After reading Jess Lourey’s previous two works, I knew I had to read this one as soon as I read the synopsis.

Growing up near the fictional town of Litani, MN in roughly the same time our main character Frankie grew up in, this story really hit home. Luckily I never encountered any of the horrors she did after moving in to this small town from California after her father passed away. We all know about the satanic panic of the last 80s and this book really dove deep into that.

There are definitely trigger warnings so make sure to check them out before picking up this book, but if you can handle the topic, it is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is one wild ride. The suspense was definitely on point. The dramatic tone of the story kept my eyes glued to the pages reading one unexpected surprise after another. The story is a bit dark but very well written. The characters are realistic. I thought this story was fantastic. I hope to read more by this author. I definitely recommend this book.

Jess Lourey is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller authors. Very much in the vein of Karin Slaughter, Lourey doesn’t shy away from telling stories about dark, gritty, and ugly crimes. Her previous book, Bloodline, was a wild ride with a big unexpected turn - this one wasn’t quite on that level for me but it was still fantastically told. She does a great job at building characters and making you care about their stories.

Special thanks to Thomas Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

There have been quite a few child abuse ring books being written lately, because IT IS GOING ON AS WE SPEAK. Anyway, I think its important to be informed by fiction if nowhere else because fiction does have a little truth to it, doesn't it? Anyway, 14 year old Nubiles moves to town after her father's death that she thinks she's responsible for and has come to live with her mother in this strange town where everything and everyone seems to have some evil or some secret going on. Her mother, is a prosecutor, who really loves her, but because of her job, she could learn a little maternal affection for the poor kid.

So Nubiles is getting bullied by some girls who are whispering about "The Game" but everything is hush hush. Of course "The Game" is evil. Here she meets Crane, this adult man-child, who was, abused in his past and takes her on as a friend.

A very dark book about dark people and dark towns and btw have you read Unspeakable Things? Well you should.

This is not my first rodeo with Jess Lourey and her atmospherically creepy novels. Bloodline left me thinking for quite awhile and so did Litani. What an amazing name for a town though, first of all. Secondly, the way that I was able to connect with Frankie was heartbreakingly real. I stayed up all night to finish this book and it was worth it but I am having trouble writing an adequate review. Just take my word for it and read it. I would even love to see a sequel to this! Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

In the summer of ’84, fourteen-year-old Frankie Jubilee is shuttled off to Litani, Minnesota, to live with her estranged mother, a county prosecutor she barely knows. From the start, Frankie senses something uneasy going on in the small town. The locals whisper about The Game, and her mother warns her to stay out of the woods and away from adults.

When a bullying gang of girls invites Frankie to The Game, she accepts, determined to find out what’s really going on in Litani. She’s not the only one becoming paranoid. Hysteria burns through the community. Dark secrets emerge. And Frankie fears that, even in the bright light of day, she might be living among monsters.

This book is one that I would definitely describe as a slow burn. It was well written and I enjoyed the descriptions of the towns and characters. I did not see the ending coming and a couple times gasped out loud at some revelations. Overall, I would recommend for fans of a slower thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I read "Bloodline" by Jess Lourey earlier this year & loved it so much that I had to request a copy of her newest book when I discovered it was available to review.
"Litani" was another winner.
I found it to be a beautifully written, dark & disturbing drama/thriller.
Jess Lourey is becoming one of my favorite authors.

I couldn't get into the story for this one. It just kind of fell flat for me. A lot more drama than a mystery.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Litani by Jess Lourey.

After losing her dad, Frankie is forced to live with her emotionally distant mother, whom she hasn't had much of a relationship with. To top that, her mother lives in a small Minnesotan town with a very off putting vibe. It doesn't take long before her mom warns Frankie not to talk to adults, or to play The Game.

But Frankie isn't willing to let this go unexplained, and so joins a rough group of kids in order to uncover the secrets of it's past, and perhaps her involvement in the secrets...

I kind of faded in and out of this story, I did struggle to hold interest in it. I think it may have been a hole that went a little too deep? I also didn't need it to be SO dark, since I assume that it's a YA story. 2.5 stars, rounding up feels right for me.

