Ride or Die

by Delilah S. Dawson

A sleepover at an amusement park turns into a night of terror in this scary middle school read  from the New York Times bestselling author of Mine and Camp Scare.

Tonight is Brie’s chance to finally be accepted by the Ems—the most popular girls at school. If she can just keep one potentially reputation-ending secret under wraps, she’ll have the best night of her life, screaming on scary rides and running the Wildwoods amusement parkwith her new friends.

But when the Ems take a game of truth or dare too far, Brie ends up alone in a creepy abandoned section of the park. There, she meets a group of cool older teens that invite her to join them. They seem friendly enough.

Little does Brie know she’s about to come face to face with a reawakened evil that wants to take her on the ride of her life...make that her death.

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Thriller, Young Adult, Ghosts, Mystery

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2025

About the author

Delilah S. Dawson is the New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma, Black Spire: Galaxy's Edge, and The Perfect Weapon. With Kevin Hearne, she writes the Tales of Pell. As Lila Bowen, she writes the Shadow series, beginning with Wake of Vultures. Her other books include the Blud series, the Hit series, and Servants of the Storm.

She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk.

Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh gosh...the body horror in this one was little unexpected. Haha!

What Worked: This is my first time reading Delilah S. Dawson, but it definitely won't be my last. If you have middle grade readers who are fans of body horror and creepy amusement parks, this is a great recommendation for them. Not only does Dawson weave in fascinating horror elements, but there are also interesting conversations related to societal expectations, toxic relationships, and self-confidence. The reveals were epic and unexpected in some ways.

If you are looking for some seriously creepy middle grade horror, I highly recommend checking this one out.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delilah Dawson has tackled Middle Grade Horror previously in books like "Mine" and "Camp Scare". This book, "Ride or Die", felt like it was the scariest and creepiest of the three, despite not dealing with as dark themes necessarily as "Camp Scare".

The plot of this book is basically that Brie goes to a popular kid as school's birthday party at an amusement park. She gets separated from that friend and wierd, creepy stuff starts happening to her. The story of the plot didn't engage me the whole book, although it did work well by the last 50 pages. What makes this book work is the sense of fear and dread and creepiness that pervades it. Delilah has an excellent grasp on atmosphere in this series.

The three teenagers that Brie meets were very interesting and dynamic, and while I figured out the twist very early on, I think the twist will work well for kids.

I don't know if the book will be too scary for the intended audience. If a younger reader who is a fan of scary movies/books reads this, it might work perfectly. However, unless your kid likes scary stuff, I would caution giving them this book.

Still, this was a very effectively scary book for kids that read very quickly. 7 out of 10!

[Mairy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delilah S. Dawson definitely knows how to write horror! This one is about Brie, a young teenager who recently changed schools because of some drama caused by her older sister. She's in that new school participating in some sports event. Thanks to Brie's athleticism, Emily, who is one of the Ems (the popular girls), wins a competition. So Emily invites Brie to her birthday party celebration which is taking place at an amusement park where, 30 years ago, 4 teenagers died. The old side of the amusement park where the tragedy occurred is closed off by a big, impenetrable wall. Unfortunately, this afternoon of fun doesn't turn the way Brie had expected..

This book was quite scary, and it tackled themes of interest to me: how to deal with public opinion, how to handle bullies, why are popular kids often mean and cruel toward nerds and those who care about their academic accomplishments, what does it even mean to be popular at school. I loved this book: it was fun, freaking scary, a super quick read, and I'm going to keep reading anything DSD keeps releasing.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

•𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐄

1. Have you ever had a horrible time at an amusement park? It could be worse.
2. Love a spooky, paranormal read? This one is just for you!
3. Were you someone who wanted to fit in with the cool kids? You’ll really relate to Brie!
4. If you’re a fan of RL Stine, you’ll love this one!
5. Are you hiding a secret past? There are plenty of secrets in this story!

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Tonight is Brie’s chance to finally be accepted by the Ems—the most popular girls at school. If she can just keep one potentially reputation-ending secret under wraps, she’ll have the best night of her life, screaming on scary rides and running the Wildwoods amusement park with her new friends.

