Thank you to Netgalley and Viking for an ARC ebook copy for review.

I remember when I was a teen (so long ago now, ugh) and the internet was a new frontier, and watching horror movies come out about the dangers lurking behind the screen for those who dug a little too deep. This book definitely brings those movies to mind, but updated for the newer age, where the internet has now cemented itself into a permanent and just normal aspect for the newer generations.

The story follows a girl suffering from trauma and agoraphobia who is trying to break into the streaming community, and finally hits is big when someone she "knows" from online is killed while on their stream. She tries to capitalize on their death a bit by digging into the mystery, and slowly more people start being affected by a dangerous entity who seems to be targeting streamers.

While I definitely felt a bit too old for this story at times, I think the young adult group will enjoy it. It touches a lot on the idea of loneliness and the need to fill that void with an online persona and a constant influx of information rather than letting yourself just feel emotions. There are some legitimate creepy scenes, although sometimes I got tired for reading names like "sparkle kitty" and the chat boxes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC of this title.

The first of many times I read the word "rizz" in this book, I knew this book wasn't meant for me. I liked the concept. I really liked the chat parts. I just could not get past the language. There is a whole lot of Gen Z slang in here, and to me it just made everything a little silly. To be fair, I find myself drawn to young adult books less and less frequently, and this one read very young adult. I think if I was the target demographic I probably would have had a decent time with this one. Unfortunately I'm old and it just didn't work for me.

This one I’m sorry to say just was not for me. I’m
Not sure of it was the writing just feeling stilted or the actual plot being too predictable but it was so hard to get through. I have read a couple others from this writer that I loved but, idk…

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Young Readers and Viking Books for this arc.

Unfortunately at 17% i will have to dnf. I wanted to enjoy this due to the description but the way this was written is not for me. I hope this book finds the group of people that will love it and wishing the author much success.

I thought this was really interesting! I liked the gaming/streaming aspects. Sprinkling portions of chat throughout the chapters was a cool touch.
I found the idea of some kind of contagious possession via streaming really gripping. "Video games are going to rot your brain." I'm sure we've all heard it before.

Teresa's struggles with agoraphobia and anxiety were upsetting. Especially coupled with the fear of the "possession" being behind a door - how could she leave her bedroom? No door is safe.

I like that she kind of got a second chance to get there in time, save her friend. I really felt for her and the guilt she carried for Becks. I can't imagine having to carry that at such a young age or any age really.

I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but other than that I had a good time with this.

TW: agoraphobia, panic attacks, death by falling, death by firearm, death at the hands of someone else, car accident+death.

#Deadstream by #MarRomasco-Moore is certainly a YA book more for late middle school early highschool. Someone looking for a good quick read would be very satisfied with #Deadstream.

Teresa aka Replay is a live streamer who finds her connection with those inside the universe of the internet. Ever since her best friend Breck died in a car crash that only Teresa walked away from she has withdrawn into herself worse and worse hardly able to even leave her bedroom for fear of all the ways she could be harmed. Her live streaming is the only thing that feels safe to her anymore.

What happens though when the one thing that has always made her feel safe and seen is no longer a safe place? Something is lurking within the internet and it is attacking other live streamers leaving them catatonic and eventually dead. Replay (Teresa) is determined to figure out what is happenening but she begins to spiral down a rabbit hole and finds she must confront what scares her most. Its time to leavethe house.


I want to thank #Netgalley and #VikingBooks for the chance to read #Deadstream by #MarRomasco-Moore in return for a fair and honest review.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy.! You can pick up Deadstream on April 1, 2025.

Listen, I'm not a thriller girlie, but this book had me hooked from start to finish. It was the perfect level of eerie/creepy and I truly FELT the stakes in this story. Our MC, Teresa, finds solace in livestreaming and connecting with online friends after a devastating car accident kills her best friend. As she works through the aftermath of that trauma, she witnesses one of her favorite streamers being attacked on what seems to be just the screen, but it goes so much deeper than that.

I can't believe how Mar Romasco-Moore fits so much messaging about livestream and online culture into such a short book, but it gave me literal chills to read these "comments from chat" and see how people react to real-life danger when they think they're separated by a screen and keyboard. The supernatural elements in this book were executed perfectly and really added to the stakes/consequences of people's actions.

This book also had fantastic queer rep with a gender non-conforming MC, trans love interest, and several other prominent queer characters. If you're looking for an LGBTQIA+ horror story with undertones about online culture and how we spend our time online, this is the book for you!

3.5

Teresa was in a horrible accident that left someone close to her deceased. Since then she hasn't been able to face the outside world, cooped up in her bedroom with nothing but her devices to feel some type of connection. Constantly streaming, watching “lives” and trying to gain success and popularity in doing so. Teresa starts to notice something strange happening to popular streamers all over, they are disconnected, zombie-like after spotting a shashadow figure appearing only through the computer. Something is terribly wrong and Teresa starts to investigate.

Deadstream gives you all those fun popcorn thriller vibes. The “chat” mode within the book reminds me of the AOL days (yes I just showed my age with that reference 🤣) I think any teen getting into thrillers is going to absolutely love this read! That horror/thriller aspect of devices and the internet turning on you with a paranormal twist is fantastic, I can see The Ring vibes for sure!!

