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You're Dead to Me
Gossip Girl meets Happy Death Day in this YA horror novel following high school outcast and anonymous social media gossip Ruby, who comes face-to-face with her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress. With less than a week until the dance, Ruby must unmask her killer—or die trying.
Ruby is a scholarship senior at elite Oleander High School with a chip on her shoulder and an attitude to match—which she puts to good use as the infamous local anonymous gossip blogger ReputationKiller. When she’s outed as the voice behind the account, the entire town turns against her.
But after she’s scared witless by a vision of her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress, she is faced with an awful truth. Someone out there doesn’t just hate her—they want her dead.
With less than a week until the prom, Ruby starts investigating. Turns out Oleander Bay isn’t the picture-perfect resort town it purports to be. With so many secrets, scandals, and people hell-bent on covering them up at all costs, the murderer could be anyone. Can Ruby beat the clock counting down to prom—and her death—and survive the night?
Ruby is a scholarship senior at elite Oleander High School with a chip on her shoulder and an attitude to match—which she puts to good use as the infamous local anonymous gossip blogger ReputationKiller. When she’s outed as the voice behind the account, the entire town turns against her.
But after she’s scared witless by a vision of her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress, she is faced with an awful truth. Someone out there doesn’t just hate her—they want her dead.
With less than a week until the prom, Ruby starts investigating. Turns out Oleander Bay isn’t the picture-perfect resort town it purports to be. With so many secrets, scandals, and people hell-bent on covering them up at all costs, the murderer could be anyone. Can Ruby beat the clock counting down to prom—and her death—and survive the night?
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 2024
61 people are currently reading
3832 people want to read
About the author
Amy Christine Parker
12 books378 followersAMY CHRISTINE PARKER is the author of the critically acclaimed duology, GATED and ASTRAY and the standalone thrillers, SMASH & GRAB, FLIGHT 171, and YOU'RE DEAD TO ME. GATED was a nominee for both the Sequoyah Book Award and the South Caroline Junior Book Award and was a YALSA Quick Pick for reluctant readers. She writes full-time from her home near Tampa, Florida, where she lives with her husband, their two daughters, and two very mischievous cats. Visit her at amychristineparker.com and follow her on Twitter @amychristinepar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
July 7, 2024
Gossip Girl meets Happy Death Day (minus the Groundhog Day loophole, just premonitions of a corpse in prom gowns) with Maxton Hall vibes (poor girl falls for rich boy) describes this fast-paced, intriguing YA mystery. The well-played twists make it a promising read for fans. I finished it in one sitting while my husband kept feeding me pudding, worried I'd starve myself as I voraciously read nonstop.
The story revolves around Ruby Toller, a scholarship student and social pariah from South Oleander, Florida, trying to fit in with the wealthy North Oleander elites, the "Bling Brigade." Raised by her single mother Nadine, who owns a struggling park called "Wonderpark," Ruby is determined to save the business despite her mother's boyfriend pushing for a sale.
Ruby's only solace comes from her loyal friends, Anton, an aspiring fashion designer, and Xavier, who aims to become a doctor. Lacking financial security, Ruby's future seems uncertain, but she has a secret weapon: her TikTok account, "Reputation Killer," where she exposes the dirty secrets of her classmates, especially targeting Magnus Bennett, the son of a man who ruined her mother's life. Her mission takes a dark turn when she sees a vision of herself as a ghost in a prom gown designed by Anton, attacked in a restroom. After retrieving her burner phone, she’s caught by mean girls Daphne and Violet, who reveal her secret identity on TikTok.
With seven days until prom night, Ruby's identity as the Reputation Killer is exposed, and her previous victims seek vengeance. Meanwhile, a serial killer dubbed the Mannequin Killer is on the loose, using gunshots to kill, just like the wound Ruby’s ghost has on her forehead. The ghost continues to appear, making Ruby question if it's a hallucination from stress or a real premonition of danger. Despite the threats, Ruby finds support in her friends Anton and Xavier, and even Alexander, her crush and a Bling Brigade member, who help her fight against the school's corruption and privileged schemers.
Will Ruby survive, despite the ominous warnings from her ghost? Time is ticking, and she must outwit the villains with all her wits and stamina.
Overall, it's a fast-paced mystery with well-developed characters and a compelling plot. I couldn't put it down as the suspense kept my heart racing! Highly recommended!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for sharing this stunning thriller's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
The story revolves around Ruby Toller, a scholarship student and social pariah from South Oleander, Florida, trying to fit in with the wealthy North Oleander elites, the "Bling Brigade." Raised by her single mother Nadine, who owns a struggling park called "Wonderpark," Ruby is determined to save the business despite her mother's boyfriend pushing for a sale.
Ruby's only solace comes from her loyal friends, Anton, an aspiring fashion designer, and Xavier, who aims to become a doctor. Lacking financial security, Ruby's future seems uncertain, but she has a secret weapon: her TikTok account, "Reputation Killer," where she exposes the dirty secrets of her classmates, especially targeting Magnus Bennett, the son of a man who ruined her mother's life. Her mission takes a dark turn when she sees a vision of herself as a ghost in a prom gown designed by Anton, attacked in a restroom. After retrieving her burner phone, she’s caught by mean girls Daphne and Violet, who reveal her secret identity on TikTok.
With seven days until prom night, Ruby's identity as the Reputation Killer is exposed, and her previous victims seek vengeance. Meanwhile, a serial killer dubbed the Mannequin Killer is on the loose, using gunshots to kill, just like the wound Ruby’s ghost has on her forehead. The ghost continues to appear, making Ruby question if it's a hallucination from stress or a real premonition of danger. Despite the threats, Ruby finds support in her friends Anton and Xavier, and even Alexander, her crush and a Bling Brigade member, who help her fight against the school's corruption and privileged schemers.
Will Ruby survive, despite the ominous warnings from her ghost? Time is ticking, and she must outwit the villains with all her wits and stamina.
Overall, it's a fast-paced mystery with well-developed characters and a compelling plot. I couldn't put it down as the suspense kept my heart racing! Highly recommended!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for sharing this stunning thriller's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
September 19, 2025
❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️
Ruby Toller, a high school Senior, lives in Florida with her single-Mom and her Mom's annoying boyfriend, Hunter. They reside at and run at a small Nature Park, that was passed down to Ruby's Mom from her parents.
Ruby loves working at the Park, taking care of the animals. It's her home and she plans to always be there. Unfortunately, demand for these types of attractions isn't what it once was, and they struggle to stay afloat.
Thanks to a generous scholarship, Ruby is able to attend the very prestigious Oleander High School, a private school full of richy-rich teens.
Just because she attends though, doesn't mean she fits in, or is accepted and Ruby has grown a bit of a chip on her shoulder. One thing she has been successful at though is her thriving anonymous-local gossip blog, ReputationKiller.
Ruby digs up dirt on the most elite families and community members and blasts them on her blog. Thus, aptly doing just as the blog title states, killing reputations.
When Ruby is outed as the force behind ReputationKiller, the whole town turns against her, except for her best friends, Anton and Xavier, and shockingly, an attractive rich boy named Alexander.
More of an outcast now than ever, Ruby feels isolated and like her life is out of control, but at least she has a life. Even that comes into question however, when Ruby starts being haunted by her own ghost.
That's right, she's being visited by her dead self, in a horrible state of decay, clad in a tattered prom dress.
It's clear from the ghost's appearance, she didn't get that way due to natural causes. With the prom just days away, Ruby and her friends must figure out who is going to murder Ruby, and stop them, before it's too late.
You're Dead to Me was a super fun reading experience for me. I haven't read a YA Horror-Thriller with such successful Supernatural aspects in a long time.
I found the story to be fast-paced and engaging, with some great Horror imagery. It kept me wanting more and guessing. There were some truly intense moments.
I also loved the way the Florida setting was used and the stark contrast between the Haves and Have-Nots within this community. It felt realistic.
It is super-dramatic, as you would expect from a Teen Scream, but all that drama was really well-executed in my opinion. It had me reaching for my popcorn, versus rolling my eyes, which is always a good sign.
I appreciated the way the author steadily built the intensity throughout. The stakes keep getting higher and higher as the days tick down until the prom.
I also liked the relationships between Ruby and her best friends, as well as her budding relationship with cute boy, Alexander. The friends supported each other very well, even through all the crazy things they go through in this book.
Ruby's relationship with her Mom was rather complicated and I did like the exploration of that as well. Families are messy, you know?
Overall, I thought this was a super solid YA Horror-Thriller. If you love a Teen Scream, full of drama and danger, you should absolutely check this one out.
Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!
Content Warning:
Ruby Toller, a high school Senior, lives in Florida with her single-Mom and her Mom's annoying boyfriend, Hunter. They reside at and run at a small Nature Park, that was passed down to Ruby's Mom from her parents.
Ruby loves working at the Park, taking care of the animals. It's her home and she plans to always be there. Unfortunately, demand for these types of attractions isn't what it once was, and they struggle to stay afloat.
Thanks to a generous scholarship, Ruby is able to attend the very prestigious Oleander High School, a private school full of richy-rich teens.
Just because she attends though, doesn't mean she fits in, or is accepted and Ruby has grown a bit of a chip on her shoulder. One thing she has been successful at though is her thriving anonymous-local gossip blog, ReputationKiller.
Ruby digs up dirt on the most elite families and community members and blasts them on her blog. Thus, aptly doing just as the blog title states, killing reputations.
When Ruby is outed as the force behind ReputationKiller, the whole town turns against her, except for her best friends, Anton and Xavier, and shockingly, an attractive rich boy named Alexander.
More of an outcast now than ever, Ruby feels isolated and like her life is out of control, but at least she has a life. Even that comes into question however, when Ruby starts being haunted by her own ghost.
That's right, she's being visited by her dead self, in a horrible state of decay, clad in a tattered prom dress.
It's clear from the ghost's appearance, she didn't get that way due to natural causes. With the prom just days away, Ruby and her friends must figure out who is going to murder Ruby, and stop them, before it's too late.
You're Dead to Me was a super fun reading experience for me. I haven't read a YA Horror-Thriller with such successful Supernatural aspects in a long time.
I found the story to be fast-paced and engaging, with some great Horror imagery. It kept me wanting more and guessing. There were some truly intense moments.
I also loved the way the Florida setting was used and the stark contrast between the Haves and Have-Nots within this community. It felt realistic.
It is super-dramatic, as you would expect from a Teen Scream, but all that drama was really well-executed in my opinion. It had me reaching for my popcorn, versus rolling my eyes, which is always a good sign.
I appreciated the way the author steadily built the intensity throughout. The stakes keep getting higher and higher as the days tick down until the prom.
I also liked the relationships between Ruby and her best friends, as well as her budding relationship with cute boy, Alexander. The friends supported each other very well, even through all the crazy things they go through in this book.
Ruby's relationship with her Mom was rather complicated and I did like the exploration of that as well. Families are messy, you know?
Overall, I thought this was a super solid YA Horror-Thriller. If you love a Teen Scream, full of drama and danger, you should absolutely check this one out.
Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!
Content Warning:
November 12, 2024
This was pretty good! Towards the end I was like, that’s it??? And then shit really hit the fan. I’m not sure how much I really cared about the motive but…it is what it is I guess. I do want to know why each chapter title was a song name? Like what was the relevance? Not sure if I missed that. Also the paranormal element was never explained—or at least I don’t think it was—and I’m left a bit confused. Bonus points for someone getting eaten by an alligator though! The narrator was good, although her guy voice could use some work.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
I received a free copy from PRH audio. All opinions are honest and my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
I received a free copy from PRH audio. All opinions are honest and my own.
November 29, 2025
You’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker
Horror, YA.
Ruby Toller is a scholarship student at Oleander High School. Smart. Bored. Looked down on by the elite. She creates a blog called ReputationKiller where she exposes corrupt or illegal activities. She’s caught and outed by a couple of fellow students and the town turns on her. Ruby’s two best friends stick by her and believe her when she tells them a ghost is terrifying her, in her own image. She believes the ghost is foretelling her death at the prom. She needs to figure out who is willing to kill her to have their secrets hidden.
Scary images as the ghost continues to haunt Ruby. With each dress they destroy that the ghost is wearing, the threats keep coming.
Interestingly, Ruby becomes comfortable with the ghost. It is her after all. It’s still very creepy though as she works through who has much to lose.
Ghosts, alligators, nasty students, secrets, and death.
Tense and unpredictable.
Horror, YA.
Ruby Toller is a scholarship student at Oleander High School. Smart. Bored. Looked down on by the elite. She creates a blog called ReputationKiller where she exposes corrupt or illegal activities. She’s caught and outed by a couple of fellow students and the town turns on her. Ruby’s two best friends stick by her and believe her when she tells them a ghost is terrifying her, in her own image. She believes the ghost is foretelling her death at the prom. She needs to figure out who is willing to kill her to have their secrets hidden.
Scary images as the ghost continues to haunt Ruby. With each dress they destroy that the ghost is wearing, the threats keep coming.
Interestingly, Ruby becomes comfortable with the ghost. It is her after all. It’s still very creepy though as she works through who has much to lose.
Ghosts, alligators, nasty students, secrets, and death.
Tense and unpredictable.
June 11, 2025
If you like Gossip girl & the movie Happy Death Day, this book is for you!
I was hooked from this book from start to finish, I love when books have chapters that countdown to the finale, loved every title for every chapter.
Ruby was badass at the end of the book and her growth was empowering and she became a better person than who she was from the start (still loved her nonetheless)
The book follows a Senior named Ruby Toller and her two friends Xavier and Anton (eventually a boy named Alexander joins their group) Ruby runs a tiktok account that basically ruins people's reputations at school or people in her town and its called @TheReuptationKiller where she posts anonymously, eventually she gets found out and everyone turns on her while some think what she is doing is right and they deserve it.
Ruby starts seeing her dead ghost at random times throughout the week leading to prom but the one key thing about the ghost is she is always wearing a prom dress, she has a slit throat and a gunshot wound to her head. Ruby knows that on prom night she is going to die, and now her Anton, Xavier and Alexander need to help her figure out who is after Ruby and wants her dead, but that list is LONG and she only has a week to figure it out. Will she be able to defeat her fate? Read to find out
I was hooked from this book from start to finish, I love when books have chapters that countdown to the finale, loved every title for every chapter.
Ruby was badass at the end of the book and her growth was empowering and she became a better person than who she was from the start (still loved her nonetheless)
The book follows a Senior named Ruby Toller and her two friends Xavier and Anton (eventually a boy named Alexander joins their group) Ruby runs a tiktok account that basically ruins people's reputations at school or people in her town and its called @TheReuptationKiller where she posts anonymously, eventually she gets found out and everyone turns on her while some think what she is doing is right and they deserve it.
Ruby starts seeing her dead ghost at random times throughout the week leading to prom but the one key thing about the ghost is she is always wearing a prom dress, she has a slit throat and a gunshot wound to her head. Ruby knows that on prom night she is going to die, and now her Anton, Xavier and Alexander need to help her figure out who is after Ruby and wants her dead, but that list is LONG and she only has a week to figure it out. Will she be able to defeat her fate? Read to find out
October 27, 2024
Thank you to PRH Audio, Delacorte Press, and Amy Christine Parker for my copy of this book. It was a supernatural thriller from the very beginning that was full of violence but a lot of fun. This book was about Ruby, a senior in high school that runs a gossip social media account that calls out the elite. When she is found out, she thinks that’s the worst that can happen, but then she starts seeing herself as a ghost, maimed and murdered. With less than a week until prom, can Ruby find out why she’s murdered in a prom dress? And what other secrets will she uncover along the way?
Thoughts: In this book you definitely had to suspend belief. There were so many things overdone things, like in Gossip Girl. Students were living in hotels and houses alone, killers just roamed the streets not caring who saw them, and somehow a gossip blogger wasn’t caught by her classmates even though she was terrible at hiding. Plus, a random ghost that one character could see for no reason.
I thought the premise of this book was fun, and there were a lot of great elements, but all together it was just a mismash of confusion and too much going on. The alligator park was great, but the characters were all way too connected and things happened by coincidence that was just too convenient. I think this would be a fun YA book if you don’t know much about bullet wounds or serial killers, and if you can find connections between things without them being explained. 2.5 stars for me.
Thoughts: In this book you definitely had to suspend belief. There were so many things overdone things, like in Gossip Girl. Students were living in hotels and houses alone, killers just roamed the streets not caring who saw them, and somehow a gossip blogger wasn’t caught by her classmates even though she was terrible at hiding. Plus, a random ghost that one character could see for no reason.
I thought the premise of this book was fun, and there were a lot of great elements, but all together it was just a mismash of confusion and too much going on. The alligator park was great, but the characters were all way too connected and things happened by coincidence that was just too convenient. I think this would be a fun YA book if you don’t know much about bullet wounds or serial killers, and if you can find connections between things without them being explained. 2.5 stars for me.
December 9, 2024
Review coming soon.
June 13, 2025
The main character had no personality whatsoever. She kept on calling her mom by her first name which threw me off, and i have no idea how she earned the undying loyalty of her friends. Like no personality whatsoever. She was pretty smart at the end not dying and the end was moderately exciting but overall just somehow a really slow slow book.
April 26, 2025
When Ruby sees the ghost of herself, she knows that she is going to die on prom night, and with her whole town turned against her, it could be any number of people who kill her; however, she is going to do everything in her power to save herself. Parker did such a great job of mixing paranormal into this murder mystery–it is something that could have gone extremely wrong, but instead if added tension to this already intense book, elevating it and making it unique. I loved how the book was crafted, the characters in the book, the ending… everything. It was truly a rollercoaster read!
January 25, 2025
I really wanted to take my time with this book, because I will never get over how good Amy’s book are. She has one of those minds that you have to be happy is on the side of good, because if she was a villain, world domination would be in the cards. I imagine her in high backed chair, sipping a martini, twirling her curly mustache and cackling as she kills off characters… GREAT! Now I’ll never get that out of my mind.
As a native Floridian (I know! I’m a unicorn! Normally people who live here aren’t also born here), it’s always exciting to see how authors reimagine the state, seeing as how the real life place can at times be both paradise and Satan’s armpit. You never know what you’re going to get on any given day. And I absolutely LOVED Oleander Bay. I know this is a standalone, but I could see many opportunities for spin-offs as I read You’re Dead to Me!!!
Ruby was an ICON, IMO! Not only is she a secret social media gossip blogger who takes down the horrible people at her elite upper crust high school (#ReputationKiller), but her family owns what once was a popular destination attraction. She’s grown up around feeding and spending time with her bear, Flapjack, as well as a part of the Alligator show. She wants to make it the place to visit again… in the future.
Unfortunately not many people are coming to south Oleander right now because there’s a serial killer taking out people left and right. The police haven’t caught The Mannequin Man and it’s putting even more of a damper on tourism than ever before.
The next problem she faces comes in the shape of herself. Well, it’s a little more incorporeal than that. She’s seeing her own ghost. In fact, she’s seeing herself dressed in a prom dress that’s covered in blood. And when one of her best friends gives her that exact dress in a promposal (she in fact has 2 gay best friends who are dating and want to take her to prom together), she thinks she’s losing it. But the ghost just keeps popping up. And nooooooooow, she has to solve her own murder BEFORE it happens.
The entire time I was reading this, I could vividly imagine everything that was happening. I wanted to visit her mom’s diner and the attraction (where they live). It all felt like home. Which I guess makes sense, in a way. I could see it as a place I’ve been and could be in. Which does not happen for me in every book.
I’ll be reading it again in the coming months, so I’ll definitely be adding more to my review, but I needed to get those initial thoughts down.
As a native Floridian (I know! I’m a unicorn! Normally people who live here aren’t also born here), it’s always exciting to see how authors reimagine the state, seeing as how the real life place can at times be both paradise and Satan’s armpit. You never know what you’re going to get on any given day. And I absolutely LOVED Oleander Bay. I know this is a standalone, but I could see many opportunities for spin-offs as I read You’re Dead to Me!!!
Ruby was an ICON, IMO! Not only is she a secret social media gossip blogger who takes down the horrible people at her elite upper crust high school (#ReputationKiller), but her family owns what once was a popular destination attraction. She’s grown up around feeding and spending time with her bear, Flapjack, as well as a part of the Alligator show. She wants to make it the place to visit again… in the future.
Unfortunately not many people are coming to south Oleander right now because there’s a serial killer taking out people left and right. The police haven’t caught The Mannequin Man and it’s putting even more of a damper on tourism than ever before.
The next problem she faces comes in the shape of herself. Well, it’s a little more incorporeal than that. She’s seeing her own ghost. In fact, she’s seeing herself dressed in a prom dress that’s covered in blood. And when one of her best friends gives her that exact dress in a promposal (she in fact has 2 gay best friends who are dating and want to take her to prom together), she thinks she’s losing it. But the ghost just keeps popping up. And nooooooooow, she has to solve her own murder BEFORE it happens.
The entire time I was reading this, I could vividly imagine everything that was happening. I wanted to visit her mom’s diner and the attraction (where they live). It all felt like home. Which I guess makes sense, in a way. I could see it as a place I’ve been and could be in. Which does not happen for me in every book.
I’ll be reading it again in the coming months, so I’ll definitely be adding more to my review, but I needed to get those initial thoughts down.
July 19, 2024
thanks to NetGalley for the eARC
⭐️=3 | 😘=2 | 🤬=3 | ⚔️=3 | 14+
summary: MC (who exposes sick + twisted things rich people do on her anon TikTok account) sees her ghost and it’s wounded and in a prom dress and she’s going to die on prom night so she has to prevent it and also there’s another mystery
thoughts: stuff I have to say/questions etc
- pacing was pretty good
- liked the two best friends
- why are the chapter titles song names? like not a specific genre of song either (I recognized probably 80% of them). the MC isn’t particularly into music or singing?? so????
- I did not care about the romance at all!
- one of the Major Twists was super predictable—like, a third of the way through the book predictable, which is disappointing.
- the last chapter is “One Month Later” and a certain character obtained a very serious bullet wound and they’re just like better? after a month??
- also struggled w suspension of disbelief with this one
anyway. this is pretty aggressively meh. idk.
