It's a good horror novel and perfect for YA. Does the main premise hold up under questioning? Eh, not really. But it's a chaotic, bloody ride and likeable enough main characters, even if a bit one dimensional. 3 stars and would read the author again.

I've had several books from Darcy Coates on my "want to read" list forever, but despite looking forward to them, I never got around to picking one up. Which is why I was exceptionally excited to have my NetGalley request approved to read the e-ARC of Where He Can't Find You. The synopsis sounded so creepy and right up my alley, and it certainly delivered.

The pacing allowed for tension and fear to build. The horror moments and descriptions packed a punch, and I loved and cared about the characters. As I read this, it was like watching a movie. I could picture it all vividly, and it was terrifying 😬 This is absolutely one of my favorite YA Horror reads ever, and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who enjoys a good scary read. Publication date November 7th 2023. Pick it up, and be prepared for a sleepless night!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Where He Can't Find You, by Darcy Coates.
2.5-3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️

TRIGGER WARNINGS-
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Death, kidnapping, dismemberment, murder

Abby and her friends live Doubtful, a town plagued by the Stitcher, who is responsible for years of strange disappearances and murders. The victims are found dismembered and stitched back together in an odd assortment of ways with red thread.
The rules that everyone should abide by to help prevent them from being the Stitchers next victim are, don't go out alone and stay in once the sunsets. Abby, her sister, Hope and her friends all follow these rules. Even with these rules Hope was still taken. Now it's a rush against the clock to try and find Hope and bring her home.

I found this book to be more middle grade/young adult. The very beginning is intriguing and imminently grabs your attention but then it gets kind of slow and drawn out. There's several parts that don't really seem to add much to the story; they're too long with too much back story which makes it a bit "rambly" at times. It was a good story but poor execution.

Thank you to Sourcefire and NetGalley for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I just finished and I absolutely loved it. It’s definitely YA and has some body horror within but I was so deeply engrossed in this story. I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to stop reading and I have no doubt some scenes are going to live with me forever now.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I honestly just had a really hard time getting into this book; it just wasn’t for me.

Abby and her group of friends live Doubtful, a town haunted by disappearances - and when they are found, months or years later, they have been dismembered and sewn back together with bright red thread. When Abby's own sister Hope is taken, the group of friends are caught in a desperate game of cat and mouse. They have to get Hope back. Quickly. Before too much of her is cut away. Before all hope is gone.

Where He Can't Find You is a brand new Young Adult Horror from Darcy Coates and let me tell you, it does not disappoint. This one carries heavy Stranger Things vibes, a group of teens out hunting the unknown and a town full of secrets. The beginning takes it's time setting everything up and making sure you get a really good feeling for every person in the group. The teens themselves are set up well, with each being a unique addition to the story. Once you hit mid way prepare to be glued to your seat, because you will not put the book down. It was equally eerie and creepy giving all of the old school vibes horror readers have been searching for lately. This one is definitely for our newer Darcy fans, slasher movie fans and monster tales - add it to your TBR, you won't regret it!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, Darcy Coates and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This one is set for release November 7th, 2023.

WOW! WOW! WOW! So scary! I was on edge the whole time.

YA, Thriller, Horror

I was not expecting it to be labeled YA, but I could totally see my younger self who loved RL Stine’s Fear Street series reading this one. It is a little gory, but not enough to make me squeamish.

Another thrilling read by Darcy Coates! I loved Dead of Winter and just had to read this one too.

As long as anyone can remember there has been a serial killer in the town of Doubtful. The citizens are constantly going missing and when their bodies are found they no longer resemble who they once were. The Stitcher uses red thread to reassemble his victims. A teen group called the Jackrabbits have rules that they follow in order to ensure that they are not taken. When Abby’s sister Hope is taken, she will stop at anything to get her sister back. She knows that time is short, and is racing the clock to find her before it is too late.

This book was like reading Stranger Things. It is eerie, creepy things are happening all around, and the whole town is affected. They all seem to either ignore what is going on or they just do nothing. When Hope is taken they tell her just to forget about it, and let her go. This group was so much more determined than any of the adults in town.

I liked the characters and their friendships. It was crazy that the town had abandoned houses all over, and the people didn’t want to have anything to do with people whose family was taken by the Stitcher. I would think that everyone has had someone taken by this point. Also, Why TF would you not move?! Some people did as we can tell by the abandoned homes, but is the town big enough to support that number of people missing? Maybe they don’t go missing as often as we think.

Such a horrifying and suspenseful read! Loved it!

I just finished this book and I have mixed feelings. Darcy Coates is the Queen at creating spooky and genuinely creeping me out with the worlds she makes up. I enjoyed most elements of this book, a few times I thought some of the plot was a little too far fetched and it brought me out of the story BUT it’s still a creepy read and I enjoyed it overall. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

2.5 rounded up.
I didn't realize this book is YA until I started reading, but that's okay with me. It felt more geared towards the younger young adults though. While the graphic horror details occasionally push the boundaries for younger kids, most of the book consists of exposition. I think as long as they have been introduced to horror before, they should be fine.
The storytelling didn't impress me. The characters seemed less mature than their stated ages. Hope is supposedly 15 but comes across more like a pre-teen, and the other characters are older but seem like young teenagers. The story has too many clichéd elements commonly found in teen horror books/movies, such as the creepy neighbor, dismissive police, absent parents, and an unnecessary romance subplot. I think the writing also failed to create urgency and tension. The pace was slow, and as I mentioned, there was a lot of exposition. The book actually felt too long, especially considering the narrative was fairly straightforward. I felt dissatisfied by the lack of a shock factor . I think a significant twist was needed, maybe one involving Vickers.
Unfortunately, I don't believe many readers will find this book memorable or consider it a favorite.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates. Once I started this book, I couldn't stop reading. It was so creepy and engaging. Although it's YA, it doesn't read as YA. My daughter is started to get into reading horror and I will definitely recommend this book to her.

People are disappearing in a small town only to be found with their bodies sewn together with red thread. There are rules to keep you safe, like don't go out without telling someone where you are. Don't go out alone. When Abby Ward's sister goes missing, she and her friends must find her and defeat the monster.

"Life is short. Borrow joy where you can."

Doubtful is not like other small towns. There are rules to live & survive by in Doubtful. Never walk alone. Never stay out after dark & keep your doors & windows lock, otherwise the Stitcher will take you.
Abby & her friends all know & live by the rules. They know the warning signs when he's on the hunt. But when Abby's sister is taken they must use the knowledge they know to get her back before it's too late., but what or who is the Stitcher.

Darcy Coates has delivered another nail biting, creepy, intense ride. Felt like spent most of the book holding my breath or on the edge of my seat to see what came next. Great story of friendship, family, grief and a disturbing small town. For a YA horror definitely delivers the chills.

'Doubtful is like a glue trap', & I was definitely glued to this story.

Thank you Sourcebooks, the author, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I’m loving Darcy Coates right now and can’t get enough of her books. This one is no different. I was hesitant to read it because it’s YA fiction, but I shouldn’t have been worried. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. The setting is great, the characters interesting. I loved the comic book pages at the start of each section. If you love supernatural horror, this is a must read.

Despite its length, it took me mere hours to read this book. While I've enjoyed Darcy Coates' work for some time, this is the first novel of hers that I just couldn't put down, and much of that is due to the way the plot combines some of horror's most basic tropes - teenagers and monsters are a longstanding combination - with mere glimpses of Doubtful, Illinois' haunted past. Where most of Coates' other books would have focused more on that haunted past and relied on descriptions of decayed homes and grim discoveries, this novel keeps the focus on the tension primary protagonist Abby feels as she tries to solve the mystery of her sister Hope's abduction.

If Hope's name is a bit too on the nose, that's easily forgiven when we consider that it was the grief of losing a family member that started the entire mess in the old mining town, and loss of family is a theme that manages to weave throughout the tale without being too glaring. Some of Coates' trademark scenes, such as the trophy cave where the Stitcher keeps his mementos or the home of Abby's friend Jessica, are still along for the ride, and it's interesting to see them used as window dressing rather than the driving force of the plot. Coates also manages to avoid a lot of the cringier aspects of YA fiction that authors who more frequently write for adults (or at least new adult) fall into; Jen comes the closet to that particular issue.

Overall, this is a solid piece of YA horror, drawing from slasher films, ghost stories, and monster tales. If any of those things appeal to you, definitely check this out.

(And thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for access to this title!)

As if I needed more of a reason to love the fabulous Darcy Coates, this right here was the perfect, utterly creepy book to read at night. This started out with the perfect backdrop of a desolate town filled with abandoned houses, missing person fliers and townspeople fleeing into their homes before nightfall. I said it before and I'll say it again, I really hope to see this author's work play out on the silver screen one day. Each of her novels are worthy in its own way. This one had the highly likeable characters along with the not so likeable, insidious ones. The setting was again, perfect. The story intriguing and intense. The action and conclusion having you on the edge of your seat. This was an addictive read with quite the disturbing imagery and I highly recommend this for my fellow horror readers. Five Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC.

I've found my favourite book of the year, maybe even a few years. There was nothing in this book that I disliked. I was glued to it and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. It's been a while since anything has scared me, but this book certainly did the trick. It wasn't just the stitcher, it was the atmosphere and brilliant writing. I checked my doors and windows a few times after a binge reading session! I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC. This book could have been such a gem for me, but I felt this was way too long with way too much back story. I didn't like the slow pace and felt it could have been "nerve-racking" with a shorter story. I know many people will like this but not for me.

YA Horror at it's finest! Every time I see a Darcy Coates novel I instantly want to read it.... love the spooky vibes in this one.

Book : Where He Can’t Find You
Author : Darcy Coates
Pub Date : 07 Nov 2023

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love and eat up everything that Darcy Coates releases. This book was a little bit different than others I’ve read and it was YA which I was curious about. Regardless I enjoyed it. It was a fun fast paced read. This book gives the best mystery & thriller vibes that I love with the creepy vibes we know from her other writing weaved throughout.

The characters and plot were well written—this story keeps you guessing from start to finish and makes you question all the things you thought was happening. I will be recommending this book to all my friends who love a good mysterious-supernatural-horror thriller book. This needs to be on your TBR right away.

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

I like creepy small town books. While Where He Can’t Find You definitely delivered a disturbing little town, I was a little distracted by some parts of the story. I feel like there were some things that weren’t properly explained for me, or didn’t get why real explanation at all, and while I found myself deeply interested in the story, there were times where I didn’t totally get it. I will say that I generally enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to other creepy small town lovers.

This was a wild ride! Coates really knows how to build the suspense. This book creeped me out at times. I loved it! Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the arc of this book.