Undergo

by Amanda Russo

Ten years ago I experienced the most horrific time in my life when I stayed at this very hotel I'm sitting in right now. At the time, my friends and I had just completed our sophomore year of college and decided before going home for the summer we would take a vacation for ourselves.

The year was 1999.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2023

About the author

Amanda is a horror/YA writer who occasionally writes a little romance. She is a movie enthusiast, a traveler, and can be found in her backyard either reading or writing.

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Undergo-Amanda...

Reviews

[Beth Roger aka Katiebella_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel please 🙏

4⭐️
Available on Kindle Unlimited

Ally, Nikki, Maxy, and Brenda are excited to kick off their summer vacation with a mini stay at a luxury hotel. When nightmares become reality, they start to question why they went on this holiday that us anything but...

"I went inside this fun house, which was anything but fun. It turned out to be a horror house. It tricked you. It started out as fun and then proceeded to get sinister as it went on."

My Thoughts

Let's get the low points out of the way first. This is the authors first book, and it shows. The writing is a bit disjointed. Some sentences are missing simple words such as with/the/and, not a big deal since the mind will fill them in or change a word when the wrong one is used. The writing is a tad immature, but it's to be expected from a first book and doesn't subtract from the storyline.

The book doesn't really start until about 60 pages in. Before that, it's mostly background on each girl leading up to them going to the hotel. I know it's already a short book, but I almost DNFd in those 60 pages. I just wanted to get to the plot, and they seemed unessarry.
If you want to skip the first few chapters, go for it. DONT Dnf!

This book quickly turns into a supernatural, PG13, YA version of the movie Saw and Squid Games. Mix in some of the feels of The Cabin in the Woods movie, and this is the book. I was completely ready for it!

Gripped with pins and needles, in the height of anxiety, I read on. Page after page of horror in the form of life and death games. Page after page of why and explanations that only lead to more questions. Once I got into the book, I was fully invested and hooked.

One of the things I loved about the way the characters were written is their strength. Often in these types of stories at least one of the girls would be weak and pathetic, one would be a whiny pampered queen, and one would be a slut. All the females in this story find their strength. All of them have the worst thrown at them, yet they don't blame each other. They don't point fingers. They pull up their big girl pants and kick ass. I loved it.

The ending felt a bit rushed at first, and their are still 10 more pages to keep you reading. Read on, dear readers.

Sequel?!?!

[Alison Laun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was literally the SCARIEST book i’ve ever read 😵‍💫 imagine saw mixed with a halloween horror maze!! at first i was confused as to what was going on, but i was on the edge of my seat with the girls going through each of their trails that the next thing i knew, the book was almost over! the ending had me sobbing 😭

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an arc by the author and im so super grateful!

[Brie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undergo by Amanda Russo

Thank you to the author, @amandarussowrites, for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview. All thoughts are my own. Undergo is available now in digital and physical book formats.

This book was legitimately terrifying! Think Saw meets The Ring meets the Doll House season of PLL for this wild debut book from Russo. While this one does have a bit of slow build at the beginning, it takes off in a big way and doesn’t let you take a breath until the end. The ending is very satisfying and full circle. I recommend this for those looking for a locked room horror show to kick off spooky season!

TWs: loss of a loved one, ab*sive home lives, tort*re, infidelity, more

[The Twilight Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book.

OFFICIALLY ENTERING SPOOKY SEASON👻!

Normally I do not read horror books, but y’all this book is a MUST to start off spooky season.
The book starts off as an introduction to Ally and her college friends going on vacation and takes you for a thrill ride of your life. This book will take you on all kinds of psychological horrors that will leave you feeling terrified, yet needing to know what happens next. I really liked that this book is written with a multi POV between Ally and her 3 friends. In my opinion, it allows for the maximum thriller experience. As the story progresses, it is terrifyingly interesting to see what the girls experience on their nightmarish holiday. This book may start off slow, but it’ll leave you at the edge of your seat completely engrossed. I highly recommend this to anyone that loves psychological horror and gore.

Overall Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

[Samantha Smeltzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Happy PUB day for this book! 📕👻 (written yesterday, posted today)

I enjoyed reading this one! My interest in horror books has increased so much here lately. This book includes all the creepy and chilling tropes/things, including a haunted hotel, creepy basement, clowns, witchcraft, etc. It’s the perfect time of the year for this read because it matches the spooky vibes! 👹💀

EDIT: If grammatical errors do bother you, you should probably pass on this one. Apparently, they were not fixed with the final edit. Adding this because it did make it hard to get through the story with them but I was hoping they were fixed with the final copy.

