I was really excited for this book and the whole 90's vibe but in the end I was so distracted by editing and formatting issues that I couldn't get into the book. The story seemed a bit disjointed, parts were hard for me to follow. I may go back and read again, once final publication is released but overall I think this author just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

If you were ever a fan of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine when you were growing up, this book is perfect for you! (I was a huge fan of both, so this book was absolutely perfect for me!) As a child of the 80s and a teenager of the 90s, I could identify with so much of this book--well, except for the whole ending. I used to babysit like Amy, I used to be the quiet girl, and to this day I love horror movies! This book took me back to those years immediately, and I sat ad read this is one quick sitting because I felt like I was in my element! I loved this book and I cannot wait for whatever else Emily Ruth Verona writes!

Thank you netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I had pretty high hopes for this book early on. The opening really channeled 1990’s horror movie vibes. I was compelled, a little creeped out, and definitely eager to see how the story would unfold.

The timeline jumped around quite a bit, focusing on a teen babysitter and her charges for the evening. The story not only focused on the events in the present, but also dove into events from the past as well.

While there were several cliffhanger chapter endings and a few eerie happenings, I didn’t feel like this book quite achieved its goal. I think it wanted too badly to be a 90’s inspired horror tale but didn’t have the substance to truly live up to that lofty status. For a debut, however, I think the author shows promise, and I look forward to seeing what she puts out in the future.

I think I need to read a finished version of this book before I can through my weight behind a review because I feel like the uncorrected proof I got was very much not the finalized version. It seemed very disjointed and hard to understand with the plot holes/grammar (editing errors?). Will potentially come back to re-review this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this advanced copy!

A part of me resonated with this book. I am a lifelong sufferer of anxiety and found the depiction of it from both Amy and Ben’s “POV” absolutely spot on. Dealing with anxiety as a child/teen is so paralyzing, especially when you don’t even know what you are so afraid of.

That being said, there wasn’t much else here that I enjoyed. Aside from the touches of early 90s nostalgia and classic horror films, I found the plot itself to really fall apart around the 60% mark. I can appreciate a red herring but how many people are showing up to this house at night??

This is definitely a character driven story, which is something to note before going in. Given the sub header I expected a focus on the events of the evening when in reality it was mostly just focused on the characters reactions and thoughts. Overall, the classification of this book as a horror/thriller led to the disappointment I am feeling in the wake of reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy.

I know that this was an uncorrected ARC, but it read like it needed a lot more editing and developmental work.

Parts of this did more telling instead of showing. The punctuation was weird throughout this book. I'm not sure if it was an artistic thing and what the author wanted.

The whole book jumps around, and it is difficult to remember what is going on. I felt like there were some characters that were unnecessary and didn't add anything to the story. Also, for parts of the book, the children are referred to as M and B then later, we find out their names are Mira and Ben. This was confusing as well and could have been avoided.

Some of the lines in this were quite cringy. We also got information thrown at us that was irrelevant and had no purpose. We got backgrounds on the characters that didn't really have a purpose.

There is a lot I could complain about, but I'm trying to be nice and not let this be a rant. This book was very underwhelming. It's definitely disappointing.

3.5 stars!
Midnight on Beacon Street is the kind of novel you want to read by the fire on a cold, snowy night. It takes place in the 90’s and follows a few different POVs and timelines throughout a single night–and some flashbacks…basically, there’s a lot to follow in this short but packed book, but each switch has an interesting change to the story's pacing.
It reads like many thriller books of the genre, so there wasn’t anything necessarily groundbreaking, but going into this wanting a quick, light mystery book, I had a great time reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of the ARC. All opinions are my own!

I found this one is an entertaining thriller but not a stand-out as far as story or writing goes. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick scary fix that feels like a homage to 80s horror movies. Fun and worth reading but fairly average.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read and review.

I’m usually not one for straight murder mysteries, but I really enjoyed this one! Short enough to be read in one sitting, it’s set during a night in 1993, and is the story of two children and their babysitter, Amy.

Mira and Ben have been watched by Amy before - in fact, she’s their favorite babysitter (despite Mira complaining that she’s too old to need one). Their mom has a date, so they’re ready to have a boring but normal night. This night, however, is anything but normal.

