Member Reviews

"Can I keep you?"
I absolutely loved this book. It had me hooked from the start. I was worried it would be a cliché ya Gothic horror. I'm so happy I was wrong.
A+ pacing
No plotholes left empty.
Emotional, grief, hopefulness.
*Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio, Katherine Tegen Books for this ARC for my honest review *

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I want to begin by thanking NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this incredible book in exchange for my honest review.

All the Dead Lie Down was one of my most anticipated books this year. I was so excited to read a horror book with a coming age story all wrapped up in the meaning of grief. It sounded heartbreaking and haunting and that is exactly what I got from this novel. Our main character is Marin and she is right at the pivotal age between adult and teenager. Marin has recently lost her mother and has no where to go when she is offered a position at Lovelace estate playing nanny to two very precocious little girls - Wren and Thea. The girl's mother is a mysterious horror author who somehow grew up with Marin's mother, but she knows nothing about other than her being Marin's favorite author. Marin is also a personal who is riddled with anxieties and panic when we meet her, who fears any adventure or change in circumstance, and who always thinks of the worst case scenario first.
We start the novel at the beginning of summer on the New England shore, in the middle of nowhere on a small peninsula, in a huge manor with a scary fog filled graveyard, bluffs where you can easily fall to your death, and so many secrets. It really is the PERFECT atmosphere for mystery and fear and we get both in handfuls. I do not wish to spoil the novel for anyone finding this review before the book is released, but in this book you will find a beautiful romance between two wounded young women, pranks from small innocent seeming girls going a bit too far, a family filled with skeletons in their closet, and the living dead. You can't ask for more than that, can you?
I loved the story this book told, but more than that I loved how this story was told. We got to experience the novel and mysteries unfold from the new outsider of this estate. We only ever know as much as Marin knows and it feels like it all unravels in a very organic way. The tension slowly builds from the first chapter until we faced with a finale that leaves you breathless, but in the end you are left wondering or with any lingering questions. The author wraps up every point she laid out and you are only left with a need for more because you care about the characters. At least, in my opinion, I wanted a whole books worth of story after the final minute to hear what happened with the Hallowell girls and Marin in the years to come. I also desperately wanted to know if a certain flower finally bloomed, but I think I just got a bit too attached to these characters who were so well written I felt as if I knew them by the closing.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror. It may be on the lighter side of horror and you aren't buried in gore and blood, but it is a creepy tale all the way through. I also recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading the unraveling of a mystery and a book field with a deep dark family secret which has to find the light of day. This book is also perfect for anyone who just enjoys a sweet romance unfolding in a bad setting, because the romance in this book was beautiful and while it never stole the show it enhanced the novel in the best of ways.

This was my first time trying out one of NetGalley's audiobooks and I wasn't sure how it would go knowing it didn't have a traditional narrator, but I enjoyed it. I think with a narrator tempering their voice with whispers and emotional this audiobook will be one that keeps readers up late into the night.

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3 / 5 ⭐️‘s

"All the Dead Lie Down" by Kyrie McCauley

This was a suspenseful and captivating story of a teenage girl named Marin who is haunted by the secrets of Lovelace House.

The book is set in a coastal Maine estate, and the author did an excellent job of creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere that kept me on the edge throughout the entire read. The plot is well-constructed and intricately woven, with plenty of twists and turns.

Marin is a flawed and relatable protagonist. I found myself rooting for her and empathizing with her struggles as she navigates her way through a series of harrowing events.

This ARC was provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This was supposed to be The Haunting of Bly Manor meets (etc...), but this was just plain boring. Sure the sapphic romance was okay. The characters? Meh. The plot? Far too predictable.

I'm in the minority when I say this is skippable. But if you're in for a okay YA gothic story, this is up your alley.

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Thank you NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for this Audiobook ARC!

Number one compliment about this is the pacing, it is so difficult to find a book with an interesting premise that actually delivers. The atmosphere was perfect. This was everything I hoped for and more. I was on edge the entire time, the build of anticipation got to me. All the while, I kept racing to find out what would happen next. If you like angst, eerie vibes, mystery, wlw, and self discovery- this is for you. Addams family meets Haunting of Hill House in this sapphic gothic mystery.

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While I do not see this book as adding anything new to the horror/thriller genre, I did enjoy the tale. The setting for this novel was quite creepy and did a great job of keeping a lot of secrets throughout the story. Although some can be guessed along the way, many surprises were to be had in the second half of the book. I was not a fan of Marin's lack of sense when it came to trusting the children, but her character on the whole was relatable. I think that this will be enjoyed by most teens who like a spooky feel to their story and do not mind an LBGTQ+ relationship.

The narration was passable and did not affect my enjoyment of the book.

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This was a great little creepy horror story. It explores how everyone expresses their grief differently and then how that can affect others. The secrets, and twists compelled me to keep reading and find out what the characters were willing to do for those that they love.
We must all remember that we must live but in the end we must remember that we must die and all the dead lie down.

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thanks so much netgalley for this chance to listen to the audiobook early!
The Haunting of Bly Manor meets House of Salt and Sorrows in award-winning author Kyrie McCauley’s contemporary YA gothic romance about a dark family lineage, the ghosts of grief, and the lines we’ll cross for love.
this book was spooky, intriguing, fun, and really made you think about what you know about someone.
i really enjoyed this read and was not expecting what the "curse" was that was talked about at the beginning.
i would like if this would become a movie!

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An interesting retelling of The Turn of the Screw with the added complication of female relationships. Not to my personal taste, but will become a favorite to many.

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This was a good creepy story, and I really liked the ending and resolution, but there was a lot of repetitive storytelling that didn’t intensify or build like it should have for a horror novel. Good, but not great.

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My Ranking:  2 stars

*** I received an audible copy from Netgalley*** This book reminded me of the haunting of Bly manor mixed with a little bit of Verity by Colleen Hoover. I was captivated by this story early on. Then it just started to drag on and on. Then fizzled out for me.  I disliked almost all the characters in this book aside from Evie. Some of the twists were predictable. I found myself more aggravated by some of the situations the main character allowed herself to be put in than actually enjoying the story. I felt like Marin was a pushover. Which made it really hard for me to like the book since she was the main character.

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This story kept me guessing to the end. I was worried that the story would end with some disappointing twist to explain the odd happenings, and am glad it did not. I will definitely be adding this title to my library collection when it is available. I gave it five stars on Good Reads.

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All the dead lie down by Kyrie McCauley is such a captivating book. If you think you may have an idea what is going to happen, you are going to be surprised. The amount of twists that take place are will keep you on your toes.

Did not like this variation of audio book, it's very robotic, but that's to be expected. Can't wait to actually hear it when it is actually narrated by a human.

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The story was pretty good, some of the twists really surprised me. I loved the gothic vibes and all those chapter titles, they were so creative and whimsical. All in all, a solid read.

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I loved this book! Creepy house - check! Creepy children - check! Twists - check!
The story was told beautifully and I finished in one day!

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I have to admit I couldn’t get through this book. The story is really strange and it just seems like it was going nowhere. I desperately tried to get into it. Got about halfway and still couldn’t do it. The characters are strange, the storyline is disconnected and doesn’t have any solid plot and I couldn’t get on board with any of it sadly.

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Perfect for fans of books like House of Hollow, All the Dead Lie Down has some found-family vibes and plenty of spooky chills. I enjoyed the book and was satisfied with the ending. The chills are chilly and the romance arc is endearing. This is a solid, spooky book to suggest for a YA reader.

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