Right, this one was a lot. I went in fully expecting to love it — the premise had me hooked and the cover is stunning — but honestly? I spent most of the book feeling completely lost 😅

There were moments of beauty — raw, poetic, and deeply unsettling — but half the time I had no clue what was actually happening. Like wandering through a nightmare with gorgeous prose but no map.

There are moments of brilliance, and the writing is undeniably beautiful in places — dark, lyrical, and strange. But half the time I wasn’t sure what was real or what I was supposed to be taking from it all.

It’s ambitious, atmospheric, and definitely not afraid to be weird.

If you like things totally unhinged, this might be for you. But go in knowing it’s a trip. 😵‍💫

Thank you, Net Galley and Dark Matter INK, for the ARC

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

"The Divine Flesh" is a surprisingly funny book about a person who shares her body with an eldritch horror who is also obsessed with the body's ex-husband. While I did enjoy the concept, the novel was too long for my liking and I found myself drifting off a lot. I also wasn't really surprised by any of the twists of the story and partly failed to engage with the characters on an emotional level. Maybe this wasn't the right book for me at this point in my life. Sorry!

I am a fan of body horror, and this novel brought that to the table. I loved how visceral it got with the plot and how the characters interacted. I simply couldn't put this book down at all.

4.5 stars
I'm not sure what to say besides that I absolutely loved everything about this book. Despite being a very surreal story, the various characters and their traumas feel real. I'd recommend it if you enjoyed Bunny but beware this book is considerably more disturbing and deals with subject matters some might not stomach.

magine a cosmic horror rom-com set in a meth lab, doused in viscera, and narrated by a kawaii flesh goddess. The Divine Flesh is utterly deranged—and I kind of loved it for that.

At the center of this blood-soaked fever dream is Jennifer, a drug mule in Idaho whose biggest problem isn't the drugs or the trauma—it's that her body is also home to an ancient, flesh-obsessed, all-consuming deity who is in love with Jennifer’s ex-husband. When Jennifer tries to evict said deity with a miracle drug, she accidentally unleashes the Divine Flesh on the entire universe. Oops.

Drew Huff’s writing is unhinged in all the best ways. The book is fast, chaotic, slippery. POVs shift like spilled oil, dialogue spirals into telepathic tangents, and the plot refuses to stay put. One minute you’re knee-deep in rural Americana despair, the next you’re watching a multi-mouthed demigod seduce a trailer park with promises of eternal, gooey love.

It’s disorienting and grotesque—by design. The violence is extreme. The sex is warped. The tone is gleefully nihilistic. Think Jennifer’s Body meets Venom meets Chuck Palahniuk, all filtered through the lens of someone who maybe licked an eyeball for fun. And yet, in the midst of all this maximalist horror, there are very real questions about consent, autonomy, trauma, and what it actually means to love something—or be consumed by it.

The middle drags a little, and there are probably one or two too many subplots (mirror people, drug lords, Idaho bigots, and divine reproduction?), but by the end it somehow stitches itself together with sticky, beating heart-tissue logic.

It’s not for the squeamish. Or the sane. But for those who like their horror weird, wet, and weirdly tender, The Divine Flesh is a glorious, messy, unforgettable ride.

I tried to give this my best shot but unfortunately DNF @ 30%.

I usually love weird stuff but this did not do it for me. Unfortunately, I was so insanely confused that I could not enjoy the story. The author’s voice is super unique, I will give them that! I just didn’t know what was going on.

May appeal to people who liked Bunny- it has that same kind of chaotic WTF energy.

This is a dark, gritty horror novella that blends body horror with psychological tension. It's a quick but intense read that dives deep into obsession, transformation, and the grotesque, with vivid, unsettling imagery that sticks with you. Huff’s writing is raw and visceral, making the horror feel almost too close for comfort.

The weirdest of weird fiction, but man did it pull me in quickly. Very effective formatting.
It felt like a trans allegory here and there! Which I enjoyed immensely before Huff went more body-horror/cosmic-mystery. Heartbreaking character moments - really went beyond “oh, my dad’s screwed up, that’s why I don’t treat women right” or whatever else you’re expecting.
Could have used a few more pages, honestly, to pull a couple of plot threads together a bit more. Things got pretty snarled toward the middle, it was a little tough to get everything to align later. Clearly a lot of planning and foreshadowing work, just a little messy. That’s fine, tho.

I don’t really know what to say about this weird and unique book. The writing was fun, the author really brought out some real gross words. This book felt very grimy and dark. The visuals and cosmic horror elements were well written throughout.

My issues with the overall book is the pace and how much the story jumps around. I really wanted to like this more but I think it’s simply not for me. This isn’t because it was gore, I can handle that, it just wasn’t keeping me engaged. I wouldn’t discourage others from reading though, I’d just simply say this is a weird story.

First of all thank you everyone involved for the Arc.
This book was just not for me sadly, I wanted to read something completely different from my usual reads, but unfortunately in this case it just did not work out. I DNF'ed it after some time, because I could not really get into it and it was confusing to follow up with the different characters. But readers who like weird horror books will surely like it better, because the concept in itself is definitely interesting.

Put them all in jail. NOW.

I don’t rate things lower than a 3 usually, but this was just a mess. It was confusing and contradictory. Maybe that was the point, I don’t know. Almost DNFed it but pushed through and I don’t know why I did (probably for my NetGalley ratio I guess). At least it was fast paced and slightly entertaining.

Definitely need a happy read now!!

Officially DNF’ing @ 36%

Thank you NetGalley for the DRC!
This book was just not for me sadly

The MC is a career drug addict with a cosmic God sharing her body. It started off with me thinking oh, she has DID. Then, oh! She’s in some sort of drug induced psychosis. Then, no wait.. all of this is real??? I don’t follow… this story is strange and confusing (for me!). Strange scifi-esque cosmic horror with lots of body horror. I was having to push myself too hard through the confusion for it to be enjoyable. I know this would be a perfect book for some so giving 3 stars as to not ruin the collective rating.

DNF but not necessarily because it is a bad book. I am not usually reading this style, I wanted to experiment a new style and expend my readings. Sadly, I do think I may be a little bit too sensitive. It wasn’t really pleasant to me ): I think to someone who is more into this style, the book will fit well!
Not giving it a bad rating because it was just to experiment and I don’t want to interfere with the rating system!
I may come back to this book when I feel in a better mood to explore it :)

The Divine Flesh is a must-read for fans of cosmic horror and those seeking a story that pushes the boundaries of the genre. It’s a haunting, thought-provoking journey that lingers long after the final page.
This novel is not for the faint of heart, but readers who enjoy philosophical horror with emotional depth will find it unforgettable.

I’m definitely going to be re-reading this one. I feel like I need a few days to process. I loved this. This was, for lack of a better word, divinely weird in the best of ways.

This books writing is chaotic, overwhelming, and amazingly done. It’s confusing, like a fever dream. But you’re drawn in, entranced. A broken couple and an eldritch deity, in an overwhelming twisty turns story. It’s absolutely right up my alley.

If you don’t like twisting narratives and confusing stories it won’t be for you, and that’s ok. More for me!

I found this read a fun and wild ride. It's also a great palate cleanser, not too taxing and ends with a definite resolution.
The author does a really good job describing the transformative and grotesque fleshy events making for some really active visuals.
I recommend this cosmic horror love story for anyone who enjoys body horror with comedic flair (but check trigger warnings).

I loved the concept of this book—it reminded me in some ways of a podcast I enjoy (Malevolent). However upon reading, they are in fact, very different! Jennifer Plummer is a junkie and is being inhabited by a cosmic being called the Divine Flesh. The plot is fascinating and kept me invested. There is a lot of POV jumping and I found it to be confusing at times. There’s a lot of graphic body horror in it too, so please check the warnings on it before reading! Drew is a very talented writer and some of those scenes made me feel nauseous which is a testament to her provocative imagery.

This was absolutely horrifying, and I mean that in the best possible way. There were scenes that made me feel so much viscerally. The writing style really sucked me in.

' [...] but oh dear God what the fuck were you supposed to do when you said the prayers and the demon started praying them with you?'

I'll be completely honest, I have no idea what I just read. It was good? But I didn't understand what was happening most of the time? And I think that gives you the exact atmosphere of this book, actually. We follow Jennifer Plummer, a self-destructive drug addict infested with a god-like thing called Divine Flesh. Things didn't start very well, and they just kept getting worse and worse as the story progressed. There's a lot of horror in here, especially body horror, and it will make you squirm in disgust quite often. It's an interesting exploration of what the human mind can conjure, and what it can endure reading. It's fascinating how I was more disgusted by the acts of certain humans in this story than I was disgusted by Divine Flesh's fleshy, disgusting abominations. And I'm talking about creatures right out of your worst nightmares, with hundreds of eyes and hundreds of teeth ready to devour you. The author's mind created something remarkable here, very much inspired by the Christian concept of God, Judgment Day, the Light, and the creation of humanity.

I'd recommend this if you're interested in something unlike anything else you've (probably) ever read, and if you love to loose your sanity while reading. It's an absolute must to read the triggers first, though, because there are many. I'm not sure if I was exactly the right audience for this, but I did mostly like it, I think.