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mehsi's review against another edition
1.0
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Good grief, this was just absolute boring and urghghghhh. I had the hardest time staying awake and getting through this book. I kept hoping and praying that it would get better, but oh no it didn't. If anything it got more hilarious as the ending got closer, and boy it was anti-climatic as hell.
So, let's start with the blurb, aka who the hell wrote this?
Sabrina Sebastian's goal in life is to be an investigative reporter. True
For her first big story, she researches a popular website called Scream Site, where people post scary videos and compete for the most "screams." Semi-true, actually she is doing it for an internship. She has written numerous stories already, and is now looking for something that will entice the boss of that paper for an internship.
While Sabrina's friends and her sister, Faith, talk nonstop about the creepy viral videos, Sabrina just hopes that covering this trend will get her the internship she's wishing for. Wrong. Sabrina has only one friend and she doesn't care that much about the site, she only knows about it from an article (and that article spurred Sabrina to investigate). Her sister did watch the videos, and also later uploads one, but to say she talks about it? No.
But as she digs into the truth behind the website, she begins to suspect that these aren't only aspiring actors and videographers at work. Some clips seem a little too real. Actually she knows this from the start. When she first checks out the videos.
And when Faith goes missing, Sabrina must race against time to save her sister from becoming the next video "star." Hahaahahahahaha, you know this doesn't happen until page 223, aka almost 85%? Yep, SPOILER ALERT.
Now we have that blurb out of the way, the blurb that enticed me to read this book, let's go to the book.
Say hello to Sabrina, a girl dedicated to becoming a great writer. To win an internship she has to write a big article, and she chooses a site called the Scream Site. There are various exciting rumours floating around about the site, ranging from murder to stalkers. As she continues investigating (and sticking her nose where it doesn't belong) she gets further and further entangled. Not to say it was very exciting, as this girl just keeps on going on and on about the same things. She is pretty gung-ho about Asher (such a rookie mistake to just keep one suspect), even though I thought Asher was pretty cute and sweet and he really didn't scream KILLER or KIDNAPPER.
Plus I loved how she didn't care that people warned her that it may be a bad idea to actually do this, and how it took her to page 204 before she realised that maybe this is a bad idea. Then again, she turns around instantly a few pages later and just goes right ahead to investigate.
She also makes various other mistakes that could have gotten her into real danger..
Sure it was admirable that this girl kept on going and was dedicated to find those missing girls, but sometimes you just have to let it go, especially if you are 14 years old.
But you can also see what happens when the police don't take you seriously (then again, that is to be expected, it is something so cliche). But I guess I would also be a bit hesitant to believe a 14-year old girl who just comes with some random evidence. But as I said, we later on see what happens due to this lack of faith.
Oh, and don't worry
Also given that Asher knew Sabrina's name, I was actually hoping for something blooming between them.
The ending was highly anti-climatic. Like really, I wasn't sure if I should be laughing, rolling around laughing, rolling my eyes, or fall asleep. Maybe I could do a mixture of it. Boy, I had expected some tension, some excitement, but instead I guess I could have expected given how sleepy/bland the whole book was.
I had a laugh at Evelyn when she tried to get her friend to stop investigating. First she talks about safety, and the next moment she talks about how Sabrina would get unpopular due to this. This girl needs to set her priorities straight.
There are a few moments of tension, but they quickly die away, and frankly I was done with this book on page 50, and at page 101 I was wondering how the hell I should continue this book.
Plus these, Sabrina says that her dad was very convincing on the whole: "You should be wary of who you chat with/and be careful on the internet." Yet Sabrina's sister just hooks up with some dude on the internet. And yes, I believe she may have known him, but really, I can also tell someone on the internet that I am x or y, it is so easy. So I was kind of rolling my eyes that she would be that stupid.
This could have been so exciting, this had all the potential (based on the blurb) for a terrific, exciting, creepy book. Amusement parks (especially abandoned ones) make for a terrific horror scene. Add to the mix kidnapping and maybe murder and it is perfection. Sad to see those terrific settings and subjects go to waste in this book.
NOT recommended. Not at all. I would kindly ask to have this book renamed to Yawn Site. And I am sure I could point out a few more things, but frankly I want to delete this book and get on with another, hopefully better, book.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Good grief, this was just absolute boring and urghghghhh. I had the hardest time staying awake and getting through this book. I kept hoping and praying that it would get better, but oh no it didn't. If anything it got more hilarious as the ending got closer, and boy it was anti-climatic as hell.
So, let's start with the blurb, aka who the hell wrote this?
Sabrina Sebastian's goal in life is to be an investigative reporter. True
For her first big story, she researches a popular website called Scream Site, where people post scary videos and compete for the most "screams." Semi-true, actually she is doing it for an internship. She has written numerous stories already, and is now looking for something that will entice the boss of that paper for an internship.
