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It's Behind You
Welcome to the reality game show that'll scare you to death! Have you got what it takes to last the night?
Five contestants must sit tight through the night in dark and dangerous Umber Gorge caves, haunted by a ghost called the Puckered Maiden. But is it the malevolent spirit they should fear ... or each other?
As the production crew ramps up the frights, secrets start to be revealed. These teenagers have hidden motives for taking part in It's Behind You! and could some of them be ... murder?
It's 'Most Haunted' meets 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here' for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus.
Five contestants must sit tight through the night in dark and dangerous Umber Gorge caves, haunted by a ghost called the Puckered Maiden. But is it the malevolent spirit they should fear ... or each other?
As the production crew ramps up the frights, secrets start to be revealed. These teenagers have hidden motives for taking part in It's Behind You! and could some of them be ... murder?
It's 'Most Haunted' meets 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here' for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2021
170 people are currently reading
6379 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews
August 30, 2021
The epilogue could of been a bit more wrapped up that’s going to annoy me not knowing but the rest of the book was very enjoyable
February 11, 2022
I think this book is the definition of “meh”. I finished it yesterday and I don’t even remember any of the characters names.
The main problem for me is that it’s more to the younger side of YA and appeals to a munch younger audience. I don’t even know what ages they all were in the book, but they came across as really juvenile.
Both the characters and the plot lacked any sort of substance, everything was sacrificed to accommodate a quick pace. But that left everything bland and I had a hard time actually following anything because nothing was explained properly.
And all the big revelations were extremely anti climatic and I couldn’t be more unimpressed. There were zero motivation behind the “villains” actions.
I had the expectations that maybe the other contestants were going to sabotage each other, that there were some dark intentions involved. Maybe even some supernatural element. That was not what happened. Huge let down. But I did smile like one time, so I guess I can be generous with the rating.
The main problem for me is that it’s more to the younger side of YA and appeals to a munch younger audience. I don’t even know what ages they all were in the book, but they came across as really juvenile.
Both the characters and the plot lacked any sort of substance, everything was sacrificed to accommodate a quick pace. But that left everything bland and I had a hard time actually following anything because nothing was explained properly.
And all the big revelations were extremely anti climatic and I couldn’t be more unimpressed. There were zero motivation behind the “villains” actions.
I had the expectations that maybe the other contestants were going to sabotage each other, that there were some dark intentions involved. Maybe even some supernatural element. That was not what happened. Huge let down. But I did smile like one time, so I guess I can be generous with the rating.
February 9, 2023
the second hand embarrassment whenever any of these characters opened their mouths 🥶
October 24, 2021
it is the best book ever i love it so much it is a thriller/horror definitely five stars of me best book ever please read it you will love it i have just started it i have finished and i love it so much
definitely a must read
That is it for now thank you i will keep you all updated and the next book that i get
grace swash
definitely a must read
That is it for now thank you i will keep you all updated and the next book that i get
grace swash
July 8, 2021
i love the main character!! but the ending was so frustrating😩
February 28, 2023
At first I assumed this book was a parody of horror, making fun of the cliché "I'm not like other girls, I eat pizza and don't care about my appearance" trope, along with the "smart, average-looking girl who automatically is deemed unworthy of male attention." I was pretty stunned to learn that it isn't a parody, just a poorly written, stereotypically millennial take on the way human's converse with one another. I realise that the characters were putting on persona's more often than not, but the MC's internal monologue was so deeply cringe-worthy that I had to shut the book and wince at least ten times during this book. I mean, "I don't have a heart" & "I twerk aggressively"? How is this not a parody? I've read some of Foxfield's other stuff and guaranteed, it's fanciful, but good girls die first actually had a grasp on human relations and decent dialogue. This was something else entirety. Love and peace but my god Lex was an unbearable main character and it's a shame the puckered maiden didn't finish her off.
July 19, 2022
all the characters were so annoying and got on my nerves and it was so poorly written if i could rate i 0 i would
July 13, 2021
And once again, I read a horror in one go right before sleeping, and it was a bad idea. I should really have learnt by now that I just can't deal with creepy things before bed, because this certainly was creepy.
Five teenagers locked in a cave system for a TV show, and then there's a problem and the generators are damaged, locking them in. And apparently it's haunted. What could go wrong?
I don't believe in ghosts and all that - anything haunted can be explained by shifting buildings, optical illusions, hysteria, and people trying to sell something in my book. So of course I didn't believe that there really was a ghost with them - but I did believe there was someone who'd snuck in with them, and that their intentions couldn't be good.
This was where the horror came in for me. All the unnerving scuttling about and shadows? Someone in there readying to strike. And finding out who came from finding out why - and naturally everyone (except the lead) had secrets.
I was a little surprised as Lex wasn't hiding something, and wasn't involved in the big conspiracy that drew everyone together. She is an unsuspecting person to make up numbers and ends up along for the ride. It was quite nice though, not to have a "twist, it was the main character all along" or "twist, the main character is the focus of the act."
Nothing is scarier or more dangerous than people - though the claustrophobic tunnels and rocks falls did add an extra element of danger. I am not good in tight spaces, so I could understand their fear as they were forced to crawl through fissures to get out.
Five teenagers locked in a cave system for a TV show, and then there's a problem and the generators are damaged, locking them in. And apparently it's haunted. What could go wrong?
I don't believe in ghosts and all that - anything haunted can be explained by shifting buildings, optical illusions, hysteria, and people trying to sell something in my book. So of course I didn't believe that there really was a ghost with them - but I did believe there was someone who'd snuck in with them, and that their intentions couldn't be good.
This was where the horror came in for me. All the unnerving scuttling about and shadows? Someone in there readying to strike. And finding out who came from finding out why - and naturally everyone (except the lead) had secrets.
I was a little surprised as Lex wasn't hiding something, and wasn't involved in the big conspiracy that drew everyone together. She is an unsuspecting person to make up numbers and ends up along for the ride. It was quite nice though, not to have a "twist, it was the main character all along" or "twist, the main character is the focus of the act."
Nothing is scarier or more dangerous than people - though the claustrophobic tunnels and rocks falls did add an extra element of danger. I am not good in tight spaces, so I could understand their fear as they were forced to crawl through fissures to get out.
September 24, 2022
Here she comes with skin so white,
Through the water, through the night.
A taste of love, then torn apart,
Here she comes to eat your heart.
Five contestants must spend the night in Umber Gorge caves, the sight of many deaths and unexplained disappearances. The local townpeople blame the Puckered Maiden, a woman so heartbroken by the love of her life that she ripped his heart out before disappearing into the caves. Legend has it that anyone foolish enough to enter the caves will fall prey to the Puckered Maiden and have their hearts ripped out. Spooky stuff! But it's only a story, right?
Things soon escalate and tensions mount for the contestants of It's Behind You as they try to navigate the caves and escape the wrath of the Puckered Maiden. They assume production must be behind all the creepy things going on, but when stakes get higher and people start disappearing, they have to ask themselves if the legend really is true...or if the evil in the caves with them is human.
I really enjoyed this story.
I'm a big fan of folklore and urban legends, and Foxfield did a great job of bringing the Puckered Maiden to life. Her story was tragic and creepy and unsettling. Everything you could ever ask for in a ghost story.
It took a bit for the story to get going (and I initially hated the MC, Lex) but once all the contestants entered the cave, the story really took off. The setting was exceptional and the feeling of dread and claustrophobia was palpable throughout the story.
All the contestants were well defined and had secrets/ulterior motives that had me hooked and wanting to know more. And, I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty shocked by some of the twists at the end. I wasn't expecting the plot to go the way it did, but I was pleasantly surprised by it!
Through the water, through the night.
A taste of love, then torn apart,
Here she comes to eat your heart.
Five contestants must spend the night in Umber Gorge caves, the sight of many deaths and unexplained disappearances. The local townpeople blame the Puckered Maiden, a woman so heartbroken by the love of her life that she ripped his heart out before disappearing into the caves. Legend has it that anyone foolish enough to enter the caves will fall prey to the Puckered Maiden and have their hearts ripped out. Spooky stuff! But it's only a story, right?
Things soon escalate and tensions mount for the contestants of It's Behind You as they try to navigate the caves and escape the wrath of the Puckered Maiden. They assume production must be behind all the creepy things going on, but when stakes get higher and people start disappearing, they have to ask themselves if the legend really is true...or if the evil in the caves with them is human.
I really enjoyed this story.
I'm a big fan of folklore and urban legends, and Foxfield did a great job of bringing the Puckered Maiden to life. Her story was tragic and creepy and unsettling. Everything you could ever ask for in a ghost story.
It took a bit for the story to get going (and I initially hated the MC, Lex) but once all the contestants entered the cave, the story really took off. The setting was exceptional and the feeling of dread and claustrophobia was palpable throughout the story.
All the contestants were well defined and had secrets/ulterior motives that had me hooked and wanting to know more. And, I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty shocked by some of the twists at the end. I wasn't expecting the plot to go the way it did, but I was pleasantly surprised by it!
June 30, 2023
I really loved this book. The suspense had me constantly reading without putting it down. I wish the epilogue had been a little better but other then that I really loved it
April 30, 2022
This book was so unexpected… But it delivered in amazing ways. Now I will be candid and say that I feel like some of the characters were very under developed, and just a little bit more development would have made certain actions that take place later in the series much more impactful. However the humor here was a plus, I laughed out loud multiple times. The premise was interesting, it was fun, and it was creepy as hell. All of which really lulls you into this false sense of security so when things go wrong you almost can’t believe it. I don’t want to spoil anything here so I don’t want to comment on anything that does happen but I will say that the setting of the creepy and unstable caves when paired with a failing reality TV show was not the setting I thought that I would need, but I needed it. Really with a little bit more time spent on developing certain characters and that background motivation this book could’ve easily been five stars.
February 12, 2022
Ok but now i’m crying, i got so invested in the characters, i need to see them more, sequal?! please /hj - but seriously i loved these characters, i wanna learn more about them and their futures, its such a good book, i definitely got scared 1 too many times but i liked it, its a different layout to any other book i’ve read, i think that i should read more books like this, i think i love thriller/horror now!! which is new but im excited
May 25, 2022
such a slow book, wasn’t very exciting.
September 8, 2025
Annoying girl representation
December 18, 2023
Worst book of the year 😵💫 struggled to finish it but I pulled through
July 25, 2022
Finished this in one sitting (stayed up til 1am)
Okay I loved this book so much. Did I expect a bit more of game show kinda challenges to happen BEFORE everything went wrong? Yes. Am I complaining? No. The book started off slow but it only took like half an hour to get to the part where the contestants actually went into the cave so I don’t mind that as it gave us time to get to know the main character. Lex is by far one of my favourite characters I’ve ever read about. She was witty and realistic (being brave but also running away screaming when she gets a fright). I loved how aware the characters were about the whole set up being like a horror movie, with them openly discussing who they’d think would be the last one alive. Oh but they were very wrong. Python was a literal vibe, I loved his motivation behind joining the show, it just seemed like a better reason than the rest of the characters for example Lex, who just wanted to live a little and have an adventure. Kathryn Foxfield has done everything right with this book. I was scared to bits throughout (reading this at 1am was not a good idea) and I even struggled to figure out who the murderer was. Such a good book… it ticks all the boxes!! Fast paced, realistic, paranormal/scary.
Okay I loved this book so much. Did I expect a bit more of game show kinda challenges to happen BEFORE everything went wrong? Yes. Am I complaining? No. The book started off slow but it only took like half an hour to get to the part where the contestants actually went into the cave so I don’t mind that as it gave us time to get to know the main character. Lex is by far one of my favourite characters I’ve ever read about. She was witty and realistic (being brave but also running away screaming when she gets a fright). I loved how aware the characters were about the whole set up being like a horror movie, with them openly discussing who they’d think would be the last one alive. Oh but they were very wrong. Python was a literal vibe, I loved his motivation behind joining the show, it just seemed like a better reason than the rest of the characters for example Lex, who just wanted to live a little and have an adventure. Kathryn Foxfield has done everything right with this book. I was scared to bits throughout (reading this at 1am was not a good idea) and I even struggled to figure out who the murderer was. Such a good book… it ticks all the boxes!! Fast paced, realistic, paranormal/scary.
July 26, 2021
I feel like this book had a lot more potential.
