As you can see, I don't have a horror/thriller/slasher filmesque tag.

But, despite the contemporary tag and the author who's well known for writing heart fluttering romances, this is a horror/thriller/slasher filmesque book. And I loved it.

I am NOT a fan of this genre. I argue profusely if the consensus amongst my group of friends is to watch a horror movie. If a trailer for a horror movie comes on before a YT video I straight up mute it and click into another tab. I very rarely venture into the thriller section of the bookstore. I'm not squeamish, I'm not horrified by characters dying (though I'll get sad if it's my fave); I do love some horror/comedies but if it has jumpscares? NOPE. Scary children? NOPE. So I did think to myself "why?" when I hit that request button on Netgalley, because WHO KNOWS what scary stuff was going to be in this novel that I was sure I wasn't going to like.

But HEY. I DID.

I wouldn't call this book scary, there were times that, if you were using a more visual medium, were supposed to make you jump, and I certainly could feel tension and anticipation building as the killer hid in the shadows, waiting to attack. It's very reminiscent of a slasher film without the jump scares that could come out of nowhere and make me scream. It was more creepy, more neck hair raising than straight up heart palpitations of which I'm very thankful for.

I loved all the characters, but especially Makani and Ollie. Would it be a Stephanie Perkins if it didn't have a cute, well written romance? Of course, it was put on the back burner while there was a serial killer on the loose, and rightly so; they seemed to be aware that sneaking off to have sex was sure to have them killed because it happened in the movies. And I liked that. Everyone actually seemed to react accordingly to having school mates murdered and living in fear all the time rather than doing stupid stuff like running back up the stairs or NOT calling the cops or, as previously said, sneaking off to have sex.

However, something that left me hanging was the ending. While there was no cliffhanger and nothing left uncertain, the final act of the story abruptly ended and we were left with no closure, no reassurance about anything. I would have thought a little epilogue would have done nicely, but the action barely has time to end before we're done. That was the only thing that caught me off guard. It might just also be me complaining that it wasn't longer, who knows!

Everyone has a secret, anyone could be a target. Perfect for fans of Scream, and Scream Queens, the story unfolds at rollercoaster speed as a group of teens fight to first identify, and then avoid, the serial killer stalking their town in the run-up to Halloween. And it doesn't skimp on the gore, either, with almost-gleeful renditions of the killer's 'artistry' with their victims balanced by the growing friendships and trust between the teens. Whether that trust is misplaced or not is for the reader to find out...

An enjoyable fast paced "Scream" esque thriller with a strong romance element that I enjoyed very much.

I liked the death scenes (I'm a bit of a sucker for a good death scene) and I liked that the killer was well disguised even if a little too well disguised (hang on who is that again?) they were great fun. It's funny to say that this sort of thing should be fun but darn it all it just is.

Stephanie Perkins writes with a great depth of feeling - I liked the diversity in her characters and the fact that she didn't make a fuss about that diversity it was just all life. Ok maybe it was a little romance heavy for me but hey that is what this author does so well and the added blood and horror just gave it a great edge.

Overall a page turning thrill of a read that will have you biting your nails.

There’s Someone Inside Your House is a young adult thriller that makes for an exhilarating read. Makani Young moved from her Hawaiian home to her grandma’s house in small town Nebraska, escaping her parents’ divorce and her own secrets. After a year, she has two best friends—a Goth girl and a trans guy—and a crush on a school loner, though she still misses Hawaiian food and the sea. Her senior year is not going to be quiet, though, as students in her high school start to be the victims of gruesome murders. Soon, Makani has to balance the fear of who will be next with her own past, her fledgling romance, and looking after her grandmother.

Perkins’ novel is very recognisable as a YA thriller/horror book, with a classic combination of school cliques, town rumours and secrets, and teenage drama alongside narrative threat. Makani is a stand-out protagonist, a biracial girl far from home who is dealing with issues from her past and how out of place she feels in her new town. Her friends are also outsiders, but though the book uses teen cliques and popularity contests, it also emphasises that people can be better than they seem, regardless of social status. The inclusion of small elements such as internet trolling and rural internet and phone signal stop the location from feeling backward, but instead just another town that teenagers dream of leaving.

The novel is a page turner that will be enjoyable to adults who remember devouring Point Horror novels as well as teenagers. The characters are varied and likeable and the book does not shy away from real danger and high stakes amidst teenage rebellion and small town life.

Wow, this was an amazing book. There's not many YA horror books out there and after reading this one i need much much more because this showed just how brilliantly it can be done. A tense, engaging thriller with unique characters that you root for.

Ok, so I enjoyed this book so much! I read it in less than 24 hours. It reminded me of Scream in a book form, but also not too similar. It was like a teen slasher movie in book form and I loved it. This is the first YA horror book I’ve ever read and it did not disappoint

The Writing Style:

The writing was descriptive, but not overly so, WARNING, there are some really graphic murder scenes in this book, so if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing, I would probably recommend not reading this book.
The writing is told in third person mainly from the main character Makani’s view, but it also switches to other characters occasionally throughout the book which I really enjoyed, as you got to see the murders happening from the victim/murderers viewpoint, without revealing who it was.
The pacing was really good mostly, and it was exciting and kept me interested
Plot:

Overall I thought the plot was great, however I do think that the killer was revealed a little too soon, sooner than I was expecting anyways.
This book unnerved me from the first chapter, and I honestly did find it quite scary at times haha
Also, some of the reveals, that had been built up through the whole book, i found a little disappointing.
I loved that the plot focused on the main characters life and relationships rather than being solely about the murders, I think that’s why I found this book so enjoyable. You got to see the main characters relationships with her friends, potential boyfriend and grandma go through ups and downs and learn more about Makani as a person and how she ended up in Nebraska
Characters:

REPRESENTATION GUYS
The main character Makani is half African-American and half native Hawaiian
One of her best friends is Transgender (female to male)
I grew to really like these characters, they were so fun and likeable, and you got to learn so much about them, even though the book is so short, I felt like I knew them, Stephanie Perkins is so great at creating characters that you can connect with.
Special mention to the friends reference that was thrown in there, that just made me smile so much. (I love friends, A LOT)

I enjoyed reading this so much from start to finish and I would definitely recommend if a YA slasher horror book with interesting and complex characters sounds good to you! 🙂

Perfect for fans of Scream and One of us is lying, There`s someone in your house sent chills down my spine! Great tension, a diverse cast and a romance you can root for, made this a perfect summer read! The only time I could put it down was when I was getting too scared to see what happened next!