TW: Domestic abuse, talks of pedophilia, violence, death, drugs



August YA Book of the Month picks were all pretty fantastic - it was hard to choose just one, but I ended up going with Hello Girls, because it sounded like such a fun, wild ride. It was described as YA novel version of Thelma & Louise (which I've surprisingly never seen, but know the general gist of).


Lucille and Winona couldn't be from more different worlds. Lucy lives with her waitress mom and drug-dealing brother in a neighborhood with her extended family. She works part-time to help her family make ends meet. Winona, on the other hand, lives in a high-end home with her weatherman father and a fortune left by her mother, who overdosed when she was young. But Winona's father isn't the friendly neighborhood weatherman he seems - he's a controlling father, and Winona's mother? She's alive. And in Vegas. So Lucy and Winona make a plan to drive cross-country to find her, but they've got to make some pit stops along the way. 


I wouldn't go into this book with any kind of expectations that this book is incredibly realistic. It's about two teenage runaways doing illegal things, so be open-minded. But this book is a fun testament to the power of female friendships, and that family doesn't always mean DNA.

This novel is a bit corny at times, and there are some problematic themes within the book. There were sensitive topics that were handled pretty nonchalantly. The characters aren't very diverse, and the situations are a bit ridiculous. But it was definitely a fun and quick read. I enjoyed the female friendship and the camaraderie. I thought the book was definitely laugh-out-loud funny at times.





I enjoyed this book, and would likely recommend it to others. It's definitely a YA book with some serious topics, such as domestic abuse and pedophilia, but it's not diverse in a lot of ways. Because of that, I felt it was lacking in some areas. Overall, it was quick-paced and funny. I'd love to see it as a tv show or movie.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

TW: Harm to children, violence, death, serial killer, abduction



There's been so much talk about The Whisper Man all over the book world, and it's been nothing but good reviews and talks about how creepy this book is, so when I saw it was an August Book of the Month pick, I selected it so quickly. And I have to say I agree with the reviews that are out there on the interwebs. I can even tell you the exact page that creeped me out and made me kind of afraid to keep reading (it's page 100, if you're wondering).


After the death of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his son Jake move to a small town to start fresh. But twenty years ago in that small town, a series of young boys went missing and were later found murdered. The Whisper Man was caught and has been in prison ever since. Now it's happening again, but it can't be the same guy because he's still in prison. But something's definitely not right and Pete, who was on the Whisper Man case two decades ago, is bound and determined to figure it out.


I was so impressed with this book. After all the reviews, I expected to be terrified from page one, but it was a bit of a slow burn. Once it got creepy though, I wasn't entirely sure when the scares would creep back in, but there were definitely parts of the books that made my skin crawl.

I really appreciated the themes of fatherhood and relationships between dad and son. There were lots of parallels in different stories taking place within the novel. So while this was a creepy, skin-crawling horror/thriller, there was also some really beautiful story-telling.






I really loved this book and I truly don't think I have any complaints about it. I thought the book and story was incredible. I truly didn't see the twists and turns coming. I was shocked regularly throughout this novel and once I got to that 100-page mark, I could not put the book down. I definitely recommend this one - it's beautiful and haunting, and you may want to read it with all the lights on.




Goodreads rating: ★★★★★

TW: Death, violence, gore, torture, racism



There's this weird fascination for serial killers that so many people have. I'm one of those people with that fascination. I tend to want to know more about the victims, but there's this desire to understand why these murderers and psychotics do the horrid things they do. Charlie Manson is one of the most famous cult leaders of all-time, but allegedly wasn't around during any of the famous Manson family murders, so he doesn't actually fall into the "serial killer" fascination, but he's still in the same kind of realm. This month marked the 50th anniversary of the infamous murders, and thus sparked the release of Quentin Tarantino's latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and true crime book Hippie Cult Leader: The Last Words of Charles Manson. My family and I went opening weekend to see Hollywood, and that same weekend I began reading Hippie Cult Leader. It was a rough few days, to say the least, reading about Manson is really uncomfortable.


James Buddy Day is a documentarian with a fascination with Charles Manson. He pushed his luck by writing a letter to Manson requesting an interview, and low and behold, it worked. Over the last year of Manson's life, Day regularly talked with Manson to hear his side of the story. Alongside his Manson interviews, he spoke with several people inside and outside of Manson's circle to try to divulge the true story of the Manson family murders.


I've picked up Manson info here and there, and read up about things on the internet, but this was my first time reading lengthy accounts of what happened. I haven't even read Helter Skelter, which is basically the Manson family murders bible. This book was so tough to read, though, because it almost felt like the author was a sympathizer to Manson's cause. And at times, the author noted that he, too, was concerned about becoming tricked by Manson's ways because he seemed to have a likable manner to him. It's all very concerning, and reading the book was all very uncomfortable.

If you're unfamiliar with the specifics of the murders and don't want to read about it, this isn't the book for you. It's pretty graphic and sickening at times.

