Creepy, nostalgic, terrifying adventure with three college students roadtripping across Pennsylvania in search of the secret stories behind roadside memorials. Loved it!

Having loved Chasing the Boogeyman (I haven’t read the sequel yet) several years ago, I couldn’t wait for this one. I ran straight to request the arc, and was thrilled when it came through. The blurb made it out to be very Blair Witch-y, following students as they film a documentary when things start going wrong… a great spooky month read. I enjoyed the vaguely mixed media format, hopping to the camera’s footage every so often. It made me sort of wish this were an actual documentary, because I’d be so into it. Ultimately, this book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t quite meet the “unputdownable” mark for me beyond a few points. The ending didn’t quite hit for me, I was a bit letdown with the way it ended. Overall, not quite on the same level as Chasing the Boogeyman for me (that book got into my head and under my skin in the best of ways), but I enjoyed the fast pace and creep factor. Full warning: not a book to read while camping :)

A huge thank you to Cemetery Dance and Netgalley for the arc of this book!

Thank you much to Gallery Books for the ARC!

As someone who LOVED both Boogeyman books and gave them both 5 stars, I was beyond excited to see that he had written a stand-a-lone!

While I didn't like the cover, the synopsis definitely intrigued me!

I really hate to say what I'm about to say as I wanted to love this one so much! I just felt that it was too long and too slow for me to want to pick up. With the Boogeyman books, I was literally glued to the page and HAD to know what would happen. With this, I felt like it was taking FOREVER to get to any action happening, so for that reason it wasn't for me.

I will still read what he writes in the future and wish him success!

2.5 stars rounded up

This novel is long and somewhat slow. That being said, the premise was intriguing and I learned quite a bit of interesting information about roadside memorials. Great character development and I loved the strong connection the three main characters shared.
I think the author could have been less descriptive thus shortening the book, making it more palatable for the readers.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Richard Chizmar’s Memorials has been all over my feed for months. I have to admit, the praise was intimidating. Stephen King called it scary and hard to put down! Those are some big expectations. But Chizmar is used to stepping into big shoes, he did write a trilogy with King after all. And as the founder of Cemetery Dance Publications, he knows the genre exceptionally well. What did all that mean for Memorials? Mostly that I went in trying not to feel overhyped. Now, I’m joining the chorus of excitement for this title.

Stephen King, unsurprisingly, was exactly right. I could not put this book down. I think it took me four days? It’s not a short book but it flies. As for being scary, it has plenty of frights. From cinematic jumpscares to spine chilling dread, Chizmar dialed the horror up for this one. I wasn’t ready for that. Above I outlined how heavy of a hitter he is, but the books I’ve read so far by him weren’t scary. Memorials is. I loved it.

In classic found footage style, we follow three friends on a roadtrip to make a documentary for a college class. All three of the students have experienced loss. Billy, our protagonist, lost his parents in a car crash on a stretch of road by woods that are believed to be cursed. The community erected a memorial on the spot, and it is roadside memorials that become the focus of their project. They set out to find and record these sites of mourning and learn about the people they are dedicated to in order to honor their memory.

Now, a topical note on the plot. This book heavily features the Appalachian region and its people. Trust Chizmar to balance intelligence, empathy, and horror. Horror isn’t nice, but I think most of us agree it should be respectful. I believe that was accomplished. Now, I won’t spoil anything here, this story should be fully experienced, but Billy is actively unlearning racism in 1980. Let that be enough reassurance for you to enjoy the ride.

Back to the tradition of found footage horror—things go wrong. They must, right? Part Longlegs and part The Blair Witch Project, this book has an investigative bent that opens avenues the typical lost and isolated setting couldn’t allow. The different elements create intrigue and cast doubt. Is something supernatural going on? Is it all coincidence? Is it human sabotage? Each development twists the perceptions around. I had so much fun trying and failing to put all the pieces together.

Less fun, but more poignant, is how this book handles grief. As an orphan myself, seeing how Billy coped—and didn’t—with the loss of his parents felt honest and real. The characters' discussions on the afterlife and faith were understandably heavy. One keeps their faith close, one holds conspiracy theories and science in the same esteem, and the last has questions and anger. Memorials looks at both sides of respecting death: the dead and those they leave behind.

Richard Chizmar promised a classic horror story and he delivered. I truly enjoyed reading this book and I think it’s a perfect October release. Sure, road trips and camping feels summer-y, but not here. Trust me, you’re going to want some time between reading this and sleeping in the woods anyway. Memorials arrives from Gallery Books on October 22nd. Don’t wait, you’re going to want this one.

Yes this creepy novel will remind you of Stephen King- Chizmar has collaborated with King for years. That's a not a bad thing, especially if you try to avoid comparisons and focus on this work as a standalone. It's the tale of Billy, Troy and Melody and their road trip through the backwoods of Appalachia. Each of them is dealing with something dark but the darkness they find together as they look at memorials is something else again. Chizmar leans in too hard on outdated stereotypes (yes I know this is set in the 1980s but still) of the region and it's too long but these are three characters you will care about. No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for fans of the genre.

