This book was an absolute thrill ride! It definitely had some super creepy elements which I fully enjoyed. It really lives up to the Stranger Things vibe which is one of my favorite shows so this book had me hooked. I would say this story had a really good pace as you weren’t thrown information back to back, you had the opportunity to have it laid out to you as the characters did which was refreshing and not rushed. This was such a fun story!

As you all know, there’s only a handful of Mystery and Thriller books that I actually like. Where the Mystery is actually good in the end, it’s executed well, and the final, big revelation is written well. This was one of those.

It’s the summer of 1989 and four best friend are getting ready for the summer before their senior year of high school starts. All their plans however are disrupted when a plane crashes in their sleepy Pennsylvania hometown. This incident beings a series of events that changes life as they knew it- forever.

I’ll begin with the characters. All four of them- Gabe, Charlie, Kimberly and Sonya- are incredibly likable and interesting characters to follow. We see the book unfold from different, alternating point-of-views which makes it refreshing and not repetitive. (One of Us is Lying vibes, anyone?)

This book has a little bit of everything; Friendship, Love, Horror, Science Fiction, Paranormal, and fantastically written LGBTQ romance too. He gives subtle hints towards books written by Stephen King and Steven Spielberg while not relying on them solely.

I found the mystery EXTREMELY fascinating and as a horror/mystery fanatic, I’d say if you like Stranger Things, Karen McManus’s books and some other of the most popular horror mysteries, you’ll love this book!!

Too gory and dark for me. I didn't like all the different perspectives as I found it hard to follow because the characters weren't very distinct. Also there was some weird pro-police comments that I found weird and out of place. Could have gone harder on the government conspiracy aspect.

I received an e-arc from NetGalley for an honest review.
Dagger Hill is a great YA mystery set in 1989. I always find thrillers or horror stories set in the past intriguing. The lack of modern technology makes the story more interesting.

I loved the tone of this book. The characters were great as well and I loved that the main characters all had their own pov chapters. While I enjoyed the book, I was hoping for a little more thriller element. It’s more of a mystery than thriller.

This book follows a group of teenage friends after they survive a plan crashing right on top of them. As weird as that experience was, things get even weirder in their small town. One of their friends disappeared that day when a strange man clad in black and wearing a gas mask took her from the crash site. The army takes over and puts the town on lockdown. Then some of the townspeople start behaving violently. Can the teenagers find their missing friend and solve what’s happening to their town before it’s too late? You’ll have to read Dagger Hill to find out.

Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.

Best friends Gabe, Sonya, Charlie, and Kimberly are preparing for their last summer together before senior year. The four of them are about to graduate from their small Pennsylvania hometown and go their separate ways across the country to college. The group thinks leaving each other and unrequited romance; the normal things teenagers deal with- are their only problems. Come to soon find out, it’s the absolute least of their problems.

While on a picnic and in the middle of making a promise to always stick together no matter what happens in the future, an airplane crashes over them. The crash splits up the group and instantly wreaks havoc and chaos. Everyone is hurt and Kimberly goes missing. The group is left reeling with weird things happening and even more unanswered questions.

“The nightmare has to run its course”.

The group is under surveillance and tight control at the hospital and even once they’re let out. The town is plagued by eerie visions, nightmares, and cryptic messages. They realize something sinister is at play and someone may know more than they are letting on. Gabe, Charlie and Sonya quickly find out that they can’t trust the doctors, the army, and maybe not even their own parents.

“It knows your fear”.

Reminiscent of Strangers Things and Stephen King, Dagger Hill is one of the best young adult books I’ve read this year. Perfect for fans of different tastes in genres such as horror, science fiction, and a little bit of mystery. It is severely underrated and I encourage everyone to pick up a copy and make it their next read. The chapters are short and face paced. Some of the scenes are grossly disturbing and weird but so vivid. It can be a little creepy and may leave you watching the shadows for bugs and monsters. You can feel yourself immersed into the story, panicking with our characters and trying to figure out what is happening.

Friendship also reminds a prominent theme throughout the book. The group's wholesome friendship never waivers. Each other's safety is their priority no matter the circumstance.
“Even on the coldest days growing up, wherever we went, we always seemed to carry the sun around with us”.

Needless to say, I was hooked up until the very end. This would make an excellent movie and I can’t wait to see more from Devon Taylor in the future.

