Zoomers vs Boomers

by Sawyer Black

They’re live-streaming for their lives.

When the influencers and live-streamers of Jackson High are selected as the winner of the Operation Gen Z contest, Craig Boucher and his friends can’t believe their luck. Sure, it’s a little awkward that Craig’s ex is on the team – and so is the former best friend who abandoned him for the cool crowd freshman year. But at least Craig’s got his BFF to lean on. And his hundreds of thousands of followers, of course.

The Zoomers think they’ve been chosen to compete in a secret competition to win a million-dollar scholarship. But when they get to the site – the rundown building that used to be the Oakridge Academy, an infamous school shut down after rumors of torture and brainwashing – they discover that they’re pawns in a brutal game of survival.

As they search for a way out of the booby-trapped campus, Craig and his friends are hunted by three fanatical Boomers determined to prove that Generation Z embodies everything that’s wrong with the modern world.

Millions tune in as the live stream goes viral, and the cameras transmit every move to the enemy. As the streamers begin to turn on each other in their attempts to survive, Craig doesn’t know who to trust or how to keep his friends alive. Will they die before uncovering the truth behind this vicious contest?

Zoomers vs Boomers is an intense new stand-alone slasher-horror novel by Sawyer Black. Fans of Squid Game and The Hunt will be thrilled to death by Zoomers vs Boomers.

Genres: Horror

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2022

About the author

Sawyer Black writes dark and violent fiction for people who secretly love puppies and rainbows. In addition to being a U.S. Army veteran, he’s also a beardsman. In fact, that’s where all his ideas come from. The beard. Speculative stories about struggle and triumph and brutal emotion, written mostly for his ideal reader, his wife of nearly twenty-five years. He’s an independent woman who likes cigars and margaritas, and he holds the deep belief that the earth is round.

Reviews

[Kirsty Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4

When the influencers and live-streamers of Jackson High are selected as the winner of the Operation Gen Z contest, Craig Boucher and his friends can't believe their luck. Sure, it's a little awkward that Craig's ex is on the team – and so is the former best friend who abandoned him for the cool crowd freshman year. But at least Craig's got his BFF to lean on. And his hundreds of thousands of followers, of course. 
 
The Zoomers think they've been chosen to compete in a secret competition to win a million-dollar scholarship. But when they get to the site – the rundown building that used to be the Oakridge Academy, an infamous school shut down after rumors of torture and brainwashing – they discover that they're pawns in a brutal game of survival.

These social media ‘Hunger Games’ stories seem to be all the craze at the moment and I’ve read quite a few of them over the past few months, but this one initially intrigued me as it wasn’t solely focused on the ‘Zoomers’ generation but included characters from ‘simpler’ boomer years.

Nevertheless, this novel was a fast-paced, slasher-fest with blood and gore from the outset. I quite enjoyed it for what it was, if you’re looking for an easy read with not much character development, a silly plot-line and some cringy one liners that is exactly what you’ll get. This book is fun, fast and frantic… but it might just make you want to read the small print before entering any competitions in the future.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

To start off this review, I wanted to bring up the fact that this is the first book I've ever read by this author. The author, in my opinion, has very a great grasp on formats and a great ability at writing. The writing was to the point, thorough, and well-put together. It’s very reminiscent of what this generation’s writing would be like.

My reasoning for requesting this book was the description. It’s reminiscent of well known horror movies such as Saw. Also reminiscent of hit books such as Hunger Games. Battle Royale Games like Fortnite. There are a lot of references that this century would understand, which works perfectly for the format of the book. If you don’t like a lot of current century references, such as a play on streaming channels like Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, music bands in the KPOP world, LGBTQ+, and so on… This wouldn’t be a good book for you.

One thing that I will point out is that the author is inclusive when it comes to sexual orientation, as well as races. All the characters have their own, unique personalities, skin tones, exotic features. Many races are included. Nothing feels too “white-washed” in this world of the author’s book. That is something that is very appreciated, in my eyes.

The plot picks up fairly quickly. By 20% of the book, you’re thrown into the game. The characters are decent, some of them you care about living or dying, some of them you don’t. That’s very typical in a book. The story itself is fast paced and has its own exciting scenes. Some may feel it’s /too/ fast paced, but I personally enjoy books that pick up quickly. That being said, the book can easily be read in one sitting.

The scenes themselves aren’t too overly graphic or gory, so I would suggest reading for younger teens to almost adults who are okay with a few swear words here and there, but definitely /not/ young children.

