Arc review

Abby Ward lives in a town haunted by disappearances. People vanish only to be found dismembered and sewn back together in unnatural ways. Is this the hands of a human or something far darker?
Dont walk alone, or the stitcher will find you...
Dont stay out late, or the stitcher will take you..
Don't close your eyes, or the stitcher will remake you...

First time reading from this author and definitely won't be the last. Great suspense and left me wanting more!

Books written on 4 parts and some characters POV.
Great comic style pictures within the book.
Loved the characters in the book especially Abby and Rhy.
Great character development.
Overall a 4.5 star read.

Would recommend this book to anyone whos looking for a edge of your seat, eeire, suspenseful read.
Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC. #WhereHeCantFindYou

It's labeled as YA, I'm 37 and am still unsettled. The imagery. 🤌🤌🤌

Coats continues to be a new fav author of mine. This did run a *little* long, but also... not in a way that made me mad, I just needed the conclusion a little faster because at one point you feel TRAPPED. My skin crawled.

Honestly, back and forth between 4 or 5, so we'll say 4.5.

Where He Can’t Find You by Darcy Coates
Publisher Sourcebooks Fire
Release Dats November 07, 2023


Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 4/5
Suspense: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Darcy Coates and her books. They all are very well written stories of horror and terror and this is no exception. I remember as a child parents used to tell us stories that would keep us from doing certain things. When I first read the blurb for this book, I thought that was what was going to be the premise but I was dead wrong….pun intended. A well thought out story about a town that has its residence disappearing and then cut into pieces and sewn back together. But not sewn correctly. As a YA book, I did feel that this was more targeted toward young adults but I honestly believe that someone who is the targeted age or older could read this book and really enjoy it for what it is.


DON'T WALK ALONE, OR THE STITCHER WILL FIND YOU

Abby Ward and her sister are terrified about getting disappeared and cut up so they do everything they are supposed to in order to stay safe. But honestly who is doing this to the people of their town? Is a person killing for the hell of it or is it a monster? So when her sister, Hope is taken, Abby is worried and goes straight to the police. (Here is one of my bad dreams) To her dismay, the police cannot help her. They say that there hands are tied.

DON'T STAY OUT LATE, OR THE STITCHER WILL TAKE YOU

They call themselves the jackrabbits… They are there for each other in this book and help Abby, who is a part of the group, to find her sister. They get along well and all seem to have a great relationship. They, together fight to save the town from who or what is taking its citizens.

DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES, OR THE STITCHER WILL REMAKE YOU

It is now or never for the band of friends to save everyone and fight this monster whoever it may be. The cat and Mose game continues in the tunnels underneath the houses until………..

You will have to read the book to find out what happens but I do think the ending was really good and certainly a YA would find this book age appropriate and scary enough to read with their friends.

******I have to say that I was disappointed in some of the other reviews that said they thought this was too scary for the age I group in which it was aimed for. I completely DISAGREE.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Is there anything more frightening then a serial killer that disappears people and leaves them stitched back together in unnatural ways? I might lose sleep over this haunted novel for many days to come!

The Stitcher haunts the town of Doubtful and the police have their hands full trying to keep the town safe.
Abby and her friends live with the disappearances and live their lives with specific rules such as - never walk alone. When her sister Hope is taken, Abby is desperate to save her and she and her friends band together to take back the town.

Great pacing, backstory and tension. Promoted as a YA but not too much over-wrought emotions- just right for a new adult or plain adult reader. If you like a scary town, a serial killer story or want to root for a brave group of teens, Where He Can't Find You is for you!
#Sourcebooksfire #Wherehecantfindyou #Darcycoates. #NetGalley

I’ve heard nothing but good things about Darcy Coates and based on this book, I can definitely see why! Where He Can’t Find You is a Young Adult horror set in the small town of Doubtful, where the locals lock their doors at all times and watch out for red threads. It’s got the autumnal feel of Stephen King’s It and I felt so excited to be in this town with its strange quirks and eerie atmosphere.

