Marked as young adult, Who Haunts You is a fast-paced thriller that goes beyond high school.

"The more you look, the more you find, the more you believe..."
Rebecca, or Bex, is a student at Claremont High, a highly competitive high school. In less than a month, three students found their deaths. Now Bex could be the fourth one. Are these deaths only coincidental? Is it all in Rebecca's mind?

First big praise goes to Mark Wheaton for his representation of a teenager with autism. The character of Bex is everything but stereotyped, and this is due not only to the author's research and help from those that experience autism first-hand (he's also a parent to a neurodivergent daughter), but also to the fact that he is on the spectrum himself.

"[...]Everyone has a voice in their head saying they're not good enough; that's why we're all so susceptible to this manipulation. I think a part of me believed it had something to do with neurodiversity, and that not being able to trust my senses would make my susceptibility worse.
Now I'm thinking my neurodiversity may be what's kept me alive this long."

The second big praise goes to the author's ability to put a rich and elaborate (but not difficult to follow) plot with twists and turns into less than 200 pages. Some authors fail, but not Mark Wheaton! It probably helps that the book is delightfully fast paced. It was a treat to read.

If this wasn't enough, the book is a low-key critique of part of the American school system, and the cut-throat competitiveness of some institutions. Not to mention the overrated popularity that rules the school environment, and not only amongst students, but what is even worse, but at the top of the pyramid too. To keep my review spoiler free, I will not give away the name of the less popular character, and I will be using a gender-neutral pronoun: "their".

"I sleepwalk through the next few days. No one could ever accuse me of being less than cynical, but even I'm perplexed that the third death to strike Claremont High's senior class not only doesn't make anywhere near the impact of the first two - it doesn't make any impact at all. No one cries in the hallways. No one fills their social media feeds with memorial photos or messages related to [name of the character]. There are no flowers at "their" locker.
Classes aren't even canceled. When I stick my head into the auditorium, there are no sign of the grief counselors promised in the push notification seeking prayers for [name of the character]'s family."

Final Thoughts
It targets mainly young adults, but it is a good book for readers of any age - Who Haunts You was a pleasure to read. Mark Wheaton manages to tie more than one topic to the mystery, and doing so with competence. His representation of a character with autism is truthful (although not exhaustive, and he never pretends it is) and necessary, and the resolution of the mystery shows skills at owning his creation. A book that would easily be five stars, if the ending would have satisfied me more.

Liked the idea of this but the characters lacked some depth and some of the story line was weak and a little unbelievable

It was alright. I like the twist at the end where there's not a traditional happy ending. I wish I could see what happens to Bina in the end.

Mystery enshrouds a group of high school students who die under strange circumstances. As an autistic student tries to uncover the meaning behind the deaths, she faced with questions of whether the seemingly supernatural events are related to a previous experiment, or are simply psychological.

A thriller. Not written as a YA book.

4,5☆

Thank you to Off Limits Press and Netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved how much was packed into such a short story. The horror element was well done as well as all of the characters and settings had depth to them, both things that some shorter stories lack but here they were done really well. It felt like I was reading a much longer book and I was completely sucked into the story. The writing is good and quite easy to get into. I think the ending and big reveals were perfect and I feel like the ending leaves room for a possible sequel while also working perfectly as a standalone work.

This book also features neurodivergent representation!

I would recommend this to horror lovers or beginners in search of a quick and fun story that pulls you in from page 1.

Thank you so much to Off Limits Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Rebecca an autistic teen in a competitive high school tries to keep to herself, with Anna Karenina for company and the comfort of the school library. Then three students die unexpectedly, leaving a trail of dark mystery round them, soon she is seeing a ghost of a relative that doesn’t exist. Is it all connected to the other students death and what really is it.

I really loved that our protagonist was autistic and represented so well too, she was a wonderful representation for Neurodivergency. I found multiple times that I saw parts of myself in her and things that I do, it was great finding a character I can really see myself in, in traits, in things we do. I very rarely find autistic characters and so it was really refreshing and wonderful having this character. She was such a fascinating character, I really enjoyed unfolding the story with her. It’s great to find an autistic character in books and this type of story was in a weird way perfect for her mind set.

