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Scream Site
Sabrina Sebastian's goal in life is to be an investigative reporter. For her first big story, she researches a popular website called Scream Site, where people post scary videos and compete for the most "screams." While Sabrina's friends and her sister, Faith, talk nonstop about the creepy viral videos, Sabrina just hopes that covering this trend will get her the internship she's wishing for. But as she digs into the truth behind the website, she begins to suspect that these aren't only aspiring actors and videographers at work. Some clips seem a little too real. And when Faith goes missing, Sabrina must race against time to save her sister from becoming the next video "star."
264 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2018
22 people are currently reading
678 people want to read
About the author
Justina Ireland
126 books3,138 followersJustina Ireland is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books including Dread Nation and its sequel Deathless Divide, the middle-grade novel Ophie's Ghosts, which won the Scott O'Dell award for historical fiction, and a number of Star Wars books including Flight of the Falcon: Lando’s Luck, Spark of the Resistance, A Test of Courage, Out of the Shadows, and Mission to Disaster. She is a former editor in chief of FIYAH Literary Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, for which she won a World Fantasy Award. She holds a BA in History from Georgia Southern and an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
July 14, 2018
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Good grief, this was just absolute boring and urghghghhh. I had the hardest time staying awake and getting through this book. I kept hoping and praying that it would get better, but oh no it didn't. If anything it got more hilarious as the ending got closer, and boy it was anti-climatic as hell.
So, let's start with the blurb, aka who the hell wrote this?
Sabrina Sebastian's goal in life is to be an investigative reporter. True
For her first big story, she researches a popular website called Scream Site, where people post scary videos and compete for the most "screams." Semi-true, actually she is doing it for an internship. She has written numerous stories already, and is now looking for something that will entice the boss of that paper for an internship.
While Sabrina's friends and her sister, Faith, talk nonstop about the creepy viral videos, Sabrina just hopes that covering this trend will get her the internship she's wishing for. Wrong. Sabrina has only one friend and she doesn't care that much about the site, she only knows about it from an article (and that article spurred Sabrina to investigate). Her sister did watch the videos, and also later uploads one, but to say she talks about it? No.
But as she digs into the truth behind the website, she begins to suspect that these aren't only aspiring actors and videographers at work. Some clips seem a little too real. Actually she knows this from the start. When she first checks out the videos.
And when Faith goes missing, Sabrina must race against time to save her sister from becoming the next video "star." Hahaahahahahaha, you know this doesn't happen until page 223, aka almost 85%? Yep, SPOILER ALERT.
Now we have that blurb out of the way, the blurb that enticed me to read this book, let's go to the book.
Say hello to Sabrina, a girl dedicated to becoming a great writer. To win an internship she has to write a big article, and she chooses a site called the Scream Site. There are various exciting rumours floating around about the site, ranging from murder to stalkers. As she continues investigating (and sticking her nose where it doesn't belong) she gets further and further entangled. Not to say it was very exciting, as this girl just keeps on going on and on about the same things. She is pretty gung-ho about Asher (such a rookie mistake to just keep one suspect), even though I thought Asher was pretty cute and sweet and he really didn't scream KILLER or KIDNAPPER.
Plus I loved how she didn't care that people warned her that it may be a bad idea to actually do this, and how it took her to page 204 before she realised that maybe this is a bad idea. Then again, she turns around instantly a few pages later and just goes right ahead to investigate.
She also makes various other mistakes that could have gotten her into real danger..
Sure it was admirable that this girl kept on going and was dedicated to find those missing girls, but sometimes you just have to let it go, especially if you are 14 years old.
But you can also see what happens when the police don't take you seriously (then again, that is to be expected, it is something so cliche). But I guess I would also be a bit hesitant to believe a 14-year old girl who just comes with some random evidence. But as I said, we later on see what happens due to this lack of faith.
Oh, and don't worry
Also given that Asher knew Sabrina's name, I was actually hoping for something blooming between them.
The ending was highly anti-climatic. Like really, I wasn't sure if I should be laughing, rolling around laughing, rolling my eyes, or fall asleep. Maybe I could do a mixture of it. Boy, I had expected some tension, some excitement, but instead I guess I could have expected given how sleepy/bland the whole book was.
I had a laugh at Evelyn when she tried to get her friend to stop investigating. First she talks about safety, and the next moment she talks about how Sabrina would get unpopular due to this. This girl needs to set her priorities straight.
There are a few moments of tension, but they quickly die away, and frankly I was done with this book on page 50, and at page 101 I was wondering how the hell I should continue this book.
Plus these, Sabrina says that her dad was very convincing on the whole: "You should be wary of who you chat with/and be careful on the internet." Yet Sabrina's sister just hooks up with some dude on the internet. And yes, I believe she may have known him, but really, I can also tell someone on the internet that I am x or y, it is so easy. So I was kind of rolling my eyes that she would be that stupid.
This could have been so exciting, this had all the potential (based on the blurb) for a terrific, exciting, creepy book. Amusement parks (especially abandoned ones) make for a terrific horror scene. Add to the mix kidnapping and maybe murder and it is perfection. Sad to see those terrific settings and subjects go to waste in this book.
NOT recommended. Not at all. I would kindly ask to have this book renamed to Yawn Site. And I am sure I could point out a few more things, but frankly I want to delete this book and get on with another, hopefully better, book.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Good grief, this was just absolute boring and urghghghhh. I had the hardest time staying awake and getting through this book. I kept hoping and praying that it would get better, but oh no it didn't. If anything it got more hilarious as the ending got closer, and boy it was anti-climatic as hell.
So, let's start with the blurb, aka who the hell wrote this?
Sabrina Sebastian's goal in life is to be an investigative reporter. True
For her first big story, she researches a popular website called Scream Site, where people post scary videos and compete for the most "screams." Semi-true, actually she is doing it for an internship. She has written numerous stories already, and is now looking for something that will entice the boss of that paper for an internship.
While Sabrina's friends and her sister, Faith, talk nonstop about the creepy viral videos, Sabrina just hopes that covering this trend will get her the internship she's wishing for. Wrong. Sabrina has only one friend and she doesn't care that much about the site, she only knows about it from an article (and that article spurred Sabrina to investigate). Her sister did watch the videos, and also later uploads one, but to say she talks about it? No.
But as she digs into the truth behind the website, she begins to suspect that these aren't only aspiring actors and videographers at work. Some clips seem a little too real. Actually she knows this from the start. When she first checks out the videos.
And when Faith goes missing, Sabrina must race against time to save her sister from becoming the next video "star." Hahaahahahahaha, you know this doesn't happen until page 223, aka almost 85%? Yep, SPOILER ALERT.
Now we have that blurb out of the way, the blurb that enticed me to read this book, let's go to the book.
Say hello to Sabrina, a girl dedicated to becoming a great writer. To win an internship she has to write a big article, and she chooses a site called the Scream Site. There are various exciting rumours floating around about the site, ranging from murder to stalkers. As she continues investigating (and sticking her nose where it doesn't belong) she gets further and further entangled. Not to say it was very exciting, as this girl just keeps on going on and on about the same things. She is pretty gung-ho about Asher (such a rookie mistake to just keep one suspect), even though I thought Asher was pretty cute and sweet and he really didn't scream KILLER or KIDNAPPER.
Plus I loved how she didn't care that people warned her that it may be a bad idea to actually do this, and how it took her to page 204 before she realised that maybe this is a bad idea. Then again, she turns around instantly a few pages later and just goes right ahead to investigate.
She also makes various other mistakes that could have gotten her into real danger..
Sure it was admirable that this girl kept on going and was dedicated to find those missing girls, but sometimes you just have to let it go, especially if you are 14 years old.
But you can also see what happens when the police don't take you seriously (then again, that is to be expected, it is something so cliche). But I guess I would also be a bit hesitant to believe a 14-year old girl who just comes with some random evidence. But as I said, we later on see what happens due to this lack of faith.
Oh, and don't worry
Also given that Asher knew Sabrina's name, I was actually hoping for something blooming between them.
The ending was highly anti-climatic. Like really, I wasn't sure if I should be laughing, rolling around laughing, rolling my eyes, or fall asleep. Maybe I could do a mixture of it. Boy, I had expected some tension, some excitement, but instead I guess I could have expected given how sleepy/bland the whole book was.
I had a laugh at Evelyn when she tried to get her friend to stop investigating. First she talks about safety, and the next moment she talks about how Sabrina would get unpopular due to this. This girl needs to set her priorities straight.
There are a few moments of tension, but they quickly die away, and frankly I was done with this book on page 50, and at page 101 I was wondering how the hell I should continue this book.
Plus these, Sabrina says that her dad was very convincing on the whole: "You should be wary of who you chat with/and be careful on the internet." Yet Sabrina's sister just hooks up with some dude on the internet. And yes, I believe she may have known him, but really, I can also tell someone on the internet that I am x or y, it is so easy. So I was kind of rolling my eyes that she would be that stupid.
This could have been so exciting, this had all the potential (based on the blurb) for a terrific, exciting, creepy book. Amusement parks (especially abandoned ones) make for a terrific horror scene. Add to the mix kidnapping and maybe murder and it is perfection. Sad to see those terrific settings and subjects go to waste in this book.
NOT recommended. Not at all. I would kindly ask to have this book renamed to Yawn Site. And I am sure I could point out a few more things, but frankly I want to delete this book and get on with another, hopefully better, book.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
August 19, 2018
Scream Site reminded me a little of the Point Horror books I loved as a kid, only with more introspection and fewer scares. I adored the front cover art and the blurb made it sound as though danger would be lurking around every corner.
While it was an okay read it felt like it was a victim of its own marketing in a way. It’s marketed (depending on where you look) towards readers between 12 and 15 years or 12 and 18 years. I think 12 would be towards the higher end of the age group that would enjoy this book most.
I can trace a lot of the problems I had with this book back to its blurb. We’re told very clearly that Faith, Sabrina’s sister, goes missing so I assumed this would happen fairly early in the story and then we’d spend the rest of the book chasing down clues to try to save her before its too late.
