This is the queer YA slasher of my DREAMS! The love and fundamental understanding of the genre flows in the pages. It has fun with the tropes while subverting them. The characters are so unabashedly queer and complex and messy, I loved them.

It's a beautiful blend of Mean Girls and Clueless and Scream and has a bit of David Lynch peppered in. It wears its influences proudly but it's also distinctly its own thing.

I love Adam's books but this one especially would've been something special for a younger version of me out there.

I'm not usually a slasher fan but this book reeled me in! The sarcastic and witty gay banter sent me giggling staying up past my bedtime before work. It kept me on my toes and I am so glad I requested this.
Adam wrote the bff well that you don't see very common in contemporary books when there's eventually a love interest the book usually zooms in on the new boo than the friendship.
Very scary but somehow ended up very funny along the way.

Your Lonely Nights Are Over is a book that took me by complete and utter surprise.

I went into reading this book almost entirely blind about the plot, and with that always comes some uncertainty.

I think it's fair to say that my uncertainty about Your Lonely Nights Are Over was definitely misplaced.

Your Lonely Nights Are Over is reminiscent of teen slasher movies, with a perfected queer twist.

There were so many ups and downs and turns, I may have well been riding a rollercoaster and not reading a book.

I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I do, but clearly, I was very wrong because this has rocketed up to one of my favourite reads in 2023.

Rife with drama, blood, queer identities, laughter, goosebumps and slasher core, Your Lonely Nights Are Over is a book that you definitely don't want to miss out on reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Adam Sass and the publishers for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars! 🌟

Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass was just what the doctor ordered. This book gave me all the vibes and spooks. I loved every single page of this book and I wanted more.

This book was a ton of fun, especially as a queer slasher fan. It follows our final boys, Cole and Dearie, as a mysterious serial killer stalks their high school's queer club. To make matters worse, Cole is quickly becoming the number one suspect in the case.

This book clips along at a fast pace, but that's fitting for its role as a YA horror/thriller/comedy. The writing is cinematic, and there were so many times I could completely picture the scene in my mind's eye. It doesn't shy away from some of the bloodier aspects of its plot, and the ending is suitably melodramatic. Admittedly, like many slashers, you're able to guess the killer far in advance - but I didn't feel that limited my enjoyment at all! If anything, it makes this book feel even more like a love letter to the genre.

This book weaves together narratives on racism (perpetuated by cops in some instances), abuse, trauma, intersectionality, and gaslighting. It also takes a look at the queer community, spotlighting both the resilience of the community when banded together and the harm that we can enact upon one another (particularly at the intersections of queer identity and race/class).

Overall, this read was 4/5 stars for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for the chance to read and review this book. I had a great time reading this, and I definitely plan to check out more by Adam Sass!

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book! My review will appear on episode 20 of the podcast which will drop on Monday, August 7. The review will be posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on that date and will also appear on my website (link attached to this review). I will also promote on Instagram.

Review:
I am a child of the 80s and I was raised on cheesy slasher movies. I loved them. Couldn’t get enough! All I needed was a group of dumb teens and a sicko psycho stalking them and I was happy. I didn’t care how stupid the storyline was, or how terrible the acting, I just need a little tension and some good chase scenes and I was happy.

In the early 90s there was a lull in the slasher genre, but then Scream came along and reignited it and my slasher-loving heart was so happy. Needless to say, when I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it. I mean, hello! Clueless meets Scream? Immediately sold. I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed. This is the type of book I wish I’d had when I was in high school!

The book alternates between the first-person points of view of Cole Cardoso and Frankie Dearie, gay BFFs and seniors at an Arizona high school where nothing much ever happens. Both can’t wait to graduate and move to California where they plan to break into film - Cole writing and directing and Frankie (who goes by Dearie) starring. They’ll just need to survive their senior year of high school first, and their senior year is worse than most. Cole and Dearie have always kind of gone against the grain - not conforming to a certain set of standards set forth by the school’s Queer Club and their bitchy leader, Grover, who seems to have an especially strong hatred of Cole - maybe because Grover wants to date Dearie and he’s jealous of Cole and Dearie’s close friendship.

But Grover is the least of their problems. When Grover and another girl are viciously attacked, and one of them ends up dead, it doesn’t take them long to realize that a serial killer from the 70s who was never caught may be killing again - or maybe they have a copycat. To make matters worse, whoever is stalking the teens in Queer club is doing everything they can to pin the murders on Cole and Dearie. The teens now have to not only clear their names but also do their best to help their fellow students survive the Sandman. Dearie’s mom and the FBI are on the case, but Cole has a penchant for true crime, so he, Dearie and the rest of the Queer Club start their own investigation, which ends up putting them in even more danger.

