This YA thriller was so good! I really enjoyed reading it! It had me page by page! I read it fast too! Super good and loved the twist and turns of the story! The main character was great too! Highly recommend!

Unfortunately this one is going to be a DNF. I tried to read it twice. I just. Ant get along with the writing style, it’s too on-the-nose and info-dumpy for me. It’s unfortunate because I absolutely love thrillers where people get stuck somewhere and end up getting murdered one by one. A creepy murder canal sounds perfect. I think for this reason I’ll to read this again one day maybe on audio?

If you're a FNAF fanatic, or you have a twisted fascination for the dark conspiracies surrounding Disney theme parks, Murder Land is quite definitely the book for you!

Full of murders, mysteries, plot twists and suspenseful chapters that'll have you hoping to high heaven that you're never locked in an amusement park after-hours, this fast-paced novel is truly enjoyable to anybody who likes YA thrillers and wants to be pushed to the edge of their seat whilst reading.

Could not finish this book. It had a lot of promise but the first chapter was hard to read and get through.

It was a quick summer thrillery read about an amusement park gone wrong. It wasn't overly gory but there are scenes with death portrayed. It's also LGTQIA+ rep. I did like learning all the back story of how the rides came to be and what the problems were.

2.5 stars rounded up.

This is a decent summer read, but ultimately forgettable.

We follow Billie after she lands a job as a ride operator for a new attraction in the theme park she works in. On her first night, a coworker mysteriously dies and she's being set up to take the fall. With the help of some friends, they stay in the park after hours to try and find the truth, but realize that they may not all make it out alive...

While this was fun and I always enjoy theme park settings, I was hoping for a little more of a slasher vibe. It was not as fast-paced as I thought it would be and didn't have nearly enough death for my taste in horror/thrillers. Ultimately, not what I was expecting but not a bad read either.

Murder Land is a fast-paced teen thriller with a killer premise: a death-filled night set in a theme park that’s equal parts nostalgic and ominous. Carlyn Greenwald captures the chaotic energy of summer jobs, teenage crushes, and late-night sleuthing with a tone that feels like a mix between Scooby-Doo and Fear Street—fun, eerie, and slightly over the top.

Billie is a relatable protagonist, and her excitement over her summer plans makes the sudden shift to danger all the more jarring. The tension ramps up quickly after her coworker’s suspicious death, and the story wastes no time jumping into a night of unraveling secrets, betrayals, and bodies. The park itself makes for a memorable backdrop—colorful by day, sinister by night.

That said, the book leans more on entertainment than depth. The plot occasionally stretches believability, and the twists—while engaging—aren’t always surprising. Character motivations can feel thin, and some moments of dialogue and friendship drama veer into cliché. Still, for readers who enjoy high-stakes whodunits with a touch of camp, Murder Land delivers popcorn thriller vibes in a single-sitting read.

It may not linger long after the final page, but it offers a fun, suspenseful ride while it lasts—perfect for fans of theme park horror and late-night teen mysteries.

Not the thriller the title, the cover, and the summary makes it out to be because the pacing was so so slow for a YA mystery AND the characters were indistinguishable from one another. I thought there might be a little romantic quality that would keep a little intrigue but that fizzled pretty quickly to an awkward mystery where the various modalities to share the information from inside the theme park investigation actually didn't work well either.

Murder Land by Carlyn Greenwald focuses on 17 year old Billie, queer employee of a California theme park. At the story's open, Billie is preparing for her first shift in her new role as a ride operator in a new section of the theme park - Murder Land - on opening night.

When her ride is fixed after an unexpected shut-down, Billie invites her friends -- and creepy co-worker -- for a private ride. However, at the end of their jaunt, someone doesn't walk away. After getting help from her supervisor, now the apparent heart attack looks more like an accident--or could it be foul play?

With the help of best friend, Grace, Grace's girlfriend, and the cute boy Billie's interested in, the party are determined to discover the truth--even if it means sneaking around the park and sticking their noses where it doesn't belong. The question is-- will they all make it out of the park alive?

~~

Murder Land was an interesting concept, but the plot pulls readers in two directions. Billie's sexual orientation is referenced consistently throughout the story, but at often at confusing times, detracting from the action of the plot. While the story has uneven pacing, it's still enjoyable with a few twists.

