Thank you Netgalley and Tundra Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Lockjaw" by Matteo L. Cerilli is a gripping and haunting YA horror debut that delves into themes of identity, revenge, and the sinister secrets lurking beneath the surface of a small town. If you are looking for a combination of an age-appropriate “It” and “Stranger Things,” then this book is for you, especially if you want to experience nostalgia of riding on bikes with your friends as children and getting into all sorts of mischief.

Set in the town of Bridlington, the story follows Paz Espino, a young woman who refuses to turn a blind eye to the injustices and prejudices that plague her community. When a tragic accident claims the life of a local boy, Paz is convinced that there's more to the story than meets the eye. With her friends by her side, she embarks on a mission to uncover the truth and confront the darkness that lurks beneath the town's surface.

Cerilli's narrative unfolds through multiple timelines and perspectives, weaving together a complex and atmospheric tale that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. This is a difficult task to accomplish in writing, but Cerilli’s masterful writing is able to tell a compelling story with these different timeslines/perspectives, and I never found myself getting confused or lost, which often happens when an author attempts this kind of storytelling. From the eerie small-town setting to the chilling encounters with supernatural forces, the story drips with suspense and tension from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the setting and supernatural aspect in this book; I think they were well-written and were extremely engaging. Like I mentioned earlier, this book gave me “It” vibes, and I absolutely loved it.

What sets "Lockjaw" apart from other similar stories is its exploration of marginalized identities and the ways in which small towns can disregard those who don't fit into their narrow ideals. Through characters like Paz and her friends, Cerilli crafts a compelling narrative that tackles issues of belonging, trauma, and the power of friendship. As readers, we get to learn more about the self-identity of the different characters. There is more than 1 trans character in this novel, which means you get to learn more about these characters’ different perspectives and experiences, really showing that gender is a spectrum.

The prose is evocative and immersive, drawing you into the claustrophobic atmosphere of Bridlington and the haunting events that unfold within its borders. Cerilli's writing is both gritty and beautiful, capturing the quiet yet sinister nature of the town and its inhabitants. The supernatural aspect was really fun, and I had such a great time reading this book, from exploring the supernatural to the engaging character relationships that are developed throughout the book.

Overall, "Lockjaw" is a masterfully told tale that will leave you haunted long after they've turned the last page. With its richly drawn characters, spine-tingling atmosphere, and twisty reveals, it's a must-read for fans of YA horror. I can't wait to read more from Cerilli.

Paz knows there's a monster in town, but nobody will believe her. They call her a liar, a troublemaker, and assume the worst about her. When Asher comes to town, he knows how vital it is to fit in, so he tries befriending the popular kids. The monster has been waiting for too long, and now nobody is safe from its jaws.

Parts of this book were a little confusing. I felt like, at times, more words were used than necessary. I'm still a little confused about what the monster actually was in the beginning before people started to die. I wished there was more dialogue and interaction between characters, but I can see how that might have given things away before the author wanted to reveal them.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s appropriately named because it sunk its teeth in and held tight. I think I read half of it in one sitting.

The characters are amazing, uniquely different but real. They remind me of real people, they could be real, just sitting there as you read…watching.

It’s haunting and heart wrenching and I can’t wait to make everyone read it

This book was pretty good! I think my favourite part of it was the atmosphere. I like a book where I can't quite nail down the time period, and the whole *kids on bikes in a small town* was very reminiscent of The Goonies, one of my all time favourite movies, and the rest of the vibes (especially all the transgenderism, we love to see it) made this feel up the alley of Andrew Joseph White's books, which I loved. For me, the plot and the horror elements confused me a bit, but when the twist came, I really liked it and I was not expecting it at all. The characters were what fell the most flat, however, I didn't feel too much of a connection to them and I wish there had been more time to get to know them. As someone who doesn't read much horror, it was fairly enjoyable, and I will definitely be recommending it to horror fans.

Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

Lockjaw is a YA ghost story. It takes place in an idyllic small town where “everything is perfect”. But is it really? Underneath the surface the town is rot with racism, transphobia, intolerance to those that are different. The author does a wonderful job writing racial slurs without writing racial slurs using such phrases “it rhymes with bike, or a dent in the armor”. The novel uses multiple voices throughout even the dogs and jumps between timelines effortlessly. I didn’t even realize there was a time jump until midway through the book when everything comes to a head.
The characters are four young kids, who have been “labeled” by, not the town, but the “good sheriff” and his “you are my son” of the same age as the kids who manipulated everyone he comes in contact with. A tragic death occurs and Paz the leader of the young kids goes in search of the MONSTER as she believes this death was not an accident, which is how it is labeled by the “good sheriff”. And this is where the story begins.
There is great character and world-development. You understand this town and the maliciousness that lurks in the corners of the perfection.
This is a great debut book for this author and I hope he ventures into more scary adult stories and keeps writing wonderful YA novels in the same fashion as this. The end of this book was very satisfying.

Thank you #netgalley and #penguinrandomhousecanada for allowing me the ARC copy

Actual Rating: 4.5
Lockjaw tells the story of young Paz Epsino who is part of the black sheep crowd in her town. Paz doesn’t believe in turning a blind eye, minding your business, or letting things go. After all Epsino girls are like dogs; once they bite, they don’t let go.
I would recommend this book to so many people, but especially people with marginalized identities that grew up in small towns, in places that turned a blind eye to your suffering. I recommend it to those who are still angry about that.
This book is kicked off with the tragic death of a young boy in town. Everyone says it was just a horrific accident, but Paz knows it wasn’t. It was the monster the lives underneath Bridlington. Now her and her friends are on a mission to kill the monster before it kills anyone else.
This story is told in dual timelines that transition so smoothly from one to the other. The overlap in the timelines is also very well done. Matteo Cerilli’s writing is so simplistic and I really enjoyed it. Cerilli does a great job of contacting you with the characters and giving you an idea of the town without overloading you with descriptions and characterizations. He makes you feel Paz’s anger, the frustration of her parents that their child is always labeled a liar. You connect with Beetle who hates the small town he grew up in for so many reasons and just wants to leave, but while you understand him, you also feel for Asher, an outsider who just wants to fit in.
I really appreciated that Cerilli never directly used the slurs he mentioned in his story. He would right something like “they called her a word that rhymes with bike” or “they called her a word that means a flaw in your armor”. It showed to me that you don’t need to write out the slur to still have the word make an impact on your audience.
Another note on being moved by the writing; as anyone who knows me will attest, I am crier haha. Even the smallest things, good or bad, can send me over the edge. This book had me tearing up several times especially toward the end when our modern day crew confronted Paz. Beetle’s mother and her love for him made me so teary eyed. She is a mother who is trying to do best by her son and refuses to let the past recreate itself. I found myself hurting for Paz and tearing up because she was just a traumatized child in all of this. She had every right to be angry and hurt and to never trust any one in Bridlington ever again.
I really enjoyed this book and while it wasn’t a new favorite, I am very much looking forward to any of the work this author publishes in the future.

Lockjaw sinks its teeth into you from the very first page and refuses to let go. Cerilli has crafted a YA horror debut that is as captivating as it is chilling. When Chuck Warren meets a tragic end at the old abandoned mill, his friend Paz knows it was no accident and makes it her mission to hunt down the monster lurking under the town before it claims more victims. What follows is a haunting tale told from multiple perspectives across shifting timeframes that will leave you checking over your shoulder.

Cerilli excels at developing an atmosphere that drips with dread. The small town setting feels claustrophobic as danger and deceit lurk around every corner. The characters - Paz, Chuck, and their tight-knit group of friends - come alive on the page, bound by their childhood pact even as supernatural forces threaten to tear them apart. The reveals in the final act are satisfyingly twisty.

From the evocative prose to the themes of friendship, trauma, and marginalized identities, Lockjaw announces the arrival of a bold new voice in YA horror. This spine-tingling and masterfully told tale, reminiscent of classics like IT and Stranger Things, is a 4.5 star debut destined to be devoured by genre fans. Just try to silence its eerie echoes rattling around your brain long after you've turned the last page.

Cerilli invites us to witness how a group of children attacked for being different can be themselves even in a world falling apart and that does not end in a tragic ending. A feat for the new generations who suffer but can be protected and loved in these pages.

As I read Lockjaw I kept thinking to myself 'oh this is so SMART!' Reading was like...doing a really satisfying puzzle, or a complicated knitting pattern that comes together and you go 'oh I see what you did there!' I loved the way things kept coming together, the way that every word and every little hint we got seemed to deliberate and yet fit so well - I never felt like I wasn't understanding what was happening, i was just enjoying the experience.

There are so many things I loved about this book that I can't quite get them all straight - the experience itself was one (sitting in the back room racing through the last 100 or so pages, entirely engrossed) but there was also the setting - the perfect encapsulation of the 'burbs with the sepia-toned nostalgia turned on its head. I'd read descriptions of things that in another book would be presented just like a fond memory but worked so well to heighten the sinister feeling of Brindlington. The two sides of the comfort-discomfort coin worked so well!

And the characters oh my... the way they all come together and apart, the way we get to see all their relationships, to know them all at different stages throughout the book. I was blown away by how real every character felt, how sometimes I'd get a really strong sense of a character from a brief description.

Lockjaw is a book I'm going to enthusiastically recommend to everyone I know, and one I know I'll want to return to again and again.

Lockjaw, deftly blends trans horror with diverse characters and spine-chilling storytelling. Breaking new ground in the genre, it delivers crucial life lessons without patronization. Gripping from start to finish, Cerilli's expertly crafted characters seamlessly contribute to a haunting narrative that skillfully navigates shifting timelines and perspectives, revealing shocking twists that linger.
This stands as an exceptional benchmark in trans and horror, promising an enthralling journey for readers seeking a profound and chilling experience.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

It's honestly hard to believe this is a debut novel. There are all these kids, well drawn out, breaking my heart. There's the small town, with its problems and the underlying violence. My heart broke more than once reading this. I do have a soft spot in my heart for these kinds of creepy, insulated stories. This book isn't just about the story but all the stories behind the story, as a good horror novel should be.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this early

This book was beautifully written and tells important lessons in an unused genre for these lessons, thus dissing them to newer readers. The diversity of the characters was excellent with each character feeling unique cohesive and not shoehorned in to tick a box

You say trans horror and I say where can I get it? Lockjaw is an absolutely incredible debut that I could not put down. It was equal parts horrifying, intense, and captivating. I can't wait to see what else Matteo L. Cerilli comes out with if this is his starting point.

Every now and then, a book comes along that promises to haunt you. I finished LOCKJAW over a week ago, and I still can't get it out of my mind: the characters, the too-familiar setting, the quiet & sinister atmosphere.

For starters, Matteo L. Cerilli's debut is *ambitious.* It's spun from multiple timelines and perspectives, yet it never gets confusing. Each piece falls exactly where it needs to, leading to a slow-build reveal of shocking, heart-rending twists that DO. NOT. QUIT.

What is it about? Rage. Belonging to a place that does not want you. Identity, friendship, small-town secrets, and what it means to be (and defeat) a monster. It's gritty, beautiful, and devastating in equal measure, and I'm anxiously awaiting the brilliant tales Cerilli is guaranteed to tell next.

Trans, Canadian horror? PLEASE.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I usually struggle with jump around timelines, but it worked so well for this intense and propulsive debut novel. There was something about the writing and the way Cerilli tells the story that just had me entranced.

Lockjaw was a dark and gritty ya horror that dives into coming of age, understanding oneself, racism, and the power of friendship, all interspersed with this truly eerie presence lurking in this town.

I really enjoyed this and I can’t wait to see what this author has in store for us in the future. I’m hoping Cerilli dives into adult horror at some point. It could be amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and PRH Canada for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Lockjaw” is the standard all queer horror should be held to. Equally on par with Andrew Joseph White’s work, this story of what it’s like to grow up different in a small town, and the monsters that will hunt you, will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire ride.

It was a masterclass in not only story writing, but story crafting as well— every chapter a puzzle piece, put down exactly where it is meant to be. Nothing is revealed too early, nothing is cheaply kept from the readers for dramatic effect— everything is told to us exactly when it should be.

I have no notes, truly. Everyone go order this book. Anxiously await its release. Because it will bite into you, and it will not let go.

Death is neither the beginning nor the end for the children of Bridlington in this debut trans YA horror book for fans of Rory Power and Danielle Vega.

Fantastic and incredibly well-done. Great atmosphere and characters.

I love horror so I wanted to give this book a try! As soon as I was resung it had me hooked and I couldn't put it down.