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Kill Your Darlings
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Expected 22 Sep 26Win a free print copy of this book!
2 days and 05:56:09
10 copies available
U.S. only
A fun, fast-paced YA horror about a teen girl facing the horrors of misogyny, racism, an evil witch, and her horde of monsters.
Thulasi is the perfect she’s responsible, she never breaks the rules, and she’s always willing to babysit her seven-year-old cousin. Even on Halloween night.
But the night takes a horrifying turn when a simple playdate leads to accidentally summoning a horde of monsters out of a book of horror tales, along with her small town’s most famous author, Addison Greer—Thulasi’s literary hero. Except Addison has a more sinister scheme planned for her miraculous revenge on the family that wronged her.
Drawn into a bloodthirsty bargain with Addison, Thulasi will have to team up with Sam, the super cute quarterback in her class, and the only other teen stuck with babysitting duty on Halloween. They only have until midnight to foil Addison’s plans—while keeping their seven-year-old charges safe—or her monsters will destroy their town and everyone they love.
Thulasi is the perfect she’s responsible, she never breaks the rules, and she’s always willing to babysit her seven-year-old cousin. Even on Halloween night.
But the night takes a horrifying turn when a simple playdate leads to accidentally summoning a horde of monsters out of a book of horror tales, along with her small town’s most famous author, Addison Greer—Thulasi’s literary hero. Except Addison has a more sinister scheme planned for her miraculous revenge on the family that wronged her.
Drawn into a bloodthirsty bargain with Addison, Thulasi will have to team up with Sam, the super cute quarterback in her class, and the only other teen stuck with babysitting duty on Halloween. They only have until midnight to foil Addison’s plans—while keeping their seven-year-old charges safe—or her monsters will destroy their town and everyone they love.
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 22, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I LOVED this book. If you were a fan of Goosebumps or Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, KILL YOUR DARLINGS is for you.
Evil undead writers, monsters spawning out of a book, high school drama - what more could you want?! Terror, humor, heart, this book has it all.
5/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Evil undead writers, monsters spawning out of a book, high school drama - what more could you want?! Terror, humor, heart, this book has it all.
5/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
July 25, 2026
Does anyone remember that old RL Stine movie with Emily Osment and Cody Linley because this reminded me of that. Down to the creepy bookstore owner gifting them a book that causes a night of horrors. Except this time throw in with an undead horror author out for revenge in the mix. Very Goosebumps-y!
Addison Greer, long dead horror author, is revered by this town to the point of overkill. She’s essentially made the place into a tourist trap. Bookstores decorated with her book’s characters, local coffee shops making drinks inspired by her, and a statue of her immortalized on Main Street. Even the schools are named after her. I’m not even kidding. The town’s name is kind of corny (Applesweet?) but I’ll give it a pass as this is YA and written with the whimsy of emulating RL Stine.
Was this book scary? Not really. But it’s fun in the same way a Halloween Netflix movie is, if that makes sense. It’s more so similar in feel to that Goosebumps live action movie that came out a few years ago, but definitely not nearly as kid friendly. I guess I’d say this book is like, Goosebumps without filters? The cover made me think this was going to be terrifying, but really it’s more a fun, supernatural romp. Which honestly was still great. I loved all the representation in this book too.
It wasn’t the most memorable, original, or engaging read in the world. Honestly this was just average for me. But I could see this being a fitting read for spooky season once that time of year rolls around.
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Addison Greer, long dead horror author, is revered by this town to the point of overkill. She’s essentially made the place into a tourist trap. Bookstores decorated with her book’s characters, local coffee shops making drinks inspired by her, and a statue of her immortalized on Main Street. Even the schools are named after her. I’m not even kidding. The town’s name is kind of corny (Applesweet?) but I’ll give it a pass as this is YA and written with the whimsy of emulating RL Stine.
Was this book scary? Not really. But it’s fun in the same way a Halloween Netflix movie is, if that makes sense. It’s more so similar in feel to that Goosebumps live action movie that came out a few years ago, but definitely not nearly as kid friendly. I guess I’d say this book is like, Goosebumps without filters? The cover made me think this was going to be terrifying, but really it’s more a fun, supernatural romp. Which honestly was still great. I loved all the representation in this book too.
