Not long ago, all seventeen-year-old Ari worried about was finishing school, the mean girls she had to endure, and the boy she had a crush on. Now she worried about when and how she’ll die. She’s trapped in a cistern, awaiting her fate. The man who kidnapped her is biding his time, waiting for the opportunity to feed his bloodlust. There isn’t much hope for Ari. Her captor is a psychotic serial killer. She’s likely not the first, and she won’t be the last.

“I would try to prolong the moment of death but the blood always overcame me. The iron scent, the color of it, rich and intoxicating, washing over the dry leaves, soaking the ground until it appeared black...”

I am not squeamish. I’ve read many dark and disturbing books before, and I’ve always enjoyed a good mind-bender, but this book is far too out there for my liking. We’ve had these teen-gets-kidnapped stories before — The Cellar is one of the most recent titles with this theme — but this book felt like porn for potential serial killers. It wasn’t so much Silence of the Lambs as it was Nightmare on Elm Street, with Freddy Krueger still alive. We get the killer’s POV in italics, and he shares, in vivid detail, how he moved from killing animals to harming humans, and how he enjoyed killing them. The quote above is just an example of what you’d find in this book. The disturbing bits would’ve been fine (well, sort of), but the novel isn’t engaging enough. Ari’s story is in third-person, and this style falls flat here. I am grateful to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for sending me this. I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t. The writing isn’t all that bad though. Jo Treggiari shows potential. I give Blood Will Out two decaf coffees.

I have MAJOR mixed emotions on this book. First off, I'm amazed I managed to finish it without throwing up.

BLOOD WILL OUT plain and simple is the story of a serial killer and their would-be victim. The main character, Ari's perspective is told in third person, while the serial killer is told in italicized first person. If that weren't creepy enough, the author travels down a rabbit hole of mind-f**kery by going way, way, waaaayyyyy too in depth into that mindset. I have to applaud myself for getting through the first half of the book because that was so twisted and disturbing that I actually felt sick to my stomach. I didn't need to read about this pyscho's penchant for murdering animals, then people, and making it out like it's a masterpiece of art. I really didn't. I don't ever want to meet the author if that's the headspace she had to be in to write this.

All that said, it was an interesting book. It got a little boring in the last half, and the big action scene at the end was rather difficult to follow, but it was a solid story. I liked Ari. Especially her resilience to her circumstances. She did more than I thought she might, so I admire her for that. The pain, the torment she endured, it was believable and not hard to picture actually happening. Her friend, Lynn at first I thought was a bit of an ass, but she grew on me in the end.

The story itself is of course one of those where the entire book is you trying to figure out whodunit. I have to admit that I did not guess who the murderer was. However, when it was revealed, I laughed outright. It was, in my opinion, rather preposterous, especially after being hand fed the entire time that it was someone else. Looking back though, a few things made sense, like the colour blindness *waggles eyebrows*

2.5/5

This is your typical story about a girl who gets kidnapped and tries to run away from the killer, all the while the reader is trying to figure out who the killer actually is.

Blood Will Out was a suspenseful read and Treggiari does a great job at creating a dual perspective.

On one hand there's Ari, the 17-year-old who wakes up in a dark cistern, without knowing how she got there. This is told in the third person perspective, so Ari's actions and thoughts are narrated by the author. Those moments with Ari take the reader through the events in the days before she wakes in the cistern though her mind has blocked out EXACTLY how she wound up in that dark place. After she manages to save herself (I won't tell you how), her moments turn into the way that she deals with what has happened to her and the fact that her kidnapper may still be out there.

On the other hand, the reader meets the mysterious killer/kidnapper. These glimpses are written in first person, so the reader has a unique view into the killer's mind.

I've got to be honest; although both perspectives were interesting, I think Treggiari's writing really finds its strength in her crafting of the killer's entries. I found many of the killer's lines to be almost beautiful albeit macabre. Treggiari paints a clear portrayal of the killer's love affair with death, with the ending of another being's life. People who enjoy Criminal Minds will enjoy these moments, and some of the questions that they bring up- how did the killer become this way? Is it in the brain or the blood? What creates a killer? The killer's musings give some background about how they have grown up and discovered their bloody path in life.

