Somehow I ended up with the American and the UK version of this book. I will be giving my links and review for this book under its other title, Burden Falls, when I participate in the blog tour on August 28th.

A very interesting twist awaits the reader at the end. Kat Ellis has given the reader a good plot, with strong characters and an overall enjoyable read. With Wicked Little Deeds there is close to no disappointment. I did find it a bit verbose at the start, however once it picked up, the book raced through
If you are of a mind to read through a mystery that combines a bit of supernatural, a bit of romance and lot of suspense, then Wicked Little Deeds is for you.

I’m delighted to be part of the #BlogTour for Wicked Little Deeds. This is a terrifically creepy read which is part of the YA genre but was thoroughly enjoyed by me (a teensy bit older than YA). The story is set in Burden Falls and we first meet Ava as she is preparing to leave her home for the last time. The last year has been really difficult and very traumatic for her and this is yet another kick in the teeth. School is challenging and she is tormented by some of her classmates for seemingly no reason at all. Then things start becoming even weirder. There are many legends and superstitions set in her town, but surely these aren’t real? Yet they seem to be ramping up and coming after her, what on Earth is going on!? Will life ever settle down and give her a break?

Ava is a pretty cool character. She’s had much more than her fair share to cope with and she still manages to soldier on and on. She is creative and fun and although struggles at times, she is holding it together. I liked how much we learned about her as the story went along, she felt like a real person rather than just words on the page. The story itself was well told and added plenty of tension and surprise at the right places. I hadn’t foreseen many of the turns that it took and I enjoyed finding out more and seeing how things would play out. The writing is descriptive and can be rather creepy at times.

I think this would be a good choice of book for someone of any age who fancies something a bit darker but with a slightly more familiar setting of teenage drama and the challenges of surviving high school and approaching adulthood.

Ava Thorn spends everyday in the shadow of her family's legacy. Around Burden Falls, the Thorns are known for their steely manner, untrustworthy and shunned by many. After the death of her parents in a horrific car accident, Ava must come to terms with losing her family home, as her family's enemies move in instead and she is forced to watch them thrive in what should have been her inheritance.

Ava is plagued by nightmares of the accident, she struggles with friendships at school and is haunted by Burden Falls' ghoul Dead Eyed Sadie. Locals say that the spirit has a vengeance to wreak and the figure of the girl with no eyes is a popular local tale. However, for Ava, these nightmares start to become a reality as she convinces herself she has seen the terrifying apparition on various occasions. So when a girl's body is found in the river, complete with eyes gouged out, whispers of Dead Eyed Sadie reach their peak. Talk at school turns to the superstitions of the town and the buzz around the paranormal increases, however even Ava doubts the reality of her existence. But when Ava is first to discover another body, killed in the same way, she is not prepared for the nightmare that unfolds. Placed under suspicion of murder, Ava is haunted by visions of the ghost and soon even the reader is unclear what is real and what is a never-ending nightmare.

Wicked Little Deeds is the first YA horror I've read, my preference being for thriller-type novels rather than grotesque horror, but I would say that this crosses the boundaries of both genres. Ellis crafts her mysterious atmosphere from the very beginning of the story, with well-timed flashbacks and dark, imposing buildings and landscapes creating a haunting backdrop for events. Ava is presented as a normal teenager dealing with trauma, so her conflicting opinions of the reality of Dead Eyed Sadie helped me really involve myself in the story, constantly questioning whether she was real because Ava believed so.

I definitely feel that the story picked up the pace in the latter half. Lots of the initial chapters were built on character development and backstory - all of which was needed, however, it wasn't until the second murder that I really felt invested in the story. The ending didn't disappoint either and I liked the fact that no loose ends were left. It was rational and believable, without that niggling part of the mystery being unsolved that many thrillers/horrors have.

Overall Wicked Little Deeds is a great horror/thriller and for my first YA horror I was impressed! Gruesome and gory but not enough to turn your stomach completely, Kat Ellis builds tension and atmosphere from the initial pages and provides enough intrigue and mystery to keep you guessing right to the very end.

