Who Haunts You

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Pub Date Sep 02 2023 | Archive Date Jan 31 2024

Description

High school senior Rebecca “Bex” Koeltl is just trying to make it to graduation. But when her fellow seniors begin dying in seemingly unrelated incidents, Bex uncovers disturbing connections between their deaths, including that the teens believed they were haunted by long-dead relatives their own family members swear never existed. After Bex is visited by a malevolent specter of her own, she realizes she has to get the bottom of this horror before she’s its next victim...

High school senior Rebecca “Bex” Koeltl is just trying to make it to graduation. But when her fellow seniors begin dying in seemingly unrelated incidents, Bex uncovers disturbing connections between...


Advance Praise

"WHO HAUNTS YOU is the first book I've read that not only delivers an unsettling supernatural mystery, but also paints a fully realized, wholly moving portrait of the autistic teenage experience. A vital book that will make any neurodivergent young adult feel seen, heard, and understood."--Craig Perry, producer, Final Destination

"Wheaton has built a buzzsaw of a supernatural thriller here--scary, surprisingly emotional, and loaded with enough twists to keep you guessing till the final page. It's an all killer no filler thriller."--James Vanderbilt, screenwriter, Zodiac, Scream V-VI

“An utterly readable teen murder tale with an intriguing twist and an endearing hero. Reminiscent of Lois Duncan’s classic suspense novel I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER…the story’s narrative strengths include Wheaton’s ability to weave together relentless tension with an impressively knotty mystery…the book will keep readers guessing who the killer is until the very end. Bex’s dry sense of humor—particularly when dealing with adversity—makes her a character whom readers will root for.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Mark Wheaton is a master at what I call comfortable dread, and WHO HAUNTS YOU is no different. The book is atmospheric and fast-paced, but still meant to be intermissioned every few hours for a hot chocolate while admiring a thunderstorm. He creates the homecooking of writing, and the story mixes that with an obvious passion for understanding neurodivergency. WHO HAUNTS YOU will open anyone's eyes to what it means to be truly autistic.” – Carlton “Hermit Broth” Stevens, author, Culinary Boxer Frankenstein

“An absorbing and original supernatural mystery, written by a wonderfully talented author. Highly recommended!” – Aric Sundquist, author of Serious Applicants Only and The End of Autumn

"WHO HAUNTS YOU is the first book I've read that not only delivers an unsettling supernatural mystery, but also paints a fully realized, wholly moving portrait of the autistic teenage experience. A...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9798987925010
PRICE $6.99 (USD)
PAGES 170

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
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Average rating from 134 members


Featured Reviews

Bex is autistic, and the author did an excellent job of portraying her. Both the prose and the characters were effectively written by the author. An outstanding concise, and frightening ghost story. It starts straightaway and keeps the reader guessing throughout the story. Despite the fact that I don't generally read ghost stories, this is one of the strangest I have ever read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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The pacing of this book was perfect, the twist at the end really surprised me and I really enjoyed Bex and following the story with her. She’s autistic and throughout the story we’re shown some of the struggles she’s faced with autism. This book was a lovely unique ghost story and I hope to find more like this going forward!

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All is not well at Claremont High - students are dying every week and Bex, who is neurodivergent can't help looking for patterns as to why. The book title is perfect as the book left me feeling 'haunted' at the end of it! It certainly wasn't predictable - a perfect YA read which will leave you looking over your shoulder for a while after you finish. The ending could possibly predict a sequel - I'd be up for reading it, but the questions it left me with ...
Whatever happens next an excellent read from Mark Wheaton!

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Release September 2

WHO HAUNTS YOU? is an extraordinary YA Psychological Suspense/Horror by author Mark Wheaton, which is so compelling I read it in about 5 hours. The Suspense is breathtaking; the author's understanding of and exploration of the first person narrator, high school senior Bex, and the way her neurodivergent brain works (its exceptional talents as well as its contributions to her social aloofness and misinterpretation of social signals) elicits readers' empathy and comprehension. I think any reader who is perhaps a little "out there" [in the perception of others] or who walks their own path, can readily relate to Bex as she investigates inexplicable deaths among her classmates and experiences horror and horrifying consequences as she strives both to uncover the truth and then to end the events before others die. The ending is super-twisted, both a surprise and yet apropos to the Denouement.

I intend to reread WHO HAUNTS YOU? in August for its Neurodivergent Theme.

