His Name is Grace by H. G. Davis

Published on 07/03/202503/08/2026 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

His Name is Grace by H. G. Davis
Published by Self-Published on 10/18/2021
Genres: Christian, Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Pages: 152
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Allison was just a little girl when she lost her life. And her family lost so much more...

Her father, John can't live with himself since he is the reason she is dead. And now that his son has been murdered he has given into a deep and dark rage. One that his wife suffers the brunt of.

With two of their three children dead, and the only living one, Erik, being accused of the death of his brother, the parents' lives are shattered. Once an everyday family, since moving out to Idaho their lives are slowly falling apart. The lies, the affair, the murder have all taken their toll.

However, some survive and are given another chance at life. This is a story of how grace can save us from ourselves

Sometimes you just need a quick read to get yourself back into the spirit of reading, and His Name is Grace by H. G. Davis was a perfect quick read to do that for me. At just 152 pages (1,795 locations on Kindle), I was able to read this book in just about 3 hours. It was fast paced, easy to read, and difficult to put down.

The formatting of this story is interesting. You’d think it’d focus on the actual mystery, but for the most part, it doesn’t. It focuses more on the secrets that the family of the deceased are keeping. Which isn’t to say it is a bad story, because it absolutely isn’t. I’m just not sure I would have categorized it as a mystery/thriller when it doesn’t really focus too much on that aspect, unless you consider all the secrets to be mystery/thriller material.

However, the book was very good – I wanted to know if the accused really had murdered his brother and if not who had. I also wanted to know how it happened and why the accused thought he’d done it if he hadn’t. I also wanted to know how many of the people knew about the others’ secrets.

The characters were interesting enough, although I didn’t feel any particular connection to any of them. Perhaps it was all the secrets. I will say though, that one character in particular, Jake, seemed a bit more cunning toward the end of the book than was being let on at first, making me wonder who was the real murderer… but you’ll have to read the book to find out what I mean.

A quick, easy read that gets 4.5 stars from me.

Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards

Published on 01/10/202503/08/2026 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards
Published by Sourcebooks on 01/10/2025
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Juvenile Fiction / General, Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley

A terrifying thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Five Total Strangers and Seven Dirty Secrets!

The last show has ended, but the nightmare is just beginning.

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.

Four Found Dead was one of those books that took me a while to read – mostly because it was a case of “right book, wrong time”. I tried several times to read this book and just couldn’t stay interested. Last night, I decided I’d give it one more try before giving up[mfn]The book was released almost 2 years ago now…[/mfn] and I’m glad I did. I started it at 10PM and finished at 3:45AM the next morning.

Once I was able to properly get into the book[mfn]Trust me, it was ME not the book[/mfn], I could not put the book down. I had to know what was going to happen next. While we didn’t get to know all of the characters well, I have to say that my favorites were Naomi, Hudson, and Jo. However, I would like to have gotten Jo’s name a bit earlier in the book than we did[mfn]Full disclosure, we actually could have gotten her name well before I noticed it[/mfn], but it is what it is. And I would like to say that I hated Clayton from his first entrance into the story. So there’s that.

Four Found Dead is quite fast paced – it would have to be, considering that the events take place over the course of about 9 hours. Once it pulls you in, you’re hooked. You need to know how these people are getting out of this mess they’re in.

I found the little “intermission” notes interesting. They left me wondering exactly who it was who was telling this story, or at least, who was giving their two-cents between some of the chapters. You will find out at the end, and trust me, it wasn’t anyone I was expecting.

The ending is great and quite interesting. There are some things that are foreshadowed earlier, but then you kind of decide that can’t be the case later… only to have it thrown in your face that it was true all along.

I gave this one 4.5 stars – it was a great book and now I’m planning to find other books by Ms. Richards as well.

A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman

Published on 07/01/202403/08/2026 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman
Published by Scholastic Inc. on 07/02/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / LGBTQ, Young Adult Fiction / Romance / LGBTQ, Young Adult Fiction / School & Education / Boarding School & Prep School
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

The Honeys meets The Secret History in a work of dark academia like no other -- a boarding school thriller about a queer teen from Mississippi who finds himself swept into a world of old money, privilege, and the secret society at the heart of it all.

When Cal Ware wins a scholarship to an elite New England boarding school, he's thrilled to leave his past behind. Back home in Mississippi, he was the poor, queer kid who never fit in. But at Essex Academy, he'll be able to reinvent himself. Or so he hopes...

