2.75/5

I received this digital ARC via Netgalley and was so looking forward to it when I came across it.

The setting and plot intrigued me and I was throughly looking forward to reading it. It went in a different direction than I expected but it still kept my attention overall. I did have to force myself to finish it because I guessed the outcome within the first half.

My biggest critique would be the lack of consistency when referencing the real world and California’s history. I completely understand taking creative liberties but I believe it would make more sense to follow the accurate history of theme parks if some of it was being used.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Murder Land by Carlene Greenwaldnn, 17-year-old Billy couldn’t be happier she got a promotion at work and is going to start in one of the most anticipated parts of the park, thanks to her boss Connor Murderland. If only there wasn’t so many hiccups along the way; it’s opening night and her mom couldn’t bring her and so her best friend Grace does, grace and Sawyer are fighting again and finally when she gets there the ride wouldn’t work and afterSawyer fixes it they all go for a ride including the janitor 90 year old Randy who Billy initially thought Grace found weird but after the rides over they find Randy dead and he won’t be the last one. because soon Grace is dead as well. The park closes in Sawyer along with Billy‘s first crush Leon tried to solve who did it but find their self being hunted by the murderer as well. it seems like the closer they get the more dangerous it becomes. Let me start by saying this is one of my most anticipated books and although I wasn’t disappointed it didn’t turn out the way I thought it was going to. I really liked the great detail she put into describing the park the rides and the key players but when her best friend just died not to mention her crush who also likes her is with her she starts entertaining thoughts of being with her dead best friends girlfriend Sawyer. I thought that it was not only a pointless sub plot awkward to say the least but also too soon and highly inappropriate. I still was shocked by the culprit because OMG didn’t see that coming so I will still recommend this book for the great park details and I did find Billy Leon and Sawyer to be very likable and the mystery to be a good one just could’ve done without all the potential too soon romance. it’s not a conspiracy theory if it’s true. I do recommend this book but just don’t go into it expecting splatter punk Tapo because it is far from that. It should’ve been called the mystery and left at that but I digress I still recommend that they have great details and the great mystery to be solved so those who like books like that will enjoy this one. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #CarleneGreenwald, #MurderLand,#SourceBooks,K

I enjoy a YA book and was excitied to read this as based in an amusement park. I had really high hopes for this book but it was just OK. The story follows Billie and her friends trying to survive opening night of Murder Land. Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for ARC.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Carlyn Greenwald, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book is intriguing. Billie works at a theme park and has recently received a promotion to a new section as a ride operator. The situation becomes precarious when a deceased individual is discovered on the ride. Convinced that there are malevolent activities occurring within the theme park, Billie embarks on a quest to solve the murder.

The premise is compelling; however, there were instances of confusing and contradictory writing. I found it challenging to discern what the main character was wearing—was it a jacket, a hoodie, or perhaps her ride uniform complete with heels? While not insurmountable, these discrepancies proved distracting. Additionally, there were several instances of cumbersome writing with superfluous information, which further detracted from the core narrative.

Overall, it was a commendable young adult thriller mystery. It encompasses various elements that are likely to captivate young adult readers, including a murder mystery, awkward relationships, and the challenges of fitting in. I believe that young adult readers may be more lenient regarding the writing style.

Thank you to Carlyn Greenwald, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange goes an honest review (unpaid).

While the premise of this book was extremely interesting, and it has a ton of potential, the writing is clunky, many details contradict each other, and there are a good number of typos. In addition to that, after <spoiler> Grace's death </spoiler>, I found myself not really caring about any of the characters. A lot of the story and the characters still need fleshing out for me to be really invested. In addition, some parts 9f the book mentioned Disney while others refered to it vaguely as the "Other California theme park" or "the Mouse Overlord" and I think that should be more consistent.

There was so much going on in this book and with so much going on nothing was done right. I wish there was on focus and that one focus would have been amazing

Perfect for fans of You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kaylnn Bayron, Murder Land is a fun YA thriller set in a theme park.

Set over the course of one wild opening night, we follow Billie on what should be the perfect night: she has the guy she hooked up with that is showing signs of wanting more, her best friend, and her best friend's girlfriend (there's tension there but it can be put aside for the night, right?) It is a perfect night until the first body drops. Then the next one drops. Chases and conspiracies abound as Billie and her friends try to survive the night and uncover the secrets that lay beneath the park.

This book was excellently paced and very atmospheric- I could practically smell the air of the theme park. I simultaneously want to visit Disney World and never set foot in an amusement park ever again. I really enjoyed Murder Land and highly recommend for anyone looking for a conspiracy-filled slasher.