As a result of this (wrong) assumption each time I read Faith’s name I was looking for clues and getting ready to learn of her disappearance and potential demise. Then I got bored waiting for the inevitable. By the time it finally happens I was already 85% of the way through the book and I don’t think I’ll be so happy to learn that someone may have been kidnapped ever again.
It’s difficult to know what spoiler territory looks like in a book whose blurb is possibly the biggest spoiler of all so let’s just say there are potential spoilers in my review. Consider yourself warned.
Sabrina is a 14 year old wannabe investigative journalist. She like super wants to apply for a summer internship at a newspaper. If that last sentence annoyed you then this is probably not the book for you. People are “super busy”, things are “super creepy” or “super weird”, and “it was super illegal”. “He, like, volunteers” and is “like the nicest guy in the entire school”.
Why does our main character, who loves documentaries and romantic comedies, decide to investigate a website hosted by horror movie makers? Because she hasn’t come up with a good lead for her internship application and her best (and possibly only) friend thinks it’s a good idea. After watching one video and suitably freaking herself out Sabrina decides there’s more to the story and continues her own personal scare fest for the rest of the book.
Sabrina scares herself when the lights suddenly go out in her home a couple of times but as it’s already established early on that this happens all the time I never expected any jump scares to come as a result of rooms plunging into darkness.
Besides the too much information blurb I found myself questioning too many elements to really enjoy much of the read.
With her sister missing and this website being pretty much her only clue I doubt that Lupe would have handed over her sister’s login information to a 14 year old investigative journalist wannabe she’d just met.
I would have thought that a horror video competition would encourage originality but most of the videos seem to be of girls being chased through the woods. “Everyone shot their videos in the woods.”
We hear about “creepy nursery rhyme recitations” but the vagueness of this detracts from any potential creepiness.
If Evelyn (Sabrina’s best and maybe only friend) was so concerned about Sabrina’s safety while meeting some random person from the internet then why didn’t she go with her? Originally I thought I might like Evelyn with her dyed streak in her hair and somewhat rebellious attitude. I was wrong.
I wasn’t sure why Sabrina didn’t try to warn her sister that she feared she’d be the next victim. Even with the adults of the world in collective disbelief and the risk of not being believed by Faith either, I still would have been warning her to be “super” careful.
Do sophomores and seniors have classes together? They do in this book.
I found it odd that Sabrina didn’t know that the guy her best friend had a crush on last summer is the same guy she has a crush on now; the one she gushes over in the coffee shop in the first chapter. The page after this confusion Evelyn seems to get confused about why Sabrina would be mentioning her uncle in relation to the missing girl. You know, the only uncle that’s mentioned in the book; the police detective.
I doubt detective uncle would be revealing details of an open case to his 14 year old niece. It was also fairly convenient that both times his niece dropped by the police station Uncle John just so happened to be working and sitting at his desk.
While I loved the front cover image and it’s part of the reason why I wanted to read this book in the first place there’s no mention in the entire book of a ferris wheel. Funland “featured go karts, an arcade, and mini-golf”. I had really hoped for a clichéd but fun final scene atop the ferris wheel or on some other unseen but amusement type ride. I was quite disappointed in the big reveal and the explanation that followed.
I came across plenty of typos but as I read an ARC I expect/hope they would have been corrected prior to publication. There was a fair bit of time spent recounting information the characters and reader already know. There were also some sentences that didn’t exactly fit well with what followed, e.g., “Sabrina didn’t sleep at all that night.” The rest of the paragraph talks about her waking up from nightmares.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book. Had the blurb not given away too much I expect I would have enjoyed it more.
While it was an okay read it felt like it was a victim of its own marketing in a way. It’s marketed (depending on where you look) towards readers between 12 and 15 years or 12 and 18 years. I think 12 would be towards the higher end of the age group that would enjoy this book most.
I can trace a lot of the problems I had with this book back to its blurb. We’re told very clearly that Faith, Sabrina’s sister, goes missing so I assumed this would happen fairly early in the story and then we’d spend the rest of the book chasing down clues to try to save her before its too late.
As a result of this (wrong) assumption each time I read Faith’s name I was looking for clues and getting ready to learn of her disappearance and potential demise. Then I got bored waiting for the inevitable. By the time it finally happens I was already 85% of the way through the book and I don’t think I’ll be so happy to learn that someone may have been kidnapped ever again.
It’s difficult to know what spoiler territory looks like in a book whose blurb is possibly the biggest spoiler of all so let’s just say there are potential spoilers in my review. Consider yourself warned.
Sabrina is a 14 year old wannabe investigative journalist. She like super wants to apply for a summer internship at a newspaper. If that last sentence annoyed you then this is probably not the book for you. People are “super busy”, things are “super creepy” or “super weird”, and “it was super illegal”. “He, like, volunteers” and is “like the nicest guy in the entire school”.
Why does our main character, who loves documentaries and romantic comedies, decide to investigate a website hosted by horror movie makers? Because she hasn’t come up with a good lead for her internship application and her best (and possibly only) friend thinks it’s a good idea. After watching one video and suitably freaking herself out Sabrina decides there’s more to the story and continues her own personal scare fest for the rest of the book.
Sabrina scares herself when the lights suddenly go out in her home a couple of times but as it’s already established early on that this happens all the time I never expected any jump scares to come as a result of rooms plunging into darkness.
Besides the too much information blurb I found myself questioning too many elements to really enjoy much of the read.
With her sister missing and this website being pretty much her only clue I doubt that Lupe would have handed over her sister’s login information to a 14 year old investigative journalist wannabe she’d just met.
I would have thought that a horror video competition would encourage originality but most of the videos seem to be of girls being chased through the woods. “Everyone shot their videos in the woods.”
We hear about “creepy nursery rhyme recitations” but the vagueness of this detracts from any potential creepiness.
If Evelyn (Sabrina’s best and maybe only friend) was so concerned about Sabrina’s safety while meeting some random person from the internet then why didn’t she go with her? Originally I thought I might like Evelyn with her dyed streak in her hair and somewhat rebellious attitude. I was wrong.
“I care about popularity, and I need you to pull it together, Sabrina. We are perfectly positioned to be in the mid-tier of cool next year, which means we will at least be popular enough to get invited to the good parties. But that’s not going to happen if you keep up with running around like this.”When it seems as though Sabrina is in actual danger she lies to her mother. I spent most of the book wondering why Sabrina didn’t tell her mother what she was investigating and then I found out. Sabrina finally tells her Mum and she’s not believed. Okay, question answered.
I wasn’t sure why Sabrina didn’t try to warn her sister that she feared she’d be the next victim. Even with the adults of the world in collective disbelief and the risk of not being believed by Faith either, I still would have been warning her to be “super” careful.
Do sophomores and seniors have classes together? They do in this book.
I found it odd that Sabrina didn’t know that the guy her best friend had a crush on last summer is the same guy she has a crush on now; the one she gushes over in the coffee shop in the first chapter. The page after this confusion Evelyn seems to get confused about why Sabrina would be mentioning her uncle in relation to the missing girl. You know, the only uncle that’s mentioned in the book; the police detective.
I doubt detective uncle would be revealing details of an open case to his 14 year old niece. It was also fairly convenient that both times his niece dropped by the police station Uncle John just so happened to be working and sitting at his desk.
While I loved the front cover image and it’s part of the reason why I wanted to read this book in the first place there’s no mention in the entire book of a ferris wheel. Funland “featured go karts, an arcade, and mini-golf”. I had really hoped for a clichéd but fun final scene atop the ferris wheel or on some other unseen but amusement type ride. I was quite disappointed in the big reveal and the explanation that followed.
I came across plenty of typos but as I read an ARC I expect/hope they would have been corrected prior to publication. There was a fair bit of time spent recounting information the characters and reader already know. There were also some sentences that didn’t exactly fit well with what followed, e.g., “Sabrina didn’t sleep at all that night.” The rest of the paragraph talks about her waking up from nightmares.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book. Had the blurb not given away too much I expect I would have enjoyed it more.
August 10, 2018
Sabrina Sebastian dreams of being an investigative reporter. Right now she's a reporter for her school's paper, The Mount Clare High School Weekly, but she has her eyes set on a internship at the Daily Sun. A real reporting job! She wants to write an exciting story that will get her noticed. She decides to look into rumors surrounding a horror website, Scream Site. The site is sponsoring a contest to award a big prize to the maker of the video with the most likes and shares at the end of the year. But, rumors are circulating that girls who have posted popular videos to the site are disappearing. Sabrina starts researching the site and the rumors and discovers the stories might just be true. The whole thing might just revolve around the sponsors of Scream Site, a closed amusement park and a Scream Site user, Shady99. When she starts looking deeper into the disappearances, she starts receiving threats. Her perfect news story might just be a bit more dangerous than she thought!
The premise for this story makes for a great YA horror story. Horror video site gone horribly wrong. And for the first 2/3 of the book, I was completely engrossed in the plot. But....the ending fell flat for me. I felt the ending was rushed and a bit too convenient....a "safe'' ending? While it is important to remember the audience a book is written for, I think the end for this one was a bit too childish.....like an old Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys ending. Too soft. I was waiting for a horrific finish......and I didn't get it.
But, I enjoyed the story up to that point. My son, who is a YouTube fanatic, would like this book. I think he would have the same comments about the ending that I did though.
I liked this book enough to read more by this author. The story was engaging and interesting. My only problem with it was the ending. I wanted more of a Scream from Scream Site. Justina Ireland has written several other YA books including Dread Nation and Vengeance Bound. Dread Nation sound so interesting! A zombie story set back in the Civil War era....definitely added to my TBR list!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Capstone via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
The premise for this story makes for a great YA horror story. Horror video site gone horribly wrong. And for the first 2/3 of the book, I was completely engrossed in the plot. But....the ending fell flat for me. I felt the ending was rushed and a bit too convenient....a "safe'' ending? While it is important to remember the audience a book is written for, I think the end for this one was a bit too childish.....like an old Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys ending. Too soft. I was waiting for a horrific finish......and I didn't get it.
