I’ve got the Kindle version of 'Survival Instinct,' and it’s listed at about 270 pages. For a horror novel, that’s a sweet spot—enough room to build dread without overstaying its welcome. The story’s intensity makes it feel even shorter, though; I barely noticed the page count because I was so hooked. Perfect for a weekend binge-read.
The book 'Survival Instinct' by Matt Drabble is a horror novel that clocks in at around 266 pages in its paperback edition. I picked it up a while back because I’m a huge fan of psychological thrillers, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. The length felt just right—long enough to build tension and develop the characters, but not so lengthy that it dragged. The story follows a group of people trapped in a shopping mall during a zombie outbreak, and the pacing is tight, with each chapter pulling you deeper into the chaos.
One thing I appreciated was how the author balanced action with character development. At 266 pages, it’s a relatively quick read, but it doesn’t skimp on depth. The shorter length actually works in its favor, making it a great choice if you’re looking for something gripping but not overly time-consuming. I burned through it in a couple of sittings, and it left me craving more of Drabble’s work. If you’re into fast-paced horror with a side of human drama, this one’s worth checking out.
2026-05-04 10:44:47
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Willa Roane dies the same night she catches her boyfriend in bed with her sister.
Instead of waking in peace, she’s dragged onto a ghostly bus and informed—by a mocking intercom—that she’s entered the Survival Game: a twisted show where the dead are thrown into lethal, terrifying worlds for the cruel amusement of an unseen audience. The rule is simple: survive each round… or your soul is erased forever.
Her only ally is Corvin Thorne, the devastatingly beautiful stranger who yanked her off the road and onto the bus. A hybrid vampire–werewolf with a past soaked in blood, Corvin is bound by a wicked secret contract to keep Willa alive… or forfeit his own soul to the game.
As they descend deeper into the nightmare realms—from a monster-ruled Dracula Castle to ruined neon cities—Willa realizes she is the key. The deadly worlds are twisting around her darkest fears and fantasies, turning her own horror stories into elaborate traps. She isn’t just a player; she’s the author of the chaos. And the man sworn to protect her may be the only thing she can’t control.
Now Willa must rely on the dangerous man she’s falling for, a man who swore he would never love again. The heat between them is undeniable, but as their bond deepens, it’s impossible to tell which is more dangerous: the monsters hunting them… or the love that could destroy them both.
Love might be beautiful—but in this game, it’s never sweet.
It’s a weapon, a weakness,
and the one thing that might rewrite the rules of Hell itself: desire.
---
In October 2025, an explosion occurs at a remote lab. An unidentified substance is leaked, and the virus makes people go insane. Anyone who is bitten by these rabid creatures becomes one of them.
It's like the zombies people see in movies and video games.
On the first day of the explosion, my five-year-old, Joyce Fairfield, is still at kindergarten. I risk my life to hurry there, but I can't even find her corpse when I arrive. I can only look at the surveillance footage to see her face, which is ashen with fear. I also see her mouth, "Mommy!"
15 days after the explosion, I finally traverse the city and get to my mother's home. However, all that welcomes me is a destroyed apartment and blood everywhere.
20 days after the explosion, my husband, Emmett Fairfield, calls me one last time from his office, which zombies have surrounded. He tells me not to leave the house.
Less than a month after the apocalypse arrives, I lose all my family. I'm alone as I struggle to survive in this dead world.
The spread of the virus triggers chaos in mankind. I exchange all my supplies to save a neighboring couple from bandits, leading them to safety in a secure zone where they can live stable lives. However, my kindness is not repaid.
Three years after the explosion, the secure zone is under siege by a wave of zombies. As we retreat, my neighbors shove me underneath a car so I'll distract the zombies. Then, they make a run for it and get away.
Trusted neighbors betray me. As the zombies eat away at me, I can feel death looming. All I want is to see my family again.
Now, I've been reborn. I have six hours before the zombie apocalypse breaks out.
