This novel doesn’t let you get comfortable for a second, constantly aiming for the jugular and the heartstrings at the same time. The majority of the story follows a single main character and only gives us glimpses into secondary characters. That main character is great, though. Messy and familiar, he embodies qualities and tropes that instantly make him recognizable, yet at the same time he has an engaging interiority that sets him apart, makes him a unique character. The secondary characters are interesting almost across the board, and while we do get to learn a little more about some of them in the final quarter of the book I do wish we could have gone deeper with some of them before then. That is only because they all are fun and interesting, and similar to the main character, they do overlap with identifiable stock characters or tropes, but still feel fun and special. I always felt like they had more inner secrets to share, and it was only circumstances preventing that, and given the nature of the story, having fish-out-of-water mystery vibes for a good part of it, it is understandable that we only get peeks behind the various supporting characters’ curtains. I wish we had more of them, maybe a more robust exploration of the chorus, so to speak, but I enjoyed the time I felt with all of them and what we did get made them stand out.

The story itself, well, it was a little bonkers. It straddled a number of different genres, and it handled them all so well. It sets up mystery upon mystery, and while at least one of them was clear almost instantly the others wound themselves up tight and loosed interesting secrets that all felt earned but not entirely expected. Which was great. By the halfway point it wasn’t especially difficult to predict the overall story or ending, but even having a solid guess of the direction it was going I still found surprises along the way, and didn’t want to put it down, especially once we got into the second half. The writing was sharp and fun. It was mostly well-paced, though there did feel like a little running around in circles in the middle where the author telegraphed enough to the reader that we had a good idea of what was going on (at least regarding one of the mysteries) and we had to watch the protagonist not put the clues together for what felt like a lot longer than it should have been. But aside from that the pace was mostly great, giving some small answers along with red herrings and new secrets all throughout, so it didn’t feel like everything waited until the last minute. It gave the characters a chance to ingest new information and grow from it, which really kept me invested. There is a particular type of sardonic humor, a self-referential glibness mixed with snark, that makes up a good deal of how the main character understands himself and protects himself from his insecurities, and that was reflected in the intimate narration style, and the humor didn’t always work for me. It fit with the character but sometimes it was just a little tiresome. That said, there were moments that I cackled out loud. So, it worked, overall, but it is definitely a vibe, and may not work for everyone.

It is an original story, which plays in a number of familiar sandboxes but doesn’t hesitate to make them something new. The story and its mysteries are well told, both built up and resolved in ways that felt convincing. The author wasn’t afraid to interject some scenes of graphic gore, as well as some graphic sexual content, and instead of feeling gratuitous those both actually helped give this story some heft and made the ridiculousness of the plot feel actually more grounded and real. I had a lot of fun with this book. It was tender and horrific, original and familiar. Once I fell into it I didn’t want to put it down, and I look forward to reading more of what this author creates.

I want to thank the author, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I couldn't finish this book. It failed to engage me from the beginning, feeling overly absurd, and I struggled to form a connection with the main character. I often found myself either skimming the text or losing focus on the storyline. While it may simply be a matter of personal preference, if you appreciate a lighter, more humorous tone in your books, this might be a perfect fit for you.

I have *such* a soft spot for books that leave me feeling like I have absolutely no clue what's going on. To me, leaving me completely bewildered but desperate for more is a sign of a genre masterpiece, and this book delivers so well. It is so, so bizarre, but so completely brilliant.

Did I see the twist coming? No. Was I as confused as the erstwhile Tyler Kyle, stumbling around forests surrounded by mysteries? Absolutely. This book is funny, but also it definitely got horrifying - and please, please check out content warnings if you need them, because I'm not someone who generally needs them and I still got a bit blindsided by the body horror and gore (I believe they can be found in the back of the book and also on the authors website). There is definitely a certain point in the book where the horror ramps up.

But somehow, despite all of that, it somehow ends...well? Positively?

All in all, it's hard to summarise this book. It's funny, it's self-referential, it plugs AO3, it's really quite gory, and it's delightfully queer. A really good read, and one I highly reccomend if you can get comfy with the content warnings!

Utterly bizarre from start to finish, couldn't tell you what happened at any given point, but WOW was I having a great time.

This was both more pornographic and more triggering that I expected (it contained both less jokes and more torture than I'd anticipated), but it was intriguing, with a good horror story, and I did enjoy the jokes that were present (particularly when all the really obvious horror trap stuff was, to other characters, really obvious). I think fans of T.J. Klune's self-published erotica would greatly enjoy this.

I was really excited to read this because I love the idea of a horror story featuring Youtuber paranormal investigators. However, the blurb wasn't kidding when it said this was aimed at fans of Buzzfeed Unsolved and Ghost Files. I don't know if it started life as BU fanfic but it definitely reads like it. As someone who has seen a little Buzzfeed Unsolved but not a ton, and was never in the fandom, I found this really hard to follow and gave up after 100 pages. The story didn't grab me, it was more concentrated on the main character's romantic relationships than the paranormal investigating. There is a strong A03 vibe to the writing style.

A lot of successful authors have transitioned from fanfic to original writing. A lot of successful authors have published former fanfic with the numbers filed off. I think this needed a more thorough edit to let it stand alone from the Buzzfeed Unsolved context. If you're not in the fandom, you might find it as confusing as I did. I hate to be the Debbie Downer in the reviews because a lot of people have really enjoyed this book (and the cover is a banger!) but it was not for me.

I received this arc for free on netgalley.

I really liked the overall premise of this book and I definitely liked the sort of small island cult setting, but there was something about the writing I just couldn't get into. There were times when things felt disjointed in a way I couldn't reconcile. Really, really loved the premise but just didn't care for the execution. Maybe it just wasn't for me though.

