Member Reviews
A twisty take on a common rural, autumnal sight--the corn maize--that's both terrifying and heartfelt. Teen readers will appreciate the reflections on healing from traumatic relationships, hopefully gaining tools on how to support their friends and themselves.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
What Stalks Among Us was not the book I was expecting - I do recommend checking the trigger warnings before diving in, because I went into this book expecting to read a campy thriller about two teens stuck in a corn maze, and was (pleasantly) surprised by the very emotional turn it took. I think a lot of people will relate to the main message of this story, and beyond being a super fun thriller, it really packs an emotional punch right to the jugular.
I highly recommend this book.
If you like the die, resurrect, repeat style of Edge of Tomorrow and the creepiness of being stuck in a field like In the Tall Grass, this is for you. It also has representations of ADHD, anxiety, bisexuality, PTSD from trauma, and fat rep. However, if you're someone who's triggered by mentions of past abuse or don't like books that have very internal MCs, this may not be for you.
Ultimately, I like the concept of this book and the theme it represents. It sends a message that it does take time o get out of our old loops--both in a messed up cornfield and in abusive relationships (friends, partners, etc.). I also like the focus that sometimes finding "your person" isn't about romance, but the person (Logan, in this case), who gives you peace. Who understands.
However, even though I have an anxiety disorder, have experienced abuse at the hands of a partner, and am on the plus-sized spectrum, it was hard to relate to the main character and really "see" the maze in my mind's eye in the first 20-25% of the book. As other people have pointed out, there are areas that jump back and forth in time, like the epilogue, that's a little hard to follow at first.
Highschool seniors Sadie and Logan skip their class trip to a theme park to take a drive to enjoy the wide open sky of Brown County, one of their favorite pastimes. However; what they don't expect to find is a corn maze that seems to have appeared out of nowhere..... in May. As if that weren't creepy enough, upon entering the maze they come across multiple corpses of themselves and quickly realize that they are trapped in a nightmare.
This needs to be on everyone's tbr for spooky season. My anxiety was all over the place reading this and I still devoured this in 24 hours. It constantly kept me on my toes and trying to guess not only how they kept dying but how they are to get out IF that is even an option. This story was brought full circle and I enjoyed every second. I think this a great YA horror that also tackles topics such as domestic abuse (other than physical), fatphobia, biphobia, grief, ADHD and the importance of friendship. I would just like to say that Sadie and Logan were not scared enough for me lol! Like you guys are finding several corpses of yourselves, this maze has rooms that will assist or work against you, you're trapped and oh yeah did I mention FINDING SEVERAL CORPSES OF YOURSELVES!! I would have fainted SEVERAL times from all the twists and turns if I were them.
I went into the story thinking I had it all figured out, but boy was I wrong. My absolute favorite part of the story was Sadie and Logan's friendship. We all could use a friend like Logan to remind us that we're loved and matter. The only thing I did not care for was the constant NPC style thoughts of the main character. The first time was funny, but every time after that was annoying. Then after doing it several times the characters compares the maze to a video game -___- like no thank you. Also due to the trippiness of the maze some things were a little repetitive. Other than that this was a really good story that I'd recommend to anyone who is a fan of horror with plenty of twists and likeable characters.
A very big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher HarperCollins Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
**4.5**
When Sadie and Logan decide to skip the waterpark and cut school they go to Brown County and find a cornstalk maze and despite it being late fall and not the time for corn they go to investigate it anyway. They continuously run upon Logan‘s dead body who at first they think is a corpse then they run into a girl who’s been there since 1932 they find a room with peoples items that they’ve left behind but it is the girl from 1932 who teaches them the most about the maze. She is even the one who inadvertently introduces them to the corn monster. All Sadie wants to do is for her and Logan to get out of this maze but from what they find throughout their mini loops to the same identical rooms is that they been there a very long time but will they get out that is a question. This is one of the strangest books I have ever read I love teen horror stories but cannot decide if I love this book or I hate it it was a lot of repetition with only slight differences I think visually this would be a great movie but as a book I DK. I didn’t Haidet just don’t know if I love that it is a definite book I recommend in a solid three star read it’s not a four but I definite three. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
This was a really fun (and trippy) ride. Sadie and Logan forgo their school's fieldtrip to explore Brown County (a super rural area) and they end up at a corn maze that is fully grown even though it is out of season. Then they find a *dead body* that they assume at first is just a mannequin or a prop. But, then they realize the dead body is actually the body of one of the two exploring teens! (All of this happens in the first and second chapters, by the way). This was super trippy and timey-wimey and fast paced. After their discovery, the maze gets even wilder with doors appearing and new turns and crazy events. I read this so, so quickly and yearned for more even after it was done. I am so excited for my library to get physical copies of this--I just know our teens will absolutely eat this up, and I am always super excited to introduce great YA horror to the collection!
