| Title | : | Food Fright |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 155 |
| Publication | : | Published March 26, 2020 |
Book 7 in the Rewind-or-Die series: imagine your local movie rental store back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, remember all those fantastic covers. Remember taking those movies home and watching in awe as the stories unfolded in nasty rainbows of gore, remember the atmosphere and textures. Remember the blood.
Food Fright Reviews
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Food Fright takes the hazing gone all kinds of wrong trope and makes it fresh and disgusting and fun. It’s equal parts ick!, absurd and inventive. It would make a truly wild film that I’d watch over and over again 😹
Cassie just wanted to fit in and allows herself to be bullied into doing something she isn’t comfortable doing to appease the mean girls. A terrible, regrettable thing happens because OF COURSE it does silly girl and then the fun begins! This is a novella and to say too much of anything here will spoil all of the fun for you so I’m going to keep my big mouth shut and tell you to read it if you like gooey horror! This is the gooey-ist and you will love it! Pair it with Sleepaway Camp for a double feature of glorious ewww!
At its heart, and buried under all of the over the top monsters (I will neva look at a brownie the same way again) and gleeful killin’ joy, this is a book about acceptance and the missteps many make attempting to find it in the wrong place and I can easily recommend it if you have a strong stomach and a ridiculous sense of humor. -
This is exactly what I needed 😂 It was absolutely ridiculous, over the top, and I had so much fun with it. Perfect if you want a quick, funny, campy horror!!
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"Either kill me or get the fuck out of the way."
Food Fright is such a fun read! I buddy read this with my friend Becca, and we both really enjoyed it. This story is amusing and creative, and it was exactly what I needed from a horror novella with silly & bizarre deaths.
As with the other Rewind or Die books I've read so far, I have to say that the lack of editing can be distracting, but I still highly recommend picking up these entertaining books.
CW - bullying / hazing -
Review coming soon for Tor Nightfire! But I will say, this was so much fun.
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** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Unnerving have really hit things out of the park with this Rewind or Die series. For myself, an avid reader it really does scratch two itches. 1) Amazing reads with some gore-rrific stories. 2) Seeing a number of my social media friends be featured! It is just fantastic. And, judging from a recent tweet, it appears as though the series may come around again in the future.
Sometime in the last year or so, I connected with Nico and she’s always been super supportive. I was over the moon when I saw her name listed as someone with a Rewind or Die release and when she approached me about reviewing, I excitedly said yes!
What I liked: as with the other releases so far in this series, this book is just fun, campy gore. This one firmly plants itself in the type of movie that would work as a double feature with Critters or Leprechaun. We are thrown into the action immediately. A hazing incident is unfolding within the high school girls’ soccer team. Unfortunately, things take a turn and revenge is added to the menu.
From here Bell delivers some food infused deaths and some great carnage. The side story of the witch attempting to gain entry into the coven was a fun add-on.
What I didn’t like: there wasn’t a lot of characters, but I found at first I had trouble keeping track of who was who. Was a minor thing, but with it bouncing back and forth I made sure to keep things jotted down as the book progressed.
Why you should buy this: Nico is awesome, you should support her. Unnerving is awesome, you should support them. Rewind or Die is awesome, you should buy them all.
Simples?
This was a great story with some well-done interpersonal dynamics and the way the story unfolded, especially in the second half made for a page-turning read. I look forward to seeing what else Bell has coming out in the future, but also it’s amazing to see the high quality of releases Unnerving has lined up for this series. -
From what I have read of the Rewind or Die series presented by Unnerving, I thought Food Fright was going to fit in right from the synopsis. And it DID! This novella really knocked it out of the park for me and I am sad that it was such a short read! I do not always say that about novellas - some of them are perfect as they are in the pages they occupy... and some of them just leave me begging for more! In Food Fright we get this brilliant blend of Heathers-esque teen girls thrown into a world akin to Suspiria and The Grudge with a dash of Carrie. It sounds amazing, right? I love all of those and so to have campy gore-filled novella that mixes so many elements of some of my favorite movies and horror stories is just a total bonus right now. The writing is engaging, the characters are unique and relatable, and the story itself turns out to be a lot deeper than surface level. 4.5 stars and rounded up for Goodreads! This is highly recommended for fans of teen-angst campy horror.
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I don't know why but I've always hated stories involving witches and covens so that explains why I never warmed to this story. On the plus side the death scenes were wonderfully whacky with a touch of Nightmare on Elm Street. My least favourite Rewind or Die so far (not reading them in any sort of order).
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Full review on my blog:
https://letsgetgalactic.com/2020/11/0...
How many times can I go on and on about how much I love Unnerving’s REWIND OR DIE series before someone yells at me to shut up? ‘Cause I love it, and that love grows stronger with each entry in the series that I start, expecting to just read a few pages of, only to find that I’m unable to stop reading, finishing each book in a single sitting. It happens every time!
Food Fright introduces us to Cassie Adler, a high school girl who just wants to fit in with the popular crowd. When an opportunity to ingratiate herself with the cool girls presents itself, Cassie makes a decision to participate in a prank that will come back to haunt her in the most terrifyingly delicious way possible when tragedy strikes.
I absolutely love a good horror creature, and the ones that Nico Bell creates in Food Fright are unforgettable. I don’t want to spoil how great they are by telling you about them before you go into it, but trust me: they’re unlike anything you’ve ever read about before, and I got the strangest sense of being both horrified & hungry when flipping these pages!
As with many of the other books in the series, this was an action-packed romp filled with blood and lots of very amusing deaths. While there are bits of the book that come off as fun and comical, they never seem gimmicky or juvenile. In fact, the campiness of certain parts of the story are perfectly juxtaposed alongside the gore and brutality that you’ll also find on the pages, along with an overall lesson that bullying is bad, and that being mean to other people makes you a jerk (lessons I firmly stand behind!).
This was my first book by Nico, but I’ll absolutely be reading more of her works when I can – she has me hooked! I loved this fun, blood-soaked ride through high school and home ec rooms, and at just barely over 150 pages, it’s short enough for you to squeeze in before the end of the year for sure! -
This is a cute lil nugget of a horror story about a prank gone awry, food that eats people, a secret witch's coven and women joining forces to battle evil. A super quick read with fun elements and minimal gore beyond the opening (if you prefer a less-is-more approach).
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A fun, fast-paced novella full of monsters, witches, and...teenage drama? In that regard, it's a bit reminiscent of Mean Girls, or perhaps more appropriately, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, except imagine if Buffy was on HBO and centered around a soccer team battling a murderous spirit that can possess food. I know, silly right? But the author walks the thin line between spookiness and camp, and the turns this takes are always unexpected. If any of this sounds like your jam, then you can't go wrong with this one.
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This is actually the first book I’ve read out of the Rewind or Die series and I really enjoyed it. It’s quick and fast paced. I would say it’s along the lines of funny and scifi horror.
Cassie is a junior in highschool and she’s fed up with the bullying. She figures if she can get in with the cool kids then her highschool experience will be immensely better. She was wrong. The cool kids bring her in on a prank that turns ugly. Something savage and hungry for revenge knows what they did.
Uhhh!!! This book was nothing like I excepted it to be. It was sooo much better. I really enjoyed the light hearted lines between Cassie and Jamie. They were my favorite characters. I also enjoyed the food fights. (Pun intended). There are also two story lines happening and both are equally interesting! Its fast pace, light hearted at times, fun, creative death scenes, and kinda emotional. It was a nice breaker book from my epic reads right now. 5 ⭐️ -
Summary
Cassie thought making the soccer team would put an end to the popular girls bullying her.
Joining them turns out to be worse and even life threatening when a prank on the new girl goes horribly wrong.
Cassie's new 'friends' begin to die in very strange and mysterious ways and if she doesn't find a way to put an end to it, she'll be next.
Personal Opinion
A tale of a vengeful ghost with a new and surprisingly interesting way of killing her victims.
This novella puts a new spin on a murderous ghost story that I couldn't get enough of. I would love to see this one made into a movie!
The deaths managed to be disturbing, silly, cringe worthy and strange all at once. It also has quite a few different things mixed in including teens, witches, monsters and ghosts that all come together very well.
Another Rewind or Die book worthy of all 5 bright and shiny stars! -
My favorite of the Rewind-or-Die series so far and I give it 5 shining stars...
"Mademoiselle!" the French-accented croissant called after her.
This book is soooo great! I am a fan of this series already but this book really raises the game a notch.
