This is Where We Die ARC Review by Cindy R.X. He- 5 stars!

Today's Tea Choice: Matcha Boba Tea With Tapioca Pearls

Trigger Warnings: Listen guys, this book isn’t for those with a week stomach. It’s a mix of horror and thriller. The author includes a trigger warning before the novel starts. Some of the topics include: alcoholism, anxiety/anxiety attacks, depression, drug abuse, starvation, food trauma, miscarriage, off-page cannibalism, suicide, murder, and death.

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Pages: 336

Summary(goodreads.com):

Eight friends went on a trip. Only six came back. Now a killer has one night to make sure the survivors pay for what they did . . . so that zero make it out alive. From the author of Perfect Little Monsters comes another incredible twisty thriller.Sadie, Will, Isla, Anthony, Emily, and Charlie are survivors. They were the six (out of eight) to return from a ski holiday turned nightmare two years ago. Although… nobody knows exactly what happened; the details hushed up via the wealth and connections of Sadie's rich parents.When an exclusive private island with a mansion for rent goes viral on social media, their graduating class persuades Sadie to rent it for the weekend. The six arrive first by helicopter and wait for the rest of their classmates to join them by boat the next day.But nobody ever comes.Cut off from the rest of the world with no cell service and no means off the island, paranoia and terror mount as they start to be picked off one by one by an unseen killer. Their past has finally caught up with them, and they'll need to figure out who is killing them before they all wind up dead.

My Review:

First, thank you to Goodreads for this giveaway! Even though I received the book for free, all thoughts in my blog post are mine and they were not influenced by the giveaway.

When I first saw this book on Goodreads, I knew I was going to buy it no matter if I won or not! What a fascinating premise and MY GOD it was addicting!

What I loved:

Plot: The novel begins with a fascinating yet grim survival scene. All of the friends are trapped in a small shelter from an avalanche, and they are slowly starving/freezing to death. The group survives, but something seriously messed up happens as we learn in the next chapter, something so messed up that it's a secret among the group who have become isolated together in high school.

However, we do get glimpses of what might’ve happened, further adding to the intrigue. As the plot progresses and the group books this luxurious mansion for a graduation party, the reader starts getting a sense of dread. There aren’t any servants like they were promised, nor is their satellite so they can’t call for help.

And that’s when bodies start dropping.

One by one, each person is taken out in a gruesome way, leading to paranoia and betrayal. Each chapter was well crafted to progress the plot with little exposition, and the small amount of background details were dispersed like a delicious bread crumb trail!

POV: One of my favorite techniques in this novel are the multiple pespectives included from each character. Each chapter is a different POV, and we get a sense of how the characters all feel about one another and how they are bound together by tragedy along with how they cope with their traumatic experience.

Techniques: On my blog, I mentioned how weather plays a pivotal role in setting creation and foreshadowing. Cindy R.X. He utilizes this technique masterfully to create a sense of dread. Just like frigid weather is a sign of death, extremely hot weather is also another warning sign, and it was excellent to see this juxtaposition in Chapters One and Two.

Themes:  One of the recurring themes is the presence of social media and how it's used as both an escape and how it creates a vain and naïve mindset. I really enjoyed reading this satire, and it shows how blind these teens were to the obvious danger. Later on, we also learn how cunning the killer was by using social media as a lure.

Setting: The setting details are also well crafed. I envisioned the house perfectly along with its rich and modern style. Similar to the techniques mentioned earlier, the house also represents a façade, that deep under the surface its hiding secrets just like the teens.  Also tying back to the weather, they also get stuck on the island as a major thunderstorm rips through the ocean.

Cindy R.X. He writes, "dark water broken by white foam and froth like that of some rabid animal; the sun hidden behind menacing black clouds” (145). What a warning!!

Characters:  Cindy R.X. He also crafted her characters well. Each character was described just enough so we can picture their appearance and get a sense of their personality without getting exposition- heavy. The dialogue was also natural and authentic, making these characters come alive.

This book reminded me of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, which is a classic murder mystery. However, modern audiences might have difficulty connecting with the old-fashioned language and characters, so this book is a perfect update and twist on the classic whodunit.

The ending is so phenomenal and completely shocking that I didn't expect it at all! I thought I knew who the killer was and had some guesses but man, it was an excellent horror thriller that kept reading all night!

Authors Can Learn:

-          How to use weather and setting detail to create a sense of foreshadowing

-          How to craft authentic teenage characters with natural dialogue

-          The importance of technology and social media, especially in teenage lives

-          How to add just enough background detail to intrigue the reader without creating an exposition dump

Readers Will Love This For:

A dark and twisted horror/thriller novel that will make you addicted to the plot!

I give this book 5 stars.

Kyla