Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for the ARC!

Heck, I really enjoyed this one! Fantastic atmosphere, told from a few different points of view, and you're never sure at any point what's true and what's just how someone perceives the world. Or if there's any difference between those states at all.
The dead don't seem to stay dead on Clifford Island. No one goes there, and hardly anyone leaves. They're a bit stuck in their ways, most would say, those that get glimpses of the people... and those ways are somewhere in 1994. And in the chapters with points of view from people from outside the island, no one explains why. It's an intriguing mystery. Add to that a missing sister (whose POV chapters have a subheading of 'days until they go missing' to build delightful tension) and those desperate to make sure all is well, and it makes for a hell of a book.
It also provided an interesting narrative on grief and how different people process their whole world changing in a moment, and also changing not at all.
I said outloud 'What the heck?!' more than once along the way, and was eagerly flipping each page until the end. I wondered of the meaning of the title for a good 70% of the way of the book, which absolutely made sense once it was revealed.
If you're looking for something with buckets of atmosphere, that just slightly 'off' feeling where you can't trust anyone or even yourself, but want a more modern story, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

The premise was interesting and I had good expectations for this book but it didn't deliver. I struggled to get into this book and ended up dnf after a couple of chapters. Unfortunately this book was not for me

3.5 Dead Eleven is Jimmy Juliano's debut novel.

I liked the premise of the book. Clifford Island is an insular, small island in Wisconsin that seems to be stuck in 1994. Willow Stone thinks the island holds clues, and maybe answers as to the death of her son. But something about Clifford Island is wrong...very, very wrong.

Juliano keeps the reader guessing as to what that wrong is - and what's up with the throwback to the 90's. I loved the world building of the island, the town and it's residents.

Willow's sleuthing gives credence to her suspicions. But it also marks her as a problem. When she disappears, her brother Harper comes to the island to find her.

The second part of the book introduces an alternative reason for the actions, patterns and rituals of the residents that would explain much. But is it reality or conjecture? Or madness? The next part ramps up on the way to the final answers. Juliano often touches on grief in Dead Eleven.

I know I've been a bit obtuse, but I'm trying to not provide spoilers! A strong debut and an interesting take on horror. I did find some of the same ideas to be a bit repetitive. And I found myself looking for a bit more 'action'. But overall, an interesting debut

See for yourself - read an excerpt of Dead Eleven. And as always - stay out of the basement. (And A&E have picked up rights already!)

Ever since Willow Stone's son died, she's kept his room exactly the same. When she discovers a message, Clifford Island, written on her son's floor, she thinks it has something to do with his death. She travels to the island and finds a job and a place to stay, but soon realizes there's something odd going on with the residents of Clifford Island. The fashion, entertainment, and technology are all the same as they were in the early 90's and no one appears to have a cellphone or other modern conveniences, but they all seem afraid of breaking their routine. Willow tries to find out the history of the island to see if the residents have anything to do with her son, but finds herself in trouble for poking around. The residents have a very specific set of rules the follow in order to keep the dead things away and prevent an even greater disaster. Meanwhile, Lily Becker, a teen on the island, doesn't believe in the island's fear of the dead things and wants to escape and expose Clifford Island to the world. She hopes to do so via Harper, Willow's journalist brother, who follows Willow to the island after Willow disappears. Overall, a creepy story of a community willing to do whatever it takes to keep evil at bay, even if it means never moving on. Readers who like supernatural books or nostalgic 90's settings will like this one.

After losing her son in a tragic accident, Willow Stone discovers two words written on her son's bedroom floor. Clifford Island. Clifford Island is a small island off Wisconsin's Door County peninsula. Willow has no idea why her son would leave this message. In order to find answers, she sets off for the island. Five weeks later, she disappears. Her brother, Harper, goes to Clifford Island to look for her. However, he finds that sinister things are going on in Clifford Island and nothing is what it seems.

I used to read a lot of r/NoSleep stories and I didn't know that Dead Eleven was written by one of the authors from the subreddit! I like when authors add a mix of letters, text messages, interviews, and articles throughout the story so I enjoyed that aspect of the book. I loved the creepy, isolated feel of Clifford Island where the residents are stuck repeating the same day in 1994. I would love to wear the nostalgic clothing of 1994 but watching the O.J. Simpson car chase on repeat and no modern technology…count me out!

All that said, the mystery was interesting but halfway through the book, I knew what was going on. I sped through the beginning but it dragged on a little too much in the middle of the novel. I found myself losing interest until the action picked back up at the end. Even then, the ending was sort of meh. It might have worked better as a novella.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thoroughly enjoyed this horror/mystery story. Strong character development and a creepy atmosphere kept me turning the pages

Scheduled to post 7/22/23.

