Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jimmy Juliano for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC of Dead Eleven, coming out June 27, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Clifford Island. When Willow Stone finds these words written on the floor of her deceased son’s room, she’s puzzled. She doesn’t know where it is, but soon learns it’s a tiny island off Wisconsin’s Door County peninsula, 200 miles from Willow’s home. Who wrote this on the floor? Determined to find answers, Willow decides to venture to the island.
 
After a few days on Clifford, Willow realizes: This place is not normal. Everyone seems to be trapped in a particular day in 1994: They wear 90s clothing, avoid modern technology, and, weirdly watch the OJ Simpson car chase every evening. When she asks questions, people avoid her, but she learns one thing: Close your curtains at night.
 
High schooler Lily Becker has lived on Clifford her entire life, and she is tired of the island’s twisted mythology and sticking to the rules. She’s been to the mainland, and everyone is normal there, so why is Clifford so weird? Lily is determined to prove that the islanders’ beliefs are a sham. But are they?
 
Five weeks after Willow arrives on the island, she disappears. Willow’s brother, Harper, comes to Clifford searching for his sister, and when he learns the truth—that this island is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined—he is determined to get to the bottom of things.
 
If he can get out alive....

I love horror books set on islands, so I was excited to check this one out. With the title and summary, I thought it would be a fun one. I liked it. I enjoyed the different formats of writing, but there were a few things I wasn’t a fan of. I think it took 75% of the book to get to some of the action and horror. I was thinking it would give a little more backstory sooner. I enjoy the last part, but it lost some of my attention by then. I think I was expecting something a little darker. It felt a little too much like telling and not showing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dead Eleven had me hooked from the cover. Did I judge this book by its cover, yep, but can you blame me?

This book reminded me of so many things yet felt like something I’ve never read before. This book was written in a manuscript style with “found footage” elements and some time shifting storytelling. The setting created a uniquely creepy atmosphere with 90’s vibes, island weirdness and cult like people. Plus there’s an ancient evil lurking about, people having visions and lots of grief.

If you want a fast paced horror, I would not recommend. You don’t find out about the namesake of this book until 70% but it worked for me and kept me interested regardless.

I loved this debut novel and couldn’t help but think this would make a great movie adaptation.

Eerie and dread-inducing Dead Eleven offers a slow descent into Clifford Island's mysterious past and present. The truth is both hidden and uncovered through multiple POVs, including island citizens, and siblings Willow and Harper. The island has found a balance between grief and belief for survival, but maintain a tenuous hold on the younger generation. The story is bizarre but also introspective, observing the lengths people will go to protect themselves and who they will stand behind as an authority.

Juliano chose the perfect narrative structure to deliver Dead Eleven. I had to keep reading to get answers. Switching between multiple POVs, time periods, text threads and interviews had me flying through the novel. I appreciated that Lily read like a teenager, someone who wanted to explore the world outside the island. Willow has clear motivations for going to Clifford Island, but I wish Harper had a little more backstory. They fall under the "sibling shows up to investigate disappearance." There were also no answers provided for Willow's husband, though that may have been left open.

A friend said this gave her Lost vibes and I want to add Cabin in the Woods (more bigger picture than horror humour/tropes).

If you like atmospheric and bizarre horror mysteries, Dead Eleven will deliver. That first chapter had me laughing and so curious for the journey to come.

CW: blood, body horror, murder, misogyny

Dead Eleven is a horror book that follows Harper as he goes to a mysterious island where everyone seems to be stuck in 1994 to try and find his missing sister. From there, crazy things start to unfold and the mystery unravels. Each chapter is a different point of view and we get Willows point of view before she goes missing along with others in the community. There are some audio file chapters as well that help to build up the story.

I loved this book. From the creepy island to the mysterious things happening on the island to the bizarre cast of characters, this book unraveled perfectly. The whole time you were questioning if something paranormal was going on or if the island was a cult or something else. I loved how all the different points of view helped build up the story and the mystery unraveled throughout the book in an interesting way. It was hard to put down and i kept thinking “what the heck is happening” the whole time.

I feel like the beginning started out a bit slow but once the book started going, it was hard to put down. I also wished for a bit of a different ending but that’s just my own opinion. (Nothing was wrong with the ending, i just wish it was happier lol). Overall, this was a great read and i highly recommend!

