This was SO much better than I was expecting as I requested it on a whim. The writing was so captivating and I literally read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I was so shocked by the twist! Can’t wait to read more.

A brilliant dark and creepy ya thriller that literally kept my heart racig throughout. Brilliant and scarily realistic look at teenage friendship xx

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing an eARC of this book!

The book is written in a bit slower pace than I am used to (i.e., there is a lot of interior thoughts and environmental descriptions) but it was chilling nonetheless and definitely made me angry at today's teenagers and how ruthless they can be in the name of friendship!

The voice perfectly captures what it's like to be insecure about yourself and doing anything you can to fit in within a friend group while also making you feel like you are being watched by an unknown presence.

Someone is Watching You was a pulse-pounding read that I absolutely sped through.

I really liked the way the narrative combined a modern horror story with ghostly influences and a focus on historical injustice. Through Nia’s narration, we get a true sense of past and present colliding. This is achieved through the diaries of the previous prisoner and the flashbacks to that fateful day in the previous year. The more details we got, the further my heart sank for Nia. I really enjoyed her character, being determined and fiercely protective of her character. Through her desire to belong, James-Mackey also interweaves an important exploration of toxic relationships and manipulation. That societal pressure to fit in can cause you to change every single aspect of yourself and watching this unfold was gut-wrenching. I kept hoping Nia would break free.

There were so many layers to the story, creating a detailed and nuanced narrative. Of course, it helps that there were so many curveballs thrown our way. It destabilised my trust in everything and everyone we encountered. The tight time frame of the story ratcheted up the tension to another level, with every page emphasising that flowing sand of time. Every second counts and could bring another deadly surprise with it. I also adored the setting: I mean, an abandoned prison being turned into a soft play centre? That was never going to end well. The contrast of the unnerving darkness and the technicolour moments of brightness was excellent. Ultimately, it is that contrast that reminds you of true happiness and belonging. I loved how this is a narrative about finding your own place and reconnecting with those who love you.

In Someone is Watching You, James-Mackey expertly deploys tension and terrific twists to deliver a spine-chilling story full of surprises.

A very dark and eerie YA read that dives straight into the action, Someone is Watching You by Tess James-Mackey will have you on the edge of your seat.

We follow Nia, a young girl that pushes herself to explore an abandoned prison in order to impress a new group of "friends", including her new boyfriend. The story take a creepy turn when Nia, along with her younger sister Kayla being to see and hear things even though they're supposed to be the only two down there. When Kayla goes missing, it only gets worse for Nia.

A classic YA mystery here that gets darker as you read on. This book deals with a lot, for example, acceptance, bullying and family. I liked how the story gets straight to the point, from the first chapter we are in the action. It's a straightforward read, with a bit of back and forth between past and present, explaining a bit of background for our main character.

The ending is intense and will have you gripping the book tight to find out how this finale unfolds. If you're a fan of a darker YA, keep your eye out for this one!

* Please research any trigger warnings before reading *

‘Someone is Watching You’ is a new YA thriller, set in an abandoned prison, that explores teenage insecurities and toxic friendships. Written by debut author Tess James-Mackey.

Fifteen-year-old Nia goes to desperate lengths to impress her older boyfriend Scott and his bullying circle of friends. When it-girl Olivia dares Nia to ‘get lost’ in an abandoned prison that’s been converted into a children’s soft play centre, she encounters a chilling lost world of the lives it held before. Desperately trying to find her younger sister who’s also lost somewhere inside and narrowly escaping the decaying building, Nia finally realises the truth about her so-called ‘friends’.

I had high hopes for this book but it was overall a disappointing read. The story takes places over only two hours, with flashbacks to a prior incident, leaving no time for real story progression or an effective climax. All of the characters are incredibly undeveloped - for the most part some were only present over text message and even when they are introduced in-person it’s difficult for the reader to make any real connection to any of the protagonists or antagonists, who all come across as annoying and unemotional. The mentions of emotional abuse, sexual coercion and physical violence, warned at the beginning of the book, should be incredibly important to get right for the novel’s young audience, but sadly these are merely resolved or explored in any depth whatsoever.

‘Someone is Watching You’ is publishing in February 2023 in paperback, e-book and audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Hodder Children’s Book/Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️

As someone who almost exclusively reads LGBTQ love stories and children's comedies, I wasn't expecting to spend the last two days glued to a copy of the (fairly intense) thriller Someone is Watching You. But I'm so glad I did!

Set in an old prison turned soft play area, the novel follows Nia and her plight to get the older kids in school to finally take her seriously. There's a group of them, led by mean girl Olivia, and they keep her around - ostensibly as 'one of them' - but treat her horrendously. This doesn't stop Nia from being desperate to please them, and her desire to be truly accepted leads to a dangerous, life-threatening, ordeal.

Aside from the final chapter and several 'flashbacks', the whole story takes place during one day, in which Nia accepts a dare to explore the prison without realising the consequences of doing so. I don't think I've ever read a YA book that takes place in such a short time frame, but it worked incredibly! I was desperate to get back to reading every time I was interrupted, and even found myself thinking about what might happen next whilst I was in work, which of course led to me coming up with my own theories and sharing them with my colleagues.

It's an exciting thriller, with some gory elements near the end that did in fact make me dry-heave, and my heart is still beating faster than usual even now. Tess James-Mackey has a true gift for keeping a reader engaged as well as writing complex, intriguing characters. Olivia, for example, was one of the most vile antagonists I've come across in a while, but I'd happily read a spin-off story focused on her thanks to the small glimpses of her life we were given that suggest she is in fact capable of feeling human emotion.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys fast-paced stories that you simply don't want to put down. Between the enjoyable writing style, the abundant plot twists and the cuteness of Nia's little sister Kayla, there is a LOT to enjoy about the story! It's also an excellent commentary on toxic friendships, and the lasting impact they can have on people.

This is an absolutely incredible debut. It is dark and creepy with a chilling atmosphere all the way through. it is so fast paced and gripping and I loved the setting of an old prison turned into a soft play area for children - if that isnt asking for trouble I don't know what is. I loved it.

This accomplished debut from Tess James-Mackey is fast-paced and fabulously creepy with a convincing and relatable teen protagonist. The sinister setting - a disused prison turned soft play area - is a character in its own right with dozens of dark corners and winding passageways for Nia to get lost in while she runs from the terrifying Rat Man. The pacy plot kept me turning pages until the early hours, racing towards a brilliant twist I did not see coming.