School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Gr 10 Up —One late night before streaming on Twitch, Viv stumbles upon a new game called "Locked In," and she knows that horror games always bring out new viewers. Testing it out before going live, she is soon confronted by a shadowy figure who asks her to reveal a dark secret. Guilt still weighing heavily on her over her involvement in a recent accident that left her little sister dead, Viv decides to share the secret no one else knows, because video game characters could never share it with anyone. Or could they? When a demonic doppelg&8;nger of Viv begins ruining her relationships, she must confront not only her own darkness but also come to terms with all she has done to her friends and relatives. Schlote-Bonne's debut shows an ability to match modern YA language with classic suspense and horror and has all the markings of her future as a master storyteller. The characters are relatable yet give off vibes that make them stand out. Long after closing the book, readers will be left to confront their own pasts, as the story cannot help but make one focus inward. VERDICT This debut shines brightly on shelves full of oncoming spooky season releases. Keep one eye on future novels by the author, and be sure to purchase this one.—Adam Fisher

ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 31 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Viv is responsible for her baby sister's death. She's kept the details of the accident secret from everyone, including her parents and best friend, since Riley died three months ago. If Viv can reboot her Twitch channel, where she's a horror gamer girl, she can grow her audience and eventually provide for her parents attempt to somewhat make up for what happened with Riley. She downloads a new horror game to try out, but when an NPC (nonplayer character) asks her for a dark secret, Viv tells it about that night, accidentally unleashing a demon doppelgänger into her life. No one believes that it isn't the real Viv telling horrible lies and attacking people cept for the cute goth outcast, Ash. With his help, Viv tries to set right the tangled mess her doppelgänger has created, but doing so will mean finally admitting the truth about what happened to Riley. Schlote-Bonne's debut novel moves fast and doesn't slow down. Fans of Five Nights at Freddy's and other horror games will undoubtedly binge this jump scare filled story.

Kirkus Reviews

The game knows her darkest secret-and it might be trying to kill herWracked with guilt over her little sister's recent death, 17-year-old Vivian Reynolds leaps at the opportunity to play an online escape room horror game called Locked In that was anonymously emailed to her. In hopes that her return to streaming will help financially support her parents, Viv starts a practice playthrough by herself to test the waters. When the game asks her to confess a secret, Viv admits that she killed her sister. Uncanny events follow in the aftermath of her surreptitious confession, resulting in her parents and peers losing trust in her. With the help of Ash, a fellow social outcast, Viv becomes sure that a demonic clone is trying to ruin her life by committing heinous acts in her name. Told in Viv's first-person perspective, the story has an eeriness that's complemented by quippy jokes and gaming references. The plot twists are numerous and satisfying, helping to build suspense as readers try to figure out the mystery. Classic horror imagery is paired with a flawed protagonist who reckons with the guilt and grief caused by her habit of lying and her obsession with streaming. Viv's mom is white, and her dad is Japanese American; Ash reads white.A fast-paced supernatural mystery ideal for fans of horror games. (content warning)(Horror. 15-18)