It wasn’t the most memorable, original, or engaging read in the world. Honestly this was just average for me. But I could see this being a fitting read for spooky season once that time of year rolls around.
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“Kill Your Darlings” by Yuvashri Harish is basically what would happen if your favorite creepy childhood storybook suddenly decided to take revenge on everyone, and honestly, it’s way darker than I expected in the best way.
At first, it feels like a fun YA horror setup: Halloween night, babysitting duty, monsters escaping from a beloved children’s horror book, and an undead famous author with very bad intentions. Already a win. But this book gets surprisingly heavy underneath all the monster chaos, tackling racism, misogyny, family pressure (specifically parentification), and the messy reality of idolizing people who absolutely do not deserve it. People always say you shouldn’t meet your heroes as reality may differ from perception, and that is definitely true in this book.
The main character, Thulasi, is such an easy person to root for because she’s painfully relatable. She’s a huge people pleaser where she is constantly saying yes, constantly putting everyone else first, and carrying way too much responsibility for someone her age. She deals a lot with parentification and guilt, especially when it comes to family, and watching her slowly realize she doesn’t have to destroy herself for everyone else was one of the strongest parts of the book. Even the villain herself wanted Thulasi to respect herself more.
Then there’s Addison Greer, the famous children’s author Thulasi grew up admiring and who turns out to be an absolutely fantastic villain. She’s manipulative, bitter, powerful, and kind of terrifying. I really liked how the book handled the idea of discovering that someone whose work you love is actually deeply flawed—or worse, actively harmful. Addison’s books are revealed to have racist caricatures and “othering” baked into them, which opens up that very real conversation of how we deal with beloved older stories that have harmful elements in them.
And the monsters are great. Once blood gets on Addison’s original manuscript, all the creatures from her stories come spilling into the real world, and things go from spooky to full-on nightmare fuel. Harpies, gore, violent deaths; the body count here is way higher than I expected for YA horror. At first the horror is a little glossed over, but once it gets going, it gets descriptive. Definitely more brutal than your average teen horror.
One of my favorite parts was how the characters use their knowledge of the original stories to fight back. Since they grew up reading these monsters, they actually know some of their weaknesses, which makes the survival aspect way more fun. I honestly wanted even more of that because it gave the book such a cool edge.
The two younger kids being babysat were also standouts for me. They felt realistic and added both emotional stakes and chaos, because trying to save the town is stressful enough; trying to do it while keeping traumatized seven-year-olds alive? Even worse.
There’s also a little romance between Thulasi and Sam, the cute quarterback who gets dragged into this nightmare with her. It stays pretty light and doesn’t take over the story, which works well because they’re both a little busy trying not to die. It’s sweet and mostly serves as emotional support rather than forced romance drama.
The pacing is fast, though sometimes the magical explanations provide too much of an info-dump, and I do wish we had gotten more setup for the monsters and original stories before everything exploded into chaos. It would’ve made some of the horror hit even harder.
Still, the ending is really satisfying. It wraps things up well, gives Thulasi real growth, and avoids making revenge feel glamorous. A big theme here is how vengeance and “justice” can twist people, even people with good intentions, and the book handles that surprisingly well.
Overall, “Kill Your Darlings” is creepy, bloody, smart, and way more emotionally layered than I expected. If you liked the Goosebumps books but wanted them with more gore, more emotional depth, and a deeply messy undead author causing problems, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
“Kill Your Darlings” by Yuvashri Harish is basically what would happen if your favorite creepy childhood storybook suddenly decided to take revenge on everyone, and honestly, it’s way darker than I expected in the best way.
At first, it feels like a fun YA horror setup: Halloween night, babysitting duty, monsters escaping from a beloved children’s horror book, and an undead famous author with very bad intentions. Already a win. But this book gets surprisingly heavy underneath all the monster chaos, tackling racism, misogyny, family pressure (specifically parentification), and the messy reality of idolizing people who absolutely do not deserve it. People always say you shouldn’t meet your heroes as reality may differ from perception, and that is definitely true in this book.
