Dead Eleven

A Novel

By: Jimmy Juliano

Narrated by: Lee Osorio, Tanis Parenteau, Annie Q, Shawn K. Jain, Cindy Piller, Tim Lounibos

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

"An ominously slow burn...Keep the lights on for this one."—A PEOPLE MUST-READ FOR SUMMER
"Very creepy...you've been warned."—R.L. STINE
"Gripping.”—ANA REYES

On a creepy island where everyone has a strange obsession with the year 1994, a newcomer arrives, hoping to learn the truth about her son’s death—but finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the bizarrely insular community and their complicated rules…

Clifford Island. When Willow Stone finds these words written on the floor of her deceased son’s bedroom, she’s perplexed. She’s never heard of it before, but soon learns it’s a tiny island off Wisconsin’s Door County peninsula, 200 miles from Willow’s home. Why would her son write this on his floor? Determined to find answers, Willow sets out for the island.

After a few days on Clifford, Willow realizes: This place is not normal. Everyone seems to be stuck in a particular day in 1994: They wear outdated clothing, avoid modern technology, and, perhaps most mystifyingly, watch the OJ Simpson car chase every evening. When she asks questions, people are evasive, but she learns one thing: Close your curtains at night.

High schooler Lily Becker has lived on Clifford her entire life, and she is sick of the island’s twisted mythology and adhering to the rules. She’s been to the mainland, and everyone is normal there, so why is Clifford so weird? Lily is determined to prove that the islanders’ beliefs are a sham. But are they?

Five weeks after Willow arrives on the island, she disappears. Willow’s brother, Harper, comes to Clifford searching for his sister, and when he learns the truth—that this island is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined—he is determined to blow the whole thing open.

If he can get out alive....

©2023 Jimmy Juliano (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"[A] breathtaking debut thriller... Juliano draws memorable characters and places them in an indelible setting, using artful prose and judicious dashes of dark humor to leave a major impression. It’s a scary-good debut." —Publisher's Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

"Very creepy. Dreadfully creepy. Chillingly creepy. Horrifically creepy. You've been warned." —R.L. Stine, New York Times bestselling author of Goosebumps and Fear Street

“Dead Eleven brought me right back to the nineties with its VHS tapes, Pogs and Trapper Keepers, balancing nostalgia and terror to explore the dangers of living in the past. If you liked Netflix's Stranger Things and Dark, don't miss Jimmy Juliano's gripping horror debut.” —Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines

Creepy Creepy Creepy!

The more I got into this story the more I realized....this would not have a happy ending (a little spoiler).

I love the suspense and the description of the island and the people...how things worked...each moment made you feel likes you were there and wishing you weren't!

excellent story and great production

The story is excellent. there is a nice slow reveal of what's really going on. can wait to read what this author comes out with next.

Enjoyable and easy listening

Enjoyable. Nothing terribly scary… but kept my attention without much effort. An easy listen. I’d consider exploring more from the author.

A fun read

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I feel like the author took a bunch of popular titles from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, put them in a hat, and drew three: Groundhog Day, The Village, and Lost...and then wrote a book connecting those storylines. And surprisingly, it works! I think the execution could've been better, but it was a fun read. I'm not certain what it was trying to say about grief, faith, and community, but it WAS trying to say something and a bit more fleshing out could've made it stronger.

Overall, a good read for Summerween!

So Good.

I love the feeling of isolation Dead-11 creates and the mythos you get sucked into. Good stuff. The narration here was also really good, never felt like anything was forced. So glad I found this audiobook, been wanting this for a while. If you enjoy horror, I don’t see how you could not enjoy this.

very fun plot structure

great characters, effectively spooky moments, very cool concepts, and a very interesting plot structure.

Unique and twisted

Well written story with a twisted horror plot that seems so unbelievable and possible at the same time.

Great all the way around

I heard of this story from the NoSleep podcast. Having enjoyed the authors other work, I figured I’d give it a shot. I’m glad I did.

I enjoyed the story. It’s a bit of a slow burn, just a heads up. The narration is wonderful. I was concerned about that because when I bought this, there were no reviews yet. But they did a really good job.

Gripping! Very well done.

Story was really good, got a little predictable towards the end at least for me. But still very good. The narration was fantastic. Overall I would definitely recommend this book.

So creepy

This was a great listen. The narrators were very good and the writing was excellent. I need more from this author!