But at Essex, Cal's classmates only see his cheap clothes and old iPhone. They mock his accent, and can't believe he's never left the country, or heard of The Hamptons. Cal, at his breaking point, is about to give up and return to Mississippi when he learns about a secret society on campus -- the key to becoming Essex royalty.

Cal knows he's not exactly secret society material, but to his surprise, he finds an unlikely champion in the handsome, charismatic, and slightly dangerous Luke Kim. As they get swept up in the mystery and glamour of the Rush process, Cal finds himself falling in love for the first time.

But as the initiation rituals grow riskier -- and increasingly nefarious -- Cal must decide how far he's willing to go, and how much of himself he's willing to sacrifice, to save everything and everyone he cherishes most. Because nothing at Essex -- not even Cal's first love -- is quite what it seems.

Content Warning:Trauma from gay bashing incident (past), kidnapping, parental illness (cancer), instances of cutting and branding, physical abuse

I love secret societies. Whenever I read a book set in a school, that is one of my biggest hopes – that there is some sort of secret society involved in the plot. Well, with A Darker Mischief, that hope is definitely fulfilled.

This book is definitely a slow-burn type of book. It will take a while to fully get into the story. It will also take a while to start understanding the characters presented A Darker Mischief. This is not one of those books where you get the characters’ life story at the beginning. Even our main character, Cal, largely remains a mystery until later in the book. And if someone’s story isn’t important to the plot? Well, their story remains untold.

I have to say that I actually liked Luke more than I liked Cal. He seemed more genuine than Cal did. But Cal had his moments. Now for some reason, I’d suspected one of the secrets Cal held, but when it was revealed, I was still surprised. And no, I won’t tell you what it is, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

I loved the Society of Seven Eyes. For me, it is what made A Darker Mischief a four-star read. I loved the parties, the mystery, and the fact that the society’s main “raison d’être” is to explore the grounds of Essex and dig up all of the history about the school. Including, perhaps, some secrets that pertain to Society.

The ending for A Darker Mischief was great. It perfectly closed out the book – and even left the book open for something of a sequel if perhaps a certain character wanted revenge on those who’d “wronged” him. I mean, the book ends perfectly as is, but a sequel could be fun as well[mfn]Honestly, I’m always up for sequel for most books.[/mfn].

If you are a fan of books that contain secret societies, I guarantee you’ll want to read this book. Society of Seven Eyes features prominently in this story but so do the characters, which is important. I gave this one four-stars and hope to read more books from Derek Milman in the future.

If You Can Hear This by Faith Gardner

Published on 06/21/202403/08/2026 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

If You Can Hear This by Faith Gardner
Published by HarperCollins Publishers on 11/19/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Performing Arts / Television & Radio, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound
Goodreads

The twisty, intricate mystery of I Killed Zoe Spanos meets the whip-smart sleuthing of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder in the newest novel from acclaimed author Faith Gardner, in which a club of misfits must come together to solve a dangerous mystery--and learn to lean on each other all the while.

Posey Spade loves asking questions--it's what's going to make her a fantastic journalist someday. And ever since her best friend and crush chose someone else, Posey's only focusing on her future career.

Unfortunately, she's just moved to the small town of Wild Pines--which doesn't provide a lot of groundbreaking journalism opportunities, only a scrappy AV Club full of self-proclaimed slackers . . . who Posey must somehow inspire to greatness.

She never thought that inspiration would come from the disappearance of the club's beloved sponsor and teacher, Ms. Moses. But as the days tick by with no answers, Posey and the AV Club take it upon themselves to dig into the mystery.

From a nepotism scandal to a local cult, Posey learns a lot about her new town. And as she spends more time with the AV Club, she also learns that friendship is just as necessary to solving a mystery as lots of questions. Good thing Posey has both.

In my quest to work through my NetGalley queue, I started reading If You Can Hear This by Faith Gardner. I have another book by Ms. Gardner in my NetGalley queue as well, so I was hoping that I would enjoy this book. I did – immensely.

What do you get when you mix a group of misfit kids who make up an audio/visual club, a missing teacher, and an apathetic town? You get If You Can Hear This. And believe me, this is a book you won’t want to miss.

Our main characters – Posey, Sal, Jeremiah, Athena, Yash, and Lexy make up the Wild Pines High School AV Club. They each have their own unique perspectives on life and what’s happening.

