3.5 stars

Nate has just moved to a new school, his family constantly relocating to try to avoid the curse of the Hiding Boy, an urban legend that's led to the entire street he grew up on being home to horrific murders. But when he finds out his new friends at school are in an urban legend club where they test them out to see which are real, he worries his past will catch up with him.

I love a good urban legend, so I was excited for the club plotline, and the scenes of the kids testing out different legends were creepy and fun. I also really enjoyed the mixed media elements like newspaper stories documenting the various Hiding Boy murders throughout the decades. The author did a great job of infusing the different stories with enough panache that you could see them being retold and glamorized through years of retelling. I didn't particularly care about any of the characters themselves, though, so when the big twist hit 3/4 of the way through I was surprised, but not as invested as I might have been if I loved the characters. I also had some logistics questions about that twist that made me roll my eyes a little. 

Overall this was a fun and quick read if you're looking for a spooky season pallette cleanser. Thanks to Wednesday Books and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

One step and your hooked.
It's a coaster of emotions has you read this, all the while never really knowing what's truly going on. A true plot twister and nail biter, as you don't know who to trust or what to believe. Things are not as they seem.

The author keeps the reader in a perpetual dual state of on the edge of the seat and at ease. It's so weird. Half the time, you feel like everything is fine and the other your waiting for the other shoe to drop and someone to die or something. Nice adrenal rush. I don't want to ruin anything, but the plot is definitely able to drive this story to the end with characters that keep you engaged.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion **

I really enjoyed this book. It had all of the elements of a good creepy horror thriller, all rolled up into one book. I like the main character, Nate and could imagine how he felt moving through the novel. Enjoyed the idea of urban legends and myths. Reminded me of some of my younger camping years. I really enjoyed the unexpected ending. I would definitely recommend this to all who enjoy a YA thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance copy.

One House Left by Vincent Ralph

Holy freak-a-roni. This book blew my mind. Nate and his family are on the run.. trouble is, it’s not a thing they can run from.

Nate doesn’t want to make friends. Friends mean something to leave behind but when a small group of misfits befriend him.. he cannot help wanting to join.

I loved it. The misfits take on urban legends in their spare time.. since Nate joined.. they seem to be becoming real…

I love the supernatural tones in this book. The book is so twisty and I never figured out what would happen at the end!! Blown away!

If you love a horror thriller… this one.. this oneeeee

4.5 stars

Amazing concept. Way too long of an execution. I almost gave up on this, was hooked back in when the twist was exposed at about 90%. The wrap up was also a bit mid.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARCCin exchange for an honest review.

This book just didn't work for me.

I didn't connect with the writing style at all.
The characters felt flat, dull, one-dimensional.

DNF

I found this book very enjoyable. It ended in a twist that I did not see coming!
Nate and his family move around a lot. They used to live on Murder Road, a street that was cursed. Someone must die in every house on the street. Nate is trying to out run the curse but nothing his family does keeps the curse at bay for long. After the last town, Nate vows that he won't make friends. A group of kids at his new high school are chasing urban legends and Nate can't help but begin to like them. Is he putting them in danger just by being their friends? Nate knows something dark is brewing, but can he keep the curse at bay?

Thank you to Vincent Ralph, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. It was confusing at times, but also repetitive. The characters were annoying at some parts and I couldn't connect to any of them.

This also seemed more like a Young Adult book than anything else.

I just finished this bok book anf i dont even know what i read. It was creepy . I was confused and i was also on the esge of my seat for most of this book. First book by the author and i enjoyed it but i didnt love it but i told myself to read more male authors. And making it a horror novel im always 100 percent willing to read it. Thr only thing i disliked about this horror novel was the characters

I'm really not sure how I feel about One House Left. The idea of the story drew me in- Murder Road, a family on the run? Great set-up. However, I spent the first half of the book feeling like I'd missed some much needed backstory to help me understand the motivations and dynamics between the friends and Nate's family. I would have loved more time with the family - some seriously interesting dynamics to explore. The plot moves at a slow pace until the final act were it speeds up and the story is told from multiple POVs. This was the energy I was looking for in the first half of the book.

Ultimately I'm glad I read it. I'm a fan of Vincent Ralph's work and look forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the gifted copy of the book.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books and author Vincent Ralph for the arc!

Ok. Who hasn’t been totally scared out of their wits at sleepovers or bonfires by animated narrations of urban legends and ghost stories!

Ya, me too!

This YA thriller capitalizes on those fright fests by dragging you straight into the reality of one such creepy tale and the group of friends who are chasing it down to prove it’s existence … but get way more than they bargained for.

The story kept me in suspense mode right to the end! There is also a pretty solid twist that caught me off guard! Check this one out if you are looking for something to tickle your eerie bone this spooky season! Would pair nicely with a broken down vehicle on a deserted road in the middle of the night!!

For a YA Thriller I thought it was pretty good. Spooky vibes. Loved the Urban Legends theme and how they drew the group of friends together. Nate and his family have to keep moving, and we don’t initially know why. He’s secretive and tries to not make friends (although he seems to want to), and again don’t know initially why. His family is odd and somewhat disconnected. Halfway through the book the POV changes, but the author was not good in letting the reader know, that made it a tad confusing (until I figured it out). I thought it ended well, even though I still have questions.

I thought this was a great YA spooky season book. Very creepy in the best way. I kept wanting to go back to it to find out what the heck was going on. I did get confused as the narrator seemed to change from Nate to Max near the end of the book. Not a huge deal though. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

This was definitely a slow burn horror. I spent probably 60% of the book confused and wondering what was going to happen. Then things got really intense and I couldn't put the book down!

I would likely recommend this one but just be warned that it takes a bit to fully suck you in.

Loved everything and the twist and turns kept me up all night I recommend this book to anyone who needs a good refresher.

This is a story that REALLY conveys that wherever you go, there you are.

This was for sure an interesting read! I wasn’t sure how I felt until the twist, which I LOVED. If you’re looking for a creepy read for the season, this is a unique, unsettling choice.

Thank you so much @macmillanusa @netgalley & @wednesdaybooks

Actually really enjoyed this! This was a perfect combo of thriller mixed with horror. It was more YA geared to me though. First book I have read by this author. It was pretty fast paced and kept you on your toes. It had a few silly moments at times but it was still a good read. Perfect book heading into spooky season! Thank you so much for the ARC!

A chilling thriller about a haunted house with a dark past. Ralph crafts a gripping tale of suspense and mystery that keeps readers on edge.

I thought this book was a pleasant surprise. Initially I was hesitant to start it as the main character is a 16 year old boy. Basically I could be his mom, so this was a bit out of my comfort zone. Then the more I read, it reminded me Stranger Things with the group of misfit kids and urban legends. I was convinced I knew where the story was headed only to be thrown in a completely different direction! It was so dark and twisted in the end. Overall very much enjoyed it. I made a Bookstagram review post that I have linked down below.

If your teens enjoy creepy horror stories, this one should be right up their alley. One House Left is a YA horror novel that delves into the supernatural, and urban legends. It also has a pretty good twist that I definitely did not see coming. I will admit that part of the book became a bit confusing to me, but I enjoyed it and felt the characters were fairly well-established. I definitely was predicting a different type of book!

Overall, this is a solid book that I think preteens and teens will enjoy. Not too gory, not too scary, just enough to give you some shivers. I enjoyed it!