What would you do if you woke up in a place that you had no memory of going to with people you don't know? And there's someone hunting you all down, punishing you for past misdeeds? Can you rely on each other to plan an escape? Where would you escape to? Will your tauntaun freeze before you reach the first marker? It's Christmas Eve and there's traps waiting everywhere for you. Worst Christmas EVER.

This was an interesting plot with an unexpected ending, with a definite possibility of a sequel teased at the end. An very cool read with well sketched characters, some you love, some you hate, and some a bit of both. Worth reading if you like a kitschy slasher!

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This book was a fast-paced listen that captivated me right from the start! I found myself constantly anticipating when the next character would meet their fate, and the conclusion left me completely astonished! I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for a quick Christmas thriller!

You Better Watch Out is an action-packed slasher book that follows strangers who are trapped in an unknown deserted town two days before Christmas. They all have similar backgrounds in crime or addiction.

First, I'd like to shout out the length of the audiobook because it was short and sweet and so easy to listen to even on 2.5x speed. I loved the twists and turns in the book. The ending had me yelling "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! DON'T TAKE HIM BACKKKKK" in the words of Sabrina Carpenter. The book was super gory, so if you don't like that, I do not recommend it. But, this book was a refreshing change from the all the fantasy and romance I've been reading and is perfect for spooky season.

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, James S. Murray, and Darren Wearmouth for the advanced listener copy of You Better Watch Out. All opinions shared are my own.

You Better Watch Out written by James S Murray and Darren Wearmouth. I listen to the audiobook and the Ebook. The book is about Eddie Parker, he’s on his way home for Christmas when he stops in a small town called Old Forge to get some snacks. This is when he sees an elderly couple who look like they’re wealthy and decides to rob them. At least when he wakes up that is the last thing he remembers. It seems he has woken up in a past version of old Forge, Not because he time traveled because he got kidnapped by the elderly couple. As he tries to get the lay of the land he hears a scream in the back room of the old saloon this is when he meets Trinity who is just woke up and Jesse who has yet too. Together they will try to navigate this strange place with Christmas decorations old Timey stores and you better watch out playing on the speakers throughout the little town and though yes the whole time trying to dodge a killer. They soon learn they all have something in common and that is all of them except Jesse has a police record but Jesse thinks she is there due to her addiction. The main three will find others and to learn it’s not just the person haunting them they need to watch out for. I’m going to stop the review here because there is so much to this book and it was so good. Some of these murders are so inventive and original I was amazed. I do want to say the part of the book where everything is revealed I felt a little letdown but once it got to the epalogue and it seems there may possibly be a second book I was so excited. This is a great isolated location mystery that I think most people will find hard to figure out. I want to say the narrator Barry Kreinik did an awesome job narrating the book setting the tone and had great character distinction. I have never read a book narrated by him but would definitely listen to another. This is a book any Thriller/Mystery/Horror fan will love, I know I certainly did! #NetGalley, #McMillanAudio,#JamesSMurray, #DarrenWearmouth,#BarryKreinik,#YouBetterWatchOut,

You Better Watch Out is a different kind of Christmas book than I am used to. My Christmas books are typically romantic comedies but You Better Watch Out is a gory thriller filled with a lot of suspense and death.

You Better Watch Out is basically a copy of one of the Saw movies. A group of people wake up in an abandoned town without knowing how they got there. They all have some kind of dark secret They realize that the town is riddled with deadly traps with someone pulling the strings trying to get them all killed.

The summary of the book talks about the character Jessica but we start off following another victim, Eddie. We also got a POV from the killer and at times the switching POVs got a little confusing with the way it was done.

This book was brutal and very gory, the violence at times was over the top and gratuitous and I loved it. In my opinion, I felt the ending was predictable but I still liked it even if I saw it coming the whole time.

The ending sets up a sequel and I'm definitely here for it. If you're looking for a different kind of Christmas book then definitely check out You Better Watch Out.

I absolutely LOVED this! This to me somewhat felt like the book-version of the SAW movies (I’ve never seen them so that could be completely off, but the game-like nature, danger, death and destruction part of this book are what made my mind relate this to SAW).

This surrounds a group of fairly despicable people that begin to get picked off one by one by an invisible killer. The revelation was much better than I expected it to be (I audibly went “No f—ing way!” when it happened; I loved it honestly). Slasher fans will enjoy this I think.

This might be one of the few times where u found myself rooting for the bad guy to win, you might too.

3.5 rounded to 4.

I was a little thrown off to have the story open on Eddie when the description focused on Jessica, but Eddie made for a great character to open with and follow. Eddie finds himself in a mysterious town with a bunch of other characters that are, unfortunately, forgettable (except Jessica). Someone in the town has set up booby traps that start killing everyone one by one. I enjoyed the slasher/gore theme, especially the merry-go-round scene, and the twist near the end was one I did NOT see coming.

