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Scream All Night
A darkly hilarious contemporary realistic young adult novel about growing up and finding your place in the world, perfect for fans of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Running With Scissors.
Dario Heyward knows one thing: He’s never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult classic B-horror movies. It’s been three years since Dario’s even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia’s creature features.
But then Dario’s brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy’s Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say good-bye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, both real and imagined, he’s left there.
With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that’s haunted him his whole life?
Dario Heyward knows one thing: He’s never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult classic B-horror movies. It’s been three years since Dario’s even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia’s creature features.
But then Dario’s brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy’s Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say good-bye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, both real and imagined, he’s left there.
With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that’s haunted him his whole life?
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 24, 2018
52 people are currently reading
9026 people want to read
About the author
Derek Milman
3 books493 followersDerek Milman was born in New York City, but grew up in Westchester, NY, where he wrote and published a successful underground humor magazine that caught the attention of the New York Times, who wrote a profile on him at the age of 14.
Derek studied English, Creative Writing, and Theater at Northwestern University. He began his career as a playwright (his first play was staged in New York City when he was just out of college), and earned an MFA in acting at the Yale School of Drama.
Derek has performed on stages across the country, and appeared in numerous TV shows and films, working with two Academy Award winning film directors.
Scream All Night was Derek's debut YA novel. Swipe Right for Murder is his second novel for young adults. It was released on August 6th, 2019, from Little, Brown/jimmy patterson.
Milman's third novel, the upcoming A Darker Mischief, will be out July 2, 2024, from Scholastic.
Derek currently lives in Brooklyn where he is hard at work on his next book.
PLEASE NOTE: For professional reasons (not personal ones) I no longer accept friend requests on Goodreads. Feel free to follow my author page on here, or connect with me on Twitter or Instagram: @DerekMilman.
Thank you!
Derek studied English, Creative Writing, and Theater at Northwestern University. He began his career as a playwright (his first play was staged in New York City when he was just out of college), and earned an MFA in acting at the Yale School of Drama.
Derek has performed on stages across the country, and appeared in numerous TV shows and films, working with two Academy Award winning film directors.
Scream All Night was Derek's debut YA novel. Swipe Right for Murder is his second novel for young adults. It was released on August 6th, 2019, from Little, Brown/jimmy patterson.
Milman's third novel, the upcoming A Darker Mischief, will be out July 2, 2024, from Scholastic.
Derek currently lives in Brooklyn where he is hard at work on his next book.
PLEASE NOTE: For professional reasons (not personal ones) I no longer accept friend requests on Goodreads. Feel free to follow my author page on here, or connect with me on Twitter or Instagram: @DerekMilman.
Thank you!
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September 29, 2022
“My dad was notorious for overworking actors. He’d film screams until voices were completely shot. He felt there was a real terror that would creep into a scream after a certain point. He was always after that moment, that elusive truth… “Scream all night!” my dad would say, gleefully. It became a catchphrase. He started saying it whenever he was about to film a new scene.”
Where to begin? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing a novel that’s been so unique in all my time of reading. Most of my friends here know that I gravitate toward the darker side of literature, so it’s no surprise that a YA dark comedy turned out to be right up my alley, but there is something really special about this one. Is it a contemporary? Yes. Is it disturbing? Absolutely! While difficult to pin down into a single classification, I decided to make my own: Scream All Night is a deeper look at the reconciliation of a dysfunctional family full of unusual storytelling and unsettling behavior.
“That’s when I first learned that with beauty comes a little bit of terror. That pretty much sums up my childhood here: something cool would happen immediately followed by something traumatic. I could never come to terms with those knee-jerk jumps.”
If you’re wanting just a little bit more than the blurb offers (let’s face it, this is a very specific type of story for a very specific type of reader), let me offer you a brief summary of chapter one. Dario is a 17-year-old guy who has had a really unusual childhood. He grew up on the private grounds of his father’s B-rated horror film studio called Moldavia Studios. After a beyond neglected childhood, Dario has become emancipated from his family and is living in a group home where, he’s not living as affluently but is supported by a few friends who care about him. When he receives a call to return home for his father’s live funeral (that would be a gathering where the terminal father is buried alive), Dario decides he needs to return home once and for all to come to terms with his past and put his demons to rest. To say the story begins with a bang might be an understatement.
“One day you’ll look back on your time here, and all of us, and you won’t feel the pain you do now. When that moment comes, you’ll know you’ve made it through all the darkness God drew for you and come out into the light.”
I’m ashamed to say that I wasn’t expecting the intricate exploration of grief and family dynamics in general here. I thought this would be a fun romp for sure, but surface level entertainment at best. Needless to say, Scream All Night was indeed much more. I felt Dario’s heart break with every disappointment that was flung his way, along with the neglect and abuse he suffered as a child stuck in a world of selfish adults. As he is forced to work through the death of his estranged father and all the regrets that bubble to the surface, there is also a great deal of forgiveness and reconciliation that occurs between multiple “family” members, both blood related or by choice. I think readers who enjoy bold plots that fall into a category of their own will really take to this one. Scream All Night is not for the faint of heart, but for readers who are searching for a novel with its own dark flair, stop searching-this is it! Highly recommended!
*Review copy furnished via the author/publisher.
Where to begin? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing a novel that’s been so unique in all my time of reading. Most of my friends here know that I gravitate toward the darker side of literature, so it’s no surprise that a YA dark comedy turned out to be right up my alley, but there is something really special about this one. Is it a contemporary? Yes. Is it disturbing? Absolutely! While difficult to pin down into a single classification, I decided to make my own: Scream All Night is a deeper look at the reconciliation of a dysfunctional family full of unusual storytelling and unsettling behavior.
“That’s when I first learned that with beauty comes a little bit of terror. That pretty much sums up my childhood here: something cool would happen immediately followed by something traumatic. I could never come to terms with those knee-jerk jumps.”
If you’re wanting just a little bit more than the blurb offers (let’s face it, this is a very specific type of story for a very specific type of reader), let me offer you a brief summary of chapter one. Dario is a 17-year-old guy who has had a really unusual childhood. He grew up on the private grounds of his father’s B-rated horror film studio called Moldavia Studios. After a beyond neglected childhood, Dario has become emancipated from his family and is living in a group home where, he’s not living as affluently but is supported by a few friends who care about him. When he receives a call to return home for his father’s live funeral (that would be a gathering where the terminal father is buried alive), Dario decides he needs to return home once and for all to come to terms with his past and put his demons to rest. To say the story begins with a bang might be an understatement.
“One day you’ll look back on your time here, and all of us, and you won’t feel the pain you do now. When that moment comes, you’ll know you’ve made it through all the darkness God drew for you and come out into the light.”
I’m ashamed to say that I wasn’t expecting the intricate exploration of grief and family dynamics in general here. I thought this would be a fun romp for sure, but surface level entertainment at best. Needless to say, Scream All Night was indeed much more. I felt Dario’s heart break with every disappointment that was flung his way, along with the neglect and abuse he suffered as a child stuck in a world of selfish adults. As he is forced to work through the death of his estranged father and all the regrets that bubble to the surface, there is also a great deal of forgiveness and reconciliation that occurs between multiple “family” members, both blood related or by choice. I think readers who enjoy bold plots that fall into a category of their own will really take to this one. Scream All Night is not for the faint of heart, but for readers who are searching for a novel with its own dark flair, stop searching-this is it! Highly recommended!
*Review copy furnished via the author/publisher.
July 14, 2019
”This is a house full of misfits, everyone unmoored from the world outside these gates. They don’t belong out there. They live in a constantly moving dreamworld of imagined horrors, spurts of gore, skulking monsters---creatures more aberrant than themselves. After all, it takes true misfits to make believable monsters.”
Moldavia Studios is the creepy castle safely tucked away from the world by a large gate to protect a colorful, odd group of people all happily suffering from a dissociation from reality. Moldavia has proved to be a haven for generations of eccentrics, but what will happen to all these people if their sanctuary crumbles to dust?
Dario Heyward is the younger son of the grand master of Moldavia Studios and the director of every Moldavian feature film... Lucien Heyward. Dario leaves the Studios to escape his father, even going so far as to declare himself a ward of the state rather than be in any way under the power of his family.
Every time he thinks about his family he gets hives.
He is lured back to the Studios, which you will have to read the book to discover how that is exactly accomplished. Believe me, it is an explosive affair that had me thinking with my Moldavia Studios hat on,...did anyone get that on tape?
