I liked Night Terror much better than the first one in the series! It doesn't take long for the action to start, and it keeps up pretty much all the way through. There are more murders this time around as well. One thing that bothered me about Dead Fake was that only two victims were killed, and they both happened off-page. That was not the case here! I did not expect the direction this book took at all, but I really enjoyed it. This one felt much more like a true horror novel between the bloody murders and the supernatural twist. I liked the characters a lot as well and appreciated the growth they showed over the course of the novel. Night Terror is a fast-paced, bloody, supernatural thrill ride and I'm already looking forward to seeing what happens next in Bleak Haven! Mallory Crow's story sounds interesting, so maybe we'll get to read about that next. 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

⭐⭐⭐💫

NIGHT TERROR by Vincent Ralph (Jan 20, 2026)

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the earc

After surviving Bleak Haven's most horrifying tragedy, Noah understands monsters. When the bookstore is held up by masked people, they don't want cash...they want The Burning Book. Soon real monsters are released and Noah and the others must escape...or d*e trying.
NIGHT TERROR is the second book in the Bleak Haven series, taking place prior to the events of D*AD FAKE. NIGHT TERROR is a YA horror story that pulls from the sci-fy genre. This book is more g*re than mystery, and I found it to be a little slow-paced despite taking place overnight once the main event actually started.
This book fell flat to me...especially after rating book one as 5 stars. I think I was expecting more mystery, like those that were mentioned in D*AD FAKE.
NIGHT TERROR actually terrified me. It's horrifying, very creepy, and just really on the brutal side. It is action-packed, with stuff going down in each chapter---some worse than others. I wasn't a fan of these characters. There was a strong disconnect, and I felt like I didn't know enough about them to care if they escaped. That makes me sound terrible, but it is what it is.
I do think NIGHT TERROR will find its audience: those looking for something to give them night terrors because it is creepy. I just don't feel like this book held up to the hype I built for it in my head. Nonetheless, if this series continues, with Bleak Haven at its core, I would love to read it.

This one was kind of a little more slower than the first 1 but I really liked it.I can't wait to see what he does next.I recommend this to anybody

This book was so scary! I wasn’t expecting it to freak me out so much but it definitely did. However, as a thriller, this book was very well-written.

I think this had a lot of potential but, unfortunately, fell flat to the sequel curse.

Had way more action than the first one, which was pretty exciting. We get to finally see one of the infamous serial killers in action, but with a twist. So if you like undead creepy slasher type of stuff, this one’s for you.

I did find it a bit underwhelming for a slasher. The first half was spent building up to this huge reveal and how the book was supposedly to evil behind everything going on in this town, but all we saw was a sinkhole and a creepy zombie killer(s).

Main character didn’t stand out for me. His name could’ve been changed in the middle of the book and I wouldn’t have noticed. Same with other characters, they just felt flat and uninteresting.

I really hope we get more of the town’s history in the next one and will get some more answers instead of more questions.

Also, thank you to Wednesday books for my copy!

GENRE: young adult, horror
RATING: 4 Stars

A town that's "cursed" and filled with tragedy. A history filled with blood and murder. It was giving Fear Street in the best possible way. Filled with characters you can easily connect to that are fleshed out and not two dimensional with a story that is both creepy and bloody. Bleak Haven is a small town that is known more for it's killers and tragedy than anything else.

Now THIS one was absolutely giving Fear Street: 1994. A mall massacre? A creepy book? I actually ended up liking this one a lot more than the first one. It got to the point, bloody as hell and was a fast paced thrill ride. I truly do think Vincent Ralph has something magical on his hands here with Bleak Haven. If they're all as strong as this one then I can't wait to devour them.

Welcome to Bleak Haven! The town’s name says it all. A town that loves to mourn. A town built on tragedy. A town with a sinister history full of serial killers.
Dive into a story where a motley crew of teenagers must save their town from zombies and possibly a killer cat.

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the author, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book! I truly appreciate i!

You have no idea how much I enjoyed where book two in Vincent Ralph's new series went! I was really accurate and slightly wrong in my views for my review about the previous book in this series. This book reminds me very much of the Netflix movie version of R. L. Stines Fear Street series particularly the beginning half of 1994 (minus the massacre and slightly the witch aspect) and has now most definitely verged into the dark paranormal twists of Stephen King's Castle Rock series. But that's not a bad thing at all! This book and this series are fantastic! It takes those ideas and those concepts of a town with a very dark paranormal past and makes it so much better! I get worried with horror book series' because eventually some are not as good as the others, or most newly written horror books because they're just plain thrillers but that didn't happen here again at all and I'm really glad!

The characters are completely different and I will say you could read these books at this moment in time out of order and be perfectly fine you might actually want to read them backwards because you will find some hidden Easter eggs related to the first story in here and I loved it! The characters and their story line just like the first will completely pull you in, and set you on a path of once again never being able to put this book down. There are so many wonderful twists and turns! Vincent Ralph has definately stolen my heart for horror reads! Don't let that YA-Teen tag fool you, this is for everyone! This is a true horror read, and between it and the first I can completely see this series becoming a cult classic and I would honestly love to see them on the big screen! If you are a fan of Stephen King but need just a smidgen less gore like some of his other interconnected shorter books and series' and want more of the twists and turns of true unexpected terror that R. L. Stein can inspire this is it! Vincent Ralph has taken the top spot as my favourite horror author and I'm so happy about that!

Now my only issue is that I need more! Literally that's my only issue I want more of this series because I can't wait to see where it goes! I also can't wait to read his other previously written books outside of this current series!

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for allowing me the absolute privilege of being able to read this book! I loved it!

This is a creepy novel about Bleak Haven as rumors abound about The Lullaby Man who stalks and kills his victims. There is also The Burning Book that has never been found and is connected to all these deaths. Cassandra owns Blair Books and of course hopes to have a copy of it. But when Noah begins investigating, all hell breaks loose and nothing will ever be the same again!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Looking for a spooky read? Love R. L. Stine’s Fear Street stories? Then this book is for you!! Story takes place in the 80s, has zombies and a cursed book.

Welcome to Bleak Haven! The town’s name says it all. A town that loves to mourn. A town built on tragedy. A town with a sinister history full of serial killers.

Dive into a story where a motley crew of teenagers must save their town from zombies and possibly a killer cat. 🐈‍⬛

Noah knows the history of Bleak Haven better than most. He writes all he knows in his homemade books but hides them for fear of being made fun of. Noah fears a lot and just sticks to the sidelines. All that changes one night while working at Blair’s Books. Masked people come in and hold Noah, a few customers and his boss at gunpoint. But they are not demanding money. Oh no, they want something far more sinister. Something that will unleash its fury once it’s disturbed. The lives of these people change forever after this bloody night of battle, survival and overcoming your fears.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 rounded to 4 🌟

This is the second book in Bleak Haven. Taking place prior to the events of the first Bleak Haven, this follows a town legend, the Burning Book.

Events unfold in a bookstore where our MC is employed and gets held up by three masked people. As events unfold, it turns out the Burning Book isn't quite legend so much as a curse.

I liked this one well enough and after the first books strong story this one wasn't quite the follow up. Only because I guess I was expecting something a bit different. Less supernatural more of that serial killer vibe.

Then again, a town notoriously known for its serial killers rocking the history, thats already supernatural.

