Before we dive into my review of Take Your Turn, Teddy, here’s the Goodreads summary:

No one knows your darkness like your own Shadow.

Nothing has been normal for Teddy, not since discovering the harsh identity of the monster he had been living with his whole life—his own father. Teddy and his mother leave that behind to start over in a small Indiana township. But as Teddy begins to learn of humanity’s monsters, he unveils an otherworldly evil he calls “The Shadow.” The Shadow tests Teddy’s vulnerability and growing sense of isolation, poisoning his mind and conjuring a vile killer-in-the-making.

A year later, Officer Leonard Strode is called in to offer consultation on a case similar to the most brutal and scarring of those he’s worked on before. One is the case of Jackie Warren, the other, Theodore “Teddy” Blackwood — two missing children. As he and two other officers follow the trail of clues, Strode is haunted by the ghosts of his own past and is horrified to find them wreaking havoc on his present.

When both Teddy and Strode finally meet face-to-face, they must confront their inner darkness as well or else be consumed by it.

This book is one of my favorite reads from 2020, and for good reason. The prose is compelling and evocative, especially the vivid imagery presented through description. Newlin knows how to write and how to describe a setting using all five senses. When you encounter a new scene, you can’t help feeling like part of the action. Throughout the book, I found myself swept up in the narrative and had no trouble putting myself in the characters’ shoes.

Speaking of characters, the population of Newlin’s novels are flawed, likeable, and three-dimensional. Teddy is not a good man. He’s killed people and done some terrible things. Leonard Strode, meanwhile, is a police officer haunted by the ghosts of his past, although he tries to do the right thing and follow the letter of the law. When these two meet, their chemistry is electric, and I loved to watch their interactions. In many ways, they seem like foils of each other. I found plenty to like and dislike about each of them as people, but overall, I adored how real these characters felt.

Of course, I also love Newlin’s nod to the Halloween franchise and final girl Laurie Strode. ’Tis the season, after all.

Perhaps my favorite part of this book was the dialogue. I appreciate how distinct each character’s voice and vocabulary were, and I had no trouble discerning who was speaking and when. Everyone talks like real people talk. If you’re a sucker for dialogue like I am, you won’t want to miss this book.

I loved Take Your Turn, Teddy, and I think it makes a solid read for spooky season. Five stars for this one. You can grab the book on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook form. And, add the book on Goodreads here. You should also follow Newlin on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. She’s an author worth paying attention to. I sense big things are coming from her.

What book should I review next?

My own book, an adult vampire novella called Mouth Full of Ashes, was released on October 4. You can order it here! Thanks so much for your support.