Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Dead Girls Walking

Conceptually, this book had a lot going for it. A horror sleepaway camp located at the site of the murders of an imprisoned serial killer is already super compelling, yet Ellis elevates even this by incorporating a supernatural twist. For me though, the execution needed to be better.

My first problem was with the tense/POV combo, which was present/3rd person, which always reads weird to me. To make matters worse, there were TONS of grammatical errors where the tense switched to past and then back again, sometimes even in the same sentence. This lack of quality was disappointing.

My second problem was that the supernatural elements didn’t always make full sense to me, or were inconsistent, in part due to sometimes being explained in a slapdash manner. The whole story depends upon these elements, so it did leave the book feeling weaker in places.

By no means do I think this is a bad book, though. While the story took until about a third of the way through for its inciting incident to occur, which is not ideal for a thriller, I was hooked from then on in. I thought Ellis did well at balancing quieter character moments with tense “run for your lives” scenes. I also think this book delivered on its promise of being scary.

There was some interesting character-work too. I mean, the MC’s set-up is that she is returning to where she used to live to find the body of her mother, who was killed by her serial-killer father. Some moments in her journey needed more emotional weight, but overall I was really taken by the way that Temple was desperately seeking closure, and that she was resolute in her values throughout. Her character development regarding trusting in others was a touch rushed, but the circumstances were admittedly exceptional!

I don’t think I’d recommend this book to everyone, but if you’re looking for a supernatural horror that will hold you in suspense, then keep this on your radar!

Rep: Black lesbian MC with asthma

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kajoreads's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The gore and body horror really delivered. The slasher vibes were on point. And if I was rating this based on that alone, it’d be 5 stars. Ellis did an incredible job making it all gross and unsettling.

This is more of a taste issue, but I did not particularly like the twist.

I’ve noticed I tend to dislike twists that feel like they undermine the premise.

I did enjoy Temple and her dad's relationship. It was a twisted, abusive one, but it felt real. The flashbacks were well implemented imo.

Overall, it’s a strong debut. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for this author.

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tranvnguyen's review

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dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I received this audiobook as an ARC through NetGallley.

This usually isn’t my usual kind of read/listen, but it was phenomenal! The story itself was captivating, the perfect combination of spine chilling horror with touches of perfectly placed humor to break it up.

Tamika Katon-Donegal was amazing bringing the characters to life, showcasing everyone’s diverse personalities!

10/10 would watch this if it ever gets optioned for a movie.

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jennifermreads's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Received advanced reader copy from publisher.

If asked what my least favorite genre was, I would say horror. I’m not even sure I’d call it “least favorite” as I would “least read.” I’m not sure I would have picked up Dead Girls Walking at a library or bookstore. After all, the promo material says it is for fans of the film franchise Friday the 13th and I do not watch horror films. But Abrams mailed me an ARC and that felt like a nudge to give horror another chance. {Note: See the danger in including other book or movie titles in promo material? I was leaning toward not reading because of the film reference!}

When I finished the ARC on February 22, my initial reaction was “Meh.” I wasn’t scared out of my skin. I wasn’t creeped out to the point of looking under my bed, peeking in my closet, and making sure all the doors and windows were locked. I’m not sure “enjoyed” is the correct word to describe what I experienced with Temple’s journey. But I was invested in her fight and curious about the outcome.

Now, as I write my review two weeks later, I find that, pardon the pun, Temple and the rest of the Dead Girls are still haunting me. THAT is a sign of a good book! Because of spoilers, I cannot say what is sticking. Suffice it to say, that the outcome had me questioning judgments I’ve made in people and it has served as a reminder that there is often more to a person’s story than a headline or news story will share.

It was refreshing to read a story set in an LGBTQIA camp (talk about stereotype horror setting! WHOA there is a reason that setting works!) with a cast of 100% LGBTQIA characters. The author states in her intro letter in the ARC that she “set out to write a Friday the 13th tribute, but this time all about Black girls.” The author has filled a void. And, my reader’s advisory senses are tingling: anyone who has read Tiffany D. Jackson and screamed “MORE!” needs to grab Dead Girls Walking and rejoice.

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bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

Woweeeeeee! Whatever I thought this book was… well, that doesn’t matter. I was *wrong* !!! I find horror so delightful because I have no idea what to expect. Is this going to be a serial killer? Slasher? Paranormal horror? How much disbelief must I suspend to accept the story? It is always such an entertaining ride and I am so grateful to this genre for just letting me have fun!

Temple goes back to North Point Park, which has been turned into a queer horror-loving camp/retreat, which was awarded to about ten young women. Temple applies as a counselor, hiding her identity (her dad was the North Point Killer and this property was his home!) because she is desperate to find out what happened to her mom five years ago. She is 16 now, and her mom went missing five years ago. However, people begin to get murdered and Temple has to act quickly to figure out how to stop the killings and to get out alive!

Temple was funny, fierce, and a young woman on a mission! I appreciated her backstory of she knew some of the other girls, and how fearful she is of becoming like her murderous father. Some of the scenes towards the latter half of the book were so hard to read, specifically because I feel queasy whenever I read about deliberate child abuse😔

Anyway, I thought the reveals and the explanation for what was happening at this camp were incredibly wild! It felt like an ode to classic summer camp slasher films, but also stood strong enough on its own! There are interview transcripts of Temple’s father Thomas from his time in prison, as well as excerpts from this book that mirrored the reality of the NPK murders, which I felt worked really well & gave me a bit of context surrounding the social climate!

I will totally read more from Sami Ellis in the future, even if 3rd person, present-tense is not my fave !

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theshinyshrimp's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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