I appreciated the idea of Find Him Where You Left Him Dead. It's a decent teen thriller and the connections to Japanese mythology were interesting. Of the 5 teen characters, I found Owen to be especially compelling but all of the others left me flat and I had to refresh my memory about their identities more than once. As the teens fall into the spirit world of Miedo they begin a quest to complete a sort of live action escape game with serious and gruesome consequences. I think that quite a few readers will enjoy the high gore factor that comes with some of the encounters with the oni, For myself, the book wasn't the page turner that I had been hoping for.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a bit ghost and horror person, but I am a big mythology person. This walks that line deftly. It's creepy and unsettling, but not in a way that left me needing to sleep with a baseball bat or anything. Four friends are drawn back to finish a game in a cave where they thought a friend died years ago. It's a journey through an underworld, with twists, turns, and lots of riddles. I don't try to guess my way through mysteries, and definitely didn't see the various game-changers in this one, but they still all made sense after each twist. Really excited to see more.

I enjoyed reading this book since I felt that I was constantly hooked throughout the entire novel by the action. The trials the four main characters went through were exciting and difficult to predict which made them more interesting. One thing I liked was the amount of effort the author put forth throughout the entire novel to develop the relationships between each character. One way this was done by the author, was by having a different character narrate each chapter in order to tell things from their perspective which changed how a reader interpreted their character. However the book has a strong element of gore and violence which I thought was sometimes overdone. There definitely were sections that were more horror themed which I didn’t like reading as much and could be something that wouldn’t be engaging to other readers. There is also profanity used throughout the novel that could be inappropriate for younger readers. Overall I enjoyed this book and felt that I couldn’t put it down once I started due to the well written social interactions and adventures.

This book has been described as Jumanji meets I Know What You Did Last Summer and based on Japanese folklore - I was sold! Being catch in a game with life and death stakes is a common trope but one that I really enjoyed, especially when done well and I think this one is done well. Weaving Japanese mythology into the gameplay added a unique dimension to the storyline that I really enjoyed. I didn't realize this was the first part of a duology going into this but the ending definitely leaves room for more - I will be definitely be picking up that "more" when it comes out! A fun YA horror book that I would definitely recommend to fans of the genre. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Five characters haunted by the past, forced to revisit their worst nightmare four years later by reuniting. A combination of the Shining and a darker Jumanji, they fall into a dangerous game where they are forced to deal with the consequences of their actions and lies. It was entertaining, but there were a lot of characters to keep up with and the game had a lot going on to pay attention to.

This book is probably my favorite of this year. So much yokai folklore and unexpected bits that made this book a hard one to put down. All I'll say is, there better be more in the future and I'll definitely be reading if so!

I’m sad wrote a less than stellar review on this one. I fan girl over this author!! I also only try to request books from NetGalley that I expect to enjoy. Unfortunately, this did not fall into that category.

As others have written, this has a jumanji feel to it. Honestly, I was glad for that reference to at least ground me in the chaos. Often, the mayhem of the scene was not just written to convey chaos but jumped around and added so much so fast that it didn’t create a coherent picture. Like the character is walking through mud, has eels wrapping around their feet, statues falling on them, bat creatures swooping down, earthquakes happening, time running out allllll at the same time and it’s just too much!

Another challenge for me as a reader was some of the cultural words that were used but not explained enough. Some also read as similar, with just a couple letters difference so it was confusing. I appreciate that it’s pulling in Japanese folklore but I didn’t understand the referenced “monsters” enough to really appreciate that aspect.

The characters were tropes. Where Simmons has wowed me in the past with well developed, morally complex protagonists, each of the main characters in fhwylhd was underdeveloped, as were the labile relationships that went from friends to not friends and back with little depth of rationale.

I will not be recommending this book but would still direct people to read the Article 5 trilogy.

I really enjoyed this one. I don't agree with the "Japanese jumanji" comments completely. It takes place in a game, and all of the folklore is Japanese. The style of storytelling is a lot of fun, but it was very different from jumanji. It's YA.

There isn't a whole lot of character development or background for the characters, but I wasn't really expecting there to be. It was a fun, easy read. I would recommend if you're interested in Japanese folklore and enjoy adventure stories. The plot twists definitely pulled on my heart strings a bit. I would read a second novel.

This was the most fun I have had reading a book in a long time!

Five friends play a Japanese card game found in an empty cave. Only four return home. four years later the friends are drawn together again to complete the game.

This book started off with a bang and never stopped. The opening chapters were great establishing the characters and letting us get to know them a bit before the action started in earnest.

