I really enjoyed reading the book, even though the beginning was slow and the plot was predictable. I found the spooky scenes to be exciting, and they added to the overall atmosphere. As I got further into the story, the pace picked up, and I became completely engrossed. I especially liked how well the character of Nia was developed, which made the story more interesting. Despite the slow start, the book held my attention with its eerie atmosphere, thrilling climax, and well-defined characters. The ending left me feeling satisfied.

At first I wasn’t convinced by this, but it’s a quick read and I did find myself getting sucked into it as it continued. It did a good job of upping the tension throughout and I found myself wanting to know how it all played out.

Nia is not my fave main character, as she’s very shallow most of the time, but she has terrible “friends” egging her on lol. I did wonder for a second if there was going to be a supernatural element, but no, thankfully!

In the end I did enjoy how it wrapped up, but it just all felt a little far fetched. 3 stars.

Being British made this book really confusing. British teen books often have a juvenile style of writing, even when they're YA like this book is, which was extremely jarring against the extreme bloody violence towards the end of this book.

I think if the story wasn't told in a younger style I would have really enjoyed it. The majority of the story lulled me into thinking I knew that all that would happen at the end of the story was the Nia would simply leave with her sister and new found friend. So the sudden twist was so welcomed.

The ending is pretty brutal, finally explaining the strange noises Nia had been hearing and the reason for her sister's disappearance. It was fast paced, gory and pretty shocking, I flipped through the pages pretty quickly to see what would happen next and I wasn't fully sure Nia would survive the prison at a few points.

This book is a show stopper - one I would give to my friends. I would buy multiple copies of this book for people!

Someone is Watching You is a phenomenal YA thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Someone is Watching You asap.

This book was really tense. It was so enthralling that I read it in a day. I really wanted the main character to get out from under her "friends'" control and it hurt a bit when she kept doing what they said.

It was however a bit predictable. The was only one or two twists that I didn't see coming. It made me feel good to guess them, but it also felt a bit disappointing because I felt like I knew what was coming.

I liked the theme of bullying and toxic friendships though. I really liked the characters a lot even when I didn't agree with their actions (except the toxic friends obviously). Kayla was my favourite because she was such a sweet little girl, even if her character was a bit flat.

All in all, I'm glad I read it, but it's not one I'll pick up again,

I thought this had a lot of promise and potential but it just missed the mark. I liked the initial idea for the characters and set up but i felt that it was a little flat for me overall and really didn't deliver the punch it seemed to promise. Whilst points of the action were good, the overall vibe of it could have been better. This was an okay read, it just didn't deliver what it promised to for me.

Someone is watching you by Tess James-Mackey.
An abandoned prison. A deadly game. How far would you go for a dare?
Nia would do anything to win the approval of her boyfriend Scott and his friends, especially mean girl Olivia. When Olivia dares Nia to explore an abandoned prison, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to prove herself. Facing dark tunnels, distant noises and creepy mementoes left behind by incarcerated criminals will surely all be worth it.But it isn't long before Nia and her little sister, Kayla, find themselves trapped inside. And then Kayla vanishes.Suddenly, this feels like more than a game gone wrong. Someone is hellbent on making Nia and Kayla the prison's last inmates . . .
Omg. Absolutely brilliant read. Twisty and creepy. Loved it. Did not like Olivia at all. 5*.

I found the beginning to be quite boring and slow to get to the nitty-gritty part of the story. At the half way point though, it did start to get really interesting. I didn’t expect the twist at the end though!

I have to say, I did think the gory parts were quite detailed considering it’s a young adult book.

If you’re looking for a teenager-aimed horror/thriller kind of book then give this one a go.

This was a really thrilling read, particularly when you take into consideration the target audience. There were relatable themes of trying to fit in and the lengths teens might go to. It was definitely more plot driven than character driven I felt, but there was a sort of redemption arc. I absolutely despised Olivia, which definitely seemed to be the intended goal, and this was executed very well. It also kept you guessing as I changed my mind at least three times once I thought I’d figured out what was happening, but I was still surprised by the end. It got rather graphic, and extra thrilling, especially in the last 30% of the book. I wasn’t expecting one of the gruesome scenes, but I feel like it definitely fit and definitely seems to be a stepping stone for younger readers to test the waters in the thriller and horror genres.

I felt that this was a fast paced read and was very easy to digest. I feel that it would definitely keep the target audience guessing and also surprise them at different turns. I felt that all of the pieces of the puzzle tied together quite neatly in the end, but still ended in a slightly haunting way that would leave you guessing after closing the book. It definitely feels like there’s a lesson in the book especially for preteens and teenagers about the importance of staying true to yourself and the dangers of popularity and looking at what truly makes you happy.

Would I recommend this? Certainly, I think it was a really gripping read.

(Thank you to Netgalley and Hatchette Children’s Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review).

This book wastes no time in starting the plot. By the end of the first few chapters, we’re introduced to the main character and the dare has already begun. It was super fast-paced and those last 100 pages were so intense!

As far as the plot goes, I’ve never read anything with one similar to this and whilst it was decent in places, a couple of the reveals were a little underwhelming and it also felt a little unrealistic at times. There were a few twists and turns and the writing was pretty decent. The whole plot takes place over a few hours with a couple of flashbacks here and there and whilst it does help create a tense atmosphere, it did mean the characters and certain plot points lacked depth.

The characters were okay but nothing special though I did quite like Nia’s development throughout the book. I wasn’t a huge fan of her to begin with but by the end, she had grown on me. It did feel very YA at the start but near the end, there is quite a bit of gore and violent descriptions so definitely check trigger warnings before reading (i do appreciate how, at least in the version I read, there was a content warning on the first page).

