Well structured horror-adjacent book, flipping between events after, during and before what I’ll describe as an extreme escape room. Multiple perspectives of the key characters’ journeys to be in or around the escape room bring an initial sense of disconnect, exacerbated by the journey through each phase of the haunt (escape room), but it clicks together and the connections become clearer.

Not a traditional horror, but operating in that space, this will appeal to readers looking for a thoughtful and unsettling take on human nature and the motivations that lead events awry

As a fan of escape rooms myself, I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, hardly any of the book actually takes place in the 'cells' which was a shame as they were easily the best parts of the book. The rest of it read like a YA novel and was long-winded and frankly painful. I can appreciate that the author tackled some difficult and uncomfortable topics but I didn't connect with any of the characters or care about the plot. Overall, a really disappointing read that I struggled to get through.

Four contestants have made it to the final cell in the notorious Quigley House - a full contact escape room experience where all bets are off, and the experience so horrifying that only one group have ever made it all the way to end to claim the substantial cash prize. But then one of the contestants is brutally killed before they can tackle the final challenge, and the narrative splits to reveal the interlocking backstories and private motivations of each of the group members.

Just who is responsible for the killing? And why?

I enjoyed the escape room sequence scenes, which were claustrophobic and full of menace. I wasn't such a fan of the interview technique as I found those sections quite dry and tedious. The back stories were beautifully written though, and I liked that each character was fully developed and given a complete arc. I wish there had been a little more character development / backstory int he beginning as I found the first section hard going, and there were a lot of random names to contend with before you had really been introduced to the characters, but once I was past that, I found the novel well written and gripping.

It's an intriguing premise and a well-told story with some deft twists in the plot. I enjoyed this novel and will certainly look out for more by the same author.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for granting me a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Before I say anything about the contents, I must say that I absolutely love the cover! It catches the eye and I can't imagine people not picking up the book in the store. The contrast of the colours, it's perfect.

When I requested this book, I thought based on the blurb that it'll be a locked up mystery and it isn't one.

Saying that, I still enjoyed the book. It was quite nice that we know from the very beginning what happened and who was killed, and throughout the book readers see how the situation develops and escalates to the point of the murder. And the manipulation, that was top notch!

The only thing that I'd say was too much for me were the back story. I enjoyed every page that was happening in the cells, however I was skimming through all the stories other than Kendra. I think I didn't engage with the characters enough to be super interested in their past.

If there was less back story and more action in the cells, I'd give this book strong 5 stars.

The blurb seemed a great set up but I was totally mystified and felt let down. Difficult to categorise- thriller? Horror? Science fiction? I felt the characters were two dimensional too

Reprieve is a interesting read which stitches together the lives of multiple protagonists that are all involved in the fateful evening on which the story depends.

In some respects, this is a book about race - about being a minority, about trying to fit in and about being true to yourself. In other respects, it is about blame - most of the characters are in some way to blame, despite it really being John’s fault. For all but John there is no reprieve thereafter as they all fail to come to terms with what happened.

Reprieve is unlike any other book I've read - it reminds me a little of the Saw franchise.
It's primarily set in a haunted house where each of the contestants needs to solve the clues before they can escape the room - all whilst severe macabre things are happening around them - they need to survive the house without saying the word 'reprieve' and win the cash prize.

Three main characters dominate the story - Kendra - a young teenager who is dealing with the loss of her Dad, Jaidee - a gay pupil who has left his home country to search for his international teacher and Leonard who is in a downward spiral after his relationship failed and he meets the house of horrors owner.
Before the game can begin - one of the contestants is murdered - who did it - as the complicated tale untangles - each character reveals their secrets.

The book is perfect for those who love the horror genre, it is written well and I can picture this book being made into a film.

An escape room game with a safe word. Full contact. You can be attacked but not attack back. If you can hold your nerve and complete all six rooms you win a cash prize. But how big a cash prize does it have to be to endure the horrors, suffer the mental trauma, and become dehumanised in the process?

This book had me hooked from the start. It opens with themes of loss, confused sexuality, coming of age angst, race struggles, compounded by leaving the only home behind that you have even known to move across the country. Then as if that is not enough, add in manipulation, social engineering, deceit, obsession, and at least one twisted mind into the mix.

The characters were beautifully created, with just the right amount of backstory given to each, so that when the story crests towards its ending you feel you really know them. You have learned their strengths, their weaknesses, how they have broken. The pace of this story, jumping back and forth on the timelines, the flashes to the horror of the escape room, all culminate into a horrifyingly gripping read. Not for everyone, but it will leave you contemplating life that bit more, and perhaps wondering, just how much would it take for you to end up like one of the contestants in Cell Six!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review but all opinions are my own.

An interesting premise around an interactive house of horrors which doubles as an escape room style competition. The book is well written even though a bit confusing at times, you get involved in every character’s narrative. A hit and miss which has potential but does not live up to it.

I was really looking forward to reading this book and was excited to start reading,but I was disappointed.
I kept waiting for some twist and turns and something exciting to happen but it never did.
I could'nt get into it at all just wasn't for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.

Quigley House in Nebraska is the most brutal haunted house/escape room game that you can play; waivers must be signed before you can even step in to the house and contestants travel for miles to win the prize money but only one team has ever won. Kendra a young girl who moves with mother to Nebraska, Bryan her cousin, Jaidee, Victor and his fiancée Jane as well as Leonard are all swept up into the madness of a game and under the spell of John Quigley himself but someone won't survive the night.

From the first page I was completely gripped; the novel combines the horror/escape rooms with the lives of the contestants being just as absorbing and dealing with themes such as racism and sexuality. This is a story that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading it and will be recommending to everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

I found this book very boring.
It was full of swear words.
The back stories about the contestants and other characters was so dull.
Only a small fraction of the story is about the challenge and even that wasn’t very good.

The book didn’t live up to the blurb I was truly disappointed. Finished it but came away not having connected with any of the characters.

The book got my attention because it was giving me vibes of escape rooms.

I loved how the book started with manuscripts of court hearings.

Unfortunately that’s where my interest ended. I couldn’t connect to the character so I didn’t care what happened to her

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I was expecting a plot solely focused on a group in an escape room scenario as described in the blurb.

While I enjoy discovering characters' backstories, the structure was too disjointed and all over the place. I kept losing the thread.

I couldn't finish this for those reasons. What I read was written well enough, though. It just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC of this book.
Release date: 5th October 2021.

The initial description of ‘Reprieve’ pulled me in and it’s concept delivered so well. Set in Nebraska, and revolving around the infamous Quigley House, Mattson brings a whole cast of characters to life. Each characters’ motives and quirks are slowly revealed and the connections between them make the story. I felt some genuine emotion towards some of the characters (Love you, Kendra) and Mattson creates sympathy and empathy with those who really needed some love… (Looking at you, Jaidee and Leonard…)

I found the story a little slow to start, wondering how the characters’ backstories would effect their eventual roles in the trial, but it didn’t take long to learn to love this style. It flits between backstory and the ‘cells’ in the Quigley House, and the more information that was given, the more I was trapped in the story. The cells of the house give a vivid insight into the horror world, and it’s easy to imagine the violence and mystery there. I loved the juxtaposition of the Quigley family and anyone outside misunderstanding the whole idea – as a horror fan, it often feels like others really don’t understand the obsession with the supernatural and spooky…

I felt that some issues (i.e. race and identity) felt a little forced into the story in places, but play a poignant part and bring their much needed message into the light. Towards the end, this felt more like a ploy on the part of the interviewer and fit better with the story. What does the message of the events actually need to be? It leaves it up to you to decide, and was definitely a part of the story that helps you to reflect after reading.

Overall, I found the story engaging and compelling. It had the right balance of attempting to make the reader uncomfortable, and giving information to rebalance emotions. If anything, it could have got weirder.

A definite must-read for any horror and escape room fans, if only to make you nervous about your next one…

Book Review “Reprieve” by James Han Mattson
JULY 26, 2021
Star rating: 4 stars

After finishing this book I still can’t decide if I seriously enjoyed it or found it lacking. Unfortunately the plotline does not live up to more enticing blurb, which I read and immediately thought “ooooh this sounds right up my street” However the book spends much time meandering about with the past lives of the characters that eventually leads them to take part in a full contact Haunt, in an escape room type scenario at Quigley. it is definitely a quirky horror genre that explores difficult topics including racism, LGBQT, hate , death and revenge, although non are done in a very in depth manner.