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This was an excellent book! The main character, Bex, was unique but likable. I found myself rooting for her to find the answers she was seeking in the mystery of her deceased classmates. The storyline itself was like nothing I’d read before with just a touch of spooky. A nice quick and easy read. I highly recommend it!

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4,5☆

Thank you to Off Limits Press and Netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved how much was packed into such a short story. The horror element was well done as well as all of the characters and settings had depth to them, both things that some shorter stories lack but here they were done really well. It felt like I was reading a much longer book and I was completely sucked into the story. The writing is good and quite easy to get into. I think the ending and big reveals were perfect and I feel like the ending leaves room for a possible sequel while also working perfectly as a standalone work.

This book also features neurodivergent representation!

I would recommend this to horror lovers or beginners in search of a quick and fun story that pulls you in from page 1.

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Mystery enshrouds a group of high school students who die under strange circumstances. As an autistic student tries to uncover the meaning behind the deaths, she faced with questions of whether the seemingly supernatural events are related to a previous experiment, or are simply psychological.

A thriller. Not written as a YA book.

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Who Haunts You is a fast paced psychological thriller full of twists that I don't think anyone could have anticipated. The book had brilliant autism representation and the pacing was perfection. This book was the unique haunting story we've all been searching for this spooky season!

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I loved this one! Such a creepy story and I loved the author’s writing style. I listened to the audiobook and I highly recommend it! The narrator helps bring the story to life and make it even better with her different voices for characters. She puts so much emotion into every voice and helps the suspense factor become very real.

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This is a horrible, horrible story… and a great book. It kept me reading compulsively and the ending left me gasping. Bex is an unusual teen. She notices patterns in a series of tragic deaths at her high school but, she may be mistaken. You see, Bex is autistic and doesn’t see the world like her colleagues. The more she finds out, the deeper she goes into the rabbit hole. Part of what works so well is that Bex is so likable, funny and relatable, even for people who are not on the spectrum. She explains her condition so well that you truly understand her, and I just wanted her to figure things out. Her relationship with her mother and sister is touching, and I enjoyed the look into what she’s really thinking, versus what she tells them. Everything is told from Bex’s point of view and, since she sees the world differently, I wasn’t sure I completely understood what was happening. Part of the plot explored one of my worst nightmares, so maybe I was especially inclined to love this book. Whatever made me enjoy it so much, it’s dark, but funny and fun.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Off Limits Press!

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Five stars… Five stars… Five stars!!! This is the best book ever the ending is a mic drop! OMG… It is so so good! Rebecca has autism she is a senior at Claremont high school we’re becoming top of the class is something most students strive for everyone except Rebecca she just wants to graduate and is looking forward to her future that hasn’t always been the case but thanks to Dr. Tamara things are lookingbright. She’s a volunteer in the library and leaves for school much earlier than everyone else thanks to the librarian she has a key to get in and can even access files with the librarians login. When we first meet Rebecca it is right after the death of A senior named Yunwen Who seemingly ran right off of a cliff and although they called it an incident of self ending and everyone accepted it when basketball star in A student darrell’s smashed truck Becca is the first one to know when she walked up on the wrecked vehicle she heard noises in despite wanting to flea because it sounded like a trapped bird she tries to help but when gray ghostly looking fingers come out of the rec she runs and tells no one what she saw. Rebecca thinks something is suspicious about these deaths of these top knoch students but when another student named Oz is murdered she tries to figure out a pattern with the first two they were both friends with the girl also in the running to be valedictorian named Julie G but ours was not associated with this group he was more like her than them she does find out that all three thought they had relatives that didn’t exist for Yunwen she thought she was adopted and her mom was haunting her for Daryl he thought he had a brother named Ben who was also haunting him and poor Oz thought it was an uncle so when Rebecca wakes up outside of her apartment building and hears someone say “you found me.” See your think you will learned she is being haunted by a phantom ant that she does not remember at all but everyone including her therapist insist not only does she exist but that’s where she got her middle name Holly from even though Rebecca remembers her middle name being Ashley. Does this mean Rebecca is next? OMG there was a lot of details I left out of this summary this is not a long book but it is an awesome awesome read! This is hora at its absolute best if you had the right a list of the three best horror stories you’ve ever read I would definitely put this one at the top I cannot reiterate enough how awesome this book is I absolutely loved it it will probably read it again I will definitely be looking for books from this author in the future and can’t wait to get my hands on another. I want to thank definitely the author for writing it off-limits press for publishing it in NetGalley for allowing me to be an early arc reader in my free copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

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5 stars! I absolutely loved this and hoping for a sequel as soon as.

