton of Readers are going to love this. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, please give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite!
Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would be interested in checking out more of this author's work.
July 8, 2023
Whoop! Whoop! This book is PERFECTION! It makes your blood cold! It forces you to compete with Jamie Lee Curtis as scream queen by testing your vocal cords! ( I don’t know how many times I screamed nonstop at the chapters Needle Man appears! )
This book brings out a villain that will give you horrible nightmares. A villain: Freddy Krueger meets Candyman. Once upon time he was an outcast and now he is an avenger ( not kind of cool Marvel heroes) Except unexpected and enjoy this bloody, scary, darkest and wildest ride!
Let’s take a look at the plot:
Journalist Laura Warren is reluctantly flying to LalaLand after her ex boyfriend/ new editor Mike sends her to write an article to their Zeppelin magazine about remake or recreation of 90’s gory horror flick Guesthouse! Normally she never wants to be near the studio or the entire production crew working on streaming series of the Guesthouse. But Mike is her boss and lately she isn’t herself after losing her father and dealing with her mother’s dementia. So she has to wear her big girl’s pants by taking control of her life including her career.
One thing she didn’t mention to Mike is her important connection with the cult movie ! She was the child star Polly who was playing 7 years old Tammy Manners but after the film completed and 8 people including actors and director started to die just like the ways they were dying in the film script and an unfortunate incident at the supermarket forced her parents to move to the UK. Little Poly changed her name as Laura and practiced a fake British accent.
And as soon as her plane landed to LA, she’s welcomed by PR assistant and climbing into a car, she sees s haunted man in the middle of the road, looking directly at her. Then the man commits suicide by jumping off the bridge behind her eyes. Is it a hallucination or strange things already start to happen as soon as she returns back to city of angels!
When Laura takes a tour at the studio, she meets with director, the leading actress who plays older version of Tammy character and the psychic who is hired by the director giving the creepiest vibes to her.
She plans to stay two days, finishing the interviews and getting out of there without looking back. But her plans to flee quickly fail when the vision of Needle Man starts following her in everywhere and Laura finds herself at the crime scene after dozing off at her hotel room. How did she get here? Did she start sleepwalking again? Did Needle Man find a way to transport her to the crime scene? How? Something really strange is going on!
Her sister Amy’s arrival and the psychic Beverly’s insistence to help her push Laura confront her dark past and face the secrets she’s buried.
I’m stopping now! There are so many jaw dropping and frightening captions keep your attention alert and you won’t want to put this addictive book down! Especially the smart twists and the shocking ending earned my ovation!
I loved this book and I’m looking forward to devour the next works of the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM / G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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This book brings out a villain that will give you horrible nightmares. A villain: Freddy Krueger meets Candyman. Once upon time he was an outcast and now he is an avenger ( not kind of cool Marvel heroes) Except unexpected and enjoy this bloody, scary, darkest and wildest ride!
Let’s take a look at the plot:
Journalist Laura Warren is reluctantly flying to LalaLand after her ex boyfriend/ new editor Mike sends her to write an article to their Zeppelin magazine about remake or recreation of 90’s gory horror flick Guesthouse! Normally she never wants to be near the studio or the entire production crew working on streaming series of the Guesthouse. But Mike is her boss and lately she isn’t herself after losing her father and dealing with her mother’s dementia. So she has to wear her big girl’s pants by taking control of her life including her career.
One thing she didn’t mention to Mike is her important connection with the cult movie ! She was the child star Polly who was playing 7 years old Tammy Manners but after the film completed and 8 people including actors and director started to die just like the ways they were dying in the film script and an unfortunate incident at the supermarket forced her parents to move to the UK. Little Poly changed her name as Laura and practiced a fake British accent.
And as soon as her plane landed to LA, she’s welcomed by PR assistant and climbing into a car, she sees s haunted man in the middle of the road, looking directly at her. Then the man commits suicide by jumping off the bridge behind her eyes. Is it a hallucination or strange things already start to happen as soon as she returns back to city of angels!
When Laura takes a tour at the studio, she meets with director, the leading actress who plays older version of Tammy character and the psychic who is hired by the director giving the creepiest vibes to her.
