🤡Review: There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer

There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer
Genre: YA Horror
Source: eARC from the publisher via NetGalley + I received a finished copy from the publisher for a book tour. This review is based on the finished copy.
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Pub Date: September 5, 2023 (Delacorte Press)

*This post contains affiliate links. I am an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate so I may make a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through my links.

Do you like scary teen movies? Do you like books that feel like you’re watching a scary teen movie? Then There’s No Way I’d Die First is the book for you!

I had so much fun reading this teen horror book. This was such a well done debut novel by Lisa Springer. It had all the slasher horror goodness that I love in horror books. There are some pretty gruesome parts in this book and I think you’ll love this one if you love slashers.

This book features a psychotic murderous clown, so beware if you have a fear of clowns like me! There are some terrifying clown scenes that made my fear even worse. Darn creepy clowns!

There’s No Way I’d Die First is the perfect spooky season read. I loved the kick ass main character and the horror filled story. Definitely add this book to your tbr.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A spine-tingling contemporary horror-comedy novel that follows a scary-movie buff as she hosts an elaborate Halloween bash but soon finds the festivities upended when she and her guests are forced to test their survival skills in a deadly game, from debut author Lisa Springer.

Seventeen-year-old Noelle Layne knows horror. Every trope, every warning sign, every survival tactic. She even leads a successful movie club dedicated to the genre. Who better to throw the ultimate, most exclusive Halloween party on all of Long Island?

With some of the top influencers in her school on the guest list, including gorgeous singer-songwriter Archer Mitchell, her popularity is bound to spike. She could really use the social boost for an upcoming brand expansion. Nothing is going to ruin this party.

Except...maybe the low budget It clown she hired for a stirring round of tag. He axes one of her classmates. From the looks of his devilish grin and bag full of killer tricks, he's just getting started.

A murderous clown is out for blood, but Noelle has been waiting her entire life to prove that she's a Final Girl.

___________

Thanks For Reading!

📞🩸Review: The Night House by Jo Nesbø

The Night House by Jo Nesbø
Pub Date: October 3, 2023 (Knopf)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Source: eARC via NetGalley and gifted copy from publisher for review
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org

*This post contains affiliate links. I am an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate so I may make a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through my links.

This was such a strange book. I was drawn to The Night House because of the awesomely creepy cover. It’s such a great cover! The synopsis also had me intrigued. This was my first time reading a Jo Nesbø book. I found the writing was pretty good, but the story was very odd and I was not a fan of the ending. The story took a turn that I was not expecting.

This story is split into three parts.  The first part takes place when the main character, Richard, is young.  I loved this first part.  It was strange and eerie.  It felt like a coming of age horror story.  I don’t want to give too much away but the 2nd and 3rd parts are really wild and the story really takes a turn by the end.

I would like to read more from this author since I enjoyed parts of this story.  You might like The Night House if you like strange books with horror and fantasy elements and unreliable narrators.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

In the wake of his parents’ tragic deaths in a house fire, fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote, insular town of Ballantyne. Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry boy is responsible for his disappearance. No one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie. No one, that is, except Karen, a beguiling fellow outsider who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number that Tom prank called from the phone booth to an abandoned house in the Black Mirror Wood. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices begin to whisper in his ear . . .

You know who I am. She’s going to burn. The one you love is going to burn. There’s not a thing you can do about it.

When another classmate disappears, Richard must find a way to prove his innocence–and preserve his sanity–as he grapples with the dark magic that is possessing Ballantyne and pursuing his destruction.

Then again, Richard may not be the most reliable narrator of his own story . . .

_____________

                                

Thanks For Reading!

😱Review: Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

*This post contains affiliate links. I am an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate so I may make a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through my links.

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
Genre: Horror
Source: eARC from the publisher via NetGalley 
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org

Pub Date: October 31, 2023 (Tor Nightfire)

Nat Cassidy has done it again!  He’s written another creepy, chilling, mysterious horror story that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I loved Nat Cassidy’s book Mary, so I was so happy to get the chance to read Nestlings on NetGalley. This was such a chilling read and I definitely need to own a physical copy. This story felt like watching an episode of American Horror Story or Creepshow.  There’s icky bug moments, an old, posh hotel with strange residents, Rosemary’s Baby vibes, and very creepy babies. I love Cassidy’s writing and his books are just so interesting and enjoyable.  I also loved the author’s note at the end of the book.  

