Author: Goldy Moldavsky
Publication Date: 13 April 2021
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co BYR
Page Count: 480
Reading Method: Digital ARC [ Thank you to the publisher ]
Dates Read: 1 – 4 June
Synopsis:
When it comes to horror movies, the rules are clear:
x Avoid abandoned buildings, warehouses, and cabins at all times.
x Stay together: don’t split up, not even just to “check something out.”
x If there’s a murderer on the loose, do not make out with anyone.
If only surviving in real life were this easy…
New girl Rachel Chavez turns to horror movies for comfort, preferring stabby serial killers and homicidal dolls to the bored rich kids of Manhattan Prep…and to certain memories she’d preferred to keep buried.
Then Rachel is recruited by the Mary Shelley Club, a mysterious society of students who orchestrate Fear Tests, elaborate pranks inspired by urban legends and movie tropes. At first, Rachel embraces the power that comes with reckless pranking. But as the Fear Tests escalate, the competition turns deadly, and it’s clear Rachel is playing a game she can’t afford to lose.
Review:
Waaaaaa – I don’t even know where to start with this one. Okay, let’s break it down.
A secret club at a fancy school – heck freaking yes. The Mary Shelley Club is a group of kids who watch horror movies and conduct Fear Tests to freak out their fellow students and seek revenge for past wrongs. Love it. Rachel moved to the school to try to recover from a traumatic event in her past – but it’s not going as well as it may seem.
Things escalate pretty quickly but I thought it was all paced really well. There wasn’t a good spot to set the book down for a break – it demanded to be continuously read and devoured. Rachel is the main narrator of the story but we do get little glimpses into other people’s perspectives. I actually liked the little switch overs and thought it added to the story.
We also got to see quite a bit of the difference in the worlds of these kids. Rachel is not one of the wealthy students, but tends to get wrapped up in their world of extravagance quite frequently. There is a scene at a party that gave serious bacchanal vibes. It all plays into explaining why they do the things they do, but it was utterly (and wonderfully) chaotic. Moldavsky did an excellent job of setting the tone of the story and creating an unsettling atmosphere.
There are plenty of twists along the way and one big one at the end that I (unfortunately) didn’t see coming. I mean, I kind of had a ~feeling~ about one of the characters, but I wasn’t sure how the author was going to make it all make sense. Moldavsky was able to tie it all together in the end – I shouldn’t have had any doubts. I’m still thinking about the last little bit of the story. I definitely didn’t feel put at ease!
I wish I could say more, but I don’t want to give anything away and ruin the fun for you. This book was everything I could want in a YA mystery/thriller.