Totally okay. Really entertaining tho and that’s what’s saved it, but I figured 2/3 mysteries out before I reached 100 pages so not really a mystery is it? The ending and the “solution” to it all was a bit weak and the wrapping up was a bit chaotic. Also it took a loooong time before anyone died. A bit creepy too, but because Lex was a non-believer I kind of was skeptical too and therefor not so creepy as I hoped it would have been. Some scenes made the hair on my arms rise tho, those where really creepy and made me want to keep reading. I loved the characters and the writing too. I also laughed a lot, there were a lot of sarcasm and my kind of humor and that really made it more fun to read. All those sarcastic comments and Lex “feud” with Python is everything. Liam is also a sweetheart.
And I loved how the book has a diverse, natural cast without it being a big deal. Lex is bi. Some of them are POC, Python is via straight but wears make up. I know it’s how it’s supposed to be, but it still amazes me.
Totally okay. Really entertaining tho and that’s what’s saved it, but I figured 2/3 mysteries out before I reached 100 pages so not really a mystery is it? The ending and the “solution” to it all was a bit weak and the wrapping up was a bit chaotic. Also it took a loooong time before anyone died. A bit creepy too, but because Lex was a non-believer I kind of was skeptical too and therefor not so creepy as I hoped it would have been. Some scenes made the hair on my arms rise tho, those where really creepy and made me want to keep reading. I loved the characters and the writing too. I also laughed a lot, there were a lot of sarcasm and my kind of humor and that really made it more fun to read. All those sarcastic comments and Lex “feud” with Python is everything. Liam is also a sweetheart.
And I loved how the book has a diverse, natural cast without it being a big deal. Lex is bi. Some of them are POC, Python is via straight but wears make up. I know it’s how it’s supposed to be, but it still amazes me.
March 3, 2022
This is very rage filled but the ending was so unsatisfying. Also SPOILER WARNING: ⚠️no one that died was even relevant at all, like the only main character death was the annoying bitch who everyone hated anyway and who’s name i can’t even remember. everyone else who died was so irrelevant, or had no cause or reason⚠️
no motivation behind the “villains” actions, so many things weren’t summed up or explained, also it felt really short. i read the book in a couple weeks, but it might as well only been a couple chapters. it got dragged out too much and all of the plot lines could’ve been fit into 5/6 chapters with good quality writing.
i have a love-hate relationship with this book because the e idea behind it and the setting was cool, but poorly written and executed. which is very surprising because this authors other book ‘good girls die first’ is INCREDIBLE and one of my favourite books ever.
yeah i’m just very angry at the ending mainly though, IT WAS SO UNSATISFYING
no motivation behind the “villains” actions, so many things weren’t summed up or explained, also it felt really short. i read the book in a couple weeks, but it might as well only been a couple chapters. it got dragged out too much and all of the plot lines could’ve been fit into 5/6 chapters with good quality writing.
i have a love-hate relationship with this book because the e idea behind it and the setting was cool, but poorly written and executed. which is very surprising because this authors other book ‘good girls die first’ is INCREDIBLE and one of my favourite books ever.
yeah i’m just very angry at the ending mainly though, IT WAS SO UNSATISFYING
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2022
This book is an odd one because it’s a YA novel featuring horror and some gore but it’s written to be for a much younger audience in my opinion. It was a very slow read, the plot sounded good on paper but when it came to actually reading it, i was incredibly bored. It’s hard to like a book when you dislike the main character so much, she was the absolute definition of cringe, all the characters were really - and can we talk about the romance between Lex and Liam? I LOVE romance but there really was no need for these two to become an item, or whatever they were.
Basically, I wanted to enjoy an interesting paranormal book but this was just a load of hocus pocus bullshit; all fake, no real ghosts. And the epilogue? it may as well have not been written, it contained next to no information about characters and their current lives, especially Lex, it didn’t even tell us if she lived or died? i assume lived since everyone got out of the caves but it was completely unnecessary.
Basically, I wanted to enjoy an interesting paranormal book but this was just a load of hocus pocus bullshit; all fake, no real ghosts. And the epilogue? it may as well have not been written, it contained next to no information about characters and their current lives, especially Lex, it didn’t even tell us if she lived or died? i assume lived since everyone got out of the caves but it was completely unnecessary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2021
I feel a slump coming along. That was fucking insane. My heart was actually racing like I was scared for the characters. Also the representation in this book?!🤌🏼
The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars was because the epilogue was so vague. Like the characters went through so much- if that was me I would DEMAND the 10 grand like they must be on drugs. All that for what? Regardless it was a great read.
The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars was because the epilogue was so vague. Like the characters went through so much- if that was me I would DEMAND the 10 grand like they must be on drugs. All that for what? Regardless it was a great read.
Read
March 12, 2023DNF at 25%
I have absolutely no desire to continue this book right now and it put me in a huge slump.
Who knows, maybe i’ll try and finish it in the future…
I have absolutely no desire to continue this book right now and it put me in a huge slump.
Who knows, maybe i’ll try and finish it in the future…
February 1, 2024
I dropped this book like a year ago because I was bored. I finally finished it, but once again: I was just bored. And the epilogue gave me NOTHING. I guess her books just aren‘t for me.
June 23, 2024
There’s a cave, in a little town, that people go into but don’t always come back out. Umber Gorge cave. Tragedy and suspicion surround the cave, so when the TV show It’s Behind You wants to film an episode there, the show’s producer, Jackie Stone, is going to do whatever she can to make it happen.
The rules are simple: five contestants - whoever can stay inside the cave for a full 24 hours wins this episode and gets a bunch of money. What isn’t so simple is surviving in an old cave system that has tunnels and cave-ins around every corner. As soon as they start filming everything begins to fall apart.
This was a fun read. I loved the characters and their dynamics with each other. I especially love Lex, who does what she wants and won’t be molded into someone she’s not.
There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. Foxfield writes humor just as well as she writes suspense and when she combines the two it’s a goldmine. The mystery of the cave, as well as the characters and their pasts, draw you into the story.
I loved the reality-tv theme and couldn’t put this book down. Can’t wait to start her next books that I have.
Would make a great movie. It plays out just like one. Another amazing read from this author!
The rules are simple: five contestants - whoever can stay inside the cave for a full 24 hours wins this episode and gets a bunch of money. What isn’t so simple is surviving in an old cave system that has tunnels and cave-ins around every corner. As soon as they start filming everything begins to fall apart.
This was a fun read. I loved the characters and their dynamics with each other. I especially love Lex, who does what she wants and won’t be molded into someone she’s not.
There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. Foxfield writes humor just as well as she writes suspense and when she combines the two it’s a goldmine. The mystery of the cave, as well as the characters and their pasts, draw you into the story.
I loved the reality-tv theme and couldn’t put this book down. Can’t wait to start her next books that I have.
Would make a great movie. It plays out just like one. Another amazing read from this author!
March 3, 2025
Read it all in a day 😂 is a bit teenagey in parts but actually pretty decent
August 30, 2022
War echt spannend, obwohl ich gegen Ende auch schon selber auf die Lösung kam. Insgesamt war es unterhaltsam und ein bisschen gruselig.
May 29, 2022
unfortunately, this book was quite disappointing ! let me preface this by saying i never usually read horror/thriller—a friend gifted it to me—, so i don't have much to compare it to, but i'm still going to try and write a constructive review !
this is basically the story of 5 teenagers who participate in a reality game show on TV where they have to sit through the night in supposedly haunted caves ; there are sound and visual effects meant to scare them, and the last one standing (meaning, the one who doesn't forfeit) wins $10k. however, things don't go quite as planned : they end up actually trapped in the caves, and something—or someone—seems to be in there with them.
first of all, i think i might have been a little too old to read It's Behind You ; it's marketed as YA, but i feel like it's more appropriate for younger teenagers. the characters lacked depth, the dialogues seemed a bit immature and the plot, in general, wasn't very original and could have been better developed ! the protagonist, Lex, gave off major I'm not like other girls! vibes from the beginning and i didn't particularly get attached to her. i did appreciate the fact that she was bisexual and used the actual word to describe herself, though !
also, as an avid romance reader, i never thought i'd say this one day, but the romance in this book was completely unnecessary. like, the plot would have been the exact same without it. Lex and Liam only kissed once, and her internal monologues barely mentioned any kind of feelings towards him ? plus, they only knew each other for one night, so it felt unrealistic and like the author just wanted to add romance for the sake of it.
