A great addition to the YA horror pantheon - the author truly gets how to write teenagers in the 2020s. I loved how it embraced some of the great aspects of online culture (queer acceptance and community) while still creating compelling scares within the streaming world. I especially liked the epistolary storytelling elements, with chats and messages, and those will feel recognizable to today's YA readers. Was it a bit kitschy at the end? Sure. But Teresa's growth was strong, the catatonia elements were great, and the final confrontation was solid.

I usually don't read horror; I don't like being scared. Luckily I don't stream or watch streamers, so I don't live in fear that this could happen to me lmao.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you as well to Bookish First for providing me the first fifty pages in exchange for my first impression - it left a strong enough impression that I wanted more!

"Deadstream" was about a girl who survived a horrific accident, while her best friend did not. It was an interesting read, but a little hard to follow with the varying a text/computer format. I found myself r-reading a few sections as it did not flow as easily as it maybe could have, however, still a fun and intriguing read!

First off, I want to comment on the cover. It's perfect and I love the old school-horror look it has to it. This book was pitched as the Ring meets Rear Window and I think that's spot on, with a modern twist. I found this book very interesting and well written for the most part. There were no boring stretches, waiting for something to happen. I appreciated that the action started and kept going. I have to say, though, there were a few things that felt sort of forced for the story. Theresa barricading herself in her room and her parents letting her, despite being worried she'll hurt herself. Or googling what to do about her brother instead of calling 9-1-1. At no point is that addressed as the incorrect response in an emergency, not a learning point or anything. Again, it happened to move the story forward but was frustrating. The pronouns stuff also felt forced, like it was mentioned once at the beginning and once at the end with an odd footnote. I think it's important for YA novels to have protagonists deal with pronouns, but the main character didn't. She just once at the beginning and once at the end. I think it's a bigger point than just a throwaway line with a little footnote. Maybe I missed something but it felt forced as well. Like "Oh this is YA and YA books should also deal with this subject so let's mention it and be done with it." I don't know if the point was to normalize the situation or what but that was not how it came across. It would have been better as either more of a plot point or not mentioned at all. This felt like someone suggested the author toss it in. (I write this as someone who think its a good point to have in YA novels, for the record.)
Overall it was a fun plot with some genuine scares. Frustrating main character but interesting side characters. And I found the streamer lingo to be insufferable - however that means its accurate and is a compliment.

Deadstream by Mar Romasco-Moore offers an intriguing blend of horror and psychological suspense, but it ultimately falls short of its potential. The story follows a character caught in a live-streamed horror scenario, blending the fear of the unknown with the pressures of a modern digital landscape. While the novel has an eerie atmosphere and a compelling premise, the pacing can be slow at times, and some of the character development feels underwhelming. The tension builds well in places, but the payoff doesn’t always satisfy. Overall, it's an enjoyable read for fans of psychological horror, though it doesn't fully deliver on its promise.

I enjoyed this. It was creepy and funny and maybe more relatable than I'm comfortable with. I don't think I've actually seen anyone do streaming horror in novel form (there are some found footage films that handle it), and it was neat to see it.

Our main character is sometimes a bit frustrating, though there is a lot going on there with her. The story starts getting eerie pretty early on and holds pretty well with that. Watching the character melt down and then pull herself through it was compelling.

The author seemed like they were actually familiar with the world of online streaming, which I was not completely expecting, so those bits rang true with what I've seen with people I know. It did a good job of showing it as a positive force in people's lives, though definitely not without being able to cause problems. Sometimes a LOT of problems.

I didn't love the ending. It was...okay? It at least had a real ending, which is sometimes a trend in horror where books just kind of stop. At least King knows to set things on fire to show you it's over! This, again, did end, but it wrapped up a bit more cleanly than I thought made sense. I wasn't surprised by the way certain relationships shifted like I know some people were -- it seemed obvious that's where it was going, though not in a bad way.

Overall, if the idea of the book strikes you as interesting (or you like found footage horror, which was why I snagged it), I do recommend.

(I got this book for free from Netgalley. This did not affect the content of my review or opinions.)

"Rear Window meets The Ring in this sinister YA thriller, in which a teen girl witnesses the livestreamed murder of a popular online streamer by a paranormal entity . . . and could be its next victim." I love social media horror, and this book was no exception! This was a fast-paced novel that was fun and creepy. I may have yelled at the FMC a few times. I loved the mystery surrounding what or who the entity was that kept appearing in streams. Also, if you are not a fan of bugs, you may want to skip some parts. Definitely a great horror book!

This is a really fascinating book! This book's formatting was a novel decision. Anyone in their late teens to early twenties should read this book, in my opinion, as it offers a moving glimpse into the life of an anxious streamer and teaches us that sometimes we must log off and simply live life.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Deadstream started out really well. You really get immersed into the story. It leans heavily into screaming culture and if you don't know anything about that you might be lost by some of the lingo and I do think it could impact your ability to understand the story. Things like "raids," on stream are used a lot and if you don't know about that, you're going to be confused or lose context (this is not a dig at the book, its delivering what it promises).

I struggled with this one. I will own, I am not the target audience. However, I feel like this book moved too fast for the story to really sink in. I wish we would have spent more meaningful time with the main character and built her character more before things started moving. However, the age range this is for may not like that. I think this being a.YA thriller, it will do well with it's audience. This, feels closer to a middle grade horror though it is genuinely scary at times so maybe not suited for that audience for that reason. However, the writing and story structure was close to middle grade.

Because I am not the wheelhouse for this, I am not going to rate it on Goodreads. I think this is a good book for it's age range, it does not cross over though like some YA do and that's okay. This will be a good book for younger audiences to connect to and that's important. Rating 3 star on netgalley as rating is required and that's my rating with age range considered.