From the cover and title I was excited to read this book but unfortunately I couldn’t get into it

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book

I was so excited for this book, as the premise of a murder mystery/thriller set in a quirky theme park with a diverse cast is so good! But the execution was just not there for me. The writing lacks the clarity that I need to get fully immersed in a story, and I found this particularly perplexing given that this is YA. I had to reread multiple parts and still couldn't fully picture what was happening on the page. The killer was very obvious from the beginning; I'm not sure how intentional that was.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion! I thought Murder Land was an action-packed read and I liked the atmosphere a lot. However, the pacing seemed a bit off sometimes and I also correctly guessed the killer right away. Overall, Murder Land just felt too disjointed and off and even though I really liked the diversity of the characters, it was a miss for me.

Such a great book - twists and turns perfect for 8th through 10th grade students for sure! I can't wait for this to publish so I can add it to my classroom library; I already know of five kids who would love to read it!

This tale of a theme park in Southern California, with a new focus on true crime, is a perfect twist to what feels like a much-done story. I thought it would read like "Fantasticland" (which is a book I loved), and while it felt similar, it didn't feel like I'd heard the story before. I was shocked several times while reading, and know teens will love it just as much!

I worked at a theme park in high school. It was supposedly haunted, but thankfully no one died there that I know of! So, I was excited to read this book after seeing the premise! Sadly, it didn’t really live up to my expectations. It was a bit of a slog to get through. I never really connected to any of the characters and parts of the story became very repetitive.

I feel like the author tried to do to many things with this book. We are introduced to so many different areas in the park, that i felt like it started to take away from the actual mystery. So much focus on the different areas that didn’t really add anything to the story. I thought the killer was pretty obvious from the start. Though I still don’t fully understand the motivations. At the end of the book, I was still left with a lot of questions.

Overall, an interesting premise, but sadly this book was a miss for me.

Billed as a queer One of Us Is Lying set at a California theme park, I was immediately curious about the premise of this one! Thrill rides and murder??? I'm in! Billie has worked at California Land for two years and has earned a promotion as an operator for the new thrill ride on preview night. But when a test ride with her friends, her crush, and another park employee results in one of them dead, Billie is made to feel like she's about to lose her job. To prove her innocence, she starts to gather evidence with her friends. When another of the group tragically dies, Billie starts to realize they are all a part of something bigger--a commercial company that will stop at nothing to protect their brand at the expense of their employees.

While this was action-packed and a page turner, it was also somewhat disappointing, as Billie and her friends' choices often frustrated me as an adult reader. They were erratic and just plain dumb at times! I know that's a trope of teen slashers, but their actions and secrets just had me screaming to go get help instead of running all over doing dangerous things to find the killer. The mixed media format with the interviews of the history behind the park was at times distracting, but definitely made more sense as the book progressed and it did make the ending more satisfying with Billie getting her own form of justice. The killer was obvious early on even with a strong red herring late in the storyline. People who are into amusement park lore/history and urban exploring of rides will likely enjoy the format and storyline of this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-ARC. This one is out May 6, 2025!

Okay, I was actually excited about this one. And im having to DNF only a few chapters in because this writing is rough. Did you know that the MC no longer does anything bad anymore because now shes friends with Grace? Oh? Well she tells you 500 times. So dont worry.

ARC REVIEW, thank you so much to Carlyn Greenwald, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for this ARC. My review is not influenced by receiving an ARC. This is an honest review!

An amusement park with history soaked in conspiracy theories and now blood. A new world in this theme park is Murder Land, based on victims of real California murders. 

We follow Billie and her friend group on opening night. She allows her friends to ride on a new attraction. Once they get off, she notices one of her coworkers never left. It looks like a heart attack, but when she leaves to get help and comes back, his neck is snapped. She could've sworn it wasn't before. Now she has to clear her name.

I think this YA murder mystery was so well done. I love the literary device of mixing present moments and video essays. 

I think the pacing was off in the beginning, it got better as the book went on. 

I think the blurb saying it is like Holly Jackson's books is a fair comparison because at some points this book reminded me of both 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' by Holly Jackson and 'Sadie' by Courtney Summer. 

I adored the diversity in this book. For example, Billie is a Jewish bisexual.

This felt very disjointed to me. It was fast paced which I usually enjoy, but I think that added to the disjointed feeling of it and the characters made some bizarre decisions. I can get on board with a far fetched plot, but too much of this book relies on convenience for me (ie, the hotdogs)

I have read and enjoyed YA thrillers before but this didn’t hit the mark for me unfortunately

THOUGHTS

This book is exactly what you'd think a book called Murder Land will be. It did what it promised. It didn't underdeliver. It also didn't overdeliver. It just did what it said it would.


