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tamz27's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
isleofmona's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
paulabrandon's review
3.0
Eesh. Even the Point Horror and Fear Street books from the 90s had more bite and edge than this.
Imagine a very neutered version of The Ring and you have Say Her Name
Bobbie Rowe is a student at Pipers Hall. One night, she and a group of friends share the story of Bloody Mary. They decide to chant her name five times, but only Bobbie, her best friend Naya, and her crush Caine go through with it.
Before you know it, the three of them are being haunted by Mary, with the message "Five Days" warning of them of what is to come. (I mean, seriously, how The Ring-like could you get???) Bobbie has lots of I-want-Caine-to-be-my-boyfriend-because-he's-so-hot thoughts while the two of them try to figure out why Mary is haunting them and see if they can avoid disappearing without a trace in five days.
I actually didn't mind this. There was some effectiveness in the three teens being able to see Mary constantly lurking in the shadows inside mirrors or anything with a reflection. (Reminded me of Poltergeist III. I wanted to find out what happened to Mary in the past. It was a quick read and mostly entertaining. Just be warned going in, this is very, very, very tame. We're talking PG, barely even PG-13. Being YA, of course Bobbie is just as preoccupied with Caine as she is with saving her own skin, and it wore thin. I wanted less teen romance and better scares.
There are plenty of other stories out there based on the Bloody Mary legend more exciting, scary and spooky than this, but it's diverting enough to pass a couple of hours without being annoying.
Imagine a very neutered version of The Ring and you have Say Her Name
Bobbie Rowe is a student at Pipers Hall. One night, she and a group of friends share the story of Bloody Mary. They decide to chant her name five times, but only Bobbie, her best friend Naya, and her crush Caine go through with it.
Before you know it, the three of them are being haunted by Mary, with the message "Five Days" warning of them of what is to come. (I mean, seriously, how The Ring-like could you get???) Bobbie has lots of I-want-Caine-to-be-my-boyfriend-because-he's-so-hot thoughts while the two of them try to figure out why Mary is haunting them and see if they can avoid disappearing without a trace in five days.
I actually didn't mind this. There was some effectiveness in the three teens being able to see Mary constantly lurking in the shadows inside mirrors or anything with a reflection. (Reminded me of Poltergeist III. I wanted to find out what happened to Mary in the past. It was a quick read and mostly entertaining. Just be warned going in, this is very, very, very tame. We're talking PG, barely even PG-13. Being YA, of course Bobbie is just as preoccupied with Caine as she is with saving her own skin, and it wore thin. I wanted less teen romance and better scares.
There are plenty of other stories out there based on the Bloody Mary legend more exciting, scary and spooky than this, but it's diverting enough to pass a couple of hours without being annoying.
mehsi's review
5.0
Merging stuff so that I don't have any (or at least only a few) duplicates any more.
So I will be posting my updated review when I re-read this book in 2016.
This will be my old review with new comments. :P Old parts of my review are in bold. The newer parts are in normal font. I thought this would a fun new way to do things. :P
I love books about Bloody Mary, one of my favourite urban legends.
Yep, I am still seriously in love with Bloody Mary and her legend. I love how a lot of books always come to the same basis, but then flip things around. It is really fun since you know that something is bound to go wrong when they do x and y, but you have no idea what the writer will do this time when Mary is summoned.
This time we have a more modern Mary, as in 1940/50's. The name stays the same, and also some of the back story, but a lot is quite new.
Still loved that this happened. Often Mary is quite a bit older, and a modern one is even more fun. I wouldn't mind a Mary from this age though. Can you imagine the havoc she can wreck. It is a bit like the Ring. Can you imagine if our girl from the well might know about internet? Or spam? Or phishing. :P
The main character was a bit annoying though with her Caine this and Caine that, and more Caine swoon. It just got a bit boring and I noticed I started to just skip through the things. Yay! Nice for you that you got yourself a hot new boyfriend, but come on people, you have 5 days left of your little life, now is not the time for hooking up and kissing. And I still don't see why Caine fell in love with our main character, especially not after what the main character is sprouting about herself. I mean, my mental image of the girl wasn't that good, not with the boohoos about it and such.
I however did love her for her loyalty, for sticking to her friend Naya and trying to save the girl. They really have a wonderful bond, and I do hope that bond lasts outside of Highschool.