I think this is a book that would really do well as a miniseries or as a movie because some of the descriptions were so creepy that they would lend themselves well to visuals! Some of the writing gets bogged down in the middle (especially with the descriptions of what happened on Dagger Hill). It's a little paranormal, a little sci-fi, a little horror. Not bad!

This book starts off slower but evolves into a pretty interesting story. At first I wasn’t sure if I would like it but the writing style and the creepy atmosphere really drew me in.

The characters were all distinct enough to keep straight as the POV kept changing throughout the book. Each character had his/her own compelling arc and conflict but everything came together really nicely. I could see how the friend group was strong but also faced its challenges with the end of high school coming up and the daunting prospect of separating coming closer. Sonya was probably my favorite character of the group because I liked her determination, her smarts, and overall just related to her more. I think Gabe probably got the most page time and I liked his perspective as the sheriff’s son, and Charlie was a really fun and sympathetic character.

The setting was really cool! I loved that it was set in 1989; there were just enough little details in the book that helped drive that home, like the successful video rental store. The sleepy Pennsylvania town was a great setting because it felt remote enough to have all this weird sci-fi stuff happening but busy enough to provide variety throughout the scenes as the group travels to different houses, diners, and shops throughout the book. It had a populated enough feeling while still highlighting the creepy nature of the Bug Man with the woods and semi-deserted places. It was just perfect.

Like I said before, the book starts out pretty slow but picks up the pace by the middle of the book. There is quite a bit of action in the end of the book but none of it felt too convoluted to follow, which I think is sometimes the case with sci-fi action scenes. There is a bit of character development and changes in the group’s dynamic that help move things along nicely in this respect. The government involvement was a great addition to the plot and helped amp up the mysterious elements. I really enjoyed the suspicion surrounding the military presence and loved to dislike their team.

This is one of those books that’s hard to review without going into spoiler territory, so I’ll have to leave it here. The writing style is perfectly eerie and really complemented the sci-fi plot and setting. I would recommend reading this but be aware that it is more of a slow-burn plot than fast-paced action.

I was in the mood for something different, and DAGGER HILL delivered! Set in 1989, before everyone had a smartphone, four friends hang out during their summer before senior year, each dealing with different issues associated with coming of age, when the world as they know it comes crashing down around them in the form of a military plane. Before the plane crashes into Dagger Hill, the kids see someone parachuting out of it. And Gabe sees someone in a gas mask pick up and carry their injured friend, Kimberly, to safety. At least that’s what he thinks. Until the army begins to interview them and they realize something more is going on, and no one knows where Kimberly is. Or the man in the “bug” mask.

Plot
The story is gripping from early on and never lets go. The author uses a fun method for his storytelling — a combination of first person, newspaper articles, third-person, and interviews to bring his tale to life. It makes each chapter different from the last and helps reveal the information to the reader in a unique way. The plot unfolds at a steady pace with lots of twists and turns.

The Characters
The characters are awesome. Each of the main characters, Gabe, Sonya, Charlie, and Kimberly, are complex, with secrets, worries, and problems of their own as they try to hold onto childhood for one more summer. The adults, from Gabe’s police chief dad to Sonya’s scientist dad, to the army officials and doctors, are just as varied and complex as the main characters, making this more than just a plot driven tale.

Top Five Things I Loved About DAGGER HILL
1. Pacing. The story MOVES. But at the right pace. I stayed up late devouring the story but without becoming overwhelmed. It was perfect.

2. Setting. I love both the small town and the era it was set in. It feels modern, but without all the high-tech stuff that can interfere with a good thriller. Plus the music and movie references were a fun blast from the past.

3. Characters. While this is primarily a plot-driven tale, the character development is off-the-charts good and will stay with me for a long time.

4. Twists. So many good twists that left my jaw hanging open.

5. Storytelling. I love the way the author unfolds his tale using different techniques for a unique approach to a really unique story.

Bottom Line
Fabulous, fun, un-put-downable read!

Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Xpresso Tours for providing me with an advanced copy. This is no way shown in my review. You can see the other tour stops here!

~Rating~ ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The writing style and overall book gave me Iron Eagle (the movie) vibes, and that was all I needed to keep reading. Since Dagger Hill is set in the past there were references to the movies coming out in 1989 such as Back to the Future. If you liked this, I definitely recommend listening to The Eyes by Ethan Lex. The writing style is similar and they are both great mysteries!