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to hear more from this author!

Horror, fantasy, mythology, thriller, paranormal, sci-fi and easy to read! All my favorites in one book? This book starts off with a mystery to solve and spookiness right away. I loved the camp feel of this book. The games kind of reminded me of "alice in borderland". I was interested and never was putting the book down. I got invested in each persons story and view. There was even a little bit of romance. I love the way the mythology was woven into this story but it did not beat you over the head with it. I found it creepy, fun, and i loved the sci fi bits as well made more content in the story to dive into. I really enjoyed this journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead (a mouthful of a name) was a decent book. Four years ago, five kids went into a cave - but only 4 came out, and now, years later, when they are haunted by the ghost of the boy they left behind, they must venture back into that cave to finish the game they played all those years ago and find their friend.

This book was set up to be a horror, but to be honest, there was nothing particularly scary about it. There were several scenes where I could sense that it was supposed to be creepy, but fell short of actually creeping me out. Mostly, I was interested in the lore of the book and was intrigued to see how each "challenge" played out. Admittedly, the challenges themselves didn't feel very high stakes to me - maybe I was a little disengaged, maybe it was the third-person POVs constantly switching, but I found it hard to be very invested in any of the characters in particular. As a group, I did want them to succeed but didn't root for any single one of them.

I did enjoy Kristen Simmon's past series, Article 5, and while this wasn't my fave book of 2023, it was a decent read, and I'd be interested to read more from Simmons.

This wasn't scary. Not even in the slightest. And I'm disappointed with that the most, I think. I'm also upset with the Mythology in the book- I felt that the take on some of the creatures was so plain- the Tengu were portrayed simply as giant birds...

I did enjoy the first few chapters were each character was plagued with a paranormal experience- that was exciting and I thought it set a fast pace for the book. But it seemed slow down when the friends all met again. Literally sinking into the Underworld of Meido should have been where the book really took off! But I could not for the LIFE of me read more than a few sentences at a time.
And I feel that all came down to the writing style. What was happening could have been exciting and horrifying. But the description felt clumsy and jumbled to me. Then in other parts, bland and underdeveloped.
So... I was pretty disappointed 😞

This was an interesting read. At first, I wasn't sure I liked the book. I remember reading the premise and loving it so I was really excited to start this. However, for some reason, it took me a bit to really get into the story and actually start to care for the characters. In the beginning, I really didn't like them, but in the end I am so glad I stuck with it. There were some major twists I did NOT see coming. This review probably would have had a lower rating if it wasn't for the last half of the book. I promise, the ending is wild and so so compelling. This was my first Kristen Simmons novel but she definitely gained me as a fan after reading this book.

3.5 Stars

I loved how campy and scary this book could be at times. The blurb relates this to a Japanese Jumanji, but I didn't get so much Jumanji feels. Other than its being young adult and there was creepy game they were forced to play. However what it really did remind me of is the The Forbidden Game book series made in the late 90s. Find Him Where You Left Him Dead part back so many nostalgic memories that I loved it.

I don't want to give too much away for this book, but the essence of it is that a group of friends are sucked into an alternate reality where they have to play a game with a series of challenges to save their friend Ian that got stuck there years before. This book was truly gruesome at times and I was left sometimes shocked by what I read. However enjoyed it, some may find it way over the top and campy but I went in realizing what I was going to get and just had fun with it.

The only reason this book isn't getting higher rating from me is because I was utterly confused for half of the book. There is this side story line regarding an empress and I still don't quite understand what that was all about. I didn't understand the other people in the game beyond this group and how some were part of the original universe while others may not be? I am still a bit lost.

I really enjoyed Kristen Simmons writing style and the 90s goosebump feelings I got from this book. I am really interested to see what else she writes in the future. I would recommend this book to any one that loved the goosebump series and campy thriller/horror novels.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

I received this book as an ARC from Tor Publishing and Kristen Simmons through NetGalley.

I was intrigued when it was reviewed on the cover as a "japanese Jumanji" and was excited when my request was approved. Unfortunately I ended up not enjoying this story.

At a glance at the chapter titles I was excited to see the format would be in each characters' pov. I also found it interesting that there were fewer chapters than I expected and that the first few chapter-povs were rather short. I realised later that the beginning chapters were more like character intros and the later chapters do get a bit longer. I have no issues with this format and would've really taken to it, however the writing made it difficult to enjoy this format.

That characters' personalities and voices are hard to differentiate throughout the entire story. I had a hard time figuring out who said what and who was doing what. It took me well into over half of the book to start to understand who each character was supposed to be. The chapters being in a certain characters' pov didn't help because they all 'spoke' the same way.

There was also a significant amount of time where I questioned why the game in the story was specifically Japanese because I couldn't tell if one of the characters was part Japanese or if one of the characters just really liked Japanese culture. And then there was a part in the story where one of the characters makes a comment saying "why are we stuck in this game; we're not even Asian!" which confused me and made me question why the author wrote the game to be Japanese specific. But then I got to a clarifying part in the story where it is confirmed that one of the characters is indeed half Japanese and was no longer confused. I was confused though about which character I thought was part Japanese (I thought it was Dax) but then thought none of the characters were Japanese but then it was clarified that Owen was half Japanese. I feel like I wouldn't have been this confused if the characters' personalities were more developed and their voices more diverse.

The parts of the story that were supposed to be sad did evoke sad emotions within me, so I feel those parts were pretty well written.

I also really enjoyed the twists and foreshadowing reveal and the later third of the story captived my interest (and made me less confused) significantly more than the first two thirds. The cliffhanger was great and sets up a sequel really well.

Also I enjoyed the eye in the sky opening more and more as the characters played was a really cool way to indicate time, and I enjoyed how the characters of the game's story - the midwife and the weaver - turned into a character that welcomes death instead of life and into a character that weaves skin instead of cloth.

Overall I wish I could've enjoyed this book more.

Wow! The world building in this book is phenomenal! The story is told in multiple viewpoints, which really keeps it moving. There are enough twists and thrills to keep you on the edge of your seat. Anyone who likes mythology will find the core storyline interesting. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy! To start, the cover is gorgeous and immediately grabbed my attention. The story kept me engaged and without giving anything away, the twist was a good one. Definitely one of my favorites so far this year.

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead is the best combination of Jumanji and The Forbidden Game. The stakes are real, the players are returning, and you might think you know how this story will end, but I promise you dont!

This story starts off introducing us to the four main characters. Characters who haven't seen one another in some time, however they quickly receive signs that they must come back to together to finish a game they started in their childhood. A game that they know has already claimed one of their friends. So this group reconvenes in order to finally finish the game and hopefully rescue their lost comrade.

This book is told from various perspectives and I really enjoyed that aspect. It kept the story quickly moving along and I never felt wanting for action because the action was uniquely dispersed among each character. This book is also twisty in a lot of ways. I loved that never really knew what was going to come next, whether it was the game components, the character alignments, the mysterious creators of the game or otherwise. Simmons kept me hooked by throwing me for twists and turns and that's another reason I really enjoyed it.

This book has a lot to offer a multitude of audiences but fans of thrillers and suspense junkies are going to love this.

Check it out!

First, we get the description, and I'm like gimme. Then, we get the cover, and I'm like GIMME.
Let's. Do. This.

***

I truly don't know how I feel about this book, but I know I liked it. The story as a whole kept me engaged and interested the entire time. There were some continuity errors, but I assume those will likely be corrected before the publication date.

The main characters fell a little flat for me, so I couldn't really connect with them. There were so many moments where one of more of these kids almost died, and I felt nothing. That could just be me, but I would like to hear what everyone else thought of the characters. I found some of the storyline and side characters and mythological characters a tad hard to keep up with, but I think if I was more familiar with Japanese lore/mythology, that probably wouldn't have been an issue.

I really enjoyed the plot as a whole, and the twist about one of the main characters definitely had me on the edge of my seat. The world building was great, the descriptions of all the side characters and creatures were detailed and vivid.

If you're into mythology and things that are a little scary, give this book a try!

Many many thanks to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

A well-written adventure story that will surely give chills to readers. The attention to detail is off the charts. The passion the author poured into the book can be felt throughout. It is action-packed from start to finish, so hold onto your seats.

For a story with multiple protagonists, I am pretty impressed that the spotlight is balanced on all. Everyone gets their chance to shine and no one gets left behind. The story is thrilling, a nail-biter of sorts, but I was really amazed with the twist. It was much unexpected and surely one to watch out for.

One thing I particularly did not like was how the chapters were divided. The book is very long with subplots that are not really connected with each other. Aside from that, I really enjoyed reading it. It is pulsating, straight to the point and realistic.

One part which is pretty nostalgic, is when the group starts the adventure and they get separated from each other (of course, they should be separated). It brought me back to my teen years when I daydreamed of having to go on an action-packed adventure with my friends and face various challenges and obstacles.

Two thumbs up for this book!