The story follows Rebecca “Bex”, a senior at Claremont High School. Bex takes it upon herself to investigate when fellow students start to turn up dead. To what seems to be suicides, Bex believes someone or something else is behind these deaths. After encounters with a malevolent spirit Bex is in a race against time to uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim.

Looking at the Autism representation of this, it was portrayed absolutely amazingly. Wheaton shows a lot of extended knowledge and just how much research he has done into the diagnosis as well as using his personal experiences to portray his main character. As someone with a close family member who has autism, I love when authors bring light to the condition and how it affects individuals and their families.

The story itself was just so much fun. Although it’s marketed as a young adult novel I had so much fun reading it. It had the right amount of spooky and creepiness to it that I believe the younger and older audience will enjoy. The story wrapped up nicely for a sequel story so hopefully Wheaton will announce this soon as I cannot wait for more already!! Will definitely read more from this author.

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WOW.. This did not feel like 170 pages at all.. in the best way possible. I genuinely felt like I was watching a thriller/horror film the entire time rather than just reading/listening to one.

“Who Haunts You” follows the story of Rebecca (aka bexs) who is trying to navigate through her senior year as a neurodivergent (academically, below average) student at a nationally ranked and very competitive high school. After the mysterious deaths of 3 of her classmates, she begins to theorize that this can’t just be a coincidence and there must be a connection. As she continues to try to put the pieces together to try to find a pattern, she begins to fear that she might be the next victim after she experiences a strange/supernatural encounter. Racing against time, she tries to discover the “why” in hopes of preventing her death.

I LOVEEEE Bexs so much. I just want to hug her and tell her that she is not alone. 🥺 She is funny, brave, and incredibly smart (despite her rank at school). As a parent to a child with autism, I really appreciate the research and consideration that Mark Wheaton took in developing Bexs character rather than labeling her with just stereotypical behaviors. Mark mentions in his acknowledgments that he has autism as well and is also a father to someone who is on the spectrum, so it’s really awesome to see that he not only was able to use his own experiences as a neurodivergent individual, but also sought out additional insight and feedback from many others as well.

I received the ARC copy of the book and Audiobook through NetGalley. Annalee Scott does a PHENOMENAL job at narrating and really pulls you into the story. I don’t even like horror movies but she did such a great job at bringing her character to life and the creepy/scary scenes gave me actual goosebumps!!! There was not a single dull moment in this book. This is definitely one I’ll be re-reading/listening to before the year ends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Off Limits Press for the ARC copies. An even bigger thank you to Mark Wheaton for really providing an amazing perspective of what it can be like to live life through the mind of someone who is neurodivergent.

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This very thrilling read was such a great combination of the supernatural and the world of autism. I was so involved in this book that I read it in one sitting. The author has such a way with writing that I needed to find out what was going on. Then it was revealed the lengths someone would go to; to get what they wanted. The level of psychological torture the victims went through was staggering. The end did not go the way I had thought. A really good read.

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This was a really good book, that keeps you guessing the whole time
I'd say its a YA Psychological Suspense/Horror Thriller, there are sooo many great elements in this book
Also the atmosphere is great, nice twist, a little bit disturbing, makes you question sooo many things, def keeps your attention and interest plus great characters. I like the family dynamics and the main character's (Rebecca's back story. Well done.
Marked as YA but as an adult, I really enjoyed this book, Never underestimate the mark of a YA book they can still be great reads for adults.

I was so thankful for being able to read this book in advance due to getting the ARC from the publisher and Net Galley. :)
The above is my opinion. It is honest and voluntary.

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Wow! Wow! WOW!!

Weird things start to happen at Bex's highschool.

Her classmates start dying. She starts hearing things, seeing things that aren’t really there and, before long, Bex finds herself in the middle of the mystery and the clock is ticking.

Bex has to figure out why her classmates are dying and who is behind this.

I don't usually see a lot of books that have autistic/neurodivergent main characters, in addition to doing it well!!

Wonderful YA horror/ghost story. 😍

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Loved this! Bex is on the spectrum and in the last year of her high school. When her classmates start dying in mysterious circumstances, Bex goes down a rabbit hole trying to figure out what's happening. And then she's targeted. Really good creep factor.

I love how her character was written, totally like watching a movie. I'm making a plea to the author for a sequel, please please please!


























++++++

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My thanks to NetGalley and Off Limits Press for the ARC of "Who Haunts You" in exchanged for an honest review.
Had no idea that to expect with this book.....but wow, what a swift, creepy and unexpectedly complex little thrill ride. It wastes no time at all sucking you in to its story of an autistic teen girl seemingly tormented by a haunting that's killing off her classmates, one after the other.
Even as it maintains a literally breathless pace of suspense, scares and mind-bending twists, you still come to care deeply and fear for its narrator, Bex. She's forced to cope with way more than the everyday human interaction struggles of neurodiversity. Her school Claremont High boasts a student body heavily populated in overachievers with GPA's worthy of college placements reserved only for the best and the brightest. Bex, equally smart and armed with a deadpan wit, does her best to keep up with them.
But why are some of the classmates she grew up with dying in horrible accidents? And why, in their last moments do they appear to be fleeing in terror from something (or someone) unknown.....and unseen? Bex quickly becomes desperate to find out, since this paranormal virus, or whatever it is, lands on her as its next victim. And her sense of what's real in her life and what isn't starts to rapidly warp like a funhouse mirror.
Given the sheer brevity of the book, I'm duly amazed and impressed at the density of the core mystery at the heart of all the strange goings on. There's truly some vast, overwhelming evil at work against Bex.........and as a fan of Hitchcock-type suspense, I couldn't help loving the scenes where she's hurled into the maddening position of sounding delusional to everyone around her.
With its satisfying, ironic finale twist, "Who Haunts You" finishes up as one of the fastest, most enjoyable YA thrillers of this year.......a well earned haunting 5 stars.

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This was one of the best advanced reader copy books I’ve read . I absolutely loved it and loved that it kept me interested and I couldn’t put it down !!

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This was one of those what the heck did I just read books in all the best ways. I was trying to figure out all the things. I did not see the twists coming. It was wild. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Off Limits Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

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This book is perfect for spooky season! Rebecca (Bex) is just trying to get through her senior year at a very competitive high school. Out of no where three of her fellow classmates start hallucinating and end up dead. How far would you go, if what happened to them start happening to you. No one is listening and just thinks something is wrong with you.

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I could not stop with this book! It was gripping and took hold of me within the first few chapters. The character development was excellent, the storytelling was great, and the flow of the read was easy. I will recommend this on my IG during this spooky month! Great job!

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Book:
WHO HAUNTS YOU by Mark Wheaton (thanks for netgalley for the ebook)

Review:
5 ⭐
WHO HAUNTS YOU is the perfect book for spooky season. Death and ghosts follow around the characters, sending the vibe of are they crazy? or are there really ghosts? Ot took me less than a day to read WHO HAUNTS YOU, and I was intrigued the entire time: from the representation of autism to the premise and crimes. There's so much about this book that kept me flipping page after page wanting to know what happens next(who's going to die next? are they being killed? what's actually going on?) WHO HAUNTS YOU is the perfect paranormal book with just enough suspense and just enough hauntings. And to note, I was so surprised reading the last couple of chapters.

What I Liked About It:
*the ending
*the ghost
*how the closer Bex got to finding everything out the further away she was
*how easy and quick it was to read

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This morning I signed up on Net Galley to be able to read ARC books to review. I came across the description of this work and it was able to be immediately downloaded so I went for it. I am currently in the middle of another series which I had planned on reading today as I am desperate to find out what happens but I wanted to read the first few pages to know what I was going to be reading once finished.

It’s now the end of the day and I am finished with “Who Haunts You” and my other series sits unfinished mocking me as I travel to an event and have no more free time to read today. This work was so unexpected but in the best way possible.

My preconceived notions from the first 3 pages were completely dispelled a few pages later. Without giving away content I went from a cringe moment of “oh great a male author writing about a females autistic experience” to feeling completely “seen.” The author weaves the characters neuro diverse experience expertly throughout the plot without succumbing to stereotypes.

As for the story itself, it dives into the plot immediately and keeps it moving making the book easy to devour. It is a short novel at only 124 e-pages but you don’t feel like there is anything missing. It still provides the needed character development and auxiliary descriptions.

Overall this book is perfect for anyone looking for a swift read of a story that will get you thinking and keep you engaged while also learning something about one persons autistic experience. I highly suggest reading it when it comes out!

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The book had me hooked from the first chapter. I also read the digital copy of the book alongside listening to the audio for Journey's home.

