This was not the book for me. I thought I would step out of my comfort zone and read a YA thriller, hoping that it would not only be great, but that I could also have it in the school library. Unfortunately, it failed on both parts. The set up for this horror story almost matched that actual horror action section of the book. We didn’t even get to Romania until around 40% into the book and I was already so bored. The killings help pick up the pace for a bit, but I also guessed the major twist very early on and was disappointed to learn I was correct and it didn’t feel very original. All the teenagers are super privledged, whiney kids and you end up not caring about ANYONE. Oh well, at least I won’t be up all night being terrified. This wasn’t scary at all, and I’m a wimp.

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.

Alex and her friends, all horror movie fans, are shooting a short film that they hope will get some of them into film school. When they get the opportunity to shoot on site at a remote castle in Romania, they’re sure it will be the perfect setting for their story, a reimagining of Dracula. But when they arrive, things are not exactly what they expected. The dark and creepy castle certainly is the ideal backdrop for the movie, but as soon as they get there, their crowdfunded money goes missing and all the adults in the place take off, leaving them alone. Except, they aren’t alone at all. When the power is knocked out due to a storm, one after the other, members of the group start to disappear and turn up dead, and Alex is certain she has seen a stranger in a cloak lurking around at each spot. With no way to contact anyone, the friends are on their own and must figure out a way to escape before it’s too late.

This was a thrilling, fast-paced read! I don’t often pick up horror themed novels, but something about this one was just too intriguing to pass up. As it turned out, while this was certainly creepy enough, and it had its fair share of bloody and horror filled moments, I didn’t find it scary per se, and was more focused on the mystery aspect of it and finding out what and who was behind it all. The narration and location were both perfect for this type of story and the way the location is described was extremely atmospheric and set the stage very well, making it easy for the reader to imagine themselves in the spooky castle with an unknown enemy stalking around. I also liked the pieces at the end of the chapters with information from the police case and Alex being interviewed. The story hopped around the timeline a lot, but it was never confusing, and knowing how it ends made it all that much more exciting to figure out how it happened.

I wasn’t too impressed with the characters, mostly because the only perspective we get is Alex’s. Her friends were not distinct enough in my opinion and I got them mixed up more than once. They were barely developed, and it made it their deaths feel very distant and impactless. As for Alex herself, my biggest complaint for most of the book was that I could barely connect with her at all, but the ending makes it clear why the story was written that way, and it certainly makes so much more sense now!

My first question when I picked up this book was why seven teenagers would ever be allowed to travel – with only a relative stranger as chaperone at that – to a creepy, uninhabited castle basically out in the middle of nowhere, in a foreign country. It just wasn’t realistic. I think my biggest peeve with this book though, was that I didn’t feel drawn in emotionally at all. Usually, I would be freaking out at such plot twists and yelling at the characters to not do such stupid things, but that didn’t happen here. The lack of attachment created to the characters was very much to the detriment of the story in this aspect.

The final twist was excellent and despite the many hints, now that I look back on it, I definitely didn’t see it coming at all! I do wish however, that the ending had not been so quick. Everything was revealed in the span of a chapter and an epilogue at such speed that it took some of the thrill away. Overall, this was a fun read and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre!

A solid read for anyone who loves: movies, vampires, creepy castles, twisty endings, teenage drama, backstabbing, backbiting and backhanded compliments.

This book is a suspenseful locked room thriller about teens filming a horror movie that seems to be coming true in real life.

When only part of a group of film-obsessed teens get into the film school of their choice, Alex decides they need a new project to push them off the waitlist. When a famed actress stumbles across six teens' GoFundMe to film their student horror novel, she does more than make it go viral. She convinces them to film it in Dracula's summer home, a castle in Romania owned by her cousin. But as soon as they get there, the money from their GoFundMe is stolen, and all the adults abandon the castle. But the teens soon realize that they are not alone.

The wonderfully atmospheric descriptions of the ruined castle brought this novel to life. From ruined halls to locked doors to still-smoking cigars, the details made my heart beat fast each time a character had to change locations. Some of the characters get more development than others, as they survive longer. After the characters reach the castle, the bodies pile up as the action never slows.

This is a book that has fun with horror movie tropes, and it includes bits of the script of the film the teens are working on, along with bits of the police report after each chapter. Be warned, this story gets gruesome and bloody, with more than one murder scene graphically described. However, if you're looking for an action-packed thriller filled with Gothic vibes, this might just be your cup of tea. The last twist caught me off guard, too.




*Potential Spoiler Alert*





I think it was the mention of Dracula that had me expecting vampires. How can you go to Dracula's summer home filled with creepy artifacts and not encounter a vampire? If you're a character in this novel, that's how.

Go Hunt Me had a premise I was really excited for – everything I look for in a YA horror/thriller seemed to be present:

Isolated setting in the form of a remote Romanian Castle – Check
A diverse cast of horror buffs – Check
A Dracula inspired murder threat – Check

Sadly, if fell flat for me. The characters one dimensional and the plot boring and predictable. I’m really sad to say this because I loved Kelly’s previous book, Eat Your Heart Out and was really looking forward to this isolated setting thriller with a possible vampire-esque killer on the loose.

And then after I slogged all the way through to the ‘epilogue’ and read the motivation and just how timely everything worked out for the ACTUAL villain, it was like salt in a wound. It was just this side of ridiculous and took the story from a 3 to a 2 for me and to be completely honest, I felt cheated. I’ll leave it at that.

Can’t really say I’d recommend this but hey, it might be someone’s cup of joe.

My thanks to Penguin Teen for this gifted DRC

This book was really fun. I love all things spooky and horror and while this didn’t scare me it did give me some woah what the moments. I flew through this and I really enjoyed the timeline setup of the story. I think it helped build the suspense with how it starts in present day and relives the past events and finally comes back to the present. I loved the inclusion of pieces of the movie script the characters were filming and the dossiers from the investigation. The mystery and twists were done well and kept me on my toes. I did find some of the characters tended to blend together and I could have done without some of them or wished there had been more of a distinction between them.

I don’t want to spoil to much because it is a murder mystery but I enjoyed piecing together everything. I found the ending to be a bit quick. I personally wanted more details to really explain the why and how. It almost seemed a bit out of character but as I thought about it I felt like I didn’t really know any of the characters that deeply by the end.

Overall it was a fast paced easy to follow thriller and think it’ll be a fun fall read even though it’s coming out in June.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP /Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

1.5 stars rounded up

Heads up, this book doesn't actually have vampires in it! It's a non-paranormal horror novel following a group of teenage filmmakers who get the chance to film in what may have been Vlad the Impalers castle in Romania. But things go very wrong and bodies begin to drop. It wasn't what I was expecting and the execution was underwhelming. Take my review with a grain of salt because some reviewers seem to have enjoyed this more than I did, and if you can just take it for what it is maybe you will too, but unfortunately that was not my experience.

In terms of pacing, the entire first half of the book is setup and the second half is breakneck action. But the characters are so thinly developed that I don't know why we needed half the book to set things up. They read like irritating caricatures more than people. So when things get bloody, I wasn't invested enough to feel much about it. There are some twists that were not all that surprising because of the setup and intense foreshadowing, and I think having a guess about what was going on also detracted from my experience with the book.

I also couldn't help thinking these teenagers were really dumb, and how absurd it is to go through with going to film at this location. Alone. With some creepy guy you don't know, in a country where you don't know the language. Like have none of them seen movies about human trafficking of teenagers??? The believability just wasn't there for me.

On top of which, at times it seems like this book is trying to SAY something about gender bias in the film industry, but in a way that really doesn't work with what the rest of the book is doing. I would be all for a book that really tackles that issue, but this wasn't it.

The more I think about this one, the less I like it, which is unfortunate. It gets genuinely dark and gory with some of the horror elements and I like seeing more horror written for teenagers specifically. The setting of the castle was great and there were some interesting ideas, but the way everything came together I really wasn't a fan. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) Seven teenagers get the chance of a lifetime to film a movie at an old castle in Romania. The castle is rumored to be where Dracula was imagined and written.

I have to say, this book kept me entertained. I needed to find out what had happened and more importantly, how! The majority was fast paced and the premise was fabulous.

There were a few things I didn’t like; first off the characters. Oof they were lacking. I could keep track of 3 but that left 4 that all blended together. They were not developed enough for me to remember them or care about them. Convenient for a horror novel but still, it made deaths feel hollow and unimportant.

Secondly, I needed more umph. Ya, I’m going with that word! When a huge plot twist was happening, it didn’t feel any different than the previous pages. There wasn’t build up, then a fall then building up again. It was very even keel the entire time. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed this but I expected to and wanted to have my emotions wrecked. To yell at the pages when somebody died or yell at them not to go in that room. It just didn’t grab me enough.

There were very questionable actions by some characters that I’m still trying to work through but the ending helped with that a bit. However, that ending made me more confused. I don’t see how it was possible? I’m still putting pieces together. So while I enjoyed the ride, I would’ve liked to be more entrenched with the story and the characters.

This book was a super fun, fast read that had me hooked on the first page.
Alex and her friends are shooting a short movie to help a few of them get into film school. When they meet a Hollywood starlet she gives them the perfect place to film their Dracula remake... The actual castle that Vlad lived in... So off they go to film the most amazing film they can, and when they arrive things right off the bat are not as they seem. The starlet runs off to do her own thing, and our group is left with just the caretaker. They arrive at the castle and realize that while this is probably the best setting for their movie, something feels off... and one by one people begin to die... They have no phones or internet to call for help, and no one is coming to help. They have to figure it out on their own.

I love the way the story was told, and the setting was amazing. You could totally see yourself in this spookyass castle that falling down around them. Also, that twist was so good... I had no idea that's where we were headed and it was a jaw-dropping moment..

I can't wait to see what else this author will write next!!

I absolutely loves this one! The whole premise was great and I loved what each person the characters brought to the table. There weee just enough twists and turns and I only guessed one of them. The ultimate “WHAT” moment I never saw coming and I love that in a book!

This is a lightning-fast read that feels like a mishmash of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and the Blair Witch Project. It's definitely more of a horror than a thriller, leaning into the gore and psychological suspense elements, so be warned. What did you expect when you send a bunch of teens to Dracula's castle in Romania to film a horror movie? I really enjoyed how each chapter ends with an excerpt from a police report, a social media post, or various other elements of multimedia. While certain elements seemed a little outlandish, it worked for the story as a whole and created a fast-paced unputdownable read. And the ending? I'm obsessed.

Review to come June 27th on blog/around that time also on GR.

I received this book from TBR and Beyond Tours and the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

So I was actually part of the tour, but sadly while I did like the book.. I had some issues with it and so I am sharing it outside of the tour 14 days later (which was the soonest I had place on my blog). Because I just don't think it is classy to be negative about a book on a tour stop. Those times are supposed to be filled with joy and happy feelings.

😍 Loved that it took place in a castle. A spooky castle. With creaky doors. Bad lighting. Oh, and did I mention the storm? Oh yes! We also get some daytime, which was also pretty spooky, but I just love it when scary books have big storms in them. Making it hard to leave a place. Making it hard to run. The descriptions of the castle were perfect, you know, if it wasn't for the murders and the scary crap happening? I would have liked to step into the book and explore a bit myself. But you know, murders, I will just keep on reading about how the castle looked. XD
😍 Kicking the patriarchy, I mean, at times I was rolling my eyes at how dedicated these girls were, but for most I was rooting for them.
😍 The cover! It is really cool and I love the vibe it gives.
😍 The MC was pretty great, for at least most of the book. I loved that despite not being happy with having to work her parents business (helping them out) she just did it without too much grumbling. I loved how supportive she was of her sister and how she kept cheering her on, telling her to just go for it. To try for those auditions.
😍 I had a laugh at how Alex kept admiring the silverwear in the castle. Oh, look at this *insert some term* silver ashtray, so fancy. And I was like, Alex, people are dying, not the time, but I still love you. XD I did bring her some comfort, because thanks to those silver pieces she thought of her parents, gaining some motivation (and well, also losing some because OMG will I survive).
😍 That her friends set up a go-fund-me for her. Because they wanted to help! It was just so sweet of them and I loved how they promoted it.
😍 The movies they wanted to make, it sounded so good and I would have definitely liked to see it come true. I liked the additions of scripts here and there.
😍 I loved the extra parts in between with the police officer who was on the case. From interviews to snippets of proof to seeing what the officer was up to. I really love it when books add these extras.
😍 The ending. WTF? It just came out of nowhere. I was like, wait, wait... did I miss something? I mean, there was one hint, but I didn't think it was that big... I was just so surprised.
😍 The author did a good job making the murders gruesome. I mean, we don't really see much murdering happening, but we do come across dead bodies and let's just say, heads will be rolling (and sinking). Haha, now you are probably looking at me with such a weird face, but I think the murders have to fit with the genre. If it is horror/thriller let it be bloody. If it is a children's book let it be neat and tidy.
😍 I liked how the chapters intros were like this: One day ago || INT. THE END OF THE HALLWAY - NIGHT. It was such a fun touch especially given how the characters loved movies/making them.
😍 I didn't know that 112 (what we Dutchies use to call when there is an emergency) was also for all of Europe. So cool!
😍 Yesss, let's go into a hedge maze with a murderer around. YES!

😶 (the neutral-ish face): It was once again so American. I am just stunned each time. Oh you got cancer well have fun paying for the treatment. I mean what the actual FUCK. I am sorry, but even though I know the health system there is a terrible one I just get shocked each time and wonder how people are still not rioting more. Also the whole college thing was just WTF. Essays, movies, begging, more begging, letters, essays. WTF? Why would you go through all that and then also end up in debt? I just don't get America.

😑 While I LIKED the ending and the twist it brought... I would have liked to have seen some small hints to that. Maybe I missed them because I was struggling a bit with the pacing, but it just came out of the blue for me. Unexpected. And because of that I would have rather have it been the other scenario instead of this one. Hope that makes sense? And then there was the epilogue and while I loved parts of it.. there were parts that had me wanting to flip a few tables.
😑 The pacing. The beginning is so gosh-darn slow. I mean, they don't go to the castle until around 30%. And then instead of having one or two spooky days at the castle, which I would have loved as I would have loved to see more of the castle in a calm-ish setting and the outside as well, it was just BOOM instant action. Their first night is also their last. And then despite it being pretty WOAHHHHHH NOPE it was also so slow. It was really weird.
😑 And thanks to that pacing.. well I just couldn't find myself rooting much for these characters. I mean, outside of Maddie, Alex (our MC), Jax, and Reagan, I kept forgetting the other characters. Even now I have to look up their names, hello Kenna, Carter, Hazel. When Carter gets killed (not a spoiler as from the start it is clear who survived and not) I was like, who the fuck is Carter? And then later Hazel was named, and I was like? Wait? What? And given everything so far in the book? They weren't that likeable at points. I mean, I found it rude that Jax, the boyfriend, did that to his girlfriend when applying for college. Reagan was just weird with how he was so constantly around Alex, like dude, she has a boyfriend.... Kenna was at times sweet but such a diva and she seemed to think she was above them. Maddie was OK-ish, but made some weird remarks (or was it someone else, again, bad with names).
😑 While I love that we had at least one couple (I believe we had another one, but again see point above) namely Jax and Alex... I just didn't see it. I mean, there were points that had me like OHHHH, and awww cute! But there were also moments that I was like, wait, you are dating? You have been dating for a while? OK...

Also unsure about this, but at one point (65%) the chapter title says: One Day Ago, but then the next chapter and a new day (69%) says: Two days ago?

So yeah, I am happy I had the chance to read this book before the release date (reading this May 18-20) and while I had some issues, it was still a good book. With scary moments. I cannot wait what is next for Kelly deVos. So far I read a book filled with zombie-like monsters and now murders in a castle, what will she write about next? I will look forward to it.

Check out the aesthetic video I made for this book on my TikTok and Instagram @katherinebichler. Here are the links 👇🏼

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdnrb6CW/?k=1

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cd5egV...

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
3.5/5 STARS (rounded up)

This is a YA horror where Dracula meets The Blair Witch Project. Film students get the chance of a lifetime to make a movie at Dracula’s castle in Romania where nothing goes as expected.

Spoilers!!
In the beginning I was disappointed because the first chapter tells you who lives and who dies. It took away a little of the suspense for me. As for the death scenes, I originally saw them as poorly written with not enough description and almost cheesy. I then noticed the foreshadowing in Lucy’s script and realized it was all by design and understood where the author was going with it. The ending has shock value if you do not figure it out and everything comes together and makes sense.

I can see why people DNF after the first few chapters but stick with it, it gets better!

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was an easy read with short chapters. I will read more from Kelly 🙂

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the e-ARC of this book! 🧛‍♂️🔪🎥

This book is going to be a huge draw for teen readers! It combines many things that are relatable: being an influencer, struggling with college decisions, getting rejections, dating, issues with parents and so on. To top it all off it is a murder mystery. A murder mystery in a Romanian castle that has to do with Dracula. Sounds intriguing right? And I think for teens it will be. In many ways the style of this book reminds me of Tom Ryan’s I Hope You’re Listening, Kit Frick’s I Killed Zoe Spanos, the Truly Devious series and the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. This is a YA book, however it does remind me some of Riley Sager’s adult books. For me it is almost the teen version of those. IIt goes back between present and the past (where the main events took place) and it is interspersed with Alex’s interviews with the police in the aftermath.

I found 90% of the characters unlikeable, and I don’t know if that was intentional. I also think that they were supposed to represent real teens, teens who are flawed and are jealous, who are still learning about themselves and what they want from life. So to me, this was a realistic representation of them. Even if I didn’t like them, it wasn’t like they were written badly!

The writing style is easy to follow, and this book is a fairly quick read (for me). There is a lot of build up to the actual events at the castle. But there’s a lot of tension, not knowing how we get to the end.

I guessed what was going on from the very beginning. There certainly were some red herrings thrown in, but overall I found it easy to guess. But the read itself was engaging and kept me entertained until I got to the end of the book. In some ways I wish that it had gone differently – that it hadn’t been as I expected. Alas.

This book is going to be for anyone who enjoys slasher/final girl etc types of books and movies. It definitely lands more on the horror side of the mystery/thriller aspect, so just be aware of that. There isn’t anything overly descriptive in this book (or at least not too much), but more generalized descriptions.

Overall, this book was a solid three star book for me. I enjoyed the book, but I think that teens (and tweens) will enjoy it far more than me!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for an arc of this book.

After being waitlisted at her dream college for filmmaking, Alex and her friends come up with the idea to create her short film in Prahova at the castle of Vlad Dracul. With the help of an actress, they make their way to the castle...but everything turns out wrong when the power goes out, the adults disappear, and her friends start going missing.

I would say the best part about this book is the interplay of "scene descriptions" between chapters, including information from the script, the investigation, and other elements. The rest of it was a little boring and predictable, but still fun to read. This is the book equivalent of a slasher film. I think this would have been better if the ending hadn't been so predictable and the main character hadn't been described one way for most of the plot, then changed at the end. The end part of the character was interesting, but the way Alex was depicted for the majority of the book was just bland and sad.

Also...none of the side characters were interesting. So that was sad.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Sexism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use

I think this book needs a disclaimer that it isn't about Vampires. Because I feel like one is lead to believe that it is. But it is about a group of high schoolers who are filming a vampire horror movie to get into college. And after the half way mark it turns into a slasher. However, you have to getting through half for anything to happen.

What I liked is the fan service to all the horror movies and books of days gone by. And it was interesting but it wasn't what I was expecting. And I would have liked to see action a lot sooner.

I think if you can handle slow burns then you may like this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Razorbill for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Go Hunt Me was so, so close to being the vampire-infused campy slasher of my dreams. I mean, we have seven teens who have the opportunity to film a movie in an abandoned castle in Romania! And then things start going horribly wrong as they realize they’re being stalked and killed off! A basic premise, yes, but a fun one. And while it was fun for a while…it ended up being a tad bit disappointing.

The story starts off with our main character, Alex Rush, telling the tale of what happened to her and her six friends during their fateful stay in a Romanian castle. There’s a LOT of setup to create this locked-room thriller with a Dracula twist, but I didn’t mind the wait. I liked seeing the dynamic between the characters without any of the pressure that would inevitably come when they were uh…being stalked and murdered. It added a lot more weight to the scenes where they were trying to figure out what to do!

Not going to lie, I was doubtful when I heard this book being compared to Diana Urban’s All Your Twisted Secrets but I get it now. Let me explain:

This book actually felt suspenseful. I cared about several of the characters, smart decisions were actually trying to be made (why do teenagers always make the DUMBEST decisions in the horror genre like dang y’all are somehow below average in intelligence), and the stakes felt like they were constantly being raised. I’d say that the actual plot aspect was done better in Go Hunt Me than All Your Twisted Secrets.

On the other hand, I can name more characters in Urban’s debut that i read two years ago than in Devos’s which I read just a couple of months ago. I liked maybe three or four of the characters, but they all lacked depth. Obviously, I know better than to read a YA thriller expecting character depth but still! While the setup for the book did a good job at creating molds for each of our characters, I never got to know them as individual people.

And my final comparison: the ending. All Your Twisted Secrets had a decent ending, in my opinion. It cleared up events, and made for a good twist. Go Hunt Me? Not so much. Due to a lack of both explanation and depth, the ending felt more like a cheap cop-out that was just thrown in for shock value at the end. It really sucks that it ends up feeling like that, because it could have been a good twist if it were done right. Overall, this was a fun ride but I wish it had been executed a little better! A huge thank you to the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review :)

This is a lightning-fast read that feels like a mishmash of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and the Blair Witch Project. It's definitely more of a horror than a thriller, leaning into the gore and psychological suspense elements, so be warned. What did you expect when you send a bunch of teens to Dracula's castle in Romania to film a horror movie? I really enjoyed how each chapter ends with an excerpt from a police report, a social media post, or various other elements of multimedia (my faaaave). While certain elements seemed a little outlandish, it worked for the story as a whole and created a fast-paced unputdownable read. And the ending? I'm obsessed.

*Thank you to Penguin Teen, TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Thank you to @penguinteen and @netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I loved this book! It was the perfect amount of thrilling horror and I could not put it down! I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. It definitely gave me classic slasher, horror movie vibes.

I loved the spooky castle and dark forest. The atmosphere really brought the story up a notch. You are being told the story through interview sessions and storyline, which I felt really made the story fun.

The ending was fantastic and something I didn't see coming. I would highly recommend this for a fun, heart racing read.

Excuse me, what gave this book any right to be so freaking amazing?! A film student, gothic castles, DRACULA? Please. It was a five star read before I even finished the first chapter. This was fun, spooky, and seriously creepy at times and I could not get enough. The twist 100% caught me off guard which never happens, so hats off to the author for creating such a phenomenal story. This is the perfect summer night read and you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't pick it up, especially if you like horror.