Wicked Little Deeds was a story that I ended up gobbling up. I reviewed Harrow Lake, which I absolutely adored last year and I just hoped that this was going to hold up to the same promise. Kat Ellis knows how to write a thriller; this is very different to Harrow Lake but Wicked Little Deeds had the ability to smack you upside the head with its killer hook. Paranormal entity. An impending threat. Twists by the bucket load. If you think you have this one figured out be prepared for a grenade to blow up in your face.

Wicked Little Deeds Has the building block of teenage relationships, trust and manipulation, secrets and deaths. That first death is the starting pistol and it immediately has the reader invested. Be prepared to pick your jaw up from off the floor. The events take place in Burden Falls and the location is perfect. It’s got that vibe from old 80s horror movies. If I had to live there, I would likely be looking over my shoulder at every opportunity. Something just isn’t sitting right with that place. The story takes on the ability to walk a double-edged sword, you want to find out more but you’re scared to know how much more there is.

Kat Ellis has created a strong independent protagonist. I’m generally an adult horror reader, however I really enjoy reading about strong teenage characters. The nuances, the reactions to events. Ava is one such character like that. Her precious steeped in pain and suffering and still she is a strong character. Like any person that age she made mistakes, despite her age she still tried to rectify them. She’s sensible beyond her years. Her reactions to some of the events made me become fonder of her.

Then things start to go really crazy and Ava is zoomed in as the main suspect. The reason being? Everything starts happening on the anniversary of the car crash that killed her parents. Eva isn’t sure if she is seeing things or she’s being watched. Author tackled very sensitive themes with grace and precision. If you enjoy creepy young adult horror then put this to the top of your TBR immediately.

Wicked Little Deeds pulsates with originality. Fast paced and intelligent. Clever masterful novel.

This is my first Kat Ellis novel, but the blurb intrigued me, so I thought I'd give it a go and I wasn't disappointed.

Wicked Little Deeds is a brilliant mix of young adult mystery and horror, with a bit of romance in there, too.

The story follows Ava, who's being forced to move from her childhood home after the death of her parents and the collapse of their business. If that wasn't bad enough, she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her high school nemesis, which is soon connected to the legend of Dead Eyed Sadie, a ghost associated with her family. Unable to leave it alone, she sets out to find the actual killer.

Ava and Dominic are intriguing and flawed characters. I have to say I usually get a little annoyed with teen characters for being a little self-involved, but I really enjoyed both of them and the way their chemistry really shines through the story.

Another thing I loved about the story was the urban legend of Dead Eyed Sadie that was woven throughout the mystery. It was creepy and captivating at the same time. There were some fantastic spooky scenes featuring Dead Eyed Sadie throughout that gave me goosebumps!

The mystery was also well done. It really kept me guessing even though I did eventually manage to figure it out.

I know this story is billed as a young adult story but honestly anyone of any age who loves both mysteries and urban legends would enjoy this story (says the woman who is probably too old to be reading young adult novels).

Wicked Little Deeds is an atmospheric and creepy read that I honestly couldn't put down. I'm looking forward to reading more from Kat Ellis!

Wicked Little Deeds is the type of book that casts a shadow over you as you become entranced by its darkly compelling pages. Reading it feels like the foreboding dark clouds rolling over the sky with its intense atmosphere.

I adore an atmospheric read and once again Ellis has created such a fascinating and intense atmosphere that you can’t help but get drawn into. Right from the start, there’s this ominous sense that infuses every page and keeps your guard up. The claustrophobic setting of the small town mired in dark secrets and troubled history really helps add to this sinister feeling. Burden Falls is a town you wouldn’t want to get stuck in, with death and misery seemingly round every corner.

That kind of entrenched feeling of the walls closing in you in a small town is conveyed brilliantly and amplifies the tensions between families and friends. Underneath it all, there’s this blood-soaked family feud with the ‘cursed’ family vs the family that seemingly has it all. The way the origins of this feud emerge are fascinating to uncover, as well as their chilling present day reflections.

