Someone posts a meme on social media asking what death you fear the most. Suddenly students are sharing the meme with the number one worst way to die. A lot of people do this except for Izzy, a high school student in a small old town. Eager to get out of the cold, Izzy has been applying for colleges in Florida. Soon murders start happening, murders that are exactly the same as the victims social media fear posts.

I think this book had a great premise, and a great idea for a story. However, it just didn't mesh with me. First of all, I could not stand Izzy. I found her whiny and annoying and excruciatingly wishy-washy. Aside from Izzy, the other characters felt flat, and I had a hard time caring about any of the characters who were murdered. The murderer wasn't a surprise at all. I also didn't care for the ending at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. Unfortunately, this wasn't for me.

The Synopsis:

There’s a new viral trend going around in a small fishing town that asks participants to repost with what they think is the worst way to die. Everyone thinks it’s just a dumb meme. Until it’s no longer just a meme.

Izzy finds the first body of a classmate lying in the snow in the middle of the street, a girl that she and her friends had just seen at a party less than an hour before. Shortly after calling the police, first responders find another body of another one of their classmates in the river near the other body. People throw around that it is probably a murder-suicide or suicide pact, but Izzy feels it’s something different. Both of her classmates died of the very things they had claimed would be the scariest way to die.

Izzy starts to suspect that what everyone thought was just a meme was really a way for a killer to gain insight into how to scare his victims the most as he killed them. Izzy is glad she didn’t repost the meme, but when she realizes that those closest to her have, it spurs her into protective detective mode. Is it her crush, Justin, who was friends with the victims? Is it her classmate, Axel, the mysterious troublemaker with whom she is developing an unlikely friendship? Or is it someone else who is lurking in the shadows, watching her? Will Izzy be able to uncover the killer before it’s too late?

The Review:
The premise of this story reminded me of a cross between Scream and the movie Halloween Party. Halloween Party was the first to come to mind when reading the original synopsis of the book as it’s very similar when it comes to asking about your biggest fear, but as I read the book, it felt a lot more like Scream if it were set in the winter. Sometimes you just really want to get involved in the slasher-thriller vibe and this definitely fed that part of my brain.

I honestly really loved the ride. It was a constant question as to which person could be the one who was terrorizing the town by killing off young people in the most horrific of ways. It was a bloody and surprising ride filled to the brim with suspense. The ending was also totally unsuspected, with a super startling twist. I think the only actual problem I had was not having all the answers at the end to my copious questions, but I also like things that are wrapped up in a bow and I just don’t think this was meant to be. It kind of leaves a sense of suspense in the air as you close it. Sometimes we just don’t get all of the answers and in a way, the unknown is the truly scary part.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for this fair and honest review.
https://alwayslostinwords.blog/2022/03/01/nprestonthefear/

When I started reading "The Fear" I wasn't sure what to expect because I didn't even read the description I just knew if it is by Natasha Preston and in her collection of thriller books I immediately buy it. This book had the right amount of not knowing who the killer was, mixed in with hints about who it can be. She does an amazing job of keeping you interested and not wanting to put the book down!

A stupid meme has caught the attention of Rock Bay, a small fishing town, where residents have begun sharing their biggest fear on social media. But soon, Izzy's classmates start turning up dead in the ways that scared them the most and she knows it's not just a harmless trend, there is something sinister at work. After finding the first dead body, Izzy quickly becomes determined to find the truth and stop the killer as everyone who reposted could be a target, including her best friend and cousin.

The concept feels like it was pulled straight out of a "Black Mirror" episode. Eerie, yet realistic. "The Fear"jumps between two point of views, Izzy and the mystery killer. Personally, I didn't care for the murderer's dark and twisted perspective, but I can see how readers would find it intriguing. The main protagonist comes off as a caricature, continuously making dumb and dangerous choices a real person would most likely avoid at all costs. While we're supposed to think Izzy is brave, her poor decision-making skills come across as lazy writing instead. I also didn't care for the ending. That said, this book is a quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

When a meme goes around Izzy's high school asking what everyone's biggest fear is, she ignores it and thinks it's just the latest trend to liven up the wintertime. When people start turning up dead, though, it's a whole different story. Is someone using the meme to discover people's darkest fears...and then murder them?