There were some disappointing aspects of the book. I mentioned most of the characters being forgettable (besides Eddie and Jessica, I can only remember Trinity), but I think the most unforgivable disappointment is the lack of Christmas. I love Christmas books, and the cover got me with the knife wrapped in paper. It felt like the authors forgot this was based around Christmas and just peppered little things here and there after they finished writing; the occasional Christmas song was playing, there was snow on the ground, and then some little holiday decorations and lines, but I was honestly waiting for a killer Santa, more Christmas themed weapons, etc.

Overall, this book was a decent thriller/gore/slasher read for any season. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio/St. Martin's Press for the audio book in exchange for an honest review!

Very quick thriller that gave me “final destination” vibes lol! I’d say this was a 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Great for Halloween/spooky season!

Thank you to the publishers and author for this early access.

Two days before Christmas, six strangers wake up in a deserted town unsure of how to get there or how to get out. Then, one by one, they start to get murdered. They’ve fallen into the hands of a sinister person who has meticulously planned their deaths. Can they get out alive, or will this be their last Christmas?

Trigger Warnings
Graphic Depiction of Murder

Why Kirsten loves it
I’ve never read a Christmas story like this one! It was terrifying and gruesome and so clever – and that ending! My mouth was on the floor!

A thrilling slasher that moves quickly and is packed with suspense, clever twists, bloodshed, and intrigue. I can genuinely say I was completely absorbed the whole time, listening to the characters as they tried to figure out their location and the reasons behind it. The narrator did an excellent job bringing the story to life. I'm a bit conflicted about the ending, which is why I gave it a 3.5 out of 5, but overall, I really enjoyed

Title: You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray, Darren Wearmouth
Publication Date- 10/15/24
Publisher- MacMillan Audio
Overall Rating- New Favorite

Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Review: Highly recommend the audio, voice and tone fit well with the story.

Review: OMG this was so good. This is such a unique and creative take on the survival horror/ thriller genre. If you like the SAW franchise I think you would enjoy this, though it is much less gorey. Speaking of which, the kills in this book are interesting and creative (I know such a crazy thing to say). Because this book takes place right before Christmas, the town that the group is stranded in has Christmas decorations up and let me tell yall, that really added the creep factor.

In You Better Watch Out, we get to know a cast of characters that have all done something wrong, shameful, or an action to cause guilt. I found fascination in each character and enjoyed hearing their stories while watching them survive this f’d up game.

The pacing is on point. It moves quickly but not too fast such that you don’t get to know and understand the characters. I literally don’t have a complaint about this book. I was going to give it 5 stars until the ending made me gasp out loud, not joking. Please go read this book, it’s so fucking good.

Rating: 3 stars!

SAW horrow movies meets deranged Serial killer. Oh and its set in an "abandoned" Christmas Village. I wanted to love this so much! All the pieces were there for a banger of a book. The ending just fell short for me..

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this book totally surprised me. I went into it thinking it was going to be a kitschy Christmas horror, but I was thoroughly entertained by it. It starts off so strong, and the mystery and thriller aspect keeps the pace chugging right along. It’s got some gruesome deaths, gore, and just a great psychotic cast of characters. I honestly had so much fun listening to this one (the narrator is great too), and if you like light horror with holiday vibes, this is a great book to pick up for this season!

I was so excited about this book because I love Murr on Impractical Jokers. This was a good book, not great. But I enjoyed it

This was so good! This is the perfect read for fall or spooky season! I recommend this to everyone!! I loved this so much!

This is about a group of people with criminal pasts having to fight for their life in an almost Saw franchise manner. It had me in the first half. We immediately started with the action and it felt like watching a trashy slasher - and not in a bad way. But it quickly got old, the characters are dumb. And the ending just wasn't good. It was abrupt and not even really a 'twist'.

This is a fast paced, gripping slasher thriller full of tricks, traps, gore and mystery. I can honestly say I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while I was listening to the characters try to piece together where they were and why. The narrater did a great job with the story. I am unsure how I feel about the ending, which is why I rated 4.5 out of 5, but overall I did enjoy it. If I didn’t already think the Christmas tune of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town was haunting before, I surely would now!


- Christmastime Thriller
- Locked Room Mystery
- A Bit Gory
- Multiple third person POVs

Although not my usual genre, I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The storyline was compelling and there were some twists that I did not see coming.

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

This book presents a peculiar tale centered around the aftermath of a botched robbery in a mysterious town, exploring the enigma of the characters involved. While the premise of the book was intriguing, I occasionally found it challenging to follow the storyline.

Despite these difficulties, I appreciated the effort of the two authors collaborating to weave this compelling narrative. The concept has a lot of potential, and the issues with engagement could have been personal to my experience. Overall, "You Better Watch Out" offers a unique plot that could captivate readers looking for an unconventional mystery.

If Santa Claus and Saw had a love child, this book would be it! A wild and crazy ride! Imagine getting preparing to rob a seemingly wealthy elderly couple in a picturesque small town in New York state one minute and the next you wake up in what appears to be a ghost town. In the town, you wake up along side some other shady characters. What and who can you trust? All of this set in the holiday season. Lots of heart pounding action with some crazy twists.

4.5 stars