She also shapes those glimpses in a way that the reader can speculate about who the killer is, but may also be totally surprised at the reveal, like I was. After I finished the book, I actually went right back into it, to try and find out what I had missed, to be so wrong about the killer. Treggiari manages to mislead you without the reader even realizing he/she is being led down a false path. I greatly enjoy that; predictability is not what I was looking for when I requested an ARC of this thriller.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of BLOOD WILL OUT in exchange for my honest review.***

***WARNING animal torture/murder***

BLOOD WILL OUT is one hot mess. Early on the italicized perp recalls killing and blood letting a piglet at age nine, which automatically turned me off to the book. I never, ever need to hear details of an animal’s death. I’m okay reading about people murdered in graphic detail (though I might skim if it’s too bloody), but leave the animals alone.

Chapters alternate from the perspective of the perp and Ari, the teen in the cistern and from present to past in random fashion. Ari in the cistern was full of tension and pulse. I tuned out her backstory because it was bland and I just didn’t care. The kidnapper’s history, though one dimensional, interested me, but I could have done without the animal parts.

BLOOD WILL OUT had so much potential with unfortunately lackluster execution.

This novel, although fantastically written, just wasn't for me. I found the writing style a little stiff and scenes didn't flow, so mush as were pushed together. That being said the protagonist is fantastic.

I'm just going to start off by saying, while this book isn't a home run, I also don't understand the intense negative reviews that it's getting on Goodreads.

While the plot is pretty basic, y'all know the tried and true; a girl has been kidnapped, escapes and has to figure out who the murder is, but can't because she has some kind of amnesia. It also deviates from the norm a bit, by offering you the alternate perspective from that of the kidnaper.

This book is written in 2 halves, the first half is well paced and deals with the initial kidnapping and escape. The second half of the book is a drag on finding out who the killer is.

As this book is intended for YA it wasn't too sophisticated in terms of the writing, for example when the kidnapper was finally revealed it really wasn't a shock. The problem that I have with this book being written and directed towards YA is that while the overall writing fits the content at times is just wayyyyyyyy too much in terms of violence.

Overall the story had mass amounts of potential but the writer just couldn't bring it there, it feels like this book is caught between wanting to be geared towards adults, but not having the ability to bring it there, so just settling for being YA.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for my honest review!

I guess i had high hopes for this novel. I would recommend changing the title of this book. That alone was confusing for me. The author wrote very well but this story just didn't have the WOW factor, i was not captivated or drawn into this novel like it had the potential to do. If you enjoy a YA novel about a kidnapping and escaping then this one is for you.

Thank You NetGalley!

This book was an addictive wild ride!
Told from two points of view, it had me second guessing myself throughout. Well written and thought out, I tried to figure out who the serial killer was while reading, I had it so wrong! 😂
Ari was a resilient fighter who refused to be pushed aside. I enjoyed the way she was written. Just a little bit shallow with a whole lot of heart, tenacity, and a unbridled love for her best friend.

I cannot continue reading this book for three main reasons. It is a very generic YA thriller with the same trope and opening scene as all of the rest. I have also heard that this book exploits mental illness and perhaps even uses it as a plot point. Lastly, this e-arc is formatted so badly it's barely legible. Here is an exact quote from 2% into the book, " 'elp,' she yelled, over and over again. 'Someone? Please,
H
help me!'"

That is literally how it is formatted. I cannot stand to read any longer, I am sorry.

I haven't read a thriller in a while and unfortunately, it was a pretty predictable plot (except for who the killer was). That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it. There were a lot of familiar tropes, standard even. I did like the inclusion of the flashbacks of the killer that were included especially since they gave misleading clues that made discovering the killer a very shocking twist - though it managed to feel unfulfilling at the same time. There's a lot of mixed thoughts on this book. It's cliche enough if you want a Silence of the Lambs-esque story to get into the suspense genre but a bit lacking in the general execution.I have a lot of grievances with the writing, the formatting and with some of the reactions from other characters when the MC, Ari, returns and tries to cope with what's happened to her.

