3/5 stars

Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy!

What I liked about this book: the different characters, their backgrounds, and etc. I also like how they kind of questioned each other and why they are the way they are in their heads, it felt authentic for how a teenager would wonder about their friends to me.

The game and the way they had to beat the different challenges. Each challenge was a bit different and they didnt realize they were breaking the rules until later on and what the rule they were breaking was.

What I didn't love:
Something was missing about the characters for me, both in how they interacted with each other and alone. I feel like I was being told how they had this great bond more than I was shown. And in general they just kind of fell flat, I never really felt like I was rooting for them.

It wasn't really scary at all, even by YA horror standards in my opinion. It definitely has some horror elements but it didn't hit the mark.

I liked the book some, but not enough that it will really stick with me. I'd recommend if you're interested in dipping your toes into horror, but horror can be too scary for you

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 "𝙅𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙟𝙞 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙅𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚-𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙" 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙠𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.

I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this one. It’s not something I would typically pick up, but I found myself super engaged to the story.

Four years ago, five friends walk into a cave to play a game, but only four of those friends walk out…

This is a YA story, but I feel like each character was thoroughly developed. I was intrigued by all four of them: Madeline, Emerson, Owen, and Dax. We also get all four POVs!

This is definitely an intense horror-action story, and I can see why it’s being compared to Jumanji but Japanese-inspired. The book is disturbing and creepy. I was kept on the edge of my seat after finishing each chapter. I had to know what happened to the fifth friend and why he never came out.

I have not read anything like this horror fantasy book, but I had such a fun time reading it. There were a few twists thrown in that I didn’t see coming, and I surprisingly liked these characters. The ending was completely wild and compelling, I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tor Teen for the review copies in exchange for my honest review!

One of the most commendable aspects of this novel is its seamless incorporation of Japanese folklore. Kristen Simmons masterfully weaves together elements from the rich tapestry of Japanese myths and legends, creating an eerie and mesmerizing hellscape that transports readers into a world beyond imagination.

The integration of game theory in the plot is another standout feature of the book. As the characters face the deadly challenges, they are forced to apply their wits, strategize, and work as a team to overcome the life-threatening obstacles. The concept of a card-matching challenge with no instructions adds an element of mystery and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they try to decipher the rules alongside the characters. This creative use of game theory elevates the stakes and keeps the story fresh and unpredictable throughout.

"Where We Left Him Dead" also deserves applause for its portrayal of an asexual main character. In a literary landscape that often lacks diverse representation, the inclusion of an asexual protagonist is a refreshing and welcome change. Kristen Simmons has handled this aspect with sensitivity and authenticity, normalizing asexual experiences and shedding light on the significance of diverse identities within storytelling. The portrayal of each of the characters' personal journeys of self-realization in the midst of life-threatening challenges adds an extra layer of intricacy and relatability to their persona, making them all the more compelling and inspiring.

The book's exploration of the complexities of friendship and the evolution of relationships is another aspect that deserves praise. As the survivors grapple with their past and present conflicts, they are forced to confront their differences and learn to work together once more. The emotional depth in the character development is palpable, making the readers deeply invested in their struggles and triumphs.

"Where We Left Him Dead" is a mesmerizing and horrifying tale filled with suspense, mystery, heartbreak, and profound character arcs.

Everyone's saying it, but it's true: it's Japanese Jumanji. It's a high stakes, life and death game with a group of friends. It's fun and creepy and should be read more for entertainment and spooky fun rather than genuine horror, but a good summer spooky read

Thank you NetGally, TOR teen and Kristen Simmons for the ARC of Find him where you left him dead.

At first it was hard getting into the story and keeping the people straight. Once I got it straight and seeing the fractured friendships coming back together I got interested.

I will say some of the actual story was confusing bit overall the last 2 chapters brought it together. I did enjoy the book.

dnf’ed at 60%

when i picked this up in april i had really high hopes for it!

the amount of times me and my mum rewatch the jumanji movies is unhealthy so when i saw that this book was described as “jumanji but Japanese inspired” i was sold.

this book just wasn’t for me unfortunately. i felt like the pacing in some places lost my attention and when i put this book down, i didn’t pick it back up.

HOWEVER!! the writing was incredible and i do think that down the road i will try this book out again! it just wasn’t the right fit for me right now

I had a goo time reading this. The game and all the folklore and style of Japanese was interesting. It was scary but not so scary I couldn’t fall asleep. Gruesome and goosebumps giving this book will keep you on your toes, from the tension and also because it was a bit confusing at times.
Otherwise I liked it!
Thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this e-arc. All my opinions are my own.

I appreciated the idea of Find Him Where You Left Him Dead. It's a decent teen thriller and the connections to Japanese mythology were interesting. Of the 5 teen characters, I found Owen to be especially compelling but all of the others left me flat and I had to refresh my memory about their identities more than once. As the teens fall into the spirit world of Miedo they begin a quest to complete a sort of live action escape game with serious and gruesome consequences. I think that quite a few readers will enjoy the high gore factor that comes with some of the encounters with the oni, For myself, the book wasn't the page turner that I had been hoping for.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a bit ghost and horror person, but I am a big mythology person. This walks that line deftly. It's creepy and unsettling, but not in a way that left me needing to sleep with a baseball bat or anything. Four friends are drawn back to finish a game in a cave where they thought a friend died years ago. It's a journey through an underworld, with twists, turns, and lots of riddles. I don't try to guess my way through mysteries, and definitely didn't see the various game-changers in this one, but they still all made sense after each twist. Really excited to see more.

I enjoyed reading this book since I felt that I was constantly hooked throughout the entire novel by the action. The trials the four main characters went through were exciting and difficult to predict which made them more interesting. One thing I liked was the amount of effort the author put forth throughout the entire novel to develop the relationships between each character. One way this was done by the author, was by having a different character narrate each chapter in order to tell things from their perspective which changed how a reader interpreted their character. However the book has a strong element of gore and violence which I thought was sometimes overdone. There definitely were sections that were more horror themed which I didn’t like reading as much and could be something that wouldn’t be engaging to other readers. There is also profanity used throughout the novel that could be inappropriate for younger readers. Overall I enjoyed this book and felt that I couldn’t put it down once I started due to the well written social interactions and adventures.

This book has been described as Jumanji meets I Know What You Did Last Summer and based on Japanese folklore - I was sold! Being catch in a game with life and death stakes is a common trope but one that I really enjoyed, especially when done well and I think this one is done well. Weaving Japanese mythology into the gameplay added a unique dimension to the storyline that I really enjoyed. I didn't realize this was the first part of a duology going into this but the ending definitely leaves room for more - I will be definitely be picking up that "more" when it comes out! A fun YA horror book that I would definitely recommend to fans of the genre. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Five characters haunted by the past, forced to revisit their worst nightmare four years later by reuniting. A combination of the Shining and a darker Jumanji, they fall into a dangerous game where they are forced to deal with the consequences of their actions and lies. It was entertaining, but there were a lot of characters to keep up with and the game had a lot going on to pay attention to.

This book is probably my favorite of this year. So much yokai folklore and unexpected bits that made this book a hard one to put down. All I'll say is, there better be more in the future and I'll definitely be reading if so!

I’m sad wrote a less than stellar review on this one. I fan girl over this author!! I also only try to request books from NetGalley that I expect to enjoy. Unfortunately, this did not fall into that category.

As others have written, this has a jumanji feel to it. Honestly, I was glad for that reference to at least ground me in the chaos. Often, the mayhem of the scene was not just written to convey chaos but jumped around and added so much so fast that it didn’t create a coherent picture. Like the character is walking through mud, has eels wrapping around their feet, statues falling on them, bat creatures swooping down, earthquakes happening, time running out allllll at the same time and it’s just too much!

