Burden Falls by Kat Ellis
Genre: Young Adult Horror
Publishing Date: August 24, 2021
About the Book
Content Warnings: strong elements of horror; in particular, there is some gore (relating to blood and eyes), death of 2 parents, gaslighting , and several deaths/dead bodies on-page.
Riverdale meets Stephen King in the terrifying new thriller from the author of Harrow Lake.
The town of Burden Falls drips with superstition, from rumors of its cursed waterfall to Dead-Eyed Sadie, the disturbing specter who haunts it. Ava Thorn grew up right beside the falls, and since a horrific accident killed her parents a year ago, she’s been plagued by nightmares in which Sadie comes calling—nightmares so chilling, Ava feels as if she’ll never wake up. But when someone close to Ava is brutally murdered and she’s the primary suspect, she begins to wonder if the stories might be more than legends—and if the ghost haunting her dreams might be terrifyingly real. Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there’s a killer on the loose . . . with a vendetta against the Thorns.
Book Links:
About the Author
Kat Ellis is the author of young adult novels Harrow Lake, Purge, Breaker, and Blackfin Sky, as well as a novella within the Three Strikes collection titled The Twins of Blackfin.
Kat studied English with Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, then spent several years working in local government communications and IT.
When she is not writing, Kat can usually be found exploring ruins and cemeteries with her camera. She is an active blogger, instagrammer and tweeter, and is represented by Molly Ker Hawn at The Bent Agency.
Author Links
My Thoughts
Ava has been through a lot in such a short time. Still reeling from the loss of her parents, when people around town start disappearing, Ava is at the center. While she’s not responsible, she wants to find out who is. As she starts a budding friendship with the last person she dreamed possible, she starts to see some light in her life. But it may not be enough as things are getting worse around town.
I suspect Ava has PTSD, though it’s never named as such. Her problems sleeping, the lashing out at her best friend Ford, and the anxiety lead me back to that. It makes sense considering the traumatic events of a year ago. My heart simultaneously broke for her in her grief and then cheered her on as she kept on, fighting for what she felt was right. Weaving an urban legend-esque spirit into this storyline, Ellis keeps you wondering if supernatural elements are at play. Burden Falls is a slow-unveiling mystery/thriller with elements of horror that keep the reader tense in suspicion. Overall, a super fun read. A few reviewers have mentioned Harrow Lake, so I’m definitely going to check that out now.
Favorite Quotes
Full Tour Schedule at TBR and Beyond
Rae's Reading Lounge 