Posey is a girl who came to Wild Pines from San Francisco. She’s the new kid – she’s weird, quite a bit on the bossy side, and to be honest, obnoxious. I found myself wanting to reach through the screen and swat her upside the head, telling her to relax.

Sal is an enigmatic character, about whom we find out quite a bit. He’s mysterious and can seem suspicious at times, but he’s got a good heart and he cares about people.

Jeremiah isn’t seen as much but he’s an interesting character, what we do get to see of him.

Athena is the actress of the group but she’s got her own issues. I liked her quite a bit because she seemed more real than most of the other characters.

Yash is another character who is more or less in the background – we find out bits and pieces about him, but not much.

Lexy is seen fairly often in If You Can Hear This, but she’s another background character whom we don’t learn a lot about. I do wish we’d learned a bit more about her – especially considering she’s an activist at heart.

I loved the plot for this book. A teacher goes missing and her students set out to figure out what happened to her and where she went. They also want to raise awareness as it seems no one in authority wants to actually do anything about the missing teacher. It shows what students can do when they set their minds to it. It also shows some of the realities of people being on social media and what can come of social media use.

I gave this book a solid four stars because I thought it was a really good YA Mystery/Thriller. The start was a bit slow and it took a few days for me to really get fully into the book, but once it got going, it was awesome. I can’t wait to read the other book by Ms. Gardner that is in my queue.

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley

Published on 06/15/202403/08/2026 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on 10/29/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Crime
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound
Goodreads

Jessica Goodman meets The Agathas in this taut, twisty YA thriller set in the glittering world of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where secrets--and bodies--never stay buried.

For the New Orleans elite, the Les Masques Ball is sure to be the social event of the season—if they can avoid another dead Queen. When debutante Margot Landry was found dead the morning after her reign at last year’s ball, it was a tragedy, but not a shocking one. Margot was a wild child with a self-destructive streak, nothing like this year’s Queen, Lily LeBlanc. With a perfectly poised debutante on the throne, everything is going according to plan...until the ball is hijacked by a mysterious figure in a Jester costume. That night, Lily sends a text to three of the Maids on her royal court—her best friend, Vivian; her boyfriend's sister, Piper; and April, her former frenemy—asking them all to meet the next morning. But Lily never shows up.

On the surface, these three debutantes don’t have anything in common except their exclusive private school and their ties to Les Masques. But soon, they realize why Lily brought them together: something dark is lurking beneath the glamorous surface of the debutante world, and it might be the reason she disappeared. And the further the girls dig, the more they begin to suspect that Margot's death may not have been an accident—and that Lily may be next. When the Jester starts threatening to expose their own secrets, this unlikely trio must team up to uncover the monsters behind the Mardi Gras masks—before they’re left with another dead debutante.

When I chose to read The Debutantes by Olivia Worley, I did so based purely on the cover. I love the cover to this book so much, even though I can’t exactly tell you why. It just jumped out at me as something I should read. And my intuition was spot-on.

The Debutantes is what Pretty Little Liars would have been if it was set in New Orleans. Dead and missing friends, danger, secrets being exposed, mysterious masked people…. Yep, Pretty LIttle Liars in New Orleans backed by Krewe culture and, to an extent, Debutante culture. Honestly, that’s one of the reasons I loved it so much. I loved Pretty Little Liars.

Reading this book kept me on my toes. I didn’t want to put it down, and honestly, I stayed up until 6AM to finish it! It was so easy to read, so easy to follow that I just didn’t want to stop reading. That’s one of the ways in which it differs from Pretty Little Liars – you won’t need a spreadsheet to keep track of what’s going on. Also, The Debutantes won’t need sixteen books to wrap everything up – it was all wrapped up neatly at the end. Or was it?

The ending was amazing and wrapped the book up well. Does it wrap the full story up? It actually could. But could there be more books? I think there could, if Ms. Worley wants there to be more books. I’m sure there’s a way to add a sequel or two to this plot.

As for the characters, I really enjoyed Vivian and April. I wasn’t as much of a fan of Piper’s, mostly because she drove me crazy with the way she behaves. However, I didn’t like Lily at all. Granted, we don’t see a lot of her, but she just doesn’t seem to be a genuine person in this story. She isn’t sincere in anything she says or does and it just bugs me.

I gave this book five stars because it was an excellent book that made me want to keep reading – even after it was over. I hope to read more from Ms. Worley in the future!

