Better off Dead: 'YA chiller thriller at its best' Ravena Guron

by Tess James-Mackey

Just how many deaths does it take to close a holiday park?

All Lacy wants is to escape to Paris and be with her older sister. But she needs to make some money first, so she takes a summer job at a caravan park in North Wales.

When one of the guests is brutally murdered, rumours start to swirl about the park being haunted. There are sightings of a mysterious figure walking along the clifftops at night and Lacy can’t shake off the feeling that she’s being watched. Could there be some truth to the stories? And can she discover who – or what – the killer is before she becomes the next victim?

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller

Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2026

About the author

After growing up in rural Shropshire, Tess set out to explore the world and find her place in it. She quickly rushed straight back to Shrewsbury when she realised she'd been where she belonged from the start. She now lives in a quiet suburb with a noisy partner and daughter, two extremely noisy cats, and a less noisy tortoise.

She spent years mucking out and getting trampled on by horses, before finally deciding she might prefer a less precarious office job. Between analysing insurance risk, she writes teens into terrifying situations inspired by her lived experiences.

When she's not allowing her mind to wander to dark and twisty places, she pursues more wholesome activities, like growing mediocre vegetables in her garden, camping with her daughter, and even riding the odd horse.

Reviews

[Rianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start with a confession: I went into this fully convinced I was picking up a YA thriller set in an amusement park. Turns out it’s a caravan park. Not quite the same energy. Somewhere between marketing blurbs, cover vibes, and my own assumptions, wires clearly got crossed and unfortunately that confusion kind of set the tone for the rest of my reading experience…

We follow Lacy, who takes a summer job at a remote caravan park to earn enough money to move to Paris, where she believes her sister Winter has disappeared to. The setup has all the ingredients for a tense mystery: isolated setting, strange coworkers, creepy local stories, and a guest who literally dies… yet everyone just continues business as usual like that’s a completely normal Tuesday. Which made me go “Yesterday was Tuesday right? But today is Tuesday too!” and it perfectly resembles my state of mind after reading this, it was a Mystery Spot for sure. Anyways:

At the park we meet a whole cast of characters, but sadly most of them blurred together for me. The only ones who left a real impression were Mean-Girl Rachel and Dylan, who initially feels positioned as the obvious romantic interest. That is, until one drunk altercation where Dylan acts very strangely and Lacy is (very understandably) completely done with him.

From there, things get increasingly strange. People keep sharing stories about past deaths at the park, Lacy starts seeing things she can’t explain, and reality becomes… flexible at best. The problem is that while Lacy was confused, I was somehow even more confused. At one point I genuinely convinced myself her sister Winter might not even exist because the narration felt so unreliable. And unreliable narrators can be brilliant when handled carefully, but here it made it difficult for me to emotionally anchor myself in the story. I struggled to root for Lacy because I never felt certain about what was real, what mattered, or where the mystery was actually heading.

The twists themselves are undeniably horrifying and ambitious, but they arrive so suddenly that it felt like we skipped a few crucial foreshadowing steps along the way. Just as I started settling into one direction, the story pivoted again and suddenly we were dropped into what felt like a surprise Ghost Whisperer episode. Weirdly intriguing? Yes. Fully developed? Unfortunately not. The reveal wrapped up so quickly that it felt more like an afterthought than the big moment the story had been building toward.

And that’s honestly the hardest part to admit: I really thought this book and I were going to be a perfect match. The premise sounded exactly like my kind of creepy YA thriller, which made it extra disappointing when the execution just didn’t quite land for me. Sadly, this one left me feeling more lost than thrilled.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Keira · Rating 2 out of 5]

What is the point of setting a horror novel at a caravan park in Wales if you’re going to completely underutilized the setting. I was expecting arcades and creepy mascots interacting with creepy kids, instead I got an apartment block and a beach. Pair that with a slow paced book in which barely anything happens and you get a book I did not like.
The plot felt very disjointed and barely blended together. Certain things got mentioned then went nowhere. The ending was the most disconnected feeling part, meaning the ending wasn’t at all satisfying. It also felt like it wrapped up a bit too easily for the main character.
While I didn’t like Lacey as a character, I did like her character development throughout the book. That is the only thing I can say I liked about this book.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better off Dead- 4/5 stars

"She didn't want to be some pathetic damsel in distress."

