How to Survive a Horror Movie

How to Survive... #1

by Scarlett Dunmore

Horror movie enthusiast Charley is determined to keep a low profile when she's enrolled to a girls' boarding school on a remote island. That is, until someone starts killing off her senior class! From elaborate scare tactics to severed heads in fridges, Charley has found herself at the centre of a teen horror movie. And that's not the only alarming thing that's happening - she's now seeing the ghosts of her former classmates!? Haunted by her peers, and with everyone beginning to suspect her, Charley decides to do something about it. She and her only best friend Olive are going to solve the murders and find out who's killing off the class before graduation. Charley just needs those pesky ghosts to shut up and give her a hand...
A fast-paced tongue-in-cheek YA novel about two friends trying to survive senior year - literally!
Perfect for fans of Fear Street, The Midnight Club and the SCREAM franchise.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Audiobook, LGBT, Lesbian

352 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2025

About the author

Scarlett studied English and Creative Writing, eventually finding a love for YA literature. When she’s not writing, she can often be found watching scary films or exploring abandoned abbeys, old cemeteries and ruined castles in Scotland for inspiration.

Reviews

[Aisvarya (Semi-hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, fast-paced, gripping read

Having rewatched the Scream movies already this month, I was craving something with similar vibes, and this both delivered & didn't?!

What to expect -
👻YA dark academia & horror
👻Teen drama (the usual mean girls & bullying)
👻Slasher vibes
👻Paranormal elements (ghosts that haunt our FMC)
👻Serial killer on the loose
👻Isolated setting
👻Nod to the classic horror movies (a self-aware YA read)

The novel is set in an all-girls boarding school located on an isolated Irish island, with no contact to the outside world other than their all-boys counterpart on the other side of the island. And we follow Charley, a horror movie fanatic who's recently transferred to the school, who seems to be hiding a dark past. And when students start dying one by one, the deaths are brushed off as suicides, but Charley knows better because she can see their ghosts. What follows is a heart-chilling ride of Charley trying to escape the killer, uncover his identity, and convince the adults that everyone's in danger!!

This was so fast-paced & thrilling that I could not stop listening!! The isolated island setting is always a hit for me, and it worked perfectly here. The cold winds, eerie atmosphere, and Charley's nighttime investigations added another layer of creepiness. And the number of times she came close to the killer (who was literally toying with her) genuinely gave me chills.

And what I loved even more about the book than the setting were the paranormal elements cuz having the ghosts interact with the FMC and help her uncover the truth and find the killer was so unique. And one particular ghost was hilariously dramatic, and wouldn't shut up, and gave quite a hard time to the FMC🤭 and I just loved her!!

And the twists were a bit predictable imo, I guess anyone obsessed with horror movies would probably see them coming from a mile away. But did it take away my enjoyment? Absolutely not!!! In fact, the execution of the reveals was perfect, and I think anyone newer to the genre would be extremely shocked by them.

The only thing that didn't work for me was having just one pov cuz we have to wait for Charley to find each body or predict the next victim, and such. I kept wishing for either the killer's pov or even the victims' which would've been more terrifying and immersive as it would've offered me first row seats to the killings (that's my favorite part in horror movies, witnessing the chaos and killings from up close). And I'm guessing the author toned down the gore since it's YA, which is totally fine, but I still wanted a bit more.

Other than that, this was a perfect spooky season read that was fun, chilling, and impossible to put down. I would highly recommend it if you're a fan of Scream, Fear Street, or any classic horror movie, because this book truly felt like it was made for us fans!!!

✨Pre-read -
Rewatching the Scream movies over the weekend has me craving something similar.

[faith𝜗𝜚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you so much edelweiss and union square for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

| 3.3 | 13+ |

i. characters

there were a lot of characters so i only included the ones i remembered the most!

charley i loveddd charley!! she kind of reminded me of myself, a loser girl with an obsession with movies 😭😭 i think all her actions and reactions were justified, she was written well all together.

olive ok well i mean 😭😭😭 once you read this book, you’ll understand, but because i can’t get any spoilers, you’ll just have to accept whatever that is. olive was fine in some parts!! 😁

meghan meghan is 1000% my favorite character. she was very effortlessly funny and i loved every scene she was in.

rochelle i… im… i think rochelle was a little bland? she was supposed to be the main “villain” of sorts, but i don’t really think her actions made any sense. like i didn’t get her. rochelle was like a walmart brand regina george 🤧

saoirse i mean she was just okay! i didn’t care about her too much about her until the very end

ii. plot

while a little stereotypical, i think the plot was pretty fun, even tho it was a little slow at first.

iii. writing style

this was scarlett dunmore’s first book, and saying that, i think her writing was great! she obviously has room for improvement but this was great for her debut.

preread thank you edelweiss and union square for this arc!

prereview rtc😪😪

[Celine | stuffcelinereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ★

My horror/slasher fan self had the very best time with this book !

How to Survive a Horror Movie will be perfect for you if you love :
🔪 slasher movies
👻 ghosts & hauntings
🎞️ early 2000's horror movies vibes
🕯️ dark academia settings
🪓 a good final girl moment
💀 some gruesome deaths
🍿 a popcorn read

How to Survive a Horror Movie follows our horror movie nerd Charley at her new boarding school on a remote island. But when the bodies of her classmates start to pile up, Charley realizes that there's a killer on the loose and that she might be the main character of her own horror movie.
Stuck on the island, with the help of her bestie and freshly-killed-ghost-classmates, Charley sets up to solve the murders and uncover the killer before it's too late ...

I honestly didn't know what to expect going into this book and what a surprise !
It was fast paced, action packed, funny, witty and filled with horror references. The author navigates the do's and don'ts of the genre with each chapter throughout the book giving us just the right amount of excitement about what might happen next. The characters were carved enough to give them some depth without disturbing the flow of the mystery and even though some moments and dialogues felt cringy (after all it is YA and they're all teenagers) and almost too cliché, they bounced back thanks to the plot twists. The author also didn't shy away from gory scenes which I appreciated and created some very atmospheric settings.

This book is to be read as an ode to the slasher genre (think scream, i know what you did last summer, etc.) and as such has many plot holes that i more than gladly ignored for the overall enjoyment of the story. I would have loved for more stalking build up from the killer and for a more elaborate ending as well but was happily surprised by the announcement of a sequel !

Lastly, I know that arcs have typos and structural errors but as i've read published books filled with them lately (ugh), I want to quickly mention that I hope they'll be corrected for the final copies so that i can buy an edition to reread and annotate !

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Tiger Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Heads in freezers? Bodies in cupboards? Serial killers in masks?”

"Mean Girls" meets "Scream" in this tropey horror-comedy packed with witty dialogue and classic horror movie references.

Grab your popcorn, a cosy blanket, and get ready for a book that feels just like one of your favourite slasher films. "How to Survive a Horror Movie" by Scarlett Dunmore is a real page-turner. Perfect for reading in one sitting!

Horror movie lover Charley Ryan isn’t expecting much from her new all girls' boarding school... until her classmates start dying in ways that feel straight out of a slasher film. As if that’s not enough, Charley’s also starting to see the ghosts of the girls who’ve been killed. Suddenly, her love of horror feels a little too real.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately, and this book was exactly what I needed to snap out of it! It had everything I love in a horror movie: an isolating setting, mean girls, tropey characters, and some brutally fun deaths. I especially enjoyed that each chapter was named after classic horror movie rules like "don't go outside to investigate". A clever touch that added both flair and homage to the genre.

I'd highly recommend this one to all horror movie fans! Especially if you're looking for a quick and fun read.

The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I found the plot twist a bit too predictable as I guessed it from the very beginning. Still, it was super entertaining to read, and I'm glad I stumbled across it!

Thank you so much to Union Square & Co. - A subsidiary of Sterling Publishing, as well as Netgalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published September 9, 2025.

3 stars

Charley Ryan and her best friend Olive are students at Harrogate, a boarding school for girls located on a remote island in the UK. They are both horror fanatics, watching their favorite slasher films all the time.

They get a taste of real life horror when girls start ending their lives at the school…or are they being murdered? Why do Charley and Olive find each of the bodies? And why is Charley seeing their ghosts?

