Survivor: The Definitive Edition Paperback – 26 Sept. 2023

This was a Great read!! One you can really get into and feel the emotional torment and heartache. But also feel the gritty sense of urgency and harsh reality of what this read highlights. I was hooked from the first page struggling to stop for a bathroom break. It really was that intense. Actually I think it would make a good movie if they could pull off the sheer scale of horror, but we all know the book is always way better. Anyway if you enjoy a good intense horror, then this is a must read. I'd definitely recommend!

Read this book years ago and then saw it recently so bought it.Good story with plenty of gore and violence....DEFINITELY not for the squeamish!!

OMG/OMG/OMG...I couldn't put this book down...as sick and disgusting as it is....I'm really sorry to say I loved this book! the story line had me hooked from start to finish and I had to know how it ended...the author (J.F GONZALEZ) has a very sick and cruel mind but clever with a twist....if you really don't like a very sick,dirty,cruel,wicked,filthy,degrading,heart wrenching,perverted...I could go on & on & on!!!!! story... then please please do not buy or even think about reading this book...you won't like it one bit....NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED...or prudes!!!

Firstly I love the cover but it has nothing to do with this book, so not sure why the author decided to update it to this.My first foray into hardcore and I was not overly impressed with the story line or the amount of grossness, I was pleased the author stayed away from animals (although there is one very brief paragraph) however, there are multiple rape scenes, tortures, mutilations, the making of snuff films, mentions of child pornography, bestiality, bondage, some cannibalism, so enough gore and splatter that this should be a fantastic read.The whole “Hitcher” style kidnap at the beginning is well done, up until the police are involved; “Desperation” by SK crept into my mind with the no emotion cop (who later becomes an emotional wreck?!) and the whole being put in jail on a Friday afternoon and not being allowed out until Monday morning seems a little odd and convenient – can’t two high profile lawyers call in a few favours! It’s only a traffic offence not mass murder, yet.After an explosive and riveting start; I was lulled in to an exquisite sensation of skin crawl and then suddenly slapped with a big yuck.The main character, Lisa, is kidnapped, chained up and told she is the star of a hardcore S&M snuff film; well if that does not make your skin crawl then having her watch the would be rescuer suffer the torture, rape and mental breakdown that has been promised as “bonus content” should be enough to scare the pants off you.However, I found the most disgusting part of the book to be the suggestion that Lisa blurted out to save her own skin but this was badly set up at the beginning of the book and then the deaths which could have been a pivotal mind twist were glossed over IMO.The actual suggestion was repulsive, but then who knows what we would promise faced with certain torture and death.A cat and mouse type of search and rescue is instigated by her husband , when he finally makes it our of prison, which is all a little to handy for the time line, the story sort of takes a nose dive after that.None of the characters are likeable or believable. They are caricatures of what they could be. The “good” side is too syrupy and the “baddies” act like total idiots in the end.To have the “set-up” guy switch his mind set so quickly all the time got on my nerves; he is either an abused and traumatized kid post bunny torture and has no empathy or he is in it for the money but really cares, he can’t be both! Or at least not in the way JFG tells/explains it.The Big Cheese in it all just seemed like a bumbling twit in the end and was a bit Al Capone (tax evasion - let down) in his eventual capture.I found the over padding of the good guy vs bad guy image a little nauseating and predictable. As for the planting of a red herring, it’s supposed to divert your attention not scream at you “it was me! coooeee over here” or put at least put in a few more.The elderly assassin is inspired, although I would have liked her story extended much more as there are about 30 years missing in her story. Her vicious killing of the security guards but decision to leave Brad (hubby) alive so her can wriggle free and phone the police is just horrible storytelling and again with the letting your characters do stupid things just to aid the story line shows very poor skill, and commitment to the story.The end fight scene was such an anti-climax, firstly Lisa’s body seemed to have her head on the wrong way around; the rapist/killer was able to enter her from behind but she then bit off his nose?Then in her half stabbed, half-starved, waif like body state with no weapons training and having been in a catatonic condition for several days/weeks (time line is a bit off) how was she able to kill two big, strong men (who are proven killers) on her own and then drive herself through the Nevada desert (with no sat-nav!).Lets not even mention that said big, strong torturous killers, supposedly into the "hardcore S&M" scene scream like babies and act in total agony when she bites their nose - whoops I did.JFG really backs away from some of the kills, just some vague descriptions on how brutal they were, basically lots of build up to a damp squib throwaway line. As for the whole S&M scene – laughable, clearly no research done.Despite the long winded comments from the author at the beginning that this is the final and most brilliant version, it has some serious consistency errors and definitely some typos that would have benefited a good beta read and editor, which is surprising as I think this author (my first book by them) is quite high profile and has a fair few books to their name.I did enjoy the ending. I loved the wrap up bits and I needed some soothing and loving after all the actual gross splatter thrown at me. There was no ambiguous ending and I enjoyed that, I want to be told a story not make up half of it myself.Would I read this author again, maybe, if another title gets flashed up to me (or someone would like to suggest one) but I won’t be searching them out.

