Horror Hotel, by Victoria Fulton & Faith McClaren

 Savvy's Reviews

Not sure you want to dig into that new book? Let Savvy do the hard work for you! Here's her latest review!

 

 

Horror Hotel by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren

 

When the YouTube-famous Ghost Gang—Chrissy, Chase, Emma, and Kiki—visit a haunted LA hotel notorious for tragedy to secretly film after dark, they expect it to be just like their previous paranormal hauntings. Spooky enough to attract subscribers—and ultimately harmless.

 

But when they stumble upon something unexpected in the former room of a gruesome serial killer, they quickly realize that they’re in over their heads.

 

Sometimes, it’s the dead who need our help—and the living we should fear.

 

Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it. - GoodReads.com

 

If you’re a big fan of true crime, the paranormal, or anything in the world of eerie tales… you know the name… Elisa Lam. And if you are at all fascinated by the mysterious case of Elisa Lam… You. Need. To. Read. This. Book. 

 

When I first read the description for this book I knew immediately that it was taking influence from the Elisa Lam case. So I grabbed a copy from Netgalley and was set to defend Elisa Lam’s memory… but I didn’t have to do that because the dedication page of this book reads: “For Elisa Lam and for anyone who feels like just a flicker in the universe.” And with that… I didn’t set this book down until I was done. The cover alone is thrilling and really, really cool. 

 

Horror Hotel, following a group of young YouTubers, is a perfect blend of new aged tech references without being annoying. This book succeeds at a blend of technology where others have drastically failed. 

 

One character is of the paranormal realm meaning she can see ghosts which is of course a huge draw to their YouTube channel. I was worried this would be blown out in the storyline but it was also well done and presented in a way that didn’t dominate the entire character. 

 

This book is spooky, creepy, chilling and a little romantic. Okay okay. A lot of romance. Call it romantic horror based on true crime… I’m IN. 

 

 

Savvy B. is an avid Young Adult fiction superfan. 

Savvy's Reviews will be archived here, so you can catch up on all her thoughts on her latest reads.

House of Hollow, by Krystal Sutherland

 Savvy's Reviews

Not sure you want to dig into that new book? Let Savvy do the hard work for you! Here's her latest review!

 

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

 

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.

 

Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.

 

As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.

 

The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years. - GoodReads.com

 

The best way to describe this book would have to be a slow burning fire that infects the brain and keeps you hooked long after you put it down. This is an urban Grimm fairy tale set inside a nightmare. 

 

“My sisters. My blood. My skin. What a gruesome bond we shared.”

 

If you’ve read my reviews before you’ll know that I, of course, love horror but hate the slow burn thriller. Think of something like Haunting of Hill House or Haunting of Bly Manor… you’re terrified you’re going to see something horrific the whole time but eventually you start to let your guard down. Just when you do… Here comes the jump scare. 

 

For me this book was less about jump scares and more about grisly imagery. The girls themselves have literal flowers that will sprout out of any cut or bleed in their skin… It sounds beautiful and really fits in with my horror aesthetic but it’s not exactly a comfy thought. 

 

“I am the thing in the dark.”

What I loved about this book was how empowered each of the sisters were, especially Grey, the oldest sister, who has made the best of the circumstances at hand. I also loved the intense bond of sisterhood. That sort of twin telepathy that you have with someone you love where you always know when something is wrong even if you’re not together. 

 

I did have to put this book down right towards the end and come back to it because I seriously just didn’t see where the end could possibly be going… But that’s that jump scare we talked about. As soon as I picked it back up the twist began. It kind of wrapped up like “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart except I know I actually did like this book. (I still have mixed feelings about WWL…)

 

So I’ll tell you this: If you read this book… be committed to seeing it through to the end because it will all make sense and it will all be worth it. I really did enjoy reading this book even if I had to revisit it later. 

 

For fans of “Here There Are Monsters” by Amelinda Berube and “Bone Gap” by Laura Ruby.

Savvy B. is an avid Young Adult fiction superfan. 

Savvy's Reviews will be archived here, so you can catch up on all her thoughts on her latest reads.

Horrid, by Katrina Leno

Savvy's Reviews

Not sure you want to dig into that new book? Let Savvy do the hard work for you! Here's her latest review!

 

Horrid by Katrina Leno 

 

Following her father's death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor's doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone...and more tormented.

 

As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident "bad seed," struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane's mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won't reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the "storage room" her mom has kept locked isn't for storage at all — it's a little girl's bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears....

 

Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more...horrid? - GoodReads.com

 

That last line, “Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more…horrid?” is what really pulled me into this book. That and the cover fits my perfect YA horror aesthetic. (Have you seen my TikTok about that? You should follow us @RandolphCountyLib) Anyway… if that wasn’t enough to pull you in, the opening line should finish the job and hook you for the rest of it. 

 

“She couldn’t remember the first book she had eaten.” 

 

I mean come on… you’re telling me you wouldn’t want to see just what she meant and read a little further? 

 

I recently posted a picture on our Instagram (second shameless plug: @AsheboroLibraryTeenZone) asking Katrina Leno what she put in this one. I was literally eating this book alive, tearing through it more than other books I’ve been reading lately. I didn’t want to work. I didn’t want to sleep. All I wanted to do was read this book which seems to fit the theme… I see you Leno. I’m on to you! 

 

Let’s talk about the story structure. I don’t know how many times I’ve said that I am just not a fan of the slow burning horror genre. I just get bored. But I don’t know if I would call this a slow burn. Because even though the horror slowly crept up on me while reading this, it felt fast paced. The writing is just incredible. It felt so natural and all of the conversations just felt real. Bravo because sometimes that’s really hard to pull off in a YA novel. 

 

I didn’t even notice how long I had been reading this book for until suddenly I was on page 100 on the first pick up. Incredible. Darkly disturbing and nearly gothic, time passes differently while reading this one. 

 

This story covers two of my favorite combined topics: ghost horror hauntings and mental illness. And let me tell you… I still cannot wrap my head around this ending. But in the best way possible. This was one of those where the ending really snuck up on me. There was so much happening and then suddenly I only had two pages left and I couldn’t possibly see the ending in sight! I was worried this amazing novel was about to just drop off right at the end. I didn’t think there could be a second one in the works… but then suddenly… just as quickly as it started, it ended. 

 

And boy did it. I gasped. Reread the last two pages… gasped again. And then proceeded to stare at the wall for five minutes. Of course, I then texted all my friends and told them they needed to read this book. (I may or may not have put some of them on hold without them knowing lol surprise y’all!)  

 

I’ve been reading a lot of banger books lately and it’s super exciting. It’s going to be rather unfortunate when I finally hit one that breaks this streak of awesome writing. Overall this book was different from the others for a few reasons.

1. The writing was genuine and felt completely natural

2. The storyline was possibly predictable but that didn’t ruin the enjoyment of the book

3. The bumps-in-the-night were such normal “house settling noises” that I found myself questioning the noises in my own house. (We happen to have a ghost at our house and he made himself very known while I was home alone reading this book. He must have been reading over my shoulder because a few of the noises that I’m used to hearing were too perfectly timed with what I was reading.)

4. The ending is unlike any other I’ve read. It reads like a movie and ends like one too. I’d love to see this adapted one day.

 

Thank you Katrina Leno but the ending of this book had no reason going this hard but it did. This is a classic addition to the YA horror genre and I loved it. All I have to say to you Katrina Leno is: Secret de Polichinelle…? Bravo my friend… bravo.

 

Savvy B. is an avid Young Adult fiction superfan. 

Savvy's Reviews will be archived here, so you can catch up on all her thoughts on her latest reads.

Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds

 Savvy's Reviews

Not sure you want to dig into that new book? Let Savvy do the hard work for you! Here's her latest review!

 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Content Warning: Murder, gun violence

An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds’s fiercely stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother.

A cannon. A strap.
A piece. A biscuit.
A burner. A heater.
A chopper. A gat.
A hammer
A tool
for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.

And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.

Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, Long Way Down is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds. (GoodReads.com)

I’ve said it before, I’m not crazy about books written in verse style. I think you really have to have a purpose and do it right. This book is a prime example of the perfect narrative for a verse novel. Jason Reynolds is the perfect author to pull this kind of story off. Laurie Halse Anderson described it as “Genius storytelling that will bring you to your knees.” And I honestly agree. I was not expecting this novel to hit me as hard as it did in the feels. But there it is. 

We are seeing more and more YA novels written in this verse style and it’s growing in popularity as a genre and while some authors are not as well “versed” in the practice, (ha ha see what I did there?)... others are really changing the game and deserve some attention. Sometimes verse is the best way to get an important message across. 

Poetic, raw and unflinching is the best way to really dig at the core of a social justice message or a heart wrenching story. Verse could be the answer. I feel like we will be seeing a lot more of this genre really taking over the YA area of libraries and bookstores and, honestly, I’m okay with that. 
 

Savvy B. is an avid Young Adult fiction superfan. 

Savvy's Reviews will be archived here, so you can catch up on all her thoughts on her latest reads.

Killing November, by Adriana Mather

 Savvy's Reviews

Not sure you want to dig into that new book? Let Savvy do the hard work for you! Here's her latest review!