Thanks so much to netgalley, the author, and Dutton for the arc!

I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano… we've got:
A weird secluded island with lots of secrets
A missing woman
A lurking evil
Oh and did we mention everyone lives every day like it's 1994?

You guys know I love horror that's also fun and this book absolutely hit the mark. The book mostly follows Harper, who has arrived on this mysterious island to look for his missing sister. Things are much more sinister than he'd imagined. But also everyone is wearing overalls, listening to Aerosmith and rewatching the OJ white Bronco chase daily. Perfection.

The entire book is a compilation of letters, texts, journal entries and first hand accounts of the events of what occurs on the island - mostly through Harper and his sister, but also through the local children, pastor and residents who have been around long enough to see ALL the things.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it! Thank you NetGalley and Jimmy Juliano for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Jimmy Juliano's novel follows siblings Willow and Harper. Eighteen months after her son's death, Willow finds the words "Clifford Island" etched under his toy box. Willow has never heard of the island but is sure there must be a reason for these words. She determines that she must set out to find answers. After arriving on Clifford island, Willow realizes that the community is strangely obsessed with 1994. There is no modern technology, fashion, or news, but one thing is clear, keep your curtains closed at night. Five weeks after her arrival, Willow suddenly disappears. Harper, Willow's brother, worries about Willow's safety and well-being, so he sets out to Clifford Island to find her. After uncovering the truth, Harper discovers that the island is far more sinister than he thought. With the help of high-school senior Lily, Harper believes he can gather enough information to blow the whistle on the island. Can Harper escape the island with Willow in tow, or will they be stranded in a strange and ominous place?

Review:
As always, let's start with what I enjoyed. First, I enjoyed the characters and the relationship between Harper and Willow. Harper often considers his role as Willow's brother and how they drifted apart. However, he feels obligated to her and her safety, which I found endearing and believable. Secondly, there are some moments in the novel that are genuinely creepy. The descriptions of the dead things that come out of the woods are haunting and chilling. Hearing about the island rules is reminiscent of a cult, and Lily even describes it as a Waco lifestyle. Lastly, I thought the format of the story was refreshing. Written as an expose, Juliano tells the story through a series of interviews, letters, articles, stories, and text message chains. I think that the mixed-media format worked well for the novel, and it reads like a documentary, where you have interviews and reenactments. I believe that this format contributed to its readability. With short chapters, you are likely to read for a long time and not even realize it. I enjoyed the writing style and believe it contributed to the creep factor of the novel.

Spoilers ahead:
Now, let's move on to what I didn't enjoy.
I love a good cult novel, but this plot seems convoluted. As I mentioned, Lily describes her lifestyle as Waco-like, and the islanders follow a strict rule system. There is an ancient being on the island that will kill everyone if it is not satisfied. And at the same time, outsiders are being recruited to join the Clifford army. I just don't think the connection works. Is it a cult? Are they actually saving the world? The school's curriculum demands that children grow up and populate the world (Hello, IBLP), and they follow typical gender roles. However, they have a female pastor in a place that focuses on the 90s. It doesn't track.
Look, I am here for creepy ancient beings that demand sacrifices to be satiated. Like Kiersten White's Hide, Juliano provides little to no explanation of the monster or its origin. Consider Pan's Labyrinth and The Babadook. Both of these movies take a terrifying creature to symbolize some deeper meaning. For instance, the Pale Man in Pan's represents authority figures who prey on the weak and vulnerable. The Babadook is a metaphor for the hold that grief and depression can have on someone. Stories with some ancient beings excel when they act as allegories. In Juliano's novel, this is absent. The ancient one exists because it does, and therein lies my problem. If the creature doesn't symbolize something, then we need an origin story, as found in Cabin in the Woods or Evil Dead. I get that this is my personal opinion, but I don't love when we have no explanation for a monster or creature.
Lastly, and here's my biggest contention with the novel, I despise time jumps at the end of a story. In the race toward the conclusion, Harper goes to Seminary House, where the ancient one resides. In the last chapters, Harper faces the ancient one, and just when we expect a visual of the being and a visceral attack, Juliano suddenly skips six months into the future. WHAT THE HECK? Why do authors feel the need to do this? I didn't spend my time reading 440 pages to be disappointed with the ending. The whole novel has been building to this moment, and we don't even get to read it. That is simply lazy writing. As an English teacher, I don't even let my students write this way. If you have to rely on a time jump to tell your story, it's not fully fleshed out, or your writing isn't strong enough to carry that part. However, based on the rest of the novel, I know Juliano's writing style is strong enough that he could have written this part and done it well. So, it just feels lazy. Had the time jump not happened, my rating would have been a four-star.
While I enjoyed my time with this novel, I expected a stellar and creepy ending and didn't get that. While I was feeling a solid four-start rating, the last ten percent of the novel changed that. Unfortunately, I give this novel three stars. I would recommend the book if time jumps don't bother you.