Undergo is written with multiple POVs and follows 4 friends, Ally, Maxy, Nikki, and Brenda, that are off for their college summer break and start their break by staying in a hotel. Although the hotel seems immaculate and fun, there are some eerie things that start occurring after they begin exploring through a mystery door… 👀

I somewhat struggled keeping the 4 girl POVs straight at times, but I was happy with how it ended and enjoyed the development of each character throughout the book. I also love the cover! 😍

[Shanna Haysbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undergo by @amandarussowrites
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This debut novel started out as a slow burn but once the pace picked up, so did my anxiety (in the best possible way!)

If you like movies like Saw and Escape Room, this is the perfect book! It gave all those vibes!

Definitely had me on the edge of my seat after the character background was introduced.

[Adam Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I want to say that there are some really good things about this book. The core group of characters are strong and their friendship is very touching even in the face of some seriously spooky stuff going on. There are also some creepy scenes involving a very tall female ghost/witch that absolutely creeped me out.

I would definitely raise the rating up to a solid 3 or 3.5 but there are a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes throughout the novel that completely took me out of the story. If these issues were fixed, it would be a very entertaining YA spook show.

ARC provided by the author in return for honest review.

[Lady Di Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ - Ally, Maxy, Nikki and Brenda go on vacation only to end up in a house of horror… "The longer you play the game, the deadlier it becomes." 

Undergo has its good and some bad points… So I’ll start with the bad because the good does out weigh the bad.

This is the first book from this author and it does show. I will say I did receive an ARC of this book, so hopefully an editor was able to provide feedback for corrections before release, because the story is actually really good.

On to the bad…
There are grammatical errors, missing words, disjointed thoughts and even repetitive sentences. The conversations were sometimes structured to a point where it was hard to sometimes keep track of who said what. Also it took almost 60-70 pages to get into the story. That doesn’t sound like a-lot but it’s a short book, so while I appreciate character building, for me, it took a bit too long in this case. I actually wondered if I was reading the wrong book at one point.

On to the good…
Once I got past the overdrawn beginning and my brain kind of adjusted to the writing errors... the story was really good! This is a Saw meets Escape Room with a twist of supernatural psychological horror that really engages you and suddenly where I was ready to DNF it at page 60, I’m reading like a mad woman to see what’s next. These 4 friends are absolute warriors and I loved how their friendship was a constant strength to keep them going through the horrors they were experiencing. Also… could we get a sequel?!

I definitely think this author has the ability to write engaging books as she develops her craft. I just hope she either has Beta Readers (I’d gladly volunteer to be part of the team) to help her with story feedback, and an editor for the editing of the writing.

Overall, if you get past the “bad”, this was a good way to enter the fall and upcoming spooky season of reading.

** Thank you to Amanda Russo for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Undergo" by Amanda Russo!

Alright, folks, let me just say that it’s tough to spill the tea on this book without letting some spooky secrets slip, but here goes my best shot! 😅

This was a fantastic start to my spooky season reads! 🍂👻 "Undergo" had me on the edge of my seat—literally jumping at every creak in my house. The tension was real, y’all! The storyline was immersive, and while there were a few horror clichés that made me roll my eyes (you know the ones 😏), the overall experience was thrilling and well worth it.

The ending? Chef’s kiss👌 It left me with this weird but wonderful sense of peace, which is wild for a thriller, right? But it worked! And let’s not forget those moments when I was so engrossed in the book that my phone ringing nearly made me jump out of my skin. Talk about a hair-raising experience! 😱📚

And let me tell you, this book gave me some serious Jigsaw puzzle vibes—like, “Saw” the movie level. 🧩🔪 There’s that same creeping dread, the tension of piecing everything together, and a few “oh no, what have I gotten into” moments that really amped up the suspense!

This read was the perfect blend of creepy, captivating, and just the right amount of comforting by the end. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you on your toes and possibly have you checking under your bed, this one’s for you!

Huge thanks to the author for the re-release ARC—I’m truly grateful for the opportunity! 🙏✨

[Bailey Pendleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four college friends go on a vacation, but walking through one door leads them to a world and situations they don’t want to be in. Will they escape this confusing nightmare, or will they fall victim to the horrors below?

This book was a wild ride! It reads like a haunted house meets escape room, in the styles of Saw, Hostel, Silent Hill, and 13 Ghosts. The challenges the characters face are gory nightmares, and this debut novel kicked off her writing career with a gruesome bang.

The book is written through four Points-of-views and each is labeled making it extremely easy to keep track of who we are following and what is happening. The confusing maze they must escape is packed full of horrors and the author describes them very well!

I understand why other reviewers want a sequel, because the end leaves you with this huge unexpected twist and a cliffhanger! It leaves it perfectly open for an intense follow-up novel or can be left like a Natasha Preston style ending.

There are some grammatical errors that were missed during editing, but I don’t think they are anything that takes away from the novel or the reading experience. I know it’s the authors debut and professional editing service weren’t used like in her latest novel.