I was drawn in by the cool cover design and compelling premise of this story. As a gamer, and someone who loves to watch live streams, I always find a book with a reality TV or livestream aspect to be really interesting. The horror in this was really well done, and I could appreciate the different conversations that were brought up about identity and loss and grief. Also I am such a SUCKER for a multimedia novel (like a found footage sort of thing, with article snippets and emails, reddit posts, etc.) so I enjoyed the way the book made use of those mediums. I saw someone say that this was a more modern version of The Ring, which is a great comparison. I think that this was a really solid story with compelling plot elements and some interesting commentary!

Deadstream had a very interesting premise that I couldn’t pass up on reading! I am not someone who watches streaming channels but my husband does! I am always fascinated by the sheer amount of people watching them at a time. Thousands sometimes millions of people at once. I liked the horror twist in streaming and how it can easily affect millions. I enjoyed this fast read. 3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Deadstream follows streamer Replay, or Teresa, as she is feeling with the loss of a friend and finds solace in her room and live streaming. One night as she is watching a huge streamer see a shadowy figure and then go comatose on stream, she has to help unravel the mystery as she also replays the moment for everyone else to see. This novel explores loss and finding identity through supernatural horror and is a fast-paced novel I had a hard time putting down. The novel also effectively utilizes various mediums such as texts and Reddit posts to its advantage. I highly recommend this book for teenagers and anyone who wants to read somewhat of a modern version of The Ring.

THOUGHTS

I loved this book in all kinds of ways that I definitely wasn't prepared for! This book takes risks in the formatting, and those risks pay off to make the online, instantly-connected nature of this plot feel so alive, so encompassing with a chatter of online voices chiming in constantly in the background. This book embraces internet culture in a way that I haven't seen before, in a way I don't think books written for the adult market would dare. And it worked so, so well.


PROS
Experimental Format: This book experiments with format in a way adult lit wouldn't have the guts to, and I loved it! Do I think it always worked? I mean, not necessarily. But it was novel. It felt like doomscrolling, capturing that feeling of being online and stuck in a loop. It felt like being live before an audience of anonymous profile pictures, and I really liked it.

Livestream Life: There are some aspects of everyday life in this internet age that literature just hasn't touched much yet, and livestreaming is definitely one. Literature has barely caught up to podcasts, after all. But this book, this author, definitely knows what its like to watch streams, to stream hop, and to exist alongside this aspect of contemporary culture. This is a book written almost as a love letter to this form of electronic content, bringing it to life in a way that encapsulates actually watching streams (and, you know, not just a nod toward e-sports and more "mainstream" internet content). Streaming isn't new, and it isn't going away anytime soon, so it's nice to see it captured so well in this book.

Mental Health Awareness: I really liked, too, that this is a character struggling with her mental health. And I mean struggling consistently, all throughout the book. A lot of YA books either 1) are written specifically about mental health (i.e. mental health is the plot) or 2) give a character some mental health problem at the beginning and then promptly forget about it as the plot goes on. This isn't a plot about mental health, but Teresa is struggling, and she is struggling consistently. It is important to her character, to the way she interacts with the world and the choices she makes as the plot unfolds. And I liked the conversation this book had around hobbies like streaming, i.e. "young people" hobbies, that just don't click with older adults, health care providers and therapists included. Advice and concern just doesn't quite match up because those adults giving that advice don't really know where they're coming from, what they're talking about. And that just adds to Teresa's struggle.


CONS
Outdated Already: Livestream isn't new, and it isn't going anywhere. But not all of this book felt up-to-date. Specifically, there are some Twitter references in the formatting of social posts and trending feeds (though Twitter isn't referenced by name) that feel a bit more... traditional Twitter. Like, 5-years-ago Twitter. Sadly not the Twitter of today. And I think the more this book ages, the more outdated it will feel. Not that I necessarily hate that, though. That's just the thing about, well, the passage of time.

Call For Help!: I was more than happy to just follow along with this plot most of the time, but boy if there weren't some times she should have, you know, just called the police. Not doing so was the right decision, but... why didn't she? She didn't have any active reservations, for the most part, when it came to calling for help, so I'm not sure why she jumped to other solutions first. It felt a little strange (or, you know, plot necessary). Something to note (though it didn't detract from my reading experience. Much).

Revelation Letdown: The ultimate revelation, the what and how and why of this plot, was a bit of a letdown for me, personally. I think I just wanted something a little bit more. Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate it. I liked the message, even, working in the background behind this revelation. I just, I don't know, wanted something more than we got.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9/10
Fans of Diana Urban's These Deadly Games will like following along with this hardcore gamer girl. Those who loved Kelsea Yu's It's Only a Game will like bringing this gaming energy to the all-too-real world.

"It still scares her fresh, every time she sees the footage. Her own face. Her own room. The door creaking open."