So I am looking at Dario with a skeptical eye. Oh boo hoo, you don’t like your parents. Oh boo hoo, you are a B movie acting icon. Oh boo hoo, you had an unusual childhood that I would have loved to experience. I mean, OMG, horrifying things just drop from the ceiling. How cool is that?
”She descends from a low-hanging cloud of rippling black smoke, covered in rainstorm-colored strips of decaying skin, her face bone white, her eyes a glaring, sulfurous yellow. Her long black hair streams behind her. When she parts her gangrenous lips, she bares demonic fangs. She hisses, and I feel her acid breath burning my face off.”
I would love that. At my age now, I could really use the skin peeling so I can scream all night with rejuvenated, younger looking skin. After my brief terrifying encounter with Eleana: Mistress Moonshadow, “I’m ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille.”
So let me switch with you, Dario.
Not so fast.
There is more.
Lucien Heyward is a perfectionist. To watch his films, you wouldn’t really get that impression. They are B-movies after all, rife with imperfections to the critical eye with over-the-top blood splatter, plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon, and implausible characters, but he has a vision in his mind of what the film is supposed to be. If he isn’t getting what he wants from an actor, he uses manipulations, some of them downright cruel. With Dario, he took it further.
”’But to hurt someone...just to make something you made better.’
‘Your pain was already there. You know that. I just had to strum it.’”
Okay, okay, I do believe now that Dario needed to escape his father and his life at Moldavia, but now we need him to pull on his big boy pants and save the studio. Dario’s older brother, Oren, who resents him, can’t do it while he is high on shrooms and believing that the way to save the studio is to film his grand opus,
The Ciller Cauliflowers.
Yes, the C is intentional.
Meanwhile, college is waiting for Dario (what a dickhead, he got into Harvard). Things with his girlfriend Hayley are up in the air, but mostly fine. (He left at 12 and really didn’t talk to her until he was 17, and now things just pick back up? I believe it; she is his soulmate, after all. I must say the casualness with which these Generation Zs conduct their relationships is rather baffling to me.) Another studio wants to buy Moldavia, and there are a lot of zeros on the offer, but Moldavia will be turned into a horror Disney World, and the sanctuary that has kept so many misfits safe over the years will be nothing but a memory.
Dario has a way to save it, but it will mean reprising his starring role in Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun and dredging up all that fear, pain, and anxiety that is twined around his memories of that movie, like the slithering tentacles of a Cthulhu monster.
Yeah, he is going to have to contend with his feelings for good old Dad.
I don’t usually read YA, but I do have a soft spot for Hammer films and B movies of all sorts. Whenever I find a new gem of the genre, I have a few friends with a similar freakish interest with whom I can share my excitement. The movies have all kinds of problems, but the reason I watch them is to find those wonderful creative moments where they get something really right. They make me feel the terror of my own exposed mortality. They have me wrestling with unusual moral dilemmas. They sometimes even make me believe in monsters.
Derek Milman has given the classic horror genre a reverential nod with this book. I really like the idea that all those misfits have a place like Moldavia Studios to be as crazy creative as they want to be. Those misfits do what they do, not for money or even fame, but because they need to see what is in their head unfold before them in the celluloid universe.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Moldavia Studios is the creepy castle safely tucked away from the world by a large gate to protect a colorful, odd group of people all happily suffering from a dissociation from reality. Moldavia has proved to be a haven for generations of eccentrics, but what will happen to all these people if their sanctuary crumbles to dust?
Dario Heyward is the younger son of the grand master of Moldavia Studios and the director of every Moldavian feature film... Lucien Heyward. Dario leaves the Studios to escape his father, even going so far as to declare himself a ward of the state rather than be in any way under the power of his family.
Every time he thinks about his family he gets hives.
He is lured back to the Studios, which you will have to read the book to discover how that is exactly accomplished. Believe me, it is an explosive affair that had me thinking with my Moldavia Studios hat on,...did anyone get that on tape?
So I am looking at Dario with a skeptical eye. Oh boo hoo, you don’t like your parents. Oh boo hoo, you are a B movie acting icon. Oh boo hoo, you had an unusual childhood that I would have loved to experience. I mean, OMG, horrifying things just drop from the ceiling. How cool is that?
”She descends from a low-hanging cloud of rippling black smoke, covered in rainstorm-colored strips of decaying skin, her face bone white, her eyes a glaring, sulfurous yellow. Her long black hair streams behind her. When she parts her gangrenous lips, she bares demonic fangs. She hisses, and I feel her acid breath burning my face off.”
I would love that. At my age now, I could really use the skin peeling so I can scream all night with rejuvenated, younger looking skin. After my brief terrifying encounter with Eleana: Mistress Moonshadow, “I’m ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille.”
So let me switch with you, Dario.
Not so fast.
There is more.
Lucien Heyward is a perfectionist. To watch his films, you wouldn’t really get that impression. They are B-movies after all, rife with imperfections to the critical eye with over-the-top blood splatter, plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon, and implausible characters, but he has a vision in his mind of what the film is supposed to be. If he isn’t getting what he wants from an actor, he uses manipulations, some of them downright cruel. With Dario, he took it further.
”’But to hurt someone...just to make something you made better.’
‘Your pain was already there. You know that. I just had to strum it.’”
Okay, okay, I do believe now that Dario needed to escape his father and his life at Moldavia, but now we need him to pull on his big boy pants and save the studio. Dario’s older brother, Oren, who resents him, can’t do it while he is high on shrooms and believing that the way to save the studio is to film his grand opus,
The Ciller Cauliflowers.
Yes, the C is intentional.
Meanwhile, college is waiting for Dario (what a dickhead, he got into Harvard). Things with his girlfriend Hayley are up in the air, but mostly fine. (He left at 12 and really didn’t talk to her until he was 17, and now things just pick back up? I believe it; she is his soulmate, after all. I must say the casualness with which these Generation Zs conduct their relationships is rather baffling to me.) Another studio wants to buy Moldavia, and there are a lot of zeros on the offer, but Moldavia will be turned into a horror Disney World, and the sanctuary that has kept so many misfits safe over the years will be nothing but a memory.
Dario has a way to save it, but it will mean reprising his starring role in Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun and dredging up all that fear, pain, and anxiety that is twined around his memories of that movie, like the slithering tentacles of a Cthulhu monster.
Yeah, he is going to have to contend with his feelings for good old Dad.
I don’t usually read YA, but I do have a soft spot for Hammer films and B movies of all sorts. Whenever I find a new gem of the genre, I have a few friends with a similar freakish interest with whom I can share my excitement. The movies have all kinds of problems, but the reason I watch them is to find those wonderful creative moments where they get something really right. They make me feel the terror of my own exposed mortality. They have me wrestling with unusual moral dilemmas. They sometimes even make me believe in monsters.
Derek Milman has given the classic horror genre a reverential nod with this book. I really like the idea that all those misfits have a place like Moldavia Studios to be as crazy creative as they want to be. Those misfits do what they do, not for money or even fame, but because they need to see what is in their head unfold before them in the celluloid universe.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
May 9, 2018
Sometimes as a writer, I'll read a book that I believe to be perfect in every way and, even though I love it, I also kind of hate it because I'm incredibly jealous of the author's skill to write something so flawless. Scream All Night by Derek Milman is one of those books.
The story follows 17-year-old Dario (yes, named after the Italian Giallo-film director) who grew up in Moldavia Studios, a literal spooky castle owned by his film-director father. Moldavia filmed and produced many, many cult horror films that remind me very much of what Hammer Studios made in the '60s and '70s. Growing up in a place like this sounds like a dream-come-true for me, but for Dario it wasn't everything that met the eye. His childhood was incredibly painful, so much so that he fled at age 14 to live in a group home. Now, Dario is being lured back to Moldavia, and he must face the past he's been running from for so long.
Scream All Night has everything I love: creepy castles, nods to classic horror films, film-making, dark humor, laugh till you cry dialogue, wacky characters, plenty of heart, and raw emotion that shows how deeply the author connected to his story while writing. I teared up multiple times, sometimes out of sadness, other times out of laughter. But the novel, overall, has a bittersweet quality that reminds me very much of books by Rainbow Rowell. Simply put, it is a beautiful story about selflessness, growing up, facing your past, and moving forward. God, I loved this book. I really, truly did with every ounce of my being.