I recommend this book, I really enjoyed it, I give it 4.5 stars!

[Jessica Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I will start by saying that you can tell that this is the author's first book because there are grammatical errors as well as some punctuation errors. Also, the book does start off slow because there is background given on the four main characters: Maxy, Ally, Nikki, and Brenda. However, I think this helps when reading the book because not only are the girls very relatable, but it shows that they have their individual strengths from their pasts and they need it for the hell that they go through. So if you are thinking about DNFing the book, I recommend that you don't because it gets so much better after about page 60. If you are a fan of SAW or The Escape Room then this book is definitely for you. As on of the characters we meet in the book says, "The longer you play the game, the deadlier it becomes." This statement absolutely does not disappoint. I love all of the supernatural elements of the book. I am a horror/supernatural fan so this book was perfect for me. The FMCs have to fight their way out of several deadly situations and they do not back down. Their will to survive is much stronger than their fear and the urge to run away from the situations given to them. I really hope that their will be a sequel for this book because it definitely deserves a sequel.

[Alexis Montas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will first start my saying that horror/gore are not really my thing, but thrillers are. This seemed like a great hybrid to also challenge myself to read a genre I don’t normally read.

To me, this was a Saw meets Squid Games meets Supernatural, kind of lol

Aside from the confusing parts of different POVs that have a similar voice and tone, this one was quite an interesting read.

Ally, Nikki, Maxy and Brenda will be characters I will still think about. From their character development in the beginning all the way to the end of the book, I found myself rooting for this friend group and was quite sad when we didn’t get the traditional happy ending we may be used to.

The story does start off slow, but it picks up rather quickly once these girls start messing around with a creepy basement door.

Nothing becomes what it seems anymore and before you know it, a weeklong vacation among friends become an unimaginably horrific nightmare that felt handcrafted just for them.
And oh how it was…..

I’m glad I got to tick off a spooky read 🙂

[Amie Ambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Undergo" by Amanda Russo is a thrilling ride that had me on the edge of my seat! While the beginning felt a bit slow, with some backstory that seemed a tad unnecessary and some grammatical/spelling errors throughout the book, the tension quickly ramps up at about the 60 page mark as the story unfolds. The pacing picks up significantly as the plot develops.

The unique blend of escape room challenges, psychological horror, and life-or-death stakes reminiscent of "Saw" and "Squid Game" creates a gripping atmosphere that pulls you into Ella's world of horrors that Ally, Maxy, Brenda, and Nikki have to navigate to find their way out.

I found myself deeply immersed in these characters' strength,struggles and fears. The ending was a little rushed but satisfying, leaving me wanting more and hopeful for a sequel! If you're a fan of intense psychological thrillers/horror/paranormal, this book is definitely worth picking up!

Thank you to Amanda for allowing me to kick off my spooky season reads by being immersed into the world of “Undergo” through a re-release ARC!

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, very disturbing read! A group of young women end their sophomore year of college with a trip to a fancy hotel. While there, weird things begin to happen that make no sense. Because humans are so filled with curiosity it was not very difficult to lure one of the girls into the trap. Once inside the door, the girls begin a test. The test is explained well enough and the girls think they can escape. Little do the girls know the puzzles are next to impossible to solve. It was quite terrifying to read each girl’s nightmare come to life. The worst part, and well played by the author, was the consistent thoughts of hope only to be yanked away like the proverbial rug. I was really cheering each girl on with the hopes that all the girls would be able to solve their own puzzle. The author did an excellent job of making the reader feel as though they were each character of the novel. The scenes were quite gruesome and a few times I needed to look away from the book to calm my stomach and my nerves. I highly recommend this book with 💀💀💀💀💀.

[Itzel Aguilera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the arc! <3

It's been a few years since I read something that isn't any sort of romance in it and this was the first in a while but I still loved it!

I love horror movies, whether their paranormal or psychological and this one is both! A perfect mixture of SAW and every other ghost story that mentions a lady in white/black like The Conjuring.

A group of friends are vacationing after their sophomore year of college and they end up being imprisoned in this ghost lady's version of hell. With no way of escaping unless you play her deadly games. But the catch? You die, then you're stuck there forever being one of her puppets. And these games are meant to kill you if you're not careful enough to see her cheating ways.

I'm glad I read this during the day because I don't think I would have been able to handle this book at night lmao

[Molly Siegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

*I read this as an ARC*

I'm having trouble finding a way to describe this book. It was good, but boring in parts, but still exciting?

Some of the writing seemed "young," I guess is the best way to put it. I understand ARCs can have spelling and grammatical mistakes, but since this is available on KU, I figured they'd be fixed.

The beginning pulled me in fairly quickly, and I instantly needed to know what was going to happen. The middle of the book was essentially SAW mixed with La Llorona and a lot of fillers, which felt just long.

Then, the last 2 chapters were 😲😲 Not sure if a sequel is on the way or not since it leaves off kind of on a cliffhanger? But we shall see!

[Kortni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the general premise of this book. It reminded me a lot of the Saw movies, and there were definitely moments where I found myself with an ick look on my face. There were moments that I felt dragged a little, but then the next chapter would be so fast paced your head would spin so it made up for it. The thing I struggled with the most were the grammatical errors and spelling errors throughout the book. It took me out of the story when one would come up that I had to sit and try to figure out the sentence. I think if this book went through another round of edits it would be great! I’m rounding my rating up to 3 stars just based on how great it could be.

[Natiley Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrifying psychological thriller, "Undergo," transports readers to a nightmare plaguing the characters for ten years. Haunted by a horrific encounter at a run-down hotel, Ally returns to face the ghosts of her past. The author deftly creates tension while obfuscating the boundaries between the supernatural and reality. The narrative examines issues of trauma, recollection, and the persistent influence of dread. The author's deft handling of it and Ally's captivating story make "Undergo" a gripping read that you won't put down.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months back I came across the show Alice in Borderland on Netflix. This gave me a bit of those vibes in the type of games that the Ally, Maxy, Nikki, and Brenda are forced to play and endure. The book started off a little slow as we learned some of the background of the characters. As the friends enter the basement and fight for their survival, the story is suspenseful and keeps you on your toes wondering what will happen next. While it is not the happily ever after ending one would normally hope for, the ending does feel hopeful and comforting. 3.5 stars rounded up.

[Jenessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a WILD ride. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have nightmares. The story was amazing and I was sucked in from the very beginning. My only critiques are it was sometimes hard to follow/distinguish each character POV. All the girls were written so similarly that I often forgot whose POV I was reading. Also there were quite a few grammatical errors throughout the book, where I found myself re-reading to make it make sense. Over all, However, The story was brilliant and I loved it!

[Sarah Vane]

Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
I think the concept is cool and interesting. Unfortunately, I could not get past the writing. It was very immature and a lot of the dialogue wasn’t believable. The way the girls spoke to each other was often too formal and it really took me out of the story. There was too much in the beginning about the girls. I wanted the story to get on quicker. Unfortunately, for these reasons, I DNF’d

[Shanni Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review 🎾

What a way to start spooky season ! This book follows four friends on summer vacation at a hotel that have to go through a series of games to survive. I would have been terrified in those hallways.This book is intense an will have you one the edge of your seat. I loved how one of the girls turned her experience into a book series .
If you love the Escape Room, Saw with a ghostly feel this is perfect for you .

[Crystal Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is PERFECT for spooky season. It will definitely give you a thrill and scare, but you don’t want to put it down because you love it so much. This book reminds me of the movies Saw, which I also loved, so no wonder I loved this book and devoured it in one sitting.

The book started off a little slow, but quickly picked up and grabbed my attention. I loved the dual POV of Ally and her friends. Each chapter was a different POV, but it was easy to follow.

[Kellee Lux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos Amanda!

Loved the character build in this book. I could relate to all of them and could see me being part of the group.

This book gave me Saw vibes but not quite as twisted. I hung on to every page and was on the edge of my seat for most of the book.

Just when I thought I had it figured out.. NOPE!!

Amanda.. Chef's kiss good.. I really enjoyed this book!

[Marissa (holdme.thrillme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undergo was an absolute horrorfest. Do you hear me? HORRORFEST! It was literally packed full of the stuff of nightmares and while it usually takes a lot to creep me out, I had to take breaks while reading this. This was a great read to prepare for spooky season!

[Kim Niethammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so scary, it was hard to put down! I love that each chapter was from a different character's point of view. I did sometimes have to scroll back to see which character was going through these very imaginative scenarios. Definitely a must read!

[Jo Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s giving haunted hotel meets carnival fun house, where the characters have to play games to escape. Think Saw and the “Would you like to play a game?” It’s spooky and disturbing in the best way.

[Victoria Woodwaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW.

This is the best horror novel I’ve ever read. Amanda Russo really created a masterpiece with this novel. I highly recommend it.

[Christian Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished this book and it was definitely a mind game. I was not prepared for the plot twist of the girls waking up in the basement. I enjoyed the concept of the book and I would have liked to see more of the interweaving between reality and the draw to this other realm in the basement. The story has so much potential and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I wanted it to be longer because I enjoyed it so much. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for something to give you chills and to give you an escape from reality. I can't wait to read more of her work.

[Blaiz Ferrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So creepy and crawly!
Shouldn't of read at night lol really enjoyed this quick read! Gave me saw vibes ✨️