I enjoyed this it was pretty frightening especially as someone who used to take the bus although some of it was literally unbelievable

This is a fun Gateway Horror novel. As a young adult novel this perfectly fits the genre and is appropriate for a large audience. Don’t be fooled though, it may be a young adult book but this was a lot of fun for adults too. Well written and narrated. The dramatic reading is fun and really helped me get into the story.

Right off the bat there is this feeling of impending doom and betrayal of trust as kids are picked up by a school bus only to be taken away not to be seen again.

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to what comes next from this author.

Big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

The Creepy School Bus by Paul Hough was such a fun and short horror story! This story follows several children as they are abducted by a creepy school bus with a scary driver. I love how many different points of view we see this story from. We get to see it from each child and from the law enforcement that are searching for them as well. I loved his dark and twisted the story became as they attempted to escape the unground cave they were trapped in. I rarely read books meant for such a young audience but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. And the audiobook was astounding! A full cast and sound effects! I'd definitely recommend this if you're a fan of creepy vibes and short reads.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The audio production is top notch. It all served to provide a strong immersion into the creepy story. With the strong voice acting and sound effects - made the story even creepier. A story about a missing child case is not the kind of "fun" I would describe this experience, but it was compelling and kept me listening from start to finish.

4/5✨ This is a review for part 1. First of all, I want to say thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. Omg, what a ride this was! I enjoyed the creepy story told in “The creepy school bus” but i have to say in some parts of the audiobook i felt a little bit overwhelmed with all the different voices and background noise. Nonetheless, I think the story has potential and became more interesting towards the end of the book.
The YA cast reminds me of IT or Stranger things and i think the voice acting was amazing.
I recommend checking this book out if you want a creepy story that feels like a long criminal minds episode with some paranormal aspects…

This full cast narration and the sound effects were perfection! It really pulls you in. Kids are going missing and people are searching every where. Panic sets in and the one thing the missing kids have in common is the creepy school bus… Loved it 👏🏼

A wild ride from start to finish. Imagine expecting a school bus to be your safe way home only for it to turn into a huge nightmare! Full of characters to root for and even a dog! I’m sure glad I know my kid’s bus driver pretty well! I might take a second look at who is driving otherwise!

This was my first experience with a full cast format in audiobook. It enhanced the story in such a creative way! I appreciated that it felt like a movie was playing in my ears!

Thank you NetGalley, Recorded Books, and author Paul Hough for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. “The Creepy School Bus” was published February 11, 2025!

This was a respectable juvenile/YA horror, and I'd say it's targeted for ages 11-13. The full-cast nature of the audiobook is what makes it. Great cast, great voice acting. As a public librarian, I'd recommend it for younger ages - tweens who are looking to get into something spooky. I think the twisty, winding nature of the story & the almost otherworldliness is a good introduction into the cosmic horror/existential dread that younger readers may encounter as they age into older works. Additionally, the younger cast of characters features individuals who come from challenging home circumstances, or that are facing their own battles with more insubstantial matters like insecurities. I like that. There will be different options for young readers to relate to. As an adult, it was a little hard to keep everyone & their individual characteristics strictly separate, but I don't think that would be a problem for someone in the book's target audience. It's too young to be coming-of-age, and it's also too young to be full-fledged horror, but it's a good journey of friendship & a nice foray into the genre for kids.

It's a little longer than I felt it needed to be, with some perhaps-unnecessary side quests, but I do think a younger reader would have fun in those moments. The way I hopped back to attention when the resident adult spoke up told me I was just getting a little fatigued by the kid-ness of it all. And again, props to the cast. The sound effects were killer!

This is a review for the Part 1 audiobook. Thank you, Netgalley and RB Media for the Advanced Listener's Copy of The Creepy School Bus. I was concerned over the graphic audio aspect, since I usually get overwhelmed, but this was just SO GOOD! (see final point as to why)
It should be kept in mind that this is tween horror, but is so well done and worth the close to 5 hours of quickplay.

There was not a single part of this that wasn't good. It has a full cast ensemble, and is giving all sorts of vibes. Initially, it was giving a little IT vibes (don't ask me exactly why - it may have been the character with the stutter or the toothy monsters) but once the story was really going, it felt like they were stuck in some version of the upside down; at least, that is how I pictured it. Like everything on the surface was underground but with the vagueness and greyness of 'anywhere.'

I can't wait for part two, and as other reviewers say, this would be a really, really good movie a la Monster House.

I love a full cast production, and honestly, that's what pulled me through this. The Creepy School Bus follows several children and an adult FBI agent as they become enmeshed in an massive missing children's case. I think it aimed at (or should be aimed at) tweens and teens. I found the characters very bland and despite the voice acting, a lot of them blurred together. Maybe someone older wouldn't be so nitpicky.

There is also material I feel could have been cut. Who went to bat to keep the 'we should take a bathroom break! Let's get real in depth about that' scene in? Gross and unnecessary.

This was a 3.7 for me that I am rounding up to 4. I was surpised at how much I enjoyed it. I was specifically looking for horror, but when I saw it was based around tweens, I was a little worried. I am a mother of a tween who loves horror, so I was also looking at it from that standpoint. If it was done right, I think this could be a good tween movie as well. For the most part the pacing was done well. The writing did seem a bit juvenile at times, but I kept reminding myself of its target audience. Regardless of the targeted age, that does not mean the writing needs to suffer. I've read many childrens books with award worthy writing. So that is basically my only critique for this book. Overall it was enjoyable and kept my interest. I would recommend this to parents of tweens that are able to tolerate horror as it's not too gory and there is zero spice.

4⭐
PLEASE! At my ripe age of 26.5 who has never had to ride a school bus in my life, I now have a fear of missing it and having to catch the late bus. So, thank you for that, Paul.

A bunch of students start going missing after taking the late bus, the only thing is, there is no late bus.

* I listened to the graphic audiobook, and OMG! I was captivated from start to finish! Literal chills - bravo!

Thank you NetGalley and RB MEDIA for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars!

This was a fantastic YA Horror, the full cast really sold this audiobook.
While geared more towards the YA audience, I was on the edge of my seat during parts and thoroughly enjoyed the story.

The Creepy School Bus is a fantastic audiobook! The full cast audio and sound effects really pull the reader in! Recommended for all YA audiobook collections. Listeners will love this one!

This book was phenomenal. I kind of skimmed the summary, so I was not prepared for the full cast and sound effects. Listening to The Creepy School Bus reminded me of an audiodrama. I was wholeheartedly sucked into this world. When I was halfway through, I looked at other reviews and many mentioned it was a Middle Grade Horror. While I do believe it might have been horror for younger kids, it still worked for me too. I felt the quickening of my breath, the anxiety, and the adrenaline. When I had to pause it, I thought of the cliche saying "I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding." That is exactly how I felt. Obviously I was breathing, but it was a tense breathing.

In all, I give this 5 stars because of the cast performance, the uniqueness of some of the plot details, and because of how it made me feel. I did have a chuckle at Warren's super crutches. That is a detail I could see a middle school kid thinking of. I was kind of sad it ended. If this author could make this same kind of book as an adult horror, I would drop everything to get it. I will definitely look into some other books he has written!!!

This was one of the most enjoyable, engaging, and immersive audiobooks I've ever listened to. The sound effects paired with the full voice cast made this such a fun and unique listen. I loved the story- it was atmospheric and way creepier than anything I've read in a very long time- which is saying a lot considering I mainly read horror! I loved the characters- even loved hating the baddie -Who was PARTICULARLY atrocious. This one ends with plenty left unanswered- I have not been so impatient for a sequel in a very long time! I will be recommending this book to literally everyone. 547865

The Creepy School Bus by Paul Hoog: A fun and spooky ride for kids and adults alike, with engaging narration that brings the story to life. Four stars.

I really enjoyed this! The cast was incredible! Very creepy & kept me on the edge of my seat! The sounds, music & full cast truly made this feel like a horror movie in my mind.

This was one of the most fun books I listened to. I loved the fact that it felt like actual show or play not just a simple audiobook.
The sounds and noises made the book come alive and I really enjoyed that !

This was so much fun!
Such a solid middle school/YA creepy book!

The full cast on the audio was fantastic too!

Highly recommend!

This book was very entertaining and I loved it, I know my middle school self would have eaten this up.
Perfect amount of creepy with some humor as well!