The book has twists and turns, but the ending had me completely hooked on how the lead character without giving away too much, had connected the links between other characters and those they believe they are being haunted by. The ending had me sit back to digest everything I had read in the final chapters and it was such a good conclusion and had me wanting to read more by this author in the future.

It was such a good 'read'/listen. Highly recommend.

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One thing I love is a good ghost story and boy did this EXCEEED my expectations. I tried to request this without reading the synopsis and that was the BEST IDEA EVER. I went into this completely blind and felt like I was one a really cool suspenseful rollercoster

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This book is a mystery/thriller with different point of views from the characters and beautifully written. The timelines were also very well written.

I read this book in a day and I never looked back! The twist and the plot were pretty easy to identify but the different POV's kept me intrigued to see how everything was going to unfold. A couple of the characters were so unlikable that it made it hard to feel bad or connect with them in any way. I do wish that the ending would've given a little more, I wanted to know how the characters dealt with the aftermath.

Overall I give this 5 out 5 because it really was a great book and I will definitely read more from this Author. I enjoyed the thrill of the plot and its twists.

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I enjoyed this book. It’s funny how it was able to stick with me. I started reading this book Back in Oct, got away from reading for quite some time yet I still had this book with me when I picked it back up to finish it.

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Wow, what a thrilling page turner! This book gave me chills. I absolutely loved this story from start to finish. It got me thinking all the way through it. How were they all connected? What exactly was going on? Was this just the working of an overstimulated autistic mind at work or was there something supernatural about it?
It was a good look into the autistic mind and how not only they but their families deal with autistic traits and qualities. I did not see the ending coming. I was surprised.
I couldn’t put this book down.

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Wow! Just, WOW!! Thank you NetGalley and Off Limits Press for the e-ARC! I appreciate it and guarantee the thoughts and feelings about the book are all my own.

I'm going to start out by saying I love a good YA Psychological Thriller/Horror/Mystery genre mashing novel. I love a novel with a neurodivergent character--written extremely well. And as a teacher of some reluctant young teen reader, I love a GREAT book that clocks in at about 170 pages. Honestly, it's easier for me to "sell" to them than a GREAT 400 page book. But don't let the short length fool you or anyone else, there is so much packed into the novel as Bex tries to solve the deaths of her peers that are suicides to others but that Bex knows are connected and mysterious.

A definite 5 star novel!

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Bex is an autistic senior almost to graduation. Fellow classmates of hers start dying under strange circumstances and Bex can't help but wonder who might be next. This is a YA supernatural story, but as an adult I really enjoyed it. I couldn't stop reading to find out who or what was causing the strange things happening.

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This book was so good, I geniunely could not put the book down. It ended at such a good point, but I can't help but want a sequel to see what Bex does next. The whole book had a nice creepy vibe, nothing too scary for those who don't like horror, but still want a thrill. It was so captivating despite being only 170 pages. Also as an austistic person, I love seeing the representation, especially as the main character, and how it was portrayed. I highly reccommend this to those wanting a quick horror story.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC for this!

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Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book! This book was so well written. Super trippy. I was trying to figure out who was doing all of this and why it was happening. Was it ghosts? Was it kids losing their minds? Doing drugs? What was going on. The ending got me. I’ll admit it. I was NOT expecting it. Awesome book! I will definitely be telling my friends about this one!

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What a fabulous story! It was a gripping supernatural, psychological, and horror novel for the YA bracket. The story taunts with the threat of the supernatural, but also the fear that everyone can relate to in some sense - trying to convince people you’re correct and you are not in fact going crazy. I loved this added psychological layer! I leaves you questioning the reliability of the narrator at times seeing the impact all this has on them. This was a book I chewed through quickly and one I struggled to put down. A dark supernatural thriller, and one for anyone who is up for a story that has layers in which fear can manifest in both reader and protagonists!

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Twisted psychological mystery that will have you question what is real. Having the main character, Bex, be autistic gives great insight into the way an autistic mind works. Bex sees things that seem tangential and insignificant, but she manages to strip layers of myth to find truth. With each new death, the only thing that is certain is the terror. Are these accidents, psychotic breaks, ghosts come to life, or could there be a person behind all of this? I enjoyed Bex as a main character, and got caught up in the story. The intensity builds as Bex becomes a target, and the conclusion is certainly not what I expected. As for the very end, I didn't actually get it - so it is going to stick with me as I try to figure it out. The story would make a haunting horror movie!

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