“Looks like somebody needs a little bonk-bonk,” Pickax Pete said menacingly, pulling back the pickax to strike.

Spooky amusement park x dares x terrifying mascots? YES PLEASE! This was such a good one!

😱 While I liked Brie from the start and love that she was discovering other interests, I did think it was a shame she fell so fast for the charms of the popular girls. Then again, given everything I guess I can also forgive her. I do love seeing her gain more confidence and strength as the story continues and see her figure out things, not just with the friendships she should make but also in regards to school and her family. I loved that despite being terrified she wasn’t running around like a chicken without a head. She tried to figure things out with the help of her new friends.
😱 I loved the whole park and discovering all the rides. From the rollercoaster to the carnival games (though I prefer mine without dead fish please) to gift shops and snacks to bumper cars and a mega carrousel (which I want to see in real life). I loved that we got extensive descriptions of the attractions and I could just imagine myself there. It was just so much fun. Well, OK, in the beginning time maybe a bit less thanks to the Em’s. I also love that there is a hotel/house for parties and staying over. I wouldn’t mind staying in that froggy section. I love frogs!
😱 Max! Is he alive or is he not alive? It added a certain bit of danger to it all. Because if x and y can happen, who knows what is up with Max.
😱 I also love that we got some more background on the amusement park! Including the abandoned part, with Max. Plus, how things have changed over the years in regards to safety.
😱 As soon as we met the mascot at the beginning (who shouldn’t come in my neighbourhood with his bonk bonk) I knew that it would come back. Only then more scary. And it does. Holy heck, those scenes terrified the wits out of me. Especially when things started to deteriorate. shivers
😱 I loved the addition of CJ, Dawn, and Trip. I had my suspicions from the start but given certain things I still couldn’t entirely guess it. I guess it helps that I am not American. Yes, there were other hints as well, but I have read enough horror to know there may be more to things than it seems. I really enjoyed the three though, even when things seemed to go horribly strange and wrong when they were around. They were so sweet and kind towards Brie, really wanting to help her, and also giving her tips and tricks for being a teenager and how to handle school. They were really friendly and sweet. And as the story continued I just loved that they kept on protecting Brie. Even when things were going south they stuck with her. I also loved learning more about them as the story continued.
😱 The clown room in the funhouse. Everything was already terrifying as heck (and the funhouse was scary/disorienting), but that? That was the worst. Yes, I would rate that worse than being hunted by someone in a scary mascot costume. Clowns are just a fuck nope for me.
😱 The last parts with the killer. The last parts of trying to get home without dying. Those had me totally curled up in bed and entranced. I just needed to know if Brie was able to fulfil her quest and get back home where she belongs. I was rooting for her, cheering for her, telling her to keep going, not give up!
😱 I love that we get an epilogue/after the story bits. I always enjoy it when authors do that to show us how the MC (and others) are doing. I was so proud of Brie!

🤢 I sometimes had to skim read a few bits when things got a bit too much like flesh drops off, maggots crawl, food rots, things decay. My stomach was during reading already not the happiest and then having to read about that? Nah. On the best days it is already a trial, imagine when your stomach already wants to chuck.

🤨 While I do love the addition of the map (see one of my earlier points), I do feel that the whole abandoned part could have been bigger. Now I thought it was just a tiny part of the amusement park, barely enough to have a rollercoaster. But no. There is a rollercoaster. There is the Max exhibit with all of its things. A café. Bumper cars. A fun house. It just felt weird.
🤨 I also have to say that I thought that Artemis (Brie’s sister) had done something super bad. And sure, what she did wasn’t the best, but I had expected something way way worse.

😡 Emily (and Emma) can just fuck off. Geez. Imagine being that horrible. All the things Emily did. How Emma just threw Brie under the bus when things got a bit too hot under her feed.

All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book and I flew through it. It had exciting bits, scary bits, gruesome bits, and more. I love that it took place in an amusement park!