Each character voice was very unique and hard to blend together. I loved the diversity in the main characters. I rooted for each character as they tried to carve the paths after the incident. Their different backgrounds and skin color makes it so everyone has someone to relate to.

The mystery was super twisty and I enjoyed the little details. The whole ‘suspicious government activities’ part reminds me of when I wanted to go meet the aliens in Area 51. There were so many important and fun things I never felt bored! I loved being transported to 1989! Overall, I definitely recommend for people who want to get into mysteries or people who already love them. I’ll definitely look out for more books by Devon Taylor.

Dagger Hill is a YA paranormal mystery, set at the end of the 80s, that follows four friends in a small town as their lives change forever one summer. What seems like a normal break before their senior year of high school turns into a horrifying disaster that will leave these friends fighting not only to stay together, but also for their lives.
This was a fun story. It's definitely got a Stranger Things vibe, and that's one thing that immediately drew me in. Plus, the cover is pretty great. And I've read the Soul Keepers series by the author and enjoyed those, so I was excited to dive into this one. I can't say I was disappointed.
The book starts off with a rather horrifying scene, and it just sort of spirals from there. After a plane crashes right on top of the four friends, things get weirder and weirder, escalating as time goes on, and if they don't figure out what is going on and stop it before it's too late, well...
I loved the nostalgia factor of the story as well. Even with all of the streaming services out there nowadays, there was just something special about going to a video rental store. There's one in the story, and it reminded me how much I miss those days of Blockbusters and the like. I grew up in a very small town in Pennsylvania, and we had a local video store that I loved frequenting. I remember plucking the tag from under the case of the VHS tape (and eventually the DVD) I wanted to rent, taking it up to the counter, and getting the case with the move tucked within to take home with me to enjoy. Ah, good times. I also hoarded movie posters from the video store (I'd ask for the ones they had displayed when they were done with them, and the employees always indulged my obsession).
If you're a fan of Stranger Things, young adult novels with paranormal/supernatural/horror elements, or just good books in general, give Dagger Hill a whirl.
4.5 stars!

What a killer premise for a book! Loved the group of friends, but having so many perspectives to keep up with flattened them a bit and made for a lot of repetition as we saw the same event from multiple perspectives or recapped events to other characters.

What a strange little book. A plane crashed into the regular hangout of four friends and brings with it a wild and weird adventure. I was immediately drawn to the cover of this one. I saw a gas mask and knew I needed to check it out. What I didn’t know is that the gas mask was attached a very mysterious presence(s) that would take over the town and make people behave in any number of abnormal ways. With the military in town trying desperately to cover something up, our three friends must work together to try and locate their missing fourth friend.

I don’t quite know what to say about Dagger Hill that won’t give away too much. There are elements of sci-fi, a teeny tiny bit of horror (but not really, it just gives you the same feelings), its suspenseful and mysterious. The characters are likeable and courageous. I’m still not sure I completely understand 100% of what happened, especially toward the end, but I did enjoy the read!

Dagger Hill was a super fun read-a-like for Stranger Things. While the Upside Down is not present in this novel, there is a plane crash, military cover up, creatures, and a centuries old mystery. I had a lot of fun reading this one.

The narration switches between four best friends on the summer between their junior and senior year. They decide early in the novel to have a picnic on Dagger Hill, a place on the outskirts of town where no one ever goes. Their parents don't want them hanging out there, for reasons like "you just shouldn't be there." Not especially a deterrent for four teenagers looking for a fun and isolated picnic spot.

Once they get there, though, bad things begin to happen. A plane falls out of the sky directly above them and crashes, and knocks all four of them out. One of the four, Kimberly, gets taken by a mysterious person or thing, and the three others are determined to find her. As they learn more about what is really going on, they get swept up in an ages-old mystery that has haunted their town for hundreds of years, leaving nobody they can trust except for each other.

This book was, like I said, a fun summer read. It wasn't as fast-paced as I would have liked it to be, but that may have been more about me and less about the book. I do wish there had been more differentiation between the teen narrators, and I often had to flip back to see who was talking. I think this is a book that will keep teens engaged and excited as they try to discover the mystery and what happened to Kimberly.