There’s always a deeper meaning to Cassidy’s books, and Nestlings tackles serious issues (that are mentioned in a note at the beginning of the book) and mixes in horror (and lots of disgusting bugs!).

I highly recommend Nestlings, especially if you are looking for a new horror book to read this year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Ana and Reid needed a lucky break.

The horrifically complicated birth of their first child has left Ana paralyzed, bitter, and struggling: with mobility, with her relationship with Reid, with resentment for her baby. That’s about to change with the words any New Yorker would love to hear―affordable housing lottery.

They’ve won an apartment in the Deptford, one of Manhattan’s most revered buildings with beautiful vistas of Central Park and stunning architecture.

Reid dismisses disturbing events and Ana’s deep unease and paranoia as the price of living in New York―people are odd―but he can’t explain the needle-like bite marks on the baby.

___________

Thanks For Reading!

Blog Tour: The Haunting by Natasha Preston

Welcome to my stop on the book tour for The Haunting by Natasha Preston, organized by TBR and Beyond Book Tours.  I’m so excited to read this YA horror book this month!  The Haunting is available now.  Check out the synopsis below and follow the tour at www.tbrandbeyondtours.com!

*Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours and Delacorte Press for the gifted copy of The Haunting and for having me on this tour.

The Haunting 

by Natasha Preston

Pub Date: September 26, 2023 (Delacorte Press)

Genre: YA Horror 

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound 

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Preston is back with another pulse-pounding, twisty read!

Haunted by the past . . .

Penny’s trying to forget about her ex, Nash. His father was arrested for the brutal murder of four teenagers on Devil’s Night last year. Penny’s parents have forbidden her to have anything to do with Nash or his family. It’s hard not to think of what happened as spooky season gets underway–but she’s trying.

That stops when she goes to the Halloween store with her friends to find a costume. What she finds instead is ripped from a horror movie: a girl from school bleeding out on the floor of a dressing room. Stabbed.

Is a copycat killer on the loose? The adults are saying no. But Penny knows better.

Natasha Preston is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cellar, The Cabin, Awake, You Will Be Mine, The Lost, The Twin, The Lake, The Fear, and her latest, The Island. A UK native, she discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook 

Blog Tour: Hatchet Girls by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

 

Welcome to my stop on the book tour for Hatchet Girls by Diana Rodriguez Wallach, organized by TBR and Beyond Tours.  Check out the synopsis below.  Hatchet Girls is available now!  

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours and Delacorte Press for the gifted copy for this tour.

Hatchet Girls

by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Publication Date: October 10, 2023 (Delacorte Press)

Genre: Young Adult Mystery, Horror

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound 

For fans of Kara Thomas and Courtney Summers comes a supernatural horror that reminds us family can be our saving grace–or our biggest curse. Set one-hundred years after the Borden murders, this propulsive thriller imagines what a similar trial might look like today.

When the parents of the richest family in Fall River are found murdered by axe, the town is quick to blame newcomer Vik. It doesn’t help that he was caught standing over the bodies with blood on his hands and can’t remember anything about the night in question.

But Vik’s sister, Tessa, knows that Vik would never be capable of such a gruesome crime. Haunted by the mistakes she made that led her family to Fall River in the first place, she sets out to prove her brother’s innocence.

Her search for answers will lead her into a sprawling, supposedly cursed forest, as well as the childhood home of Lizzie Borden—the original axe murderess of Fall River.

Content Warning: Violence, mentions of murder, blood, grief, abuse

Diana Rodriguez Wallach is a multi-published author of young adult novels.

Her most recent, Small Town Monsters, is a YA Latinx horror novel that published in September 2021 through Random House’s Underlined imprint. Her next YA horror, Hatchet Girls, will publish in hardback in Fall 2023 through Random House’s Delacorte imprint.

Additionally, Diana is the author of the Anastasia Phoenix Series (Entangled Publishing), a trilogy of young adult spy thrillers. The first book in the series, Proof of Lies, has been optioned for film and was chosen as a finalist for the 2018 International Thriller Awards for Best Young Adult Novel. Additionally, Bustle listed her as one of the “Top Nine Latinx Authors to Read for Women’s History Month 2017,” and Paste named Proof of Lies one of the “Top 10 Best Young Adult Books for March 2017.”

