If I’m being completely honest, I came into this book without any real expectations besides the fact that the cover looked neat and the description mentioned the possibility of a Satanic cult in a small town. The book definitely lived up to its cover.

Griffif’s novel takes you on a whirlwind story of the mysterious disappearance of the town’s golden girl. When Elle, the pastor’s daughter, disappears, the small Pennsylvania town is quick to suspect the newest (and seemingly odd) family in town. For fans of Stephen Graham Jones’ My Heart is a Chainsaw, The Wicked Unseen gives off similar vibes and is a unique and thrilling experience for readers who enjoy spooky stories and nods to horror films.

The setting of a small closed-minded town adds critical depth to the story and a strong element of immersion, allowing the author to explore real-life historical themes and happenings like the satanic panic, hell houses, Dungeons & Dragons, and the power of religion. Griffif’s ability to weave together real-life events and themes with a thrilling plot and dynamic characters is truly impressive.

The characters are well-developed and believable, making them either really likable or really hateable. The plot twist is also solid and keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The story builds up to an exciting climax, and readers will find themselves flying through the last quarter of the book.

Overall, The Wicked Unseen a must-read for fans of horror stories, thrillers, first loves, and towns with secrets.

The Wicked Unseen is a wicked-fun mix of mystery, horror, and modern day monsters. There are so many things I liked, beyond the twists, turns and jump-scares. It’s not just a quirky YA horror/mystery page-turner, there’s wisdom and a few lessons here too.

The writing is especially clever, and the characters are well-developed and thoughtful. It would be easy to reduce the evangelical players into caricatures, but the author keeps them believable and balanced. And even though this is a thriller-mystery, there was a good amount of humor too, which I thoroughly appreciated. I’m a fan of well-placed snark, and nobody is better at it than teenagers, especially one as intelligent and self-assured as the main character, Audre. I was rooting for her every step of the way. All in all, this was a fun and fast read, with a totally unexpected ending you won’t see coming!

“The Wicked Unseen” had me thinking of a ghost story, it left me at the end knowing that sometimes the living is scarier.

This book confused the pants off me from the very beginning: it claims to be set in 1996, but the main character talks like a VERY 2020s 'Zoomer written by a millenial,' and the focus on the Satanic Panic is very strange to have set in the '90s, rather than the '80s when it actually took place. Overall, the plot was ok, and I certainly appreciated the sapphic representation, but...this book really didn't work for me.

Being the new girl in town is tough, but it is even tougher when you’re friend/crush goes missing and nobody in the town cares about anything else besides pinning it on your family.

When a new girl moves into a community that believes there is a secret Satanic cult in the forest, things only get worse when her crush, the preacher’s daughter ends up missing and the town’s obsession with evil gets out of hand. Audre has just moved into rural Pennsylvania, and she knows she doesn’t fit in. From her nose ring to her horror movie obsession and her family’s ouija board collection.. and the fact that Audre herself is queer. In a small community obsessed with being Christianity and being free of evil, anyone who doesn’t conform to the belief or to the following of the preacher... they are considered an outsider. When the preacher’s daughter Elle, a girl who Audre has been crushing on suddenly disappears, the town is quick to blame Audre. When not even the cops will help, busier blaming her family and ignoring the fact that there is a girl missing they should be looking for rather than harassing Audre, Audre will have to figure out what actually happened to Elle leading to her disappearance and if there really is a Satanic cult in the woods... or if the real monster was inside the town all along. This was a fun read! I definitely found myself engrossed in the story and the mystery and it really was so interesting to see the real horrors that were occurring in the community. I definitely think this book is a good book to add to your list if you are a fan of queer horror stories, thrillers, and mysteries! Definitely great for fans of the Fear Street series Netflix did!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Underlined for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Are the demons real that the preacher insists are after his family,or is it all a hoax? Two teens are the only ones who seem to care that the preacher's daughter has gone missing and find a satanic alter with blood and her clothes. You are taken on a journey to find out do demons really exist or are the demons really those around us? Fast paced book that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Took me right back to the Satanic Panic in the 1990s. The writing was very vivid - I could feel what the characters felt, especially Audre, and absolutely picture the locations. The tension ratcheted up perfectly. And it left me guessing until the end! I look forward to more books from Gigi Griffiths!