The whole way through I was questioning whether the events are supernatural or something else. That kind of trickery and way that Ellis plays with your mind is executed perfectly. The urban legend underscoring this tale of murder and deceit is genuinely unsettling. Ellis walks that razor thin line between reality and the supernatural brilliantly. It allows you to see things in the shadows and conveys the overall theme of manipulation in a strong and visually striking manner.

Yet again, Ellis has crafted an extremely tantalising mystery. This is such a pacy read, packed with really good twists and turns. I love a mystery that keeps me on my toes and Ellis definitely delivered that. Also, I love the way she blends elements of both the horror and thriller genres, distilling their essences to create a twisted new tale that will keep you racing through its pages.

Wicked Little Deeds thrives on its ambiguous touches, strong atmosphere and compelling mystery that will send shivers down your spine.

I took part in the blog tour for Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis last year, and loved it, so I’ve been looking forward to Wicked Little Deeds for quite some time now, but also been a little nervous about whether I would enjoy it as much. When Dave @ The Write Reads announced the tour, I signed up immediately, and I’m so glad I did, because I ended up enjoying this even more than Harrow Lake!

From the very beginning, this book has you hooked! The possibility of a paranormal entity makes the storyline all the more exciting too. The initial death is such a shock, and from then onwards, you will not be able to put this book down. I certainly couldn’t! There are a lot of twists and turns to the story that I wasn’t expecting, and it kept me thinking. I love it when a book has me questioning myself and my theories, and Wicked Little Deeds does that from the very beginning, all the way until the big reveal. This book is extremely well written, and you could really visualise the surroundings and the area of Burden Falls. To me, the story gave off a strong Riverdale vibe (specifically Season 1 of Riverdale).

The characters were an interesting bunch, with a real mix of personalities. I could discuss the characters all day, but for the benefit of all of you reading this, I will keep it short and only mention 2 of the most important characters. Ava is a great protagonist, and I instantly took a liking to her. She has been through so much, and she’s trying so hard to appear strong, but really she’s struggling, and I can really relate to that on a personal level. She just can’t seem to catch a break! To top it off, she is then a prime suspect in murder cases, and is seeing things that aren’t there. I felt so sorry for her, and was routing for her to have a happy ending. Now let’s talk about Sadie… Sadie is definitely the most intriguing character in the story. Is she real? Is she not? The questions that drove me insane throughout the story. I was so desperate to know the truth about her, to know if she was just a local tale, or if there was some truth to the horror stories. This paranormal aspect of the story has you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning to the very last pages of the book.

As someone who reads a lot of thrillers and horrors, I often worry when reading YA thrillers and YA horrors that they will skip out on some of the horrible details, but I had no reason for concern with Wicked Little Deeds. The author certainly doesn’t hold back, some of the details are actually rather gruesome, and others send shivers right down your spine. This book isn’t for the faint hearted.

I would definitely say that Kat Ellis is pushing the boundary of YA with this one. It is brutal, creepy, and certainly has a psychological effect, and that’s exactly why I loved this book so much. It exceeded all of my expectations, and I can’t wait to see what else the author has in store for us in the future.

I give Wicked Little Deeds a 5 star rating!

Wicked Little Deeds is the UK title and cover. It’s Burden Falls in the US. No matter which cover you get, the same fantastic mystery is contained inside. I enjoyed this fabulous tale by Kat Ellis from start to finish!

The book is described as Riverdale meets Stephen King. I would agree! The story is riveting, creepy, mysterious, and so good I couldn’t put it down.

Ava Thorn is a protagonist you can root for while acknowledging her issues and faults. Every other character in the book spent time on my suspect list and there were a lot of suspects!

I am pretty soft-hearted these days and the gruesomeness of the murders got to me a bit. But, I wouldn’t have missed reading this murder mystery.

I suggest you pick up a copy of Wicked Little Deeds, settle in on a dark evening, and read it straight through. It’s a murder mystery you will talk about for days.

Don’t forget to close the curtains before you start reading!!


I received a copy of the book for a TWR book blog tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

Burden Falls is a small town that is dripping with superstition and could be seen as creepy. Local teenager Ava Thorn knows this feeling well, and ever since witnessing a terrifying accident a year ago, she’s been tormented by nightmares on a daily. When someone close to Ava is murdered, Ava becomes the primary suspect and starts to deliberate if the myths and legends surrounding Burden Falls are true.

YA Horror is a genre that I have slowly been getting into over the past few years, and because of this, I am always on the lookout for more books within that genre to stick my teeth into. I read Kat Ellis’ previous YA horror Harrow Lake last year and was wowed by it! So, when I found out about her next YA Horror ‘Wicked Little Deeds’, I knew I had to get my hands on it. As soon as I started reading this, I was instantly freaked out and terrified, and didn’t want to stop reading. I knew I had to find out about the creepy town of Burden Falls and all of the mysteries surrounding it.

If you want something that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you wanting to know more, then Wicked Little Deeds is the perfect book for you! From the get-go, you are thrust into the chilling world of Burden Falls, and you get the feeling, not all is what it seems. Ellis’ writing style automatically puts you on edge, and you start to get that spine-tingling feeling that, trust me, will last throughout the whole book. You have to have a certain way with words to write amazing horror, and Ellis has this. Every single word in the book gave me chills and caused my heart to beat just that little bit faster.

The plot itself, had me gripped, as well as feeling very unsettled. You know right from the start that something isn’t right, and you want to help Ava solve the mystery. One thing I found compelling with regards to the plot was that blur between what is reality and what isn’t? We see Ava struggle with her conception of Dead Eyed Sadie, is she real? Or just a figment of her imagination? The way this is told to us through Ava’s point of view is commendable, and I love how it is left up to us, as the reader to decide if she is real or just a myth. Another thing I found intriguing in Wicked Little Deeds was the murders themselves. I do enjoy trying to figure out the conclusion to a mystery when I’m reading a YA Thriller/Horror, but with this one I found my conclusions changing with each chapter that passed me by. Many twists within this story will have you gasping out loud (I know I did at a certain part), and your mind will be turned several times. By the time the mystery was finally solved, you are left open-mouthed and shocked. When a thriller/horror leaves you with this reaction you know it’s a great one.

Ava was a protagonist that I took to straight away, and she was a character that I admired. Throughout the story, you learn a lot about her life and her past, and I must say I don’t think I would’ve coped as well as she did if I’d been through what she went through. Ava is a brave, determined character and yes, she made mistakes but she tried her best to rectify them. She also remained strong in some pretty tough situations and this just added to my fondness of her. She wasn’t the typical teen protagonist that you may see in some horrors, and that was refreshing to see. Her blossoming relationship with Dominic was gorgeous, and that may be because I’m a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope.

Wicked Little Deeds was a hair-raising, spine-chilling, shocking read that brings a new light to the horror genre. Kat Ellis is cementing herself as one of the queens of YA Horror, and I for one, can’t wait to read what she writes next.

Ava Thorn lives in the town of Burden Falls, a small town shrouded in mystery and thought to be haunted by the ghost of Dead- Eyed Sadie. Ava grew up at Thorn Manor, the place where Dead-Eyed Sadie is said to reveal herself to members of the Thorn family right before their deaths. Ava’s parents died in a tragic car accident a year ago and now she is having nightmares about the ghost of Sadie that feel hauntingly real. When people close to Ava start turning up dead, she becomes the primary suspect and must work to find out if the murderer is the ghost in her nightmares or someone else entirely.

This book has everything a YA horror suspense needs. A good small town story with refreshing characters. A little bit of creepy, a dash of horror and the right amount of romance. For me the only problem was that of pace. While the writing itself is good, I felt certain parts were a bit dragging. Probably its to be expected as its YA. The supporting characters are good and so is the whole vibe of the story. Its definitely a good read during Halloween though I myself would not prefer to read it at night! The one thing that kind of surprised me though it was almost expected was the ending. I did not expect certain characters to be as they were at the reveal. Not really. I would say the story stays with you for a while.

