Holy cow, wow! This is one of those books that is definitely not for everyone! It’s very dark, disturbing, and demented, which could be problematic and triggering for some! If you’re like me, the darker the better, than this book is for you, but even then you might question why you like this type of book! Amazingly written, with such an unique storyline, fantastic character development, and a tense, chilling, and fast paced style! Really kept me intrigued and a bit emotional throughout! Highly, highly recommend!

Will make sure to buzz around platforms and use top Amazon reviewer on release!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! It was dark, mysterious and thrilling, and I cannot get over how crazy the plot was. I loved the relationships in the novel and the detailed history of the town. This is a book I could not put down — I finished it in one afternoon! Quick read, but so worth it.

How do I even begin to describe the way this book made me feel? A lot. That, I can guarantee. The start of the story somehow felt slow-paced and vague but the way it was delivered hooked me completely on the storyline. From the murder mystery up to the final moment of truth. The characters Wyatt, Cash, and Porter each had their own roles to play in the story, and the way I discovered truths alongside them was equal parts shocking as is thrilling.

Walters' debut is brilliant in all its essence. I can't wait for it to be out for the rest of the world.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for giving me early access to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an early copy of this novel!


The Violent Season is one of those books that I feel really conflicted about upon finishing it. Did I like it? Did I hate it?
Something in between, I think.

The pitch is what really drew me in: a town where murders and violence happen every year at the same time sounds like an unhealthy but fascinating place.
The thing is, though, the story told in the book is not the one you'd be expecting reading the summary.

I was expecting a thriller, mystery, mixed with some horror.
Instead, I got a romance with a love triangle and some murders thrown in the mix, and the thriller part I was hoping for disappeared about a quarter of the way through the book.

It feels to me as if the author wanted to put a *lot* of things in the book and sadly didn't succeed, instead leaving me with this feeling of disappointment I get when I think that a story could have been better executed.
The thriller-y part, the horror part, the romance, and the topics of grief, all mix and become a story that's really confusing at times, and overall a bit of a letdown for me.
I felt as if what was supposed to be the huge plot twist at the end was pretty obvious from the beginning, and so felt disappointed by it.
The sort of constant dark look at human beings in general and sometimes overboard-ly philosophical teens also had me a bit tired.

Overall, it's not a bad book per se – it's as dark as you'd expect reading the pitch, and it has some strong ideas. But it did not work for me, unfortunately.

There are books that are 'unputdownable' and there are books that you have to put down for a while for the sake of your mental health.
This book was part of the latter category.
Wyatt Green believes that there is a sickness that infects the town every November. People die, people kill and an overwhelming feeling of violence pervades the town. Even her best friend Cash, who she has been in love with forever, seems tinged with the edges of violence.
But when she has to do a project with Cash's nemesis, Porter, things start to unravel. Wyatt starts to wonder where the real sickness is.

This book should be on a school list of how to identify a toxic relationship versus a healthy one. It also deals with grief, dependence and the alarming effects of drug use.

Wyatt's self-destructive behaviour and feelings of inadequacy and isolation were hard to read, I just wanted to either hug her or slap her until the girl woke up.

The plot was brilliant and twisty as well as having a fantastic feel of a 90's thriller movie. While I can't say I 'enjoyed' enjoyed it- I can say that I am glad I read it.
Dark, angsty and compelling. I'd highly recommend this to anyone.

Holy sh.......

Can I just say that? Can that be the review?

Technically yes, but I **NEED** to say that this is without a doubt and by far one of 𝘵𝘩𝘦 best books I have read this year! Also, it is NOT a Young Adult book, don't believe that for one minute! I'd say this more more of a Psychological Thriller in spots.


The Violent Season is mind-blowing, amazing, sad, sweet (in a twisted & crazy way), everything I was hoping it would be and more. It really does, as people say "keep you on the edge of your seat." This is delightfully twisted and messed up, but also real on many levels and the writing style is superb; from the first line of this story it just grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me along.

