Slasher Summer

by E.L. Chen

In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer. But the real horror is not being able to escape who you were in high school...

The sleepy town of Cedar Lake is best known as the shooting location of the campy ’80s horror flick Slasher. In high school, preppy Patrick, jock Jason, cheerleader Tiffany, stoner Freddy, goth Jennifer, and nerdy Mikey had played the cast of Slasher during midnight showings, with virginal Carrie as the Final Girl, of course.

Years later, the friends reunite at the remote cabin where Slasher was filmed. They've changed since high school—Carrie found a boyfriend, Patrick came out, Mikey bulked up, and, well, Freddy's still stoned—and they're looking forward to a weekend to catch up. But when night falls, and the eponymous masked killer is spotted, the reunion takes a deadly turn. The friends discover their tires deflated and the phone line disconnected, and soon they’re being stalked by a mysterious assailant. Is someone trying to make their Slasher experience as authentic as possible?

One thing is for sure. Before the night is over, they each will have to take on the role they thought they'd left behind.

Genres: Horror, Summer, Fiction, Adult, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Horror Thriller

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 23, 2026

About the author

E. L. Chen is the author of Summerwood/Winterwood, Sweetside Motel, Slasher Summer, and One of Us Is Already Dead. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her son and many TBR piles. Find more about her at elainechen.com.

**Disclaimer: I resurrected this account to support my fellow writers, so everyone gets 4 or 5 stars.**

Reviews

[jenny✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the perfect slasher novel for me aka someone who adores horror stories but has no ability to actually watch horror movies 🔪

slasher summer: the annual festival in otherwise-sleepy cedar lake, celebrating the cult-classic 80s horror flick, slasher, which was filmed at a local cottage deep in the forest. this year, seven friends reunite four years after their high school graduation for one last hurrah at the slasher cottage.

they are the former members of the jumpscare society, a club that coalesced in high school school over a mutual love for horror films. back then, they'd play the shadow cast of the slasher film at their local theatre, spraying the audience with super soakers filled with reddish water. patrick is the preppy straight-A student. jason is the handsome jock. tiffany is the queen bee cheerleader. jen is the rebellious goth. michael is the bumbling nerd. freddy is the goofy stoner. and carrie, she's the Final Girl—virginal, demure, and inspiring of all sympathy.

but the group didn't part on good terms, four years ago. and when they receive a phone call in the cabin—You're all going to die tonight—and discover all their cars' tires slashed, the seven of them must figure out a way to survive the night... or suffer the same fates their shadow characters did.

🔪 ◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

i thoroughly enjoyed this novel and devoured it over two days. slasher summer riffs on classic tropes in a dark and campy manner—a convenient lack of cell service; incapacitating the killer without checking to see if they're dead dead; the wide-eyed final girl; and all the characters named after iconic horror movie protagonists—while still allowing space for subversion. it's a self-aware book, with the characters commenting on their own identities as people of colour, as queer people, as women—and how they'd typically be treated in horror films: eliminated, early on. i appreciated this self-awareness, which allows us readers to relish in the tropes without them feeling too overdone.

moreover, seven characters can easily become an unwieldy cast, but slasher summer tackles it formidably. each chapter of the novel alternates between a different character's POV, so we get glimpses into everyone's heads and backstories. (it's another layer of subversion, in my opinion: that we get to see the nuances that lend individuality and humanity to each person.) and i found myself invested in everyone. and although i was able to predict a key part of the ending, that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book—because we're thrown off and misled just enough that i started to doubt myself, too.

lastly, it was very fun reading horror by a fellow chinese canadian who's based in toronto! this was my first story by e.l. chen, and i already know it won't be my last.

many thanks to crown publishing and netgalley for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Brandy Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Scary Movie were turned into a book, this is exactly how it would feel… cheesy, self-aware, and full of nostalgic humor. It doesn’t take itself seriously, which makes it an easy, fun read.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In high school, seven students who all were in different cliques formed a theater group called The Jumpscare Society where they reenacted a horror film called Slasher each year.
After not seeing each other since graduating high school, they meet up for a weekend in the house where the original movies was filmed before it’s scheduled to be torn down.
What they end up experiencing is anything but a relaxing weekend catching up.

This book played on a lot of the stereotypical cast members in slasher flicks and I also liked that each of the characters were named after a prominent character from a horror film:
Jason the jock
Tiffany the cheerleader
Patrick the prep
Jen the goth girl
Freddy the stoner
Mikey (Michael) the nerd
Carrie the virgin

Another thing that I appreciated with the casting was using characters of different ethnicities and sexual orientations to make it more reflective of the times (well, at least modern times up until the past year and a half).
It also mentions a neighboring city called Fairvale, which I’m assuming was a reference to the fictional city in Psycho.

I try my best not to judge a book by its cover (both literally and figuratively), but I will admit that in this case the cover was definitely a selling point.
What’s not to love about a retro looking VHS cover that gives both 80’s horror and Stranger Things vibes?
Whoever designed this deserves an award!

I think that this book will provide a lot of nostalgia for some Gen Xers and Millennials who enjoyed 80’s, 90’s and early 00’s horror flicks like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
It’s marketed as a remake of 80’s movies, but felt more like 90’s to me since I wasn’t allowed to watch “scary” movies until the mid 90’s.

This was definitely written to be more satirical and nostalgic than scary.
A horror aficionado looking for something scary enough to keep them up at night may be disappointed.
The first half of this book was a slow burn, but the second half was all popcorn thriller with a great ending.
I definitely had fun with this one…it read just like watching one of my slasher movies from the 90’s.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC to review in exchange for my honest review.

Pub Date: June 23, 2026

[livvy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review - 4.75/5 WOW. WOW. WOW!

The book’s slasher references feel authentic sprinkled throughout, homages fitting for members of a high school horror club. It will keep you guessing and doubting your own judgement as you try to unmask the Slasher alongside the Jumpscare Society, as they are picked off one-by-one.

The members of the J.S play into typical 80s archetypes and the group themselves are well aware of their Breakfast Club. Yes, cliché and obvious, but at no point does it feel tired or over-used. It works perfectly, and often feels meta. Preppy Patrick, goth Jennifer, popular Tiffany, jock Jason, innocent Carrie, geek Michael and stoner Freddy have secrets and reflections to come to terms with when reuniting for the first time since high school. These are sometimes unexpectedly thought provoking and give insight to the characters that upon some deaths, leave you wanting more that you can't have. Their inner voices are distinctive and well written, leaving you annoyed and humoured by Tiffany's selfishness, rolling your eyes at Patrick's need for control and laughing out loud at Jen's bold quips - to name a few.

Some of the deaths really do hit hard, which was unexpected as I try to never get invested in slasher characters (due to the genre rules that no one is safe - aside from the final girl, as the book literally reminds you throughout). This is real testament to how Chen wrote the group and their individual dynamics. I was pining for a certain duo to get together.

I could see this playing out in all it's campy, gory glory in my head. The ending had me gagged and gutted (just like some of the characters) and I will be reading more from this author, "XOXO".

[Lainy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Michael Joseph books

Source - ARC (out August 13th)

Blurb from Goodreads

In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer. But the real horror is not being able to escape who you were in high school...

The sleepy town of Cedar Lake Falls is best known as the shooting location of the campy ’80s horror flick Slasher. In high school, preppy Patrick, jock Jason, cheerleader Tiffany, stoner Freddy, goth Jennifer, and nerdy Michael had played the cast of Slasher during midnight showings, with virginal Carrie as the Final Girl, of course.

Years later, the friends reunite at the remote cabin where Slasher was filmed. They've changed since high school—Patrick came out, Mikey bulked up, and, well, Freddy's still stoned—and they're looking forward to a weekend to catch up. But when night falls, and the eponymous masked killer is spotted, the reunion takes a deadly turn. The friends discover their tires deflated and the phone line disconnected, and soon they’re being stalked by a mysterious assailant. Is someone trying to make their Slasher experience as authentic as possible?

One thing is for sure. Before the night is over, they each will have to take on the role they thought they'd left behind.


My Review

I absolutely love horror movies, I grew up on them at an age when I really shouldn't have been watching. Same goes for books, I was eight when I read my first Stephen King so yeah it is a life long enjoyment of the genre. This book gives nods to many of the movies/stories I grew up with, enjoyed as an adult and many of the tropes throughout the genre. It pokes fun at itself too which I think adds to the enjoyment, like look at the cast, the preppy guy, the jock, a cheerleader, the innocent, a stoner, a goth/lgb and the nerd like tick tick tick.

These guys used to have a club "The Jumpscare society" - horror movies and hanging out, something happened with Carrie (the good girl) and she left in disgrace. Now the group are having a reunion in the cabin where a horror movie was filmed, four years later. There is still some unresolved feelings and they are staying over in the cabin what could go wrong lol.

I love the cheesy poking fun not taking itself too seriously, the tropes, nods to the some of the classics that have gone before this one. We have lgb representation, the hot vacuous cheerleader, we have the relationship issues, sexuality questioning, wanting the one you never get oh and muuuuuuurder. A masked killer from the movie is picking them off one by one, creepy, the oh for Gods sake WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT you always question when characters do X action/plan in the genre.

The chapters are pretty short which is always a bonus but especially since the characters get their own pov's and each chapter is titled with their name so it is easy to follow. I think this would transfer really good to the big screen, to be honest I could get behind any horror being made to a movie. The tension, the masked killer going after their prey, the forest and water scene(s) I mean kudos because you can't help but think of those horror movies with these types of scenes, 4/5 for me this time. This is my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read them again and will check out their other books!

[chloe frizzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a horror movie obsessed girlie this is exactly what i needed.
this book is as if Randy from Scream wrote a book. i LOVE all the cliches and all the horror movie references throughout. love love the cover art and guessing throughout who the Slasher could be. this book comes out just in time for summerween 🧡

[Vini]

maybe i'll come back to this via audiobook. i think i would enjoy it more in that format bc so far i'm just not vibing with the writing, idk

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I was given an ARC of this book on NetGalley.*

overall, i found this book to be really well done — a constant commentary on slasher movie classics that lulled you into a sort of false sense of security. when the twists began, you were unprepared and began to recognize the bread crumbs spread throughout. it reminded me of a more modern slasher, subverting the genre, like a new scream movie or cabin in the woods.