This didn't really work for me. It wasn't poorly written, but I just didn't connect with the story. I also think it would have been better if it had been less predictable. less inevitable.

Yes, I know we’ve had a plethora of stories about child abuse rings and so on but this book was more about the victims - how they were affected, how it changed them. I think the book, along with the earlier Unspeakable Things (which I haven’t read yet) is based on true events that happened in the author’s hometown. And while I often remind myself when reading something dark - “it’s only fiction” - the truth, at times, can be stranger than fiction and it is a sad fact that events, as depicted in this book, do actually happen.

Francesca (Frankie) Jubilee, 14 years old is shipped off to her mother’s place in Litani, Minnesota, after her dad died. She had been living with her dad since her parents divorce when she was 3. Mum is the Carver County Prosecutor and a less maternal woman would be hard to find! She is hardly ever home, leaves for work before Frankie gets up and is often out working until very late, although she prepare a mean packed lunch!

On her first day in town Frankie gets beaten up by three younger girls and has her trainers stolen by them. She nearly loses her precious Book to them too except for the intervention of Crane a young but powerful man-boy who intrigues Frankie. The Book is something her dad and Frankie worked on - botanical notes and pictures. Already on that first day there are dark muttering about “the game”. Frankie has a feeling this is a not a game she wants to play.

Frankie is already carrying quite a load on her small shoulders as she thinks she is responsible for her father’s death but she has almost a pathological need to protect people. She is a very easy to like character and I thought her 14 year old ‘voice’ sounded pretty authentic. The kids of Litani are all scared to death and the more Frankie learns, the more disturbing it all becomes. The friendship between Frankie and Crane is beautifully depicted. His taciturn nature hides a well of pain that only a very are allowed to see. Crane has also been a victim.

Never fear, dear reader, there is no gratuitous descriptions of child abuse. But there is a subtle frisson in every interaction (are these guys safe?). There is an oily film of dirtiness, it is pervasive and quite menacing. The whole town seems to infected with some dark poison. And Frankie’s mum wants to drag it all out into the open. The mum was an interesting character, not at all maternal but underneath her gruff exterior she did care for Frankie and she has her own reasons for behaving the way she does. So, not a nice book, quite dark actually but also showing that abuse can be overcome. Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

It's a pity that Litani is not only a work of fiction, I'm quite sure stories such as this have happened and still are happening throughout the world. There are a lot of predators and most unfortunately children are easy prey. Besides this very difficult theme, Litani also explores the difficult relationship between a mother and her child, the solitude both feel although living in the same house, and the need that everyone, adult or child, needs affection, human contact, being heard and felt loved. A heartbreaking but moving story well worth reading!
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was well written with a good premise, set in a weird and creepy small town. I didn’t really connect with the characters though which took a bit away from my enjoyment of the book. A good read but not a stand out for me.

Ooooh this was fantastic. Ms. Lourey does it again! I really loved Unspeakable Things. Litani was in the same vein of creepy small town crime. It kept me on my toes and guessing. The author does a great job at creating a spooky, unnerving atmosphere.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

I’ve never read this author before. I’m sure I’d enjoy her other books more. I found it too slow and couldn’t connect with the story at all. It’s such a shame because I had high hopes for this.

Another profound, well-written novel from Jess Lourey, the new queen of secrets. Litani is Jess' first novel based on a true crime, but like her other works it takes place in a small Minnesota town. Frankie, our narrator, is just 14 and she's experienced plenty in her life. She's thrust into her mother's home after her father's passing, but her mom doesn't hold her with warmth, rather she warns her of the adults. Only play with children, stay out of the woods, don't go near any adults. Except there are whispers in this town, stares, and a pack of children playing something called The Game that Frankie can't help but notice sounds more bad than good. A natural detective, Frankie resolves to find out just what's going on in Litani.

