ALL THE DEAD LIE DOWN By Kyrie McCauley

May 15, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ALL THE DEAD LIE DOWN By Kyrie McCauleyAll the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 5/16/23
Genres: Gothic, Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 363
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Days after a tragedy leaves Marin Blythe alone in the world, she receives a surprising invitation from Alice Lovelace—an acclaimed horror writer and childhood friend of Marin’s mother. Alice offers her a nanny position at Lovelace House, the family’s coastal Maine estate.

Marin accepts and soon finds herself minding Alice’s peculiar girls. Thea buries her dolls one by one, hosting a series of funerals, while Wren does everything in her power to drive Marin away. Then Alice’s eldest daughter returns home unexpectedly. Evie Hallowell is every bit as strange as her younger sisters, and yet Marin is quickly drawn in by Evie’s compelling behavior and ethereal grace.

But as Marin settles in, she can’t escape the anxiety that follows her like a shadow. Dead birds appear in Marin’s room. The children’s pranks escalate. Something dangerous lurks in the woods, leaving mutilated animals in its wake. All is not well at Lovelace House, and Marin must unravel its secrets before they consume her.

Short and Sweet Review

After the passing of her mother, Marin is now alone in the world. When Marin gets a surprise invitation from Alice Lovelace, an old friend of her mother’s to come and nanny for her over the summer she accepts. Thea and Wren are a bit strange, Thea likes to bury her dolls and hold funerals for them and Wren just goes out of her way to try to make Marin leave. Evie the girls older sister comes back unexpectedly and that when things really start to get weird at Lovelace house. Marin has to figure out what’s going on before she’s taken down too.

The atmosphere in All the Dead Lie Down is what really makes the book amazing. Marin needs to be at Lovelace house because she doesn’t really have any where else to go. Alice Lovelace is an author and she shuts herself in a room most of the time, so Marin mainly interacts with Thea and Wren. The girls play some practical jokes on Marin, but she has nowhere else to go so she tries to brush it off and try to get the girls to accept her as their nanny. When Evie the oldest sister comes back home, Marin starts to see strange creatures in the woods that leave other animals mutilated. Marin ends up having to tutor Evie and there’s some romance there but I wasn’t really feeling it mainly because they tended to have their romantic moments during times when a lot was going on around them. It was interesting to learn the secrets that the girls were hiding and the final thing we learned really made my jaw drop.

All the Dead Lie Down, is a captivating book and I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and learning about the girls and the history of Lovelace. Marin is a lot braver than me because I would have been out of there! If you want a chilling book that’s full of surprises to read this summer than this is the book for you!

Filed Under: Reviews

SHE IS A HAUNTING By Trang Thanh Tran

April 24, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SHE IS A HAUNTING By Trang Thanh TranShe Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Published by Bloomsbury YA on 2/28/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 344
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She's always lied to fit in, so if she's straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.

But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don't belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can't ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves cryptic warnings: Don't eat.

Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house--the home they have always wanted--will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house's rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.

Short and Sweet Review

Jade Nguyễn arrives in Vietnam with her sister Lily, to spend five weeks with her estranged father and help him set up a website for the B&B he’s opening in exchange for tuition money. When Jade first arrives at the house she knows something isn’t right but neither Lily or her father acknowledge that anything seems off. Jade wakes up each night paralyzed and sees the ghost of a bride who gives her warnings. The house won’t stop until it gets what it wants but Jade is determined to stop it and keep her family together.

It’s always the synopsis that draws me in, and who wouldn’t like a story about a monster house? My problem with this book is our main character Jade. She just comes off as a brat, I get that her father wasn’t there but she’s not so great to her mom either. For someone who came to Vietnam for some money she’s not entirely grateful and the way she goes about treating her dad is awful. Anyway Jade bounces between caring about her sexuality for a few chapters, then her not really knowing Vietnamese and not feeling Vietnamese enough, to going back to caring about the house. Jade meets a girl named Florence who is also helping with the website design and they have feelings for each other, these wasn’t a romance I liked mainly because Jade didn’t know what she wanted so it was almost like she was toying with Florence’s feelings. Florence also tries to help Jade figure out what’s going on in the house. The whole house thing is weird because there’s also ghost who are involved but it’s like the house is its own entity. I don’t think the book came off as creepy or chilling, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I found myself annoyed more often than not at Jade and the things she did.

This book just wasn’t good. I was bored and there were a lot of elements that the author tried to tackle and just fell short. If this book picked a lane and stayed there I’m sure it would have been better than what I actually read.