But when the Ems take a game of truth or dare too far, Brie ends up alone in a creepy abandoned section of the park. There, she meets a group of cool older teens that invite her to join them. They seem friendly enough.

Little does Brie know she’s about to come face to face with a reawakened evil that wants to take her on the ride of her life...make that her death.

[Laura Elizabeth Carranza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle school teens, mean girls, haunted, amusement park, ghosts. This book has all that and more. I picked it up and out of curiousity i read the first page then the second. Before I knew it I was deep into it and actually ended up liking it.

[Daijah · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual rating: 3/5 stars

read for reading anticipated 2025 horror 24 hour readathon vlog: https://youtu.be/_hM9A6zz7_o

i'm giving this 3 stars, which feels like the most middle-ground rating i could give, and honestly that's exactly what this book was. fine. not bad. not great. just fine.

normally i don't pick up middle grade often, but when i do, i almost always love it. something about that age group just works for me. this wasn't the case here, which is weird and disappointing. i didn't dislike it, but i wasn't blown away by some of the choices either. i'd still recommend it for younger readers who this is actually meant for, just not as enthusiastically as i'd hoped.

the setting slapped though. i loved the creepy amusement park atmosphere because i'm obsessed with amusement parks as horror settings. my favorite slasher literally takes place at an amusement park, so this vibe was tailored for me. the book nailed that unsettling fairground energy where everything looks fun but the air tastes wrong and you can't shake the feeling that something's watching you from behind the funhouse mirrors.

the body horror was surprisingly strong too. it might even be too much for some kids in this age group, which i personally loved. the book doesn't hold back or talk down to its readers, and i respect that. it trusts young people to handle genuinely disturbing imagery, which they absolutely can.

i also appreciated the themes. this tackles conversations kids desperately need to have like societal expectations of young girls, toxic friendships, self-confidence, dealing with other people's opinions, handling bullies, why popular kids can be so cruel, and what popularity even means. all of that felt necessary without being preachy or after-school-special about it.

the horror itself just wasn't my thing. it was strong enough and probably works great for the target audience, but it didn't hit for me personally. my biggest issue is that we never find out why these horrific things are happening. i get it, it's middle grade with a tighter page count, so maybe the author didn't want to bog it down with explanations. but the way it was handled felt so clunky. the main character literally asks another character why this is happening and they're like "oh, it just happens. we don't know why, but it does." that moment waved a giant neon sign that screamed "don't think too hard about this!" unexplained horror can work beautifully when it's done with intention, but pointing it out like that made it feel like the author didn't have an answer and hoped we wouldn't notice.

this was fine. i'd hand it to younger readers who want something creepy with solid themes about surviving middle school's social warfare. but it didn't work for me as an adult reader. the horror needed either more explanation or way less acknowledgment of its own plot holes.

[Mikala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson made me remember why middle-grade horror is so much fun! It's lighthearted but still high stakes while tapping into childhood fears.

From the start the immersive setting really stood out to me. The abandoned amusement park isn’t just a backdrop to the story but is instead fully woven into the narrative. You can feel the creaking rides, the eerie isolation, and the sense that something is deeply wrong. Highly recommend if you enjoy intense, atmospheric horror with a strong sense of place.

There were so many sharp, creepy moments with scares that actually land. The fun house sequence with Pick Ax Pete was on another level. Absolutely not. That scene was legitimately terrifying and had me holding my breath. Also I can't get out of my head the scene with the kiddie caterpillar ride slowly twitching with the lights flickering and spooky music looping. And the swing ride and the different moments with the food!!! I truly felt as though I was there.

My one criticism is that the final boss scene felt a bit rushed. I would have liked a more climactic sendoff as well as a more satisfying closure between a few of the other characters. I think the emotional impact could have hit a bit harder at the end and still felt totally appropriate.

