Are YOU ready for the long awaited sequel to Holly Horror??? Thank you so much @penguinteen for my beautiful copy of this novel, because l've been ready for this sequel since the second I finished the first book!
Lucky for me, Holly Horror: The Longest Night takes place immediately following the events of the first book, so we can pick up right where we left off with Evie and the rest of the Ravenglass Scooby Gang (Tina, little brother Stan, psychic aunt Martha, oh, and the new addition of bad boy biker softie in the form of Sai Rockwell).
Evie is back from her expedition into the spooky mines, but something dark has been unleashed. (+ € slight spoilers ahead for the *first* Holly Horror book: +) Desmond is still missing, and on top of dealing with her grief-not to mention everyone else's grief-Evie still feels she can save him. Meanwhile, some dark entity is making its way around the (still picturesque and so adorable you could just scream) town of Ravenglass, targeting unsuspecting victims. The darkness spreads, Evie has increasingly horrifying visions, and she rushes to find the answers needed to stop this.
I loved that this book picked right up and gave us the chance to fall straight back into the story. I liked the addition of Sai to shake things up, and I again liked the portrayal of Evie's connection with Holly and with the spirit world, Hobbie House still looming large as both character & influence.
Plus, the weaving of the story with Evie's work on A Christmas Carol and the significance of December 22nd being the longest night of the year gives this Holly Horror entry all the solstice vibes. If Holly Horror was the perfect Halloween read, dare I say it, Holly Horror: The Longest Night is the perfect Christmas/Yule/holiday season read.

I was so excited to jump back into this scary world. I love the creepiness of it all. The town says Desmond is gone but Evie just won't accept that. When her connection to Holly is severed she has to find help from somewhere or someone else. Something sinister begins taking the townspeople only to return them changed. They are mean and nothing like themselves. It is up to Evie to save the town and hopefully Desmond too. The story was so good and pulled me in from the start. I did not want to put it down. The twists were great and had me guessing. I just loved the book. Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for allowing me to read the arc in exchange for my honest review.

A strong continuation of the Holly Horror world, The Longest Night delivers the conclusion to Desmond’s disappearance while introducing a chilling new mystery. Evie knows Desmond is alive and trapped with the Patchwork Girl, but the rest of the town has accepted that he’s never coming back. As those around her mourn, Evie and her friends must push forward, determined to unlock her ability to reach the Patchwork Girl—who is now slipping further from her grasp and eluding her previous ability to takl to her.

MJC's writing is highly accessible, keeping the plot moving at a great pace. She crafts horror in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat, making the characters’ tension feel palpable.

I love the eerie, immersive world she’s created and can’t wait to dive into her backlist.

The Longest Night is the follow-up to Holly Horror and picks up a few weeks later, with Evie coping with Desmond's disappearance and reconciling that with the truth about what happened to Holly decades prior. She is convinced that Desmond was pulled into the Shadow Land somehow, and Evie's dedication to him and to bringing him back was palpable and honestly really sweet. I also liked the friendships in this book; we get to see more of Evie's relationship with Tina as well as Evie learning to trust a mysterious older boy named Sai with whom she unexpectedly crosses paths.

But while Evie and co. are trying to figure out how to save Desmond, a sinister force descends upon Ravenglass, impacting the town as a whole. We learn about this through vignettes about various Ravenglass residents interspersed with Evie's story, the execution was genuinely creepy. Evie needs to dig all the way back into her town's history to find its origins, and seeing that all come together was satisfying was also pretty shocking. This also puts some of the sordid history of the Hobbie house into better context, since we also get to learn more about Sarah, who also disappeared from the house in the 1850s. Holly is also portrayed in a very different light here than she was in the first book, as a nuanced character and infinitely more human, and she ends up helping Evie as well. This book has its own unique plot, but it also ties up some ends that were left loose in Holly Horror, and provides a really good sense of closure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

There are sequels that don't live up to their original, and then there are sequels that meet every single expectation and then some. And this book certainly raised the bar for sequels everywhere! I love the way this book tied into the first one and the ease with which the story flowed. All too often, horror/mystery sequels can feel disjointed because they're a new "case" or "mystery," but this one flows so well into the next piece of the story, it never once faltered.

The character development in this book was definitely the best part of it. There was so much learning that was done, and not just for Evie but for nearly everyone that she interacts with. The way that Evie discovers herself and her own strength in this book is truly inspirational.

This series is one that stands out in YA horror/mystery for being a head above the rest, and I know you won't want to miss them!

3.5 rounded up

This was fun, but I could never seem to get into it. Took me months longer than it should have. There was a HEA which was nice haha.

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I admit I did not get a chance to read the first book before I read Holly Horror 2 but I did not feel like I was lost reading this book out of order. I loved the narrator, Bailey Carr. Her young voice fit perfectly and she did a great job with the accents. I know this is a series set for a younger clientelle but did not feel it was to young for myself. Evie is so brave and loving to her friends to proceed on a scary adventure to find her missing friend Desmond but will it last. OOOOH que the spooky music. I really loved Sae character and name.

I really enjoyed the first Holly Horror and I was ecstatic when I got approved for an arc of this one! This is a fantastic sequel! There is a creepy atmosphere and I had a lot of fun reading it. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Michelle Jabès Corpora, Penguin Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a creepy sequel! This was a perfect read for October, there are vengeful ghosts and town curses, plus some scary visions that gave me goosebumps. The pacing is quick and I appreciated getting a couple new characters to interact with.

The only thing I didn't like was the love triangle that developed. They never work out well and I think this would have been better without the extra romance angle.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Penguin Workshop and NetGalley for the copy

Holly Horror: The Longest Night is an eerily captivating read that expertly weaves suspense and terror into its chilling narrative. With its haunting atmosphere and unsettling twists, the story keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The characters are well-developed, making their harrowing experiences all the more impactful. This spine-tingling tale is perfect for those who enjoy a blend of horror and psychological thrills that linger long after the last page is turned.

This was a great follow up to the first book. I liked that it wasn't as cookie cutter. Steaks are higher, more lore and reveals and of course more amateur sleuthing and dealing with ghosts.

Thank you to PRH Audio and Penguin Teen for my gifted book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this!

Book 2 in the Holly Horror YA horror series by @michellejcorpora
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It’s been two weeks since Evie escaped the mines only to find out her boyfriend, Desmond, went in after her and hasn’t been seen since. Evie feels that he is alive and is trying to contact the Patchwork Girl again, but her connection to the other world is no longer. As winter comes, the town residents of Ravenglass seem to be acting differently, very zombie-like. Soon it seems like she might be the only one left to save the town so she reaches out to Holly again in an effort to find Desmond and save her new home.
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What a great follow up to book 1! I loved Sai’s character and want more of him if there is a third novel. This paranormal title releases a few weeks ago and both are perfect for upcoming spooky season.

CW: body horror, bullying, child abuse, child death, death, confinement, emotional abuse, panic attacks, violence, death of a parent, murder, fire

The atmosphere of this book makes it a perfect choice for a spooky season read – just like the first book. I enjoyed the continued mentions of one of my all-time favorite books, Alice in Wonderland, and the addition of A Christmas Carol. It’s not usually seen in a dark setting or book, but when you stop to think about it – it is. The identity of the sinister being was fairly easy to figure out, and I think it could have been written a little bit darker. One tidbit that I found weird was Desmond’s mom and Rocky – it seemed that no one noticed them after their incident even though it was a significant one they didn’t resurface in the story.

"Alice finds the door to the Queen’s Garden, but she’s too large to fit through it. She goes through one transformation after another — nearly drowning in her own tears — before she finally gets where she wants to go.

"… 'When I was a psychiatrist, I used it to remind my patients that in order to reach our destination, we must often change in ways we don’t think possible. Like Alice, we must be elastic with our sense of self, enough to allow room for the idea of being — not someone else — but a version of us we never even knew was there.'"

Throughout the first book and into this one Evie’s relationship with her dad is incredibly strained – mainly because he is the one that left. Their reconciliation was well done – more of an explanation and working towards doing better together, making it feel real. I was shocked about Evie’s mom’s revelation at the close of the last book and I have more issues with that than anything her father did. She KNEW and agreed to send Evie off to therapy hoping that they would be able to help her. The situation of her mother being in denial about Evie was realistic – how Evie acted after finding out, not so much. Evie finds herself in a triangle that reminds me of Riverdale’s Betty. On one side is Desmond, the golden boy like Archie while on the other we have dark, stormy & motorcycle-loving Sai, like Jughead. Such a good triangle and I usually loathe them – I’m always a sucker for the bad boy. Team Sai all the way.

