*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was such a great audiobook! had a really great cast and great sound effects, would be perfect for middle schoolers!

Chloe missed her bus home thanks to the terrible Miss Langley. Thankfully, she's able to catch the back-up bus. Unfortunately for Chloe … there is no back-up bus.
As more and more students go missing without explanation and the authorities are stumped, Kaitlin and her friends become entangled in this deeply unsettling mystery that goes far deeper than any of them expected.

I listened to the Audio book of this novel and I gotta admit that even though I am as old af, this story creeped me out!
I think it is intended for the Young Adult audience, so I was expecting a cute little horror story that would simply entertain me. But what I got was a deeply involved, scary story that made me give every school bus I saw a hard look...just in case, ya know?
The characterizations were great. I genuinly cared about these kids and found the math teacher, Miss Langly to be a reprehensible, cruel, and genuinly evil character. I even found myself yelling at the speaker when she would do or say something horrid.
The narration for this featurins Christina Hendricks as "Langley," Eddie McGee as "Agent Warren," and Erika Alexander as "Agent Alexander." Narrated by Dacey Else as "Kaitlin" with performances by Devin Breaux as "Jamie," Finn Egan-Liang as "Ping," Mecca Rogers as "Chloe," Katelynn Kennedy Staggs as "Alison," James J. Johnson as "The Pole," Jefferson A. Russell as "Director Harris" and "Chris Davenport," and Joe Mallon, Dawn Ursula, Julie-Ann Elliott, Todd Scofield, Samantha Cooper, Khaya Fraites, Alysia Beltran, Ryan H. Reid, Nickolette Kong, Sara Matsui-Colby, Sam Carpenter, Tim Carlin, David Jordan, Rayner Gabriel, Matthew Schleigh, Mark Harrietha, Adrian Garcia, Renee Dorian, Richard Rohan, and Ken Jackson. Also includes full surround sound and music. It was like listening to a movie.
Recommended for any age but if you have a YA who wants to give horror a try, this is an excellent story to begin with.

Published date Feb 11, 2025
Thanks to @netgalley and RBmedia for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion

I haven't read many horror books, but this one was one of the few that had me worried for the characters and wanting to know what was gonna happen next.
The FBI agent with the kids was definitely my favourite, wish I could hug him. The moments where the group was having fun felt precious, which made the adventure more fun to listen to.

This book is read by a full cast, and has all the amazing sound effects to truly make this story a wild and fun experience. Highly recommend to all lovers of a mildly creepy YA horror. I haven’t been able to look at a school bus the same way since, and yet I think of the book every time I see one. Well done, Paul Hough, well done! I also recommend going into this one knowing as little about the plot as possible, as it made for a fantastic experience.

I would like to thank NetGalley, RB Media, and author Paul Hough for allowing me to listen to a free copy of this audiobook. I liked the story line in this book. I do feel it is more on the YA side, than it is for younger readers or adults. I thought the narrators did a great job. The sound effects made it much more enjoyable and enticing. Although, some of the sound effects lasted a little too long, in my opinion. I would still recommend this book to middle and high school age children.

The plot of the story was is engaging, featuring Chloe, a girl who missed her bus because of a horribly mean teacher, Miss Langley. Don't worry, Chloe was lucky enough (or was she) to catch the back-up bus for home. Although, there is no back-up bus!

I enjoyed the way the author tied in all the characters and the world building was great! I thought some of the kids were "just being kids", but the other narrators/characters did an awesome job. In this story several other students become missing, but it seems like they just disappear into a park without any trace. Everyone is baffled as to their whereabouts, even the police.

Even though there is some cussing, blood, violence, drugs, and gore; I feel young adults would really enjoy this. I would recommend to my older students.

This was so much fun! If you have a horror/suspense loving kid, get this for them. They will definitely be into this! There are a lot of genuine chills to be had with this story. I also really enjoyed the performances of the audio cast, all of whom were great in their roles and delivery. 4.5 out of 5 stars!

*The Creepy School Bus* by Paul Hough had me hooked from the very first chapter. I was amazed at how quickly the story pulled me in—the thrill, the adrenaline rush, and the perfectly placed plot twists kept me turning the pages. Even though some twists were a bit predictable, they were still incredibly satisfying, making the journey just as exciting. The eerie atmosphere and sense of mystery built up beautifully, keeping me engaged the entire time.

One of the things I truly appreciated was how distinct and well-developed the characters were. In many thrillers, characters tend to blur together, but here, each one had a unique presence, making it easy to connect with them. Their interactions felt natural, and their decisions had real weight, adding depth to the suspense. The pacing was just right—fast enough to keep me on edge but not rushed to the point where the story lost its impact.

I also loved that this didn’t feel like a typical, formulaic thriller. The storytelling was fresh, the stakes felt real, and I found myself flying through the book, eager to see how it would all unfold. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Paul Hough in the future! If you’re a fan of suspenseful, eerie thrillers with an engaging plot and a gripping pace, *The Creepy School Bus* is one I’d absolutely recommend.

This is a middle grade age book but I enjoyed the adventure the book took me on. It will be good except there is a splattering of curse words through out the book. They do not use the F word thankfully. The story is about kids missing their school buses after school and a mysterious buss picks them up but instead of taking them home they take them to a nightmare place. One FBI agent makes it in to save the kids in a small town only to find out there are a lot more then the handful. I know he gets the kids out from the small town but it does not say if someone goes back for the others, but I guess that's why there is a book 2.

I listened to this about halfway through but just couldn't connect with the story. I will say that they did a great job with the full cast and all the sound effects, I've never experienced anything quite like it. I think it just wasn't the right story for me sadly.

Well, this was not what I expected—in the 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 way possible. I went in thinking I’d get a fun, eerie fireside tale. What I got was an impressively chilling story that felt like 𝘚𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘞𝘢𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 but with a horror twist.

The setup is simple but so effective. Chloe misses her bus home, but lucky for her, there’s a back-up bus. Only—there is no back-up bus. And soon, more and more students start vanishing without explanation. Enter Kaitlin and her friends, who refuse to sit back while their classmates disappear into the void. What starts as a weird schoolyard mystery turns into something 𝙛𝙖𝙧 more unsettling, with twists that burrow into your brain like the best urban legends.

The characters were 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙, making it easy to get invested in the stakes. I also have to say—for my fellow animal lovers—the dog is okay! But what really made this experience next level? The full cast narration and music. This wasn’t just an audiobook—it was a full-on 𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. The performances were immersive, the tension was high, and I genuinely needed to know what would happen next.

Though the story has a middle-grade feel, be aware that it does mention drug use, which may not make it suitable for younger readers. That said, this was just 𝙨𝙤 much fun. It had that perfect balance of eerie, suspenseful, and weirdly nostalgic.

If you love stories about strange schools, urban legends, and mysteries that go deeper than you’d expect, The Creepy School Bus is an absolute must-listen.

This was an audiobook, but it was more like a fictional drama podcast. Separate actors read each character, and there were sound effects as well. I found the dramatic reading (rather than the normal narrative reading of an audiobook) very distracting. It was like watching television, but from a different room, where you can only hear the sound.

For some reason, the audiobook timing was off, and at the 100% mark, the book was not finished and continued for another hour.

Concerning the plot, I found it entertaining enough. Children are being kidnapped and taken to a secret facility. As more and more kids disappear, the children take it upon themselves to solve the mystery and to rescue the kids who are kidnapped.

A solid, mystery, horror for YA. I got to listen to the Audiobook version, it plays out like a teleplay. The cast was great, although Christina Hendricks Langleys' maniacal shrieking did annoy me by the end. Still, I imagine that was the goal.
If you like the Goosebumps series or similar YA horror then this is a must-listen for you. Thanks to RB Media and Netgalley for the audiobook

With an excellent voice-acting team and a well-crafted narrative, The Creepy School Bus delivers a fantastic dramatized audiobook experience, with top-tier production quality.

For a middle-grade/YA horror, the story is engaging, featuring a diverse and well-developed cast of characters that are easy to distinguish—not just because of the talented voice actors but also due to the strong character-building.

