Dathan Auerbach

It is extremely rare I read something solid enough to terrify me.
I mean TERRIFY. I looked at my hands while reading this at 2am and realized I was literally shaking! HOW? Me scared? The creep master ice queen? Yes friends, TERRIFIED and in fact traumatized. I loved every second of it!
This story is 100% believable, In fact I am pretty sure this is exactly what happens all the time when children go missing. Especially if you are a parent that loves your child, guaranteed this will shake you show more right down to your BONES, creep into your soul and become your new boogeyman that counters with some extreme paranoia.
In good news, while yes, bad things happen to children in this book, there is nothing too graphic that turns your stomach and groan at the author. NO.
This is extremely clever and well written. The author has sprinkled clues all over the place so its very important you pay attention. I bet you finish this book in a day or 2 because there is no way you can set it down, absolutely no way. You can feel the fear from the child's point of view when weird things start happening, but it is WAY WAY more terrifying when you read it from the adults perspective who has finally pieced it all together and the weight of this madness all comes at you full force.

Solid. Five. Stars.
In fact I need an extra star!
This landed as an immediate favorite, and I must revisit it soon!
Yes you read that right, Victoria actually wants to reread a book, despite being buried in 1,000 of waiting novels! I want to re-read to catch every last clue I might have glazed over! show less

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach is an excellent psychological thriller and hair-raising horror novel that lingers in your mind long after you've turned the last page. I had this book on my TBR list for quite some time, and finally getting around to it was well worth the wait. From the very first page, it grips you with an eerie, unsettling atmosphere that only intensifies as the story unfolds. It's a chilling descent into the unknown, and it doesn't let up until the very end.

What makes Penpal show more stand out is its simplicity—limited characters, yet so deeply fleshed out that you feel their fear, confusion, and helplessness. The storytelling is raw and emotional, building layer upon layer of unease. The events unravel like a puzzle, each piece darker than the last, leaving your brain spinning and your spine tingling. Despite the horror, the story manages to touch your heart, especially in how it captures the vulnerability of childhood and the weight of forgotten memories.

I was completely hooked and ended up finishing the book in a single day. It’s not just a thriller—it’s an experience. If you're a fan of psychological horror that messes with your mind, Penpal is a must-read. show less

I already read this once online but listen: this story is fucked up.

In book form together, I sometimes felt like there was too much background/filler, but I understand that those parts were still important for the really creepy part to work. And wow, once the story comes together, it's just really, really fucked up.

tw: uhhh... stalking, pet cruelty/death, kidnapping, implied pedophilia, probably more

Didn't know going in that this started on Reddit, but as I was reading it felt VERY nosleep-y. And I do love a good nosleep story. This one definitely had its arm hair raising moments.

The writing style is very much of nosleep and I can see how that would annoy a traditional novel reader. But I'm used to it and it didn't bother me. A really fantastic, creepy, tense story.