It is probably because this was a kids book, but it was too easy to figure out what was going on and I just really couldn't connect with the characters. I wished there was just a bit more to it. I've enjoyed YA books before, but this one just felt too young for me.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

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⚝ Rating ⚝: ✩ 3/ 5✩’s

⚝ Review ⚝: There were moments where it was perfectly gritty and entertaining, and moments where it felt cozy horror-esque, and moments that left me wondering if it was worth it to keep reading. It was well paced and for the *most* part, *most* of the characters were believable. However, it was very clear from the beginning who the real antagonist was as they were borderline cartoonish in representation.

One thing I did appreciate in this book was the callout of well known horror authors and their problematic views/lives (looking at you HP Lovecraft). There was clear commentary on the intersectionality between the horror genre and cultural myths/legends/stories that horror authors often take their material from which gave the book more depth than several other YA horrors I have read.

There were a few points where the general 'bad guy' representation was outlandish and cartoonish to the point of 'how does no one else in this town notice this?!' and the trope of make everyone fall in love with the sweet queer guy just to kill him honestly almost did me in. I knew it was coming, and that almost turned the whole book into a hard DNF for me. But I decided to push forward. The ending also felt fairly rushed and glazed over certain pretty astronomical consequences. While a majority of the book was fun, it certainly had it's moments that left me questioning whether I wanted to continue.

Long story short: stop killing the queers for the shock value.

⚝ Representation ⚝: Puerto Rican, Queer

⚝ TWs ⚝: Racism, murder, under aged drinking, blood, gore

HOLY COW, folks, you are going to love this book. I've been on a bit of a spooky kick for a little bit, and this tale was everything I needed between two tidy covers. Gabriel - Gabi to his friends - is a kid living in Astoria, Queens. His best friend, Ruthie, has moved away and is living the posh life in the Hamptons, and he's on his way to spend some time with her, despite a warning from a complete stranger on the train platform that "they've awoken her". It's New York, he figures it's nonsense - despite that creepy feeling in his gut - and heads to the Hamptons, where he sees Ruthie is a party girl and so different from the girl he knew. And he's not thrilled with her smug rich-boy boyfriend, Frost, either. When a woman drowns by the water at one of Frost's parties, AND he sees what looks suspiciously like a tentacle near the drowning woman - he starts digging into the town's secrets. When more residents start dying, Gabi knows that his discomfort is about so much more than Hamptons society: he's sure Frost is behind this somehow. Now, he just has to convince Ruthie that he's not jealous of her new boyfriend or new lifestyle. Cardinal hooks readers from page one and doesn't let up, introducing exciting characters and creepy scenarios. She also takes on Lovecraft by reframing cosmic horror in an inclusive, diverse lens: Gabi is Puerto Rican; there are LGBTQ+ characters in the story. More importantly, Cardinal addresses Lovecraft's shortcomings within the story while creating a new way of reading and enjoying works influenced by his ideas. Don't miss this book - it's a good one.

A chilling, queer YA horror with razor-sharp social commentary, summer-in-the-Hamptons glam gone rotten, and a Lovecraftian beast that will make you never trust the ocean again.

Gabi is the kind of messy, loyal protagonist you root for from page one: a sharp-tongued outsider navigating old friendships, rich-kid politics, and the creeping realization that something is very wrong beneath the waves. When he sees a woman dragged under the ocean by something not remotely human, the story spirals into a gloriously horrifying tangle of eldritch terror, toxic privilege, and that specific teenage fear of being dismissed and disbelieved.

The horror is deliciously visceral—tentacles, drownings, and shadows that slither just out of reach—but what hits hardest is the emotional core. The shifting tension between Gabi and his best friend Ruth is heartbreakingly real, layered with queerness, betrayal, and the aching question of what happens when someone you love might be protecting something monstrous.

Perfect for fans of You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight and Your Lonely Nights Are Over, this is a summer horror that rips your guts out with manicured hands. Creepy, clever, and ferociously queer, it’ll have you side-eyeing every dark wave and wondering what really lives in the water.

Don’t swim alone. Don’t trust the rich. And whatever you do—don’t follow the tentacles.

