Review by Booklist Review
Amber, Cecily, and Rudy--known online as the Cole Triplets--present a fun, freewheeling lifestyle to their followers on social media. But between livestreams, their life is anything but perfect. Their father's financial mistakes have forced their mother to constantly uproot the family in an effort to make enough money to stay afloat. The family's latest real-estate escapade brings them to a small-town mansion with a grisly history of murder. The triplets at first treat this fact dismissively. But when a new follower on social media starts to post frightening messages, they are forced to consider whether a malevolent spirit is reaching from beyond the grave to threaten their lives. Following in the same YA-thriller tradition as Pretty Little Liars, Doughty's debut updates the story to focus on the pressure to present an ideal self online. The three characters' POVs showcase different aspects of this dynamic, such as the pressure on Cecily to be inhumanly beautiful. While a slower burn than some thrillers, this book nevertheless hits all the marks for readers who love this subgenre.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--The Cole triplets seem to have the perfect life. They run the popular social media channel ColeTripsHouseFlips, on which their parents buy giant houses and make them over to sell them for top prices. Cecily and Rudy work in front of the camera, while Amber is the digital genius who edits photos and manages their livestreams. But there are cracks in the Coles' public facade: Dad's gambling addiction has left the family strapped for cash. Mom has taken out a big loan to buy a Range Rover to maintain their public image. The triplets are no longer doing the social media gig out of love, but to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Amber is feeling left out; Mom has determined a plus-size lesbian isn't what the public wants to see, despite posts from followers indicating they want more of Amber. Then Dad selects their next project: a small-town haunted house--the site of multiple murder/suicides. The writing style is compelling, including livestream feed comments throughout. The Cole family is white, and the cast includes an Asian police officer, a Latinx contractor, and Amber's love interest, Jada, who has brown skin. VERDICT Teens love a mystery, and this one is definitely a page-turner.--Leah Krippner, Harlem H.S., Machesney Park, IL
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
It's a home-renovation--turned--haunted-house nightmare for triplet social media stars and their family. Seventeen-year-old Cole triplets Cecily, Amber, and Rudy are bona fide influencers. With sponsors, hashtags, and their online fan base the Cole Patrol, they pull in enough money to keep their parents' high-end property business afloat. Their latest house-flip project comes with a deadly past and earns them a suspicious new Instagram follower, one who seems determined to threaten and even harm them. Doughty's warnings about social media are obvious, touching on the ways in which people strive for curated perfection, the addiction of online feedback, and even the swift cruelty of cancel culture. The story uses plenty of spooky tropes, familiar to fans of The Haunting of Hill House and complete with a creepy doll. The central mystery of who is tormenting the Cole family keeps the plot moving even if the social media cautionary tale is heavy-handed and at times slows the pace. Untangling the whodunit takes some effort (and the forgiving of some plot holes), and the book ends with potential for a sequel. Amber is a gorgeous, size 18 lesbian who is confident in herself, no weight loss necessary. All major characters are cued as White; there is some diversity in secondary characters. Checks all the teen thriller boxes. (Thriller. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