Haha, I am trying to imagine the me of 2 years ago saying all this. :P I would love to tell her that she won't have that problem with a re-read 2 years later. That in fact she will love the MC, and that she will love Caine. That she will like the romance. That she will be rooting for them. :P
Yes, during this re-read I was just happy with the romance. I felt it wasn't a problem that they were kissing, or exploring their relationship. If anything, it fitted perfectly. It gave a bit of light-heartedness in the whole Mary-wants-to-kill-everyone-and-oh-hey-she-is-right-behind-you. :P
I also could see better why Caine fell in love with our MC. She is funny, she has snark, and even though she complains quite often about herself, I could see a sweet, lovely girl.
It seems he would rather have a girl who is really herself, who doesn't pretend, and who even smiles, and replies back with some fun comments.
Her dedication to Naya? I loved that, and I will always love it, no matter how many times I read it. Their friendship is just so lovely, and it makes me happy to see such a friendship. Especially if you see other girls being mean to each other (like the popular club).
The Mary story took some starting up, and was at the beginning terribly boring/slow and I considered dropping the book a few times. Luckily that I didn't, because when the whole Mary business starts I couldn't drop the book. The creepiness takes some time to settle in, but when it starts to pop up I was scared out of my mind. Yay, for reading this in the late evening when it is dark and I am alone in house. Yep, not going anywhere at all but the room I am in!
Yes, it was that scary. There are several instances that Mary shows herself (in school, in mirrors, in the dark of the night and in your bed). It was absolutely terrifying and I was checking around me to see if there was something.
Yes, it started a bit slow, though I didn't have the whole I-want-to-drop-the-book-a-few-times problem that I had during the first read. Maybe also because I knew that it would get creepy very soon. Yes, even after two years I could still remember several things.
When it truly started it was indeed creepy, scary, and so much more. Like the first read, I was also checking around myself to make sure I was alone. Also a big big NOPE to mirrors.
I loved the Mary background story we have in this book. We find out what happened to Mary during her school time, and when she disappeared. And wow, what a rollercoaster ride that was. Poor Mary, however, I should warn you, nothing is what it seems. Be warned.
Same feelings as I had the first time. The ending was still a bit of a shock to me, even though I vaguely still remember it. Indeed, nothing is what it seems with Mary.
The ending gave me dual feelings. On the one hand I was delighted by this ending, so creepy and it paved the road for a second book! On the other hand I was disappointed, I didn't really expect this to happen and I was hoping for a certain ending to happen.
Yep, still those dual feelings when I got to the end. It feels a bit inconclusive, and I do wonder if everyone is now truly safe or if there is something more going to happen. I guess there never will be a second book, though I definitely would love one.
Oh and definitely a lot of plus points for this gorgeous cover!
Yep, definitely loving the cover to bits. It is just such a perfect cover. I love how it matches with the story, and you can just feel the creepiness crawling out of the cover.
I would really recommend this book, just be warned, the first pages are a bit boring but as soon as the story picks up pace, be sure you are in a room with lots of light because you ain't gonna sleep any time soon.
Hear, hear for this! Mary will creep you out. You will be rooting for our MC, and her friends. This is really a perfect Halloween read. Plus, who can resist a good boarding school story that also features a very scary, and dedicated, ghost.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
So I will be posting my updated review when I re-read this book in 2016.
This will be my old review with new comments. :P Old parts of my review are in bold. The newer parts are in normal font. I thought this would a fun new way to do things. :P
I love books about Bloody Mary, one of my favourite urban legends.
Yep, I am still seriously in love with Bloody Mary and her legend. I love how a lot of books always come to the same basis, but then flip things around. It is really fun since you know that something is bound to go wrong when they do x and y, but you have no idea what the writer will do this time when Mary is summoned.
This time we have a more modern Mary, as in 1940/50's. The name stays the same, and also some of the back story, but a lot is quite new.
Still loved that this happened. Often Mary is quite a bit older, and a modern one is even more fun. I wouldn't mind a Mary from this age though. Can you imagine the havoc she can wreck. It is a bit like the Ring. Can you imagine if our girl from the well might know about internet? Or spam? Or phishing. :P
The main character was a bit annoying though with her Caine this and Caine that, and more Caine swoon. It just got a bit boring and I noticed I started to just skip through the things. Yay! Nice for you that you got yourself a hot new boyfriend, but come on people, you have 5 days left of your little life, now is not the time for hooking up and kissing. And I still don't see why Caine fell in love with our main character, especially not after what the main character is sprouting about herself. I mean, my mental image of the girl wasn't that good, not with the boohoos about it and such.
I however did love her for her loyalty, for sticking to her friend Naya and trying to save the girl. They really have a wonderful bond, and I do hope that bond lasts outside of Highschool.
Haha, I am trying to imagine the me of 2 years ago saying all this. :P I would love to tell her that she won't have that problem with a re-read 2 years later. That in fact she will love the MC, and that she will love Caine. That she will like the romance. That she will be rooting for them. :P
Yes, during this re-read I was just happy with the romance. I felt it wasn't a problem that they were kissing, or exploring their relationship. If anything, it fitted perfectly. It gave a bit of light-heartedness in the whole Mary-wants-to-kill-everyone-and-oh-hey-she-is-right-behind-you. :P
I also could see better why Caine fell in love with our MC. She is funny, she has snark, and even though she complains quite often about herself, I could see a sweet, lovely girl.
It seems he would rather have a girl who is really herself, who doesn't pretend, and who even smiles, and replies back with some fun comments.
Her dedication to Naya? I loved that, and I will always love it, no matter how many times I read it. Their friendship is just so lovely, and it makes me happy to see such a friendship. Especially if you see other girls being mean to each other (like the popular club).
The Mary story took some starting up, and was at the beginning terribly boring/slow and I considered dropping the book a few times. Luckily that I didn't, because when the whole Mary business starts I couldn't drop the book. The creepiness takes some time to settle in, but when it starts to pop up I was scared out of my mind. Yay, for reading this in the late evening when it is dark and I am alone in house. Yep, not going anywhere at all but the room I am in!
Yes, it was that scary. There are several instances that Mary shows herself (in school, in mirrors, in the dark of the night and in your bed). It was absolutely terrifying and I was checking around me to see if there was something.
Yes, it started a bit slow, though I didn't have the whole I-want-to-drop-the-book-a-few-times problem that I had during the first read. Maybe also because I knew that it would get creepy very soon. Yes, even after two years I could still remember several things.
When it truly started it was indeed creepy, scary, and so much more. Like the first read, I was also checking around myself to make sure I was alone. Also a big big NOPE to mirrors.
I loved the Mary background story we have in this book. We find out what happened to Mary during her school time, and when she disappeared. And wow, what a rollercoaster ride that was. Poor Mary, however, I should warn you, nothing is what it seems. Be warned.
Same feelings as I had the first time. The ending was still a bit of a shock to me, even though I vaguely still remember it. Indeed, nothing is what it seems with Mary.
The ending gave me dual feelings. On the one hand I was delighted by this ending, so creepy and it paved the road for a second book! On the other hand I was disappointed, I didn't really expect this to happen and I was hoping for a certain ending to happen.
Yep, still those dual feelings when I got to the end. It feels a bit inconclusive, and I do wonder if everyone is now truly safe or if there is something more going to happen. I guess there never will be a second book, though I definitely would love one.
Oh and definitely a lot of plus points for this gorgeous cover!
Yep, definitely loving the cover to bits. It is just such a perfect cover. I love how it matches with the story, and you can just feel the creepiness crawling out of the cover.
I would really recommend this book, just be warned, the first pages are a bit boring but as soon as the story picks up pace, be sure you are in a room with lots of light because you ain't gonna sleep any time soon.
Hear, hear for this! Mary will creep you out. You will be rooting for our MC, and her friends. This is really a perfect Halloween read. Plus, who can resist a good boarding school story that also features a very scary, and dedicated, ghost.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
laurenkara's review
5.0
I said in a previous review that I’m not really scared by books… Well, Say Her Name has officially changed that! I finished the book twenty minutes ago and I needed to use the bathroom and it took me about ten minutes to convince myself to do so and the entire time I avoided looking in the mirror. I’m still feeling on edge now, so thanks James Dawson.
As soon as I saw this book on GoodReads I just knew I had to read it. It combined all of my favourite things: YA, horror and Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary has been the one urban legend that has always freaked me out and I blame the episode of Supernatural (which was mentioned in the book!) for that, but also the fact that something crawling out of your mirror – an object that is a regular part of your every day life – is pretty damn terrifying. I went into this book with pretty high standards because of how much I loved this topic and I was not let down in anyway – not even by the ending!
Say Her Name was like a modern day Goosebumps and it was brilliant.