Overall, it left me feeling all the tension and creepy vibes that a good thriller gives but was lacking a little in character depth and plot

Read in one sitting as I felt like I at least needed to know what happened. But overall wasn't a fan of this one.

The characters were pretty annoying and I didn't like Nia at all. Plot seemed pretty far fetched for me.

Fuelled by insecurity, main character Nia finds herself exploring an abandoned prison for a dare to impress (and keep) her boyfriend and his mean friends.

The teen voice and attitude was refreshingly realistic and I loved how Nia was torn between her obviously established loving daughter and sister role and the reckless, desperate voice in her head that pushed her into bad choices.

This book is seriously terrifying and creepy from page one, so anyone craving an edge-of-their seat thrill will absolutely love it.

Someone Is Watching You is a thriller set in an old prison, where Nia finds herself tricked and trapped one night. When her sister disappears inside, Nia must do all she can to find her...

Unfortunately, this thriller wasn't particularly thrilling. I found it dragged quite a lot and didn't really like the characters. Some of the twists were good though!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

For a YA book, this was genuinely terrifying at times. It got a little more gruesome towards the end than I expected but I was shocked by the final words…talk about an ending to set the nerves jangling!
Our main character is Nia, a young girl desperate for the approval of her boyfriend and his friends, even though she recognises they’re not pleasant people who don’t offer her much. Still, having got into trouble by organising a party and losing her younger sister Nia is on a tight leash.
The story is set in a childrens’ play centre which happens to be in a deserted prison. An unusual setting, so when Nia is dared by her ‘friends’ to get lost in the prison it is quite intriguing. She quickly finds her way into the old prison and some deserted areas - you have to ignore the obvious lack of veracity - but is scared when her sister goes missing.
Strange noises, creepy rooms, the sinister link to the building’s past and a growing awareness from the character of her mistakes made for a tightly-paced story. Nia’s discovery was a little convenient, but it did allow us a more sympathetic view of a girl who would, in real life, be incredibly irritating. When the truth about her situation came it, the need for her to act quickly was more apparent.
Without giving details away, I found the plot really unlikely. We didn’t see enough of some of the other views to help make this seem credible. Squeamishness aside, the closing stages of the book became hard to read because we had little idea why this was happening.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this in advance of publication.

After Nia throws an impromptu party to impress her new boyfriend and his friends, during which her little sister goes temporarily missing, she is grounded and dragged out to a soft play with her mum and sister. But the soft play is on the grounds of an abandoned prison (of course!) and Nia's new friends dare her to sneak into the prison building and take a look around. But of course Nia's sister Kayla follows her in, they both get trapped, Kayla disappears and Nia realises they are not alone!

A super-creepy, gruesomely gripping story about toxic friendships with a shocking conclusion. This is a horrid book and I couldn't put it down!

Tess James-Mackay’s debut Someone is Watching You blends toxic friendships, dumb teenage decisions and a dare which gets horribly out of control into an entertaining page-turner which blends thriller and horror. Even though the book is populated by unpleasant characters (the main teen Nia is equally hard to like) the reliance on social media to feel ‘popular’ came across as very authentic and even though the story was far-fetched, it was not beyond the realms of possibility. The story kicks off with an insecure Year 10 girl Nia desperate to win the approval of Scott, her boyfriend who is a year older. All of Scott’s friends are dismissive and deeply unpleasant to Nia, but as she has cut her ties with her other friends puts up with their veiled insults, bullying, and put-downs. Someone is Watching You is set over an intense few hours when Nia, her seven-year-old sister Kayla, and mum visit a soft-play centre which has opened in a recently closed prison. Being dared by her friends, in particular Olivia, Nia finds a way into the abandoned part of her prison, accompanied by her little sister, to take photographs of what lies in the shadows.

Facing dark tunnels, distant noises and creepy mementoes left behind by incarcerated criminals Nia continues to explore, whilst egged on my her friends on social media, meanwhile when distracted her little sister disappears and she finds herself trapped and alone. What follows is an entertaining thriller, which has a few good twists and turns, particularly when Nia realises she is not alone. Although this was a compelling read it was hard to feel much sympathy for Nia, as she was so unpleasant to her little (half) sister, but it will certainly have genuine teen readers questioning who their friends are, especially in the online world. Even though the plot developments were slightly far fetched it did result in an intense action sequence where Nia is taken miles out of her comfort zone into a fight for survival which went far beyond an Instagram post. It also vividly shows how nasty teenagers can be in the name of friendship and tackles other issues such as sexual coercion and teenage insecurities. AGE RANGE 12/13+

I really ended up enjoying Someone is Watching You by Tess James-Mackey.
I actually managed to read it in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down
It was a great creepy YA thriller read!
I highly recommend it!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not for me. Too graphic and grim throughout to the point where parts were a bit triggering. I really didn’t like the character as she acted in such a ridiculous way pretty much consistently throughout the book.

Do you remember being 15 years old? How the world revolved around your friends and trying to fit in. You'd do anything to be part of the 'cool' group and have the attention of the boy your smitten with? That's exactly how Nia feels. Her mother takes her & her siblings to the soft play in the old prison. When she tells her friends where she is, the queen bee dares her to 'get lost'. Of course Nia has to do it. She heads off to explore, followed by her 7 year old sister. Just one picture is all she needs to prove she's cool. But that one picture keeps escalating, its never enough for Queen Bee. Things quickly take a dark turn and Nia realises they aren't alone in the prison...someone is watching them.

I loved this! Couldn't put it down and highly recommend 👌