Tone: Horror-comedy (Scary Movie vibe) • Rating: PG-13 • Gore: None (implied “fade-to-amber” only)

Hook:
A campus Halloween party relocates to an abandoned observatory, and five friends discover the guest list includes a prankster in a paper-smile mask who loves jump-scares, puzzles…and timing jokes.

Back-of-book blurb :
Rain hammers the dorms, the party moves indoors, and the “art-space” observatory finally gets the attention it never wanted. Casey (trope archivist), Dex (stunt vlogger), Priya (med-student realist), Mateo (drama-club chameleon), and Linh (cipher brain) chase clues through dark hallways, foggy stairwells, and a gear room that hums like a clockwork heart—while a laughing shadow rewrites their plans in real time. Expect brisk chapters, sharp banter, soft scares, and zero gore: eliminations cut away to confetti pops, flickering jack-o’-lanterns, and squeaky party horns. Is the Smiling Shade a prank, a person, or something in between? The only rule is that Casey’s rules are always numbered wrong.

Why you’ll binge it:

• FAverage-length chapters, scare + gag every scene
• Mystery breadcrumbs & campus-urban legends
• PG-13 thrills, no graphic content

Tags: Halloween • campus mystery • ensemble cast • found-footage jokes • implied scares

#halloween2025