PROS
Bi Rep: Any time there's explicit bisexual representation on the page, it is a good thing. So many books dance around the word, the label, and that just contributes to a sort of bi erasure (even in, you know, bi representation). So it is refreshing to have a book where the main character calls herself bisexual, and where she's crushing on a boy and a girl in the same book. It's nice to see.

Theme Park Conspiracy: There's something inherently creepy about animatronics, and this book really plays into that. This is the perfect book for anyone who has fallen into a YouTube rabbit hole about abandoned places, behind-the-scenes theme parks, creepypastas, and corporate cover-ups. It's a lot of fun.

True Crime: You know what's crazy? Having a theme park designed around true crime. Like, cold cases and brutal murder as your attraction themes. That's a crazy idea... and I can see people being into that. I wish more of this book had dug into the newly-opened Murder Land part of this park, but the idea at least was there. Before, you know, the actual deaths started happening.


CONS
Quick Transitions: This book moves so quickly, in a bad way. Billie's just so quick to move on. To move on from people dying. To move on from one crush to the next. To forgive and forget (even when she hated someone at the beginning of the book). I don't know. Maybe you shouldn't be contemplating going out with someone before the body at your feet has even gone cold. Maybe try at the very least waiting for the police to arrive first.

Unclear Motivations: Billie really, really, really wants to keep this job, and I was really, really, really not sure why. It isn't that great a job. Sure, it's fun, but she's headed off to college in a few months anyway. She's already got it on her CV. She can't possibly be making much more than minimum wage. If she gets fired for getting tangled up in this onsite death, well, she can easily replace the money with something else that pays minimum wage for the summer. I just wasn't sure why she felt the need to independently investigate. She cited keeping the job, but... do you really need it? Do you really want it?

7 Stages?: Going through all the stages of grief to wind up in the acceptance phase by the end of the night is crazy. This timeline is so crunched, there's not really any time to adjust, to contemplate, to figure out who one might be now in this new reality. And there really isn't enough blood splatter to warrant needing to move on so quickly. Less than five people die in this book (which, frankly, is a bit of a letdown for a book titled Murder Land). Without all that bloodshed, there should be a bit more time to sit and think about what's happened instead of just giving up, moving on.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/10
Fans of Kathryn Foxfield's Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are will like this new murderous amusement park. Those who enjoyed Eva V. Gibson's Frightmares will love following this new minimum-wage-worker-turned-witness as she investigates.

Murder Land plays on our fear that something might happen to us when we go to an amusement park. Billie, an employee of the park, decides to partake in a new ride with her coworkers while on duty and one coworker ends up dead. Billie and her friends spend rest of the book is spent trying to solve the murder, but more people end up dead. This is a pretty tame thriller aimed at YA readers. It does its job but might miss the mark for older readers who want more explanation for bad decisions.

A big thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for this amazing ARC!! I loved everything about this book!! The tension, the nervous feeling I had while reading it, the adrenaline I got while reading it!! There were some parts of the book where I was terrified at what would happen next, and I can’t believe that I actually figured out the villain in the story!! I was 100% right!! I was usually always wrong when it comes to books like this. This book had me reading it so late into the night I did not want to stop. I wish there was a Murder Land 2 sequel in the works!! Because I would definitely be reading that too!! This book just flew by because of how fast I read it!! I’m like, 246 pages were not enough!! I gobbled this book up and loved the creepy amusement park vibes!! Especially at night!!

I really thought this would be a book I'd enjoy a lot. A theme park based on true crime stuff where someone gets murdered and now we get to spend all night trying to solve it? It sounds like a lot of fun, in a scary, thriller kind of way, right?

First of all for being "Murder Land" there wasn't a whole long of murder going on. There was a couple PG bloody bits but it all felt very off camera like. Even though the deaths happened in front of the main character, it felt very disconnected still. All the characters were odd, not rational from the very first page to the very last one. The first death was just a random co-worker, these kids could've just gone home and all been fine. It doesn't make sense that the main character had to investigate, and really doesn't make sense to drag her friends along. There was lots of traveling around the theme park, to all the different areas, and it was hard to keep track of where we were and where we had to go and for what. The only really detailed thing was all the compilated feelings of the characters. They're teenagers so yeah, they feel things hard, but these kids were all over the place and it really took me out of the actual story. The killer reveal wasn't much of a surprise, the book had been talking about how bad everything at been at the park since before it was even built.

Overall, this wasn't a horrible idea of a book, just could've been a lot short with a lot of extra nonsense cut out. I don't know who I'd recommend me this for. It was a quick read, even though it was really drawn out. The dialogue isn't great but has some humorous quips (again, angsty teens 🤷‍♀️). Maybe it's just a YA book that doesn't translate so well to actual adults. If you're looking for creepy, whodunnit thriller, this isn't it, sorry.