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minimicropup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Setting the Scene: 🇺🇸 Shadow Creek, Florida, where a senior high school party bus trip turns into a nightmare in an abandoned amusement park.
POV: We weave between the perspectives of friends on a party bus in 2019 and killer teens with chilling backstories from the 1980s.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
-Nostalgic grown-up Fear Street 1980s energy
-Fast-paced supernatural teen slasher in abandoned amusement park
-Multi-timeline and perspectives of ‘predator’ and ‘prey’
-Light mix of dark comedy, horror, and twisty scares around themes of prejudice, history of minorities in horror, revenge, retribution, friendship, loyalty, and survival.
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🐺 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐕
🗣️ Tale-Telling: The third-person narrative was snappy and engaging. As the reader I felt like I was invisible on the sidelines getting relevant background of situations and what the character motivations were from the narrator – observant yet unobtrusive. The narration also handled the frequent POV and timeline switches well, so I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the large cast and keeping them straight.
👥 Characters: The teen dialogue and behavior was well-balanced between realistic and reminiscent. Each character had a distinct voice too (also why I was able to keep track of the characters and timelines).
🗺️ Ambiance: The descriptions were succinct yet evocative, capturing the essence of both the 1980s/1990s and the modern day. The amusement park setting was rich in sensory details, which enhanced the eerie atmosphere.
🔥 Fuel: This was a straightforward slasher story, but it cleverly played on our allegiances – some may root for one over the other, and I found myself flipping between rooting for the killers or the victims.
🎬 Scenes: The pacing was rapid, focusing on the high-stakes action and dialogue-driven scenes. The descriptions of violence and gore were concise but impactful, and managed to set the scene without lingering too long on the gore or chase/cat-and-mouse scenes. The story didn’t shy away from incorporating elements of tragedy and heartache, adding depth to the horror. While some may appreciate this complexity, I found it almost too tragic.
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Content Heads-Up: Murder (descriptive; on page). Blood, gore. Domestic violence (relationship, family). Gun violence. Occult/Satanic.
Rep: Diverse skin colours. White, Black, and Indigenous Americans.
👀 Format: Kindle Unlimited
“Reviews are my musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶 refined by my AI bookworm bestie ✨”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Violence, and Body horror
mfrisk's review
adventurous
dark
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
3.75
This is a fun and quick slasher read full of gore and technicolor and set with dual timelines in the 80s and present day in a circus themed carnival. This book doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t skimp out on the slasher moments. This book is perfect for a summer horror read and I love the references to horror movie tropes this book discusses and leans into.
It reminds me a lot of AHS: 1984 and any number of cheesy slasher movies. There is one small twist in here but otherwise this book is a pretty straightforward and fun read so don’t go in with expectations of huge thrills and you should be able to enjoy this popcorn flick of a book.
It reminds me a lot of AHS: 1984 and any number of cheesy slasher movies. There is one small twist in here but otherwise this book is a pretty straightforward and fun read so don’t go in with expectations of huge thrills and you should be able to enjoy this popcorn flick of a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Alcohol, Murder, and Animal death
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Body shaming
ankellogg's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, and Gore
cat12345's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Body horror, Death, Violence, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Racism, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Body shaming, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
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