Jess Lourey writes Frankie with a proud, loud voice and the strength of Wonder Woman. She guides you through this book with incredible detail and feeling. There is no way to read Litani and not be impacted. This one is sad, it's dark, it's hard to read, but Frankie's voice is there with kindness and youth and a form of vulnerability that keeps the novel from sinking too deep into the bad stuff. She trudges through the hard stuff with you, fighting for the truth and looking for the good, willing to give chances to anyone, except maybe herself. It's a coming-of-age within a mystery in a town that darkness holds onto.

This is not a thriller and I wish I'd had some sort of warning going into the book that there would be things that affected me on a personal level. I have to admit I think this one is billed incorrectly. Litani is a dark drama, a book that holds a mystery and secrets that impacts every child within the pages. It's a sad story, but also a story of strength and a story based on true crime. For me, unfortunately, it's a story that I relate too much to and I had a really difficult time reading it. This one gave me nightmares and while I acknowledge it's written incredibly well, I went in for a thriller and that is not what I got.

Jess Lourey continues to show readers that she can really write, giving us not one, but two incredible novels in the span of a single year. Litani is not the thriller that Bloodline is, but it is a novel that will stay with you in a different way. I'm glad I pushed on through this one, I really did enjoy it, I just think it is one of those books were a warning might be necessary.

I'm a huge Jess Lourey fan, and am excited when a new book arrives. Litani, her latest, continues in the based-on-true-events vein of her previous several books. The subject matter is grim, but heroine Frankie shows intelligence, grit and perseverance. I loved the whole "Plant Personality" angle -- I thought it was brilliant.
I often judge how much I enjoy a book by the amount of time I think about it when NOT reading it. By this measure, Litani was a clear hit.

Frankie is forced to move in with her mom in the small town of Litani after her fathers untimely death. Along with the two suitcases of personal affects, Frankie brings a handful of emotional baggage with her from California. The small two of Litani is not as charming as it seems to be. Children are going missing after playing The Game. Unfortunately this is not the first time in Litani’s history that children have been targeted. Murmurs of satanic cults have started to pop up. The premise was intriguing but the story didn’t actually stay to true to the theme in my opinion. It opens with talk of satanic panic and, other than one brief mention of a pentagram and the possibility of cults, I didn’t feel like the satanic panic was really embodied in this book. Don’t get me wrong the story itself was good. I just feel like there was background noise where there didn’t need to be. I was heavily invested in figuring out who as targeting the children of Litani. 4⭐️

Litani was high on my list of fall books to be excited about. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Pacing is slow, with lots of young teen drama that feels juvenile for the ages and situation.

Frankie (Francesca), our MC, is an incredibly naïve, immature 14 year old. Her behavior is unrealistic for her age, especially considering her independence and earlier role taking care of her father. Her character lacks believability and the spark of personality.

Frankie’s mother is over-the-top unlikable with a side of crazy. The little explanation we get doesn’t come close to satisfactorily explaining her behavior.

I felt like we circled the plot, rather than experienced it. Frankie hears things, and we’re told things, but it’s all on the periphery as she stomps around this unfamiliar town, where kids are disappearing, while she’s allowed to roam free, completely alone.

Though I appreciate the author’s intent and I loved her earlier work, I found the whole story implausible.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me an e-book copy of LITANI by Jess Lourey to review. If you grew up a child in the 80s this book will resonate with you, even though it is, at times, extremely uncomfortable.

The subject matter is tough because it involves children in a town who are being abused in multiple ways.

After her beloved father dies, fourteen-year-old Frankie Jubilee has to go live with her estranged mother in Litani, Minnesota. Aside from the two not being close, her mother is the county prosecutor in the small town where secrets and rumors of child abuse swirl.

Loosely based on the satanic cult hysteria of the 80s, the story revolves around a grieving Frankie trying to uncover family secrets while finding her place in this bizarre town.

It is a sad, yet important, story of how children want and need to be believed while also showing readers how the power of a few people can turn an entire town bad.

If you grew up in the 80s you will enjoy all of the pop culture references. I will definitely go back and read Jess' other books based off my enjoyment of this one.

I rate LITANI four stars out of five.