While Sabrina's friends and her sister, Faith, talk nonstop about the creepy viral videos, Sabrina just hopes that covering this trend will get her the internship she's wishing for. Wrong. Sabrina has only one friend and she doesn't care that much about the site, she only knows about it from an article (and that article spurred Sabrina to investigate). Her sister did watch the videos, and also later uploads one, but to say she talks about it? No.
But as she digs into the truth behind the website, she begins to suspect that these aren't only aspiring actors and videographers at work. Some clips seem a little too real. Actually she knows this from the start. When she first checks out the videos.
And when Faith goes missing, Sabrina must race against time to save her sister from becoming the next video "star." Hahaahahahahaha, you know this doesn't happen until page 223, aka almost 85%? Yep, SPOILER ALERT.
Now we have that blurb out of the way, the blurb that enticed me to read this book, let's go to the book.
Say hello to Sabrina, a girl dedicated to becoming a great writer. To win an internship she has to write a big article, and she chooses a site called the Scream Site. There are various exciting rumours floating around about the site, ranging from murder to stalkers. As she continues investigating (and sticking her nose where it doesn't belong) she gets further and further entangled. Not to say it was very exciting, as this girl just keeps on going on and on about the same things. She is pretty gung-ho about Asher (such a rookie mistake to just keep one suspect), even though I thought Asher was pretty cute and sweet and he really didn't scream KILLER or KIDNAPPER.
Plus I loved how she didn't care that people warned her that it may be a bad idea to actually do this, and how it took her to page 204 before she realised that maybe this is a bad idea. Then again, she turns around instantly a few pages later and just goes right ahead to investigate.
She also makes various other mistakes that could have gotten her into real danger..
Spoiler
well if there was any danger.Sure it was admirable that this girl kept on going and was dedicated to find those missing girls, but sometimes you just have to let it go, especially if you are 14 years old.
But you can also see what happens when the police don't take you seriously (then again, that is to be expected, it is something so cliche). But I guess I would also be a bit hesitant to believe a 14-year old girl who just comes with some random evidence. But as I said, we later on see what happens due to this lack of faith.
Oh, and don't worry
Spoiler
the police will say sorry, as they always do.Also given that Asher knew Sabrina's name, I was actually hoping for something blooming between them.
The ending was highly anti-climatic. Like really, I wasn't sure if I should be laughing, rolling around laughing, rolling my eyes, or fall asleep. Maybe I could do a mixture of it. Boy, I had expected some tension, some excitement, but instead I guess I could have expected given how sleepy/bland the whole book was.
I had a laugh at Evelyn when she tried to get her friend to stop investigating. First she talks about safety, and the next moment she talks about how Sabrina would get unpopular due to this. This girl needs to set her priorities straight.
There are a few moments of tension, but they quickly die away, and frankly I was done with this book on page 50, and at page 101 I was wondering how the hell I should continue this book.
Plus these, Sabrina says that her dad was very convincing on the whole: "You should be wary of who you chat with/and be careful on the internet." Yet Sabrina's sister just hooks up with some dude on the internet. And yes, I believe she may have known him, but really, I can also tell someone on the internet that I am x or y, it is so easy. So I was kind of rolling my eyes that she would be that stupid.
This could have been so exciting, this had all the potential (based on the blurb) for a terrific, exciting, creepy book. Amusement parks (especially abandoned ones) make for a terrific horror scene. Add to the mix kidnapping and maybe murder and it is perfection. Sad to see those terrific settings and subjects go to waste in this book.
NOT recommended. Not at all. I would kindly ask to have this book renamed to Yawn Site. And I am sure I could point out a few more things, but frankly I want to delete this book and get on with another, hopefully better, book.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
marvelouspyt's review against another edition
3.0
Scream Site is a young adult novel detailing a teenage girls search for the truth. Sabrina Sebastian is a freshman student with a passion for journalism, hoping to score an internship with a local paper. For the internship application, Sabrina has to submit a original published article but she doesn't want to submit a puff piece that she has written for her high school paper. Her best friend, Evelyn, suggests writing about an urban legend of sorts about a website owned by popular Hollywood directors dedicated to finding this next big horror movie director. The premise of the site is for budding directors upload their own horror short films and for visitors to vote on their faves. According to the rumor, there are a group of teenaged girls that have gone missing after uploading their videos. Sabrina decides to check out the rumor and finds clues tying the missing girls to the website. However, her cop uncle doesn't think there's much merit to her findings and doesn't take her seriously. At least not until Sabrina's sister, Faith, goes missing after posting her own video.
What I liked about Scream Site:
1. The book was not very long and can be easily read in one sitting. Due to work and school, it did take me a few days to read it but not because it wasn't interesting or too long.
2. The story did lag a bit in the beginning but eventually gained speed and keep it. Once the story really got going, I was intrigued and was disappointed I had to stop reading to "adult"!