But, I enjoyed the story up to that point. My son, who is a YouTube fanatic, would like this book. I think he would have the same comments about the ending that I did though.
I liked this book enough to read more by this author. The story was engaging and interesting. My only problem with it was the ending. I wanted more of a Scream from Scream Site. Justina Ireland has written several other YA books including Dread Nation and Vengeance Bound. Dread Nation sound so interesting! A zombie story set back in the Civil War era....definitely added to my TBR list!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Capstone via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
June 29, 2018
Description of the book sounds different than the book. The story around Sabrina, 14 who is working on her story for the internship when she found out about Scream site and uncovered some horrible things behind it.
If I talk about story only story, the concept was good and interesting, the mystery was well kept and the pace was good, but writing style didn’t impress me after 50 pages I skim read it, and I am happy I did instead of DNFing it. I lost my counting how many times Sabrina’s name was used it was irritating, some other things were so repeated like how little is sabrina she is just a kid…and after her father died before his father died, I couldn’t say why it was so important to clear it again and again…Sabrina’s mother is irritating, how a mother can’t believe her daughter….The ending was too quick and could be better…Most of the people were silly and heartless.
I don’t get when every character is named in the book even if it gets a little part in the story…I am not a fan of naming every character.
If I talk about story only story, the concept was good and interesting, the mystery was well kept and the pace was good, but writing style didn’t impress me after 50 pages I skim read it, and I am happy I did instead of DNFing it. I lost my counting how many times Sabrina’s name was used it was irritating, some other things were so repeated like how little is sabrina she is just a kid…and after her father died before his father died, I couldn’t say why it was so important to clear it again and again…Sabrina’s mother is irritating, how a mother can’t believe her daughter….The ending was too quick and could be better…Most of the people were silly and heartless.
I don’t get when every character is named in the book even if it gets a little part in the story…I am not a fan of naming every character.
July 3, 2018
It could have been a good middle grade novel, except it was difficult for me to be interested in the story and its characters. For some reason, the plot kind of dragged. Then when the mystery was out, it seemed predictable and in a sense, less thrilling and exciting than what I had anticipated. I just didn't enjoy my reading experience for this one. I think this book just wasn't for me.
While I did read this novel because of the intriguing blurb, it just didn't delivered what it promised (in my opinion). The book did not meet my expectations. At the same time, I just didn't care for its characters. I don't know if it was because I'm too old to be reading middle grade, or the characters just weren't interesting to me. Even if this was the case, there was just something in this book that didn't seem too bad. I thought the writing was atmospheric and the author did deliver what I think is the message of the book or the lesson of the story, since this is a middle grade novel after all.
**Huge thanks to the publisher at Netgalley for providing access to this book in exchange for an honest review
While I did read this novel because of the intriguing blurb, it just didn't delivered what it promised (in my opinion). The book did not meet my expectations. At the same time, I just didn't care for its characters. I don't know if it was because I'm too old to be reading middle grade, or the characters just weren't interesting to me. Even if this was the case, there was just something in this book that didn't seem too bad. I thought the writing was atmospheric and the author did deliver what I think is the message of the book or the lesson of the story, since this is a middle grade novel after all.
**Huge thanks to the publisher at Netgalley for providing access to this book in exchange for an honest review
October 25, 2018
This was a perfect October read! I was spooked, but not overly scared. I loved the abandoned amusement park/horror/mystery elements to this story. It was lots of fun & perfect for the younger crowd!
January 18, 2019
I liked this book. It was simple and Sabrina did not seem as dumb as some amateur investigators.
I also enjoyed the realistic ending - I'm sick of everyone getting involved in a murder case.
Very confused about where Mrs. Wembley came from, though. How did she know what was going on with her brother and Funland? Seemed to come out of nowhere. It does make sense because the book is from Sabrina's POV but it's never explained how Mrs. W happened to be there at the right time.
You know who was REALLY dumb?? Those girls who fell for Dan's nonsense. Again, realistic. It happens; people get scammed every day. And even when they ARE smart about life.
Mariann frustrated me. Sabrina told her that her family was a mess and her sister was desperate to find her, and she's all, "Well that's nice but I had blocked her messages." No remorse, she doesn't realize the seriousness of the situation...nothing.
Also, Dan seemed on the verge of becoming very unstable...but he was already sending threatening messages and trying to run Sabrina over with his car?? That DOES seem more like the behavior of a murderer and not someone just scamming some girls because he has a mental problem. It built up dramatic effect but didn't seem in character. Besides, two girls left and he didn't chase them down or anything? It didn't seem like anyone was being held prisoner so...why so aggressive?
I overall did enjoy this book but I at first thought it was a debut novel...and it 100% isn't. Oops.
I also enjoyed the realistic ending - I'm sick of everyone getting involved in a murder case.
Very confused about where Mrs. Wembley came from, though. How did she know what was going on with her brother and Funland? Seemed to come out of nowhere. It does make sense because the book is from Sabrina's POV but it's never explained how Mrs. W happened to be there at the right time.
You know who was REALLY dumb?? Those girls who fell for Dan's nonsense. Again, realistic. It happens; people get scammed every day. And even when they ARE smart about life.
Mariann frustrated me. Sabrina told her that her family was a mess and her sister was desperate to find her, and she's all, "Well that's nice but I had blocked her messages." No remorse, she doesn't realize the seriousness of the situation...nothing.
Also, Dan seemed on the verge of becoming very unstable...but he was already sending threatening messages and trying to run Sabrina over with his car?? That DOES seem more like the behavior of a murderer and not someone just scamming some girls because he has a mental problem. It built up dramatic effect but didn't seem in character. Besides, two girls left and he didn't chase them down or anything? It didn't seem like anyone was being held prisoner so...why so aggressive?
I overall did enjoy this book but I at first thought it was a debut novel...and it 100% isn't. Oops.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2018
There is no nice way I can express this: Awful.
Maybe I'm being so harsh because I'm low on sleep and didn't get my much needed coffee, but this book was such a disappointment.
The synopsis was so intriguing and sounded like the perfect Halloween read. I really expected something scary and gruesome. Instead I got a half hearted mystery chock full of blandness.
The writing right from the beginning was something I knew I would not be vibing with, but I wanted to push through to give this book a chance. After all, there had to be something promising? Nope. I was wrong. It was so much telling rather than showing. Instead of showing a character's fear, Ireland told us how scared the character was. It was lots of information that the reader could figure out, but instead I was thrown all of these statements that I already knew, because I read the book. It felt so elementary and simplistic. I honestly wondered if I mistook this book for a middle grade. (I like middle grade, but when expecting a thriller, I'd rather not read it in middle grade style)
The plot was also lackluster. There should have been more suspense and build, but in the end, I just didn't care when it came to the reveal. I wasn't shocked, and it felt so cliché.
I could spill the tea even more, but instead I'm going to get my coffee, because that seems like a good way to spend my time instead of ranting.
Maybe I'm being so harsh because I'm low on sleep and didn't get my much needed coffee, but this book was such a disappointment.
The synopsis was so intriguing and sounded like the perfect Halloween read. I really expected something scary and gruesome. Instead I got a half hearted mystery chock full of blandness.
The writing right from the beginning was something I knew I would not be vibing with, but I wanted to push through to give this book a chance. After all, there had to be something promising? Nope. I was wrong. It was so much telling rather than showing. Instead of showing a character's fear, Ireland told us how scared the character was. It was lots of information that the reader could figure out, but instead I was thrown all of these statements that I already knew, because I read the book. It felt so elementary and simplistic. I honestly wondered if I mistook this book for a middle grade. (I like middle grade, but when expecting a thriller, I'd rather not read it in middle grade style)
The plot was also lackluster. There should have been more suspense and build, but in the end, I just didn't care when it came to the reveal. I wasn't shocked, and it felt so cliché.
I could spill the tea even more, but instead I'm going to get my coffee, because that seems like a good way to spend my time instead of ranting.
December 29, 2018
Cover:
I love the blue colour on the cover, but I don't really like the cover xD
Synopsis:
Sabrina Sebastian's goal in life is to be an investigative reporter. For her first big story, she researches a popular website called Scream Site, where people post scary videos and compete for the most "screams." While Sabrina's friends and her sister, Faith, talk nonstop about the creepy viral videos, Sabrina just hopes that covering this trend will get her the internship she's wishing for. But as she digs into the truth behind the website, she begins to suspect that these aren't only aspiring actors and videographers at work. Some clips seem a little too real. And when Faith goes missing, Sabrina must race against time to save her sister from becoming the next video "star."
Writing style / Plot:
It was just one boring hell of a ride. I'm sorry. But I did dnf this book at 25 percent. I just couldn't get into it and it was just so boring that I almost fell asleep ... (I'm so sorry).
I love the blue colour on the cover, but I don't really like the cover xD
Synopsis:
Sabrina Sebastian's goal in life is to be an investigative reporter. For her first big story, she researches a popular website called Scream Site, where people post scary videos and compete for the most "screams." While Sabrina's friends and her sister, Faith, talk nonstop about the creepy viral videos, Sabrina just hopes that covering this trend will get her the internship she's wishing for. But as she digs into the truth behind the website, she begins to suspect that these aren't only aspiring actors and videographers at work. Some clips seem a little too real. And when Faith goes missing, Sabrina must race against time to save her sister from becoming the next video "star."
Writing style / Plot:
It was just one boring hell of a ride. I'm sorry. But I did dnf this book at 25 percent. I just couldn't get into it and it was just so boring that I almost fell asleep ... (I'm so sorry).
May 13, 2018
I came across this title on a list of must-reads of 2018. I read the blurb and was excited to receive an Advanced proof copy from Netgalley.
The story follows 14-year-old Sabrina whose passion is journalism. She is preparing an application for an internship at the local online paper, but to send in a convincing portfolio she is on the search for a compelling story.
Said pursuit leads her to Scream Site, a website set up by a couple of horror directors for aspiring directors to upload their 'scary' videos and compete for a one-in-a-lifetime chance to go to Hollywood. There appears to be some kind of correlation between uploaders and missing girls, so Sabrina decides to investigate. She soon becomes embroiled in an apparent conspiracy that could lead to her sister's life being in danger.
The book blurb sounded exciting and I couldn't wait to get into this. Trouble is, the blurb did not mention our protagonist was only 14. I expected a credible, suspenseful tale, instead, my eyes were assaulted by some of the poorest writing I have come across. The authors tells us everything... and repeats it ad nauseum. We are given the facts of the case as often as we come across a 'previously on' recap in a television show - that is, in every single chapter. The majority of the 266 pages of the book were mostly copy-pasted from earlier chapters.
The central premise, so sensationally drawn out in the blurb, dwindles down to a little girl who no one will believe. Herein lies the biggest problem with the book's conceit - none of the adults believe Sabrina, and instead jump to a far-fetched assumption that suspends belief beyond stretching point. It was incredibly... for lack of a better word, stupid.
There are several narrative problems that aggravate the reader. Spoilers ahead for the book:
The website is about making the scariest video, but all the girls who participate are invariably the actors of said videos. How come? Why haven't they roped in their friends, who may do a better job and importantly, allow these 'aspiring filmmakers' to concentrate on making the film?
The only videos that appear to be uploaded are of girls being chased. Is that a pre-requisite for the competition? In which case the author should have let us know. Also, that would make this competition very sexist, and investigating that angle would have made this book far more interesting.
How is it possible that girls have gone missing for months, yet none of the cops investigate these or are, at the very least, alarmed enough to let people know. There's some page-long spiel about girls running away, but let's be honest, how many runaways can a small town have in the span of four months? It's obvious there haven't been that many runaways before, because none of the four 'runaways' Sabrina investigates are such, they are all part of the website scheme - internal logic suggests her Uncle John is the worst cop ever.
The writer equates a film-maker with an actor, and it irritates the hell out of me. They are not the same thing, and while many people can do both, that doesn't mean everyone can. Also, the author evidently knows nothing about films, because the only videos she mentions are chase videos and... well, she doesn't go into detail about technique so I'm not sure how different they all could possibly be.
The denouement is extremely rushed. The whole point of the entire book is to find out what happened to these girls. And, throughout, we are expecting Sabrina's sister Faith to get kidnapped, but that happens in the last 30 pages. Following which, the 'mystery' unravels. So, there was zero suspense.
Also, the 'mystery' was such a let down. It felt like the author wanted to write one particular book, but then realised the PG rating being slapped on it, so changed tact partway through. This is like the film 'Game Night', except without the self-aware humour.
Well done in maligning mental illness sufferers - in 2018 we certainly needed more of that. #Not. How can we possibly believe that Dan Parks, the villain, became so unhinged in the span of a year to suddenly go PG-rated Casanova from 'Kiss the Girls'. It doesn't take much to tip someone over, but they have to be on the cliff first. This is where characterisation would help, but the author eschews that for repetition. We know nothing about Parks, other than he made a convenient act 3 villain.
Because the writer does not paint a substantial picture of who these people are and what this town is like, we simply do not care about the characters. The villain isn't the only one without characterisation - everyone suffers the same fate. They are all plot points that move the story along.
There are many other niggling errors that make the entire reading experience terrible. Simple things like how a passionate lover of journalism conveniently doesn't know that two famous directors were going to shoot a film in her hometown and have set up an online website that is the talk of the town; or how a place she and her family used to visit all the time has been shut down, but neither Sabrina nor anyone in her vicinity doesn't knows about it; Sabrina knowing what kind of person Felicity (first victim) was like, when she doesn't know her; none of the characters checking Facebook or other social networks for information about the missing girls; why there are only missing girls? Much more, as well.
End spoiler.
Since this was a proof copy, it was rife with typos. I'm going to give it a pass for that, simply because I can't complain any more about the book.
Weak writing combined with tedious repetitions and worse, no story structure, make this a pointless read. This is what happens when you rely on internet recommendations and blurbs - they lie. Can I read the book the blurb talks about, because this one isn't it.
The story follows 14-year-old Sabrina whose passion is journalism. She is preparing an application for an internship at the local online paper, but to send in a convincing portfolio she is on the search for a compelling story.
Said pursuit leads her to Scream Site, a website set up by a couple of horror directors for aspiring directors to upload their 'scary' videos and compete for a one-in-a-lifetime chance to go to Hollywood. There appears to be some kind of correlation between uploaders and missing girls, so Sabrina decides to investigate. She soon becomes embroiled in an apparent conspiracy that could lead to her sister's life being in danger.
The book blurb sounded exciting and I couldn't wait to get into this. Trouble is, the blurb did not mention our protagonist was only 14. I expected a credible, suspenseful tale, instead, my eyes were assaulted by some of the poorest writing I have come across. The authors tells us everything... and repeats it ad nauseum. We are given the facts of the case as often as we come across a 'previously on' recap in a television show - that is, in every single chapter. The majority of the 266 pages of the book were mostly copy-pasted from earlier chapters.
The central premise, so sensationally drawn out in the blurb, dwindles down to a little girl who no one will believe. Herein lies the biggest problem with the book's conceit - none of the adults believe Sabrina, and instead jump to a far-fetched assumption that suspends belief beyond stretching point. It was incredibly... for lack of a better word, stupid.
There are several narrative problems that aggravate the reader. Spoilers ahead for the book:
The website is about making the scariest video, but all the girls who participate are invariably the actors of said videos. How come? Why haven't they roped in their friends, who may do a better job and importantly, allow these 'aspiring filmmakers' to concentrate on making the film?
The only videos that appear to be uploaded are of girls being chased. Is that a pre-requisite for the competition? In which case the author should have let us know. Also, that would make this competition very sexist, and investigating that angle would have made this book far more interesting.
How is it possible that girls have gone missing for months, yet none of the cops investigate these or are, at the very least, alarmed enough to let people know. There's some page-long spiel about girls running away, but let's be honest, how many runaways can a small town have in the span of four months? It's obvious there haven't been that many runaways before, because none of the four 'runaways' Sabrina investigates are such, they are all part of the website scheme - internal logic suggests her Uncle John is the worst cop ever.
The writer equates a film-maker with an actor, and it irritates the hell out of me. They are not the same thing, and while many people can do both, that doesn't mean everyone can. Also, the author evidently knows nothing about films, because the only videos she mentions are chase videos and... well, she doesn't go into detail about technique so I'm not sure how different they all could possibly be.
The denouement is extremely rushed. The whole point of the entire book is to find out what happened to these girls. And, throughout, we are expecting Sabrina's sister Faith to get kidnapped, but that happens in the last 30 pages. Following which, the 'mystery' unravels. So, there was zero suspense.
Also, the 'mystery' was such a let down. It felt like the author wanted to write one particular book, but then realised the PG rating being slapped on it, so changed tact partway through. This is like the film 'Game Night', except without the self-aware humour.
Well done in maligning mental illness sufferers - in 2018 we certainly needed more of that. #Not. How can we possibly believe that Dan Parks, the villain, became so unhinged in the span of a year to suddenly go PG-rated Casanova from 'Kiss the Girls'. It doesn't take much to tip someone over, but they have to be on the cliff first. This is where characterisation would help, but the author eschews that for repetition. We know nothing about Parks, other than he made a convenient act 3 villain.
Because the writer does not paint a substantial picture of who these people are and what this town is like, we simply do not care about the characters. The villain isn't the only one without characterisation - everyone suffers the same fate. They are all plot points that move the story along.
There are many other niggling errors that make the entire reading experience terrible. Simple things like how a passionate lover of journalism conveniently doesn't know that two famous directors were going to shoot a film in her hometown and have set up an online website that is the talk of the town; or how a place she and her family used to visit all the time has been shut down, but neither Sabrina nor anyone in her vicinity doesn't knows about it; Sabrina knowing what kind of person Felicity (first victim) was like, when she doesn't know her; none of the characters checking Facebook or other social networks for information about the missing girls; why there are only missing girls? Much more, as well.
End spoiler.
Since this was a proof copy, it was rife with typos. I'm going to give it a pass for that, simply because I can't complain any more about the book.
Weak writing combined with tedious repetitions and worse, no story structure, make this a pointless read. This is what happens when you rely on internet recommendations and blurbs - they lie. Can I read the book the blurb talks about, because this one isn't it.
May 9, 2021
This book is one of the best suspense/horror books I have ever read! It wasn’t very scary (I don’t tolerate horror very well, but I did just fine with this) but it also left you on the edge of your seat and it could be creepy at times! So don’t read it if you are super sensitive to that stuff. It was very, very clean which is always a huge plus! I would recommend it if you are looking for a suspense/horror book that won’t keep you up at night from nightmares! It was great!
April 22, 2024
The ending was kinda weird, but the book was good
June 16, 2018
I got sent this book in exchange for a honest review, all my opinions are my own and thank you so much to the publishers for sending me this book!
This story follows Sabrina, who works for her high school's newspaper and she is encouraged to write her report on a new internet crazy website called Scream Site where people are posting scary videos in hopes of winning a competition hosted by a film director.
This a very dark thrilling mystery book and I really really enjoyed it! It was different and I appreciated that. I don't read a lot of Young Adult Thrillers so it was definitely something new and foreign to me.
I did not like our Main Character, she was very Mary Sue in the worst possible way. She mentions of how she works for the school newspaper and how she is scared of horror movies and how her life is perfect in every way and how sweet and innocent she is but to be honest it did fit well in with the story.
Overall it was a great book and if you are interested in reading it, Scream Site hits shelves on the 1st August.
This story follows Sabrina, who works for her high school's newspaper and she is encouraged to write her report on a new internet crazy website called Scream Site where people are posting scary videos in hopes of winning a competition hosted by a film director.