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

Published on 06/14/202403/08/2026 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on 12/10/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Romance / LGBTQ, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Supernatural
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound
Goodreads

“A visceral, unflinching, and emotionally powerful horror novel...this is Gould at her most poignant and most electric.” –Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.

Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction—one everyone but Devin signed up for. She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they've all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.

Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods—inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn't be there flashing in the leaves—and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other—and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.

Atmospheric and sharp, What the Woods Took is a poignant story of transformation that explores the price of becoming someone—or something—new.

“Unsettling, raw, and absolutely terrifying. Gould tears open the tender, angry heart of teenage friendship and what happens when our loved ones fail us.” -Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She is a Haunting

Content Warning: What the Woods Took contains:

substance abuse
mentions of suicide
death/harm of a child
mentions of sexual assault/child sexual abuse
gore/violence

I periodically receive emails from NetGalley telling me what books are “Read Now”. In the most recent email, What the Woods Took was listed among the books on offer. While I had previously seen Courtney Gould’s other books on NetGalley, I had not been lucky enough to be chosen to read them. But since this one was “Read Now” I managed to snag it. I’m so glad I was able to get it.

In this book we follow five teenagers who have been sent away to “wilderness therapy” by their parents/guardians. Our illustrious group consists of:

Devin – nearly 18 years old, has been in foster care for most of her life, resorts to violence to solve her problems.
Sheridan – a rich girl with a tragic past, she has a tendency to be quite the bitch to others
Hannah – a girl you’d think would be the last person on earth to be sent to “wilderness therapy”
Aidan – a younger teen who just wanted to be liked
Ollie – a teen relatively close in age to Devin who did something bad, but not what his dad thought

As we follow these five teens on their wilderness therapy journey, we find that things in this wilderness aren’t exactly what they seem. One of the things I loved about this book is that the enemy isn’t what you’d expect – and in some cases might actually be someone you know!

I found the writing style in What the Woods Took to be extremely easy to follow and I was very impressed with it. Ms. Gould crafted this story with the utmost care and made it so easy to read that I finished in just a few hours. It also helped that I didn’t want to put the book down!

I gave this book a four star rating – I can’t wait to pick up Ms. Gould’s other novels from the library. She has gained a fan for life.

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall

Published on 08/01/202312/31/2024 by Charli2 Comments

Today I’m reviewing The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall, a Young Adult Horror novel. This post is part of the TBR & Beyond Tours blog tour for The Narrow.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall
Published by Penguin on 08/01/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Ghost Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Horror
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound
Goodreads

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 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 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.

So we all know I’m a horror girlie, but I usually don’t go in much for ghost story horror. Most of them are just so cliché and boring to me that I don’t want to read them. I’m also that way with horror films – in fact, there are only a couple of ghost-based horror movies I really like. So the fact that I gave The Narrow a 5 star rating, should tell you something.

Characters

First, I love the characters. I love Delphine. I love Eden. I love the way Eden, Veronica, Zoya, and Ruth interact with each other. They’re all strong characters. We get back story for those we need (Delphine, Eden, Maeve, and Grace) and no back story for the ones that don’t matter as much (Veronica, Zoya, Ruth, and the adults).

Atmosphere

This book had a great, creepy setting. A boarding school with a history of being haunted that exists near a raging river… and it rains a lot here, or does it? A dorm that is specially outfitted for a student with an extremely rare allergy… this one just has all the pieces for a great setting.

Writing

Kate Alice Marshall’s writing style is amazing. It is easy to read, fast paced, and doesn’t overly describe things like my all-time favorite horror author tends to. Reading this takes hardly any effort – you don’t have to think too hard, you just read and relax.

Plot

This one takes a unique plot for a ghost-based horror novel. It takes possession to a different level by executing it in a different way. Add to this a love story and it becomes a great story that keeps readers interested and wanting to know more. At least it kept this reader wanting to know more.

Intrigue

If there’s one thing every thriller or horror novel needs, it is intrigue. You have to have a reason to want to know what happens next. And trust me, with The Narrow, you need to know what happens next. You can’t just leave it alone. The intrigue is amazing in this book. It just works so well.

Relationships

The relationships in this book are complicated but at the same time, not. For some relationships they seem to get more complicated as the book goes on, while others seem to get less complicated. I love the interactions between Eden and Delphine, Eden and Grace, and Eden and her friends.

