Book Blurb:
SCREAM ALL NIGHT by Derek Milman
Pub. Date: July 24, 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 400
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?
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My Review:
4 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Heart-Wrenching, Hysterical, Teen--
It feels like the consequences of every tough decision I made in my life (and questioned relentlessly) have been laid out before me- a pulsating grid of connected dots leading to today, when my senile dad gets blown to bits while being buried alive.
Dario has lived in a group home for years, since he left behind his past and emancipated himself from his family and the world he grew up in- the world of Moldavia, home to the most gory awful B movies with a huge fan following. After receiving a surprising call from him older brother, Dario feels himself being dragged back into the world he was desperate to escape. Can he pull himself together and help the people who need him- or will his life continue to be the horror film he knows?
When I reached the end of the first chapter and something crazy (Shocking? Terrible? Is it awful to call it hysterical?) happened I was a little concerned as to what I got myself into by reading this story. I can say with no reservation that Scream All Night is 100% not what I expected, even a little! It was quirky, ridiculous and so very real it caught me off guard. I had picked up the book thinking that this was going to be some sort of horror/thriller to keep me up at night but in actuality this was more a YA contemporary coming of age book about a very damaged boy learning who he really is and how to move on from his past. There was heartache, healing, dark humor, trauma, self-discovery, perseverance and hope scattered through the pages, luring me in and not letting me leave until the last page- and even then I spent time thinking about the people I met on this wacky, awful, compelling, sweet story.
Based on the dark subject matter used in the book of child abuse (mental and physical) as well as mental illness, I would have anticipated this to be a very sad hard to read book. But surprisingly it was not. The story layered bits of trauma of the past with hope for the future in friendship, self-discovery, film making facts and tidbits, and over the top ridiculous humor (ciller cauliflower anyone??). Scream All Night was narrated by our tragic hero Dario, who was filled with anxiety and aimlessness at the start of the story, a product of his terrible upbringing, with no real goals for the future besides survival. I really liked Dario right from when I first met him and he became even more endearing as the book progressed. He was such a sweet, smart, giving kid even with what he had endured growing up, not turning him hard and angry (but boy did he need a hug and an intervention). The reader gets to watch him mature and overcome his personal demons while making awful B quality horror films- what a way to discover who you are and what you want, with over the top gore and awful movie cliches. It seemed like such an odd mix of genre smashing and subject matter, yet it came together so perfectly.
This is Derek's debut novel and I was completely in love with this quirky, heartfelt story set in the bowels of a castle filled with eccentric characters. Derek brought so much personality to his characters I felt like I knew them and could relate, the people and issues so real, regardless of the fact the setting was the most fantastical of places. I was at first upset that this was not the horror I anticipated but it ended up being so much more and so much better than I could have ever hoped. I would not change a thing about this book and I can't wait to see what other stories are stewing in Derek's brain next. Give this read a whirl because you will not be disappointed.
Author Bio:
Derek Milman was born in New York City, but grew up in Westchester, NY, where he wrote and published a successful underground humor magazine that caught the attention of the New York Times, who wrote a profile on him at the age of 14.
Derek studied English, Creative Writing, and Theater at Northwestern University. He began his career as a playwright (his first play was staged in New York City when he was just out of college), and earned an MFA in acting at the Yale School of Drama.
Derek has performed on stages across the country, and appeared in numerous TV shows and films, working with two Academy Award winning film directors.
Scream All Night is Derek's debut YA novel. He currently lives in Brooklyn where he is hard at work on his next book.
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Week One:
7/16/2018- Sweet Southern Home- Excerpt
7/16/2018- YA Books Central- Interview
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7/17/2018- BookHounds YA- Guest Post
7/17/2018- Always Me- Excerpt
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7/18/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Review
7/18/2018- Wonder Struck- Review
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7/19/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Review
7/19/2018- Moonlight Rendezvous- Review
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7/20/2018- Kat’s Books- Review
7/20/2018- Rhythmicbooktrovert- Review
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Week Two:
7/23/2018- The Clever Reader- Review
7/23/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review
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7/24/2018- Lisa Loves Literature- Interview
7/24/2018- THE BOOK NUT- Review
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7/25/2018- A Gingerly Review- Review
7/25/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt
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7/26/2018- Daily Waffle- Interview
7/26/2018- Don't Judge, Read- Interview
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7/27/2018- Two Points of Interest- Spotlight
7/27/2018- Book-Keeping- Review
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Review tour provided by Rockstar Book Tours
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