She plans to stay two days, finishing the interviews and getting out of there without looking back. But her plans to flee quickly fail when the vision of Needle Man starts following her in everywhere and Laura finds herself at the crime scene after dozing off at her hotel room. How did she get here? Did she start sleepwalking again? Did Needle Man find a way to transport her to the crime scene? How? Something really strange is going on!
Her sister Amy’s arrival and the psychic Beverly’s insistence to help her push Laura confront her dark past and face the secrets she’s buried.
I’m stopping now! There are so many jaw dropping and frightening captions keep your attention alert and you won’t want to put this addictive book down! Especially the smart twists and the shocking ending earned my ovation!
I loved this book and I’m looking forward to devour the next works of the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM / G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
September 11, 2023
A reasonably good mystery where the curse of the 90s horror cult classic "The Guest House" returns during the making of the remake and the star of the show is sent to the set unwillingly in her new role as a journalist.
As you probably know, I'm a little surprise-stupid and usually don't see twists coming. But if I do, as was in this case, it is safe to say that book is predictable. I also struggled to develop an interest in the characters, all of them. There's better ways to pass your time, but definitely worse ones too.
2,5
As you probably know, I'm a little surprise-stupid and usually don't see twists coming. But if I do, as was in this case, it is safe to say that book is predictable. I also struggled to develop an interest in the characters, all of them. There's better ways to pass your time, but definitely worse ones too.
2,5
August 5, 2023
This was such a fun time! Good campy horror with a cursed film set as the main character. Felt like a true homage to horror movies.
December 15, 2023
3.5⭐️ this was a really good book! I went through it so fast!
June 16, 2023
Thank you to Putnam Books and Josh Winning for my copy of Burn the Negative. This was a unique horror book about Laura, a journalist who arrives to LA on the set of a reboot of a horror series. As soon as she arrives, she sees a man jump from a bridge, and she knows it’s beginning again. The series she’s reporting on is a remake of The Guesthouse, a cursed 90s horror movie, in which she was the star.
In the Guesthouse she played a girl with the gift to tell others how the Needle Man would kill them. Eight of the cast and crew died during production, and the deaths mirrored the horrifying on-screen deaths. Laura tried to escape her past as one of the remaining survivors, but now that she’s back, the deaths are starting again. Is it the Needle Man come to life? Or is there something more human going on?
Thoughts: This book was campy in the best way! It felt like a horror version of final destination which I loved, and was all about a cursed Hollywood script. It had the perfect slasher feel and was EXTREMELY unsettling. I listened to it on audio and OMG the narrator creeped me out in the best way. I enjoyed the mixed media chapters and the way they broke up the story. It was such a fast paced book and I couldn’t put it down.
As in many horror stories, this book is really about facing our pasts and who we are. It talked about childhood trauma and the pressure others place on us as children. It made important points about guilt, secrets, and the pain we keep inside us. Of course it’s not a realistic book and there are supernatural elements, but I LOVED it! 5 stars for this one!
In the Guesthouse she played a girl with the gift to tell others how the Needle Man would kill them. Eight of the cast and crew died during production, and the deaths mirrored the horrifying on-screen deaths. Laura tried to escape her past as one of the remaining survivors, but now that she’s back, the deaths are starting again. Is it the Needle Man come to life? Or is there something more human going on?
Thoughts: This book was campy in the best way! It felt like a horror version of final destination which I loved, and was all about a cursed Hollywood script. It had the perfect slasher feel and was EXTREMELY unsettling. I listened to it on audio and OMG the narrator creeped me out in the best way. I enjoyed the mixed media chapters and the way they broke up the story. It was such a fast paced book and I couldn’t put it down.
As in many horror stories, this book is really about facing our pasts and who we are. It talked about childhood trauma and the pressure others place on us as children. It made important points about guilt, secrets, and the pain we keep inside us. Of course it’s not a realistic book and there are supernatural elements, but I LOVED it! 5 stars for this one!
August 2, 2024
I LOVED this book. It’s got a retro horror movie vibe but with modern flair. The child actress off a cursed movie made in 1993 had to create a whole new life to escape the backlash created by the movie. Now she’s a well known journalist with a new name. But someone knows who she use to be.
