Review Detail

IN NIGHTFALL is an intriguing YA thriller/paranormal. The story is told from the perspective of Theo, in the summer before her junior year. She and her brother Marco have been sent to stay with their grandmother who they have never met in their father's hometown of Nightfall. Their grandmother has some strange rules and the town seems a bit unusual, though it attracts a lot of tourists - for those who know about it.

Once there, Theo and Marco find themselves pulled in by some of the other teens living there, though it definitely seems like there is something unusual going on. After Theo meets some famous podcasters doing a story on the town, she begins to realize that something is definitely up in this strange small town, but the truth of the matter is sure to shock her.

What I loved: This book is really driven by the mystery of what is going on in this small town and what the townspeople are all hiding. Town secrets and devious teens fill the pages of the book as Theo tries to figure out what is going on, while also participating in these teenage party rituals. The story becomes even more intriguing when she meets and talks with the famous horror podcasters who are doing a story on Nightfall, as the reader also begins to learn more about the history of this town.

Theo was a compelling character, who felt like a teen - she doesn't want to listen to her strange grandmother's warnings and rules, and she really just wants to have fun. It is easy for her to get pulled in by the allure of the attractive in-crowd of Nightfall. However, as the story continues, she begins to understand more the importance of her grandmother's oddities and why her grandmother never wanted them to come. She has a lot to figure out in this summer, and it's anything but the boring time she expected when she and her brother were taken there.

The podcasters ended up being some of my favorite characters, and I felt like the podcasts themselves really helped to drive the plot a lot. I really enjoyed their inclusion, and I would definitely read a book about their other investigations!

What left me wanting more: The middle of the book felt like filler - it could have been a lot shorter as not much happens for a long time. The mystery keeps the reader wanting to know how it turns out, but it felt so slow that it was easy to put down. Much of it felt quite repetitive with similar things happening in places, and I would have enjoyed a quicker pace.

Final verdict: Overall, IN NIGHTFALL was an intriguing YA thriller/paranormal about an unusual small town and its secrets.