Prom Night for Slasher Victims

by Matthew Mercer

Hailey’s summer at Camp Safe Woods was cut short because of the murders. She’s still having nightmares about her past. Now, she’s in a new town where bodies are appearing again. Can anything else make her life more difficult? Well, she also has to choose a prom dress.

After moving to the sprawling town of Pineside, California, to be closer to her new friends and fellow Squirrel Cabin campers, Alejandra and Billy, Hailey hoped to enjoy her senior year of high school and move on from the tragedies she had gone through. However, when the police come to her door, alerting her that her father had broken out of prison and an anonymous letter left at her locker leads her to a mysterious woman’s corpse, it becomes apparent that Hailey’s nightmares aren’t over.

Pineside soon finds itself plagued with a spree of murders with a clear but mysterious connection to Hailey. While navigating the fears of who the serial killer will target next, and dealing with symptoms of traumas from her past, she is still trying to live the life of a normal high school girl that she deserves. As a member of the Prom committee, Hailey has an important role in planning a night that her class will never forget. Little does she know, everyone who attends this Prom Night will soon wish to forget what they see that night—those who survive, that is.

Genres: Horror, Halloween, Adult, Fiction, Summer

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2025

About the author

Follow me on Instagram @matthewmercerauthor

Reviews

[Horror Haus Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time around we get to follow Hailey, one of the survivors from Camp Safewoods. And yay, what do you know, she’s given Park Ranger Woodsby a home!

There are literally so many more kills in this book and the methods are great! I don’t know if that’s something someone should be excited about but, hey, I love a good slasher. And when I tell you this is an AMAZING slasher book, I mean it. I honestly could not put it down. I loved the first book in this series (please read Summer Camp for Slasher Victims) but this one really took the cake. It’s tense, fast paced, and bloody. A definite must read!

[Madison West · Rating 1 out of 5]

The killer wore a penguin high school mascot costume when they were killing people?

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying, do NOT read this unless you've read Summer Camp For Slasher Victims (ideally read the It Came From books before that). This is very very important.
Anyhoo, back to the review...
Aaaargh!!! Okay, this was my most anticipated read for this year and when I opened my email to find the ARC in my inbox, I nearly cried. I literally dropped everything to start this. I left my kids to their own devices just to read this. The toddler became feral, very trying times.
But let me just say, it was worth it because I was not disappointed. From the first page, I was hooked and I couldn’t have put this down even if I had wanted to.
This was a slasher sequel done right. Return characters, higher body count, more elaborate kills, a new killer, and obviously a few surprises thrown in. My heart was in my throat a few times throughout this, and I won't lie, I wanted to punch the author after one of the deaths (you’ll understand when you read it).
I can't even tell you how excited I am for the next book, so Matthew, get typing!!
If you love a good slasher, go and read all of these books ASAP, because you are missing out!

[Luc Dantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth book that I have read by author Matthew Mercer, and it does not disappoint. It is fast paced, gorly action packed, and ties in with all of his other books (which is something I love). That is not to say that you need to read one before the other. Simply that they all take place in the same universe created by Mercer. Though I do recommend that you read his other work.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the weekend, I dove into Prom Night for Slasher Victims’, and wow, what a ride! If you loved the first one, you won't be disappointed. It follows Hailey as she relocates to Pineside for her senior year with her fellow survivor besties, hoping to leave their summer camp nightmares behind. But things take a wild turn when they realize someone is out for revenge during prom season. This fast-paced slasher kept me on my toes; even though I figured out one of the villains ahead of time, it didn’t ruin the thrilling ending at all. Seriously, if you're looking for some slasher fun this summer, add this one to your list!

[bookmarksandbarbells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sequel that I will argue is better than the original.
This is perfect for my fellow Scream franchise lovers.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure how Mathew Mercer keeps getting away with this series, it’s absolutely insane. The ultimate Slasher summer read.

The second book of the series follows Hailey, Ale, and Billy as they are in the final stretch of their senior year almost directly following the events from camp safe wood, Just in time for prom. Unfortunately for the trio, some grudges are hard to forget.

Like with the first one the book is written very well and flows beautifully. I found myself staying up at night finishing page after page. Wowing myself with how many pages have gone by in such a short time. The kills were fun and creative. The main thing that was done extremely well was the dread of penny the penguin and not knowing what was going to happen next. The character development was great and actually really surprising since I thought a lot of it took place in the first book but this just added to it.

The part I want to highlight though is the twist at the end and more specifically the third act entirely. It was so satisfying and placed so well. Mathew does a great job of lining the pieces up perfectly that you find yourself mad at how linear it is.

Overall, the book was fantastic and super excited to see the next one that I heard comes out THIS FALL!

[Courtney Schafer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read on KU.

This was my most disappointing Matthew Mercer book yet. Still a great writer and the story is engaging. But I was hoping this book was going to be what happened to the girl who disappeared in the Bigfoot book. She mentions that she had a terrible prom and I was hoping Hailey’s dad was connected to that prom night somehow.

Ale is an absolute shit character. I truly cannot stand her and hoped she would die multiple times. She SUCKS! I hope she dies in book 3.

And seriously you kill the wife of Alexa?

Also they say that Hailey’s mom almost died 10 years ago? Hailey was 7 in the Loch Ness book? She felt much younger like 3 or 4.

[unstable.books]

* I will hold off on a star rating for now, as this was a beta read. I’ll post one when the book has been readied for ARCs *

[Katie Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it rather predictable to be honest..

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

eh

There were few things that really bothered me about this book. There was a lot of talk about baseball in this book, but I don’t think the author knows very much about how baseball works. Cheerleaders at baseball games? That’s not a thing. All the details about balls and strikes and positions and just everything did not sound like it was coming from someone who knows baseball. At one point they were starting the 5th inning and the visiting team ‘went on the field to take their defensive positions’, the visiting team would bat first in reality. There was just so much stuff like that that drove me crazy and had me wanting to put the book down. Also, in the middle of an intense scene all of a sudden they start talking about cursing them to have bad cheeseburgers with extra pickles for the rest of their life. It was just so ridiculous and out of place. I will still probably pickup the next book when it comes out, but I really hope it gets better.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are planning on reading this story, please read Summer Camp for Slasher Victims FIRST. You will miss out on important information that you will need in order to follow along. Anyway, I really enjoyed this story. Perfect for anyone who is a big fan of slasher horror movies. I did enjoy Summer Camp for Slasher Victims a little more than this one, but this story was still a fun read

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love when a sequel hits just right—and this one delivered. It picks up perfectly from Summer Camp for Slasher Victims, with returning characters I was so excited to see again, plus a fresh setting, more kills, and a fun new plot that kept things moving fast. It was one of my most anticipated reads and it did not disappoint.

This book is packed with everything I want in a slasher: tension, blood, chaos, and a killer twist I absolutely did not see coming. I loved every second of it. The pacing? Sharp. The gore? So satisfying. The final reveal? YES.

Okay, real talk—y’all know I’m not big on any kind of romance (I’m such a party pooper 😆), and there’s definitely some teen love drama here. But I powered through because everything else was just so worth it. I mean… it is a book about prom, so I get it.

If slashers are your thing, do yourself a favor and pick up this series. Start with Summer Camp for Slasher Victims and then dive straight into this one. It’s a bloody good time. 💀🔪

Big thanks to @matthewmercerauthor for sending me a copy—I'll happily tag along for any terrifying tale you dream up next. Just let me know when book three drops so I can scream accordingly. 😜

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had way more fun with this book than the first. You can tell it’s written better and the plot makes more sense. Vibes are definitely tru to what the author was conveying. Loved the story and the gore!

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved Summer Camp for Slasher Victims, this sequel absolutely delivers. It’s gory, it’s tense, and holy kills! There are SO many!! It’s the perfect blend of horror and just the right touch of humor to keep things fun without killing the suspense. I was hooked from page one and didn’t want to put it down. If you’re into slashers, do not sleep on the Slasher Victims series. Trust me!

[Comfortablynumb · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved everything about it just like the first.

[Lexi Arlotta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Jack Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have done it again. Constantly raising the bar and doing it flawlessly. Lived the water ending. Hopefully Jordan will be back for the next book 😫

[nicole 🤎 · Rating 2 out of 5]

guessed the killer maybe 50 pages in but still a bit of fun and an easy read

[liz.reads.horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly what I wanted it to be!! It was a fun slasher and a great sequel to Summer Camp for Slasher Victims, which is an entertaining campy slasher! This was one of those books that I enjoyed reading so much I was literally reading EVERYWHERE, I didn't want to put it down! It had strong YA vibes, which Matthew mentioned were intentional since it takes place at a high school and with high school aged kids, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. I love the bond between the characters, and seeing how their stories continued after their traumatic camp experience. I can't wait for more people to read this and if you haven't read Summer Camp for Slasher Victims, hurry and do it now so you can be ready for Prom Night!!💃🏻💃🏻
Thank you so much Matthew for the privilege of reading this sequel early!!! ☺️

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

fantastic follow-up to the summer camp for slasher victims. I love a good slasher sequel, and this one doesn't disappoint. more kills and more thrills. had a great time.

[Dan Grosvenor · Rating 2 out of 5]

No, it’s not that Matthew Mercer.

Here is a summary of the first two books so you can spend your time reading something better:

Hailey had a bad start in life: her mum was killed and she has never met her dad, who is in prison and doesn’t even know she exists. At age sixteen, Hailey found a way to become pen pals with her dad. They’ve started to get to know one another through their letters (although Hailey keeps the fact that she’s his daughter secret). The letters suggest that her dad might be innocent.

Mitch also had a rough time in his youth: he went camping and all his friends got eaten by Bigfoot. Luckily Bigfoot only got Mitch’s legs. Mitch is now old and divorced, although still has a close relationship with his ex wife. There is no reason to know this detail. Mitch runs a camp for slasher victims: that is, the survivors from slasher movie scenarios. The camp is full of these hardened, traumatised kids (and staff) who learn to work together to own and overcome what they’ve been through. This isn’t explored. Mitch’s granddaughter, Annie, has just started work at the camp. Like all the other employees, she has had no safeguarding training.

There’s also a camp counsellor called Nick. He’s the odd one out because he didn’t experience first-hand trauma but got sent to the camp anyway, came back every year, and is now head counsellor.

They roast marshmallows and tell stories that are repackaged slasher plots. The camp also has a dog with a tragic backstory: a girl called Vicky Vance killed her parents and tried to kill her little brother, Oliver Vance, only he was at a sleepover. Enraged at being unable to finish murdering her family, Vicky goes on a killing spree around her neighbourhood. She nearly finds her brother but the dog barked or something and saved the day? Anyway, Vicky was never caught and the dog now has the ability to sense danger.

So tension (maybe) slowly builds while nothing much happens for 80% of the first book. Lots of shower scenes, descriptions of feet, and typos. Then lots of death! The pace really picks up at this point. Creative killing. Ridiculous killing. Cliché killing. But who could be responsible? Could it be the dog??

Well… sort of. It’s Nick, the head counsellor. But why, I hear you uninterestedly ask? Well because he IS Oliver Vance, the almost-murdered boy! You see, he went into witness protection because they never caught his sister. Because of this, he legally wasn’t allowed to discuss details of that traumatic night. He still got sent to the camp to help him deal with it, but just became really repressed because he had to pretend he wasn’t also a survivor.

He wants to find his sister. But how? Go on a talk show about his childhood experience? Sell the movie rights? Talk to the other people at the camp established specifically for that kind of thing? No, he’s opted for MURDER HOBO. His plan is that, by murdering everybody in the middle of nowhere and leaving no witnesses, everybody in the world will learn his real name and so his sister will get back in touch.

Fortunately, Hailey made two friends called Ale and Beer. Ale is admittedly a well-written and memorable character with some great lines. They save the day and Oliver Vance gets stabbed in the head by Annie with a marshmallow knife.

This takes us on to… DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN… BOOK TWO.

Hailey, Ale and Beer have all moved to the same town for their final year of high school. Hailey also brought the dog, but he’s depressingly absent for most of the book.

It’s just your regular high school: sports teams; cheerleaders; the secret pact of anonymity undertaken by a student who disappears from social events to dress up as a penguin; worrying who’ll be crowned Prom Queen. There’s the quirky English teacher who gets spotted taking books on human sacrifice out of the Occult section in the school library (what do you mean your high school never had an Occult section?), a flower-arranging jock who seems suspiciously perfect, and a handful of stereotypical teen archetypes.

The action is more frequent than in the last book which definitely helps with the pacing. Bodies occasionally pop up and they’re all linked to Hailey. It’s almost as if someone wants to send her a message…

Hey, remember how Hailey’s dad is in jail? Well now he’s not, and a trail of dead bodies suggests maybe he’s not as innocent as we first speculated. COULD THIS BE RELATED?? Luckily, a Temu Gale Weathers has arrived in town to help crack the case. She is one of two people in this universe who owns a gun (the other is Hailey’s adoptive mum who manages to miss a giant penguin at point-blank range).