I'm very excited to have been given the opportunity to read the ARC. I will absolutely be buying this book and reading it again!


TWs-
Teen related: Murder, Suicide, Drug Abuse & smoking, Alcoholism, almost Rape,
Parental Suicide, loss of parent(s).

Is it coincidence that people keep dying in this small town in Vermont, or is there more at work? Who is responsible for the death of Wyatt's mother last year and why does it feel like everything around Wyatt is breaking down? This book was built on the mystery of the violence that encompasses a small town in Vermont and one girl's mission to figure out what is going on, but will she find the truth, and will she like the answer if she finds it?

This one was so darn odd. I really was enjoying it at the beginning with the premise of a town going into a purge like setting one month ever year. Weird things happening, murders, suicides. It was an awesome concept.
But then it went downhill. It got weird and strayed away from the original premise.
It was an interesting book, but I really struggled liking the MC and did not feel like the story was believable or relatable.
All in all, I did read the entire thing and thought some parts were interesting, so I did give it 3 stars. Just don't go in thinking the beginning actually sets the tone for the rest of the story.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read an arc version of this book!

The premise of this book drew me in--a mysterious illness that causes an entire town to be consumed by murderous thoughts each November? Intriguing. The book itself is a bit more than that. Somehow, it also feels darker than I anticipated and desired, but that’s a personal preference.

What I did like: there are a sprinkling of newspaper clippings that highlight different deaths--including a teacher killing two toddlers and our main character, Wyatt’s own mother’s murder. Provides some context building while still keeping the story going. I also found the relationship between Wyatt and her dad intriguing, and his character was very supportive.

What I wasn’t a fan of: the characters and some of the writing/use of figurative language. This is all personal preference. This book will be a quick read for many students and they might love it. Personally, I found Wyatt unlikeable and unrelatable. Again, preference-wise, I did not love the overdramatic figurative language used to describe how Wyatt was navigating the trauma of her mom’s death, nor how Wyatt interacted with Quinn or Cash. Cash was especially unlikeable and confusing--his motives and the choices he makes are all over the place, and I wish there was more character development and backstory for him.

Although I did not love this book personally, it was okay enough that I would put it in a school library if offered the opportunity. Still, I would not put it in my classroom library, nor could I see myself recommending this to a student.

This was a real page-turner that I could see being a phenomenal Netflix film. The crime aspect blended with teenage love and emotional struggles made the book very relatable. Loved the relationships in the book; although I felt that the author ran out of a bit of steam at the end.

The violent season was a murder mystery set in a sleep town in Vermont where every November the bodies start to pile up…

Personally, I liked this book. It was a relatively quick read and perfect for a rainy day.

In typical YA fashion there was some cliche language like “let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding”. The teenagers act like adults, seemingly just breezing in and out of their homes at all hours of the night which did annoy me, which I reflected in my rating.

The Violent Season was enjoyable for what it was and is perfect for lovers of YA thrillers!

TW: Attempted sexual assault

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. While I had a feeling about what was going to happen… I wasn’t 100% sure and I kept second guessing myself! It kept me on my toes, for sure

A freaking INCREDIBLE debut for Sara Walters. I have not felt this pull to a book in a hot minute.

This thriller is GRIPPING. I saw it described as unputdownable and it’s the most accurate description. I received this as an Advanced Reader Copy (ebook) and devoured it in one day (and I’m a toddler mom! So it’s incredibly difficult to do that).

Every November, residents of Wolf Ridge are overcome by a desire for violence. It is evidenced by years and years of murder and suicide and terrible happenings. Wyatt’s mom was murdered last year and this year, she’s afraid her best friend is being taken by what she calls “the sickness”. She sees the darkness in his eyes and as he keeps her at arms length, she finds comfort and healing in an unlikely peer. Her search for answers kept me on the edge of my seat.