that wasn't the only unrealistic part of the book. i found it kind of weird how people around her were literally dying, and Lex was barely phased by it ? it would make sense if she had previously been exposed to many deaths in her life, but that wasn't the case so i was just really confused ! and the moments she did get scared, i felt like that fear wasn't described in enough detail. the author, at best, just wrote "My heart was beating really fast", but that was about it. i get that the character was a skeptical, but any normal person would be freaked out by dead bodies !
finally, but that's just my personal preference, i would have liked this better if there was actual paranormal involved ; the fact that the "twist"—adding quotation marks because said twist was very anticlimactic—ended up being a human murdering people disappointed me. also, i'm not sure i really understood her motives ?? that might just be me though, i didn't pay much attention during the classic "villain's monologue where they reveal their whole plan".
i'll also add that the epilogue was basically useless, i could have gone without it !
this is basically the story of 5 teenagers who participate in a reality game show on TV where they have to sit through the night in supposedly haunted caves ; there are sound and visual effects meant to scare them, and the last one standing (meaning, the one who doesn't forfeit) wins $10k. however, things don't go quite as planned : they end up actually trapped in the caves, and something—or someone—seems to be in there with them.
first of all, i think i might have been a little too old to read It's Behind You ; it's marketed as YA, but i feel like it's more appropriate for younger teenagers. the characters lacked depth, the dialogues seemed a bit immature and the plot, in general, wasn't very original and could have been better developed ! the protagonist, Lex, gave off major I'm not like other girls! vibes from the beginning and i didn't particularly get attached to her. i did appreciate the fact that she was bisexual and used the actual word to describe herself, though !
also, as an avid romance reader, i never thought i'd say this one day, but the romance in this book was completely unnecessary. like, the plot would have been the exact same without it. Lex and Liam only kissed once, and her internal monologues barely mentioned any kind of feelings towards him ? plus, they only knew each other for one night, so it felt unrealistic and like the author just wanted to add romance for the sake of it.
that wasn't the only unrealistic part of the book. i found it kind of weird how people around her were literally dying, and Lex was barely phased by it ? it would make sense if she had previously been exposed to many deaths in her life, but that wasn't the case so i was just really confused ! and the moments she did get scared, i felt like that fear wasn't described in enough detail. the author, at best, just wrote "My heart was beating really fast", but that was about it. i get that the character was a skeptical, but any normal person would be freaked out by dead bodies !
finally, but that's just my personal preference, i would have liked this better if there was actual paranormal involved ; the fact that the "twist"—adding quotation marks because said twist was very anticlimactic—ended up being a human murdering people disappointed me. also, i'm not sure i really understood her motives ?? that might just be me though, i didn't pay much attention during the classic "villain's monologue where they reveal their whole plan".
i'll also add that the epilogue was basically useless, i could have gone without it !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2022
A reality TV show that is losing viewers is about to start filming what could be its last series. The producers want to ensure it packs a punch so they plan to send the five contestants into a series of caves that are rumoured to be haunted by The Puckered Maiden, a supernatural entity who eats the hearts of her victims. All they have to do is survive the night, and whoever lasts until morning wins £10,000.
Our five contestants are - naturally - not all they claim to be. From the outset we know that some of those involved are hiding things...the question is, how relevant are these secrets to what is happening in the caves during the course of the show?
While the characters themselves are irritating on occasion, things get wrapped up far more quickly than I felt made sense and I HATED the fact that the epilogue was left so open-ended, I can't deny that this was the kind of pacy YA thriller that cannot fail to entertain. From the first 'accident' we know there is more to this show than seems to be the case. Like Lex, we can tell these events have their foundation in something that happened in the caves years earlier. The book manages to walk the fine line of horror and thriller well - awful things are happening around them but the characters' sense of knowing produces what are often amusing responses.
Our five contestants are - naturally - not all they claim to be. From the outset we know that some of those involved are hiding things...the question is, how relevant are these secrets to what is happening in the caves during the course of the show?
While the characters themselves are irritating on occasion, things get wrapped up far more quickly than I felt made sense and I HATED the fact that the epilogue was left so open-ended, I can't deny that this was the kind of pacy YA thriller that cannot fail to entertain. From the first 'accident' we know there is more to this show than seems to be the case. Like Lex, we can tell these events have their foundation in something that happened in the caves years earlier. The book manages to walk the fine line of horror and thriller well - awful things are happening around them but the characters' sense of knowing produces what are often amusing responses.