Another challenge for me as a reader was some of the cultural words that were used but not explained enough. Some also read as similar, with just a couple letters difference so it was confusing. I appreciate that it’s pulling in Japanese folklore but I didn’t understand the referenced “monsters” enough to really appreciate that aspect.

The characters were tropes. Where Simmons has wowed me in the past with well developed, morally complex protagonists, each of the main characters in fhwylhd was underdeveloped, as were the labile relationships that went from friends to not friends and back with little depth of rationale.

I will not be recommending this book but would still direct people to read the Article 5 trilogy.

I really enjoyed this one. I don't agree with the "Japanese jumanji" comments completely. It takes place in a game, and all of the folklore is Japanese. The style of storytelling is a lot of fun, but it was very different from jumanji. It's YA.

There isn't a whole lot of character development or background for the characters, but I wasn't really expecting there to be. It was a fun, easy read. I would recommend if you're interested in Japanese folklore and enjoy adventure stories. The plot twists definitely pulled on my heart strings a bit. I would read a second novel.

This was the most fun I have had reading a book in a long time!

Five friends play a Japanese card game found in an empty cave. Only four return home. four years later the friends are drawn together again to complete the game.

This book started off with a bang and never stopped. The opening chapters were great establishing the characters and letting us get to know them a bit before the action started in earnest.

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to hear more from this author!

Horror, fantasy, mythology, thriller, paranormal, sci-fi and easy to read! All my favorites in one book? This book starts off with a mystery to solve and spookiness right away. I loved the camp feel of this book. The games kind of reminded me of "alice in borderland". I was interested and never was putting the book down. I got invested in each persons story and view. There was even a little bit of romance. I love the way the mythology was woven into this story but it did not beat you over the head with it. I found it creepy, fun, and i loved the sci fi bits as well made more content in the story to dive into. I really enjoyed this journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead (a mouthful of a name) was a decent book. Four years ago, five kids went into a cave - but only 4 came out, and now, years later, when they are haunted by the ghost of the boy they left behind, they must venture back into that cave to finish the game they played all those years ago and find their friend.

This book was set up to be a horror, but to be honest, there was nothing particularly scary about it. There were several scenes where I could sense that it was supposed to be creepy, but fell short of actually creeping me out. Mostly, I was interested in the lore of the book and was intrigued to see how each "challenge" played out. Admittedly, the challenges themselves didn't feel very high stakes to me - maybe I was a little disengaged, maybe it was the third-person POVs constantly switching, but I found it hard to be very invested in any of the characters in particular. As a group, I did want them to succeed but didn't root for any single one of them.

I did enjoy Kristen Simmon's past series, Article 5, and while this wasn't my fave book of 2023, it was a decent read, and I'd be interested to read more from Simmons.

This wasn't scary. Not even in the slightest. And I'm disappointed with that the most, I think. I'm also upset with the Mythology in the book- I felt that the take on some of the creatures was so plain- the Tengu were portrayed simply as giant birds...

I did enjoy the first few chapters were each character was plagued with a paranormal experience- that was exciting and I thought it set a fast pace for the book. But it seemed slow down when the friends all met again. Literally sinking into the Underworld of Meido should have been where the book really took off! But I could not for the LIFE of me read more than a few sentences at a time.
And I feel that all came down to the writing style. What was happening could have been exciting and horrifying. But the description felt clumsy and jumbled to me. Then in other parts, bland and underdeveloped.
So... I was pretty disappointed 😞

This was an interesting read. At first, I wasn't sure I liked the book. I remember reading the premise and loving it so I was really excited to start this. However, for some reason, it took me a bit to really get into the story and actually start to care for the characters. In the beginning, I really didn't like them, but in the end I am so glad I stuck with it. There were some major twists I did NOT see coming. This review probably would have had a lower rating if it wasn't for the last half of the book. I promise, the ending is wild and so so compelling. This was my first Kristen Simmons novel but she definitely gained me as a fan after reading this book.