I wanted to love this book and I usually love a good, weird horror read but this one was so tough to get through and I truly didn’t really know what was happening half of the time. I struggled

I don't usually get into fantasy horror, but this was really interesting. It was a bit of a slow burn and took a bit to get started but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did.

The Divine Flesh isn’t just horror—it’s a descent. A grotesque, mesmerizing, soul-shaking descent into obsession, faith, and the blurred boundary between devotion and decay. Drew Huff doesn’t write to comfort. She writes to confront—and this book had me squirming, breathless, and strangely moved from start to finish.

From the very first page, there’s an unease that settles into your skin. This isn’t shock-for-shock’s-sake horror. It’s body horror with purpose—metaphysical, spiritual, psychological. The kind that makes you question what it means to inhabit a body at all. The kind that asks: If transcendence required sacrifice, how far would you go? And what if the transformation isn't holy, but something far older and hungrier?

The protagonist is haunting in the truest sense—the unraveling both repulsive and magnetic. Huff makes you watch it all happen, and you can’t look away. The prose is lyrical in the most dangerous way: beautiful enough to draw you in, brutal enough to leave scars. It reminded me of the best of Clive Barker or Laird Barron—writers who understand that horror can be deeply human even when it’s soaked in the surreal.

What stayed with me wasn’t just the gore or the dread (though trust me, those are here in abundance). It was the ache. The longing. The terrifying vulnerability of someone reaching for the divine and finding something monstrous instead.

The Divine Flesh is not for the faint of heart—but if you’re drawn to horror that doesn’t flinch, that stares directly into the abyss and lets the abyss smile back, you need to read this. It's raw, it's philosophical, and it's absolutely unforgettable.

Well that was .. bonkers!

The premise for this book is right up my street. Anything including body horror or gore, I will absolutely be drawn to. And the Divine Flesh definitely did justice to the genre in regard to how uncomfortable it made me (in the best way possible).

However, despite the book only being quite short in length, I feel it would’ve benefited from being a little shorter in length. At points, the plot just seemed to disappear for me and I forgot what the whole point of the whole book was.

2.5/5 stars !

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Divine Flesh by Drew Huff is a wild and visceral horror novel that blends body horror, cosmic horror, dark humor, and elements of the surreal. The story centers around the bizarre and codependent relationship between Jennifer Plummer, a drug mule with a chaotic life, and the "Divine Flesh", an ancient, interdimensional flesh goddess who has inhabited Jennifer's body since birth.
This book is also a love story between Jennifer, the Divine Flesh, and Daryl (Jennifer's ex-husband).

If gore and violence are not your thing, I would stay away from this book. Usually, that is right up my alley- but it didn't hit with this one. Its storyline was convoluted with many run-on inner thoughts and confusing lore. I could have been on board if this book had been a novella and the author's thoughts were more succinct. By the end, I found myself not caring what happens to Jennifer, Daryl, or Daryl's sibling.

I AM WHAT I AM

What a thrilling read! A goddess with Ito-worthy flesh powers and a bubbly personality, a drug-addict who copes with humor who shares a worldly vessel with her, and the average human guy who both of them are in love with. Death Becomes Her meets Tender is the Flesh. It's a fresh and grotesque entry in cosmic horror canon. It manages to have comedic moments without diminishing the impact of ludicrous-but-heart wrenching scenes. All while keeping our main trio centered and evolving.

I will say I found the pacing off. The first third of the narrative is snappy and flows beautifully, but at that 33% mark things start to lag. There are a lot of elements at play in the story - the Divine Flesh and her desire to assimilate the humans around her, the mirror people and their ongoing attempts to reproduce, and the crew of murderous bigots who strive to keep their community straight, white, and Christian. Obviously DF and Jennifer are the most interesting part of the story and what hooked me in. Every time we checked in on the other plot threads, it felt like a schlep to get through. I think the mirror people in particular would have made a great storyline for a novel of their own, and condensed the story to keep Huff's stellar ideas at the forefront.

This book certainly delivered on all of my expectations in the first half alone. But that made the second half difficult to get through, and by the end I was forcing myself to get through the last few chapters so it didn't end up on my DNF list.

I will definitely be following this author and I can't wait to see what they do next!

This just read like a wild drug induced fever dream and I can honestly say, I spent most of the book confused and am not even really sure what happened lol.

