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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
I can't remember seeing this one and what motivated me to add it to my TBR. I think I saw some rave reviews that made me want to grab it. If I would've known it was YA, I probably never would've bothered, but I'm glad I did.
Alice is a high school girl who's fascinated with thriller/slasher movies and 1990s culture. She even makes a point to dress like some of the 1990s slasher movies characters. Obviously, Halloween is her jam, but when she's invited to a party her entire class will be at, she doesn't want to go. Reluctantly, her sister Claire drags her along. You've got to get through the corn maze filled with chainsaw wielding dudes to get into this party though. Allie knows the back way through and lets her sister go the long way. All's well until Claire is missing for way too long, Alice goes to look for her and she stumbles upon Claire being murdered. Now, a year after her sister's death, she's in a race against time to learn the truth about that awful night.
This was super fast paced and sorta light. I know that sounds weird based on the plot but it never seemed overly heavy. It was good, but I found myself skimming from time to time.
⭐⭐⭐
Alice is a high school girl who's fascinated with thriller/slasher movies and 1990s culture. She even makes a point to dress like some of the 1990s slasher movies characters. Obviously, Halloween is her jam, but when she's invited to a party her entire class will be at, she doesn't want to go. Reluctantly, her sister Claire drags her along. You've got to get through the corn maze filled with chainsaw wielding dudes to get into this party though. Allie knows the back way through and lets her sister go the long way. All's well until Claire is missing for way too long, Alice goes to look for her and she stumbles upon Claire being murdered. Now, a year after her sister's death, she's in a race against time to learn the truth about that awful night.
This was super fast paced and sorta light. I know that sounds weird based on the plot but it never seemed overly heavy. It was good, but I found myself skimming from time to time.
⭐⭐⭐
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
"This is life. This isn't a movie." - Sidney Prescott, Scream (1996)
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
From the beginning, I was hooked with this YA Horror, giddy that it's giving major Scream, Happy Death Day, and other slasher films vibes. The meta, self-aware aspect is really on point though it can't beat My Heart is A Chainsaw, where it dissects the infamous subgenre. I love this book, I was at the edge on my seat when the third act came in, the author really nailed the whodunit well too, like I was bust rearranging my suspect list like Mindy in Scream (2022). Glad that one of my last minute theory was right! I really enjoyed it until...
Honestly, I liked the Sidney-lookalike being featured in this book, it's funny, would love to see Neve Campbell plays this role if there's going to be a movie in the future. But, the character just falls flat, annoying and it didn't work for me as the book reaches its ending. The twist? I love it of course, but the ENDING? That was a HOT mess, I don't like the trope that the author chose for the ending. It's horrendous when you knew this book is advertised as a standalone. So, we are left with that lazy ending, it felt rushed too. I love this book but not the last 10 pages or something. I was like AUCH, I have big hopes, it could've been a 4.75 stars or even 5 stars read or something T-T...
But still, it's a good fast-paced YA Horror, I still have hope that we'll be getting a sequel or something. Or else, I'm unhappy :(
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
From the beginning, I was hooked with this YA Horror, giddy that it's giving major Scream, Happy Death Day, and other slasher films vibes. The meta, self-aware aspect is really on point though it can't beat My Heart is A Chainsaw, where it dissects the infamous subgenre. I love this book, I was at the edge on my seat when the third act came in, the author really nailed the whodunit well too, like I was bust rearranging my suspect list like Mindy in Scream (2022). Glad that one of my last minute theory was right! I really enjoyed it until...
Honestly, I liked the Sidney-lookalike being featured in this book, it's funny, would love to see Neve Campbell plays this role if there's going to be a movie in the future. But, the character just falls flat, annoying and it didn't work for me as the book reaches its ending. The twist? I love it of course, but the ENDING? That was a HOT mess, I don't like the trope that the author chose for the ending. It's horrendous when you knew this book is advertised as a standalone. So, we are left with that lazy ending, it felt rushed too. I love this book but not the last 10 pages or something. I was like AUCH, I have big hopes, it could've been a 4.75 stars or even 5 stars read or something T-T...
But still, it's a good fast-paced YA Horror, I still have hope that we'll be getting a sequel or something. Or else, I'm unhappy :(
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
"How to Survive Your Murder" is part of a genre that I like to call YA junk food. That is, you have elements of all the YA novels that you read before, nerdy girl who actually looks gorgeous but thinks she doesn't, cool big sister that nerdy girl is kind of jealous of, and mysterious boy that nerdy girl has a crush on. Mix in some elements of a slasher film from the '80s, and you have a book that if you are a hardened YA veteran like myself, you will be filled with nostalgia with some surprised glee. And if you are brand-new to the scene, then you are in for a roller-coaster.
The writing can be cheesy at times, even as our protagonist deals with the loss of her sister (not a spoiler, as it is literally in the summary), but I like to think of it as the same kind of cheesiness found in the cult horror films the author is clearly paying homage to. If you are just looking for some literary fun just in time for Halloween, then I feel this book is perfect for getting in the mood.
Thanks to BookishFirst for allowing me to read a copy of this book for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The writing can be cheesy at times, even as our protagonist deals with the loss of her sister (not a spoiler, as it is literally in the summary), but I like to think of it as the same kind of cheesiness found in the cult horror films the author is clearly paying homage to. If you are just looking for some literary fun just in time for Halloween, then I feel this book is perfect for getting in the mood.
Thanks to BookishFirst for allowing me to read a copy of this book for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own.