Dive in and see, if you like the author you will like this as well. Lots of action and gore.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. The second Bleak Haven book coming out in January. This one takes us back to the 1980’s. The last tragedy to rock this town happened 15 years ago when the Lullaby Man kidnapped 5 kids. But long before that was the Holt family. A father and his two sons who murdered 4 teens who came on their land. There’s also talk of the Burning Book, a book that’s said to have been owned by the towns founder and never stops burning. Noah’s not sure he believes in the book and he’s not sure where he stands on the towns grieving process. They have multiple remembrance days and at the high school they have pictures of all the dead teenagers. Some just want the town to move on while others feel better with what they do. Noah’s working late at a bookstore, in the mall, with his boss and a few others when some masked people come in with demands. Soon the robbers unleash hell in the mall and someone or something is hunting them all. Can they escape or will they just become more victims that the town remembers and hang photos off? This one is a fun horror with classic vibes! Thrilling, creepy, bloody, with the supernatural mixed in! Through in a few twists and secrets and I was hooked! I’m really enjoying Vincent Ralph’s Bleak Haven series and I can’t wait to read what comes next!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Vincent Ralph’s “Night Terror” is the second installment in his Bleak Haven series, and much like its predecessor, it’s a short, fast-paced, gore-filled ride that can be enjoyed as a standalone. Fans of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street will immediately feel at home in this cursed town, where tragedy and horror seem to lurk around every corner. Unlike the first book, “Night Terror” is more focused on the supernatural as the story develops the origin of the town, complete with zombies.

This time, the story follows Noah, a teenager who knows Bleak Haven’s haunted history better than most. When masked attackers storm the bookstore where he works, Noah assumes it’s a simple robbery. But their target isn’t money; it’s The Burning Book, an urban legend tied to the town’s dark past. When the cursed pages unleash flesh-hungry creatures, Noah and the other hostages must fight to survive a nightmarish zombie outbreak inside the mall.

As stated earlier, the book leans more into supernatural horror than the first, blending zombie survival with town lore, cannibalistic gore, and a creeping sense of dread. Ralph doesn’t shy away from gruesome descriptions, making this better suited for older YA readers. What sets the story apart, however, is Noah’s use of local history to outsmart both the attackers and the monsters. Bleak Haven’s founding families and long legacy of serial killers play a crucial role in understanding and defeating this specific curse.

While the pacing is brisk and the action relentless, Ralph also gives a few unlikable characters some surprisingly redemptive moments, adding depth beyond the blood and chaos. A touch of romance weaves in without overwhelming the main plot. By the end, everything ties together in a satisfying conclusion, though the trauma of the ordeal leaves its mark on the survivors.

Creepy, bloody, and endlessly entertaining, “Night Terror” expands on the mythology of Bleak Haven while delivering all the thrills of a classic YA horror novel. It’s part zombie apocalypse, part urban legend, and pure page-turning fun.

Night Terror is billed as book two in the Bleak Haven series and is published around the same time as book one, Dead Fake. I’m unsure of the publication strategy behind releasing both books at the same time, especially as they are not connected by much beyond being set in the same time and with Night Terror being set in 1987 rather than the present day. This book also reads like a type of origin story, but this is ill advised as the series really needs to build up some sort of presence before jumping into the past. I have a feeling teenagers who have read Dead Fake, which did end with a twist/cliff hanger which promised a sequel, will be disappointed by this rather dull and pedestrian jump back into 1987. Dead Fake was a clever serial killer horror thriller, which had no supernatural elements in the plot, this is the opposite and quite early in the action introduces a creature, and as villains go was dull and one dimensional.

As already mentioned in my review of Dead Fake Bleak Haven is a town which breeds serial killers, has a dark history and kids are taught to be on their guard all the time. Early in the action main character Noah is working in the local bookshop when it is held up by mask attackers looking for an old book which contains secret information about the town’s serial killers. They find the Burning Book hidden under the floorboards and, completely underestimating its savage power, bring back to life a vicious and notorious serial killer from a couple of decades earlier. The rest of the novel is a fight for survival with Noah, trapped customers (including a love interest) and the attackers who realise they have made a terrible mistake. Some of the banter was fun, but there was not enough connecting this to the other book except the serial killers, and the book lacked suspense with it being entirely set in the bookshop and maul. AGE RANGE 13+