Ending

The ending to this book actually made me a bit sad. I understand why it has to end the way it does, and I’m grateful that it does end the way it does. But it still made me a bit sad because the person Eden fell in love with is one person she simply cannot have. It is amazing, beautiful, and sad all at once.

I highly recommend this book to those looking for a ghost story that isn’t your typical ghost story. I also recommend this 5 star read to those looking to get started in YA Horror with something that isn’t too terribly scary.

Playlist

I don’t usually make playlists for books and while this isn’t the greatest playlist, I thought it was a decent collection of a few songs that made me think of The Narrow.

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

Published on 07/04/202312/31/2024 by Charli1 Comment

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington
Published by Simon and Schuster on 07/25/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Class Differences, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Prejudice & Racism, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound
Goodreads

A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor.

You must work twice as hard to get half as much.

Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.

And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.

But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death.

Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.

Content Warning: Blood, Gore, Violence, Assault, Racism, Classism

Their Vicious Games is nothing short of amazing. Think Squid Games meets The Hunger Games but in this case, the stakes are more than you might think.

I’m going to say this now, Adina and Saint have my heart for the female characters. They’re strong, resilient, and while they may take crap at the beginning of The Finish, the certainly won’t take it forever. As far as the male characters go, the only one we see a lot of in the story that I actually like is Graham. He may be misguided and blinded by his love for Pierce, but he also appears to truly care about Adina at the very least. The rest of the characters honestly made me want to reach through the pages and slap them a few times. And can someone please tell me how you’re supposed to pronounce Penthesilea’s name?

This story had a very interesting plot going. You were never quite sure what would happen next – what was each portion of The Finish going to be? What would happen during it? Who would die? Because let’s face it, if you’ve read the synopsis, you know someone is likely going to die. But the plot is executed in a manner that just blew me away. Part of that plot involves racism and classism, so be aware of that.

The writing style is awesome. Fast paced, easy to read, not too dry and not too flowery. This was exactly what a thriller version of The Hunger Games/Squid Games should be. I wouldn’t change a thing about Joelle Wellington’s writing style.

Now let’s discuss the ending. It was brilliant. I never would have seen it coming and but it is completely understandable. But who all lives and who all dies? Well, I’m not going to tell you that. But you’ll be surprised at who lives… because some of them you wouldn’t expect to make it.

If you’re looking for a YA Mystery/Thriller that borders on horror[mfn]Personally, I would classify this as horror.[/mfn], I highly suggest Their Vicious Games. This was a thrilling 5 star read and one that I hope to reread.

As a note – I’d love a “prequel” to this – perhaps the story behind it actually being started by the Remington ancestor who founded The Finish? I mean, I’d love to know if The Finish we read about in Their Vicious Games was The Finish the founder intended.

Blood Kings by Shade Owens

Published on 07/02/202312/31/2024 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Blood Kings by Shade Owens
Series: Blood Kings #1
Published by Red Raven Publishing on 04/18/2023
Genres: Dystopian, Horror, Science Fiction, Thrillers
Pages: 343
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound
Goodreads

Stranded. No prison guards. Kill or be killed.

After being wrongly convicted of murder, eighteen-year-old Leo Hart is sentenced to serve time in the worst place imaginable—Krimos Islands. This cluster of penal islands is said to be reserved for the most heinous of convicts. Murderers. Sociopaths. Wicked men capable of taking a life without a second thought. And Leo is anything but wicked. He’s soft—too soft, according to his brother. He’ll never survive. But when Leo discovers that part of Krimos Islands is inhabited by a society of men searching to atone for past mistakes, he knows this is his only shot at survival. The only problem is, getting there is nearly impossible. Leo will have to travel across gang territory just to reach the next island, which is said to be even more dangerous than the one he started on. Whether he reaches his destination will depend on who he trusts, and how much of his humanity he’s willing to shed.

Content Warning: Blood, Gore, Murder, Drug Use, Death

I love when a book moves through several genres and Blood Kings does that and does it well. As I read through the book, the dystopian vibes became very clear – the manner in which life-sentence prisoners are dealt with is very dystopian in nature. Then you have the horror, which is readily apparent in the way people are treating each other on these islands.

I like Leo – he’s the kind of character that you want to root for. You want him to find a way out of the predicament he’s found himself in. You want him to get away, to win. Even if you haven’t got a clue what he’s actually winning if he does win… you want him to win. I also enjoy Niles. He’s a great “best friend” for Leo. Even though it seems like Leo cares more about Niles than Niles does about Leo, I’m certain that Niles cares just as much as Leo.

