dnf at 45%. i just couldn’t care for the story of the characters. maybe i’m not in the right mood or the book simply isn’t for me but it’s a big meh on my part

I thought this was so fun! It reminds me of Scooby doo, with ghosts and comedy and heart. It really has a lot of heart to it, and I loved the cast of characters and their interactions. I think all of the characters are quite likeable and interesting, but I honestly loved them most when they were interacting. This book is spooky and haunted, and the setting is so well written. Definitely a good read for spooky season.

Holy hell here I go!
1 adored the characters in this book. Absolutely, positively adored them.
Each one had their own unique personality, with a gothic main character who has stared death in the eyes and being set in small town America with a vintage 1950's vibe.. it seriously can't get any better!
But somehow it does; we add in a sprinkle of generational trauma, a healthy dump of paranormal themes (including a vengeful witch and lost ghost boy), and finally top it off with one of the most adorable sapphic relationships I've ever read. You get this fantastic work of art.
Olives character development, Maren's integrity and willingness to make amends, Davis' loyalty and Vanessa's character arc? Chefs kiss!
Not to mention the way Olive manages to set aside both her grudge for the towns "local villain," the descendant of a man who exploited the poor to make a profit and hid their untimely deaths, Maren, and surpass her fear of death to fall in love...I can't! They could not be any more perfect for each other.
A small side note I have to add; I'm hard of hearing, use a hearing aid in my day-to-day life. Although I don't use sign language, it's always a welcome inclusion in any book I read. It fills me with joy seeing a character use it to communicate.

I absolutely loved Here Lies Olive.
It was just the right amount of spooky to get me into the Halloween spirit.
White Haven was such a fun setting. I could easily picture the characters, and loved their journey.
I loved olives journey, and felt for her and how she so desperately wanted to know what comes after death. And realizing you need to darkness in order to see the light.
I loved her journey of self discovery, and building the relationship with Davis again and Maren for the first time.
Some reveals at the end had my head spinning. It was such a fun and spooky read!

Top 5 Reasons to Read

1. Every once in a while, a book just hits right for the season in which you're reading it. This year for me, it's this book -- it's absolutely perfect for spooky season! This book is not just spooky and creepy, but downright scary in parts.

2. Just look at that stunning cover! It's got everything -- the ribbons, the candles, the gravestones that Olive's dad carves! It's absolutely perfect.

3. The book is a great exploration of existential dread, from a teenage point of view. Ever since Olive's near-death experience from an allergic reaction, where her heart stopped for five minutes, she's been terrified of the Nothing she believes awaits her in the afterlife.

4. Olive lives in *the* cutest little town, where I'd absolutely love to live myself! I love it when the setting becomes a character itself, and White Haven does that here.

5. Here Lies Olive is a tender examination of a girl's awakening sexual attraction, in this case to another girl. And it's enemies to lovers, which is absolutely my favorite romantic trope!

Thanks so much to the publisher and author for an early e-copy of the book, and to TBR and Beyond Tours for having me on the tour!

this was amazing, not a 5 star but still good regardless, I liked it a lot

thank you netgalley for the arc

Dnf @ 50%

Thank you to netgalley and flux for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This started off as what seemed to be the perfect read for spooky season, but the writing, plot and characters were very inconsistent. At times the writing was beautiful and held depth and at other times I felt like the plot was pulling at strings, attempting to pull itself together.

The overall premise was intriguing, asking the question: what happens after you die? It made a lot of important commentary on life and death and what lies in between but this just wasn’t enough to save this book for me.

The twists were predictable and the one I didn’t see coming was basically revealed in a game of truth or dare. Rather than hinted at, it almost entirely revealed itself leaving me wishing that particular scene had been cut completely.

I felt like the characters back tracked a lot, and their feelings toward each other switched back and forth much too quickly leaving me struggling to figure out their true feelings and intentions.

Perhaps this book was just meant for a much younger audience than me, but i felt like some of the scenes delving into death and blood may be too much for some younger readers.

While I loved the paranormal aspects the references to some of my favorite pop punk bands and the lgbt rep, the bad still outweighed the good.


I do think there are people who will highly enjoy this book, especially with its release right in the prime of spooky season, but it just wasn’t for me.

I really love when spooky books get published in October. It feels right to read something eery and paranormal during October. It brings me memories of being younger and curling under the covers during the scary season. Here lies Olive is perfect for this season.

