Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I like to think of myself as young and still read some YA for enjoyment. However, this was definitely YA for the kids of today. I usually like some mixed media inserted into stories as it provides a more realistic side to stories in today's world, and I understand the entire book is based around livestreams, a strange entity, and the online community, but it was a bit much.

The creepy parts of the book were good. Would I really compare it to The Ring? No. It did give a good mix though of showing the downsides of the internet vs. some of the good that can come out of it. This is not something that I would recommend, but I think for the kids of today, it would be right up their alley.

okay, this is DEFINITELY NOT just a YA horror. it's deeply ominous and actually made me at points shudder. in the middle of the afternoon, in a brightly lit room with multiple windows. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Deadstream grasped my attention right away and was able to hold my attention the entire time. I think streamers would like this book seeing how they’ll be able to relate to the lingo and some of the streamers.

I really enjoyed how the viewers could see something different than the streamers when they were live. I think that the explanation of the main characters group of friends was not needed and it would have been nice if the other streamers were spared. I also must add that I was happy the main character was able to overcame a lot of things that she was dealing with, that was really good.

Lastly the main thing I like although fictional is that the author tried to show how too much of anything can be dangerous. If elaborated a little more although not the main focus, it would probably help those who do need to touch grass or even pick up books more. Streaming or the internet is fine but with a limit. I appreciate where this book was trying to go. Overall not a bad YA read. Thank you.

Thank you Netgalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and Mar-Romasco-Moore for the Ears of Deadstream.

This is a horror/mystery and it is exactly what it states on the tin. A group of young influencers/ video streamers get sucked into a nightmare once they have watched a video of someone opening a door, that only exists in the digital world. One said video streamer Teresa has to battle her past and her crippling anxiety to work and and stop this phenomena.

Deadstream is a medium paced YA horror/mystery that has a great balance between character development, identity, mental health and horror elements. The pacing is constant which kept me engaged right the way through. The gory details don't hold back for a YA but isn't overdone either making Deadstream a nice intro to horror for the reader.

4 stars

I tend to like books that are about the internet, especially when they are genre fiction. This one was being offered on NetGalley, and the idea of a ghost haunting streamers pulled me in. A lot of the narrative is told through chat transcripts and descriptions of what viewers are seeing while watching streamers on the screen. It is definitely creepy, to the point that I had to switch to something a lot less intense when reading at bedtime. The mystery that unfolds as the main character gets wrapped up in the hauntings is well plotted, and I thought that the author did a very nice job of laying out the crumbs for the main character and reader to follow. Endings to horror novels can sometimes feel like a let-down, but this one stuck the landing pretty well. It left me unsure if the final conclusion was hopeful or ominous, which was a nice bit of ambiguity.

“Remember that you are going to die. You are going to die. There is no other way out of this place. No other door.”

This has no business being as good as it is. I’ve seen a number of horror movies/books try and fail to make phones and the internet scary, and if Stephen King can’t land the concept, I wasn’t expecting a lot from anything else. While Deadstream does have the occasional ridiculous element, it hits the mark more often than it misses. Some of the ghostlike scenes are genuinely chilling, with a few moments of gore [tw: eye horror] thrown in for flavor. The haunting aspect takes on an interesting explanation, and I like what Romasco-Moore does with the idea. While I know it isn’t real, it feels plausible enough that it could be, and it lends the horror a little more gravity.

Teresa is another strength of the story. I sympathized with her right away, and the book does an excellent job of handling her agoraphobia and survivor’s guilt. The message isn’t so much about overcoming trauma as it is about finding healthier ways to live with it, and that’s something I really wanted to see for her. There’s also an emphasis on internet friendships and both the positives and negatives of those: in some ways, we can be our truest selves in our online communities, which tend to be more accepting of queer identities. On the other hand, there’s doxxing, bullying, and in this case outright haunting.

I can’t speak to whether or not the streaming culture is well-represented (I have an allergy to being talked at for hours on end), but Romasco-Moore portrays it well enough for their purposes. Like a lot of things, it’s an interesting dip into a world I have no interest in joining myself. I can’t remember the last time I started and finished a book in the same evening, so there’s also that! It’s quick-paced thanks to the many DM conversations, and I was eager to find out what was happening. Definitely recommended for YA horror fans who can suspend their disbelief long enough for a fun, spooky ride. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Penguin.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 4/1
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I am really digging the YA streamer horror. I think it is super relatable and honestly there is a lot about the online world that is terrifying. I think that Mar Romansco-Moore did a fantastic job at creating that livestream world.
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I was hooked to this story right from the start. I was real into the whole fact that Teresa wouldn’t leave her bedroom (and was interested in the reasoning behind it) and I was loving the online forum where a super famous streamer goes catatonic. I loved how Teresa was so determined to figure out what was happening.
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This reminded me of basically a modern age The Ring and it was so fun to follow all of the threads and Teresa and her closest friend as they uncovered just what was going on. I absolutely loved the paranormal aspect of this story and exactly how/what/when this entity does what it does.
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Deadstream is a pretty fast paced book and since I’m a huge sucker for any epistolary style books, I flew through this one pretty quickly. It’s not overly scary and I think that people who want to dip their toes into horror will enjoy this one. Let me just add that this is considered YA, but I don’t think it read too much like a YA. I very much enjoyed this one!
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, Mar Romasco-Moore and Viking Books and Penguin Group for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

A surprisingly emotional YA horror/thriller. I'm a sucker for interactive books where you get clips of text messages and live streaming chat groups throughout the book. The storyline was unique and I zoomed through this one. I'll definitely be picking up a copy for my shelves when it's released.

I think the premise for this was well thought out. It made me wish for the earlier days before the internet. Streaming can be deadly in today's world. LITERALLY. I remember as a teenager I was wondering why adults were so scared for modern tech. Now as a mother of two in my forties I can say it. I. GET. IT. The ending had my skin crawling. You don't need to be a tech wizard to enjoy this story. It was laid out masterfully and left you on edge.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

This was a good easy YA read overall. It was a more updated version of “the ring” per se with streaming. It keeps you interested and wanting to know what is going to happen next.

This was such a unique story and refreshing twist on the haunted house/ghost genre! Fast-paced, entertaining, and extremely chilling, this felt like a modern day version of The Ring mixed with elements of Disturbia. There are some really creepy moments and disturbing imagery especially toward the end. I loved the concept of live streaming becoming a deadly trap for a mysterious, sinister entity.

Told from Teresa’s perspective and using a mixed media format, this book incorporates text messages, online chats, tweets, and other digital elements, making certain sections feel as if you’re right there in Teresa’s room watching the streams unfold. If you enjoy this type of format, you’ll probably really enjoy this book! However, since I’m not very familiar with the online streaming community, I felt a bit lost at some parts due to the lingo and chat format- I may just not be the target audience for this one!

If you’re looking for a fun YA horror book filled with eerie shadowy figures, mysterious doors, live streaming, a mixed media format, and LGBTQ+ representation, consider checking this one out.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book!

I enjoyed this book and was able to get through it in about 24 hours! I thought the concept was pretty original and engaging. I was sufficiently creeped out by the descriptions of the catatonic states and beyond. I wish there had been a bit more resolution, as well as maybe less characters to dive into them more. Overall was an entertaining read!

Tigger warnings: suicide, panic disorder, mental illness,

I think my high schoolers are going to love this story being told. It has the right amount of clean horror that won't make anyone upset.
Teresa is not the same after being in a car accident that killed her best friend. Because of this she is now considered to be agoraphobic and can not leave her room. The only people she truly communicates with are those she speaks to online. One night while watching her favorite person online do his thing she sees a shadow and this starts our story. It seems that something paranormal is attacking those that are online. Why? What is the connection? With this going on we see how it makes Teresa try and let go of her disorder so she can save those that are being affected. I enjoyed the way the author brought into the story "the quiet zone" I had to look it up to see if it was ever true. Imagine my surprise when I noticed it was! Can you imagine living in a place where there is no cell phone usage, wi-fi? I think that would in a way be a dream come true. I like the idea of how technology plays a huge part in it, as that is what our world is like nowadays. Imagine something coming to life and causing havoc through the internet could it ever be stopped?

Deadstream is a chilling, fast-paced horror that keeps you on edge. Romasco-Moore's ability to build tension and create an eerie atmosphere makes this one tough to put down.

This one was a bit back and forth for me. I thought it had some good creepy moments and was decently paced however, I did not like the main character. I found it hard to care about her when she got on my nerves most of the time.

It was creepy at first then the main character got on my nerves. The plot started to get weird and kept getting weirder. It was not a vibe that I enjoyed..

This was a decent YA horror novel. I find myself really turning away from YA as I get older. I liked the mixed media format, and for YA the start to the book was really creepy. I found that I think the age difference in the characters mad it hard for me to fully relate. if you want a quick,creepy read I would still check this one out.

Arc for review through NetGalley.

I throughly enjoyed this book right from the start. The fun creepy modern day paranormal mixed with the dread, grief, and loss from the main character mixes the elements really well together. I loved the pace of the story and was hooked. When I wasn’t reading this, I honestly thought of it often until I finished it.
The representation of the lgbtqia+ community within the book was also appreciated as a queer person myself. Representation matters.

The elements from The Ring, I thought were represented very well within this story. What we have now where everyone livestreams, saying, and doing whatever they can for clicks and likes is a truly terrifying element to add to the story. I wanted to know more about the characters because they were likable and would love a sequel if that was a possibility!

Go into this book with an open mind and just have fun with it like I did. Great concept, plot, and characters.

Thanks to NETGALLEY and VIKING for eARC.

This was one fast read (would have been two days vs four), in that, I couldn't put it down due to a proper dosage suspense and needing to know wth was going on. Marked for ages 14+ // grade 9 and up, "Deadsteam" is told from the POV of 16 year-old, Teresa, ala first and third person; story is also cleverly, appropriately moved along through online comments, chats, texts, etc, using mediums the characters are. The book has 22 chapters and an epilogue, is set throughout a few places in the world, though mostly in the West Virginia and adjacent area around February of current day.

I have to say that Romasco-Moore utterly *nails* the internet and streamer lingo (catJAM), and because it's a book set around streaming, the formatting is just so much fun (ex: the reader is shown a text message as it would literally appear). Engaging from the get-go, creepy, humorous, and just an all around enjoyable read that I think is worth re-visiting during Spoopy Season.

Internet points, upvotes, likes, hearts, etc for using the correct spelling of naïve, I could cry.
Insert .gif of Tina Belcher groaning as a reaction to not showering for four days then making out...IDK about that...

⇉ Trigger warnings: Agoraphobia, cyber bullying, questioning gender identity, questioning sexuality, suicide.

3.5 stars.

What a thrilling and creepy read!

I came in with no expectations and I'm happy to say that this YA thriller/mystery/horror delivered. It was a quick read, and I couldn't put it down.

The prose portions mixed with the chat room format worked really well together. I watch YouTube react vids frequently and it was so easy to imagine the FMC, Teresa/Replay, recording their livestream while simultaneously reacting and replying to the chat/virtual environment, and while also reacting to her actual environment in her room and house.

I also liked Teresa's exploration of her queer identity. It felt very true, and I think it'd resonate with teen readers who are also still questioning and exploring.

Other than Ozma and Teresa's family, the other characters weren't all too memorable. Teresa had an online livestreamer friend group, but it felt like they were just there for the plot.

And I'll admit though, the climax was pretty corny, but since I had fun with most of the story, I'll let it slide. The author attempted to open a discussion on misogyny and incels in the livestream community, but I think the mystery aspect overshadowed most of it. If the book had been longer, and if there was more focus on the villain, then I think it would've worked better.

But despite all of that, I still liked this book. It provided a much-needed respite in between my darker, more adult reads.

Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.