Dead Flip - by Sara Farizan (Hardcover)

About the Book

This fast-paced YA horror novel perfect for fans of Stranger Things throws together two former friends when their long-missing best friend suddenly reappears--five years after his disappearance, but the same age as the day he vanished.

Book Synopsis

In this "terrifyingly fun" (NYT) horror comedy, two friends must solve the mystery of their long-missing former friend's supernatural reappearance--perfect for fans of Stranger Things.

Growing up, Cori, Maz, and Sam were inseparable best friends, sharing their love for pop culture, Halloween, and arcade games. Now it's 1992, Sam has been missing for five years, and Cori and Maz aren't speaking anymore. How could they be, when Cori is sure Sam is dead, and Maz has good reason to believe he was kidnapped by a supernatural pinball machine?

These days, all Maz wants to do is party and run away from his past. Meanwhile, Cori hides her abiding love of horror movies and her queer self under the bubblegum veneer of a high school queen bee. But then Sam returns--still twelve years old, while his best friends are now seventeen. What really happened the night he disappeared? And just because he's back, does that mean he's safe? To find answers, Cori, Maz, and Sam will need to reveal secrets they never told one another, then and now. And Sam's is the darkest of all . . .

Award-winning author Sara Farizan delivers edge-of-your-seat terror, with her insightful characters, witty narration, and trademark referential humor.

* "Well-crafted homage to narratives like It and Stranger Things . . . A great choice for stalwart horror fans and newcomers to the genre." --Booklist, starred review

Review Quotes

"A thoughtful thriller along with some very realistic surprises... If you are a fan [of Stranger Things], you will enjoy Dead Flip."--Locus

"A terrifyingly fun read."--The New York Times

"Farizan recalls Jumanji's eerie atmosphere in this nostalgic, supernatural thriller... Farizan skillfully blends lighthearted comedy with grotesque horror."--Publishers Weekly

"With the 1990s making a cultural comeback, and perennial interest in throwback horror, such as Stranger Things, younger teens will dig into this sinister story."--School Library Journal

"In this well-crafted homage to narratives like It and Stranger Things, Farizan nails the uneasiness of shifting adolescent relationships... A fumbling queer romance and the pitch-perfect late-October setting create a bittersweet tone that makes this book a great choice for stalwart horror fans and newcomers to the genre."--Booklist, Starred review

"A thoughtful homage that puts its own fresh spin on these beloved tropes. Entertaining supernatural thrills and an insightful take on growing up."
--Kirkus Reviews

"I was expecting just a kind of scary and humorous book that would be a fun read, but it tackled a lot of issues that I was not expecting to come from a book about an evil pinball machine.... This book was extremely fun to read with its many interesting quirks, but what really made it enjoyable to read was the wonderful character development and regrowing friendship."

--Teen Librarian Toolbox, School Library Journal

About the Author

Sara Farizan is an Iranian American writer, avid culture vulture, and ardent basketball fan who was born in and lives near Boston. The award-winning author of If You Could Be Mine and Here to Stay, she has an MFA from Lesley University and a BA in film and media studies from American University. Dead Flip is her fourth novel.