So, this one wasn’t too grounded in reality (see, also, the ghost thing,) and forget the quibbling over whether the deaths were from suicide or murder, why isn’t the the school administration a wee bit more upset over the deaths, whatever the reason? This is definitely YA for YA, no adult is going to stand for these sorts of plot problems.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. - A subsidiary of Sterling Publishing | Union Square & Co. for access to this title. I am auto-approved by the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

This YA novel is good for readers of any age who love to curl up and relax with their favourite slasher films. The movie references galore would have anyone salivating. I wanted some escapism, and this was a good book to reach for during my bedtime reading sessions.

Boarding school, remote island, deaths starting to pile up and paranormal activity- oh my! When the main protagonist, Charly, who is obsessed with horror films, becomes the prime suspect, she needs to clear her name.

It was fun and pure escapism, and it sated my thirst to be able to relax and enjoy. I liked that all the chapters were titled as tricks to avoid dying in the film genre.





Publication Date 09/09/25
Goodreads Review 13/09/25
#HowtoSurviveaHorrorMovie #NetGalley

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to temper my expectations on this one, as I went into it thinking it was going to be very much horror with a little satire along the lines of Scream, when it was actually much more dark comedy and slapstick like Scary Movie.

What I liked:
- Each chapter title being a horror movie rule: so fun!
- The MC Charley was both funny and relatable, while she has the horror movie smarts she's just super unco and not the most athletic (running from the killer whilst lamenting her missed P.E. classes as she's huffing and puffing did make me chuckle).
- The overly gory deaths were great and just that bit over the top enough that they ranged from disgusting to hilarious, and back again.
- The Killer. I did work it out but I didn't fully have the motive down and I thought it was goooood, so it was good pay off.

What I didn't like:
- Dumb adults everywhere, forcing the teens to have to do all the adulting and solving. I know this is a standard trope in Y.A. but it was bordering on ridiculous here.
- The horror hommages were not as subtle and clever as they could have been, Charley and her best friend Olive basically just name-drop several horror movies and franchises every chapter without actually being clever about it or using those references to subvert expectations.
- The humour. I wanted to like it but it was just too over the top, and as I mentioned earlier, moved this one from Scream territory right into Scary Movie silliness.

What The:
- Charley refers to Heathers as underrated... uhh, I think you mean the cult classic Heathers, Charley, come on now.


Overall, this was a fun read but definitely aimed more at younger readers, or the uninitiated when it comes to horror. Older readers and horror fans may find it just a bit too silly.

3.5 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

[Willow Heath]

Set in a girls' boarding school on an isolated English island, How to Survive a Horror Movie is a young adult novel that blends the crime/mystery genre with horror elements and themes. We follow Charley, a new transfer to the school who quickly bonded with Olive over their love of horror books and movies. They're the school outcasts, and soon enough they'll make a habit of finding the dead bodies of fellow students.

Over and over, Charley and Olive find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, and things get stranger when the ghosts of these girls return and cling to Charley as she takes up the cause of finding the killer who is on the loose at their boarding school. How to Survive a Horror Movie is as much a crime novel as it is a horror-slasher. It blends ghosts and a fun gore factor with the mystery of a good whodunnit.

My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/young-adult-b...

[Yara’s Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆

How to Survive a Horror Movie had an intriguing premise, a horror-loving teen navigating a creepy all-girls boarding school with a killer on the loose and ghosts in tow. I appreciated the nods to classic slasher tropes and the humor around horror rules, which felt like a fun tribute for fans of the genre.

That said, while the story had its entertaining moments, I struggled to stay fully engaged. The characters felt a bit underdeveloped, and the banter between Charley and Olive didn’t always land. It sometimes pulled me out of the tension rather than building it. The mystery was predictable in places, but the paranormal twist added some freshness.

Overall, it’s a decent YA horror with a creative setup and moments of charm, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

[Horror Sickness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charley has a second chance to start fresh in her new school. Leaving her past behind she is ready to blend in and not draw any attention to herself. She also loves horror movies and has a big collection of movies that she watches with her roommate, and so far only friend at the boarding school, Olive.

However, her plans will not quite work out because someone is killing the girls at her school and she finds herself in the middle of her own personal horror movie.

Not only are girls being murdered, but Charley is able to see and talk to their ghosts. Her mission: find the killer before more people die and most importantly, before the killer comes for her.

There were many things that I enjoyed about this book, like all the references to classic horror and all the banter between Charley and Olive. We had the typical mean girls at school and the love interest.

The chapters were named after rules for surviving a horror movie and that was a really cute touch. However I did find the mystery part lacking some tension and I believe part of it was because all the ghost talking felt very comedic to me and took me out of the horror and the mystery too much. It was more of a friendly ghost mystery than a real murder mystery for me. Which is also a lot of fun to read and it made this book quite cozy as well but I guess I had other expectations for this one.

There was not a moment in the book where I was really scared for our main character and I think is also because this book did feel very young YA and more of a cozy mystery read than a bloody murder mystery.

I did guess who was the culprit, which I rarely do, and this makes me think that it was predictable. But I do not want to be too harsh on the book because I did enjoy the reading experience and I would pick up the next book by the author as well.

[nico · Rating 2 out of 5]

it’s good if you want to be introduced to slasher films. if you’re an avid fan, you’ll definitely find it bland.

[Shae Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ - What a fun and campy read!

We follow Charley, a die-hard horror fan attending an all girls boarding school on a remote island. When her classmates start dropping like flies, Charley realises she might be living through her very own horror film. Armed with her list of horror movie rules, she has to figure out the killer’s identity while doing everything she can to stay alive.

This book is fast paced, witty, and packed with action, and I had such a great time with all the horror references scattered throughout. It felt like a nostalgic ode to the slashers I grew up loving, such as Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. I enjoyed the sapphic romantic subplot and thought it added a layer of charm alongside all the chaos and carnage.

I absolutely loved that each chapter was titled with a classic rule for surviving a horror movie, which cleverly tied into the events that followed. It was such a smart and playful detail that made the story even more enjoyable.

The dialogue occasionally leaned a little young for me, but that’s part of its YA charm, and the sheer fun of the plot more than made up for it. Honestly, it gave me big Goosebumps vibes! It had everything I love in a slasher: an eerie isolated setting, mean girls, and some gloriously over-the-top deaths. This is one for horror fans who want something light, fun, and fast!

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for the ARC.

[Helena (helinabooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! a bit predictable, but really fun if you're into slashers!

[Evangeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Little Tiger Press for sending me an arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Charley is an absolute horror movie buff, so when someone starts killing off her classmates she is the first to try and solve the case. But people are starting to suspect her, and now she's possibly being haunted?! Can she prove her innocence and find out what is going on before it's too late?

This was SO. MUCH. FUN!! The nods to many of the horror classics and the little easter eggs really made it for me. I really loved the setting of a boarding school on a remote island, it was suuuuper creepy. Charley was a layered character and totally relatable (for the most part) but she seemed realistic and I really appreciated that. This is for lovers of Scooby Doo and I Know What You Did Last Summer. This is a letter to all the weird kids who would rather stay in watching old horror films and I am absolutely here for that because I was and always will be one of them!

-


-

I’ve just finished this so full review on the way but I just had to say OH MY GOODNESS!!! This was BRILLIANT 😍

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

slayyyy, or should I say Slash?

thank you to Scarlett Dunmore, PrideBookTours and Little Tiger Publishers for the finished copy in exchange for the promotion of book 2 :)

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great fun! An impressive homage to all the best horror films, whilst also poking fun at them and itself. It was a wild ride and I spy the sequel…

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to the YA horror pantheon Charley Sullivan, final girl candidate and slasher / horror movie fiend extraordinaire.

After being offered a 'fresh start', Charley has enrolled at a girls’ boarding school on a remote island and everything is ticking along just fine until someone starts killing off girls in her year group. The school head, determined to avoid headlines and controversy labels them as accidents but Charley knows the rules of horror and knows that there is no way that these are anything but the actions of vicious serial killer. Adding a complication to the situation, she finds herself haunted by the ghosts of her dead classmates and quickly realises that it's up to her, her best (only) friend, Olive, and hopefully the ghosts, to solve the murders, survive the killings and not get kicked out of school.

This was such a fun, fast-paced and humorous YA horror debut from Scarlett Dunmore and thankfully is the opening book in a series.

The book is broken up by Charley's rules to survive a horror movie, rather than traditional chapters and it's absolutely filled to the brim with slasher and horror movie references, and plenty of Stephen King. I think Charley would get on very well with Mindy Meeks-Martin and Kirby Reed (from the Scream franchise), with her encyclopaedic knowledge of horror, especially teen horror and slashers and it's worked into the story effectively to help her work out the solutions to the murders.

I did wonder as I was reading if the target audience would appreciate the references used as at points this does read like a younger YA with the narrative voice, but as an adult reader who grew up with it all I lapped it up!

Considering that it does read as a younger YA there were some surprisingly brutal scenes, but again, as an adult reader I appreciated that it didn't shy away from clearly being a horror though it may be a little much for some younger readers. There are some tongue-in-cheek elements that help give a break from the tension and I appreciated the fast pace and what felt like non stop action which kept the story moving forward.

I'm excited that this is the opening book in a series, especially after the cliffhanger at the end and I'll definitely be picking up book 2 when it's released!

4.25*

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Tiger Group | Little Tiger for this digital review copy of "How To Survive A Horror Movie" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

[Marion J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Island wildlife was vicious and unpredictable. Much like the Sixth-Year girls’

In an attempt to escape her troubled past, Charley is sent to an all-girls' boarding school on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. This is a chance to leave her mistakes behind and focus on keeping a low profile and passing her final year. Easy enough, she thinks, until her classmates start dying one by one. As the token Horror Movie Nerd and the only one that can communicate with her classmates’ ghosts, Charley takes matters into her own hands to solve the murders.

As a lover of horror, especially meta slashers such as Scream, I was incredibly excited about this one. Described as a ‘tongue-in-cheek twist on the classic teen horror’, I was immediately sold. Unfortunately, this was quite the disappointment.

Each chapter is a horror survival rule but instead of subverting them, it follows them to a T. Of course, a certain level of adhering to the tropes is necessary, but How to Survive a Horror Movie does absolutely nothing original. Instead of trusting its audience to know the works that are referenced, it spells them out every single time. There is nothing subtle here, and unfortunately, simply mentioning the work that you are copying is not the same as paying homage to it.

With all that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed parts of this. Charley calling the cult classic Heathers an “underrated movie” genuinely made me laugh, and the climax was fast-paced and well written. Extra points for the fact that the main character is a lesbian, too, which was wonderful. Horror has always been queer, and I have loved seeing all of the explicitly gay stories that have been coming out recently.

How to Survive a Horror Movie is not a play on the genre, it is an introduction to it. If you are over the age of 15 and well versed in the horror genre, skip this one yourself, but maybe buy it for a younger relative as a gateway to the lovely messed up little world that is horror literature and film.

Thank you NetGalley and Little tiger group for my review copy!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grisly, sharp valentine to all things slasher, How to Survive a Horror Movie was the ultimate treat for horror enthusiasts, shocking and bloody and utterly eccentric. Scarlett Dunmore’s House of Horrors was an illustrious study in the frightening and the macabre, genres of literature and film that have carved out their rightful places in pop culture; smug final girls, final-act unmaskings and ominous phone calls, protagonists and scream queens dripping in pigs’ blood and prom queens speared and slaughtered. The rules for survival at the beginning of each chapter were downright delightful and unique, fitting in with the flavour of the novel perfectly. From Scream to Carrie to I Know What You Did Last Summer, Dunmore touches all fright-night bases to excite readers as our favourite horror tropes unfold play-by-play on the pages. Harrogate, an isolated, weatherworn boarding school that deserts its students on a rocky, atmospheric island, truly elevated the slasher to a whole new level - a most unnerving choice of setting in imposing stone monasteries and jagged cliffs, salty tides and dark, crashing waves, an opulent school shrouded in the gloom and shadows of The Harrogate Halloween Killer. While the prose and dialogue itself read nearly too close to insupportable YA, the gore, wit and twisting mystery kept me hooked all the way through. The cast of colourful characters, prescribed and moulded to the tried-and-tested slasher formula, were incredibly funny and multi-dimensional; hordes of teenage girls in short skirts and a penchant for hysterics, ghosts belting in Broadway pitch and Heathers-inspired scream queens that extended a great amount of depth to the story. The third-act reveal was executed exceptionally, with echoes of the ghosts of Horror’s past tied up in the winding spectacle, and the cliffhanger was remarkably clever and witty. Heathers meets halloween, this was an incredibly easy, entertaining, and at some points childish read. I look forward to the next instalment! 4 stars.

[Clair Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the horror movie genre so this was exactly the sort of book I knew I’d enjoy. Set in a girls boarding school on a remote island, Charley has only recently started but luckily has a best friend in Olive who as well as her roommate is a huge horror fan too - their favourite way to spend a Saturday night is with a horror film. She is also majoring crushing on fellow student Saoirse.
When girls start getting murdered, and Charley starts seeing their ghosts, she finds herself in the middle of what feels like a real life horror film but luckily she knows all the rules!
I really enjoyed this YA tribute to some of my favourite horror movies of the 80s and 90s. Charley is a great heroine and together with Olive, they try and work out who the murderer could be. With just the right amount of gore, this was a fun horror read that YA readers (and much older readers) will enjoy!

[Clodagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun murder mystery, a perfect read for Halloween-time! It has a bit of a slow start but once it got going, I found it hard to put down. I really liked the unique idea of having the ghosts try to help with solving the mystery and feel like they added a lot to the story. Despite its sometimes grisly contents and tense, scary scenes, this book is also pretty funny. The ending is both unpredictable and satisfying and sets it up well for a sequel. I definitely recommend this as a quick, fun, mystery read and look forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 but with the caveat that 15-year-old me would have loved this and I completely appreciate I’m not the target audience.

As a 35-year-old, the amount of “I’m not like other girls,” energy from the main character just made me cringe. The other female characters were one dimensional stereotypes who didn’t even gain more dimension once they were ghosts.

Also, the horror movie references could have used a bit more subtlety rather than name checking a different horror movie every couple of pages just for the sake of it.

It was a good mindless read for my holiday, but I can’t say I would recommend it even to my younger friends.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It is reasonably short being under 300 pages and had good pacing throughout the book. I did enjoy the setting and felt it fit the story that was being told. I enjoyed the Horror / Slasher references and how they also applied during this book. I did guess part of the twist at the end of the book but it was still an exciting reveal. I would recommend this books and would read more by this author!

[Chloe]

#Netgalley

How To Survive A Horror Movie is a brand new YA novel described as the perfect choice for fans of Scream, Fear Street, and The Midnight Club. I can’t resist a creepy tale at this time ot year, so was eager to read this, especially given the setting.

Charley has just enrolled in a private girls boarding school on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. She’s hoping for a fresh start after a bad break up with her ex girlfriend and a murky past that’s alluded to throughout the book.
Luckily she becomes the best of friends with her roommate Olive; they both share a love of horror movies and have regular cosy nights watching slashers while a storm rages outside.
All is well then until bodies of fellow students start showing up, but it’s always Charley and Olive that seem to find them.
Charley becomes convinced there’s a serial killer on the island but no one will believe her. Can she convince everyone before she’s the next victim?!

This is a fun, very self-aware read, much in the style of Randy from Scream’s “rules for surviving a horror movie”. There is also a supernatural element which may not be for everyone, but added to the not-quite-reality vibes for me.
The setting is also great; a properly gothic old school building with the cliffs surrounding it a constant threat, and only the rough sea as an escape. Love.

On the slightly negative side, there’s a good bit of repetition. Charley reports that her thighs are on fire about 5 different times when she’s forced to run to escape someone. This is the difference sometimes with YA writing. It probably won’t be an issue for a younger audience reading this, but it did grate on my nerves after a while.
I also predicted the ending but I am a horror movie nerd, so that’s probably not too surprising 😅

A fun read for #SpookySeason, that will be a big hit with a YA audience.

With many thanks to @netgalley and @littletigerbooks for my early copy. #HowToSurviveAHorrorMovie is available to buy now. All opinions are my own, as always.