The Longest Night was a solid follow-up to Holly Horror and I thoroughly enjoyed the spooky spin on Christmas. If you’re searching for some delightfully spooky books that take place over Halloween and on into Christmas I highly recommend checking out Holly Horror and Holly Horror: The Longest Night – they need to be read in order. As always, a big thank you to Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read a gifted copy. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of Holly Horror: The Longest Night!

Holly Horror walked, so Holly Horror: The Longest Night could run. The creepiness is amped up even more and the descriptions make it so easy to envision what’s going on. & it’s at this point that I’m really falling in love with the characters involved. The relationships are fully developing & it’s so easy to root for everyone. Plus, it takes place around Christmas time & I LOVE a Christmas horror.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was pulled into the first Holly Horror novel because of it being Holly Hobbie based. I mean, its not really all that based on the nostalgic character from my childhood. Still the first book was quite enjoyable and I liked the story quite a bit. I have to say that "The Longest Night" was even better. The story was engaging. The characters felt more fleshout out this time. We are introduced to a new character and we also get some insight into other members fo the town. I enjoyed how quickly the plot moved forward and was disappointed to find no major hints at a third installment. Hopefully I'm wrong because after this book it would be an auto buy. Give it a try if you enjoy YA or light horror.

This is the perfect finale of the Holly Horror series! A bit creepier and definitely darker than the first book, we are transported again to the little town of Ravenglass.
Picking up pretty close after the first book ends (definitely read that one first) Evie and Stan have made it out of the mines and the shadowland but Desmond is still stuck inside. Evie can feel that he's still alive and as the days turn to weeks, turn into months Evie is doing everything she can to figure out the clues Holly left behind and get back to the shadowland and save Desmond. She has her friend Tina on her side and has recruited Sai, who has demons of his own that make him uniquely qualified to help Evie in her search.

I loved the vibes, it was creepy and the story progressively gets more tense as the darkness grows. Evie is an amazing main character, we see her from every side: her struggles, and her willingness to keep growing even when she's hit a dead end. Sai is a heartthrob with a tortured past that made me want to give him a big ol hug, and while in the first book, I thought Desmond was the dude for Evie, as we got to know Sai more and more, and time passed with Desmond still stuck I was definitely rooting for those two to get together. (must be that British accent, and that motorcycle...)

I thought the pacing was perfect with a steady build to the end, which had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how everyone would survive. This book was perfect for me from beginning to end, and if you would rather listen than read the audiobook was also amazing. Baily Carr did such a great job bringing the characters and the story to life!

This is the second book in the Holly Horror series. I definitely recommend reading the first book before grabbing this one! Though I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t love it quite as much as the first book. The author did a great job transitioning from book one into book two. The continuation with Evie and her friends was perfect. Book two definitely answered some questions left over from the first book.

I thought the author did a great job making this book feel very atmospheric, everything from the creepy house to the unsettling characters with their mouths sewn shut. The perfect mix of horror, mystery, and spooky vibes.

I’m interested to see if there is another book in this series because the ending left a few things unanswered. It also felt a bit rushed, but still enjoyable. Overall, a fun YA series that I recommend to readers who enjoy atmospheric novels with spooky vibes and small town drama!

This was good, just like the first book. I definitely need more of holly horror. This had me intrigued from the very first page. Read it in one sitting. Had me on the edge of the seat. Was a little creeped out a bit. But this author is just fabulous i cant wait to read more. She has a way to tell a story

3 stars
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In this thrilling sequel, Evie is back with a new supernatural mystery to solve. Neutral three stars.

I greatly enjoyed Holly Horror #1 and was so excited to read this sequel. It was a little bit of a letdown. The writing was incredibly immersive. I found the plot exciting and was interested in what was happening throughout. It was a good continuation of the first book and that plot, while still being unique and exciting. I really liked the flow of one book into the other. The pacing is really good on this one. I did find the ending felt rushed. There was a really good build up to an exciting ending and I just felt like it happened too quickly to be satisfying.

I loved the introduction of Sai and what he contributed to the story. I was unimpressed with the slight romance between Evie and Sai, but I like their overall friendship throughout. I enjoy watching Evie’s evolution.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but the rushed ending ruined it for me.