I had fun with this book. Granted give me a book with an island and a cult and I’m already there. I thought this was really entertaining and I liked the main character. There’s a couple of twists that are pretty good. All in all, a pretty solid book. This will be out in September so make sure to add it to your TBR!

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC.

If there’s one thing I’m always going to be game for it’s a “murder mystery” vibe on an island?! SIGN 👏🏻 ME 👏🏻 UP!! This is the first book I’ve ever read from Lisa Springer and I am so ready to read even more from her. This played out exactly like a movie in my mind. I could see all the scenes so clearly! I was rooting for Ari, Candy, and Maya (come on girl!!) the WHOLE time. I had Jadon on a “idk about this one” side table the WHOLE time 🤣 just an all-around great book!

I really enjoyed this island thriller/horror. It seems like a great idea to go to a private luxury resort. But things aren't so great. No one knows who to trust it definitely keeps you engaged and wanting to keep going.

very midsommar, very hypnotic, and quite effective as a thriller. the twist is... crazily predictable but yet still works well. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Spoiler free review. Who's All Going to Die is about the main character Ariana who was invited by her well to do friend Oakley to go to her family's new wellness retreat. She gets there, meets people, vibe with them and there is an influencer Juniper-Moon who is doing all of these controversial activities that is giving them bad vibes. Things start happening to people, such as people dropping, feeling weird, etc and let's just say things aren't want they seemed to be.

Plot: The plot was good. Very interesting and that is why I requested the ARC, because it seemed so good. I like the stories where there is a retreat or vacation, etc gone wrong and what is the secret behind it. The author did good with plot development. I felt it progressed pretty well. It didn't linger in one spot too long. She did good by not lingering in one scene for too long and getting to the point of things without rushing. Ending was satisfying, good twists...somewhat predictable, but I was satisfied.

Setting: Great for the story. What's scarier to some young adults who barely gotten out in the world than being out the country on a Caribbean island resort? The author did great at world building, setting the setting and tone, making what seemed like what should be paradise seem ominous.

Characters: Multiple characters are in the story, but it mainly focused on Ariana and her PoV. I felt there was good character development. The characters reacted to what was going on appropriately depending to their own unique personalities. They seemed well thought out. I was rolling my eyes at the parents though...I would had been going crazy if this mess was going on with my children on this resort.

This book was a fun read and a wild ride! Not knowing who you can trust, people dying left and right, insane self-help practices... it was really enjoyable. The author did a great job of making many characters completely despicable and you couldn't help but cheer when they got taken down. I was rooting for Ariana throughout the book. For her to figure out what was going on, for her to get some loving, and for her to get off that island!

YA horror? Sign me up. There are areas where you’ll have to suspend disbelief but if you don’t have a problem doing that then I think you’ll enjoy this.

🍹 ┊ “ a life-changing week awaits!”

Thank you for this ARC, Netgalley!

PLOT

A teen girl, along with a friend and cousin, are invited to a soft launch of a luxury resort and finds their wellness practices suspicious. First and foremost, I thought it was CRAZY that there were so many red flags that the main character, Ariana, straight up ignored.

(I'm not saying she wasn't like 'hey, this is weird' or 'I really don't like this' after each red flag, she does. But after each one, SHE CHOOSES TO STAY AND DO MORE RESORT ACTIVITIES).

CHARACTERS

Ariana: She had NO sense of urgency. All of the stuff I listed above happened, and she was still hanging around the damn resort. Even after she told her mom they want to leave, she's going out and doing stuff. For a few of the events, she had the excuse of trying to get Maya, her friend, to leave with them but she did little to nothing to convince her. So it was pointless. Maybe I'm a bad friend but I would have 100% left Maya.

Jadon: Overall: meh. He used the word 'unalived' unironically, which gave me the ICK.

Maya: We would not be friends afterwards. I can tell you that much.

Ariana's mom: she didn't seem to care about her daughter at all. I know Ariana was texting her the bare minimum, but her mom didn't seem worried at all. Even when Ariana said they needed to get out of there, she was just like, 'Okay, booked you a plane. You have to catch it in Barbados.' If I were in her position, even if the ferry was broken, I would have freaking swam to the resort if it meant I could save my kid.

Mastermind: i.e. the person behind everything. I felt like their reasoning was a little weak, so it didn't hit me very hard when they were revealed.

Also: there were a lot of named background characters, and it was a little hard to keep them all straight.


CONCLUSION

Ariana and her friends should NEVER go on another vacation without a trusted adult.

I honestly was a little disappointed. The first half is a snooze fest and the characters are almost completely intolerable. I also found it to be fairly predictable. The second half is slightly better but still fell a little flat for me.

This was such a fun and creepy read. 'Who’s All Going (to Die)?' blends slasher horror with smart social commentary in a way that feels really fresh. Lisa Springer captures the vibe of Gen Z horror really well: it's fast-paced, sharp, and genuinely tense at times, without losing its sense of humor.

Who’s All Going (to Die)? is such a fun and suspenseful thriller with both White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers vibes but for teens! After loving her first novel so much, this one did not disappoint! Lisa does a fabulous job immersing the reader into this luxurious, yet ominous, wellness retreat in the Caribbean. Ari is a wonderful main character to follow in this suspenseful book. This was a rollercoaster of a read and I couldn’t put it down; the voice had me hooked by page one! I will be picking up everything Lisa Springer writes next!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

Set against the polished facade of a tropical luxury wellness retreat, Who’s All Going (to Die)? deftly blends psychological suspense with biting social commentary. In this sharp new YA thriller, author Lisa Springer employs a paradisiacal setting not as an escape, but as an incubator for psychological manipulation, exploitation, and body horror. With stylistic nods to both cult narratives and contemporary wellness culture, the novel unpacks the uneasy intersection between privilege, desire, and control.

The narrative centers on Ariana, a teenage volleyball prodigy whose athletic future has been derailed by a severe injury. Emotionally adrift and eager for a reprieve from the cold New York winter and the uncertain trajectory of her life, Ariana accepts an invitation from her new friend, Oakley, to visit the Dream Island Wellness Retreat—a glossy, exclusive resort situated off the coast of Barbados. The retreat initially promises tranquility and renewal, yet from the earliest pages, the tone is laced with an ominous undercurrent that subverts the resort’s utopian surface.

Springer constructs a meticulously claustrophobic atmosphere in which the resort itself emerges as a quasi-character—shifting from seductive haven to sinister trap. Spa treatments involving bee venom facials and psychedelic tea ceremonies are not mere indulgences, but mechanisms of control, blurring the boundaries between therapeutic care and psychological coercion. These eccentricities, initially presented with whimsical absurdity, gradually metastasize into chilling signposts of something deeply amiss.

At the heart of the novel’s critique is Juniper-Moon, the retreat’s enigmatic founder and figurehead. Her glossy, tranquil exterior conceals a cultish zeal and a transactional philosophy that treats emotional vulnerability as currency. Springer does not hesitate to draw the line between spiritual posturing and calculated exploitation. While Juniper-Moon’s characterization occasionally veers toward the archetypal, her symbolic function is clear: she embodies the seductive cruelty of commodified wellness, where healing is leveraged for power, loyalty, and profit. A secondary antagonist, introduced later in the narrative, adds dimension to the plot.

Ariana serves as a compelling and emotionally resonant protagonist. Her arc is one of subtle resilience—she is neither superhumanly fearless nor conveniently reckless, but rather a young woman navigating trauma, identity, and agency under mounting psychological pressure. The inclusion of a subdued romantic subplot complements rather than distracts from the central narrative, lending moments of intimacy that temper the novel’s more grotesque turns.

Pacing remains one of the novel’s most notable strengths. Springer orchestrates a steady escalation of dread through a series of enigmatic disappearances, strange “accidents,” and eerie encounters with staff who are clearly concealing the truth. These elements culminate in a climax that is both viscerally thrilling and thematically coherent. While the conclusion offers a satisfying resolution, it leaves just enough narrative ambiguity to suggest future developments—an open door that feels more tantalizing than unresolved.

