Challenge Corner discussion

Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial.

And in the year since Claire’s death, Alice’s life has completely fallen apart. Her parents have gotten divorced, she’s moved into an apartment that smells like bologna, and she is being forced to face her sister’s killer and a courtroom full of people who doubt what she saw in the corn maze a year prior.

Claire was an all-American girl, beautiful and bubbly, and a theater star. Alice was a nerd who dreamed of becoming a forensic pathologist and would rather stay at home to watch her favorite horror movies than party. Despite their differences, they were bonded by sisterhood and were each other’s best friends.

Until Claire was taken away from her.

On the first day of the murder trial, as Alice prepares to give her testimony, she is knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike in the courthouse bathroom. When she wakes up, it is Halloween morning a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer before he claims another victim.

Starting now! There aren't chapter numbers and I'm listening on audio, so I'll just post updates using the chapter titles I guess

Watch Your Head (view spoiler)[ If Owen didn't do it, why did Claire stab him and why was he standing over her? Maybe she just thought he did it and after she stabbed him, he reacted by attacking her back?

Alice's former friends suck for talking about Claire's murder on their podcast and then doubting Alice. They didn't have to talk about it and I'd be pissed (hide spoiler)]

Every Family Has a Few Skeletons (view spoiler)[ So her parents will probably divorce even if her sister doesn't die. That sucks that her dad cheated.

I don't trust Wes, why was he conveniently there after Erin died. You would think Alice would be suspicious since she's such a horror buff (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

You're Not Out of the Cornfield Yet (view spoiler)[ Well, now I'm doubting it's Wes. They hurt him and abandoned him and he's just an innocent guy probably.

Maybe it's her friend Eli? He's not really suspicious but that's kind of why I think maybe he did it? Like a twist (hide spoiler)]

Of Course He's Outside (view spoiler)[ Was her dad really the one killing people? Killing the teenage, UNDERAGE girls he slept with? EW how awful (hide spoiler)]

End (view spoiler)[ I barely figured out it was Claire before it was revealed. The story did a good job of keeping me guessing.

Too bad all those people still died and Claire will likely get away with it. Even if Alice came forward, I doubt they would believe her. Kind of sad but sometimes things don't end perfectly in horror stories.

Pretty entertaining! (hide spoiler)]

Starting this one today!

Yay

lol I didn't really read the summary till I hit this point. I just picked it up because I was in the mood for a mystery thriller.

Showtime (view spoiler)[Ooh, I think it's starting to make sense why in the first chapter, Chloe seems like the one to die but the summary says it's Claire.

Although, it seems early to know who probably did it. (hide spoiler)]

Elizabeth wrote: "lol I didn't really read the summary till I hit this point. I just picked it up because I was in the mood for a mystery thriller.

Showtime Ooh, I think it's starting to make sense why in the firs..."

I was confused between Claire and Chloe for a minute. Their names are so similar

Flash Sideways (view spoiler)[ Now this all makes sense-- sort of. Never thought about doing a speculative mystery/thriller but I'm actually quite into this.

Sydney seems almost disappointed in Alice. Owen did seem too easy a killer, though.

I know Claire was a victim and all but she's also quite sketchy.

(hide spoiler)]

Grab Up! You're Gonna Need It.... (view spoiler)[In theory, I like this twist but idk, I haven't seen anything that shows that they're best friends. Well, I guess Wes showing up at Owen's trial (hide spoiler)]

Figure It Out (view spoiler)[ I know Alice hasn't considered Claire because of their relationship. Family, especially her sister, clearly her blind spot. Like she literally listed who died in this timeline compared to the first and there's one major difference about who didn't!!! (hide spoiler)]

Halloween, Today (view spoiler)[That was a good last line. I wonder if the Final Girl told her "don't die," knowing she may figure it out and if not dying would have allow her to revert to the first timeline. (hide spoiler)]

Elizabeth wrote: "Figure It Out [spoilers removed]"

So true!

Elizabeth wrote: "Halloween, Today [spoilers removed]"

The ending was definitely something I didn't expect!

Showtime : (view spoiler)[OH I am definitely liking this one so far. Alice and Claire are so different yet share a strong bond, that’s rare. The murder was pretty gruesome though and I can’t imagine how Alice must have felt witnessing something like that (hide spoiler)]

Flash Sideways: (view spoiler)[Excuse me….what??? There’s an angel in this book? How did we end up here?? I am really trying to keep an open mind and am going ahead with the reading but seriously… an angel? That’s just weird. (hide spoiler)]

Carb up, You’re gonna need it: (view spoiler)[Wes and Owen are best friends???I did not see that coming. And now I am doubting Wes. My mind is all over the place and if I just ignore the angel part of the book, this is turning out to be pretty amazing (hide spoiler)]

You think you can handle the truth: (view spoiler)[OK Wild theory but what if Claire is the one killing all these girls in a fucked up way to avenge her mom? Her dad is a cheating asshole but I am seriously doubting he would go for murders. This seems like the work of a clueless teenager (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[I WAS RIGHTT! Claire is unhinged. The ending blew my mind off, I was totally waiting for Alice to come back to the same day and speak in favor of Owen at the trial. What actually happened had me going WTF! (hide spoiler)]

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RESTARTING OCTOBER 9TH, 2024

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To 18%: I had no idea this was centered around Halloween, so loving that! what a perfect time to read it. (view spoiler)[I am really enjoying this so far. I love Alice and have similar likes and interests to her. Crazy that her sister Claire was killed, poor thing. Interested to see where it goes from here! (hide spoiler)]

To 26%: Okay, who is this (view spoiler)[Sydney Prescott lookalike and how DARE she!? The audacity! And even if this guy is innocent, she's really Gale Weathers-ing it! (hide spoiler)]

Two moments later...WTF!? (view spoiler)[Is this some sort of a time loop? Why is Claire suddenly alive again!? (hide spoiler)]

To 60%: (view spoiler)[When Claire was being all weird after catching Alice with Wes, I thought it was because she was jealous. Maybe she liked him or something, but then when she said he was best friends with the guy Alice accused of killing Claire. I was like, wait, what really?! Like out loud I said that while I was driving listening to the audio. Then it cuts to the next chapter and the narrator says, Don't you love a mid-point plot twist. I thought that was so clever. The author definitely got the reaction out of me that she was hoping for. (hide spoiler)]

To 90%: I'm sort of (view spoiler)[grossed out by the whole thing with Alice's Dad. Is it actually true. Was he sleeping with all these girls? That's disappointing in so man ways. Also, loving how Alice is putting her Slasher knowledge to good use! (hide spoiler)]

Started this tonight.

Thru page 72
(view spoiler)[
The setup for this is pretty good so far. It's neat that it takes place on Halloween, I didn't know that. It's weird that people are trying to convince Alice she didn't see Owen stab Claire when she definitely did. Also, it's crazy that Chloe lives when she had her arm cut off by a chainsaw.
(hide spoiler)]

Thru page 154
(view spoiler)[
Wait so this Sidney Prescott lookalike is an angel? And she sent Alice back to redo the night? How in the heck does that work? But it seems she didn't get there in time to stop Chloe from dying or Erin. And now she found Wes just outside Erin's house? That seems suspicious. I hope she'll be able to keep anyone else from dying.
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Thru page 223
(view spoiler)[
Ok if Claire is right about Wes being Owen's best friend then he's now super suspicious. Particularly with how he was outside of Erin's house like that. I have a feeling being at this party with all these people isn't going to go well, that seems like the perfect place for the killer to show up.
(hide spoiler)]

Melanie wrote: "Started this tonight.

Thru page 72"

I didn't know (view spoiler)[it was set on Halloween either! I'm so glad we chose this month to actually read it! LOL (hide spoiler)]

Melanie wrote: "Thru page 154" Yeah, I loved that. It took me by surprise. It's sort of like (view spoiler)[Scream mixed with Groundhog Day meshed with Neverworld Wake. What a fun direction -- as long as you enjoy speculative -- to take it in! (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[
What in the world?! So it was really Claire who tried to kill Chloe and I guess Owen saw and tried to stop her which is when Alice showed up making her think Owen was the killer. It's insane that Claire killed all those people. And how the present just switched to everyone being dead instead of just Claire is insane. But how is Claire just walking free? If everything changed you would think Alice would have turned Claire in? I did enjoy this one but man that ending is so open ended. I wish we would have seen more after Alice came back to the new present.
(hide spoiler)]

megs_bookrack wrote: "To 90%: I'm sort of [spoilers removed]"

Yeah the whole thing with (view spoiler)[Alice's dad was super gross. Him sleeping with a bunch of high schoolers is terrible and he should go to jail for that (hide spoiler)].

Finished! I thought this was so fun and creative. The idea of the (view spoiler)[Dark Angel, or Angel of Death, coming and granting Alice what she wanted most, only to have it blow up in her face and trap her in a nightmare! So good! The ending was very Goosebumps. It made me chuckle! (hide spoiler)]