DEAD ELEVEN combines the supernatural with grief to create a concoction of insidious horror that leaves a chill under your skin. While I have a nostalgic love for in-your-face monster horror, I continue to have a growing respect for the horror that sits in the corner of your eye. The kind of horror you can’t quite see, and you’re not even sure if it’s really something supernatural, or entirely human. Or both. DEAD ELEVEN does that.

For most of the book you don’t have answers, but suspicions. You learn pretty early on that something supernatural is occurring, because the Clifford Island folks aren’t shy when it comes to talking about the dead things they see. As the reader, you’re just not sure if this is due to some kind of shared trauma/mass hysteria or something supernatural. You’re also left asking, for most of the book, just how far is the reach of this tiny island in the middle of a lake?

It mixes a cult story with something that could be entirely realistic (not that cults aren’t realistic, but I mean a scenario they’re acting around being believable). When it comes to the end of the book, I’m not even sure who the real villain is. It could go in a couple different directions, and I like that ambiguity. Man and monster are one and the same. Most of the time.

I could have lived without the prologue. I appreciated that it provided a little explanation to the storytelling, although after going through it, I don’t think it was necessary. It was just that introduction went on a little long, but I at least understand what it was doing in the found footage sort of way the book is acting. Despite the “sources” the book is pulling from, the storytelling is linear and easy to get through (not like something like House of Leaves would be, IMO). That was the only part where I was like meh.

I enjoyed the slow build of the story. Juliano gave just enough creepy information to create that underlying simmer of horror. The setting alone - a secluded island with people acting weirdly on it - is creepy enough. Except they’re hiding something else. So much stays in the fringes, allowing the reader’s imagine to run wild with what people could be seeing, and I think that technique can create a much more horrifying read than spelling the horror out.

Small town horror, tribal residents, secret-keeping. All the trappings of a solid horror novel.

4.5

The cover of Dead Eleven drew me in immediately, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy after reading the synopsis. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations, but I still think it was an interesting read overall.

Willow Stone, while still grieving her son’s death, finds a mysterious message written on the floor of his bedroom. This message takes her to Clifford Island, a small (very creepy) island where everyone seems to be stuck in the year 1994.

Willow quickly discovers that this island is not normal, and is exposed to the weird rules and traditions of its inhabitants. Willow wants to leave, but is determined to discover why the message on her son’s floor brought her here and how the island and her son may be connected.

The concept of Dead Eleven is unique and interesting, but ultimately it started to fall flat for me about halfway through. I didn’t quite like the direction it took, but I think others won’t mind it. I would place this book in the horror genre but I think I could have gone with a bit more spookiness to really set the tone. I will still be recommending this to horror and thriller lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this! I love the cult vibes, the way we're not sure exactly how much is real - can we do anything to prevent the spread of evil or even slow it down? - and the conceit. I enjoy ambiguity in this kind of horror-thriller, and the found-footage journalist-with-a-personal-connection angle was really fun. I want to put it in conversation with Severance in a books-about-lived-repitition-before-trauma book club. Thanks!

If R. L. Stine does a blurb for something warning readers it's creepy, I'm gonna read it. And he was not lying. Could I explain exactly why this was creepy? No. Was it? Definitely.

Willow feels called to Clifford Island in the wake of her son's death. She's searching for meaning in her life, & the mysterious island is the perfect distraction from her grief. There's nothing about it online, & when she arrives everyone seems to be stuck in the 90s, with no modern technology, media, or fashions.

Lily is a teen who's grown up on Clifford, & she's ready to leave after graduation, by any means necessary. She's over the strict rules of the island & the superstitious other citizens. She's more than happy to indulge Willow's curiosity when it comes to the local legends.

Harper is Willow's brother, & after she's been missing for 6 weeks, he comes to Clifford to try to track her down. The islanders insist she left weeks ago. The more Harper finds out about the island & what his sister was doing here, the more concerned he grows.

This is a horror book, so obviously the legends aren't just legends. There's a reason the island is stuck in 1994, why people do the same thing every day, a reason why everyone clamps their curtains shut at night, & a reason why information on Clifford disappears as soon as it's posted online. It's in the woods, & it's hungry.

This story is told through varying POVs, mixed media, & multiple timelines--we read Willow's POV as she approaches the date of her disappearance, & Harper's POV as he investigates it after until they meet in the middle. It's supplemented with recorded interviews, text messages, letters, & articles. The slow burn builds a lot of eerie tension here, & the depiction of grief was very well-done. I will say I found the build-up to the reveal to be scarier than the actual reveal, but "Dead Eleven" definitely captured that nostalgic feeling of being a kid & just KNOWING there's a monster outside your house, but being unable to make yourself look.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

𝙾𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚢 𝚒𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚋𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝟷𝟿𝟿𝟺, 𝚊 𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜, 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚗'𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑--𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚣𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚜...