Gabi is not excited about having to spend the summer in the Hamptons with his friend. Ruth. However, things start to get interesting (and scary) when Gabi sees a woman being pulled under the ocean by what looks like a huge tentacle. Now, it’s up to Gabi to find out what the heck is going on in the Hamptons. This will be a summer he will never forget.

This was a fun YA horror read. It wasn’t really scary, but it was very entertaining. I loved the Hamptons setting and the intriguing mystery surrounding the drownings and disappearances. I liked the main characters, Gabi and Ruth. I really loved the ending.

If you’re looking to read a fun YA horror book this summer, definitely pick this one up!

This was such a fun read! I loved Ann Dávila Cardinal's voice here and her take on teens, class, and culture. And also Cthulhu. I particularly loved the way she wrote the visions Gabi starts to experience as the cosmic danger increases — very spooky! The arc of Ruth and Gabi's changing friendship felt very believable and relatable, and the secondary characters provided interesting texture to the story. Honestly, give me a movie version in the style of the Spiderverse films and I'd stream it day one! Would recommend to teens and adults alike.

I was expecting something a little different from this read---a little more of a lean into the horror elements. I really disliked the main character, too. I definitely understood their feelings, but the way they were just sort of explained to you instead of shown through the story, combined with the dialogue and really....quippy/quirky narrative style just super wasn't for me. I think that this would have worked a lot more for me if I was a true middle-grader reading this. But, I just could not look past the incessant pop-culture references and strange telling-not-showing.

As an introvert, being forced out of my cave of books and horror movies and into new social situations is not my idea of a good time. Even more so if it means being surrounded by rich white people. I’ve seen Get Out, I know how that story ends. But that’s exactly how Gabriel (Gabi for short) is meant to spend his summer, with his white, Nouveau Riche best friend Ruth. Ruth has invited Gabi to her new house in the Hamptons to meet all her new, rich friends and basically make sure her bestie doesn’t spend the summer in his room glued to his computer. If you’re not familiar with the Hamptons, it’s a popular seaside resort with a large artist community where wealthy New Yorkers like to summer. But the Hamptons aren't exclusively white (even if it sometimes seems that way). Sag Harbor was a refuge for upper and middle class Blacks starting in the 1940s and the Shinnecock Nation were the original inhabitants and still reside there today (which Cardinal makes a point of mentioning). And of course, there’s the Hampton’s Latin American population who make up the bulk of the workforce there.

Gabi adores Ruth (platonically): she’s feisty, independent, and extremely loyal to the people she loves. Unfortunately, who she loves right now is a guy name Frost who is the absolute worst. Gabriel has put up with Ruth’s bad taste in men for years, but Frost is definitely the bottom of the barrel:an arrogant hip-hop producer who’s used to getting his way. It’s interesting how Frost (not his actual name) profits off Black music while being white and owns a Basquiat (a Black, neo-expressionist street artist who rose to fame in the 1980s and sadly died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27), without sharing the artist’s anti-capitalist views or even really recognizing the themes of colonialism and class struggle in the artwork. It’s clear he only cares about Black culture as far as it makes him look cool. He also calls Ruth “Tiki” because her paternal great-grandmother was Native Hawaiian. Ew. But Ruth is Gabi’s best friend so he tries his best to get along with her new beau, no matter how loathsome he finds him. Okay, admittedly, he could try and be a little more accepting and less judgmental of everyone in the Hamptons, but Frost totally deserves it. The Hamptons aren’t completely terrible, though. Gabi gets to meet Lars, a pansexual restaurant owner who grew up in South Boston (yay Boston) and Georgina, a bartender and fellow horror fan with a dry sense of humor (and part of the aforementioned Latine workforce) who he strikes up a friendship with.

The class divide is clearly putting a strain on their friendship, with Gabi feeling afraid of getting replaced by Ruth’s new friends and left behind. Ruth is concerned by what she sees at Gabi’s lack off support and is also afraid of losing him. And it doesn’t help that Frost is whispering in her ear that Gabi’s jealous of her new life and trying to ruin it for him. It’s causing understandable tension and neither of them are entirely at fault for it. Gabi tends to deal with his insecurity by being snarky, even when people are trying to be nice to him, while Ruth keeps forcing Gabi into situations that make him uncomfortable and trying to get him to be friends with Frost. Clearly, both of them need to read up on Michael Suileabhain-Wilson’s Five Geek Social Fallacies, namely Geek Social Fallacy #4: Friendship Is Transitive (Ruth doesn’t seem to get that not all of her friends will get along, and that’s okay) and Geek Social Fallacy #3: Friendship Before All (Gabi needs to accept that Ruth is allowed to go off and live her own life without it being a slight on him).