Did I mention they are making a part two of the ill fated 1993 movie??? Lives will be lost. Killers will be revealed. And you, dear reader, will be entertained 💕
Did I mention they are making a part two of the ill fated 1993 movie??? Lives will be lost. Killers will be revealed. And you, dear reader, will be entertained 💕
August 18, 2023
*3.5 stars
Journalist Laura Warren was just sent to LA to cover a new series that's a remake of a 90s horror film. But unbeknownst to her boss and the series crew, Laura was the star of the original film. Laura played the lead a little girl who had the psychic powers to tell people how the needle man was going to kill them.
When 8 cast and crew members of the film died, in ways eerily similar to the film, the movie became legendary for it's curse. Laura became traumatized and gave up her acting career to start over. But as history seems to be repeating itself on the remake set, Laura must again escape the curse and stay out of reach from the needle man.
Burn The Negative is a fast-paced campy slasher story that takes the reader on a mind-bending adventure. The book is a homage to horror films so at times the story takes us on some over-the-top situations so you have to suspend your belief. Several parts were predictable but overall I found myself entertained by this one.
I listened to the audiobook format which was narrated by Stephanie Cannon. This is my first book read by her and I thought she did a great job. Burn The Negative by Josh Winning was published on July 11 so it is available now!
Journalist Laura Warren was just sent to LA to cover a new series that's a remake of a 90s horror film. But unbeknownst to her boss and the series crew, Laura was the star of the original film. Laura played the lead a little girl who had the psychic powers to tell people how the needle man was going to kill them.
When 8 cast and crew members of the film died, in ways eerily similar to the film, the movie became legendary for it's curse. Laura became traumatized and gave up her acting career to start over. But as history seems to be repeating itself on the remake set, Laura must again escape the curse and stay out of reach from the needle man.
Burn The Negative is a fast-paced campy slasher story that takes the reader on a mind-bending adventure. The book is a homage to horror films so at times the story takes us on some over-the-top situations so you have to suspend your belief. Several parts were predictable but overall I found myself entertained by this one.
I listened to the audiobook format which was narrated by Stephanie Cannon. This is my first book read by her and I thought she did a great job. Burn The Negative by Josh Winning was published on July 11 so it is available now!
July 31, 2023
I think I read a different book than the majority of the reviews because I certainly don't understand all the 4 star ratings. I so wanted to love this book! The premise sounded like it would be a splatterfest horror tribute to 80s/90s slasher films. It was not.
I honestly don't know why I forced myself to finish this book. I was bored through most of it; maybe I just figured something good had to happen at some point. It did not.
This book was like a bad mashup of Scream, Poltergeist, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. You would think that would make for a gripping, action-packed story. Instead, it was a plot that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a supernatural, stalker, or demonic tale. It was none of the above. I kept thinking perhaps I was expecting too much, and if I just kept reading, I would eventually enjoy the book. I did not.
I honestly don't know why I forced myself to finish this book. I was bored through most of it; maybe I just figured something good had to happen at some point. It did not.
This book was like a bad mashup of Scream, Poltergeist, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. You would think that would make for a gripping, action-packed story. Instead, it was a plot that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a supernatural, stalker, or demonic tale. It was none of the above. I kept thinking perhaps I was expecting too much, and if I just kept reading, I would eventually enjoy the book. I did not.
October 28, 2022
BURN THE NEGATIVE is absolutely perfection!! Riveting from the very first pages, immediate total suspension of disbelief, hitting-on-all-cylinders psychological-Supernatural-Paranormal Suspense!!
BURN THE NEGATIVE is the first of Joshua Winning's work I've read, and I'll be gleefully jumping into his earlier Titles. I'm so impressed with this novel.
Love of Horror? Live for Horror films? Secretly believe in Cursed Cinema? Remember a certain famous Horror movie whose cast all suffered fatalities in various ways? You're going to adore BURN THE NEGATIVE, a Horror Novel seamlessly packed with fantastic themes, incredible revelations, loaded Suspense, danger, death, Spooky entities, and so many twists my head constantly spun like a certain famous novel/film character who perfected the 360° headline! Best of all, it's perfectly created! I can't recommend it highly enough!!
BURN THE NEGATIVE is the first of Joshua Winning's work I've read, and I'll be gleefully jumping into his earlier Titles. I'm so impressed with this novel.
Love of Horror? Live for Horror films? Secretly believe in Cursed Cinema? Remember a certain famous Horror movie whose cast all suffered fatalities in various ways? You're going to adore BURN THE NEGATIVE, a Horror Novel seamlessly packed with fantastic themes, incredible revelations, loaded Suspense, danger, death, Spooky entities, and so many twists my head constantly spun like a certain famous novel/film character who perfected the 360° headline! Best of all, it's perfectly created! I can't recommend it highly enough!!
July 21, 2023
I had trouble getting into this at the beginning; I had an early dislike for the MC and wasn't sure I wanted to continue. I powered through and really got sucked into the story. I never really warmed up to the MC, but the story was good enough that it didn't matter.
July 21, 2023
I really loved this book. The writing felt like I was watching a horror movie and I loved Needle man. Laura was a very interesting main character. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. I thought it went on longer than it needed.
July 26, 2023
The first half of this book pulled me in and I was loving it. By 70% I was bored shitless and i hate not knowing what a book wants to be - paranormal
Horror or thriller.
I wanted to love this.
90s vibe books are definitely my thing but this was a let down.
The ending just demolished every single bit of character development that happened throughout the book.
There was lots of mixed media inserts which I first found to be so intriguing but they ended up playing no part in the actual plot and just didn’t work.
I feel like this tried too hard to be Grady Hendrix and it wasn’t.
Horror or thriller.
I wanted to love this.
90s vibe books are definitely my thing but this was a let down.
The ending just demolished every single bit of character development that happened throughout the book.
There was lots of mixed media inserts which I first found to be so intriguing but they ended up playing no part in the actual plot and just didn’t work.
I feel like this tried too hard to be Grady Hendrix and it wasn’t.
May 6, 2023
I enjoyed this cursed film story! It read like a fun thriller with lots of movie references for my cinefile nerd brain to digest. I just thought it could have used one two less dream sequences! But highly recommend for any horror film buff!
June 21, 2023
Reading Vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_6mz...
A pulpy and entertaining novel that is an ode to horror films, particularly cursed ones. It also feels relevant with the popularity of memoirs like I'm Glad My Mom Died, shining a light on the pressure and abuse that child stars in Hollywood often face. Burn the Negative is a fun time, but uneven success using mixed media and some plot/character inconsistencies kept it from being a favorite. That said, if the premise appeals to you I think it's worth a try as a sort of popcorn read.
Laura is a successful journalist who has done everything possible to distance herself from the child star she used to be. As Polly, she starred in a horror movie that was famously cursed as many people involved died mysteriously. But now she's been assigned to cover a TV show that turns out to be a revival of that same movie, and things begin going very wrong...
This was twisty and didn't go in the direction I expected. I'm not sure I love some of the choices this makes later in the book, but I had a good time for the most part. A lot of bodies drop and there are some quite creepy scenes. It includes mixed media and while I liked some of it, other pieces really felt like filler and didn't add much to the experience. Overall I liked this, but didn't love it.
Content warnings include physical and psychological child abuse, death, gore, gaslighting, violence etc.
A pulpy and entertaining novel that is an ode to horror films, particularly cursed ones. It also feels relevant with the popularity of memoirs like I'm Glad My Mom Died, shining a light on the pressure and abuse that child stars in Hollywood often face. Burn the Negative is a fun time, but uneven success using mixed media and some plot/character inconsistencies kept it from being a favorite. That said, if the premise appeals to you I think it's worth a try as a sort of popcorn read.
Laura is a successful journalist who has done everything possible to distance herself from the child star she used to be. As Polly, she starred in a horror movie that was famously cursed as many people involved died mysteriously. But now she's been assigned to cover a TV show that turns out to be a revival of that same movie, and things begin going very wrong...
This was twisty and didn't go in the direction I expected. I'm not sure I love some of the choices this makes later in the book, but I had a good time for the most part. A lot of bodies drop and there are some quite creepy scenes. It includes mixed media and while I liked some of it, other pieces really felt like filler and didn't add much to the experience. Overall I liked this, but didn't love it.
Content warnings include physical and psychological child abuse, death, gore, gaslighting, violence etc.
August 22, 2023
one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it was a complete mess ..
I’m so disappointed cause I feel like the concept of this book deserved so much better than the execution. horror is my favorite movie genre so the idea of this child star being apart of this cursed movie set from the 90s where 8 people died… I mean?! sounds like everything I could’ve wanted but it just didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the characters, the way the story unfolded or the ending. I didn’t know this book had mixed media or else I wouldn’t have read it on audio since it was confusing to keep track of. I also just didn’t like the narration so that affected my enjoyment too.
I’m so disappointed cause I feel like the concept of this book deserved so much better than the execution. horror is my favorite movie genre so the idea of this child star being apart of this cursed movie set from the 90s where 8 people died… I mean?! sounds like everything I could’ve wanted but it just didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the characters, the way the story unfolded or the ending. I didn’t know this book had mixed media or else I wouldn’t have read it on audio since it was confusing to keep track of. I also just didn’t like the narration so that affected my enjoyment too.
December 15, 2023
The beginning was interesting - I loved the idea of a cursed movie, and the horrors repeating themselves. I really liked the mixed media, although that pretty much falls off about halfway through the book.
The ending was truly wild, I was not a fan. And I do not understand why everyone is so chill with Amy; she's so annoying the entire time, and all of the events wouldn't have happened if she wasn't such a blabbermouth, and everyone just immediately forgives her? Truly baffling.
The ending was truly wild, I was not a fan. And I do not understand why everyone is so chill with Amy; she's so annoying the entire time, and all of the events wouldn't have happened if she wasn't such a blabbermouth, and everyone just immediately forgives her? Truly baffling.
August 14, 2023
I had high hopes for Burn the Negative. I love horror stories, I love stories about making movies, I love horror stories about movies, and I love slashers, both campy and not. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed.
Burn the Negative follows Laura, former child actor and star of The Guesthouse, a cursed slasher movie from the 90s. Eight people involved in the production of The Guesthouse died in the 90s, and Laura's family to fled to the UK to escape the fallout of the her fame and the infamy of the film. It's now coming up on the 30th anniversary of the movies release and a remake - sorry, reinterpretation - is in the makes. Laura, now a journalist keeping everyone in her life in the dark about her first career, is assigned to cover the production. As expected, things start going sideways pretty much immediately and Laura has to figure out what the hell is going on.
This set up is pretty exciting to me, but the execution was decidedly lackluster. I have two main complaints:
Laura's actions almost immediately start to feel contrived for plot convenience. It's a disappointing case of Too Stupid to Live, particularly coming off the back of Mister Magic, which has a similar-in-broad-strokes concept of someone going back to a media production despite misgivings and sticking around, but manages to pull it off without it ever feeling like the main character is being obviously and frustratingly stupid or acting against their best interests by sticking around and not just getting out ASAP.
The ending also doesn't come together for me at all, both in terms of character and plot. A lot of things seem to come out nowhere, and some of it just makes no sense at all. Very significant spoilers to follow:
Overall, I'd say it would have been a banger if it leaned deeper into and actually incorporated the themes around child acting and its impact on the children and the lack of caring, protective adults in the industry instead of vaguely shoehorning them in, or leaned much harder into camp and just went for a needles out bloody, gorey, wild slasher. Unfortunately, it is too self-serious to be campy fun, too formulaic, trite and underbaked to be a "serious" horror novel, and fails to hit that sweet spot where it's both a fun, wild ride and a deep exploration of characters and themes.
Burn the Negative follows Laura, former child actor and star of The Guesthouse, a cursed slasher movie from the 90s. Eight people involved in the production of The Guesthouse died in the 90s, and Laura's family to fled to the UK to escape the fallout of the her fame and the infamy of the film. It's now coming up on the 30th anniversary of the movies release and a remake - sorry, reinterpretation - is in the makes. Laura, now a journalist keeping everyone in her life in the dark about her first career, is assigned to cover the production. As expected, things start going sideways pretty much immediately and Laura has to figure out what the hell is going on.
This set up is pretty exciting to me, but the execution was decidedly lackluster. I have two main complaints:
Laura's actions almost immediately start to feel contrived for plot convenience. It's a disappointing case of Too Stupid to Live, particularly coming off the back of Mister Magic, which has a similar-in-broad-strokes concept of someone going back to a media production despite misgivings and sticking around, but manages to pull it off without it ever feeling like the main character is being obviously and frustratingly stupid or acting against their best interests by sticking around and not just getting out ASAP.
The ending also doesn't come together for me at all, both in terms of character and plot. A lot of things seem to come out nowhere, and some of it just makes no sense at all. Very significant spoilers to follow:
Overall, I'd say it would have been a banger if it leaned deeper into and actually incorporated the themes around child acting and its impact on the children and the lack of caring, protective adults in the industry instead of vaguely shoehorning them in, or leaned much harder into camp and just went for a needles out bloody, gorey, wild slasher. Unfortunately, it is too self-serious to be campy fun, too formulaic, trite and underbaked to be a "serious" horror novel, and fails to hit that sweet spot where it's both a fun, wild ride and a deep exploration of characters and themes.
August 26, 2023
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/GP Putnam Son's for gifting me a digital ARC of this book by Josh Winning - 4 stars!
When journalist Laura Warren arrives in LA to visit the set of a new horror series, she witnesses a man jumping from a bridge, landing right behind her car. She's filled with dread because this new series is a remake of a 90s horror movie. One that she starred in as a child and has been on the run from ever since. Because. the film was cursed. In the movie, Laura played the young girl with the ability to tell people how the Needle Man would kill them. Then eight of the cast and crew died in just the ways the movie portrayed. Now it's happening all over again.
This is a fun homage to horror/slasher films, complete with quotes and mentions of some of those movies. Plus, chapters were also broken up with other forms of dialogue, which I always like. It was campy fun, but also had some real-life messages about facing our pasts, parental pressure, past trauma. Horror/slasher fans will love this one!
When journalist Laura Warren arrives in LA to visit the set of a new horror series, she witnesses a man jumping from a bridge, landing right behind her car. She's filled with dread because this new series is a remake of a 90s horror movie. One that she starred in as a child and has been on the run from ever since. Because. the film was cursed. In the movie, Laura played the young girl with the ability to tell people how the Needle Man would kill them. Then eight of the cast and crew died in just the ways the movie portrayed. Now it's happening all over again.
This is a fun homage to horror/slasher films, complete with quotes and mentions of some of those movies. Plus, chapters were also broken up with other forms of dialogue, which I always like. It was campy fun, but also had some real-life messages about facing our pasts, parental pressure, past trauma. Horror/slasher fans will love this one!
August 29, 2023
3.5 rounded up
July 13, 2023
Novels about lost or cursed films seem to be coming thick and fast lately, and here’s another: Burn the Negative follows journalist Laura, one-time child star of legendary 90s horror flick The Guesthouse, as she’s sent to interview the cast of the inevitable reboot series. After a series of deaths linked to The Guesthouse, Laura has reinvented herself, but she’s dragged into a Hollywood nightmare when the ‘curse’ begins to affect the remake too. While I always enjoy a cursed-media story, pretty much everything about this one – plot twists, characters’ behaviour, pivotal scenes – takes suspension of disbelief to new heights. I can’t decide whether this is an appropriate critique or an ironic one, but much of the action would be better suited to the screen than the page. The fast-moving, drama-packed narrative leaves little time to explore what sometimes seem like baffling choices made by the characters. Overall, a bit sillier than I was hoping for, but if you enjoy horror in the Grady Hendrix/Clay McLeod Chapman mould, it’s worth a look.
I received an advance review copy of Burn the Negative from the publisher through Edelweiss.
I received an advance review copy of Burn the Negative from the publisher through Edelweiss.
October 7, 2022
An homage to slasher / horror films that will be embedded in your brain like an ear worm.
This is a fast paced novel that will grip you with every twisted bend and turn, and have you too running from the Needle Man.
Highly recommend to anyone that loves horror and old slasher movies. This will transport you right back to your younger self … the one that reads with the lights on and jumps at every bump and noise!
Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the publishers and author for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
Happy reading my friends! 😊
This is a fast paced novel that will grip you with every twisted bend and turn, and have you too running from the Needle Man.
Highly recommend to anyone that loves horror and old slasher movies. This will transport you right back to your younger self … the one that reads with the lights on and jumps at every bump and noise!
Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the publishers and author for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
Happy reading my friends! 😊
September 20, 2023
I received this as an e-arc via NetGalley for review.
This was a lot of fun! It gave me Nightmare on Elm Street vibes. The characters were well fleshed out and believable. The story was engaging and well-paced. It touches on some serious topics like, child actors and the abuse and trauma that some of them face.
Overall, I had a good time reading this and it kept me guessing and excited about when I would next sit down to read.
This was a lot of fun! It gave me Nightmare on Elm Street vibes. The characters were well fleshed out and believable. The story was engaging and well-paced. It touches on some serious topics like, child actors and the abuse and trauma that some of them face.
Overall, I had a good time reading this and it kept me guessing and excited about when I would next sit down to read.
August 22, 2023
this was so boring and too long for me
Shelved as 'quit-dnf'
June 25, 2023DNF at 40%. This book feels incredibly derivative of last year's Curse of the Reaper, and I'm having a real hard time caring despite my fondness for cursed movie productions. It's slow and plodding, and 'protagonist suffers from blackouts right before violent incidents occur' is probably my least favorite trope ever. So far, this book feels too familiar in the been there, done that kind of way, and I'm not connecting with it at all despite too many days of trying. This one's not for me.
October 22, 2023
If I'd read this in print, I would have quit a few times over. But sometimes on audio I just trudge through. For a while I thought maybe it would be interesting but at a certain point it just was all downhill. I am willing to accept a lot of weird stuff in horror but this felt ridiculous, especially in the climax. I think the author wanted to go with the current trend of connecting horror to real traumas but it doesn't feel earned at all. Give it a pass. (I also wasn't a fan of the reader on the audio.)
July 30, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙝-𝙪𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚, 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚…𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙.
I had such a difficult time rating this book, I really enjoyed parts of the books but I feel like others could’ve been a bit stronger. I am a sucker for slashers and this one definitely gave those vibes.
I did a combo of the ebook and audio. I was so fortunate to have received early copies of both methods from the publisher. This was honestly such a fast-paced book, I remember not being able to put it down because I was completely intrigued.
This gave off horror film vibes and I loved the movie references throughout the book. There are a few deaths in this book and they are done in a sort of 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 style - each actor is murdered similarly to the way they did in the movie.
Also, we follow Laura - an actress in "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲" who became a journalist after almost every actor in the movie was murdered. It was so interesting seeing how she had to relive this moment when The Needle Man was killing off characters.
Honestly, the story itself is a bit over the top at times, but I do think it’s quite enjoyable. I loved the slasher vibes and movie references. The killer gave off Freddy Krueger vibes and I was honestly terrified of him.
I did struggle with the way this story ended and the direction it took. I may be too critical, but I was underwhelmed by the way it ended. It had such potential for a mind-blowing twist, but it was way too cheesy - at least for me.
Overall, this is such a fun, enjoyable, and entertaining thriller filled with so much suspense. There are some twists throughout the book - some I liked, others I didn’t. I did really love the vibes this story gave off and it felt so nostalgic. If you’re looking for an entertaining thriller, this one may be for you.
Thank you so much NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the review eARC and PRH Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!
𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙝-𝙪𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚, 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚…𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙.
I had such a difficult time rating this book, I really enjoyed parts of the books but I feel like others could’ve been a bit stronger. I am a sucker for slashers and this one definitely gave those vibes.
I did a combo of the ebook and audio. I was so fortunate to have received early copies of both methods from the publisher. This was honestly such a fast-paced book, I remember not being able to put it down because I was completely intrigued.
This gave off horror film vibes and I loved the movie references throughout the book. There are a few deaths in this book and they are done in a sort of 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 style - each actor is murdered similarly to the way they did in the movie.
Also, we follow Laura - an actress in "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲" who became a journalist after almost every actor in the movie was murdered. It was so interesting seeing how she had to relive this moment when The Needle Man was killing off characters.
Honestly, the story itself is a bit over the top at times, but I do think it’s quite enjoyable. I loved the slasher vibes and movie references. The killer gave off Freddy Krueger vibes and I was honestly terrified of him.
I did struggle with the way this story ended and the direction it took. I may be too critical, but I was underwhelmed by the way it ended. It had such potential for a mind-blowing twist, but it was way too cheesy - at least for me.
Overall, this is such a fun, enjoyable, and entertaining thriller filled with so much suspense. There are some twists throughout the book - some I liked, others I didn’t. I did really love the vibes this story gave off and it felt so nostalgic. If you’re looking for an entertaining thriller, this one may be for you.
Thank you so much NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the review eARC and PRH Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!
August 2, 2023
I was ready to be sucked into this story, because it has a hell of a setup. And I guess it did just enough, because I stuck with it through the end.
But its combination of Capital T Trauma cliches (which are overdone these days) and the Is It Real Or In My Head elements (which I despise) gets more and more noxious as the book goes on, until it drowns in adoration for its central metaphor.
It’s packed with tacky horror screenplay tropes that don’t really work on the page, and the world is way too underpopulated to feel real (for instance, who the hell is in the cast of It Feeds beyond Tammy and the Needle Man?).
But its combination of Capital T Trauma cliches (which are overdone these days) and the Is It Real Or In My Head elements (which I despise) gets more and more noxious as the book goes on, until it drowns in adoration for its central metaphor.
It’s packed with tacky horror screenplay tropes that don’t really work on the page, and the world is way too underpopulated to feel real (for instance, who the hell is in the cast of It Feeds beyond Tammy and the Needle Man?).
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1636739475i/5520447._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
September 9, 2023
The premise was interesting, but the execution didn't quite work for me--especially towards the second half/conclusion of the story.
July 28, 2023
The Needle Man.
That name, alone, is enough to conjure frightening imagery. Josh Winning enhances the figure in our wild imaginations with his terrifying descriptions of this evil entity. He is the thing of nightmares. And he has failed to remain fixed within the fictional film he was created for. He is coming for all who were involved!
Burn the Negative is both a scary homage to slasher films and a social commentary on child exploitation in Hollywood. I enjoyed the surface story for what it was, but I loved that Winning chose to include something meaningful within these pages. That background player is, in reality, the true horror.
I also appreciated the way the title took on more the one meaning throughout the narrative. I thought that was a very clever use of words.
Although I understood the inclusion of certain things after all seemed to be resolved, and, in fact, gained more insight into the main character through all of that, I do think the very end of this could have been a little better developed. It is a satisfying shock, however. It just seemed to happen so abruptly. Then it was all over.
Burn the Negative was my second most anticipated release of the year and I am happy to report that it did not disappoint. It was a fun horror with a little more for the reader to chew on and that’s exactly the kind of thing I like!
That name, alone, is enough to conjure frightening imagery. Josh Winning enhances the figure in our wild imaginations with his terrifying descriptions of this evil entity. He is the thing of nightmares. And he has failed to remain fixed within the fictional film he was created for. He is coming for all who were involved!
Burn the Negative is both a scary homage to slasher films and a social commentary on child exploitation in Hollywood. I enjoyed the surface story for what it was, but I loved that Winning chose to include something meaningful within these pages. That background player is, in reality, the true horror.
I also appreciated the way the title took on more the one meaning throughout the narrative. I thought that was a very clever use of words.
Although I understood the inclusion of certain things after all seemed to be resolved, and, in fact, gained more insight into the main character through all of that, I do think the very end of this could have been a little better developed. It is a satisfying shock, however. It just seemed to happen so abruptly. Then it was all over.
Burn the Negative was my second most anticipated release of the year and I am happy to report that it did not disappoint. It was a fun horror with a little more for the reader to chew on and that’s exactly the kind of thing I like!
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