You Wouldn't Catch Me Dead Paperback – 18 Jan. 2024

I had worried I was facing a reading slump but fear no more as this book absolutely did not allow that. YOU WOULDN'T CATCH ME DEAD is the definition of tense from start to finish, it's a book that will make you sweat!Keely is about to embark upon a weekend in the woods with her school peers. Not something she opted for but something she's being made to do. It's a new school with people she doesn't even want to get to know. She's going through the motions of life, trying to avoid her traumatic past, but what awaits her in the woods might just be closer to home than she realised.I was definitely holding my breath with this story and I was really stumped by what was coming next. Tess James-Mackey knows how to captivate her audience. Fantastic, thrilling and brilliant storytelling. To sum up... unputdownable.I'm so ready for another Tess story. I've loved both books and really looking forward to what's coming next.My favourite line and it made me cry... 'Of course we did,' Jack said. 'You don't leave friends behind.'Keely's character arc was perfection!

Thank you Tess James-Mackey, Netgalley and Hachette Children's Group | Hodder Children's Books for the eArc of You Wouldn't Catch Me Dead.A set of teen's set off into a wildness of the Black Mountains, Wales on a camping trip. The Main character Keeley, isn't looking forward to it at all. She's recently relocated to Shropshire from Kent after a tragedy to her best friend Aimee. Resigning herself that she will be stuck with these other teens and badly equipped for the trip. They stop and trudge up a mountain before setting up camp. A fatal accident and from then on in, Keeley and the other teens are set on a wild mystery of a whodunit!I really enjoyed this YA book and does highlight the difficulties many face in the light of traumatic experiences, intense emotions and locking people out in fear of loss. Keeley I found relatable. Having lost my Mum at a similar age, I can relate to how she felt throughout this book, the pain of feeling lost, the guilt and never wanting to feel pain like that again. The storyline also tackles abuse and isolation that can happen within young relationships, especially Aimee and Reece's and how other's deal with this. Keeley's story is told as flashbacks as she is trying to get to grips to whether they are being stalked, hunted or haunted!The other Teens, Barry, a model student, Hannah, Chloe ,the popular girls. Roshni and Jack a bit of a conspiracy theorist, I also found very relatable. You can meet these kind of people in every day lives. I loved that Barry managed to break down Keeley's walls.The finale and the plot line I found really good, however, I did find the ending. a little rushed. Overall, a really good balance between character and plot driven. 3.75 stars arouded to 4

I loved Tess James-Mackey's first book, and this one is even better! Set in the Welsh mountains, the setting is bleak and rugged and a brilliant backdrop for this creepy read. I was tense throughout, trying to work out if this was ghostly or human misdemeanour, and thoroughly spooked, loved it! So many twists and turns, this is perfect for fans of creepy thrillers.

I read this book on a chilly rainy day (snug inside fortunately.) I was intrigued throughout - just when I thought I'd solved a mystery an unexpected twist appeared. A thrilling winter read - and I think it would make a brilliant film. . . . .

A brilliant concoction of suspense and fear mixed with moments of subtle humour and poignant friendships

Read it in two days as I couldn’t put it down! Both this and “Someone Is Watching You” have been a wonderful introduction to the YA Horror genre for me!

*Please note there may be spoilers in this review*I started to read this and was really sucked into the situation that the schools children found themselves in. Lost and abandoned in the countryside with little hope of being rescued.I was drawn into the story with the idea of these strange mysterious events happening and was really curious about how these would eventually tie the story together. I was a little disappointed to discover that the supernatural element was just a distraction. Again with the deaths in the book, I felt they either happened too early on or to characters that were introduced only to be killed for me to feel any real connection with the characters.Whilst an okay/average story, I felt the lack of depth from the characters and the disappointing run-of-the-mill story a real downside. Not necessary a bad thing if you’re after an easy read.

Absolutely brilliantly written characters are brilliant totally engrossed with the twists