Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe
Published by HarperTeen on October 11, 2022
ISBN: 0063051737
Pages: 512
Genres: Horror
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
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Sayers Wayte is kidnapped by a man who informs him that the life he’s lived so far is a lie. Locked in a room with no hope of release and very little information about why, Sayers must figure out a say to survive and hold onto his sanity. What starts out as another YA novel about a privileged high school student turns into a thriller.

Sayers has everything going for him yet he becomes drawn into a horrific situation that is bound to make readers uncomfortable. Roe’s character is confident in his ability to influence people and to manipulate his surroundings until he is unable to control anything. Other characters introduced in the first 80 pages are less defined until readers meet Caleb. Horror, cruelty and absence of reality account for the turn this novel takes. While the plot does truly thicken it is the alternate reality that makes this psychological thriller an emotional read.

Although not a book for all students this deserves a place in any collection where YA thrillers are appreciated. Young adult and adult Stephen King readers will enjoy this survival story of a resilient teen.

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, Retired Youth Services Librarian