I think it’s so human to consider death, not even in a morbid way. Everyone dies, it’s normal to wonder what exists after or if there even if is an after. I loved how that was portrayed in this book and how Olive handles it.

Overall, this was a lovely frightening book. I’m a big baby and this did give me creeps where the creeps were due. I enjoyed the friendship and relationships aspects that we see in this story. I would’ve liked the pacing to be a more consistent but other than that a solid October book.

Thanks to North Star Editions and Netgalley for this copy.

Here Lies Olive follows teenager Olive Morana as she struggles with a very hard question 'Is there anything after death?' after her own brush with it. What follows is a story of summoning spirits, revenge, and digging up skeletons that some in the town of White Haven would rather stay buried.

This story was good, my biggest issue is that there were some parts that felt just a bit plodding, but when things start to come together, holy jeez do they come together. The atmosphere is spooky and Olive's journey is bittersweet as she reconnects with friends, falls in love, and struggles with these connections among the fear and pain of losing someone.

I am a sucker for stories about grief and this one was beautiful, touching not just on mourning people who have died but also mourning the people we used to be before something traumatic happens, but also how difficult and rewarding it is to open oneself back up again. This was a very cathartic read on that front. In terms of spookiness, Seymour house was properly creepy but the true horror of people having enough money to do whatever they want and get away with it was *chef's kiss*. There were plenty of hints at who the true culprit was and it felt like a reward in how it culminated in the final standoff.

I absolutely hated the protagonist from page one -- she very much felt like a teen written for an even younger, maybe middle-grade, audience, and spoke in a very Disney Channel way that was both cloying and unrealistic. There was minimal plot to speak of, other than a forced and drawn-out romance, and I would barely consider this horror.

I think the premise was promising but not my favorite. Kind of typical In a way for these books where they summon a ghost and then bad things happen

ENGLISH

The first thing that appealed to me about the book was that it was scary and it had lesbian representation. And we like a good scary story with lesbians hehe.

The main character, Olive, had a near-death experience, in fact she was dead for a few minutes, due to an allergy. Yet she lives fearing there is nothing after death. She has been pushing people away for years because she doesn't want to allow herself to love anyone as she doesn't see the point if they are all going to die anyway. One night, together with his former best friend Davis and Vanessa, a new girl who has just arrived in town, they decide to explore an abandoned part of the city. They go to the most "haunted" place in town: the Seymour Asylum, an institution that used to bring together poor, disabled, troubled people... and Olive performs a ritual to summon a ghost, to put an end to her doubt as to whether there is something after death or if it is indeed nothingness. . The summoned ghost turns out to be Jay, who died there over 100 years ago. But things get messy. The problem was that Jay didn't even know he was dead and now they have to help him cross over to the other side, both for his sake, otherwise he will become a shadow that haunts the living, and for Olive, who needs to put an end to her fears.

From here on, it is a series of investigations and quests to find Jay's grave and put Jay's unfinished business to rest. The problem is that suddenly her high school classmates start being attacked by someone who is becoming a shadow. Olive asks for help from Maren, who she describes as her arch nemesis but after spending time together we see things change.

I thought the book was good overall. As a Halloween read it's not bad because there were quite a few things that could be considered spooky that I thought were pretty well told. The first scene I read that was a bit scary and I wasn't expecting that at all so I was pleasantly surprised. But I think that some things were very obvious and although they tried to play with misdirection, they didn't succeed since everything was quite clear.

On the subject of relationships, the truth is that I saw very little development. I would have liked to see more depth because at times we focused on things that were a bit repetitive and could have been shortened.

Although in my opinion it lacks a couple of things, I like the author's style and I think she can play very well with the tense situations and the moments of anguish, which for a scary novel is very good.

-ALI

SPANISH

Lo primero que me llamó de este libro es que era de miedo y era con bolleras. Y nos gusta una buena historia de miedo con bolleras jeje. La temática de Halloween parecía interesante. La protagonista, Olive, tuvo una experiencia cercana a la muerte, de hecho estuvo muerta unos minutos debido a una alergia, y vive con miedo de que no haya nada después de la muerte. Lleva años alejando a la gente porque no quiere permitirse querer a nadie ya que no le ve el sentido. Una noche, junto a su, anteriormente, mejor amigo Davis y Vanessa, una chica nueva que acaba de llegar al pueblo, deciden ir a explorar un lugar abandonado de la ciudad.