The writing is amazing. I was nervous at parts and even felt my heart racing. I screenshotted quite a few “favorite paragraphs” and I spent a good portion of this novel smiling dumbly at my phone. It’s quite a range of emotions to feel while reading a book.

28% through I started to suspect something - but the story unraveled in a way that even though I was right, I was still surprised and captured by the happenings.

The main developing relationship is beautiful. The father/daughter relationship is beautiful. Her internal monologue, struggles, heartbreak, and healing are all… indescribable. I felt like I was right there with her the whole time. This may have also been influenced by the fact that I was reading in a dark room and listening to Hozier while my son napped. That’s an optimal environment for intense feelings.

I NEED to own a physical copy of this book. It might be one of the best thrillers I’ve read (granted I’m relatively new to the genre), but I will not stop recommending this anytime soon.

PREORDER IT, ADD IT TO YOUR TBR, AND WAIT IMPATIENTLY FOR OCTOBER BECAUSE THIS BOOK WAS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Be prepared to be captivated after the first sentence.

In the town of Wolf Ridge fall is a "season of violence". The small community is plagued by odd deaths during that time and it is rumored that the residents suffer from a sickness that causes them to hurt each other.

The "sickness" allows a heavy, but well-used, metaphor for the unhealthy relationship between protagonist, Wyatt, and Cash. The two have been friends forever, and are bonded even more deeply by the deaths of their mothers. Wyatt's mother was murdered during the last Violent Season, and the crime remains unsolved. Meanwhile, Wyatt is completely in love with Cash, who sometimes allows their friendship to be more. Still, they it inevitably always returns to Wyatt as the victim of his abuse.

When Wyatt is paired with Porter, whom Cash despises, she the façade of relationship with Cash begins to crack. This coincides with memories of her mother's murder resurfacing.

This book is fascinating and delves into the dangers that often exist real life.

This one really kept me guessing all the way until the end.

It was intense, but it did not at all take away my enjoyment of the book.

I also enjoyed the character development of the MC.

This book was absolutely beautifully written. While it leaves you guessing for what is happening in a small town every November, it also deals with grief, heartbreak, and sexual assault. I will definitely be recommending this at work.

Wyatt Green is a small town teenager looking for answers. Alongside of her, is the boy she loves, Cash Peters. As Wyatt begins to dive deeper into the mystery surrounding her mother’s death, she finds out more and more about those still around her. This book was terrifying, but one of the best reads I’ve had in a while. I highly recommend for anyone who loves a good murder mystery.

I really enjoyed this novel in the beginning, it felt like it was going to have a bit of sci fi mixed with thriller. Unfortunately it was mainly ya with a dose of thriller.
This book deals with a girl who lives in a town where each November, people become violent & a lot of death happens. I was hoping it would go more into this and we would learn where this originated from but the author kind of left us hanging and put that on the back burner in the middle of the book. It was definitely an enjoyable read none the less, and was hard to put down! I’d definitely recommend this book to my friends.

Wyatt lives in Wolf Ridge, where every November the town is stricken with a “sickness” that causes people to act violently. Whether it be suicide, murder, or assault, the violent sickness hits home for Wyatt in the wake of her mother’s murder.

After the first chapter of this novel I knew the book would be intense. Wyatt is a compelling character trying to cope with the loss of her mother by clinging to her boyfriend, Cash Peters. Cash has an underlying darkness to him after his mother’s suicide years prior. Together, the characters form a toxic bond punctuated by booze, cigarettes, and drug use.

The action in novel was gripping and well paced. Nothing seemed forced or ill placed aside from the ending. I found the ending of the novel predictable, but there was plenty that I didn’t guess correctly which I enjoyed. What bothered me was the abrupt nature of the end, which didn’t really hold much as much resolution as I would have like.

The Violent Season tries to cover too many different ideas and plot points and it falters. Is this a murder mystery? A description of emotional abuse and domestic violence? A treatise on human nature? I couldn't tell where it was going and then the ending just sort of fell flat. Ultimately, with a little more focus this could have been a much better book.