I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Reviews will also be submitted to NetGalley.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually fun for what it is! It can be hard these days to decipher if something is satire.

Craig is an influencer. He runs a popular vlog on LiveLyfe, which I'm assuming is the YouTube(maybe TikTok? idk I'm a millennial; I have a side part and wear skinny jeans) of this fictional world. Craig isn't so bad for a Gen Z kid. He loves his family and wants to take care of them. He has a few true friends. What more could you hope for at that point in life?

With help from some beauty bloggers, Craig wins a viral video contest for his school put on by KyMera, another fictional company aimed at Gen Z that I don't understand(apparently it's tech).

They've competed in a contest to.. compete for a scholarship? Anyway, the book just needed a excuse to get all these silly influencers stuck together so the games could begin!

They've been duped by someone. They're basically on an evil, live-stream version of Survivor. They're live-streaming and racking up the likes and fighting for their lives.

Who's behind this?! Is it the boomers?!??? Is there a dastardly millennial behind this(me)? Who knows, read the book and find out.

This seems like it could be a movie on Shudder.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to check this out!

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s becoming a new subgenre. Take a bunch of teenagers. Put them in an isolated location and either get them to kill each other or start killing them all off with traps and hunters. The twist to this novel, if you can call it a “twist”, is that the teenagers are all social media influencers and the hunters are baby boomers who hate the younger generation.

I’m not clear if it was intended or is a sign of my own age, but I disliked almost all of the zoomers. (I disliked almost all of the boomers too, so make of that what you will.) The novel starts slow for several chapters while the scene is being set and then people start dying horribly and it doesn’t let up until the last page. It’s exciting and its simultaneously frustrating, because almost all of these zoomers seem to think that even though the organizers have set traps that kill or maim the contestants, and even though there are hunters actively trying to kill the contestants, they still have a chance to win a million dollars. So they don’t try to escape and they refuse to help each other.

This may explain why the audiences of these social influencers refuse to believe that their heroes are really being murdered.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Zoomers vs Boomers, Ray and Wink are boomers who attended Oak Ridge Academy in the 40s and 50s. It was run by an abusive man name Matherne, hooray idolizes. Craig and his friends or Zoomers who have plenty of likes and subscribers on live life and that is what won them the chance to compete in this Comtesse is called the GenZ contest and Ray believes he knows the teachings of his idol and a lot of death and violence will teach millennials the lessons that parents should’ve taught them long ago. What Ray doesn’t count on us there instinct and will to survive and unfortunately the lesson here is never underestimate a millennial. This book was so, so good! I received it yesterday and read the whole thing today it was that awesome! I can’t say enough great things about this book it was fast paced, action pack they would know dull moments. Just a great plot in an awesome execution of that plot. I already have downloaded other books by Sawyer Black and look forward to reading more from him in the future. I was given this book by net galley and the publisher and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammar or punctuation errors as I am blind and dictate my review, But all opinions are definitely my own. If you love horror and the great plot you’ll love this book!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zoomers vs Boomers is a standalone slasher-horror novel by author Sawyer Black. This is the first book I've read by this author. I was drawn in by the chilling blurb promising a deadly battle royale style thriller pitting the older and younger generations against each other. I am a huge fan of stories where people are trapped somewhere fighting for survival against deadly traps or challenges while also trying to decide to work with each other or against (think Saw, Escape Room, Hunger Games, Battle Royale). I found this book didn't live up to my expectations with the idea being better than the execution. I enjoyed the overall story and it had some tense and exciting parts. I found the beginning quite slow (nothing really happened until around 20% in). I feel the book could have benefited from a really suspenseful first chapter or prologue. The book was quite short and I was able to read it in one sitting. The characters were not very likeable and I didn't feel much of a connection to any of them and therefore didn't care if they lived or died. I was more interested in the overall story of who set up the contest and why and kept reading wanting to know more. It wasn't too graphic in content but I'd not recommend for very young readers.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bunch of zoomer social media influencers are chosen to participate in a contest for one million dollars. After being dropped off and locked in they soon find that they are being hunted. Then the slashing begins. I loved the slasher part of the book. The kills were interesting and brutal. However, I didn't like any of the characters, zoomers or boomers. Plus there was a lot of attention paid to race, sexual orientation, and feminism. With nothing profound to say, sexual and political commentary is not what I want to find in a slasher. That put a big damper on the whole book for me. Remove that and the rest was a good slasher.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher Sterling & Stone for making this read possible!

Zoomers vs Boomers is a quick read!

Once the game begins, not much happens to bring the plot to a climax. Don't get me wrong, this book was entertaining, I wanted to know who was the mastermind behind the game. I liked the concept, however, it was missing that bang, that eureka moment!

I will seek out this author and read more of his novels based on his writing style.

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great whimsical book! Be warned though it's a bit dark though! A group of young social media influencers win a contest to a camp where they will test out a company's latest tech and compete for $1000000 in prize money. Of course, they can all use the money but for two of the families they have special needs children so they can really use the money and their kids that are competing know it. What these kids don't know is that the contest is rigged and no one is leaving with their lives. The old people in the world are tired of being disrespected by kids barely old enough to vote who can't pry themselves from their screens - so they are going to show them what the real world is all about!

[Kristy Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for ensemble horror, especially when there's a larger group of people. It feels like the action lasts longer when there's a larger group and the torture isn't all on one or two people.

I like the premise of this book and thought it was a pretty good follow through, though I think the kills happened too close together in the beginning and it was a bit difficult to follow because of too much happening at once. It was weird for me that Zoomers was chosen as the name for the teens but I definitely believe that Boomers can be like Ray and Wilkie.

The epilogue felt too short and quick, but I did like that the aftermath for the survivor(s) was shown to have been difficult and not all cut and dried.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

[Charli G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: murder, blood, gore, mentions of racism, bullying, homophobia

We all know I love a good horror novel – but when you pit Gen Z against the “Boomers”, I have to stop and take notice. I’m going to do the usual CAWPILE but I’m not going to detail specific characters because there’s just too many.

Characters
Our characters range from “we are rooting for this guy” to the “please just kill this dude already, seriously, before I jump in and do it for you”. For me, this was not an exaggeration. There were people – on the bad guys’ side – that I was wishing someone would hurry up and just off them so I didn’t have to put up with reading their idiocy anymore.

There were a couple of characters on the “good guys” side that I kind of wanted to die too… just because they were annoying. But they were supposed to be annoying so I suppose… but ugh. All in all the characters did their jobs. They either annoyed the daylights out of you or they made you want to cheer for them. They weren’t particularly well developed, but for the sake of the story, they didn’t need to be. The ones that needed building and development got it, the ones that didn’t, well… didn’t.

Atmosphere
Nothing like a run down, creepy-ass school to be the backdrop for your murder-fest, am I right? The atmosphere was creepy enough, although it seemed to me the depictions were more just gross and dirty than actually creepy. But there were some factors to make it a bit creepier than it seems at first glance. It was a decent atmosphere for the book and didn’t distract from the main story.

Writing
Sawyer Black has a great writing style. The book was paced great, moved quickly but not too quickly. It doesn’t drag along with unnecessary descriptions of everything but it does give descriptions of what you need to have described to you. The writing was clear and easy to understand, something I’ve noticed some writers are not very good at. Definitely a fan of Sawyer Black’s writing style.

Plot
Ok, so this plot is pretty great. Taking a bunch of high school students who are addicted to their electronic devices and streaming their lives, having them be the winners of a contest to enter another contest… then having the entire thing be a front for something else? Awesome. But you’ll have to read the book to find out why the entire thing was a front for something else, because I’m not telling you the entire plot. I will say it’s a fairly unique plot and I’m quite happy with it.

Intrigue
So for this book, the intrigue is mostly wondering who is going to make it out of this book alive. I admit, I had a hard time putting the book down because I was so invested in who was going to die and who was going to live. I think it deserves a lot of credit for this.

Logic
I’m going to say it – this book didn’t use a lot of logic, but then again, it’s a horror novel. Exactly how much logic would you expect from a horror novel? Just saying.

Ending
Over all the ending was really good – not great, but really good. We had the big boss fight at the end, but it seemed a bit on the rushed side as it didn’t take long to happen. But maybe I play too many video games where you have to jump through hoops A, B, & C to be able to beat the final boss. I think the “epilogue” was a better ending to the book than the ending of the plot was, but that’s just my opinion.

Conclusion
I definitely recommend Zoomers vs Boomers by Sawyer Black to horror fans and even to people who don’t like horror – this could also be considered a thriller of sorts. If you’re not too squeamish, I’d give it a try.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zoomers vs Boomers was actually a fun, fast read and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I loved the satirical commentary on both generations with regards to social media and thought the use of a live audience watching everyone get killed was interesting; it actually reminded me of Bachman's book, The Running Man, a book I read as a teenager, but definitely made an impression on me.

