Member Reviews

I couldn’t resist requesting this book—just look at that stunning cover! Once you finish it, you'll discover its deeper meaning.

The story explores grief and the bonds of friendship. Madelyn and Riley connect through their shared experiences of abuse. Through these experiences, they learn resilience and discover their own strength.

What I enjoyed: terrific imagery of the haunted magical forest, urban legend of the forest, witch folklore, and narration added to the eerieness of the story

Where I struggled: long chapters, slow start, wanted more of a sapphic romance

Overall, this solid YA horror book leans more towards being creepy than outright scary. It features an intense, character-driven story focused on family and friendships. While the themes of parental abuse and alcoholism can be difficult to read at times, the emotional impact is quite realistic.

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This started off really good, I also love the cover & the synopsis pulled me in. But after about the 5th chapter it started to become really slow, a bit confusing & the chapters were getting too long(I loathe long chapters!) I also listened to the audiobook of this book, which I think didn’t help with the parts that were a bit confusing, I half wonder if I read this one myself if I would have liked the story more than I did listening to it. I was a little surprised this was classified as YA Horror, it felt very descriptive & long for what I would consider a YA. Overall, I wish I liked this story more, it had such great potential but the execution was a bit lackluster.

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Thank you NetGalley, Brilliance Audio and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review

This was a good read and I really enjoyed Nino Cipri's work as usual. The premise of the story pulled me in. Although the pacing was slow at the beginning and there were some moments were the story meandered, it did not ruin my enjoyment of the book. Riley and Madelyn were very compelling characters and really made me feel the tension. 

The narrator Jess Nahikian complements the book so well and added to the reading  experience.

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Content warnings: possession, child abuse, child abandonment, addiction, body horror, murder

Ok so the title and the cover art drew me in for this one and both do a really good job of setting the tone for this novel. DEAD GIRLS DON'T DREAM is a dark YA with some heavy topics so while this isn't a scary read, it's definitely one to approach with caution.

Riley and Madelyn were interesting protagonists and I was invested in finding out how Cipri was going to wrap up the plot on this one. This is a perfect read to get you in the mood for spooky season. Voynich Woods is both fascinating and unsettling.

I do feel like the pacing was a bit off and parts of the plot dragged, but overall this was a good read and I don't think I'll have a hard time convincing teens to check this out from the library.

Jess Nahikian does a good job with the audiobook narration.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio in exchange for an honest review.

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I found that the real horror in this novel wasn't the witch of the woods, but the beautifully heartbreaking depiction of parental abuse that filtered throughout the entire book. While the pacing was a little off in places, I thoroughly enjoyed the story itself, and the writing was incredibly atmospheric. I didn't guess the twist near the end, and I thought it was perfect (if SAD!!).

I listened to the audiobook, and it was well done and easy to listen to. I like to listen to my audiobooks at higher speeds, and it was still clear and the characters were easily identifiable.

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I was extremely torn on this book. It didn't read like a final draft. I enjoyed the writing style and character development a lot, but the story was very choppy. At times, the drawn out descriptions over shadowed the storyline, thus hindering the progression of the plot. The pace was inconsistent and it felt like I was stumbling through the book. The title, cover, and premise absolutely drew me in, but the overall execution left much to be wanted. Thank you to NetGalley for offering this title in their catalog. The opinions expressed above are entirely my own.

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Dead Girls Don't Dream by Nino Cipri by is pleasantly creepy! If you're a fan of plant horror and haunted forests then this book is for you. This is a YA horror novel but it's also a sad story of abuse, family, and love. Be warned that there is a good amount of parental abuse and parental alcoholism in this so if that's a touchy subject for you, read with caution. The writing was simple but incredibly atmospheric and immersive.

The audiobook was pretty great! The quality was clear and didn't have random static and noises in the background like I've noticed in a lot of audiobooks. Jess Nahikian's voice was a great match with the eerie vibes of this story. I loved that all the female characters had distinct voices that were easily recognized. All of the male characters sounded the same but I didn't have much of a problem with that.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

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