Mysterious and atmospheric. I listened to the whole novella throughout the day and I liked the performance from the various narrators, but it kept me out of the story. I couldn’t follow what was happening between the jumping POVs so I think it would better read on the page. Nevertheless, it was a quick listen with gothic and academic themes so I’ll try to pick it up again when the book is out.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the listening copy.

A creepy story of a group of people who meet nightly in an old cemetery to smoke. One night, however, a large whole full of something appears...
Atmospheric and interesting, this is a novella to listen to.

Unfortunately, this book really wasn't for me. I always hate when that happens with a Netgalley book because I'm always so grateful to have received an ARC copy.

But sometimes, it just works out that way. :-/

In this case, it worked out that way.

I think the book definitely suffered from being novella length instead of a full-length novel. There was very little world-building, and all the characters got thrown at the reader at once, so it was almost impossible to keep track of who was who.

I constantly kept getting confused by who was talking. I would think it was one person, then they'd say something that pertained to an event that happened with another character, and I'd suddenly realize, "Oh! That's not her! It's HER!"

It just felt rushed and didn't give you enough time to get to know the characters or the setting. As a result, nothing felt impactful. Even when you find out the "horrible truth" behind what's going on, you're just kind of like, "Meh."

Yeah. As much as I hate to rate Netgalley books badly, this one just wasn't it for me.

A big thanks, though, to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me early access. That's always appreciated, even when the books fall a little flat for me.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley, for this ARC!!

I loved the audiobook and the full cast of narrators; it kept me engaged the entire time. I couldn't tell where the story was going from the first chapter, but was absorbed with the plot and how the group used their skills/abilities to solve the mystery.

For a novella, I enjoyed this and felt creeped out enough; this was definitely a good start to the spooky season for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio of Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio.

This novella by the author of If We Were Villains held the same spirit as their debut. Listeners will enjoy the reading of the full cast and the easy friendship of the characters - as well as the spooky story!

I honestly don't even know how to rate this book, so I'll go with three stars.

The author does an incredible job of creating a chilling atmosphere where you know that something isn't quite right, but I felt that this novella was too short to really develop the plot. I found myself asking more questions and scratching my head by the end.

This is brilliant! I just wish it were a full length novel. I wanted more!! The characters were great and felt quite fleshed out, despite the short length. The plot was super intriguing and the twists were great. Highly recommend picking it up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

What I liked about this novella was the narration and the setting. The narrators did a great job. The setting definitely was spot on for spooky autumn reading.

The story fell flat for me and I felt nothing for the characters. It wasn't memorable for me. The story felt like it was too long even though it was a novella. I just didn't enjoy much about this unfortunately. It wasn't for me.

I enjoyed reading about these friends with insomnia in common. I only wish it were longer.

Have you ever had trouble sleeping? I definitely have, but the characters in this book (especially Hannah) have it so much worse. Sleep eludes all of them to the point that they all meet up and hangout together in a cemetery late at night.
On one of these evenings, they see rat corpses. Like...a lot of rat corpses. And start on a search to find out what happened to them.

I loved and related to all of the characters for different reasons. They all had a very real sense of humanity and being flawed.

I would listen to again to pick up on some of the things I missed, which I am sure was a lot.

Rio once again proves her prowess in creating an eerie plot and setting with "Graveyard Shift". Not dissimilar from the group of students in "Before We Were Villians", the novella introduces us to a group of nightshift workers suffering from insomnia. In the course of one evening, the group notices a gravedigger in the graveyard long past his shift and subsequently discover a sinister plot coming out of the university's science labs.

Considering this was a novella, there is not as much character or plot development as you would expect with a longer novel. The ending does seem to sort of fizzle out, leaving it up to the reader to imagine the consequences of one night. Despite an unsatisfactory ending, Rio's prose and descriptions are masterful (this was so much of what I loved about BWWV).

I also thoroughly enjoy an audiobook with variable narrators, and this was no exception!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the creativity behind this storyline with a group of characters who meet in an old, historical graveyard and make a gruesome discovery. The plotting was engrossing and entertaining, but I never truly connected with any of the characters. I do recommend this book for fans of horror who enjoy a faster plot. I did like the narrators, and I made it through the audiobook quickly. Thank you MacMillan audio for the ALC.

Every night in the college’s ancient cemetery, five misfit late shift workers meet up. When a freshly dug open grave appears in the cemetery, they follow the gravedigger to get to the bottom of things. They soon realize the grave is linked to shady nefarious experiments at the college, experiments that have led to tragedies and strange happenings around town. This is a creepy atmospheric modern gothic novella, sure to make your skin crawl! The narration was haunting and spine-chilling. Loved it.
✨Pub Date: 9/24/24 ✨
4.5/5⭐️

This short, Novella was absolutely well done as far as the narration and the tone and temple of the narrator. I didn't find any fault with the narrator or the way it was presented or dictated to me as the reader.

The story itself was very Gothic and ominous. I did find some of the POV's a little more boring than others. And it definitely took me out of the story a little bit when I found the character to be not as interesting. The overall story was very interesting and I really liked the fungi element within the novel as well.

I really liked this theatrical way in which this was written and presented to the reader. Overall, this was a pretty average read for me where I was entertained, but not blown away.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars! I liked this more than I liked If We Were Villains but it still wasn't 5 stars. I feel like this ended super abruptly and could have benefitted from being longer. I did really like the vibes of this novella, as it reminded me of What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher but in more modern times. Some of the lines in this novella had me laughing out loud which sounds funny for a horror story, but iykyk. I will definitely pick up more of her work!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Graveyard Shift by ML Rio was short and sweet, and so too will be this review.
I was hooked immediately by the eerie setting and the eclectic combination of characters. It was the perfect blend of dark academia and sci-fi horror. My only complaint is that I wished I could have spent more time with the characters, more time at Midnight on this university campus, exploring the cemetery.
The book explores medical ethics in an accessible way. For someone with a limited knowledge of this specific subject, I felt like I understood what was going on and was able to recognize how to feel about discoveries without being explicitly told by characters more in the know. Unfortunately, when medical ethics is the topic, it usually comes with cruelty to animals. This was no different.
I am happy that I listened to the audiobook. I felt like the different narrators did each character justice. They were each distinct and added to the atmospheric nature of the story.
Overall, I give this novella a 4/5 and will definitely be seeking out more writing by the author.

*3.5 rounded up*

If there's one thing I can count on with M.L. Rio it's the well-seasoned atmosphere; this will be my go-to fall novella reco. Not a full-blown horror but we've got mystery with lots of spooky vibes.

Points knocked off for the ending as it fell flat compared to the rest of the story but oh how I wish this was longer than a novella. The characters were interesting and the story had enough weight to double the page count. Guaranteed to be a reread for me in a couple years.

Let me just start with I think M.L. Rio nails atmosphere. She’s absolutely brilliant at it. But the story was… fine. Dare I say a bit flat. As a person with ridiculous health anxiety I could have done without the suspected breast cancer that served no real purpose or all the edgy smoking. I think as a novel this would have been better. I might have cared more about the characters. So yeah, two stars for the atmosphere and another for the audiobook narrators who did a superb job.

Thank you NetGalley and McMillan for the ARC audiobook.

Reading novellas or short stories is it's own art form. I never know if wanting more is the mark of a great novella. Or if getting just enough and not needing anything else is what makes it. Either way, this was somehow both. And that's the best praise I can give.

This is the kind of book that answers just enough questions to keep you reading, but leaves you with even more questions by the end - so that as you read the last line of the book, you stare at the last page, let the book fall shut, and let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding.

There’s an air of mystery about this book that doesn’t go away when it ends. It reads fast and sharp, every chapter a microscope slide full of a character, each a specimen being cross-examined by the reader.

Through the two works I’ve read by M. L. Rio, she finds a way to end on bombshell statements that twist and claw at your brain long after you put the book down. In other words, Graveyard Shift ends, but the story lives and festers in your brain like fungus - a personal mycological study.

The events take place throughout one night and one morning. We glimpse the story through different characters' eyes, our perspectives constantly shifting as the night progresses. You can’t judge this like a full length novel and say we don’t get enough character depth, there isn’t meant to be. Instead, there are little factoids of information that cling to the characters to make them interesting people and stick in your thoughts after turning the last page.

Thematically, it’s part horror, part mystery, part thriller, part slice-of-life, part science-fiction…it straddles all these genres and carves out a nice spot for itself in the obscurity in between.

I haven’t listened to an audiobook in a long time, but can honestly say I was captivated by this one. While the narrators did a fantastic job bringing both Rio’s writing and characters to life, the words themselves are already so rich and intriguing.

This novella has certainly whetted my appetite for Hot Wax. And maybe a love overdue If We Were Villains reread, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this novella.

I am torn… I know that I enjoyed this while I was reading it but it left literally no lasting impression. Pretty much all but the most basic plot of this book has just pffft… left my brain. A bit of a shame, because I enjoy this author’s writing!

I did like the hazy, eerie, atmospheric vibe, though!