Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are

Thank you to the publisher SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

This book slaps, first of all. This book is about reality TV and personalities, caves etc with a stereotypical producer named Jackie Stone. The atmosphere is like no other and I like it, I can't quite put my finger on it but the story is gripping from the start. It's just this Cirque Du Freak (by Darren Shan) vibe (not plot-wise) with trashy reality TV, which sounds really dumb but I LOVE IT. Plot-wise it's like an updated “And Then There Were None” (by Agatha Christie).

The story is that 5 contestants that must stay in the Umber Gorge caves for 24 hours where the ghost of Puckered Maiden resides and the last one standing wins prize money, but obviously this episode goes awry. The story is told in Lex Hazelton's perspective who does not believe in the supernatural but wants to win the money for travel. She is really edgy and just mean-spirited at first. We've all seen this type of villain on reality TV, but she chooses this narrative for herself. Marla is an aspiring actress and here to make a name for herself IIRC, who is kind of annoying but a nice addition. Keith is a YouTuber going by the name Python and he is incredibly fake for the cameras. I really liked his character development. Liam is my favourite character (you'll see) and the last contestant is Abbie Bailey who is a paranormal investigator. At first, some characters had a similar voice to me, but the author fleshes these characters out appropriately and I don't have that complaint anymore.

As for the book itself, I really enjoyed the side stories about the cave's history, it really added tension nicely and you just feel for all the past characters. I loved the main mystery and the conclusion as I felt waves of relief and dread, but I would have liked to have seen a stronger/longer epilogue. I thought the interview sections of the story was weaved well into the main plot. I thought the story was over at the 50% mark and was wondering what could possibly be in the other 50% of this book. I don't usually feel that way because I am well-seasoned in mysteries and thrillers, but I was so wrong.

I finished the book in one sitting and didn't think that the book dragged on at any point. This book was an easy 5 stars for me and I would highly recommend this book to readers who like reality TV and big personalities. The author leaves subtle clues, so the story is logical and I really respect that. I like when I can admit that I read something and it went over my head.