Reviews with content warning for Violence - Tastes Like Candy

I really enjoyed this book for the most part - the characters felt relatable and like they knew each other in a meaningful way, the setting of the carnival was well described and came to life, and the kills described were over the top and used the setting well. Truly could see this being a great campy slasher movie. Would recommend this for a quick slasher read especially during the summer or early fall.

Now I’m going to get into some spoiler aspects I didn’t like.

My main issues with this book were 1. The initial killer red herring of the waitress who was so over the top ridiculous (how would no one have not noticed a waitress putting a knife to a kid’s throat in public? 2. The killer reveal was extremely disappointing to me. It felt very much like an after thought and the social media is bad and making kids evil and self-centered diatribe has at this point been pretty overdone in both sci-fi and horror. To me this reveal didn’t bring anything new to that concept. I actually thought James may end up being the killer or someone unknown to us. Someone who could have been a bit more shocking. Blythe being the killer was a little bit surprising but not in a good way as it felt like once we knew that the same points continued to be repeated.

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niamhrowanch's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

WOAAAAAHA

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amweber's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Overall, I enjoyed this slasher for a quick, fun (but gory) read. The characters of

Violet, Blythe, and James

were the most fleshed-out, but I found myself forgetting details about the others and caring less than I wanted to

when they were violently murdered.

I also predicted the killer very early on in the book. I am notoriously terrible at predicting twists and reveals, so this was kind of a red flag to me. If I can predict it, anyone can.

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micasreads's review against another edition

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3.0

The Senior Year Scavenger Hunt is always a big deal for incoming seniors at Pritchett High. This year a group of eight friends are chosen to take part in the hunt at the local carnival grounds. The girls are out to have a good time and start their senior year, but someone else has other ideas for their night at the carnival grounds. The lights and rides turn on and off and screams echo in the darkness. One by one, the girls are murdered by someone in a grotesque Halloween mask - the question is who will be the final girl…if there is one?

This was a fun way to finish out my spooky reads for October. I love reading a decent slasher story. The setup was decent and the story was well-told until the murderer explained the reason for their rampage. I was surprised by the killer's identity but found the motive ridiculous. Also, the name the girls gave the murderer made me roll my eyes. I understand the meaning of it but the name itself is childish. This would be a good choice if you are looking for a short slasher book to end your Halloween reading.

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