Member Reviews
*Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. This is a young adult book?? I’m not the biggest YA fan, but I love Darcy’s work, so I knew this would be a fun one. I was so excited to start this book. 😀
This book is so deliciously creepy! The Stitcher is just a phenomenal character. Loved his story, loved his look! Very fresh and unique monster. Everything about him is just perfect.
The whole story has such wonderful atmosphere. Very spooky. Starts out subtle at first and slowly builds and builds! By the time Abby mounts a rescue to save her sister, Hope, in the final part of the book, you can feel the tension in the air. It felt electric!
There are some sweet twists and reveals throughout the book. Especially when it comes to the bad guy. 😮 I knew something was fishy with him but couldn’t ever put my finger on what it was. A great twist.
The plot is so dark. Pretty messed up, too. Loved it! 😀 I wish more YA was like this. Nice and scary. ❤
Oh my! This book brought me back to middle school era where I go to a sleepover with friends and watch horror movies. Darcy Coates is known for the best horror writing ever and the most I love about her style is that its always different. Every book is a surprise and every plot is unique!
With that being said, Where He Can’t Find You is a small town young adult horror mystery about Abby and her group of friends called the “Jackrabbits”. Living in a small town of Doubtful,Illinois where all strange things happen without explanation and dead bodies are found without knowing who killed them. The Jackrabbits are going to take matters into their hands and will find out. Are they going to be successful? Or, the serial killer the suspected will beat them to it?
Like most of the reviews I read, it does have the IT movie, Stranger Things Series or Jeepers Creepers vibe but with the Darcy Coates fashion. The characters have their own quirky personality and I can’t help but root for their young energy and determination. I get annoyed at adults for being so stupid but oh well, it’s the conflict factor of the book. I enjoyed it and I highly recommend! Would be a great read for halloween or anytime if you are a scare-fright loving reader.
Special thanks to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the advance e-copy in exchange of my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Publisher for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review to come after I have processed what I just read.
Abbey and her group of friends live in a strange town where a myth becomes real every so often and The Stitcher takes people. Later their bodies are found with parts sewn in the wrong places. This is truly creepy. It's the most graphic and horrifying book by Voates I've yet read. It is startlingly labelled as YA. Don't let that fool you into thinking this is a kids' book. The characters are mid to late teens and nothing else makes it YA, IMO. If the characters were adults this book would still be one of the creepiest thrillers I've recently read. I just loved this book. As usual, Darcy Coates writes a phenomenal supernatural thriller.
Who is "The Sticher"? Man, demon, or monster?
Abby Ward resides in a town that lives in constant fear of being captured by The Sticher! No one knows who or what he is but Abby and her three closest friends have developed a set of rules to live by that they think reduces their chances of being taken! But, when Abby's sister disappears from her bedroom one night, Abby and her friends must go looking for the thing they have spent years avoiding!
Who will come out alive and will Abby herself be another victim found in the coming days or weeks, with body parts sewn back together with red thread and parts missing?
Where He Can't Find You is a modern day horror story which I found entertaining. Coates always does a good job with character development and writes engaging stories with mild horror suitable to most audiences. Parts of the story were a little slow and some of the actions of the characters a bit outlandish but overall, another enjoyable "scary tale" from Coates!
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Where He Can’t Find You
Darcy Coates
⭐4⭐
I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader’s copy. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!
Where He Can’t Find You is a horror/suspense novel about a serial murder in the town of Doubtful. After years of gruesome deaths at the hands of the Stitcher, the town grows emptier by the day; people abandoning their homes willingly or unwillingly. The Stitcher has been taking people from the town for as long as anyone can remember. They know that it’s him because of the signature; when bodies are found, they are taken apart and put back together again with bright red thread.
Despite police involvement, they are unable to locate the mastermind behind these murder. A group of teenagers, the Jackrabbits, have created a strict set of rules to follow to ensure that they are safe from the Stitcher’s clutches. Having all been affected by the Stitcher, they all work together to make sure that none of them wind up the next victim. Don’t go out alone. Be home by sundown. Stay away from Vickers, the creepy old man that everyone thinks (more like knows) is the Stitcher.
The Jackrabbits have done well in protecting themselves. That is, until Abby’s younger sister Hope goes missing. Abby will stop at nothing to get back her sister. Even if it means facing certain death by the hands of the Stitcher himself.
I really enjoyed this book! I can usually figure out the twists in books way before they happen, and this book kept me on my toes for quite a few things! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a horror/suspense novel that they want to keep them guessing!
