Book Review: Scream All Night by Derek Milman

Scream All Night by Derek Milman
Published by Balzer + Bray on July 24, 2018
Genres: Horror, YA
Pages: 400
Format: ARC, eBook
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Source: Edelweiss

A darkly hilarious contemporary realistic young adult novel about growing up and finding your place in the world, perfect for fans of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Running With Scissors.
Dario Heyward knows one thing: He’s never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult classic B-horror movies. It’s been three years since Dario’s even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia’s creature features.
But then Dario’s brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy’s Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say good-bye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, both real and imagined, he’s left there.
With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that’s haunted him his whole life?

The Reader’s Review

I am NOT a Horror fan. I am a big scaredy cat when it comes to the genre, be it books or movies, but let me tell you — I’m so glad I gave Scream All Night a chance! This book is hilariously creepy.  Set in a Castle where Horror movies are produced in a cult-like fashion, Scream All Night is the perfect read the brings out the laughs and chills!

I just love it when books make me laugh. It has been ages since the last time I had to put a book down for fear of looking a little bit crazy in a public space grinning like a fool. It’s just that every page I read of Scream All Night surprised me in the most awesome way. The main character, Dario, is one of two sons of the Director that owns Moldavia Studios, which is the castle were the horror movies are produced and where all the cast and crew also call home. However, Dario left the castle at a young age and got emancipated, now living at a group home. Dario’s childhood at Moldavia Studios was BRUTAL. His father lived for his films and thus forced Dario to act in one, pushing and breaking him emotionally just to get the perfect shot.

I felt really bad for Dario. After being apart for so long from his unusual family and extended family (all of Moldavia Studios residents) and working hard to forget the conflicting feelings they brought him, he is kind of dragged back to the castle  after receiving the call that his father was having his live funeral (yes, he is about to be BURIED ALIVE) and then having to stay due to his father’s will stating that he has 6 months to save Moldavia Studios or it would be sold to another company. Even after death (which doesn’t go exactly as planned, let me tell you), he still cannot escape from the manipulating hands of his Father. He faces the responsibility of saving the livelihood of all the people he grew up with, while also enduring his eccentric brother who also lives and breathes B-grade Horror films.

However, Dario is quite a guy who deep down, really LOVES Moldavia Studios and all its residents. Honestly, I fell in love with the place too. The characters living in this castle are STRANGE and AMAZING, so incredibly unique and a little bit unhinged, but actual great (human?) beings. Each personality leaves and breathes Horror and they simply adore bringing horror movies to life, so much that they turn into horror creatures as well. Coming across them throughout the novel was both hilarious and absolutely horrifying — I LOVED IT.

Mental note: Never sleep at Moldavia Studios.

Final Verdict:

With that said, Scream All Night really is a fun, creepy book that has pretty much everything we need from a Horror novel fit for everyone — lots of humor, great characters who you can’t help but fear a little bit, and emotional depth that will tug your heartstrings. This faint of heart reader survived it and I definitely recommend!!!

 

Favorite quote: 

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