The main character, Thulasi, is such an easy person to root for because she’s painfully relatable. She’s a huge people pleaser where she is constantly saying yes, constantly putting everyone else first, and carrying way too much responsibility for someone her age. She deals a lot with parentification and guilt, especially when it comes to family, and watching her slowly realize she doesn’t have to destroy herself for everyone else was one of the strongest parts of the book. Even the villain herself wanted Thulasi to respect herself more.
Then there’s Addison Greer, the famous children’s author Thulasi grew up admiring and who turns out to be an absolutely fantastic villain. She’s manipulative, bitter, powerful, and kind of terrifying. I really liked how the book handled the idea of discovering that someone whose work you love is actually deeply flawed—or worse, actively harmful. Addison’s books are revealed to have racist caricatures and “othering” baked into them, which opens up that very real conversation of how we deal with beloved older stories that have harmful elements in them.
And the monsters are great. Once blood gets on Addison’s original manuscript, all the creatures from her stories come spilling into the real world, and things go from spooky to full-on nightmare fuel. Harpies, gore, violent deaths; the body count here is way higher than I expected for YA horror. At first the horror is a little glossed over, but once it gets going, it gets descriptive. Definitely more brutal than your average teen horror.
One of my favorite parts was how the characters use their knowledge of the original stories to fight back. Since they grew up reading these monsters, they actually know some of their weaknesses, which makes the survival aspect way more fun. I honestly wanted even more of that because it gave the book such a cool edge.
The two younger kids being babysat were also standouts for me. They felt realistic and added both emotional stakes and chaos, because trying to save the town is stressful enough; trying to do it while keeping traumatized seven-year-olds alive? Even worse.
There’s also a little romance between Thulasi and Sam, the cute quarterback who gets dragged into this nightmare with her. It stays pretty light and doesn’t take over the story, which works well because they’re both a little busy trying not to die. It’s sweet and mostly serves as emotional support rather than forced romance drama.
The pacing is fast, though sometimes the magical explanations provide too much of an info-dump, and I do wish we had gotten more setup for the monsters and original stories before everything exploded into chaos. It would’ve made some of the horror hit even harder.
Still, the ending is really satisfying. It wraps things up well, gives Thulasi real growth, and avoids making revenge feel glamorous. A big theme here is how vengeance and “justice” can twist people, even people with good intentions, and the book handles that surprisingly well.
Overall, “Kill Your Darlings” is creepy, bloody, smart, and way more emotionally layered than I expected. If you liked the Goosebumps books but wanted them with more gore, more emotional depth, and a deeply messy undead author causing problems, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really wanted to like this book! The premise is killer. The characters are likeable. The opening was fantastic! In a small town, home to a famous, deceased horror author, one of her biggest fans, Thulasi buys a first edition book. Cue the set-up: It's Halloween night and she's expected to babysit her younger brother--who wants to visit his sick friend who can't go trick-or-treating. Of course this friend's older brother Sam is Thulasi's crush. Adorable set-up. The interactions between the teen protagonists and the younger siblings was done so well and really endeared the characters to me. It was all shaping up to be very promising! Thulasi's younger brother brings the first edition book with him when they go to visit Sam's house, so of course they all end up snuggling on the couch to read spooky stories aloud. Everything is cozy until . . . strange things begin to happen. Great, right? I'm in my seat, popcorn at the ready. This is going to be a fun ride.
About 30% in, here's where the book started to disappoint. It began to feel like a first draft--almost like the next part was written in haste and never revised or tailored for the reader's experience. Horror/thriller is about anticipation, atmosphere, jump scares, and that foreboding that the next horrible thing is just around the corner. But the writing just was not there. Things started happening without lead-up of any kind. It was so jarring, I would have to go back a paragraph to see if I'd missed something. We moved from place to place so quickly that I would not realize we'd moved to a new location. (Also, nearly no descriptions of the locations. No atmosphere, no real mental imagery to give shape to the reader's imagination.) Again, I had to backtrack a paragraph to see what I'd missed. Then there was the talking heads in the void. Dialoge between two characters hashing out backstory info-dump for pages on end at city hall while at least four other characters were (presumably) still standing there doing *something* we're not sure what because they're not mentioned. (But considering they're in a life-threatening situation, they should have been doing something. Right?) It just felt very unfinished.
The story then ping-ponged between life-threatening situations where there's essentially an apocalypse going on around them, yet we have pages worth of characters creeping out about a cockroach or having a going-nowhere conversation with a drunk person at a party. No sense of urgency. Circuitous dialogue. Plot points were brought up as explanations in the moment rather than being set up ahead of time. And the ones that WERE set up ahead of time were over-explained and re-hashed as if the reader could not be trusted to draw the right conclusions from the text. The internal conflict was also beat over the head of the reader in a didactic way, not allowing the reader to come to the point on their own, which always feels demeaning as a reader. If the writing is done well, the reader will reach the conclusion the author wants without having it forced.
Overall, it really just felt like this book was rushed and unedited past the 30% mark. It felt like a first draft that would have had really great potential if the time had been taken to polish this past a catchy idea, instead of trusting that the blood and guts would be enough to keep the reader going.
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.
About 30% in, here's where the book started to disappoint. It began to feel like a first draft--almost like the next part was written in haste and never revised or tailored for the reader's experience. Horror/thriller is about anticipation, atmosphere, jump scares, and that foreboding that the next horrible thing is just around the corner. But the writing just was not there. Things started happening without lead-up of any kind. It was so jarring, I would have to go back a paragraph to see if I'd missed something. We moved from place to place so quickly that I would not realize we'd moved to a new location. (Also, nearly no descriptions of the locations. No atmosphere, no real mental imagery to give shape to the reader's imagination.) Again, I had to backtrack a paragraph to see what I'd missed. Then there was the talking heads in the void. Dialoge between two characters hashing out backstory info-dump for pages on end at city hall while at least four other characters were (presumably) still standing there doing *something* we're not sure what because they're not mentioned. (But considering they're in a life-threatening situation, they should have been doing something. Right?) It just felt very unfinished.
The story then ping-ponged between life-threatening situations where there's essentially an apocalypse going on around them, yet we have pages worth of characters creeping out about a cockroach or having a going-nowhere conversation with a drunk person at a party. No sense of urgency. Circuitous dialogue. Plot points were brought up as explanations in the moment rather than being set up ahead of time. And the ones that WERE set up ahead of time were over-explained and re-hashed as if the reader could not be trusted to draw the right conclusions from the text. The internal conflict was also beat over the head of the reader in a didactic way, not allowing the reader to come to the point on their own, which always feels demeaning as a reader. If the writing is done well, the reader will reach the conclusion the author wants without having it forced.
Overall, it really just felt like this book was rushed and unedited past the 30% mark. It felt like a first draft that would have had really great potential if the time had been taken to polish this past a catchy idea, instead of trusting that the blood and guts would be enough to keep the reader going.
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Essentially, this book is Jumanji meets Goosebumps, but make it way, wayy less kid-friendly.
And i LOVED that about it.
The book starts out shockingly bloody, and it stays that way until the very end. I was skeptical at first, because with that kind of opening comes a promise for a horror I wasn't sure the story could sustain the whole way through. Boy was I wrong! There is so much loss and SO much death... But the author never lets them ever become superfluous or meaningless. With each one, we're reminded of the strings and connections a life has, of the train-wreck of grief that stays behind, and Harish explores this theme beautifully, in a visceral way that sticks with you beneath all the blood and gore. Sometimes even more so.
Thulasi is a powerhouse of a main character. She is everything a teen MC should be: emotional, raw, real - with a true, authentic teen voice that many books I've read can't get quite right. Her fight against the storybook monsters was exciting and hooking, but it was her fight against casual racism and gender roles - what it means to be the eldest girl, the guilt it sows - that really had me entranced.
Good girl.
If we had tombstones, they'd write that on mine.
Like, come ON!?!? I utterly adored her.
