bitterlyenthusiastic_books 's review for:

Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

4.0

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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If you put remote island, urban legends, potential time loops, and a heavy hand of “something is horribly wrong here” into a blender, the end result would be Dead Eleven. With so much going on, you’d think there’s plenty of opportunity for something to not really land well. But Dead Eleven is near perfect in my opinion – it hits that sweet spot of high stakes while still being wildly entertaining, with deep unsettling horror lacing each page.

What stood out the most, though, was how the story handled grief. Clifford Island, frozen in 1994, isn’t just a creepy setting; it’s a metaphor for emotional paralysis. The book explores the way grief can trap us, afraid to move forward, afraid of forgetting, and afraid of what lies ahead. Willow’s perspective is such a great lens for this exploration—her personal journey mirrors the larger, strange grief of the island itself. It’s a wildly entertaining, plot-driven story, but it doesn’t shy away from meaningful character development or deeper emotional themes, which I loved.

I know the ending is divisive, but for me, it worked. It might not be a big, splashy conclusion, but it fit the story’s tone and themes perfectly. Overall, this book was such a ride—ghostly, cultish, mysterious, and just plain fun. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a bit of horror with heart.