Member Reviews
I started this book thinking I had it all figured out, and wow, was I thrilled to learn that wasn't the case at all. This is definitely more of a mystery than a straight-up horror (I wouldn't have minded either; I like a good spooky book). The way the characters and plotlines merged together at the end, connecting seemingly unrelated threads, kept me guessing until the last second. Highly recommended!
This book brought me chills! Fantastically written & easy to read. I was hooked until the last sentence. Sad because it was over but so satisfied with the book.
Miller does a masterful job of building suspense and keeping the reader engaged. She also creates a cast of characters who are complex and believable. Alex is a particularly well-developed protagonist. She is strong, resourceful, and flawed, and her journey is one that readers will root for.
The book is also notable for its exploration of trauma and the long-term effects it can have on a person. Alex's secret has had a profound impact on her life, and she is constantly struggling to cope with the trauma of her past. Miller does a sensitive and realistic portrayal of Alex's journey, and she shows how trauma can shape a person's identity and relationships.
Overall, Don't Tell a Soul is a well-written and suspenseful thriller that is sure to stay with readers long after they finish reading it. It is a must-read for fans of thrillers, psychological suspense, and stories about trauma.
"Don't Tell a Soul" by Kirsten Miller is a modern-day suspenseful tale that weaves together elements of mystery and haunted history. The story follows Bram as she seeks refuge in the eerie town of Louth, only to find herself entangled in the web of dark secrets that have plagued the place for generations. The atmosphere is undeniably chilling, with the old mansion and its haunting past serving as a backdrop to the town's unsettling residents.
Miller's writing effectively captures the sense of foreboding and the lurking mysteries, making the reader feel the weight of the cursed house and the ominous legends of the Dead Girls. Bram's journey to uncover the truth about the town and her own past is engaging, and the sense of unease is palpable throughout.
While the premise is compelling, the pacing occasionally falters, with some parts feeling drawn-out, and others rushed. Additionally, certain character motivations and developments could have been further explored to enhance the depth of the story. While the climax delivers on suspense, the resolution feels a bit rushed, leaving some lingering questions unanswered.
Despite these drawbacks, "Don't Tell a Soul" successfully delivers a suspenseful and atmospheric read, perfect for fans of mysteries with a touch of the supernatural. Kirsten Miller skillfully creates an unsettling ambiance that keeps the pages turning, even if the execution occasionally falls short of its full potential.
I'm not as big of a YA fan anymore but Don't Tell a Soul surprised me! I enjoyed the writing and the plot definitely kept me reading until the final page.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.
Creepy but good. I enjoyed this book very much. Bram was a very interesting character and I did enjoy her. I enjoyed the spooky vibe I got when I read the book. The book made me want to come back and read more. The story was good and I enjoyed the feeling I got while reading this book. I kept wanting to look over my shoulder. I love the mystery. This book was very good. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*
I've never read a book by author and I should have not read after all. I feel like this one was to be a mystery but it's too predictable.
This was a fun and creepy new YA novel! I love that more horror themed YA books are coming out - and Kirsten Miller did a great job on this one.
Creepy and wonderful. This was exactly what I was looking for. Love the genre, and this was brilliantly done.
This is one of those books that I picked up and put down about a dozen times before I finally plowed through the whole thing, and boy was I glad I did. While the story has a slow start, and takes a path that was not all that interesting to me, the ending was so satisfying that for me, it more than made up for the flatness of the beginning. This is arguably one of the best YA thrillers I've read in a long time.
This one was just ugh. It was full of plot holes and just well kind of boring. I didn't really like any of the characters and the story was just very slow. This one for me was just a mess of a story. I didn't like it at all. I think it might find its audience but it just wasn't me.
Not a bad story-line. The book starts off slow but eventually ramps up and has good pacing. This is an enjoyable read.
If you read a lot of suspense thrillers this may feel a bit predictable at times. I find it did not detract from the story because the characters are well developed and likeable. Overall a fun read with a few twists and turns to keep you engaged in the story.
This was a fun, but average young adult ghost story. I liked it well enough, however U thought it definitely read pretty cliché with all the plot twists. I liked our main character fine enough, though it just felt like I was reading the same story Ive read before. Maybe this would be a good start for a person who wants to start reading young adult horror.
This book brought me chills! Fantastically written & easy to read. I was hooked until the last sentence. Sad because it was over but so satisfied with the book.
What a great suspense novel!! I’m starting to learn that spooky houses are a trope I’m here for in horror/thriller novels. This one was awesome, with multiple layers that had me guessing til the end.
Louth is a town with a history. And the Louth Manor is no different. After a terrible year, Bram has gone to Louth to live with her once beloved but now estranged uncle. As she deals with the ghosts in the house and the ghosts around town, Bram is forced to face her own ghosts. This tale is thrilling, chilling, and immersive.
I haven't read a good mystery-horror book in a while, and this was exactly what I needed.
After not being allowed to return to Manhatten by her mother following a scandal she was involved in, Bram decides to stay with her uncle James, in his manor in Louth, a small town, where girls are known to have gone missing. Bram isn't scared of ghosts, but there's no denying that foul play's at work, and as she uncovers more of the truth behind the disappearances, it's clear that Bram herself is in danger as well.
The book was, admittedly, quite slow to get into at first. I wasn't completely taken by the premise of the novel, but found that the cover was interesting enough to grab my attention and give the book a chance.
One of my biggest pet peeves is the not-like-other-girls trope. I find it irritating and demeaning, and usually end up disliking characters who are built around the trope. Bram, at first, seemed to be this way, and I was worried that even if the book was good, I wouldn't like it because of the main character. Things, however, got better, and Bram's character grew as well.
The plot was convoluted, to say the least, but that's what really kept me interested. Reveals are made and lies are exposed. There were a fair number of plot twists, some of which were easily built up, while others were absolutely unpredictable. You can't really trust what anyone is saying, least of all what other people are saying about them, because at its heart, this book is a mystery, with some thriller and paranormal aspects thrown in as well. It all makes for an interesting experience.
A problem that plagued most of the first quarter of the book was probably all of the info-dumps. Things are described in such painstaking detail that it slows down the plot and made it quite hard for me to get into. However, as the plot starts to pick up the pace, the info-dumps (mostly) go away.
Overall, this book expressed a lot of important themes alongside its entertaining and suspenseful narrative. I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a good YA mystery novel with likeable characters and an enjoyable plot, as it was much better than I was expecting it to be.
I really enjoyed this read! The mood/vibe was everything I want in a ya horror novel. I appreciated the feminist undertones and discussion of gaslighting females who have been taken advantage of by males in powerful positions. The only reason it's not a five-star read for me is that some of the dialogue felt a little bit cliche/cheesy.
I really really enjoyed this book. I loved that everything was intertwined and I never quite knew what was connected until the very end.
I was expecting something a tad bit creepier based off of the cover but the story was still very good. Bram(love her name) was a very unique and interesting character who had some hard stuff happen in her life. The "ghost" aspect of the book was pretty cool and having that lead up to a mystery that Bram needed to solve was a great plot point.
Side note: I wanted to smack Brams mother so hard.