The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is about midway, it started to feel like things were happening just solely because the book needed them to, without a lot of explanation. And some of the pacing began to feel a bit wonky. Conversations that were supposed to provide comedic relief were poorly placed, instead killing the world's horrifying reality and any sense of urgency. Details were repeated a lot, and I figured out all the plot twists early on in the book. The ending did feel a little more edited/cohesive, so I left on a satisfied note. The middle just seemed to snag.
But the characters are so memorable and their love for each other is palpable on every page. The action scenes play out like movie clips (that car chase! Sam and the door! Iykyk) and the hard topics are not shied away from. There are multiple conversations these kids have with one another about racism - growing up reading stories with people they identify with portrayed as derogatory and uncivilized, and what that MEANS - and they are all outstanding.
Every moment of tackling that topic in this book felt not preachy, but powerful.
This was a fantastic read.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
And i LOVED that about it.
The book starts out shockingly bloody, and it stays that way until the very end. I was skeptical at first, because with that kind of opening comes a promise for a horror I wasn't sure the story could sustain the whole way through. Boy was I wrong! There is so much loss and SO much death... But the author never lets them ever become superfluous or meaningless. With each one, we're reminded of the strings and connections a life has, of the train-wreck of grief that stays behind, and Harish explores this theme beautifully, in a visceral way that sticks with you beneath all the blood and gore. Sometimes even more so.
Thulasi is a powerhouse of a main character. She is everything a teen MC should be: emotional, raw, real - with a true, authentic teen voice that many books I've read can't get quite right. Her fight against the storybook monsters was exciting and hooking, but it was her fight against casual racism and gender roles - what it means to be the eldest girl, the guilt it sows - that really had me entranced.
Good girl.
If we had tombstones, they'd write that on mine.
Like, come ON!?!? I utterly adored her.
The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is about midway, it started to feel like things were happening just solely because the book needed them to, without a lot of explanation. And some of the pacing began to feel a bit wonky. Conversations that were supposed to provide comedic relief were poorly placed, instead killing the world's horrifying reality and any sense of urgency. Details were repeated a lot, and I figured out all the plot twists early on in the book. The ending did feel a little more edited/cohesive, so I left on a satisfied note. The middle just seemed to snag.
But the characters are so memorable and their love for each other is palpable on every page. The action scenes play out like movie clips (that car chase! Sam and the door! Iykyk) and the hard topics are not shied away from. There are multiple conversations these kids have with one another about racism - growing up reading stories with people they identify with portrayed as derogatory and uncivilized, and what that MEANS - and they are all outstanding.
Every moment of tackling that topic in this book felt not preachy, but powerful.
This was a fantastic read.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really, really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it ended up simply as good.
The premise was amazing: imagine accidentally summoning monsters out of a book that your favourite author wrote.
It was giving the vibe of old horror novels/movies that most of us probably enjoyed as teenagers and I was living for it. Sadly, it didn't really deliver for me, at least not in the way I expected.
I think, that after I first read the blurb, I was expecting something where we will be fighting with those monsters a lot more, than we did in the actual book, at least that was the impression I got, so that might be on me. The monsters did appear, but they didn't really seem to be crucial to the story itself. More like something that is going to appear, cause havoc and disappear next moment, because it's not needed anymore.
The main focus seemed to be on the deeper problems and while I didn't mind them, because they're important, I honestly didn't expect that they will became so important for the plot, to the point of almost overshadowing it. They were portrayed really good and for example, .
One of the parts that did seemed unnecessary in my eyes, was the constant reminder that they're kids/teenagers/their age. I don't think I ever read any other YA book, that decided to repeat the fact so many times.
One of the moments I liked the most was the growth of our FMC, I mean .
Overall, while it wasn't a hit for me and I simply enjoyed the read for most part, I'm sure there will be a lot people who will absolutely love it.
I really, really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it ended up simply as good.
The premise was amazing: imagine accidentally summoning monsters out of a book that your favourite author wrote.
It was giving the vibe of old horror novels/movies that most of us probably enjoyed as teenagers and I was living for it. Sadly, it didn't really deliver for me, at least not in the way I expected.
I think, that after I first read the blurb, I was expecting something where we will be fighting with those monsters a lot more, than we did in the actual book, at least that was the impression I got, so that might be on me. The monsters did appear, but they didn't really seem to be crucial to the story itself. More like something that is going to appear, cause havoc and disappear next moment, because it's not needed anymore.
The main focus seemed to be on the deeper problems and while I didn't mind them, because they're important, I honestly didn't expect that they will became so important for the plot, to the point of almost overshadowing it. They were portrayed really good and for example, .
One of the parts that did seemed unnecessary in my eyes, was the constant reminder that they're kids/teenagers/their age. I don't think I ever read any other YA book, that decided to repeat the fact so many times.
One of the moments I liked the most was the growth of our FMC, I mean .
Overall, while it wasn't a hit for me and I simply enjoyed the read for most part, I'm sure there will be a lot people who will absolutely love it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My rating: 3.5 / 5 🌟
This story follows our main character, Thulasi, one of the two people in a white majority school in the small town of Addison, named after one its most renowned authors, the late Addison Greer, recognised for her haunting stories.
Growing up as an ardent reader, writer and admirer of Addison Greer, Thulasi unlocks something she did not mean to when she purchased an old copy of Addison’s book which releases a very real horde of monsters on Halloween night along with the spirit of the author. What exactly summoned Addison out of her book and how can Thulasi undo this situation? Most importantly, how will she keep her young cousin, Arjun and those she loves safe from the vicious attacks?
I related hard with the Tamil main character and the weight of expectations placed on her as the eldest daughter, having to be the exemplary and responsible one from a young age. Her self-sacrificing tendencies and the fear of failure which were her driving forces is sure to strike a chord with readers like me. The book navigates racism and misogyny set against the background of magic, mayhem and all the spookiness of Halloween. This book really had the same vibes as Halloween Town, Hocus Pocus and Goosebumps. The storyline is very much suited for middle grade and teens so I wouldn’t say the plot twists were that unexpected.
I appreciated that the story had very real consequences but the true weight of the aftermath did not really sink in. The magnitude of the massacres felt a little like it was swept under the carpet. The story also had a nod to LGBTQ+ rep but it didn’t play a prominent role, merely a passing mention to add layers to the character and the relationships she has in her life. All in all, it was an entertaining read suitable for spooky season if you’re craving for something whimsy like the olden Halloween movies!
This story follows our main character, Thulasi, one of the two people in a white majority school in the small town of Addison, named after one its most renowned authors, the late Addison Greer, recognised for her haunting stories.
Growing up as an ardent reader, writer and admirer of Addison Greer, Thulasi unlocks something she did not mean to when she purchased an old copy of Addison’s book which releases a very real horde of monsters on Halloween night along with the spirit of the author. What exactly summoned Addison out of her book and how can Thulasi undo this situation? Most importantly, how will she keep her young cousin, Arjun and those she loves safe from the vicious attacks?
I related hard with the Tamil main character and the weight of expectations placed on her as the eldest daughter, having to be the exemplary and responsible one from a young age. Her self-sacrificing tendencies and the fear of failure which were her driving forces is sure to strike a chord with readers like me. The book navigates racism and misogyny set against the background of magic, mayhem and all the spookiness of Halloween. This book really had the same vibes as Halloween Town, Hocus Pocus and Goosebumps. The storyline is very much suited for middle grade and teens so I wouldn’t say the plot twists were that unexpected.
I appreciated that the story had very real consequences but the true weight of the aftermath did not really sink in. The magnitude of the massacres felt a little like it was swept under the carpet. The story also had a nod to LGBTQ+ rep but it didn’t play a prominent role, merely a passing mention to add layers to the character and the relationships she has in her life. All in all, it was an entertaining read suitable for spooky season if you’re craving for something whimsy like the olden Halloween movies!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a YA horror read chock full of scares.
But not just that. Thulasi the MC is a high school age girl navigating life in a small town being one of the very few POC. She's Tamil and always seemingly in charge of her 7 year old cousin Arrun.
Her crush Sam has an Egyptian dad.