Age Range: 9-12 grade.

This was a fun summer/spring read. I always enjoy reading in a theme park type of setting. I did read this a few weeks ago, and I will be honest nothing really stuck with me. I can't give too many specifics about the book, but overall it was a fun time.

If you need a quick and fast paced read this summer, or maybe a palate cleanser this would be a good one to turn to.

Congrats to Carlyn Greenwald for another successful YA tale. This was an entertaining take on a murder mystery thriller at a theme park. Nothing was too on the nose as to distract the reader from the setting. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NatGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Murder Land follows 17 year old Billie who finds herself as a suspect in the mysterious death of a fellow employee. As Billie and her friends try to uncover what truly happened, it seems death and violence is following their every move. California land is a theme park with a dark history and even darker employees.

This was…..okay. I found myself constantly questioning Billie’s every move. None of it made sense. Also, how is the park still open and people taking money well after 1am. How is no one catching these kids running around a theme park. And when a major event happens, Billie just keeps going like it’s not effecting her? I don’t buy it. I wanted to really love it. I just found it not making enough sense to me. I often found myself only reading a page or two at a time.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC.

Maybe it’s because I’ve previously read another book with a near identical title and premise already but this one just didn’t work for me unfortunately. My best friend, however, would be obsessed with it so I’ll be sharing this recommendation with her post publication.

The actual mystery was a bit confusing... I think more time could've been spent in the set up because the reasoning wasn't clear until the very end. I know that's technically the point of a reveal but there should've been a few more threads to pick up on. I was too confused along the way. I liked how all of the characters were extremely messy and the author definitely hit on the energy of four teenagers who are all a little queer for each other.

OKAY... This book is my new obsession. Murder land gives me a whole new look on theme parks, lol. This was the most perfect YA Mystery/Thriller. Our main character, Billie, finds herself working at the theme park when one her co-workers dies. The death is seen as freak accident until more murders start occurring. This was a fast pace read that'll keep you engaged and keep you on the edge of your seat

Sadly this one wasn't what I thought! The characters did not do much 'murder land'-ing, and the plot could have taken place literally anywhere. The end also went way too farfetched for me.

Still, thank you Netgalley for the arc!

This is a fast-paced YA thriller set in a murder-themed amusement park, where 17-year-old Billie finds herself investigating a coworker's suspicious death on opening night. The book delivers a fun, eerie atmosphere and a diverse cast.
The unique setting stands out, and the single-night timeline keeps the tension high. However, character development is thin, and some plot points feel rushed or implausible. The tone also shifts awkwardly at times between horror and teen drama.

A great summer thriller! I love books that take place in theme parks and this one was really good! It was YA but I don’t think it felt like YA. I really enjoyed it! Will be recommending for Summerween!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for my copy of MURDER LAND.

I really liked this in the beginning, but as the story unfolded it was just so incredibly unbelievable and I couldn't help but being mortified and sad for these teens! That kept me from fully being invested in the story and took away the escape and charm for me. I don't recommend this one.

hmm.

i think this was a perfectly serviceable young adult horror/mystery novel.

bisexual billie (i see what you were laying out here, carlyn) works a summer job at a theme park AND she gets to chill out with her best friend, grace. recently promoted to a ride operator, she expects a fun, event-filled summer. a wrench gets thrown in her plans when her first night on the top her creepy, elderly coworker ends up dying mysteriously on the ride that she's operating. suddenly, her key card isn't working, photos of that one deathly ride suddenly go missing, that employee's files are taken out of the system. and billie HAS to figure out what's going on before the body count gets even higher.

this had scooby gang vibes with a crackpot bunch of teen investigators trying to figure out what happened in the park. it was... fine, as i said previously. but, being set in a theme park, i was expecting the fun factor to be amped up - decapitations by rollercoasters, crazy people in themed character costumes chasing people down with a knife.

don't get me wrong, i thought the explored history of the park was kind of interesting and the true villain's motives all along were engaging, but ultimately i feel like those aspects were the most unexplored parts of the story, instead spending a bunch of time focusing on walking through uninteresting parts of the theme park and showing us a look "behind the scenes". ultimately, it wasn't the campy, fun time that i wanted, but i think if you're a big fan of ya horror you might have a visceral reaction to this one and imagine it as the cinematic thrill ride that it seemed intended to be.