I first read this book in 2006 when it was printed by Leisure & I loved it. It's extreme but not simply for the sake of it, it has heart and it is quite moving at times. I am also a fan of Deadite press...however...The cover states this is the authors preferred text & in the preface he says this edition should be considered definitive as it corrects a number of embarrassing errors that were in the previous Leisure edition. It does correct some errors but inserts a whole bunch of new ones that were not in the Leisure version. For example one character who only knows another by the surname Smith suddenly starts referring to him by a first name she is not aware of & wasn't using in the previous paragraph. In the Leisure version of the same scene this doesn't happen so why was it changed for this edition ? Is she suddenly psychic ? On many occasions character surnames change & then change back. It makes for a jarring & confused read. Throw in a few layout issues (text over a chapter number for example) & two chapter thirteens and Mr Gonzalez's claim this edition has corrected all embarrassing errors and is definitive seems somewhat hollow.Anyway the actual story itself is great & I consider "Survivor" to be one of the best horror novels of the last ten years. I would however recommend the Leisure version over this one and I hope one day a truly definitive version will see print.

This is one my favourite books! The language is easy to read,plot is strong and great characters.do you like extreme Gore,blood ,violenece,rape,twists and turns around each corner this one is for you.the poor women gets kidnapped views a snuff film right before her eyes and well she is next and needs to find an. Escape while they hold her ransom .it's one book that will give you a roller coaster of emotions as you go through the ordeal with her.you laugh,cheer ,cry and shout "oh holy God they are insane".

very disgusting read,it e,explores the snuff movie business,it is gory and very sick,a sad ending and you think you know who is behind it all,but guess again.

Loved this book!! So much more than your usual 'extreme horror' books. Yes the subject was hard to stomach at times but no more than expected. Enjoyed the fact that there was actually a story behind the gore & touture scences. Fab ending as well. I would definitly read other books by this authour

I’ve never read a book in this genre before and i must say i was skeptical because the facebook group i heard of it in… they said it was very disturbing. and some of it was but that’s to be expected i mean look at the blurb its very clear this wasn’t going to be all rainbows and sunshine. but i am impressed for the most part i loved it. i despised some of lisa’s choices and the fates of some of the characters but this was a great book with a completely unexpected plot twist

La historia está buena, el libro tiene algunos errores, como dos capitulos num 13, al final le cambian los apellidos a los personajes, pero aun así lo recomiendo

Great book very descriptive absolutely loved it, will definitely be buying and reading his other books!!!!!!so very happy with this book

I must say, the story was better than I expected. A lot of the reviews talked about how graphic it was but that was all rather short lived, the really nasty bits were more what was talked about by the perpetrators in memories and tales. Is it the worst book I've read? It's up there with Edward Lee's "Pig" (that story rules) and a few others of similar hardcore nature but I'm not sure if it's the most brutal, maybe if it had gone a tad further it would have been. Still, I've been reading horror for so long now that I'm pretty desensitized so I suppose to your average Joe this would be some pretty sick stuff. A good page turner, some great twists, likable characters, great villains and pretty good gore. 4/5 for a job well done.

Gonzalez’ 2003 novel is rereleased in this definitive edition, complete with a couple of new short stories, an intro by Brian Keene and a fantastic 10,000 word essay on the history of extreme fiction (written by Gonzalez). I missed this when first released, so was glad to finally get my hands on a copy.I’m a bit picky with “extreme” horror, as much of it is all gross out and little plot. SURVIVOR not only has plenty of story (and gruesomeness) but main characters we truly feel for.A pregnant woman is kidnapped by an underground snuff film crew. What she does in her attempts to escape makes her question if she’s as insane as her kidnappers.Gonzalez fills this novel with the expected violence and action, but also delivers much food for thought and a nice twist toward the finale. 20 years after its initial release it’s still a shocking read, but one that has a lot more going for it than just shock value.It’s easy to see why many consider this a classic of the subgenre.