I was really hooked by the concept of the book. I was on edge and literally had to finish it in one night. Even though some of the plot felt messy and rushed, it followed the classic horror book genre.

four found dead

<b>”Maybe we all have to make peace with that night, with the fact we’re here and they’re gone.”</b>

I’m not usually a fan of young adult thrillers/slashers but this book surprised me and I found it difficult to put it down once I picked it up.

I would love to see this in movie form. The suspense and mystery were fantastically written and I was left trying to piece together what was going to happen next.

Jo was such a strong protagonist. She had been through a horrific trauma earlier in her life but she still managed to remain level-headed and act courageously in this time of crisis. I also admired her passion for becoming a doctor because of everything she’s been through, it was a little detail that I appreciated being included.

I’m intrigued to read more from this author. This was great!

<i>Thank you to NetGallery and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for providing me this arc!</i>
<i>I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.</i>

The characters felt quite one-dimensional and I even forgot the name of some characters thorough the book. We knew who the killer was from the very beginning and we know they're dangerous but we only get their backstory at the end which still felt lackluster.

This a thriller you could read quickly, but will leave you engaged throughout the story. The story is about several movie theatre workers on their last shift. They quickly discover that one of the workers is dead, and must survive the killer. As the title states, four will be dead by the end of the night. I would recommend this to those who want an easy thriller or enjoys YA.

I don’t generally like books or movies that are primarily action/thriller within a single location, but the author managed to keep some mystery with random articles and point of view from an unknown person throughout the novel. There was intense action and enough mystery that I was very engaged and read this in a single day. Thank you Netgalley for the early copy for my honest review!

Wow!! I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and there were so many times that I felt scared and antsy. Jo was such a strong main character and I love how the book connected something that happened in her past to what was happening currently. It made her a week rounded character and you could see the motivation behind all of her decisions.

The abandoned mall was a great setting for this book although it did get a bit confusing at times. Trying to keep track of what floor the characters were on and the different stairwells that were being used was a little difficult. But overall, it was a setting that I had never seen in a book before so I thought it was really cool and helped with this story.

Jo and Hudson were two of my favorite characters and I absolutely adored the romantic subplot between the two of them! It didn't take away from the murder mystery / thriller aspect of the book, but it was still something that added to the story.

Quincy and Naomi were also great characters and I was glad to be able to get to know them throughout the story. It would've been nice to get to know more about Summer, Lexi, and Hannah - but I also know that would have been too many characters to keep track of.

The only thing I wasn't a big fan of was the motive of Clayton. I felt that it was something that is often used as a plot twist and the story could have been stronger if it was something different.

Overall, this was such a great read and I couldn't put it down . I finished it in just about one sitting and there were so many times I let out a gasp! This is a book that you definitely don't want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the arc!

Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards is a YA mystery/thriller in which a group of teenagers gets stuck in a mall with their psycho manager.

The story felt a little raw to me, like it wasn't properly edited. It felt repetitive at times and slow paced even tho I tore through the book quite quickly. I didn't like Jo, the main character. If she spoke up a few times, most deaths could be avoided but for some reason she kept her mouth shut. To be honest, I did not care for any of the characters and knowing that 4 of them die, I could care less who survived.

I did enjoy the setting, one night in a dilapidated mall ready to be torn apart - it's always fun to see how much can go wrong one night (in books!). I also felt like it was anxiety inducing at times. I wanted to get out so bad out of that mall and take a breathe of fresh air,.

Overall, this was a 3 star read for me, I loved the overall idea but felt like the execution wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Some secrets can be deadly.

Fast paced, and delightfully suspenseful, Four Found Dead follows the final closing crew of a now permanently closed movie theater as the secrets they've kept start coming out.

I really enjoyed how well each of the characters were written, even the the one I wasn't supposed too, because they were all so believably put together.

Was the ending a bit predictable if you put together the hints revealed throught the story? Yes; however, I could not put the book down, and read it in one sitting. This will definitely be a go to recommendation for readers looking for a new YA thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS fire for the ARC!

Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.

It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.

This book was fast paced and gripping. I was able to read it in a few hours as I needed to know how it would end. I initially went into this thinking it was going to be a YA mystery but it was a YA thriller. However, there were mystery aspects of the book that tied in with the plot and ending. I really enjoyed all the characters and their interactions with each other, especially Jo as she was calm and confident in a bad situation .

The only reason that this book is not a five star read from me is because the ending was a little predictable, when putting together all the pieces. Overall, this was quick and easy read, and if you're looking for a YA thriller this is the perfect book for you.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this e-Arc!.

