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Three-Fingered Willy
1981. The Reagan era begins. Kids line up at arcades to plunk quarters into Donkey Kong machines. 750 million tune in to watch Prince Charles and Diana tie the knot. Olivia Newton John gets physical on something called Mtv. And in Crystal Falls, New Hampshire, teenagers are getting hacked to pieces by a hedge shear-wielding lunatic at Camp Mattapan.
Pamela was excited to return to camp and reunite with her old friends for some good ole Mattapan-mania. But swimming, kickball, archery, and the rest of the camp classics aren’t the only activities scheduled – this summer, BLOODY MURDER has been added to the itinerary!
As the hacked-up bodies of Pamela’s friends pile up, suspicions arise that this might be the work of camp legend Three-Fingered Willy, a former handyman who went crazy and fled to the woods after losing two fingers in an accident. But surely that can’t be. Three-Fingered Willy is just a campfire tale… isn’t he?
But Pamela knows the truth. Three-Fingered WIlly is real. She and her friends were there the night of his “accident.” Not only were they there, they were responsible. Now, after all these years, it seems Willy is back for his revenge.
Weaving over-the-top gore, outrageous comedy, and genuine horror, “Three-Fingered Willy” is a blood-soaked love letter to the summer camp slashers of the early 1980s. So pull up your tube socks, squeeze into those tight dolphin shorts, and prepare for Willy to slash his way into your heart… and guts.
Pamela was excited to return to camp and reunite with her old friends for some good ole Mattapan-mania. But swimming, kickball, archery, and the rest of the camp classics aren’t the only activities scheduled – this summer, BLOODY MURDER has been added to the itinerary!
As the hacked-up bodies of Pamela’s friends pile up, suspicions arise that this might be the work of camp legend Three-Fingered Willy, a former handyman who went crazy and fled to the woods after losing two fingers in an accident. But surely that can’t be. Three-Fingered Willy is just a campfire tale… isn’t he?
But Pamela knows the truth. Three-Fingered WIlly is real. She and her friends were there the night of his “accident.” Not only were they there, they were responsible. Now, after all these years, it seems Willy is back for his revenge.
Weaving over-the-top gore, outrageous comedy, and genuine horror, “Three-Fingered Willy” is a blood-soaked love letter to the summer camp slashers of the early 1980s. So pull up your tube socks, squeeze into those tight dolphin shorts, and prepare for Willy to slash his way into your heart… and guts.
253 pages, Paperback
Published July 16, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 19, 2025
Neal McLaughlin - Three Fingered Willy
If a book had ever called out to me more then I'd be surprised. This is everything I love!
* Camp Slasher
* Horror Movie References
* Set in the 80s
* Tongue-in-Cheek Humour
* Gratuitous Gore
* Sensless Smut
Three Fingered Willy is the lovechild of Friday The 13th, The Burning & Sleepaway Camp. It makes no apologies to that. Set in 1981, at Camp Mattapan in Crystal Falls, Pamela and her pals are back for another year at camp.
But this year, someone is lurking in the shadows, peaking at girls in the showers and creeping up on teenagers making out, and they are wielding garden shears and bad intentions. Rumours circulate about the legend of Three Fingered Willy, a handyman who once came to a tragic end at that very camp. He lost some fingers.
This is Laymon if he was asked to write an 80s slasher in the vein of Friday The 13th. There is teenage angst, drugs, coming-of-age relationships, and boobs... lots of boobs.
McLaughlin tickles your nostalgic fancy with many, many references to keep evey 80s child happy, it has tropes galore and is a bingo card of a slasher Movie. I absolutely loved it! It's fun. It's entertaining. And one of my most enjoyable reads if the year so far.
Five stars all the blooming way!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If a book had ever called out to me more then I'd be surprised. This is everything I love!
* Camp Slasher
* Horror Movie References
* Set in the 80s
* Tongue-in-Cheek Humour
* Gratuitous Gore
* Sensless Smut
Three Fingered Willy is the lovechild of Friday The 13th, The Burning & Sleepaway Camp. It makes no apologies to that. Set in 1981, at Camp Mattapan in Crystal Falls, Pamela and her pals are back for another year at camp.
