[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Four Found Dead releases May 2, 2023

2.5

In Ohio, there’s a defunct shopping mall that’s days away from being demolished. Attached to that shopping mall is a movie theater, where 8 workers just had their last shift, but by the time they all leave for good, only 4 will survive.

This was a really quick read. Not much of a mystery here because the “killer” is blatantly obvious straight away (I’m talking 3% into the story) but there’s still a decent reveal at the end.
Definitely not quite what I was expecting or hoping for, but if you’re looking for something easier to read to get back into the swing of things where the story flows in a sequential order, this could be a great option.

There’s some gun violence involved, severe injuries and blood loss, death, on page seizures, cheating subplot, and past trauma that a character is actively reliving.

There were some discrepancies throughout that didn’t make sense to me — for example, at the start of the book Hudson smelled like soap and cardamom, but then shortly after it changed to licorice and popcorn? When the only thing that’s happened has been them trying to escape a locked building with a power outage…

The addition of post-tragedy articles from the community were a nice touch, but I thought the overall story wrapped up too quickly. Perhaps a pov from Clayton would have added a bit more of a suspenseful edge.


“Because I know this won’t be the last time it hits us. Death is like the tide; it rolls in and out in an endless cycle.”

If you’re not reading YA books, you’re really missing out! Do you want to read about teens trying to escape a decrepit mall while trying to outwit a killer? Yes, you do! I loved the creepy setting in the mall, and I will never look at malls the same way again. The writing made me feel the tension, and I was on the edge of my set the whole time wondering who would die next. I loved how we weren’t hit over the head about the diversity of the characters, but slowly learned about each character. There are certainly surprises, but don’t expect huge ‘twists’, just enjoy the skillful story. Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the copy of Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards.

A very tense read in a fantastic setting. Real Fear Street vibes! The main character Jo is one of the novel's strengths although the antagonist Clayton never rang true for me.

Going to the mall was the place to be when I was growing up. I mean you could just hang out and get food. Win win. Now, malls are closing all over, and honestly, there are too many people there for me.

The remaining business in the derelict shopping mall, is a movie theater, and its their last night. During shift all phones get locked up in the managers office. When the lights go out, tensions rise when Jo discovers the dead body of one of her co-workers. With the mall boarded up, including exits, will Jo and her co-workers be able to escape before it’s too late for them?

I am really enjoying YA Thrillers lately. I have read a few recently and have found them to be super-fast paced and fun! This one was exactly that. This one vaguely reminded me of No-Exit in that it was set in a very short period, but still a ton of action and had you holding onto the edge of your seat. I enjoyed the little blurbs from the news every so often – it was intriguing and interesting. While there weren’t any big reveals, or super twisty parts – it worked. I don’t think you always need that for it to be a captivating thriller. This one was just fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed.

This one hits the shelves May 2nd! Thank you so much to @netgalley, and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, @sourcebooksfire, for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Jo and her friends are finishing up their last shift at the Tempest, the last store in a shuttered mall that's closing for good. But at closing time, the doors are locked and their phones are locked in the safe; their manager, Clayton, won't allow anyone to have them while on shift. The lights go out, and there's a chilling scream: one of the coworkers has been murdered, and Clayton, unhinged, is set on killing Jo and her coworkers. A high-tension chase through an abandoned mall begins as the group tries to survive the night and find a way out. Four Found Dead is full of '90s thriller tropes, and I loved the abandoned mall setting. The story alternates between Jo's narration and news articles published after the night of the murders; Jo's narration includes some backstory that fleshes her character out a bit more than her colleagues. I'd have liked some more suspense surrounding the killer, and a little more backstory overall, but overall? Four Found Dead is a fast-paced read that delivers the thrills.

3.5 stars

A twisty, dark thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This was a quick read and kept me engaged from start to finish. The plot takes place in a movie theater on eve of its closure (the mall is slated for demolition). The setting soon proves to be as dangerous as the killer locked inside. 8 start the evening, and before the night is over only 4 will remain. This was perfectly billed as a YA thriller, however I do think some of the darker/mature themes are better suited for an older YA audience. I can’t go too in depth on some of my concerns without spoiling the reveal, but I worry some of those darker themes are not fleshed out or explained enough for a younger teenage audience. I’d love to see a disclaimer added in the front or back, or a note of resources for further guidance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jo and her friends are cleaning up after their last night working at the movie theater in the mall when the unthinkable happens. They find a dead body in the theater, and they know who is responsible too. The only problem is they can’t get out of the theater without keys they can’t get to and the attached mall is completely closed for a construction project. This novel is full of suspense and tense moments as Jo runs into the abandoned mall and is determined to fight instead of freeze. Richards’s writing is great here with flashbacks and future newspaper clippings intermixed in the tense present. This was a quick read and a new take on a mystery. The killer is known, but the reader doesn’t find out who all of the four found dead are until the end. This book is a must read for mystery lovers.

