Make Sure You Die Screaming (2025) -Zee Carlstrom

"The niche yet prolific genre of the unhinged road trip novel just got its newest edition with Make Sure You Die Screaming. In this bizarre novel, the newly nameless main character embarks on a grief and alcohol fueled journey to track down and kidnap their estranged father. By their side is their new best friend Yivi, a self-described “garbage goth” on the run from her murky past—and also a cowboy in a tan sedan. Together, they make an unstoppable and utterly insufferable duo that wreaks havoc all the way from Chicago to Arkansas. This novel investigates the fear behind prejudice and conspiracy theories both through the main character’s parents as they spiral into conservatism as well as the main character themself as they reckon with their own half-hearted white liberalism."

The full review can be read at: https://readbya.substack.com/p/make-sure-you-die-screaming-2025