Depraved Paperback – January 1, 2011

Being an avid horror lover I just ran across the bundle 3 pack of Depraved.I'm new to the writings of Brian Smith. I'm always leary of buying books by authors I'm not familiar with and don't normally judge by reviews. Though looking for a more detailed description of the story and author I read a few, good and bad and decided to take a chance and was glad I did.For me the blood and gore was not was not really over the top in description though it was right for the story line. I was very happy with the length of it, though I did do some very quick reading out of desperation to continue to find out what was next for the characters. I found it to be quite a page turner. It was a great roller coaster ride.It is not a "politically correct" book, which was a great relief. There is sex, violence, torture, evil & foul language, though nothing surprising given the description of "Hoak" and what they all went through, had I had to endure what these characters did I'm quite sure I'd be swearing like a truck driver as well, lol.I felt each character was well rounded, each chapter was the tale of differnt characters. Some of the side characters didn't have much of a background but the pace of the story was fast enough that I didn't feel the need to know.The story did have a feel of "the hills have eyes" but ramped up. For me, what the characters went through was not over the top, it was just enough and the details were not drawn out past the point of too much and to long. It was enough for your imagination to fill in anything you feel may have been missing in print.I especially loved the end where Brian Smith didn't leave you hanging wondering what happened to the "Outsiders" that were captured. It was a great fufilling ending.I can't wait to start Depraved 2.If you think this book would interest you read it and judge for yourself.Thank you for reading my review and I look forward to leaving one once I finish Depraved 2.

After not being too thrilled with "Slowly We Rot" (3 Stars) I decided to give Bryan Smith another shot and picked up "Depraved" for .99 cents. I'm glad that I did. With 100 other reviews speaking about the plot, I don't think it makes sense to spend time describing it, just read the other reviews.I felt like the novel was very entertaining and I found myself wanting to keep turning the pages despite the clock saying it was midnight and I needed to get up for work in five hours. It's brutal, visceral, and not for the easily offended with its explicit descriptions of rape, torture, and cannibalistic murder. No one is safe in this book. Victims with the backs pushed against the wall dig deep into the darkest pits of their inhuman nature to become monsters like the evil, uncaring people that captured them in order to survive their terrible ordeals. Some rise to the occasion leaving behind a body count while others end up succumbing to the darkness they are forced to explore. This story is not some feel-good morality tale with a clear division between good and evil. This is the type of book that leaves you feeling dirty and uncomfortable.There are some parts of the plot that could have come better together. I know there is a Depraved 2 so perhaps those themes and plot points are better discussed and elaborated there but for the most part the supernatural elements of the story didn't all come quite together as I think they should have. I don't think I can go too far into it without spoilers so I'll just say that they seem a little tacked on and unnecessary when human depravity (hehe) could have sufficed. Also, the "Feast" that is often spoken about does not happen in the novel. In addition to that, one of the main characters has a moment in the story that seems ridiculously unbelievable given the narrative established within the story. It absolutely made no sense. The epilogue at the end ties up all the stories nicely except for one which seems to also not fit within the characters narrative.You'll pretty much gloss over those issues since the whole story is a whirlwind of insanity anyway.The supernatural elements of the story didn't feel like they quite came together.

I really loved this book one of my new favourite horror books. I love the way Bryan Smith uses different viewpoints in his stories. This was the first book I read by him and since then I haven't stopped reading his literature.

This is my first novel by Bryan Smith. I had read all the reviews from this site and decided to check this book out upon reading the comments written.I'll get on with the plus points. Smith has a good plot in the beginning of the book. It started off with one of the main characters, Jessica Sloan, who unfortunately experienced a traumatic horror. Deciding upon revenge, it didn't quite planned out well. The main set up is a place called Hopkins Bend, where weirdos, crazies and cannibals exist. Sloan ended up there and it's up to her to get herself out. I liked it how the author incorporated some strong and independent females in this story. Yes, they experienced unbelievable horrific stuff but they come out fighting with fists swinging. I liked that they can take care of themselves and they're not afraid to get their hands dirty. I also liked it how he included the back story of one of the family of cannibals. Usually in these stories, the viewers or readers are only shown the POV of the protagonists. But I liked it how he explored the cannibal's side, giving them a good back story and showing the readers why they are the way they are. I especially liked the suspense and trying to root for the main character's survival and safety.Now, on to the not so good points. There's too many things going on in the novel that in the end, the book lost its plot. The main theory or idea is back woods cannibals, torture, kidnapping and a bit of rated R stuff. Supernatural? Demonic possession? I don't know, but it lost me there towards the end. The book also had multiple characters that switches back and forth in chapters that it was a bit confusing to keep up with. There was just too much going on, it's hard to keep track. It wasn't as scary or creepy as I thought it would be. This book didn't give me goosebumps or make the back of my hair stand up. The horror tactic used here is more of a shock factor and grossness, not really the horror that taps within you of real fear. The R rated scenes wasn't as graphic or extreme as I originally thought of. The story was ok, the storytelling was average and overall, this book is mediocre. I would read it just to check out the ability of the author, but I wouldn't re-read this again.Not a terrible book by any means but not as scary as I hoped it would be. I'll make sure to check out other books by this author and see how they compare with this one.

Not since Richard Laymon in my teenage years has a wicked horror novel kept my attention like this. As the name suggests, the content is very DEPRAVED and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Twisted, dark and hilarious in parts. Depraved should be made into a movie in my opinion.

There are a lot of horror books out there featuring backwoods, cannibal rednecks. However, few do it as well as Bryan Smith. The book is called Depraved for gods sake, so you should have a pretty good idea what you are letting yourself in for. I love this stuff. Top draw from Bryan Smith. Enter at your own risk. 5 Stars

The synopsis tells you all that you can expect from this book. What it doesnt tell you, is that you will get emotionally attached to the characters (even the bad guys! Hardly any actually, but definitely one).I liked how the story branched off and followed each different outsider as they tried to navigate their way to safety. I couldnt wait to see what gory, unfortunate incident they happened upon next. And boy, is it gory!I don't read a lot of "extreme" horror but i do read loads of horror in general- even so, i didnt really bad an eyelid at some of the horrific scenes depicted in the text. Maybe my senses are blunted to it.The one thing that i wasnt keen on was the supernatural element, i just felt out of place. There's an explanation for it but i felt the book would have been fine without it.Overall, a thoroughly entertaining, brutal horror that will satisfy anyone's thirst for gore.