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dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Something I’ve took from reading a few of David Irons books are this: Irons knows how to write a classic 70/80s slasher and he knows how to write the most repulsive antagonists/ villains!
Also fun fact, Irons gives a little story before the book begins explaining where this idea came from and that in itself got me intrigued for the story to come.
In typical slasher vibes, Dead Mall is set around a tragic accident that leads to chaos, murder and trauma. I won’t spoil anything here but here is my overall thoughts.
As mentioned, the classic slasher tropes and fan favourites all are used to great effect within the story. The writing itself is very well done and Irons gets creative with his imagery which really sells the horror and gruesome parts. Not for the faint hearted.
Regarding the plot, it follows the classic slasher story with some added flavour to stop you from predicting the entire narrative, keeping you on your toes, especially in the final act. Also not sure if intentional but the book feels like a two parter. The first half could easily be a stand alone prequel and the second half the main event. This isn’t a negative at all just something I found I noticed near the third act.
The only nitpick I have is there isn’t a solid protagonist that can be given legendary final girl status, nor do I overly feel the need to root for. However, I could also hypothesis the reason for this, but that’s for spoiler territory! On the other hand the main villain(?) could be one for the ages as the premise and description of the character is one that was etched into my brain and I could see on the big screen and definitely in more books. As mentioned at the beginning Irons has a natural flare for writing absolute a**holes of teenagers who are violent, cocky and psychotic, this seems to be a theme in the books of his I’ve read and I know he’s good because I genuinely hate those characters and can’t wait for their comeuppance.
Another solid book from David Irons and I can’t wait to explore more of his novels. I strongly recommend giving this book and his others a go as it reinvigorated my love for the slasher genre in an age which everything is reboots or carbon copies of more notable media.
Also fun fact, Irons gives a little story before the book begins explaining where this idea came from and that in itself got me intrigued for the story to come.
In typical slasher vibes, Dead Mall is set around a tragic accident that leads to chaos, murder and trauma. I won’t spoil anything here but here is my overall thoughts.
As mentioned, the classic slasher tropes and fan favourites all are used to great effect within the story. The writing itself is very well done and Irons gets creative with his imagery which really sells the horror and gruesome parts. Not for the faint hearted.
Regarding the plot, it follows the classic slasher story with some added flavour to stop you from predicting the entire narrative, keeping you on your toes, especially in the final act. Also not sure if intentional but the book feels like a two parter. The first half could easily be a stand alone prequel and the second half the main event. This isn’t a negative at all just something I found I noticed near the third act.
The only nitpick I have is there isn’t a solid protagonist that can be given legendary final girl status, nor do I overly feel the need to root for. However, I could also hypothesis the reason for this, but that’s for spoiler territory! On the other hand the main villain(?) could be one for the ages as the premise and description of the character is one that was etched into my brain and I could see on the big screen and definitely in more books. As mentioned at the beginning Irons has a natural flare for writing absolute a**holes of teenagers who are violent, cocky and psychotic, this seems to be a theme in the books of his I’ve read and I know he’s good because I genuinely hate those characters and can’t wait for their comeuppance.
Another solid book from David Irons and I can’t wait to explore more of his novels. I strongly recommend giving this book and his others a go as it reinvigorated my love for the slasher genre in an age which everything is reboots or carbon copies of more notable media.