While annoying at times, I think their behavior is not uncommon for young adults who are still learning the intricacies of relationships. As a grown up with a fully developed frontal lobe and years of experience with friendships, yes, the character’s behavior can be annoying. But for teenagers who have been friends since early childhood and are probably facing the idea of growing apart for the very first time, their actions make sense. Hell, I probably would have responded the same way at their age. And here is where I remind everyone this book is written for young adults, so if you’re older, you may not find the characters relatable. But that’s okay, the book isn’t for you. And honestly, I found both Gabi and Ruth well developed and likeable, even when they were acting like brats (again, they’re teenagers, it comes with the territory). I also really appreciated that there was no hint of romance between two friends. It’s nice to see them just be friends, as the “men and women can’t be friends” trope is one of my pet peeves.

I’ve written before about how Lovecraft was a racist, sexist, xenophobic, antisemitic asshole to the point that even his wife and friends were calling him out on it. So, I love when marginalized authors use his works to create their own, progressive stories. The Horror at Red Hook is basically about how Black and Brown immigrants are a plague, so I love that Cardinal subverts this by making the white inhabitants the invaders instead (which historically they are) and gentrification the real plague on society. The wealthy colonizers are repeatedly compared to white poplars, an invasive tree species that was first introduced in the mid-18th century from Eurasia and that outcompetes many native North American species of plant.

There’s also a lot of talk of appropriation in the horror genre. Gabi’s online nemesis, @SonicReducer, points out that modern zombies are a whitewashed version of the original Haitian zombies who were a symbol of slavery. We learn from Georgina that Lovecraft stole his ideas of Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones from other cultures where the creatures actually existed, tying into the book’s themes of colonization. In reality Lovecraft was more likely inspired by Alfred Tennyson's poem The Kraken and The Gods of Pegāna by Lord Dunsany. He despised anything that wasn’t Anglo-Saxon so I have a difficult time imagining he would have been willing to draw from cultures he viewed as “lesser” for his ideas. Still, fiction requires a willing suspension of disbelief and not me nitpicking a story about an eldritch horror terrorizing the Hamptons, so I’m willing to let it go for the sake of enjoying the story.

There is some ableism in the book, Gabi describes someone speaking to him as if he has a single digit IQ and refers to another character as looking like a “junkie” (a cruel name for people with substance use disorder), which I was not a fan of. Gabi also refers to Georgina’s make up as “punk rock war paint,” which made me side-eye. But overall, the book wasn’t especially problematic in any way.

I enjoyed the mystery elements, as I’m a total nerd when it comes to research and love when characters go to the library to discover the town’s dark past. In this case, Gabi and Georgina try and discover why people keep disappearing in the town, and if Frost’s family might be behind it. It’s pretty obvious who the bad guys are from the beginning so the mystery elements come more from how they’re making people disappear, why, and who’s next. There’s a sense of dread the hangs over the whole story that I found very effective. The pacing was decent, with enough horror elements to keep the book moving without sacrificing character development. Overall, You’ve Awoken Her is a good book for those looking for scares that aren’t too intense or gory. Body parts are found on the beach, but that’s about as gruesome as things get. While Gabi makes many references to horror films (both real and fictional) you don’t have to be a hardcore fan to enjoy the book.

You've Awoken Her is a cosmic horror YA story that I absolutely loved. We follow our main character, Gabriel, as he sees a new world in the Hamptons when visiting his childhood best friend, Ruth. Even though they used to have a lot in common, now it seems that their friendship has fractured thanks to Ruth's new lifestyle and new boyfriend, Frost. When Gabi sees something in the water that is very Lovecraftian and a string a strange disappearances in the water, Gabi realizes why he had received many warnings to stay away.