All in all, there were times where I was kept guessing, I was genuinely surprised by the identity of the killer and I did enjoy the flashbacks of how the killer came to be and how they viewed themselves. 3/5 is fair enough.

What had drawn me to this book was the description "Silence of the Lambs for Teens". This sucked me in immediately. No there was no likeable villian like Hannibal Lector but this book was amazing! You will not want to put it down. Yes, there is some gore but it is totally worth it! It is deliciously twisted and dark. Must read for those that love mystery and horror.

When Ari wakes at the bottom of a well, she struggles to piece together her kidnapping. Alternating with the serial killer's voice, the story slowly unravels their stories.

I was extremely disapointed with this book. Ari came across as a 12 year old, not the 17 year old that she was supposed to be. She was a very weak character, despite the author trying to paint her otherwise. I also thought the serial killer was extremely unrealistic. The characters were just wrong, they lacked realism. Overall, a bust.

"I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review"

Until now, Ari was happy to spend her days pining for handsome, recent-arrival Stroud Bellows, fantasizing about their two-point-four-kids-future together. Safe in her small hometown of Dempsey Hollow. But now her community has turned very dangerous—and Ari may not be the only intended victim.

I was really excited to read this book when I read about it, but I have to say it did not live up to my expectations. I found the book to be a little slow and even though it was a short book it seemed to take forever to read. I am not sure if I didn't like the writing style or the story itself.
I did get into parts of the story and I was left wondering right up till the end who did it but the ending was a bit of a let down.
Now giving it some thought I think my main issue was I just couldn't connect with Ari and her story line. I found it really had to care about her character and I really don't know why that is.
I ended up giving this book 3 out of 5 stars due to the fact that it did leave me guessing and not many books do that to me anymore.

I struggled to get through this one. Twists were predictable and felt a bit dull. Narration style could have been much better but had some promise. I feel like I've read this book before except it was done better. In the end this wasn't for me.

"Blood Will Out" was a decent YA thriller which the publisher does absoluteky no favours for by comparing to "The Silence of the Lambs". There is no comparison, let's get that out of the way straight away. The plot revolves around a kidnapped teenage girl, but is also see from the point of view of her kidnapper (like in 'Silence of the Lambs'). The plot flicks back to the back stories of both characters, I thought the teenage girl's story was more interesting, it was a decent and engaging teen story focusing on her and her best friend, at the same time the reader wonders whether the kidnapper is stalking the girl? His backstory was in many ways more pedestrian and cliched. The novel does move into a different direction in the second half and amounted to a decent page-turner of a read for kids aged fourteen or thereabouts.

*through megaphone* <b>WHEN WILL THRILLER/HORROR NOVELS AND MOVIES STOP RELYING ON THE DEMONIZATION OF MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE</b>

Listen, I was <b>not a fan</b> of this book. This was seriously compared to Silence of the Lambs?? That’s a joke, right? Don’t talk to me or my son ever again.

Where do I even begin? The title of this book is freaking weird as hell. <i>Blood Will Out.</i> what does that mean??? I don’t understand. It’s not even a complete sentence. It’s not even a fragment. It means nothing. who is grammar and coherency? This title doesn’t know her

The worst thing about this book is the writing wasn’t bad! I wasn’t enthralled, persay, but I would say I was having quite an enjoyable time!! If this had been a contemporary about the adventures of Ari and Lynn I would have had such a good time! But noooooooo, the book had to ruin it with problematic content and a terrible and boring plot line.

First off, the incredibly boring plot. I told myself that if I got to chapter six and still, nothing had happened, I would stop reading. Guess what? <b>literally nothing happened</b>. Sure, we get flashbacks and back story, but I am not reading a horror/thriller novel to hear about romance and shopping. I am not reading a horror/thriller novel to hear backstory for the villain, no matter how scary it may be. I’m reading a horror/thriller novel for <b>action, and tension</b> but this book <b>literally had none</b>. Zero. Zip. Granted, I only read fifteen percent of the book, but if you are describing your thriller as “gripping” then there should be action starting on page twenty <b>at the latest</b>.

