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A review by capesandcovers
Dead Flip by Sara Farizan
4.0
This is the perfect Halloween read! I re-watched Stranger Things this year and have been impatiently waiting for the next season, so when I saw Dead Flip's comp to it I knew I had to request this. I also read and adored Farizan's Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel when I was a teen, and was excited to puck another one of her books up.
Dead Flip follows a trio of friends, Sam, Maz and Cori, as they deal with Sam's mysterious disappearance in middle school - and his even stranger reappearance five years later. I really, really loved how these three balanced each other out, and the way that their friendship was at the center of the plot. Maz and Cori have a falling out after Sam's "death," and the story is very much focused on the trio relearning and rebuilding their friendships with one another. I also loved Maz's friendship with Derek and Cori's relationship with Janet. Also in general I just kind of loved Vickie's story arc, but that might just be a me thing. Either way, Farizan writes complicated relationships so beautifully. She truly understands the complexity of human nature and interaction and how to transfer it over into words.
The horror aspect of the novel is pretty fun too! I don't usually get freaked out by horror, and that was the case with Dead Flip as well, but it definitely had some moments that I think people will find nice and creepy. There's some suspension of disbelief needed for it, but I don't think it's any more than the usual for a paranormal horror story.
The novel fluctuates back and forth between the eighties and nineties, in order to show how things were before and after Sam's disappearance, as well as his reappearance. Past chapters are still narrated by the characters, but with additional information, as though they're looking back at the past and explaining it to the reader. It felt odd the first time or two, but I feel that it was actually pretty helpful for telling the story. My only complaint about the novel was that I found Maz and Cori's POVs to be written a little too similarly. I struggled to remember who's POV I was reading at times because their voices felt the same, despite having distinct personalities and clearly being different people when viewed through a different perspective.
If you're looking for a fun, horror read for spooky season, or are just looking for something to tide over your Stranger Things cravings, definitely check out Dead Flip. It's a wild ride full of fun throwbacks and friendship, complicated relationships and of course, horror.
Dead Flip follows a trio of friends, Sam, Maz and Cori, as they deal with Sam's mysterious disappearance in middle school - and his even stranger reappearance five years later. I really, really loved how these three balanced each other out, and the way that their friendship was at the center of the plot. Maz and Cori have a falling out after Sam's "death," and the story is very much focused on the trio relearning and rebuilding their friendships with one another. I also loved Maz's friendship with Derek and Cori's relationship with Janet. Also in general I just kind of loved Vickie's story arc, but that might just be a me thing. Either way, Farizan writes complicated relationships so beautifully. She truly understands the complexity of human nature and interaction and how to transfer it over into words.
The horror aspect of the novel is pretty fun too! I don't usually get freaked out by horror, and that was the case with Dead Flip as well, but it definitely had some moments that I think people will find nice and creepy. There's some suspension of disbelief needed for it, but I don't think it's any more than the usual for a paranormal horror story.
The novel fluctuates back and forth between the eighties and nineties, in order to show how things were before and after Sam's disappearance, as well as his reappearance. Past chapters are still narrated by the characters, but with additional information, as though they're looking back at the past and explaining it to the reader. It felt odd the first time or two, but I feel that it was actually pretty helpful for telling the story. My only complaint about the novel was that I found Maz and Cori's POVs to be written a little too similarly. I struggled to remember who's POV I was reading at times because their voices felt the same, despite having distinct personalities and clearly being different people when viewed through a different perspective.
If you're looking for a fun, horror read for spooky season, or are just looking for something to tide over your Stranger Things cravings, definitely check out Dead Flip. It's a wild ride full of fun throwbacks and friendship, complicated relationships and of course, horror.