The first chapter starts with one of the children looking at a dead body, then the book abruptly goes to the beginning of the day, as all of the day’s events culminated in this murder. Amy is confronted with some annoying things, and some downright scary things, during this night. How she handles these things makes a difference as to whether she and the children live or die.

I loved the time frame of this, as well as all of the references to horror movies. Amy has severe panic attacks, and watching/reading horror soothes her (I get it!). Will her horror knowledge help her cope with this evening, or will she be the virgin babysitter who ends up getting herself killed? It’s a campy, but good one! 3.5 stars, rounded up for being a debut.

(Thank you to HarperCollins, Emily Ruth Verona, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 30, 2024.)

A nice nod to 90s horror movies. A quick read in a non linear format but easy to keep track of the story. The setting was spooky enough, I’m not sure I’m sold on the ending but my initial thoughts are I enjoyed it enough for now.

This book was a bit slow for me. I was expecting more of a punch but was a bit boring.

I wish it had grabbed me more but maybe will read another by the author but nit sure since it fell flat.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review

This book missed the mark for me. The flowery prose and metaphors were way overdone. It took too long to get to the point, and by then, I'd lost interest. The promised comparisons to fast-paced horror movies fell flat. There was a good twist, but it was more than halfway through the story, and the reveal fell flat, leading to an unsatisfying conclusion. I struggled to stay engaged, as the suspense was minimal, and the dialogue was inappropriate for the age of the characters.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book about 2 chapters in. I am so bummed, as I was extremely excited to read this book as an avid horror reader.

The prose in this book really felt like it was trying incredibly too hard to be smart and literary. As someone who enjoys lit fic, I can appreciate a bit of flowery prose, but this was extremely overboard to the point where I felt like I was losing the plot and even the meaning behind what the author was trying to convey. Too many metaphors and poetic passages really detract from the writing quality.

Title: Midnight on Beacon Street by Emily Ruth Verona

Publication Date- Jan. 30th
Publisher- Harper Perennial
Overall Rating- New Favorite

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly don’t know where to begin. This was unexpected. I went into this expecting to get a nostalgic story that’s a love letter to 90’s horror films. I got that, and so much more. This is also a love letter to anxiety and fear. Reading this review, it’s not something you can truly understand what I’m talking about until you read the book. I have never felt so seen and understood in a book before to the point I reached out to the author to say thank you which I have never done before. Not everyone will connect with this the same way I did because your life experiences are different from mine. There were so many things that I couldn’t believe I was reading because I thought only I deeply felt or had that experience. Jokes on me.

Writing a review for a book that hit me so deeply is challenging because I don’t know what to say other than wow. You can expect a lot of nods to 90’s horror movies, a slow burn character driven experience, commentary on single motherhood and poverty, anxiety and panic, being afraid but stepping up anyway, young love and toxic friendships/ relationships, all of these things were done so well I could go on and on and on. I did a reading vlog of this on my booktube channel at Ry Reads and even in that vlog I was unable to really review this without just saying holy s..t.

This book takes place in the 90’s and you feel that at every turn. There is a landline phone, a radio that gets unplugged (you can’t just turn off your bluetooth music) they order pizza and dance, the kids that are being babysat can’t call their mom, she doesn't have a cell phone and can’t be reached/ found. A lot of these elements added to the horror/thriller aspects.

Someone Emily Ruth Verona spilled my deepest fears out on a page and created a cathartic read. I still don’t know how this was accomplished. I hope you will give it a try.

Meh. I get why people liked this, but it just seemed like a bit of a waste to me. Again, the horror genre REALLY has to capture me to get me.

Midnight on Beacon Street is a short but intriguing read that weaves a tale of suspense and childhood trauma against the backdrop of 90s horror movie nostalgia. The story unfolds in 1993, focusing on seventeen-year-old Amy as she babysits six-year-old Ben and twelve-year-old Mira. As the night progresses, unexpected events unfold, leaving readers questioning what really happened in the darkened household.

The novel employs a non-linear narrative, shifting between various perspectives and timelines. While this approach adds complexity and a certain 'thrill' factor, it also results in uneven pacing. Initially, it takes some time to immerse oneself in the story, and the back-and-forth between the night's events and Amy's childhood backstory may not resonate with every reader.

Despite the promise of a fast-paced thriller akin to early horror movies, Midnight on Beacon Street leans more towards a character study than an adrenaline-filled cat-and-mouse game. The book's intent to explore childhood trauma and its impact on individuals is commendable, but the execution may leave thriller enthusiasts wanting more. The incorporation of 90s nostalgia, horror film elements, and the eerie cover art sets the stage for a suspenseful home invasion premise. However, the novel falls short of delivering the expected thrills, and the use of non-linear storytelling to delve into character backstories fractures the tension rather than enhancing it. As the plot unfolds, the author introduces intriguing elements, including a well-placed red herring around the 60% mark. However, this promising twist ultimately goes underutilized, and the revelation of the true culprit leaves readers scratching their heads. The choice of the least likely character as the villain feels forced and fails to provide a satisfying resolution.

In conclusion, Midnight on Beacon Street is a decent debut effort that blends spooky vibes, childhood trauma, and 90s nostalgia. While it falls short of delivering the expected thrills, it offers a unique perspective on the lasting impact of trauma on young minds.

I was hoping for a real action-packed story, but this was just a bit boring for me, I was waiting for more action. I did read it in one sitting, as it was a quick read. It was a bit campy which I enjoyed. This was my last read of 2023 and was hoping for a bigger punch. I did enjoy the horror movie references; it brought some nostalgia being a child of the 80s. Sometimes the pacing seemed a bit off. Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Perennial for a copy of this e-arc. 3.5 star

This was my last finished read of 2023, finishing it on the morning of 12/31, and honestly- it set the tone for my New Year’s Eve. In that my New Year’s Eve was drawn out and boring as hell. I feel bad saying this, as it’s a debut novel, but I was bored all the way through this book. The only real action happens within about two or three pages and the whole shebang is ended so abruptly I wasn’t even prepared for the end. I’m sorry to say that I really cannot recommend this book to other readers.

As soon as I saw this cover and read the description, I was so excited to read this one as I love horror movies and love the classic babysitter in a horror situation trope. Unfortunately this one really missed the mark for me. I am appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC, but I feel like the marketing on this one set up expectations for something this book is not.

What I really liked was the babysitter character in this one, Amy. She was very sweet and responsible a la Laurie Strode from Halloween. I also loved the representation of her character suffering from severe anxiety and panic attacks as I really relate to this and her love of horror films as having something more tangible to be scared of rather than the constant fear over little things that anxiety gives you. I also think this book deals really well with the impact of traumatic events on children of various ages, and how anxiety can show up at an early age. I thought the kids and how they dealt with their difficult past was really well done, and they both felt like real depictions of children who unfortunately have had to grow up faster than most kids.

My main issue with this book is that for a majority of the novel, not much happens. I went in expecting a home invasion horror-thriller, and this doesn’t really happen until the last 10% of the book. Not enough time is spent on this section, so the ending feels very anti-climatic. And worst of all, it feels like a culprit was randomly chosen and the motivation behind the attack is never explained or fleshed out at all. Everything just kind of fizzles out at the end, and it feels like all of the buildup and interesting character study told through flashbacks never really pays off for the reader.

The first chapter of this book starts off strong! We begin with a body being found by a child. It hooked me right in, just like the cover photo! Midnight on Beacon Street is set in the early 1990's. It's about Amy, a babysitter, and events that happen one night while babysitting the Mazinski kids. This is a solid 3.5 stars. I would have went higher if the time jumps weren't so all over the place. It really took me out of reading, I wish the timeframe was more linear. The random time jumps seemed to make the book feel a much slower pace then it actually was.

Overall, this has classic 90's vibes and I am 100% for that. It was not very scary. I would consider this more of a mystery than a thriller. There are some scary elements but it mainly happens in the first chapter. I wish the rest of the book was as strong as the first chapter was written because that was probably the strongest first chapter I have read in a very long time! I did enjoy reading this book and think it's a nice, quick mystery!


Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.