It would seem as though holiday-themed horror would be just as common in the book world as in Hollywood, but outside of a few heavy hitters like Joe Hill’s NOS4A2 and Ronald Malfi’s Snow, the Christmas horror tales are mostly contained to novellas and books of short stories.
However, James S. Murray (Awakened trilogy) and Darren Wearmouth (No Turning Back) have collaborated on You Better Watch Out, a new Christmas horror-thriller that avoids the typical killer Santa or Krampus tropes and delivers the gory goods this holiday season.
You Better Watch Out follows six strangers who, after being drugged, wake up in a deserted, fenced-in, replica mountain town on Christmas Eve. The group figures out that their past criminal deeds are connected to why they’ve been brought to the town, and the only way out is to survive until Christmas morning without falling victim to the many deadly traps set all over the area.
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Strangely, the synopsis on the book’s cover makes it seem like the character of Jess is the book’s lead, but it shares the point-of-views of Eddie, a small-time thief, and Jess, a drug addict, with most of the book actually focusing on Eddie.
A few other characters are introduced, including a serial sexual assaulter & murderer, a fraud schemer, a drug dealer, and a drunk-driving child killer, but none of them last long enough to have their backstories or deaths become meaningful to the reader. It felt strange to have certain chapters be told from a murderer’s point of view, for nothing to come of it.

Even Eddie and Jess don’t get much development, as the story is fast-paced and focuses on the present (no pun intended) need of the characters to get to safety and avoid their deaths. The book is a quick 240 pages (hardcover), so not much time is devoted to exploring the characters.
You Better Watch Out’s best quality comes from its creative kills and the Saw-like obstacles peppered throughout the booby-trapped town. The descriptive death moments are cringe-inducing, grisly, and savage, making the reader feel sorry for even the worst characters. For example, one character has their fingers cut off as she’s dropped into a metal box in sub-freezing temperatures, then sprayed with water while fans blow, covering them in ice.
It’s clear that a lot of influence came from the 2004 horror genre-changing film, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, with the holiday theme applied to it.
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Though there were several plot holes throughout the book, and the ending was more and more predictable as the book continued. I didn’t find myself especially surprised by any of the reveals or the final pages, but the novel’s brisk pace and fun traps made for a quick, fun read.
The story could benefit from being longer, doing a deeper dive into the villain and the other characters involved, or cut down into a novella or short story. Regardless, You Better Watch Out is worth the speedy read for some harrowing holiday horror.
You Better Watch Out is now available at all major book retailers, and was released by St. Martin’s Press.