I give Scream All Night by Derek Milman 500 out of 5 gothic castles and my Cameron seal of approval!
NOTE: I don't usually give trigger warnings in my reviews because, as you probably know, I read mostly dark stories as it is. However, since I'm talking about how funny this book is, I should mention it isn't always funny. There are some very dark, very serious themes of child abuse and mental illness here. The scenes, however brief, are a bit anxiety-inducing (as they should be). While I feel it is important for books to include themes like these and that they shouldn't be ignored, I also want to warn anyone who is sensitive to these subjects. The book is a hysterical romp, but do expect emotional depth here as well.
You can check out my video review HERE.
The story follows 17-year-old Dario (yes, named after the Italian Giallo-film director) who grew up in Moldavia Studios, a literal spooky castle owned by his film-director father. Moldavia filmed and produced many, many cult horror films that remind me very much of what Hammer Studios made in the '60s and '70s. Growing up in a place like this sounds like a dream-come-true for me, but for Dario it wasn't everything that met the eye. His childhood was incredibly painful, so much so that he fled at age 14 to live in a group home. Now, Dario is being lured back to Moldavia, and he must face the past he's been running from for so long.
Scream All Night has everything I love: creepy castles, nods to classic horror films, film-making, dark humor, laugh till you cry dialogue, wacky characters, plenty of heart, and raw emotion that shows how deeply the author connected to his story while writing. I teared up multiple times, sometimes out of sadness, other times out of laughter. But the novel, overall, has a bittersweet quality that reminds me very much of books by Rainbow Rowell. Simply put, it is a beautiful story about selflessness, growing up, facing your past, and moving forward. God, I loved this book. I really, truly did with every ounce of my being.
I give Scream All Night by Derek Milman 500 out of 5 gothic castles and my Cameron seal of approval!
NOTE: I don't usually give trigger warnings in my reviews because, as you probably know, I read mostly dark stories as it is. However, since I'm talking about how funny this book is, I should mention it isn't always funny. There are some very dark, very serious themes of child abuse and mental illness here. The scenes, however brief, are a bit anxiety-inducing (as they should be). While I feel it is important for books to include themes like these and that they shouldn't be ignored, I also want to warn anyone who is sensitive to these subjects. The book is a hysterical romp, but do expect emotional depth here as well.
You can check out my video review HERE.
August 23, 2018
I loved it. Because I did! 🖤🐺😘
January 19, 2024
When Dario Heyward receives a phone call from his older brother, Oren, inviting him to return to the home he fled three years ago, he is filled with trepidation.
Moldavia, the iconic castle that was Dario's family home, also serves as the set, studio and home for the cast and crew of Moldavia Studios.
His father, the studio's enigmatic director, is in poor health and apparently there will be some mysterious, over-the-top ceremony to honor him and his first film, The Curse of the Mummy's Tongue.
After being legally emancipated, Dario has been living in the Keenan Group Home, where he has been steadily gaining in confidence and autonomy.
While he's concerned about returning to Moldavia, he feels like he can finally face all that happened to him there. He needs that closure. Additionally, he'd love to see Hayley again, his childhood friend and crush.
At Moldavia, it seems to be life as usual. People buzzing around everywhere, working on strange projects; the whole scene like some sort of morbid hotel with quirky characters and equally zany props.
At the ceremony, true to his father's normal flair for drama, something horrifying occurs with disastrous consequences. Just like that, Dario is sucked back into Moldavia, and the life he thought he left behind. Now he needs to try to help save the floundering family business.
Scream All Night was a delightful surprise. A heartfelt, coming-of-age story for true Horror fans.
I loved the whole idea behind Moldavia Studios. The setting at the castle had such a vibe, macabre and eerie, made even more haunting by Dario's early-childhood experiences there.
While this story does include some fairly heavy topics, including the abuse and neglect that Dario suffered while living with his family, as well as the death of a family friend, there was also a great amount of humor incorporated.
Milman had me laughing quite a bit. I loved his witty, sarcastic, dry humor and the way Dario thought about and processed the world around him. Dario is such a compelling character, one that is very easy to get behind and support.
Overall, I was really impressed with this. I fell in love with Dario and the setting of Moldavia. The tone and humor were creative and the story-line captivating throughout.
I definitely plan to pick up more from this author!
Moldavia, the iconic castle that was Dario's family home, also serves as the set, studio and home for the cast and crew of Moldavia Studios.
His father, the studio's enigmatic director, is in poor health and apparently there will be some mysterious, over-the-top ceremony to honor him and his first film, The Curse of the Mummy's Tongue.
After being legally emancipated, Dario has been living in the Keenan Group Home, where he has been steadily gaining in confidence and autonomy.
While he's concerned about returning to Moldavia, he feels like he can finally face all that happened to him there. He needs that closure. Additionally, he'd love to see Hayley again, his childhood friend and crush.
At Moldavia, it seems to be life as usual. People buzzing around everywhere, working on strange projects; the whole scene like some sort of morbid hotel with quirky characters and equally zany props.
At the ceremony, true to his father's normal flair for drama, something horrifying occurs with disastrous consequences. Just like that, Dario is sucked back into Moldavia, and the life he thought he left behind. Now he needs to try to help save the floundering family business.
Scream All Night was a delightful surprise. A heartfelt, coming-of-age story for true Horror fans.
I loved the whole idea behind Moldavia Studios. The setting at the castle had such a vibe, macabre and eerie, made even more haunting by Dario's early-childhood experiences there.
While this story does include some fairly heavy topics, including the abuse and neglect that Dario suffered while living with his family, as well as the death of a family friend, there was also a great amount of humor incorporated.
Milman had me laughing quite a bit. I loved his witty, sarcastic, dry humor and the way Dario thought about and processed the world around him. Dario is such a compelling character, one that is very easy to get behind and support.
Overall, I was really impressed with this. I fell in love with Dario and the setting of Moldavia. The tone and humor were creative and the story-line captivating throughout.
I definitely plan to pick up more from this author!
April 17, 2018
4.5
This was a perfect Stephanie book. Our main character Dario Heyward was raised in a gothic castle that was also the set for many b-horror movies that his famous father directed (basically my fantasy life). After some traumatizing events he is legally emancipated from his parents and now lives in the Keenan group home, but as he returns home he find himself getting roped back into the world of Moldavia. I loved the idea of this character having to go and face his past, deal with difficult (quirky) family and cast members, and decide what a family legacy means to him. There was a lot of meat and depth to Dario's story.
There is a bit of the story that is dedicated to the technical part of movie-making that I didn't find quite as interesting as the rest of the book. People who love nods to pop culture (especially old creature-feature horror movies) and movie making will love this.
Trigger warnings for mental illness and child abuse
*sent a free copy in exchange for a review*
This was a perfect Stephanie book. Our main character Dario Heyward was raised in a gothic castle that was also the set for many b-horror movies that his famous father directed (basically my fantasy life). After some traumatizing events he is legally emancipated from his parents and now lives in the Keenan group home, but as he returns home he find himself getting roped back into the world of Moldavia. I loved the idea of this character having to go and face his past, deal with difficult (quirky) family and cast members, and decide what a family legacy means to him. There was a lot of meat and depth to Dario's story.
There is a bit of the story that is dedicated to the technical part of movie-making that I didn't find quite as interesting as the rest of the book. People who love nods to pop culture (especially old creature-feature horror movies) and movie making will love this.
Trigger warnings for mental illness and child abuse
*sent a free copy in exchange for a review*
May 21, 2018
Can a story be both completely absurd and cuttingly poignant? Well, apparently yes. Enter SCREAM ALL NIGHT, which is as much a campy celebration of weirdness as it is a thoughtful character study of a kid who's been dealt a seriously rough hand in life. Even when it's at its most surreal, this book still manages to seem relatable, in part because Milman's writing never shies away from the emotional core of the story, and because main character Dario serves as our brilliant, damaged, and bighearted anchor to reality. Given that the book has been compared to Jesse Andrews and Andrew Smith, I was a little worried that Dario was going to devolve into an icky horny-teenage-boy-narrator stereotype. But that couldn't be farther from the case. Dario comes off as a realistic teenage boy without ever objectifying or degrading the women in his life. Imagine that!
