Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
I had a lot of fun with this short and nasty book. You'll meet some of the most frightening middle schoolers ever. I read the book in two settings and found it compulsively readable. This is a pretty impressive first novel. 3.75 stars, rounded up.

When i started the book I was like, wtf???? But than i reached the end of the book and i was like, wtf???? It was a good fvcking book for sure!

Young girl saves young boy, killing friends in the process.
It's a great hook and honestly a decent read if not a bit lacking.
Everything fell apart dramatically in the last chapter or so and I felt like it could have ended better.
Charm is telling her version of events, confident Billy will stick to his. Only Billy doesn't and all hell breaks loose.
I would have liked this more if they had discovered Charm was a descendant of the Bender family and essentially got away with almost murder and murder via self-defense, leading to an epilogue of her in a new town possibly finding a new victim.
Nowhere did it indicate Charm was behind the whole thing and it was this revelation that sent the book into the stratosphere for me. I enjoyed it up until this point. It sadly missed it's potential.
I received a copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

Well, this was mind-boggling! I couldn’t stop reading, the writing was so good, and the story as well. So many things happening and the twists all the way just made my head turn from left to right. Highly recommended! Thanks for the author Netgalley for allowing me to read this book!

You never ever mess with the occult, and this group of teenagers learn that the hard way. The devil will never give you what it promised. And the poor boy that is sacrificed is about to have his life changed forever.

gaslight gatekeep girlboss, charm did no wrong in my eyes

initially, it was momentarily hard to keep up with the story and i was pretty bored until 30%. being a short story, the events were structured in a detailed yet concise way but didn’t hook me until the girls were actually going through with the murder

the illustrations at the beginning of each part were so pretty and the overall structure of the book was well-thought and laid out.

the ‘plottwist’ was one i guessed from the beginning and wasn’t expanded on, and seemed to be thrown in for the shock factor. however, the style of the writing made it impactful nevertheless. truly a superb debut novel.

Wow… just, WOW!! I was always told you can’t judge a book by it’s cover but in this case, I’m so glad I took the chance! AMAZING

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this arc.

4 stars / 5 stars

Things I loved:
Had me hooked from the start
The ending shocked me
Loved the murder, blood and gore.
Loved that it was a quick read
Love the dark academia vibe

2.5⭐️

Best friends Charm and Maggie-Lynn have always been obsessed with serial killers. It’s something that they have kept secret knowing that it would take the right person to be the third person on their group. That’s why Maggie-Lynn is so excited when she meets Tildra. Tildra has a goal to be a serial killer and she knows just how to do it and not get caught.

Charm ends up baking out of the plan at the last minute and saves her classmate, Billy. Everyone thinks she’s a hero. But as she tells her story to law enforcement, not everything adds up to Tildra being a criminal mastermind.

…Right. This is a middle-grade/YA book that focuses on middle schoolers performing a ritual sacrifice. And it very much reads as if it was written by a hyperactive middle schooler. Charm is supposed to be an unreliable narrator, but for the most part this felt like when a kid tells you a story full of “and then this happened and then this happened.” The incompetent cops, Charm’s father in general, and the backstory of Charm’s grandma were just a few things that were so over the top it felt like a parody.

I’m pretty sure this is supposed to be based off the girls who tried to sacrifice their classmate to Slenderman a few years ago. I think theirs a fine line for true crime fans between being serial killer obsessed and being so anxious about the world they assume everyone is going to kill them. The girls in this came across as an over the top version of the former.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC to me.

I thought it was okay, it's a relatively short book and for me that was totally okay, as I would've DNF it if it was longer.
I did like the plot twists and the illustrations, though.

Thanks to Ryan M. Howard and NetGalley for the opportunity to review Violent Nights. I’m honestly surprised that the book was not longer, it was well written and had three compelling young girls that decided they wanted to take their love for true crime to the next level. Our main character Charm is our narrator and we have the story told to us primarily through her eyes. Initially this seems reasonable although it doesn’t take long before we realize she is still not being completely honest. I think the interaction between the girls and their captive victim Billy all play a tad farcical but not too badly when taken with the fact that these girls are only 12-13 years old. I don’t think I would recommend it for that age group because it does get a bit intense at times but certainly young adult and older adults will enjoy the feel of a beginner slasher in the making style book.

This was a fast-paced thriller/horror book that grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go. If you are looking for a quick read that will keep you guessing with an ending that is truly undescribable, this book is for you!

Three teen girls are obsessed with murder, serial killers, and the occult. All have dreams of some day being involved in killing someone. How will this plan work out for them? Find out for yourself!

So much going on and I could not look away!

From page one I got major "The Craft" vibes randomly throughout the story and was drawn in. I did not want to stop reading until I found out what happened. There was blood, gore, murder, and a twist I did not see coming. The writing was great and kept me on my toes and as I tried to figure out a bloody "who done it" scenario.

It was a quick read, but one that was interesting from the first page. There was something going on during every part and chapter, and I was not bored with the story, nor did I feel it was drawn out with too much detail. It was to the point and captures the readers' attention.

Overall I was very pleased, shocked, and yearning for more!!

I couldn’t but the book down that’s how good it was. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book.

A trio of middle schoolers forms a sinister secret society. Their first order of business? Ritual sacrifice, of course.

This was really fun. Perfect for fans of horror a la Stephen King. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys horror or thrillers.

This was quite literally ONE HAIR-RAISING HELL OF A RIDE. I was thrilled from beginning to end: the story flowed seamlessly and the tension was well built. You'd think the children's motivations were juvenile and it was easy to predict but I assure you, nothing can pre-empt you for the Violent Nights in the book. Ryan is truly a skilled writer, I've never read anything like this.

It was a pretty quick read and not bad story. Just didn't love it overall. I can't really pinpoint what it was that was throwing me off, it just didn't come together for me.

Unable to hold my attention through it. Good premise and decent start but didn't do enough to keep me wanting to come back for more. May be for someone out there but definitely not for me.

Wow. A truly twisted tale from a 13 year old girls perspective. I loved the dual narration of the events! I have never read a book quite like this before and it will keep you hooked from the first chapter.

Fantastic quick thriller that I read in one sitting. Enough twists to give you whiplash. This does contain graphic violence so it may not be for everyone, but if you are a horror fan it’s a must read. Just grab this one! I’ll recommend this in my horror book groups. Well done!