Review: Scream All Night by Derek Milman

Title: Scream All Night 

Author:  Derek Milman
Publisher: Balzer & Bray 

Publishing Date: July 12th, 2018 

Pages: 400
Genre: YA Coming of Age
Series:  Stand Alone 

Source:  Audio

 

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?

I was very excited for the release of this book. I had it pre-ordered on audible and I also had the ARC. I always choose the audio when I have a choice. This was a smart choice for this book. I think it read better on audio than it would have in my own head. This book was very interesting. It's going to be very hard to put into words the way this book felt and read. There really isn't a genre to describe it or really a category to put it in. It's so unique. It was a good read. It was very emotional at times, humorous, and very strange. I rather enjoyed it! 

This story is about a family that owns a horror movie franchise. Two sons, a father, family friends, and a few others. The father dies... there are two sons. One strange and one estranged. Dario hasn't spoken to his family in years. At a young age he left and is living in a group home. He is graduating soon and has his future to think about. He gets a call from his older brother that there is a funeral for his father and he is requested to be there. He goes, he gets sucked into the past, the present, and possibly his future that is wrapped in a creepy old house, a B-Horror film production company, a girl, a crazy old brother, and maybe some truth from his past. 

I want to start of by first saying this book was nothing as I thought it would be. I though this would be more of a horror book. This is not a horror book. It is twisted and has some dark humor, but its a coming of age story with a bit of family drama and romance. The only horror in this book is in the movies that the main characters family business produces and directs.... which is crazy in its own right. The story is not about the horror movies or the creepy house. The story is about a boy who finds his way back to his family. 

This book was a bit more emotional then I was prepared for. I did like the story and the direction it took. Like I said I wasn't prepared for it but I was happy with the read. It was a very good read. A great cast of characters that held their own and each had a very important role in the story. 

Dario is a great character. His  journey throughout the story was a pleasure to be apart of. In the beginning he was a confused, scared, boy who had no idea what his future held or how to get away from his past. He had a hard childhood and wasn't close to his family. His older brother 20 years older, his mother mentally ill, and his father was a bit abusive. He has made a life of his own but he still can't escape the life he didn't choose. He finds away to forgive and move past and also mend what was broken. 

There is romance, friendship, family drama, and so much more. I think the relationship that really stuck out for me is the relationship between Dario and his older brother. I enjoyed watching how crazy and volatile it was and then morphed into something new and different. 

I also enjoyed the romance, it was sweet and not to overpowering. Dario and Hayley grew up together and they have always been important to each other. They drifted apart and when they reunite, a flame is ignited and it just grows. In a very sweet and subtle way. 

This book ended on a good note for me. Was it all rainbows and unicorns, no. There were some hard times and sad times and all the times between. Many many growing pains and the ending for Dario was not perfect, but I was left with a very warm and glowing feeling inside my heart when I read the last word of the book. 

The only complaint I have is the beginning was a little slow for me. It took me a while to grasp the weirdness and all the nutty characters and to see where the story was going. I think it may have felt a little different if I was prepared for what I was getting myself into. 

I will for sure be looking forward to more books from this author. 

Pretty amazing. 

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.