ARC provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars. This was a fun one! I predicted most of the plot twist pretty early on, but that isn’t an entirely bad thing. I liked the main friendship in this-aka Davis and Olive. They were really cute and I liked watching them as they grew back the bond they’d lost. Maren was a good character, I just wish her and Olive‘s relationship had progressed more. What I mean by that is, they kinda went from I hate you—to oh I kinda like you—to oh shit I’m in love with you. I feel like their friendship period didn’t have enough progression, so when she whipped out the “I love her” it felt off. I keep saying this lately, but I wish we had more time with them. I hate to see in a standalone, that the main ship only gets together righhhht at the end. I want time for closure before their story is over. I want to see them together. Give me moreeee👹👹👹👹.

While this book was definitely moderate on the cringe scale, it was enjoyable to read and the plot was easy to follow. I liked the characters (other than Vanessa 🙄), and the mystery was intriguing. I think Maren was my favorite, and I wish we saw just a little bit more of her character/backstory. This would’ve been really cool as a dual/triple pov story as well!

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers North Star Editions and Flux for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5- Essentially a 4-star for me :)

This was an enjoyable YA horror that's perfect if you're in the mood for a great spooky book.
If you like: Found Family, Mental Health REP, Nice ghosts and coming-of-age stories this book may just be for you.

This story focuses on our MC Olive who has just spent the last two years in a chasm of depression after a couple of brushes with death. She becomes trapped in an obsession with death, what happens after we die? Is it nothing? Why bother living for nothing?

So our dear Olive does the only thing that makes any sense, She goes to an old asylum and summons a ghost! With her group of misfit friends a mysterious adventure unravels.

What I Enjoyed:
- Cute Sapphis Relationship (Slow burn)
- Platonic love (Say I love you to your homies or it's not real /j)
- Relationships rekindled
- The atmosphere of White Haven was so stupidly fun

My biggest critiques for this book were:
- Jay sort of fell off after one or two big conversations with Olive
- A lot of repetition of details
- It was pretty apparent who the antagonist was; there was no real subtly around their character

Here Lies Olive was absolutely amazing! Anderson wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

*Actual rating is 4.25 stars*

Here Lies Olive is Wednesday meets Scooby Doo, full of ghost and darkness - but with fun vibes and great characters. Set in the dark tourism capital of the United States, the main character Olive has grown up surrounded by death and darkness. But the paranormal is just a thing for tourists, or it is until she accidentally summons a spirit and the whole town is in danger from an evil entity. Now it’s up to Olive and her group of maybe-friends to stop it before someone dies.

Don’t you hate it when you accidentally summon a ghost that wreaks havoc on your goth town? I would. This book has an overall light tone to it, despite being set in a place celebrating death and darkness, and tackling death and dark past in the story. I’m not a fan of horror books, but there have been exceptions and Here Lies Olive is another one. It’s spooky, and at times really scary (so happy I read it in broad daylight in the summer), but that didn’t stop me from becoming surprisingly engaged in the story and the characters. This is probably thanks to the mix of scooby-esque gang of Olive and her friends, and the writing itself.

I don’t want to accidentally spoil this book so rather say less than more. But if you like horror that’s not too spooky, and features a fun group of characters (with some LGBTQA+ representation), then you need to check out Here Lies Olive!

DNF @ Chapter 14.

I was immediately pulled in by the premise and cover on this book. Young teen grappling with fear of the afterlife is something I can relate to on a deep level, having been there. I love the idea of helping a lost ghost find his grave to move on and the unknown of this entity attacking Olive's classmates. The queer rep? Amazing. Mental health rep? Awesome.

Despite those things, I felt like I was forcing myself to read this one. I found the characters kind of plain, if not vaguely annoying. The plot was kind of boring and I found some of the discussions felt very repetitive. It definitely feels more middle grade than YA, which made it slightly out of touch for me.

I really was hopeful for this one, it just wasn't for me. I won't be reviewing elsewhere.

Loved this book so much. The characters were amazing, the storyline was fast paced and kept me interested throughout due to different twists and turns. The ending was insain I never saw the plot twist, and the happy ending really made it mind blowing! Such a fantastic book by a great author!

If I read this as a young teen, I can see it becoming my entire personality. HERE LIES OLIVE tells the story of Olive, also known (to her chagrin) as Lilly, who has recently gone through a near-death experience. She has a lot of residual trauma and a lasting fear of death. Unfortunately for her, she lives in White Haven, a hot bed of dark tourism, so she is surrounded by death. As she tries to learn what happens after death, ghosts are unleashed and terrible things start to happen. Olive has to face her fears and embrace her relationships to save the day.

This book was a delight! The characters that surround Olive are true to life and I wanted to hang out in White Haven, snacking on Poppy’s green chile fries. The themes are incredibly relatable- who hasn’t wondered what happens after we die?

I would love to read more books set in White Haven - it’s a setting ripe for a book series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

I had a really tough time getting into this book. The premise sounded interesting, but overall I just don't think it was executed well. I think ultimately it would be better suited as a middle grade book (with the removal of some more YA moments) and would appeal more to that audience. Olive's mental health struggles with death were done well, as were her relationships with the other characters. As much of a horror book as this set out to be however, the supernatural aspects and ghosts represented fell flat.

I haven’t been a big fan of YA in a while, but this was a winner! Didn’t feel too juvenile or slang-y or trying too hard… Of course there’s some of that stuff, but it’s not obnoxious. I loved these characters. They were sweet and fun and had what felt like realistic issues without being so overcome by drama that you can’t keep up, like many YA books tend to do. This story hit home for me bc I’m also struggling with thinking there is Nothing after you die, so even as an adult I related to Olive. I also love paranormal/ghost/horror books so this book was right up my alley. At times it felt like I was reading something meant to be a movie rather than a book, but I found it worked for this book since it’s YA and has all the spooky elements that require strong imagery so the reader can visualize and understand what’s happening. I loved it, and I’d definitely hand it to my daughter when she’s older (if she turns out to have similar tastes in books as me).

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for approving me to read this ARC.

Let me preface this by saying that I normally don’t like paranormal books, but the cover and synopsis intrigued me. I’m giving it 3.5 stars but I enjoyed it and I think someone who likes ghost stories would really like this.

The writing in this book is flowery and poetic-the author has obvious talent and I liked a lot of her expressions and turns of phrases. However, in the scenes with paranormal activity I couldn’t understand what was going on half the time, the writing was confusing and I couldn’t visualize what was happening.

The characters were my favourite part of this; I love Olive and Maren, they are adorable. I also loved Olive’s relationship with Davis, but when it came to Jay she only really had one solid conversation with him and I felt the author could have expanded further on their relationship, there was more potential there.

The ending was really sweet, I enjoyed the way it all ended happily but not too perfectly wrapped up.

Overall, a solid read, I enjoyed it! Perfect for Halloween reading. Would recommend to those who like spooky stories.

A gripping and atmospheric book--a page turner to keep you up at night. The characters are relatable and the setting in a death-obsessed western town is unique and charming. Olive and her friends have enough trouble just being teens, and then you have ghosts showing up...

Thank you to NetGalley, North Star Editions, & Flux for the ARC!

3.5 ⭐️

This book gave me spooky fall vibes which I love. It is going to be released during the perfect time of the year for a story like this!

Here Lies Olive had a strong start and many laugh out loud moments. I found myself chuckling while I was reading. It did seem to drag on during the middle of it, and at times I had a hard time staying engaged with the story.

Many details were repeated - distractingly so. I didn’t think details needed to be mentioned several times, i.e. Vanessa touching her ribbon repeatedly, Olive feeling normal around Davis again, Olive’s obsession with death. Some parts were also pretty predictable.

I still enjoyed the story and the spooky town it took place in. I related to Olive and her fear of death, fear of the unknown, and fear of being alone. I think it ended perfectly as well. Overall, a solid debut!

I absolutely loved this book. The ghost story atmosphere is dead on (pun intended), and makes it a perfect read for someone looking for a nice, spooky book. The characters are all so well done, and their interactions make this a lot of fun.
I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to think at first. Olive’s inner voice at the beginning of the book is clouded by depression and I didn’t know where the story was going to go. But then, by the time I found myself surrounded by all the other characters, and the way it happened so gradually that you experience the change with Olive, I was completely sold.
The plot was good as well. I appreciated that there weren’t any annoying plot devices like the characters purposely ignoring the signs that were right there in front of them. I did suspect the main plot twist, but there was so much going on that I doubted myself and forgot about it in the tensest moments, which I think is the sign of a well-developed plot point tbh, you don’t want people to be blind to it if you didn’t plant any seeds.
I do still feel a bit conflicted about the fact that Olive was clearly hurting for two years and needed help from a mental health professional, but this is never mentioned. I think the author knew what was happening, it’d be weird to write such a faithful representation of depression without planning it, but I don’t know, it feels weird that it was never mentioned.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher to providing me with this ARC, I truly had the best time reading it.

The cover is what first caught my eye and then the synopsis had me sold and let me tell ya, this book did not disappoint.

> YA Paranormal
>> Sapphic
> Best Friend
>> Nice Ghosts
> Not Nice Ghosts
>> Mystery
> Halloween Town
>> Mental Health REP

This sounded too good not to request from NetGalley and I was not wrong. The story was fantastic, which makes me excited for the author since this a debut book. The pacing was excellent and I found myself being sucked into this mystery with Olive and her friends. There is great dialogue on depression and the expectation we put on ourselves from others around us.