Starting with the incredible cover to the creepy build-up, this one was easy to love. I couldn't stop reading until I found out what on earth was going on on that island. I don't always love found documents as a format but Juliano absolutely made it work! I also know that my R.L. Stine reading child self would have been completely obsessed with this one had she had an opportunity to read it. The page-count of the novel is high and it's definitely a slow-burn, but there are a lot of text threads etc. that read fast and it has a way of sucking you in. I can't wait to see what Juliano writes next!

There’s a remote place in Wisconsin called Clifford Island, off of the Door County peninsula in Lake Michigan. Not a whole lot is known about it, and the locals seem to like it that way. Their desire to be left alone extends to erasing as much information as possible about themselves from the Internet. For the most part, this discourages the curious from visiting, especially when there are so many other beautiful, and far more welcoming, places in the region.

Harper Coates, however, has arrived on Clifford Island with a mission.

Growing up, Harper had always been his little sister Willow’s protector. An adulthood that took them to different states caused them to understandably drift apart. After the death of her son Jacob, the distance between the siblings becomes more awkward and difficult to breach. Harper doesn’t even realize the true extent of Willow’s grief till one of her neighbors is forced to contact him about a property issue after both Willow and her estranged husband go incommunicado.

A visit to their neglected Illinois home provides Harper with a single but significant clue as to where Willow might be. His job as a journalist helps him confirm that his little sister did indeed abandon her home for Clifford Island. He follows her north and quickly discovers that while she had briefly worked on Clifford as a youth ministry director, she apparently left again shortly before he arrived. Determined to track her down, his search of her former lodgings yields a hidden letter addressed to him. As he uncovers more letters, many of them written to her husband, Harper begins to better understand Willow’s state of mind, as well as her motives for coming to such an isolated place.

Part of her reasoning seems to have come from not only what happened to her son, but also from her own terrifying experiences as a youth:

QUOTE
There’s a reason those things happened to me as a kid. There’s a reason I had that nightmare again. I’m supposed–<i>we’re</i> supposed–to do something about this, I just don’t know what. But it’s more than this cosmic hunch.

I guess…I’m feeling like a bad mom. What if I didn’t really know our boy? I tried so hard. <i>We</i> tried so hard. I thought I knew everything about Jacob, but what if I didn’t? Was Jacob keeping a secret from us? Did that horror I experienced as a kid get passed down to our son somehow? It sounds so stupid and far-fetched, but what if some evil found Jacob, too?
END QUOTE

While sympathetic to Willow’s guilt, Harper is skeptical of her claims of a hereditary evil. But as he gets to know the locals and their curious customs, including their strange insistence on living as if it’s still the early 1990s, he begins to wonder if there isn’t a malevolent force lurking on the island after all. Has Willow somehow run afoul of something supernatural? Or has she become the victim of something far more prosaic?

His main ally in uncovering the truth is a rebellious teenager who doesn’t believe in any of the local superstitions. Lily Becker is the first person to tell him that Willow actually was there, but even she thinks that Willow left of her own free will. Will Harper be able to find and save his sister, or will he fall prey to the evil lurking on Clifford, too?

Told in the form of letters, interviews and “reenactments”, this tale of the mortal battle to keep a horrific hunger at bay is heavy on atmosphere as the Coates siblings brave a disorienting time warp in their pursuit of the truth. An early chapter shines the spotlight on Esther and Gloria, two elderly Clifford residents whose daily routines are abruptly interrupted by death. Esther tries, and fails, to soothe herself in the aftermath with prayer:

QUOTE
She thought how hollow the words sounded, for even though she sang in the church choir and attended every service as sure as the sun rises, she didn’t <i>really</i> believe in that sort of thing. Esther believed in other things. She believed in order, in equilibrium. She believed in the universe, and she was now quite certain it was some physical manifestation of <i>that</i>, gathering outside, coming for revenge. Things were out of whack. Unbalanced. Gloria’s death was the cause. Poor, poor Gloria. She and Esther had held together their little corner of the cosmos, and now that was broken.

Esther would now be punished.
END QUOTE

Despite being drenched in the language of urban legend and campfire horror stories, Dead Eleven is a surprisingly considered meditation on grief, nostalgia and the human urge to control the unknown and perhaps unavoidable. Clifford Island and its inhabitants are a solid metaphor for blind faith, and the great and terrible things that people will do when they believe fervently in a cause. The book also contains one of the best descriptions of a horror novel antagonist I’ve ever had the chilling pleasure of encountering. It’s a solidly scary debut that has already been optioned for film and should translate to that medium magnificently.

"Dead Eleven" by Jimmy Juliano is an enthralling and suspenseful novel that takes readers on a captivating journey into a bizarre and mysterious island community. With its intriguing premise and well-crafted characters, this book is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and supernatural mysteries.