August 14, 2021
I loved It’s Behind You — the horror-comedy tone was on point, the scares were genuinely chilling, and I loved Lex as a protagonist. If you enjoy films like Scream and the books of Gina Damico, this is for you.
January 2, 2023
"And here it is, our final night alive. And as the earth burns to the ground - oh boy it’s you, that I lie with.“ as world caves in- sarah cothran
did I just finish this entire book in one sitting without even closing it once? Yes I did. To be honest I only did that because people always say you should always finish a horror movie before sleeping so I felt compelled to do the same with this horror book.
but let me tell you this wasn’t nearly as scary as I expected it to be, there was like one thing that was actually scary and the rest was okay I guess.
I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book and I really grew attached to them over a span of like 4 hours. One thing I will say is that this needs to be a movie asap. I thinking one of the main reasons as to why this wasn’t as scary for me was because I had imagining the scary dark caves in my head and I think if this was a movie the creepiness would come across a lot better.
Otherwise this was a great quick read, nothing to breathtaking the writing wasn’t insane either but I still had a good time reading this.
Also I think the plottwist was kind of meh I didn’t see it coming but I think the author could have done a lot more like include Laurie more into it (if you read the book you know what I mean , don’t wanna spoil)
Lastly I want to say that I personally really liked the end and I don’t understand how people felt like this was a super open ending. In my opinion the epilogue resolved everything really well but maybe some people just didn’t understand it because for you to get that "reference“ at the end, one would have had to be paying very good attention which I (for once) did, I guess.
I also just realised that I started the year by reading two books about ghosts even though they both couldn’t be any more different.
"Hope isn’t always rational. But it keeps us going.“
"And sometimes we have to find our way through the darkness to reach the
light."
"All of this has made me realize maybe ghosts are real, after all. They're stories that have been told so many times, they've taken on a life of their own. They stay with you for ever, no matter where you go.“
did I just finish this entire book in one sitting without even closing it once? Yes I did. To be honest I only did that because people always say you should always finish a horror movie before sleeping so I felt compelled to do the same with this horror book.
but let me tell you this wasn’t nearly as scary as I expected it to be, there was like one thing that was actually scary and the rest was okay I guess.
I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book and I really grew attached to them over a span of like 4 hours. One thing I will say is that this needs to be a movie asap. I thinking one of the main reasons as to why this wasn’t as scary for me was because I had imagining the scary dark caves in my head and I think if this was a movie the creepiness would come across a lot better.
Otherwise this was a great quick read, nothing to breathtaking the writing wasn’t insane either but I still had a good time reading this.
Also I think the plottwist was kind of meh I didn’t see it coming but I think the author could have done a lot more like include Laurie more into it (if you read the book you know what I mean , don’t wanna spoil)
Lastly I want to say that I personally really liked the end and I don’t understand how people felt like this was a super open ending. In my opinion the epilogue resolved everything really well but maybe some people just didn’t understand it because for you to get that "reference“ at the end, one would have had to be paying very good attention which I (for once) did, I guess.
I also just realised that I started the year by reading two books about ghosts even though they both couldn’t be any more different.
"Hope isn’t always rational. But it keeps us going.“
"And sometimes we have to find our way through the darkness to reach the
light."
"All of this has made me realize maybe ghosts are real, after all. They're stories that have been told so many times, they've taken on a life of their own. They stay with you for ever, no matter where you go.“
January 2, 2024
A very very realistic book.
Someone running around caves, dressed in a costume? Check.
An entire town throwing pig hearts at a cave? Check.
Being almost buried alive but we could also just make out couldn’t we? Check!
Kissing when people have been dying!! You have seen a bunch of corpses!! You are inside a dark cave! Check.
People dying and other people seemingly not giving a shit? Check.
More people dying but it really doesn’t matter because they were „rude to everyone” anyway? Check.
You are in grave danger!!! Please get help!! What the fuck is going on?? Everyone is dying!!… Check.
Old mechanics and electronics, that have been sitting in mud and water and mold still functioning perfectly? Check!
Fake City replicate but real sized in a literal cave? Of course!
People literally dying!! Hello???! Why are we acting like people haven’t been dying??? (Check.)
Being locked into caves for TV??? No one minding the obvious safety issues!!! No one coming in to rescue them??!!! Check obviously.
The killer being someone you would have never though to be capable? Check.
We will die in this cave, good lord, please help us I don’t want to die but guys look I still have a camera let’s film everything even the dead bodies and all that stuff and then we can put this on TV! WOOHOO
Dude people are DEAD! You are seeing dead people! They were fine and now they’re dead and you knew them and they’re dead now!!! Mhm who cares, am I right? Right! Check!
Also how did they any of them survive also how are you gonna be fine in the end (that epilogue was awful).
With that being sad this book was very very scary and certainly exiting. I though the idea was quite nice and although it didn’t make any sense, like any sense at all, it was still very fun.
I did not understand the cave system at all like it was very confusing but I guess it doesn’t matter.
The characters were somewhat meh, I liked Jackie I though she was lowkey funny, I could see myself crushing on Liam, Python has problems, Abbie and Marla I could not care any less about I forgot their names immediately when they weren’t mentioned in two pages, Ben was… also there.
Cameraman Carl? Deserves better!
Veronica? Very good friend!
Lex was legitimately the most annoying person in the world like she was AWFUL, but I liked her character development and her personality changing over time. But I still can’t get over the fact that people were turning up dead and we all just sort of… moved on? Like yea sure you have to survive somehow but like…idk honestly I’ve never been trapped inside a haunted cave, being chased by a killer :)
The puckered maiden thingy was very fun.
Every plot twist in this book was predictable, expect for the last one!!! Didn’t see that coming, but honestly didn’t care👍👍
So idk despite everything I still find I like this book, very silly.
Someone running around caves, dressed in a costume? Check.
An entire town throwing pig hearts at a cave? Check.
Being almost buried alive but we could also just make out couldn’t we? Check!
Kissing when people have been dying!! You have seen a bunch of corpses!! You are inside a dark cave! Check.
People dying and other people seemingly not giving a shit? Check.
More people dying but it really doesn’t matter because they were „rude to everyone” anyway? Check.
You are in grave danger!!! Please get help!! What the fuck is going on?? Everyone is dying!!… Check.
Old mechanics and electronics, that have been sitting in mud and water and mold still functioning perfectly? Check!
Fake City replicate but real sized in a literal cave? Of course!
People literally dying!! Hello???! Why are we acting like people haven’t been dying??? (Check.)
Being locked into caves for TV??? No one minding the obvious safety issues!!! No one coming in to rescue them??!!! Check obviously.
The killer being someone you would have never though to be capable? Check.
We will die in this cave, good lord, please help us I don’t want to die but guys look I still have a camera let’s film everything even the dead bodies and all that stuff and then we can put this on TV! WOOHOO
Dude people are DEAD! You are seeing dead people! They were fine and now they’re dead and you knew them and they’re dead now!!! Mhm who cares, am I right? Right! Check!
Also how did they any of them survive also how are you gonna be fine in the end (that epilogue was awful).
With that being sad this book was very very scary and certainly exiting. I though the idea was quite nice and although it didn’t make any sense, like any sense at all, it was still very fun.
I did not understand the cave system at all like it was very confusing but I guess it doesn’t matter.
The characters were somewhat meh, I liked Jackie I though she was lowkey funny, I could see myself crushing on Liam, Python has problems, Abbie and Marla I could not care any less about I forgot their names immediately when they weren’t mentioned in two pages, Ben was… also there.
Cameraman Carl? Deserves better!
Veronica? Very good friend!
Lex was legitimately the most annoying person in the world like she was AWFUL, but I liked her character development and her personality changing over time. But I still can’t get over the fact that people were turning up dead and we all just sort of… moved on? Like yea sure you have to survive somehow but like…idk honestly I’ve never been trapped inside a haunted cave, being chased by a killer :)
The puckered maiden thingy was very fun.
Every plot twist in this book was predictable, expect for the last one!!! Didn’t see that coming, but honestly didn’t care👍👍
So idk despite everything I still find I like this book, very silly.
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