Do you like murder? But, in, like, a totally normal reading murdery thriller books and not actually murdering kind of way? Than you’ll probably enjoy this YA thriller! A group of teenagers are locked inside a movie theater attached to a now defunct mall after their final shift of work before the theater closes for good. The lights go out and the murders start. The kids have to find a way to break out without drawing the attention of the murderer or else they could be next. Publication date: May 2, 2023 #netgalley #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreads #FourFoundDead #abookreviewnooneaskedfor

It's the end of their last shift at Tempest Theater. The final movie has finished, and the last business at Riverview mall is closing forever.

Jo and her coworkers have just finished cleaning up when a young woman comes to the door to speak to their manager. Shortly after she leaves, the power goes out and the manager goes on the hunt. Things aren't what they seem, and some people will kill to keep their secrets.

I would recommend this to teen readers who enjoy a good thriller. The pacing is a bit slow for me, and I wasn't all that invested in any of the characters, but I know some patrons who would really enjoy this one.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advance copy of Four Found Dead.

Wow. I wasn't expecting this book to be something I couldn't put down, but that's definitely what it was. I kept telling myself I'd stop at the end of the chapter to do something else, and I never could. The suspense was intense, and I know this is going to be a favorite for my students.

Fast-paced, gripping, and a quick read. Perfect for those who are looking for casual thriller read.
Plot wise, I have to say that I saw the coming twists from about several chapters in. But, I love the pacing and writing style I continue reading to the very end. Instead of Jo, I think my fav character might be Hudson. I just love his personality.
Overall, it was a decent young adult thriller read!

Halloween and a 3-day illness that knocked me out required some easy, scary reads, and this was one of them. Richards does know how to create suspense and make a situation quite scary, and she found a great space to set this story in (a soon-to-be defunct mall in the middle of the night!). However, I found the reasoning behind the killing spree flimsy, at best, a pretty drastic and rather unbelievable escalation from awkward confrontation to murderous, horrific killing spree.

But back to the setting. The characters are wrapping up the last work shift at a cinema that it set to close. It is attached to a mall that has been shut down for a while and where construction has been taking place. It makes for quite the setting for said murderous killing spree. And the book is a page-turner; even if we don’t quite have the time and space to make a connection with any of the characters, the setting and the pace makes for a nail-biter. A quick and easy read, more of a pleasant escape from reality than a deep dive into any character building or reflection.

I really enjoyed What You Hide, and nominated it to be a YALSA quick pick in 2018. I had high expectations for this one, too, but it really fell flat. I think my issue was that there was absolutely no scene-setting, no buildup. People just start getting murdered, and you know who's doing it. THEY know who's doing it. I wish the suspense could have been more cat-and-mouse. There was a little bit of a twist at the end, but that revelation didn't impact how I thought about the killer or their motives.

Another fantastic teen thriller by Natalie D. Richards. Readers will feel like they are trapped in the boarded up mall along side the characters. This is a must where teen thrillers are popular!

Natalie D. Richards is a must read author for me and this was yet another great YA thriller. Who knew that an old, closed down mall would be the perfect setting for an edge of the your seat thrill ride. This story takes place in a movie theater that is attached to a mall. It's the last night of the movie theater being open and as the employees are closing up for the night, things take a terrible turn. This was a quick read, and it held my attention. I think this will be a popular read with my students, just has Richards prior books have been. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Natalie D. Richards is a perfect recommendation for anyone looking for a teen thriller! This one transports you. It is just sublime. Such a good read!

Natalie D. Richards is a go-to Teen Thriller author and "Four Found Dead" is just another great notch in her book belt!

Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire for this ARC.

The synopsis of this book was interesting, so I wanted to give it a try. I had not read anything by this author before. I was pleasantly surprised! It was different than other thrillers I have read, however the way it was written still kept the suspense and had my heart racing at some points. I would recommend this book to others.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have not read anything else by this author, but the premise sounded really interesting so I decided to give it a read. I found it a bit hard to get into, but once it picked u[, it just didn't stop. An interesting read, I look forward to reading more books by this author.

4.5 stars
Where was Natalie Richards when I was a teen? Thank god there is no age limit on when one can enjoy a great read! This book is unputdownable, literally! I read it in just a few hours. It has such high suspense and intensity. And the pacing is so “edge of your seat” that you just keep turning pages until you finally close the book. Richards just gets better with each book she writes. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a great fast paced thriller.