But my biggest complaint with the book is that it wasn't structured in a way that made everything easy to follow along. There were so many people involved with Manson in the 60s and thereafter, it was hard enough to keep them all aligned with their involvement in the crimes. They've all got their birth names and then nicknames, as well, which is confusing enough, but chapters would skip back and forth in the timeline, so it was all just very tough to keep everything straight.





In terms of true crime books, this one wasn't my favorite. I appreciated that it attempted to bring a new point-of-view to a story everyone knows, but I felt it was sloppy and difficult to follow. Though this book was only about 250 pages, it took me over a week to get through it. I really struggled reading this book, and if I was the type of person that doesn't finish books, I likely would've marked this one as "DNF."




Goodreads rating: ★★☆☆☆















*I received this book for free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.

TW: Statutory rape, harm to animals, suicide, death, violence, gore, abduction, homophobia, terrorism



When I was reached out to for an early reader copy of Swipe Right for Murder, I jumped at the chance. I read Milman's Scream All Night last year and I loved it so much. His writing is a unique take on YA novels because they're thrillers/horror novels, which is unique in terms of YA novels. Of course, YAs in and of themselves are so good because of the diverse perspectives they bring to literature, which is also true for Milman's novels.


Aidan is just your typical gay teenage boy who attends private schools, is best friends with models, and sleeps with older men through dating apps. Staying in a posh NYC hotel, he hooks up with a stranger a few floors up, then wakes up to a dead man, secret pictures of him on someone's phone, and a terroristic cult asking for something he's never even heard of. Framed for a murder he didn't commit, he has to hit the ground running and try to stop whatever crazy series of events is happening.


Okay, okay. This book isn't super realistic. I mean, maybe I just live in a different world and Gossip Girl is a realistic world for people, and Swipe Right is set in the same world where teenagers can regularly order alcohol at restaurants, and people are hooking up with strangers left and right, but it all seems a little bit ridiculous to me. But reading this book, you've kind of got to go in with an open mind to just enjoy the ride. And let me tell you - it's definitely a ride.

The story was wild, but there was a lot of activism, and situations that were true ethical dilemmas. I was surprised regularly about what was going to happen and I really had no clue who to trust or believe. It was so intriguing. Not to mention, Milman's such a talented writer. He really knows how to pull you into the story (though they're a bit realistic).






I really enjoyed reading Swipe Right for Murder, and will continue to read Milman's YA novels. I do recommend reading this novel, but just be a little open-minded in the lack of realism in this book. There's certainly a lot going in this book and it's a bit shocking throughout the novel, but it's definitely an enjoyable and timely read.




Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆















*I received this book for free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.

If you know anything about me, you'll know that I am obsessed with Stranger Things. Seriously, I even wrote a review of the show as soon as it aired more than three years ago now (wow, I can't believe it's been that long). While my thoughts haven't really changed since that initial review (besides the fact I probably love it more now than ever), I hadn't travelled around to see any of the filming locations, even though a few of the locations are only about 15 minutes from my house (I know! What's my deal!?).

After we all finished season three, we needed more, so my nephew, sister, and friend made a plan and decided to spend a day traveling to locations from all three seasons. There are still plenty of other locations to visit and we plan to do so over the next few months, but these are the locations we visited during our first round of touring Stranger Things filming locations. (*This article was a huge help in finding most of these locations.)


This post has spoilers through season three. 


We started around the Douglasville area, so we drove further out and visited the Douglasville locations last, since they were closest to home. This is the route we took to see the sights. Points labeled on the map are listed below in the order they were visited.







A. Your favorite Hawkins residential neighborhood, including the residences of Mike & Nancy Wheeler, Lucas & Erica Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, and Barbara Holland. 
The Wheeler House @ 2530 Piney Wood Ln, East Point (in the cul-de-sac)
The Sinclair House @ 2550 Piney Wood Ln, East Point (right next door)
The Holland House @ 2980 Piney Wood Dr, East Point (turn right onto Piney Wood DRIVE)
The Henderson House @ 2886 Piney Wood Dr, East Point (follow down to Dustin's house)

You'll know the Wheeler house and the Henderson house from all the "NO TRESPASSING" signs, but pictures from the street are okay. (A house in the neighborhood was actually for sale when we visited. I tried to convince my husband to buy it, but that was a no-go.)










B. Hawkins General Hospital 
First Baptist Church of East Point @ 2813 East Point St, East Point

You'll go to the back of the building, down the left side of the building on Thompson Avenue and turn right between the two church buildings to park and see the scene from the show. Hawkins General is only from season one (instead, there's Hawkins Memorial in season three - that location is in Smyrna, GA) - you'll remember it specifically from where Hopper walked out the doors to have a smoke before getting into the creepy, black Hawkins Lab car.







You can add in these stops along the way, in this order, without going too far out of the way (and are next on our list!):

Hawkins Town Hall 
East Point City Hall @ 2757 East Point St, East Point

Brimborn Steelworks (where Billy wrecks his car in season three)
Atlanta Utility Works @ 2903 RN Martin St, East Point

Hawkins Community Pool
South Bend Pool @ 2000 Lakewood Ave SE, Atlanta (basically in East Point)

The Harrington House 
Residential house @ 8253 Carlton Rd, Riverdale

Hideaway (where Hopper gets in a fight with the the trooper that found fake Will's body)
Smokin' Cues @ 112 North Berry St, Stockbridge



C. Hawkins Middle & High Schools
Old Patrick Henry Adult Education building @ 109 South Lee St, Stockbridge

This was one of my very stops of our entire day. The gym still has Hawkins Middle School across the top of the building. The high schools are located behind the Middle School gym. When we got there, there was security setting up barriers because they're starting to set up for production (so much excitement!). I wish we could've explored more, but it was so incredibly cool to give Hawkins Middle a visit.









Great one to add in here:

The Hawkins Post
Lithonia Farmer's Market @ 6980 Main St, Lithonia



D. Starcourt Mall
Gwinnett Place Mall @ 2100 Pleasant Hill Rd, Duluth

There is so much stuff I could say about this location. I am so upset they have torn down most of the set instead of turning it into a museum (I mean, come on folks - at least temporarily!). Gwinnett Place has been dying for years, and it didn't help that a few years ago, a girl's dead body was left to rot in the back of the food court's Subway for a few weeks before anyone ever found it. There are less than 10 functioning stores, and if you give this mall a visit, the random closed down stores throughout the mall are not part of the set - they're just closed down. The set was all housed within the food court and the floor directly above it. It's guarded and there are so many barriers, it's tough to see anything (unless you want to be sneaky, which I was way too chicken to do). Your best best is going to the bottom floor barrier, where you can look into the food court, where both an ESPRIT and Taco Bell are "Coming Soon." We also tried going into Beauty Master and trying to look into the area, but it wasn't very helpful at all. If you go to the Food Court entrance, you can't get in, but you can still still some Starcourt signage, which was seriously so cool.

If you're into the Scoops Ahoy ringer tee I'm wearing, get your own from Totally Good Time for 20% off with code KAYLA20 (the shirt I'm wearing was received complimentary from TGT).









E. Hawkins National Laboratory 
Georgia Mental Health Institute at Emory @ 1256 Briarcliff Rd NE, Atlanta

When we visited the Georgia Mental Health Institute at Emory (which is used as the exterior of Hawkins National Lab), it was around 6 pm on Saturday. It's supposedly open daily, but when we went the gates were down. I plan to try again sometime during the week before 5. Update: I've visited several times at this point. You can get into the area daily prior to 5 pm (gates are open), but the building is restricted so you cannot enter.


F. Sattler Quarry
Bellwood Quarry, Atlanta
Bellwood Quarry was used as Sattler Quarry (and has been in a ton of other shows/movies), but you can only get to it by breaking the law and doing some incredibly sketchy stuff, so we didn't get a chance to view it. Where GPS takes you is not a location where the quarry is actually visible, but they're turning the area into a park, so we'll see in the next couple of years.


G. Benny's Burgers
Tiffany's Kitchen @ 7413 Lee Rd, Lithia Springs,

I've driven past Tiffany's so many times, but it looks like such a hole-in-the-wall. I've yet to eat inside, but both inside and outside was used for Benny's Burgers in season one.






H. Merrill's Pumpkin Farm
Sleepy Hollow Farm @ 628 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Powder Springs

We tried to visit Sleepy Hollow Farm (which I've driven past countless times, but never gone to), which is where Hopper's Cabin is located, as well as the rotten pumpkin fields from season two. Unfortunately, it's on private property and you're required to have an appointment to visit. We'll be visiting in October for an actual Stranger Things tour of Hopper's Cabin (interior is currently used as an escape room), so stay tuned. Update: see more from that tour here and check out my Instagram story highlights for all the deets.


I. Palace Arcade & Family Video
Vacant old laundry mat @ 6501 Church St, Douglasville

Season two introduces us to Palace Arcade, and Family Video is not totally seen until season three, but they're actually side-by-side in Douglasville. Right now, there's nothing inside except a random recliner, but the door of the video store still says "Family Video," and has the store hours listed.













J. Hawkins Police Department
Vacant downtown municipal building @ 8485 Courthouse Square West, Douglasville, GA 30134

Located about a quarter of a mile from Palace Arcade is the Hawkins Police Department, perfect for morning coffee and contemplation. It's got some construction going on right now, so I'm wondering if they're getting ready for production, and does this give us hope for our friendly neighborhood Hawkins Police Chief? Update: The exterior of this building is still under construction, but looks completely different. It seems it won't be transformed back into the Hawkins Police Department, but I'll continue to check regularly and update y'all here.









This post is missing basically all of Downtown Hawkins, because it's mostly located in Jackson, Georgia, which is a bit out of the way from the rest of the locations we visited. I do plan to make a visit to Jackson soon to see some of those locations.


I'm hoping to go back out and visit more of these places over the next couple of months. Fingers crossed to see some production action. And I am thrilled for the Stranger Things tour at Sleepy Hollow, which is a steal for $20 per person. Tickets are limited, so if you can make it to the area during that time and you're an ST fan, I highly recommend participating in the tour. I'll have more information in October about how that goes.