And I knew Vanessa was strange……

This is such a charming book that had be hooked from the first chapter.

It's mix of dark themes, coming of age and hopeful message was everything I love in a book. It was comforting and so wonderfully written I was easily transported to the quirky little town and in the midst of all the adventure, supernatural spookiness and love.

Agree with the review below that you should read this if you're a fan of the Sabrina Netflix reboot. Will be a perfect halloween read and I can't wait to re-read it in October!

Thank you to NetGalley, North Star Editions, and Flux for providing me with an ARC copy.

I would put Here Lies Olive in the oxymoronic category of cozy horror. This was a cute queer YA book about ghosts, asylums, brutal attacks, and high school romance and friendship. I enjoyed this book a lot; I finished it in one day. This book would be a great intro to paranormal / ghost stories without being scary for young teenagers, although it can definitely still be enjoyed by adult readers. The mystery is captivating, with enough of a twist to keep it exciting.

My only critique is the reason for Olive's obsession with death. She has an allergic reaction, and experiences "Nothing" for five minutes, which begins this quest to find out the age old question of what really happens after we die. Personally, I think this dramatic reaction to an allergic reaction is a little silly, although she is a young teenagers so it's not absolutely crazy. I think it would have made more sense for her to experience something more dramatic to elicit such a severe reaction.

This book is set to be published October 2023: perfect for a cozy Halloween read!

Thank you to NetGally and the Publisher for the ARC.

Hooked from the first sentence!
This is such a cute book with relatable characters and the environment is phenomenal.
Enjoyed the towns dark history, the coming to terms with "the after" and the friendships that were built along the way.
Slow burn romance, platonic soulmates, and an ending that fits just right.
If I could I would live in New Haven I would have packed my bags a long time ago!

Big thanks to NetGalley for letting me read and review this ARC!

Okay, so, before I start, I wanna say that my opinion is based on the first ten chapters. There might be more to this story that would possibly make this book rank higher for me, but I can't force myself to continue reading something I don't enjoy.
I will mention a couple of plot points in this review, but I will try to keep it at a bare minimum, and with very few clues.

First of all - unique concept. I love the fact that this book will be published right before Halloween, because this is just the right mood for that!

Yet, there are quite a few downsides to this story.
I sometimes didn't get Olive's obsession with death. I know, I know - "Why can't you see it? She explains it every two pages!". Yes, exactly! Olive is obsessed about something she witnessed, and therefore decided to abandon the people she loves to close herself off. I get it. Still, was it a good enough reason? I have multiple times tried to place myself in her shoes, and, most times, her statements do match up, logically speaking. I would also want to distance myself for a while, but it still feels wrong whenever I read about it in this book. If they were such good friends, how could she just abandon him like that, out of nowhere? And then she describes, on every page they interact, how familiar it feels to hang with him again. It is so repeated at this point, that it is predictable.
Speaking of repetitive points, there's this one particular character that drives me insane. Every time she is mentioned, every time her actions get described, she is either touching, twisting, fiddling, or fidgeting with the ribbon in her hair. Yep. That is her only personality trait other than being blonde and beautiful.

Ten chapters into this book, and I still don't know who the actual love interest is. I'll leave this point at that.

Putting all of this aside, what turned me off the most is the writing. It is lyrical and highly poetic. That is most often a positive thing, but, in this case, it seemed like the author wanted to flex how many different synonyms they know for a particular word. Like they spend hours searching the web for the longest word possible. To make the reading experience more fluid and immersive, I would suggest writing in a way that makes it easy for the reader to follow along, without stopping for another Google search.
Not gonna lie, a few of the quotes had me thinking, sometimes chuckling, but there weren't many.

Hope this was informative <3

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers North Star Editions and Flux for this E-ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

The story revolves around Olive, who had a near-death experience two years ago. Since then she started to isolate herself and asking what comes after death. Is there just the Nothing? Just blackness we all float in? She decides to summon a ghost. A wild journey starts.

I really enjoyed the story and read through it within two days. The book involves a few heavy themes like loss of a loved one, grief and so on. But I think it's absolutely necessary that the younger generation also learns about the negative parts in life like death, griefing and loss.
The writing style is amazing and very easy to get into, which is always a good thing for me. The characters were loveable and the queer haters-to-lover trope got perfectly adapted for this story. The only issue I had was the kind of predictable antagonist in this set of characters. Unfortunately, I can't get into too much detail to avoid spoilers, but I wish it would have been less predictable, because the plot twist was no plot twist at all in the end.

Overall, a solid and very enjoyable debut by Kate Anderson!

I enjoyed reading this book! I was happy to be a part of this spooky but cozy goth town. I’m not too sure if i enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope because it felt a little abrupt, but i still enjoyed the overall plot and i LOVE a queer coupling. If you’re looking for a cozy ghost story, this book is for you!