Did I love this book, no not quite. However, I did like it and it was a quick and easy read. I don't necessarily think that this is a bad book but unfortunately I read far too many thrillers and suspense novels to be surprised by the endings. The twist, wasn't really a twist as I felt it was pretty obvious what was going on but again this could be just me and I may have become rather jaded about suspense novels. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Source Books Fire for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

This is my third novel from Natalie D. Richards but Four Found Dead is probably my least favorite. "It" all seemed to start up out of nowhere with very little motive. The writing was very repetitive and the ending sad with no surprise where I think it was intended to be one. This didn't turn me off from future books of Natalie D. Richards but this book seemed like low effort.

Thank you yo the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my opinion..

Jo and her six coworkers have the final shift at Riverview Theaters before they close their doors forever. Their manager, Clay, is acting strangely, and when the power goes out and with their phones locked away, the situation becomes deadly when Jo discovers one of her co-workers is dead.

I enjoyed this book and the non-stop action and suspense. I kept trying to guess what was going to happen and who else may have been "in" on it, but I was wrong until the very end. The setting of an abandoned mall really ramped up the tension, although I do think that there were too many scenes and descriptions of them running around the mall from store to store. Those parts felt a little repetitive.

Our main character, Jo, had trauma from an event that happened to her as a child, and I liked that representation. She found her inner strength, even when she doubted herself. I liked the other characters as well. This wasn't really a character-driven book (except for Jo), but we got enough information about each of our main characters so that we, as the reader, wanted to make sure these teens made it out alive.

There was a cute romance that I didn't see coming at first, and it worked well within the story.

3.5 stars

Four Found Dead hooked me in from the first page and didn't let me go until the very end. I didn't want to put the book down and I found myself reading it any chance I had. The premise of the book was very intriguing to me and I found myself picturing the book happening in the dying mall in my town. I liked how the suspense came from knowing that four people were going to die but not knowing which four until the very end. I also thoroughly enjoyed the short news articles after most of the chapters. I can easily see this being a must read for every thriller lover in 2023!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

This is a perfect book to binge read.
I love books that take place in one setting, it made me keep guessing what was going to happen, there was also a bit of romance, which i easily saw, but i did not expect the ending. It made me more curious about the characters and since the end i wonder how they will deal with what happened that night for the rest of their lifes.

favourite quotes-

-"Death is absolute.Its always accepted in the end, because there arent any other options on the table."

-" ive never seen Naomi afraid like this. And ive defenitly never seen her lie. Then again, ive never seen Quincy so calculating. Or Summer so silent. When you brush this close to death, the trauma messes with you."

- "It’s easier to talk about my father’s death with people who don’t understand. There are polite ways to talk about it. You use words like lost or passed because dead and died make people squirm. They’ll inevitably tell you they’re sorry, and then you’ll assure them that it’s been a long time or he didn't suffer or whatever other bullshit line works. You can always find a line that will hit the brakes on the whole topic. People who haven’t lost anyone are happy to pretend death doesn't exist at all."

- "The would have, could have game isnt going to help any of you."

Four Found Dead is a peek into the lives of several teenagers as they close down the movie-theater in which they all work, one final time before the Mall that they're located in shuts down. This routinely mundane night turns dangerous, when someone starts killing them one by one.

I've noticed a theme lately in YA Thrillers, in which the title hints at how many people you're going to end up with left, that kind of pushes you to keep guessing who's next. (See: Five Survive). I enjoy a book with a lot of characters, especially when you don't know which ones you can trust. I also like a story that unfolds in one night. You don't have to get overly attached to any characters, and you're able to kind of just ride the thrills as they come.

As far as this story goes- without trying to spoil anything, I didn't love that you kinda know who the killer is from the very beginning...so you aren't really surprised much throughout. The mall was a good setting, but the way it was described with the water and the bridges, etc- made it really hard to picture in my mind. And the characters themselves, I didn't really love. There wasn't one in particular that I was rooting for and I didn't really care which ones made it on in the end...

As far as it being YA- it felt fairly appropriate for that genre, and the thrills aren't too much that your teens will be too freaked out. I will look for more from this author- as like I said, the premise was a good one and her writing was interesting enough that I actually binge read this one in a couple of sittings.

I adore creepy novels... this wasn't super creepy, more psychological and more a mystery about the why behind the crimes than anything. You know pretty quickly the who so that I think took some of the suspense out of the story and it was glaringly obvious (to me at least) some of what else was going on.

That said, it was a fun romp through a crazy, hazardous mall with co-workers!

