Survive the Night

April 1, 2015
A girl gets out of rehab but can't stop herself from hanging with her wild friend. Casey was a star student, but her friend Shana, who likes to walk on the wild side, deliberately led her into addiction to pain medication. Just after leaving rehab she promises her parents she'll spend the night at a slumber party with trusted friends but immediately ditches them when Shana and pals show up. Shana first plays chicken at high speed as they drive to New York City, then gets Casey into a bar where her old boyfriend Sam, who dumped Casey because of her drug use, is playing in his band. Invited to a rave, they enter an abandoned part of the subway system. Roofied by Shana, Casey thinks she might be hallucinating when she sees the brutally murdered body of a friend. Police raid the party, driving Casey, Shana, Sam, and two others ever deeper into the mazelike subway tunnels-where they eventually learn what has been killing people. Vega morphs a teen-rebellion story into horror and does a nifty job with both, as Casey realizes that Shana has surreptitiously drugged her and begins to see the girl for the possible monster that she is. Exactly what attacks and devours the teens is kept ambiguous, adding a nice level of creepiness and psychological intrigue. Both scary and gory, tailor-made for fans of the genre. (Horror. 12-18)

July 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Casey just got out of rehab, and she is having trouble adjusting. When her old friend Shana shows up to whisk her away for a night of debauchery in New York City, Casey can't join her fast enough. Shana didn't tell her that they were going to see Sam, Casey's ex-boyfriend. Their awkward reunion is interrupted by news of an underground party that no one can find. Shana uses her powers of persuasion to get a location, but the group of friends soon discover that the "Survive the Night" party is a name that should be taken literally. Will any of them be able to get out alive? With this pulse-pounding, nail-biting novel from the author of The Merciless (Penguin, 2014), Vega creates immediately likable and relatable characters in shell-shocked Casey and free-spirited bad girl Shana. Seemingly innocuous moments become situations of disquieting terror, like when Casey tries to go after Shana in a warehouse in an attempt to find the party's location. Casey's past romance with Sam provides an interesting layer that keeps the book moving in its early quiet chapters. When events amp up toward the climax, the characters react to their predicament resolutely and continue their strong dynamic. VERDICT This book will appeal to fans of suspense who don't mind monsters popping out from behind every corner.-Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA

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