Juliano's novel will be available on June 27th. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Amazing concept for a novel. I'm so excited to see what else this author brings to the table along with the possible screen adaptation for this novel. What a killer debut. Sometimes you can get lost with having so many POVs but this author nailed exactly how much or how little we needed to hear from each character.

When his sister Willow mysteriously disappears after going to an isolated island to find out how the place was connected to her deceased son, Harper quickly realizes that something about the island isn't right. The residents are cagey and secretive and there's something sinister that comes out at night. Harper is determined to find out what happened to his sister, even if it means his own safety is at risk.

This was an enjoyable enough read. It mostly alternates between Harper's POV and Willow's POV with some chapters from the POV of one of the island's residents, high school basketball star Lily. It read a little bit young to me and wasn't quite as spooky as I'd hoped, but it was an otherwise solid story.

You would like this book if you like mildly spooky mysteries!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC; this is an honest review :)

Fascinating, so fun and well-written. Horror readers will adore this for sure, but I would recommend this to everyone, regardless of their favorite genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you’re a nostalgia junkie like me (and even if you’re not), you will love love love this debut horror novel. Just the right amount of creepy, not too much gore. 90s nostalgia becomes haunting as a town seemingly stuck in the past reveals its secrets to newcomers. So well-written and a premise I have never seen before! Can’t wait to get this on my library’s shelves!

You had me at creepy island!

Clifford Island is a tiny island in Wisconsin stuck in the past. It’s the discovery of WHY the collective residents keep up with this charade of being stuck in June 17, 1994 that intrigued me, and the question of if it’s even a charade at all. What is really going on here?

Willow arrives seeking answers of her own. After the death of her son, she finds the name of the island town written on his bedroom floor and she is desperate to find the connection. Very quickly, she can see that something is off, but she needs to know more. What does she discover before she goes missing???? Her brother Harper arrives on the island to find out what happened to her and we see through his narrative in current time, the strangeness of this town and its inhabitants.

Along with the two siblings’ narrative, we also get POV from a teenage resident, Lily. She is dead set on getting out of the town she grew up in, never having subscribed to the craziness they spout.

This is a book with a slower, eerie pace. The secrets of the town are so off the wall, but I loved it! There is this undercurrent of evil that flows through this tiny island town and finding out it’s depths was so entertaining.

In this house we LOVE originality and Dead Eleven is easily the most original read of the year. After his sister, Willow, seems to disappear, Harper ventures to Clifford Island to try and track her down. Willow, distraught after the loss of her son, discovers a cryptic note leading her to Clifford Island where she begins to discover the island’s secrets and experience the supernatural elements that keep the island so isolated. Clifford Island has a way of doing things, rules that must be followed that keep the whole island stuck in 1994. But will Willow, Harper, and rebellious Lily break the norms and escape the hold the island has on its residents or fall victim to it’s cultish mythology? This book takes a second to warm up but ohhhh boy when it gets cooking it’s so entertaining. As I said up top, it’s such an original concept I was so into the central mystery pretty early on. It’s told through multiple POVs and flashbacks which I love. I find that so compulsive for pacing and all the main characters were so interesting and complicated. I liked spending time in all their POVs. I really, really enjoyed this book and even if yes maybe I had originally applied for this just based on the absolutely sick cover, but I stayed for the sick premise, creepy mystery, and incredible atmosphere. Big recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book! In this creepy supernatural story, Willow Stone, who is morning the passing of her child, travels to Clifford Island after she sees the name of the island written under her son's toy chest. When she disappears, her brother comes looking for her and both start to unravel the mystery of why the island follows a complex set of rules and is obsessed with the year 1994, I enjoyed reading this book. The story was well told and imaginative and it was just slightly creepy so as to hit the mark but it wasn't terrifying. I do think it reads a little bit like a Stephen King novel, that's a good comparison. And I would recommend it to anyone who is good with a tame "ghost story". 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I don't read much horror, but I was very intrigued by the premise of people stuck in the year 1994. I came of age in the 90s and am a sucker for anything 90s-related, and I'm glad it led me to this book. It was very spooky and engrossing, with excellent writing. I'd caution anyone who doesn't like feeling a bit creeped out, but otherwise it's a great read.