Diana is also the author of three YA contemporary Latina novels: Amor and Summer Secrets, Amigas and School Scandals, and Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Books). Amor and Summer Secrets placed second at the 2009 International Latino Book Awards for Best Young Adult Novel. She also penned a YA short-story collection entitled Mirror, Mirror (Buzz Books, 2013).

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook 

Follow the Tour:  https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/09/01/tour-schedule-hatchet-girls-by-diana-rodriguez-wallach/

Blog Tour: There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer

 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer, organized by TBR and Beyond Tours.  Check out the synopsis of this young adult horror book below!

*Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours and Delacorte Press for the gifted copy and for having me on this tour.

There’s No Way I’d Die First

by Lisa Springer

Pub Date: September 5, 2023 (Delacorte Press)

Genre: Young Adult Horror 

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Debut author Lisa Springer delivers a spine-tingling, contemporary horror that follows a scary movie buff as she hosts an elaborate Halloween bash on her family’s estate but soon finds the festivities upended when she and her guests are forced to test their survival skills in a deadly party game.

Noelle Layne knows horror. Every trope, every warning sign, every survival tactic. She even leads a successful movie club dedicated to the genre. Thus, who better to throw the ultimate, most exclusive Halloween party on all of Long Island?

And with the guest list including the coolest kids in her senior class, her popularity is bound to spike. Hopefully, enough to warrant an expansion into podcasting. Plus, the fact that attractive, singer-songwriter Archer Mitchell is coming is honestly the candy corn on top. Nothing is going to kill her party vibes.

Except…maybe the low-budget It clown she hires to lead a classic round of tag. He’s supposed to be terrifying, though in a comforting, nostalgic way. Instead, the guy is giving major creeps. But maybe Noelle’s just that good at hosting?

Her confidence is immediately rocked when the night’s entertainment axes one of her guests. And he’s not done yet. If an evil, murderous clown thinks life is a game, then Noelle is ready to play. She’s been waiting a long time to prove that she’s a Final Girl.

Content Warning: Murder, Blood, Clowns

Growing up on the island of Barbados, Lisa has always loved books and storytelling. Bring on the adventure, the spooky and mysterious—she loves creating worlds readers can get lost in. When not writing, she’s probably reading or dreaming about the beach. She currently lives in New York City with her family.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Follow the Tour: https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/08/01/tour-schedule-there-is-no-way-id-die-first-by-lisa-springer/

Blog Tour: Extra Normal by Kate Alice Marshall

 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Extra Normal by Kate Alice Marshall, organized by TBR and Beyond Tours.  Check out the synopsis of this spooky middle grade book below!

*Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours and Viking Books For Young Readers for the gifted egalley and for having me on this tour.

Extra Normal

by Kate Alice Marshall 

Pub Date: August 29, 2023 (Viking Books)

Genre: Middle Grade Horror 

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

It’s hard to fight the supernatural when you’re naturally “un-super.” This chilling middle grade is perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark…even if they don’t have any special powers.

Charlie Greer is nothing special—at least not compared to her adopted siblings. Her younger sister is a ghost. Her brother Mateo is a werewolf. Gideon is the product of seriously sketchy experiments that gave him telekinetic powers. Even her parents work for the Division of Extranormal Investigations tracking down all things supernatural, alien, and otherwise unusual.

Charlie’s mom says her superpower is maturity—which doesn’t really count. But what Charlie lacks in powers she makes up for by keeping the household running. Now, with her parents off on their first vacation in years, it’s up to her to take care of her siblings and make sure nothing disrupts the trip.

But then the new neighbors arrive. The Weavers are a nice, normal couple. Too nice and too normal. And for some reason, they don’t seem to want Charlie to see inside their house. She’s certain they’re hiding something. Charlie has to uncover what’s going on with the Weavers and stop their plans—without letting Mom and Dad find out anything is wrong.