But this year, someone is lurking in the shadows, peaking at girls in the showers and creeping up on teenagers making out, and they are wielding garden shears and bad intentions. Rumours circulate about the legend of Three Fingered Willy, a handyman who once came to a tragic end at that very camp. He lost some fingers.
This is Laymon if he was asked to write an 80s slasher in the vein of Friday The 13th. There is teenage angst, drugs, coming-of-age relationships, and boobs... lots of boobs.
McLaughlin tickles your nostalgic fancy with many, many references to keep evey 80s child happy, it has tropes galore and is a bingo card of a slasher Movie. I absolutely loved it! It's fun. It's entertaining. And one of my most enjoyable reads if the year so far.
Five stars all the blooming way!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 17, 2025
Three Fingered Willy by Neal McLaughlin
I received this ARC from the author and instantly I was hooked. I'm a sucker for all things horror/slasher and that's exactly what this book gives you.
The nostalgia feeling I felt of watching a b rated horror movie from the 80s stayed with me throughout the entire read. If you're ever at camp and hear stories about Three-Fingered Willy, checkout and go home. I have this book a 4.5 ghouls. 👻👻👻👻🎃
I received this ARC from the author and instantly I was hooked. I'm a sucker for all things horror/slasher and that's exactly what this book gives you.
The nostalgia feeling I felt of watching a b rated horror movie from the 80s stayed with me throughout the entire read. If you're ever at camp and hear stories about Three-Fingered Willy, checkout and go home. I have this book a 4.5 ghouls. 👻👻👻👻🎃
January 14, 2026
“No no no, everything was just fine over at Camp Mattapan. So somebody kept leaving him severed fingers. So what? Just another camp prank, right? Haha, all in good fun. Like all those ding-dog ditches over the years, or that time somebody had stolen his underpants and run them up the flagpole.
Yup, all’s good at Camp Mattapan, folks.
Everything’s just fine…” (199).
***Spoilers included***
Five super fun stars from my husband and me (I read to him while he drives). We went on a weekend trip that involved driving, but ended up reading it a ton while our kids napped as well because we were so invested!
I’m not going to write a big plot synopsis because I think I’ll remember this one well and I write these reviews for myself firstly, but if you’re a fan of the Sleepaway Camp series (and I am, especially the second one), you’ll probably enjoy it! McLaughlin even wrote that he was inspired by that movie trilogy as well as other 80s slasher movies and he nailed it.
The book starts out with a bang with Betsy, the mother of Will, coming out and screaming to Peggy that everyone will pay and a car getting damaged. My husband even uttered “Jesus Christ!” as I read it. Then, Peggy dies and it reminded me of Drew Barrymore’s part in Scream since viewers were led to believe she would be the protagonist.
McLaughlin has either been to summer camp himself or could imagine it pretty accurately. My husband went to summer camp growing up and agreed with the beginning discussion of how people could be radically different in a year. I only went to girl scout summer camps, but I think McLaughlin did well representing a range of teenagers: The inexperienced nerds, the guy who has a glow up, the pervy boy, the self-absorbed girl, etc. The characterization was rich and had us laughing the whole time: “He didn’t usually get ‘method’ with his fabrications. He’d claim he was going to pork Lily Malick during lunch, never leave the lunch table, then later brag about how he porked Lily Malick during lunch, despite the fact that, as mentioned, he hadn’t left the lunch table” (191). He didn’t write about the characters; he really got in their heads and made readers see what they were thinking, which was hilarious.
He even nailed some of the adults: “[A]way from Ginny’s incessant nagging. Just that afternoon she’d been on him about leaving his muddy work boots on the living room carpet [. . .] Then she’d pissed and moaned about him putting an empty ketchup bottle back in the refrigerator that morning [. . .] ‘If it’s empty it goes in the trash!’ she’d said, like he’s supposed to be some mind reader” (32). This perfectly summed up men on one page!
The banter between characters was pretty fun as well, some of our favorites being:
“Fishing is an overgenerous term for what Harold does.”
“Yesterday he caught something.”
“What, a buzz?”
Pamela not getting the hint that David wanted nothing to do with her in the equipment shed.
