Kirkus Reviews

A teen fights to survive in the midst of a mystery not unlike the ones she enjoys reading.In the small town of Mauveton, 11 teenagers have disappeared in the past six months. The police seem to be writing them off as runaways, but introverted 16-year-old crime enthusiast Piper and her friend Hazel believe there is more to the story. The girls decide to investigate the disappearances by following in the footsteps of the missing teens right before they supposedly ran away. While hanging out at the local lake where most of the town's teens spend their free time during the summer, they run into a couple of wealthy local college boys. They soon discover the truth: Locked away in a hidden compound filled with horrific surprises, Piper has to find the will to survive and make it back to her parents alive, especially since they already lost one daughter. Preston (You Will Be Mine, 2018, etc.) weaves a terrifying tale with unexpected friendships, romance, and surprising twists. Most characters are assumed white, but there is some diversity in secondary characters. While the unforeseen twists and unexpected ending make this an intriguing read, the story moves very quickly, leaving little room for relationships and characters to develop believably.A fast-paced, plot-driven page-turner for fans of darker mysteries. (Thriller. 14-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Best friends Hazel and Piper, 16, live in a small lakeside community where, over the past few months, 11 teens from neighboring communities have disappeared. The police have labeled the missing kids as runaways, but after Piper meets handsome college students Caleb and Owen, the girls realize that something far more nefarious is happening. Forced into a building on private land owned by Caleb-s family, the girls become part of a deadly game concocted by the sociopathic young men. While in captivity, Hazel and Piper meet four of the missing teens, who get the girls up to speed on the psychological torture -challenges- Caleb and his crew have set up, and warn them about room zero, where they are expected to fight to the death. Determined to escape and to save fragile Hazel, Piper joins forces with Evan, a boy who claims to have been a prisoner for more than six months. Borrowing familiar themes from teen slasher films-remote locations, emotionally unstable and bloodthirsty villains, and questionable romantic liaisons-Preston (The Cabin) has created a deeply disturbing tale that explores what can push someone to kill and what people will do to survive, and she keeps tensions high to the final page. 14-up. Agent: Jon Elek, United Agents. (Apr.)

School Library Journal (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Piper and her best friend Hazel come to the alarming conclusion that 11 teens have mysteriously disappeared from their town. A little neatly, the girls discover what has happened to the missing teens, but it is too late. Flattered by the attention of two rich, handsome college boys, the girls accept a ride with them. The boys trick Hazel and Piper into giving up their phones and imprison them in a clubhouse in the woods, where the girls find some of the missing teens. The others have been forced into a variety of specially developed torture rooms. In some rooms they must withstand extreme temperatures for hours or days, and another room requires them to fight one another to the death. The teens live in a constant state of fear that they will be called to one of these rooms. Eventually, a new teen, Evan, stumbles into the girls' room and tells them he's been subjected to the torture rooms for months. Piper develops feelings for Evan only to discover a horrible truth about him. An interesting plot twist leaves the narrative wide open for a sequel, but the teen characters are stereotypical and readers may question Piper's naivete. Pick this one up for pure entertainment value. VERDICT Expeditious escape room fiction to add to the thriller shelves. Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC