“Let’s Split Up” was promoted as “Scooby Doo meets Scream,” and while some of that inspiration was present, it was mostly superficial. Whereas “Scream” was a clever, post-modern take on the horror genre, the closest this comes to Scream is simply mimicking an opening murder scene. The characters are paper thin with hackneyed references to horror tropes like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As for the lore and mythology of the town, there is some attempt to make Carrington Ghoul a Scooby Doo type of villain, but mostly I found myself not really getting invested or being interested in either the plot development or characters. While this was listed as YA, it felt like the target audience is even younger than that, but with excessive and unoriginal middle school profanity.

If there's one thing that's clear while reading Let's Split Up, it's that the author, Bill Wood, loves horror movies, and sought out to write an homage to all of their classic tropes.

The novel focuses on a group of four teenagers in Sanera, a mostly quiet town whose most notable attribute is the creepy old Carrington Manor. Decades ago, the man who lived there lost his entire family to disease—and then died in a fire in the house. When to popular high school students wind up dead in the same way, people start to believe that his ghost—the Carrington Ghoul—is responsible.

There's definitely a lot of fun to be had in this book—as I said above, the passion that the author has for the genre is completely apparent, particularly the era of early 2000s horror movies like Scream, or series like Scooby-Doo. I do think this book was meant to take place in a similar time although it was never entirely clear beyond loose technological references. There was also some good layering of mystery when it came to character Buffy—the new girl at school who joins the pre-existing friend trio of Amber, Jonesy and Cam. The friend group themselves comes with really interesting backstories—parents who are more or less involved in their lives, suffering with addiction, over protectiveness—and there's some intriguing personal dynamics like a budding romance between best friends Cam and Jonesy.

However, I don't know that any of these things really had the chance to breathe. The book itself was very plot focused and very fast-paced, so a lot of the writing was show rather than tell. Often times characters came to conclusions extraordinarily quickly and conveniently in a way that was a little frustrating for a book that was meant to have a mystery. I figured out who the killer was on the first page that the character appeared, which was also a little frustrating; when the book attempted to lead me in other directions it was almost too obvious for me to actually be swayed.

Some of the interesting seeds of the characters were never completely delved into as well which as a character based reader was frustrating for me—Jonesy in particular was a character that I would have loved to have dealt with all of the interesting things Wood created for his backstory a little more.

Generally I think the thing this book suffers from is wanting to have adult content but frankly being tonally written more like a middle grade novel versus YA—because I do think there is something really great and charming here, but I don't know that it was ever as in depth or complex as I wanted it to be.

I do think there's something there with these characters and would be intrigued to potentially read more about them and hopefully delve a little bit more into their stories as they continue to solve mysteries.

Thank you so much for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Seeing as I grew up in the 90's, this book gave me everything I was hoping that it would! Bill Wood, although I know he's a good deal younger than myself, nailed it with this book! The Scooby Doo meets Scream description is absolutely dead on! The suspense, the thrills, and even the laughs I experienced were great! This was a banger! Can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

In my ya thriller era and this one was a winner! I had so much fun reading this! I'm excited for book #2.

Thank you so much for this copy! I think as a 90s kid I can really relate to this book because I love the Scream and Scooy-Doo love child this book is. I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times while reading this. I do enjoy the immature humor to it.

The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the multiple first person view points but this is personal preference. It is hard for me to keep track of who is talking at times.

Great work! I will be recommending this to my followers.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Okay this one is just FUN. I grew up on scooby-doo and rewatch the old episodes as a comfort show, so when I saw that one of my favorite TikTokers was publishing a book that embodied all of the favorite classic horror tropes, I was SOLD. It was a solidly enjoyable read that was fast and easy to get through. I can't wait to see what Bill writes next!! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release. 3.75 stars

Every small town has its own stories and in Sanera, California, everyone knows the story of the ghost that haunts the abandoned Carrington Manor. After two teenagers are killed at the infamous manor while ghost hunting, four friends decided to investigate what really happened. This book gave me heavy scooby doo vibes. This is a YA thriller and I could definitely tell from the writing that it was geared towards young adults. It was a fun premise that was carried out mostly well.
I feel like there was a lack of character development with almost every character in this book. But the book was a great pace and was a fast, easy read! The twist was predictable but it was done well.

