A review by bookish_boy_mom
Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This YA horror novel sure was a wild ride. Temple Baker’s father is a serial killer. He is in prison now but people are still going missing and dying in the woods where he commit his crimes. Temple’s mom is also missing and her father has admitted to killing her, but Temple doesn’t believe him. The farm that Temple and her family used to live on has since been turned into a horror camp for queer teens and Temple has applied to be a camp counselor so she can get back on the grounds and look for her mothers body. Things quickly go downhill when one of the girls turns up dead. Temple suspects there is a copycat at work, but it becomes clear that something else is going on here. 

This book had suspense and tension, blood and gore, supernatural elements and sinister vibes. It is a YA horror novel and the story reads as such, there were a lot of funny one liners from the teens which gave welcome relief from the tension at points. Though I did feel like the pacing was uneven. Where this novel surprised me was the emotional moments involving Temple’s backstory and relationship with her family. It wasn’t so much that it fully pulled you out of the horror feel, but enough that I appreciated it.

I will say, initially I was taking this one in via audiobook and it just did not work for me. I was having such a hard time following it in the beginning and the voices just did not allow for me to really immerse myself in the book or connect with the characters. Once I switched over to reading with my eyes I liked the story, characters, and overall experience much more!

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊, 𝘈𝘓𝘊, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘙𝘊.