This was a fantastic thriller. Twists, suspense, tension. The mystery was riveting. I . Right away, I was hooked with how odd this situation was, and things only increased, which had me on the edge of my seat.

This could have been a good Novella but the stretch to make it almost 300 pages left too much time with unlikable characters

Gabriel Matthews has lived his life with a curse draped over his shoulders like a shadow—an unshakable, bone-deep awareness of death. He sees it in the form of the Grim Reaper, a silent, ever-present specter that materializes when the end is near. It doesn’t speak. It doesn’t warn. It only waits. Watching.

From the very first page, Grim plunges you into a world where death is not a distant inevitability but an ever-persistent force breathing down your neck. The air crackles with tension, thick with the kind of dread that makes your skin crawl. Gabriel’s gift—or perhaps his curse—isn’t just unsettling; it’s suffocating. Imagine walking through life knowing that at any moment, a faceless entity could appear, whispering the unspoken promise of mortality.

And then, the unthinkable happens.

When tragedy strikes, the Reaper finally steps forward, breaking its eternal silence with an offer as chilling as the grave itself. What would you do if death gave you a choice? One that could rewrite fate—but at a price that gnaws at your very soul? Gabriel is thrust into a harrowing game, a relentless descent into darkness where every decision drags him closer to something far worse than death. Right and wrong blur together, morality twisting in the shadows of an unimaginable nightmare.

David Cinnella crafts a world so atmospheric it seeps into your bones. The writing pulses with eerie beauty, every page laced with the kind of tension that keeps you holding your breath. The Reaper isn’t just a looming figure; it’s a presence, a force you can feel creeping through the cracks of the story, lingering just beyond the veil. And as Gabriel is pulled deeper into its sinister grasp, you can’t help but wonder: how much of yourself would you sacrifice to escape the inevitable?

Dark, haunting, and utterly unshakable, Grim is the kind of horror that doesn’t just scare you—it lingers, curling around your thoughts long after you turn the last page. If you love stories that toe the line between psychological terror and supernatural horror, this book is an absolute must-read.

Thank you to Book Whisperer for this advance copy via NetGalley for an honest, voluntary review.

#Grim #NetGalley #GrimBookReview #DavidCinnella #HorrorReads #ThrillerBooks #GrimReaper #ChapterAndCharm

Real Rating: 3.5* of five

A very interesting, well-told thought experiment for anyone who ever wanted with every atom of their being to have someone back. It goes down better as a teen, but I suspect each of us could easily conjure someone we'd take Death's deal to keep.

The horror elements here are of the unscary-to-me supernatural kind. The ethical and moral questions posed are far more interesting than any frisson a horror fan might be missing. The author's prose is more than up to the job he needs it to do. I'm not eager for more because it's a change rung on the theme; but a decent one.

The Kindle edition's out Tuesday the 26th; it's $5.99.

The main character, Gabriel, finds himself making a deal with the Grim Reaper. This book leaves you asking how much is too much for a loved one's health. I really enjoyed this book. I found myself needing to take breaks from it, as some parts were intense. I could see this being a movie. I could feel the sceneries, the tension, the fear, etc. At the end, I found that I couldn't feel bad for the main character, Gabriel, and wondering what I would do in the same situation.

A teenaged boy makes a terrible bargain with the Grim Reaper in what may be the darkest, saddest, cruelist book I have read in years.

Gabriel is a sweet young boy when his father dies of cancer. He inexplicably develops the ability to see Death and watch other people pass over to the (undefined) next world. Years later, when his beloved mother falls ill from the same disease, he makes a deal to save her, and it destroys his own life.

I don't understand why this book was written and I can't imagine an appropriate audience for it.
Terrible things happen to good and bad people but there is no redemptive value to any of it. It is all just sad and ugly and random. Gabriel is a talented artist whose life consists of loss. He is bullied at school and appears to have no friends or hobbies besides drawing horror comics. His mother, Irene, is a loving wife and mother as well as a dedicated nurse, but she also seems to have very little luck. His stepfather, Robert is a good man, who makes one senselessly bad decision.

While not badly written, Grim is histrionic in the style of too many overwraught YA novels, yet I would NEVER encourage any adolescent to read something so nihilistic. I truly wish I had never read it as the story will haunt me but not in the good way of something by Stephen King or Shirley Jackson. Grim has left me feeling depressed and I would worry about any impressionable reader.

I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for givng me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is about the grim reaper so it should be no surprise there are deaths. What I was not prepared for is the very bleak tone and ending. It’s horror, so of course there are not always happy endings but fair warning this one leaves you in the bad feelings club for sure.

Themes of trauma, cancer, cutting but a fun take on the grim reaper lore!

Grim is a story that explores themes of grief, morality, and ultimately asks the question "What would you do to save someone you love?" The reader has the opportunity to watch the main character, Gabriel Matthews, grow from a young child to a teen and explores how tragedy and loss shape Gabriel's life. We see Gabriel constantly drawing lines in the sand and then immediately crossing them as he is faced with choices no one should have to make.

The Grim Reaper is a bleak, forbodding presence throughout the story. The way the relationship between Gabriel and the Reaper evolves from the beginning of the story is intriguing to watch and I found myself eager for these characters to interact. The characters and the way they responded to the situations felt fairly realistic and the epilogue made my stomach sink.

This is a dark, gritty story that had me rooting for Gabriel even as the story gets darker and darker. I think any readers who have had family members impacted by chronic or terminal illness will be particularly moved by Gabriel's struggles throughout this story, and if you enjoy thrillers I think you'll find this an enjoyable read.

I absolutely loved this book. I was lucky enough to read the Advanced Reader Copy and I can't wait to hold the physical book in my hands. This book is at the top of my favorites and will be hard to unseat.

3.5 rounded up
I really liked the characters in this book. The story was an interesting one but a bit predictable. Well written. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Grim by David Cinella is a thriller/fiction/supernatural novel focused on Gabriel Matthews, a teen whose best friend is the Reaper. When his mother is diagnosed with cancer, Gabriel makes a reckless deal with the Reaper in order to save her - but the consequences of the deal are more than he ever anticipated.
I greatly appreciated the characterisation of Gabriel, a teenager who always tries to escape the rules and rebel, but eventually becomes inescapably snared by them.
Grim holds a sombre message that sometimes we have to simply accept that things are not in our control, and that we should not try to change the unchangeable. Additionally, it presents a heartful representation of how grief can ultimately lead to complete self destruction and the destruction of others around oneself.
This novel kept me on edge, and I had a seriously difficult time putting it down. From the ‘adventures’ Gabriel embarks on, to the internal conflict he faces, to the characterisation of the Reaper itself - I was hooked. Cinella has a masterful way of painting images in the mind of the reader; I was able to fully visualise everything. The gloomy atmosphere of Grim was also done exceptionally well. Especially nearing the end, I truly felt as suffocated, cornered, and desperate as Gabriel. This story is a tragedy, and the ending hurt me so badly, but it was well executed.
Nearing the end, while I did anticipate the biggest plot twist, there were several smaller ones that caught me off guard and made me gasp in surprise! Truly, nothing is as it seems….
And after completing this novel, I would rate it a solid 4/5 stars, and I encourage anyone who likes thrillers and supernatural stories to give it a read.

Grim by David Cinnella, At seven Gabriel lost his father, but it was also the first time he saw the dark shadow. The next time he sees it it was while at his mother‘s work and he asked “who he was?” Gabriel is a lonely little boy who is bullied at school and so looks to the Grim Reaper as someone to talk to despite Grim, cannot talk back. years later, Gabriel is in high school and still being bullied by the same bully. His mom is remarried to ROBERT and he is doing his best to get on with life. One day after school, his mom tells him devastating news which sends Gabriel reeling and desperate to change it. this is when he calls on Grim and makes a deal that will change his life in increasingly devastating ways. This was a really really good book. I absolutely enjoyed it. I do wish Grim could’ve talked but I totally understand why he didn’t. I do want to say they have a part in the book where it says Father Joseph had a look on his face as if he realized everything he ever believed in wasn’t true, but I didn’t get that because for one thing he was a Catholic priest, they believe in purgatory and the afterlife, and everything that happened to him only prove what he believe. I mean, not everybody’s met with angels and trumpets… Or at least I don’t think they are. either way this is an awesome book although I wouldn’t put it under horror. It still was an awesome awesome read! this is a book. I definitely recommend. #NetGalley, #TheBookWhisperer, #TheBlindReviewer, #DavidCinnella, #Grim,

This is a macabre and sad story reflecting on human loneliness and grief, a slow-burn suspense with a gradual descendence into darkness.

Ever since his father's death at a young age, Gabriel can see the Grim Reaper. Gabe is bullied often and finds solace in drawing, as a lonely teen he befriends the Grim and calls on him to blow off steam. After some devastating news, the Grim offers him a deal, one hundred souls in return for a life extension. Gabe grapples with the morality of the decision, but eventually desperation wins, and he tries to figure out how best to meet his end of the bargain. Along the way he begins to lose himself, but gains some extraordinary abilities.

This was an interesting take on Reaper lore, and raises questions on how far people would be willing to go to save their loved ones. Although not massively descriptive or gory, the writing focuses more on the emotions and gradual changes that occur as a consequence of the Reaper's deal.

With thanks to Netgalley, Book Whisperer, and the author for access to this eARC.

3.75 stars, rounded up to 4. This was a unique take on the world of grief and reaping. I loved the evolution of Gabe’s relationship with the reaper throughout his life. I also loved witnessing his evolution with loss and grief throughout his short life span, as well as seeing the different aspects of grief in various other stages of life with the other characters and their losses they were going through. I only subtracted stars for typical first novel reasons: editing issues and my desire for the story to be better fleshed out so to speak.

this was quite creepy! the writing style definitely made me feel engaged to the story. while it wasn’t my favourite horror book, i still recommend picking this up, especially if you’re new to the horror genre! my issue was with character development, i didn’t manage to connect with them hence it’s not five stars. i still enjoyed my time with it though.

First ARC of 2025 (thanks)!
What we’re working with: A teenage boy is offered a horrific deal by the Grim Reaper.
Great, we love spooky.

Although the premise is sound, I just couldn’t get into David Cinnella’s writing style in Grim. The writing felt cold and removed and leaned heavily on the exposition, and when dialogue did finally occur it seemed mundane and like it didn’t add much to emotional impact or character development. The effect is a straightforward story that wasn’t as chilling as I believe it hoped to be, or emotionally compelling, or even a lush exercise in writing flourishes… because let’s be honest I’m always game for poetics even if the plot is lacking, however this one just fell flat for me.

2/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

Young Gabriel is a lonely boy, a very lonely boy. His father is slowly dying from cancer and his mother, a nurse, is wrapped up in being a caregiver and doing her intense hospital work. And then when Gabriel’s father dies the Grim Reaper comes to collect him, and Gabriel is the only one who can actually see him. Imagine being so alone that you can see Death! So sad! Eventually Gabriel must make a deal with Grim to protect his mother and the deal has devastating consequences. It’s very intense how it plays out as such extreme loneliness is surely death.

Fascinating idea. As a child, Gabe encounters the Grim Reaper. It's not after him, but it seems attracted to the boy perhaps because Gabe can see him and see what the Reaper does. As Gabe grows, he learns how to contact the Reaper. One day he makes a deal in order to save his mother.
I enjoyed the book however the story goes off the rails a few times. Despite this, I think its worth the read. Thank you, NetGalley and David Cinnella for the arc.

I wouldn’t classify this as a horror book, but a dark suspense, yes. I loved this. I thought the concept was interesting and it kept me engaged. It wasn’t something that I have heard of or read previously. It was completely unique. It was a lot heavier than I expected since it dabbled in the morality of consequences of actions. I think there could have been some room for improvement including creating some more elements of fear or horror if wanting to classify this as a horror book. In general, I really, really enjoyed this one. This book comes out February 26, 2025.

Thank you to David Cinnella, Book Whisperer, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book for a honest review.