Read at Your Own Risk is quite a departure from Lai's previous works with black and white drawings in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid style. Hannah has been cursed after her and her friends try to communicate with the ghosts in her school's haunted attic. The ghost begins communicating with Hannah and warns her that the eighth day will be her last. The story is slowly revealed to the reader in a mixed media journal format in such a way that I continued to turn the page to find out what happened next in the story. I would recommend this book to readers who are fans of R. L. Stine or the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series, however if the reader is squeamish about body horror (specifically bugs, teeth falling out, bloody noses) they I would look for another option, but overall I really enjoyed this "cheeky" horror graphic novel.

Like mixing Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with a large side-helping of R.L. Stine and a sprinkle of Diary of a Wimpy Kid!

Okay, so maybe not so much DWK because it's not funny, really, but the sarcasm and the illustrations would appeal to DWK readers who are ready to branch out into the scary genre. And kids who enjoy scary books will love this, especially if they've read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and are looking for more haunting stories. There's plenty of creepiness to keep readers engaged, and the short chapters combined with the childlike yet spooky illustrations (reminiscent of Scary Stories) make a great combo for reluctant readers. Perfect for a wide variety of middle grade readers!

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

One day, during a school assembly, Hannah and her friends snuck into the haunted school attic to play a game, Spirit of the Coin. However, when they returned, Hannah was never the same again; she became cursed, and her teeth fell out. She only had 8 days to live. What really happened in the attic? And why was she the only one cursed? Read at your own risk.

As soon as I started reading this book, I was captivated by its compelling storyline. Since it had been a while since I had delved into a horror novel, I found the change quite refreshing, given that horror is my preferred genre.
The gradual unfolding of the events that occurred in the attic throughout the book held my attention from start to finish.
The illustrations in the book contributed to the eerie atmosphere, which I particularly enjoyed.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone in search of a gripping narrative and a thrilling fright.

Happy Spooky Reading, Laly 📚 👻 🎃
Thank you, @netgalley & @henryholtbooks, for the complimentary ARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When Hannah and her friends decide to communicate with spirits with a coin, they never expected things to go wrong. For some reason, Hannah is the only one who has been cursed, and now she’s communicating with the evil spirit through her notebook. Now she’s determined to figure out how to break the curse before she finds herself dead all thanks to a game she wishes she never played!

This is such a perfect middle school read for any kid who loves scary stories. I was a huge fan of "Goosbumps" when I was growing up, so this is the type of book that I would’ve loved even more during that time of my life. We follow Hannah through a notebook that’s become her illustrated diary that she also uses to communicate with the evil spirit that’s cursed her. While I wish we got to know more about the evil spirit, I think it’s a perfect read for middle schoolers. I found myself sucked into the story after a few pages and a little grossed out by all the bugs! I’m excited to check out the author’s other work because this was such a great read.

Lai goes full-on horror with her latest book, and I am delighted. I have been a fan of Lai's since I read Pie in the Sky and love her talent for tender family stories. With Read at Your Own Risk, the author uses an illustrated diary format, similar to Pie in the Sky but with more illustration. The book reads as the diary of a girl named Hannah, who played a game with her friends but is now cursed, and is filled with the creepiest, crawliest storytelling that will delight middle graders. Lai's characters remind me of Junji Ito's human characters, sporting wide black eyes and creepy smiles; during Hannah's interactions with the spirit - played out in the diary itself - we get loose teeth, drops of blood, and sinister wordplay. Illustrations are black and white, with splashes of red for gore - I mean, good - measure. Your Goosebumps readers are going to squeal with terrified joy at this one. A must-purchase.

This was so much fun! A cool kids horror book with lessons to learn like not to lie to your friends. Perfect for kids. It’s a quick read as well. Getting it for my kids

Okay… 2.5 stars for Read at Your Own Risk. It felt like something or a lot was missing from the book. I’m missing back story, character development, and something else I just can’t put my finger on.

But I do feel as if a young reader maybe 8+ is trying to get into reading a spooky book then this may be a starting point. This book has a lot of potential it just felt a little rushed through. I will say the graphics in the book are well done and the red on some pages really pop!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy. I will say that by the time this book comes out it could possibly have changed and have more to it than what I had read. So I am excited to see if that happens because like I said, this book has potential!

THIS is like Diary of a Wimpy Kid but for spooky kids who want to read about curses and untimely ends. The story, about some kids who sneak into a haunted attic during a school assembly to play "Spirit of the Coin", and the artwork are legitimately creepy as hell. I enjoyed it immensely as an adult and I think if any of you have creepy kids in your life that are reading middle grade books, you should definitely get your hands on this one!

I received an advance reader copy e-book thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group - the book comes out on August 13th.

This is a fun, easy read that would be good for kids that like diary-format books (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries) and spooky stories, but wish the two of them were combined. Although I was a bit confused when the author used tiny illustrations instead of words (which were sometimes adjacent to or on top of actual, larger illustrations). I think kids will either love or hate (depending on what kind of disposition they have) the implications of the ending.

Very creepy graphic novel that is good for middle schoolers who like to have a scare. Bugs are involved (yuck for me) but fans of Scary Stories to tell in the Dark would enjoy this.

This graphic novel reminds me of something I would have picked up alongside a Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or Goosebumps book at the library then would stay up late to read. A creepy story about a middle school girl who is being haunted after her & her friends go up in the attic of their school and play a game drawing a spirit to them. It was a super short read and I loved the sketches, it reminded me of Hidden Pictures.

Perfect for the newest generation of scary story fans. The story is simple, focusing more on the horror, but considering it is for middle schoolers, it’s perfect. It gets right into the horror and isn’t afraid to show the terrifying imagery of teeth, blood, and bugs.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from the publisher for a honest review. This book is well written and well illustrated. I enjoyed this author’s writing style. It is a super short book. It keeps your attention. I would recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone. This book will be in stores on August 13 for $13.99 (USD).

Read at Your Own Risk was a disappointment. The format was great and I was hoping it could be suggested to my students that enjoy Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Unfortunately the story was confusing and never seemed to explain what happened in that attic. It reminded me of stories that I made up as a kid and told other little kids in an attempt to scare them. But this was not scary, just confusing.

Interesting story. I liked the format ..notebook and illustrations. A dark creepy story, fun for children.
Big imagination 😀🩸🦷

Read At Your Own Risk is one of those creepy books that I would have loved when I was a kid (and my parents would have hated it). Unfortunately, it is more about the creepy elements and less about the overall story.

A cute, creepy graphic novel that is perfect for young readers to dip their toes into horror. I found it to be fun, original and fast paced. The style reminds me of Diary of. A Wimpy Kid but with way more blood. It’s creepy but it doesn’t cross a line of too much.

3.5, rounded up. This is a truly spooky book filled with body horror, insects, curses, and a twist ending that I did NOT see coming. Though some may be dissatisfied or grossed out (which, honestly, was me for parts of this book), this would be perfect for middle-grade readers who love Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

It was okay. A little over the place but I guess children are. Wish there was more doodles like a preteen would do

I don’t read much middle grade anymore but the story grabbed my attention and I just had to read it.

Read this in a single day and absolutely loved it. The art is gorgeous and creepy at the same time. It’s fascinating and matches the story very well. I love the main character. And I love the little twists and turns in the plot. The story is creepy but I don’t think it’s crosses the line into being too creepy for younger readers. Overall I loved this and highly recommend this for younger kids that are interested in diving into the horror genre.