This a very dark thrilling mystery book and I really really enjoyed it! It was different and I appreciated that. I don't read a lot of Young Adult Thrillers so it was definitely something new and foreign to me.
I did not like our Main Character, she was very Mary Sue in the worst possible way. She mentions of how she works for the school newspaper and how she is scared of horror movies and how her life is perfect in every way and how sweet and innocent she is but to be honest it did fit well in with the story.
Overall it was a great book and if you are interested in reading it, Scream Site hits shelves on the 1st August.
July 2, 2018
Scream Site is a fast-paced, kind of creepy mystery that tackles safety on the internet and would be appropriate for younger teens, say 12 or 13 years old. High school freshman Sabrina dreams of becoming an investigative journalist and needs the perfect article for her internship application. When she begins investigating the link between missing girls and website for amateur horror videos, things become a little too real and connected with her own life.
This was a quick and pretty enjoyable read. The writing level definitely feels like it's on the younger end and it gets a bit didactic about the the importance of internet safety with things like identity theft and stalking. But overall it was an interesting, slightly creepy if ultimately tame story. Sabrina sometimes does some stupid things in her investigation, but to be fair, the adults in her life seem very quick to attribute everything to her overactive imagination and grief over the death of her father. The family dynamics (widowed mom who works all the time, distant older sister) felt realistic, if sad. Some of the plot points were a bit convenient, and couple of things with the ending didn't quite make sense, but overall I think this could be a good mystery-thriller introduction for a young teen. I agreed to review an early copy of this book via NetGalley.
This was a quick and pretty enjoyable read. The writing level definitely feels like it's on the younger end and it gets a bit didactic about the the importance of internet safety with things like identity theft and stalking. But overall it was an interesting, slightly creepy if ultimately tame story. Sabrina sometimes does some stupid things in her investigation, but to be fair, the adults in her life seem very quick to attribute everything to her overactive imagination and grief over the death of her father. The family dynamics (widowed mom who works all the time, distant older sister) felt realistic, if sad. Some of the plot points were a bit convenient, and couple of things with the ending didn't quite make sense, but overall I think this could be a good mystery-thriller introduction for a young teen. I agreed to review an early copy of this book via NetGalley.
March 20, 2019
out of the few thriller novels that I have read, this has got to be a favorite. I was seriously not expecting the plot twist. one of the best twists that I have ever seen! good things to say all around.
March 27, 2018
Take two parts Blair Witch Project, and mix it with one part "nobody believes me, I'm just a kid" trope; mix in a rocks glass, salt the rim, and what we have here is Justina Ireland's Scream Site.
Rating:
How I'd Describe This Book to a Friend
Our main star of this little mysterious ditty is Sabrina Sebastian, a high school freshman who wants more than anything in the world to become an investigative journalist. Sabrina lost her father almost a year ago, and is coping with that loss. Combined with her overprotective nurse mom who is always working long hours and an older sister named Faith who plays the traditional role of "older sister" and can't stand 95% of what Sabrina does, we have a fairly bog standard recipe for impending doom.
Honorable mention goes to Sabrina's best friend Evelyn, who bucks all gender norms and stereotypes of her Asian upbringing and spends all of her free time when not working at her grandparents' grocery store dying her hair, eating pizza, and trying to figure out how to get the school's requisite hottie - Asher - to notice her. Evelyn is a force to be reckoned with, and I appreciated her a lot.
Trouble begins when Sabrina decides to investigate this website that has recently popped up called Scream Site - a popular YouTube clone run by two famous horror film director brothers. Contestants upload homebrewed scary movies and short films - they are then rated, and presumably at some point the directors will take notice of who actually has a modicum of talent, and invite this person to come work with them. In an attempt to get into a prestigious journalism camp, Sabrina is eager to write an expose more intriguing than one questioning the composition of the taco meat at school - but then she hears a spicy rumor: girls are going missing. Girls that were once number one on the Scream Site board. Well, that beats the hell out of the taco meat paper ...
It takes off from there, Sabrina desperately trying to unravel the truth as it becomes more and more obvious to her that something is really going wrong here - unfortunately for her, she's a young kid and nobody really believes her. She races against time to try to put a stop to these kidnappings, and to bring these girls home.
The Bottom Line
I enjoyed this book. To its credit, I had no idea what the hell the answer was until near the end, and when it came out it was 50% "oh, what?!" and 50% "... seriously?" - it felt a bit hamfisted in its wrapping the story up in a neat little bow. If we didn't find out on the back summary panel that Sabrina's sister Faith was going to be kidnapped, that might have come as quite a shock to us and made it even more enjoyable! I actually did not read the summary panel, so I didn't know Faith was going to be taken from her family - that was a jolt I think that I needed, and if I had read the summary I wouldn't have received said jolt.
Sabrina's family is diverse and loving, if flawed. I enjoyed seeing a young woman of color as a main character in a book that does not focus solely on race - it's merely a backdrop, a conversation piece. Overall, Ireland's ride through Scream Site is an enjoyable one, and if you can suspend disbelief for its near-300 page jaunt, it is one worth taking.
(I received this ARC via NetGalley, but this in no way shapes my opinions and ratings).
Rating:
How I'd Describe This Book to a Friend
Our main star of this little mysterious ditty is Sabrina Sebastian, a high school freshman who wants more than anything in the world to become an investigative journalist. Sabrina lost her father almost a year ago, and is coping with that loss. Combined with her overprotective nurse mom who is always working long hours and an older sister named Faith who plays the traditional role of "older sister" and can't stand 95% of what Sabrina does, we have a fairly bog standard recipe for impending doom.
Honorable mention goes to Sabrina's best friend Evelyn, who bucks all gender norms and stereotypes of her Asian upbringing and spends all of her free time when not working at her grandparents' grocery store dying her hair, eating pizza, and trying to figure out how to get the school's requisite hottie - Asher - to notice her. Evelyn is a force to be reckoned with, and I appreciated her a lot.
Trouble begins when Sabrina decides to investigate this website that has recently popped up called Scream Site - a popular YouTube clone run by two famous horror film director brothers. Contestants upload homebrewed scary movies and short films - they are then rated, and presumably at some point the directors will take notice of who actually has a modicum of talent, and invite this person to come work with them. In an attempt to get into a prestigious journalism camp, Sabrina is eager to write an expose more intriguing than one questioning the composition of the taco meat at school - but then she hears a spicy rumor: girls are going missing. Girls that were once number one on the Scream Site board. Well, that beats the hell out of the taco meat paper ...
It takes off from there, Sabrina desperately trying to unravel the truth as it becomes more and more obvious to her that something is really going wrong here - unfortunately for her, she's a young kid and nobody really believes her. She races against time to try to put a stop to these kidnappings, and to bring these girls home.
The Bottom Line
I enjoyed this book. To its credit, I had no idea what the hell the answer was until near the end, and when it came out it was 50% "oh, what?!" and 50% "... seriously?" - it felt a bit hamfisted in its wrapping the story up in a neat little bow. If we didn't find out on the back summary panel that Sabrina's sister Faith was going to be kidnapped, that might have come as quite a shock to us and made it even more enjoyable! I actually did not read the summary panel, so I didn't know Faith was going to be taken from her family - that was a jolt I think that I needed, and if I had read the summary I wouldn't have received said jolt.
Sabrina's family is diverse and loving, if flawed. I enjoyed seeing a young woman of color as a main character in a book that does not focus solely on race - it's merely a backdrop, a conversation piece. Overall, Ireland's ride through Scream Site is an enjoyable one, and if you can suspend disbelief for its near-300 page jaunt, it is one worth taking.
(I received this ARC via NetGalley, but this in no way shapes my opinions and ratings).
August 2, 2018
Scream Site is a thriller novel about a young aspiring journalist working to uncover the mystery behind disappearances of girls connected to a horror site. Sabrina is a high school freshman, and she is determined enough to apply for an internship program at a news outlet - but first she needs a really good article to show her skills with. On the suggestion of her friend, Evelyn, she starts looking into the rumors surrounding Scream Site, that there are girls who use it and disappear. With the cases close to home, and because the police (which includes her uncle) not taking the disappearances seriously because they think them to be adult runaways, she feels she needs to see the investigation through, even if it seems like her life is also being threatened.
For a novel that is supposed to be a thriller, and with a name like that, the writing doesn't lend to much dramatic tension or evoking a sense of dread, except for maybe like one scene in the start of the book (when there wasn't even a real threat, just her nerves!). For the most part, it circles around Sabrina wondering if she should go forward with an increasingly dangerous investigation (she is only 14 so this is valid), and lying to the people worried about her looking into such a thing and endangering herself (also valid, because she is 14!) which means there is some sneaking around, a couple of library trips (which is weird because she has an internet connection and laptop at home), and a risky trip to an abandoned amusement park. Sabrina is convinced the videos posted on the horror site are real, while others are trying to convince her that it is only fake, as it should be. And so it goes over and over with her friend, her English teacher (who I had my eye on), her suspect Asher (thankfully there isn't a romantic arc with him) and her uncle (who learns a lesson in never dismissing evidence just because it came from a teenager).
Additionally, I felt this book lacked any sort of characterization or character development. It is pretty short, so it makes for a fast read, but it loses any meaningful characterization in lieu of making a high-stakes thrilling plot (which, I feel, it failed at). The story itself is good, which is a saving grace, but combined with the non-existent characterization and the lack of an atmosphere where you would feel worried about your protagonist, it doesn't make for an entertaining read. The twist at the ending was good, but also felt rushed when it involved Faith, as it felt like a way to give a personal level of involvement to Sabrina (that she was trying to create throughout the book).
Verdict: good story, but no thrills. Doesn't deliver on the promise of a good mystery novel.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Capstone, via Netgalley.
For a novel that is supposed to be a thriller, and with a name like that, the writing doesn't lend to much dramatic tension or evoking a sense of dread, except for maybe like one scene in the start of the book (when there wasn't even a real threat, just her nerves!). For the most part, it circles around Sabrina wondering if she should go forward with an increasingly dangerous investigation (she is only 14 so this is valid), and lying to the people worried about her looking into such a thing and endangering herself (also valid, because she is 14!) which means there is some sneaking around, a couple of library trips (which is weird because she has an internet connection and laptop at home), and a risky trip to an abandoned amusement park. Sabrina is convinced the videos posted on the horror site are real, while others are trying to convince her that it is only fake, as it should be. And so it goes over and over with her friend, her English teacher (who I had my eye on), her suspect Asher (thankfully there isn't a romantic arc with him) and her uncle (who learns a lesson in never dismissing evidence just because it came from a teenager).
Additionally, I felt this book lacked any sort of characterization or character development. It is pretty short, so it makes for a fast read, but it loses any meaningful characterization in lieu of making a high-stakes thrilling plot (which, I feel, it failed at). The story itself is good, which is a saving grace, but combined with the non-existent characterization and the lack of an atmosphere where you would feel worried about your protagonist, it doesn't make for an entertaining read. The twist at the ending was good, but also felt rushed when it involved Faith, as it felt like a way to give a personal level of involvement to Sabrina (that she was trying to create throughout the book).
Verdict: good story, but no thrills. Doesn't deliver on the promise of a good mystery novel.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Capstone, via Netgalley.
June 29, 2021
I was prepared to really love this book. At around 50% of the way through the book, I was already planning the glowing review I would write. It was spooky, it had a pretty original plot. And then the last twenty, ten percent or so of the book happened, and all that went out the window.
I think there are definitely some good things about this book. First, I thought it was a solid premise. Aspiring reporter investigates a series of disappearances potentially connected to a video website where people can upload scary videos to try and score a movie deal. As a result, there is huge competition for the number one spots. But then number one spots start disappearing, and videos uploaded by a user called "Shady99" start taking over the spots, using female actors whose faces are never shown. The videos are incredibly realistic, tease at possible deaths or torture of the girls, and no one knows who Shady99 is, or where the girls are, if they even are the missing number one spots.
I liked this idea. It was well put together, it was interesting. There were definitely some scary parts- where the electricity went out while Sabrina was looking at Scream Site, when the car was following her, when the shoes in Shady99's video matched Marianne's, one of the missing persons. The fact that all of Sabrina's research on the subject went missing when she was talking to Asher, and no one knew where it went- only for it to show up in Asher's locker later, and he didn't know what it was doing there.
So, yeah. There were definitely good parts, and that's what got me so hooked on the first part of the book.
But the ending- was underwhelming to say the least. SPOILER: Sabrina's older sister, Faith, gets the Number One spot with a video of hers, and Sabrina is worried about her. But then Faith actually goes missing. The scene where Sabrina finds out is very poorly written, and one of the least scary parts of the book. Then Sabrina, instead of calling the police when her own uncle literally works for them, just decides to go out, on her bicycle, with no weapon and no backup, to Fun Land where all the disappearances have been happening, where a possibly deranged and extremely sick killer lies in wait, thinking she will be able to save her sister.
When she gets to Fun Land, she considers calling 911 again- but dismisses it because she thinks she will sound ridiculous! 911 will still come anyway- especially if you say you think your sister has been kidnapped and you know where she is being held. Sabrina called Faith's phone, and heard it go off on the other side of the fence... You know she's there. Why didn't she just call 911? This scene could have been a little better if Sabrina had moved very impulsively and not even considered 911 because of the adrenaline, but the fact that she actually stopped, thought about a helpful resource and then didn't take advantage of it makes this book extremely trying.
When she gets there- her journalism teacher who she has been telling everything she knows about the website is there, and so are all the missing girls. All of them intact, alive, and perfectly normal. There is no murderer. And, no, Ms. Journalism Teacher didn't kidnap them, either. Instead it was her brother, Dan, who ran Fun Land before it shut down. Two famous horror film directors were going to film a movie at his park, but it was cancelled, so Dan caught kids filming their horror videos on his property and asked them if he could use them for a horror movie. As part of the deal, they had to disappear and not tell people where they were to help keep production a secret and eventually promote the movie.
And some of these girls had been at Fun Land for months. Literal months. And Dan was timing when he stole girls- he did it by the month. And for some reason he took pictures of Sabrina and Evelyn in the woods and messages it to her. And followed Sabrina in a car, trying to hit her, and messaged her saying: "I won't miss next time." None of this is ever explained, and doesn't really make sense, especially how Dan was able to track her down. That's why this ending sucked. It made so many of the things that happened earlier make no sense at all.
Another thing: Earlier, Sabrina and Evelyn had tracked the IP of the user "Shady99" back to their school- leading them to think it was someone they went to school with. But, no. Dan had taught a class at the school we never heard of and was never reference earlier, somehow kept his internet key from the one SUBSTITUTE class he taught, and remember that, like a year ago, Asher and Marianne had been close enough that he could somehow electronically steal Asher's yearbook photo and use it to lure Marianne into his creepy scheme- which ALSO doesn't make sense, because the book really stresses that Marianne wanted to be an actor. All he had to do was approach her and ask her for her secrecy as she helped him make a movie and she would have said yes! It would have made more sense than sending her creepy messages on his account, or going through the trouble of creating fake creepy messages for people to find later. Jut no. We also find out at the end that any of the girls could have left at any time, and one did! This takes away so much of the scary.
Also, the fact that five girls just decided, sure, let's ditch everything, run away from our families and friends leaving no trace and let everyone think we went missing all for a movie that no real directors appear to be at for possible internet fame is kind of dumb. Most of these girls were halfhearted movie makers. Also, the fact that the police department wasn't taking it seriously at all, even though four (Faith disappeared at the end of the book) girls had all gone missing in a very small, very local place, all on a regular schedule and all used the same horror website is just fishy. Yes, they were all over eighteen, but the cops definitely wouldn't just dismiss something like that.
Also, we never found out who stole Sabrina's papers on the case and why, or who put the papers in Asher's locker and why. And we never got closure for Asher. What was he in the story? Dan just used his yearbook photo to get a girl- and the entire book could have progressed without this plot point as I pointed out earlier. It was just being used as shock factor. And later, Asher serves no purpose. I thought he would be a love interest, maybe for Sabrina or Evelyn, who had a crush on him, or even for Faith, but he wasn't. All he did was point out that in the Shady99 videos, all the girls were wearing Fun Land uniforms, which if true, should have been noticed immediately by someone in this local area.
For a while, I thought it was Tony, Evelyn's older brother. After all, he was the one who drove Evelyn and Sabrina to the woods outside Fun Land where the picture of them was taken, and stayed in his car, playing games on his cell phone as the book tells us, not going with the girls. So it would have been easy for him to take a picture. We know he can drive, so he could have been the one following Sabrina in the car. And Evelyn texts Sabrina near the end of the book letting her know that Tony can't take them to interview Dan (when Sabrina starts to suspect him after reading the article about the cancelled movie at Fun Land) because he is going on a date. Later, when Sabrina calls Faith's co-worker to see if Faith is at her job, the co-worker says Faith went on a date with some guy she met.
I don't know. That wouldn't have been the most stellar ending because it also doesn't make perfect sense, but it would have been way more interesting than the actual ending.
I think there are definitely some good things about this book. First, I thought it was a solid premise. Aspiring reporter investigates a series of disappearances potentially connected to a video website where people can upload scary videos to try and score a movie deal. As a result, there is huge competition for the number one spots. But then number one spots start disappearing, and videos uploaded by a user called "Shady99" start taking over the spots, using female actors whose faces are never shown. The videos are incredibly realistic, tease at possible deaths or torture of the girls, and no one knows who Shady99 is, or where the girls are, if they even are the missing number one spots.
I liked this idea. It was well put together, it was interesting. There were definitely some scary parts- where the electricity went out while Sabrina was looking at Scream Site, when the car was following her, when the shoes in Shady99's video matched Marianne's, one of the missing persons. The fact that all of Sabrina's research on the subject went missing when she was talking to Asher, and no one knew where it went- only for it to show up in Asher's locker later, and he didn't know what it was doing there.
So, yeah. There were definitely good parts, and that's what got me so hooked on the first part of the book.
But the ending- was underwhelming to say the least. SPOILER: Sabrina's older sister, Faith, gets the Number One spot with a video of hers, and Sabrina is worried about her. But then Faith actually goes missing. The scene where Sabrina finds out is very poorly written, and one of the least scary parts of the book. Then Sabrina, instead of calling the police when her own uncle literally works for them, just decides to go out, on her bicycle, with no weapon and no backup, to Fun Land where all the disappearances have been happening, where a possibly deranged and extremely sick killer lies in wait, thinking she will be able to save her sister.
When she gets to Fun Land, she considers calling 911 again- but dismisses it because she thinks she will sound ridiculous! 911 will still come anyway- especially if you say you think your sister has been kidnapped and you know where she is being held. Sabrina called Faith's phone, and heard it go off on the other side of the fence... You know she's there. Why didn't she just call 911? This scene could have been a little better if Sabrina had moved very impulsively and not even considered 911 because of the adrenaline, but the fact that she actually stopped, thought about a helpful resource and then didn't take advantage of it makes this book extremely trying.
When she gets there- her journalism teacher who she has been telling everything she knows about the website is there, and so are all the missing girls. All of them intact, alive, and perfectly normal. There is no murderer. And, no, Ms. Journalism Teacher didn't kidnap them, either. Instead it was her brother, Dan, who ran Fun Land before it shut down. Two famous horror film directors were going to film a movie at his park, but it was cancelled, so Dan caught kids filming their horror videos on his property and asked them if he could use them for a horror movie. As part of the deal, they had to disappear and not tell people where they were to help keep production a secret and eventually promote the movie.
And some of these girls had been at Fun Land for months. Literal months. And Dan was timing when he stole girls- he did it by the month. And for some reason he took pictures of Sabrina and Evelyn in the woods and messages it to her. And followed Sabrina in a car, trying to hit her, and messaged her saying: "I won't miss next time." None of this is ever explained, and doesn't really make sense, especially how Dan was able to track her down. That's why this ending sucked. It made so many of the things that happened earlier make no sense at all.
Another thing: Earlier, Sabrina and Evelyn had tracked the IP of the user "Shady99" back to their school- leading them to think it was someone they went to school with. But, no. Dan had taught a class at the school we never heard of and was never reference earlier, somehow kept his internet key from the one SUBSTITUTE class he taught, and remember that, like a year ago, Asher and Marianne had been close enough that he could somehow electronically steal Asher's yearbook photo and use it to lure Marianne into his creepy scheme- which ALSO doesn't make sense, because the book really stresses that Marianne wanted to be an actor. All he had to do was approach her and ask her for her secrecy as she helped him make a movie and she would have said yes! It would have made more sense than sending her creepy messages on his account, or going through the trouble of creating fake creepy messages for people to find later. Jut no. We also find out at the end that any of the girls could have left at any time, and one did! This takes away so much of the scary.
Also, the fact that five girls just decided, sure, let's ditch everything, run away from our families and friends leaving no trace and let everyone think we went missing all for a movie that no real directors appear to be at for possible internet fame is kind of dumb. Most of these girls were halfhearted movie makers. Also, the fact that the police department wasn't taking it seriously at all, even though four (Faith disappeared at the end of the book) girls had all gone missing in a very small, very local place, all on a regular schedule and all used the same horror website is just fishy. Yes, they were all over eighteen, but the cops definitely wouldn't just dismiss something like that.
Also, we never found out who stole Sabrina's papers on the case and why, or who put the papers in Asher's locker and why. And we never got closure for Asher. What was he in the story? Dan just used his yearbook photo to get a girl- and the entire book could have progressed without this plot point as I pointed out earlier. It was just being used as shock factor. And later, Asher serves no purpose. I thought he would be a love interest, maybe for Sabrina or Evelyn, who had a crush on him, or even for Faith, but he wasn't. All he did was point out that in the Shady99 videos, all the girls were wearing Fun Land uniforms, which if true, should have been noticed immediately by someone in this local area.
For a while, I thought it was Tony, Evelyn's older brother. After all, he was the one who drove Evelyn and Sabrina to the woods outside Fun Land where the picture of them was taken, and stayed in his car, playing games on his cell phone as the book tells us, not going with the girls. So it would have been easy for him to take a picture. We know he can drive, so he could have been the one following Sabrina in the car. And Evelyn texts Sabrina near the end of the book letting her know that Tony can't take them to interview Dan (when Sabrina starts to suspect him after reading the article about the cancelled movie at Fun Land) because he is going on a date. Later, when Sabrina calls Faith's co-worker to see if Faith is at her job, the co-worker says Faith went on a date with some guy she met.
I don't know. That wouldn't have been the most stellar ending because it also doesn't make perfect sense, but it would have been way more interesting than the actual ending.
October 9, 2018
Justina Ireland, author of YA fantasy novels such as VENGEANCE BOUND and PROMISE OF THE SHADOWS, enters the world of mystery with her new work SCREAM SITE. The novel follows high school freshman Sabrina Sebastian, a budding investigative reporter struggling with her father’s recent death.
Sabrina begins her research after she stumbles upon the creepy website Scream Site, which allows people to post seemingly fake horror videos. Some of the videos, however, seem a bit too real for comfort. After Sabrina researches the local disappearances of young Scream Site stars for the school newspaper and to land her dream internship, Sabrina quickly realizes she is in over her head. Her search for the missing young women leads Sabrina down a dangerous path, becoming more disturbing after her older sister, Faith, goes missing…
Ireland’s SCREAM SITE will capture the attention of teens looking for a compelling mystery that is entertaining, realistic and not too scary. Although the novel focuses upon Sabrina’s investigation into the missing Scream Site stars, Ireland does not lose the emotion behind a high schooler’s motivations --- Sabrina, despite her eagerness to solve the mystery, remains grounded in her relationships with her family and friends. Readers will root for Sabrina and her dedication to her reporting work, despite the backlash she receives from her family, her best friend, Evelyn, and the mysterious figure threatening her investigation.
The emphasis upon high school politics and Evelyn’s concern with her popularity also grounds the novel in Sabrina’s age. Sabrina’s refusal to allow her social status to stop her from investigating the most popular boy in school, Asher, and his connection to the disappearances will encourage readers’ loyalty to Sabrina.
Still, Ireland shies away from tackling the emotional connection between Sabrina’s father’s death and Sabrina’s desire to investigate the mystery. Although her dad’s death is mentioned early within the plot, the detail does not heighten the action of the mystery or the reader’s connection to Sabrina. Instead, this unexamined detail pulls attention away from the unfolding mystery, sometimes dampening the thrilling aspect of the novel.
Readers will savor Ireland’s creepy descriptions of the danger Sabrina faces as she ventures deeper into the mystery. In all, young fans of thrillers will find SCREAM SITE a satisfying read for the end of summer.
Reviewed by Janine Chouinard
Sabrina begins her research after she stumbles upon the creepy website Scream Site, which allows people to post seemingly fake horror videos. Some of the videos, however, seem a bit too real for comfort. After Sabrina researches the local disappearances of young Scream Site stars for the school newspaper and to land her dream internship, Sabrina quickly realizes she is in over her head. Her search for the missing young women leads Sabrina down a dangerous path, becoming more disturbing after her older sister, Faith, goes missing…
Ireland’s SCREAM SITE will capture the attention of teens looking for a compelling mystery that is entertaining, realistic and not too scary. Although the novel focuses upon Sabrina’s investigation into the missing Scream Site stars, Ireland does not lose the emotion behind a high schooler’s motivations --- Sabrina, despite her eagerness to solve the mystery, remains grounded in her relationships with her family and friends. Readers will root for Sabrina and her dedication to her reporting work, despite the backlash she receives from her family, her best friend, Evelyn, and the mysterious figure threatening her investigation.
The emphasis upon high school politics and Evelyn’s concern with her popularity also grounds the novel in Sabrina’s age. Sabrina’s refusal to allow her social status to stop her from investigating the most popular boy in school, Asher, and his connection to the disappearances will encourage readers’ loyalty to Sabrina.
Still, Ireland shies away from tackling the emotional connection between Sabrina’s father’s death and Sabrina’s desire to investigate the mystery. Although her dad’s death is mentioned early within the plot, the detail does not heighten the action of the mystery or the reader’s connection to Sabrina. Instead, this unexamined detail pulls attention away from the unfolding mystery, sometimes dampening the thrilling aspect of the novel.
Readers will savor Ireland’s creepy descriptions of the danger Sabrina faces as she ventures deeper into the mystery. In all, young fans of thrillers will find SCREAM SITE a satisfying read for the end of summer.
Reviewed by Janine Chouinard
October 31, 2022
Trigger warnings: violence, horror, disappearances, disappearance of a sibling
I LOVED Justina Ireland's Dread Nation duology, so when I saw that she'd written a YA horror book for the younger end of the market, I was all in. And, like, this wasn't bad? But also the blurb gives away at least three quarters of the plot. That's not a criticism of Ireland's story because I'm fully aware that authors don't write blurbs. But, like, WTF publisher??
Anyway, the story itself was quite simplistic and it took a long time for the action to get going. And then the ending felt a little too rushed for my liking. But all of that being said, it was a pretty quick and easy read, and I did genuinely like the premise.
I LOVED Justina Ireland's Dread Nation duology, so when I saw that she'd written a YA horror book for the younger end of the market, I was all in. And, like, this wasn't bad? But also the blurb gives away at least three quarters of the plot. That's not a criticism of Ireland's story because I'm fully aware that authors don't write blurbs. But, like, WTF publisher??
Anyway, the story itself was quite simplistic and it took a long time for the action to get going. And then the ending felt a little too rushed for my liking. But all of that being said, it was a pretty quick and easy read, and I did genuinely like the premise.
June 27, 2023
This one was okay. It had some good spooky vibes at times, but then they would fizzle out. The ending felt a bit too convenient and neatly wrapped up with a bow. I was hoping for some actual horror, and not just acting and editing.
Sabrina was an okay character. She was a bit annoying at times, but her dedication and determination were admirable.
Sabrina was an okay character. She was a bit annoying at times, but her dedication and determination were admirable.
April 15, 2020
This was a quick read. I see why the ratings are lower. Ireland’s other books are so well-written and this one read very much like an Orca high interest low readability book. The story line was catchy and it did keep my interest.
September 27, 2018
Nothing particularly exciting about this book but nothing wrong with it either. It was a cute, quick read.
August 4, 2022
it was good, scared me at the start. just the ending is really anticlimactic :/
Read
October 16, 2022Disappointing.
February 4, 2019
I expected quite a bit more creep factor in this one than I received, but I believe that may be due to it being marketed for young adults. It would definitely provide the chills for middle graders, so I am going to give it a middle three stars. I'm hoping copies find their ways into the hands of the group most likely to appreciate them,
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for honest feedback.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for honest feedback.
May 10, 2018
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the synopsis, I was super excited to read this book, it looked promising, exciting and enthralling, and the overall concept struck me as original and just generally interesting. I'm not saying that this book was a total disappointment from what I had originally anticipated, but it sure didn't meet my expectations. Which is not the book's fault, really, that I made my own expectations based from what I'd read in the synopsis. But I just generally didn't care for the execution of the story. I thought the pacing was good, it just took until the very last 30 pages for the mystery to be solved, and the climax was very rushed. At the end, the mystery is solved, yet it all happens in only 30 pages, we don't get any redemption or meaningful conclusion, it's just "yay it's all done now time to go back to normal life and forget all about it." Not to mention that the ending was really anti-climactic, the entire book was building up to this very moment, and it just felt… disappointing. Surprise readers, it's not at all what you thought it was, it's way more boring than what you were led to believe. Also, I would have liked to further examine what happened to Asher and the other guy who had his pictures used, how are they holding up? We don't know, because the story ends on such a rushed note, dialogue happens and then we read a quick montage of Sabrina getting adults saying "I should have listened to you" and that's it. I just really did not like how rushed the ending was, it felt like all this buildup in the story was essentially for absolutely nothing.
