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caseyhollandreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Oh!!! I’ll be having nightmares tonight!!!
(More cohesive thoughts to come once the Terrors wear off)
(More cohesive thoughts to come once the Terrors wear off)
becs_lovesbooks's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This is definitely a what the hell did I just read the moment. And I mean this is the best possible way!
This is my first Paul Tramblay book, so I am not sure if this is his writing style or not, but this was so different, and I loved it.
Spent the whole time just wanting to know what the F happened on that movie set!
This is my first Paul Tramblay book, so I am not sure if this is his writing style or not, but this was so different, and I loved it.
Spent the whole time just wanting to know what the F happened on that movie set!
greeneyedbookworm's review against another edition
2.0
ARC provided by Net Galley
What. A. Snoozefest. I was so bored during this entire.book, and kept wondering when it would finally turn around. Hint: it never did. Almost didn't finish it, but I wanted to see how it ended. The ending had to be good, right? Wrong. Honestly don't waste your time with this one. Being slated as a horror book is questionable since there was literally zero horror in the book.
What. A. Snoozefest. I was so bored during this entire.book, and kept wondering when it would finally turn around. Hint: it never did. Almost didn't finish it, but I wanted to see how it ended. The ending had to be good, right? Wrong. Honestly don't waste your time with this one. Being slated as a horror book is questionable since there was literally zero horror in the book.
talkscaredpod's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
criticalady's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
kindlebabe's review against another edition
4.0
I will just describe this book as dark and trippy. I was so anxious and excited to start this book. I am simply going to keep this review short and sweet and not because I wasn’t utterly obsessed with this book and it ticked all my boxes for what I was needing and wanting at that exact moment because YES IT DID but I just want you to read it because it calls out to you and because this too is just what you need. I don’t want to spoil it at all for you. This book played like a movie in my head for me as I read. I felt as though I was watching it AS I was reading it. LOVED THAT. I had all the feelings and emotions as I was reading. I had the sweaty palms, my heart was racing, I gasped throughout the book at parts, I was shocked and surprised at parts. This will take you through a rollercoaster of thoughts and feelings.
You follow a group of young adults who are determined to create their own horror movie but it was left incomplete and after decades tidbits of this film show up online and Hollywood reaches out to a living member of that group regarding completing the film but the thing is is…this film is “cursed” says majority but the story must be told, the real story. This book has plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and I cannot wait for this books release and to share this with all of my book loving friends. This is a great one for the shelf for sure!!!
Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrow for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
You follow a group of young adults who are determined to create their own horror movie but it was left incomplete and after decades tidbits of this film show up online and Hollywood reaches out to a living member of that group regarding completing the film but the thing is is…this film is “cursed” says majority but the story must be told, the real story. This book has plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and I cannot wait for this books release and to share this with all of my book loving friends. This is a great one for the shelf for sure!!!
Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrow for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
andylevy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
thoroughlymodernreviewer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.5
In Horror Movie, Paul Tremblay writes both a love letter to and a condemnation of the art of low-budget, gritty horror filmmaking. Narrated by the lone survivor of the original film, Horror Movie recounts the tragic making of a low-budget horror film, alongside the filming of its Hollywood remake some thirty years later. Jumping back and forth in time between the two productions while also reproducing the original film’s script, Horror Movie paints a picture of a ragtag group of dedicated young filmmakers committed to making their movie a reality no matter the cost. All at once horrific, heartbreaking, and even a bit damning, Horror Movieis a read unlike many others.
It takes a bit of time to get used to the book’s structure, but Tremblay makes it as easy as possible. The whole book plays out more like a mystery novel than an out-and-out horror book. Going in, all you really know is that somethinghappened on the set of this low-budget horror film in the nineties, something so horrific that it resulted in the nearly-finished film going wholly unseen until portions of it leaked onto the internet decades later. And throughout the book, as the narrator compares and contrasts the productions of the original film and its remake, you get this overwhelming sense of dread, this creeping fear of what’s gonna happen when the shoe drops and you understand all of the novel’s seemingly disparate pieces.
For the most part, it’s a deeply compulsive read. Not necessarily fast-paced, but wholly engrossing nonetheless, and a quick read overall. The script excerpts help tie together the past and present storylines. And, for added authenticity, the script reads intentionally pretentiously; the kind of horror movie that would probably win numerous awards at film festivals but baffle a more general audience. You gotta appreciate the commitment to the bit if nothing else.
Unfortunately, despite how good the vast majority of the book is, Horror Movie stumbles right at the finish line. Without going into any spoilers, the ending feels both predictable and woefully underexplored and unexplained. It’s shocking, but not necessarily in a good or satisfying way. Thematically relevant, perhaps, but almost certainly polarizing.