MEMORIALS is a gripping tale of Billy Anderson, Troy Carpenter, and Melody Wise, three college students in Pennsylvania who are taking an American Studies class together in the 80s. Their assignment is to film a documentary, choosing to frame theirs around the roadside memorials placed after vehicle accidents. They will film in the Pennsylvania Appalachians, Billy’s home, where he lost both parents in a car accident. As they venture deeper into the mountains, they notice a mysterious symbol on some of the memorials. What does it mean? Paranoia sets in. The tension continues to mount as the three friends become increasingly unnerved by real or imagined events. They begin to believe they are being followed and watched. None of them will be the same after this trip.

Richard Chizmar succeeds in evoking more than fear as we wait to discover the students’ fates. The three main characters were perfectly developed, immediately drawing me into the story. I loved all the 1980s references, the folklore, and the friendship. The horror aspects of the book are well done, with the urban legends and many bumps in the night maintaining tension throughout. It is eerie and very much a book that will give you nightmares—a great read for the spooky season.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review! I’ll be reading more of Chizmar’s work, for sure!

Richard Chizmar continued to expand the horror genre wand that this clever and creative tale. I appreciated the use of suspense, as well as the exploration of Appalachian settings. Highly recommended.

THIS. BOOK! Good grief, it was so good. I cannot stress enough how masterfully crafted this story is. The whole mystery as to "where is this going" is paid off tenfold. I will be thinking about this book for a while. When a book can give us everything we need so effortlessly, it is a true testament to the author's talent. Richard gave us a true masterpiece with this one. Thank you to Gallery Books & NetGalley for the ARC. Check this one out when it publishes October 22, 2024!

Some isolated areas are not to be disturbed, and their residents may not bid you welcome. Dark and twisted, claustrophobic in it's paranoia and insidious horror. Lovers of dark folk lore and mountain superstitions, rejoice! Creepy, creepy, and yea, creepy ...

I was genuinely excited to read Memorials by Richard Chizmar after reading and absolutely loving his previous titles!
This was one of those compelling novels that I didn’t want to put down! Right from the start, I was absorbed by the suspense and the intriguing story-line.
Chizmar is magnificent at creating characters that leap off the page.
Chilling and extremely suspenseful I devoured this book.
This proves one again why he is a favorite of mine in the thriller/horror genre!
Never disappoints!

I give “Memorials” by Richard Chizmar a perfect 5/5 as it was a great story and was incredibly suspenseful, thrilling, and had a bit of horror thrown in to check all the boxes.

Thank You NetGalley and Gallery Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book has one of the characteristics I hate in a suspense novel. It's too long. I think cutting it down 50 or even 100 pages might do some good. Maybe the final product will reflect that, but I doubt it.

That being said, the suspense element of the story is done very well. I liked all the little details coming together bit by bit (even if it took forever). The elements of paranoia and guesswork were excellent. I even gasped at the conclusion I was so surprised.

This book is about three college students who embark on a 5-day road trip through rural PA to film a project on roadside memorials. You MUST keep in mind this book is written as if it were 1983, so if you're a Gen Z'er some of this stuff might go over your head. I had to keep reminding myself of that when the characters have to find a pay phone (gasp!) or wait for film to develop! I was born in 83 so I got the gist of things but it certainly made me appreciate some of the updated technology more.

A pattern emerges as they film more and more memorials and it all leads back to the main character, Billy's, hometown of Sudbury where the small-town America feel is not at all what it appears. Something far more sinister is going on and the journey there will make you white knuckle your reading device of choice.

Chizmar is an excellent web weaver and I enjoy his books. If writing longer fiction is his new gig, I look forward to what else he produces.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be very reminiscent of Stephen King’s style of writing. It makes sense that the two authors have been able to collaborate so well together on “The Button Box” series together (on my neverending to-read list!).

This was great. I thoroughly enjoyed going back in time to 1983 and embarking on a road trip with Billy, Troy and Melody, as they research roadside memorials in rural Pennsylvania. The three main characters were very well-written, and we get to know Billy especially well. All three characters are suffering from grief in some matter, so the class assignment is therapeutic for them, in a way.

And then stuff gets really weird and spooky, really quickly. Are the Three Musketeers being followed? Why does it seem like everyone is staring at them? Why is there an air of hostility wherever they go? Is someone sabotaging their project…and why?

While I really liked the journey, the story did not come to a satisfactory resolution, though, in my opinion. I’m kinda miffed at Richard, to be honest. Then again, this is a horror novel, and it thoroughly lives up to the expectations of that genre.

I’ll be reading more of Chizmar’s work, for sure! I want to see what else is in that mind of his.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a copy of the ebook. All opinions are mine alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I have to admit that it was really hard for me to get into this book. The first 50% was so sloooow. The middle bit was good, but the last 25% was absolutely insane and phenomenal! I loved how this ended. A sequel could post be done, but if it’s not that’s ok too.

memorials - richard chizmar

rating: 5 stars

thank you so much to @gallerybooks for letting me read this early. it’s been one of my most anticipated releases for the year.

right off the bat, it gives found footage, Blair witch energy. if that doesn’t rope you in… you might not be into the same horror vibes as me, because I was immediately hooked. and what an interesting premise to start with - roadside memorials and three college students striving to make a documentary film about them and their stories.

the way chizmar can create a character is just 👩‍🍳💋. they all feel so real and well developed, the ones in this book are no different. really makes the difference in keeping horror novels from becoming too cheesy and predictable.

the real humanity in this especially behind the roadside memorials themselves was, at times, gut wrenching. you can really feel the grief and the love behind some of the stories sprinkled throughout as the three main characters interview various people connected to the ones at the center of the memorials.

another thing chizmar has down pat as evidenced by this book - the slow burn. so scary at points, I had to stop myself from reading before bed, and that was just st the build up to the real stuff.

highly recommend this one & the other novels by chizmar as well !!

US pub date : October 22, 2024


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🏷️: #memorialsrichardchizmar #bookstagram #arcreview #netgalleyreads #readersofinstagram #readmorehorror

"A group of students encounter a supernatural terror while on a road trip through Appalachia in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the "unforgettable and scary" (Harlan Coben) Chasing the Boogeyman.

1983: Three students from a small college embark on a week-long road trip to film a documentary on roadside memorials for their American Studies class. The project starts out as a fun adventure with long stretches of empty road and nightly campfires where they begin to open up with one another.

But as they venture deeper into the Appalachian backwoods, the atmosphere begins to darken. They notice more and more of the memorials feature a strange, unsettling symbol hinting at a sinister secret. Paranoia sets in when it appears they are being followed. Their vehicle is tampered with overnight and some of the locals appear to be anything but welcoming. Before long, the students can't help but wonder if these roadside deaths were really random accidents...or is something terrifying at work here?"

I mean, hell yeah, this has some Evil Dead vibes going on.

This was certainly a dark and creepy book.
There were parts I liked and parts I didn’t. It was a long book, in fact too long. I felt like it rambled on and on.
I sorta liked the book and wanted to find out what happened. I thought the last part of the book was a bit predictable. It’s still a good book to add to your spooky book list

I just finished Memorials by Richard Chizmar, and honestly, I was hooked from start to finish. The story kicks off with three college students—Billy, Troy, and Melody—who decide to make a documentary about roadside memorials in the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania. Now, this might sound pretty harmless at first, but it doesn’t take long for things to get seriously creepy.

Chizmar does an amazing job of slowly building tension. It starts with small, unsettling moments—a biker smiling through a blood-covered face, someone possibly spying on them, and strange symbols at the memorial sites. The tension builds and builds until you’re just waiting for something horrible to happen. And boy, does it ever.

What I loved most is how Chizmar captures the mix of youthful curiosity and impending doom. The characters feel so real, and their relationships add layers of emotion to the story. While they’re dealing with these terrifying, supernatural elements, there’s also this underlying theme about the fragility of life, making the horror hit that much harder.

There are some definite Blair Witch Project vibes here, especially with the whole documentary aspect, but Chizmar makes it his own. He’s great at creating that slow-burn kind of horror, where the fear just creeps up on you. By the end, I felt like I’d been through the wringer, but in the best way.

If you’re into atmospheric, unsettling horror that feels real and raw, I highly recommend Memorials. Chizmar knows how to pull you into a story and keep you there until the very end. It’s a wild ride, and I’m still thinking about it days later.

Definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of literary horror with depth and tension.

Richard Chizmar has a way with nostalgia-laced first-person narratives and in Memorials, he's in his element. The beginning of this novel meanders a bit, taking the shape of the roadtrip in the synopsis, and it's not until nearly the halfway point that things grow weird and creepy. Some readers may take issue with the length of the book and the amount of time Chizmar uses to build character, but others will find it's necessary to his character-driven narrative, and goes a long way toward endearing the reader toward our traveling trio. I find myself in the latter camp. For the patient, once things start to get strange, Chizmar leans on the throttle and propels the story toward an ending where no one is safe and nothing is off limits. A fun, frantic book with the charm of the Boogeyman novels that takes a wholly unexpected path, and drags the reader along. Whether they want to go or not.

Once again, Richard Chizmar has left me amazed.
His writing brought those characters life and I was happy to take that road trip with them! I read a good portion of this book out loud to my husband because I simply HAD to share it with him! Another brilliant story told by Richard Chizmar! What an incredible tale of friendship, grief, sadness, love, and horror! This is the best thing l've read all year!