Renee Pontiac has grown up in her home of Alligator Point, Louisiana hearing rumors of an entity from the swamp known as "the Piper". Stories become truth as children are being murdered. The town's only option is to listen to the stories of their ancestors to find a way to fight back against this terror.

3.5 stars. There was a lot about this book that I enjoyed but did find the pacing and length to be difficult. I had a hard time sticking with it and it took quite a bit more time for me to finish than with most books. I'm not sure if that comes down to this being an unfinished book from George A Romero that was picked up and finished by Daniel Kraus. I truly loved the characters. I'm not always drawn to stories with very young protagonists. Nine year old Pontiac was a delight and such a strong character. I am glad I read this as an audiobook. Sophie Amoss did great with the narration and probably kept me around when I might have stopped reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The children of Alligator Point, a small town in Louisiana, are going missing. A modern take on the Pied Piper with a twist, the premise of the story is excellent, and I loved the character of Pontiac. The problem I had with the book is the pacing, and I believe it may be due to the two authors; it just didn’t flow.

Updated to add: As I read back on certain parts, rather than listening, I find that the physical book works better than the audiobook for me. So, for this book I think the narration may throw it off a little. That said, the narrator on the audiobook is talented, especially with the accents which I really enjoyed and kept listening to hear that. But, i found the story to flow much better reading on my own.

Guess this review is a mixed bag, but bottom line is it’s a good horror story and I’m glad I completed it. I would try this narrator on a different book.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to listen!

🪈🐊 ARC REVIEW 🐊🪈

Pay The Piper by Daniel Kraus and George A. Romero
4.5/5 ⭐
Audio Pub Date 🇺🇸: Oct 29th

I could not put this books down! It felt like a bayou "IT" in the absolute best way, and it is one of my favorite horror reads this year.

It follows a young girl as her small town in the bayou of Louisiana is terrorized by the 'Piper,' a mysterious horror that takes children.

Please read if you like the following:
🐙 Rich Louisiana Culture
🐙 Terrifying entities with gruesome plans
🐙 Intricate narratives of people's interwoven lives
🐙 Octopuses (Octopi?)

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing this advanced review copy!

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Thank you Netgalley union Co, and brilliance audio for the free finished copy and alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This was twisted, disturbing, had me covering my eyes and my mouth every time I gasped.i dont know if this one worked for me. But enjoyed the narration and was creeper out the entire time.i went in blind and would advise to adding a trigger warning page. It disturbed me a hit regarding kids being mentioned and nudity.

3.5/5☆