⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝘿𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙-𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡.

📍 Read if you like:
• Horror Movies
• Spooky Season
• Halloween Parties
• Corn Mazes

I was so excited to read this book. It was being compared to Scream and Happy Death Day - both unique and amazing plots. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book as much as I wanted to.

I did love that it took place on Halloween Night and that a haunted corn maze was involved. It had an eerie atmosphere which I was hoping would make the story better.

I also liked the horror movie references and gore. Also, I loved that it mentioned Asian horror. It did take time for me to feel interested in the book, especially since I did not care for the characters.

Usually, I find myself struggling with YA thrillers, in a way that was the case with this one. However, it had an interesting plot that I wish I would’ve loved more.

The ending also felt so predictable IMO. I predicted the killer very early on. It is a bit far-fetched with the traveling back to try and save someone.

This wasn’t a terrible book. I still enjoyed some moments with the horror references, but the story itself was a bit meh. Some moments were great, some were disappointing. Overall, this was a three-star read.

3.5
If you love films like Scream, you will for sure enjoy this. I am having a fallout with YA; however, I was always interested in how this would wrap up. I loved the character Sydney Prescott look alike. The ending was definitely surprising.

This book seemed so similar to The Good Girl's Guide to Murder at first, but then it took a hard left turn. The paranormal aspect of it was kind of interesting. I like the stories where people have to experience a situation from a different vantage point and learn from it. This one had quite a few twists and turns along the way. I did have it figured out from just about the very beginning, but for a YA novel that isn't too surprising. I still enjoyed the journey to the end and was adequately surprised by the ending!

Snippet Review:
This is a solid YA thriller and it comes with less angst and more lean into of love of thriller films. I appreciate the characters are developed without huge age cliches and the plot is quick paced and exciting throughout. The twist and turns are unexpected and fresh while giving the final girl vibes of classic thriller movies. Well done. The ending? Blown away. Definitely worth a read.

Fuller review below:
If you’re in a reading slump one of the best ways to get out of it is to find a book just captivates your attention and you inhale it in one sitting! Follow me for more tips. They may be profound or obvious to anyone. It’s a roller coaster over here! 🙃🎢 🙂

But seriously, How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine is just such a book! Thank you @penguinteen for my hard copy - I absolutely loved this book!

How to Survive Your Murder is such a unique thriller and approach to the genre that I haven’t seen before and because of that it elevates this fun YA novel to a different place. Alice Lawrence is the sole witness to her sister Claire’s murder trial one year after a fateful night in the corn field. In a dizzying turn of events Alice is knocked out in the courtroom bathroom and is transported to the night Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to find the real killer before they claim other victims.

I went into this story blind and I think it made it even more adventureful. I loved the obsessed fixation Alice had for Final Girls, thriller movies, and true crime in many ways and how that wove into the storyline as the plot progress. If you’re someone that enjoys that sleuthing this will be a fun read for you. True crime lover? I think you’ll also really enjoy it. Like a book with good twists? Pick this one up!

How to Survive Your Murder is perfect for fans of teen slasher movies. The book follows Alice Lawrence as she is about to testify in her sister’s murder trial. Alice is ready to tell everyone that she saw Owen Maddox Jill her sister last Halloween in a corn maze. However when she gets knocked out by a girl who looks just like Sidney Prescott from Scream, she then wakes up to find herself back in the cornfield on the same night as her sister’s murder. Alice will use this second chance to do whatever it takes to keep her sister alive this time.

This book is a perfect balance of creepy thriller with just the right amount of humor thrown in. You really feel for the characters, especially Alice as she has to uncover mystery after mystery in this one. With everything she learns, she becomes less sure of who the killer really is.

I enjoyed the book. It’s kind of a twisted version of It’s a Wonderful Life. I love books that give characters second chances to right wrongs in their past. The only problem I had was the ending. In true horror fashion, you don’t always get a happy ending and I’m ok with that. It just didn’t feel like a true resolution. I wanted more closure.

Absolutely devoured this book, I could not put it down. The twist...The ending...*chef's kiss* I do feel like there were some things that weren't resolved, but that didn't take away from the story in my opinion.

3.5 stars
This is set during the Halloween so atmosphere-wise it was pretty good. The magical realism aspect of it was very interesting but it felt like there were a couple of things glossed over to build up to the final twist. The ending left much to be desired as well.

How to Survive Your Murder is pure teen horror fun. Total Scream & I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes combined with a great plot; sharp writing; twists; a few heart racing moments ; and dark humour.

Alice's sister Claire is violently murdered on Halloween. Right before Alice is set to testify against her sister's killer, she's knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike (naturally) and wakes up in the past and with the chance to save her sister.

I grew-up with these stories and Danielle Valentine killed it (pun intended) by combining the nostalgic and classic elements with her own style. The dynamics between the characters is spot on and as a reader, you're right there with Alice second guessing everyone around you.

Read this book! And I really hope there is a sequel!

Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada & NetGalley for the eARC to read and review.

I have loved this author's other books, which she has written under a different name, and enjoyed them! So I was really looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint. Valentine has amazing plot twists that will make you question things in the narrative and the way you have read them. Once I finished the book I couldn't stop thinking about it and the ending is one that I think about often. I agree with the comp of Happy Death Day, the tone of the book fits the movie and it was fun to read. I enjoy stories about sisters and their dynamics and this one was very intricate and gave a lot of insight into their dynamic. This one was a quick and delightful thriller that fans of YA Thrillers will not want to miss!

I have no idea how to rate this because I still can’t decide if I loved it or hated it?? I vacillated pretty wildly back and forth at various points of the story. The beginning was rougghhhh. I almost DNFed this book because the first 20% is PAINFULLY, in-your-face high school. Almost like it was trying wayyy too hard to feel like high school. To the point that it was nauseating. It was shallow and juvenile, and I was starting to wonder if maybe I was too old for this book. I did a lot of 15-second skipping in the beginning, not gonna lie.

However, when it got to the whole Sidney Prescott scene where Alice goes back in time, to before the murder, everything changed. From that point on, I was hooked! It was a wild ride, to be honest. I knew from the beginning that Owen was innocent, that much was pretty clear. View Spoiler » So the actual killer was a pretty good twist, but I’m honestly not sure how I feel about it, which I’ll get to in a second.

For the most part, in the middle I really enjoyed it! I was super intrigued about the direction the book was going and wanted to know what was going to happen. At times I felt like the constant horror movie references were a bit over the top, like it was trying too hard. I mostly got tired of hearing “if this were a horror movie” and “in a horror movie, x/y/z” over and over and over again. I felt like that could have been dialed down a little bit. The narration was pretty good, too – in the beginning, her high school girl voice grated on my nerves, but in the more serious parts she was wonderful and really brought the book to life!

So, the identity of the killer. Hmm. I felt like it was a little bit wild and waaay out in left field. It was a good twist, for sure, but did it make sense? [spoilers removed]

BUT. How about that ending!?! Did the author really go there with that ending?! OH YES SHE DID. And I have no idea how I feel about it. Did I love it? Hate it? I’m honestly not really sure! It will definitely be a controversial ending, and I think I’m leaning toward the love team because it was so unconventional of an ending. I love when authors do something that readers may not like, and even though open endings are frustrating, I also kind of love them because it leaves it ultimately up to the imagination.

90s vibes....here for it!

I thought this was pretty suspenseful, especially for a YA thriller!

I did not see that ending coming. VERY WELL DONE!

This book had a really good plot but the writing style wasn't good enough so it could not make it engaging. The protagonist talked too much about horror movies and it took a long time to get to the main action.

This title immediately pulled me in. I saw some mixed reviews for this book which honestly made me want to read it even more. It reminded me of a Halloween episode of my favorite show. This book gave off final girls energy and I loved every minute of it. I do think it started a bit slowly, but overall it was a great read.

Book Review!
Not ready for spooky season to be over?

How to Survive Your Murder
By: Danielle Valentine
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Check out this new YA book where slasher meets second chance. And huge thank you to @penguinteen
And @daniellevalentinebooks for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Horror movie loving Alice Lawrence is the only person to witness her sister Claire's murder. After that, everything falls apart. In the year following, her parents divorce, her friendships fall away, and Alice all but gives up.
Now Alice is faced with testifying against the boy that she saw murder her sister. Only, was it really him? Many bring into question his innocence. Alice is certain he is guilty, that is until she's given the chance to go back in time to the night of her sister's murder. She is told that if she can discover the identity of the killer once and for all, before midnight, her sister will live.
Can she face the horrors of that night all over again and save her sister before time runs out?

This was one of those books that was a little slow in the beginning and then went on a crazy snowball run downhill for the rest. I couldn't read fast enough, trying to figure out what happened and who the killer was. I have to say I was blindsided, especially by the ending. I had to sit back and kind of stare into space for a little bit, while I gathered my thoughts on this book. It was intense and crazy and surprising. Definitely a good book if you're looking for a wild ride. It is definitely young adult, but probably older YA due to the gory nature of some scenes.

Do you like horror or thriller better?

I tend to lean more towards thriller.

#daniellevalentine #howtosurviveyourmurder #penguinteen #penguinrep #bookreviews #slasher #horror #youngadult #readmore #reviewbooks

Absolutely riveting novel from start to end. HTSYM was the book version of Happy Death Day and it was so original and unputdownable.

This was one of the best horror/thrillers I have read in a very long time.

High school setting: check
Tropes in horror films: check
sister murdered: check
final girl: check

I was blown away by the fantastic writing style and I couldnt wait for our main character to have the opportunity to save her sister! It kept me guessing the whole time.

Well done!

I know this one will NOT be for everyone, but this was one hell of a wild ride.

This is one of those books that I think it's best to go in with as little information as possible. The author did a fantastic job of putting in twists and turns that I did not see coming. And y'all, the ending had my jaw on ground. I am still in shock that the author went there.

Thank you for the advanced digital copy of this book. It was the perfect book to read for Halloween and spooky season. I love the chapter titles and the flow of the story. The main character was relatable and her references to horror movies and final girls were all on point! I could not read this fast enough and was so excited to find out what happened! I loved the time traveling and thought that added a lot to the story. The ending was predictable, but knowing what was coming did not take away from the story at all! And the final couple sentences were truly shocking!!! Cannot recommend this enough!

Although this one took me a little bit to get into, once I was in, I was hooked. I found myself continually guessing until late in the book, which is exactly how I like it - I'm not a fan when I can figure out the killer or person responsible in the first little bit of the book - takes the fun out of it for me. One of the things that truly did it for me in this book were the 90s slasher movie references and all the nostalgia - give me more. I found this book to be quick moving, and quite the wild ride. I ended up being pleasantly shocked by the ending, and every fiber of my body wants a sequel. 4.5 stars.

I have to admit slasher books are not always my favorite. I sometimes struggle to feel connected to the main characters and then the story just does not capture. Some of this books struggled with this at the the start. Since this book was so short, it had a bit of the not connecting to the characters. But the last 50 pages left me shocked and stunend. I loved the really shocking twsits and turns and wonder if we might be getting more books. It was really shocking read, but want to get clousure in future books. But it def packed a punch, i loved the time taveling elements and also the focus on the sister dyanimcs. I will hope for a sequel!!!