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Frightmares
In a Florida tourist trap, a summer acting job turns into a real-life horror show when a cast member turns up dead—then disappears.
Dave is spending his final summer before college working at Frightmares House of Horrors, a struggling haunted house attraction held together by malfunctioning killer clown mannequins, a cheap replica Annabelle doll, and a lot of improvising.
After a particularly disastrous shift ends in an employee walkout, Dave reluctantly takes over a role for his friend, however, he makes a horrifying discovery—a real dead body, hidden on set. But when Dave returns with help, the body is gone.
Though the killer covered their tracks, Dave realizes they must know what he saw. Could he be their next target?
Dave is spending his final summer before college working at Frightmares House of Horrors, a struggling haunted house attraction held together by malfunctioning killer clown mannequins, a cheap replica Annabelle doll, and a lot of improvising.
After a particularly disastrous shift ends in an employee walkout, Dave reluctantly takes over a role for his friend, however, he makes a horrifying discovery—a real dead body, hidden on set. But when Dave returns with help, the body is gone.
Though the killer covered their tracks, Dave realizes they must know what he saw. Could he be their next target?
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2022
49 people are currently reading
1684 people want to read
About the author
Eva V. Gibson
3 books106 followersEva V. Gibson is the author of contemporary YA novels Together We Caught Fire and Where Secrets Lie, and the 2023 Edgar Award nominated Frightmares. A bookworm since early childhood, she gravitated toward the dark and gritty, reading, then writing, stories with controversial themes and flawed, complicated characters.
She lives and works in Tennessee, surrounded by kids, yarn, Smoky Mountain fog, and generations of inherited farm cats.
She lives and works in Tennessee, surrounded by kids, yarn, Smoky Mountain fog, and generations of inherited farm cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
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October 27, 2022DNF @ 41%
This definitely feels like one of those "it's not you, it's me!" DNF situations. I love the setting, Eva's writing is fun, and the characters are interesting, but something about this isn't working for me right now. I might try it again another time, but will probably just settle on accepting that this one didn't work out for me the way I wanted it to.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
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This definitely feels like one of those "it's not you, it's me!" DNF situations. I love the setting, Eva's writing is fun, and the characters are interesting, but something about this isn't working for me right now. I might try it again another time, but will probably just settle on accepting that this one didn't work out for me the way I wanted it to.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
———
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June 27, 2022
Review coming soon.
July 17, 2022
Thank you so much to Underlined and Eva Gibson for my copy of Frightmares! It was a fun YA horror about Dave, a teen working at a tourist trap haunted house the summer before college. Everything is falling apart and there are many sketchy things about the job, but when Dave finds an actual dead body in the haunted house, things go from bad to worse. When he finally calms down and goes back, the body is gone and it seems that nothing ever happened. When Dave realizes the killer must have seen him, he knows things are about to be a lot more dangerous than before.
Thoughts: This is a fun YA horror book, and it feels totally YA every step of the way. The setting is amazing and the premise is tons of fun. This was such a quick read and easy to imagine. There was tons of teen awkwardness, potential romance, and friend group drama. It was a horror because the haunted house was a bit graphic, but it was also fun and upbeat. As a YA book, the plot was basic and the twist was obvious. Still a super fun read for lovers of YA thrillers and a fun way to pass the time. 3 stars.
Thoughts: This is a fun YA horror book, and it feels totally YA every step of the way. The setting is amazing and the premise is tons of fun. This was such a quick read and easy to imagine. There was tons of teen awkwardness, potential romance, and friend group drama. It was a horror because the haunted house was a bit graphic, but it was also fun and upbeat. As a YA book, the plot was basic and the twist was obvious. Still a super fun read for lovers of YA thrillers and a fun way to pass the time. 3 stars.
April 13, 2023
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A decent YA horror/thriller/slasher that doesn't write the teens like fragile, innocent babies, but they are still kind of stupid.
It starts out strong, but the middle is a snooze as the pace dies down. The atmosphere fell short considering it mostly takes place in a haunted house - it needed more bodies, blood and scary moments.
But it's a fun, easy read for spooky season and the ending bumps it up from a 2-star to a 3.
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
A decent YA horror/thriller/slasher that doesn't write the teens like fragile, innocent babies, but they are still kind of stupid.
It starts out strong, but the middle is a snooze as the pace dies down. The atmosphere fell short considering it mostly takes place in a haunted house - it needed more bodies, blood and scary moments.
But it's a fun, easy read for spooky season and the ending bumps it up from a 2-star to a 3.
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
May 1, 2024
NOPE! So SO boring, non scary and just stupid story about a year round Walk Thru Haunt in Orlando Florida, and one night an employee is really dead. So fucking what!
This is the dumbest, and most NON scary book ever.....and the biggest horror in this story, is the fact that it was even labeled Horror in the first place.
Skip this piece of crap.....I wasted enough time FOR YOU so you did not have to.
1 boring, and wanna be Fright
This is the dumbest, and most NON scary book ever.....and the biggest horror in this story, is the fact that it was even labeled Horror in the first place.
Skip this piece of crap.....I wasted enough time FOR YOU so you did not have to.
1 boring, and wanna be Fright
November 15, 2022
A YA horror set on a House of Horrors called Frightmares was what sold the book to me. I love the fact that we follow a bunch of characters that work in this place setting up different horror themed rooms to scare the visitors.
Unfortunately it was less of a horror story and more of a murder mystery.
One day when Dave is working as usual in Frightmares he discovers a dead body. But when he runs to get help the body disappears. Did he imagine it, was it a prank or did someone in fact die?
Dave starts an investigation of his own and he feels like someone is watching him. The characters' relationships felt a little bit forced to me and there were also many chunks of the book used for descriptions that kind of interrupted the tension and the flow of the book for me.
However I do love the setting and did enjoy learning about the different rooms they had at Frightmares.
I was hoping that the ending and the reveal would pull me back into the story but unfortunately I did not love this book as much as I wanted to.
If you are looking for a YA murder mystery with less horror and a bit more of character drama and investigation, this one might be for you.
Unfortunately it was less of a horror story and more of a murder mystery.
One day when Dave is working as usual in Frightmares he discovers a dead body. But when he runs to get help the body disappears. Did he imagine it, was it a prank or did someone in fact die?
Dave starts an investigation of his own and he feels like someone is watching him. The characters' relationships felt a little bit forced to me and there were also many chunks of the book used for descriptions that kind of interrupted the tension and the flow of the book for me.
However I do love the setting and did enjoy learning about the different rooms they had at Frightmares.
I was hoping that the ending and the reveal would pull me back into the story but unfortunately I did not love this book as much as I wanted to.
If you are looking for a YA murder mystery with less horror and a bit more of character drama and investigation, this one might be for you.
June 9, 2022
This was a pretty good book. If you like a lot of cussing, (which I don't really mind, but it was excessive at times), teen awkwardness, a little bit of scary and a lot of snark, this book might be for you.
It was, I must say, totally unpredictable in its predictableness. To clarify, I had the killer pegged fairly early, but there were enough twists to make me doubt myself. Until the end when I literally said"I friggin knew it!"
Overall it was an OK read. Not something I'd own, but then, it was a YA book, and I'm an older adult.
Trigger warnings: Teen sexual innuendo, gruesome depictions of death, overly descriptive vomiting
Thanks to Random House Children's Publishing, Eva V. Gibson, and of course, Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
It was, I must say, totally unpredictable in its predictableness. To clarify, I had the killer pegged fairly early, but there were enough twists to make me doubt myself. Until the end when I literally said"I friggin knew it!"
Overall it was an OK read. Not something I'd own, but then, it was a YA book, and I'm an older adult.
Trigger warnings: Teen sexual innuendo, gruesome depictions of death, overly descriptive vomiting
Thanks to Random House Children's Publishing, Eva V. Gibson, and of course, Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
November 6, 2022
The writing is good but it takes way too long to get anywhere, and once it does, it’s over. Also, in an effort to not be predictable it throws some things out that make no sense, while still failing at not being predictable.
In all a I’d recommend it to someone who’s looking for some light entertainment, something to pass the time.
In all a I’d recommend it to someone who’s looking for some light entertainment, something to pass the time.
February 11, 2022
Official blurb:
FRIGHTMARES is YA horror at its best—voicy, thrilling, and wholly unique. Gibson’s quirky characters and whip-smart humor shine against the non-Disney-fied backdrop of Florida’s seedy underbelly. A spine-chilling book you won’t forget.
—Jennifer Moffett, author THOSE WHO PREY
FRIGHTMARES is YA horror at its best—voicy, thrilling, and wholly unique. Gibson’s quirky characters and whip-smart humor shine against the non-Disney-fied backdrop of Florida’s seedy underbelly. A spine-chilling book you won’t forget.
—Jennifer Moffett, author THOSE WHO PREY
May 28, 2022
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I love haunted houses, scary attractions, dark theme parks, etc. All of it. Fall is my favorite season because we get more of the creepy things I love. So, this book's premise was immediately interesting to me. I had to read it.
I thought the haunt was great. It sounds like some of the haunts nearby, everyone flying by the seat of their pants. I wanted more of that particular setting though. Much of the story takes place outside of it.
Dave was a likeable anxious character and Maya is great opposite him. I enjoyed their dynamic. Were stupid choices made? Yes. Often. But, that's kind of the point, right? I enjoyed the story. I'd have liked some of the supporting cast flushed out just a bit more, but this was a win for me.
There was one small thing that struck me as a detail readers may not get. The VCR reference. I get college students who don't even know what it VCR is. Some refer to it with the wrong acronym when trying to come up with the name. I teach a pop culture course. So, we are heavy into media. Small detail, I know.
I love haunted houses, scary attractions, dark theme parks, etc. All of it. Fall is my favorite season because we get more of the creepy things I love. So, this book's premise was immediately interesting to me. I had to read it.
I thought the haunt was great. It sounds like some of the haunts nearby, everyone flying by the seat of their pants. I wanted more of that particular setting though. Much of the story takes place outside of it.
Dave was a likeable anxious character and Maya is great opposite him. I enjoyed their dynamic. Were stupid choices made? Yes. Often. But, that's kind of the point, right? I enjoyed the story. I'd have liked some of the supporting cast flushed out just a bit more, but this was a win for me.
There was one small thing that struck me as a detail readers may not get. The VCR reference. I get college students who don't even know what it VCR is. Some refer to it with the wrong acronym when trying to come up with the name. I teach a pop culture course. So, we are heavy into media. Small detail, I know.
January 12, 2024
Frightmares and Nightmares
What a great, tension fuelled read! Loved this! Amazing twists and turns and kept me guessing right to the end! Loved the main character Dave and the feisty female characters in Josie and Maya. Great YA thriller with some spooks and scares thrown in for good measure. Very enjoyable!
What a great, tension fuelled read! Loved this! Amazing twists and turns and kept me guessing right to the end! Loved the main character Dave and the feisty female characters in Josie and Maya. Great YA thriller with some spooks and scares thrown in for good measure. Very enjoyable!
hard-dnf
October 7, 2023R͎e͎a͎d͎ ͎d͎a͎t͎e͎:͎
R͎a͎t͎i͎n͎g͎:͎
O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: October 6th 2023
P͎u͎r͎c͎h͎a͎s͎e͎d͎ ͎a͎t͎:͎ Goodwill
P͎r͎i͎c͎e͎:?? 99¢
R͎a͎t͎i͎n͎g͎:͎
O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: October 6th 2023
P͎u͎r͎c͎h͎a͎s͎e͎d͎ ͎a͎t͎:͎ Goodwill
P͎r͎i͎c͎e͎:?? 99¢
August 3, 2022
A solid, slasher murder mystery. I would say it's more of a thriller than straight up horror though. The best way to describe it is that it felt like a book version of a made for tv slasher movie.
It was an easy read, with an amazing setting. The setting of the book went a long way in my enjoyment of it, it's not exactly a unique concept but it's something that hasn't been done TOO many times to make it feel stale.
The characters were your standard teen thriller assortment, but i did really like David. He was solid as far as protagonists went. I saw the ending coming from a mile away, but that's more to my familiarity with the genera than anything against the book.
I recommend if you want a quick, fun read that doesn't make you engage your brain too much.
