🤡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!

ARC Review: The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz

*I received this arc from the publisher via NetGalley for review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Many thanks to the publisher for granting me access to this ARC!

The Dark Game

by Jonathan Janz

Publication Date:  April 11, 2019

by Flame Tree Press

Genre:  Horror, Mystery

Pages: 304

Source:  ARC from publisher via NetGalley

Ten writers are selected for a summer-long writing retreat with the most celebrated and reclusive author in the world. Their host is the legendary Roderick Wells. Handsome, enigmatic, and fiendishly talented, Wells promises to teach his pupils about writing, about magic, about the untapped potential that each of them possesses. Most of all, he plans to teach them about the darkness in their hearts. The writers think they are signing up for a chance at riches and literary prestige. But they are really entering the twisted imagination of a deranged genius, a lethal contest pitting them against one another in a struggle for their sanity and their lives. They have entered into Roderick Wells's most brilliant and horrible creation.

Ten writers go to a writing retreat and stay at a creepy mansion with a strange reclusive author in the middle of nowhere.  What could possibly go wrong?

One of my favorite genres is horror.  I love to be scared and The Dark Game definitely had it's scary moments.  There's also plenty of gore and gruesomeness that is sure to please any horror fan. This is the first book that I've read by Janz.  I've heard great things about his horror novels, so I was very eager to read his latest.  I enjoyed his writing style and this book was a pretty fast-paced read.  I loved the creepy old house setting and the overall eerie feel of the story.  

The main problem I had with the story was the numerous main characters.  I had a difficult time trying to keep all the writers straight, and it got a little confusing, especially in the beginning.  The chapters were short (which I tend to like), but each chapter switched to a different perspective, and there were so many narrators that it became overwhelming.  I also had a hard time connecting to any of the characters, and by the end I really didn't care who survived.  I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth.  I found the characters to be rather annoying.  

I do look forward to reading Janz's other horror novels, even though I wasn't blown away by this one.  If you love horror stories featuring plenty of characters and plenty of gruesome moments, I definitely recommend checking this book out. 

⭐⭐⭐1/2

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Book Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager

Final Girls by Riley Sager

Publication Date:  July 11, 2017 by Dutton

Genres:  Adult Fiction; Thriller; Mystery; Horror

Pages:  352

Source:  ARC from Edelweiss & Giveaway

My Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2  (4.5 out of 5 stars)

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Disclosure:  I received an eARC from Edelweiss for review.  I also won an ARC in a giveaway.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  This post contains affiliate links.

Book Review: "Bird Box" by Josh Malerman

"It's better to face madness with a plan than to sit still and let it take you in pieces"

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Published May 13, 2014 by Ecco

Genre:  Adult Fiction; Horror; Thriller 

Pages:  262

Source:  Owned Book

My Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (4 out of 5 stars)

Book Riot Horror Box!

I had to do it.  I couldn't help myself.  I had to order this box.  Book Riot released this awesome Horror Box filled with 4 spooky books and 3 bookish items.  This is a one time box that costs $100.  This box is still available (as of today).  It is a lot of money but I love horror and I love books so I impulsively purchased this box.  

Want to see what's inside the Book Riot Horror Box?  Let's find out!

Book Riot Horror Box