⭐️=3 | 😘=2 | 🤬=3 | ⚔️=3 | 14+
summary: MC (who exposes sick + twisted things rich people do on her anon TikTok account) sees her ghost and it’s wounded and in a prom dress and she’s going to die on prom night so she has to prevent it and also there’s another mystery
thoughts: stuff I have to say/questions etc
- pacing was pretty good
- liked the two best friends
- why are the chapter titles song names? like not a specific genre of song either (I recognized probably 80% of them). the MC isn’t particularly into music or singing?? so????
- I did not care about the romance at all!
- one of the Major Twists was super predictable—like, a third of the way through the book predictable, which is disappointing.
- the last chapter is “One Month Later” and a certain character obtained a very serious bullet wound and they’re just like better? after a month??
- also struggled w suspension of disbelief with this one
anyway. this is pretty aggressively meh. idk.
December 10, 2024
This book was a mash up of Pretty Little Liars, Happy Death Day and a hint of Mean Girls for me.
Ruby (a scholarship student) has a gossip TikTok, exposing the elite at her boarding school. She’s pretty mean when it’s anonymous, but now that she’s been outed as the face behind the screen, it goes downhill, fast! Suddenly she’s seeing her own ghost, wearing a destroyed prom dress with a mangled arm and bullet wounds. It’s as though her ghost is trying to help her prevent her death.
Who is trying to kill Ruby? Will she be able to stop her own death?
If all of that wasn’t too much to handle, there’s a serial killer in town called the “Mannequin Man”, oils Ruby be part of his plan? Plus her family business, The Wonderpark, passed down by her grandma, is in the throws of bankruptcy and she’s trying to prevent her family’s business from getting shut down.
Ruby (a scholarship student) has a gossip TikTok, exposing the elite at her boarding school. She’s pretty mean when it’s anonymous, but now that she’s been outed as the face behind the screen, it goes downhill, fast! Suddenly she’s seeing her own ghost, wearing a destroyed prom dress with a mangled arm and bullet wounds. It’s as though her ghost is trying to help her prevent her death.
Who is trying to kill Ruby? Will she be able to stop her own death?
If all of that wasn’t too much to handle, there’s a serial killer in town called the “Mannequin Man”, oils Ruby be part of his plan? Plus her family business, The Wonderpark, passed down by her grandma, is in the throws of bankruptcy and she’s trying to prevent her family’s business from getting shut down.
December 10, 2024
This was well written and started off well. There were a few scenes that had me gripped, but the rest was very boring with too many characters to keep straight. It was a struggle to get through.
Also, whoever decided to use Happy Death Day in the marketing should be fired since there was no time loop. It’s like calling something Groundhog Day just because it’s set in a small town. I feel misled.
Also, whoever decided to use Happy Death Day in the marketing should be fired since there was no time loop. It’s like calling something Groundhog Day just because it’s set in a small town. I feel misled.
December 9, 2024
You're Dead to Me is a spooky and exciting young adult thriller which has plenty of twists and turns. The plot follows Ruby and her friends Anton and Xavier as they try to uncover who is her murderer after she has a vision of her own ghost. However, the more investigating they do, the more secrets of the town are discovered making this an intriguing read with lots of scares and shocking revelations.
The story begins with Ruby preparing to take down another Oleander Elite on her anonymous account @reputationkiller and from there everything starts to unravel. She is soon found out and when she sees her ghost, she realises someone is out to get her and that it is a race against time to find out who kills her before prom night to stop it from happening. Not only is she worried about her death, there is also a serial killer on the loose, dubbed the mannequin man who adds even more tension to the story. Will Ruby and her friends make it out alive?
Even though the blurb clearly says she sees her own ghost, I wasn’t expecting this to be a full on supernatural book. I thought it would be more about the investigation but there are a few scary moments that happen at unexpected times! The supernatural element isn't explained which left me feeling a little confused by the end and I was surprised that it was such a big part of the book.
I loved the 3 main characters and the friendship between them which showed that they would really do anything for each other to keep them safe. Even though Anton and Xavier are a couple, they never make Ruby feel like a third wheel and I enjoyed getting to know these characters throughout the story. I also enjoyed the setting of the Wonder Park and its back story, Ruby and her mother’s home that was inherited from her grandparents which is currently struggling financially. The animals were cute and dangerous and added an extra layer of complexity to the novel.
I also liked that each chapter name was a song title which gave the book a unique feel and felt like it had its own playlist. The chapters were quite short which kept me saying ‘just one more’ and as the story begins to reach the end, the plot really starts to pick up and you won’t want to put the book down until you find out the reveal and the reasons why which all comes together nicely. I did think that the ending was slightly rushed because so much happens and all at once but overall this is a thrilling and fast paced read with a horror vibe that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The story begins with Ruby preparing to take down another Oleander Elite on her anonymous account @reputationkiller and from there everything starts to unravel. She is soon found out and when she sees her ghost, she realises someone is out to get her and that it is a race against time to find out who kills her before prom night to stop it from happening. Not only is she worried about her death, there is also a serial killer on the loose, dubbed the mannequin man who adds even more tension to the story. Will Ruby and her friends make it out alive?
Even though the blurb clearly says she sees her own ghost, I wasn’t expecting this to be a full on supernatural book. I thought it would be more about the investigation but there are a few scary moments that happen at unexpected times! The supernatural element isn't explained which left me feeling a little confused by the end and I was surprised that it was such a big part of the book.
I loved the 3 main characters and the friendship between them which showed that they would really do anything for each other to keep them safe. Even though Anton and Xavier are a couple, they never make Ruby feel like a third wheel and I enjoyed getting to know these characters throughout the story. I also enjoyed the setting of the Wonder Park and its back story, Ruby and her mother’s home that was inherited from her grandparents which is currently struggling financially. The animals were cute and dangerous and added an extra layer of complexity to the novel.
I also liked that each chapter name was a song title which gave the book a unique feel and felt like it had its own playlist. The chapters were quite short which kept me saying ‘just one more’ and as the story begins to reach the end, the plot really starts to pick up and you won’t want to put the book down until you find out the reveal and the reasons why which all comes together nicely. I did think that the ending was slightly rushed because so much happens and all at once but overall this is a thrilling and fast paced read with a horror vibe that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
January 28, 2025
This was a busy book. You have a social media account, reputation killer, set out to destroy the elites' lives by outing their bullcrap. Then you get a killer called The Mannequin Man, who sounds really creepy but actually isn't, and I wish he had been. Then you have an animal theme park with alligators, crocodiles whichever variant(my brain can't recall). Kids not living with their parents(either at some elite country club hotel place or living in a cabin on their families' property). Our main character finding out who her father is, and then her newly acquired step-sister trying to kill her and her mother. Just... wow. It was a wild ride, that's for sure. I think if the killer(haha, which one) had been more prevalent, I probably would have rated this higher. It had the Slasher vibes, but the killer used a gun and, again, wasn't very scary.
May 1, 2025
Im mad that the bear died
November 25, 2024
4*
As a scholarship student, Ruby doesn't fit in at the elite Oleander High School. That's why she started the anonymous ReputationKiller TikTok account that exposes the misdeeds of her rich classmates and teachers. But when she's outed as the owner of the account, the town turns on her. While dealing with the fall out, Ruby begins to start seeing her own ghost, dressed in a ballgown covered in blood. She soon realizes that someone in their coastal town doesn't just hate her, but wants her dead.
I really loved the Gossip Girl vibes with a paranormal twist of this book. Sure, at times it's highly unbelievable that Ruby ran this successful anonymous account because she was awful at sneaking and keeping secrets and it was wild that there was a serial killer just killing people in broad daylight that no one seemed to be able to identify. But it just felt more like an episode of Pretty Little Liars than anything else, especially since the teenagers were just running wild and living alone with no one really paying attention.
I loved the way Ruby fought so hard to help her mom keep their family business open and her relationship with the animals in their rescue. I also loved how close she was with Anton and Xavier and how they immediately believed her when she said she saw her own ghost. All around, this book gave me the suspense that I love as well as allowing me to suspend some belief in what's possible.
Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for providing this ARC to me!
As a scholarship student, Ruby doesn't fit in at the elite Oleander High School. That's why she started the anonymous ReputationKiller TikTok account that exposes the misdeeds of her rich classmates and teachers. But when she's outed as the owner of the account, the town turns on her. While dealing with the fall out, Ruby begins to start seeing her own ghost, dressed in a ballgown covered in blood. She soon realizes that someone in their coastal town doesn't just hate her, but wants her dead.
I really loved the Gossip Girl vibes with a paranormal twist of this book. Sure, at times it's highly unbelievable that Ruby ran this successful anonymous account because she was awful at sneaking and keeping secrets and it was wild that there was a serial killer just killing people in broad daylight that no one seemed to be able to identify. But it just felt more like an episode of Pretty Little Liars than anything else, especially since the teenagers were just running wild and living alone with no one really paying attention.
I loved the way Ruby fought so hard to help her mom keep their family business open and her relationship with the animals in their rescue. I also loved how close she was with Anton and Xavier and how they immediately believed her when she said she saw her own ghost. All around, this book gave me the suspense that I love as well as allowing me to suspend some belief in what's possible.
Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for providing this ARC to me!
December 8, 2024
Florida, man…
Imagine finding out you’re going to be murdered from your own ghost. Ruby sees her own ghosts, Grudge style, randomly and the state of the ghost (dress, injuries, etc), begins to give her clues as to how she’s going to die. It changes as her present conditions changes and Ruby is trying to prevent it. The event isn’t in the distant future; it’s the upcoming weekend at Prom. So Ruby is working on a tight deadline to save herself.
This isn’t all that Ruby has going on. What did you expect? She’s a teenager. She’s dealing with trying to save her family’s theme park, getting bullied at school, her crush on Alexander who is part of the popular crew— and who’s leader she just took down in her anonymous blog @reputationkiller . Very Gossip Girl of her.
As she tries to solve her own murder and prevent it from happening, her investigation leads to a lot more secrets being exposed. She always knew the rich were shady, but she didn’t realize how deep everything was interwoven.
I found this an exciting, fast-paced read and was suspicious of everyone but her gay besties, Anton and Xavier. I was so glad she had them and their ride-or-die support, or not she may have actually died. I thought it kind of wild what the whole reasoning for everything was, but also not surprising. And the little whodunnit twist at the end! It’s also a little sad, but I can’t get into the details of why without revealing stuff.
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for having me, and for the book for review!
Imagine finding out you’re going to be murdered from your own ghost. Ruby sees her own ghosts, Grudge style, randomly and the state of the ghost (dress, injuries, etc), begins to give her clues as to how she’s going to die. It changes as her present conditions changes and Ruby is trying to prevent it. The event isn’t in the distant future; it’s the upcoming weekend at Prom. So Ruby is working on a tight deadline to save herself.
This isn’t all that Ruby has going on. What did you expect? She’s a teenager. She’s dealing with trying to save her family’s theme park, getting bullied at school, her crush on Alexander who is part of the popular crew— and who’s leader she just took down in her anonymous blog @reputationkiller . Very Gossip Girl of her.
As she tries to solve her own murder and prevent it from happening, her investigation leads to a lot more secrets being exposed. She always knew the rich were shady, but she didn’t realize how deep everything was interwoven.
I found this an exciting, fast-paced read and was suspicious of everyone but her gay besties, Anton and Xavier. I was so glad she had them and their ride-or-die support, or not she may have actually died. I thought it kind of wild what the whole reasoning for everything was, but also not surprising. And the little whodunnit twist at the end! It’s also a little sad, but I can’t get into the details of why without revealing stuff.