I could go on all day about how much I love Dario but, for me, his bizarre older brother Oren really steals the show. Anyone who's spent time with creative people has known an Oren--one of those artistes who's full of big ideas but can't quite seem to string them together in a way that makes sense. One of those people who's so out of touch they struggle to function in anything resembling the real world (Kanye anyone?). Oren could've easily become a joke in this book, but Milman is such a talented writer he instills Oren with layers and dimensions that dovetail beautifully with all of Dario's complexities and hangups, and with all of the weirdness that is Moldavia, a unique setting that is basically a character in and of itself.
So I'm not a horror aficionado by any means but...I dabble. And I can assure you that all the horror references in SCREAM ALL NIGHT are legit without being show-off-y or obnoxious. In one early scene, main character Dario notes that his private bathroom in Moldavia castle has lighting meant to imitate the lighting in films by his namesake, Dario Argento. Anyone who's ever seen an Argento film will immediately be able to picture this bathroom and it's a clever little nod to the Italian horror legend, but won't annoy readers who've never heard of him.
Final verdict -- Come for the humor and horror references. Stay for the delicately woven plot that gives these fantastic characters room to breathe.
I could go on all day about how much I love Dario but, for me, his bizarre older brother Oren really steals the show. Anyone who's spent time with creative people has known an Oren--one of those artistes who's full of big ideas but can't quite seem to string them together in a way that makes sense. One of those people who's so out of touch they struggle to function in anything resembling the real world (Kanye anyone?). Oren could've easily become a joke in this book, but Milman is such a talented writer he instills Oren with layers and dimensions that dovetail beautifully with all of Dario's complexities and hangups, and with all of the weirdness that is Moldavia, a unique setting that is basically a character in and of itself.
So I'm not a horror aficionado by any means but...I dabble. And I can assure you that all the horror references in SCREAM ALL NIGHT are legit without being show-off-y or obnoxious. In one early scene, main character Dario notes that his private bathroom in Moldavia castle has lighting meant to imitate the lighting in films by his namesake, Dario Argento. Anyone who's ever seen an Argento film will immediately be able to picture this bathroom and it's a clever little nod to the Italian horror legend, but won't annoy readers who've never heard of him.
Final verdict -- Come for the humor and horror references. Stay for the delicately woven plot that gives these fantastic characters room to breathe.
July 23, 2018
Hi, hi there, I'm Derek! I wrote SCREAM ALL NIGHT.
First off, there will be signed ARCs and giveaways and scavenger hunts and me coming over to your house to watch horror movies with you and your family (OK, maybe not that last thing, unless there's free pizza involved). Anyway, check my website for updates about fun stuff like that, as well as some FAQs about the book.
Also, if you wish, follow me on Twitter and IG! @DerekMilman.
SCREAM ALL NIGHT is a YA contemporary, a dark comedy, about 17-year-old Dario Heyward, who grew up surrounded by fake ghosts n' goblins n' ghouls at Moldavia--his family's giant castle, which doubled as an infamous B-horror movie studio. But Dario, already a nervous kid, had a pretty hard time there, especially after his father made him a cult icon by casting him as the main zombie kid in Moldavia's Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun.
That did not go well for Dario, and he learned monsters aren't only in horror films. They come in many forms.
Dario got legally emancipated from his rather unusual family, and moved into a group home, rooming with a kid named Jude, an amateur boxer with a checkered past (and over time they became best friends). But then Dario's eccentric brother, Oren, calls him back to Moldavia because their father is dying...and suddenly it's up to Dario, who has his own future to consider, to save the family legacy he only wanted to escape from.
Think: Jesse Andrews, Andrew Smith, early John Irving, Jonathan Tropper's occasional dalliances with the screwball, Running with Scissors, Nightfilm, and Arrested Development--but with a sprinkling of gothic glee, of course!
There is the aforementioned castle, with all the large rooms doubling as sound stages. There is naive, dangerously ambitious Oren, who appears to dress (and exist) in a Moldavia movie that was never made. There is Gavin, a dour child butler, with secrets of his own. There is Mistress Moonshadow (and her flying rig), Moldavia's famous vamp, who stalks the halls of the castle at night (and sometimes people's ceilings). There is Hayley, Dario's lost (and one true?) love who pretty much runs the studio now. There is even a very tall "creature actor", seldom seen, who appears only after being transformed into one of Moldavia's latest monsters.
Also...
There is a movie about "killer cauliflowers" that spins wildly out of control, a monthly costume ball called Crepuscular Dusk, a duel, a fraught romance, crystal skulls, calla lilies, a terrifying cup of tea, a revenge horror film, a touching tale of sentient zombies, the unearthing of lots of dark secrets, and in the middle of it all, our hero, Dario Heyward, trying to figure out who he is, and who he wants to be.
YES, Moldavia Studios, as whacked-out as it sounds, has a couple of real-life inspirations. Troma films, which made The Toxic Avenger for one, Cannon Films, but mostly Hammer Horror films, a British film company, which actually did move all production to an English manor house in the 1950's, called Bray Studios. You can read more about that here and here.
Hammer has some amazing movie posters. Like this one:
There is even a book devoted to all their cool posters: Art of Hammer.
Everyone at Moldavia lives and works in the castle, churning out creature features at a frenetic pace. People's lives are totally subsumed by the studio, and the small repertory company of actors there (known as the Spine Tinglers) hardly know who they are as real people anymore.
As Dario himself says: "it takes true misfits to make believable monsters."
Similarly, Hammer Films ALSO had a repertory company of actors with cult followings such as Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing (who would go on to Star Wars fame).
I am so thrilled to share my YA debut with you all! I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
Warmest Wishes,
Derek
Update, 7/23/18
SCREAM ALL NIGHT releases tomorrow, and it's time for me to let go of this story and hand it over to the world, as thrilling and scary as that is. Thank you to all the bloggers and reviewers who took the time to review my debut, and get the word out. Thank you to everyone who sent me Q&As, or had me as a guest on their blog. Thank you to everyone who recommended this book to someone else. Truly, I cannot thank you enough.
As zany as the world of Moldavia is, a lot of aspects of my real life went into the formation of the story and these characters. Christy Jane & BookCrushin asked me an interesting question:
Tell us about the elements of your teenage experience you bring to the story and what was the research and execution process like for the human side of things.
In case you want to know more, my answer can be found here
First off, there will be signed ARCs and giveaways and scavenger hunts and me coming over to your house to watch horror movies with you and your family (OK, maybe not that last thing, unless there's free pizza involved). Anyway, check my website for updates about fun stuff like that, as well as some FAQs about the book.
Also, if you wish, follow me on Twitter and IG! @DerekMilman.
SCREAM ALL NIGHT is a YA contemporary, a dark comedy, about 17-year-old Dario Heyward, who grew up surrounded by fake ghosts n' goblins n' ghouls at Moldavia--his family's giant castle, which doubled as an infamous B-horror movie studio. But Dario, already a nervous kid, had a pretty hard time there, especially after his father made him a cult icon by casting him as the main zombie kid in Moldavia's Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun.
That did not go well for Dario, and he learned monsters aren't only in horror films. They come in many forms.
Dario got legally emancipated from his rather unusual family, and moved into a group home, rooming with a kid named Jude, an amateur boxer with a checkered past (and over time they became best friends). But then Dario's eccentric brother, Oren, calls him back to Moldavia because their father is dying...and suddenly it's up to Dario, who has his own future to consider, to save the family legacy he only wanted to escape from.
Think: Jesse Andrews, Andrew Smith, early John Irving, Jonathan Tropper's occasional dalliances with the screwball, Running with Scissors, Nightfilm, and Arrested Development--but with a sprinkling of gothic glee, of course!
There is the aforementioned castle, with all the large rooms doubling as sound stages. There is naive, dangerously ambitious Oren, who appears to dress (and exist) in a Moldavia movie that was never made. There is Gavin, a dour child butler, with secrets of his own. There is Mistress Moonshadow (and her flying rig), Moldavia's famous vamp, who stalks the halls of the castle at night (and sometimes people's ceilings). There is Hayley, Dario's lost (and one true?) love who pretty much runs the studio now. There is even a very tall "creature actor", seldom seen, who appears only after being transformed into one of Moldavia's latest monsters.
Also...
There is a movie about "killer cauliflowers" that spins wildly out of control, a monthly costume ball called Crepuscular Dusk, a duel, a fraught romance, crystal skulls, calla lilies, a terrifying cup of tea, a revenge horror film, a touching tale of sentient zombies, the unearthing of lots of dark secrets, and in the middle of it all, our hero, Dario Heyward, trying to figure out who he is, and who he wants to be.
YES, Moldavia Studios, as whacked-out as it sounds, has a couple of real-life inspirations. Troma films, which made The Toxic Avenger for one, Cannon Films, but mostly Hammer Horror films, a British film company, which actually did move all production to an English manor house in the 1950's, called Bray Studios. You can read more about that here and here.
Hammer has some amazing movie posters. Like this one:
There is even a book devoted to all their cool posters: Art of Hammer.
Everyone at Moldavia lives and works in the castle, churning out creature features at a frenetic pace. People's lives are totally subsumed by the studio, and the small repertory company of actors there (known as the Spine Tinglers) hardly know who they are as real people anymore.
As Dario himself says: "it takes true misfits to make believable monsters."
Similarly, Hammer Films ALSO had a repertory company of actors with cult followings such as Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing (who would go on to Star Wars fame).
I am so thrilled to share my YA debut with you all! I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
Warmest Wishes,
Derek
Update, 7/23/18
SCREAM ALL NIGHT releases tomorrow, and it's time for me to let go of this story and hand it over to the world, as thrilling and scary as that is. Thank you to all the bloggers and reviewers who took the time to review my debut, and get the word out. Thank you to everyone who sent me Q&As, or had me as a guest on their blog. Thank you to everyone who recommended this book to someone else. Truly, I cannot thank you enough.
As zany as the world of Moldavia is, a lot of aspects of my real life went into the formation of the story and these characters. Christy Jane & BookCrushin asked me an interesting question:
Tell us about the elements of your teenage experience you bring to the story and what was the research and execution process like for the human side of things.
In case you want to know more, my answer can be found here
March 15, 2018
Full of hairpin turns from hilarious to heartrending, SCREAM ALL NIGHT is completely unique and completely enthralling. Dario’s the perfect narrator—his unflappable wry humor and world-weary sensitivity provide the perfect entry to the unpredictable, sinister world of Moldavia Studios, the failing horror B-movie studio he inherits upon his father’s death (in one of the more memorable funeral scenes ever committed to the page). The supplementary characters are developed with equal nuance and provide both laughs and depth—particularly Dario’s haplessly eccentric older brother Oren and charmingly self-possessed roommate Jude. With emotional development and a perfect, unanticipated ending, SCREAM ALL NIGHT is an unforgettable and profoundly enjoyable read.
July 24, 2018
Moldavia is a huge castle on the Heyward estate that also serves as a studio for the family's B-horror movie company, Moldavia Studios. Following an odd childhood of starring in his father's films & enduring his abuses, Dario has become emancipated & currently resides in a group home.
After the passing of his father, 17-year-old Dario is recruited back to the place of his worst nightmares.
This book has one of the more unique premises I've read in the Young Adult genre. It gets a bit difficult to pin down its subgenres, but I think it falls somewhere on the spectrum of a Contemporary Horror/Comedy. I enjoyed how Milman's debut struck a fun balance between creepy, hilarious, and emotional.
When I first started reading, the book really gave me similar feelings to those I had when I read John Dies at the End by David Wong. That book is a lot crazier than this one, but it had the same quirky sense of humor & that really appeals to me.
Of course, I did get a little weary as the story went on. At times, the juxtaposition between ridiculous & serious didn't quite vibe with me & it ended up making some of the circumstances feel unbelievable in the wrong way.
Also, every so often I hit patches of the book where its organization felt somewhat off. I think this was partially due to the flashbacks. When we experience flashbacks of Dario's life at Moldavia as a child, it provided some interesting insight, but the tone shift caused a feeling of disjoint between the past & present.
Even so, I appreciated the inclusion of more serious themes - abuse, friendship, parenthood, self-worth. Dario's relationships with his father, his unconventional brother, Oren, his crush, Hayley, and his best friend, Jude, all create a complex web of emotional education & exploration for Dario.
Overall, I enjoyed the strangeness & throw back to horror movie studios like Hammer Horror films, even if it wasn't a complete home run for me. Definitely an entertaining debut!
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
***I received a copy of Scream All Night in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Balzer + Bray and Derek Milman for this opportunity.***
Publication Date: July 24th, 2018
After the passing of his father, 17-year-old Dario is recruited back to the place of his worst nightmares.
This book has one of the more unique premises I've read in the Young Adult genre. It gets a bit difficult to pin down its subgenres, but I think it falls somewhere on the spectrum of a Contemporary Horror/Comedy. I enjoyed how Milman's debut struck a fun balance between creepy, hilarious, and emotional.
When I first started reading, the book really gave me similar feelings to those I had when I read John Dies at the End by David Wong. That book is a lot crazier than this one, but it had the same quirky sense of humor & that really appeals to me.
Of course, I did get a little weary as the story went on. At times, the juxtaposition between ridiculous & serious didn't quite vibe with me & it ended up making some of the circumstances feel unbelievable in the wrong way.
Also, every so often I hit patches of the book where its organization felt somewhat off. I think this was partially due to the flashbacks. When we experience flashbacks of Dario's life at Moldavia as a child, it provided some interesting insight, but the tone shift caused a feeling of disjoint between the past & present.
Even so, I appreciated the inclusion of more serious themes - abuse, friendship, parenthood, self-worth. Dario's relationships with his father, his unconventional brother, Oren, his crush, Hayley, and his best friend, Jude, all create a complex web of emotional education & exploration for Dario.
Overall, I enjoyed the strangeness & throw back to horror movie studios like Hammer Horror films, even if it wasn't a complete home run for me. Definitely an entertaining debut!
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
***I received a copy of Scream All Night in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Balzer + Bray and Derek Milman for this opportunity.***
Publication Date: July 24th, 2018
March 21, 2018
The verdict: Don't miss this amazing debut! Unique and complex, SCREAM ALL NIGHT is a story of a reluctant heir to a movie empire at peril. Come for the love of horror movies, stay for the coming-of-age story of facing down your childhood demons. Oh, and all the quirky jokes! The book deals with some heavy topics, too, but handles those well and in a respectful manner.
P.S. Finishing this book has left me with this unquenchable thirst to establish my own horror movie studio AND to live in a castle.
Update 15/Mar/18: I'm approaching the halfway mark here and just wanted to say, BRAVO, Mr. Milman, you have achieved what no other author has achieved before: you made me laugh out loud in public AND almost miss my train stop on the way to work! While the latter has been done before (by Courtney Summers and Judith Butler, to be precise), the former has never been accomplished. Until now! SCREAM ALL NIGHT is a gift to humanity!
8/Mar/18: Thanks to some kind of digital miracle, I got an eARC for SCREAM ALL NIGHT via Edelweiss! I'm digging into this much anticipated book RIGHT NOW!
P.S. Finishing this book has left me with this unquenchable thirst to establish my own horror movie studio AND to live in a castle.
Update 15/Mar/18: I'm approaching the halfway mark here and just wanted to say, BRAVO, Mr. Milman, you have achieved what no other author has achieved before: you made me laugh out loud in public AND almost miss my train stop on the way to work! While the latter has been done before (by Courtney Summers and Judith Butler, to be precise), the former has never been accomplished. Until now! SCREAM ALL NIGHT is a gift to humanity!
8/Mar/18: Thanks to some kind of digital miracle, I got an eARC for SCREAM ALL NIGHT via Edelweiss! I'm digging into this much anticipated book RIGHT NOW!
November 20, 2017
One of the most unique YAs I've read in a long time! The setting - a castle where protagonist Dario's father has filmed dozens of B-horror movies - is creepy and quirky and deeply immersive. Film is one of the toughest mediums to write about because it's so visual, but Derek Milman truly brings it to life. SCREAM ALL NIGHT gave me major Clue and Rocky Horror vibes; fans of those types of cult classics will gobble up this book.
December 21, 2017
I recently read Derek Milman’s captivating Scream All Night. One part Royal Tenenbaums and one part Running With Scissors, it tells the story of the heir to a horror movie studio forced to return to the castle/lot where he grew up and was subjected to very real horrors by his family members. Sure to be an instant hit, this book is both hilarious and sobering.
December 12, 2017
SCREAM ALL NIGHT has everything I love: human monsters; laugh out loud hilarity (seriously, so hilarious); dark emotional backstory; a sweet meaningful love; great friendships; interesting characters and killer setting (pun intended); and uniqueness for miles. Plus, it all takes place in a castle that makes B grade horror movies and everyone is a bit bananas.
