Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was an amazing debut by a wonderful author that I had the pleasure of meeting in the Fall of 2022 for TBF. This book was thrilling and fast paced. It offered a wonderful outlook on communities and neighborhoods as well as important commentary on classism and racism. I feel a tiny bit like Tirado got gipped because there were several grammatical/word errors that should’ve been caught by an editor in the copy I read. I don’t feel like it took away from the story, but such a great debut deserves to be properly editted, looked through, and published. Otherwise, it was a wonderful sapphic thriller!
Well written I’m just not into the thriller/horror genre. Good characters and interesting points about how history can be scary. The cover of the book inside the book jacket is cool. Points about Bronx history and a bit of mystical strength interesting as well as they game being played.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I borrowed this book from the library's digital catalog on a whim. I finished it a couple days later because I just couldn't put it down. A creepy story reminiscent of Candyman & Stranger Things combined. Urban legends. Teenage friendships. And creepy crawlies from another dimension. I loved the characters of this book. So often my complaint with horror novels is how two dimensional the characters are but all of the characters here were well fleshed out. The history of the Bronx fires is one I never knew until this book but definitely something that more people should know about.
I found this story to be really good. It was rich in history regarding the Bronx and I found it fascinating.
I loved the mix of adding an internet challenge into the mix since it is so relevant to these young children today. This was just the right amount of creepy and Urban Legend. I loved all of the characters, even the teenage drama didn't bother me because it didn't overwhelm the story.
This was a great read.
I loved the mix of adding an internet challenge into the mix since it is so relevant to these young children today. This was just the right amount of creepy and Urban Legend. I loved all of the characters, even the teenage drama didn't bother me because it didn't overwhelm the story.
This was a great read.
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The plot intrigued me, and the pages turned fast. I liked the idea of turning a local history into a horror story with a righteous ending.
But the book was kind of a confusing flurry. It often read like I was just watching someone else play a video game. The world building just kind of improvised as it went along, and though I liked the characters, I never really got to know anyone besides the main character Raquel.
This would be great as a video game.
6/21/23
But the book was kind of a confusing flurry. It often read like I was just watching someone else play a video game. The world building just kind of improvised as it went along, and though I liked the characters, I never really got to know anyone besides the main character Raquel.
This would be great as a video game.
6/21/23
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was heavily unique. It brings to mind both the series the Last of Us, and the book Ring Shout. There are three different things happening within this book. First is the history project assigned to Raquel. She starts looking at the history of the Bronx fire, a 10-year period between 1970 and 1980 where multiple dwellings within the Bronx burned due to neglect and slums. Then you have the story of Raquel’s mother, who is in the hospital with some sort of mold or fungal disease that keeps her in quarantine. The third storyline is that of the game. This viral event is called the Eco game where one must get on a train at three in the morning, say a specific chant, and then stay on the train for an hour without running off. If you make it all the way through, you survive but are changed. However, if you exit the game early, the game claims you as one of their own.
This all sounds crazy because it is, but it comes together to make an intriguing tale of life, death and how history affects modern society. Being an older reader, I remember slums and slumlord, but had never learned anything about this community that was destroyed. This is an area where segregation suppressed history. This book, while making one think “am I reading about zombies” also imbues a small bit of history that is not taught to modern children, that will have them racing to google to learn more. The writing is decent, but not superb, and the audiobook at times annoying. The publisher makes a big deal about this being a sapphic, horror tale, and while that is true, the sapphic part is an afterthought. This book is more about the role of severed because we’ve not lived it.
Overall, this book was an interesting read and keeps one thinking. Was it a phenomenal read that will still be on library shelves in 20 years? Probably not, but for those looking for something different, for something to make you think, for something that takes a historical event, gives it a modern twist, and still gives fantasy horror, this is a great read.
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
Four teens enter a deadly supernatural game tied to a dark era of the Bronx's history in order to find a missing friend. What they find reveals both a bloody and unjust past and a hopeful future.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No