There is a point in the story where the narration begins recapping information and events, like what you'd see in an installment of a series, a quick recap from what occurred in the last installment. Except, this is just one book, I've been reading and have been keeping track of what's happened this entire novel, so why the random recap as though there was some sort of break in between the story?
I also thought it was a bit unrealistic that a fourteen-year-old girl was finding evidence of a crime going on within this website, in plain sight if you were invested enough, a few weeks after girls have gone missing. If this mystery really was a conspiracy everyone was talking about, some person on the internet would have already made those connections way sooner if the community really was invested in the conspiracy as the novel states.
This being said, I did really enjoy the pacing of this novel, I think the slow reveal of information and the various dilemmas Sabrina faces on the way were paced well where I wasn't too bored, and the story didn't feel rushed, like it was just good pacing, at least until the end. I just feel as though the pacing of the book was all but thrown off at the end, like everything that happened built up to an ending that didn't have very much payoff in regards to the majority of the book.
But regardless, I think this book was a worthy mystery novel, with some character dynamic development sprinkled in. If you're looking for a quick, compelling mystery novel that isn't about death and isn't very graphic, especially if you're a younger reader, I think this would be the book for you.
From the synopsis, I was super excited to read this book, it looked promising, exciting and enthralling, and the overall concept struck me as original and just generally interesting. I'm not saying that this book was a total disappointment from what I had originally anticipated, but it sure didn't meet my expectations. Which is not the book's fault, really, that I made my own expectations based from what I'd read in the synopsis. But I just generally didn't care for the execution of the story. I thought the pacing was good, it just took until the very last 30 pages for the mystery to be solved, and the climax was very rushed. At the end, the mystery is solved, yet it all happens in only 30 pages, we don't get any redemption or meaningful conclusion, it's just "yay it's all done now time to go back to normal life and forget all about it." Not to mention that the ending was really anti-climactic, the entire book was building up to this very moment, and it just felt… disappointing. Surprise readers, it's not at all what you thought it was, it's way more boring than what you were led to believe. Also, I would have liked to further examine what happened to Asher and the other guy who had his pictures used, how are they holding up? We don't know, because the story ends on such a rushed note, dialogue happens and then we read a quick montage of Sabrina getting adults saying "I should have listened to you" and that's it. I just really did not like how rushed the ending was, it felt like all this buildup in the story was essentially for absolutely nothing.
There is a point in the story where the narration begins recapping information and events, like what you'd see in an installment of a series, a quick recap from what occurred in the last installment. Except, this is just one book, I've been reading and have been keeping track of what's happened this entire novel, so why the random recap as though there was some sort of break in between the story?
I also thought it was a bit unrealistic that a fourteen-year-old girl was finding evidence of a crime going on within this website, in plain sight if you were invested enough, a few weeks after girls have gone missing. If this mystery really was a conspiracy everyone was talking about, some person on the internet would have already made those connections way sooner if the community really was invested in the conspiracy as the novel states.
This being said, I did really enjoy the pacing of this novel, I think the slow reveal of information and the various dilemmas Sabrina faces on the way were paced well where I wasn't too bored, and the story didn't feel rushed, like it was just good pacing, at least until the end. I just feel as though the pacing of the book was all but thrown off at the end, like everything that happened built up to an ending that didn't have very much payoff in regards to the majority of the book.
But regardless, I think this book was a worthy mystery novel, with some character dynamic development sprinkled in. If you're looking for a quick, compelling mystery novel that isn't about death and isn't very graphic, especially if you're a younger reader, I think this would be the book for you.
August 7, 2018
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
I wanted to read this book because the title, the cover and the blurb made it seem like this was going to be a pretty decent horror story, maybe a bit like the stories from R.L. Stine. Turns out, I was wrong.
Scream Site is a YA (maybe more middle grade) mystery about a website called Scream Site, on which people (but mostly teens) can post their "scary" videos with a chance to win their very own horror movie. Our main character Sabrina is not a kid that would voluntarily visit or contribute to Scream Site. In fact, she's someone who watches the news instead of using social media, because her dad said social media could be dangerous... So, yeah.
Personally, I didn't like this book. It just wasn't for me. The main character was not someone I could relate to or be invested in. In fact, she annoyed me pretty much all the time. Are these videos actually real and could people be disappearing? Oh, well I'll just investigate alone, as a 14 year old. Is there possibly something horrible happening in the woods of an abandoned theme park? Oh, well I'll just go investigate all by myself at night if my friends don't want to come with me.
The plot kind of dragged. I was expecting some twists and turns and maybe some horror as well, but those never really came. The whole mystery was pretty much solved for the reader about halfway through. Sabrina just took a lot longer to figure it all out herself. I feel like there was a lot of "filling" in this story. I must've read a 100 times that Sabrina is doing her homework, or researching the website, or re-reading everything because she is just pretty much stuck in het investigation, or the fact that she doesn't have a story yet. Most of the times I felt like I didn't really need the information, but without it the story would probably be too short.
I'm not sure if I'm just getting too old for these books (I'm pretty sure that's not the case) or if it is just all the tropes that got me. The whole "I'm just a kid and nobody believes me" and "my life is perfect, and I don't like horror and I'm a good girl" tropes just didn't do it for me.
I kind of wished this was more like one of the Goosebumps novels from R.L. Stine, instead of a half myster/thriller/contemporary novel. I think there are a lot of kids who will like this, it just wasn't for me.
I wanted to read this book because the title, the cover and the blurb made it seem like this was going to be a pretty decent horror story, maybe a bit like the stories from R.L. Stine. Turns out, I was wrong.
Scream Site is a YA (maybe more middle grade) mystery about a website called Scream Site, on which people (but mostly teens) can post their "scary" videos with a chance to win their very own horror movie. Our main character Sabrina is not a kid that would voluntarily visit or contribute to Scream Site. In fact, she's someone who watches the news instead of using social media, because her dad said social media could be dangerous... So, yeah.
Personally, I didn't like this book. It just wasn't for me. The main character was not someone I could relate to or be invested in. In fact, she annoyed me pretty much all the time. Are these videos actually real and could people be disappearing? Oh, well I'll just investigate alone, as a 14 year old. Is there possibly something horrible happening in the woods of an abandoned theme park? Oh, well I'll just go investigate all by myself at night if my friends don't want to come with me.
The plot kind of dragged. I was expecting some twists and turns and maybe some horror as well, but those never really came. The whole mystery was pretty much solved for the reader about halfway through. Sabrina just took a lot longer to figure it all out herself. I feel like there was a lot of "filling" in this story. I must've read a 100 times that Sabrina is doing her homework, or researching the website, or re-reading everything because she is just pretty much stuck in het investigation, or the fact that she doesn't have a story yet. Most of the times I felt like I didn't really need the information, but without it the story would probably be too short.
I'm not sure if I'm just getting too old for these books (I'm pretty sure that's not the case) or if it is just all the tropes that got me. The whole "I'm just a kid and nobody believes me" and "my life is perfect, and I don't like horror and I'm a good girl" tropes just didn't do it for me.
I kind of wished this was more like one of the Goosebumps novels from R.L. Stine, instead of a half myster/thriller/contemporary novel. I think there are a lot of kids who will like this, it just wasn't for me.
August 31, 2018
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this book to review.
Okay, so… this book did not work for me. At all. The whole thing felt so lagging, I was not the least bit motivated to read. I found the storyline to drag quite a bit on things that weren't necessarily relevant to the basic plot - which, I have to say, was very intriguing but it somehow failed to deliver. I literally picked it up after more than a month of starting and even then I had to force myself to keep reading it and mostly just skimmed through. The characters too fell flat for me, there wasn't really anything interesting about them that made me feel like I could relate to them or that got me hooked. The interactions between the characters felt like meh, it was all very bland. There were things that, for me at least, were very obvious but the character would spend quite some time pondering over them, analysing and explaining them, which got pretty annoying.
Scream Site is branded as horror but honestly, there wasn't anything that scary about it - more of a thriller?
That being said, this is just what I thought of the book. I do understand that it's meant for a younger age group so it might be more suited for them, might appeal more to them. But personally, I was not impressed.
Okay, so… this book did not work for me. At all. The whole thing felt so lagging, I was not the least bit motivated to read. I found the storyline to drag quite a bit on things that weren't necessarily relevant to the basic plot - which, I have to say, was very intriguing but it somehow failed to deliver. I literally picked it up after more than a month of starting and even then I had to force myself to keep reading it and mostly just skimmed through. The characters too fell flat for me, there wasn't really anything interesting about them that made me feel like I could relate to them or that got me hooked. The interactions between the characters felt like meh, it was all very bland. There were things that, for me at least, were very obvious but the character would spend quite some time pondering over them, analysing and explaining them, which got pretty annoying.
Scream Site is branded as horror but honestly, there wasn't anything that scary about it - more of a thriller?
That being said, this is just what I thought of the book. I do understand that it's meant for a younger age group so it might be more suited for them, might appeal more to them. But personally, I was not impressed.
August 19, 2018
Sabrina Sebastian wants a summer internship so she can be an investigative reporter. She is searching for a big story to win the summer internship. Sabrina is told by her sister to check out scream site on the Internet. It is known for spooky videos. As she investigates she becomes suspicious due to rumors of people disappearing. When her sister suddenly disappears, Sabrina lets others know about her suspicions but no one listens. Will she find her sister?
This is a creepy whirlwind horror novel. It is an excellent horror novel. It is also part mystery. I enjoyed the horror novel as I liked the exploration of scarey videos being made. It was a mystery that intrigued me.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
This is a creepy whirlwind horror novel. It is an excellent horror novel. It is also part mystery. I enjoyed the horror novel as I liked the exploration of scarey videos being made. It was a mystery that intrigued me.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
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