A review by hobbithopeful
You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

First half- 5 stars
Second half- 2.5 stars

A thrilling horror that had my heart racing, but the later part of the story had me shaking my head in disappointment.
I LOVED the first part of this book, it was tense, and made my heart race. Charity is such a realistic BIPOC horror mc, her reaction to the bathroom door being open and refusing to go inside was so real. "I turn my Black ass right around and book it back to my cabin, where I close and lock the door." There are so many quotable moments, I spent a lot of time alternating between chuckling to myself, and then being whip lashed by scary moments. When the action and horror moments started happening, I immensely enjoyed myself. Just as I was really getting into it, and clutching the blanket tighter around me, it just..ended. And that was it? And then the reveal...was definitely something. I can see now why so many people have mixed feelings about this one. (I see you mutuals!) I would have liked it more if it was longer, and we had more moments of horror and it wasn't just a brief interlude in the book. There was so much leading up to it I wanted more.
I loved the queerness, and getting a lesbian mc who is smart was very refreshing. I'm not saying the ending was disappointing, I think I was still reeling from how fast-paced the book was.
There were quite a few plot holes, I tried not to think about them, but they were noticeable.
Personally, I do recommend this one, and I will continue to read anything that Kalynn Bayron writes.
The cover is 100/10 it's excellent! Great movement and expressions, love everything about it. 

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