The concept of this book isn't new: you take a bunch of teenagers, throw them into a situation where they think one thing is going to happen but suddenly something else happens, the killing starts, and wait to find out the purpose behind it all. Every story with this format simply has its own twist and I would say the twist is that all of the players are social media influencers and the killing is live-streamed. To be honest, I thought the reason behind it all to be rather weak as it was your typical boomers hate all zoomers and think the younger generation need to be raised with more discipline and are all spoiled brats. However, I did think the game was fun, although the players themselves were ridiculously easy to pick off because they were all silly. And I guess you could say that you should never annoy a boomer as you won't know how they will react? But, on the other hand, never underestimate the resilience of a zoomer and their will to survive?

It did take a few chapters before the action started, but when it did, it didn't let up until the final chapter. And when the first major thing happened, it actually caught me by surprise as I wasn't expecting it so I liked the twists and turns that happened. The book was an easy read, short compared to other books, so I read it in one sitting, but I think I would have even if it was longer as it was good fun. Because it was so short, there wasn't a lot of time to really develop characters, so other than Craig, and maybe one or two others, I didn't really develop any empathy for them. This made it difficult because when they did die, it was hard to feel empathetic although I did wince a time or two. I would have liked to have known more about who set up the contest and how it all came together, but that was left purposely vague so I was a bit disappointed about that. The ending was satisfactory, and the overall story was tense and exciting.

Zoomers vs Boomers was quite fun, and definitely had a lot of twists and turns that kept my interest throughout. I do think it would have benefited from some type of prologue as the beginning was a bit slow, but when the action started, it didn't let up. There really wasn't a lot of character development, and a bit more of that would have helped the tension as you would have felt more empathy towards the characters when they died. Overall, a fun book and I do recommend this one to anyone who is looking for a quick, entertaining read.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

They’re live-streaming for their lives.
When the influencers and live-streamers of Jackson High are selected as the winner of the Operation Gen Z contest, Craig Boucher and his friends can’t believe their luck. Sure, it’s a little awkward that Craig’s ex is on the team – and so is the former best friend who abandoned him for the cool crowd freshman year. But at least Craig’s got his BFF to lean on. And his hundreds of thousands of followers, of course.
The Zoomers think they’ve been chosen to compete in a secret competition to win a million-dollar scholarship. But when they get to the site – the rundown building that used to be the Oakridge Academy, an infamous school shut down after rumors of torture and brainwashing – they discover that they’re pawns in a brutal game of survival.
As they search for a way out of the booby-trapped campus, Craig and his friends are hunted by three fanatical Boomers determined to prove that Generation Z embodies everything that’s wrong with the modern world.
Millions tune in as the live stream goes viral, and the cameras transmit every move to the enemy. As the streamers begin to turn on each other in their attempts to survive, Craig doesn’t know who to trust or how to keep his friends alive.
Can these Zoomers come together to defeat the worst of the Greatest Generation? Or will they die before uncovering the truth behind this vicious contest?

Wow! What a read this was!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I found to be most terrifying was the generational differences highlighted in the book, and how reliant kids & teens have become on their social media & electronics. I still remember having to work hard to earn my first flip cell phone in high school! Sometimes I had to side with the boomers when the students were being straight up rude/disrespectful.

The “Zoomers” win the chance to participate in a contest for a million dollar prize, while at the same time getting to text out beta devices from the sponsoring company. They are soon dropped off at an abandoned military academy, and the death count immediately starts to rise.

The majority of the kids, despite raw carnage and terror happening around them, still focus on the contest/ their viewers. Everyone streaming the live feed thinks the whole thing is an act, and refuse to heed the participants’ cries for police.

There seems to be a lot of specific focus on the race/looks of characters, which may be part of our MC Craig’s arc, but isn’t really necessary for some of the side/minor characters. One of the other issues I had was the kids calling each other “fairies, ret*rds, fagg*ts”, etc. I think kids these days, while being rude and obnoxious at times, don’t speak like this to one another, specifically these words. There are so many anti bullying campaigns, and lgbtq+ folkx and ally clubs are in most schools.

Overall this is an interesting read that will surely pass the time, & may appeal most to angry boomers wanting to see bratty teens get what’s coming to them.

