Title: Go Hunt Me
Author: Kelly deVos
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Mystery
Publisher:Razorbill
Date published: June 14, 2022
A complimentary digital copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Alex Rush is ready for the trip of a lifetime.
She and her friends have made some creepily awesome films together throughout high school, so with only a few months left before they go their separate ways for college, they’re determined to make the best one yet: an epic short film that reimagines the story of Dracula, filmed on location at a remote castle in Romania.
But when they get there, it’s not quite the majestic setting they planned for. Menacing weapons line the walls, the twisted halls are easy to get lost in, and with no connection to the outside world, the group is unexpectedly off the grid. After just a few hours spent under its roof, Alex and her friends have no trouble imagining how this dark, terrifying castle inspired one of the most enduring horror novels of all time.
Only soon they no longer have to use their imaginations to understand the location’s terrifying history—just as they get the film’s first shot rolling, one of Alex’s friends disappears, and she’s nearly certain she saw a cloaked stranger lurking in the shadows. As more members of the group begin to meet an untimely demise, Alex is desperate to stop the bloodshed, even if it means facing a monster she never thought would be let loose.
⤖ My Review ⬻
I’ll be completely honest, the main thing that drew me to Go Hunt Me was the setting. I’m Romanian, and more specifically, Transylvanian. So anything set in Romania, or even better, Transylvania will pique my interest. I actually wasn’t going to pick this book up when I did, but I took a sneak peek at the first chapter and the town in which I was born, Rupea was mentioned, and from there I was hooked!
The second draw was the author because I had read a zombie book by her not too long ago, Eat Your Heart Out, that I enjoyed. The third draw was the promise of a bloodbath (I can’t resist a good bloodbath). And the fourth was the cover, which is an awesome illustration that blends the setting with the bloodbath promise. Having read the book now I can confirm that the cover matches the vibes quite well!
One of the first impressions I had was that I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly likeable. But I wonder if maybe that was the point due to the promise that some of them would get murdered. I had a lot of fun starting to guess at things about a quarter of the way through Go Hunt Me. I also found that I was annoyed by the characters’ lack of communication with each other, but simultaneously I was aware that this would be pretty realistic when considering the setting, the situation, and the types of characters that were thrown together.
Lastly, I found the main setting of Go Hunt Me to be quite enjoyable—it was spooky and atmospheric. It gave me the urge to create a mood board on Pinterest while listening to some of the parts in audiobook format. I had a bit too much fun with that and it really took me back to when I visited Bram castle during one of my trips back home. And that’s all I can say about Go Hunt Me without spoiling some pretty important things. This was a fun read!
⤖ About the Author ⬻
⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻
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Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!
Great review! I’ve been meaning to read this and it sounds really good. I’m glad you liked it! I didn’t know you were Transylvanian, that makes it even better that you got to read this book!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it too 😀 And haha yes!! I loved being taken to my motherland through its pages. I’ll also be taking a copy with me when I visit Romania in person this November 😉 so excited!