 

 

Killing November by Adriana Mather

Content Warning: Murder, Violence

 

It’s a school completely off the grid, hidden by dense forest and surrounded by traps. There’s no electricity, no internet, and an eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes include everything from Knife-Throwing and Poisons to the Art of Deception and Historical Analysis. And all of the students are children of the world’s most elite strategists—training to become assassins, counselors, spies, and master impersonators. 

 

Into this world walks November Adley, who quickly discovers that friends are few in a school where personal revelations are discouraged and competition is everything. When another student is murdered, all eyes turn to November, who must figure out exactly how she fits into the school’s bizarre strategy games before she is found guilty of the crime…or becomes the killer’s next victim. - GoodReads.com 

 

Murder. Mystery. Forbidden Romance. Dark Academia. What more could you want? This, to me, is a lot like Game of Thrones meets The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina… a little world building and a lot of dark themes and we are all here for it. November is a clueless girl thrust into a world she thought she knew nothing about. Turns out her father has been training her for this exact moment her whole life. Suddenly the knife throwing exercises and life or death hide and seek games she played with her parents as a child, make a lot more sense. 

 

I really enjoyed this book because it started off quickly and never lost it’s pace. It was full of action scenes and mysteries that had you looking behind every curtain. All in all it was a nice read and really got me pulled into the world. I’d definitely pick up the second one, “Hunting November”, if I got the chance.

 

Savvy B. is an avid Young Adult fiction superfan. 

Savvy's Reviews will be archived here, so you can catch up on all her thoughts on her latest reads.

The Black Flamingo, by Dean Atta

 Savvy's Reviews

Not sure you want to dig into that new book? Let Savvy do the hard work for you! Here's her latest review!

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta 

Content Warning: Sexual Assault, Drug Use, Alcohol Abuse

A boy comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen - then at university he finds his wings as a drag artist, The Black Flamingo. A bold story about the power of embracing your uniqueness. Sometimes, we need to take charge, to stand up wearing pink feathers - to show ourselves to the world in bold colour. - GoodReads.com

While prose and lyrical style writing is not always my favorite, I can really appreciate what this book stands for. The struggle of a young, mixed, gay boy in any country is a poetic struggle day after day and year after year. This book was such a gorgeous journey through the life of a young boy just trying to figure himself out and find his voice in a noisy world. 

This book can really speak to those who feel unheard and invisible. It’s a diary to those who feel hopeless and homeless, alone and lonely. “The Black Flamingo” is a story about as rare as its title is in the wild. A voice so rare deserves to be heard by everyone. This novel will join the ranks of many LGBTQAI+ novels that have won the Stonewall Book Award and changed the lives of those who have read it. 

“Correct those who say they knew before you did. That’s not how sexuality works, it’s yours to define. Remember you have the right to be proud. Remember you have the right to be you.”

Savvy B. is an avid Young Adult fiction superfan. 

Savvy's Reviews will be archived here, so you can catch up on all her thoughts on her latest reads.

Sadie, by Courtney Summers

 Savvy's Reviews

Not sure you want to dig into that new book? Let Savvy do the hard work for you! Here's her latest review!

Sadie by Courtney Summers

[Content Warning: Child abuse, sexual assault, murder, missing children]

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she's left behind. And an ending you won't be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page. - GoodReads.com

A flawlessly phenomenal full cast narration really gives this book the ultimate Murderino, true crime lover vibes. It really felt like I was listening to My Favorite Murder (which really is my favorite true crime podcast - not for the faint of heart mind you.) 

Not only do parts of it sound like a real podcast complete with filtered over-the-phone noises but there’s real ambiance noise fit in behind the scenes of interviews like you’re really sitting in a restaurant listening to true accounts about sightings of a missing girl. It’s really something else.  I felt like I was really listening to The Girls podcast or a movie and I kept wanting to look back at the screen hoping to see Taissa Farmiga looking for her sister’s murderer. 

Told in alternating interviews / podcast / narrative, this faux-true crime mystery is really captivating. I’ve never experienced a book the way I lived through this one. “Sadie” is a must listen but if you can’t listen to it, you absolutely have to read it. 

Some books are meant to be heard. This is one of them. “Sadie” is everything I never knew I wanted in an audiobook. This full cast audio instantly sent me into a tunnel vision binge. Courtney Summers is a genius. With a rare ending, this book really gives us a one of a kind experience with a one of a kind voice. 

Savvy B. is an avid Young Adult fiction superfan. 

Savvy's Reviews will be archived here, so you can catch up on all her thoughts on her latest reads.