This book was just SO COOL. I went into this expecting a super triply mind fuck and I was not disappointed. Two teenagers skip school to explore Brown County, a county so rural that no area is populated enough to even be called a town. They find a corn maze that’s fully grown, which isn’t possible because it isn’t fall. They go inside to explore, finding that things have been set up for visitors, even bales of hay strewn about for people to sit on and rest. They stumble across a dead body that they assume is a mannequin prop, only to find that it is the body of one of the two, very alive teenagers. And this all happens before you even get to the second chapter!
The maze gets even trippier from there, with mysterious doors appearing out of nowhere, and even ghosts. You never know what to expect next. Every time they take a new turn down the maze or enter a new passageway, something random and crazy happens. This book keeps you on your toes and is the definition of a page turner. If you’re like me and you get bored easily with books, this is the kind of page turner you need. This book is scary, claustrophobic, and will keep you guessing. I genuinely didn’t know how they were gonna get out of this. This was so imaginative!
For Netgalley reviewers, the epilogue is a bit confusing because they mixed up the order of the paragraphs. It took me a while to figure out why it didn’t make sense but eventually I figured out the passages were out of order. If it doesn’t make sense, that’s why.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
I'm a little torn on my rating, but since it's not a book I'd read again, I didn't feel I could rate it higher.
That being said, it's actually a really intriguing and trippy story! The psychological mind trip is real and often cringe worthy, which tends to be something missing in YA horror.
But, it became a bit repetitive towards the end.
4.5 stars!
This book follows Sadie and Logan who end up skipping their school field trip and end up at a corn maze. Without going into too much detail there is corpses, time that seemingly doesn't exist in the maze, and maybe some trauma. I think there were topic that were handled very well in this book, which I really liked. Definitely look up trigger warning if you feel like you need too!
Thank you for the ARC.
Sadie and Logan. Characters just spot on for middle school and even high school readers. Corn maze are legendary for the funny and all the mystery inside of them. This book changes some of your perspectives and definitely expresses many emotions.
It is written for a YA audience, I believe anyone with adventure, can and will enjoy this book.
I just reviewed What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell. #WhatStalksAmongUs #NetGalley
You will never catch me in a corn maze again. I was already afraid of them, but this book just sealed the deal. I was so shaken throughout this book. It builds tension so well and truly feels claustrophobic at times. It handles the heavy themes and the lighter moments with ease. Absolutely recommend for anyone scared of corn mazes. (And even those who aren't.)
The POV had a strong presence that was quite unique; it took me a little while to get used to it, but eventually I cane to love their perspective which made this story all the better. Creepy, eerie, with lots of thrills and chills. And excellent YA.
I really enjoyed What Stalks Among Us. While the corn maze was creepy, and I desperately wanted to know if Sadie and Logan made it out, my favorite parts were a little heavier. The topics of trauma, abusive relationships, self-doubt, and grief were really well done. I loved Sadie and Logan's friendship and how well they were each fleshed out.This will be a great book for readers to kick off the fall season with!
Unfortunately I had to DNF this after 100 or so pages. Nothing against the book, it just wasn't for me. I found the prose and plotting a little difficult to get into and the mystery didn't gripe me in the way I wanted it to. I think for younger audiences who aren't as well versed in the mystery/horror genre will love this book however.
Nice and creepy, with a great setting and likeable characters. It tackled many important topics as well. There were a few aspects I wasn't a huge fan of, but other than that, it's a recommendable book.
This is one of the best books I've read in a while. This is the story about two friends, Sadie and Logan, who skip a school field trip and go on a drive together. They end up in a corn maze and find several corpses of themselves. They get trapped in the maze and have to work together to find a way out. Along the way, they find other corpses and ID that match the bodies, along with a living person. Time doesn't exist in the maze. This is a young adult horror book that explores topics such as fatphobia, biphobia, friendship, and trauma. There are some pop culture references in this book that are engaging for teenagers and adults.
The corn maze is a symbol for trauma, which I think is so creative. Be aware that this book contains body horror and A LOT of self harm. Self harm is used in many scenes to navigate the maze and there is one scene where Sadie dies from a result of self harm.
This was surprised good. Most YA books don't really pull me in but this ended up being better than I thought. It was super eerie and unsettling, something about corn mazes just freak me out. But I thought this was a good book, perfect for spooky season.