Overall, this book was thrilling from beginning to end. It was fast paced, genuinely scary, and impossible to put down. Everything I look for in a horror book! I will without a doubt be requesting Delilah Dawson's other middle grade books to read!
.
.
.
reading notes:

This book is excellent and exciting and genuinely scary!!! I love how much the park is featured

This part with the fun house and pick ax pete... oh no absolutely not. This is actually scary

Loved it all

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new MG horror perfect for fans of Hive and Small Spaces.
🎢
Welcome to Wildwoods amusement park where thirty years ago some teens died. Now it’s the location of a overnight lock in as Brie tries to get in with the cool clique: the Ems, at her new school. Brie has been hiding every since her mom and older sister became infamous—so much so that she had to change schools, but she decides she doesn’t care about popularity when the Ems lock her in the abandoned section of the park where reawakened evil tries to kill her and ghosts try to save her.
🤡
Ok this was CREEPY! @delilahsdawson came write middle grade horror! It was so suspenseful and the
audiobook narrator nailed the atmosphere throughout. Clowns, rides trying to kill you, melting zombies—what more could you want from a paranormal scary book?

CW: bullying, body horror, death, gore, toxic relationship, toxic friendship

[Becky • bookmarked by becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creep-tastic! Ride or Die is an absolute must-read for horror lovers—especially middle grade readers. This one is loaded with spooky, skin-crawling elements that are just the right amount of terrifying fun:
🎢Haunted-feeling old amusement park
🤖Creepy robotic mascot—Pickax Pete
🪲Bug horror, moldy snacks, and swampy legends (hello, Monster Max!)

But beyond the scares, there’s a lot of heart with meaningful messages about friendship, embracing what makes you different, and navigating the pressure to fit in. Brie is a super relatable FMC, and many middle graders will connect with her desire to fit in with “the Ems” (aka the cool but mean girls).

🎧Narration Note: Dominique Salvacion brings Brie’s fear, anxiety, and desperate survival instincts to life, while also adding layers of eerie tension. I loved her chilling voice for Pickax Pete. “Who needs a bonk-bonk?” = instant shivers 😱

Final Verdict: 👍 Perfect for any horror lover, but especially middle graders. Just don't read with the lights off.

[sammi_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a Goosebumps-style story! It was fun with just enough creepy and spooky. Some of the imagery was definitely more unsettling than typical Goosebumps though, so probably more teen than kids.

Brie is invited to an overnight birthday party at an amusement park by the 3 populated girls at her new school. But a dare leads to her being locked in an old section of the park where she ends up on tge run from an ancient alligator and an axes wielding mascot! She's at least relieved to meet three older teens who seem a lot nicer than the girls who abandoned her. But can they ever escape the park?

I thoroughly enjoyed this YA horror book. It was short, but got you sucked into the story and set up some great scares. The imagery was unsettling at points and sticks with you! The villain was meh, didn'tcare for the dyory there, seemed a bit random, but the creep factors throughout were fantastic. I loved the disintegration around the park that stopped and started.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

HRCYED - Spooky Creatures (spirit)

This was a delight: a nice break and a quick read. A bit preachy, but the audience is middle schoolers, and the message of being true to yourself was more for them than me. I will definitely have my kiddos read this... once they can handle the gore.

Definitely a horror genre book, even for the MS audience. Not scary, but had a lot of horror elements to it.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

For a middle grade horror, this was creepy

[Elizabeth Tosspon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son and I read this one at the same time after he discovered it at the book fair. He loves horror and roller coasters so this was right up his alley. I thought it was pretty decent! A good entry level horror for a middle school kid.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
A horror in a theme park? yes, please. I loved the concept. Brie wants to belong, so when the opportunity to attend a mean girl's birthday at a theme park, she plays with it, even if the birthday girl is humiliating and bullying her guests/friends. She dares Brie to enter a closed location of the part. There are really cool vivid scenes when she is alone, scary, or horror. I won't say more about this part, but she is not alone.
I understand why the author made some decisions at the end. It was a good ending, appropriate for middlegraders and those leaving chapter books behind. The novel has a teaser of another (a previous volume, and I it's already on my whishlist for my next visit to the local bookstore).
Also this author is writing Ravenlof Heir of Strahd. Knowing this makes me want to read all her books.

[Skye Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book. Here’s my honesty review.
I really liked this book!
From the start of the first page I knew I was going to love it!!
It’s really intriguing and suspenseful, I couldn’t put it down the farther I got into it!!
This is definitely one of my new favorites!

[MikaReadsFantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Mean Girls in an Amusement Park at night. It’s not really scary but it was a fun ride.

[Sarah B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit I am not exactly the target audience for this book but I do love to read children's books. Generally I find them very relaxing. And there's nothing more fun in my opinion than a scary story about amusement park rides. The very idea that something might go horribly wrong while you are safe reading at home - now there is a good thriller... Sadly this one came close but it didn't exactly deliver.

Now I can't say if it's because I'm an adult, but I found it way too easy to guess what was going on in here. It was "right in my face" obvious but Bria just didn't get it. Instead she was wondering around all confused, thinking maybe she was seeing stuff. After awhile this started to get frustrating. And then I started to get impatient too. I just wanted the book to get to the end so Bria could finally figure out the truth I had known from page 60. Yes, page 60! The book has 210 pages. So basically about a third of the way through.

Then there was this guy inside a suit, a plushie suit that is supposed to be the park mascot. I found him to be very annoying! He keeps appearing throughout the story saying "who needs a bonk bonk?" - it's supposed to be scary as he has a big pickaxe but instead I only got annoyed. You know, the "oh no, not him again".

I think the book does have some good messages in it. Here they are:

"And don't fall for any of their pranks," CJ added. "You can always say no. Anybody who would make fun of that is definitely not your friend."

"Good boundaries make good friends, as my dad, the school counselor, used to say," Trip added.

Because the main character, Bria, has a problem with people. She's very into following rules and worries a lot about doing the wrong thing, about getting into trouble. She feels bad about telling lies or the possibility that she might annoy someone but that means she hangs back and stays silent. I could certainly relate to Bria easily. That wasn't the issue.

It was just too easy to guess.

[middle_schoolers_read Lindsay P · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Brie moves to her new private school she hopes it will be a brand new start where no one recognizes who she is. Her first goal is to get in good with the Ems, the three popular girls in school, Emily, Emma and Emerson. When she scores an invitation to Emily’s birthday sleepover at Wildwoods Amusement Park, she knows this is her chance to become one of them. But when a game of Truth or Dare becomes a little too personal and dangerous Brie doesn’t know how to say no, and she finds herself trapped in the off-limits section of the amusement park with no way out. When three older teenagers come to her rescue, she can’t believe her luck, until things start to get weird, like falling apart, insect infestation, decaying weird. Will Brie survive the night in Wildwoods?

This was such an interesting concept for a story, I enjoyed the setting so much, who wouldn’t want to spend the night in an amusement park with their friends? The level of bullying in this story was a lot, so I would warn your students if they read this, but the overall plot was interesting to read.

I had a student read this over the break and on Day 1 back said they had a suggestion for a book for our Library. It will keep students engaged and reading, it’s not too long, and the setting really is incredibly fun to read about.

Who will like it?
✅ Fans of #mysterybooks and #thrillers
✅ Fans of stories that unravel mysteries from the past
✅ Fans of #paranormal scares

#bookreview #middleschoolbooks

[Alicia Ceasar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson is a middle grade horror novel that follows Brie. Brie desperately wants to be a part of the cool girl clique at her school known as “the Ems” but it’s almost impossible. After she ends up in the Ems good graces, she gets to join them for a night of fun at a local theme park. But things don’t go according to plan and Brie ends up getting more thrills than she expected.

This was so fun. There is something so nostalgic about middle grade horror. This one takes place in an amusement park at night which I feel like was a dream of mine growing up but it made it terrifying! This book had some creepy elements that any reader can enjoy.

There are some great messages in here as well. Mainly around is it worth being a different person to fit in with the cool crowd? I think that’s something that a lot of middle schoolers have to deal with so this book is perfect for the age group it’s aimed for.

This was just a great time full of fun rides and scary encounters with some important messages for kids. I will be getting a copy of this to add to my home library for my kids to read!

