A review by starrysteph
I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

dark emotional funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I LOVE a slasher story with a meta spin – every time Stephen Graham Jones writes a gruesome love letter to horror, I’m ready to sit down and read.

Tolly Driver sits on the outskirts of his small Texan town, alongside his best friend Amber. He’s a great writer, but not the best academically or social - and he’s felt even more powerless ever since his dad’s unexpected death.

And then … he gets infected. A very specific slasher killer infection. And even though Tolly knows he’s part of the story, he can’t help but play his part and take out some gory revenge on the classmates that hurt him.

But this was all seventeen years ago. We’re reading Tolly’s autobiography as he reflects on those fateful few days so long ago, especially since his slasher story might not be over. 

Tolly’s a bit of an unreliable narrator, especially as he flip flops between embracing his new killer instincts, wanting to break away from them, and feeling unsure if he has any actual say in his own story. He might be murdering kids in a mask, but he’s also pretty relatable. He feels alienated, nervous about his future, and might be a little bit in love with his best friend (though he’ll deny it). If you were on the outskirts looking in as a teenager, that pain is all too familiar. 

As always, SGJ puts together a GREAT kill scene. The action and the gore leap off the pages, and my heart was pounding. This definitely feels like a faster-paced story for him, and I had fun with that. Things don’t slow down much, and the characters are pretty quick to put the pieces together (except for the final piece which I’m sure we all knew EXCEPT for Tolly). 

Something I marveled at was how high the stakes felt. Tolly is writing from the future, so of course you know he makes it, but I felt like I was making discoveries with him right in the moment, right in 1989. I almost imagined myself discovering Tolly’s manuscript and turning each page with a sprinkle of dread. 

SGJ writes very specific books for a very specific audience and I can never get enough.

I Was a Teenage Slasher is funny, creative, and feels like settling in for an awesome summer slasher film. 

CW: murder, gore, blood, injury, vomit, death (parent/child), body horror, grief, suicide,stalking, animal cruelty/death, guns, torture, confinement, homophobia, racism

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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)