Once the action began in each of the cells, that became increasingly more gruesome, I was hooked. I felt the writing began to pull me in and it was as though I was in the cells with them. I found myself thinking ” oh for heavens sake someone shout the safe word” The safe word is “Reprieve” but no one calls out. They are either totally paralysed by fear or determined to get into cell 6 and win the $60,000. It is not to be and murder occurs. Was it part of the game play? was it real? The Characters really don’t know.

The flow of the plot is constantly interrupted by either the court room discussions, which give the game away or chapters going back to the characters past lives. I would have preferred more focus on the actual horror action within the cells as this is excellent and there certainly needed to be more.

The disrupted flow is a bit off putting but I have to say that I enjoyed more of the book that not, hence giving an overall rating of 4 Stars.

#reprieve #netgalley #jameshanmattson #Bloomsburypublishing #goodreads #instagram #bookwormnjp #review

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (UK and ANZ)

Publish date: 5 Oct 2021

ISBN: 9781526635563

Reviewed by: Niki Preston

As soon as I stumbled across Reprieve and read what it was about, I was hooked and I couldn’t wait to read it. Unfortunately, I have come away from this book disappointed.

The synopsis of this book leads you to believe that it takes place inside an escape room, and that we will be following our characters as they combat the horrors of each cell and face monstrous tasks. In reality, we actually spend very little time inside each cell, with most of the chapters exploring the characters’ backgrounds and lives before Quigley House. Which would be fine, if the characters backgrounds weren’t irrelevant in parts and a bit of a challenging slog to read. It’s a shame because the chapters that DO take place inside each cell are really enjoyable to read. These are by far the most immersive and exciting parts, if a little bit rushed. I just wish this had been the focus!

The characters are also incredibly flawed, unlikeable, and have almost no redeeming qualities - I can appreciate that this was likely intentional but it doesn’t take away the fact that it made me feel very uneasy at points. Kendra was not so bad, however Jaidee and Leonard were repugnant and I didn’t enjoy reading their chapters at all. Jaidee’s racism is disturbing and unpleasant to read, whilst Leonard’s sexist and misogynistic views and aggressively relentless pursuit of a prostitute is uncomfortable to say the least.

Ultimately, no frights are delivered, there were no twists or turns, and no murder mystery, which unfortunately is what readers are sold when picking this up. Little excitement is to be found in Reprieve. I struggled to see the psychological horror that many have praised this book for, and the ‘social criticism’ felt forced. I can appreciate the intent, but the execution just wasn’t there.

I will say that this book did succeed in making me feel uncomfortable, though perhaps for the wrong reasons. On several occasions the author is unnecessarily sexual completely out of nowhere. For example, within the first few pages we’re subjected to the line ‘her breasts were free and pendulous against her ribcage’, - and this line of description occurs at a funeral?????

I think it’s clear that I’m disappointed by Reprieve. I really did want to love it. There was a lot of potential for this to be an exciting thriller set within an escape room but it falls short for me, instead trying to provide a powerful social commentary without adding any new or interesting observations.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. On this occasion, this one just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

Thank you to the author, publishers Bloomsbury and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

A murder in a haunt (an escape room with a horror theme) starts this book off with a bang. Unfortunately, that pace isn’t kept up as we are taken on a meandering story through the backgrounds of some of the people involved in that final tragedy.

This isn’t a traditional horror story by any means. The murder isn’t even really what the story is about. It’s about how people react and interact with each other, about white American assumptions of superiority and finding your own identity in spite of that. At times the message felt overly laboured and in those moments the storytelling suffered. I also found it difficult to get invested in the characters - Kendra was the only one who felt fully developed. Although as part of Jaidee’s arc was him learning to be himself that at least makes sense.

Overall it’s well written, but not the kind of fun horror story that I thought I’d signed up for.

Reprieve - the safe word you need if you're going to play the game! 1997 and to win the big bucks you need to complete the escape room course but what horrors are waiting for you inside?
From the start, this book had me gripped, the courtroom scenes recalling the events of 1997 and then the shift back to when the contestants took part.
James Han Mattson is a new literary talent who has created a level of suspense and detail in his first novel that is sure to be a winner with those that like their horror realistic.
The narrative explores so many topics including prejudice, racism, LGBTQ, flawed characters, messed up lives, fear, love, hope and hate all wrapped up in a nasty, terrifying game where the contestants have come together from various diverse backgrounds.
Reprieve - I'm going to get out and say no more - you need to read this book!