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for having me, and for the book for review!
November 10, 2024
• 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄
1. If you enjoy ghostly hauntings, this one is for you!
2. Are you a fan of getting revenge? So is Ruby!
3. Have you ever worked at a theme park? What about one filled with alligators? Check this one out then!
4. If you love to read paranormal YA, I highly recommend this one!
5. And last but not least, if you love short chapters, this one has that and more!
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Ruby is a scholarship senior at elite Oleander High School with a chip on her shoulder and an attitude to match—which she puts to good use as the infamous local anonymous gossip blogger ReputationKiller. When she’s outed as the voice behind the account, the entire town turns against her.
But after she’s scared witless by a vision of her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress, she is faced with an awful truth. Someone out there doesn’t just hate her—they want her dead.
With less than a week until the prom, Ruby starts investigating. Turns out Oleander Bay isn’t the picture-perfect resort town it appears to be. With so many secrets, scandals, and people hell-bent on covering them up at all costs, the murderer could be anyone. Can Ruby beat the clock counting down to prom—and her death—and survive the night?
1. If you enjoy ghostly hauntings, this one is for you!
2. Are you a fan of getting revenge? So is Ruby!
3. Have you ever worked at a theme park? What about one filled with alligators? Check this one out then!
4. If you love to read paranormal YA, I highly recommend this one!
5. And last but not least, if you love short chapters, this one has that and more!
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Ruby is a scholarship senior at elite Oleander High School with a chip on her shoulder and an attitude to match—which she puts to good use as the infamous local anonymous gossip blogger ReputationKiller. When she’s outed as the voice behind the account, the entire town turns against her.
But after she’s scared witless by a vision of her own ghost dressed in a blood-splattered prom dress, she is faced with an awful truth. Someone out there doesn’t just hate her—they want her dead.
With less than a week until the prom, Ruby starts investigating. Turns out Oleander Bay isn’t the picture-perfect resort town it appears to be. With so many secrets, scandals, and people hell-bent on covering them up at all costs, the murderer could be anyone. Can Ruby beat the clock counting down to prom—and her death—and survive the night?
November 29, 2024
This is a fantastic YA mystery! The setting of the Everglades is almost its own character, it’s very vibrant and creates an even stronger sense of tension, as the swamp plays into the mystery. I also liked the horror element woven into the piece, alongside the typical YA mystery tropes. The Wonderpark was also a unique and interesting setting that I really enjoyed.
The pacing and twists were well-done, and while I guessed one of them, I didn’t guess the other. I do always love being surprised!! I also thought Ruby was an engaging and interesting main character, and I enjoyed the take on the prep school environment.
I would say that some of the side characters did not feel very well-defined, despite playing a significant role in the story. I also thought there were some dropped threads, particularly surrounding Ruby’s past and the loss of her grandparents. I also felt that more threads could have been pulled together at the end. Overall though, this is tense and spooky and engaging. If you like other such YA mystery authors like Holly Jackson and Karen McManus, you’ll really like this book!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
The pacing and twists were well-done, and while I guessed one of them, I didn’t guess the other. I do always love being surprised!! I also thought Ruby was an engaging and interesting main character, and I enjoyed the take on the prep school environment.
I would say that some of the side characters did not feel very well-defined, despite playing a significant role in the story. I also thought there were some dropped threads, particularly surrounding Ruby’s past and the loss of her grandparents. I also felt that more threads could have been pulled together at the end. Overall though, this is tense and spooky and engaging. If you like other such YA mystery authors like Holly Jackson and Karen McManus, you’ll really like this book!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
October 18, 2024
4.5 rounded up!
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!
I was hooked from the start! The characters were set up really well and weren’t overly explained. I really liked the chapter names being song titles! This book and the characters had so much charm! There wasn’t ever really a dull moment in the story and it never seemed to drag. I do think that there was a lot of different storylines going on and it may be confusing, but honestly I loved it!
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!
I was hooked from the start! The characters were set up really well and weren’t overly explained. I really liked the chapter names being song titles! This book and the characters had so much charm! There wasn’t ever really a dull moment in the story and it never seemed to drag. I do think that there was a lot of different storylines going on and it may be confusing, but honestly I loved it!
January 9, 2025
This was fun. Pretty fast paced and somewhat predictable but not completely. It kind of gave me Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes but not quite as well done and also with A LOT of death. (Which was not the fun part.)
March 16, 2025
This was a lot of fun while I was reading it, but I’ve sadly already forgotten most of it.
August 10, 2025
Super fun plot , not the coolest ending but overall not terrible! I am a bit woozy writing this review i’m sick and need to go to the doctor . I wish the bear lived .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2024
You’re Dead to Me follows Ruby, a scholarship student at an elite, rich high school. She hates her classmates and their snobby, entitled attitude. Ruby runs an anonymous gossip TikTok called reputationkiller where she exposes her classmates for the awful things they do. Just after Ruby is outed as the owner of the account, everyone turns against her and she sees her own ghost in a bloody prom dress. Fearing for her life, she teams up with her best friends to figure out what’s really going on. But with a serial killer on the loose and her incessant ghost breathing down her neck, Ruby’s not sure if she can survive prom night.
This is such a fun mystery thriller! If you like Gossip Girl or Happy Death Day, I’d definitely check this one out. I loved the premise and had such a fun time trying to figure out if I could guess who the killer was. I could not. I had some theories but they were wrong. The ending has such a good twist! It’s a super fast-paced read and keeps you really captivated as Ruby investigates and things go wrong. And the Florida setting just adds to the whole eerie atmosphere with the alligators and swamps.