I loved the killer in this book and how Coates treads the line between the supernatural and the human monster before moving in one direction for certain. Her writing is so easy to get into and she sets up the main cast and the town very well, introducing it through the eyes of both locals and a new family that’s just moved there. I do think the locals’ perspectives were so much stronger than the new family’s that it felt like a struggle every time I had to go back to their chapters, but they did serve a purpose.

The main gang of friends, the Jackrabbits as they call themselves, were fun to follow and their friendship was heartwarming. I like that there wasn’t any conflict in terms of fighting or disagreeing with one another over whether this killer was a threat or was real, but there was just genuine friendship there and they supported one another throughout the entire ordeal while still retaining their own boundaries. Rhys and Abby are definitely the strongest of them for me and their relationship was so supportive. I felt invested in all of them so when the Stitcher started targeting them, I was genuinely worried for them, which raised the stakes of the story.

The first half is excellent as you see how much this killer has affected the town and the people’s sense of safety, and the rumors surrounding the Stitcher and the reveal were done well. In particular, I found one character to be very creepy and loved his role in the story to the point that I just looked forward to whenever he would appear again. He has this Mr. Rogers look but the things we and the kids learn about him are disconcerting and he’s a great depiction of a human monster.

The latter half lost some of that momentum I loved and we spent too much time in a relatively uninteresting setting at the end, but it was tense enough that I remained interested. Where He Can’t Find You’s magic is in the small town setting, the friendships, and the constant feeling of being watched that Coates cultivates. The book is a very successful autumnal read and perfect to pick up for Halloween. If you have woods near you, I can only imagine how great this would be to read to get some chills.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This review has been scheduled to be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and my blog on October 24, 2023.

I LOVED Dead of Winter, so I was thrilled to see this book by Coates on NetGalley. After reading the description I was surprised it was YA, but went for it anyway. Well… the back cover says the intended age range is 14-18 but I cannot imagine how traumatized I would’ve been if I read this at age 14 looooool. This is some GRISLY shit, y’all. There’s one description specifically that I haven’t been able to get out of my head since I read it almost 24 hours ago; I feel like I need to scrub my brain with a soapy washcloth. Yeeeeesh.

Anyway, besides the horrific subject matter, this reads does read as a YA novel. The characters were distinctive and the whole town and band of friends fighting back against a low-tech background with few present adults except a single father who’s a police officer gave me MAAAAAJOR Stranger Things vibes. Didn’t love that, it felt a little too close for comfort (all the scenes of the kids riding around on their bikes with flashlights, etc). There were definitely some plot holes (how does the Stitcher, larger than these teens, get through the tunnels with threads all over the place? Wouldn’t it get stuck if they can’t even get through? If so many people have been disappearing and their bodies showing up in horrifying ways for over a hundred years, wouldn’t the case have gotten national attention? You really expect me to believe the dude with all the answers has just been hanging out in town the whole time but nobody knows he exists? Etc). The pacing was good, but it followed a predictable storyline and there were no big surprises or super thrilling moments.

Overall, this was OK but I didn’t love it, and I won’t be thinking about it much (except for the horrid scene I can’t get out of my mind lol helppppp).

This is an exceptional YA horror novel. It is very much giving Stranger Things vibes. Character development was chef's kiss. I could not put the book down, I was so invested in the story and finding out what happened next. It was definitely creepy and made me read with the light on! The perfect amount of suspense/fear/anticipation etc. Definitely recommend picking this one up when it comes out!

5/5 stars

OH,KAY. WOW. I know this is allegedly "YA," but I think that's honestly just because the kids in the book are in high school. Other than that, it is extremely gory and horror-filled for a YA novel. I mean something is killing a ton of people in this town and sewing their skins up and it's just gross. I do like books where the town becomes it's own character, somehow menacing and intractable, keeping everyone in place despite the horrors they're living in. The red string was a very creepy touch. I don't really understand the part about the mother, though. Still, it was a harrowing ride.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Where He Can’t Find you.
Ok hold on for a very scary ride. Darcy Coates really takes the reader deep in the mines of an old town named Doubtful. Doubtful is a town where people disappear never to be seen again. Rumors has it that a strange man named Vickers is the monster called the Stitcher.
A small groups of teenagers who have lost so much - a father, a mother, brother, and more feel the oppression of Doubtful but follow the rules to stay alive. Don’t go out at night, lock your doors, and don’t be alone EVER!
But rules can be broken and one of their own is gone. And this group is determined to find one of their own or die trying
This is a great horror story and Coates is at her best with this book. 5 stars. Luved it

All too often, adult readers look down upon young adult novels because they're for a younger age group. That doesn't mean they're bad, though, as there are a number of really good YA books out there. More continue to come out every month and year, as well, including my latest read: Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates.