Prom happens. Our protagonists are about to get lucky when they’re abducted. Coming to, we are shocked to learn that the teacher who reads books on human sacrifice has been performing human sacrifice! Why is she so interested in Hailey? Well luckily she takes a lengthy break in her slaughtering to explain this. Remember how, in the last book, Oliver Vance wanted to be found by his murderous and on-the-run sister, Vicky? Well his plan sort of worked: the media ran stories on the camp murders and, through them, Vicky finally learned where her brother had been hiding all those years.

Vicky had been into human sacrifice for a while. As a teenager, she performed a ritual to grant her eternal life and youth. This required killing *every* member of her family, which is why Vicky was pretty pissed when she couldn’t find her brother that night or since. And, seeing as Hailey was one of the people whose actions arguably contributed to his death, she needs to suffer before Vicky kills her.

Okay, so what about Hailey’s two best friends, the other campers who foiled her brother’s plot? Do they also need to suffer first? Well, not so much, no. But guess who kidnapped them? Hailey’s dad! Vicky busted him out of prison and demanded he abduct the two teenagers as payment. He obliged. He learns that he has a daughter. He goes to rescue her and is immediately shot by Temu Gale Weathers who just arrived on the scene. She literally says “Sorry about your dad” and THAT IS THE END OF THE DAD’S STORY ARC.

FFS, not-Gale: at least shoot the baddy now that you’re here. She takes aim. Click. Oh drat! She brought the gun that only had one bullet in it! Don’t you hate it when that happens?

Ale swears to Vicky Vance that she will piss on her grave. It’s quite a good line.

The teenagers get the upper hand and make a joke about hating pickles. Vicky Vance uses the souls of all those she sacrificed tonight to put a curse on Hailey: for the rest of your life, every burger you order will come with pickles. Hailey stabs her in the neck for this.

The book ends with the three friends driving out to Vicky Vance’s unmarked grave so Ale can piss on it. When they arrive, the grave is empty…

[Susanna Gervasoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually would have given more stars if it wasn’t for Westley he is so DAMN boring. Still nice book.

[Coraima · Rating 2 out of 5]

this could’ve been a fun bloody teen slasher book but it just didn’t fully deliver 😪

[Christine Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warnings listed in book:
- Emotional Manipulation
- Gore
- Murder
- Nudity
- Psychological Manipulation
- Sexual Content
- Torture
- Trauma
- Violence

Warnings I found that aren’t listed:
- Bondage
- Divorce
- Missing Child
- School Lockdown
- Spiked Drink

Representation:
- Adopted Family
- LGBTQ (female/female)

Words/Phrases that may bother some readers:
A
Areola - 1 time
Arousal - 1 time
Ass - 16 times
Asshole - 9 times
B
Batshit - 1 time
Bitch - 11 times
Blow - 1 time
Boner - 1 time
Breast - 4 times
Bullshit - 12 times
C
Cock - 1 time
Condom - 7 times
D
Daddy Third Leg - 1 time
Dammit - 1 time
Damn - 7 times
Dealer - 5 times
Dick - 3 times
Dickhead - 1 time
E
Erection - 1 time
Erotica - 1 time
F
Flaccid - 2 times
Fuck - 34 times
Fucked-up - 1 time
Fucking - 23 times
G
God (not religious) - 8 times
God (religious) - 1 time
Gone the Distance - 1 time
Groped - 1 time
H
Hand Job - 1 time
Hell - 18 times
Hooking Up - 1 time
Horndog - 1 time
Horniness 1 time
Horny - 3 times
L
Libido - 1 time
M
Masturbate - 1 time
Moisture Magnet - 1 time
N
Nipple - 2 times
O
Oh My God - 5 times
One Eyed Creature - 1 time
Orgasm - 2 times
P
Penis - 3 times
Perv - 1 time
Pervert - 2 times
Piss - 3 times
Pissed - 5 times
Popped My Cherry - 1 time
Porn - 5 times
Porno - 1 time
Promiscuous - 1 time
Prudish - 2 times
Pussy - 1 time
R
Ride - 1 time
Rubber Up - 1 time
S
Sadist - 1 time
Scary-ass - 1 time
Screw - 4 times
Sex Toy - 1 time
Shit - 21 times
Shit-eating - 1 time
Shitty - 4 times
Splash Zone - 1 time
Straddle - 1 time
Stroke - 1 time
Super Soaker - 1 time
T
Take Me - 1 time
Tits - 2 times
Titties - 2 times
Turn-On - 1 time
V
Vagina - 2 times
Virgin - 5 times
Virginity - 1 time
W
Wet Dream - 1 time

[Allyssa Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really happy this story focused on just a “core 3” with Hailey, Ale, and Billy. I felt the first book was a little too ambitious in terms of main characters and who to follow, so I appreciated that this book narrowed the scope a bit.
And I absolutely adore our main characters. Throughout the story, I told my friend, who I was reading the book with, that if any of them died, I’d have a hard time not DNFing the book lol. I especially loved the sweet little romance between Billy and Ale and the back and forth between them. Honestly at times, it felt like a cute YA romance, and I loved those moments.
As for the actual horror of the story. I did appreciate the brutality and horror. There was also a bit of humor in some of the deaths (like when the killer donned the school mascot’s costume). Those scenes definitely felt like a slasher movie, and I enjoyed them a lot.
The reveal for the killers wasn’t very surprising. Again, my friend and I did kind of track it throughout. I will say there was a good amount of foreshadowing for it. The reveal about Mrs. Ivory was well done. However, I thought it was a bit sudden how quickly Westley just milled himself simply because she told him to. No fight, just straight up did it. Like what?
And lastly, Hailey’s dad, the big mystery of the story. I really didn’t like how he basically was just a plot device for the entire thing. He doesn’t even show up until the very end, then is killed off before he can even truly redeem himself. Very unfortunate.
Overall, I did enjoy this story more than the first, but I don’t think I can rate it higher. Still enjoyable, though!

[Carrie Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭'𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞--𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬--𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥.

Picking up right where SUMMER CAMP FOR SLASHER VICTIMS left off, this installment sees the return of Hailey, whose summer at Camp Safe Woods was cut short because of the gruesome murders. She's living in a new town about to start her final semester of senior year with some familiar names, and she's got a big problem--bodies are starting to drop again. On top of that, she's dealing with the normal amount of angst you would expect from a teenage girl, which made for several lighthearted, black humor moments that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Hailey is desperate to find a distraction from all the carnage, so she busies herself with Prom Committee duties, whose members decide on a 1980s theme. Just when I thought I couldn't love this book any more, the nostalgia of songs from my youth provided a jarring juxtaposition to the eventual deceit and devastation that would ensue. There's one devastating storyline that will remind you of your own teen years, and the killer's identity was SO much fun to unmask!

Many thanks to the author for an early copy of this super fun slasher. Get caught up with the first one and be ready when this one publishes on May 8, 2025.

[Rae Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's harder than escaping a mass murder spree at a camp intended to be focused on RECOVERING from being a survivor of a mass murder spree? Doing it again, except this time, you're juggling finals and finding a prom date. That's what Hailey is facing-a new town, new school, same old bodies piling up around her.

Just in time for prom, Hailey's murderous father has escaped from prison and terrifying notes start showing up in her locker. All Hailey, Billy, and Ale want to do is survive high school and maybe even enjoy a rite of passage or two before the end of their careers, but at this point...they may just be scrambling to survive at all.

I absolutely LOVED the first entry in this slasher series, and this second entry falls right alongside it as a total hit. Familiar faces but a fresh perspective kept things fresh and still really captivating. The kills were, as always, disgusting which is what you want in a book like this one. Moving from the camp to a high school setting feels like we are hititng the big "slasher stages," and with this being a trilogy, I have a really good feeling about what Matthew Mercer is setting us up for in the big finale.

Fab summer slasher, perfect for the end of the school year and a summerween kinda vibe.

[Alysha Everwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in this on going series, “Summer Camp for Slasher Victims,” so when I saw this one coming out, I had to pick it up!
One of the most iconic places in horror for a slashing is prom, and this one follows a survivor from the first book, which was fun to see more of them. This one didn’t grip me quite as much as the previous as I found it a bit slower, but the vibes were great, and it was interesting to see where the characters went and how it all played out even though it was a bit predictable for me, so the suspense wasn’t as strong here.
However The slasher moments were great horror and I did enjoy our main protagonist. I do look forward to reading more of these books, but I have to say I’m a sucker for summer camp books, so I may be a be a bit biased when it comes to these two.

[L.E Mrlz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Summer Camp for Slasher Victims series, and honestly, I enjoyed the first one a lot more. This installment felt overly “teen,” even with its lewd content, and at times it was just plain cringe. I found myself wanting to DNF it more than once. The dad also came across more as a plot device than a real character.

That said, the story really picked up around the 80% mark. While I had already figured out who the main villain was, the twist still managed to catch me off guard.

It’s a fun read for teens just getting into thrillers, but probably not the best fit for adult readers.

P.S. Ale is a terrible friend. Some of her backhanded comments to Hailey were genuinely concerning.