This book just didn't click for me. There's no mystery to it, not when all the information is clearly laid out from the beginning. The ending is supposed to be a twist, but it feels like a cheap trick. I thought it was far too obvious who the bad guy was, and there wasn't enough emotional weight or payoff in learning whodunnit, so to speak.

The Quick Cut: A meme about fear is spreading like wildfire around a small fishing town in winter. It turns deadly when teens around town start dying in the way they expressed in that fear meme.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Delacorte Press for providing the ARC for an honest review.

In the age of social media, we have seen plenty of cases where interesting or odd challenges have become popular across the globe. Some of them have been used for positive reasons, like the ALS challenge that helped raise money for the cause. However, the ability for social media to be used for good is just as possible for it to be used for bad. What would it look like if someone took a seemingly innocuous meme and turned it into something deadly? This is the reality for Izzie and her small town of Rock Bay.

Izzy is just like any other seventeen year old teen looking towards the future. So when a meme starts going around town that involves revealing the scariest way to die, she thinks nothing of it and chooses not to respond. Many of the teens in her school do though and reveal their own feared ways of dying: drowning, starvation, and others. It seems like a dark topic, but nothing that can hurt anyone. That is, until teens around town start dying in the way that they feared the most and said in response to the meme. Now anyone who responded to the fear meme is in danger of being killed in the way they wanted to avoid the most. Who is killing off the kids in this town and why are they doing it in the ways that everyone is terrified of?

I enjoy thrillers because so often they diverge into conversations about psychology and what motivates people at a base level. In this book, the story very much centers around some fairly dark topics like dying in the worst way possible. If you are a fan of true crime, there's a good chance this type of discussion won't bother you. If you don't enjoy the dark, mysterious, or strange though - there's a solid chance this story will give you the creeps instead. The thing that bothered me most wasn't the darkness of the topic though. It was the fact that we never really get to know the motivations behind our main character, Izzy.

Izzy is one of the rare people who didn't repost the fear meme and yet, she goes to great lengths to investigate who is killing off her peers. As one of the people not in danger of being killed, you would think she would try a little self preservation instead. While I can appreciate that it makes for a better story to have her making stupid choices to find the truth, it just irritated me that there was never an explanation as to why. Someone doesn't do dangerous things unless they have an underlying motivation to. Call me a hater, but seeing her classmates dying doesn't seem like motivation enough to do what she does. The opportunity to get to know Izzy at a deeper level is there, but ignored instead. As a reader, it was easily the most frustrating aspect of how the book unfolds.

That being said, the ending is absolutely perfect. It left me intrigued and smiling at the cleverness of the story. The author clearly took a lot of care to ensure that the ending was memorable. I just wish they would have taken that same detail orientation to the rest of the story.

A thriller with a memorable ending, but is missing some deeper digging.

My rating: 3.75 out of 5

This book was a decent young adult thriller/mystery. I have read other books from this author and like them but never particularly cared for the ending. So that being said, I was shocked when I actually liked the whole book I need included. Basically teenagers in this town are getting murdered and the main character is trying to figure out who the killer is and why they're killing. I don't want to say too much more and give away any of the book, but anyone looking for a well-paced, and well written mysterious thriller should definitely give this a try. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

A teen gets caught up in a murder investigation when a serial killer begins targeting her classmates who reposted a meme sharing the worst ways to die.

This thriller starts to take on a slasher-horror vibe as bodies pile up and terror takes over. Preston meticulously weaves in clues that could implicate any of her three main suspects, setting up for a series of jaw-dropping twists. Teen fans of twisty thrillers who are up for some gore and horror-like conclusion will not want to miss this title!

