Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was too long. I like the MC and the concept of this story, but so many minute details made it hard to follow. There's going to be a sequel, and I'm like, how long is it going to be?
slow-paced
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Gallery Books for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jade, a high school senior and a social outcast in rural Idaho, is obsessed with slasher films. With her white mother out of the picture and her Blackfoot father perpetually drunk and abusive, she finds solace she refuses to acknowledge in the formulaic horror - the blood sacrifice, the ignorant cops and parents, the party, the masked killer, and of course, the final girl. When a new girl comes to town that fully fits the profile of a final girl, Jade is convinced that a real-life slasher film is about to begin. Then, a boy turns up dead...
TW:
This book is a love letter to slasher films. I even think that this is accessible to those who haven't watched many slasher films themselves (like me). I really liked Jade as a character; she's belligerent and she absolutely refuses to accept her trauma, so she filters her worldview through slasher films. There are inserts of reports she's written on different slasher tropes/elements, which were really interesting. The last act was in my opinion by far the best and most well-plotted/paced, with the action and tension ramping up to a high where (shocker) Jade finds herself in her own version of a slasher. Unfortunately, I found the writing style really hard to follow for some reason. I kept having to reread passages trying to follow what was happening and missing important details, which really took away from my enjoyment of the book. I also felt like we could have gotten a little bit more from the side characters so that the story was more fleshed out. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to those who love scary movies, and generally anyone obsessed with film, even if this wasn't exactly for me.
Jade, a high school senior and a social outcast in rural Idaho, is obsessed with slasher films. With her white mother out of the picture and her Blackfoot father perpetually drunk and abusive, she finds solace she refuses to acknowledge in the formulaic horror - the blood sacrifice, the ignorant cops and parents, the party, the masked killer, and of course, the final girl. When a new girl comes to town that fully fits the profile of a final girl, Jade is convinced that a real-life slasher film is about to begin. Then, a boy turns up dead...
TW:
Spoiler
Lots human and animal gore, off-screen rape and child abuse.This book is a love letter to slasher films. I even think that this is accessible to those who haven't watched many slasher films themselves (like me). I really liked Jade as a character; she's belligerent and she absolutely refuses to accept her trauma, so she filters her worldview through slasher films. There are inserts of reports she's written on different slasher tropes/elements, which were really interesting. The last act was in my opinion by far the best and most well-plotted/paced, with the action and tension ramping up to a high where (shocker) Jade finds herself in her own version of a slasher. Unfortunately, I found the writing style really hard to follow for some reason. I kept having to reread passages trying to follow what was happening and missing important details, which really took away from my enjoyment of the book. I also felt like we could have gotten a little bit more from the side characters so that the story was more fleshed out. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to those who love scary movies, and generally anyone obsessed with film, even if this wasn't exactly for me.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
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
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked this book, but Jade, the main character, is a mess, and it'll take a minute to acclimate yourself to her crazy. I'll fully own that this book lands in a sweet-spot for me, so I'm going to skew toward liking it because it's a well-written book with a tight perspective, and a quirky lead, but even with that it took me a couple tries to get into it. Jade's tenuous grasp on reality leads to some seriously cringey moments.
Lot of people down in 1-Star land are kvetching because "It's Boring" and "OMG trigger warning!", so yes, if you have no patience for a slow build (which in this case is literally following the Slasher movie formula that the whole book is shaped around), or if you're the sort of crazy person who reads horror, but can't tolerate even the mention of some off camera sexual assault, then this book is not for you.
Lot of people down in 1-Star land are kvetching because "It's Boring" and "OMG trigger warning!", so yes, if you have no patience for a slow build (which in this case is literally following the Slasher movie formula that the whole book is shaped around), or if you're the sort of crazy person who reads horror, but can't tolerate even the mention of some off camera sexual assault, then this book is not for you.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Solid horror book. Too much speculative dialogue