I think a lot of people will like this who enjoy odd, unnerving storytelling with a lot of what the heck moments and just that all round weird vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book

I've struggled with my rating for this one. I also struggled to get through it. There are a lot of good ideas here but I'm not in love with the execution. I flip-flopped a lot on whether or not I liked this book and sadly, despite how messed up it is, I think it's painfully average. In it's ham-fisted effort to be a deep read on dark themes, it ends up being a surface level analysis of love, codependency, and religion

This book reeked of rot, sex, and sanctity — in the best way. From the opening scene, where poor André gets snatched and ritualised like a bargain-bin saint, Huff builds a world that feels like slipping into a fever dream soaked in wine and incense. There’s a cinematic haze to everything, but it’s not for aesthetics' sake — this city of hungry flesh and corrupted faith demands to be felt, not just seen. Think Neon Genesis Evangelion meets The Passion of the Christ, if both were directed by Lars von Trier in the middle of a breakdown.

The Divine Flesh is about hunger for holiness, for intimacy, for death. Everyone wants to be swallowed, sanctified, remembered. This is not a book about clean resolutions or moral redemption. It's about the ugly need to matter — even if it means becoming something monstrous.

Let’s be clear: this book does not flirt with blasphemy — it tongue-kisses it, bites its lip, and invites it home for sacrilegious orgies. Huff doesn’t just question religious devotion; he vivisects it, digs through its entrails, and asks what it means to sacrifice, to be consumed, to worship. There’s real reverence here buried under the gore — not for any church, but for pain as a form of communion. It’s unhinged, yes, but also startlingly sincere.

This book has no brakes. None. You are hurled from scene to scene like a lamb into a volcano. It should be exhausting. And yet — it’s enthralling. Huff knows exactly when to pause the madness for moments of unbearable tenderness or clarity, like a whisper between screams. His prose is indulgent, theatrical, and oddly tactile — I could feel every bruise and breath.

Reading this book felt like being kissed by a martyr and then flayed alive. I adored it. It’s not for the faint of heart, or the devout, or the emotionally stable. But if you’re the kind of person who has ever looked at a bleeding statue and thought, Yes, more please, this is your gospel.

★★★★
Blood-soaked. Blasphemous. Beautiful.

This was so different and definitely bloody, gory, body parts everywhere. I did like the concept and the lore of the Divine Flesh. I wish there had been more but it was already a super packed book. I felt some parts were too long. I did enjoy the pov change between all the characters. It was very detailed and morbid, which I liked. Besides it being a bit too long, I enjoyed it and the audiobook was very good. The way the narrator said “Jennifer- baby”, scratched my brain. I think she did such a job with both, voicing Jennifer and the DF. It was fun and it really set the mood for the book.

I really loved the cover for this (and I know you shouldn’t judge by the cover) but that did draw me in. I like the concept and I do enjoy the writing but there is a lot going on in the story; it can get a bit confusing with the different characters and POVs.

The body horror might be a bit much for some readers, but that didn’t bother me. It’s a big, bold and unique read.

As an extreme horror and splatterpunk fan, I went into The Divine Flesh expecting something bold, brutal, and boundary-pushing—but unfortunately, it didn’t land for me. The concept is wild and original, blending interdimensional horror with body horror and dark satire, but the execution felt rushed and disconnected. The pacing was uneven, the tone forced, and I struggled to stay engaged with the story or its characters.

While I appreciated the ambition and had no issues with the intense content or trigger-heavy themes, the narrative just didn’t flow naturally. It felt more like chaos for chaos’ sake rather than a gripping descent into madness. I wanted to love this book, but it left me feeling more detached than disturbed.

If you’re new to splatterpunk and want something extreme with a unique premise, it might be worth checking out. But seasoned horror readers may find it lacking the depth and cohesion that make extreme horror so impactful.

Absolutely loved this concept as its a body horror concept and those are some of my favorite stories. I loved the writing and character building and the chaos that ensues between Jennifer and The divine flesh. I definitely recommend this to fans of body transformation and horror in general.

The Divine Flesh is like nothing I have ever read before. A cosmic horror fever dream about a whole cast of terrible, terrible people, including main protagonist Jennifer Plummer, it’s a body horror, gore-soaked nightmare.

