Enjoyable clown town terrors.
Picking up after the massacre that left a rural town reeling, survivors fight another battle against the town mascot gone rogue and its increasingly violent gang of fanatical followers.
College student Quinn joins her friend Cole and his boyfriend, Rust, to face the threatening believers of a fake documentary called The Baypen Hoax who think the trio committed and capitalized on vile misdeeds and must pay for their crimes. The book opens slowly while the plot is set in place and the background is established for those new to the series, but the kills soon kick in, and the plot truly launches once the trio is reunited in Kettle Springs, Missouri, the small town where the boys grew up and Quinn moved in high school. Wealthy businessman Eli Duvall exploits murder tourism in Kettle Springs, but new hostilities brew in the wake of the town tragedy, leading to a new nightmare. In this fun, frenetic sequel, Cesare tackles mob mentality and misinformation, and the return of Frendo oozes with old wounds and angry conspiracy-fueled grudges. With the rising body count and nonstop action, the pace will feel familiar to slasher fans as it delivers satisfying fight and death scenes. This entry includes enough background information that readers new to the series will find it accessible. Characters default to White.
Enjoyable clown town terrors. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-309691-2
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
Shocking yet bittersweet, this captivating page-turner truly delivers.
Teens fight to survive a harrowing boat expedition in Mexico.
High school seniors Hannah and Emmy couldn’t be more different: After graduation, steady and staid Hannah plans to enter Linfield University and work toward a nursing degree, while impulsive Emmy aims to fulfill a longtime dream of traveling the world. As graduation looms, the girls take a spring break trip to Puerto Vallarta along with Emmy’s parents and college-age brother, Jackson. When Emmy meets the handsome and smarmy Ben, the four young people head out—at Ben’s insistence—on an ill-advised boat trip with the sketchy hipster captain, Keith, on his weathered craft, the Be-Yacht-Ch. A day of Instagram-perfect partying quickly devolves into something else. While a series of predicted storms, which led other boat tours to cancel outings, threatens the group, secrets and accusations drive a deadly wedge into an already fraught situation. As romantic feelings simmer between Hannah and Jackson and Ben’s sinister psychopathy emerges, the teens are left to fight for their lives. Reading like a YA White Lotus seen through a Freida McFadden–tinted lens, this work will satisfy Lally’s fans, who will revel in the jaw-dropping twists and rapid-fire pacing alongside the subtle commentary on toxic masculinity, entitlement, and privilege. Each chapter ends on a pulse-pounding cliffhanger, adding to the already unrelenting tension. Even the most seasoned thriller readers will be surprised by the tense and emotional ending. Apart from the Mexican locals, characters present white.
Shocking yet bittersweet, this captivating page-turner truly delivers. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781728270173
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Breathtakingly complex and intriguing.
When someone murders the renowned founder of an oppressively rigorous Washington, D.C., school, three students—all boys of color—emerge as prime suspects.
The police haul in a trio of Urban Promise Prep students, two Black and one Salvadoran, for questioning following the murder of Principal Kenneth Moore. For J.B. Williamson, Urban Promise’s strict rules and regulations are suffocating, but his luck seems to turn when he finally makes a tentative move forward with his crush. Jokester Trey Jackson, meanwhile, does his best to ensure his place in the big basketball game, and no one—not even his tough-as-nails Uncle T—can stop him. Ramón Zambrano dreams of one day owning a restaurant. In the meantime, he gets by hustling pupusas at school and refusing to succumb to pressure from his beloved cousin César, the feared leader of the Dioses del Humo gang. At Urban Promise, one false move can cost a college-bound future. Unfortunately, all three boys engaged in public spats with Principal Moore before his death; to clear their names, they must investigate and uncover the killer’s identity. In a masterful use of multiple points of view from both the main protagonists and secondary characters, Brooks weaves a tale of intrigue, doubt, and hearsay with ease, doling out crucial tidbits and clues. Each gradual reveal prods readers to reconsider and reassess. Featuring a sharp examination of systemic inequality in urban schools and Black and Latine boyhood, this novel delivers in spades.
Breathtakingly complex and intriguing. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-86697-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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