Reviews with content warning for Torture - There's No Way I'd Die First

It was pretty good. Maybe a bit too long. I was less than halfway and I was wondering how much more there’d be to tell. It also felt very basic and didn’t stray too much from traditional horror tropes. So it was solid in achieving the expected. And it was engaging enough that I wanted to finish. There was something off that I can’t put my finger on though. Maybe the weird identification of expensive items throughout. Maybe the teens felt too basic. I don’t know. It was good. But not great. And better than just ok.

Content Warnings

howlinglibraries's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I wanted to like this more than I did, but... UGHHHH I hated the characters and the writing and the twist in this book so much.

I try to be lenient with characters in YA books because I'm clearly not the target age for them anymore, but I don't think any amount of leniency could make me stop rolling my eyes at these spoiled rich kids.

Our narrator is supposed to be really legit and we're clearly intended to empathize with and enjoy her as a character, but she's deep in the 1% and is so stuck in her own bubble that she's literally running around dwelling on how she can ensure the best possible alibi and how guilty she'll feel for shoving the new love of her life into the killer's arms if it comes down to it. 💀 She thinks of herself as better than 90% of the side characters, but most of them were a lot more enjoyable than she was.

And then there's the killer, who I could rant about for a while, but if I did, I'd have to spoiler-mark the whole review and I don't like doing that. Instead, I'll just say that I saw his motive coming a million miles away and kept hoping I was wrong, but... 💀

Oh! I have to mention the romance, too, and the fact that it shouldn't have even been included in this book. One thing I liked about the story was how quickly it jumped into the gore and action, but that meant there wasn't any room at all to build up these characters or make me care about any of them, which made the romance subplot feel unnecessary and forced. If you're going to include this much romance in a horror novel, there needs to be an initial investment made into the buildup of the relationship, and that wasn't happening here.

Finally, I have to rant a little about the endless pop culture references. I don't mind references in books when they're done well (one of my favorite books of all time is My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, who absolutely nailed those), but many of the ones made in this book were crammed in without fitting the context. At some point, it becomes less of a way to connect with the reader and more of a way to say "hey, look at how many popular horror movies and YA books I can name-drop in one book, wink!"

Of course, I have to throw in the disclaimer that the book isn't all bad and it offers room to have some interesting conversations, like the intersectionality of privileges and disadvantages (i.e. how a cut-off white kid may still be looking at a brighter, easier future than a wealthy Black kid)... but sadly, those tidbits were overshadowed by what boiled down to an extremely unenjoyable slasher with mediocre writing, poor pacing, and a twist that feels sinister in all the wrong ways.

I read a final copy borrowed from the library, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also sent an early review copy by the author/publisher. All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: Noelle is Black, multiple side characters are BIPOC, one side character is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns

Content Warnings

itzbrianna's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There’s No Wat I’d Die First was a tense roller coaster of excitement and tense mystery. Noelle is having a party to promote her upcoming podcast Jump Scares, and when one of her plans goes awry all shit breaks loose.

There are some parts of this book that will make you gag, cringe, and even say WTF out loud. But it’s a very fun and entertaining read. While I think this book went on longer than it needed to, I do like how most things came together.

*****The Following Section may Contain Spoilers. Readers Discretion Advised*******

What I loved about this book was the connection to horror. As a horror fan, I was enthralled. I loved the horror references and the movie quotes before each title. The cover is also very cool. I loved that this book took place in one setting too. Those kinds of horror thrillers are always the most interesting.

However, I do think this book went on longer than it needed to. Because it was in one setting some things for repetitive like Noelle constantly comparing different scenarios to horror movie moments. At first, it was cool and had it not been so often I don’t think I would have had much to say about it. But too much of a good thing is never good.

There were a lot of inconsistencies in the book to like how suddenly windows can be broken when it was covered in protective coating before. But those were minor grievances I let slide, because this is horror and I love it even the things that make no sense.

I think the high body count compared to who ends up alive at the end was great. But the romance between Archer and Noelle was a bit cringe at times. Possibly because we didn’t get much backstory on their relationship it was just told instead of shown.

One part I really hated was the so called “extremism” that the murderer goes through. Without spoiling it too much, rich kids getting attacked because they are rich isn’t new. The why was a little unoriginal and the who was up in the air between two people so it wasn’t much of a shock. Though I’m glad I guessed who :)

All that to say I still enjoyed this book and think I’ll read it again to see if I feel different in the future. Regardless of how some parts dragged on this was a pretty exciting read. Definitely take a chance on it if you enjoy horror movies!

Content Warnings

bookedandbusy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book so much! It had me hooked from the start and I couldn’t stop reading.

Content Warnings

applejacksbooks's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

HOLY SHIT, almost immediately this book starts out with the essence of an 80-90's slasher movie and I absolutely loved it. The only reason it took me two sessions to sit and read it is because work got in the way. Highly recommend it to those who love books like #Murdertrending and other stories that try to honor 80's horor.

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