Thank you Netgally for this arc!

I grew up on Scooby-Doo. I'm pretty sure I learned how to talk from Mystery Incorporated. As such, I obsessed with this book that takes the formula of Scooby-Doo and mixes it with classic horror elements like that of the Scream franchise. You've got a monster killing people, tons of references to the OG cartoon (the MCs call themselves a gang, when guessing the name of someone "Daphne" is a name thrown out, etc.) It's cliché, it's kitschy, and it's a whole lot of fun.

Now it's not to say that this book is without flaws, and let's just get them out of the way. The "big bad" reveal is predictable, the romance elements of the book felt forced, the constant switching POV was more discombobulating than useful, and some chapters felt unnecessarily added just to make sure we know this is inspired by Scooby-Doo. These were disappointing and choppy elements that are clearly only in existence because this is a debut novel, and I'm sure they'll be ironed out by the sequel.

Now knowing this novel is set in the early 2000s (unsure why?), it does a great job of building the small town, high school environment throughout its pages without being overly descriptive. The pacing was excellent. We jump straight into the first murder, and the cadence remains fairly steady from there, accelerating at the exact right times to build a sense of dream. Our gang is cute and relatable - leading the reader to actually care about the characters and what happens to them. Yes, there are some imperfections in this debut novel, but I overall cannot recommend it enough. If you're a Scooby-Doo fan, this needs to be next on your TBR, and even if you are not - do yourself a favor and read this book.

I can’t stop thinking about this book! Bill Wood does a fantastic job of both creating a modern YA horror story and crafting a love letter to the horror movies we grew up on. The friend group was so fun to get to know, and I spent most of find book on the edge of my seat! (And I didn’t guess the twist! Always a bonus) So much fun and suspense. A true treat to read (and probably reread) I’ll be eagerly awaiting the sequel!

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends and Racquel Marie for the eArc of If We Survive This.

If we survive this is a fantastic sapphic, zombie, survival novel ( try saying that when you're drunk!) Even though it took me a little bit to engage in the storyline, I enjoyed this very much. Our MC, Flora and her Brother, Cain battle across the city to make their way to a cabin to met their Dad. Battling Rabids ( our zombie friends who contacted a virus ) are sly creatures and Flora will do what she can do protect her Brother and further more other survivors.

Even though this is essentially a YA book, I loved it and I don't understand why some adult readers shy away from YA books ( each to their own I know ) Racquel has a beautiful writing style and her characters are wonderfully built. The plot is medium paced with a bit of everything, teen angst, being frightened of dying, frightened of living, self discovery, survival, all bundled up with zombies! I can't ask for any more.

I also loved that this book is set on a dual timeline, building in our characters past and how that's all relevant in the now narrative. I would definintly love to see more of our MC, flora and her found family.

4.25 for Storygraph. 4 stars for other review sites.

Thank you Netgalley for the early copy!

I wanted to like this so bad. It was very readable but read so much younger than YA. It felt very immature but then would throw in random mature words that just made it a bit startling? The vibes were fun but the way it was written made smart characters feel dumb. Something was just very off for me.

I really enjoyed this book. there was a great mix of mystery and friendship and romance. it is definitely YA in the writing and style, but if you go into knowing this I think people will have a fantastic time

So I need to preface this review by saying I was, and honestly still am, obsessed with Scooby-Doo. And therefore, it was impossible for me to not to love this book with every fiber of my being. It was truly such a fun book to read and a true ode to the mystery and horror media of my childhood. It had everything I could have wanted, from a creepy manor and resident ghost to trips to the libraries and elaborate traps. I would not say the plot was particularly clever or unique, but it was nostalgic and I loved that about it. I never tried to solved the mystery, just went along for the ride and enjoyed every page. What did make this book unique was the characters. I loved them all so much, especially Cam and Jonesy. They had the sweetest scenes as their relationship developed and I loved them so much together. I do wish we had gotten Buffy’s point of view as well, since we got the rest of the group. But overall this book was everything I could ever have wanted and brought me so much joy to read. I already know this will be one of my comfort series.