As much as the concept was a wild ride I sort of enjoyed, I felt like half of the book was rather dragged out, and could’ve finished way before the actual page count.

With the constant shifting perspective and overlapping thoughts, it was at times, really hard for me to figure out who was talking, and what was actually going on on the page.

Funnily enough, I love awful main protagonists, especially unhinged women, but something about Jennifer just put my teeth on edge and not in a good way. Every chapter with her was just full of the most self-loathing, over-the-topness that made me want to skip over her chapters completely.

However, I adored the body horror in all its vivid grotesquery! The author definitely put a lot of soul into it, and I enjoyed how some of it genuinely made me squirm.

I’ve half minds about this book, but mostly that it was confusing and needed so much brain power for me to keep along with the plot. Hopefully, others out there take more enjoyment out of this than I did.

This is a different kind of love story - a chaotic fever dream of eldritch proportions wrapped in a fleshy, nightmare-fueled package. For decades, ex-junkie, Jennifer Plummer has shared her body with the Divine Flesh, an abomination-creating cosmic god. Both in love with Jennifer's ex, Daryl, their tenuous partnership is disrupted when the two finally gain bodily independence. As DF (Divine Flesh) attempts to assimilate every last human, Jennifer and Daryl embark on a what is sure to be a suicide mission to save the world. Throw in flesh monsters, interdimensional creatures masquerading as humans, some light drug trafficking, a little murder, and some religious existentialism, it makes for a visceral reading experience.

While not lacking in entertainment value, there are SO many elements to this book that it does not give each of them enough room to breathe. With multiple subplots, an extensive cast of characters, and switching POVs, the chaos was a little too real in parts. The middle lagged as the author attempts to wrangle each of the narrative threads, but everything manages to come together in if not a perfect, at least satisfying resolution. However, the premise is refreshingly unique and every bit of squelch-tastic body horror that one would expect from such a title was on full display. Not for the faint of stomach, but definitely for those who want all the gross, gore-filled, cosmic horror they can handle.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whoa. This is definitely one of the most unique books I have ever read. I love the cosmic and body horror feels of the story that the author has crafted. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the constant POV switch and I find the pacing to be a bit off. But overall, it is still a very cool novel and I'm excited to read more from the author in the future.

This book is doing a lot—and I mean that in both a good and slightly overwhelming way. It dives straight in from page one, and you’re immediately thrown into a really vivid, deeply detailed world. The author clearly put so much thought into every part of it. Nothing here feels accidental; everything has a backstory, and it’s impressive how much depth there is.

The concept itself is super original. There are elements of cosmic and body horror, a small-town murder mystery, interdimensional drug trafficking, and at its core, themes around love, power, and bodily autonomy. It’s bold and strange in a way I haven’t really seen before, and I really wanted to love it.

But I did struggle with the pacing. Sometimes it felt like we’d spend a whole chapter in the head of a side character, and then suddenly we’d be back in the main plot with a ton happening all at once. It made it a bit hard to find my rhythm as a reader.

Still, I admire how ambitious and unique this book is. Even if it didn’t completely click for me, I think it’s going to really resonate with readers who are looking for something dark, complex, and totally different from anything else out there.

3.5 stars
This is a MONSTER of a book to try and wrap your head around. There are numerous side plots and characters that I found myself losing track of a lot. Granted, I did take a few breaks from reading this, but even so, the constant switching of POVs made it a bit hard to get into. That being said, this story is clearly very inspired and original. I love the writing and the idea of The Divine Flesh, I love the body horror, and cosmic scope. I definitely think this would benefit from a second read so I could keep track of the side characters better. I really loved the dynamic between Jennifer and the Flesh by the end of the book

Gripping, mysterious, and beautifully crafted, The Divine Flesh is a darkly captivating journey into faith, flesh, and the unknown. Drew Huff’s prose pulses with intensity as he blends horror, mythology, and philosophical depth in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is a story that questions everything — from the body to the soul — with power and precision. Unforgettable and thought-provoking.

This book is a fever dream wrapped in cosmic horror, and I mean that in the best way possible. If you're looking for something that will shake you to your core and leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about love, then this is the book for you. It’s equal parts disturbing and beautiful—gruesome yet oddly mesmerizing.
Thanks netgalley.