Hi all!
Welcome back to the book club! In March, we read The Twisted Dead by Darcy Coates for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! If you wish to access all of the latest updates/information, click here. Spoilers ahead!
Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘The Spite House’ by Johnny Compton!
Today I’m going to discuss the book in the same way I normally do my Instagram videos. You can find the recorded talk on my book club Instagram page. I’ll give a quick plot summary plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post, so if you wish to guess without being spoiled, do not scroll to the end until you’re ready. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
THE TWISTED DEAD BY DARCY COATES – MARCH 2023
PLOT SUMMARY
Keira is ready for her life to return to normal. Though, to be fair, normal is a tall ask when your ability to see ghosts has landed you the job of groundskeeper in a small town’s cemetery.
When Keira receives an invitation to dinner at Dane Crispin’s crumbling ancestral estate, she knows she can’t refuse. The last living descendant of the Crispin family is reclusive. Keira only met him once…on the night he tried to kill her.
The mansion is steeped in history that is equal parts complicated and bloody. Keira senses the presence of restless spirits the moment she steps through its door. And Dane, waiting for her inside, wants to ask for her help.
OVERALL STAR RATING
I gave The Twisted Dead 5/5 stars. I can safely say it’s my favourite in the series so far. We get so much more information in this story, plus the stakes are higher than ever with the reveal of Artec’s evil plans. Zoe and Mason continue to be wholesome side characters with plenty of humour and heart, shining brighter than Keira, the protagonist. I love when authors do that. There was plenty of tension-building, suspense and scares, both from supernatural and human sources. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING
I gave the book an overall scare-factor rating of 4/5 stars. It creeped me out when Keira saw all of the ghosts clinging to Dane and sucking the life out of him, but I was even more on edge when Artec were pursuing the trio. That scene in the hotel had me biting my nails in anticipation. Darcy did an excellent job (as per usual) of filling me with anxiety.
DISCUSSION TOPICS
1.) What are your theories on how Keira and the gang will ultimately stop Artec?
I believe Keira will unlock further memories of her past, unleashing a hidden power inside her that will free the ghosts and turn them on Artec. There is definitely more to her former life that we aren’t aware of yet.
2.) Just for fun, how many books do you think will be in the series and what colour cover is next?
As a massive fan of this series, I hope there will be 6 books in total and that the next cover will be a bright, neon yellow.
3.) What would you have done in Mason’s position?
To be honest, I probably would have done the same thing. I was quite a nerd at school and wouldn’t have missed a second of class. I believe it turned out to be the right choice as Mason could have also been killed, just by being a witness to the event.
TRIVIA QUESTIONS
Easy: Who did Mason feel responsible for in death?
Medium: Which room was Keira’s regular at the hotel?
Hard: How many circular saws did Zoe want to use in her elaborate plan?
I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion in this post and on Instagram. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the book club, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!
Peace & Love xoxo
TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: Evan Radecki. Medium: 108. Hard: 16.