There's a new meme circulating around the small fishing town of Rock Bay.
What's the scariest, most brutal way to die? That's the subject of this meme, and it's all Izzy's classmates are talking about. They're reposting like crazy and sharing their greatest death fear. Izzy can't understand everybody's morbid curiosity with death, but sees it as nothing more than a harmless trend. That is, until her classmates start turning up dead in the ways that scared them most.
Someone has started this meme to manipulate people into revealing their greatest fears and then acting it out in real life. Who would do such a thing? And why? The motive for these murders is disturbing and gruesome, and the killer won't stop until the whole town pays.

Natasha Preston is a guilty pleasure of mine. She's not the best YA writer out there, but I've enjoyed 4 out of the 5 books I've read of hers. The premise of this one is so intriguing! I love the commentary of social media, popularity and society's morbid curiosity with true crime and death. There were chapters devoted to the killer's perspective, which was fascinating and twisted. The deaths were well executed and savage. I liked that the killer wasn't super obvious-there were three possible suspects, and it was a toss up which one it would end up being. And the conclusion was super satisfying!
The big problem with Preston's writing is always her female protagonists. They come off more like caricatures than real people. Izzy is no exception. The longer the story went on, the more dumbed down and idiotic she became. It's cheap and lazy writing to make the protagonist a complete idiot with poor decision making skills in order to move the plot along. Because of that, I can't rate this book above a 3.

The Fear reminded me a lot of R.L. Stine's early Fear Street novels. If you're a fan of those books, give this one a read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A meme on social media goes viral in the town of Rock Bay, where people share their worst way to die, and initially, it seems like just another silly meme. But when students actually start to die in the same manner they described in their posts, it quickly becomes clear that something more sinister is afoot. Izzy, who discovers the body of a classmate, is determined to find the truth as everyone who reposted could be a target, including her best friend and cousin. Each murder hits closer, and somehow Izzy seems to end up at the center. Will she be able to unmask the killer in time?

“The truth is, when death comes, no matter how it comes, it’s always scary.”

After reading a slew of heavy historical fiction novels, this fast paced thriller was exactly what I needed. It was an engrossing read right from page one, and I was completely caught up in the story, trying to figure out who was behind it all. I did manage to predict the culprit by around the 60% mark, but there are plenty of twists that will make you doubt and redoubt your theories. Basing the story around a meme on social media was something that made it very relevant to today, especially as the killer begins to take advantage of how much information people share with the world through these mediums, inadvertently giving away details that could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

Characters…to be honest, I didn’t like Izzy much. I know there wouldn’t be a story if the main character didn’t get involved and do a little sleuthing, but I felt like Izzy didn’t really have a strong enough reason to not just leave it up to the police. She kept running off to investigate and made some rather stupid and reckless decisions without regard for her own safety and is also irritatingly indecisive when it comes to her suspects. Luckily, that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story too much, as the mystery itself was intriguing enough to keep my attention. Having the killer’s perspective along with Izzy’s was a great touch, and it helped maintain the tension very well throughout as you also begin to wonder about the killer’s motives.

This was a solid 4 star rating for me despite a few things being predictable, right until the ending, which just ruined it. Last minute twists can be amazing, but leaving it unresolved like that is just not cool. From what I can see, there doesn’t seem to be a sequel planned for this book, which means I have to lower the rating by half a star because I can’t stand unfinished endings. Despite that, this was a good thriller, well paced and exciting, and I would definitely recommend it for fans of the genre. I’m looking forward to checking out some of the other books by this author.

The Fear, Natasha Preston. Delacorte Press, release date set for March 1, 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early access e-book copy!

I first read Natasha Preston when her work was on Wattpad. It was my first introduction to her, then suddenly I saw her books everywhere. I have two or three of them, so when I saw this book on NetGalley, I requested it immediately.

The Fear takes place in the community of Rock Bay, a quiet town of fishing and hockey. Snowstorms rage during the winters while summer flourishes in the warm seasons. It is as it always is: quiet, tight-knit, and seemingly normal.

Until the newest trend has traveled through the town, daring everyone to post their worst fear of death. If you had to go out, how would you?

Isabel “Izzy” Tindall was one of few not to post, and that may have been her saving grace.

Suddenly, two students at Rock Bay High School turn up dead after a party late one night, one of which was found by Izzy. They had died in the same fashion as they had posted about.

A murderer was closing in, and somehow, Izzy is at the center. Who was the killer, and why?

Throughout the entirety of this book, there were three thoughts in my mind:

I hope the killer isn’t as obvious as we think they are.
Why Izzy? Was she next on the list?
I can’t read about teens anymore without feeling cringe or old (coming from a 21 year old)

After reading so many dense, adult books, my ability to read about teens has gone down slightly, but not diminished completely. However, the fact that I was struggling with that personal issue did steer me away from the book for a while, but the other two points on the list brought me back into the story.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, SCROLL A BIT UNTIL YOU SEE ANOTHER BOLDED MESSAGE

I both predicted and not predicted the murderer and, therefore, the twist. The murderer was one of three people for me, as the author intended, but what i wasn’t expecting was the double antagonist right at the very end of the book.

And the cliffhanger that followed completely shattered my expectations. Legit left us hanging there, and I want to know if it will ever be wrapped up in a sequel or will stand alone forever, leaving the readers to think and think and nothing more about this ending.

SPOILERS OVER

The Fear was a fast-paced, attention grabbing mystery that had me holding my breath until the last sentence. I’m still in shock over the ending and probably will be for a while or until things get resolved by the author or another book.

While sometimes I felt bothered by some of the prose itself (very technical English major and writing tutor here: it comes with the territory), the build up and intrigue made up for what it was lacking in technicalities. I enjoyed seeing Izzy’s perspective while also getting glimpses of the antagonist’s life too.

Preston did an awesome job of not giving up too much information about “Fear” during their POV, but also did a fantastic job of giving the three main suspects very similar lives and backstories so it would further confuse the audience.

Overall, I’d give The Fear 4 stars. Definitely up there for my favorite Natasha Preston books.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this!

First of all. That ending. What the actual ...? This has to get a sequel, right?

This gave me such Pretty Little Liars vibes and I'm here for it. The author had a great way of keeping the tension high at all times which I really liked and I definitely didn't guess who the killer was which is a big thing for me. I usually manage to ruin books like this for myself simply by being able to figure everything out too quickly.

Be warned, though - even though the author doesn't go into details that much, some of the murders are pretty crotesque and disturbing.

have read all of Preston's books with varying degrees of success, although I loved her last book.

In order to read "The Fear" you need to suspend your disbelief a little bit. If you can do that, you will find yourself totally engrossed in the plot trying to figure out "who did it".

I will make this review spoiler free, but I kept changing my mind, depending on what I was reading, on who the guilty person was. I never guessed right and I will say right now that Preston gave us a unseen twist which promises to be interesting in the future.

The story itself gathers speed as it goes, although I will say that the first chapter or so is veryyyy slow, but persist through it and you will find yourself really wanting to keep reading and reading.

Preston's writing is well paced (except for the first chapter) and she does a good job of expanding her characters.

Surprisingly, I hated Izzy. I don't think the author intentionally wrote her to be disliked, but she got on my last never.

Having said that, me disliking Izzy did not remove any of the fun of reading this book.

Preston has another winner.

Another fantastic, fast paced thriller from Natasha Preston. Her titles are always a hit with my teen patrons. As always Preston delivers a thriller so full of twists and turns that you will never see the ending coming! This is a must purchase for all teen collections especially where thrillers are popular.

Natasha Preston is an auto buy author for my classroom library. She is the perfect author to have for fast paced thrillers. My students who like a good scare always pick up her books. The Fear is one I could see them enjoying. Hit definitely hit the right notes for me. I didn’t care for the concept of “The Fear” but I thought the storyline was good. Keeps you guessing like the first time you watch Scream.

It all starts with a stupid meme: post your greatest fear. It's winter in this small fishing village and the meme spreads like wildfire. Izzy sees it but she isn't going to post her fear and gets mad when her cousin and best friend post theirs.

Izzy's right because then her classmates start dying in ways that echo their greatest fears. The first victims are Debbie and Kason - members of the school's in-group. Izzy is the one who discovers Debbie's body. She's driving home with her friends after being at a party and is going slowly because there is a snowstorm when she sees something that makes her stop.

When the police interview her, she says she says Debbie had left the party earlier. No one was too concerned since Debbie is known as a mean Drama Queen. Izzy is greatly upset by being the one who discovers Debbie's body. Then the next day hockey player Kason's body is found and tensions rise in the town.

Izzy is determined to find out what happened to her two fellow students. After all, she's the one who found Debbie's body. She's also observant and smart. But suspicions and bodies begin to pile up. She has an overabundance of suspects. It is Justin who is her secret crush? He and Kason were rivals on the hockey team and he dated Debbie. Is it Axel the quiet loner who is Izzy's partner for an English project? Is it Tristan? He seems to show up frequently in odd places. He's also her sister Lia's friend that she hasn't seen often since Lia went off to college.

Most of the chapters are told from Izzy's point of view but a few are told from Fear's point of view. Unfortunately, the clues Fear drops in his chapters don't help us readers eliminate any of Izzy's suspects.

The story was creepy and filled with tension. However, Izzy borders on being Too Stupid To Live as she ventures off on her investigations with little regard for her own safety and wavers between trusting and suspecting many characters.

Then, there is the ending which was both ambiguous and extremely frustrating. Teens will likely enjoy the twisty plot and intrepid heroine.

It’s really good. I didn’t expect the ending which was my favourite and I hope there can be a sequel.

When an author is proclaimed to be the queen of YA thrillers, you have to experience their books at least once to see if it is all true. I mean, that is a huge title to live up to and it can go one of two ways. One: she can live up to that title and so much more or two: it could be a deception. I didn't realize there could be a third option until completing this book and that is to fall somewhere in between.

I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into nor what to expect. Tring a new to me author is always a thrilling ride. I love a spine-chilling thriller and I love YA, so I was instantly sold on this book. No arm twisting was involved in this decision.

A meme on social media goes viral and people are reposting it telling the world their most fearful way to die. Then kids from a small town are murdered in the way they posted on social media. A few were lucky enough not to repost but for those who do sure have a huge target on their backs. The hunt is now on!

The mystery to this story was very predictable and I guessed who was behind this as soon as the character was introduced. There was no second-guessing who it was when it was shoved right into your face. I found that to be disappointing. It took me at least fifty pages to get into this book, the writing style didn't instantly hit me like other thrillers. It does have an interesting concept about a social media post going viral with your most fearful way to die.

And the craziest thing about this was that my favorite character was the murderer. Not that I have a soft spot for the weird (ha!) but that this person was just so damn intriguing. Now, let's not forget the best part about this. That freaking last line! Holy s**t!! That ending line will give you goosebumps! It did me and I screamed with delight. That's what makes this book so messed up. It was brilliant.

The Fear was a good thriller. The murders were excellent, the suspense was killer, and that end line was superb. While I guessed who was behind all of this, I still enjoyed myself and it kept me entertained. Readers will love this well-paced thriller.

Be afraid of what you repost online, you never know the consequences.

Wow.........just wow! This was so good. Somebody posts a meme asking what is the worst way to die. Shortly after, people start dying according to their death fears. Izzie, the girl who found the first body, gets caught up in the investigation. She is determined to find out who is killing people and why.

I had several guesses on who the killer could be. I was shocked by the ending. Totally didn't see that coming!

This one is hard for me to rate because I think the concept is so freaking crazy and relatable especially with the social media aspect.

The story follows a cast of high schoolers and suddenly a meme appears out of nowhere where you repost what you think is the scariest way to die and then it begins to happen in real life.

I liked the idea because it was definitely scary concept but I didn't like the characters whatsoever (which I could usually look past in thrillers) but I guess it was just insufferable in this one for some reason.

I also didn't enjoy that every chapter ended in shock when it didn't have to be? I did like the short chapters.