The plot for this book is a more unique twist on dystopian horror. Life sentence prisoners are exiled to the Krimos Islands where they are expected to live out their days however they can. It is unclear how long these prisoners have been sent to the islands, but it is long enough that prisoners have established settlements, gangs, etc. on the islands. It’s great plot and I really enjoyed it.

The writing is easy to follow and fairly quick to read. It took me a few days to read this book, but that was more because I had other things I had to do instead of reading like I wanted to. Still, I don’t think it took more than 3 days to read.

The ending is sort of a cliffhanger. Not an “Oh crap!” cliffhanger, but more of a “darn it, the book is over but I need more” cliffhanger. It is the first book in a series though, so we’ll get to find out what happens to our favorite characters. I gave it 4/5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes dystopian horror thriller books.

You Won’t Believe Me by Cyn Balog

Published on 06/26/202312/31/2024 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

You Won't Believe Me by Cyn Balog
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on 06/27/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Dystopian, Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Psychological
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley

Brace yourself for the unexpected in this chilling novel that will thrill suspense and horror readers alike! Willow can't remember what landed her in captivity, but she'll do anything to survive. For fans of Natasha Preston and Stephen King.

Willow is alone, confined to a bed with restraints. She can't remember how she got there...or how long she's been there.

An old lady appears in her room to feed her twice a day. Granny doesn't talk, but Willow can hear thumping from somewhere beyond her door. It's not Granny's shuffling steps. It's too loud to be Granny's cat. Is it someone? Something?

Then Granny's cat dies in Willow's room. And Granny follows a few days later. Willow will do anything to survive. But freeing herself from her bed is only the beginning... Because there is someone else in the house. Who is this mysterious teen who calls himself Elijah? And is he the reason she's hostage or the key to her escape?

Don't miss these other gripping novels from Cyn Balog:

Alone

That Night

Unnatural Deeds

You Won’t Believe Me by Cyn Balog was a ride from beginning to end. A fast paced Young Adult novel that is part thriller, part horror, and all awesome.

You really only get to know two characters, Willow and Elijah. You get to know them, sort of. By the end of the book you won’t know what about them is real or isn’t. But that’s the beauty of the story. You just don’t know because you won’t know what to believe. Just as you think you know who these two are and what they are, a twist pops up and you’re back to square one with them. Brilliant.

This is one of the most unique plots I’ve seen in a long time. You start out thinking something is horribly wrong but don’t know exactly what, then find out there was some sort of zombie apocalypse, but then a twist blows everything you’d discovered out of the water. It’s a brilliant plot and I was entranced by it for the entirety of the book.

The writing was simply awesome. It was easy to read, easy to follow, and it didn’t drag. Sure, some might find some of the descriptive areas to be boring or unnecessary, but the fact of the matter is, the descriptive areas serve a purpose that will be revealed when it is time. I read the book in a matter of hours – I think around 4 hours, maybe 5 – because I couldn’t put it down.

The ending is absolutely amazing. You’ll never see the ending coming. I was so startled when I finished this book because I just never thought that what Elijah says is true… trust me when I say, the title is apt.

I gave this book 4.5 stars because it’s a beautifully written story that gives off dystopian and zombie apocalypse vibes with a huge twist at the end that knocks you out of your chair.

The Wicked Unseen by Gigi Griffis

Published on 06/22/202312/31/2024 by Charli

Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours blog tour for The Wicked Unseen by Gigi Griffis, and I’m bringing you a review of the book. I’d actually already requested & been approved for this book through NetGalley prior to joining the tour, but hadn’t gotten around to reading it yet. I wish I’d read it sooner.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

The Wicked Unseen by Gigi Griffis
Published by Random House Children's Books on 06/20/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / Mystery
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound
Goodreads

The new girl in town is having trouble fitting into a community that believes there’s a secret Satanic cult conducting rituals in the woods. When her crush goes missing, she starts to wonder if the town’s obsession with evil isn’t covering up something far worse. Perfect for fans of Fear Street!

To say sixteen-year-old Audre doesn’t fit in would be the understatement of the century. She’s a city kid who’s found herself in a rural town. The only girl at school who’d rather kiss a girl than a boy. Not to mention that the whole town believes there’s a secret Satanic cult conducting rituals in the nearby woods–and Audre is a born skeptic.