I love this book, hurt for the characters (so much hurt, I wanted to hug them so badly), and had such a great time reading. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
I love this book, hurt for the characters (so much hurt, I wanted to hug them so badly), and had such a great time reading. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
December 31, 2017
I can't remember the last book that made me laugh this hard, but under the wild zombie makeup this story has a beating, compassionate heart. I will be foisting this with great glee upon all my Rocky Horror-loving weirdo friends who played screaming heads and chainsaw killers at the local Haunted Barn - but I think anyone will recognize Dario's struggle to face his monsters and claim his place.
January 22, 2018
Derek Milman's Scream All Night is a triumph of the YA genre that transcends strict adherence to categoric norms. Part dark comedy, part soulful coming-of-age story, part family drama, the narrative is propelled by Dario's distinctively tortured yet truly funny voice. Milman somehow makes this erudite but unmistakably Millennial protagonist relatable - and likeable- to readers of all stripes by giving him an unironic moral core that anchors the story amidst all manner of zany and even downright evil antics, from hallucinogen poisoning to corporate intrigue to physical and emotional abuse. The laugh-out-loud comedy of Dario's absurd anti-villain brother Oren and the details of the spectacular oddities of life inside the hallowed B-horror movie ecosystem of Moldavia Studios add an element of sheer fun to this otherwise moving tale of childhood trauma, forgiveness, and redemption.
March 15, 2018
This book was absolutely everything I hoped it would be and more!! The setting at a B-movie horror studio was the perfect combination of camp and creativity, with both perfectly ridiculous and truly tragic touches. I laughed out loud more times than I can count (especially when reading Oren’s script—seriously I could have read this book for Oren’s hilarious script alone). But on top of the humor and the gothic, SCREAM ALL NIGHT is also emotional and touching. Dario’s healing journey was nuanced and moving, and his relationship with his estranged brother was surprising in its depth and realism. This book truly has it all. Cannot recommend enough!!
February 20, 2018
Before reading SCREAM ALL NIGHT, I’d heard it was a hilarious, campy, slightly creepy and fascinating tribute to B-horror movies. And don’t get me wrong, it completely delivered on all of these things. But I wasn’t prepared for it to emotionally wreck me the way it did! Hiding in the cobwebbed corners of this wonderful book are some tender, heart-wrenching, completely beautiful moments, and these were my favorite parts of the story – they both surprised and completely gutted me.
OK, a little more about the plot. This is unlike any YA book you’ve read before: Dario Heyward is a teen boy living in a group home after legally emancipating himself from his wacky family. But his late father, the infamous mastermind behind the crumbling horror movie production company Moldavia Studios, draws him back into the fold when he leaves the entire place to Dario in his will. Despite having the sinking feeling this is a bad idea, Dario moves home to do right by his family and save the studio from financial ruin. (But as you’d expect, it isn’t that easy.)
The book mostly takes place within the walls of Moldavia Studios, located on the grounds of a Rocky Horror-esque castle - Milman does an incredible job of building this eerie and enchanting world. Readers will be dazzled by the operations of the movie studio, from the carpenters to the electricians, to the wardrobe department – if you’re even remotely interested in the behind-the-scenes world of film and TV, this book is worth the read for these parts alone. The haunting studio is somehow equal parts repelling and entrancing all at once, and its inhabitants, including Dario, have a difficult time leaving the grounds once they arrive - I was getting some serious Sunset Boulevard, Ed Wood and The Disaster Artist vibes in the best way.
But the best moments of the story are the painful memories of Dario’s childhood, his rekindled relationship with his old friend Hayley and the sweet bonds he makes with other residents of the castle. I love that the characters in this book aren’t over-the-top caricatures – they all have deep desires and dark secrets, and they aren’t afraid to be vulnerable. And that’s what makes the glorious SCREAM ALL NIGHT stick inside my brain long after I’ve turned the final page. Don’t miss this one.
OK, a little more about the plot. This is unlike any YA book you’ve read before: Dario Heyward is a teen boy living in a group home after legally emancipating himself from his wacky family. But his late father, the infamous mastermind behind the crumbling horror movie production company Moldavia Studios, draws him back into the fold when he leaves the entire place to Dario in his will. Despite having the sinking feeling this is a bad idea, Dario moves home to do right by his family and save the studio from financial ruin. (But as you’d expect, it isn’t that easy.)
The book mostly takes place within the walls of Moldavia Studios, located on the grounds of a Rocky Horror-esque castle - Milman does an incredible job of building this eerie and enchanting world. Readers will be dazzled by the operations of the movie studio, from the carpenters to the electricians, to the wardrobe department – if you’re even remotely interested in the behind-the-scenes world of film and TV, this book is worth the read for these parts alone. The haunting studio is somehow equal parts repelling and entrancing all at once, and its inhabitants, including Dario, have a difficult time leaving the grounds once they arrive - I was getting some serious Sunset Boulevard, Ed Wood and The Disaster Artist vibes in the best way.
But the best moments of the story are the painful memories of Dario’s childhood, his rekindled relationship with his old friend Hayley and the sweet bonds he makes with other residents of the castle. I love that the characters in this book aren’t over-the-top caricatures – they all have deep desires and dark secrets, and they aren’t afraid to be vulnerable. And that’s what makes the glorious SCREAM ALL NIGHT stick inside my brain long after I’ve turned the final page. Don’t miss this one.
April 9, 2018
Reviewing ARC -
Scream All night is one of those books that takes you late into the night, losing track of time, because you can not put it down! It's clever and well-written, funny and sad, and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved a peek into the movie-making world, and the characters are so fully developed I feel like I know them personally, like I might see one of them in an upcoming B-horror flick! I also loved how the family dynamics and dysfunction felt very, very real. Great book!
Scream All night is one of those books that takes you late into the night, losing track of time, because you can not put it down! It's clever and well-written, funny and sad, and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved a peek into the movie-making world, and the characters are so fully developed I feel like I know them personally, like I might see one of them in an upcoming B-horror flick! I also loved how the family dynamics and dysfunction felt very, very real. Great book!
May 8, 2018
I'm a bit surprised about that one, because I ended up enjoyin it more than I thought I would! It had tons of interesting characters and relationships, a great focus on family and good character development for our main character. I really enjoyed the original setting of the studios, some moments made me laugh for sure. I wasn't totally on board with the romance in that book, but loved the best friends vibes.
Full review will be coming soon! :)
Full review will be coming soon! :)
May 22, 2018
I really enjoyed this!
Dario is about to turn 18 is living voluntarily in a group foster home after legally emancipation himself from his family. But now his father is dying and the fate of the family's B Horror Movie empire rests in Dario's unwilling hands. Can he handle the ghosts, both literal and figurative, and return to the castle/movie studio home or will he ditch the kooky family and head to Harvard?
Dario is about to turn 18 is living voluntarily in a group foster home after legally emancipation himself from his family. But now his father is dying and the fate of the family's B Horror Movie empire rests in Dario's unwilling hands. Can he handle the ghosts, both literal and figurative, and return to the castle/movie studio home or will he ditch the kooky family and head to Harvard?
February 7, 2018
Derek Milman's Scream All Night is one of those books that I can't get out of my head. I've read it a couple of times now, and it grows richer and deeper each time. On the surface, it's a dark comedy. But as you delve deeper into the world, there is a tragic, almost gothic (in both the traditional literary sense, and the "goth" sense) story lurking underneath the farcical scenes of filmmaking chaos and the wry commentary of our hero, Dario Heyward.
At first glance, you might think Dario has an enviable life. Legally emancipated from his family, and living with his best friend Jude in a group home, Dario has a bright future ahead of him. But a phone call beckoning Dario back to the creepy castle he grew up in (that serves as set and studio for his father's infamous B-horror creature features and home to dozens of actors and crew members) sets the plot into motion.
After a literally explosive first chapter, Dario finds himself with a dilemma on his hands, and responsible for the livelihood of Moldavia Studios and its many employees. If choosing a college is a challenge at seventeen can you imagine finding yourself weighed down with the responsibility of dozens of people depending on you to make the right decisions, and to quite literally save them from financial disaster?
Milman has created a believable and immersive world that is both creepy and hilarious. You'll learn about filmmaking. You'll also find yourself wanting to watch many of Moldavia Studios' movies. I mean, who wouldn't want to watch a horror movie called 'The Vomit of Sergei Ramona?'