I thinks it was the year setting, 1989, that mostly grabbed my attention. I was 9 then so not quite the same age as these protagonist but old enough to remember certain pop cultures referred to in this novel so that was real fun! I'm usually not a horror fan either but while this was quite creepy, it wasn't that bad.

Dagger Hill reminded me a bit of Silent Hill (game) though on a very broad terms. I didn't watch or play the game; just saw bits & pieces of the game while hubby played. I guess it was more the supernatural creepy sort of feel of a small town. I stopped myself from reading the last 20% last night because I wanted to go to sleep feeling safe... 😅

I really like the friendship factor in this novel. As each character was struggling through feelings of sadness and even unspoken crushes, their friendship comes first and each other's safety. There wasn't that much romance in the story yet I still feel I could have done without what little there was.

The whole story felt very visual to me so I think this would probably do better as a movie because I got really confused at the final showdown about who's who! Dagger Hill was an enjoyable spine-tingling read which I'd recommend for those who likes being freaked out.

My thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for having me on this tour and  copy of ebook in exchange of honest review

Look at that freaking cover y'all! I spent the past few days devouring this genre meshing novel. If you're like me and a smidge on the obsessed side for Stranger Things than you will not want to miss the chaos that exists in these pages.

Part paranormal, part scifi and part nostalgic mystery and horror, Dagger Hill delivers a slow building plot told from alternating POVs. With well crafted thrills and atmospheric decadence alongside a crisply defined narrative. Definitely a novel I recommend for those looking for a new paranormal mystery to get lost in. PS: well done LGBTQ romance. Total tbr add for the upcoming fall season!

This was definitely a very creepy and strange storyline. I almost felt at first that it was more science fiction than paranormal. Still kind of feel that way. But in the way that you would think of Stranger Things. I definitely think this is a good book for anyone who enjoys that show. There’s a lot going on, and even some really good backstory, that in a way reminds me of the Fear Street movies that recently came out. While we got a lot of info spread out to us as the characters got it, there was so many more puzzle pieces added into our knowledge at the same time as the characters were getting it. All four of the main characters were well developed and had good story-lines. I kind of wish maybe we’d had a little more of an inkling about Kimberly’s little secret. I think if this was a tv show or movie, I can see how they would have given that to us, but maybe with a book it is harder without necessarily giving it all away up front. A really good thriller of a story, and I would love to see it as a tv show or movie!

To say that this one holds a few unexpected moments is an understatement.

Four friends vow to always find their way back to each other as they spend their last summer together before their last year in high school. When a storm rolls in during their get together on a hill, a plane comes out of nowhere and crashes right where they're standing. It's panic pure, and one of them is carried away by a masked survivor of the crash. When the three remaining friends wake up to find themselves in a hospital and under tight control, it's clear that something isn't right. And no one seems to know anything about the masked person who carried away their friend.

This one is a mix of science fiction, mystery, horror and paranormal. It's told from several points of view, and that works very well, since there is a lot going on and even more secrets behind those events. The beginning runs along a bit slow as the basis for each friend is, more or less, laid. It hopped around a bit too much for my taste as I didn't seem to really gain a connection to any of them before the weirdness sets in. Also, there are hints and bread crumbs in these first chapters, which weren't too hard to place. Still, it's definitely an intriguing, original read.

The science fiction elements fall in with a lovely dab between reality and imagination, making it hard to guess which direction the entire thing is really headed. And even this proves to be a surprise. The friends, as said, didn't gain enough depth for me to feel really connected to any of them, but that didn't hurt the plot as it twists and turns in sinister, unexpected or even strange directions. It's fun to try to guess where it's going, knowing that the outcome will still not be as expected. So, it's really intriguing on that front. It's definitely enjoying to read. I received a complimentary copy and found this one packed with tension.

Not much happens in the town of Windale, Pennsylvania, 1989. There are farms and the scientific agency TerraCorp. Four friends, Charlie, Gabe, Sonya and Kimberly are trying to savor their last summer together before senior year. As they picnic together on their favorite hangout spot, Dagger Hill, a plane that has taken off from TerraCorp crashes into the hill. They saw the pilot parachute out before the crash, but something else was in the plane and it took Kimberly with it. Something was unleashed on Dagger Hill that is affecting the residents of Windale. Gabe, Sonya and Charlie desperately try to find Kimberly and solve the mystery of Dagger Hill.