Van al sitio más “encantado» que puede haber en el pueblo: el asilo Seymour, una institución que reunía a la gente pobre, incapacitada, con problemas… y Olive realiza un ritual para invocar a un fantasma, Jay, que murió en el asilo hace más de 100 años, para poner fin a su duda de si hay algo después de la muerte o si efectivamente es la Nada. Pero la cosa se lía. Resulta que Jay no sabía ni que estaba muerto y ahora tienen que ayudarlo a cruzar al otro lado, tanto por su bien, ya que si no se convertirá en una sombra que acecha a los vivos; como por Olive, que necesita poner punto y final a sus miedos.

A partir de aquí es una serie de investigaciones y búsquedas para poder encontrar la tumba de Jay y poner fin a sus asuntos pendientes para que pueda descansar en paz. El problema es, que de repente sus compañeros de instituto empiezan a ser atacados por alguien que presumiblemente es Jay, convirtiéndose en una sombra. Olive pide ayuda a Maren, a quién califica de su archienemiga pero tras pasar tiempo juntas vemos que la cosa va cambian, porque ella es la última descendiente de la familia Seymour.

Creo que el libro en general ha estado bien. Como lectura de Halloween no está mal porque ha habido bastantes cosas que se podrían considerar tenebrosas y que creo que estaban bastante bien contadas. La primera escena que leí que daba un poco de miedito no me la esperaba para nada y me dejó gratamente sorprendida. Pero creo que algunas cosas eran muy evidentes y aunque se ha intentado jugar con el despiste, no se ha terminado de conseguir porque todo estaba bastante claro. En el tema relaciones, la verdad que he visto muy poquito desarrollo y me hubiera gustado que se profundizara más porque a ratos nos centrábamos en cosas que eran un poco repetitivas y que podrían haberse acortado.

A pesar de que en mi opinión le faltan un par de cosas, me gusta el estilo de la autora y creo que puede jugar muy bien con las situaciones tensas y los momentos de angustia, lo cuál para una novela de miedo viene muy bien.

-ALI

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🕯️𖤐 🪦🌕🎀

Here Lies Olive is the perfect book if you want Wednesday, Hocas Pocas, Nancy Drew, and (early-seasons) Riverdale vibes. I loved this YA horror story, just in time for Halloween.

Here Lies Olive follows our main character Olive, who after having a brush with death spirals into a dark, self-isolation hole wondering what the point of life is if there is nothing afterwards. All she wants is answers and what exactly happens after death, especially after seeing the one and only person she let in after the "Nothing," Mrs. H dies, and she sees the light in her eyes and recalls her calling for her Mom. She wants answers so badly that she tries to conjure the spirit of Mrs. H in an old abandoned and haunted asylum, Seymour House.

After weird things start to happen, she and her group of friends, including her ex-best friend, his girlfriend and new friend Vanessa, her nemesis/maybe crush Maren, and Jay the friendly ghost, band together to help figure everything out about Seymour House and help Jay cross over.

It's such a great plot, that even though I think I figured it out halfway through, I was still intrigued to finish and and find out the secrets. And I loved it. Not only was there a great plot, but Olive's self-journey and realizing that there is more to living than just living until there is Nothing was beautifully written. I loved her realization that she had feelings for her nemesis, and how she went about them. It's wholesome and cute.

This was a great debut by Kate Anderson, and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

Thanks to Netgalley and Flux for a copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.

Ever since Olive returned from the dead two years ago, she has been plagued by the idea of the Nothing that almost consumed her. And now that her beloved pseudo-grandmother also died in Olive’s presence nine months ago, it seems that Olive has the Nothing on her mind more than ever before. As Halloween draws nearer and a new student reunites an old friendship, Olive is determined to find a real ghost to get the answers to her questions about what lies beyond in order to finally move forward with living. Luckily, by residing in a paranormal-friendly town like White Haven, New Mexico, there are myriad places where Olive can look.

This first person, present-tense story invites readers into Olive’s mind from the first pages. Beautifully descriptive writing is satisfyingly juxtaposed against Olive’s more contrarian nature to showcase the fact that even though the idea of death overwhelms Olive on most occasions, she still has a great deal to live for. Olive is unapologetically herself, embracing the stereotypical behaviors of the “basic white girl” in autumn as well as her general lack of feelings, romantic or otherwise. It is perhaps because of this otherwise overt self-acceptance that she generates the most sympathy for her hidden mental struggles with the inevitability of death.

