I WAS INVITED TO THE EVENT, and I bloody well freaked out. The atmosphere was eerie and spooky, and the characters saw shadows in every corner. Author Sarah Denzil had nailed the ghost story making a shiver go down my back. Or did someone walk over a grave or two?

5 influences invited to the Event at the Sfântul Mihail, a monetized reality show where they would talk live to their followers among other tasks. Cath was one of them. This was her tale as captured live from the place where the nuns had died decades ago, drained of their blood. So the story went. Sounded scary, didn't it?

Oh my! Sarah had done a fantastic job bringing her characters to life. Their idiosyncrasies, their flawed nature, their ways to manipulate their followers, each was right on point. It was the beginning of a horror fiesta. Add to it, cold drafts and evil vibes, a wolf or two and the plot turned wicked. I read the book slowly, savoring it as the pages turned to reveal a fear so deep that it couldn't be assuaged.

The story took some turns; none of them was expected. I couldn't even begin to predict where the author would take her plotline. I could only liken it to entering a foggy abyss where I couldn't see beyond my hand.

This was a detailed prose where every nuance, big and small was emphasized. Each character made the other jumpy, and it was fun to see their reactions. The author sure had a wicked mind to show the darker shades of human. Did that make them inhuman. Go figure, rather read the book.

A dark read with some nuanced writing about flawed character, set in the Carpathian Mountains, this book was a complete spooky thriller. Yet not a horror.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A mysterious invitation is sent out to several social media influencers to attend “The Event”, a retreat in Romania inside a creepy old monastery with an ominous history. After strange things begin to happen and followers of the live stream start warning the influencers about shadows they see on the camera feed, things take a turn for the worse. A very interesting premise with a twisty conclusion and some genuinely scary moments. 4 stars.

I expected to be spooked by this, but it felt very predictable to me. I thought it was an overall interesting premise, but played out like a cliché. I also don't appreciate the use of Cath's mental illness as a plot point in the way that it was - it's dehumanizing to those that experience mental illness.

I really enjoyed this book, it was different than this author's typical stories as it has a twist of the supernatural. The main character is a writer named Cath, who along with 3 other social media influencers have been invited to The Event, a live streaming happening in the Carpathian Mountains. The Event is hosted by Irene Jobert, one of the most famous influencers, and they are staying in an isolated mountaintop former monastery for nuns called Sfântul Mihail. It has a reputation for being cursed and haunted, as all of the nuns save one were killed one night many years ago. Now it's rumored that the victims walk the halls as ghostly forms, or perhaps even as Strigoi - vampires. It's a great location for this occasion and will doubtless bring much publicity, but exactly how much truth is there to the local legends?

The interactions between the influencers is what you'd expect from 5 very different people being paid for the quality and amount of content they upload,. The drama between them is never ending for the viewers at home. They argue and bicker, get drunk and party, but no one is without reservations about the mysterious vibes of the monastery and the eerie happenings. They wear body cameras wherever they go and often find out afterwards that strange visions appeared, or that everyone's cameras went out at the same time. The spookiness starts wearing on everyone and when they hear a severe snow storm is coming their way, they have to decide if fame and fortune is worth never being seen again..

As a fan of Romanian folklore and the Transylvanian legends, I was so excited that this was the setting for the story. It brings an old world atmosphere that's quite at odds with the twenty-first century nature of the round the clock live streaming and viewer interactions. Much of the suspense involves the strange happenings and trying to figure out if there's an earthly explanation for what's going on or not. On top of that, Cath suffers from a mental health condition that can make the line between real and unreal blur into a murky haze. It's a creepy tale that will have you reading with the light on, just in case.

As always with Sarah Denzil, this book was very well written. A great and really scary story. Perfect. A creepy old scholl horror story xx

You Are Invited is a ghost story about five characters living in a haunted monastery where they are live-streaming for millions of viewers. Cath having fewer followers than the others doesn’t understand why she was invited. After all she is a writer not a social media sensationalist.
During the night of her arrival a Dracula Event is taking place giving a dark ominous setting to this ghostly legend. The legend of cursed nuns in this monastery draws tourists from all over the world. Not that long ago a company came and renovated the monastery in hopes of drawing more tourists for the gothic haunted experience.
Nestled in the isolated Carpathian Mountains lies a monastery known as Sfântul Mihail where The Event was taking place. A group of five social media individuals were invited for a live-streaming event where subscribers can watch the show and interact with the cast using chat platforms.

Overall:
Sarah A. Denzil is a British suspense writer. Her subtle use of the British words were limited in this book. I appreciate the limited use as it allows for the story to flow naturally without getting hung up on dialect.
It’s certainly a clever and original ghost story. The concept of live-streaming the five characters lives inside the monastery was interesting. Sarah tells a compelling ghost story. She factored in all the cliched factors leading to a scary haunting. She set the stage with all the essential instruments fully preparing her readers for a spectacular experience.
This was very thought provoking. Sarah mentioned every possible scenario my mind could conjure to dispute the haunting of ghosts. I looked for ways to pick apart the characters, the viewers, and the disturbances. She covered all her bases and provided logical explanations.
The story follows five characters, but the primary character is Cath. It’s written from her perspective. When she interacts with the other four characters it’s from her perspective.

Break out the Ouija board and call me spooked. Nothing creeps me out more than calling spirits on Halloween night. Unless your doing a seance of Bloody Mary in the mirror.