Jasper telling the bunkmates: “Some of the pages are stuck together, but there are always going to be a few casualties in every war” (102).
Steve’s dream with Betsy where they kept calling each other ridiculous pet names like “enchanting prince” and “sacred treasure” (126).
Steve and Cunninham’s exchanges:
“Well, I got news for you, Cunningham. I’m a horrible camp director and I know it.”
“And I’m a terrible cop and well aware of it also.”
“Then what are we arguing about?”
“I have no idea. After this we should grab a six-pack and go night fishing” (131).
Karen’s digs:
“Boys throwing themselves at me left and right. It’s exhausting. Honestly, Vick, you don’t know how lucky you are having those tiny little molehills that boys never notice. I really envy you” (133).
McLaughlin also captured the 80s vibe of teen dynamics without social media and cell phones. When Tony was saying goodbye to Pamela, the impact that she might never see him again was significant even though I didn’t grow up during that time.
We appreciated, too, that McLaughlin poked fun at the formula he was using that audiences are accustomed to: “If it seems a little strange--perhaps even hackneyed--that Wayne was laying all this history out this way, like a poorly written exposition dump at the end of some third-rate TV mystery-of-the-week, no disagreement will be found here. It’s just something that happens from time to time: a serial slasher, at the end of their spree, turns into an unmasked Scooby Doo villain. One can only shrug their shoulders and go with it” (237).
As for the pacing, it was well done. We really didn’t want to put it down, especially near the end. I think it would make a great movie and would be easy to create in a way that did the book justice since McLaughlin wrote it as an ode to slasher 80s movies anyway.
The reveal took me by surprise. I thought the killer might be a sister Will had or something, not Wayne cross dressing, but that gave a nod to Sleepaway Camp while being far less problematic.
The end was slightly disappointing for me, though, because although having two killers was interesting, we got zero explanation.
Anyway, I plan to read the 1980 book next, but I’m going to skip 1982 because I couldn’t care less about the mob.
There were also some typos I noticed. I’m available for editing services!
Yup, all’s good at Camp Mattapan, folks.
Everything’s just fine…” (199).
***Spoilers included***
Five super fun stars from my husband and me (I read to him while he drives). We went on a weekend trip that involved driving, but ended up reading it a ton while our kids napped as well because we were so invested!
I’m not going to write a big plot synopsis because I think I’ll remember this one well and I write these reviews for myself firstly, but if you’re a fan of the Sleepaway Camp series (and I am, especially the second one), you’ll probably enjoy it! McLaughlin even wrote that he was inspired by that movie trilogy as well as other 80s slasher movies and he nailed it.
The book starts out with a bang with Betsy, the mother of Will, coming out and screaming to Peggy that everyone will pay and a car getting damaged. My husband even uttered “Jesus Christ!” as I read it. Then, Peggy dies and it reminded me of Drew Barrymore’s part in Scream since viewers were led to believe she would be the protagonist.
McLaughlin has either been to summer camp himself or could imagine it pretty accurately. My husband went to summer camp growing up and agreed with the beginning discussion of how people could be radically different in a year. I only went to girl scout summer camps, but I think McLaughlin did well representing a range of teenagers: The inexperienced nerds, the guy who has a glow up, the pervy boy, the self-absorbed girl, etc. The characterization was rich and had us laughing the whole time: “He didn’t usually get ‘method’ with his fabrications. He’d claim he was going to pork Lily Malick during lunch, never leave the lunch table, then later brag about how he porked Lily Malick during lunch, despite the fact that, as mentioned, he hadn’t left the lunch table” (191). He didn’t write about the characters; he really got in their heads and made readers see what they were thinking, which was hilarious.
He even nailed some of the adults: “[A]way from Ginny’s incessant nagging. Just that afternoon she’d been on him about leaving his muddy work boots on the living room carpet [. . .] Then she’d pissed and moaned about him putting an empty ketchup bottle back in the refrigerator that morning [. . .] ‘If it’s empty it goes in the trash!’ she’d said, like he’s supposed to be some mind reader” (32). This perfectly summed up men on one page!
The banter between characters was pretty fun as well, some of our favorites being:
“Fishing is an overgenerous term for what Harold does.”
“Yesterday he caught something.”
“What, a buzz?”
Pamela not getting the hint that David wanted nothing to do with her in the equipment shed.
Jasper telling the bunkmates: “Some of the pages are stuck together, but there are always going to be a few casualties in every war” (102).
Steve’s dream with Betsy where they kept calling each other ridiculous pet names like “enchanting prince” and “sacred treasure” (126).
Steve and Cunninham’s exchanges:
“Well, I got news for you, Cunningham. I’m a horrible camp director and I know it.”
“And I’m a terrible cop and well aware of it also.”
“Then what are we arguing about?”
“I have no idea. After this we should grab a six-pack and go night fishing” (131).
Karen’s digs:
“Boys throwing themselves at me left and right. It’s exhausting. Honestly, Vick, you don’t know how lucky you are having those tiny little molehills that boys never notice. I really envy you” (133).
McLaughlin also captured the 80s vibe of teen dynamics without social media and cell phones. When Tony was saying goodbye to Pamela, the impact that she might never see him again was significant even though I didn’t grow up during that time.
We appreciated, too, that McLaughlin poked fun at the formula he was using that audiences are accustomed to: “If it seems a little strange--perhaps even hackneyed--that Wayne was laying all this history out this way, like a poorly written exposition dump at the end of some third-rate TV mystery-of-the-week, no disagreement will be found here. It’s just something that happens from time to time: a serial slasher, at the end of their spree, turns into an unmasked Scooby Doo villain. One can only shrug their shoulders and go with it” (237).
As for the pacing, it was well done. We really didn’t want to put it down, especially near the end. I think it would make a great movie and would be easy to create in a way that did the book justice since McLaughlin wrote it as an ode to slasher 80s movies anyway.
The reveal took me by surprise. I thought the killer might be a sister Will had or something, not Wayne cross dressing, but that gave a nod to Sleepaway Camp while being far less problematic.
The end was slightly disappointing for me, though, because although having two killers was interesting, we got zero explanation.
Anyway, I plan to read the 1980 book next, but I’m going to skip 1982 because I couldn’t care less about the mob.
There were also some typos I noticed. I’m available for editing services!
July 28, 2025
This was a spectacular slasher throwback with a lot to like about it. One of the better features here is the wholly fantastic setup, which effectively brings everything from the summer camp slasher craze that the genre popularized from that period. Getting an in-depth look at the different staff and counselors at the site, discussing their interests in being there, the different relationships that develop throughout the summer, and the many shenanigans that play out, which all point to the kind of throwback style it’s attempting. The group is a bunch of fun to be around, with how it portrays the gangs’ activities and the personalities that are featured, where we see the girls as horny, boy-crazy types, and the guys are sex-driven pranksters hoping to score with as many girls as they can. Even though outliers are on both sides, that we get enough to like each one here makes for a solid starting point.
The other impressive part of this one is the slashing antics that take place while in the woods surrounding the camp. The traditional slasher setup about how he became dismembered and a background explanation about how that truly happened, which gets explored in greater detail over the book, where each of the group members starts to reveal the incident that sparked the source of the killer’s rampage. That all gives this enough motivation to go for the stalking and slashing, offering a slew of strong and somewhat straightforward sequences of the killer sculking around the woods of the camp, picking off stragglers and counselors in the middle of being unaware of what’s going on. It all creates a fun atmosphere that goes a long way toward helping enhance that experience of the time period created by the character setups and interactions in the beginning to be an immensely fun slasher story.
4.5/5
The other impressive part of this one is the slashing antics that take place while in the woods surrounding the camp. The traditional slasher setup about how he became dismembered and a background explanation about how that truly happened, which gets explored in greater detail over the book, where each of the group members starts to reveal the incident that sparked the source of the killer’s rampage. That all gives this enough motivation to go for the stalking and slashing, offering a slew of strong and somewhat straightforward sequences of the killer sculking around the woods of the camp, picking off stragglers and counselors in the middle of being unaware of what’s going on. It all creates a fun atmosphere that goes a long way toward helping enhance that experience of the time period created by the character setups and interactions in the beginning to be an immensely fun slasher story.
