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Made A Monster: A Splatterpunk Novel

Rob Nelson

Start date: May 1, 2025

Finish date: May 31, 2025

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: This is our Group Read for May 2025.
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What Members Thought

Apr 30, 2025 Pisces51 rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2025

MADE A MONSTER: A SPLATTERPUNK NOVEL [2025] By Rob Nelson
My Review 3.5 Stars Rounded To 4.0 Stars

This debut novel by newcomer Rob Nelson was an overnight sensation. It was published April 11, 2025 (19 days ago at the time of this review). It has garnered forty-one (41) global ratings on Amazon which consist of 70% 5-Star Ratings which are literally gushing praise from every pore of the prose. An additional 24% of adoring accolades with 4-Star Ratings. One of the “wow!” reviewers compared the nov MADE A MONSTER: A SPLATTERPUNK NOVEL [2025] By Rob Nelson
My Review 3.5 Stars Rounded To 4.0 Stars

This debut novel by newcomer Rob Nelson was an overnight sensation. It was published April 11, 2025 (19 days ago at the time of this review). It has garnered forty-one (41) global ratings on Amazon which consist of 70% 5-Star Ratings which are literally gushing praise from every pore of the prose. An additional 24% of adoring accolades with 4-Star Ratings. One of the “wow!” reviewers compared the novel to Beauregard’s “Playground”. I cannot boast that I have read a number of Beauregard’s works, but I HAVE read “Playground”. There is virtually no comparison to be made. It is a master class in the genre.

It was no surprise when this nomination appeared on Splatterpunk Horror Book Club’s vote for the May Group Read. It was no surprise when it overwhelmed the competition, which included the horror classic “Succulent Prey” by horror legend WJW. There is a popular idiom which came to mind (“If it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is”). I read the novel over the last few days of April, the month it was released.

The author (Rob Nelson) is young, handsome guy who enjoys the adrenaline rush of racing cars, surfing, and playing video games. Like most of us for him horror has always been a major fascination which he compares with “spiking his adrenaline”. And, like some of us his “(dive) into the world of splatterpunk and extreme horror” has been “quite recently”. It would seem that he discovered the right venue for his creative writing “a place where (his ideas) could truly take residence”.

So, I read the book. First, it would surprise me if “Made a Monster” fulfilled the lofty expectations of the Amazon cluster of readers who have christened it as a “Splatterpunk Masterpiece” or others who have portended that it is the “Best Splatterpunk 2025”. I noted that the author made a specific point to designate the book as “Splatterpunk” (the violence must have a point) versus “Extreme Horror” (Violence IS the point. Full stop.) It is this distinction which I had the most difficulty reconciling with the storyline as written.

I was impressed by his bold strikes in creating a canvass of blood splatter that covers a comprehensive scope of real estate in the lexicon of extreme horror “tropes”. I did not notice a nod to necrophilia involving humans, but the main character’s fascination with dead things and his talent for rendering the mutilated corpses of rats into grotesque pieces of artwork in a mockery of taxidermy likely counts.

The novel was "sensational" in its relentless depiction of extreme violence, sexual deviance, and sadistic torture prior to, during, and following the sexual violence. I felt compelled to acknowledge his imagination in attempting to “knockout” as many “Triggers” as humanly possible in his first foray onto the stage filled with fans of splatterpunk/extreme horror. Vivid descriptions of frankly somewhat unbelievable parental physical and sexual abuse inflicted upon innocent children was appropriately sickening if not nauseating. The 241 pages of the book was akin to a slideshow of horrors that showed behind your eyes with no pause or opportunity to hit the stop button.

I rated him high in craftsmanship and imagination. Character development was suboptimal in my opinion, albeit not entirely absent. The teenage duo who highlighted this trip through the halls of the worst sexually sadistic torture kills in one novel I have ever read were predictable soulless. The backstory and fleshing out of the character of the boy Adrian was fairly decent, the operative word “fairly”. The depiction of the kid left a "sketch" drawn just well enough to see the shadow of the dead eyed youth in a man's body as he moved through the paces of the storyline. The Jekyll/Hyde transformation of his devoted father following the man’s physical devastation, subsequent alcohol abuse, and compounded loss in a rigged civil suit for justifiable monetary damages was offered up as adequate reason for his horrible physical abuse and sexual depravity visited on his own young boy was a reach for me. Conversely, the author impressed with his skill in describing both the atrocities and Adrian’s descent into a 17-year-old victim who looked at the world with a thousand-yard stare after he became dead inside.

