Playground

Playground is back with a bang. I snagged both an audiobook and special edition of this one because I was sure I’d love it as much as I did the first, and it didn’t disappoint!

It’s got all the grit and gore I’ve come to expect from an Aron Beauregard book, especially a Playground book. Miss Geraldine Bordon is back with all her grossness and her crazy plans. In this prequel novel, we’re shown her prototype of the playground with all new nightmarish challenges.

I think what I loved the most about this book was the humanity that Beauregard managed to instill into each of the children. They were all from broken homes in one way or another and were desperate for something, primarily love. Unlike the original Playground, where the show more parents are just as involved as their children, this one forces these children to fight for their lives alone.

Just like poor Rock.

Another thing I loved about this one was the insight it gave us into why Geraldine did some of the things she did in Playground though I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand her character. (I’m fine with that lol). The challenges in this one were insane! They were so creative and gnarly at the same time. There were several times I caught myself actually holding my breath.

This book is worth all the hype. If you loved the original Playground, you’re not going to want to miss this one! show less

Eccentric millionaire and rapist Geraldine Borden pays families to try out state of the art playground equipment (deadly traps) blueprinted by her Operation Paperclip Nazi friend.

Typical AB with the shocking scenes of gore and disgusting acts. This one was pretty sad with a bittersweet ending. A good ending. I like "Yellow" a bit more but "Playground" is probably his best all around book. Out of all of his books these characters have the most depth.

I'm not a big fan of splatterpunk/extreme horror. It's not necessarily due to the contents of the book, but rather the amateur writing. This book is not an exception. The book does contain visuals, which I found somewhat unique from this genre. The character build-up in this book is minimal, which I found made it difficult to sympathize with certain characters or even care for their deaths. The author does do a satisfactory job at portraying the absolute, abject depravity of Geraldine and make readers sympathize with *some* of the kids. Forcing the parents to watch the entire game play out is sadistic and cruel. Irrespective of the amateur writing, the ending wasn't so bleak and offered a glimpse of hope.

As splatterpunk goes, this has been my favorite that I’ve read since being introduced to the subgenre. I felt that Beauregard crafted some really dynamic characters in this novel while still giving the reader those gut-wrenching, vomit-inducing scenes that splatterpunk is known for. If you love splatterpunk, this is going to be a great read for you!

Sadistic and cruel. Geraldine and Mr. Fuchs create the most hellish playground imaginable. All because of the lust of something Geraldine can't have. Parents forced to watch while their children struggle to stay alive. Nothing more to say other than ghoulish.

Zero stars. Why did I read this and why the fuck did some some utterly sick person write this shit?