My Name is Scream

Scream #1

by Marissa Rivera

Maze Runner meets Divergent in this fast-paced thriller where a teenage girl fights to survive in a compound that separates the winners and the sold.

Welcome to Myers School for the Unwanted Three months ago, an amnesiac teen woke up on a bus with others like her, scared and confused. The driver dropped them off in the center of an unfamiliar schoolyard, then vanished behind ominous walls, trapping them inside. Within seconds, hundreds of kids exited the buildings and ran at them, beating them and stealing anything of value. Three things became there was no escape, no parents, and the teachers were in charge. Now, after living in Myers School for the Unwanted for the past three months, Scream is searching for a way out, caring more about escape than she is about school laws. But she is being watched by the students because they know something about her that she’s forgotten. And some don’t want her to remember. *Trigger Warnings for human trafficking, sexual assault, violence, drugs, murder, and suicide*

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Dystopia, Suspense

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2023

About the author

I am a thirty-something mother of 3, with a drive to write. I am a strong advocate to stop human trafficking. Two percent of my earnings from the Scream Series will be donated to the human trafficking front.

Reviews

[Abbey Sandridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Marissa’s first book and it was a joy to be an ARC reader. The setting is a dystopian world and it is a YA book. The plot is centered around a girl named Scream and her struggling to navigate the world she is living in. The book is easy to follow and a quick read. Can’t wait for the second book to be published!

[Penni Hollins 📚🐉 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I’ve finished this (it was only 200 pages so very short) and in all honestly it wasn’t good. Too many characters with no backstories, no real main storyline to speak of and quite depressing.

[up.til.Dawn.reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dystopian thriller. Please check your trigger warnings. We are following the main character scream as she survives in a dystopian camp. She has no memories of her past life. She woke up on a bus, heading to a camp for the “unwanted “. She has learned that if she does not fight to survive, then she will not survive. We follow scream our main character until she finds a new friend Charles. Slowly scream realizes that she has more to fight for than just survival.

[Erika Krusen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok this was surprisingly good

[Katie Coleridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this on stuff your kindle day, it was a good read and I liked it but I won't be continuing the series as the book didn't grab me like others. But many others will like it and I recommend reading it before making judgement on my rating. The story and writing are good so give it a go you may love it!

[Wanda Siesicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Myers School For The Unwanted is supposed to be like a reform school for troubled kids. But are the kids brought here because they did something wrong or were they kidnapped and brought here? Scream has been here for a few months and she doesn't remember anything prior to that. She doesn't know her real name, if she had parents, why she was brought to the school, she doesn't remember anything at all. Screams rule, besides the schools rules, is to survive, nothing else matters.
What a gripping, emotional (keep tissues handy), sadistic, dramatic school this is, that is controlled by clans. Pick up a copy of this book and see if you have what it takes to survive in this world.

I volunteered a honest review as I was given an ARC copy of this book.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first read of 2024, and I'm glad it was! I would love to see what this book turns into with proper editing and publishing. It's fairly rough around the edges, no one is going to think this is a professionally published book. BUT if you can get past that... man this is an intriguing concept. I ended up finding this as a freebie on Amazon a while back and frankly, never thought I'd get around to reading it. I couldn't tell you why I picked it up but I am glad I did!

I read it in one sitting and would have moved right on to the next book - unfortunately, I didn't like it enough to pay out of pocket for it. Instead, I moved to the fourth book which was included in my Kindle Unlimited subscription. So, feel free to use that as your gauge if you'd like; I was willing to read another book in the series but not to pay extra for it.

I'll try to come back later on to leave a more detailed review but the things I didn't like about the book really boil down to professional editing and revision (tense disagreement, inconsistencies, typos, etc.) and the things I liked about it were the more important bits like the characters, world, and plot.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the whole series of 7 books in 2 weeks, since I found it impossible to put down once I started. The idea of the story is amazing, especially for people who enjoy dystopian universes (not that this is 100% that, but more of an exaggerated narration of a very real issue, in my opinion).

While I see complaints in some of the reviews that the book is confusing and that readers did not understand some of the characters’ motivations or actions, I congratulate myself for going through the entire series, because by the end of it I got all the answers to my questions throughout the books.

The characters are amazingly built, so much so that it is hard not to root for them, even though they sometimes do bad things that you would not sympathize with in normal society.

The only negative comment I have about this series is that it kind of lacks editing, there are a lot of typos, misplaced words, things like that, so I think this is the only reason why these books are not so well-known.

But regardless, I still think the whole series deserves 5 stars and is worth binge-reading by as many people as possible. :)

[Cozylittlereadingnook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of being an arc reader for this book and I was completely hooked from page 1. I couldn't put it down!

Overall, I thought the story was fantastic. It got my attention from the start, and I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the main character (scream) ember. I feel that she is a very strong girl despite all she has been through. I don't want to give spoilers, but my heart broke with Charles. From the introduction of this character, I wanted to protect him. The result in the fight between Tobias and Hail shocked me; I was hoping for a different result but as I continued reading; I realized Tobias is a very important character. I really want to know more about this character. I am intrigued.

I love that the chapters are short, sweet and to the point! The details in the book were great. I could picture the scene in my head as well as feel what the characters are feeling. I can go on and on about this book! I can't wait to read the second book. I highly recommend this story if you love action, some mystery, suspense.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so loved this book. It was violent, it was emotional, it was unbelievable and yet I could not stop reading it. Scream was an “unwanted”. Kids who are supposedly bad have to come to this place. It sounded horrible. There was a hierarchy of clans and if you were not a member of one; your life was meaningless. Scream had some protection but her protector was evil; even when he acted like he cared for Scream. As much as Scream wanted to belong; she also hated how she was treated. Finding Charles was the best thing to happen in her life. He became her friend, little brother and co-conspirator. She had a reason to find a way to escape the horrible prison they lived in. The end came and I was not ready for the cliffhanger. I must have more of Scream.