Expected to release on the seventh of November, Where He Can't Find You is Coates' dip into the young adult sphere. Like many of those books, it centres upon a group of friends who have their own club name and look out for one another. They're not the popular kids, nor are they terribly well known at school, but they've come together and formed a close group they call the Jackrabbits. Hell, you may even call them outcasts.

The Jackrabbits are all well aware of something, though, and that is the fact that something is very, very wrong inside of their hometown of Doubtful, Illinois. People continually go missing, and have dating back decades. Their bodies -- or what's left of them -- end up being discovered even months later, but not intact. You see, something is taking the town's residents, cutting them open and sewing them back up in grotesque ways. Sometimes parts of different bodies are sewn together, but, other times, the same body is returned in an odd manner, which an arm growing out of its shoulder or something. Each time, they're put back together with stitched red thread, which is why people call the murderer the Stitcher.

Although nobody truly knows who, or what, the Stitcher is, they have their eye on one strange resident. He lives alone, because everyone nearby moved away or fled their homes. Meanwhile, every town resident steers clear of him when he's out and about, though some of them leave gifts and trinkets tied to the fences near his home hoping that'll buy them so luck. Even the police are wary of this man, though they've found nothing to hold him on.

When one of the Jackrabbits' siblings goes missing, she (that being Abby) decides she'll stop at nothing to get her back. This includes dealing with the purported killer, and venturing into a dark town history. One that involves lots of disappearances, animals being born with tumours and deformities, technology failing to work when the Stitcher is active and transportation issues that make bikes more reliable than cars. Will she find Hope in time? Or will he become yet another victim of the Stitcher?

Where He Can't Find You is the third Darcy Coates book I've read, but only the second I've finished due to getting sidetracked. So far, it's the best of the bunch. I do, however have a lot of her other books, which I bought for next to nothing when they were on sale. I hope to get to them someday soon, and hope I'll enjoy them as much as I enjoyed this.

Although it starts off strong and isn't able to maintain that level of quality throughout, this is an easy to recommend and memorable young adult horror novel. In fact, it's one of the better young adult ones I've read. I do, however, wish that Miss Coates could've gone further with the horror. The premise was very creepy, as was the Stitcher, but I wanted more and to be scared more than I was. Then again, this book is written for teenagers, so there's only so much she could've added in terms of blood, gore and other elements. There were some pretty nasty descriptions within, though.

Although the author isn't American, she did a good job of setting this book within small town, USA. It felt believable, despite there being talk about a family all having keys to each of their doors, because the rule regarding the Stitcher involves locking your doors and not going out at night. You're especially not supposed to go out alone, because that makes you more susceptible, or so they say.

It's also a pretty well written and easy to follow novel, which will both disgust and entertain you. Darcy Coates is a talented writer, and a prolific one. This could easily be one of her best books yet.

If you're looking for an interesting horror read featuring a unique baddie, look no further than Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates. Although it's targeted the young adult demographic it's a good read for adults, too. I'm glad I gave this one a chance.

This review is based on a copy of the book that we were provided with. Receiving a free digital advanced reader copy did not sway our opinion or our review score. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the coverage assistance.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Oh my lord I loveeddd this book. The perfect horror book for the fall, the very thought of it made my skin crawl in the very best of ways. This was my first book by Ms. Coates, and it certainly will not be my last. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

As a HUGE Darcy Coates fan, when I saw this on Netgalley, I had to request a copy, and I’m so glad that I was given to opportunity. Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Darcy Coates!

Where He Can’t Find You was a beautifully written page-turner that I could not set down. Set in Doubtful, Illinois, a group of teenagers must face someone and something evil in order to save the town and their loved ones.

This book was so spooky, fast-paced, and incredibly enjoyable. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the story.


With fun horror tropes including monsters, dismissive police/adults, and the town creep, Where He Can’t Find You is a must read.

Releasing 11/7/23

The Stitcher has been terrorizing the small town of Doubtful for years. He (It?) uses red thread to sew bodies together in gruesome ways, and if you stumble across red string, there's a good chance that there will be a body/bodies in close proximity.

Abby and her friends have been 'studying' the Stitcher for years, but when the latest victim goes missing, right as new girl Jen moves into town with her police officer dad, its up to Abby, Riya, Connor, and Rhys to try to save lives as quickly as possible---even if they newcomers don't quite believe the stories. But how can they do it when no one goes out after dark, because that's when the Stitcher strikes??

While a thriller that kept me engaged, I was never on the edge of my seat. The pacing was steady, but not anything that pulled me into the story and made me want to frantically continue.

The gore was great. The descriptions were edgy enough to show creativity and add a hint of severity to the story.

I think this will work well for YA audiences.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: language, death, gore, dismemberment, kidnapping

**Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Reviewed for NetGalley:

This had the makings of a great book, but fell flat for me with the pacing and my expectations not met.

An okay read,

“Hello, again, Darcy.”

My confession is this, your books are my absolute go to and fun guilty pleasure. “Where he Can’t Find You,” is no exception.

Abby, and her friends friends live Doubtful, a small, close knit, town and community that just happens to be traumatized and haunted by disappearances. Moreover, when those persons that have disappeared are eventually found, their bodies have been dismembered and then crudely sewn back together with thread, red thread to be exact.

Enter the Stitcher! I love it! Now, the Stitcher has never been caught, and goes on to snatch Abby’s sister Hope! Herein, lies the story. How can Abby, and her friends find Hope? Before, it’s too late.

Be forewarned, there is body violence and gore in this story, even though it’s tagged as YA, and it packs a punch.

I did not give it the full 5 stars because it lagged and rambled in parts which slowed the wild ride down for me.

Overall, Darcy doesn’t disappoint.

Thank You NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Fun to read from beginning to end, but also well-written and absorbing. Perfect for fans of the genre and the author.

I love Darcy Coates. Her novels are always intriguing, suspenseful, and captivating. When I saw this listed on Netgalley, I immediately requested it. Imagine my surprise when I found it listed as YA. Don't let that do you from reading it though. This did not disappoint.

The story takes place in Doubtful, Illinois in which the town has been haunted by the Stitcher. People keep disappearing and found dismembered and stitched up with red thread. One day, Hope's sister goes missing and Hope will stop at nothing to find her.

Where He Can't Find You had me engrossed and continually turning the pages until I finished the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. It will be released Nov. 2023.

Where He Can’t Find You is a super unsettling horror story. The characters all felt interesting and individual, so this felt like a true ensemble, enough though it’s Abby who is hit directly by the plot. I liked all of them, which I feel is rare when there are multiple major characters with POV.

The only real issue I had was the pacing of the book. Once the plot takes off, it really doesn’t stop, except for multiple times where the story kind of halts for exposition dumps. They don’t happen too often, but enough that I found it noticeable.

Not a negative thing, but just a note that there is some real body horror in this book. While I was fine with it (well fine in that I could read it and just find it disturbing), anyone who is super sensitive to that should be aware.

4 stars - There were numerous disappearances in the small town of Doubtful. When they are found, their bodies have been cut up and sewn back together. The townspeople follow simple rules: Do not walk alone and do not stay out late or the Stitcher will get you. Abby's sister is taken and she is desperate to get her back. With her friends' help, they work together to find her sister, Hope.

I love the comic strips at the start of every section of the story. The story was well-written and the storyline kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic read! I have read every single one of Mrs Coates' books and this one did not disappoint. even thought this was label as YA please don't be fooled. It was amazing and impossible to put down.

5/5. definitely recommend.