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vixenreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Torture, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and Police brutality
There is also police negligence, ritualistic sacrifice, weaponry, horror movie spoilers and bodies hidden in lakes.dejarenee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
anon_ymous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death, Torture, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
anxious_librarian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
"Be careful," she says. "You know what happens to Black folks in slasher movies."
"I'm the final girl," I say. "Guaranteed to survive the night."
Charity is working as the Final Girl at a full contact horror summer camp. Her job is to scare the pants off paying customers eager to experience the cult classic slasher flick The Curse of Camp Mirror Lake for themselves. Things get a little too real though when unplanned horrors start playing out at camp, and before she knows it she finds herself fighting to the death to keep her title of "final girl."
This is the first horror-thriller I’ve read in ages and I am so pleased with it! That killer cover pulled me in and the promise of a Final Girl summer camp scenario dragged me the rest of the way down into the dark.
Charity was great. I felt for her so many times over the course of the book. Her summer job, bloody as it is, is her one escape from a world that doesn’t seem to care much about what happens to her. Her friends and girlfriend bring a lot of light to her life, making it clear early on just how hard she’s going to fight to make sure they all get out of there safely.
She’s very self aware and a horror movie stan making her a great final girl with a good chance of surviving the night.
The setup was great, all the little hints something is not going right at camp slowly building into something more sinister. The atmosphere was amazing. I felt the pressure of the pitch black woods, the sense of someone peeking over my shoulder as I read. Bayron did a fantastic job with this book!
It’s worth noting how YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT highlights the characters often victimized in horror films. The first people to die are always those of color or the queer kids. Not this time! This time the story is theirs.
As much as I enjoyed this, I do wish two things would have happened, however. One being that the thriller aspect started a bit earlier. I think I was at about 70% before anything started to actually happen. The book is already so short (I finished it in a day). Some pages dedicated to increasing the scares would have been fun.
And two, that the author had gone a bit harder on the scares and deaths.
Now I’ve been wondering if this specifically relates to the book being published as YA - like maybe there are restrictions I’m unaware of regarding killing off a bunch of teenagers - but still. By the end of the book
That being said, this actually makes YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT a great book for anyone who thinks they’re too squeamish for a slasher. There’s violence, but the gore is so minimal and so quick I think most people can handle it.
That last chapter and epilogue hit me like bam, bam, BAM! I did not see those twists coming! Like four big ones right at the end! Gosh, I just want to talk about it more but nothing is worse for a book like this than spoilers.
This is a thriller you don’t even have to wait for the spooky season to enjoy! What’s more summery than a summer camp? Definitely check out Kalynn Bayron’s YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT. It’s to die for.
Moderate: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Blood, Stalking, and Murder
erikagibson126's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
meganmindj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Torture and Blood
Minor: Animal death
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
adriapeters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
growintogardens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual content
amandaboyer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail