Try Not to Die: At Ghostland: An Interactive Adventure

Try Not To Die #6

by Duncan Ralston, Mark Tullius, Shayr Guthrie (Narrator)

If you thought you knew everything about Ghostland… think again

Ghostland—a massive theme park where guests get an up-close look at real ghosts using super-advanced technology. You're all having a great time until a technical glitch releases all the captured spirits, causing immediate chaos and destruction.

Fight to survive, find your friends, and figure out your powers because these ghosts are confused. They're angry. And they're out for blood.

Good luck getting out of Ghostland. Every choice you make today is a life and death decision. Not just for you but everyone you meet.

MORE THAN TWO DOZEN WAYS TO DIE.

JUST ONE CORRECT PATH.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE?

Includes an interactive version where you make choices, and a survivor version where you can listen to the entire story without choices or death scenes.

If you grew up reading Goosebumps or Choose Your Own Adventure stories, you’ll love this horror story!

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Choose Your Own Adventure, Horror Thriller

Audible Audio

First published June 18, 2023

About the author

**CVLT: Lonely Motel Book 3 out now!!!**

**Sequel to the hit novel PUZZLE HOUSE coming Winter 2026**

Author of the cult smash-hit Woom and Ghostland and more than 15 other books that aren't the cult smash-hit Woom or Ghostland. His debut collection was blurbed positively by the legendary Jack Ketchum. His vampire novel, Pedo Island Bloodbath, was nominated for a 2024 Splatterpunk Award for Best Novel. His horror-thriller Ghostland will soon be a board game from Crystal Lake Publishing.

For 10 FREE dark fiction short stories/novellas including the prequel to GHOSTLAND, "The Moving House," signed copies of Woom, bookplates and merch, please visit www.duncanralston.com.

Photo © Josh Silver 2015

Reviews

[Carl Bluesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read! They gave a good dose and nostalgia of the old choose your old adventure books I read as a kid. A notable difference between the try not to die books, and choose your adventure books is that this has one narrative. So instead of making your decisions and going down a different arrangement of things to happen, if you were to make a decision, you either find out if you will survive or die based off the decision you make.

I like that style of doing things. With the old adventure bucks I feel like I got to enjoy the full book because there’s always an alternatives that I never explored. Of course I could reread those books but a lot of times the repetition became too much and I would become sick of the book. This gave one solid narrative that made it easy to enjoy. Do it for us and see what you could do to try to not die.

I died lots. There is no way that I would’ve survived. That is for sure. But when you choose wrong do you have a section of the book that describes the horrible and horrific way your character dies because of your decisions. These were my favorite part of the book. They’re very well written and plenty disturbing. Dying has never been so fun!

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghostland - Escape is the Key!

Small backstory:

Lucky and her friends decide to go check out Ghostland which is a new theme park where people can check out ghosts but when a glitch happens and the ghosts are released into the park is when things go wrong for Lucky and her friends!

That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!

Thoughts:

This was a great book with interactive prompts that can either give paths of escape or paths to an untimely end. I remember reading interactive books years ago so this was cool to read this book which is wrapped around the Ghostland trilogy which I have read.

The interactive features with the different paths were interesting and entertaining - I felt that to experience the book deeply was to try out the different paths just to see where they took me. Giving this book five "Twisted Ghosts Terror" stars!

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was an interesting take on reading and took me back to my childhood. Even though many times I chose wrong, it easily reroutes you. While the story was nothing super deep, it was still an entertaining read and I would read more of these types of books.

[Ky · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adult choose your own adventure set in a haunted theme park? Hell yes!

Try not to die: at Ghostland is an interactive try to survive experience with 26 possible ways to die! The dying was so much fun, Mark and Duncan did such an amazing job with all of the creative death scenes.

I absolutely recommend this book! Even if you have not yet read Duncan Ralston’s Ghostland, it reads so well as a stand-alone regardless.

I was so lucky to snag a PDF ARC of this one, but it’s out now and ready for everyone! Bump this up on your TBR, you will have a blast!

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoyed the Ghostland series then I would highly recommend giving this ago. I have never read a interactive book before so throughly enjoyed getting to choose what I did next even if I did die twice (to be honest impressed myself it was only those two times). Getting to see what happened to characters from the past books and how they met their demise was also a nice tie in as well.
Hope this comes out in paperback cause take my money now 😁.

[Kiera ☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most fun I’ve had reading Horror in a while! I went into this thinking I’d do pretty well, but ended up dying more times then I could count. Every decision had me STRESSING, it genuinely felt like I was in a slasher film trying not to die.

If you loved the Ghostland Series (even if you haven’t finished it yet) you HAVE to read and experience this. Nail biting, edge of your seat & action packed from front to back. A scary good time LOL!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love choose your own adventure books so I was completely down to get an ARC for an honest review. First I have to note I loved the Nickelback joke, those guys get harassed so bad here in Canada. I loved this book, I have not read the series yet and it was super easy to follow and makes me want to read the Ghostland series now.

I always play it safe when I read a choose your own adventure and I didn’t with this one, why not run to the ghosts instead of away from them. I died so many times. I was keeping a tally but after ten I was thinking I’ll just keep it between me and the pages of the book.

This was a great book by Duncan and Mark. I need to read the rest of the Try Not To Die books also.

[Mrsgmamma]

It was a fun little book to read. I made it to page 117, I just kept chowing the wrong paths to go. Definitely reminds me of my child hood, I loved choose your own adventure books. I just wish the book was like the books I know Duncan to be writing, the gory and vile ones.

[Crystal Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't done a "choose your own adventure" story since I was a kid. This was so much fun! A little bit of childhood nostalgia and a haunted theme park? Hell yeah. This was awesome! Highly recommend this one.

[Jennifer Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those that grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure and creepy horror books will love the fun and nostalgia that comes with reading Try Not to Die: At Ghostland.

This book takes place at Ghostland, the theme park that Duncan Ralston’s Ghostland trilogy takes place in. This book can be read as a stand-alone or as a follow-up to the series. Personally, I haven’t read the Ghostland books (the collection is on my shelf waiting), but I did catch a few references based on my limited knowledge of the trilogy. I think it would probably be even more fun to revisit this TNTD book after finishing them.

I found this book to be a fun, yet challenging read as I attempted to make choices for the character. At times, I tried to see how far I could get before she met her demise, while at other times I tried to make poor choices to see what happens. Either way, it’s interesting to see what happens and some of the decisions had unexpected results. This book has mild gore, but nothing too intense. I think it’s one that horror fans will have a lot of fun with!

Thank you to the authors for a review copy of this book!

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun for adults who want to try their hand in surviving Duncan Ralston's Ghostland! It's a haunted theme park, and that's all you really need to know. Ralston and Tullius provide the death scenes and the adventure and you just have to avoid dying: 26 possible ways to die, originality and creativity beyond the roof, different outcomes all the time. I happily died more than three times, but no complaints there; I'd gladly have died some more. Thanks to the authors for the ARC!

[Hayley (Strange & Unusual Book Club) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped it would be. There isn't much of a story. This is more just a series of events during together without much to tie them together. It felt more like a retelling of a tabletop roleplaying adventure. One of those stories that would be fun to play but not so much fun to read.

Characters come and go and there is no one to invest in. There are a few fun gory moments but gore aside, this reads like a kid's book. The writing is very basic. The choices are fun but that's about all there is here. I made the wrong choice and killed Lucky five times.

The book is okay but it's not something I can recommend. You'd have more fun playing a choice based video game like Until Dawn or reading a book with stronger writing and a more engaging story.

[Amanda Ruzsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I started to read TRY NOT TO DIE AT GHOSTLAND by Duncan Ralston and Mark Tullius on June 5 and every free moment I have, I jump right back in. I’ve died several times, I’ve watched well-liked characters perish, but I have to go back and see what could have been had I made the ‘right’ choice. This book has been up and down, side to side, pingponging a giant ball of anxiety throughout my entire body from the moment I started it. Yea, I am reviewing it as I read it but it’s because Ghostland has come to life for me now. What an absolutely immersive, creepy and unsettling ride this book is! You must dive in!