*This was sent to me by Tess James-Mackey and Oneworld Publications via NetGalley for an honest review; thank you so much for the opportunity*

Trigger/ Content Warnings
Graphic portrayals of violence, injury and murder
Discussions of sexual harassment
Depictions of sexual assault
Toxic friend group
Toxic sibling relationship
Dermatillomania
Potential suicide

Review
This story follows Lacy, a working class British girl who alongside her older sister is desperate to escape her life and move to Paris. After her sister seemingly decides to leave for Paris without her, Lacy decides to apply for a job at caravan park in North Wales. Just after arriving, a guest is brutally murdered, leading to heightened paranoia from staff and Lacy specifically becomes paranoid about seeing a mysterious figure watching her.

Lacy's sister Winter constantly haunts the narrative in more ways than one which at the start of the novel I was getting frustrated at due to the repetition and just how awfully Lacy acted in an attempt to impress her sister. However, near the end of the novel at the climax, there was a clear shift in Winter's portrayal that as a survivor of sexual assault myself I couldn't help but empathise with. I do also think this sensitive subject was handled well.

The climax itself is why I gave this novel 4 stars as before that it was coming out as a solid 3 in my mind as it wasn't bad, it was just very slowly paced. That being said, the climax was like a lightbulb moment and whilst I did predict part of the twist (the killer of the guest), I was very happy to be wrong about the other killer (or even that there was an other killer). I think this twist massively paid off for me and I appreciate the author for leaning fully into that aspect as it really helped change my opinion of the story overall!

Overall
Overall, this is a great YA thriller if you are able to get past the trigger warnings and I hope that the potential sequel bait at the end comes to pass as I think a lot can still be done with the characters post-twist and their dynamics!

My Links!
Instagram | TikTok | Blog

[Meerah · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑐
✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
ᴀʟʟ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʙʟᴜʀʀᴇᴅ
╭──────────.★..─╮

↳ 𝕊𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 - ★★☆☆☆(I liked the setting)

↳ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 - ★★☆☆☆(They were all annoying)

↳ 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 - ★★★★☆(I didn't struggle while reading it so I guess it was okay)

↳ ℙ𝕝𝕠𝕥 - ★★★☆☆(It was interesting but could have been done better)

↳ 𝕍𝕚𝕓𝕖 - ★★★☆☆(Wanted more amusement park vibes but I still like the horror vibes)

↳ ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 - ★☆☆☆☆(Felt like there was no chemistry between the love interests

↳ ℙ𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘 - ★★★⯪☆(Felt slow to me at the start but sorta medium paced towards the end)

↳ 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 -

╰─..★.──────────╯

╭──────────.★..─╮

𝙰𝚐𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 13+

𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎: Crushes and stuff

𝚅𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎: killing of people

𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜: none

𝙼𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌: If you mean some supernatural stuff then yeah but other than that none

𝙻𝙶𝙱𝚃𝚀: A characters goes by the pronouns they/them

𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐: Deaths, mentions of @$$@ult

╰─..★.──────────╯

──────── ౨ৎ ─────────

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙:
I liked how easy it was to read.
The plot was very interesting but it had more potential.
I liked how it picked up it's pace towards the end

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚/𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧:
It didn't give any "One of us is Lying" vibe like I expected
"Plot twist" was quite easy to guess, I wanted a plot twist that would make my jaw drop
The story felt sort of drag on. Some scenes weren't needed
The mystery didn't feel like something that was solved. It was just dumped all at once. Not bits by bits.
There weren't any amusement park vibes. I wanted more rides and stuff. The only thing we got was a swimming pool, dr*nk teenagers and cliffs