Filed Under: Reviews

FOUR FOUND DEAD By Natalie D. Richards

April 10, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FOUR FOUND DEAD By Natalie D. RichardsFour Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on 5/2/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 282
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Tonight, Riverview Theaters is closing forever, the last remaining business in a defunct shopping mall. The moviegoers have left, and Jo and her six coworkers have the final shift, a shift that quickly takes a dark turn.

First a stranger arrives with a chilling accusation. Then the power goes out and their manager disappears, along with the keys to the lobby doors and the theater safe, where the crew's phones are locked each shift. The crew's tension turns to terror when Jo discovers the dead body of one of her co-workers.

Now their only chance to escape the murderer in their midst is through the dark, shuttered mall. With its boarded-up exits and disabled fire alarms, the complex is filled with hiding places for both pursuer and pursued. In order to survive this night, Jo and her friends must trust one another, navigate the sprawling ruins of the mall, and outwit a killer before he kills them all.

Short and Sweet Review

The Riverview Theaters is closing forever, it’s the last business that is open in a now closed shopping mall. All of the customers are gone and now it’s time for Jo and her six coworkers to clean and lock everything up. Their manager is the only one with the keys but once the lights go out he’s nowhere to be found and one of Jo’s coworkers is found dead. Now Jo and the rest of her coworkers need to find a way out and the only way is through a mall that is getting ready to be demolished.

The premise of this book is what got my attention, but I think the execution fell short. Everyone is locked in this mall and they know the only way to survive is to leave the theater and go into the mall. I thought there’d be more of a mystery as to who was trying to kill the group but the killer is revealed at the beginning. The motive for why this person was chasing the group down wasn’t revealed until the last couple of chapters. Jo our main character wants to be a doctor so we see her trying to help those who end up getting injured, she also has ptsd from an incident that happened when she was younger which is why she froze when she saw the killer’s gun. I like the idea of running through an abandoned mall and its dark and you have to find your way out but this was just overkill, the killer was just deranged and the reasoning was not all there. I didn’t remember most of the characters I thought there were too many and I was really waiting for the death toll to get up to four. I think the best part of this book was the little snippets of news articles and emails from people close to the victims. I think the book could have been better if we didn’t know who the suspect was so early on or maybe someone snuck in and did it.

Four Found Dead, had an interesting synopsis that draws you in, but the execution of the book just falls short. I thought I’d be a fan of this book but it just didn’t happen.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE LAKE HOUSE By Sarah Beth Durst

April 7, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE LAKE HOUSE By Sarah Beth DurstThe Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst
Published by HarperTeen on 4/25/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Claire’s grown up triple-checking locks. Counting her steps. Second-guessing every decision. It’s just how she’s wired—her worst-case scenarios never actually come true.

Until she arrives at an off-the-grid summer camp to find a blackened, burned husk instead of a lodge—and no survivors, except her and two other late arrivals: Reyva and Mariana.

When the three girls find a dead body in the woods, they realize none of this is an accident. Someone, something, is hunting them. Something that hides in the shadows.

Something that refuses to let them leave.

Short and Sweet Review

Claire has a lot of fears and to deal with them she’ll go through a checklist in her head. Claire is sure her worst case scenario won’t come true but she’ll be ready in case it does. When Claire and two other girls, Mariana and Reyva arrive to the summer camp they’re supposed to be staying at and see the lake house burned to the ground and find the director dead, they know they’re in trouble. The girls are stuck on this island, where they have no contact with the outside world, a killer running loose, and even some mysterious force that doesn’t want them to leave.

The Lake House is a survival, horror, mystery and I’m glad that the way the book was described is actually what the book was like. Claire, Reyva, and Mariana are the last campers to arrive and what they end up seeing is not what they expect. The girls have no choice but to figure out how to survive on the island especially because they don’t know when or even if help is coming. All the girls know for sure is that there’s a murderer on the island and they have to stay vigilante. The first half of the book is mainly survival and trying to avoid who they think is the murderer and trying to get off the island. The second half deals with the same thing except now we have the supernatural element involved and the girls were trying to avoid the consequences of getting stuck on the island with (I’m not even sure what to call it. A ghost? A spirit?). Anyway the girls also see their boat driver, Jack come back, and he’s around their age and he seems shocked about the things going on but he knows more than he lets on. I did like the bond that the girls formed, they’ve only known each other for a few hours before they’re thrown into something they really weren’t prepared for. The girls were resourceful and put their heads together to make sure that they would at least be able to survive. I will say some parts of the books confused me, mainly with what ever weird force was at work. I wish that part was explained more. The ending was okay, I’m not sure why all three girls had a memory lapse.

This was a good book and I enjoyed seeing the girls form a bond and truly try to find a way to make it out alive. I would still want some explaination about the paranormal parts and the ending could have been better, but other than that if you’re looking for a creepy and suspenseful book check this one out.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE CHERISHED By Patricia Ward

April 5, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE CHERISHED By Patricia WardThe Cherished by Patricia Ward
Published by HarperTeen on 4/18/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother’s will—let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands.

Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange.

The tenants mentioned in the letter are odd, just slightly…off. Jo feels something dark and decrepit in the old shack behind the house. And the things that her father used to talk about, his delusions… Why is Jo starting to believe they might be real?

But what Jo fears most is the letter from her grandmother. Because if it’s true, then Jo belongs here, in this strange place. And she has no choice but to stay.

Short and Sweet Review

When Jo’s estranged grandmother dies and leave’s her property to her Jo doesn’t fully understand why and it doesn’t help that the letter her grandmother left for her doesn’t entirely make sense. Jo and her mom travel to the house and find that there are tenants who aren’t completely normal, and something feels off with the house. The longer Jo stays in the house the more she thinks the delusions her father used to talk about were true, and her grandmother’s letter was right and she belongs in this house.

The Cherished was a hot mess, it was offensive and the way the author tackled mental health and talking about how people looked was not okay. Jo and her mother don’t have the best relationship and so their conversations are mostly filled with snark and snappy comebacks. Abigail (Jo’s mom) was an insufferable character, she thought she was above everybody else and was constantly complaining. I didn’t like that Abigail already had it in her head that she was going to sell the house and tries to get rid of the tenants that Maureen (the grandma) wanted to stay there. Jo and Abigail come and start rocking the boat and were inconsiderate of the people around them. It wasn’t until 50% through the book when we realize what’s actually going on. There’s fairies and they like to kidnap children. Jo is responsible for keeping the fairies at bay which is why Maureen gave her the house.

I didn’t like the attitudes that Jo and Abigail came into town with, like they were better than everyone and that what they want to happen was going to happen. The book was slow and the ending was rushed. The whole thing about the fairies would have been better if they were introduced earlier. There are issues with this book and I don’t think the execution was great. The characters were entitled, the plot was slow and the ending was too easily fixed, especially when Jo really didn’t know what she was doing. I personally wouldn’t recommend this book.

Filed Under: Reviews

GREYMIST FAIR By Francesca Zappia

March 14, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

GREYMIST FAIR By Francesca ZappiaGreymist Fair by Francesca Zappia
Published by Greenwillow Books on 3/28/23
Genres: Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Retellings, Young Adult
Pages: 310
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Two roads lead into a dark forest. They meet at Greymist Fair, the village hidden in the trees, a place kept alive by the families that never leave. The people of Greymist Fair know the woods are a dangerous and magical place, and to set foot off the road is to invite trouble.

When Heike, the village’s young tailor, discovers a body on the road, she goes looking for who is responsible. But her quest only leads to more strange happenings around Greymist Fair.

Inspired by the original, bloody, lesser-known fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, acclaimed author Francesca Zappia crafts an enthralling murder-mystery that will keep readers turning the pages. Told from multiple points of view, with each narrative building on the crime discovered by Heike, Greymist Fair examines the themes of childhood fears, growing into adult responsibilities, and finding a place to call home amid the trials of life and death.

Short and Sweet Review

Greymist Fair is a village hidden in the trees. There’s only two roads that led into Greymist and the villagers know that leaving will only cause trouble. Heike, one of the villagers finds a body on the road and she decides to find out who is responsible, but on her quest she learns that there are other strange things happening in Greymist.

Greymist Fair is one interesting book. There are seven Grimm fairytales that are being retold and each story is told as a short story and they are all interwoven. Even though all of the stories connect I still felt like this book was disjointed. Heike is a character that is shown throughout the whole book and her story is the first one told, but she finds the solution to her mystery pretty quickly. If I’m going to be honest I think the rest of the stories are there just to show the other people who are in Greymist Fair and how it got to be the way it is. The other stories do tend to have different timelines than the one we originally started off in. I liked that the book was retelling lesser known Grimm fairy tales and I think that’s where the book shines, in its telling of short stories, but the way it was all supposed to come together it just fell short of what I think the author was trying to achieve.