This book is exactly what you’d imagine if Scooby-Doo was mixed with a good teen horror movie. The story starts with the typical teens visiting a haunted house but it gets much more real when they find themselves facing a ghost and a real fire. Four teens from their high school get sucked into solving their murder and the ghost turns into more of a serial killer. It was a fun, quick read but was a bit more high school level than even YA. Definitely would be fun for teenagers to read.

Thanks to NetGalley & Scholastic for letting me read and review this book!

More like a 3.75

This was very much a scooby-doo adventure type book, and I enjoyed it, I enjoy that kind of thing.

Not to scary it horror, but more murder mystery slasher, and would recommend for anyone looking for something with a good fun little spook type read or someone that enjoyed thrillers.

You get to see the whole picture come together thought flashbacks and the present time as we try to survive this zombie murder disaster mystery!

I'd also mark is as a medium burn, leaning towards slow burn, but absolutely a scenic murder mystery book, where I enjoyed the ride.

I’m very conflicted here! The vibes were there in the beginning/middle (I even got spooked a little) but the ending didn’t make sense and wasn’t believable at all. The characters had no depth or individuality to me. I kept forgetting whose pov we were in. I didn’t guess who the killer was so that was a surprise but the reasoning was ehhh. I will still pick up the sequel because I need closure.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for providing an arc for my honest review!

There’s nothing I love more than true crime and a bunch of meddling kids and their dog to solve it all.

“Let’s Split Up” has a bloody beginning with the mysterious deaths of the local it couple sending shockwaves through the town and the high school. A group of kids who knew them stumble upon evidence that puts them in the sights of the killer and when one of their own falls victim to a trap they must work together to make sure they all come out alive.

This is best for beat like a classics Scooby Doo mystery and I love it. We have our quirky group of friends, a haunted manor and the whispers of buried treasure, what’s not to like? The characters are fun and work well together I enjoyed the different perspectives sprinkled throughout the story though at times I wish there was a stronger tone to help differentiate as sometimes I forgot whose head I was supposed to be in.

The plot itself is fun and very easy going if you can even say that about murder. There is the crime and investigation aspect that is handled well giving just enough exposition but not spoiling the reveal too quickly though it is one you do see coming but I wasn’t disappointed when we ultimately had the reveal. I wish it leaned into some of the comedy of the dynamic even more so in the moments of tension to sell the vibe it was going for but again if you’re looking for Scooby Doo you found it here with this story.

Overall this is a fun take on a classic cartoon that I wouldn’t mind revisiting in the future.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Let me begin by saying if I could give Let’s Split Up more than five stars I would! It’s true, this book is a modern day Scooby Doo— with a twist you’ll never see coming!
I love a good who-done-it murder mystery, and Bill Wood did not disappoint! I spent hours reading this book, because I couldn’t put it down! Yes, it’s that addicting!
With each chapter dedicated to a character, the reader gets to witness the personality of each teenager, separate from the “gang,” and this a quality readers do not see in many books.
I loved the structure of the book, every character, the plot, and the twists and turns! Bill Wood clearly has a hit on his hands! I cannot wait for the next installment to see what the gang is up to!

I am jealous this didn't come out when I was in middle school. This would have been the perfect read for younger me. This was fun, silly, and a little spooky! I think people giving this low reviews are going in with expecations that this is supposed to be for older young adults? This gives middle school/freshman high school vibes. I think this is perfect for someone trying to dip their toes into the genre! Would I read this again? no. I would give this as a gift to my niece or nephew though; I think they'd enjoy it!

Small town. Scooby doo vibes. Good storyline. Liked the characters. Fast paced. A little cheesy. Recommend.