As soon as I saw this book on GoodReads I just knew I had to read it. It combined all of my favourite things: YA, horror and Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary has been the one urban legend that has always freaked me out and I blame the episode of Supernatural (which was mentioned in the book!) for that, but also the fact that something crawling out of your mirror – an object that is a regular part of your every day life – is pretty damn terrifying. I went into this book with pretty high standards because of how much I loved this topic and I was not let down in anyway – not even by the ending!
Say Her Name was like a modern day Goosebumps and it was brilliant.
mellymc's review
4.0
I love the way James Dawson writes, his descriptions are uniquely phrased but mainly bang on the money so you can easily picture the feelings and surroundings of the characters.
I'd kept this one to read in daylight as I'd been warned it was very creepy. I think the supernatural edge made it slightly less scary than I thought as it was easier to think 'well this can't happen to me' and put a little distance between myself and the events of the story.
A really enjoyable, more than a little disturbing read.
I'd kept this one to read in daylight as I'd been warned it was very creepy. I think the supernatural edge made it slightly less scary than I thought as it was easier to think 'well this can't happen to me' and put a little distance between myself and the events of the story.
A really enjoyable, more than a little disturbing read.
brunettegeekgirl's review against another edition
5.0
The storyline:
It's actually pretty well explained in the book blurb, but I'll try and summarize the story without giving out any spoilers.
So, this is a story about Bloody Mary. However the take on it is amazing.
We're at a boarding school for girls in England, called Piper's Hall, our protagonists are Bobbie (the main character), her best friend Naya and Bobbie's crush Caine.
On Halloween night, Naya is dared by their classmate Sadie to call Bloody Mary and face her wrath. When Naya accepts and Caine decides to join in, Bobbie joins them in order to not leave them alone. They sneak back into Piper's Hall and go to one of the bathrooms and call Bloody Mary for five times, waiting for what to happen next, but nothing happens so they shrug it off and go to their dorms and Caine back to his school.
When the next day strange things start happening, Bobbie reconsiders the fact that they might actually be cursed. As she shares her fears with Naya, she thinks she's just getting punked by one of the girls or even by her friend. However, when Sadie disappears into thin air, and Caine starts experiencing those bizarre events as well, they realize that they've been indeed cursed and that they have exactly less than five days to live.
They start seeing Mary, having weird dreams and so they realize they have to find a way to not get killed, so they figure the only way is to uncover why Mary is so vengeful? What does she want? And why did she give them exactly five days before their time was up?
I'm not going to spoil it anymore ;). You'll have to read it to the last page to feel the chills in your bones.
What I loved:
The story of Bloody Mary is original and so vivid. As you read it you get the feeling you'll be hunted by her by just reading the book.
The writing style is amazing. I'm usually very skeptic about starting books by new authors (to me) because I'm not sure I'll love their writing style. From the moment I started reading this book until past half way through, I felt as I was inside a movie and the writing style just kept me inside. It's so smooth and immersive.
I love the characters. How every character in this book had a good part in it, even if they weren't the protagonist.
There's a mentioning of a character loving CSI: Miami and the Bloody Mary episode on Supernatural (my all-time favorite TV shows along with The Big Bang Theory and PLL), the last which got me thinking that maybe the episode is behind this book (although they have completely different story lines and yet certain similarities…no spoilers).
The ending!!! I kind of expected a certain twist but then I shrug it off telling myself not every book I read has to have a twist at the end. This one however… I wish there was a sequel and at the same time I'm glad there isn't, it leaves freedom to our imagination.
What I disliked:
After getting 50% into the story, the story got a little bit dull. But it could be just me since that was the part where Bobbie and Caine were starting to really get along. To me that wasn't the problem, the problem was that the story wasn't as strong and as it was before (scary and mysterious).
Characters:
Bobbie: A simple and shy British girl, who thinks she's neither too smart nor too beautiful. She keeps to herself and writes in her spare time. She hates boys and never dated before. She doesn't trust anybody and she loves her mother and best friend Naya. Throughout the book we see her grow up and how strong and smart she is. She'd do anything for those important to her.
Naya: A crazy, strong, funny and outgoing girl from New York and Bobbie's best friend. She speaks what's on her mind and she doesn't mind standing up for herself and those important to her.
Caine: A nice boy whom they never met until their classmate and venomous class leader, Grace, brought him on Halloween's night. He's a confident, nice, straight to the point guy who is somewhat shy and yet knows what he wants and is not afraid to show when he's scared or beaten.
Other characters worth mentioning: Grace, the leader of The Elites at Piper's Haul, a vicious and immoral girl who thinks she should always get what she wants and no one dares to even speak to her. Sadie: A somewhat not very evil girl, she called upon Bloody Mary twice and she's the one who told them the Bloody Mary legend and dared them to say it in the first place. She goes missing short after that.
Conclusion:
This is a great read if you're in a reading slump (like me) and/or love horror stories with ghosts and bloody scenes. It's somewhat short and is very well written.
Totally recommended!
It's actually pretty well explained in the book blurb, but I'll try and summarize the story without giving out any spoilers.
So, this is a story about Bloody Mary. However the take on it is amazing.
We're at a boarding school for girls in England, called Piper's Hall, our protagonists are Bobbie (the main character), her best friend Naya and Bobbie's crush Caine.
On Halloween night, Naya is dared by their classmate Sadie to call Bloody Mary and face her wrath. When Naya accepts and Caine decides to join in, Bobbie joins them in order to not leave them alone. They sneak back into Piper's Hall and go to one of the bathrooms and call Bloody Mary for five times, waiting for what to happen next, but nothing happens so they shrug it off and go to their dorms and Caine back to his school.
When the next day strange things start happening, Bobbie reconsiders the fact that they might actually be cursed. As she shares her fears with Naya, she thinks she's just getting punked by one of the girls or even by her friend. However, when Sadie disappears into thin air, and Caine starts experiencing those bizarre events as well, they realize that they've been indeed cursed and that they have exactly less than five days to live.
They start seeing Mary, having weird dreams and so they realize they have to find a way to not get killed, so they figure the only way is to uncover why Mary is so vengeful? What does she want? And why did she give them exactly five days before their time was up?
I'm not going to spoil it anymore ;). You'll have to read it to the last page to feel the chills in your bones.
What I loved:
The story of Bloody Mary is original and so vivid. As you read it you get the feeling you'll be hunted by her by just reading the book.
The writing style is amazing. I'm usually very skeptic about starting books by new authors (to me) because I'm not sure I'll love their writing style. From the moment I started reading this book until past half way through, I felt as I was inside a movie and the writing style just kept me inside. It's so smooth and immersive.
I love the characters. How every character in this book had a good part in it, even if they weren't the protagonist.
There's a mentioning of a character loving CSI: Miami and the Bloody Mary episode on Supernatural (my all-time favorite TV shows along with The Big Bang Theory and PLL), the last which got me thinking that maybe the episode is behind this book (although they have completely different story lines and yet certain similarities…no spoilers).
The ending!!! I kind of expected a certain twist but then I shrug it off telling myself not every book I read has to have a twist at the end. This one however… I wish there was a sequel and at the same time I'm glad there isn't, it leaves freedom to our imagination.
What I disliked:
After getting 50% into the story, the story got a little bit dull. But it could be just me since that was the part where Bobbie and Caine were starting to really get along. To me that wasn't the problem, the problem was that the story wasn't as strong and as it was before (scary and mysterious).
Characters:
Bobbie: A simple and shy British girl, who thinks she's neither too smart nor too beautiful. She keeps to herself and writes in her spare time. She hates boys and never dated before. She doesn't trust anybody and she loves her mother and best friend Naya. Throughout the book we see her grow up and how strong and smart she is. She'd do anything for those important to her.
Naya: A crazy, strong, funny and outgoing girl from New York and Bobbie's best friend. She speaks what's on her mind and she doesn't mind standing up for herself and those important to her.
Caine: A nice boy whom they never met until their classmate and venomous class leader, Grace, brought him on Halloween's night. He's a confident, nice, straight to the point guy who is somewhat shy and yet knows what he wants and is not afraid to show when he's scared or beaten.
Other characters worth mentioning: Grace, the leader of The Elites at Piper's Haul, a vicious and immoral girl who thinks she should always get what she wants and no one dares to even speak to her. Sadie: A somewhat not very evil girl, she called upon Bloody Mary twice and she's the one who told them the Bloody Mary legend and dared them to say it in the first place. She goes missing short after that.
Conclusion:
This is a great read if you're in a reading slump (like me) and/or love horror stories with ghosts and bloody scenes. It's somewhat short and is very well written.
Totally recommended!
mysana's review
4.75
Say Her Name by James Dawson is a wonderful author who succeeded in creating a gripping tale and made me feel the same pain as every character went through trials and dilemmas. I can't wait to read to again over the summer.