The story centers around Willow Stone, a determined mother who embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind her son's cryptic message. As she sets foot on Clifford Island, readers are immediately transported into a world that is anything but ordinary. Juliano skillfully builds a sense of unease and intrigue, as Willow discovers the island's peculiar obsession with the year 1994. From outdated clothing to an inexplicable fascination with the OJ Simpson car chase, the islanders' adherence to these strange customs becomes increasingly unsettling.

Lily Becker, a high schooler who has grown weary of the island's mythology, joins Willow in questioning the community's beliefs. Their paths intertwine as they delve deeper into the island's secrets, and the plot thickens with every revelation. The author masterfully crafts an atmosphere of suspense, building a sense of impending danger. Readers will find themselves eager to uncover the truth alongside the characters.

Juliano's writing style is engaging and evocative, painting vivid scenes that bring the island and its inhabitants to life. The narrative is skillfully paced, with well-timed twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. The author's attention to detail is commendable, creating a fully realized world that is simultaneously familiar and unsettling.

The characters in "Dead Eleven" are multi-dimensional and relatable, each with their own motivations and secrets. Willow's determination and resilience, as well as Harper's unwavering drive to find his sister, make them compelling protagonists. The supporting cast, including the enigmatic islanders, adds layers of complexity to the story, leaving readers constantly questioning their true intentions.

What sets "Dead Eleven" apart is its exploration of deeper themes. Beneath the surface of the island's strange rituals lies an examination of identity, grief, and the lengths people will go to in order to preserve their own reality. Juliano seamlessly weaves these themes into the narrative, elevating the story beyond a simple thriller and giving it thought-provoking depth.

A wonderful book full of twists turns and scares! Absolutely enjoyed the ride and can’t wait to see what the forthcoming TV delivers!

DEAD ELEVEN by Jimmy Juliano is a scary story that takes too long to get started and is encumbered by the author's self-satisfaction. While I wanted to enjoy this book (it has a lot of things going for it including the central role of family, the mixture of narrative sources, '90s references, and more), I found that it took too long for me to get started, and I was put off by the author's self-satisfaction with his own cleverness, which bleeds through in the primary narrator's comments and storytelling. This book may be a good fit for people who love unreliable narrators and don't mind a wait.

I rounded up to 4 stars because I found this book entertaining, easy reading. It reminded me a lot of the tv show From, which I really enjoy. It was more horror than thriller to me, so a little out of my normal preference. When the summary said everyone was obsessed with 1994, I expected that to manifest in a very different way but I appreciated all the references to a time I was a teen. The ending left me a little frustrated. It felt wrapped up too quickly for all the time developing the story. The title doesn’t fully make sense until 3/4 of the way through. The beginning is one of the most bizarre starts to a book I’ve ever read and that will be memorable. Not sure if I will recommend it to others. I have to mull it over a bit more but it was certainly unique and would make a great tv show!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dead Eleven is good, and Dead Eleven is also slightly frustrating—only in the sense that it does such a good job in certain areas, I would’ve loved for it to succeed in others.

I love a good epistolary novel, even if this one toes the admittedly blurry line of believable documentation. The mystery is excellent, as is the slow crescendo that eventually answers some of the questions posed in the opening chapters. Not all the questions, though, and that’s one of my gripes: The ending is rather sudden and unsatisfying for our characters, and there’s an eventual explanation for everything….but a shallow one, that I would have really liked to see explored better. To put it vaguely, some fundamental mysteries remain mysterious even when technically explained.

It’s still excellent and engaging, however, to explore Clifford Island alongside Willow and figure out its societal structure. I really loved finding out how their current situation developed, and the rest of the book is framed in a new light by the reveal, perhaps offering a second read from me at some point with the knowledge I now have. Willow is really the only character I felt a strong connection with, as Harper doesn’t get fleshed out enough and Lily doesn’t get the chance to shine I think the author may have intended for her. This doesn’t spoil the novel, however, and it’s a thrilling ride regardless.

Connecting back to what I opened with: I enjoyed Dead Eleven quite a bit. But I do wish there’d been better development of non-Harper characters, some more explanation or worldbuilding in certain areas, and a more even buildup to the ending. The setting offers a lot of interesting possibilities for stories, and I hope we get to see more of Clifford Island someday.

4.5/5, rounded down to a 4.

Holy shit. What a breath of fresh horror air!! This is what I’m talking about. A story that will sit in your brain and make you think about it when you can’t fall asleep at night asdfghjkl. I don’t even want to say any more. Go into this one blind!!!

Thank you so much to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Really enjoyed this book but wish I learned more about the dead things and the island itself. It reads like a NoSleep story which I liked but I still had so many questions at the end. I wanted to know so much more, maybe that’s a marker of a good book.

Jimmy Juliano's debut horror novel is excellent! Such a great concept and so well done. I have been a horror fan for years and the story that Juliano writes is among the creepiest I've read, mainly because it feels like it could really happen.