[Katie Dickerson (DeMaio) · Rating 5 out of 5]

choose your own adventure- set in a haunted theme park; more than 2 dozen ways to die & only 1 way out alive (I died 9 times); so creative & unique; the kills were gory, gruesome, hilarious, & entertaining; never wanted to put this book down; such a fun, interactive read

[Makayla Darnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to survive in a ghost filled theme park is an exciting and terrifying time! The death scenes are amazing and the ending is a great lead up to the other Ghostland books!

[Kelly Corbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and interactive book! Of course I died a few times along the way!

[Shannon Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There's a thousand ways you could die today, Lucky. All that matters is you keep trying." I nod. Church is right. All we can do is keep fighting, keep trying. That's life, isn't it? No matter what it throws at us we have to keep going, keep looking ahead.”
Well, I killed poor Lucky and numerous others 9 TIMES, before “lucky” number 10…

I couldn’t believe it when I saw one of my all-time favorite author’s was doing an adult “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel, based on his amazing trilogy, Ghostland. You don’t have to have read Ghostland to fully enjoy this experience, but it does add a layer of nuance if you do.

I felt like a nerdy little kid again, thinking through possible options and groaning every damn time i sent Lucky to a gore-filled, blood soaked, horrific end in this theme park full of ethereals gone rogue.

I giggled when our dear author put in a little Easter Egg of a cone reference in there (if you know, you know .. if you don’t, go read Woom, now).

I was horrified when I realized he didn’t warn me about the disgusting, evil, nasty clown possy in this tome.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized I finally got Lucky out alive.

This was a nostalgic trip that I’ll definitely return to so I can experience all the different possible scenarios of this “haunted holocaust”, set in what could be likened to an evil Disneyland run by a sadistic monster with a very nefarious agenda for humanity (living souls only).

I can’t recommend this one highly enough, bookish friends. Just make sure you “Choose wisely” and we wish you “Godspeed” as you embark on the ride of a lifetime.

[Jessica Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun with this choose your own adventure book! I loved these type of books when I was a kid, so when Duncan offered an ARC for an honest review I was down! So much thought and creativity went into this one! Theres, I believe, 26 ways to die in the book and I must have died atleast 6 times. I will say I enjoyed each death to the fullest hahaha! There is an option to read the book straight through if you would like. You also don't have to have read the Ghostland series to read this one either, eventhough I suggest you do! I read the ebook of this one. At first I was worried if it was going to be a pain going back and forth in the ebook when I died, but it wasn't, so don't let that hold you back if ebooks are your thing!

[James Seamone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nostalgic 'choose your own adventure' type book full of blood, guts, and ghosts. If you loved the Ghostland trilogy, or haven't even read it yet, you will love this book. So many choices. So many deaths. Choose wisely.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Try Not to Die: At Ghostland is the sixth installment of the Try Not to Die series, an adult gamebook series comparable to R.L. Stein's Give Yourself Goosebumps series. 


The story centers around a teenage Lucky (Lucy) and her friends who visit a ghostly theme park and get up-close and personal with spooky specters. It's all fun and games until the park experiences some technical difficulties, and all the spirits are released, and they wreak havoc on the park and its living patrons.  


I grew up loving Goosebumps and Choose Your Own Adventure novels. Ralston and Tullius have an excellent way of keeping you engaged in fact, on multiple occasions throughout I almost forgot that I was reading a book. It is evident that they really put a lot of life into their writing, especially when even the most minor of characters feel fully fleshed out. 


This book has definitely made me want to read more into the Ghostland and Try Not to Die series’. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Thirteen Ghosts and Choose Your Own [HORROR] Adventures. Please be advised if you do read this book there are a lot of on-page, descriptive death scenes. 

[Siobhan Falen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you ever read those "Pick Your Own Adventure" books as a kid? This is just like that, but bloodier, more brutal, and if you've read Ghostland, a fantastic easter egg hunt.

I finished my first run through and I will be reading it again cause I want to see the other avenues of horror. About half my choices were good options, and the other half... I didn't make it out. I would have been one of the poor spirits trapped in the greatest disaster to happen at theme parks since Jurassic Park.

This was so fun, stirred up a lot of nostalgia and was a great connector piece to Ghostland. It gave you insight into what happened with other characters, showing their heroism, drive to survive, and what happens when you're put into a vicious circumstance.