Overall, Greymist Fair was an easy book to breeze through and I love how Zappia made the fairytales her own. The book would have been more successful if the stories came together in a better way, otherwise I think it would have been better if it wasn’t short stories but just one story and some of the characters had their own POVs. I would still recommend this book, I would just suggest going into it with a very open mind.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE ISLAND By Natasha Preston

March 7, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE ISLAND By Natasha PrestonThe Island by Natasha Preston
Published by Delacorte Press on 2/28/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 309
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment.

When the teens arrive, they're stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.

But soon they'll discover that something's missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.

Short and Sweet Review

Paisley and five other influencers are invited Jagged Island a private amusement park for the rich. For the weekend each of the influencers will post videos and pictures to their social media, so that the park can get some recognition before the park opens. The group thinks that the amusement rides are fun and their hotel rooms are amazing, the only problem is not everyone is going to leave the island alive.

The Island is a pretty straightforward book, it’s not something we haven’t seen before. I did like the setting of a fancy island amusement park and hotel. The aesthetic was creepy and threw some of the characters off. Each of the influencers invited have different interests and our main character Paisley is into true crime. When the characters find the first victim they’re all thrown off and start to panic. They all realize that they’re stuck on the island without a way home and one of them is a killer.

It was pretty interesting seeing all the characters run around the island and try to get away from the killer. It was also hard trying to figure out who the killer was especially when Paisley would flip back and forth between whether someone could do it or not. There was a bit of romance which was ridiculous because who has time for romance when someone is coming at you with a knife.

Overall, this was an okay book. The whole time I thought this was a three heart book for me but it was the ending that got me to take it a little lower. I think it would have great to experience more of the amusement park but I think the only thing that could’ve saved this book for me was something else happening in the end than what actually did.

Filed Under: Reviews

DELICIOUS MONSTERS By Liselle Sambury

February 21, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DELICIOUS MONSTERS By Liselle SamburyDelicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on 2/28/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 510
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls…

A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at “Miracle Mansion” allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that’s nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother’s lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?

As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.

Short and Sweet Review

Daisy is able to see ghost, not really an ability that she wanted, but she manages to deal with it. When her mom inherits a mansion away from Toronto, Daisy sees this as a chance to get away especially since her boyfriend just dumped her. When they reach Ontario where the Mansion is Daisy realizes her mom is hiding a lot of secrets and the Mansion is nothing Daisy has ever dealt with before.

Ten years later, Brittney decides that its time for her to get away from her mother a best selling author whose book about the miracle mansion made her see the error of her ways. Brittney is determined to prove that her mother’s book is full of it and she does that by having the new season of her web series Haunted be focused on the mansion and the strange things that have happened there over the years.

This book was just so interesting, it starts off a little slow but I think that was because of the world building. We meet Daisy first and we learn that she’s able to see ghost and I feel like this is different than most books where characters can see ghost mainly because Daisy has to work really hard to ignore them and try to avoid seeming crazy. Her best efforts do fail because she does seem crazy and its almost like we can’t trust her. She sees maggots coming out of her wounds and her ears and its all pretty insane and it doesn’t help that her mom makes her believe she’s wrong. When Daisy and her mom get to Ontario, Daisy is given strict instructions not to enter the mansion, but its like its calling to her. Daisy also meets some town people who knew her mother from her childhood and they don’t seem to want anything to do with Grace mainly because she was up to some crazy things back in the day. Daisy becomes friends with King who’s family lives nearby. King is a psychic and he decides he’ll help Daisy figure out what’s going on in the mansion and learn a little history about her mom and Peter (the man who gave the mansion to Grace.)

Ten years later we meet Brittney and her partner Jayden who have the web series Haunted. Brittney is a little more brash while Jayden is able to connect more with the people they’re interviewing. The interviews were good we get a new perspective on what was happening ten years ago with Daisy and her mother and that mansion. I thought it was interesting to see that even though Daisy and Brittney don’t know each other they both have mommy issues. Brittney is a strong character and so is Daisy but we both see them bend and break when it comes to their moms.

The mansion is a whole different beast in itself, it reminds me of the movie Monster House. The mansion is basically a living entity. The mansion is able to make people hear it if it wants and its supposed to be feeding off of the dead people inside but it gets stronger and decides it wants to feed off of the living. When Daisy gets there she realizes that the house is way stronger than anyone has anticipated. It was hard to put this book down especially when I got further into it, mainly because we start to learn more about the Mansion and how it’s operating and we see how Daisy’s mom past had a big affect on what’s happening now.