Kate Alice Marshall is the author of young adult and middle grade novels, including I AM STILL ALIVE, RULES FOR VANISHING, and THIRTEENS.  She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, two dogs named Vonnegut and Octavia, and two kids. They all conspire to keep her on her toes.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads 

Follow the Tour:  https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/08/01/tour-schedule-extra-normal-by-kate-alice-marshall/

Blog Tour: The Reunion by Kit Frick

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Reunion by Kit Frick, organized by Turn the Page Tours.  Check out the book’s synopsis and my thoughts on this young adult mystery/thriller below!  

The publisher is giving away 3 copies of The Reunion!  Click here to enter the giveaway.  

Follow the tour:  https://turnthepagetours.com/the-reunion/

*Thank you Turn the Page Tours and Simon Teen for the gifted copy and for having me on this tour.

The Reunion 

by Kit Frick

Pub Date: August 29, 2023 (Simon Teen)

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller, Contemporary 

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble| Bookshop

It’s been years since the fragmented Mayweather clan was all in one place, but the engagement of Addison and Mason’s mom to the dad of their future stepbrother, Theo, brings the whole family to sunny Cancún, Mexico, for winter break. Add cousin Natalia to the mix, and it doesn’t take long for tempers to fray and tensions to rise. A week of forced family “fun” reveals that everyone has something to hide, and as secrets bubble to the surface, no one is safe from the fallout. By the end of the week, one member of the reunion party will be dead—and everyone’s a suspect:
The peacekeeper: Addison needs a better hiding place.
The outsider: Theo just wants to mend fences.
The romantic: Natalia doesn’t want to talk about the past.

The hothead: Mason needs to keep his temper under control.

It started as a week in paradise meant to bring them together. But the Mayweathers are about to learn the hard way that family bonding can be deadly.

Kit Frick is a MacDowell fellow and ITW Thriller Award finalist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. She is the author of multiple thrillers including, for young adults, Before We Were Sorry (originally published as See All the Stars), All Eyes on Us, I Killed Zoe Spanos, Very Bad People, and The Reunion, and for adults, The Split. She is also the author of the poetry collection A Small Rising Up in the Lungs. Kit loves a good mystery but has only ever killed her characters. Honest.

Website | Instagram 

 

Are you ready for a killer family reunion set at a posh Cancún resort?  The latest YA mystery by Kit Frick was an intriguing whodunnit that kept me guessing until the very end.  

Told from multiple perspectives (of twins Addison & Mason, their cousin Natalia, and the twins’ soon to be stepbrother, Theo), The Reunion was a drama-fueled mystery that made me never want to attend a family reunion ever again.  Talk about a dysfunctional family!  The Mayweathers definitely needed some intensive family therapy.  

A lot happened in this story and it was sometimes hard to keep up with everything going on with the characters.  There was plenty of family drama and sooo many secrets.  I loved the mystery and I was surprised by the ending.  

I had a lot of fun reading this story.  You should definitely read this book if you love YA murder mysteries.  The Reunion was an immersive page-turner and I look forward to reading more from Kit Frick.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Blog Tour: A Tall Dark Trouble by Vanessa Montalban

 

Welcome to my stop on the A Tall Dark Trouble blog tour, organized by Turn The Page Tours.  Check out my review and a link to a giveaway below, courtesy of TTPT’s Stacia!

*Thank you Turn The Page Tours and Zando Publishing for the arc and finished copies of this book, and for having me on this tour!

A Tall Dark Trouble 

By Vanessa Montalban 

Publication Date: August 29, 2023 (Zando Publishing)

Genre: YA Contemporary, Magic, Fantasy 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Twin sisters Ofelia and Delfi know better than to get involved with magic. Their Mami has seen to that. After all, it was magic that cursed their family, turning love into poison. Romance is off the table for the Sanchez women. They’ve seen the curse take hold enough times to know how that road ends. And yet. Sometimes a girl catches feelings and just can’t help herself.

When Ofelia and Delfi begin having premonitions of a series of murders, the sisters know it is time to embrace their magical inheritance to get to the bottom of the mystery and save innocent lives. Teaming up with their best friend Ethan and with brooding detective-in- training Andres, the sisters set out to learn the truth. They just need to make sure Mami doesn’t find out what they’re up to.

Meanwhile, in 1980 Cuba, Anita struggles with a different magical conflict. Her mother, Mama Orti, is a bruja who belongs to a secret coven of elders and Anita knows she will be forced to join the coven herself one day. She sees no escape, though the thought of staying and letting this future claim her is terrifying. Ofelia, Delfi, and Anita’s stories collide as each woman steps into her power and embraces who she truly is, refusing to be subdued by any person, coven, or curse.

