Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this audiobook! I think this audiobook was great and I loved the way this unraveled! I can’t wait to read more by Sara!

The Violent Season by new to me author Sara Walters is dark and disturbing, but predictable in that I figured out early on who was behind the death of Wyatt’s mother but surprised at some of the twists near the end I never expected. For some reason, I kept expecting the entire town to sprout fur and fangs and go on a murderous werewolf rampage or something with the way Wyatt kept bringing up the sickness that infects Wolf Ridge every November. No werewolves were found in this story, but plenty of secrets and death.

I liked Wyatt. She is a typical teenager dealing with the angst of teenage life and being in love with Cash. She’s smoking, doing drugs, having sex and dealing with the brutal murder of her mother the year before. I did not like Cash and if anyone could have been a werewolf, it’s him. He’s moody and his brooding personality grated on my nerves. I felt like his relationship with Wyatt was one sided with Cash on the receiving end of everything. I honestly was at a loss at what she saw in him, other than his mother also died. I liked Porter, Cash’s arch nemesis and when he and Wyatt are partnered for a project in their literature class, they have to spend a lot of time together and begin to get to know each other.

I did not like the way Cash treats Wyatt and every time she brought up her mother’s death and the sickness that seems to infect Wolf Ridge, Cash is quick to stifle her. It seemed to me that he’s not a supportive boyfriend and a little bit of a narcissist. Porter actively listens to Wyatt and her concerns and their banter was light and fun, which was a much-needed change from all the dark and evil lurking around the place.

I enjoyed the story and though I correctly guessed who killed Wyatt’s mother, the why came as a surprise as well as the details behind other deaths. The story moves at a good pace and kept me engaged. Several secondary characters are introduced, possibly to give the reader a plethora of suspects to choose from, but without confusing the reader as to who is who. I listened to the audiobook format and enjoyed the performance of Jorjeana Marie. I will be looking for more books by Sara Walters and audiobook performances by Jorjeana Marie.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this is an enjoyable story that I recommend to readers of thrillers and mysteries, as well as readers who enjoy stories that feature characters who are still in high school.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Violent Season from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that the cover is what really caught my attention! The description and story didn’t disappoint. They’re perfectly matched with the cover. This has a great thriller vibe and narration to boot.

Thank you, Sara Walters, Dreamscape and Netgalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

I really liked this author’s writing style. I felt like she really painted a picture and set the mood. I liked her character development. I thought the story was interesting and flowed at a really good pace. I wasn’t quite in love with how the last few chapters went and concluded, but the writing was strong enough to make me not focus too much on that.

I liked the narrator. She emoted well and set the mood well.

3.5

Unfortunately this was not an audibook i enjoyed. i honestly could not get through it. the heavy breaths by the narrator made it impossible for me to listen. i think i would have done better reading it instead of listening.

This book was started and finished within a couple days because once you start, you can’t stop. wonderfully written with amazing details that keep you locked in! Is it a sickness that is lurking around? Or is it just high 'natural' deaths? You MUST read on to find out the truth of Wolf Ridge.
Full review on YouTube

I really had a hard tie reading this with the attempted rape scene and I'm not sure I will ever finish this. I didn't read any trigger warnings like abuse or sexual assault. Thank you for the publisher for sending this eARC.

This book started off strong and reminded me a lot of a movie. I could picture it so clearly in my head and could see it being very popular at a film. However, the story just didn’t work for me and I ended up not finishing it. Yet, if it ever happens to be turned into a film I could see myself really enjoying it.

The Violent Season by Sara Walters was incredibly atmospheric. I felt like I was in this small town, in this barn, in this diner. I really enjoyed that aspect of it, and I’m looking forward to Walters’ next book for the same reason.

Ultimately, this was a slow read for me. I thought the premise was incredible, and I was looking forward to reading something that would include more gore or a “fighting for their lives” scenario akin to The Hunger Games. This is not that type of book.

If you are looking for a YA domestic thriller, this may interest you. For those who struggle with insta-love, don’t like when a protagonist is obsessed with a boy, or who like their thrillers to go a little faster, I’d pass on this one.

This book was so messed up and dark, I loved every minute of it! I loved the small town setting and the whole kind of superstition/urban legend vibe. I am heartbroken by Wyatt's lack of self love and motivation to live. I hate Cash with passion, he is a waste of space in the world - kudos to the author for developing such a despicable character. The story was intriguing and suspenseful although a little predictable.

This was a solid thriller, super quick!! I’m surprised I liked it as much as I did, I tend to struggle with YA thrillers. My only problem was that there wasn’t enough character development.

I feel like this book tries a little too hard. We start with this idea that there is something wrong with this town, that there is something broken in the people. But Walters is too successful at creating doubt. We're meant to go back and forth, to wonder if something more sinister is happening. Instead it feels like the protagonist is trying too hard to convince herself. The atmosphere is flat. The characters aren't dynamic. There isn't enough tension or mystery to make it truly compelling.

This was a super fun time. Very original. I wasn’t exactly sure about where it was going, which made it more enjoyable. I do feel like it needed a little bit better character development.

I enjoyed this YA thriller. It's one part horror, one part family drama, and one part coming of age with lots of teenagers carrying big burdens. It's also about learning to value yourself and expecting respect from others. It's a dark little novel, but I'd highly recommend this gripping YA story. #netgalley

The pace of this one felt slow throughout. I was having trouble staying focused on this one and while I hoped the twists would keep me hooked they ended up doing a bit of the opposite. This one is just okay in my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook.

I'm torn on this one. I listened to the audiobook, and my, that was a major mistake. The narration was merely adequate. She was a touch too breathy for my taste. She would take a massive breath of air after each statement, which kept diverting me from the overall plot. It was quite noisy. I believe the rating would have been better if I had read the book rather than listening to it. This book was above average but not quite good. It took me a long to get into the tale because it moved at a snail's pace. But I don't regret sticking with it. This is a really dark and unsettling novel. It is concerned with death.This novel is quite dark and contains frightening elements. It addresses issues like as death, murder, abuse, dysfunctional relationships, and despair. The general narrative was engaging, and the main character was endearing. I despised the two characters' insta-obsession. They weren't even close one minute, then I blinked and they were practically kissing. I honestly didn't understand their relationship except that it made the main character realize she was in a poisonous relationship with the other guy. The author did an excellent job of depicting abuse within a poisonous relationship and how difficult it is to leave. It's easy to feel imprisoned in such position.

There were a few times in this book that it was starting to lose me, I won't lie. I wasn't super fond of the narrator who's reading sounded a bit bland, bored, and too full of pauses for my taste, I didn't understand why Wyatt thought there was a "sickness" responsible for all of the November happenings, and the story definitely modeled some unhealthy relationship patterns. But when it got to the end, boy howdy, was I glad I stuck with it.

This was a good thriller with some interesting characters and clever twists. Over all I would recommend it, but most likely only in a physical or ebook format.

This was definitely an interesting read, but not sure how I feel about it overall. Maybe it's me, but something about an illness that spreads mysteriously had me on edge more so than it would have before given the past few years. I wasn't necessarily expecting the story that I received, it was less horror/gothic than it was a murdery type story. Which was fine, but I wasn't exactly wanting a murder mystery type of thing. Don't be fooled though the writing is fantastic, the author sets the mood right and keeps you engaged throughout the entire story.

I liked the writing, but not so much the story. I guessed what happened to her mom pretty early into the book. I don't think it was necessary to include an insta-love relationship when she was still dealing with her toxic and abusive "friendship".

I really enjoyed the coming-of-age aspect of this book. I honestly felt that was the majority of the book more than the thriller plot line. I expected more of a supernatural/thriller theme, but was pleasantly surprised by the character development piece.