This book was insane, but in the best way. There were a lot of tough subjects that were mentioned in this book so just watch out for that. The ending was pretty great and I love how things were handled, the dual POV worked out really well. If you’re looking for a psychological horror thriller than this book is for you! Its a book I’ll be thinking about for a while.


Filed Under: Reviews

THE GIRLS ARE NEVER GONE By Sarah Glenn Marsh

February 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE GIRLS ARE NEVER GONE By Sarah Glenn MarshThe Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh
Published by Razorbill on 9/7/21
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Dare Chase doesn’t believe in ghosts. But as the host of Attachments, her brand-new paranormal investigation podcast, she knows to keep her doubts to herself if she wants to win over listeners.

Her first season’s subject is the Arrington Estate—a sprawling manor rumored to be haunted by the spirit of Atheleen Bell, who drowned in its lake almost thirty years ago. Dare’s more interested in investigating the suspicious circumstances of Atheleen’s death, which she thinks point to a decades-old murder, not something supernatural.

But Arrington is full of surprises. As Dare is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the estate, she’ll have to rethink the boundaries of what is possible. Because if something is lurking in the lake…it might not be willing to let her go.

Short and Sweet Review

Dare doesn’t believe in ghost but she keeps that to herself because the people who listen to her podcast don’t need to know she’s a skeptic. The focus of her first season of the podcast is about Atheleen Bell who drowned at the Arrington Estate 30 years ago. Dare is convinced the strange things that are happening on the estate are explainable, but the more she digs the more things are starting to look supernatural.

Dare is at the Arrington Estate doing an internship to remodel the estate, but she’s also there to learn information for her podcast. At the estate she meets Quinn and Holly two other girls that are also helping out. Dare learns that Quinn actually sent her a message about Arrington and wanted Dare there to learn why the supernatural things are happening. Anyway there isn’t just one ghost there’s multiple and the mystery is even deeper than any of the girls thought. I liked the book, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. Its your basic ghost story with a mystery. When I heard that Dare had a podcast, I was excited because I thought it would add more to the story but we only read what she’s putting on the podcast twice, once at the beginning of the book and one at the end. In the first half of the book we’re learning about the estate and history but in the second half is where things start to pick up with more ghost appearances and things not being where they should be. The ending was interesting and it does leave the door open for a sequel.

Overall, The Girls Are Never Gone was an intriguing story but there were some elements that just fell short of what I was expecting from a book that was pitched as The Conjuring meets Sadie.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE MARY SHELLEY CLUB By Goldy Moldavsky

January 21, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE MARY SHELLEY CLUB By Goldy MoldavskyThe Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on 4/13/21
Genres: Contemporary, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

When it comes to horror movies, the rules are clear:

x Avoid abandoned buildings, warehouses, and cabins at all times.
x Stay together: don’t split up, not even just to “check something out.”
x If there’s a murderer on the loose, do not make out with anyone.

If only surviving in real life were this easy...

New girl Rachel Chavez turns to horror movies for comfort, preferring stabby serial killers and homicidal dolls to the bored rich kids of Manhattan Prep...and to certain memories she’d preferred to keep buried.

Then Rachel is recruited by the Mary Shelley Club, a mysterious society of students who orchestrate Fear Tests, elaborate pranks inspired by urban legends and movie tropes. At first, Rachel embraces the power that comes with reckless pranking. But as the Fear Tests escalate, the competition turns deadly, and it’s clear Rachel is playing a game she can’t afford to lose.

Short and Sweet Review

After a home break in leaves Rachel a bit traumatized she uses horror movies to cope. Rachel also had to switch schools and as the new girl and she soon learns that there’s a secret club that also likes horror movies and pulling off pranks.

Rachel ends up joining this secret club and they call themselves the Mary Shelley Club, they perform fear tests which take inspiration from movie tropes and urban legends. This club consists of Rachel and four other students. At first these pranks start off harmless enough but they start to escalate eventually becoming deadly.

This book was fast paced and the plot was interesting and held my attention the whole time. The club dynamics were very fascinating, the other members trusted each other and Rachel definitely was treated as the new girl and they made it clear that if she didn’t find out about the club she never would have been included. Rachel has a romance interest named Freddie and he seems like the only one who really stands up for her in the group while the others are still wary of her. The club does these fear test where they pick a target and try to get them to scream, each member has to do their own fear test and have a plan. The fear tests start to get concerning for Rachel when she hears about things happening that weren’t in the plan. My favorite thing was Rachel trying to figure out who was behind the fear tests going wrong and the twist at the end was crazy. I will say I wanted to know what happened to some of the other characters in the end but overall this was a page turner and I loved it.

Filed Under: Reviews