In this stunning YA contemporary fantasy, debut author Vanessa Montalban explores the interlocking struggles of three generations of women in one family. An unputdownable debut for anyone who roots for magic, sisterhood, and love.

A Tall Dark Trouble was a spellbinding and engaging read. This story had all the witchy vibes that I adored! I loved Vanessa Montalban’s writing and I really enjoyed this book.  This story had magic, curses, romance, mystery, and murder.  There were dual timelines that followed the lives of twin sisters, Ofelia and Delfi in present day Miami, Florida, and Anita in 1980, during Castro’s regime in Cuba.  

I loved the strong sisterly bond between Ofelia and Delfi.  They were both such interesting and vibrant characters.  I also loved the chapters that took place in the past and how everything tied together in the end. 

I definitely recommend A Tall Dark Trouble!  I look forward to reading Montalban’s next novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fueled by the magic of espresso, Miami-born Vanessa Montalban channels her wanderlust for far-off worlds into writing young adult fiction. She’s a first-generation graduate from the University of Central Florida and is hard at work creating a collection of stories. She is represented by Danielle Burby of Mad Woman Literary and her work has appeared in Diabolical Plots and Entropy Magazine.

*author photo and bio from author’s website: https://vanessamontalban.com/about

Giveaway

There is a giveaway for one (1) ARC copy of A Tall Dark Trouble, courtesy of TTPT Stacia! (https://turnthepagetours.com/)

Click this link to enter the giveaway: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1e4a114d80/?

Blog Tour: The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall

 

Welcome to my stop on the The Narrow blog tour, organized by TBR and Beyond Tours! The Narrow is the latest YA horror novel by Kate Alice Marshall.  

Check out the book’s synopsis and my review below.  The Narrow is available now!

*Thank you Viking Books/Penguin and TBR and Beyond Tours for the gifted eGalley and for having me on this tour!

 

The Narrow

by Kate Alice Marshall

Publication Date: August 1, 2023 (Viking Books/Penguin)

Genre: Young Adult Horror 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

A ghost haunting her boarding school uncovers a teen girl’s best kept secrets in the Queen of Scream’s deliciously terrifying new novel. 

Everyone has heard the story of the Narrow. The river that runs behind the Atwood School is only a few feet across and seemingly placid, but beneath the surface, the waters are deep and vicious. It’s said that no one who has fallen in has ever survived. 

Eden White knows that isn’t true. Six years ago, she saw Delphine Fournier fall into the Narrow—and live. 

Delphine now lives in careful isolation, sealed off from the world. Even a single drop of unpurified water could be deadly to her, and no one but Eden has any idea why. Eden has never told anyone what she saw or spoken to Delphine since, but now, unable to cover her tuition, she has to make a deal: her expenses will be paid in return for serving as a live-in companion to Delphine. 

Eden finds herself drawn to the strange and mysterious girl, and the two of them begin to unravel each other’s secrets. Then Eden discovers what happened to the last girl who lived with Delphine: she was found half-drowned on dry land. Suddenly Eden is waking up to wet footprints tracking to the end of her bed, the sound of rain on the windows when the skies are clear, and a ghostly silhouette in her doorway. Something is haunting Delphine—and now it’s coming for Eden, too.

The Narrow was a haunting and mysterious read that I really enjoyed.  Kate Alice Marshall knows how to create a spine-chilling story that will make you want to sleep with the lights on.  This was such a quick read and I was so engrossed in this book that I finished it in two days (which is fast for me!).  

I loved the mystery and it kept me guessing until the end.  There were some intense and heartbreaking moments throughout the book, and I thought the ending was perfect.  I definitely recommend this book, especially for fans of paranormal horror.

CW: abuse, parental neglect, homophobia, violence 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Kate Alice Marshall is the author of young adult and middle grade novels, including I AM STILL ALIVE, RULES FOR VANISHING, and THIRTEENS.

She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, two dogs named Vonnegut and Octavia, and two kids. They all conspire to keep her on her toes.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 

Follow the Tour!

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/06/26/tour-schedule-the-narrow-by-kate-alice-marshall/

Thanks for reading!