Everything has a meaning and a purpose: the five characters, the monastery, The Event, the subscribers, and the location; all these components worked seamlessly together. Every part of the story transitioned into a sensational experience.

This book is the perfect blend of mystery, thriller and the supernatural. I enjoyed this book a lot. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

Four social media stars are chosen to spend time living in an old monastery Called Sfantul Mihail, situated in the Carpathian Mountains. This “Event” would be live streamed and the participants would have to interact with their fans to earn donations. The whole thing is a bit like the show Big Brother.

Beautiful and popular Irene is the leader of the group. The narrator of the story is the shy and withdrawn writer Cath who also suffers from schizophrenia.

The characters in the story are very well drawn out. None of them seemed superficial to me. They all seemed like compelling and complex Individuals.

Early on we are told about the extremely creepy and horrific incident that took place in the monastery in the distant past. All the nuns living there were found brutally murdered. Rumors abound that there is a presence of Strigoi (vampires) In the old monastery.

As the live streaming event unfolds, the participants notice eerie happenings and they’re rightfully creeped out. People watching online see human like shadows lurking in the dark as well.

Dark secrets are unveiled and things start to go downhill from there. We learn that on social media, everyone is not who they pretend to be.

The merging of the supernatural and real life horrors kept me hooked to this book. A perfect mystery for the contemporary social media crazed generation.

I would recommend this book for all horror, mystery and thriller fans.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader’s copy for an honest review.

Picture Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House set in the internet age of influencers and online tip jars. Set in the ruins of a nunnery in the mountains of Romania, You Are Invited does homage to the classic that came before it. A lonely young woman who was made insecure by a emotionally sadistic mother. Strangers who come together in an remote ruin where odd and unexplainable things happen. Is it mental illness or do evil spirits exist? All of this was found in The Haunting of Hill House.

Ms. Denzil, the author takes the bones of the classic and then makes them her own. Once Cath, the protagonist, arrives at the nunnery, a new fright happens on almost every page. Wolves that may or may not be supernatural prowl the grounds. A dark shape that may or may not be benign stalks Cath. The other members of the party may be your friends or they may be lying and playing tricks. Cath was damaged by her mother but is trying to find a way out, different than the damaged young woman in Hill House that ended up staying the only way she knew how.

The taxi ride to the nunnery seemed a little long, but once she got there the story was a real page turner. I read the book all through the night and the sun was coming up when I finished it. I enjoyed it and hope to read more books by Ms. Denzil in the future. Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A classic locked room mystery updated for the digital age. Five influencers, a secluded retreat, their only connection to the world is a livestream until a sinister figure emerges...harrowingly cleaver. I would highly recommend this read. Each page adds a sinister layer tension to a clever premise that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Cath has been invited to The Event, a retreat for social media influencers hidden deep in the Carpathian Mountains. One of only five people invited, she will be staying in an old monastery. Every moment Cath and her fellow influencers are onsite, their every movement will be streamed live to viewers all over the world. That’s creepy enough, but something else is lurking in the halls of the old monastery. This is a really creepy read, combining the supernatural and mental illness to great effect

The world of social media to me is daunting and as a blogger just returned from a four year hiatus I can see the blogosphere has changed in those years and some of it I don’t like. Influencers rule the roost and they have the power, sorry the influence to sell millions but at what cost?

You Are Invited caught my eye because reading through the lines of the synopsis it sounded like Big Brother with wolves and vampires in a haunted monastery in Romania. Sold, where do I sign up?

Naturally there is more to it than that, a retreat has been set up in the Carpathian Mountains, an exclusive event that is invite only, hosted by über influencer Irene, a cancer survivor, model and all round amazing human. She is joined by four others, Dan the fitness guru, Jules the blogger, Nathan the gamer and our protagonist Cath the writer, all young twenty somethings.

They will be staying for four weeks in a refurbished monastery, the building has a bloody past, one that Cath is haunted by. Every move they make (with the exception of bedrooms/bathrooms) will be streamed to their adoring public, they are at their subscribers beck and call 24 hours a day and the more they do, the more they get paid as the whole event is monetised.

Sounds easy right, enjoy a peaceful break, make new friends, soak up the scenery, talk to subscribers, earn some money and in Cath’s case try to fit in. She struggles, not only because of the whole situation she finds herself in but she has Schizophrenia which she takes daily medication for.

She finds her medication taken one day and from then on things starts to unravel. Not just for Cath but for them all, they are complete strangers in a remote setting, surrounded by bloody history and maybe something else, when their subscribers mention a sixth person in their videos things start to go south. Are they alone?

I really enjoyed this books because the setting is well described, the dark mountains, the forests where wolves still prowl, the superstitions that make the locals nervous and the monastery itself sounds wonderful imposing. The characters especially Irene are perfectly described, I can just picture her with a duck face pout on Instagram with a blue sea and golden beach behind her.

My knowledge of Schizophrenia is limited, the character of Cath and her mental health is dealt with in a way that you feel her confusion in wondering what is real and what is not, she struggles immensely but unlike the others she has a very loyal fan base who look out for her and are genuinely worried for her.

You Are Invited is a look at the darker side of social media influencers, what they are willing to do to be the best. Who they are willing to destroy and who they are willing to betray.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this creep. It had some spectacularly creepy moments, a sense of unease and tension and the characters were good.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my review.