Thank you to Net Galley, Sterling & Stone Publishing, and Sawyer Black for a copy of this book.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Horror is definitely not my genre but I wanted to give it a try. Zoomers vs. Boomers by Sawyer Black tells the story of 12 young social media influencers that are taken to a remote location to compete for what they are told is a college scholarship. All of the contestants have huge online audiences and spend their days producing curated content for their followers. They are all glued to their cell phones 24/7 and are desperate for the validation that they get from strangers on the internet.

When the competition begins, each competitor is strapped with a body cam and a special cell phone that live streams the footage to their followers. Little do they know, a group of crazed Boomers have lured them to an abandoned school to essentially hunt and kill them, and only two of them will get out alive.

I went into this one with an open mind, but it kind of read like a cheesy CW show to me and I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I also really struggled with understanding all of the video game terminology and references. Maybe I'm just an old millennial that doesn't get it, but I think that might have helped me to better understand parts of the story.

All in all, it wasn't the worst or the best, it just fell flat somewhere in the middle. I don't think I would recommend this book to a friend because I think the target audience is a very niche group. Anyways thanks again NetGalley, Sterling & Stone, and Sawyer Black for the read!

[AJ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't really what I was expecting, but it wasn't that bad, actually. It was quite an enjoyable read despite the satirical tones it gives off at first glance. I actually really enjoyed the author's writing style as well, so I'd be opened to reading more by him in the future!

I personally think this would make a great film. The characters, the plot in general, and even the references thrown in just tied together really well; I think it would be interesting to watch it on a big screen considering it was fun just reading it.

The scenes weren't too gory or gross in this book, so it'd be perfect for people either not interested in those types of thrillers or younger readers just starting out in the genre. I was a bit hesitant at first because I didn't think it would be serious, but it really was a great late-night read!

I received a gifted copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Shelby Hawk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow this book was awful. I don’t know if I will ever get my time back thankfully it only took me about an hour to read. But wow I didn’t know a book could be that bad.


First point that almost made it a DNF was that the WHOLE book was in italics. That is a huge book turn off for me but I kept reading because the reviews were good.

Second point was that there were TOO MANY characters, so many people to keep up with and no character development so I felt like I was was just reading names for most of the book.

Third point is there are so many short sentences. It doesn’t make sense to have sentences like that, I don’t know if the author thought they were being creative or artsy, it just didn’t make sense.

Fourth and final point, it’s a YA book but was written in almost a prose, the sentences made no sense and here are some examples:


“ Walking into the bus made Craig want to put his hands in his pockets.”

“Curled up around her conversation, turning away from the rest of them.”

[Ridley Zarate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this for free via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I want to thank netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I gotta say, when I requested this book I thought it was satire. The description seemed really goofy. But this book was actually really good. It was like a slasher movie in book form, and it has LGBT+ rep in the main character, which is always a plus.
Sawyer's writing is remarkably similar to one of my favorite horror authors, Riley Sager. It really had me thinking the boomers were gonna win.

This story really does make you think about real life too. Zoomers and Boomers are constantly harassing each other and blaming each other for everything. I'm a zoomer, but I also can point out how ridiculous gen z can be, while also criticizing the boomer generation lol.

Great read, thanks netgalley 💘

[Ruth Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of this book is so much fun:
A group of teenage influencers win a contest and are thrown into a battle to win a scholarship to the school of their choice. Little do these Gen-Zers know that orchestrating the game are a bunch of boomers, who want nothing more than to see them all cancelled. Permanently.
(Synopsis in my words…)

However, I could NOT connect with any of the characters. I just really couldn’t enjoy reading about them. I can read books with unlikeable characters, but there has to be something unique and distinct about them. Unfortunately, there was nothing about any of these characters that I found remotely interesting, which meant I had no connection, which meant I couldn’t care less what was happening.

With aspect of Battle Royale and The Hunger Games, as well as Squid Game vibes, this should have been perfect, but it really wasn’t my cup of tea.

[CarlitasFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unputdownable fiction
What a fascinating and entertaining novel! “ Zoomers vs Boomers” was written by Sawyer Black, who has come up with a good, dark piece of writing.
There are two groups of students who enter a competition to win a million-dollar scholarship. Each group has a leader who will guide them to achieve their main goal. But not everything is colour pink; there are lots of lies, troubles and dangers throughout this competition.
Well, it was a terrifying story but, all the same I was glued to the pages because I wanted to know the way the problems were going to be solved. It is a tightly plotted story with well-portrayed and complex characters. The different turns and twists will make you read it again and again. I recommend it without a doubt!

