From Dead Eleven author Jimmy Juliano, a twisty, edge-of-your-seat novel about a unique haunting in the early 2000s

Piper Lowery, a public library clerk in charge of liaising with the local middle school, can tell right away there’s something strange about the new girl in eighth grade. Avery Wallace won’t touch any kind of technology, not even the computers at the library, and her mother comes to school with her every day, refusing to leave her side—not even when Avery uses the restroom.

And then there are the rumors, the whispers Piper hears from kids in the hallway and parents around Avery’s mother is a witch. Her sister and father were killed by something supernatural. A strange virus killed them.

Seeing how isolated and lonely Avery is, Piper befriends her but quickly realizes it might just be the worst decision she’s ever made. Because there’s something dark inside Avery Wallace, and it’s spreading . . .

I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

After reading Dead Eleven and being completely freaked out by that final scene, I knew I’d pick up whatever Jimmy Juliano wrote next. That book stuck with me. It was weird, eerie, and totally original. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it early and was thrilled when I got approved. I went in hoping for that same creeping dread of Dead Eleven with a hint of 2000s-tinted weirdness, and I wasn’t disappointed.

This book feels like a love letter to early internet culture, filtered through a horror lens. Set mostly in the early 2000s, it taps into the heyday of LiveJournal, Napster, MySpace, and dial-up connections. Juliano nails the nostalgia without laying it on too thick. He doesn’t treat it like a gimmick. Instead, the era becomes an essential part of the story’s atmosphere and structure. You can feel the buzz of CRT monitors and hear the screech of modems as you read (and if you’re listening to the audiobook, you literally do). The format helps, too. While the bulk of the book is told in traditional prose, online journal entries are scattered throughout and they feel real. Not stylized, not exaggerated. Just the ramblings of a woman trying to solve the mystery around a lonely teen girl, her strange mother and the horrifying events that seem to plague them.

That teenager is Avery Wallace, and she’s at the center of a slow-burn, technology-tinged haunting that takes its time pulling you in. Avery is strange, closed off, and for good reason. Her past is a mess of tragedy and dark rumors. Her father and sister are dead. Her mother won’t leave her side (not even during bathroom breaks at school). She won’t use a phone, a computer, or anything else that connects her to the outside world. And she’s not just paranoid. There’s something after her. Something real.

Our point-of-view character is Piper Lowery, a public librarian who’s responsible for liaising with the local middle school. She notices Avery right away. Everyone does. Piper reaches out to her, hoping to help, but that well-intentioned kindness becomes the gateway for something much darker. As Piper gets closer to Avery, the mystery surrounding her unfolds. Is her mother really a witch? Did witchcraft kill her family? What is the thing that’s following her, and why does it seem to be targeting anyone who wrongs Avery?

What I loved most about this book is the atmosphere. Juliano is great at building dread through mood rather than gore. This is a creepy book, not a gory one. It gives off serious The Ring energy, but it doesn’t feel like a copy. It’s more like a spiritual cousin. Instead of a haunted VHS tape, we get haunted technology in general. A ghost story tangled in wires and bandwidth. And while it borrows from familiar tropes, it twists them in ways that feel fresh. There are some scenes that genuinely raised the hairs on my arms. It’s clear Juliano understands how to use the fear of the unknown and how effective horror can be when it’s just one step out of sight.

My only real critique is the ending. It didn’t hit quite as hard as the ending of Dead Eleven. That book left me rattled. This one left me satisfied, but not shaken. I liked where it went, but it didn’t haunt me in the same way. Maybe that’s just a matter of personal taste. It’s a minor (and personal) critique that shouldn’t deter you because the story itself is incredibly strong. The pacing is solid, the buildup is intense, and the emotional payoff is there. I just wish the final moments had a little more bite.

As for the audiobook, it’s excellent. Valerie Rose Lohman and Nicole Cash do a great job bringing the characters to life. Their performances are distinct without being overdone. There are also immersive sound effects layered throughout, including dial-up modems and eerie ambient sounds that heighten the tension. It adds another level of atmosphere, especially for a story rooted in technology and digital isolation. Listening while reading the ARC made the experience even more vivid, and I’d absolutely recommend the audio version if you’re on the fence.

In the end, this book is exactly what I wanted. It’s nostalgic but modern, scary but thoughtful. It taps into early-2000s culture in a way that feels grounded and unnerving. If you’ve ever feared what’s lurking behind a computer screen or caught yourself feeling off after scrolling too long through old forum posts, this book will hit you in the gut.
Creepy, clever, and just unsettling enough to linger after you turn the last page.