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
𝙇𝙖𝙘𝙮 : Felt like she had no personality lol
𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘 : I don't like them, they always sorta felt like fake friends to me
𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙮 : He was weird honestly i knew he was too good to be true
𝘿𝙮𝙡𝙖𝙣 : He was mid, felt sorta obsessive over Lacy
𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙡: Hated her from the start she defo deserved what happened to her
────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Super easy read. Will I recommend it? Maybe.
✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 :
⤷ Slight horror
⤷ Paranormal/Supernatural Fiction

[Señor Honey · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

I bought this book because the summary intrigued me, the cover was cool, and I wanted to dive into an easy-to-read thriller. It was easy, indeed. It almost felt like nothing really happened.

The setting is cool, but I feel like we are stuck mostly to the dorms. Not much was done with the notion of a caravan park, I barely felt the surroundings.

The characters are not that memorable. I feel like they are too typical for their archetypes and not nuanced enough. I cannot say I got attached to any of them. Not even Marc and Chan, even though they are the ‘friends’ she makes. They just weren’t explored enough and they I didn’t feel the click between them and Lacy. I didn’t even feel anything for Rachel and the fact that she goes: not regret nor satisfaction because she was the most stereotypical bitch ever. And Dylan is as mundane as a character can be; the only interesting thing happening with him is that Lacy thought at some point he’s a creep, which would have been an interesting turn of events but of course it’s not what actually happens.

The main character, Lacy, is gullible and clueless. You could say someone who has been stomped on her entire life would be like that, or at least the trauma would show in some aspects that alter her sense of self. In some capacity, it did, but I didn’t feel it enough.

And even though Winter haunts the narrative (literally) and you get a sense that something has to have happened to her since the beginning, I still don’t think it was set up enough for the reveal that she is the one mostly behind everything (of course Andy the kiss-ass, pathetic older guy is the creep). We needed more of Winter’s past being cemented and more background information that may tie her to the place or something - it just didn’t feel like the reveal was earned. I was underwhelmed after entire chapters of wondering where it would eventually go.

The ending is nothing special. It didn’t leave me with any particular impression. I felt like Lacy realizing her sister was the one lost and in pain was rushed, even a bit cliche and not in the good way. Yeah, let the power of love prevail, but do it with feeling.

Overall, it was a lackluster read. Perhaps I went into it with too much expectation but at the same time, that’s how a book should be approached. With an inquisitive mind and expectations.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher in preparation for a UKYASpotlight interview. It has not affected my opinions.

BETTER OFF DEAD is an unsettling horror set at a campsite holiday job.

The campsite is really a workplace from hell. It's falling apart, with derelict buildings crumbling into the sea. There is lichen and mould everywhere the guests can't see. There's such a pervasive sense of rot and decay over the entire site, not helped by the typical British wet weather that fills the book. Atmosphere is so important to a horror and this book nails it.

The job too is a nightmare - absolutely no health and safety (Lacy can't really swim and yet she's been made a lifeguard), screaming kids, and awful uniforms (neon green, cheap as chips, and some staff are concealed in mascot-like suits). It compounds the claustrophobia of the job and gives a sense that there's no authority figures who can be turned to. The owners don't care about anything but money, so why would Lacy be able to report anything to them?

As well as the strange things happening on the site, there is also the mystery of what happened to Lacy's sister, Winter. She left the house eight months ago and everyone has assumed she went to Paris, as she spoke of, but there are hints that there might be more to it. I really enjoyed peeling the layers of that one back, particularly as it became more and more obvious that Winter, for all Lacy's idolisation, had had a very negative impact on Lacy.

The heart of the book is tug between Lacy not feeling able to trust people and wanting to have people in her life. She has had terrible experiences with friends and boyfriends before, which has left its mark, and so she - and thus the reader - spend the book unsure whether to trust the new friends she might be making despite herself and the potential boyfriend. It plays well into the fact that there's a very human side to the horror, leaving you unsure and wary, but was also nice to see the friendships given the same value as the relationships.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I'm not usually a fan of anything scary, but this book sounded so intriguing I just couldn't resist requesting for an ARC. I'm so glad I did because I was so invested, this book had me in a chokehold with the mix of a murder mystery slash paranormal mystery- we truly get the best of both worlds in this book, and ironically they're unrelated, but happen to the poor main character Lacey anyway.

I basked in the setting of a rundown Welsh holiday park, it had all the eerie elements, felt rough around the edges, and each character we meet has such an interesting and different personality. Each interaction felt so genuine, from the arguments and rising tensions, to the friendships and slight hint of a romance.

Lacey was a great main character, she's flawed but gradually learns to accept herself for who she is, not who her older sister Winter was trying to force her to be. Being from a working class family in a not so reputable county, I completely understood Lacey's judgememts and self-doubts, along with her journey of wanting more for herself and striving to break free of the stereotypes, to then accepting her roots and the small yet meaningful quirks she has, plus realising just how great her family actually is.

I do admit, one of the major twists (the paranormal one) I guessed halfway through the book, but the other one (check TW's before reading) I didn't, and I was shocked and both disgusted and shook on everyone's behalf. I did feel like the paranormal stuff was a bit thrown in there and random, especially as it's not directly related to the story, but nonetheless added to the creep factor.

The ending wraps up well, leaving off with a hint for a possible sequel, with most questions answered. Despite being YA, I really enjoyed this book, it's perfect for keeping it spooky on a dreary day, just don't look out of the window!

4/5 🌟

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I've received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Better Off Dead is a story of a young girl who takes a job in a holiday park to get enough money to follow her sister to Paris. As she is there, things get creepy.

What I liked about this book was how easy it was too read. Once I started I basically flew through the whole thing. I also think Lacy was a very well-developed character who went through a satisfying character arc. It was also very self-aware of the issues it was tackling. It had some very fun, disturbing moments that I greatly enjoyed.

I have mixed feelings about the ending - I feel it was a bit rushed and the way it resolved wasn't as satisfying as I hoped it would be but I can see how it was topically on point. I also hoped for a bit more holiday park action that would set that vacation vibe - the plot mostly happened in the staff quarters. I also expected it to be more of a slasher but that's mostly on me.

Overall I really enjoyed reading Better Off Dead and would recommend it to people looking for a fun YA horror story that can tug on your heartstrings.

[Izzy Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book partly because of how off putting the cover was (in the best way) and I think this book really emulated that atmosphere. Better off dead is a solid thriller that i would recommend to people that like mysteries with a side of supernatural.

Our main character Lacy is a great lead to follow as you watch her grapple with her inner conflict over her actions and feelings. I really enjoyed reading her development over the book. I think this book has some really compelling side characters that you either want to punch or wrap in a hug (I’m talking about Ceri she deserves a big hug). I think this book handles tougher topics in a great way for teens, Andy is an absolute creep and the text is very clear in stating that the teens were vulnerable around him. I think it being stated is good for teens to really break down the issue, especially to help them understand if they are ever at a job with an older manager trying to act like they are one of them.

I had fun theorising for this book and I found that I was pretty much right on the who but was not so accurate with the how. Overall, I definitely think this is a great book to read if you want something that will spook you and I would recommend it.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*All my thanks go to netgalley and the publishing team for giving me the opportunity to read this book.*


Better off dead deserves all the hype it can get.

This book has to be one of my favourite thrillers/ mysteries for many reasons. The main reason I loved this book was the ability it had to keep you hooked through giving you enough information that you didn't feel lost but not so much so that you were guessing the plot twists. Other ways the book kept you hooked was the characters and writing style. The characters, especially Lacy and Winter, all had that bit of complexity to them meaning I wanted to know more about them. The final reason I liked this book was the writing style and way it was written- i felt as if I was a character in the story watching as the writing was so good.