The town they live in has a legacy of a horror novelist who died in the 1800's by the name of Addison Greer. Addison died if typhoid. But her stories live on. When Halloween comes around, they do it up.
One Halloween, Addison comes alive through a book.
So do all her monsters. She kills townsfolk and terrifies Thulasi until she gets what she wants.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a coming of age of sorts. We know what it's like for oldest born girls, and/or girls who might be expected to take on maternal roles for their younger siblings and cousins with no thought to their autonomy. It's well written and has a lot of tense moments when the monsters attack. My only qualm was Thulasi still be affected by Addison after everything.
But not just that. Thulasi the MC is a high school age girl navigating life in a small town being one of the very few POC. She's Tamil and always seemingly in charge of her 7 year old cousin Arrun.
Her crush Sam has an Egyptian dad.
The town they live in has a legacy of a horror novelist who died in the 1800's by the name of Addison Greer. Addison died if typhoid. But her stories live on. When Halloween comes around, they do it up.
One Halloween, Addison comes alive through a book.
So do all her monsters. She kills townsfolk and terrifies Thulasi until she gets what she wants.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a coming of age of sorts. We know what it's like for oldest born girls, and/or girls who might be expected to take on maternal roles for their younger siblings and cousins with no thought to their autonomy. It's well written and has a lot of tense moments when the monsters attack. My only qualm was Thulasi still be affected by Addison after everything.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5 but I’ll round up because I love Halloween. This was like a woke version of Hocus Pocus. Only they already made that - HP 2 and that book sucked. This was better. But it got a little weird when the FMC was conveniently bi and also polyamorous. This book would have worked better as a middle grade to focus on the details and the horror. Because as a YA with a subplot of the FMC of color finding herself and her autonomy, it was a bit distracting from the main plot. People are dying left and right but Thulasi can’t help but be feel so many feelings- just not about the killings. Also a lot of the characters’ actions didn’t make sense. They just seemed like how someone would act if they were trying to pretend to me a hero in a drama. Like those people who make cringe vids with the anime dub voice. The clenched fist. “I will avenge you!” Eh. I love me some Halloween. And this had the horror and the potential. But it just wanted to be too many things.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was such an amazingly perfect spooky YA debut!!! (thank you to the author, @yuvanissue for gifting me this physical arc and trusting me to read and review your wonderful book)
⭐️KILL YOUR DARLINGS, out SEPT 2026⭐️
I knew when the book started off on Halloween it was going to be a true treattttt (no pun intended 😂)! It composed all the fun and exhilarating parts of say Jumanji (out of a book, trouble ensues), but with the spookiness and horror elements of say, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’ and a babysitting misadventure in the realm of ‘Adventures in Babysitting’! It also had its own spooky betch set out on revenge à la ‘Maleficent’
I was completely enthralled by the fast-paced fun of the book and @yuvanissue ‘s writing style! This was a quick bingeable read that I’ll definitely be picking up again come spooky szn!!! I could (and will) seriously read every and anything from this author in the future!
#killyourdarlings #yuvashriharish #putnam
⭐️KILL YOUR DARLINGS, out SEPT 2026⭐️
I knew when the book started off on Halloween it was going to be a true treattttt (no pun intended 😂)! It composed all the fun and exhilarating parts of say Jumanji (out of a book, trouble ensues), but with the spookiness and horror elements of say, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’ and a babysitting misadventure in the realm of ‘Adventures in Babysitting’! It also had its own spooky betch set out on revenge à la ‘Maleficent’
I was completely enthralled by the fast-paced fun of the book and @yuvanissue ‘s writing style! This was a quick bingeable read that I’ll definitely be picking up again come spooky szn!!! I could (and will) seriously read every and anything from this author in the future!
#killyourdarlings #yuvashriharish #putnam
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
A tense and thrilling YA horror that had me hooked from the start. I loved the concept, and having Addison Greer's stories woven throughout the book gave so much more depth to the terror that was unleashed by the original book that Thulasi and Sam read. This book tackles a wide range of extremely important topics in a way only the horror genre seems able to do. I'm excited for my teen to pick up this book, because I have a feeling it's going to be a big hit for her too.
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