Content warning: body possession, murder, parental death, body horror, endangerment of minors

DEAD GIRLS WALKING will definitely be going on my list of horror books to suggest to teen patrons, I think they're really going to love this one. You do need to stick through the slightly clunky start where the pacing is a little too slow. But once the story gets going, it really gets going, and there is way more to the story than just that Temple Baker's dad is in prison for being a serial killer. Some of it was easy to guess, but overall I really enjoyed the mystery and family lore behind the North Point Killer and the old family farm now rented out to house an overnight camp for queer, horror-obsessed teen girls. Spoiler: not every camper is going to make it out alive.

This is an unsettling type horror novel more so than a jump scare one and I think readers that enjoy creepy ghost/haunted house stories will like this one as well. I think the cover art will also catch some eyes when it's put in spooky reads book displays come October.

Tamika Katon-Donegal does a good job with the audiobook narration.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, RB Media, and Recorded Books in exchange for an honest review.

This audiobook was made available to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


I really wanted to like this book. I really did, the synopsis of the story captured me. However, Temple was an unlikable character for me. It made reading the book seem like a chore. Which makes reading the book less enjoyable for me. I really wanted this book to win, it deff captures the scary element. I liked the elements of the book, and wished the main character was more likeable. This book unfortuantely missed the mark for me.

Initially, I was drawn in to "Dead Girls Walking" by the promise of a chilling slasher narrative set against the backdrop of a queer summer camp. The premise suggested a thrilling ride through the woods with a dose of supernatural mystery. However, the book did not live up to my expectations.

While the story had interesting elements, such as a protagonist grappling with her father's dark legacy and a haunting multi-generational mystery, it somehow failed to fully immerse me. I found myself struggling to stay engaged, often tuning out during crucial moments. The pacing felt sluggish, and the repetition of certain themes became tiresome.

Moreover, the characterization felt somewhat lacking, particularly in the case of the protagonist, Temple. Despite her complex backstory and intriguing motivations, I struggled to connect with her on a deeper level. I feel like this story would have really benefited from being in 1st person, giving the reader a more intimate insight into her mind.

However, despite these drawbacks, "Dead Girls Walking" still possesses redeeming qualities. The representation of queer characters was awesome, and the story delivered several plot twists.

In conclusion, while "Dead Girls Walking" may not have fully lived up to my expectations, it still offers an entertaining journey for fans of YA horror. Just be prepared for a book that leans more towards supernatural mystery than traditional slasher horror.

There are a handful of books I haven't had a 4-5 star rating on. I'm pretty easy to entertain but unfortunately this one I almost DNF'd but managed to finish it. This had such a good concept but I just couldn't get into it. I was so confused by all the characters with one narrator. I wish I could say I remember parts of this book but I don't. I feel horrible about that. I will say that just because I couldn't get into this book doesn't mean that someone else won't love it. The narrator Tamika Katon-Donegal did do a good job I just got confused. I still want to try other books by Sami Ellis. I would still recommend this if someone says this sounds interesting. Maybe I was just off.


Thank you NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harry N. Abrams, and RB Media for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

At first, I honestly didn’t know if I was going to enjoy this book, because I was constantly getting go distracted while listening like it wasn’t capturing my attention enough. But wow! I was so surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this story. It definitely reminded me of You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron, which I also enjoyed.

It was so wild, and I love when a book has me anticipating what comes next. Temple’s family??? WILD. I was not expecting any of that! And I love how she is able to find a found family/real friendships in the midst of all the insanity that happens at the queer, girls camp. It’s a great YA horror novel, and I am looking forward to more from Sami Ellis!

And I do want to give a shoutout to the narrator who did an incredible job!

That sure was a ride! *turns the bedside lamp on*

This book is about Temple, daughter of the North Point Killer, an infamous serial killer. The farm that was once her father’s hunting grounds and her home has been turned into an overnight camp for black, queer, horror-obsessed girls. So, Temple poses as a camp counselor to go (literally) digging in the woods to figure out what happened to her mother all those years ago. Then girls start turning up dead.

I was expecting slasher vibes with a serial killer on the loose in the forest. Tense-shivers-down-my-spine kind of thing. I did get my shivers but not in the way I was expecting and I am not sure how to feel about that. There is a lot of supernatural stuff happening here and I found some of it almost funny instead of scary.

There were also a lot of moments where I was confused about what was going on. There were even more moments where I was confused about the characters because there were so many of them and they were all introduced about the same time. It also did feel like it went on for a literal forever and then ended very abruptly.

The synopsis just led me to expect a different kind of book than what I got but I did enjoy this a lot and it did keep me up at night! May I recommend not listening to the audiobook in the middle of the night, in the dark when you live alone. The synopsis just led me to expect a different kind of book than what I got.

Content warning: GORE, rather graphic murder scenes, demon posession

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the audio ARC!

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that i was so close to DNFing this book.. the first 50% is really difficult to get into and for me, really confusing where every single character was introduced at once. I started this as the e-book and finished it as the audiobook because I wasn’t wanting to read it due to the storyline feeling complicated and me having to reread bits over and over to fully comprehend what was going on.

This sold me with the description (a summer camp slasher full of queer women of colour) and the second half was exactly what’s described, but the scene setting went on a little too long in my opinion. With a slasher, I prefer to get straight into the action. When you do get to it though, it was fast paced and kept me hooked.

Temple was quite difficult for me to connect with for the majority of the book, but as her character grew I began to get less and less frustrated with her. A lot of the other campers and camp counsellors did blur into one unfortunately where they were introduced in such quick succession, but Cali and Yaya were a great addition at the end of the story (when they weren’t screaming, whining or throwing up).

All in all this wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, but it wasn’t the best either… It does read like it would make a great TB show/film though so I will give it that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Abrams Books and RB Media for the proofs in return for an honest review.

Temple's dad is a serial killer, and her mom was murdered. Dad says he did it but Temple has other ideas. She decides to moonlight as a camp counselor in order to seek out the killer. But is there a copycat killer on the loose?

I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. The story was not easy to follow, and aside from Temple there was nothing distinguishable about the other characters. I was expecting an ode to 80s horror slasher flicks from the description, but that's not what I got. Instead I was bored, and just got a lot of Temple sleuthing about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Tamika Katon-Donegal was a fine narrator, but this just did not hook me like I thought it would.

I wanna start right off by saying I am not own voices.
I really enjoyed this book. It was very unique. I am a big time horror fan so the concept of this book was already perfect for me and being a lesbian as well. It very much felt like an 80s horror movie.
I will say the only thing I didn't care for was the paranormal element being as prevalent as it was. I didn't feel like this book needed it. The paranormal aspect felt like it was muddling the overall effect. I wish it had been a bit less prevalent

Temple Baker is haunted by her father's murders. After his confession, she returns to his hunting grounds to find a body. The farm has been transformed into an overnight camp for horror-obsessed girls, and Temple disguises as a camp counselor to investigate. When a girl dies, she fears her father's "fans" might be mimicking his crimes. As Temple tries to uncover the truth and keep the campers safe, she realizes that there may be something more sinister at work.

Its been awhile since I listened to an audiobook and this piece did not dissapoint. I listened to this while doing some chores around the house. I enjoyed every bit of it but some parts where dragging.

Thank you Netgalley, Author Sami Ellis, and RB Media for letting me listen to this book in advance. Although this is a late review, I still want to share with you my thoughts 🥰

I had a lot of hope for this book and I wanted to love it. However, I had some issues with it. I felt like none of the scenes were full scenes. I wanted more and needed more dialogue and context to the scenes. I also felt like the characters were flat and boring. I didnt care for them at all, and book dragged for me. I di enjoy the audiobook narrator though

Dead Girls Walking is a recent YA Horror release. One that I had been very anxious to pick up. The publisher's synopsis, as well as the intriguing cover, had my full attention. It looks like this is a debut novel for author, Sami Ellis, and while I can appreciate the author's creativity and ambition, the story did not work for me, unfortunately.

I considered giving it 3-stars, but I have to be honest about my experience. For me, a 3-star book is something I liked, but that didn't blow me away and may have minor issues. I just don't think this one reached that status for me.

I'm not going to say anything about the plot. Please read the synopsis for more info. I barely understood what was happening and had to refer to the synopsis multiple times to try to get my bearings. Because of this, I feel I have nothing further to add in that regard. And here we come to the heart of the issue for me. I found this narrative style confusing as heck. It felt like being dropped off at a movie halfway through, taking multiple bathroom breaks, and still being expected to understand what's going on. Spoiler Alert: I didn't.