Thank You to Netgalley, The WriteReads and Penguin for the arc.

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I need to stop saying I don’t read horror books, and Kat Ellis’ brand of thriller-horror genius is a good reason why. I found this utterly compelling and engaging from start to finish.

From the creepy town ghost story that literally haunts Ava, to the ongoing mystery of who the killer is, this puts together everything I want in a thriller with a good few scary moments to boot. The atmosphere is fairly bleak, which I kind of love, and the story definitely kept me guessing throughout.

I also loved that Ava herself is struggling with everything. Understandable given everything that happens, but the hallucinations are a particularly vicious and nice touch. I also liked her blooming friendship with Dominic - it’s nice to see a family feud, that Ava herself still holds, begin to heal.

I did struggle with Ava’s friendships, we don’t see enough of the girls, and the one with Ford is purposefully messed up. But that’s my only real niggle.

The story is also brilliantly paced, I just flew through it, dying to know what would happen next.

I definitely recommend this, 4.5 stars.

this is a book that doesn't come under just one genre.

Murder mystery and crime combined with the paranormal make it seem like an extended episode of Riverdale, only way creepier!

I'd like to say before I continue with my review that there are some triggers within the book. Death, grief and drug use all play a part in this story.

Set in the rural town of Burden Falls (which in itself sounds scary) we are introduced to our main character Ava (Thorn). A nearly eighteen year old teen who lost both of her parents in a horrific car accident. Now forced to move out of her family home due to debts, this is a young woman who has suffered so much and just needs a fresh start.

But the town has other ideas.

Adding insult to injury, she finds out that the family buying the manor is the not only the same family with whom the Thorns have had a feud for generations but the father is the man who was the cause of her parents demise.

From that moment on things are forever changed.

Talk of a certain urban legend known as Dead-Eyed-Sadie, two murdered teens and an unlikely friendship all come together to make an unsettling and unique tale.

Now I don't want to seem like a spoil sport with my review but this is a novel with huge impact, something that would be lost if I reveal too much of the tale.

Here's what I can say.

Ava as our main protagonist is truly awesome. She isn't your typical angsty teen, rather a resilient and determined girl, remaining true to herself in the toughest of situations. This is a person I'd want on my side, I'd be the one running screaming not her.

The story itself packs a punch.

A horrifyingly good YA novel and although there is a sort of love story mixed in there, it certainly isn't the main focus. Dead bodies, and suspicious town folk a plenty make for a mystery you'll really want to solve but believe me when I say that you will be shocked beyond belief when reading the last few chapters as the lines of reality and the supernatural blur together. I feel like I need to go back and read it again to see if I missed some clues.

Wicked Little Deeds is very wicked indeed.

Wicked Little Deeds is a YA horror thriller mystery, set in a small rural town called Burden Falls. At a glance the town looks like any other small rural town, but there are many myths and ghost stories surrounding the town. We get to find out about some of these as we follow Ava who is convinced that her family have been cursed and is being haunted by the Dead-Eye Sadie, as bad things keep happening to them. First, she loses both her parents after a car accident, and then her uncle is forced to sell their family home and business, and then after moving out people she knows start dying.

I thought this was a very well written book with several storylines that all come together nicely to bring a fast paced atmospheric read. I will say the starting was a little slow for me but once the story got going I couldn’t put it down. In fact, I read this one late into the night which I haven’t done in a while. I really liked the writing style in this one. It was simple yet engaging and I absolutely loved the gory details!!

At the start I was a little unsure about some of the characters especially Ava but as the story progresses and we get to know more of her backstory I really started to feel for her. She’s been through so much already in the past year, yet she’s kept it together and managed to stay so strong. Overall, I thought all the characters were well written and developed they all added to the story rather than just appear to flesh out the book.

This was my first book by Kat Ellis and I really enjoyed it very much and can’t wait to pick up another of her books soon. I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for an engaging and fast paced YA horror thriller!!

I have to say that Wicked Little Deeds is probably one of my favorite books so far in 2021. I love how Kat Ellis perfectly blends thriller and horror in her novels. She can make you doubt the main characters through the book and make you question towards the end if they were right all along. Wicked Little Deeds has awesome characters and kind of gives a Romeo and Juliet vibe but without the full love interest. I can't wait to read more books by Kat!

I loved Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis so I was over the moon to be invited to join the tour for wicked Little Deeds.
One of my favourite things about this novel (and something Ellis seems to excel at) is the atmospheric setting. Burden falls and the surrounding areas sound idyllic and peaceful with it’s waterfall setting, cottages, manor house and small town vibe. Or at least it should be! The town is rife with myth and legend, ghost stories and murders loom over the residents and surroundings areas. This casts a huge, atmospheric cloud over the whole setting and provides it with just enough creepiness to give you goosebumps whilst reading and to make the reader question everything they see or hear.
I think the character of Ava is well developed and well written. She has a vulnerability about her but has retained a certain amount of sassiness despite dealing with so much in her short life. She recently lost her parents in a terrible accident, lost her family home for financial reasons and discovered a body made to look like a girl from a local legend (Black Eyed Sadie). The effects of her trauma are still very apparent alongside an expected amount of teen angst but to be fair, she could have been much more of an awful person. I likes her character a lot.
As bodies start to pile up and explanations don’t make sense, Ava has to navigate the blurred lines between reality and urban legend in order to clear her own name and keep herself safe.
I’m a big fan or urban legend style films and wicked Little Deeds hits the nail right on the head. It remains appropriate for the targeted Young Adult audience, but it has the perfect level of chills without being overly gruesome or terrifying.
Kat Ellis has yet again created an fabulous, atmospheric mystery with great characters and plot. I cannot wait to see what she offers in the future.

I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you to the blog tour organiser for letting me take part in this tour. And thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Trigger warnings: death of parents (mentioned and relieved), death (violent and gory), revenge, hate, hallucinations, drugs, grief and loss, fire.

This book, is set in a small rural town, this time called Burden Falls. I like books set in small towns, especially the darker ones because they have such a present atmosphere, and I usually really enjoy them.

Ava is the main character of this book and a character I immediately felt for but also liked a lot. She doesn’t come across as moody or perpetually pissed off like a lot of teenagers do in YA books. She has gone through such horrors in the last year – which are actually not over for her – but she remains resilient and I have to say she is really brave. I would have run screaming at just a glimpse of some of the things she lived through. I liked her a lot and was rooting for her to figure out whodunnit!

As I have been getting back into mystery books in the last while, I really liked how this book started out with dead bodies, murder and lots of questions raised. I usually prefer seeing the mystery from the eyes of the police and seeing all their investigation, but here, I also really enjoyed seeing Ava trying to piece things together. I have to mention that the murders and bodies are described in quite a lot of detail, and it does get quite gory, so be aware of that if that's something you struggle with it in books.

If you know me, you know I love some great atmosphere in books, and this one delivered. I like how dark and horror-y it got, I was starting to get a bit scared there. I’m apparently not very scared by books anymore (I’ve realised this while reading Stephen King books and being fairly okay too), but I definitely felt chills at points in the story! I loved how spooky it got and the whole question around a supernatural reason, it had me guessing until the last pages!

Overall, this was a really engaging and enjoyable YA horror thriller, and one I enjoyed reading. We’ve had weird rainy weather here in the days I’ve been reading it, and I have to say this is the perfect book for rainy, stormy, dark and cloudy times!

I found the pace really good in this book and I liked that the chapters were short because I kept thinking “Just one more chapter” and I got through the book really quickly! I also really liked the author’s writing style here.