One of the central relationships that hits home and gives the book depth and poetic beauty is the story of Dario and his dramatic, over-the-top, eccentric brother and rival, Oren. Oren believes himself to be a misunderstood genius whose filmmaking career will revolutionize horror movies. But Oren's belief in himself doesn't necessarily reflect reality. Dario is put in a position where he has to choose between hurting his brother and saving a lot of other people. The choices he makes are tough and painful, but hopefully, provide a path for the redemption of his family legacy and his relationship with Oren.
Dario's first love, Hayley, also lives and works at Moldavia Studios, and the deep friendship and shared history of the two is a touching storyline that could be explored again down the road if Milman ever wants to revisit Moldavia (I hope he decides to one day.) Hayley is a fierce, strong, and funny character who is one of the most compelling voices in the novel. She's much more than a love interest. She's a force of reason and an anchor for several of the main characters, but she has dreams of her own. Dario and Hayley are clearly soulmates, and the progression of their story is lovely and fragile.
This book kind of has everything I look for in a read. It's funny, scary at times, and delves deep into family dynamics, while also being a beautiful and touching love story. It's a great gift- a sweet at its core coming of age story wrapped in darkly glittering ribbons. It's deeper than it may seem at first glance, and as haunting as the phantoms that Dario and company commit to film.
At first glance, you might think Dario has an enviable life. Legally emancipated from his family, and living with his best friend Jude in a group home, Dario has a bright future ahead of him. But a phone call beckoning Dario back to the creepy castle he grew up in (that serves as set and studio for his father's infamous B-horror creature features and home to dozens of actors and crew members) sets the plot into motion.
After a literally explosive first chapter, Dario finds himself with a dilemma on his hands, and responsible for the livelihood of Moldavia Studios and its many employees. If choosing a college is a challenge at seventeen can you imagine finding yourself weighed down with the responsibility of dozens of people depending on you to make the right decisions, and to quite literally save them from financial disaster?
Milman has created a believable and immersive world that is both creepy and hilarious. You'll learn about filmmaking. You'll also find yourself wanting to watch many of Moldavia Studios' movies. I mean, who wouldn't want to watch a horror movie called 'The Vomit of Sergei Ramona?'
One of the central relationships that hits home and gives the book depth and poetic beauty is the story of Dario and his dramatic, over-the-top, eccentric brother and rival, Oren. Oren believes himself to be a misunderstood genius whose filmmaking career will revolutionize horror movies. But Oren's belief in himself doesn't necessarily reflect reality. Dario is put in a position where he has to choose between hurting his brother and saving a lot of other people. The choices he makes are tough and painful, but hopefully, provide a path for the redemption of his family legacy and his relationship with Oren.
Dario's first love, Hayley, also lives and works at Moldavia Studios, and the deep friendship and shared history of the two is a touching storyline that could be explored again down the road if Milman ever wants to revisit Moldavia (I hope he decides to one day.) Hayley is a fierce, strong, and funny character who is one of the most compelling voices in the novel. She's much more than a love interest. She's a force of reason and an anchor for several of the main characters, but she has dreams of her own. Dario and Hayley are clearly soulmates, and the progression of their story is lovely and fragile.
This book kind of has everything I look for in a read. It's funny, scary at times, and delves deep into family dynamics, while also being a beautiful and touching love story. It's a great gift- a sweet at its core coming of age story wrapped in darkly glittering ribbons. It's deeper than it may seem at first glance, and as haunting as the phantoms that Dario and company commit to film.
June 8, 2018
This book really surprised me. Not only did it have the horror movie setting, but it was funny and touching.
First a few warnings for abuse from a parent, mental illness, drug abuse,and miscarriage. There are also parts that are pretty gory while discussing the movies. I think most people requesting this are probably ok with gore though.
Dario is a 17 year old kid living in a group home. He left his family home at 12 because of abuse and neglect. His family home was Moldavia where all his dad's horror movies were filmed. Dario's dad was much older when he was born, and his mom was already having issues with mental illness. She was eventually committed. His dad was very abusive with Dario, especially while filming. Dario is doing well in the group home, especially with his best friend, Jude. He tries to avoid everything from home. But his brother, Oren, and old friend, Haley, call to tall him that his dad is dying and he needs to come home.
Against his better judgement, Dario returns home from his dad's funeral. The only problem is that his dad isn't dead. His wish is to be buried alive. Things don't go quite as planned and Dario ends up coming back for the summer. But he brings Jude with him.
Dario has to deal with all the issues from his past while learning to get along with Oren, falling for Haley again, and trying to figure out what his future will be.
I don't want to give anything away, but I was surprised at how sad parts of this book was. There were so many broken people in this book. But one bright spot for me was Oren. He was definitely one of the broken people, but he was so outrageous. I laughed out loud so many times. But I also wanted to hug him.
I also loved the setting for the book. Derek had a great way of making me feel like I could imagine everything about the castle and the movies that were made there. I love horror movies, so this was perfect.
I ended up giving this book 4 1/2 stars (rounded up to 5 on goodreads). Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for giving me a chance to read this one early.
https://confessionsofayareader.wordpr...
First a few warnings for abuse from a parent, mental illness, drug abuse,and miscarriage. There are also parts that are pretty gory while discussing the movies. I think most people requesting this are probably ok with gore though.
Dario is a 17 year old kid living in a group home. He left his family home at 12 because of abuse and neglect. His family home was Moldavia where all his dad's horror movies were filmed. Dario's dad was much older when he was born, and his mom was already having issues with mental illness. She was eventually committed. His dad was very abusive with Dario, especially while filming. Dario is doing well in the group home, especially with his best friend, Jude. He tries to avoid everything from home. But his brother, Oren, and old friend, Haley, call to tall him that his dad is dying and he needs to come home.
Against his better judgement, Dario returns home from his dad's funeral. The only problem is that his dad isn't dead. His wish is to be buried alive. Things don't go quite as planned and Dario ends up coming back for the summer. But he brings Jude with him.
Dario has to deal with all the issues from his past while learning to get along with Oren, falling for Haley again, and trying to figure out what his future will be.
I don't want to give anything away, but I was surprised at how sad parts of this book was. There were so many broken people in this book. But one bright spot for me was Oren. He was definitely one of the broken people, but he was so outrageous. I laughed out loud so many times. But I also wanted to hug him.
I also loved the setting for the book. Derek had a great way of making me feel like I could imagine everything about the castle and the movies that were made there. I love horror movies, so this was perfect.
I ended up giving this book 4 1/2 stars (rounded up to 5 on goodreads). Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for giving me a chance to read this one early.
https://confessionsofayareader.wordpr...
March 18, 2018
Unlike anything you've ever read. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the next big thing in YA honestly.
June 7, 2018
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ARC provided by edelwiess in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings for mental illness and child abuse.
SCREAM ALL NIGHT is a coming of age story about a boy who has to face his childhood demons and return to his home. I was first drawn to this book because I love horror movies. This book's main setting is a a movie studio that makes horror movies. What I
wasn't expecting was the abuse that Dario suffers as a child and the mental illness representation. This book is an interesting and quick read.
This is one of the most unique Ya book I've ever read! Dario Heyward is a teen boy living in a group home after legally emancipating himself from his family. His father, the famous mastermind behind a horror movie production company Moldavia Studios,he leaves the entire studio to Dario in his will. He is given six months to make a profit or he is to sell to another studio. Oren, Dario's older brother has an idea for a movie but it is not well thought out, the crew dose not want to continue with his film.
This book gave me a lot of Rocky Horror feelings, with the cult following of the studios B-horror movies.Derek does an amazing job setting the atmosphere of the
castle! I loved Dario as a character,he was clever and cares about his family and friends. He struggles with coming to terms with his childhood trauma,and his relationship with his brother. Oren, is such a different character, hes quirky and he struggles to put his thoughts together. I loved reading about him,he was a bit problematic but he works on repairing his relationship with Dario.
This book is released on July 24th, This would be the perfect book is to read during a cold October night!
ARC provided by edelwiess in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings for mental illness and child abuse.
SCREAM ALL NIGHT is a coming of age story about a boy who has to face his childhood demons and return to his home. I was first drawn to this book because I love horror movies. This book's main setting is a a movie studio that makes horror movies. What I
wasn't expecting was the abuse that Dario suffers as a child and the mental illness representation. This book is an interesting and quick read.