Kendra, the 17-year-old teenage girl who moves to town and is drawn to Adrian's darkness is less developed and more of a cipher. Similar to Adrian her childhood innocence was stolen by her beautiful sociopathic mother. She allowed her little girl to be sexually violated and later physically abused as well as sexually. The daughter Kendra at 17 years old is similarly dead inside but this is accompanied by a fiery hatred for her mother and a passionate need to wreak havoc.

This book is a sordid non-stop trip through sharply detailed sexual sadism and torture kills. There are "call outs" to so many sexual fetishes I lost count after a while. There is in my opinion "just enough" humanization of Adrian to exempt the novel from deeming it the straight up torture porn of an unapologetic extreme horror novel. I felt empathy for “Made a Monster” Adrian, and particularly his awareness from the beginning that the girl he might have cared about was using his pain for her own sick fulfillment of the psychopathy which afflicted her. That was a nice touch by the talented new author.

Finally, this is a good “Splatterpunk Novel” for a debut book. The plotting and pacing could both stand improvement, but especially character development. I would award 3.5 Stars if this novel was the product of an established author. The rating was rounded to 4.0 Stars because it is this young guy’s first walk down the runway. The young Rob Nelson has the time and motivation to hone his craft because he shows imagination, creativity, and a definite way with words.

GOOD DEBUT NOVEL FROM NEWCOMER ROB NELSON IN THE CROWDED FIELD OF SPLATTERPUNK/EXTREME HORROR
...more

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May 18, 2025 Cherise Isabella rated it really liked it

Shelves: extreme-horror, splatterpunk

4.5 ☆ rounded down for Goodreads.

I was made a monster, and now I intend to act as one.

Sometimes, monsters are born. Other times, they're created, and in this case, we definitely see the latter. Before I could even get comfortable, this book plunged me into a world of torment and absolute carnage. The descriptions were insanely good and left very little to the imagination.

I enjoyed Adrian's and Kendra relationship. Two lost and tormented souls, both dead inside, abandoned, abused, and negle ...more

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Jul 26, 2025 Lucy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: splatter-extreme

This was repulsive, disgusting, and raunchy. I’m gonna read it again.

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May 16, 2025 Fauwxx rated it really liked it

Genre: Splatterpunk
Pages: 241
.
Movies like it: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
(1986)
.
Books like it: Dead Inside
.
Includes a ‘Blood Eagle’ 🦅 🩸
.
Holy WOW! 🤮 What a fun and depraved debut novel from Rob Nelson! Buckle up, because this one’s a rollercoaster of gore, vomit and rotting flesh. The MCs Adrian and Kendra remind me of my favorite psychopaths, Mickey and Mallory from the movie ‘Natural Born Killers.’
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Around 50% in we get a mind blowing climax- but wait, there’s more! Our MCs then continue ...more

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May 03, 2025 Alan rated it really liked it

This was the nominated book for Splatterpunk groups May read here on discord. It is a grisly debut from Rob Nelson that just about screams "full house" on an extreme horror bingo card. The violence and abuse in this one is very strong and unsettling, both of the lead characters in this one have been to hell and back. What follows is a twisted romance and a punishing revenge story. All in all well recommended and hope to see further stories from Rob Nelson in the future. ...more

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Mar 31, 2025 Sierra Waff rated it it was amazing

“Made a Monster” is a brutal and unflinching look at the making of something truly monstrous. Two teens, shaped by relentless abuse and suffering, pushed far beyond the limits, find a twisted reflection of themselves in each other.

This bloodbath of a book is raw, violent, and deeply unsettling in the best way. The character development is masterful, pulling you into a descent that feels both inevitable and horrifying. Rob Nelson doesn’t just tell a story—he drags you into the depths of it, leav ...more

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Apr 19, 2025 Mel Bee rated it really liked it

Rob, generously, provided this book as an advanced review copy. I apologize for the delay-life, ya know. But, holy flippin crap. While there are some rough areas, this story … the lives of these people … this is an amazing debut. Gory. Gross. Engaging. Well constructed. I loved this so much that I’ve already purchased the kindle book to go along with my ARC and will probably pick up a physical copy, as well.

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