I loved the writing. It felt very similar to Ghostland, brought the characters to life and made you invested in the storyline, you got to explore Ghostland more, and it kept me engaged. I would recommend it, but be prepared, death lurks around every page and you may just end up one of the featured exhibits.

[Amanda Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book! It’s a lot like the Choose Your Own Adventure books where you make your way thru the pages and decide the fate of the characters thru the decisions you make. I read this as an ARC on my Kindle and was curious how well it would work out as an ebook since with other CYOA books you’re constantly flipping to random page numbers, but it was a seamless experience & thoroughly enjoyable. So don’t let the fear of “how will this work” scare you off from getting this book on Kindle.
While reading I died numerous times and loved every second of it! The different outcomes are so much fun and make for a great experience. If you’re like me and haven’t read the Ghostland series or the other books in the Try Not To Die series, this book is still completely readable as a standalone. But after reading this one, I want to give both series a try!

[TheseHauntedPages · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love the Ghostland series so was excited for this interactive Try Not To Die book as I have never read a book like this before.

Lucky and friends manage to grab the final four tickets for the opening of Ghostland and this book follows her journey on how to escape the disaster that bestows the park.

If you have read the original Ghostland book then there are great references dotted throughout and it will be more relatable than if you haven't read it.

I can admit I died multiple times throughout this book but that's okay because it guides you back to the right decision to make.

If you don't feel like playing then there is the Survivors story which is the story without having to make all the decisions interactively.

As always with Ghostland there are some brutal and gory depictions!

[Darla Orchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! And I’m going to fully admit it might be because it’s a choose your own adventure book. I loved those when I was younger. Of course, back then I was reading actual books and it at the bottom of the page it said, “to go towards the commotion turn to page 46” and “to run away from the commotion turn to page 92”. And you had to keep your finger in the page you turned away from in case you died, and you needed to go back and choose the other option. Now with my Kindle I just need to click on which one I want. Easier, but still so much fun. The story was good. A ghost amusement park with deadly ghosts running amok. Fun times!

[Liz Legge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my second "Try Not to Die" book & I honestly didn't enjoy it as much as the first one I read.

I found Try Not to Die: At Ghostland: An Interactive Adventure very difficult to follow, especially the ending. I had to go back and reread paragraphs, because they were confusing the first read through. The story was interesting, but didn't make a ton of sense at times.

Overall, it is still a fun read due to the choose-your-own-adventure aspect of the book.

[Kimberly Spookybookwurm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you have your tickets?! 

“According to the website, it's this huge 108-acre park filled with haunted buildings and cursed objects.”. 

This was so much fun!!! This will definitely be something that I will have to read over & over. I died too many times 🤣 I felt like a kid again reading this. I really loved it! There were too many lovable characters to count. 

I really enjoyed that this piece of work isn't just for adults. In my opinion, this is a way for a younger generation to be able to get into the horror genre. 

“All we can do is keep fighting, keep trying. That's life, isn't it? No matter what it throws at us, we have to keep going, keep looking ahead.”. 

[Callie Towne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a highly addictive and entertaining book!
TNTD: Ghostland is a different type of story. You do exactly that- try not to die. This story is a choose your own adventure style read. It took me a few tries before I made it out alive but that was possibly me trying to see what trouble I could get into. This does NOT go hand in hand with the original book Ghostland, so you could read this one without having read the original and not spoil anything (though I do recommend reading Ghostland, too!).

[Cat B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is my second interactive story. I did try not to die but I think I died more in this one than the last. I lost count to be honest but I did have great fun while dying. The deaths were more hideous than in the Wild West but dead is dead none the less. A delightful way to spend some time and have a few giggles along the way.
I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review of the tale.

[Jenee H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited to go back into the world of Ghostland and "explore" the park more. I actually managed to survive for a decent chunk of the story before finally succumbing to my first gruesome death. I do wish that there was a choice or two in-between picking "the wrong option" and you dying but overall, a very enjoyable read. Would highly recommend to both returning readers of the series and new fans.

[Erin Sterett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! I remember reading the choose your own adventure books as a kid, and thinking that that was the absolute best thing ever. After reading Duncan’s Ghostland book, I knew I had to jump on this one! I died my fair share through the book, but each death was creative, fun, and gory! I highly recommend this book!

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this story, and this is my honest review.