The book clips along at a nice pace and is a heck of a lot of fun to read. I adored Cole and Dearie - I liked that they were comfortable with who they were and unapologetically sassy, while still being kind and empathetic. They were less Regina George and more Cher Horowitz, which I loved.

Being that I am basically a slasher movie pro, I had the identity of the killer pinned down pretty early on, but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book at all. If you are a slasher fan (especially if you liked “Scream”) I would highly recommend this one. I gave it four stars.

Adam has crafted a perfect horror/thriller/comedy packed with tension, unique characters, and an excellent commentary on queerness and how queer people can some times be our own enemy. and it’s all wrapped up in a voice that would make kevin williamson proud and ryan murphy jealous.

avoid all spoilers going in because this mystery is best experienced as it unfolds naturally. it has layered mythology, a creepy killer, and enough red herrings to keep you guessing until the end.

i LOVED our final boys, Dearie and Cole. they’re witty, loving, and unafraid of being themselves. i loved the physicality of their friendship and how they always knew what they were and never had to explain themselves. they bounced off each other really well and could deliver a killer punchline in the midst of all the chaos.

my favorite thing about the book, outside of all the thrills and laughs, was the commentary on the internal fighting that can happen in the queer community over how we express ourselves and how it ultimately hurts everyone in the end.

this book was an INCREDIBLE time and i can’t wait for everyone to read it so we talk everything with spoilers.

There is nothing that I’ve desired more in literature than a queer slasher - and Sass delivered that with this incredible work of art.

This book managed to be a page-turner while simultaneously making you care about/suspect each intricately written character.

The suspense within these pages kept me reeled in the entire time. Sass’ ability to pen a story that read like a movie is beyond impressive.

This is the type of story that has been missing from the shelves. I will forever have Dearie & Cole in the back of my mind as some of my favorite characters I’ve ever read.

If I had to compare this masterpiece to anything, it would be ‘Scream’ meets ‘Geography Club’.

If you like slashers - you’ll LOVE this.

I could tell from the first chapter that I was going to love All Your Lonely Nights are Over by Adam Sass, and it totally lived up to my expectations. This is the kind of book that leaves you craving more – a definite book-hangover kind of a book, in the very best way.

The plot follows two queer friends, Cole and Dearie. They’re ostracized by their school’s Queer Club for being too promiscuous – going on dates with boys from other schools – and are labeled bullies for calling out their fellow students. When a tv series on a local, never-caught serial killer, Mr. Sandman, starts airing, the killer reemerges and begins targeting members of the Queer Club. Cole and Dearie are accused of being behind these new attacks and must find out who the real killer is and clear their names before they become the next targets.

Like the best slasher films, you might be able to guess who did it. I certainly had a good idea from early on. But it doesn’t make finding out how everything will play out any less satisfying. I honestly felt like the resolution couldn’t have been better.

I really appreciated how the book also tackled issues around racism and gender, as well as having a focus on the pressure to conform to heteronormative relationships and puritanical values in the queer community. This last focus, developed through the other characters’ judgement of how Cole and Dearie date different guys as well as their close relationship with each other, was particularly well done and it’s something I’ve rarely seen addressed in fiction – particularly in YA.

This book might address these issues that sometimes divide our community, but it’s equally a celebration of queer love in many different forms, and ultimately a celebration of community. I think the nuanced friendship between Cole and Dearie was particularly well done.

Overall, I honestly couldn’t have loved this book more. If you’re into teen slashers, horror, and queer kids kicking ass, maybe this one’s for you too! Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!
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TW: violence, depictions of racism, homophobia, slut-shaming, and an abusive relationship.

Thank you Netgalley and PenguinTeen for the ARC!

I couldn't put this book down. It was very much a who done it thriller. Makes you think of Scream except there are two! You should definitely read this if your into suspense and love to keep guessing who the killer is. The fact this also delt with the lgbtq community is chiefs kiss!

The humor was on point and the over all drama was perfect for me. This also made me think of more adult like Scooby-Doo without the dog as they tried to put clues together as they work on figuring out who's behind the mask.

I honestly could read this book again and again I just enjoyed it so much.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group for kindly providing me with an e-arc!

This was a really fun ride! I enjoyed our two main characters Deary and Cole, their snark and whit was really refreshing.

This was said to be a cross between Scream and Clueless and I completely agree with that. The snark and murder was balanced really well.

This story also kept me guessing at who the killer was. I guessed just about every character but was satisfied with the final ‘whodunnit’. Overall I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and fast packed thriller.

A funny and exciting page-turner. The twist was well done and genuinely surprised me despite having seen way too many slasher movies in my life. My only two major criticisms are 1. there could have been more kills, especially in the first half of the book 2. Calling people "flops" got annoying after a while and didn't really feel authentic to the characters or the demographic.