[Rebecca Kirwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first dive back into a Dystopian world. The ending was a cliffhanger that makes me want more! The imagery was done beautifully, I could really picture the scenes . Scream is a girl who has no idea what her past was like, and she wakes up on a campus full of kids who know what their past was like and people ask her if she remembers Memory or not. She is taken by Tobias, one of the originals who is in with The Teachers. The clans run the campus and she is a Rat on her own. When she befriends a newcomer, Charles, she starts to realize there is a life outside of campus and starts to fight back. I can’t wait to see her interact with Light and Tobias later… I ended up buying the rest of the series!

[Jessica Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a short story which I hope has a part two! This follow a girl named Scream who has no memory of her life before the community she is in. They are separated into clans. She doesn’t remember if she has a family or friends. If she went to school or anything about it. She is a nobody there who everyone believes is someone that is going to rescue them. It’s all kids and some teachers. Who make they kids believe they are bad or evil. These kids are taken from their lives outside and brought in. Scream befriend Charles and they hatch a plan to get out. But things happen. Then the ending that cliff hanger!!! Also I don’t like Tobais.

[Emmeline Everdeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am intrigued and confused. I’m not really sure how to describe this book. It was well written, the characters are interesting and unique. The concept is one of a kind. I feel like Scream - confused and unsure what’s going on but desperate to know more. This was a dystopian story unlike I’ve ever read and it was awesome.
Check your trigger warnings but I HIGHLY recommend this book if you want to go on one crazy Dystopian trip that you won’t be able to put down!
I received this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only

[Jessica Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is dark, intense, heartbreaking, and amazing. I did have to take some breaks in the second half to regulate my emotions but it was so worth it. If you are a fan of dystopian series I would very highly recommend this one. I kept waiting to see another side of Tobias though. I get the feeling there is something bigger at play driving him and maybe, just maybe, he is not 100% evil. While he will never be a decent person I think he might be a very dark shade of gray.

[Lacie Matlock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really into it and it had an interesting premise. A lot of reviews talked about how close it was to hunger games dystopian era, but I never read them so I couldn’t compare.

I was engaged up until the *spoiler* pointless death. They could have done more with that character and was a good plot point for the book. Something to look forward to. After that I just skimmed the rest of the book (only 5ish chapters left)
Just because of that I will not be finishing the series.

[bratzlibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG wasn’t sure what to expect when starting this but i loved it. this book follows “scream” a teenage girl who wakes up one day at a school for unwanted children and has no memory of her life before. i love scream and charles and the ending to this book made me want to scream. tears may or may not have been shed…can’t wait for book 2

[Julia Paterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual taste but wow!

Caught my attention from the very beginning. Couldn't put it down, read it all in a day! Would have preferred if they were adults, but I suppose some of the intrigue is because they are children being put into a very shitty situation. If you're on the fence, give it a go.

[Danielle Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly went into this book thinking it was a scary book! But what this was, was so much better. While elements of this book were dark and at moments depressing it was a good read. I liked the main character and as the book went it left me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I look forward to continuing this series!

[Kassea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maze Runner meets Divergent in this fast-paced thriller! I was drawn in immediately, just wanted to binge read. I’m hoping that book 2 will answer my questions. (Who is scream, who is memory, why doesn't anyone want to tell scream, why can't she remember, why was everyone taken from their homes, etc)
I strongly recommend this book! 

[Kimberley Pecino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very similar vibes to The Maze Runner
Could have done with a bit more editing
I don't agree fully with other reviews which complain about the lack of back story, as this is in keeping with Scream's memory loss
Not the best YA series I've ever read but I'm intrigued enough to carry on with the other books to see what happens

[Jasmine Rojas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting. I didn’t want to put it down. At first I was confused as to what was going on but that’s what made me keep reading. I didn’t expect to cry in this but I did. I felt the pain scream went through! I really don’t like Tobias but something tells me there is more to him. Can’t wait to start the next book.

[K.S. Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome plot but the execution could have been way better. this book had so much potential which is why i rated it 3 stars.

A good amount of spelling mistakes, grammar & punctuation mistakes. but honestly was still a great book. definitely excited to see where this story ends up!

[Sydney Sidon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good story

I enjoyed this story and was super excited about it being a “quick read” but I didn’t realize at the time that it’s a 5 book series currently. No big deal I like series. I did however have an issue with all the typos and grammar errors.

[Briana Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need the next book.

I absolutely need the next book! Oh my gosh the amount of times I was like this reminds me so much of Stephen King’s The Institute and then when Charles came along. Ugh! My heart.

[Anita Hofer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story. A page turner for sure trying to figure out what this school is about. Can’t wait for the next book to see what happens

[haylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great start to a new series. Very divergent vibes in the best way and I can't wait to dive into the next one

[Fayelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked me!

4 ½ stars. I'm impressed! Really good dystopian-ish. Not sure if I'll read the rest of the series, but I certainly enjoyed this!

[Lacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So..

Where I find that this is a good read I wouldn't let my young adult read it. There are very mature and suggestive themes throughout this book.

[Danylle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just missed the mark. I feel it could have been better maybe if longer- more characters developed?

[Gabby Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complete cliff hanger, not sure if ill carry on the series