Thanks for the early copy!

This was my first ever thriller read and it was definitely a great one to start with! My heart was racing the whole time and I binged it so fast that if I had the ability to stay up late like I used to I would have finished it in one go. I really had a morbidly great time!

The story takes place in a movie theater and a mall. I found the setting to be really interesting as it would be incredibly difficult to hide in a movie theater. As well, the fact that everything was under construction and all the exits were barred just added to the fear factor (like who in their right mind does this?)

I really enjoyed the 'in between' chapters with vague newspaper articles and a mysterious narrator. The fact that we were told immediately that four die only increased my worry. I loved how it all played out in the end though and am so glad I read this.

While I am interested in the horror genre, I find humans tend to be ten times more frightening than monsters because while monsters have zero emotions, humans do. The fact that a human can hurt another and not feel remorse (or even still) is terrifying.

I highly recommend this for anyone craving a fast paced, binge-worthy read!

** SPOILERS SECTION **

While I was really sad about Lexi's death, it was Hannah's that I found truly sad. She seemed like such a fun and interesting character that I would have loved to get to know her more. I'm glad she was furious enough about Clayton messing with Summer to chase him. I just wish she could have finished it.

Summer's character was really sad because looking back now, you can tell that her relationship with Clayton was an abusive one. The end, when he punched her right where the bullet was, killed me. I hate that she died.

I do feel like the ending was sudden. I would have liked seeing everyone get free, how they handled their sudden freedom, and the police finding them.

Somethings did irritate me in this book. Like for one, I think Jo should have warned everyone about Clayton as soon as she got a feeling that something wasn't right. Even if no one listened, at least she would have tried because there was still plenty of time for them to take the keys and leave at that point.

Also, there was a really weird and awkward moment where it felt like the author just wanted everyone to know that she was a feminist, but her comment didn't even make much sense:
Naomi: "So they literally nailed us into this damn hellhole?. . .I can't with you men."
Quincy: "Couldn't there be women on the crew?"
Naomi: "No woman is nailing an emergency exit closed, I promise you that."

Firstly, how can she promise that when there are billions of women on this planet and its impossible to know every single one? Secondly, every single human has varying degrees of logic based intelligence. Some (both men and women) have basically none while others (both men and women) have a lot. Thirdly, what did this even have to do with gender in the first place? You guys are running for your lives but it is somehow necessary to make an illogical 'feminist' comment?

I won't lie, I thought for the longest time that it was Hudson and Clayton who had been sneaking around together and Ava just assumed it was a girl. It was a big shock to find that wasn't true but I am relieved because Hudson and Jo are so good together.

Lastly, if they would have just stuck with Summer and went into the arcade Quincy wouldn't have gotten hurt and Summer wouldn't have died. Also, they could have pulled the alarm before Clayton knew what they were even doing.

** END SPOILERS **

I really enjoyed this book and would gladly read more from this author.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire for approving me for this ARC!

First ebook and first ARC of 2023 done! ✔️

FOUR FOUND DEAD follows the horrific night where eight movie theater workers are trapped inside the defunct mall the movie theater is attached to. The book is a cat and mouse YA Thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

WHAT I LIKED:
- I could not put this book down. It keeps your attention throughout and has great pacing.
- I legitimately felt anxious reading this book. The author does very well at painting a picture in reader's minds.

WHAT I DIDNT:
- The beginning is a bit rough. It feels repetitive at times, such as Jo repeating that she sees another character with a gun. It didn't need to be mentioned multiple times, so I think the beginning could have used a bit more editing.
- I hate when they throw in the whole "I've always liked/loved you" confession. Not every story needs a romance involved.

Overall it was a solid YA Thriller. I admit that it was predictable, and the killer is apparent from the beginning, but sometimes an easy read is what you need. The book didn't try to be smarter than it was by throwing crazy twists in it, but it was still very enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley & SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an eARC of Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️

This was a fast-paced read. The idea of the storyline intrigued me, but reading it reminded me a lot of other YA tropes. This made it somewhat predictable. I was waiting for a major storyline twist or a motive, but neither happened. The motivation seemed a little clichéd and unconvincing to me. It felt so cliché to snap in such a random and ironic manner.

Clayton, the book's antagonist, was the issue of one of my comments. Despite being immediately recognized as the bad guy, he never receives a convincing reason  that would explain why he acts the way he does. There was no inkling of what awful secrets he might have been keeping.

Even after everything, I enjoyed the writing style and the protagonist Jo. She was brave and acted confidently despite her past experiences despite being in a scary circumstance.