I was very excited for this because I had seen it described as a queer Scream meets Clueless, but I was disappointed on all counts. I found the writing to be pretty cringey, I didn't like any of the characters or find them easy to root for (except for Kevin, who was an adult side character, not even one of the teens), and I didn't find the solution to the mystery to be very interesting. There were also a lot of random major time jumps early in the book that were jarring and seemed like basically portions of the book had just been cut out to keep it from being 600 pages long.

Here’s the thing with this one…I desperately wanted to like this. I’ve been dying to get my hands on a juicy gay thriller for awhile now. This being marketed as “Scream” meets “Clueless” in a very queer way made me excited. The problem lies in the characters. Wow, did I not enjoy either Cole or Dearie. Both of these boys are so self centered they do not care about how they treat others, openly mocking and teasing their fellow queer club members and labeling them “flops”. While morally grey protagonists are nothing new, it felt like these two were actively trying to make the reader not like them. The selling point being the ending, and their reaction and almost joy of having to kill. We spend the whole book talking about how unhinged this killer is (rightfully so) to then celebrate a kill at the hands of the protagonist’s. The ending was a bit trifle as well, I would of preferred these two separate because wow do they need to be away from each other, but alas they speed off into the sunset together. If you’re just looking for a fave value thriller, this isn’t terrible in that respect. If you’re character driven, like myself, this one’s hard to get through

I really enjoyed this one. It was such a good quest YA mystery/thriller read. I highly suggest this one.

Great queer representation. But me in the mindframe of the scream films. Kept my attention throughout and was a fun read.

I really wanted to like this book. I adore a slasher and a queer led horror feels right up my alley, but I just struggled to get into it. I think the biggest thing is things don't happen fast enough to keep the heightened stakes feeling heightened, which is quintessential for a good slasher. The anticipation can build up too much and then the pay off really falls flat It was incrediblyrefreshing for this to not result in a the two best friends realize they are in love with a killer after them thing though. It was well written but the whole thing just dragged on for me a little too much

Your Lonely Nights are Over is the slasher novel that I can't wait to tell everybody about!!

This story is fun and gory, and it delivers on its promise of being the LGBTQIA+ Mean Girls and Scream crossover. This story follows the Sandman, a serial killer with a haunting calling card. A calling card that once received, signs your death warrant. As someone who personally believes that the comedy/tragedy masks are inherently terrifying, this story gave me the thrills and chills I wasn't expecting at first. I loved a masked killer and this story gave me twist after twist as I raced to finish it.

Adam Sass's writing style is one that grabs you quickly and doesn't let go until the very last page. Whether they want their readers to feel grief, happiness, or in this case terror, Sass takes you there! I promise you will be cheering, crying, frustrated all of the emotions as you read this novel. I don't want to say too much about this because these twists are ones that I never saw coming and I don't think readers will see them either. You won't see this ending coming until it's right BEHIND YOU!

Check this book out because you won't be disappointed!

Reminiscent of a Scream but for the gays and theys, this slasher/mystery is as full of sass as the author’s last name. The story is told from dual/BFF POVs. One is Cole, the resident “mean queen” with the confidence of someone twice his age—who’s also the prime suspect. The other is (Frankie) Dearie, the more internalized friend. But perhaps they are best described by Dearie: “Cole is a scuffed-up fist. I’m a glistening dagger.”

Not only was the dual POV masterfully handled, but the whodunnit aspect was gripping and the story was incredibly inclusive. With this book, you get sex-positive rep from all over the 🏳️‍🌈 spectrum, AND the mother figures all all represented as present, badass women who are detectives, doctors, moms who feed and teachers who provide safe spaces for queer kids.

Loved this book.

I was incredibly excited about this book. And I was not disappointed. On the contrary!
A queer Young Adult slasher - like the Scream series but make it gay.
Okay, maybe it was a no-brainer because: I love slashers, being an 80's kid's.
Also, Young Adult Slasher/Horror are currently on the rise and Adam contributes a contender for my written top spots. Because "Your lonely nights are over" really thrilled and convinced me. It has great, extremely likable characters that feel so refreshingly real and, most importantly, relatable. These characters weren't just written queer, they are queer through and through. So authentic and tangible. And I love it!
In addition to the characters, the typical YA themes of self-discovery, upcoming (college) move, relationships, and friendships were able to draw me in a lot.
Plus, there's the sass-y (see what I did there?) way the main characters in particular think and talk - and I was totally into that!
Of course, otherwise it wouldn't be a slasher, the murder elements don't come up short either. I could imagine that some (adult) reader could wish for more slash/horror, but personally I find it a successful mix for a Young Adult book. Adam mixed the important YA themes with queerness and slasher elements, so that in the end it was well rounded, exciting and extremely entertaining for me.
"Your lonely nights are over" is definitely already one of my queer book highlights of 2023. 🫶