Amusement Park is one of those words that when I see it in a synopsis, I'm instantly intrigued, add in words like abandoned and scary, and it's definitely ticking all my boxes. Ride or Die has all that and more.

The mean girls were mean, and the abandoned part of the amusement park had great spooky vibes. Brie was a great character to follow, and I really loved the teen friends she made along the way. There were some great twists, and while I did see them coming it didn't make me enjoy the story any less.
I loved this from beginning to end, and I'll absolutely be checking out more by her.

💕💕Quotes I loved💕💕
- Everything had seemed perfectly fine, until it started to go weird.
- “Good boundaries make good friends, as my dad, the school counselor, used to say,”
✨✨Onto the Review✨✨
I actually couldn’t be bothered to look away from this book, I read it in one afternoon I was so obsessed! I loved the sense of foreboding and dread I got once the FMC went to explore the abandoned part of the theme park. I truly hated the mean girls group she hung out with at the beginning and they really did give off the vibes of mean girls from the movie.
For a YA thriller this book surely did have me on edge. I did call the plot twist pretty soon in the book but it was hard to miss I was just delighted I was correct!
I think this book is perfect for anybody who wants to read a spooky book this fall season! Thank you to Toppling Stack Tours and the author for sending me this book! If you want to keep up with the rest of the tour head over to this website so you can see content from other wonderful creators! https://topplingstackstours.com/

Dawson's "Guillotine" was one of my favorite books I've read this year, so to see that she's coming out with yet another horror book, this one for kids, AND it's set in an amusement park? Color me hyped! I'm a sucker for amusement park horror! This book was exactly what I wanted it to be. Suspenseful, engaging, and containing good world building. Dawson is quickly earning herself a repeat reader.

Delilah S. Dawson definitely knows how to write horror! This one is about Brie, a young teenager who recently changed schools because of some drama caused by her older sister. She's in that new school participating in some sports event. Thanks to Brie's athleticism, Emily, who is one of the Ems (the popular girls), wins a competition. So Emily invites Brie to her birthday party celebration which is taking place at an amusement park where, 30 years ago, 4 teenagers died. The old side of the amusement park where the tragedy occurred is closed off by a big, impenetrable wall. Unfortunately, this afternoon of fun doesn't turn the way Brie had expected..

This book was quite scary, and it tackled themes of interest to me: how to deal with public opinion, how to handle bullies, why are popular kids often mean and cruel toward nerds and those who care about their academic accomplishments, what does it even mean to be popular at school. I loved this book: it was fun, freaking scary, a super quick read, and I'm going to keep reading anything DSD keeps releasing.

Ride or Die by Delilah S Dawson

Release date August 5th
Middle grade horror

Brie is the new girl at her middle school. She’s desperate to become friends with the infamous Em’s (the popular girls at school). After they win the three legged race Emily(head of the Em’s) invites Brie to her birthday party/special after-hours lock-in at Wildwoods Amusement Park with her and the other 2 Em’s Emma and Emerson. They play truth or dare and dare Brie to go into the walled off section of the park that’s been closed since 4 students deaths in 1995. There she meets 3 teens that decide to let her hang with them for the night. Little does everyone know that the evil from 1995 is back and ready for more.

This was so good. I’m a wimp when it comes to horror so I figured a middle grade novel would be a safe way to dip my toes in. This was so good. I really enjoyed the spooky amusement park atmosphere.

Highly recommend

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for my arc.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the E-book.
Our main character, Brie, is struggling to find herself at her new school where she has transferred because of something her older sister did (the reader doesn't find out until later in the book), and now Brie wants a fresh start. She really wants to become one of the popular"Ems" group so when she is invited to join them at a party at an amusement park, she is extremely excited. Unfortunately, she discovers, the girls are very cruel, and things go south when they start playing truth or dare, and Brie is dared to go into a closed section of the park, but then the Ems lock her inside with no way out. This is when the suspense begins and as she meets some other teens as she wanders around, things are very strange.

