3.5 stars

A YA summer camp slasher novel? Count me in.

Temple has a thankfully unrelatable family history that is marked by serial murder!!!!! While most readers won't be able to relate to the specifics, they will connect to her ongoing quest to understand how her family shapes her, what the duties of her bonds actually are, and who she is in light of ongoing personal and nearby discoveries. Because Temple is Black and queer, and the latter is the case for all of her fellow campers, the added bonus is that her experiences also come with some solid representation.

YA horror can turn from scary to hokey fast, and I was pleasantly surprised that this one stayed on the positive side of the spectrum. I did struggle with the pacing a bit at times, but this still kept my interest, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Temple Baker finds herself in a chilling predicament as she delves into the dark past of her infamous serial killer father in Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis. With a gripping premise that promised twists and turns, this young adult horror novel explores themes of evil, family ties, and the supernatural.

As Temple confronts her father's gruesome legacy, she is faced with the daunting task of unraveling a tangled web of mystery and deceit. The eerie setting of her father's old hunting grounds sets the stage for a bone-chilling journey into the unknown. The overnight camp for queer, horror-obsessed girls adds an intriguing layer to the story, creating a unique backdrop for Temple's investigation.

The tension rises as Temple discovers a girl dead in the woods, sparking fears that her father's sinister influence may still be at play. As she races against time to uncover the truth and protect those around her, she uncovers dark secrets that hint at something more malevolent lurking beneath the surface. With each twist and turn, Temple must confront her own inner demons as she navigates through a world where nothing is as it seems.

While Dead Girls Walking offers a compelling premise and well-crafted writing, some of us may find it challenging to connect with the characters on a deeper level. The story may fall short in eliciting an emotional response from readers, leaving them feeling somewhat detached from the events unfolding within its pages. However, fans of YA horror will appreciate the atmospheric setting and suspenseful plot twists that keep them guessing.

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis delivers a dark and twisted tale that explores themes of evil and redemption in a hauntingly atmospheric setting. While some readers may struggle to connect with the characters on an emotional level, the novel was well written and worth a shot.

I want to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for the audio arc of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Horror isn’t my typical genre but the description pulled me in. Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.
The author did a great job capturing black culture and the audio narration made it even more impactful.
The story itself is a good one so for folks looking for a BIOPOC and/or LGTBQIA+ positive read, give this a go.

However there are a few major issues that I hope the author takes note on for future books.

1) Temple, our main character who is trying to help her serial killer father out but working at an LGTBQIA Horror Camp, just isn’t likable at all. It makes it really hard to root for her let alone connect with her.

2) the plot holes are just too much. Some of the book is so convoluted it’s hard to follow, especially with an audiobook.

3) language. The use of Temples name constantly just gets annoying. Temple this, temple that. Writing it in the first person would have alleviated much of that along with using different pronouns as a replacement. The is also the constant swearing. Swearing doesn’t bother me and can be really appropriately used to emphasize things or even having a potty mouth character, but many times it’s use, especially in the first few minutes is just jarring and random.

Well I’ll leave it at that! I would have given this a 3.5 had I been able to.

Rating
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and re

A decent ghost story about a family’s secret to immortality. It felt a bit drawn out for my liking but over all an entertaining listen, the narration was good.