3. The diversity of the characters was refreshing. It was nice to not have a white main character as it is so rare in YA. The fact that there wasn't a love story intertwined with the mystery was also refreshing. Having a story where the girl is focused on the task at hand with no distractions of a hot guy left the focus on Sabrina and the mystery she was trying to solve.
4. The end but will touch on that more later
What I didn't like about Scream Site:
1. The Asher character felt random. It was as if he was just a prop that feed Sabrina a little information here and there.. He could have been more developed as a character and could have even been a help to Sabrina but the character just kind of hung there. Plus there was no real closure for his character. HE was once considered a "person of interest" but he might have only gotten a total of about 3 pages of "screen time". While I appreciate Asher not being a love interest, I feel he could have been more than just a "prop".
2. I have a love/hate reaction to the ending.. I liked that there was a twist to the story and the "bad guy" wasn't expected; however, it was rushed and too neatly closed. I'm glad that the "missing" girls were found before any real physical damage could be done but the How & Why left much to be desired.
In conclusion:
Scream Site is a decent read that I would recommend for reluctant readers or those who want a quick and/or easy read but that's about it. This is the type of book for a casual reader or someone who reads on infrequent occasions, not an avid reader.
What I liked about Scream Site:
1. The book was not very long and can be easily read in one sitting. Due to work and school, it did take me a few days to read it but not because it wasn't interesting or too long.
2. The story did lag a bit in the beginning but eventually gained speed and keep it. Once the story really got going, I was intrigued and was disappointed I had to stop reading to "adult"!
3. The diversity of the characters was refreshing. It was nice to not have a white main character as it is so rare in YA. The fact that there wasn't a love story intertwined with the mystery was also refreshing. Having a story where the girl is focused on the task at hand with no distractions of a hot guy left the focus on Sabrina and the mystery she was trying to solve.
4. The end but will touch on that more later
What I didn't like about Scream Site:
1. The Asher character felt random. It was as if he was just a prop that feed Sabrina a little information here and there.. He could have been more developed as a character and could have even been a help to Sabrina but the character just kind of hung there. Plus there was no real closure for his character. HE was once considered a "person of interest" but he might have only gotten a total of about 3 pages of "screen time". While I appreciate Asher not being a love interest, I feel he could have been more than just a "prop".
2. I have a love/hate reaction to the ending.. I liked that there was a twist to the story and the "bad guy" wasn't expected; however, it was rushed and too neatly closed. I'm glad that the "missing" girls were found before any real physical damage could be done but the How & Why left much to be desired.
In conclusion:
Scream Site is a decent read that I would recommend for reluctant readers or those who want a quick and/or easy read but that's about it. This is the type of book for a casual reader or someone who reads on infrequent occasions, not an avid reader.
im211's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good suspense with intriguing mysterious atmosphere which ended quite like Scooby dooby doo.
-So all the thriller buildup from the start had slumped right at the end and I felt the ending had more potential than was given in this book.
-The writing style was good with realistic descriptions, however Characterization was confusing, I got confused when she was referring to her own family and when to outsiders,seemed too un-personal.
-The plot was interesting with satisfying twists and developments and managed to capture the essence of an introverted sophomore's life.
brandolph's review against another edition
3.0
I was granted an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a fun and easy read – I plowed through it in about a day. It was a fun concept, and the story definitely kept me interested, but it felt very young to me. The main character is supposed to be 14 years old, but I had a very difficult time picturing her as anything more than maybe 12.
I think if you are looking for a quick, lighter read, this is definitely the book. It did have me intrigued, and although I was a little disappointed with the conclusion of the book, I’m not unhappy that I read it.
This was a fun and easy read – I plowed through it in about a day. It was a fun concept, and the story definitely kept me interested, but it felt very young to me. The main character is supposed to be 14 years old, but I had a very difficult time picturing her as anything more than maybe 12.
I think if you are looking for a quick, lighter read, this is definitely the book. It did have me intrigued, and although I was a little disappointed with the conclusion of the book, I’m not unhappy that I read it.
marissareids's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
alloftheolives's review against another edition
1.0
I was expecting more out of this book, underwhelming ending and it could have been a lot better. the blurb also spoils something that happens very late in the book so if you are thinking about reading this, I definitely dont recommend reading the blurb.
I thought it was going to have some big crazy plot twist at the end which was why I kept reading, but ultimately it was very boring and it had a lot of potential.
I thought it was going to have some big crazy plot twist at the end which was why I kept reading, but ultimately it was very boring and it had a lot of potential.
cyngharris's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
remigves's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ljconkle's review against another edition
3.0
I gave it 3/5 stars because this is more of a juvenile fiction than YA, in which case, it's fitting for audience. That said, while the overall idea behind the plot was good, the story was written poorly. There were several grammar and style errors (at one point, it says "shut her locker shut," to which I say, editors exist for a reason) and the ending fell flat. The pace also felt weird, especially for being such a short read; 44 chapters and none of them more than 5 pages long. Overall, not necessarily the worst thing I've ready, but could have been done so much better.