It never succeeded in grabbing my attention. Additionally, the cast of characters, besides our MC, Temple, all blended together for me, and by the end, I just wanted it to be over. With this being said, just because this one didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. I have seen some great reviews, I just feel like it was a miss for my tastes.

Thank you to the publisher, Amulet Books and RB Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am interested it picking up more from this author in the future. I feel like maybe a different concept could help me engage more with their writing style.

Thank you to RB Media, NetGalley, author Sami Ellis and narrator Tamika Katon-Donegal for the chance to review this fun spooky audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Temple Baker goes to a summer camp designed for queer horror obsessed girls as a counselor but she has a big secret. She’s there to find her mom’s body. Her dad was the serial killer known as the North Point Killer and on death row he lets his daughter know that he murdered his wife and hid the body on his farm. The same farm that the camp is now located on. However, someone is now killing people at the camp and she really may not like the truths she is going to find out about her family.
This is a fantastic read and anyone who loves a great scary story based at a summer camp should read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for providing a copy of this audio eARC for review.

I really enjoyed this novel. It combines the currents trends/interests of horror and serial killers. I enjoyed the summer camp setting, and the main character, while unlikeable to most, was very real. I feel like her attitude makes sense, and her realizations throughout the book are twisty and fun.

The narrator did an excellent job, tone and speed correctly chosen. Emphasis was put on appropriate words, and you can tell when different people are speaking. I would definitely listen to an audiobook by this narrator again, as well as read another book from this author.

Unfortunately I kept tuning out of this book. I thank you for allowing me to read the book. I really had hope because it was a slasher ,
.

i was so intrigued and excited to get this approved by netgalley cuz the description captured me a lot. However i couldnt get into it. I feel like the story should’ve pulled me right in but i suppose the writing style made it hard for me. I also couldnt like the main character which maybe was intended but there was also nothing else to keep me interested in her. Also at one point she literally called herself not like other girls - just no.
It also felt like it went on forever and got bored throughout it. I think it couldve been made shorter and my interest wouldve stayed a lot better.

Thank you to RB Media | Recorded Books and NetGalley for a free Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was, quite easily, one of my favourite horrors of the year so far and the combination of writer and narrator is one I want to revisit time and time again.

The atmosphere throughout the novel, which is set over just a two day period, is incredible, with much of the gore and horror creating such a vivid image that it's impossible not to think of time and time again. One particular scene where one of the characters is writing messages in blood is particularly haunting, though it is a bathroom-meeting between MC Temple and her camp leaders which leaves a particularly clear picture for myself.

The narrator does an incredible job of giving each girl her own, distinct voice, and not just in how she speaks. The intonations and discrete differences between, for example, Brenda and YaYa, is so clear that it is simply a joy to listen to.

"Every gay for themselves" may have been my favourite line I've heard in a long time.

I really loved the horror elements of this book! Listening to this audio made the scenes come so visually to me. I do feel like the last hour of the book was very stretched out and could’ve been wrapped up sooner.

This YA Horror book had me feeling all the creepy crawlies, making sure the lights were on, and checking over my shoulder. The banter in this book gave me several good chuckles. For me, this book was too youthful for the very adult and graphic content, but it is listed as YA Horror. So, I don't really have room to complain. This book uses a lot of slang and modern language that was hard to understand at times, but it definitely added to the vibes for this book. I will be recommending this to my horror book lover friends.

Temple Baker is signed up to be a camp counselor at a horror fan's summer camp geared towards young women of color. The twist is that the camp is on the haunted property in the woods of Virginia that Temple's family has lived on for generations. Temple's father was arrested and confessed to killing 10 people on this property. However, Temple is convinced that her father was possessed by a demon and didn't truly commit the murders.

Temple's father has given her clues that require her to investigate the crime scenes. The only way for her to access the property without drawing attention is to attend the summer camp and sneak off when she can.

Themes and elements in this book are as follows:

🍁YA Horror
🍁The Diverse Baseline
🍁Women of color
🍁Queer
🍁Gay
🍁Demon possession
🍁Haunted houses
🍁Haunted properties
🍁Walkers

Be aware of the following triggers:

🍁Graphic demon possession
🍁Gore
🍁Graphic murder scenes
🍁Walkers
🍁Ghosts

I really thought I was going to love this one! A queer, spooky summer camp? Yes please! But honestly this was so boring and I just don’t have the desire to finish it 🤷🏻‍♀️