You've Awoken Her is a tense YA thriller that is full of dread. Gabi as our main character is extremely likeable and relatable, which keeps you turning the pages to see what's next. I highly recommend this book for teens, specifically ages 14-15+.

What an absolute pleasure to read. Ancient Ones waiting for the blood of the usurper...in this case, the gentrifier. The author breathes new life into Cthulhu, a Lovecraftian beast.
Evil isn't always plain to the eye, so when Frost appears in high tailored fashion, his Hamptonite neighbors see wealth, genteel manners, refinement, and respectability. Gabriel sees a douchebag. He sees through the schtick.
Gabriel sees other things as well. Slowly the knowledge of his gift awakens. To protect his friend, he begins to grow into young manhood and step outside of his comfort zone. He leans into research and discovery. And by taking these steps, he is able fish out truths that Douche Nozzle wants to keep hidden.
This is just a fun read. Read it in one go.
Excellent summer read for young adults.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

It's not often that you find a YA Eldritch horror story, much less one that's well written. It's a very good, original story. I'm so grateful to have gotten the chance to read it! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and there was no point in the story that I felt was too drawn out or boring. I highly recommend this book if you like YA horror!

I really enjoyed this! A fast-paced, cozy horror, with Chuluthu in the Hamptons. I'm not sure what else would draw me to this story, but this was enough!

While I kind of hated the friendship between Gabriel and Ruth in the present, I can definitely understand trying to hold on to what they had growing up. It was spooky and funny, and I enjoyed the new friend Gabi made in an unlikely place. I was sucked in from the beginning, and didn't want to put it down, keeping me guessing from beginning to end.

I had a great time, and I'll definitely be checking out whatever this author comes out with next!

First of all, I want to praise myself on reading this book and actually finishing it. Not because it was bad or anything like that, it’s just I heard this was a book with a squid like thing and yeahhhhhhhh if you know me, you know that I’m afraid of three things, and one of them is squids lol

Why am I afraid of squids? I HATE the way they move (ESPECIALLY on land). And the way they camouflage themselves and the way they have like suction on their tentacles. And of course, how many tentacles they have. (8 legs is too many ijs) So in short, I hate that they exist LOL But in reality, I shouldn’t have been scared at all. They do a lot of talking about this thing, but not enough SEEING it if that makes sense. In fact, no one had really seen it at all. All that’s really seen is a couple tentacles that rise out of the water and how they’re feeding it. But there’s nothing that SHOWS it. I was annoyed lol

I did like the build-up of things tho. So I guess that would be the writing style. I was really into the way she made me get all creeped out and scared. I just wish she had followed through? Like made the thing come out of the waves or something. But because she didn’t, it ended up just being a waste of those feelings.

The setting was the beach and of course it was amazing. A little ol quaint beach town. And literally everyone and everything in that place was corrupt lol But the other thing that bugged me was the fact that I knew who it was as soon as they were introduced. You won’t have to think too hard to solve this one, but it was still good enough to finish. I hope y’all read it and let me know if y’all figure it out too.

So yeah I liked it, but I think it felt more like a filler for a series. And this was disappointing because we don’t even know if it’s going to be a series yet. Idk. it was solid in some ways, but in others I wanted more. This one comes out tomorrow and I really want to know what y’all think!

Short and Sweet Review

Gabriel is staying with his best friend Ruth in the Hamptons for the summer and while most people would be excited about that Gabi prefers to stay indoors with his Funko collection and books. When Gabi makes it to the Hamptons and witnesses a woman bring dragged into the ocean and no one around seems to bat an eye Gabi knows something is off. The number off deaths increases as the summer goes on and Gabi knows it has to do with the monster in the ocean he just has to figure out how the two are related before he or Ruth become the next victims.

When we first meet Gabi he’s at the train station and he runs into an older woman who gives him a warning not to go to the Hamptons because something has been awoken, and from that moment readers are thrust into a story about a monster attacking people in this luxurious place. Gabi is our main character and he’s very much an introvert and kind of nerdy. Ruth is Gabi’s best friend and her family recently moved to the Hamptons after becoming newly rich. Ruth has made a new life for herself she isn’t the same girl who Gabi knew in the city she’s ventured out of her comfort zone and now has a boyfriend named Frost. Frost is also very rich and his family has a lot of influence on things that go down in the Hamptons. Gabi is suspicious of Frost but it comes off as jealousy and it starts to create fractions in his friendship with Ruth. Gabi ends up befriending Georgina who’s also a bit nerdy and enjoys research and the two of them end up researching what’s going on. I liked the whole Cthulhu aspect of the book and why the monster was around, it was even better seeing Gabi and Georgina realize why the deaths were happening. The ending was good and everything made sense, I will say the only thing that bothered me was the miscommunication between Gabi and Ruth during most of the book.