Thematically, the novel engages with contemporary anxieties surrounding wellness culture, particularly the ways in which it intersects with capitalism, privilege, and gender. Springer’s satirical edge never feels heavy-handed; rather, it allows the horror to function on both literal and allegorical planes. The result is a genre piece that entertains while offering a pointed critique of a very modern form of spiritual emptiness.

Key Strengths:

—Engaging, multidimensional protagonist
—Intriguing tropical-gothic setting
—Unique and memorable plot structure
—Thoughtful critique of wellness commodification
—Understated but emotionally resonant romance
—Suspenseful, fluid narrative style
—Inclusion of canine companions

In sum, it is an expertly paced, thematically rich novel that straddles the line between satire and horror with impressive dexterity. Its accessible prose and immersive setting will appeal to both teen and adult readers, while its critical undercurrents lend it greater literary weight than typical fare within the genre. With equal parts tension and insight, Springer delivers a thriller that lingers well beyond its final page.

In WHO’S ALL GOING (TO DIE)?, Ariana finds herself reeling from the shattering of her volleyball dreams due to an injury. When she is offered an all-expenses-paid trip to a luxurious resort, she takes it. She’s ready for the wellness experience. Guru Juniper-Moon complicates her plans.

Moon’s insistence on her unconventional wellness practices means that the more treatments Ariana undergoes, the more she feels that something is wrong. "Accidents" begin to happen among the guests, and only Ariana and Jadon seem willing to expose her lies. A desperate need for truth as people begin to disappear.

When Juniper-Moon demands that “everyone give back,” Ariana and Jadon must navigate this treacherous path together to expose the guru's deceit before becoming irrevocably ensnared.

Verdict:

Lisa Springer's WHO’S ALL GOING (TO DIE)? is a shrewd young adult horror thriller that blends the wellness industry with mystery and unnerving cult vibes. There are devilish spa treatments and mesmerizing egomaniacs, all set in a luxury wellness retreat. Captivating and an intriguingly eerie take on the sinister intricacies of the wellness industry. There is excitement, suspense, and twists. A compelling and dark narrative that will leave you unable to stop reading! (8/10)

Midsommar, but YA Carribean edition?

A bunch of contest winners are invited to a trial run of Teenage Dream, a self improvement program at a luxury resort on the Caribbean. Massages, spas, yoga, parties, miles of luxury beach front villas, sounds like a win win! And, all for free, since it’s a soft launch. If it sounds too good to be true, it is, because Teenage Dream, despite the corny name, turns out to be some weird culty retreat with meditation and teenagers dying after getting bee venom facials. How this place gets away with giving psychedelic tea to teenagers in the first place is beyond me.

The first death is written off as a freak accident. But idk, if it were me, as soon as someone starts saying weird shit like “intention ceremony” with “adaptogenic teas”, and when you get there you find out there’s powdered weed involved and it’s led by someone named “Juniper Moon” I’d have left lmao. Tbh if this wellness retreat had people with culty ass names like Juniper Moon and Divinity Aster, and weird stuff like “moonlight intention ceremonies” I wouldn’t have gone to begin with, luxury be damned.

There is a bit of suspension of disbelief with this book that you’ll just have to roll with. After so many “accidental” deaths there should be no question. And there is absolutely no way the media, the parents wouldn’t be in an absolute uproar after 2 deaths, let alone 5 within a WEEK, and wouldn’t be pulling their kids out of this. These are teenagers, not adults! How would this not be all over the news and this resort being closed down because teenagers keep dying? It’s not exactly realistic but then again, neither is a wellness resort called Teenage Dream 😂

Is this book super realistic? No. But it’s fun, it’s a quick and easy read, and just what you’d want and expect when picking up a YA thriller. It’s not the darkest thriller I’ve read, but a fun beach read nonetheless! If you like books about cults, give this one a try.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

This really did not work for me. It’s hard to pinpoint why exactly. The whole thing felt unoriginal and predictable. A character said the word “unalived” unironically, something that no one would ever say outside of a TikTok comment, which immediately made me rate the book a star lower. What a horrible choice of dialogue. More to come on TikTok.