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

This one was super fun and if you’re a fan of Fear Street you will love it! It had all the elements I like in a teen horror story and it had me turning page after page to find out what happens next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book, provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't think I was the target audience for this book. It was well written, but the characters were kind one-dimensional. I mean, there was no real explanation for why Audre wanted to be friends with Elle so badly. Audre's parents were cool, tho haha. I dunno, I just think it was a bit too young for me.

I struggled with this one. I wasn't really a fan of the style of writing - overly descriptive and bordering of stream of consciousness - and that may have colored my view of the rest of the book. The focus on Spanish seemed to be so shoehorned in - I believe it was supposed to be a nod to Audre's previous life in the city and also function as a way to communicate without others understanding, but that aspect was not developed. I think this book could have benefited from more exploration of the town before jumping into the action - such as seeing Audre interact with townspeople outside of the church. It was an entertaining read, though, so don't let my outlier review sway you - it wasn't for me but it may be for you!

Absolutely loved this book! This debut novel will keep you up all night binge-reading. A religious horror that'll keep you guessing with all the twist and turns. This book is not only intriguing, but is emotional at times at well. The characters are likeable as well, and you will find yourselves rooting for them. Overall, great book and can't wait to read more from this author.

I thought the book was really good. I can’t wait for this one to be published because I will add this to my home library.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

***

Ok, wow. This is a hell of a debut novel. Drawing from the Satanic Panic, "The Wicked Unseen" is a religious horror that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. Not only is it interesting and dangerous and violent, but it has heart. Certain parts of the book, really tugged those strings.

I enjoyed the characters as well. They were varied and compelling, trying to muddle through a confusing landscape where the adults aren't always in their corner.

Though, Audre's parents kind of rock.

I'm so glad I had the chance to read this and I'll be looking for Gigi's next book.

Thank you so much for the publisher for allowing me to read this book, I thought it was really good! I am excited when this comes out and I can add this to my collection.

I think this would have been a better book if more effort had been given to building up a relationship between Elle and Audre. I didn't really see any reason for Audre to be as fixated on Elle as she was, beyond just thinking she was pretty. Everything we do see of their relationship is either very surface level, or is not nice (like Elle bringing Audre to the hell house). Overall, I just felt like this lacked detail and nuance that could have made it interesting.

Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Hoo boy, this was a good one! I loved Audre and her whole family, and I LOVED her parents. I also loved David.
I was just a few years younger than Audre in 1996 and remember the Satanic Panic, and Gigi Griffiths did a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the time. Her pop culture references were spot on, except the No Doubt song she quoted, Ex Girlfriend, was off their Return of Saturn album and came out in 2000. That minor nitpick aside, I really liked the exploration of outsiders and how people that are "othered" and the exclusion and suspicion that can cast, especially when it's unfounded.
And the writing itself was SO GOOD!
Can't recommend this enough, honestly.

Satanic cults in the woods? A missing friend. Whoa! This book was such a fun read I couldn’t stop reading.

Everyone believes there’s satanic rituals happening in the woods. People go missing. Symbols appear. But is all what it appears to be? Is there really a cult, or does someone just want it to appear that way to do evil disguised in the shadows? This is one you won’t want to miss!

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the publishers and author for extending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Be sure to grab this one in preparation for Halloween 2023! You can’t go wrong.

My full review will be available on all my social media, blogs, and retail sites on publication day.

This is one of the worst books I've read in my life. I kept reading hoping it would make sense, but it never did.
It's also not a thriller or horror. It's more like satire. It tries everything it can to make one group look ridiculous while complaining that the group does the same thing to another.

I was given a digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.