When the preacher’s daughter and Audre’s secret crush, Elle, goes missing on Halloween weekend, the town is quick to point fingers–in Audre’s direction. While they harass Audre’s family for being newcomers and nonbelievers, Audre realizes she might be the only person here who can find her friend.

The deeper she goes, though, the weirder it gets. What happened to Elle–and is the evil this town is hiding really what Audre thinks it is?

Content Warning: satanic cult, racism, sexism, police brutality and mistreatment, abuse from religious officials

If you have religious trauma, this may not be the book for you. If you are a believer, this book may tick you off or it could cause you to take a long look in the mirror. This book is a work of fiction, but it rings of some horrible truths – truths I’ve experienced in my own life.

There are things that happen in this book that sound fantastical, like they couldn’t be real. But there are versions of these things that are, in fact, real. In fact, the author has a note at the end of the book to give the reader insight into what is and isn’t real.

With the exception of Audre’s sexual orientation, she could be me. I don’t believe the way that others do. I listen to “devil music” and I’m sarcastic and spooky. As you can tell, I love her.

I’m also very fond of Elle. She couldn’t be more different from me, but she questions what she’s told when others say they know God’s will for her. I like that about her.

I like that David is a Christian but that he is one of the ones who knows that zealots like those in this book are a problem.

The plot for this book drew me in and kept me wanting to read. In fact, I started the book at 2pm and finished at 9:30pm the same night… I just paused to run to the grocery store and have dinner. It’s a great story, fast paced and easy to follow.

The twists that come up aren’t ones you’ll see coming. In fact a major twist that happened never once occurred to me until it happened. That’s a sign of a great horror book.

I gave this book four stars because it was a great read and a great ride from beginning to end. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a YA horror novel.

I Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen

Published on 06/21/202312/31/2024 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

I Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen
Published by Thomas & Mercer on 11/15/2022
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 286
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound

Revenge, justice, or closure? Family crimes can't be hidden forever in this provocative novel of suspense by #1 New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen.

Violet knows that time is a futile healer. When she thinks of her happily married grandfather--a predator lovingly referred to as Papa--the feelings of rage and betrayal still swell. Her younger sister, Lily, just discovered the numbing truth about him. Their mother, Rose? She can't believe it. Not Papa. Leave it alone, Violet. Focus on the now.

When Papa suffers a sudden, and suspicious, fatal heart attack at Violet's wedding, she can barely conceal her joy. Maybe the fellow survivor at her support group is right: moving on is possible only when monsters are removed from society permanently. Violet is focusing on the now. Even if doing so calls for extremes.

For herself, and for the sake of other victims like her, Violet is reclaiming the power stolen from her as a child. Predator by predator, she's coming for them. It's intoxicating. It's liberating. But the secrets she now keeps, and the lies she must tell, come with a price.

Content Warning: Sexual abuse, rape, molestation, pedophilia, murder, gore, self-harm (not a complete list)

Have you ever read a book, really loved it, and just really disliked pretty much all of the characters in the book? That’s how I felt about I Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen. I loved the book, loved the premise of the book, but really didn’t like the characters.

Violet and Lily were just irksome to me. Violet’s holier-than-thou attitude and Lily just basically doing her best to ignore everything that was going on just annoyed the daylights out of me.

I understood Rose and her mother’s dynamic because I lived through that time when you didn’t speak of things like sexual assault/molestation – even though we got the talks about “if someone touches you inappropriately, tell someone”, no one really did… it just wasn’t something you did. So I totally understand Rose and her mother’s dynamic in that respect.

So if I didn’t like the characters, what kept me reading the book? The plot. The things that were going on with Violet, the things she was doing. The things that were alluded to in regards to her grandfather’s death. The possible plot twists, which came and did not disappoint. That’s what kept me reading this book.

I’m not going to say much else about it. The plot alone was worth 4 stars. If I’d liked the characters, I might have given it 5 stars.

Oh… and I made a playlist of some songs you might want to listen to while reading… You’ll understand some of the choices when you read the book.

About Gregg Olsen

New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Olsen has appeared on Dateline, 48 Hours, Deadly Women, Good Morning America, The Early Show, Today, Entertainment Tonight, among others. The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington's Secretary of State for its contribution to the state’s history and culture. Envy was the state’s selection for the National Book Festival. The Boy She Left Behind was a finalist for the International Thriller Writer’s, Thriller Award. If You Tell was Amazon’s bestselling ebook in 2020.

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