Overall, I thought this was a fun book and it’s great for the summer, it may not be a cute beach read but it’ll make for a beach read that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and making sure weird things aren’t going to ruin your summer.

Sometimes YA horror doesn't work for me, but this book is a great example of why I still keep giving it a chance. And come on, look at that cover! Not only are the colors great, but I love some good tentacles.

Gabi is spending the summer in the Hamptons with his best friend Ruth. Ruth's dad got a new job recently and came into some money so the family has settled into a new lifestyle. Gabi misses his best friend dearly but really would prefer to stay in his bedroom/cave all summer on the computer, chatting with his on-line friends and communities about his favorite subjects - horror movies, books, games and lore. While waiting on the train, he is approached by a scary old woman who warns him about going indicating that "she" is awake and Gabi isn't safe. Once Gabi arrives, not only does he have a hard time dealing with the "new" Ruth and accepting that she has changed, but on his first night he sees a woman in the ocean screaming for help right before she is grabbed by a giant tentacle. Is something else going on in the Hamptons this summer? Why do people keep on disappearing? And do the disappearances have anything to do with Ruth's new super-rich boyfriend Frost and his father's business?

This book was so much fun, and I loved the dark, creepy ocean vibes. The relationship between Gabi and Ruth was a little precarious because of all the changes and the author navigated it well by showing how people change and evolve over time, but that doesn't mean people have to be left behind. Even though Ruth has a very rich and very annoying new boyfriend, she herself stayed grounded for the most part and the aggravation she felt with Gabi at times was justified. It was also nice to see Gabi embrace his Puerto Rican heritage and I enjoyed learning more about the culture and their beliefs.

And finally, it's no real spoiler but this book relies heavily on Lovecraft and his Cthulhu. However, the author also addressed Lovecraft's sexism and racism which I found very refreshing. If you are looking for a summer horror read with some impact, definitely pick this one up.

A teen's holiday in the Hamptons was just suppose to be about reconnecting with a childhood best friend but when dead bodies begin to appear and a Lovecraftian monster begins terrorizing the holiday.... this summer is about to be a bloody fun time. Gabi is happy to be visiting their best friend Ruth for the summer but he is not happy about the fact that he's going to be in the Hamptons or that his best friend would rather hang out with her snoopy rich boyfriend and in country clubs than with them... so when strange things begin to happen and the death count begins to pile up Gabi finds himself making new friends as well as finding out just what is happening in his best friend's life as well. Part scooby doo fun, part summer horror friendship story, this was just a fun summer read! I do think YA readers will have fun reading this and that it's a fun summer read for young teens.

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I’ve read so many books about rich and power hungry individuals sacrificing women to magical creatures and they are always so interesting and different!

This book balances the horror themes with the themes of privilege and classism very well. There is plenty of social commentary with the horror which is my favorite type of book.

Loved every second of this book! Ann Dávila Cardinal is so clever and this was such a fun twist on the Cthulhu mythos. Loved the idea of this taking place in the Hamptons. As a Puerto Rican Long Islander it was extra special to enjoy this story.

This was a quick, creepy read. It definitely felt like it was written about and for teenagers, which is great in YA. The setting was so atmospheric and there was an awesome creepy tension that grew throughout. I liked that we got a bit of history and the exploration of close friendships and how they can become complicated as people grow up.

This was definitely a fun read even if it was a bit of a slow start and a bit cheesy. Gabi is an anxiety ridden and anti social main character who loves horror and is easy to relate to. The Cthulu concept of the tentacle beast behind drownings was intriguing as well as the bit of history we get around her. Definitely an adventurous and fun read! The plot was a bit predictable but it was an easy, cheesy and fun read altogether!