Teresa (aka Replay) is a teenager consumed by grief and guilt after the death of her best friend. Unable to leave her room, she retreats into the solace of streaming and online communities, where the glow of a screen feels safer than the outside world. But when a popular streamer begins acting strangely, Teresa is pulled into a dark mystery. Her search for answers pulls her deeper into the dark corners of the internet, where reality and digital nightmares begin to blur.

This book begins with a fairly fast-paced narrative and creative format, weaving chat logs, forum posts, and livestream transcripts into an unnerving story. The author does well capturing an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia and dread, amplified through Teresa’s battle with PTSD, anxiety, and agoraphobia. Her emotional state and physical reactions felt raw and authentic, capturing the crushing isolation and helplessness that often accompany such conditions.

However, the book’s ending faltered for me. The final act loses focus, overwhelmed by too many moving parts. Teresa’s journey into the villain’s mind became convoluted and difficult to follow. It felt more like a series of disconnected set pieces than a cohesive conclusion.

That said, the book excels in exploring the eerie, all-consuming nature of the online world. It delves into the bittersweet paradox of the way the internet can foster connection, but also feed isolation.

In the end, Deadstream didn’t fully work for me, but I can see it resonating with other readers, especially those who appreciate YA horror with a streamer-centric twist. If you’re someone who enjoys eerie atmospheres, relatable mental health struggles, and a touch of digital chaos, this book might just be your next binge-read.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

There are some genuinely creepy moments in this book and the premise is interesting. It's a dangers of streaming and what it can do to a person book, and while it's certainly based on things that can and do happen as a result of social media, I do think it inches a bit close to being preachy on the subject matter.

That being said, I enjoyed the read and love a non-traditional narrative. Though, some of the texting was difficult to read on Kindle.

The incentive nature of the haunting was my favorite element of the book.

There was a bit at the end where the pronoun "they" was used in a way that felt misleading and sort of misrepresentative of how "they" is used by non-binary folks.

Not sure what yo expect in thus book. I'm not sure i was the together audience. Not really for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Deadstream by Mar Romasco-Moore is a terrific horror novel. Teresa is a streamer who witnesses something strange online. She has severe PTSD and struggles to deal with the real world. When her virtual world comes under attack by an evil entity, Teresa feels the need to find a way to stop the evil from spreading before all her online friends are gone.
The story tackles PTSD in a very accurate and responsible way. It also addresses the danger of spending to much time online, and hiding from reality in a virtual world. It also addresses the mental health repercussions of social media addiction, all while creating a creepy, thrilling horror novel.
Deadstream is similar to the movies Pulse, The Ring, and DeVour. If you like those movies, you will love Deadstream.
Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Viking Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

okay, this is DEFINITELY NOT just a YA horror. it's deeply omi nous and actually made me at points shudder. in the middle of the afternoon, in a brightly lit room with multiple windows. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Oh, man, I loved this. Teresa’s trauma was more real than many books dealing with PTSD, the author did a stellar job showing us her* world, and I loved the community of people she had around her. I am an old person and know zilch about streaming but found the descriptions of Replay’s online world compelling and easy to visualize and understand. As the story amped up and the horror aspect became more real, I couldn’t read fast enough. This book felt very new and I was completely enthralled.

This was a really great story! I loved all of the characters and felt like the author did a really great job of making the plot interesting and the characters relatable. It definitely works and the story just came alive for me. It was spooky yet solvable, complicated yet simple. Read this book, you won’t regret that choice!

I thought this was brilliant. Not only is the plot incredibly fast paced and entertaining but underneath it all we have some incredible mental health representation. I do not suffer from PSTD or Agoraphobia but I have two degrees in psychology. To me this was a far better representation of both than other books I have read (*cough* The Woman in the Window). This might seem like a book about hauntings with a large helping of body horror but really this is book about grief.
This is why I love horror. This right here.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the horror aspect around social media. It reminds me of the movie Pulse which I absolutely loved. I am happy that I was introduced to this author. I loved the creativity in the story and appreciate the opportunity to receive this arc.

This book is spooky. Teresa is a Streamer who has gone through a traumatic car accident and lost her best friend. She is also struggling with identity but to keep it simple I will use She/her. Teresa, along with thousands of others, watches as a fellow streamer is haunted by a shadow figure. Teresa becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened. More and more streamers are attacked and fall into catatonic states. When Teresa's younger brother and her crush fall victim to the shadow figure, she is the only one who can save them.
This is a slow build, but thrilling book. It's going to have me checking screens for a while. Teresa is an unlikely hero who is forced to overcome psychological and physical obstacles to save those she loves. Recommend this to readers who like thrillers.

Internet supernatural horror, with strong found footage vibes throughout! This genre is very difficult to write without hopelessly overdoing it, but "Deadstream" absolutely nails it. The story is essentially about a sinister haunting, though instead of houses it's livestreams getting haunted! The idea is original (though slightly reminiscent of the movie Host), the execution flawless, the creepy scenes plentiful and the action never stops. This last is a bit of a mystery (I mean how the author manages to keep the tension high and the action non-stop), since the main character is a traumatized livestreamer with several mental issues, on account of which she can't even leave her room. Yet the employment of different formats (descriptions and transciptions of livestreams, live chats, messages, videos), and the realistic portrayal of gender fluidity, teenage dilemmas, and heightened emotion (from grief and guilt to hope and love), kept me turning the pages all night, and ended up finishing it in one sitting. The ending was marvelous, and the last lines quite hair-raising! Very highly recommend, certainly not only for young adult readers but for all horror fans!

Good YA thriller but not for me. I may have to try this on audio when it comes out due to the formatting though.