At first, I felt like I had already read several books like this...girl drama, girl trying to fit in, and then the author adds some horror to lure readers in, but essentially the book is focused on girl drama so students feel cheated and tricked. Once Brie gets locked into the closed section without the Ems, the book really takes off and becomes interesting. By the time this happened though, I'm concerned that students will give up on the book, so I will have to tell them to stick with it. I think students will enjoy the amusement park setting as well.

If you’ve ever tried a little too hard to fit in with the cool crowd, Ride or Die will hit close to home then chase you through a haunted amusement park.

Brie finally gets invited to hang with the Ems aka the school’s elite girl gang at Wildwoods, a creepy-cool amusement park. She’s hoping for funnel cake and friendship but ends up ditched in an abandoned section of the park during a game of truth or dare gone wrong. There, she meets some mysterious older teens who seem chill until everything goes off the rails into full-blown nightmare territory.

Think eerie rides, spooky ghost teens, and a reawakened evil that wants more than just your popcorn. Brie’s gotta decide who she really is and fast if she wants to survive the night.

Creepy, fast-paced, and secretly kinda empowering, it's a horror story with heart, neon lights, and a dash of girl power. Perfect for fans of haunted carnivals and scary stories with something to say.

⚡️Thank you Toppling Stacks Tours, Delilah S. Dawson and Delacorte Press for sharing this book with me!

Ride or Die is a suspenseful book with a surprising amount of heart and life lessons. It definitely leans on the younger side of things, but it’s obviously written for that audience. The atmosphere in the story was so eerie and even though I kinda had things figured out, it still was tense but extremely fast paced. The characters were great and the main character goes through a very important journey that is nicely fleshed out. Overall, anyone who enjoys YA or Middle Grade horror, I definitely would suggest checking this book out!

This was a super fun read! I picked this book solely on the title and artwork, and it did not dissappoint! This is like FNAF level horror. Not super gory, but more for kids who have outgrown Goosebumps. This is good entry level horror.

I don’t typically read middle grade horror, but I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve read from Delilah Dawson so far, and after reading the summary, I knew this would be no exception. I LOVE amusement parks; a sleepover at one would be so much fun! Sans the reawakened evil of course…

And to no shock, I enjoyed this so much I read it in a day. I think my nephew, who loves all things scary, would absolutely love it and can’t wait to tell my sister so she can check it out. As expected, it was a perfect picture of creepy and thrilling. The scary or gory details were handled well for the age group. The overall message of trying to do anything to fit in and hang out with the “cool” kids is one that most kids in middle school could relate to. It’s a time in our lives when we’re trying to figure out who we are without knowing how. Speaking of the “cool” kids, I’ve never hated a group of teenagers more. I am not gonna lie, as wrong as it felt, I kept hoping bad things would happen to those *fictional* kids. And even though I’m used to Delilah’s adult horror, the ending still satisfied my need for revenge in a nice PG manner.

I absolutely love Delilah Dawson's previous book Bloom, and looked forward to her releasing this y.a novel. It was very well written and a quick read, but I think it was certainly predictable. We knew exactly what was happening even though the MC didn't put two and two together. I did enjoy the Gore and creepiness of it as well as the ending. Mean Girls suck and karma's a b****.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved, loved, loved this book! While it started off a bit slow, it quickly picked up and became such a thrilling read. I loved the ghostly elements and the spooky, suspenseful vibe throughout. The story of her picking up objects that awaken the ghost was so intriguing—and then having to survive the night? So good! It had the perfect mix of supernatural and thriller. I couldn’t put it down.

Ride or Die is such a fun & fast-paced middle grade horror with a setting that totally delivers. A haunted amusement park - say less. I loved watching Brie move from ride-to-ride, horror-to-horror - it had all the nostalgia of a Goosebumps book or a spooky campfire tale. Even though the plot becomes somewhat predictable, the atmosphere more than makes up for it. Dawson's descriptions really got under my skin - there were definitely moments that gave me the chills. Think spiders in slushies and the kind of rot & decay you can smell through the page. For a middle grade book, it didn't shy away from the creepy and I appreciated that.