Young adult readers will recognize many of the character tropes that find their way into Olive’s high school experience, including the popular table, the know-it-all, and the way schools have of ostracizing students who have not grown up together. All this gives the novel a feel similar to that of a Halloween teen movie on one side, while Olive battles her inner demons on the other. Anyone who has ever had a brush with death will recognize some of Olive’s more complicated emotions, and as Olive gets closer to her goal, the narrative’s entry into the realm of fear and ghosts speaks to readers in an additional way. This is an enjoyable tale for young adult readers, especially in anticipation of the Halloween holiday.

Thanks to NetGalley and North Star Edition for providing me with an ARC in exchange for honest feedback!

This was such a great read. The scenes are described so vividly even my borderline aphantasiac ass could have a movie running in my head as I was reading. Sometimes I'd find myself feeling too old for the teen angst bullshit but ultimately I had to appreciate how authentic all of it was. at no point did the writing make me go "a teenager wouldn't fucking say that" and frankly that's a solid accomplishment. The best description I can provide for the narrative voice is "as if it was narrated by Veronica Sawyer from Heathers".

I'm glad to live in a time where a YA book will make a Mean Girls reference.
Perhaps the only thing I have to criticize is that I fundamentally disagree with Olive's world view. But then, the whole point of the book is that it changes so it's not even that much of a problem. It's just that try as I might I couldn't empathize with her on this topic.

A perfect Halloween read, this book was quite the wild ride!

It started like any typical Disney Channel Halloween Movie: the high school drama, the Halloween obsessed town, the girl who wants to conjure a ghost. It drew me into a false sense of security and then slowly got darker and darker as the book went on. By the end of the book, I felt like I was in a horror movie, reading as fast as I could to find out what happened next and make sure my favorite characters were ok.

If you’re looking for those spooky vibes this fall, this is definitely worth checking out!

"Here Lies Olive" by Kate Anderson marks her debut into the world of literature. This Young Adult thriller weaves an eerie tapestry of spine-tingling elements, making it a perfect literary companion for the Halloween season.

The narrative centers around Olive, who had a near-death encounter two years ago. This profound experience led her to retreat from society, pondering the enigma of what lies beyond death. Is it a vast void of Nothing, a sea of eternal blackness in which we all drift? Her quest for answers leads her to embark on a remarkable journey as she resolves to commune with a spirit.

I found myself captivated by the story, engrossed enough to devour it in a mere two days. The book delves into weighty themes such as the loss of loved ones and the accompanying grief. I believe it's crucial for the younger generation to confront and explore the darker facets of life, including death and the profound sorrow it brings.

The author's writing style is a true marvel, effortlessly drawing readers into the narrative, a quality I always appreciate. The characters are endearing, and the transformation of the queer characters from “enemies to lovers” (a favorite trope!) was beautifully executed within the story.

My sole issue is with the somewhat predictable nature of the story's antagonist within the ensemble of characters. Sadly, I can't get into specifics to avoid spoilers, but I do wish for a more surprising twist, as the eventual revelation didn't truly qualify as a plot twist.

All in all, Kate Anderson's debut is a solid and immensely enjoyable piece of literature, marking a promising start to what I hope will be a distinguished writing career.

Here Lies Olive Will be published on October 24, 2023

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers North Star Editions and Flux for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review
4/5 star

I really struggled to read this one!
Initially the cover and the synopsis sounded like it was going to be right up my alley. Paranormal in a cozy town with a spooky fall vibes!
The characters and the story don’t feel fully developed. I would be reading a paragraph and be so confused as to what was happening that I would have to go back a re-read a lot.
I feel like there were so many social issues mentioned in the story that didn’t really fit, they were just thrown in at random time's with no real reason for them to be in the story or at least weren’t incorporated well enough for it to make sense.
Never felt connected to any character or felt like the characters had any real connection to each other.
Jay’s character ended up being my favorite part of the book, and the parts where he was involved were the most enjoyable and felt more developed!
The ideas for this book were so fun, it just missed the mark.
Thank you North Star Editions and NetGalley for this ARC!

I'm going to start with the negatives first. Olive, and the other characters, were quite one dimensional. Olive was predictable and slightly annoying. There were so many instances that the characters felt too cartoonish for the moments that they found themselves in. Character ARCs felt forced and stereotypical. That being said, it was a fun read and it did have some things to say as well. I feel like this is more of a middle grade, but it's marketed as YA.