Dagger Hill is a young adult paranormal mystery that kept me guessing. Told from the alternating viewpoints of three of the teens, I was pulled into the suspense of the forces at play as well as having a great insight into Windale and the different views of the people who lived there. Each of the teens had a different background and economic situation and it was nice to see them have a meaningful relationship and truly care for each other. At times, the viewpoints overlapped and I felt like I was reading a bit of what I had just read. The setting of 1989 was not only nostalgic for me, but created a great atmosphere with emerging technology, but not a technologically savvy population. The mystery of Dagger Hill was well crafted as we learned little by little from different sources. The Bug Man kept me guessing as to what the force could be and its purpose, combined with the strange happenings at TerraCorp there was a perfect recipe for strange and malicious occurrences. I enjoyed watching Gabe, Charlie and Sonya band together to find Kimberly and figure out the purpose of the Bug Man. With an unexpected ending , Dagger Hill creates a perfect summer adventure.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

What an incredible YA horror title!
Being a PA resident, I could picture the town perfectly. A unique spin on what’s typically a Sci Fi concept, the switching perspectives helps the reader connect to each of the protagonists as they struggle to understand, deal with, and then defeat the “Big Bad”.

Review to come to blog/goodreads on August 16th when the tour comes to visit.

I received this book from the publisher/Xpresso Tour Hosts in exchange of an honest review.

I am always looking around for spooky and scary horror and I definitely got my fill with this AMAZING book! It was a bit of a slow start at first, getting to know the characters, the town, but quite soon things just went into a maelstrom of everything and I just couldn't, wouldn't put the book down. I am going to try to write a review but BOY I got so many feels about this epic book. It may be chaotic. Haha.

The author wrote this book so so good, I mean, at points it felt like I wasn't reading... I was actually there. With the plane crash, really, the time stood still for these kids but it felt the same way for me. It was as if I was on that clearing. Watching everything, helpless to do anything. There are many other scenes that had this and I just love it when authors are able to do this. It definitely doesn't always happen. It definitely made everything even scarier~

We have a group of friends as our MCs, but we also get to see some interludes in which we see some other characters. As the time goes on and things get more and more harried we see some more of the town people. I definitely loved those interludes and loved seeing how things got more and more scary in the town.
The main MCs, Gabe, Charlie, and Sonya, and in the beginning also Kimberley. I really liked them a lot, though, haha, I kept confusing Gabe and Charlie constantly. No clue why given that they were wildly different. One was a goofball and the other more serious. I loved Sonya especially as she was such a kick-ass girl (with some cool coding/hacking skills) who was determined to do whatever she could to get her girl back. Yep, you read that right! I was so happy to read about this! I was rooting for Sonya (and in more than one way given she hadn't told Kimberley about her feelings).
They weren't superficial characters at all, which is what sometimes happens in books with multiple POVs. I really liked reading about each character, about their future plans, about how they felt about their friends (and one of them should have seen the hints), about their friendship, and more. I was invested in each of these characters.
I was rooting for all of these characters, because as we learn more about the history of the town, about the anomalies, we know that the plane crash and the military aren't the scariest things to come.

I loved learning more about the town, about Dagger Hill, about the anomalies. There is a lot more to this story and I was squeeing happily each time we got some new bit of information. The anomalies were well written, and [spoiler] while at first I was scared to bits about Bug Man, we later see that he is one of the good guys, which may sound weird but is absolutely 100% the truth. While he still scared me shitless I was also looking forward to seeing him again, see what his next step in the plan is to help these kids and their town.[/spoiler]

Haha, can I say that I am not sure who is worse: The anomaly that is with Dagger Hill or Higgins? Lord. Higgins was just pure evil. I don't see this as a spoiler, I got bad vibes from that person from the very start. I won't say much more than that, but I was kind of hoping throughout the book that Higgins would just get eaten or disappear magically. XD

The ending, WOW, what a trip that was. If you thought the book couldn't get any better than there is the ending with tons of excitement, scary moments, but also relief. It was just the perfect way to end this book!

All in all, I could probably talk and talk more and more about this book but I don't want to make things too long, so I will stop here and just say this: READ THIS BOOK!! NOW!!