I gave this book 4 stars and I enjoyed it a lot, and it kept me guessing, questioning things and trying to piece things together along with Ava. I liked Ava and Dominic, they were both very realistic and believable characters. I will be reading more YA horrors/thrillers after this because I thought the atmosphere was great!

If you like dark, atmospheric YA horror thrillers which have a bit more going on than bodies cropping up and murderers always one step in front, if you like realistic characters with real emotions you can identify to, and don’t mind questions of grief, the subject of death, quite a bit of gore and any other triggers I mentioned, then I think you would definitely enjoy this book. I recommend it to readers of mysteries, thrillers, horrors, YA, and spooky books!

If you want jumpy, creepy and downright scary then this is the book for you.

I love books that make you jump even in the daylight and this book did exactly that.

I love books set in small towns and it really adds to the eery setting. Cant wait to read more from this brilliant author. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kat Ellis has once again written a hauntingly brilliant story of family feuds, dark secrets and local legends. It pulls you in from the first line and has you on the edge of your seat the entire time you are reading.

Wicked Little Deeds is set in ‘Burden Falls’ which is a creepy town full of secrets, mysteries and horrifying urban legends. Dead-Eyed Sadie scared me so much that I did not look out of my window after it turned dark for a couple of days because I was worried she’d be there.

The atmosphere that this story sets is incredible. The tension in this novel felt higher to be than in Kat Ellis’ previous novel Harrow Lake. You can feel the tension building alongside your rising heartrate especially in certain scenes where you do not know what or who to believe. This book would definitely translate well into a film because the imagery is already there in the descriptions and how the writing makes you feel. I think it would make the perfect horror film that would make you think and scare you out your wits.

Ava is a character that I was not so sure on at first. I disliked her but I was excited to know more about her and her story as she was an intriguing character. As I learnt more about her and her struggles I began to feel for her and want to know more about her and help her through everything she is facing. Readers will definitely feel for her as she tries to navigate through her issues, work out who to trust and what is real and what is a trick. I enjoyed the secondary character in this book and all that they add to the story. It was a lot of fun to work out who to trust or not. There is a romance storyline in this book that although I felt unnecessary for the story as a whole did add something light to the book and it gave me the chance to calm down after tense sections.

Kat Ellis is an extraordinary writer who I am excited to read more of in the future. If you have yet to read anything by her I would highly recommend her books!

Overall, I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an intriguing psychological horror story to read. Give this one a read (but not in the dark)!

Burden Falls (or Wicked Little Deeds, if you are in the UK) by Kat Ellis gave me all the chills and many of the thrills. An atmospheric YA horror and mystery tale, the novel quickly pulled me in with its folklore, supernatural elements, and a surprising who-done-it.

What I Loved

I loved the folklore of Dead-Eye Sadie created for the novel. It fits perfectly in the story, and it gave me goosebumps that lasted long after I finished reading. Using folklore took the atmosphere to a whole new creepy level, making the book down impossible as the story unfolds.

I also loved how a group of teens chased and recorded shows about local superstitions and everything that goes bump in the night. I usually enjoy when a book stays focused as this one did, but I would have loved seeing more of the show they created, as the making of it and the content intrigued me almost as much as the main story.

The characters were a little too teen initially, but that quickly changed as the stakes grew higher and higher, and overall, I thought they were very well-developed and had very complex and defining backstories. There was nothing superficial about even the briefest of support characters. Ava is a walking tragedy as she tries to process and cope with her parents’ untimely death and, later, the deaths of those around her. She feels cursed, and it is understandable and believable the way it unfolds. Nic is broody but observant. He is probably the most stereotypical hero-ish character, but still, he is my favorite as his maturity quickly steals the show and controls the story.

The murder mystery is another highly compelling thread. I suspected correctly as there was something off there, but I did not come even close to figuring out why. The reason for the murders made me sad, considering all that was done. And that ending! Of course, I finished the book late at night, and the ending is so impactful that it made it very difficult for me to go to sleep!

To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for a YA Horror Thriller with a good mystery and a strong atmospheric quality, you must pick up the latest novel by Kat Ellis today!