this book was very enjoyable! extremely creepy, and dragged out the suspense in such a perfect way. the ending kind of had one of those “if it weren’t for you meddling kids!” vibes, but the rest of the book was so good i can forgive it. also the chronic illness rep was PHENOMENAL

(arc provided by netgallery and Penguin Teen. all thoughts and opinions are my own)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“After all, ghost stories are human stories, brimming with life, with history, drama, and personality. They’re as enduring as we are.”
(This is taken from an uncorrected proof; it may change in the final version.)

You know what I realized as I read this book? That I definitely went into this thinking it was mystery (don’t ask me why…), but I was not at all mad that it was actually a horror novel. This is the second YA horror novel I’ve read in the past few weeks and, I have to say, this book makes me want to pick up more!

We’re following the story of a young woman named Dare Chase. Dare has signed up for a summer internship to help restore an old mansion at the edge of a lake. But the real reason that she volunteered was to investigate the possible haunting of the mansion and the mysterious drowning that happened there twenty years ago for her new pararnormal investigation podcast, Attachments. Dare doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she knows this is just the sort of thing her audience would love. As she searches the house for clues with the help of the owner’s cute daughter, Quinn, and the other summer intern, Holly, she begins to realize there may be more to this haunted house than she thought.

Y’all, when I say this book creeped me out, I say that with my entire chest. Sarah Glenn Marsh should write for horror films because the imagery was on point! There was a moment in this story where I legitimately felt my stomach fall (has to do with a ceiling… you’ll know when you get there) and I freakin’ loved it. The overall atmosphere of this story was perfect; it was dark, haunting, frightening, and definitely gave me a few chills. I love a horror novel that nails the spooky feeling of that which scares us, and this book did it magnificently.

Beyond the creepy feels, I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, as well! Dare is such a compelling main character, with her skepticism and her determination. The fact that she also has Type 1 diabetes plays a pretty big role in this story, as well. I can’t speak to the rep as I don’t have the disease and have only ever known people with Type 2, but I liked that it was a big part of the book because it’s a big part of Dare as a person. She isn’t her disease, but it isn’t ignored, either. I loved how intense she is and how fiercely she’s willing to protect people she cares about. She’s such a strong main character which made this book even more compelling. The other characters didn’t snag quite as much in my mind, probably because we spend all of our time from Dare’s point of view. And I will say that the romance between her and Quinn felt a little insta-lovey… but what summer romance isn’t? Even if this one had a heavy backdrop of ghosts and death.

As for this plot of this haunted tale, I found myself guessing pretty early on where it was going. But I still really enjoyed the ride! This was a well-paced, well thought out novel that had my heart hammering for several pages at the end. I got completely swept up in the mystery and, if that isn’t a sign of a great book, I don’t know what is!

Final thoughts: This was such a gripping tale and I’m glad I read it now because it has put me in the Spooky Mood! The atmosphere was top-notch, the main character is incredible to watch, and the plot had my heart racing! I thought the other characters felt a little lacking and I did guess some pretty big twists early on, but I still enjoyed this book thoroughly. If you like YA horror (or horror in general) that has a dash of romance, a dash of mystery, and plenty of frights, I think you would enjoy The Girls Are Never Gone!

Loved. Loved. Loved. I am a huge horror fan and will definitely be buying myself a copy. I loved the podcast aspect and how it ties to very real things in todays world. The book was very character driven and I loved it.

"There's nothing waiting in the dark, only the wolves of our imagination."

Two words: The Conjuring... Yup I was sold and I didn't need more. I was ready. The full sentence goes 'The Conjuring meets Sadie,' but I haven't read Sadie yet so I can't compare.

What I do know is that this was an excellent and atmospheric horror story that brought out all the late night skin crawlies. The characters were well crafted. I liked the connection between Dare, Quinn and Holly and especially liked that they didn't make the typical horror movie faux pas. Marsh adds the reality of living with Type 1 Diabetes through the MC, Dare. How well it fit into the storyline was masterful and eye opening. I think a lot of readers will appreciate this rare representation.

There's a cute side romance blooming in the background that added to the story instead of taking away. The reveals were some of my favorite parts as the plot comes together and uncovers the mystery. I was a little dissapointed that one part is left open ended but that just leaves me hoping for a part 2 honestly.

Some areas are a smidge longer than I would've liked but that's probably my eagerness to get to the juicy parts. This is definitely one of the best YA paranormal reads I've enjoyed this month. Then writing style is fluid and easy to follow, the pieces come together and the characters are absolutely memorable. I'd highly recommend this for spook season!

Thank you Penguin Teen for the gifted arc and for introducing me to Marsh. I cannot wait to tackle more of her work! True rating 4.5/5.

PS: Waffles is the freaking greatest. I even searched instagram to see if that was a real account.

the description of this book had me hooked and i tried really hard to love it. but i had to DNF. The beginning at least was boring to me and couldnt keep me interested. And the MC and LI didnt have much chemistry so I couldnt get into their romance. I do love the representation though, this is my first time read an MC who is diabetic or has a service animal.

i don’t even read horror, but after starting I was swept into the world and intrigue that is this book

*Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!*

I'm not a horror fan. I don't watch horror movies, I don't read horror novels--and yet something possessed me to request an ARC of this book. (Maybe I was actually possessed by a ghost?) I have zero regrets about that choice because this book was absolutely amazing. It had some of my all-time favorites things for books: ghosts, podcasts, adorable pets, excellent diverse representation, and that feature I can't put my finger on that makes it unputdownable.

I want to be Dare Chase's best friend. Seriously. She is so cool. She's got blue hair and runs her own podcast and has an adorable dog named Waffles and I really want her to exist in real life so I can hunt her down and become her best friend. Okay, maybe that's a tad aggressive, but you get the point. She's definitely a new all-time favorite character of mine. I love how she's written so authentically and seems like she could absolutely be a real person. She's also bisexual and has type 1 diabetes, and I thought both of these aspects of her character were written really well. I learned a lot about type 1 diabetes from reading this book. The author did a great job of incorporating this condition into Dare's everyday life, where she has to be conscious of her blood sugar and how she's feeling. Plus, she's got Waffles, a service dog alerts her when her blood sugar gets dangerous...or at least he's supposed to. He does his best, and he's adorable and is the best furry friend Dare could ask for. I haven't seen much diabetes representation in books, so this was truly a delight to see. ​The bi representation was also written so well! At the beginning at the book, Dare has just broken up with her boyfriend; then, during her time at Arrington develops a crush on one of the girls there. It was heartwarming how there wasn't any skepticism or questions about why Dare had been dating a guy and was now interested in a girl; her sexuality was simply accepted, which made me so happy.

The romance was really cute! It felt very natural and sweet, and I liked how it didn't overpower the book. The ghosts were the main deal; the romance was just a cute extra. The friendship between the characters was also really enjoyable! The author did a good job of writing characters who were entirely lovable but also seemed a bit suspicious at times. I often wasn't sure who I could trust, but I adored the character all the same.

The ghostly creepy vibes were perfect! As I mentioned, I'm not a horror fan, so I liked that this book wasn't too scary. Anyone going into this book expecting jump-scares and horrifying gory moments will probably be disappointed; this was more of a spine-tinglingly atmospheric type of horror. The scary stuff wasn't right in your face; it was more creepily eluded to, building up this hair-raising tension. It was almost more of a mystery than it was a horror novel, but it did have lots of creepy moments. I also loved the paranormal ghostly elements of this book; it reminded me a bit of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.

As I'm sure you can tell, I absolutely adored this book! An easy Five Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I'll definitely be rereading this one around Halloween!

Content Warnings: blood, death, murder, ghostly haunting, violence, vomit, animal death (not on page), chronic illness (type 1 diabetes), medical content

Our main character Dare signs up for a summer internship to restore and old manor that has a haunting behind it. Dare has a spooky debunking podcast, that she’s trying to venture out on her own to do, after her ex dumped her and took their old YouTube ghost show they did together away. Hence the perfect excuse to not only help restore a manor, but prove the manor isn’t haunted at all. Two decades before a young girl disappeared by the lake near the manor, and people claim to have seen strange occurrences. Especially from Quinn, the daughter of the interior designer who is fixing the house up. Are these hauntings real or is there something else going on.

I love the character development with this story. You have a main character that suffers from diabetes and a queer representation amongst the two girls. The story was a bit slow in the beginning, building up about Dare and the house. I wish there was a bit more horror to the story itself though. You have this cover that makes you think it’ll be more than creepy, and a synopsis that reminds you of Hill House, but it fell flat for me in delivering that spookiness I was hoping for. So other than that, the mystery of it all made the story enjoyable!

It’s a spooky set up right from the start, with the promise of a ghost hunter heading to an estate that one of her listeners has drawn her attention to. And as soon as Dare learns about the story of Atheleen Bell, she can’t wait to search for answers. Until she arrives, and the answers start searching for her. Sceptical until she absolutely has no choice not to be, Dare, along with Quinn and Holly, the other two teenage girls working on the house, finds herself caught up in something much bigger than any of them could have predicted.

I loved this book for multiple reasons. It was scary enough to keep me up at night and give me nightmares, which is brilliant: what else is the point in reading a scary story?! Long after I read the last page, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’ve read, and trying to process it all in my own way.

Like Dare, I’m a sceptic, yet at the same time, I want to know what comes next, after death. And again, similar to Dare, having a diagnosis of an endocrine health condition that could kill me if mismanaged has led me more and more down the path of curioiusity, and, yes, at times, desperation: needing almost to know there is some life waiting for me after death where I’m not dependant on medication forever. The fact we had this much in common gave me the ability to really relate to her, and I found it easy to slip into her mindset, especially when she is really trying to convince herself that she is imagining ghost-like happenings.

Not only does this go onto my list of favourite YA horror novels, but it’s a brilliant example of how we can have a main character with a chronic health condition. We don’t just have to be religated to side or token characters, and Dare’s health is woven in to being a key component of the story without overruling the thrilling novel. An absolutely brilliant read.

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh
Pub date: September 7, 2021
4 stars

Dare had a popular podcast, that is until she and her boyfriend broke up. Now she’s on her own and starting up Attachments – her own podcast where she’ll investigate haunted locations. When one of her followers (there’s not many) tips her off about a place that has a history of drowned girls and ghostly hauntings, she signs up to help renovate the run-down house. On arrival, it turns out that the tip came from the daughter of the home’s owner who’s currently being haunted and well, there’s an attraction between Dare and Quinn and it’s a sweet romance. I digress! One of the things I loved most about this book aside from the LGBTQ+ rep which, seriously, done so well – Dare is someone that other teens can look up to – is Waffles, Dare’s service dog. Dare has Type 1 Diabetes and it’s a great representation that as an RN, I loved to see! Another favorite is when a place feels like an actual character and this house is a malevolent and present one!

There is a huge creep factor and a lot of scares – just in time for spooky season and the secondary characters are just as compelling as the main. I love to see strong female relationships in any context and the relationships between the three girls gave me big feels.

I loved the dark and eerie atmosphere, the pacing and the twisty ending that still has me thinking about it. I feel like there’s a potential for a sequel? Yes? I hope so because I want more of this world and its characters!

My thanks to Penguin Teen for the DRC!

This book was the perfect spooky read to go into fall with! The story had lots of suspense and creepy vibes. There was great chronic illness and LGBTQ+ representation as well which was really nice to see! The way family relationships are portrayed were also interesting! I really liked that it showed multiple different types of family relationships and how they can influence people and their lives. I also liked how you try to figure out the mystery of the house as the book goes on. Overall, I think it was a great horror book for people who might not be too into scary things. It had the spookiness without being overwhelmingly scary. Would definitely recommend

Dare, the main character, has a popular podcast where she investigates places that may be haunted. She used to do this podcast with her ex, but now that she is flying solo she wants to show she can do this on her own. Dare winds up in a small town, with a very old creepy house where multiple girls have drowned in the lake next to it, or the girls just disappeared. Quinn the current resident of this house claims she is being haunted and something is wrong with the house.

I enjoyed The Girls Are Never Gone, it had your classic horror and haunted house tropes. I liked the main character Dare and I really liked the Type 1 Diabetes representation. Throughout the book we actually learn about Dare and how she has diabetes and what that means, which I thought was interesting and it wasn’t over the top information. I loved learning the mystery about this haunted house and all of the history from it’s previous owners. A few parts did give me chills and had me a little spooked.

I do wish it would have had more horror, I felt like the first half of the book was learning about the house and the town. The second half finally picked up pace and you really got to see read about some spooky parts, I just wish it would have been more fleshed out. The only other aspect I didn’t actually enjoy was the romance. It felt weird and awkward and I think it really took away from the tension of the book. Usually I’m okay with romance in any sort of genre, but I felt like this really took away from the haunted house horror vibes.

All in all I did really enjoy this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.

I was really excited for this book based on the summary. I love stories about ghosts, houses that are haunted, and podcasts. Unfortunately, this book was not good. These characters were 18/19, and there were also two adults that we saw frequently. Despite the age of the characters the story and the writing felt so childish. I kept thinking these characters were 12 years old instead of their actual age. The characters and plot were not developed at all. The story jumped from one thing to the next so quickly and sometimes I forgot who was even talking because everyone sounded the same. This was a story that I quickly forgot everything after I read because nothing was memorable.

My biggest positive from this book is the Type 1 Diabetes representation. The main character is this book is diagnosed with diabetes and it is talked about throughout the entire story. We see what it is like when her blood sugar is too high or too low, and when her medical equipment fails. She also has a service dog. I have been wanting to read a book with Type 1 Diabetes representation and I think it was well done in this book.

"There's only ever silence because as always, there's nothing waiting in the dark, only the wolves of our imaginations. I still don't believe in ghosts. But if I didn't know better I'd say the house is trying to change my mind."

Dare is a ghost hunter who joined the restoration of the Arrington estate to research the death of Atheleen Bell, a girl who drowned in the lake on the property, for her new podcast, Attachments. When Atheleen's body was found, she was little more than a skeleton, despite not being in the water for very long. But Dare doesn't believe in ghosts and she has debunked every single spooky story she has encountered. Or at least she did before arriving in the town of New Hope.

I figured out most of the twists in this one, and I wasn't super impressed with the ending, but the middle of the story produced enough chills to make this a solid creepy novel. I love love love haunted house stories, at its core, The Girls are Never Gone, is a haunted house story with a lake thrown in there as a bonus. The author does a great job of painting some very vivid pictures of ghostly apparitions and strange happenings and I will admit I was looking over my shoulder while reading this one. This is worth adding to your spooky season reading list!

The Girls Are Never Gone was a spooky read with queer and diabetic representation and I loved that the author did this! Dare is the main character who is quite a badass and ends up at the Arrington Estate which is presumably haunted. Let me tell you this is a haunted house story that kept me on my toes and you don't want to miss! There are spooky things lurking around the Arrington Estate and even in the lake itself. Sarah Glenn Marsh creates such an atmospheric scary read with awesome female leads you'll be rooting for! I definitely got Conjuring vibes and I loved all the spooky little details conjured up in this book.

The Girls Are Never Gone is a sapphic paranormal YA that will have you hooked from the very first page.

This ghost story follows Dare, a bisexual, type 1 diabetic, teenage podcaster as she investigates the mystery of the haunted Arrington Estate and the suspicious drowning of Atheleen Bell. Dare arrives as an intern to help with the restoration of the estate and there she is joined by two other interns, Quinn and Holly. Dare thinks that there's always an explanation for the supernatural and plans to spend the summer telling a spooky story while debunking the idea that a ghost is haunting the estate. But the ghost that's haunting the estate has other plans as the summer unfolds.

From the minute I read that Dare was a type 1 diabetic I knew that I had to read this book. I also am living with type 1 diabetes and appreciated the way that Sarah Glenn Marsh incorporated the realities of living with this chronic illness into an action packed read. It's the first book that I've read with this specific chronic illness representation and it was everything I had hoped that it would be. I also loved Dare's service dog, Waffles.

This was a spooky and engaging read. The descriptions put me right there with Dare in the haunted Arrington Estate. I don't want to spoil anything but I felt Atheleen's energy in one scene so strongly it felt like my house might be haunted. I loved how creepy and atmospheric this book was. I do wish that the romantic relationship between Dare and Quinn was more developed and that the podcast had played a larger role on page.

The very ending left me hoping for a sequel and was not what I expected. This ghost story is one you won't want to miss, especially if you were a fan of The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould.

CW: off page animal death, blood, chronic illness (type 1 diabetes), ghostly haunting, murder, stalking, violence, vomit

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was super intriguing and it had me on the edge of my seat. I agree with the comparison of The Conjuring and I would also say this book reminded my of The Haunting of Bly Manor heavily as well. I loved the friendship, the all female cast, the sapphic romance and the diabetic rep. I do think that the rep for the Hispanic character could've used a bit more work/research besides mentioning one phrase in spanish and mentioning in another instance where she's from there wasn't much else. It felt like the author researched popular place in Puerto Rico and popular hispanic phrase and put them in the book. I say this because the one phrase in the book is not a very common phrase used by Boricuas which is what the character was supposed to be. All in all I really enjoyed reading this book and found it truly scary!

The Girls are Never Gone is an ode to classic horror, haunted houses and mystery podcasts! Dare has set out to launch her new podcast, but things at the Arrington estate are not all right, especially after fellow volunteer Holly is almost drowned.

Honestly this book scared me at several points, so I had to read most of it during the day. The mix of horror, ghosts and murder mystery was thrilling and terrifying. The main thing that kept me going was the friendship between the three girls, especially Quinn and Dare. They were so cute, and I love seeing strong female friendships. Also Dare is a Bi Icon and I love her for it!

I am so excited to also see more disability rep in YA. Representation matters and having chronically ill characters is incredibly important. Dare’s service dog Waffles is the cutest!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this DRC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. This review will be published on the Instagram book account: MorningStarlitPages on August 27th, 2021.

THE CONJURING meets SADIE? This is a dark read I didn’t know I needed! And I ask myself, "Why did I read this at night?"

Meet the MC Dare. She is a Type 1 diabetic and she has a service dog, which I appreciate as there is rarely any representation like this in books. She hosts a paranormal investigation podcast called Attachments, which brings her to investigate the Arrington Estate.

Thirty years ago, teenager Atheleen Bell drowned in Arrington’s lake, and legend says her spirit haunts the estate. The storyline focuses on Dare interning for one month at the estate while attempting to uncover the truth.

At first it was slow for me to get into, but once I continued reading, it was a page turner. I began to immerse myself into the investigation with Dare and the rest of the intern crew. It has many twists and turns and the creepy imagery puts the reader at the edge of their seats; from threatening messages painted on the walls, nearly drowning in the lake, and ghastly faces in mirrors. The encounters with the paranormal are written vividly.

In addition, I like how this book has such a diverse cast too. The relationship between Dare and Quinn is cute as they learn to trust each other when things get intense. It was even fascinating to see these characters develop, especially Dare, the more they got closer to solving the mystery.

Overall, this is a good classic ghost story! If you're looking for a paranormal investigation mystery with sapphic characters, then this is your book to read. This is recommended to young adults. Content warning: Chronic illness, body horror, violence, stalking, death.

The Girls are Never Gone was a spooky-light, entertaining read. We follow Dare (the host of a paranormal/ghost-hunting podcast) as she spends a summer helping restore Arrington Estate. The old home has been the site of a disappearance and maybe even a death or two, so Dare uses her time there as an opportunity to investigate what’s been going on.
This story has many creepy moments, an adorable furry friend, ghosts, and cute f/f banter.
I found the story was a bit predicable, but certainly still worth a read. I enjoyed the setting of an old house on a lake, it added to the atmosphere.
Also, something I really loved was that there was such in-depth representation for type 1 diabetes, it’s definitely not something you see often in books.