This is one of the most unique Ya book I've ever read! Dario Heyward is a teen boy living in a group home after legally emancipating himself from his family. His father, the famous mastermind behind a horror movie production company Moldavia Studios,he leaves the entire studio to Dario in his will. He is given six months to make a profit or he is to sell to another studio. Oren, Dario's older brother has an idea for a movie but it is not well thought out, the crew dose not want to continue with his film.
This book gave me a lot of Rocky Horror feelings, with the cult following of the studios B-horror movies.Derek does an amazing job setting the atmosphere of the
castle! I loved Dario as a character,he was clever and cares about his family and friends. He struggles with coming to terms with his childhood trauma,and his relationship with his brother. Oren, is such a different character, hes quirky and he struggles to put his thoughts together. I loved reading about him,he was a bit problematic but he works on repairing his relationship with Dario.
This book is released on July 24th, This would be the perfect book is to read during a cold October night!
May 25, 2018
Happy Thursday Night Owls! You guys are in for a treat today because I’m finally sharing my review of Scream All Night by Derek Milman. He was kind enough to send me a copy of his debut novel, and I’m so happy he did because I loved this book so much. It also happens to be released on my birthday, which is July 24th. You guys should pick it up on its release date because you’ll love it. 4.5/5 stars from me!
In this novel, we follow Dario Hayward, whose family runs Moldavia Studio. Moldavia was a studio responsible for many cult-classic B-level horror movies. It’s also a castle so it makes sense that horror movies are made there. Dario has come back to Moldavia because his brother, Oren, invited him for a special ceremony honoring their father and his first film. Dario promised himself that he would never return to the studio. He would also have to face his first love, Hayley. This all changes when Dario has been offered the studio in his father’s will.
I loved this book so much! In the beginning it was a little slow, but by the fourth chapter it really picked up. Dario was interesting character to read, but Hayley had to be my favorite character. So Derek, if you’re reading this, please give us more Hayley. Whether it’s a statement, novella, or a sequel, please give us more Hayley.
Night Owls, if you love horror movies, sarcasm, and creepy movie studios this is your book. On July 24th, go out to your local bookstore and buy yourself a copy. This book is perfect to read during a summer storm. You could also save it for October in preparation for halloween.
Happy Reading!
In this novel, we follow Dario Hayward, whose family runs Moldavia Studio. Moldavia was a studio responsible for many cult-classic B-level horror movies. It’s also a castle so it makes sense that horror movies are made there. Dario has come back to Moldavia because his brother, Oren, invited him for a special ceremony honoring their father and his first film. Dario promised himself that he would never return to the studio. He would also have to face his first love, Hayley. This all changes when Dario has been offered the studio in his father’s will.
I loved this book so much! In the beginning it was a little slow, but by the fourth chapter it really picked up. Dario was interesting character to read, but Hayley had to be my favorite character. So Derek, if you’re reading this, please give us more Hayley. Whether it’s a statement, novella, or a sequel, please give us more Hayley.
Night Owls, if you love horror movies, sarcasm, and creepy movie studios this is your book. On July 24th, go out to your local bookstore and buy yourself a copy. This book is perfect to read during a summer storm. You could also save it for October in preparation for halloween.
Happy Reading!
June 5, 2018
I'm a horror freak. And I also like Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, AbFab, National Lampoon and an old show from the 90's, Kids In the Hall. So this book was perfect for me. I laughed, and enjoy reading about living in a horror studio that is also a creepy castle. Well I laughed. That's for sure. And I loved all the movie making references, and the paralelles to old horror movies that they used to show late at night. But what I didn't expect to do was want to call my mom, my dad, and my brother. This is the kind of book that will make you do that stuff. Good stuff if you like your comedy twisted.
April 10, 2018
** Review is from Advanced Reader Copy**
Scream All Night was the perfect late night read- a story of a haunted boy who returns to the studio that made him. From the screamingly funny/awful scene he encounters when he returns through his travails as a budding studio head, the book was thoroughly unpredictable and mordantly funny. I would compare it to other titles, but it is such an original story I can't think of any. Though there are hilarious scenes (and a truly groan-inducing script/ play-within-a-play that made me chortle), there is also a sweeter, darker sub-theme about what it means to come home. I can only hope there's a movie adaptation to come- this is made for the big screen!
Scream All Night was the perfect late night read- a story of a haunted boy who returns to the studio that made him. From the screamingly funny/awful scene he encounters when he returns through his travails as a budding studio head, the book was thoroughly unpredictable and mordantly funny. I would compare it to other titles, but it is such an original story I can't think of any. Though there are hilarious scenes (and a truly groan-inducing script/ play-within-a-play that made me chortle), there is also a sweeter, darker sub-theme about what it means to come home. I can only hope there's a movie adaptation to come- this is made for the big screen!
February 8, 2018
One of the most original contemporary YA concepts I’ve encountered in ages. The prodigal son of a family horror dynasty comes back for the funeral of his father...who’s not actually dead yet. For there, the novel tackles tough questions about family, loyalty, mental illness and whether or not we can ever truly escape our pasts.
July 20, 2018
So this was extremely unique, eccentric, and a little bit odd all wrapped in one. When I spoke to the author about reviewing this he explained this was "a fun story, with a dark emotional core, that combines screwball comedy, romance, family drama, and monster movies" and boy, was he not kidding. This book covers many topics that a contemporary would. It has the coming of age bits, finding your first love, family issues, planning your future, and all of that good stuff but the rest of the story is so original and unique.
Basically the story goes as follows, Dario's childhood was anything but normal, he grew up in a castle that served as the set and studio for many horror films directed by his father. Dario, becomes legally emancipated from his family after being neglected and abused by his father to become "the perfect actor" for Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, which is Moldavia's best film. The story beings with Dario getting a phone call at the group home he currently lives in from his brother asking Dario to return back to Moldavia for his father's funeral... except his father is still alive and is planning on burying himself alive. Totally not kidding.
As the story continues Dario finds himself getting sucked back into the one place he told himself he would never return and the story begins exploring much deeper topics. It tackles issues like grief, overcoming his abusive past, and reconciling with family. It's no surprise that Dario's family is just as unique as this story, which sometimes made it difficult for me to get into, especially connecting with some of the characters. But I was definitely not expecting this story to get as deep as it really did, which was a pleasant surprise. Without giving away any spoilers I will say that I was also very pleased with the choice Dario made for his future and the last word of this book really packed a punch for me. So make sure you don't skip to the end and and read the last page, it will spoil everything.
Along with all of the topics this book tackles it also includes a strong friendship between Dario and Jude (a boy from Dario's group home) which I absolutely LOVED. This book also does have a bit of romance in it since Dario returns back to Moldavia and his first love still lives there, but I didn't find it overpowering in any way. I thought it was the perfect amount of romance and friendship all in one.
All in all, I am glad I gave this book a chance because I can truly say I have never read anything quite like this before. And even though I think this book will only appeal to certain readers it is still definitely worth checking out.
Basically the story goes as follows, Dario's childhood was anything but normal, he grew up in a castle that served as the set and studio for many horror films directed by his father. Dario, becomes legally emancipated from his family after being neglected and abused by his father to become "the perfect actor" for Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, which is Moldavia's best film. The story beings with Dario getting a phone call at the group home he currently lives in from his brother asking Dario to return back to Moldavia for his father's funeral... except his father is still alive and is planning on burying himself alive. Totally not kidding.
As the story continues Dario finds himself getting sucked back into the one place he told himself he would never return and the story begins exploring much deeper topics. It tackles issues like grief, overcoming his abusive past, and reconciling with family. It's no surprise that Dario's family is just as unique as this story, which sometimes made it difficult for me to get into, especially connecting with some of the characters. But I was definitely not expecting this story to get as deep as it really did, which was a pleasant surprise. Without giving away any spoilers I will say that I was also very pleased with the choice Dario made for his future and the last word of this book really packed a punch for me. So make sure you don't skip to the end and and read the last page, it will spoil everything.
Along with all of the topics this book tackles it also includes a strong friendship between Dario and Jude (a boy from Dario's group home) which I absolutely LOVED. This book also does have a bit of romance in it since Dario returns back to Moldavia and his first love still lives there, but I didn't find it overpowering in any way. I thought it was the perfect amount of romance and friendship all in one.
All in all, I am glad I gave this book a chance because I can truly say I have never read anything quite like this before. And even though I think this book will only appeal to certain readers it is still definitely worth checking out.
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