The story was very unusual and very twisty, I loved the deep rabbit hole of solving what was going on, separating the reality from the self made up. I got into the story and myself wanted to figure out all the tiny details and figure out exactly who Holly was, why she was her life suddenly, what happened to the students and then who was behind the whole thing, it was so unique and really interesting, I didn’t even catch all the hints towards the truth. It continued to baffle and amaze me throughout with how it was written, with the unfolding of everything.

I personally didn’t enjoy the ending or end chapters at all, though I won’t spoil it for anyone else. But I just felt like it wasn’t how I wanted the story to go nor how I expected it to go. It felt kind of annoyed to me honestly. I wanted a better ending to this story, a better ending for Rebecca than she got, but that’s just me personally. I’m sure others would really like the ending it just wasn’t what I envisioned. Though still written great, and I could see what the author was doing and where they were taking the story I just personally didn’t enjoy it.

It’s a really fascinating book, it has lots of paranormal scares and unique twists and a great autistic protagonist, I got into it pretty quickly and was really intrigued the whole time. I think this is a worthy read, you’ll get sunk in and be so hooked with what is going on, it’s such a different story to anything else. It will confuse, amuse, intrigue and keep you guessing from start to finish.

I've been reading a lot of haunting horror books recently, and this title fit right in with this kick. I enjoyed a protagonist who not only has to deal with the haunting, but the haunting as an autistic person. Mental illness and disabilities such as autism often puts into question a person's abilities to perceive the world the way "normal" people do, which adds a whole other layer to the dilemma of being haunted. Fun, fast read.

Pleased to read another story about an autistic amateur sleuth! "Who Haunts You" by Mark Wheaton joins the ranks of such mysteries as "The Maid" by Nita Prose, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon, and "The Outsider" by Stephen King that feature autistic—or likely autistic—gumshoes. I like this subgenre of literature and really enjoyed the blending of mystery and horror that Wheaton brought to this particular addition. Certain scenes, like just after Bex visits the burnt down house, really got under my skin and I had to snuggle my cat a little closer for "protection." I also appreciate the sensitivity Wheaton showed not only his unique and likeable MC, Bex, but also Bex's family and how they all band together when shit hits the fan. I can see this book turning into a great horror movie someday, hopefully co-written by Wheaton and James Vanderbilt!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Off Limits Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The book Who Haunts You? Written by: Mark Wheaton was very deep and tapped into the struggles of autistic people and how they have to hide their stimuli. The book was almost like a mystery where you have to find out who the killer is, and when you do it is this great revelation that you thought you knew it all along but really there is a plot twist. The character of Rebecca Koeltl was a character that you can really connect to and understand her daily struggles. When I started this book, I assumed it would be a ghost story. It was much deeper than that. I have decided to give this 4 stars because the book was not entirely my style. Thanks to Mark Wheaton for this great book

Bex is autistic, and the author did an excellent job of portraying her. Both the prose and the characters were effectively written by the author. An outstanding concise, and frightening ghost story. It starts straightaway and keeps the reader guessing throughout the story. Despite the fact that I don't generally read ghost stories, this is one of the strangest I have ever read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you so much to Off Limits Press, NetGalley, and Mark Wheaton for the opportunity to review an ARC of Who Haunts You.

Synopsis: Rebecca is autistic, and she often sees things that no one else notices. When a few of her classmates die mysteriously, Rebecca is one of the only people who notices that something is…not quite right. The only other person is Oz, but when he unexpectedly dies as well, Rebecca is left all alone. Will she be able to face the forces that are coming to haunt her, or will she end up just like the other three – dead?

Review: I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I really appreciated the first person narration from an autistic female main character. That is not a voice that is often represented, and Wheaton did an amazing job exploring both the strengths and weaknesses that come with autism. My only complaint is that I wish Wheaton had drawn out the investigation process a little more and offered a little more background on the social experiment he discusses. Otherwise, this book was amazing. The plot was thrilling, and there were so many plot twists that I didn't see coming. I was so in love with this book that I was able to finish it in one day, and I would absolutely love to read a sequel.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a mystery novel in which the narrator decides to take the investigation into their own hands. I would also recommend it to any autistic readers who are looking for representation within literature, as Wheaton did an amazing job of pulling from his own experiences and his research. This book will be released September 2, 2023.