Even if the plot was a bit easy to predict, there were still a few fun surprises that kept the story feeling fresh. I’d recommend this one for younger readers ready to dip their toes into the world of horror—or adults looking to tap back into that early thrill of being deliciously scared.

Ride or Die is a delightfully eerie thrill ride packed with carnival chills, peer pressure gone wrong, and a pulse-pounding supernatural twist. Delilah S. Dawson delivers a fast-paced, creepy tale perfect for readers who love amusement park settings with a sinister edge.

Brie is a relatable protagonist—eager to fit in, struggling to bury a secret, and stuck between the desire for acceptance and the instinct to survive. Her night at Wildwoods starts off with all the excitement of chasing popularity, but things quickly spiral into something darker when a dare leaves her stranded in a forgotten corner of the park.

The tension ramps up as Brie meets a group of charismatic teens who aren’t what they seem. Dawson balances eerie atmosphere and mounting dread with sharp dialogue and a strong emotional undercurrent, as Brie begins to question not just who she can trust but what she’s willing to risk to belong.

While the story leans into horror tropes, it does so with self-awareness and style, never losing sight of its emotional core. The haunted amusement park setting is both nostalgic and nightmarish—a perfect backdrop for the book’s mix of thrills, danger, and teen drama.

With plenty of twists and just the right dose of heart, Ride or Die is a wickedly fun read that’s perfect for fans of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Stranger Things, or anyone looking to kick off spooky season with a scream.

Thank you NetGalley! This is my first by Delian Dawson, I loved it. It was a great Young Adult novel and a quick read. I did not see where it was going with the twists

This is a low stakes, VERY fast paced middle grade horror novel. The amusement park setting is fun, and the characters are pretty diverse. However, I think this is pretty predictable, even for middle grade, and the descriptions might be a little too gross for the target age.

Ride Or Die from Delilah S Dawson is different kind of coming of age story.

Brie Turner is starting over. A new life in a new town and a new chance to make something of herself in the eyes of her new peers. The popular girls, The Ems, live under their own rules and Brie wants in, but be careful what you wish for. A night in an amusement park turns dark when a game of Truth or Dare crosses a very dark threshold.

The sins of the past haunt the people in this present through some genuinely hair raising ways. Delilah found new ways to make creepy feel fresh as Brie navigates her way through the park with new allies guiding her way.

Ride or Die is a fun, if not harrowing, tale about finding yourself at an age when most of us don't really know how to define who we truly want to be. It's a story tailor made for younger audiences at a similar moment in their lives, but, at times, feels deeply personal to Delilah herself. And one that I felt deeply in my core. A universally relatable story for any audience.

Delilah S. Dawson is extremely hit or miss for me, but this was a delight!!

Girl hangs out with popular girls, popular girls mean, girl gets in a sticky situation because of them. Pretty cut and dry. However, the fun horror twists add to the overall message. I figured out the twist pretty early on, but that did not change my enjoyment. This would hit really well for middle grade readers. And it definitely is not too scary for them.

3.5 stars

Ride or Die had the perfect amusement park setting! A great book to read during summerween!

This one genuinely scared me 😅 I would definitely not enjoy being trapped in an amusement park overnight, especially this one.

I reaaaally liked Dawn, CJ, and Trip and was so sad once I realized what was going on 😭 Brie was also great and really came into her own!

This one even made me tear up a little towards the end.

Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson is a middle grade horror novel that follows Brie. Brie desperately wants to be a part of the cool girl clique at her school known as “the Ems” but it’s almost impossible. After she ends up in the Ems good graces, she gets to join them for a night of fun at a local theme park. But things don’t go according to plan and Brie ends up getting more thrills than she expected.

This was so fun. There is something so nostalgic about middle grade horror. This one takes place in an amusement park at night which I feel like was a dream of mine growing up but it made it terrifying! This book had some creepy elements that any reader can enjoy.

There are some great messages in here as well. Mainly around is it worth being a different person to fit in with the cool crowd? I think that’s something that a lot of middle schoolers have to deal with so this book is perfect for the age group it’s aimed for.

This was just a great time full of fun rides and scary encounters with some important messages for kids. I will be getting a copy of this to add to my home library for my kids to read!