After surviving a car crash that took her best friend, Teresa has been unable to leave the safety of her bedroom. As a streamer, she has everything she could need - her games and access to her own favorite streamers. However, one night, one of these streamers is haunted by a shadowy figure during one of their livestreams and several days later, dies on-stream. Teresa thinks she might be the only one with answers and must face leaving the safety of her room in order to save her friends.

DEADSTREAM by Mar Romasco-Moore is a fast-paced, multimedia thriller for all the gaming youths in your life! (lol I am now someone who uses the term "youths" 😭)

What I loved about this story was the fact that even though a majority of it takes place in a single room, since it's centered on streamers, you get a look at several different characters, their lives and fans, and the games they each have found a niche in. I also loved that the story was interspersed with a "chat" feature so you got to see others interacting with these characters as well!

The LGBTQIA rep was also so great to see, and the power of friendship really came through!

I really enjoyed this one despite never being a gamer!

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: April 1

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC.

It's like "The Ring" but with streaming. Fun, fast paced, YA horror that I enjoyed thoroughly. Did I need added romance, no. Did it make me like it less, also no. Tough themes throughout, but still a great book.

Deadstream is a fast-paced, creepy YA thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story follows Teresa, a teen who rarely leaves her bedroom after a traumatic accident, as she witnesses something terrifying on a livestream—an eerie figure lurking in the background of a popular streamer’s feed. When the streamer dies on camera and the figure starts appearing in other streams, including her own, Teresa has to confront both her fears and the sinister force spreading through the internet. The book does a great job of building suspense, and there were some genuinely spooky moments that caught me off guard. It’s also very visual in its storytelling, making it easy to imagine as a horror movie.

I also appreciated how Deadstream balanced the horror with deeper emotional themes. Teresa’s struggle with trauma and isolation felt real, and her journey had a cathartic element that added weight to the story. The book also includes some great queer representation, particularly in how Teresa explores her gender identity, and I liked the unexpected sapphic twist. While it’s a fun, quick read, it also offers a thoughtful look at how the internet can be both a source of connection and something much darker. It’s a reminder that sometimes, it’s good to step away from the screen, go outside, and touch some grass. If you’re looking for an engaging, eerie thriller with a strong emotional core, this one is definitely worth checking out.

Please keep in mind some triggers and content warnings that are included but not limited to in this book: Suicide, mental illness, car accidents, blood and more

This is a take on the modern world of streaming of what we know but given a nice little twist of ghost behind added. We have Teresa who sadly haven't been able to leave her home ever since the car accident that took the life of her best friend. As a way to cope she begins to stream, which then leads her to falling quickly from fame to something darker. This book despite having some darkness to it is pretty well thought of and is a bit spooky. The subjects like having Teresa be someone with a panic disorder is written well (this is my opinion as someone who is actually diagnosed with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). I love streamers on a daily basis and is someone who likes to watch them play simulation and alternate reality games so this book did grab my interest.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this, If you are someone who likes to read about streaming, pick this up!

This was creepy and spooky. I enjoyed the writing style. The chat stream that explained what was going on so it was like we were there seeing it feeling it.

This is my first book by Mar Romasco-Moore and will not be my last. This is a very good YA book that will scare the crap out of of teens. Loved it.

This was an interesting take on the streaming culture/chronically online child meets paranormal haunt. There was a lot of potential & the idea is neat. I don’t think it fully came together, the MC’s backstory & the brief romance subplot felt kind of jammed in.

I could see the YA demo enjoying this, but I don’t think it will have mass appeal beyond that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Genre 📚: YA Horror, Thriller, Paranormal
Tropes 💁‍♀️: Ghostly revenge, haunting/possession
Rep ✔️: Queer main characters
CW ⚠️: Grief, anxiety, agoraphobia, some blood/gore
Rating ⭐️: 3.5/5

As promised, this book is very much Rear Window meets The Ring — but instead of a haunted video tape, it’s haunted livestreams. MC Teresa has confined herself to her room, living with intense anxiety after losing her best friend in an accident, with her only source of comfort being the livestream community. Her life takes a dark turn, however, when she realizes some sort of entity is targeting her favorite streamers.

Teresa goes into full online sleuth mode to try to save these people, and we’re right there with her, reading all the chatrooms, Reddit posts, and of course, scrubbing through hours of streams. It’s a really cool and immersive way to handle the mystery, and it’s totally effective — I was on the edge of my seat, despite most of the setting being one bedroom. Then the ghost gets more active, and things start to feel like a Goosebumps book (in a good way).

I wasn’t a fan of the last-minute romance or the ending, but I gotta give Deadstream props for legitimately spooking me. I read this at nighttime, and I kept getting chills every time I looked down my darkened hallway…

Deadstream was creepy in all the right ways, and I loved the concept—a cursed livestream? shadowy entity spreading online? YES—but the execution didn’t fully deliver the punch I was hoping for. The vibes were immaculate (dark, claustrophobic, very Ring-meets-Twitch), and I appreciated the mental health rep with Teresa’s agoraphobia, but the pacing dragged a bit and some of the scares felt more eerie than truly terrifying. Still, if you’re into digital horror with a paranormal twist and a slow-burn unraveling of dread, this one’s definitely worth a read. Not a fave, but it scratched the spooky itch.