Mind on Fire Books

With a slight feeling of guilt, I just finished reading Yellow by Aaron Beauregard. This is the second book I’ve read by him, and while I should have expected the sheer brutality, I still wasn’t prepared. That feeling of guilt lingers—not just for finishing another novel drenched in horror, but because Yellow pulls off something particularly unnerving. It makes you root for a man who does terrible things.

I score Yellow by Aaron Beauregard a 4.5 out of 5 coffee mugs ☕☕☕☕

Quick Synopsis

Beauregard’s Yellow is a gut-wrenching splatterpunk horror novel that doubles as a revenge thriller. Oliver Fitch, a meek convenience store owner, exists in a city where lawlessness reigns, his every dollar siphoned away under the threat of violence. The criminals who haunt his store aren’t just nuisances—they are sinister gutter scum, the lowest form of predators who torment him simply because they can. Even Lydia, Oliver’s wife, despises his inability to stand up for himself, resenting his spineless existence. The novel establishes Oliver as the ultimate victim, but we know that can’t last. When violence finally erupts, it does so with horrific intensity. Yellow asks a single harrowing question: What happens when fear turns into hate?

This review will examine the home invasion scene—the moment that shatters Oliver’s world—and his subsequent transformation into a ruthless executioner. Along the way, we’ll get into the moral complexity of Yellow: why readers (myself included) find themselves rooting for Oliver, despite his appalling actions, and how the novel challenges our ethical boundaries at every turn.

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The Home Invasion: Horror Unleashed

Every revenge story needs a breaking point, and in Yellow it comes in the form of a nightmarish home invasion—arguably the novel’s most talked-about scene. Beauregard wastes no time setting up the moment, making it clear that Oliver’s absence of bravado has invited the worst kind of predators into his home. When two local thugs finally strike, what follows is pure savagery.

Readers on horror forums and Reddit have described the attack as one of the most gruesome sequences in modern splatterpunk, with one fan stating: “The absence of bravado opens the door to a horrific home invasion that leaves the miserable pair savagely maimed. From there, things only get worse until the criminal leeches have taken everything.” – Goodreads review of Yellow

The brutality here is total. Oliver and Lydia are subjected to acts so vile they border on the taboo, and Lydia in particular suffers injuries and degradation that make this scene deeply disturbing. Beauregard’s descriptions don’t flinch, ensuring readers feel every blow, every violation. As one Reddit user put it: “Beauregard’s descriptiveness had me feeling like I had a front-row seat to the nightmare. It was almost too much.” – Reddit discussion

Indeed, I found myself physically recoiling while reading certain passages. The monsters who invade Oliver’s home don’t merely hurt him; they strip him of his dignity, leaving behind only a hollowed-out husk of a man. And that’s the point—this scene doesn’t just set up Oliver’s physical transformation, it breaks his soul.

Even worse, Yellow doesn’t offer relief after the invasion. The novel forces Oliver to live with the trauma, and in Lydia’s case, that trauma proves unbearable. She ultimately takes her own life, a revelation that turns the entire event into something even more tragic. A reviewer summarized this bleak reality succinctly: “Pushed to the edge by the violence and corruption surrounding him, Oliver undergoes a radical transformation. He taps into his inner rage, fueled by the injustices he and Lydia have suffered.” – Summary and analysis

Lydia’s death completes the process of annihilation. Oliver has lost his home, his wife, and his humanity. From here, the novel transforms into something far darker. The revenge narrative begins, and Oliver is no longer the helpless store owner—he is something else entirely.

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Oliver’s Transformation: From Coward to Killer

If the home invasion is the tragedy, Oliver’s transformation is the dark triumph that follows. After hitting rock bottom, Oliver mutates into something cold, calculating, and deadly. His old, fearful self is dead, replaced by pure vengeance.

Beauregard marks this turning point clearly:

“Until a switch finally flips and Oliver realizes that they all have to die.” – Yellow

It’s a chilling line, because it signals complete surrender to rage. Oliver isn’t fighting for justice—he’s fighting because there’s nothing left inside but hate.

What follows is a blood-soaked campaign of revenge, executed with a level of brutality that shocks even horror veterans. Oliver systematically hunts down the street punks, corrupt cops, and crime lord who tormented him, turning each execution into a grotesque spectacle. His transformation is so severe that even readers who normally recoil from violence can’t help but cheer for him. One fan admitted: “It was great watching Oliver take on every person that ever did him wrong.” – Reader reaction

Another review put it bluntly:

“If you want to be disturbed while secretly loving it, check it out.” – Reddit discussion

That’s the paradox of Yellow. You will root for Oliver—even as he crosses every moral line imaginable. Because the world that brutalized him deserves his wrath.

His revenge is creative, punishing, and deeply unsettling. Several sequences go far beyond what a typical revenge thriller would allow. Oliver doesn’t just kill his enemies—he inflicts pain, ensuring they experience the same depths of suffering he did. His methods are disturbing enough that even horror fans had to put the book down for a breather. One reader stated: “The author paints an impeccable picture of death, gore, brutality, and then some. Some scenes were so disturbing, I actually had to stop reading for a minute.” – Horror review

But here’s the key twist: you don’t want him to stop. Every violent act feels earned, and Beauregard’s writing is so sharp that even the gore feels like justice. It’s deeply disturbing to admit, but you will cheer for Oliver—even though he is absolutely a monster by the end.

Final Thoughts: The Guilty Thrill of Revenge

Yellow is an emotional rollercoaster, one designed to drag the reader into the mud and keep them there. It elicits every emotion—shock, empathy, fury, and even satisfaction. I caught myself grinning when Oliver got his first kill, a reaction that made me feel almost as guilty as I did finishing the book. Beauregard knows exactly what he’s doing, and Yellow is engineered to make readers feel complicit in Oliver’s descent.

One reviewer captured this sentiment perfectly:

“Many readers enjoyed rooting for Oliver as an underdog, despite his violent actions.” – Horror analysis

That’s what makes Yellow more than just another splatterpunk novel—it’s psychologically provocative, forcing us to question our own morality. When does vengeance turn into sadism? When do we stop sympathizing with Oliver and start fearing him? It’s uncomfortable, but it makes Yellow a damn compelling read.

In conclusion, Yellow is not for the faint of heart. It is grotesque, nihilistic, and emotionally exhausting. But if you have the stomach for it, it’s one of the most gripping revenge stories in horror fiction. It’s disturbing yet addictive, forcing readers to embrace their darkest instincts. And when you turn that final page, one thought will linger:

You rooted for him. And you shouldn’t have.

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Thank you for visiting with us. For more Reviews or Literature related content, visit our blog at The Ritual. Copyright Mind on Fire Books.

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