Publication Date: 5th August 2021 (UK) by Penguin
Format: Netgalley ARC
Target Audience: Young Adult
Goodreads • Waterstones • Blackwells
Content warnings: on page death, parental death.
Synopsis
From its creepy town mascot to the story of its cursed waterfall, Burden Falls is a small town dripping with superstition. Ava Thorn knows this well - since the horrific accident she witnessed a year ago, she's been plagued by nightmares.
But when someone close to her is brutally murdered and Ava is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction.
Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there's a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns...
Rating
My Thoughts
"If you're remembered by a hundred different people, they'll remember a hundred different versions of you. You just have to hope at least one of them is good."
Burden Falls is a town with ghosts particularly the superstition surrounding Dead Eyed Sadie, a shadow that plagues the Thorn manor, it's estate and Ava Thorn. Ava's dealing with a lot, her parents died in a car accident a year ago, her family have been kicked out of their home and the man behind her parents deaths, Madoc Miller, is moving in. When a classmate is murdered, Ava becomes the prime suspect and must catch the killer before she becomes their next victim but is Dead Eyed Sadie behind the killings?
I remember Harrow Lake getting a ton of hype last year so when I saw the opportunity to join the blog tour for Kat Ellis's newest release, I jumped at the chance. I've been in such a mood for thrillers and mysteries lately and this story definitely scratched that itch. Someone described this book as Riverdale meets Bly Manor and I think that perfectly captures the creepiness of this book coupled with the teen drama.
Sometimes you just know you're going to like a book from the very first page and this was one of those books. Ellis perfectly sets the tone introducing us to the centuries old estate and the ghosts that haunt both the house and Ava herself. The writing here is incredibly readable. So fact paced, you'll be flicking through the pages through sheer intrigue but the development of the plot isn't sacrificed. Ellis's writing style emits the feel of classic 90's teen horror films, Burden Falls is the quintessential creepy community and the perfect setting for a killer on the loose.
Ava has all the makings of the perfect final girl; she's smart, curious, stands up for herself and of course, has been through her fair share of trauma. I was really rooting for her throughout the book, she definitely has her flaws but her resilience was unbreakable. Ilove a character that is pushed back so much but still gets up every time and just keeps going. We've got a nice little supporting cast too, Ava's friends supported her throughout her quest for the truth and the burgeoning romance in there was sweet but didn't overshadow the murder and mystery.
The plot itself is just really, really fun. It takes a lot of horror tropes and the entertainment of urban legends and keeps it fresh and immersive. It's got slasher elements, ghostly stuff and a family curse, so many twists and it all pieces together really well. I did guess what was going to happen by the end but I still think it was a clever way to conclude and it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all.
Overall, I really liked this atmospheric and thrilling read. It didn't scare the pants off of me but it was gripping and had the right amount of gore and mystery to keep me hooked for the entire time I was reading. There's plenty of suspects to keep you guessingas well as a strong, gutsy heroine. Kat Ellis is definitely a contender to keep up with the likes of Karen M. Mcmanus in the YA horror/mystery genre and I'm looking forward to diving into her backlist as well as future books.
* I received an ARC copy of this book via
Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes included in this review
are subject to change. Massive thank you to Penguin for providing me with a review copy. A huge thank you to The Write Reads for letting me take part in the blog tour as well.
About the Author
Kat Ellis is a young adult author whose novels include Wicked Little Deeds/Burden Falls (August 2021), Harrow Lake (July 2020), Purge (September 2016), Breaker (May 2016), and Blackfin Sky (May 2014). She is a fan of all things horror and sci-fi, and a keen explorer of ruins, castles and cemeteries – all of which are plentiful in North Wales, where Kat lives with her husband.
You can find out more about Kat at www.katelliswrites.com or connect with her on social media.
- Email: katelliswrites@gmail.com
- Website: katelliswrites.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/katelliswrites
- Instagram: @katelliswrites
- Twitter: @el_kat
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