Ruby is a really great main character. She definitely has a chip on her shoulder but its also justified. She’s very intelligent and handles a lot of these crazy situations really well. I enjoyed her relationship with her mother and best friends and loved the growth she goes through. The friendship group was really cute and sweet. I loved that they were all helping investigate. The romance was sweet and Alexander was a great addition to the cast of characters.
Overall, if you’re looking for a mystery thriller with lots of twists and turns, definitely check this one out!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a fun mystery thriller! If you like Gossip Girl or Happy Death Day, I’d definitely check this one out. I loved the premise and had such a fun time trying to figure out if I could guess who the killer was. I could not. I had some theories but they were wrong. The ending has such a good twist! It’s a super fast-paced read and keeps you really captivated as Ruby investigates and things go wrong. And the Florida setting just adds to the whole eerie atmosphere with the alligators and swamps.
Ruby is a really great main character. She definitely has a chip on her shoulder but its also justified. She’s very intelligent and handles a lot of these crazy situations really well. I enjoyed her relationship with her mother and best friends and loved the growth she goes through. The friendship group was really cute and sweet. I loved that they were all helping investigate. The romance was sweet and Alexander was a great addition to the cast of characters.
Overall, if you’re looking for a mystery thriller with lots of twists and turns, definitely check this one out!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2025
⭐️⭐️.5
1. why was everyone so CASUAL about a serial killer being on the loose in their seemingly small town?? Why were thousands of children going on an excursion when was there was ‘masked man’ going around and randomly killing people (apparently untargeted at that point anyway) ?? Someone was dying everyday but yet it was literally all ‘prom this’ ‘prom that’ like are you not scared for your life ??
2. The most upsetting death in this story for me was the bear. The characters were all just unlikeable and shallow like that (except maybe Eva but she died so early on in the story that it doesn’t even count) and their deaths didn’t matter to be in the slightest. Also why was everyone and their mother dropping dead and once again WHERE WAS THE FEAR?? I didn’t hate rubys character but it felt like she … wasn’t doing much. She did a lot of praising her friends (snaps) drooling over Alexander (less snaps) and very little plot development until pretty much the last 100 pages. I also wish hunter was made a little more relevant towards the start of the book because him being the masked killer was just so.. “oh.” And also Anton why ru flirting with literally EVERYONE??? When your boyfriend is right beside you too??
3. The paranormal and dad plot?? And then Daphne trying to kill Nadine and ruby? I feel like those two subplots probably could’ve been left out for the sake of cohesiveness. By the time Daphne was attempting murder I was already done with the book and ready to move on. Also what was with ruby seeing her own ghost and everyone glossing over it in the end ? It just.. didn’t make much sense.
4. I liked the writing and I liked the setting, particularly its vivid description. Chapter names as songs was really cool too, and the idea was good - as was the orientation which I will admit was captivating
1. why was everyone so CASUAL about a serial killer being on the loose in their seemingly small town?? Why were thousands of children going on an excursion when was there was ‘masked man’ going around and randomly killing people (apparently untargeted at that point anyway) ?? Someone was dying everyday but yet it was literally all ‘prom this’ ‘prom that’ like are you not scared for your life ??
2. The most upsetting death in this story for me was the bear. The characters were all just unlikeable and shallow like that (except maybe Eva but she died so early on in the story that it doesn’t even count) and their deaths didn’t matter to be in the slightest. Also why was everyone and their mother dropping dead and once again WHERE WAS THE FEAR?? I didn’t hate rubys character but it felt like she … wasn’t doing much. She did a lot of praising her friends (snaps) drooling over Alexander (less snaps) and very little plot development until pretty much the last 100 pages. I also wish hunter was made a little more relevant towards the start of the book because him being the masked killer was just so.. “oh.” And also Anton why ru flirting with literally EVERYONE??? When your boyfriend is right beside you too??
3. The paranormal and dad plot?? And then Daphne trying to kill Nadine and ruby? I feel like those two subplots probably could’ve been left out for the sake of cohesiveness. By the time Daphne was attempting murder I was already done with the book and ready to move on. Also what was with ruby seeing her own ghost and everyone glossing over it in the end ? It just.. didn’t make much sense.
4. I liked the writing and I liked the setting, particularly its vivid description. Chapter names as songs was really cool too, and the idea was good - as was the orientation which I will admit was captivating
December 26, 2024
This was a wild ride! I would call this a combination of Gossip Girl that turns into Veronica Mars, with a ghost thrown into the mix! Definitely worth the read and was a novel I was feeling eager to get back to. I liked the novel the whole way through, but do kind of wish the epilogue had been a little longer with more closure on some of our devious characters. Overall, quite an enjoyable novel and definitely makes me want to pick up other novels by this author.
July 15, 2025
(4.25/5) this book was actually giving me anxiety while reading like I genuinely was tryna figure it out along the way (I’m not a very good detective so I’m easily impressed) but regardless of that the romance subplot and the final destination like premonitions that ruby had about her own death was so so cool and entertaining!
July 29, 2025
You’re Dead Yo Me by @amychristinepar was such a good book, a mixture of horror and thriller. A serial killer on the loose, trying to figure out what her ghost was trying to say to her and trying to figure out who it is and so much plots and twists and who and what was going on. This book was amazing a five star.
December 20, 2025
“Now, I’m not safe anywhere. Not until I figure out who is going to kill me.”
In short, I loved this one! Very MTV Scream (she reminded me a lot to Emma some times) style, with countless plot twist and horror being really well done for being YA. It’s very fast paced, but it builds compelling characters and a mystery without a single issue.
In short, I loved this one! Very MTV Scream (she reminded me a lot to Emma some times) style, with countless plot twist and horror being really well done for being YA. It’s very fast paced, but it builds compelling characters and a mystery without a single issue.
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