I received a gifted ebook copy of WHERE HE CAN'T FIND YOU by Darcy Coates from Sourcebooks Fire for an honest review.
WHERE HE CAN'T FIND YOU is a YA horror set in a town which has been living under the threat of a serial killer for years. Going back into their far history people have been known to disappear here. Sometimes their bodies are found, sometimes they are not. All anyone knows is that those who do return have been taken apart and reassembled, sewn back together with red thread.
Abby and her friends live by simple rules to protect themselves from The Stitcher. They don't go out after dark, they don't rely on technology which can fail, and they never go out alone. They know the warning signs that things are getting bad again, having lived their entire lives with the proof all around them. Still, no one is safe.
I love a good Darcy Coates read, so was thrilled to get into this one. I really enjoyed the lore of this book and it kept me wondering throughout what exactly was going on. Abby's friends have a close social network and I loved the friendship group they have. Still, when there's a new kid in school who doesn't know the lay of the land, they are welcoming even as the new kid thinks they're all over the top paranoid.
There is a good mix of weird paranormal things going on alongside there being a very human suspect from the start. It made for an interesting blend where no one quite knows what is going on and you can feel the pressure that surrounds all of the characters and the town as a whole. As we begin to learn about our characters' backstories and the history of the town, that pressure only grows. This is an author who really knows how to do atmosphere well!
There definitely is a need to suspend some disbelief with this book, but if you're looking for a fun horror ride, I highly recommend. Trigger warnings for violence and gore!
This is my first read by Coates and I was pleasantly surprised. I was blown away by the imagery in this YA horror novel!
The story follows a group of friends in a small town, Doubtful, who call themselves The Jackrabbits. The group has rules because in their small town people go missing. The town believes one of two things - the town is plagued by a serial killer, Charles Vickers, or there is something supernatural living in the abandoned mines. When the sister of one of The Jackrabbits is taken, the group takes on the challenge to not only save one of their own, but finally find out who or what is responsible for all the missing people in Doubtful.
Love the character development, and storytelling throughout! It kept me glued to the pages, and the last 1/3 of the book kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely was giving Stranger Things vibes, and I was here for it! This will not be my last book by Coates.
I've read a few of Coates other novels before and was fairly impressed with them (in fact I constantly find myself recommending them to horror fans because I think she does a great job of writing scary stories without adding unnecessary sex, and for the most part over the top violence) so I was eager to see what she did for a YA audience. Turns out I was really impressed, although I would argue that not much about her writing style actually changed aside from the age of the characters. She's still writing spine-chilling stories with terrifying twists, but now the characters running from those things that go bump in the night are teenagers instead of adults. I can't even say that because of that they seem to make stupider decisions than adults, because (at least in this story) for the most part they don't. I think my only gripe with this story, aside from the slightly unnecessary romance sub-plot, is that our main character, Abby, is a little selfish at times, but honestly that's not something that's exclusive to teenagers, and I would imagine that anyone in her position could very well display the same tendencies, even if they were fully grown. Basically Coates' first foray into YA was wonderful, with a unique and legitimately terrifying plot. It's nice to have an honest-to-god YA novel from Coates to recommend to a slightly younger audience, but all of the books that I've read by her so far seem perfectly acceptable for a teen reader, and for those adult fans of hers I can see no reason why they shouldn't give this one a shot too. At this point I'll pretty much pick up whatever Coates writes, and I'm looking forward to reading some of her back-list while waiting for her next new story.
This was an outstanding book. I have read many Darcy Coates books(haunting of books). This was different. It felt like I was reading an old school Stephen King book.
The characters were well developed and I was definitely rooting for the good guys.
If you like old school Stephen King give this books a try!
I loved this book! It had its flaws and I felt longer than necessary however I loved it regardless. I was hooked from the beginning. I did struggle to form a connection with the characters as they were rather young. The plot though was done so well and this author never disappoints me.
I absolutely love Darcy Coates.
I was a bit skeptical at first with it being YA, but it's a damn sight more morbid and gory than I thought would be allowed for this genre!
What a movie this one would make!!
I'm already repeating the rules in my head wondering if I'll manage to sleep.
The only downside to it is that I felt like it was a long story, and the twist at the end left me with more questions but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book blind other than it was by Darcy Coates who I am obsessed with.
The town of Doubtful has a killer that has been haunting the town for so long that everyone is desensitized to the disappearances. They've adapted: get home before dark, lock your doors and windows, don't walk alone.
Abby and her friend group, which have named themselves the Jackrabbits, are just trying to survive until they're old enough to leave the town and live somewhere where bodies being dismembered and sewn back together isn't a normal occurrence. But when a window isn't locked, and The Stitcher takes one of their own, the Jackrabbits band together to put an end to the terror plaguing them their whole lives.
This is considered YA horror but honestly I was creeped out and felt claustrophobic and I am a 30-something horror addict. Darcy Coates has a way of grabbing my imagination and twisting it into her dark fictitious world and making things feel real.
The plot felt reminiscent of Stephen King (The Outsider & IT) mixed with aspects of some of my favorite horror flicks from the 90s (I don't want to name them because it will spoil The Stitcher) told from the POV of each of the Jackrabbits.
This novel was just published a couple days ago and you should read it.
[I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press and am leaving an honest review voluntarily.]
Thank you to NetGalley, Darcy Coates and Sourcebook fire for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.
I was concerned when I realized this was more YA than Coates usually writes, but it was so good and it wasn’t written any way that made it seem very obviously YA. It was fast paced, action packed and so unique. I really enjoyed it!
I will never look at a red thread the same way again. Darcy Coates had my attention from the moment I started reading. This book is creepy, horrifying, terrifying, anxiety heightening, you name it you will experience it as you are transported to the town of Doubtful. Even the town's name makes you whisper what... Abby has grown up here, the rules of the town swirling in her head. Always walk in twos, be home by dark, lock every door and window behind you...if you do any of these things your chances of being taken by the Sticher goes up. People vanish and their bodies will finally find their way back to town. In one of the abandoned houses, in the woods, the red threads making a spider web leading you in the direction of the bodies. The town is split not knowing if it is a monster who is behind all the murders or the man that makes everyone's skin crawl, as they cross the street to avoid him.
Abby's own father was taken years ago, his body was never found. She is always living on the edge of terror. She takes care of her ailing mother and her younger sister. She tries to keep them safe. But how do you when everything seems against you? Coates has created a phenomenal YA read that will have you cheering on the characters and digging deep to uncover who the Sticher really is. Do you dare find out? Thank you to Darcy Coates and Sourcebooks Fire for my gifted copy.
This book took me several weeks to read, only because I kept picking it up before bed and then instantly realizing that was a terrible choice.
The Stitcher is an absolute terror. A terrifying character, with a gruesome legacy and provoking true fear in both the townspeople and the reader.
The MC’s in this book show the resiliency that so many have. Doing anything to save the one person they love most in the face of extreme circumstances. And always standing by their loved ones even when it’s difficult.
Highly recommend if you’re looking for a slightly-unbelievable horror/slash/thriller that has a typical amount of Coates gore in it.
My thanks to Sourcebooks fire, Darcy Coates and Netgalley.
This may have been listed as YA, but that was wrong. The only thing young about this story is the characters.
If I'd read this in my YA years, then it would have been my first freezer book!
So, I ended up enjoying the shit outta this story.
It was flawed as eff! It was overly long, and still I would have read more.
The Sticher and the town would have left me either running for the hills, or trying to figure stuff out.
I'm truth? I was a bit skeeved out by the town and the BIG bad.
Also, I loved this damned story near as much as I hated it!
Would I read this damn book again? No. Would I read it if it was this book or a classic? Yes. Only if.
It's Darcy. It's good. Not great, but good.
This was a creepy book that gave off stranger things vibes with teenagers trying to fight off a supernatural force. The way the town is set up with everything failing made me think of Stephen Kings writing. It really did suck me in, however it felt like the story could have been fairly shorter. It did build up for me and the ending fell flat for me. Overall I enjoyed it though.
This is my third book by Darcy Coates and I must say she kept me on the edge of my seat. In the town Doubtless Abby her sister hope in the other members of the jackrabbit club Reese Rea and Connor do their best to follow the rules of the club and to stay alive and steer clear of the stitcher man. Too many in the group have already been affected by him and the police or no use but when Abby sister hope goes missing it will be left up to the group to find out where she is. This was such a great book Darci Coats has created a creepy town called Doubtless where electricity is hit or miss and watching a TV show is impossible even texting a friend could be interrupted by static in the man the group thinks is The Stitcher seems to always be one step ahead or maybe he’s just not of this world. Make sure you have time to read this book because after the first chapter you will be often running into a strange town and if you’re anything like me you will not want to stop until you know what happens in the end. This is a truly creepy read in a definite five star book. I want to thanks to Sorsa books and net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes I am blind.
This book is for teens interested in dark and gory stories. After discussing it with our TAB members, I purchased it for my Teen Collection. Personally, for me, I'm not too fond of gory books.