And that’s gonna be true for the book as a whole. Mostly, Horror Movie tells an endlessly compulsive, skin-crawlingly eerie story. It’s a total love letter to the art of indie filmmaking while also ruthlessly critiquing the culture that supports dangerous corner-cutting. It’s a gripping, emotional, scary story that’s well worth a read - even if the ending is a bit disappointing.
Disclaimer: a review copy of Horror Movie was provided by the publisher and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own.
It takes a bit of time to get used to the book’s structure, but Tremblay makes it as easy as possible. The whole book plays out more like a mystery novel than an out-and-out horror book. Going in, all you really know is that somethinghappened on the set of this low-budget horror film in the nineties, something so horrific that it resulted in the nearly-finished film going wholly unseen until portions of it leaked onto the internet decades later. And throughout the book, as the narrator compares and contrasts the productions of the original film and its remake, you get this overwhelming sense of dread, this creeping fear of what’s gonna happen when the shoe drops and you understand all of the novel’s seemingly disparate pieces.
For the most part, it’s a deeply compulsive read. Not necessarily fast-paced, but wholly engrossing nonetheless, and a quick read overall. The script excerpts help tie together the past and present storylines. And, for added authenticity, the script reads intentionally pretentiously; the kind of horror movie that would probably win numerous awards at film festivals but baffle a more general audience. You gotta appreciate the commitment to the bit if nothing else.
Unfortunately, despite how good the vast majority of the book is, Horror Movie stumbles right at the finish line. Without going into any spoilers, the ending feels both predictable and woefully underexplored and unexplained. It’s shocking, but not necessarily in a good or satisfying way. Thematically relevant, perhaps, but almost certainly polarizing.
And that’s gonna be true for the book as a whole. Mostly, Horror Movie tells an endlessly compulsive, skin-crawlingly eerie story. It’s a total love letter to the art of indie filmmaking while also ruthlessly critiquing the culture that supports dangerous corner-cutting. It’s a gripping, emotional, scary story that’s well worth a read - even if the ending is a bit disappointing.
Disclaimer: a review copy of Horror Movie was provided by the publisher and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own.
bloomandgloomco's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
I don't know where to even begin with this one...
I'm a huge fan of Tremblay's work, so I was more than a little excited to get my hands on an ARC for 'Horror Movie' (thanks NetGalley + William Morrow!)
This novel follows the only surviving cast member of a DIY arthouse horror flick shot in the 90's.
We're told the film was never released in full, only a handful of scenes got uploaded to youtube.
Despite this, the film managed to earn itself a cult-like following due to lore surrounding the movie and the unfortunate fates of those involved in making it.
Our narrator, whom I'm now realizing is never actually named in the novel (I don't think?!), played the role of "The Thin Kid" in the film.
Throughout this story we follow him down memory lane and on his journey to be a part of the films reboot.
Chapters switch between past and present day and we get snippets of the original screen play as well.
This book does an excellent job of dialing up the tension, while keeping you guessing and wondering if anything really *truly* terrible is ever going to happen, or if the movie's lore is just that- made up theories and speculation from online horror fans.
Tremblay has a fantastic way of writing horror stories that feel genuinely grounded in reality, in part due to his complex and multifaceted characters, but also because his horror often deals with the darkest parts of the human experience/psyche.
If you're looking for a quick and delicious horror read this summer- I cannot recommend this one enough!
4.5/5
I'm a huge fan of Tremblay's work, so I was more than a little excited to get my hands on an ARC for 'Horror Movie' (thanks NetGalley + William Morrow!)
This novel follows the only surviving cast member of a DIY arthouse horror flick shot in the 90's.
We're told the film was never released in full, only a handful of scenes got uploaded to youtube.
Despite this, the film managed to earn itself a cult-like following due to lore surrounding the movie and the unfortunate fates of those involved in making it.
Our narrator, whom I'm now realizing is never actually named in the novel (I don't think?!), played the role of "The Thin Kid" in the film.
Throughout this story we follow him down memory lane and on his journey to be a part of the films reboot.
Chapters switch between past and present day and we get snippets of the original screen play as well.
This book does an excellent job of dialing up the tension, while keeping you guessing and wondering if anything really *truly* terrible is ever going to happen, or if the movie's lore is just that- made up theories and speculation from online horror fans.
Tremblay has a fantastic way of writing horror stories that feel genuinely grounded in reality, in part due to his complex and multifaceted characters, but also because his horror often deals with the darkest parts of the human experience/psyche.
If you're looking for a quick and delicious horror read this summer- I cannot recommend this one enough!
4.5/5
kaitlinliz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0