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Bad Man
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
29 posts | 20 read | 63 to read
Reddit horror sensation Dathan Auerbach delivers a devilishly dark novel about a young boy who goes missing, and the brother who won't stop looking for him. Eric disappeared when he was three years old. Ben looked away for only a second at the grocery store, but that was all it took. His brother was gone. Vanished right into the sticky air of the Florida Panhandle. They say you've got only a couple days to find a missing person. Forty-eight hours to conduct searches, knock on doors, and talk to witnesses. Two days to tear the world apart if there's any chance of putting yours back together. That's your window. That window closed five years ago, leaving Ben's life in ruins. He still looks for his brother. Still searches, while his stepmother sits and waits and whispers for Eric, refusing to leave the house that Ben's father can no longer afford. Now twenty and desperate for work, Ben takes a night stock job at the only place that will have him: the store that blinked Eric out of existence. Ben can feel that there's something wrong there. With the people. With his boss. With the graffitied baler that shudders and moans and beckons. There's something wrong with the air itself. He knows he's in the right place now. That the store has much to tell him. So he keeps searching. Keeps looking for his baby brother, while missing the most important message of all. That he should have stopped looking.
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NikkiKey94
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Pickpick

This was my first spooky read of the season. I enjoyed this book but I felt it was more of a mystery than a horror novel. Maybe my idea of horror is different than other people‘s. However, that doesn‘t take away from how good this book was. I was rooting for Ben the entire time to find out what happened to his brother. It definitely kept me intrigued and I read it in one day.

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PunkedRocker56
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Mehso-so

I love this author, but some are hits and some are misses. I loved the concept this story had and he still has his expert technique of suspense writing. However, there was so much added “fluff” that counteracted the full effect of the suspense. It focuses on an unreliable narrator, and those aren‘t my thing. Sometimes there was too much emphasis when there shouldn‘t have been, so some things felt anticlimactic and inconsistent. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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PunkedRocker56
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach

I‘ll need a day to recover emotionally from my last read, but I‘m super excited that this one is coming up next! I‘ve read PenPal by Auerbach and it immediately became my favorite book of 2022. This is unfortunately the only other book he has published at the moment, but Auerbach has already proven himself to be a master of thriller and suspense. I can‘t wait!

TheNeverendingTBR I'll take that as a recommendation. 🙂 2y
PunkedRocker56 @TheNeverendingTBR oh absolutely!! I can never recommend it enough!😁😄 2y
9 likes2 comments
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GerardtheBookworm
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Pickpick

Creepy psychological suspense thriller where a toddler goes missing at a local grocery store. Five years later, the elder sibling is employed at the same place and tries to uncover his younger brother's disappearance. A conspiracy plot unfolds leading to the revelation of the "bad man". Great read for horror fans.

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Aloisi_tribe
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Mehso-so

Finished this on the way to Kings Island today. I keep hearing that Auerbach‘s books are some of the scariest out there but I didn‘t find this or his other book, Pen Pal, scary at all. Still a mystery book for the #scarathlon challenge though.

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Kappadeemom
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Want to finish this one today.

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Hestapleton
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Mehso-so

Weird and haunting all at once. The ending was a bit unresolved and I would have liked some more clarity. The closing horror factor just wasn‘t clear enough to actually be scary and was more confusing and unsettling. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Netgalley Book 9/30 for #brcr2

OnlyYoo This was so so for me also. It kind of left me a little confused at the end 5y
55 likes1 comment
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Godpants
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Mehso-so

This isn‘t a very satisfying book. I didn‘t love the writing style, but was driven to find out what happened. Horror novels are hard.

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Godpants
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Started this today and already hooked.

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diananissan3
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Pickpick

Frannie liked this book and I do too! Very atmospheric, creepy, depressing, hopeless, and well written. Great story that will give you the creeps! Definitely read at night 😈

wanderinglynn Aw, what a cutie! That look that just says it‘s time for cuddles! ❤️🐶 6y
21 likes1 stack add1 comment
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RiaWritten
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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I got more #bookmail today! Really excited about this one. I loved Penpal a whole lot.

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somebooksaround
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Did not mean to be gone for 3 months, I certainly let time get away from me. But, I got Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach from @Qchambers for my bday and it is brilliant. So eerie, so well crafted.
Highly recommended!!

#fiction #mystery #suspense #litsy #new #dathanauerbach #shelfie #books #reading #tbr #currentread #november

Tanisha_A Woah! Where were you? Hope all's well! Welcome back. 😊 6y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Nice to have you back. 😊 6y
somebooksaround @Tanisha_A thanks so much!!!! I got pretty sick & had to spend some time figuring it out. But on the mend now & hoping to read more and post again! Woo! I missed Litsy!! Hope you‘re well!!:)) 6y
somebooksaround @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego thanks so much!! Hope all is well!! 💕✌️ 6y
61 likes4 comments
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night_shift
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Panpan

It sets up such a great atmosphere and there's nothing more horrific than a kid getting kidnapped, but this doesn't feel much like a horror and it really just dragged on and on. I found myself skipping forward on the audio just to get to the end and see what happened. Lots of loose ends and wasn't very satisfied with how it ended. 🤷‍♀️

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night_shift
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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1. Hopefully not working and going to see a movie with the kiddo. Finishing this damn audiobook.
2. Pacific.
3. Anything spooky 🎃
4. No, not typically.
5. 🖐🖐

#friyayintro @howjessreads

CouronneDhiver 🖐🏽 6y
Megabooks ✋🏻✋🏻✋🏻 6y
MirrorMask 6y
45 likes4 comments
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Mandigolightly
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Some gorgeous new ebooks today

65 likes1 stack add
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AvastYeTaint
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Mehso-so

This was a book. It wasn‘t a bad book. I feel it started rough, but the author found the right rhythm. It wasn‘t what I was wanting at the time, but I still read it to see where it was going. I feel it used the same hook too many times to keep you turning. I can see why this would be considered horror to some, but it didn‘t resonate with me in that way. Some hair raising moments that ultimately didn‘t pay off the way I hoped it would. 3/5 Skulls

Wife Welcome to Litsy!🌹 6y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 📖💙 6y
AvastYeTaint Thank you 6y
8 likes3 comments
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AvastYeTaint
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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I feel like Ben, pictured above in my mind, needs to open an all you can eat spaghetti buffet, but 93 pages in and something has happened, I think.

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jerra
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Currently on my October TBR list.

I hate working at Barnes and Nobles cause I want every book I see!

rather_be_reading 😂😂 6y
6 likes1 comment
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AvastYeTaint
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Next up Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach. Not sure what to expect as I haven‘t read Penpal, bur have heard good things. Doesn‘t seem to be much out there on Bad Man. #horror

MaleficentBookDragon Don't know about this one, but I really liked 6y
6 likes1 comment
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Guildedearlobe
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Mehso-so

Bad Man had a lot of things going for it. Strong characters, an underlying ill defined sense of dread and the ability to tap into the human archetype of fear of abandoned places and after hour stores. It reminded me of Stephen King, a coming of age horror novel that doesn‘t rely on cheap scares. Yet, unlike a Stephen King novel, I felt every one of the 16 hours. I never became fully engaged in the story. Narration was solid. #audiobook

jouleian I was SO looking forward to this book but it's not getting great reviews...I'm starting to get concerned 😕😕😕 6y
Guildedearlobe I feel like if I was in a different mood I‘d have loved it more. I think the difference between a good book and a great book is that a great book sucks you in no matter what your mood. @jouleian (edited) 6y
BibliOphelia I think that‘s a good differentiation! 6y
jouleian I agree...bummer 6y
86 likes1 stack add4 comments
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LynnMPK
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Pickpick

Not as creepy as Pen Pal, but just as twisty turny and mysterious. #badman #stampie

MStew I need to read both!!!💀 6y
8 likes1 comment
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Guildedearlobe
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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New #audiobook. Anyone who has worked retail knows how creepy stores etc are after hours when no one‘s around. So far this book has tapped pretty good. A young man get a job as an overnight stock boy in the same grocery store where his younger brother mysteriously disappeared while he was watching him. So far it‘s pretty good. I like that the narrator isn‘t using that “creepy voice” style overused in audio. Just let the creepy come.

Birdsong28 Sounds interesting 😀📚📖 6y
95 likes6 stack adds1 comment
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howlinglibraries
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Mehso-so

I‘m a long time fan of Dathan‘s, dating back to his r/NoSleep days, so I was really excited to receive an eARC of this one. Sadly, it was just okay for me - while I enjoyed the premise and the atmosphere, it was way too long and the ending left me unsatisfied. 3/5 ⭐️

#horror #horrorreviews

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krissylovesbooks75
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Pickpick

This book was creepy and strange...and the ending left me with the "wtf just happened" face. I loved it!

37 likes2 stack adds
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Matilda
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Getting to the first horrifying scene in this while cooking dinner was an interesting experience 😂

53 likes4 stack adds
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LynnMPK
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Just received my copy of Bad Man! I‘m super pumped to read this!!!

5 likes1 stack add
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Liberty
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Bedtime reading, because I‘m a masochist. ☠️🖤🛒

105 likes11 stack adds
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SGJ
Bad Man: A Novel | Dathan Auerbach
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Never seen a split lip described this way. Very nice.

DGRachel 🤢 7y
Reggie I loved Penpal!!!!! 7y
44 likes1 stack add2 comments