by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth
Release Date: October 15, 2024
2024 St. Martin's Press
Ebook ARC; 240 Pages
ISBN: 978-1250286260
ASIN: B0CQHLPMH5
Audiobook: B0CTRZ85NM
Genre: Fiction / Horror
Source: Review copy from publisher
3 / 5 Stars
Summary
Forty-eight hours until Christmas, Jessica Kane
wakes up with blurred vision, ears ringing, and in excruciating pain. A
gash in her head and blood running down her face, the last thing she
remembers is going for a run and something or someone hitting her in the
head. It doesn't take her long to realize she is trapped in an unknown,
deserted town with five other strangers who share similar stories of
being attacked and stranded there. Unsure why and how they got there,
she knows one thing for certain, she has to find a way out. That becomes
nearly impossible when someone is meticulously orchestrating their
deaths, one by one, and the only thing Jessica can do is watch the life
leave their eyes. The fenced-in town is the killer’s very own playground
and there's nowhere left to hide... she better watch out because she
could be next.
My Thoughts
You Better Watch Out had a a really interesting premise which is what drew me to the book, but I did find it pretty easy to figure out so the big 'twist' was not really a surprise. I felt like the authors weren't sure whether to take the themes more seriously and focus on the mental health aspect of this story or whether to leave is a campy, tropy holiday horror book. Either one would have been fine, but unfortunately, going the middle ground didn't quite work for me and the overall story felt rather...cheesy as a result.
There was an interesting cast of characters in this book and I was intrigued to find out why they were chosen and why they were there. However, I couldn't develop any sympathy for any of them because they weren't fleshed out very well and what was interesting about them was fluffed over. Most of them felt quite one-dimensional and other than the fact their names were listed at the beginning of each chapter, I wouldn't have been able to distinguish who was who. Each character should be quite easy to differentiate and have unique points to them, but I didn't feel this was the case. And while I don't mind campy stuff, I become rather disappointed when they make stupid decision after stupid decision and then die in brutal ways because of their decisions. I mean the first time something serious happens, you would think you would be more cautious when entering a building or touching stuff.
Plot wise, I was glad to read this because I was looking for a Christmas horror story. The cover page has green and red colouring with a gift-wrapped knife, but for the most part, the Christmas feeling was left out of the book, something in which I was quite disappointed. I do love locked horror-style books however, and this one did deliver on that end. And while the characters suffered in some pretty gruesome ways, it would have been better if I was connected to them a bit more as it increases the tension in the story. And while I did enjoy the overall story, it did suffer from some plot hole issues and lack of execution.
Verdict
You Better Watch Out was an okay book overall and I did enjoy the story. The lack of character and plot development did affect my overall enjoyment as I just couldn't connect with the characters and thought some of the plot didn't quite make sense. However, the book did include some of the things that I love in horror novels; I just wish the author had a clear idea as to what was being portrayed, a more serious look at a mental issue or simply a campy horror story. Either one would have been really good, but the middle-ground just didn't work. I did enjoy this enough that I will definitely pick up another book by this author in the future.
0 comments:
Post a Comment