4.5/5
August 22, 2025
This book knows exactly what it is and does it extremely well.
Three-Fingered Willy, as the title suggests, was a lot of fun to read. But the reader needs to understand its origin and roots, to truly grasp innuendo, and appreciate and understand it.
Set in 1981 at Camp Mattapan, Neal McLaughlin pays homage to early 1980’s summer camp slasher flicks such as Friday the 13th part 1/2, My Bloody Valentine, even Sleepaway Camp (even though it came out in 1983). Three-fingered Willy blends horror, tongue-in-cheek wit, unabashed raging teenage hormones with some rather imaginative killing scenes. It neither takes itself too seriously nor does it, not take itself seriously enough, achieving the perfect balancing act; a rarity.
I’m the first to admit (and have said this often) that I’m not a fan of horror comedy. Yet something about this author’s genuine wit and unique writing style has swayed me.
I’m also a huge horror movie buff, and my viewing interests go back to even the early 1970’s. So give me 80’s camp slashers written with such keen humor, often mimicking story beats of rather famous horror flicks to a degree of utter perfection and, I guess, you’ve won me over.
So much fun, I loved it. 5/5
Three-Fingered Willy, as the title suggests, was a lot of fun to read. But the reader needs to understand its origin and roots, to truly grasp innuendo, and appreciate and understand it.
Set in 1981 at Camp Mattapan, Neal McLaughlin pays homage to early 1980’s summer camp slasher flicks such as Friday the 13th part 1/2, My Bloody Valentine, even Sleepaway Camp (even though it came out in 1983). Three-fingered Willy blends horror, tongue-in-cheek wit, unabashed raging teenage hormones with some rather imaginative killing scenes. It neither takes itself too seriously nor does it, not take itself seriously enough, achieving the perfect balancing act; a rarity.
I’m the first to admit (and have said this often) that I’m not a fan of horror comedy. Yet something about this author’s genuine wit and unique writing style has swayed me.
I’m also a huge horror movie buff, and my viewing interests go back to even the early 1970’s. So give me 80’s camp slashers written with such keen humor, often mimicking story beats of rather famous horror flicks to a degree of utter perfection and, I guess, you’ve won me over.
So much fun, I loved it. 5/5
August 2, 2025
Three-Fingered Willy by Neal McLaughlin
More comedy than horror, Three Fingered Willy draws inspiration from classic ’80s campground slashers—Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, etc.—while adding its own comic twists.
If you like your horror bloody, you’ll be pleased that amid the campy dialogue and teen soap opera angst are some genuinely brutal kills. The author clearly did some deep thinking about the various ways someone can be murdered by an assailant wielding pruning shears.
The prose was quite good, with some terrific, often hilarious metaphors.
The middle of the story lagged a bit for me, as the story basically followed the campground slasher formula. But the final act was intense.
There were a couple of what I took to be Seinfeld references, perhaps making the connection of Jason Alexander’s role in The Burning.
I give it a strong recommendation.
More comedy than horror, Three Fingered Willy draws inspiration from classic ’80s campground slashers—Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, etc.—while adding its own comic twists.
If you like your horror bloody, you’ll be pleased that amid the campy dialogue and teen soap opera angst are some genuinely brutal kills. The author clearly did some deep thinking about the various ways someone can be murdered by an assailant wielding pruning shears.
The prose was quite good, with some terrific, often hilarious metaphors.
The middle of the story lagged a bit for me, as the story basically followed the campground slasher formula. But the final act was intense.
There were a couple of what I took to be Seinfeld references, perhaps making the connection of Jason Alexander’s role in The Burning.
I give it a strong recommendation.
July 23, 2025
It’s the summer of 1981…
When most camp-goers are excited for new friendships, Pamela and her friends have a secret they’ve been keeping for years. And this summer, that secret is about to wreck havoc on this group of teens!
Neal drags you in instantly with his descriptions of the camp, the woods, and its awkward teens who want nothing more than friendships, hook-ups, and drama. Without giving too much away, I will say that you really begin to like and dislike some of these teens and, for fans of 80s thrasher movies, it doesn’t take long to begin to wonder when certain characters will be killed off.
You know a writer does a wonderful job when you find yourself telling another who asks about your current read: “It’s so good, but I really hope (insert character) gets killed soon because (they) are driving me nuts!”
This book has exactly what those 80’s thrashers had: a lurking killer, teens you root for and others you root for the killer to take out in gruesome ways, some cheeky humor, a scooby-doo type reveal, and some nods to those movies that brought this genre to visual life for audiences for years to come.
I was drawn in from beginning to end and can’t wait to read more by Neal!
When most camp-goers are excited for new friendships, Pamela and her friends have a secret they’ve been keeping for years. And this summer, that secret is about to wreck havoc on this group of teens!
Neal drags you in instantly with his descriptions of the camp, the woods, and its awkward teens who want nothing more than friendships, hook-ups, and drama. Without giving too much away, I will say that you really begin to like and dislike some of these teens and, for fans of 80s thrasher movies, it doesn’t take long to begin to wonder when certain characters will be killed off.
You know a writer does a wonderful job when you find yourself telling another who asks about your current read: “It’s so good, but I really hope (insert character) gets killed soon because (they) are driving me nuts!”
This book has exactly what those 80’s thrashers had: a lurking killer, teens you root for and others you root for the killer to take out in gruesome ways, some cheeky humor, a scooby-doo type reveal, and some nods to those movies that brought this genre to visual life for audiences for years to come.
I was drawn in from beginning to end and can’t wait to read more by Neal!
August 2, 2025
I absolutely loved this. Three Fingered Willie is a full-throttle love letter to 80s slashers—complete with gore, gratuitous nudity, and a script that could’ve come straight from Police Squad! if Frank Drebin had wandered into Camp Crystal Lake.
The banter between two of the characters had me grinning the whole way through—it’s that kind of deadpan, rapid-fire nonsense that just works. Throw in a healthy dose of boobs, blood, and pure 80s energy, and you’ve got a slasher that knows exactly what it’s doing and doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
Neal McLaughlin nails the tone: cheesy, sleazy, and oddly charming. If you grew up on late-night horror movies with terrible decisions and killer taglines, this one’s for you. I’m still smiling.
The banter between two of the characters had me grinning the whole way through—it’s that kind of deadpan, rapid-fire nonsense that just works. Throw in a healthy dose of boobs, blood, and pure 80s energy, and you’ve got a slasher that knows exactly what it’s doing and doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
Neal McLaughlin nails the tone: cheesy, sleazy, and oddly charming. If you grew up on late-night horror movies with terrible decisions and killer taglines, this one’s for you. I’m still smiling.
July 27, 2025
This book is fun, clever, hysterical, and jam packed with 80s goodness! It’s a summer camp slasher ‘film’ in book form, with all the tropes we love, from gratuitous nudity to a spooky origin story to ridiculous decisions made by the victims. It’s Friday the 13th/Sleep Away Camp with better developed characters and funnier dialogue. Three Fingered Willy is clearly written by an author with a deep love for the genre. The camp vibes are strong, the humor is rich, and the gore is killer (pun intended). Need more from Neal McLaughlin ASAP.
July 28, 2025
Wow! This book has it all. Blood, Slasher, Camp Counselors, the 80's, and comedy. Neal does a great job of blending all these elements into a fantastic storyline. I had so many laugh out loud moments and so many oh no moments that it made my stomach hurt.
If you're into slashers like Friday the 13th combined with urban legends of an event that happened at a camp, with a dash of hormones and laugh out loud humor then this is the book for you. I can't wait to see what's coming for his 1982 book.
If you're into slashers like Friday the 13th combined with urban legends of an event that happened at a camp, with a dash of hormones and laugh out loud humor then this is the book for you. I can't wait to see what's coming for his 1982 book.
July 22, 2025
fun read!
I really enjoyed this book! Had a 80s slasher feel which made it a Page turner! I definitely recommend and definitely gonna read more from Neal McLaughlin.
I really enjoyed this book! Had a 80s slasher feel which made it a Page turner! I definitely recommend and definitely gonna read more from Neal McLaughlin.
July 25, 2025
If you are a fan of 1980’s slasher films, this is the book for you! A wonderful ride that had me hooked from the beginning. This book is wildly fun, nostalgic, and freaking brutal. I loved every bit of this and if you’re like me, you will too! Want to say thank you to the author, who provided an arc copy of Three-Fingered Willy. Get this book when it releases; if you don’t, Three-Fingered Willy will get ya!
September 8, 2025
Ton of fun!
If you like 80s horror movie (and let's be honest, we all do!) then you're gonna love this book! Can't wait to catch the rest in the series
If you like 80s horror movie (and let's be honest, we all do!) then you're gonna love this book! Can't wait to catch the rest in the series
July 18, 2025
I have to start off by saying that, I absolutely love the 1980's! The Horror films, music, the fashion, pop culture. This book checked all of these boxes, and, more! I love the mental imagery this book evoked while reading, and, I could, definitely tell which films were the influence for the images I was seeing. If you are into gore, it's definitely in there, but there is much more than that. There was a lot of character development, elements of certain campers having more of a coming of age experience, and, gets you very familiar with characters that you hope are killed! There was, also, an element of cheekiness to this book, that I enjoyed. The tongue-in-cheek poking of fun at certain horror tropes, and, cliches, made me laugh. And, I, especially, enjoyed the exaggeration of the dumb cop trope! Lol. There is a great twist, at the end, that really pulls everything together, and, was done very well. If you love 80's slasher films, I highly suggest this book!
4⭐
4⭐
Read
July 17, 2025While some teens are doing all the typical 80s-teen things like hanging out at arcades, mall-walking with their friends, seeing the latest movies, sleepovers and pizza parties ... some other teens are heading off to camp. Either for the first time or reuniting with buddies from past years. So enters Pamela and her friends. There's a legend, told around the campfire, about 3-fingered Willie. A handyman who went crazy ... ran into the woods and ... well ... and. Campfire tale right? Until the bodies start piling up.
I've never read a book by this author so didn't know what to expect. I got slasher, blood and guts, stress, anxiety, screaming 'no' at my book and comedy. I'll definitely be reading more of this author's work in the future. It was quite the ride lol.
It may be for everyone but it's definitely worth a good try.
I've never read a book by this author so didn't know what to expect. I got slasher, blood and guts, stress, anxiety, screaming 'no' at my book and comedy. I'll definitely be reading more of this author's work in the future. It was quite the ride lol.
It may be for everyone but it's definitely worth a good try.
July 22, 2025
If you love 80's slasher movies you will not want to miss this one. I had so much fun reading this book. It checks all the boxes . Great killer, great characters, standard horror tropes (the dumb cop being my favorite) this book reads like a movie and the pacing is perfect. You can tell Neal McLaughlin knows his stuff when it comes to the 80's horror genre.
July 18, 2025
This ode to the 80’s slasher films was an excellent read. From the opening scene to the final chapter, the reader experiences the life of a summer camp and how quickly things can spiral into terror. Th reader is given a scenario of a typical summer camp filled with kids of all ages. The action begins quickly and my jaw was hanging open as I read the details of this gory death. As an 80’s kid, I yelled and the first word that came to mind was ‘grody’. I was instantly brought to my own camp adventures and was filled with pleasant memories. Of course I had no crazed killer after me but you get the idea. I thoroughly enjoyed this slasher horror book. Thanks to the author for all the feels.
July 19, 2025
Camp Mattapan is a typical summer camp. Like all camps, it has legends that campers share.Camp Mattapan's legend of three fingered Willie may be all too real. People are dying. Who is the killer. Camptastic slasher read.
December 4, 2025
Pamela is excited to head back to camp and reunite with all her old friends. When a murder happens around the camp people start whispering about Three-fingered Willy. Is he real or a myth?
Set in 1981 this ode to 80s horror is filled with big boobs, bad characters, and bloody good fun all set in a summer camp. If you're looking for a quick campy read that'll give you nostalgia feelings about the 80s. Then definitely check this one out. Stay tuned for book 3 set in 1982.
Set in 1981 this ode to 80s horror is filled with big boobs, bad characters, and bloody good fun all set in a summer camp. If you're looking for a quick campy read that'll give you nostalgia feelings about the 80s. Then definitely check this one out. Stay tuned for book 3 set in 1982.
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