The Body

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The Body is a pulse-pounding supernatural horror story from bestselling author Bethany C. Morrow, where one woman must survive a series of bizarre and escalating attacks on her marriage.

Mavis broke from her parents’ congregation years ago, but she still hasn’t recovered. Their impossible expectations and soul-shredding critiques have dug deep into her mind, and she’s taunted by the knowledge that even when she’s done nothing wrong, she’ll never be right.

Now Mavis is afraid she’s about to lose the only thing she has: her husband, Jerrod. The man she’s always known was too good to be true. No one thinks she deserves him—not even after surviving the serial cheater they wanted her to stick by—and soon they’ll all find out they were right.

Mavis is already unraveling when a brush with death shows her what real fear looks like. Soon, she’s under constant attack from all directions. As the assaults turn increasingly vicious and bizarre, Mavis realizes that Hell isn’t reserved for the afterlife.

And sinner or not, no one is coming to save her.

Reviews

"Bethany C. Morrow's The Body is a supernatural thriller about religion, marriage, and the consequences of the oaths we break. This was a gripping and haunting story that had me turning each page with one-eye shut!"

—P. Djéli Clark, Nebula Award winning author of Ring Shout

"A shocking work of anxious mayhem that fans of Weapons should adore. Each time you think you're safe, Morrow sits you up straight and drags you to the edge of your seat. The Body marries religious and domestic horror beautifully, wearing a bridal veil of trauma as cuts and carnage."

—Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Game in Yellow

"Bethany C. Morrow's The Body is a holy war of outright horror, pulsing with an adrenalized anxiety that's palpable from page one. The dread just doesn't stop. That's not just a promise — it's a downright vow."

—Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

“The Body is a novel filled to the brim with dark secrets and harsh revelations. Morrow proves she is a master of character as she imbues each one with duality and depth. Muddying the waters between the unholy and the divine, The Body asks readers to embark on a journey that is no ordinary crisis of faith.”

—Erin E. Adams, author of Jackal and One of You

“Hellish, sinister, and utterly unputdownable. The Body is a dark and often horrifying meditation on marriage, trauma, and faith, and the intersections between them. I thoroughly recommend it.”

—Alexis Henderson, author of An Academy for Liars and The Year of the Witching

“Enough creative violence to please horror fans...and appeal to those interested in cult stories.”

—Booklist

About the Author

Bethany C. Morrow is a national bestselling author. Her young adult novels include A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and the Little Women remix, So Many Beginnings, and she is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology Take The Mic, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award. Her adult novels include Mem, Cherish Farrah, and The Body. Her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA Today's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.