There was also this like, weird conversation between Ari and Lynn in one of the flashbacks and I was like ????
<blockquote><i> “’You’re a girl, for Pete’s sake. You’re supposed to live for shopping.
‘I’m not that kind of girl.’
‘Oh, really? What kind of girl are you then?’
‘The boring kind who’s boring.’”</i></blockquote>
THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN LOLLLLLLL Like seriously that is just, like, what? How does this contribute to anything? What does “the boring kind who’s boring” even mean?? If you’re going to give me a bunch of character info-dumping at the beginning of a book at least make it actually contribute to who they are as a person. I’m so. I don’t even know.

<b>trigger warning // homophobia and transphobia for the next few paragraphs</b>

I cannot wait for death. This book has a lesbian character, which is cool! Which is good! Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut. But. The d-slur is used seemingly out of nowhere in this novel, in this quote : <blockquote><i>”’Well, lookee lookee,’ said a smarmy voice. ‘Teen d*kes on a shopping spree.’”</i></blockquote> Which is, like, not okay? I mean, the character is obviously a creep and a bad person and the book acknowledges that, but at the same time the book never specifically challenges the use of a slur, it’s more of a general “oh yeah he’s the worst what a jerk,” and I wish that the use of a gross slur hadn’t been in this book at all, or at least seen as <b>specifically</b> not okay. Why even use slurs? Why not just, like, not? I’m so done.

But, also terrible is a little while later the same character says another crappy thing, but this time it’s transphobic. <blockquote><i>”’Do you feel like a man, Lubnick? Under those clothes do you look like a man?’”</i></blockquote> and I will say, again, that it is definitely established that the character is a creep and gross and a terrible human being, but the fact that this and the d-slur are never specifically challenged just doesn’t sit well with me, especially since it kind of came out of nowhere and my mind wasn’t prepared to deal with this kind of crap.

<b>end trigger warning</b>

Another thing that annoyed me in this book was the cultural appropriation. Listen, I’m not Japanese, but I am, like, 99.9% sure that white people aren’t supposed to wear kimonos. That’s cultural appropriation, buddy. And so why is Lynn purchasing what is described as a “tight kimono deal”? And planning to wear it to a dance? Wtf??

<b>trigger warning // demonizing of mentally ill people</b>

oh boy so this made me mad!! This book describes the killer (won’t say who for spoilers) as “insane” and “psychotic” and I’m honestly, like, so annoyed. Why in every single thriller novel is the murderer mentally ill? This is also true in movies. I’m so sick of thrillers demonizing mentally ill people, especially when <a href="http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/fixing-the-system/features-and-news/2030-new-study-mentally-ill-are-often-targets-of-violence">mentally ill people are actually more likely to be VICTIMS of violence, rather than perpetrators</a>. This pisses me off to no extent. I can’t even form coherent thoughts.

<b>end trigger warning</b>

In conclusion, sit. this. one. out. This was boring and crappy and problematic and not fun. I’m going to go watch Silence of the Lambs now.

Lovely twists and turns that had me guessing to the end.

The book flows between the kidnapper and the main character, Ari. it's always good to get the bad guys' perspective, however creepy they are!

I wouldn't say it was a YA Silence of the Lambs, the only similarity is the pit, but it was a good book, well written and I would recommend it.

Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and the author for letting me read an ARC.

"Blood Will Out" is a suspenseful thriller with great characters.

I really liked Ari because you could really feel her frustration with not being able to remember everything and not being believed. Her character felt really realistic and her actions and thought processes were believable. The chapters from the killer's point of view were fascinating and I loved how the author managed to give such a clear picture of their thought processes and motivations without giving away their identity.

The novel's twists were good too and I didn't really see the reveal coming, even though, in retrospect, there were some hints. I liked the narrow focus on Ari and the killer because it made the story feel really intense.

The ending was, in my opinion, the weakest part because I didn't really get the motivation for one of the minor characters because they were much less developed than Ari and the killer. But this is a mine complaint.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this novel because it has great writing, good characters, and an interesting plot.

I felt like Blood Will Out had so much potential that it just never lived up to. The flashbacks were well done but the misdirection that they lead the reader down was typical.
Overall I was just kind of bored with the story. There was no real high point and it was not a book that kept me wondering who the kidnapper was.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.