Has anything good ever come out of inititation ceremonies? I guess not, at least in books not... And Food Fright is no exception. Only every other thing about this book is exceptional because this ceremony, after triggering some quite unlikely factors, causes an... interesting (to say the least) monster to come back for revenge. And the revenge attacks are the most imaginatives I have read in a long time. It's is safe to say that it is all about eating food here - "eating" as a verb as well as an adjective.
I loved every moment of this book, love the humor, love the kind of horror that doesn't hurt anyone (well, maybe gourmets) and I will definitely be looking for more books by Nico Bell. -
5 stars. This book is absolutely ridiculous. The plot is bonkers. We follow a soccer team who lures an unsuspecting freshman to school for a twisted hazing that quickly turns into her running for her life and hiding inside of an oven in the home-ec room. SPOILER: she ends up cooked alive and now her spirit is trapped inside of the oven and she wants vengeance. She will send cotton candy fog, chocolate brownie monsters, and everything sweet to kill the girls who did this to her and get her revenge. Obsessed. This was so much fun! It's absolutely ridiculous and bonkers, but the writing is solid. There are layers of girlhood, abandonment, feeling inferior, and wanting to belong. So many wonderful moments of triumph and great horror moments in this laughable plot. I adored it. I laughed a lot and I had fun reading it. What better B-plot is there? Obsessed and my favorite in the Rewind or Die collection so far.
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When a high school prank goes terribly wrong, the girls involved are cursed to be killed by deranged desserts.
FOOD FRIGHT involves teens, witches, and a ghost with a taste for revenge.
Two women, a teen and a wanna-be witch, long to fit in with their respective cool crowds, but the price higher than dinner at the most exclusive Michelin starred restaurant.
The ghost’s campy kills using assorted sweets were especially fun, as were the experts who were hired to help put the spirit to rest. I really liked Cassie’s backstory, which nicely showed why fitting in with the popular soccer players became so important to her. I’ve never read a story of revenge that was this sugary sweet.
FOOD FRIGHT is another delicious installment in Unnerving’s fantastic Rewind or Die series. Each novella in the series provides a unique take on vintage horror movies. -
A light and fun ghost story with a bit of withcraft tossed in.
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That was so much fun!
It reminds me of those really fun B horror movies! It's ridiculous but, in a perfectly ridiculous way!
What would you expect when you have a secret coven, initiation gone wrong, and a spell that just won't go away. Its like cloudy with a chance of meatballs and a slasher movie had a baby.
It's a really quick read that I bet would help kick you out of a reading slump if you are ever in one.
The characters are well written and I loved the relationships between the women in the book. The setting is fun, who knew high school could get creepier? The revenge is as sweet as a churro and a glass of milk.
Do yourself a favor and grab this book and some snacks and hope your snacks don't bite back! -
As part of Unnerving's Rewind or Die series, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into Food Fright by Nico Bell. I honestly didn't even care about the blurb; Look at that cover! You just know all kinds of cheesy goodness is waiting inside!
Food Fright not only leads us through the teenage high school angst of trying to be one of the it crowd, but it also does it in a deliciously disastrous way. Cassie Alder wants so badly to be part of the inner circle—so much in fact, that she'll help the soccer team captain and her flunkies initiate Jennifer, a freshman that made the varsity team if it means that Cassie can belong to their group. When Jennifer escapes her tormentors and stumbles upon the scene of witchcraft gone wrong, events are set in motion to make sure they get their just desserts.
Read more at
Cats Luv Coffee -
OK, I know it sounds weird, but just imagine a story that combines high school, soccer girls, home-ec, witches, ghosts, and anthropomorphized food that is out to kill. Then you'll have Food Fright. This is my favorite entry in the Rewind or Die series that I've read so far!
I am not sure exactly how Bell crammed all these weird ideas into 150 pages, but however she did it, it really works! The book goes from quirky to straight-up bonkers. It is definitely a humorous story, but it doesn't come off as purely comedic or slapsticky at all. That death by chocolate is honestly a horrifying visual, and there's a sentence I didn't think I'd ever write!
As with all the other Rewind or Die books, the lack of editing can be unfortunately distracting at times. But it doesn't detract from an otherwise solid story. -
Buddy read with
Emily! ♥
Unnerving's Rewind or Die series is really where it's at. I've yet to be disappointed by the collection.
Food Fright was such a blast to read. It's everything I could possibly want in horror: witchcraft, teenagers getting into some shenanigans & french-speaking croissants. Also, I can't remember if it's explicitly stated that Cassie & Jamie are ~romantically~ involved, but I'm always here for some LGBTQ+ rep & I'm getting total vibes from the two.
I don't know baseball, but I do know that Nico Bell hit a homerun with Food Fright. It's been a long time since I've fallen this in love with a silly lil' horror novella, and I can guarantee that this is one I'll be recommending until the end of my days; crossing my fingers that my end doesn't come due to a brownie or croissant attack. I literally laughed-out-load multiple times during this one and replayed one of the scenes multiple times to whoever was around that day.
Hailey Piper considers Food Fright a mash-up of Jawbreaker, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Craft & I can't help but agree with this. I had Jawbreaker vibes the entire time & now I need to rewatch that flick ASAP.
I'm so excited to read more from Nico Bell! -
This book is absolutely fucking ridiculous, and I loved every page!
Food Fright is a great fit with the Rewind or Die series, with its 90s high school setting and a bit of a Mean Girls clique. The book is short, but I still really felt for Cassie and Emily as they both tried to fit in without regard for the consequences. Bell does a great job of building compelling characters in a short span, something I often find lacking in novellas.
In less capable hands, Food Fright could have come across as a bit slapstick, but somehow Bell makes even the silliest deaths absolutely terrifying at the same time. Don't get me wrong, they are BONKERS and I definitely caught myself chuckling at the presentation of the "villains" a few times, but the deaths are totally gruesome and brutal (death by chocolate, anyone?).
This is just a damn fun book, with lots of action and horror from the very beginning to the very end. Highly recommend giving this one a read! -
4 stars. This was absurd and so much freakin’ fun. A dead girl takes revenge by killing the people who killed her with food. Attack by croissants, chocolate, cotton candy and other foods and it was pretty awesome in its silliness. It felt like a cheesy (pun intended) horror movie from the 80s. There’s also witches involved and the killings are just so unique. I thought this book was a blast. It’s a quick and very entertaining read.
{Challenges completed:
✔For Love of a Book: I Went to the Zoo Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Greatest Love Stories Challenge} -
Absolutely LOVED it!
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This book has everything I love: witches, mean girls and death by brownie.
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This book is a lot of fun. A great read. I love the dark humor and the plot is clever and twisty. I loved it
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Read this fun mashup of The Stuff and Ghoulies right now. If there’s one thing horror as a whole is lacking it’s more stories about evil junk food.
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this was weird and fun
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This is the fourth book in Unnerving’s Rewind or Die series that I’ve read. Like the previous three, this one was reminiscent of the VHS days where horror was full of outlandish and overemphasized deaths and a cadence to the story telling that was fun with scenes that are pretty horrifying.
It starts with one of the worst death scenes you could ever imagine. The catalyst for the events throughout Food Fright. The cover gives away what to expect – killer food. Why? That’s for you to find out. It’s a novella that has well-written dialogue, playful death scenes with a hunger like no other, and a horror trope with a twist that allows Bell to play with her secondary characters and reveal just enough that we don’t need more-than-shared details to understand everything.
The focus is on Cassie and her classmates. What I found interesting was Cassie’s relationship with Jamie. It felt like there was more to it than we saw. I could feel the love between Jamie and Cassie, and throughout this story they experience a rollercoaster of emotions that would scare and surely fragment the minds of many adults.
This book lives up to the Rewind or Die series by offering your bang for your buck, be it a rental or a straight purchase -
Desperately wanting to fit in, varsity soccer player Cassie Adler reluctantly agrees to help play a prank on a new up-and-comer to the team; hoping to gain acceptance by her upper "popular" classmates for doing so.
When the prank goes horribly wrong, something dark is awakened. And it's very hungry.
I enjoyed this read so much!
A dash of gore, witchcraft, and revenge. Food Fright is a fun and campy novella that will horrify, have you laughing, and make you hungry all at the same time! -
F*cking crazy. I love it.
This novella was my first foray into the Rewind or Die series, and Food Fright certainly set the bar high. At its core, the book is a gonzo revenge tale, featuring killer foods, a coven of all-powerful witches that rule a small town, murder, and a sentient meat man.
It’ll keep you reading till the last page while whispering to yourself, “what the fuck is happening here”; especially when you hit the part where a high schooler gets eaten by a brownie monster and has to consume its flesh to escape. I promise you, yes, this is a thing that happens, and, no, there are no words for it.