[Markita_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
5 ☆
The cover art is amazing and totally caught my eye. I will definitely be purchasing the paperback for my personal library! The premise also caught my attention. Brie is invited by the Ems, the most popular girls in school, to a sleepover at an amusement park. Brie thinks she'll have the best night of her life. But when the Ems take a game of truth or dare too far, Brie ends up alone in a creepy, abandoned section of the park. There, she meets a group of cool, older teens who invite her to join them. They seem friendly enough. Little does Brie know she's about to come face to face with a reawakened evil that wants to take her on a ride to her life or death.

This YA mystery was the right pace, had the right amount of suspense, and is right for a young adult audience. I would highly recommend it to middle school children. This book will keep their attention. I enjoyed this book myself as an adult.

Thank you, Netgellay, and Random House for the Ebook in exchange for my honest review.

[Inkslinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Delacorte Press/Random House Children's/Delilah S. Dawson via Toppling Stacks Tours. All opinions are mine and freely given.

Blog | Instagram | TikTok | BookBub
--------

'Ride or Die' by Delilah S. Dawson is a fun middle grade horror read, set in an amusement park with a secret, dark history.. during a sleepover for a birthday party.

The story follows Brie, who's hiding a secret of her own that caused her to flee her old school, looking to start over. Hoping to be accepted into what she sees as the safety of the most popular group at her new school, she's willing to do just about anything to make that happen.

When the girls.. collectively known as 'the Ems'.. coerce her into an abandoned section of the park, she ends up meeting a group of cool older kids that seem to be much nicer. Unfortunately, there's a malignant force present as well, that's going to make surviving the night a bit more of a challenge.

I don't normally read middle grade stories. I'm far from the target audience in most cases and I find even a lot of young adult authors have a tendency to feel like they're talking down to the reader, dumbing down the writing, or just plain weak at it.. which makes me hesitant. None of that happens in 'Ride or Die.'

Sometime back, I read another of Dawson's novels.. called 'Midnight at the Houdini.' I had absolutely fallen in love with her characters and her world building, the way she crafted her settings in visual emotions. And it was absolutely the same here with this little horror story.

Did I have to suspend disbelief a bit? Yes. Even as a kid, I know one hint of the first odd situation would have been plenty to send me looking for the way out. For it to go on as long as it did, while necessary for the story, it was a bit of a stretch.

All that aside, Dawson is great at capturing the personalities of her characters and really understanding who they are through and through. They're well-developed and distinctive. Charming even.

It was creepy and fun. A great read for middle graders and adults, alike. I loved it and can't wait to read some more titles from this author.
--------

PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BLACKWELL'S | BOOKSAMILLION | BOOKSHOP.ORG | GOOGLEPLAY BOOKS | INDIEBOUND | INDIGO | KOBO | WATERSTONES

[Bill Philibin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.0 Stars)

This is a Middle Grade Horror book, and while I'm about 40 years outside of the target demographic... I can still enjoy a good story. And that is what this is... a good story. For reference, about the same group of readers who would enjoy the Goosebumps books/movies.

This author writes great characters, and really shines in shorter works.

What I like about this story, is that in addition to the psychological thriller aspect of it, it touches on common worries of "tweens", and even into high school. Acceptance by peers, the struggle of individuality over pack mentality, and even being embarrassed by your family. It doesn't just paint the characters with a broad brush, and it gives them nuance, and growth.

Back to the thriller aspect... That was also done well. The book has a good pace, and the audiobook narrator was excellent.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chilling middle grade horror story about a young girl who gets trapped in an abandoned part of an amusement park where things are not as they seem and a sinister presence is out for blood. Great on audio and perfect for fans of the Small spaces series by Katherine Arden. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid fun ya ride. A little too ya in some parts but the descriptions given in the book and the fact I had just been to an amusement park made it all that more vivid in my mind

[Pennywise just needs snuggles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun ride!!!!

[Erin Farmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 76 for 2025. 3.5/5 stars for this middle grade horror. Trying to get into spooky season!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my son. It was a good YA thriller. Enjoyed it!

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy amusement park! Mean girl! Ghosts! Teens in peril! Very fun middle grade spooky read.

[Kirsty Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5
RTC

[Lo Wayward Tomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is definitely a younger middle grade horror but I really enjoyed it. 4.5 rounded up. I know my kids are gonna like it too.