It was an easy read, with an amazing setting. The setting of the book went a long way in my enjoyment of it, it's not exactly a unique concept but it's something that hasn't been done TOO many times to make it feel stale.
The characters were your standard teen thriller assortment, but i did really like David. He was solid as far as protagonists went. I saw the ending coming from a mile away, but that's more to my familiarity with the genera than anything against the book.
I recommend if you want a quick, fun read that doesn't make you engage your brain too much.
September 5, 2022
The premise of this one sounded so good! A murder that takes place in a haunted attraction....What could go wrong?
Poor execution of a great plot. That's what could go wrong.
I liked the writing style. It was dark and gritty (think a YA Chuck Palahniuk). But I didn't find the story to have enough depth to be considered dark/horror. The body is found very early on and then a whole lot of nothing happens after the fact and then it ends with a conclusion that was haphazard and obvious.
I'm super disappointed in the wasted potential of this book.
Poor execution of a great plot. That's what could go wrong.
I liked the writing style. It was dark and gritty (think a YA Chuck Palahniuk). But I didn't find the story to have enough depth to be considered dark/horror. The body is found very early on and then a whole lot of nothing happens after the fact and then it ends with a conclusion that was haphazard and obvious.
I'm super disappointed in the wasted potential of this book.
May 19, 2022
This was a 4 till the CONCLUSION but now it's definitely a 5! Like an 80's Horror film, but so much better!
Review very soon.
Review very soon.
May 15, 2024
i love it when horror stories are set in haunted houses, so when i read the back of frightmares at my local bookstore i immediately knew i had to give it a try. …..unfortunately, i ended up being pretty disappointed by it lol
the copyright page(?) at the beginning states that the book is suitable for ages 14 and up, and you can really feel that in the writing. i found the dialogue really clunky and awkward, and there are a few things in the story (including its very foundation) that you kind of just have to accept even though they don’t make a ton of sense. like, you just have to get past characters making really weird choices because otherwise the plot falls apart and the book couldn’t exist. also i really didn’t like the voice of this 18 year old protag, but that’s entirely a preference thing. if you think people describing dog poop as a “massive dump” is funny, you’ll love it.
i did think it was charming though, it’s very self-aware in regards to its riverdale meets scream vibes, and the characters are mostly likable, if not super flat. there’s also a REALLY good scene with hair. i’m super nosy so if you pose questions like what the hell happened here and who did it???? i am 100% sticking around to find out - and in this case, the reveal scene was neat and fun!! the actual ending was kind of a weird choice though imo.
anyways, if i was 14 i think i probably would have really liked this, so if you have a young horror enthusiast around, buy them a copy!! also freddy fazbear mentioned 🫡
the copyright page(?) at the beginning states that the book is suitable for ages 14 and up, and you can really feel that in the writing. i found the dialogue really clunky and awkward, and there are a few things in the story (including its very foundation) that you kind of just have to accept even though they don’t make a ton of sense. like, you just have to get past characters making really weird choices because otherwise the plot falls apart and the book couldn’t exist. also i really didn’t like the voice of this 18 year old protag, but that’s entirely a preference thing. if you think people describing dog poop as a “massive dump” is funny, you’ll love it.
i did think it was charming though, it’s very self-aware in regards to its riverdale meets scream vibes, and the characters are mostly likable, if not super flat. there’s also a REALLY good scene with hair. i’m super nosy so if you pose questions like what the hell happened here and who did it???? i am 100% sticking around to find out - and in this case, the reveal scene was neat and fun!! the actual ending was kind of a weird choice though imo.
anyways, if i was 14 i think i probably would have really liked this, so if you have a young horror enthusiast around, buy them a copy!! also freddy fazbear mentioned 🫡
February 6, 2022
I received this eARC from NetGalley and these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book overall. It started off slow and I almost didn’t finish it but I kept pushing and it I’m glad I stuck with it! David works for a campy Haunted House called Frightmares that is falling apart. One night on his shift he finds a dead coworker while going to tell someone else the body disappears… the only people that could have done it are his coworkers. But would anyone believe him when there is no body and the supposedly dead coworker emailed in their resignation the next day? With the help of the girl next door Maya he determines to find out who in his work is a murderer! I found David to be a likable character and the book has a lovable cast of side characters! I will say I saw who the killer was early on but I did enjoy the intrigue it to get to the end! And I definitely questioned if I was right! And while I figured out who the why and how were not things I anticipated! Eva Gibson did a good job with this one! Definitely Roth the read if you enjoy mysteries!
