Talk about a book that surprised me this year. For some odd reason I had the mentality that this book was YA, ladies and gents it is not. I absolutely loved this book, the audiobook was just perfection. From the very first minute it grabs you and it won’t let you go until the very end.

If you love suspenseful thrillers and holiday themed this is the perfect book to read. Not only the plot is full of twists and turns but the narrative is so misleading and that’s what makes it fun. When you think of Christmas, you think of family cheer, home cooking and lots of warmth. Our protagonist will not be enjoying none of that. They will be thrown into life or death scenarios and will have to work together to survive. These strangers are stranded in an abandoned city surrounded by holiday horror. That’s all you need to know going into this book. I am obsessed with these authors work and now I’ll be reading everything they’ve written.

WOWZERS. This was one crazy ride....Intriguing, gruesome and fast-paced- a weird mix of The Truman Show meets The Hunger Games (ish)....


I devoured this and genuinely loved every second. I did guess at a part of the ending, but not until it was almost over and it was like a lightbulb went off...but in a good way. I wasn't disappointed because it really thew me for a loop in the long run. I highly suggest staying away from this if you're squeamish- it's bloody and rough. Loved the premise, and even though the storyline was chilling, there were some cozy small-town vibes.

also...never going to Old Forge again ;-)

I loved this book and was enthralled with the writing. I loved the character study. Would read more from the author!

Could not get enough of this book! I was on edge the whole time. Full of great twist and the merry go round part is INSANE! Can’t wait to read more by these authors! Thanks NetGallery!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray; Darren Wearmouth Narrated by Barrie Kreinik in exchange for an honest review. It published October 25, 2024.
First off, I felt like the narration was very well-done. I highly recommend Barrie Kreinik's work.
I have to say, this was what I call a "Dad-book" I definitely feel like as a Christmas-loving mom, I was not the target audience. I found it to be a little too heavy on strong language for me, and for a holiday-themed book. I did find the story itself interesting, but I had a hard time enjoying it between all the language and other things that happened, (No spoilers here!).
I think if you're not bothered by strong language and violence in a holiday book, then you might be drawn to this one.

Started off super cheesy to me. The trapped together trope can sometimes be hit or miss. The last third of the book was pretty decent. I didn't guess who was behind everything, but after you finish the book it's so obvious. Wasn't the best book I've ever read, but definitely not the worst either.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

Super quick, fast paced thriller novella, set at Christmas time! This was great on audio and super easy to listen to in all one go while cleaning the house. Very suspenseful and slightly gory at times, which I don't love, but there wasn't enough to take away from the rest of the book. I did predict the main twist but still was intrigued by the way things played out.

🎅🏼Book Review🎅🏼
*
Summary- Forty-eight hours until Christmas, Jessica Kane wakes up with blurred vision, ears ringing, and in excruciating pain. A gash in her head and blood running down her face, the last thing she remembers is going for a run and something or someone hitting her in the head.

It doesn't take her long to realize she is trapped in an unknown, deserted town with five other strangers who share similar stories of being attacked and stranded there. Unsure why and how they got there, she knows one thing for certain, she has to find a way out.

That becomes nearly impossible when someone is meticulously orchestrating their deaths, one by one, and the only thing Jessica can do is watch the life leave their eyes.

The fenced-in town is the killer’s very own playground and there's nowhere left to hide... she better watch out because she could be next.
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My Thoughts- I actually adored this book! I was wildly hesitant but also excited to read this one ? Who knew Murr from Impractical Jokers could write ?! This was a super fun Christmasy themed mystery that gave me major Stephen King Joe Hill vibes. I cannot recommend this one enough and can totally see it being adapted into a Netflix Movie. The only Con was that @macmillianaudio really should have had Murr read this one! Fun Fact- Murr lives a town over from us, we sometimes see him at our local farmers market in the summer!
*
QOTD- for my US Bookstagram pals, are you planning to vote today or did you do early voting? For my international friends what are your plans for today? I’m going to spend the night a nervous mess while I wait for these results. 🫣Please vote, people have fought so hard for your ability to vote in a free/fair election. 💙
*

You better Watch out by James S. Murray; Darren Wearmouth

A bunch of strangers wake up together in an abandoned town… Each of them were abducted.. Each of them have shady pasts and each one of them is dying in the most heinous ways… Who put them there and why do they want these people dead?

OMFGGGGG This book scared me half to death. I was absolutely terrified!! You think you know what is going on and why then BOOM the ending FLOORED ME!!!! The narration was on point on this one. I can’t believe this book wasn’t a horror. If you are into thrillers you need to add this book to your list. The characters were all well written and the storyline was magnificent.

The writing was amazing and I literally have nothing bad to say about this book. So glad I read it for the spooky season. Damn thing almost sent me into cardiac arrest! I was basically clutching my pearls!!

5 solid gold stars!!

ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || YOU BETTER WATCH OUT [thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress for my #gifted copy!]

Title: You Better Watch Out
Author: James S. Murray & Darren Wearmouth
Genre: Thriller
Format: 🎧 Audio
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik
Narration: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Jessica Kane has forty-eight hours until Christmas, but holiday cheer is the last thing on her mind when she wakes up bloodied and trapped in an eerie, abandoned town. All she remembers is going for a run before being attacked. Now, she's surrounded by five strangers with stories just as chilling as her own. Desperately searching for a way out, Jessica realizes someone is hunting them down, eliminating them one by one in a sick game she can’t escape. As she watches her fellow captives fall, Jessica knows she’s next—unless she can outsmart a killer who always seems one step ahead.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
This was a fun little holiday thriller! It sort of reminded me of if Dexter ran the Saw movie franchise…but in a good way?

The deaths were amazing, not too gory but still gave you a mental picture, and you never knew who to trust (or if you could trust anyone at all)! The narrator did a great job of keeping the mystery alive and did all of the POVs very well!

I will say that I did guess the ending, kind of. But it was still exciting to see everything play out!

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Slasher Horror
Revenge Plots
Dexter-Esque Serial Killers
Unreliable Narrators
Multiple Narrators
Slight Gore

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 3.83 ⭐️
# of Pages: 240
Pub Date: October 15, 2024

Jessica wakes up somewhere unfamiliar and soon realizes she was taken and injured. But she’s not alone! Several people are in the same position but each one has a different back story. Together they try to figure out what exactly happened and who wants them there.

Honestly I saw “Murr” and had to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised! This story was interesting from the start. It was super fast paced and short with an ending that may lead to another book possibly? I loved the Christmas setting in a horror book. There was a little gore, good characters, and a solid mystery. Super fun read!

This audiobook was narrated by Barrie Kreinik. The story sounded great and they kept me engaged from beginning to end!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the authors, and Macmillan Audio for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review. This published on October 15th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, my Facebook book club, and will make a TikTok to post before the pub date raving about this book!

Absolutely loved this holiday thriller I think there's not enough of them out there and they're so much fun. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I didn't see the ending coming and loved that.

This book is perfect for anyone looking for a little murder and excitement in their holiday reads!

In the same vein as the classic 80s movie, The Running Man with a bit of Hunger Games mixed, in this thrilling holiday story of redemption was a lot of fun!

When a cast of near do well characters wake up in an abandoned recreation of a small town, they find out that they have to survive for 48 hours to gain their freedom back!

The characters immediately start being knocked off, leaving the rest of them to gang up together in order to survive!

Narrator Barrie Kreinik does an excellent job differentiating the characters and adding the suspense with his storytelling. This book could’ve also done well being narrated with a cast, but Kreinik’s individual delivery creates a seamless narration that keeps this high speed thriller on the tracks!

If you’re a fan of thrillers with lots of gore, this is definitely something to add to your Christmas wish list!

Narration was excellent! I did figure out parts of the book prior to their reveals, but it didn’t take anything away. I live the open-ended ending and the link to The Stowaway.

This book has a lot of on page gore so may not be for everyone.

I’ve always been a reader and Impractical Jokers is pretty much the only thing I watch and can watch on repeat so the addition of the punishment at the end is perfection.

For fans of the movie All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, You Better Watch Out is a creative and gruesome horror book set at the most joyful time of the year.
I was given an audio ARC of the book and I was so confused as to why teh book was read by a woman. While it not third person, the main character is the main throughout the whole book so it is very weird for me.
The book is gruesome and gory. The deaths are creative though as a group of rag-tag criminals moves through an abandoned town dressed up for Christmas--teh actual time of the year. An elderly couple tells them if they can live through the night they will be freed on Christmas morning. Considering many of their group have already died, this option seems slim.
I loved the twist ending and the tension was beautiful. It gave off true terror. And while I'm not big on gore. I really enjoyed this book.

Such a gory slasher story that was fast paced! The plot of this story is one I have never read and I have read so many. The entire plot was so interesting that you wanted to keep going to keep finding out more. It was so fun and I was completely here for this book.

The premise is that these strangers wake up in this place with no idea on why they are there. They soon realize that someone is trying to kill them off. The strangers back stories slowly start to come to light and realization hits.

You guys when I say that I didn’t expect the plot twist at the end…. I’m not joking. I literally gasped out loud and replied “no way.” It honestly made the entire book for me. I wish I could read it all over again. It’s been in my brain since I finished but I needed a few days to process. If you’re into the thriller/horror/slasher type stories….. THIS IS THE BOOK!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this audiobook!

This was good for what it was- a quick, holiday themed horror with some gore and not super memorable characters. I liked the narrator of the audiobook, and thought she did a fine job, but I struggled to keep track of the story and it just didn't grab my attention in the way I had hoped. I'm a sucker for holiday horror- there's definitely not enough of it, but this didn't quite do it for me.

Six strangers wake up in a deserted town. They've all been kidnapped. They start getting murdered one by one.

I've been going into books blind, but I should have looked a little closer at this one. 🤣 It was GORY. If you like scary movies like the Saw franchise, you'll love this one. It was a bit much for me, but I did like the twist at the end.

The audiobook is only about 6 hours. Barrie Kreinik did a fantastic job with the male and female voices. Plus, there's some bonus content at the end of the author reading one of the chapters while strapped to a car.

I called it !!!! Starts right away and keeps its up. You do eventually find out the reason why. I was struggling with the why for a long time and then it came together. Quick listen a smidge gory but it all good for me.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

A lot of characters to keep track of. I was interested at the beginning but I didn't stay interested.