[Dinah · Rating 2 out of 5]

ich hab das buch in london gekauft, weil ich das cover total mochte und auch den klappentext interessant fand. desto enttäuschter war ich, als charley sich schon in den ersten kapiteln als komplett oberflächliche person herausgestellt hat, die definitiv „not like the other girls“ ist. man muss nicht 5 mal erwähnen, wie kurz und eng rochelles rock ist, damit ich check, dass ich sie deshalb nicht mögen soll. charley hatte außerdem keine anderen charakterzüge, außer dass sie horrorfilme und stephen king bücher mag. ich mochte die freundschaft zwischen ihr und olive (am ende logischerweise nichtmehr, nachdem olive ihr ein messer in den rücken gerammt hat). als für das erste ermordete mädchen eine trauerfeier abgehalten wurde machen charley und olive witze und lachen in der kirche und wundern sich dann, dass sie böse blicke zugeworfen bekommen??? generell waren beide sehr respektlos gegenüber den toten, wurden dafür aber nie zurechtgewiesen. mein favourite charakter war glaub ich der geist von meghan, sie war sarkastisch, lustig und hat charley genervt. ich hätte charley am liebsten einige male an den schultern gepackt und geschüttelt, wenn sie mal wieder dumme sachen gemacht hat. wer trifft sich nachts mit einer unbekannten person wenn grade ein serienmörder frei rumläuft?? warum gehst du während eines lockdowns raus mit deiner erzfeindin??
eigentlich wollte ich nur einen stern geben, aber ich mochte die geister und die idee des buches, deswegen gibts 2.
ich hätte mir das geld sparen können und einfach eine story auf wattpad lesen können.

[shelvesofstephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75 rounded up)
“How to Survive a Horror Movie” by Scarlett Dunmore

What a slicing good time! 🔪

I picked this up right when I needed it most…right after an extremely dark and emotional read. I wanted something cheeky, fast-paced, spooky, and just plain fun. That’s exactly what this book delivered.

As a Scream fan, this book was right up my alley. Even though it’s labeled YA, it didn’t water down the gore or suspense, it just gave it to me with the humor and drama of teenage girls.

The story follows Charley, a new transfer student at Harrogate School for Girls, a boarding school on a remote island. She and her roommate Olive bond over horror movies, but their scary movie nights take a turn when a student turns up dead. Then another. Then another. Each murder looks like it’s been pulled straight from a horror movie.

Charley, who knows the “rules” of surviving a scary movie better than anyone, finds herself caught in the middle, and eventually at the top of the suspect list. To survive, and clear her name, she has to use her horror movie knowledge to figure out who’s next before it’s her.

I tore through this one and laughed out loud more than a few times, especially during Charley’s scenes with her dead classmates. I thought I had the killer figured out, but that final twist had me second-guessing myself. And the setup for book two…Couldn’t be more fitting for a “smug final girl” who hates sequels.

It’s gory, ridiculous, and smart in all the right ways, like Scream meets Scream Queens. Definitely one I’d recommend for spooky season, and I’ll be picking up the “sequel” for a future palate cleanser.

[mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

não esperava nada desse tipo nesse livro!
para quem gosta da pegada de slasher e ainda gosta de final girls esse livro é para você!
a história é situada numa ilha na Irlanda no colégio interno só para meninas,e a nossa final girl é a charley que é apaixonada por filmes de terror, quando mortes estranhas acontecem dentro da escola ela e sua amiga começam a investigar estas mortes,e a nossa história fica super interessante daí😼
eu como sou apaixonada por filmes de terror igual a nossa menina charley,AMEI esse livro e estou indicando para Deus e o mundo.
eu AMEI AMEI ele e tem plot twists! então leiam.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love this one, but I didn't hate it. Charley is actually a fairly likable character. I kind of felt bad for her because she was really just trying to start over, yet she kept finding dead bodies. Which only brought more attention to her. Still it was predicable and if you pay attention to the book you will be able to call the killer pretty easily. I also think that it would have been better without the ghosts. Having it be more of a true teen slasher without the paranormal aspect, would have made me enjoy it more. The ghosts really took me out of the creepy atmosphere especially since they were kind of comical. Still it's a quick read and worth giving a shot.

[Carolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not the biggest horror movie fan, but since the scream tv series was one of my favorite and Charley sounds just like Noah Foster, I was really excited to read How to Survive a Horror Movie. I was thoroughly disappointed. This book had everything to be great: highschool, mean girls and mystery. Unfortunately, it was anything but. I didn't enjoy Charley's character and could pretty much guess who the killer was halfway through the story, so I wasn't really surprised by the last few chapters.