Book 1 - You'd better watch out. The danger is not just lurking in the dark. accompanies each of our steps. Instinct drives them.In a world full of monsters, there are those who are willing to risk their lives to save humanity from ruin. The hunters.After the trauma of her childhood, the ambitious young Grace decides that she will be one of those who hunt down the monsters and does everything she can to achieve this goal. She only wants one thing, to take revenge on the beings that her parents once snatched from her. But when Grace is forced to meet the grouchy Reese and his troubled brother Nick, she has to admit that the monsters of this world not only lurk in the dark shadows of the night. She is drawn into a vortex of intrigue, power struggles and greed for money and soon finds herself confronted with a creature that is more dangerous than anything known before.-------Book 2 - You'd better watch out. The danger is not just lurking in the dark. accompanies each of our steps. Instinct drives them.In a world full of monsters there are those who are willing to risk their lives to save humanity from perdition. The hunters.Finally, the years of hard work are paying off, Grace is officially a Venator and with Reese at her side she believes she can cope with anything that fate throws at her. But an unbelievable message from Jilin pulls the shadows from the past and stirs her thirst for revenge. Grace takes on this challenge and gets a stone rolling that cannot be stopped and slowly not only she begins to doubt her sanity.
Nyxara Vale is a living anomaly a woman with no scent whose very presence silences the primal mate bond that rules hidden werewolf society. Rhydian Blackthorne is the ultimate Alpha, a creature of absolute instinct and control, until he meets her. For the first time in his long life, the fated bond doesn't trigger. There is only a profound, unsettling silence... and an obsession born purely of his own will.
When Rhydian defies ancient law to claim her by choice, not fate, he makes them both targets. To his pack, she is a blasphemy. To the ruthless Elder Council, she is a disease to be eradicated. Trapped in a gilded cage of corporate intrigue and ancient power struggles, Nyx and Rhydian must fight not just for their lives, but for the validity of a love that was never supposed to exist.
INSTINCTLESS is a slow-burn romance with an explosive payoff, exploring whether a love that is chosen can be stronger than one that is destined. It’s a story about defying biology, burning down old worlds, and forging a new one where the greatest power isn't instinct it's choice.
The world ended but escaping him was always the harder part.
Alone in a dying world filled with abandoned villages, hidden secrets, and creatures lurking in the dark, she fights to survive while running from the man who once destroyed her life. But the deeper she goes, the more she uncovers a terrifying truth connecting her, the village she escaped, and the thing hunting her through the ruins of the world.
Some monsters are born after the apocalypse.
Others were always human.
When the Zombie Horde Came, I Built the Ultimate Shelter
Round Belly
10
1.5K
After our father died, my sister and I inherited a fortune, a luxury villa, and a tiny convenience store.
She took the money and the mansion without hesitation, leaving me with the old shop everyone looked down on.
One month later, the apocalypse began.
A zombie outbreak swept through the world overnight. The rich became trapped in their homes with no food, no power, and no way out.
My sister, once proud of her mansion and millions, ended up starving behind locked gates.
Meanwhile, I survived comfortably inside the convenience store I had rebuilt into a fortress, living off endless supplies of snacks, canned food, and soda.
When my sister collapsed on the streets begging for help, I risked my life to save her.
But greed was stronger than gratitude.
After eating my food and recovering her strength, she waited until I fell asleep… then threw me outside to be torn apart by zombies.
The moment I died, I opened my eyes again.
I had returned to the day we divided the inheritance.
This time, my sister smugly grabbed the convenience store first, convinced she had stolen the better deal.
What she didn’t know was that I had been reborn too.
And this time, I came back with a Apocalypse Survival System.
While she fought over scraps, the villa she abandoned would become the safest shelter left in the world.
The first time I picked up 'In Extremis', I was struck by how dense and immersive it felt—not just in content, but physically too. It’s one of those books that has a satisfying heft to it, like you’re holding a tangible piece of someone’s life. The hardcover edition I own runs about 320 pages, but what’s fascinating is how the pacing varies. Some sections fly by because the prose is so gripping, while others demand slower digestion. It’s not a doorstopper like 'Infinite Jest', but it’s substantial enough to sink into for a weekend.
I’ve lent my copy to a few friends, and they’ve all commented on how the length feels intentional—every page serves the story’s emotional weight. If you’re the kind of reader who loves memoirs that blur the line between confession and poetry, you’ll appreciate how 'In Extremis' uses its length to build intimacy rather than overwhelm. By the end, I wished it was longer, which is the best compliment I can give any book.