[Ravena Guron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tess has a really great way of writing the most sinister books and BETTER OFF DEAD feels like her scariest one yet (although I still adore YOU WOULDN'T CATCH ME DEAD).

It is both gripping and tense, with a complex main character whose journey to unravel an unsettling web of eerie events keeps you turning the pages. Lacy isn't always likeable but that just makes her even more compelling, and there's several scenes where I feel like my heart was racing for her! This is YA chiller thriller at its best.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe overall the plot was interesting. You meet Lacy who wants a fresh start and to move.She starts a job and she realises there's something going on. The plot kept me entertained however I did struggle with Lacy's personality at the start however there is some character development at the end. The ending is a bit predictable but overall the book is still worth the read and is still entertaining.

I received an arc copy through netgally in exchange for an honest review.

[Anni (annithebookaholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5☆

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for an arc of this book. All opinions are completely my own.

This was a really good thriller!

I loved following our main character and the setting felt unique to me. A rundown trailer ground in North Wales? Yes, please! There were many twists and turns that hooked me and the characters very diverse and interesting. The author's writing was great and was very fitting for the storyline of the book. The pacing was great and this was the perfect length. I really enjoyed the ending, it brought an unexpected element to the story.

I really recommend this to any YA thriller lover!

[Brooke McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I had to stop reading a couple of times due to having things to do but I couldn't wait to get into it again. I did predict part of the ending but not fully how it turned out. I will definitely be checking out more books by this author.

Thanks again to Netgalley for allowing me to read this.

[Tamika Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting to be sobbing but here I am.

Tess has once again blown me away with her writing and story telling. Pulling me in from the first sentence and making me wonder who did what and trying to guess what really happened. And of course I only managed to guess a few things and was still left shocked at the end. Absolutely amazing!

[Atlanta Colling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better Off Dead was such a gripping, fast-paced read.

Tess James-Mackey delivers a tense and twisty story that hooked me early on and kept me second-guessing almost everyone. The atmosphere is sharp and unsettling in the best way — there’s this steady undercurrent of suspicion that never quite lets you relax.

What I really enjoyed was how layered the characters felt. No one is completely transparent, and motivations slowly unravel in a way that keeps the tension high. The shifting dynamics between them made the mystery feel personal rather than just plot-driven, which I always appreciate in a thriller.

There were moments where I guessed certain elements ahead of time, which is why this lands at four stars rather than five for me — but that didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment. The pacing is strong, especially in the second half, and the final stretch absolutely flies.

If you enjoy character-focused thrillers with emotional stakes and plenty of suspicion woven throughout, this is definitely worth picking up. Dark, compelling, and hard to put down.

[Maris Vutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good and well paced young adult mystery and crime novel! I enjoyed the setting in the amusement park that always makes it a bit more creepy. It was very easy to read and a bit too simple for people enjoying similar books for adults, but I recommend it to younger audience.

[Laura Castelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

[Hailey Sweeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok preferred her other books tho

[Rea-Evelyna Kobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Chyns Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cant lie this one was wild!! Made you think something was going to happen but NOTHING did, then it was her sister all along and she was killing people but they still remained friends?!

[Sue H H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner YA thriller from Tess James-Mackey. Her ominous and original settings are like characters in their own right and never fail to set the scene in the most sinister way - this time, our girl Lacy is trapped in a haunted caravan park and has barely unpacked her bags before the murders begin.
Better Off Dead is pacy, atmospheric and brilliantly creepy with twists and turns which will keep you guessing right up to the very last page.

[Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was absolutely hooked by this book! I loved the eerie atmosphere & could really put myself in Lacys shoes. I enjoyed watching her grow as a character. The reveals were satisfying & the ending bittersweet

Would recommend for fans of 'Don't Let the Forrest In', 'How To Survive a Horror Movie' & 'You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight'

Thanks Netgalley for my ARC