Breed by Chase Novak

To be totally honest, my horror craving has been sneaking up on me for a while. The cool snap merely pushed it further along! I dove into Scott Spencer's Chase Novak release as soon as it landed on my doorstep, desperate for some gory, well-plotted horror.

The Twisdens had everything except the one thing they wanted the most -- kids of their own. After exhausting every possible avenue, they hear of a doctor in Eastern Europe who's had unprecedented success helping infertile couples conceive. In spite of their fears, Alex and Leslie opt for the treatment and soon their hopes and dreams come true, with nightmarish consequences.

Years later, Alex and Leslie are no longer the couple they once were. The treatment did something terrible to them. Something that has put their own beloved children in danger. And as the kids become desperate, they find their only option lies in escaping from their own parents.

Chase Novak (aka Scott Spencer) makes his horror debut with Breed, a somewhat campy but entertaining and original tale reminiscent of 80s horror. The characters are a bit thin throughout most of the book. My own preference would probably have been to see more of the kids' perspectives here. The post children parents were creepy and odd but I think the book as a whole could have been much more effective in the scare department.

There were also some interesting elements that weren't really played up. I won't delve into which since I don't want to give anything away. Overall though, Breed was a fun read and a unique one at that.

Breed officially hits shelves September 4.