Member Reviews
I wanted to give this book more stars, but I feel like the end was so rushed I couldn't grasp what was happening. Maybe that is how the author intended it because of the character, I don't know.. I was just really enjoying this book during spooky season, but then felt betrayed because of the climax. I loved the main character and appreciated the author writing about her disability. I feel like if I say anything more it will give away the story, however I do want to mention that the narrator did an excellent job especially the whispering parts. I can't get that voice out of my head and had a few sleepless nights because of it.
I wasn't sure what I was getting into in this story and it was very different than what I expected its a short read/listen and the audio is worth listening to. You feel like your in the dark and getting the same clues as its being presented and when we get to the end it was a wham bam finish. The reason I didn't give it for stars is because it felt like we were missing something. It just needed to be a little longer and I think if it was it would of been a 4 stars but it was a bit rushed in some places and others took its time to get there. If your looking for a fast pace book especially around spooky season great time to start it.
Thanks to NetGalley for this Audio Arc in exchange for my honest review
I give it a 3.5 rounded up to 4. This YA supernatural and psychological thriller/horror novel is an incredible surprise for readers. It explores the fear and psychological effects of no one believing in events, regardless of their beliefs, which can be horrifying. The fear, helplessness, and frustration are relatable to everyone, as they are often faced with similar experiences. The novel strikes a fearful chord on a basic level, but takes readers out of the "real world" with a disturbing haunting and demonstrates escapism in a thriller/horror novel. The author creates a riveting story out of that fear, questioning the MC's sanity amidst an original take on a haunting. The MC and her classmates are being picked off one by one, but she remains unharmed and will stop at nothing to find answers to save her friends and herself. This novel is a perfect example of escapism in a thriller/horror novel.
Thank you so much to #netgalley for this free copy for an honest review.
Who Haunts You is a short YA novella, at just 174 pages or just 4.5 hours long. It gets a lot in with such a quick story. We have high school students who start mysteriously dying and our female main character Bex just knows she is next. These deaths are not seemingly related, but Bex believes they are as each student claimed they saw relatives that didn’t actually exist.
Bex is also Autistic and I actually learned some about it. I did not know about Stimming and this book brings it up. I also learned after reading the book that the author himself is autistic and he brings autistic characters into his novels. Stimming is a self-stimulatory behavior and consists of repetitive or unusual body movement or noises. Stimming might include hand and finger mannerisms. It can consist of finger-flicking and hand-flapping which is what Bex does.
This novel lets the reader think: Can you believe what you are seeing?
Who Haunts You could be considered YA horror lite. It really is aimed for the YA listener, not the adult who enjoys YA. It could be a great start for the Halloween season for the actual YA reader. I listened to this one while driving and I think that was actually a detriment for me. In my case it was harder for me to follow what was going on with this book. This may be a book a reader needs to actually sit down and read.
Now the narrator Annalee Scott was fabulous! She brought certain characters to life in a very spooky way! She had wonderful voice work with this novel! I think she had fun with this narration.
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me a copy to listen to and review.
A quick and twisty read. It could have been better if it were longer and more complex. The ending didn't fit well with the rest of the story, hence my 3 star rating. Thank you to NetGalley for offering this title in their catalogue.
"The irony of actualising the clichés of a gothier-than-thou, black hoodie wearing library lady is that I enjoy working here not for the easy access to books but for the solitude and order."
3.75
Bex is a senior, trying to keep her head down at an academically competitive school where she middles, at best. When her fellow students begin dying in supposedly unrelated incidents, Bex notices a pattern where one doesn't appear to be. As danger swirls and ghosts of non-existent people haunt her waking hours, can Bex trust her instincts?
Centring an actually autistic teen, Who Haunts You examines the way neurodivergence and mental instability influence trust in yourself but also interactions with the world. In this case, with an added layer of complexity, because Bex and those around her are being haunted...or are they? Bex's struggles with her autism, such a sensory processing and overwhelm, seem authentic and portray some of the realities of living with neurodivergence in a world not designed for you. It is unsurprising then to learn author Mark Wheaton is autistic, and thus renders autism in a realistic and authentic manner. Who Haunts You starts out really strong and sustains that momentum into the second act, I was really on board and thought Annalee Scott was absolutely killing it with the narration. Unfortunately, the wheels came off a little bit for me in the third act, the resolution to the mystery felt a bit shoehorned in and I wasn't really able to connect with it's reality in the story. However, Wheaton did pull it together in the dying moments of the book to go out with a bang and overall, I really enjoyed the listening experience. This book would suit readers who want an accessible, YA horror read for Halloween, without the gore.
I really enjoyed the audiobook. one of the things i liked most was the story which started as a murder mystery but I liked the paranormal aspects which made the story unique. another thing that was good was the length! the audiobook was only 4:30 hours long which is perfect for a quick fun read. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes a quick fun but still tense murder mystery.
This is the perfect read for spooky season!!! It's sooooo creepy!
I went in completely blind, and boy, was I blown away? YEEEES! This has a mix of supernatural and psychological, and that just adds to the overall tension throughout the pages. The result is abolutely nail bitting and the narrator was on point!!!
Definitely check this book out. You're in for a treeeeat! Great little story. Enjoy!
Many thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Who Haunts You by Mark Wheaton, an audiobook narrated by Annalee Scott was different from what I usually read. This was a creepy horror mystery that was situated around young adults and complicated situations.
