Week 21 Review: Scream All Night

From Goodreads:
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?

My Review:
This was a really great read! I did try and reading it a few years ago, and just couldn't get into it, but I got it from the library, sat down and I couldn't put it down! I loved Dario's story, and watching him deal with the trauma that was growing up at Moldovia, which while it definitely had its flaws, it also gave a place for the misfits. And boy were there some wacky situations! I mean, that funeral! 

I felt for Dario. He got emancipated, because he was injured, and it took 5 days for someone in the household to think to come look for him. His mom was mentally ill, and though that he wasn't her child, but an alien's, and that aliens would want him back. And his dad put him in the movie-and wrung as much emotion out of him that he could, which involved getting Dario to hate him, and physical abuse. 

Watching him reconnect with these people of his past, dealing with his traumas, was so great to read! He was in a better place than if he hadn't have come back. His relationship with his brother-and with Hayley, I loved the developments there! 

I really enjoyed their solution, with the movie that they made. And how when he had the chance to repeat what his dad did-he didn't. And they still got a great movie. I loved the lessons that he learned, and his possibilities of the future!

This was a really great read, and I'm really glad that I read it! 

Author:  Derek Milman
Read: May 25th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss/Library
Reason Why: Sounded good, and it's a DAC Book and SAC 2022 Book!
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: July 24th 2018

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars