Three low-income families have been given a handsome retainer to join Geraldine Borden for a day at her cliffside estate. All the parents must do to collect the rest of their money is allow their children to test out the revolutionary playground equipment Geraldine has been working on for decades. But there’s a reason the structures in the bowels of her gothic castle have taken so long to develop—they were never meant to see the light of day. ONCE IN A LIFETIMEThree low-income families have been given a handsome retainer to join Geraldine Borden for a day at her cliffside estate. All the parents must do to collect the rest of their money is allow their children to test out the revolutionary playground equipment Geraldine has been working on for decades. But there’s a reason the structures in the bowels of her gothic castle have taken so long to develop–they were never meant to see the light of day.When a band of dysfunctional children is suddenly thrust into a diabolical realm of violence, they must grow up instantly to have a chance at survival. Will they find a way to put their differences aside, or be swallowed up by the insidious architecture all around them? and “With Playground, Aron Beauregard transcends himself, delivering a genuinely chilling, uncomfortable novel that will make even the most jaded horror fan squirm. A harrowing, relentless read that left me breathless. and “- Brian KeeneThis volume contains 15 interior illustrations.WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised. Playground by Aron Beauregard – eBook Details

With Playground, Aron Beauregard transcends himself, delivering a genuinely chilling, uncomfortable novel that will make even the most jaded horror fan squirm. A harrowing, relentless read that left me breathless." (Brian Keene) I did, and it became one of my top 5 movies ever. The concept, while simple, was utterly brilliant and superbly executed. Beauregard, ever the prolific writer, has released yet another intriguing piece of devastation. As a member of the aforementioned “extreme-light” clique, though, I have yet to read any of his works. They’re fantastic in theory, but severe horror has never held any interest for me. This work was nominated for Best work at this year’s Splatterpunk Awards, and as I strive to support as many authors as I can, I decided it was a good choice. The characters are well fleshed out, the story makes sense, but deep inside all the gore there is a commentary about parenthood and the ills of the world we live in. Psychologically speaking, this is a study in all that can be done incorrectly to a child. Why you should buy this: If you’re a fan of Aron’s you probably have already snagged this and most likely have read it. If you’re new to extreme horror and want to see what it’s all about, this is an excellent place to dive in and discover how these novels will contain really well done plots with fantastic writing and some of the most horrific gore-filled scenes you’ll ever read.What I didn’t like: You’ll need to go into this fully allowing yourself to just believe. Sure the scope/scale of these indoor rooms is insane. And so are the elaborate punishment devices that have been booby-trapped within each one to decimate the participants, but that’s part of the joy of reading something to just read and have fun. If you struggle to suspend belief for any amount of time, you’ll most likely want to stay clear of this one. Of course there is also the bloody, disgusting gore and putridness. Yes, there are descriptions of smells that will possibly engage that gag reflex. Playground is a very terrifying and uncomfortable thriller that will make even the most hardened horror fan tremble, according to one critic. It was a relentless nightmare of a book that left me gasping for oxygen. The children have been chosen for a reason. Geraldine feels that the parents are undeserving of the lives they are living and the children they have. Somewhat broken families, the daily life struggles of parenthood, and the product the children are becoming because of those parental choices.

What I liked: I mean, the cover should give you some solid indication what you’re in for. If you require ANY sort of Trigger Warnings, you way want to stay away from this one. If you, however, enjoy the brand of brutality Beauregard delivers, this one will make you smile from ear to ear. With Playground, Aron Beauregard transcends himself, delivering a genuinely chilling, uncomfortable novel that will make even the most jaded horror fan squirm. A harrowing, relentless read that left me breathless." You will see some parallels with that movie when you read this one, but it is hard to imagine how far the author went with this one. If this was made into a movie, it would never see the light of day. It is SAW on steroids to the AAHHHHH degree.The narrator hired for the novel was honestly the highlight. Likewise the children in the book are written pretty accurately to their ages. I think those two things are about all the positive things I can say about it though.

Before wrapping up I do need to touch base on Lila Kerry. Her narration is impeccable. She blasted onto my radar with the double whammy narration of The Slob and Son Of Slob and let me tell you, she doesn’t disappoint! You could hear all of the prep she put into this role. I was impressed throughout with her portrayal of the young boys, a make or break thing that she passed with flying colors. I believe I read that she trained on that especially. Fear has a purpose- it comes from our ancestors and reminders us to live carefully in uncertain times I think the ending worked really well and followed how the reader sees the events played out. Beauregard does a great job of showcasing the hurt that was created with Geraldine’s actions as well as how this directly impacted the various characters in the novel. The writing is great too. Everything, even the things you don't want, is described in such detail that you feel like you're in the room with the characters. The character's actions also feel consistent with how they're depicted too. The ending also feels appropriate for how the story led up to it.splatterpunk is a genre with potential. unfortunately, there was no compelling story underneath the salacious gore of playground. the gore was decently written, but everything else was subpar. The conclusion fit in well with my interpretation of the story and was satisfying overall. Beauregard effectively depicts the pain that Geraldine’s acts caused and how it affected the novel’s many characters. Amidst the chaos and carnage, the children face unimaginable challenges and must confront their own fears and differences. Some struggle to put their selfishness aside and work together for the greater good, while others succumb to their darkest instincts. As they navigate the treacherous architecture of the playground, the children are forced to make difficult choices that will determine their fate. Wow, this book is a game changer for Aron Beauregard. I feel like it’s equally as important as his seminal release The Slob, if not a tad bit more so simply for the fact that it has had more “mainstream” success and appeal.