⭐⭐⭐⭐
I just finished Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman, and I’ve got to say—it’s one hell of a ride. I’m giving it a solid 4 out of 5 stars, mostly because while I really enjoyed it, it definitely pushed me further into the extreme horror territory than I usually like to wander. Chapman doesn’t hold back, and there were moments where I had to put the book down for a breather, just to gather myself. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—it means the writing does exactly what it sets out to do—but if you’re used to more suggestive or atmospheric horror, this one goes all in on the grotesque and the relentless.
What struck me most, though, is how the novel has this sprawling, apocalyptic undercurrent that actually reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s The Stand. Not in terms of direct plot or characters, but more in the way it builds this sense of society unravelling, people being pushed to the limits of what they can endure, and the almost biblical scale of horror running through the narrative. It’s got that sense of doom spreading, of something larger and darker than any one character could possibly handle, and that comparison stuck with me all the way through.
What makes it hit even harder, though, is how real it all feels in today’s climate. Chapman is tapping into fears that don’t feel all that far-fetched anymore—plagues, paranoia, systems crumbling, people turning on one another when pushed to the edge. Considering recent events in the world, the horrors in this book don’t feel like distant fiction; they feel like a twisted extension of the headlines. That’s part of what unsettled me most—not just the blood and the body horror, but the sense that this isn’t as impossible as we’d like to believe.
Chapman’s prose is sharp—he’s got this knack for digging under the skin, both literally and metaphorically, and he knows exactly how to twist the knife once he’s there. The imagery is visceral, sometimes uncomfortably so, but it’s written with such conviction that you can’t help but keep reading. Even when I thought, This is too much for me, I found myself pulled right back in. That’s the mark of a writer who knows what they’re doing.
If I had to pick at anything, it’s that the extremity can sometimes overshadow the quieter, more human parts of the story. There are flashes of real emotional depth, but they occasionally get drowned out by the sheer scale of the horror. I think if it had given those moments a bit more breathing room, I’d be looking at a 5-star read.
Overall, though, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is brutal, ambitious, and absolutely not for the faint of heart. If you’re into horror that tests your limits, makes you squirm, and feels uncomfortably close to reality, it’ll be right up your street. For me, it’s a book I’m glad I read—one that stretched me as a horror reader and gave me those The Stand vibes I wasn’t expecting—but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it any time soon. Sometimes, once through the nightmare is enough.
Gareth Ellis - Author 