Having just finished the book moments before writing this review, I wanted to make sure I got my thoughts in as soon as I could so that I didn't lose momentum.

First, a big thank you to everyone for the ARC from Netgalley. I'm going to try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. 4.5 stars, rounding down because it did kind of lose the thread for a moment.

The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle was...for sure a book. Did I enjoy reading it? Sure. Do I wish I saw the content warnings at the beginning of the book? Also yes.

Tyler was a character I didn't initially like, but as the story went on and as his troubles became even more troubling, I started to truly root for him. I wanted to see him succeed. I liked that even though we didn't get another person's perspective until past the halfway mark, everyone in the Island seemed fleshed out and real. Getting 15% into the book and having MAJOR plot stuff happen the way it did was jarring. And I remember looking at the 60% mark and wondering what else Westenra was going to throw at Tyler/Us.

I had a theory about Pam that didn't ultimately pan out, but I'm almost glad it went the route it went. But the eyeball thing???? I've never felt dread while reading about book characters interacting with each other.

There were a few times that I realized I wish I had the physical copy of the book so that I could skip ahead and make sure that everything ended up okay.

This is a very interesting and thought provoking book. From the jump that we get into the story, all the way to the strange and stranger things that keep happening, this book is sure to keep you on your toes throughout the entire thing. Sometimes I found myself not understanding what was going on, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

This book broke me.
In the beginning of the book, I was a bit iffy about it, since the narrative felt a bit confused (Joshbot was turned off thrice but it still spoke) and there were some weird things that weren't explained till later (once they were explained it was so cool though). But once I got further into the book, enough parts of the mystery were revealed that it became really interesting to read. Once I got to about 75%, I could not put it down. I kept going "one more chapter" until I finished the dang thing, even though I needed to sleep (obviously, books take precedence). I loved the characters (especially Tyler when I figured out about the diary), the horror and gore was great, the setting and mystery was super interesting, and the humour was fun.
Overall, 5/5, I loved this book. Would recommend.

Despite it's length, I read this book in essentially one sitting. The pacing was wonderful and made it hard to put down.

I really enjoyed Tyler's personality and think his constant quips and quick wit were great for a character that's meant to be someone who is used to being funny on camera for a living. Tyler is lovable, funny, and surprisingly relatable throughout the novel. Humor doesn't always work for me in horror, but for this one I felt like it balanced very well with the pace of the story.

I do feel overall the novel would have benefited from a little trimming for the sake of length, but overall I enjoyed the plot and was excited to read all the way through to the end. The story itself was intriguing and engaging, giving just enough details as time went by to make you want to keep going.

The handling of skepticism vs belief in the supernatural is probably one of the most unique and fun ways I've seen it done in horror media in a while, and I engage with a lot of horror media.

If you're up for a mystery that is very gay, very creepy and very funny - this one is worth your time. The characters are interesting, the story is a trip and the resolution is satisfying.

“You shouldn’t be doing this alone.”
“With my keen sense of humour, I’m never alone. It’s like having a whole extra person in my brain.”

A fun read. With a witty writing style. Which I really enjoyed.
I loved Tyler. I liked his humour and that he knew he was an asshole and embraced it.
The story itself is weird but in a good way.
It's so compelling I didn't want to put it down.
This book definitely gives off some twin peak vibes.
It's one of the first favourite reads of 2024.

The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle by Steve Hugh Westenra was very well written, sultry, engrossing and so compelling.
I finished it in one sitting as I literally could NOT put this book down.
The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!
The book is very well written and the descriptions are brilliant. I felt I was in the plot with the characters. The characters were strong, interesting and believable.
A excellent queer horror/comedy novel that sucked me in on page one.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

A cryptid investigator, Tyler Kyle is not doing great. He decides to go investigate footage that shows his mom who abandoned him years ago. Once there, he realizes something sinister lurks on this island.

I just couldn't get into this one because I really disliked the main character. He was just unpleasant and crass, which maybe was the point, but it really turned me off from what otherwise was a decently spooky book.

This is a queer horror/comedy novel that takes a familiar creature and turns it into something that feels unique. It's a fun trippy thrill ride.

Josh and Ty have a very popular YouTube channel where they search for cryptids. Josh is a believer and Ty is the skeptic and it's the relationship between the two which makes them so popular among their viewers.

When Ty goes to a private island seeking answers about his mother (a B-movie scream queen), he's going to get a lot more than he bargained for.

Ty is a great character. He's at once obnoxious, shy, sarcastic, and introverted. But he's a character that is also sympathetic and loyal to those he considers friends and family. He's also in love with Josh.

On this island we'll meet a variety of characters. As with any good horror story, this island has some deep dark secrets. But getting answers isn't easy. This author creates misdirection throughout the novel and people are not who they seem to be which really creates a fantastic sense of suspense as we're reading.

There are creatures in the woods surrounding this island along with a lot of bodies. I really loved how these monsters were kept in the periphery through most of the book. I, for one, had no idea exactly what was actually lurking until the reveal near the end. And this is one of the most unique takes on these beasts that I've read in a long time.

There's also the romance angle between Josh and Ty. Ty is in love with Josh but due to a seemingly drunken miscommunication, he feels as if he's lost Josh forever. But, once again, things are not what they appear and we'll get answers as the book goes along.

The setting, the characters, and the unique take on the creatures all combine to make this an excellent creature feature horror novel. I highly recommend it.

Tyler Kyle being a youtuber definitely added a more real feel for me when reading this book, especially when combined with the stalker element that online content can feed, plenty of funny and creepy moments.

epic horror comedy. in the way it used comedy it kinda reminded me of Grady Hendrix, but the story was utterly unique and utterly queer in all the best ways. thanks for the arc.