Though this book is written very well I just wasn't a fan. Thank you so much netgalley to be able to read this book,I hope the author the best.

THANK YOU #netgalley and #penguinbooks for an advanced copy in return for an honest review!

SYNOPSIS: "On a creepy island where everyone has a strange obsession with the year 1994, a newcomer arrives, hoping to learn the truth about her son's death - but finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the bizarrely insular community and their complicated rules."

MY THOUGHTS: This book started off strong and eerie. There are a few POVs and timelines, but the author did a great job building the characters and making sure the reader doesn't get lost trying to connect the dots. There was a lot of repetitive dialog, which caused me to get bored around page 200. I will admit I do not read a lot of horror, so I felt a little disappointed by the ending. It felt rushed and anticlimactic. The plot was incredibly creative, and I loved experiencing the 90's nostalgia.

Dead Eleven is available on June 27, 2023!

This book was wild. It was set up so differently than any book I’ve ever read before & I loved it. I honestly had absolutely no clue what the heck was going on for awhile but I had my suspicions. For me, there wasn’t any super wild twists & turns because everything sort of progressed slowly into you figuring out what was going on but it still kept me on my toes. The nostalgia was perfect because there is just something about the 90s. The creepy factor was definitely at a 10 & I would definitely say this lands somewhere between a thriller & a horror book.

I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because there were still some questions that I had when it was finished.

Read this one if you’re into: nostalgia, the 90s, creepy remote islands, weird townspeople, secrets, & being completely freaked out.

"There are certain things we all know, but we don't talk about them, because there's no reason to talk about them. We just know."

Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

QUICK SUMMARY
There's an island that no one knows about, and few people fine. The island is living with a strange obsession with a year 1994. Clifford Island, Willow Stone is looking for the answers after the tragic accident costing the life of her son. Soon after arriving, she realizes there's something not quite right. Then five weeks after arriving, Willow disappears.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Thank you @NetGalley & @DuttonBooks for this copy of #DeadEleven in exchange with my honest review. I came for the synopsis and read the book in a day because I immediately NEEDED all the answers. This book shows multiple POVs telling the story and the journey to answers. I LOVED how true to 1994 this book stayed, like POGS. The best way I could describe this book is if the shows Lost & From had a baby. Over all I loved this story.

Can we talk about this cover first of all??? It's beautiful, that's all I can say. Just perfection.

This is also one of those times that you can judge a book by its cover, because the inside matches the outside. This feels like a love letter to classic retro horror, and yet something so new and intriguing.

It gave me 'Midnight Mass' (Netflix TV show) and 'From' (Epix TV series) vibes, so if you're into those tv shows then you'll probably really enjoy this. The mystery of this island (that is time locked in the 90s, how cool of a concept is that??) is so intriguing, and I really loved the inclusion of interview, and chat log chapters.

This is definitely going on my staff picks list at my work 👌

What a wickedly woven web. Dead Eleven may be the creepy horror mystery of the year.

Set on Clifford Island, this story revolves around several missing people. One in particular, Willow, is of major concern because her brother knows that something is amiss. And it is! Clifford island holds many secrets. The island seems to be obsessed with year 1994. What exactly does this island intend for its inhabitants. And who exactly are the Dead Eleven? These are all the secrets that are set to be answered in this novel.

There are many mysterious characters and the landscape sets the scene for some truly diabolical sequences. I really enjoyed this and felt that although it was definitely a slow burn at times, the payoff felt right! Honestly I think this holds a lot for readers of all genres.

Mystery lovers, horror fanatics, thriller junkies rejoice because this story is for you!! Check it out!