That said, the pacing has its flaws. The story takes its time unfolding, focusing on many details along the way, only to rush the ending when it most needed room to breathe. For a book in this age category, a more direct approach might have worked better.

From what I gather, this is just the beginning of a series, and I’d be more than happy to continue with the next installments once they’re out. It’s an engaging, atmospheric listen—perfect for unwinding while tackling chores or simply getting lost in a spooky tale.

Thank you, NetGalley and RBmedia, for the ARC!

This audiobook is literally like a movie playing out in your head. WOW. I was so impressed with the sound effects and the full cast narration of this audiobook that I could not stop listening. All the narrators were fantastic and the sound effects were just the icing on the cake.

As for the story, let’s just say I know some middle schoolers who would absolutely LOVE this story. It’s perfect for their age, and the storyline is even pretty dark for adults too. Kidnapping kids, leaving them without food or water for days on end, an evil teacher helping to have them kidnapped (which was a twist I didn’t see coming!!) and the ending?! Wow. That was dark! I loved all of it.

The different point of views were also amazing, and the fact that there was a full cast meant it was so easy to keep track of who was who and whose perspective we were seeing the story through. It was so easy to know when someone was talking, narrating, and thinking to themselves, which I was so grateful for because it made the story easy to follow,

I also thought this story was giving serious IT by Stephen King vibes. Kids being targeted, their friends having to battle evil themselves, and confronting the villain and saving each other.

And just like Stephen King books, some scenes weren’t necessary, but, nevertheless, I thought the pacing was really well done. Also the twists and turns just never stopped, and I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and the terrific narration.

And of course it ended on a cliffhanger! Dang! But I’m definitely tuning in for part 2!

To start I really like the narrators it really adds to the story! This bus comes to pick up kids who miss the first bus but it brings them to hell? It’s unclear at the beginning but the ground opens up.
Caitlyn the girl who writes the diary I found relatable except for her mother who was very unlikeable.
She is quite bothered by the missing posters that are hung up at her school, almost like she knows she may be next.
I started to wonder by the middle of the book if it’s possible that only kids are able to see the bus and the tunnel that it takes to get where ever it is. It’s a very creative book though trying to figure out exactly what is going on is difficult. Why kidnap the kids? That hasn’t been made clear yet. Also a teacher is involved, I won’t give away which one, but it’s easy to figure out. it gets weird though they may or May not he out of the tunnel we had no idea it’s possible that they could be in Germany with a little over an hour left. I’m feeling like there could have been a good conclusion. The ending was OK, but it should’ve come faster. It was just dragging on too much for me.

🎧The audiobook was fantastic! It was like listening to a movie. Full cast, sounds effects, the works!! Super entertaining. Made it feel like you were right there! Such a fun and thrilling middle grade horror story suited for all ages.

Kids go missing after taking the ‘backup bus’ home from school, which doesn’t really exist. It takes them to an unknown location. Allison, Chloe, Kaitlin. When James takes the bus his friend Ping follows and they end up trying to save the others. Sinister plots ensue. Great descriptive dialogue, creepy and action packed!

Thank you to NetGalley & RBMedia for an advanced copy.

A creepy and thrill-filled book that performs more like an audio drama than an audiobook. The sound effects and voice acting are amazing, immersing the reader into the story. The writing is good, and it feels like how middle schoolers would talk to each other and the adults around them. The characters are fun, and the children feel real, unlike someone trying to write children. The story itself is interesting, and the stakes feel high, and the interest in what is happening to the kids on buses doesn't ever get boring, and it was exciting to hear the kids and Agent Warran figure things out and succeed.

This book was just as it says in the title. It was creepy, but good. The narration was very enjoyable and a very quick listen. Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc audio.

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for this ALC.

Full cast made it a different experience for sure. Christina Hendricks was easily recognizable and I was here for it!

Lots of different things in this story. I don’t scare easily at all, so being creeped out did not happen for me. It will creep others out though. I enjoyed the tension build and was super happy the dog was safe!

the audiobook was so immersive! i really enjoyed that there was a full cast-- it made me feel like i was listening to a movie. honestly, i believe readers of any age would be entertained by this twisted little gem. for fans of goosebumps in search of that nostalgia, pick up this one.