January 29, 2024
I most enjoyed the setting of this book. The different scare rooms combining with the real horror was well done and enhanced everything well. The plot required a little suspension of disbelief that the other workers could be so oblivious to what was going on and that more effort was not made to figure out how to tell the police. But that is also part of the fun of the mystery and how things get more tangled and the stakes even higher. The aspect that didn't work as well for me was the main characters falling a bit flat. The main character is a jock but also secretly kind of a nerdy introvert and definitely a bit dumb. His love interest is the smart one who is a bit of a manic pixie dream girl with her poetry but also doesn't get to have enough interests beyond saving the main character to fully fit the stereotype. This is even more annoying because his best friend and room partner is much more well rounded so it really felt like a missed opportunity to leave the main characters lacking. The plot was fun though predictable and I did still enjoy seeing how things unfolded.
July 19, 2023
The writing in this is serviceable and the characters are fine, but I'm DNF-ing at 24% because it is just boring as shit. I borrowed this because I'd seen someone say it was like the old R.L. Stine Fear Street books, but I read all of those as a kid and they were fun! They were exciting! They were unapologetically dumb as hell! This is dumb, but in a more literal way; I don't understand why the narrator is doing anything he's doing which is exhausting and then a random man pulled a gun out to check the car while his other hand was holding diapers and it got treated so fucking normally that it made me want to throw myself down a well, so that's enough for me.
"What was I doing here? What the hell was I thinking?" I don't fucking know, dude, but if you're going to narrate your every thought, maybe try to make them, like, occasionally interesting?
"What was I doing here? What the hell was I thinking?" I don't fucking know, dude, but if you're going to narrate your every thought, maybe try to make them, like, occasionally interesting?
April 30, 2023
Trigger warnings: death, death of a friend, body horror, gore, vomit, drug abuse, murder
Look, I'm going to be completely honest here: I finished this book a week ago and I remember NOTHING. I mean, I remember the basic premise - it's set at a house of horrors and the protagonist finds one of his friends murdered but then when he tries to report it the body is gone.. But other than that? NADA. I guess on the bright side I could read it again if I wanted to...
Look, I'm going to be completely honest here: I finished this book a week ago and I remember NOTHING. I mean, I remember the basic premise - it's set at a house of horrors and the protagonist finds one of his friends murdered but then when he tries to report it the body is gone.. But other than that? NADA. I guess on the bright side I could read it again if I wanted to...
July 12, 2022
The story was more spooky and fun than scary which was fine by me. What it lacked in scare made up in humor and an overall good spooky read. The book keeps you interested and guessing until the very end. Good story.
July 7, 2023
very interesting!
4.5 Stars
The story had me hooked and I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what was going on. Loved everything about the story and the side romance between Maya and Dave. I liked them together.
Honestly didn’t see that ending coming, I thought something totally different but not that. Perfect!
I actually want more of the story. Sad that it ended.
4.5 Stars
The story had me hooked and I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what was going on. Loved everything about the story and the side romance between Maya and Dave. I liked them together.
Honestly didn’t see that ending coming, I thought something totally different but not that. Perfect!
I actually want more of the story. Sad that it ended.
July 18, 2022
Unexpected fun with an excellent narrator.
August 22, 2022
this was fine, i was just confused through most of it
October 19, 2022
Well, that’s two hours of my life I’ll never get back.
May 11, 2023
This took me a minute to get into, but once the ball was rolling it was on fire!! Loved it!
June 5, 2023
I'm new to the genre but I just ate this up... Had a really cool intense scene, but I didn't quite love the resolution, it felt a little too messy.
January 2, 2024
Kind of meh… maybe if you are just entering the horror genre but it’s really not that scary.
May 22, 2025
It just wasn't for me. I ended up having to dnf it it's just boring.
May 31, 2023
super quick and easy read but nothing remarkable
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews