Try Not to Die: Back at Grandma's House

An Interactive Adventure

De: Mark Tullius, P.W. Feutz

Narrado por: Joe Hempel

You barely escaped Grandma’s house the first time. Now you have no choice but to go back.

After surviving the horrors of your last visit, you thought the nightmare was over. But when your little brother falls deathly ill, the only cure lies deep within the place you swore you’d never return to. Something evil has taken root, spilling beyond Grandma’s walls and into the surrounding mountains. As you fight your way through the darkness, you’ll face horrifying creatures, ruthless pursuers, and deadly choices at every turn.

A dozen ways to die. Only one correct path to survival. Can you outsmart the nightmare…or will you become its next victim?

If you grew up on Goosebumps® or Choose Your Own Adventure® stories, this terrifying, high-stakes journey will keep you on edge. Every decision matters, and one wrong step could be your last.

Are you ready to return to Grandma’s house? Or will you die trying?

©2023 Mark Tullius and PW Feutz (P)2025 Mark Tullius and PW Feutz

Non-stop action & Worthy Sequel!

Try Not to Die Back At Grandma’s House is a thrilling, fast-paced interactive survival horror novel perfect for fans of slasher films or dark escape-room vibes. The audiobook format offers two reading modes: an interactive experience (choose-your-own-path) and a linear “survivor” option. This is the 8th installment in the popular Try Not to Die franchise series and a sequel to the original book in the series, Try Not to Die At Grandma’s House. This novel will resonate with readers who love “choose your own path” stories and emotional survival horror! Both book 1 and this sequel are available on Kindle, in paperback format, and on audio!

The story picks up after the harrowing events of the first book, with protagonist David and siblings Sam and Tim escaping the horrors of Grandma’s house. When their car slams into an unexpected police cruiser, they are forced to evacuate the vehicle. A sudden attack by the mutant predators sees them flee into a forest path along with an officer and two locals, Charlie and his dad. At the same time, their brother-turned-beast is becoming gravely ill, and the only cure for him lies in the basement of Grandma’s house. Reluctantly, they return, only to find that the horrors have intensified. A fast-spreading fire, never-ending mutant predators, and a ticking clock before outside forces arrive add layers of urgency and peril to their mission.

Only one path leads to freedom, which is revealed in the "survival" mode of the audiobook—it’s recommended to listen only after successfully completing the story via the interactive mode. No matter which route you take, the narrative is fast-paced and adrenaline-driven from start to finish. When making choices, it’s important to pay close attention to how the choices are worded and the small details—in some chapters hints of bad outcomes are given, while in others detours are designed to fool you!

There is no safe haven in this story—every place that Sam, David, and their companions travel is full of imminent danger, whether it be a raging fire, mutant predators, or outside forces coming to take them away. The forest path they are forced to take is especially ominous—it’s dense, dark, and unnervingly silent. The atmosphere will play up readers’s paranoia—twigs snapping, shadows moving, and the feeling of being watched all add to the tension, and it quickly becomes clear to David that the group is cut off from escape routes or clear visibility. There are several ways to die in these scenes, so it’s important to choose carefully!

David making difficult choices regarding his siblings and dealing with an unexpected, terrifying “gradual change” scenario are the central focus of this story. Like in the first novel, every choice the reader makes as David has additional weight because the outcome doesn’t just affect him—this time it affects both his siblings and their companions! The pacing in this story is more relentless than in book 1, and the threats are non-stop. The added element of a group traveling together gives David a false sense of security in brief moments—and readers should be wary to avoid imminent death scenes when making choices.

The final chapters have some very tough choices and heart-wrenching moments—and the ending drives home the book’s central message that horror isn’t just about dying in Grandma’s house; it’s about questioning if you can ever truly escape horrors when you’re outnumbered or there’s a beast waiting to claim you! For such a short, fast-paced book, it manages to pack in an incredible amount of tension, horror, and thought-provoking themes! Don’t expect to predict the outcome, as it’s definitely more unsettling and original than you could ever have expected!

🎙️Narrator Performance🎙️

The audiobook of Try Not to Die Back at Grandma’s House is a thrilling, immersive listen narrated by seasoned horror narrator Joe Hempel, who also narrated the original Try Not to Die at Grandma’s House book.

Hempel portrays protagonist David with more intensity and uncertainty than in the original book, as the threats are more horrifying and relentless—and the character is often grappling with multiple challenges at once! Hempel also provides distinct and convincing voices for all the characters—and returning characters sound exactly the same as in the original story, allowing for a seamless binge-listening experience of both books!

The relationship dynamic between the siblings is different in this story—David is not as concerned for the welfare of Sam as he is for the entire group—and especially his ailing brother, Tim. Hempel makes David’s anxiety tangible through cracks in his voice and constant unease in his tone. Hempel amplifies David’s panic in the later half when he begins experiencing a sudden change, making everything seem more unpredictable and unsettling—and the choice-making for listeners more difficult! Hempel’s portrayal of female police officer Nelson is especially captivating, as he initially gives her a strong, authoritative-sounding voice but later shifts his performance to show her unease and panic over the escalating terror—it’s quite compelling and very entertaining! There are several terrifying chase scenes in this book, and Hempel perfectly delivers each one with increased pacing and terror in his tone for full dramatic effect. Once the siblings return to Grandma’s house, Hempel maintains a constant sense of urgency in his tone to foreshadow the impending doom that is about to unfold!

Overall, Joe Hempel elevates the reading experience of Try Not to Die Back At Grandma’s House with his dynamic performance, perfect pacing, and compelling character portrayals. In both the original and this sequel, Joe’s outstanding narration makes the audiobooks compelling alternatives to the print formats—and both books are a must-listen for audiobook enthusiasts who enjoy survival horror and interactive listens!

Building on the First

Direct continuation of the first seems unnecessary but a bit more existential with more introspection and the perspective. By now the whole 'grandmother's house' angle is in name only. This felt more like extended epilogue; there's a post (first book) conclusion plot twist to contend with. There are 22 chapters, or branching options, when the first book had over 40 so this time it's much briefer. I liked the first outing better and felt like this one had less relatable context with choices like try kill everyone or hide in the shadows. It felt like it was grimmer but without as much weird novel twists; going darker and more psychological. I am glad I listened to both back to back and enjoyed them.

Bloody fun story!

The kids are back to more gory bad life choices in Mark Tullius's Return to Grandma's house. My favorite character is Sam... Mark creates another scary romp to tickle your horror sensibilities! Definitely worth the time to work though both stories... nothing beats a good sequel,