Phew what a roller coaster! It’s late & I work tomorrow but I needed to know what was going to happen to Arianna and her friends. So worth it!

Pros:
-likable characters
- bad things happening in paradise
- luxury vibes
- mysterious deaths
- a bit of a twist
- easy to read, flowy, writing style
- dogs
- unique storyline
- romantic connection

Cons:
- after the first accident, why did Ari continue to sign up for events?
- why weren’t parents questioning more? Id have immediately gotten my child off of the island based off of the first questionable text.

All of that aside, this book was amazing. I loved the authors writing style, Ari the main character, and the unique cult-like storyline. Definitely recommend to those who want a wild ride of a book.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a teen who goes on a vacation based around well being and relaxation for teens. Things quickly unfold and are not as they seem.

This book was not my favorite. I thought it started strong but then just went downhill. The characters were all annoying and the plot was predictable.

I hope others love this one but it didn’t work for me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

WHO'S ALL GOING (TO DIE?) by Lisa Springer (Out Sept 16)

Thank you Netgalley, Delacorte, and GetUnderlined for the earc

It was supposed to be a vacation.
When Ariana is invited to an wellness retreat, she's over the moon. The Dream resort seems perfect, but then things take a turn...accidents start happening and Ariana realizes that The Dream isn't what it seems.
WHO'S ALL GOING (TO DIE)? is a YA thriller that is equally parts thrilling and creepy with is cult-like vibes and "accidents." This book, based on vibes alone, reminded me of NEVER COMING HOME by Kate Williams (- the locked room part with limited people) and YOU BELONG TO ME by Hayley Krischer, and I am here for that. This book is interesting and left me pondering throughout. Like the title states, all I could think is "Who's all going to die?" And "Why?" And "Who's actually responsible?"
WHO'S ALL GOING (TO DIE)? starts off calm and serene, like one would expect from a resort, but everything isn't as it seems---and once the first body pops up, everything goes from there.
I think this book is the perfect end of summer read. Not only it set in the summer, but it comes out at the tail end of summer. It's great for those who want to question things, specifically: is it a calming resort or something worse? Wellness? Or something sinister?

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with this arc!

*** Spoilers Ahead***

This was such a fun, twisty ride! I really enjoyed the book's portrayal of being lured into a cult. Ariana was a strong protagonist to root for, and I loved the inclusion of her dog, Quincy. I liked the background romance between Ariana and Jadon (although I would have liked a flash-forward epilogue, explaining what happened between them after they left the resort, as well as what happened with Juniper-Moon. But perhaps a sequel could be in the works, given the message from the Balance Bestie app at the end).

The book had plenty of action, suspense, and harrowing moments. I do wish there had been a little more character development with the supporting characters so their fates hit a little harder, but overall, this was a solid thriller and I will definitely recommend it!

Thank you Delacorte Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Super interesting! Ariana is given a chance for her and her two friends to attend a new island wellness retreat, and it’s all expenses paid. It’s owned by her friend Oakley and her family. And the General Manager is a guru by the name of Juniper Moon, who Oakley swears by. Ariana and her friends will be sharing a villa with Oakley and some of Oakley’s other friends. Ariana soon learns that most of them are really just acquaintances of Oakley. But no matter it should be a fun trip right? And with her future in Volleyball up in the air thanks to an injury, Ariana could use all the wellness she can get. The island is beautiful and there are a lot of treatments that sound amazing. But the more treatments that do the more Ariana feels like there is something off about them. And there’s something not quite right about Juniper Moon. As people started to experience negative side affects from the treatments as well as accidents, Ariana starts to think something more sinister is going on. Could they all be in danger? Can Ariana keep herself and her friends safe? Can they survive? An intriguing mix of wellness, mystery, and cult like activities! Lisa Springer creates a gripping, tense, dark tale that will have you hooked and unable to put it down!