[Santiago Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoomers vs Boomers, a book written by author Black, captivated me because of the topic and because as soon as I saw the cover I felt interested by the image and what it represented. This is certainly an intense story that has some creepy scenes. I love horror stories and I am always looking for a good read of the genre; this was a very good one. It is not very long, it is intense and has very well created scenes and characters. It was enjoyable from beginning to end.
The author’s narrative is captivating and made me want to read for hours. There’s always something happening at every turn of the page so it was difficult to put it down. I think I have read it in two days only. I would recommend reading this stand alone novel.

[S Tyty · Rating 5 out of 5]

As any good horror story, this one has the availability of making everyone be at awe. Two groups of students unfold their competitive personalities to stand out in a contest, but plenty of dark scenes come up, nothing seems to be what it is.
Twisted events make this plot up and allow us to get hooked and intrigued. The well-developed characters and their personalities are the best parts of this tale.
The paragraphs are well-paced and the author has written this in such a way that he has truly captured the tone and made it a gripping kind of tale.
I have enjoyed this tale way too much and I consider this narrative as one that can make a good movie which I would also watch.

[Mia C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoomers vs Boomers by Black is a short book which is perfect to read during the weekend. The characters included in this story were both well developed and believable, something that added a lot to the story. What seemed to be a harmless competition ended up being a brutal game of survival.
I really enjoy reading this kind of book in which there is an intense plot with strong characters who go through many different circumstances. I must admit that this stand alone horror novel surprised me. I really liked it and I didn’t expect some of the twists in the story. I would recommend reading it.

[JustKatie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4

I downloaded this book because I thought the title & concept was hilarious. I didn’t expect to actually like it.

But you can bet your sweet bippy I did! This novel was a fun read, especially since I was essentially raised on slasher movies.

- Vivid descriptions of brutal attacks!
- Well-paced writing
- Quick read
- Some twisty-turns!
- LGBTQ+ representation amongst the Zoomers
- Great for anyone who’s a fan of the horror/slasher genre
- Vibes of Hunger Games, Battle Royale, & the classic 2007 critically un-acclaimed movie The Condemned starring the magnificent, the stupefying, the one & only Stone Cold Steve Austin!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror live stream

Craig wins a viral contest with his popular blog. The company KyMera is offering scholarships of one million dollars to the winners. When they arrive at the site, a game of survival begins. Luck and smarts and popularity will be your friends in order to survive. Their opponents? Members of the Boomer generation with an axe to bury.
This is a gory, descriptive horror story. If you like Saw, rewind, the circle or even classics like the cube you will love this book.

[Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. Really great concept but I didn't really enjoy the execution.

Likes:
*individual livestreams
*valid points made about zoomers
*quick read

Dislikes:
*"inclusive" trendiness - author tried too hard.
*protag. He's gay & he's Asian! Absolutely nothing else.... Unless you include; annoying, weak, judgemental. Thinks every boy should be his for the taking and that any boy who doesn't like him must be homophobic.
*unlikable, shallow and empty supporting characters
*weak villains

**Free e-arc received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Calista Andrechek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Sawyer Black and Sterling and Stone for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I went back and forth over whether or not I wanted to request this one, but I was always drawn back to the cover. So I tried it and I am not at all disappointed that I did. This was gory, gruesome, fast paced and so easy to read. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this one. Such a unique premise and one I’ll be thinking about for a bit. Definitely slasheresque and right up my horror alley!

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the basic premise, but it sure felt like needed a bit of extra work. The majority of the characters had very little backstory and felt very shallow. On top of that, the story felt rushed at just over 200 pages. There were several pages with almost nothing but dialogue. I would have instead welcomed some additional description to get a better sense of each character. There was also a tendency for characters to repeat the same info to each other multiple times. I could also go without the video game name-dropping as it felt way out of place once the action started.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4.

This is, to put it simply, good, campy fun. I could definitely see this one as a slasher film. Sure, the message is a bit heavy-handed, but look at the title of the book- that shouldn't be surprising. What is surprising is how gory and genuinely mean-spirited the book gets; I don't mean this in a bad way, it just caught me off-guard a little for something so campy.

Quick, fun read that doesn't require much brain power.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, gory story about high school vloggers that win a chance to enter a contest and win 1 million dollars. It starts on the trip to the contest location and you are introduced to the high schoolers. A wide variety of characters, some are likeable and some, not so much.

They're dropped off at a condemned school, locked in and then the fun starts! I liked the characters and the action. A fast read, well worth the time.