The biggest compliments to Annalee Scott! She made this book amazing! the way she made some parts was truly incredible! When the main character had sensory overload Annalee Scott made it sound so original! I was going back just to listen to it again! I believe if I had read this book I would have been less excited. This is a fantastic example of how a narrator can make the book truly amazing.
Weird things start to happen at Rebeca High School. Students start dying but Rebeca is the only one who can see that there is a connection between all events. Soon Rebeca finds herself in the middle of the mystery and she is adamant about finding who is haunting them.
Rebeca is on the autism spectrum and the author manages to describee this so nicely without making it sound annoying. And as I mentioned the narrator made it even more realistic! Perfect teamwork.
Thank you NetGalley and Mark Wheaton for this advance copy!
Wow!!! This was such a great start to my October spooky reading. Thanks to Net Galley for letting me read this book. It was a great thriller and for YA it really held my attention. I was couldn’t put this down and was guessing the entire time who could be behind the murders. I really hope there is a sequel because I think there could be a lot more to Rebecca’s story and I would love to hear it!!
This book was unlike anything I've ever read. It has a lot of "Secret Window" vibes with the way that it keeps you guessing what is going to happen next and I absolutely loved that. This is the least predictable book I've ever read.
I love that the author included so many different details about the Autistic main character that I actually could relate to as someone who is also neurodivergent. Even though this book is YA, I felt as though I was not only inside the book, but that the main character was someone I could have been friends with in high school.
I listened to the audiobook of this and the narrator did an excellent job with the ghastly whispers.
The last 20% of the book really has you questioning what is happening and what you remember of the story up to that point. It is an absolutely wild ride and I would love if we could get a continuation of this story in a second book to make this a series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free audio copy of this book in exchange for review
Thank you NerGalley for this audiobook! It's rare that I find an audiobook so engrossing that I don't want to put it down.
As someone who knows a lot of autistic people, I was worried about the portrayal of a neurodivergent protagonist. There was also a discussion about a really interesting psychology experiment. I think the writer did a great job presenting both.
High school kids are dying and the protagonist is... imagining things? She's not sure what's going on. As she tries to understand what's happening, she experiences frightening events and is clearly in danger, but is the danger real or psychological? Or both?
I saw other reviews that didn't like the ending but I decided I do, because it's open but also incredibly satisfying. 4.5 stars and I'll read this author's next book
A tight and twisty teen murder mystery with lots of creepy thrills and surprises. The pace is quick but easy to follow and with a likable voice
What a great surprise this YA supernatural horror/psychological thriller was. I enjoyed it a lot. The narrator was really good at capturing the creepy factor of this book, I really enjoyed listening to her. This is also quite a quick listen and the perfect start to spooky season.
The vibes and the creepy atmosphere in this book were spot on, I was truly creep out at times. I honestly had trouble knowing what was real and what wasn't. Who was telling the truth and who was out of their mind.
I really liked Bex the main character, she was relatable and likeable. All the events that occurred, the coincidences and clues that Bex found made would've also made me doubt myself into what is real and what isn't.
I was really engaged in this ghost story and it's unlike anything I've read before. I will definitely look out for this author.
If you're looking for a short YA ghostly, psychological thriller for spooky season try this one!
✨️Thank you to @netgalley & @markwheaton for my free ALC in exchange for an honest review.
4⭐️
Rebecca is used to people treating her like she’s odd. As a neurodivergent and diagnosed autistic teen she’s just trying to blend in. However, after she fellow classmates start to die in mysterious was Rebecca knows there’s more to the story. The more Rebecca finds out the more she realizes she might be next.
I really enjoyed this story. I love that we have autism representation. I feel like there are some stereotypical autistic behaviors representing yet the author does challenge some of those stereotypes. The story its self was like a mash up of paranormal thriller and armature directive. It felt at times to me more middle grade YA which is fine. Some small bits of gore. The ending was surprising but I’m not going to lie I’m a bit confused. All in all this was a great read and the narrator was absolutely fantastic.
CW/TW
Suicide
Death of a loved one
Mental Illness
Perfect YA horror/mystery read for the season! At Bex's school students start dying. Soon she finds herself wrapped up in the mystery, trying to figure out who is behind the deaths of her fellow classmates.
I am still very new to audiobooks but I actually enjoyed this one. The narrator was great and her voice was easy to listen to. I really enjoyed the story and the twist at the end. I really enjoyed the very last chapter and thought the book took an interesting turn. I would definitely recommend this one to my friends who enjoy young adult.
I received both the audiobook and the ARC with this story. I loved the ARC, but the audiobook is where it's at! The narrator does an excellent job telling the story, and it helps that this is a great read to begin with. I will recommend both the audiobook and ARC during this spooky month!
An intriguing mystery with an unreliable narrator who also suffers from a mental condition and seeks therapy. One by one her friends from school start dying and nobody can figure how or why. These are also high school kids who have applied to prestigious universities and now their bright future is getting cut short. Rebecca the main character seem to investigate what is happening, will she be able to find who's behind this mystery or will she become the main suspect?
The arc for this book was kindly given to me by Net Galley.
This book turned out to be totally different from what I imagined. It was unique, confusing, creepy and engrossing. The whole idea of how a psychological experiment can be used to twist and condition already anxiety ridden young minds is actually terrifying! I listened to the audiobook and since the duration was under 5 hours, I managed to finish it in less than a day. The narration by Annalee Scott was good and she managed to create the creepy vibes with her voice, especially whenever she spoke the words "You Found Me".
My thanks to NetGalley, and the author Mark Wheaton for the ALC.