The pacing of this book was perfect, the twist at the end really surprised me and I really enjoyed Bex and following the story with her. She’s autistic and throughout the story we’re shown some of the struggles she’s faced with autism. This book was a lovely unique ghost story and I hope to find more like this going forward!

All is not well at Claremont High - students are dying every week and Bex, who is neurodivergent can't help looking for patterns as to why. The book title is perfect as the book left me feeling 'haunted' at the end of it! It certainly wasn't predictable - a perfect YA read which will leave you looking over your shoulder for a while after you finish. The ending could possibly predict a sequel - I'd be up for reading it, but the questions it left me with ...
Whatever happens next an excellent read from Mark Wheaton!

High school senior Rebecca “Bex” Koeltl is just trying to make it to graduation. But when her fellow seniors begin dying in seemingly unrelated incidents, Bex uncovers disturbing connections between their deaths, including that the teens believed they were haunted by long-dead relatives their own family members swear never existed.

This was a fun and quick read. Perfect for horror fans.

This is a perfectly paced creepy ghost story. It’s jumps right in & keeps the momentum the whole book. Bex is autistic & the author wrote her so well, I really think that will be a stand out point to many readers. It has some effective 80’s/90’s horror/thriller vibes throughout, while still being current & modern. The idea of ghosts of people who appear to have never existed, I found to be immensely unique & creative. The conclusion is wild! This is by far one of the most unusual ghost stories I’ve ever read & I’m so glad I did.

I felt inklings of Nightmare on Elm Street, I Know What You Did Last Summer & J-Horror…..in a good way

Release September 2

WHO HAUNTS YOU? is an extraordinary YA Psychological Suspense/Horror by author Mark Wheaton, which is so compelling I read it in about 5 hours. The Suspense is breathtaking; the author's understanding of and exploration of the first person narrator, high school senior Bex, and the way her neurodivergent brain works (its exceptional talents as well as its contributions to her social aloofness and misinterpretation of social signals) elicits readers' empathy and comprehension. I think any reader who is perhaps a little "out there" [in the perception of others] or who walks their own path, can readily relate to Bex as she investigates inexplicable deaths among her classmates and experiences horror and horrifying consequences as she strives both to uncover the truth and then to end the events before others die. The ending is super-twisted, both a surprise and yet apropos to the Denouement.

I intend to reread WHO HAUNTS YOU? in August for its Neurodivergent Theme.

Mark Wheaton's 'Who Haunts You' is essentially a very smart murder mystery, written as an ostensibly ghost story, with a brilliant premise driving the plot and a realistic neurodivergent character narrating the whole thing engangingly and astutely. Teen angst is a given, though the point of view of an autistic girl makes the situations described far more emotional, deeper, heavier. The real merit of the story, I think, is Wheaton's original take on what it means to be haunted: the 'ghosts' are relatives who never existed, haunting teenagers for no apparent reason, bringing them to a premature end. The solution of this mystery was truly interesting, made absolute sense, though without any reductive explanations. The narration did not feel like a typical YA book: the struggles of the teens and the problems autistic kids face were portrayed extremely honestly, very maturely, in an adult way, almost; plus, the character of the girl's mother was refreshingly good-natured: she truly cared about her daughter, she fought for her, and her love felt genuine, neither forced nor cheap. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Off Limits Press via NetGalley for an ARC to review.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me access to this eArc in exchange for an honest review
I was not expecting this story to go in the direction that it did and I was speeding through the pages to get to the ending. The author really knows how to create a tense atmosphere and just like the protagonist I didn't know what to think or believe at first. The protagonist was also very likable. I honestly don't know how I feel about the ending but I really enjoyed the ride that this book gave me.

This was an excellent book! The main character, Bex, was unique but likable. I found myself rooting for her to find the answers she was seeking in the mystery of her deceased classmates. The storyline itself was like nothing I’d read before with just a touch of spooky. A nice quick and easy read. I highly recommend it!

I was not expecting such a small book to pack such a big punch, but I was pleasantly surprised by this. For a YA book, the writing felt more mature and the characters had more depth than I am used to. I am sometimes hesitant to read books with neurodivergent characters due to poor representation, but Mark Wheaton provided a realistic example of the struggles that many autistic teens face. There were a bunch of twists and turns in this story and it was overall a very fun read. I rated this 4⭐️ and would recommend this to anyone that enjoys YA books, ghosts, and psychological thrillers.