!!!! ending spoiler below! !!!!!


the relief i felt only to be shattered by the impending doom at the realization it was far from over, was top notch. like when the extra scene plays after the credits roll.

would rec this for fans of the scream series, queer characters, slasher movies & books!

[ciara hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and crown for the arc!
the beginning of this is a little slow but once it started going i was glued to my kindle, it was intense. i will say the more i read, the more i appreciated the slow beginning and introduction to the characters to gain a sense of familiarity with them.
amazing, 4.5

[Maisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️’s I can’t decide!!!
I received this as an ARC and absolutely LOVED it!!
I genuinely could not put this down, I was up until 3am reading the last 3 hours of it all in one go!
I was so scared I felt like I was frozen at some points - I HIGHLY recommend!
The characters were all amazing - my favourites are definitely Patrick and Jen! - the writing was amazing and the PLOT TWISTS!
Every time I thought I had worked it out…plot twist!
I just loved it so much, I will definitely be reading more of this authors work :)

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Finally!! A good slasher novel! I have been trying so hard and long to find one that is as entertaining as some of my favorite slasher movies, and I’ve never had any luck. But this one was incredible!

It was funny and campy, and so gruesome! Everything that makes this genre so entertaining to consume. It was pretty trope-y, but it worked for me! That seemed to be the point.

It really reminded me of “Cabin in the Woods” and “The Final Girls,” in the best way.

I feel like this would be an incredible movie. The cast of characters was diverse and interesting to read about. I could picture everything that was happening, even if sometimes I didn’t want to with how horrible the death’s were.

It took a little while to get to the killings, but that was okay because I was never bored. It was a good to learn about the characters.

I honestly liked everyone. Jason I was a little eh about because he seemed to have a little too much male energy for me that put me off from his character. But I didn’t hate him. Even though a lot of them might have had their issues, they were still all likable in a way. Freddy was the best character! I was always laughing at what he was doing or saying.

I won’t say for spoiler reasons, but there was one couple I wasn’t that invested in. It was super cute by the end, but I still needed a little more chemistry or something. I know that isn’t the main plot of the book, so it makes sense the relationship wasn’t totally fleshed out, but I wanted a little more from it, especially figuring it would be endgame.

I was pretty surprised by the end! Knowing what I know now it is kind of easy to guess, but at the same time I wasn’t expecting it. I was trying to figure out who it may be the whole time. Slight spoiler, but I almost wouldn’t have minded the bad guy getting away with everything. As horrible as it is to kill someone and I never would say this if it wasn’t fictional, but in a way I don’t blame them for how they felt. Even though there is never an excuse to murder people.

I need a sequel! It is the perfect cliffhanger too though. There doesn’t NEED to be a second book; this one wraps up well enough, but I still would love to read more!

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

We join a reunion of a former high school friend group at a cabin in the woods, where we catch up with their lives since graduation, and a traumatic event from their past looms over them, as a killer stalks them one by one.

This book did a lot of things well. It read exactly like a cabin in the woods slasher movie, in print. In that way, it is pretty formulaic. That connects well with the Summer Slasher movie event element in the book, almost making it a bit meta, and the conventional slasher movie beats were just what I was looking for in this book. I really appreciated the diversity of characters—there’s good queer representation here, something I’ve always felt was lacking or usually tokenized in stories like this. It was refreshing to see it as a more central part of the plot.

Still, there was a lot of background exposition and extended internal thoughts in these chapters. At times the pages of paragraph blocks got tedious. Another book that I think follows the summer camp slasher narrative while managing to do a better job of adding additional backstory, that doesn’t feel too heavy, is the Friday the 13th novelization. I wish more breadcrumbs of backstory had been dropped or just implied through character interactions.

I was able to figure out who the killer was before the reveal, but my guesses changed along the way. Many of the characters had believable motives.

Overall, this was a fun read. Once you’re in the second half, things really get dicey and the tension is carried through to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Bethany Busse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this slasher 😉
I’ll always get behind one that I can’t guess the killer. It was a good and gory time. I felt like the characters were full of tropes but with substance.

I would read more!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy!

[Demetri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone Came Back to the Cabin With Baggage, but Only One Person Packed an Axe
E. L. Chen’s “Slasher Summer” has all the pleasures of a savvy slasher revival, yet its cleverest move is showing that these characters were already cutting one another to pieces long before the formal killing began.
By Demetris Papadimitropoulos | April 15th, 2026


The Slasher cabin glows like refuge across the lake, while the water keeps the book’s truest secret just beneath reflection.

A slasher mask hides less than people think. The better disguise is the role a town writes onto you and then mistakes for your soul. E. L. Chen’s “Slasher Summer” understands that from the start, and it is the source of much of the novel’s unnerving power. On paper, this is a reunion slasher: seven former high school friends gather at the cabin where a cult eighties horror film was shot, only to find themselves stalked, scattered and butchered by someone dressed as the movie’s killer. On the page, though, the book is after something meaner and more interesting than efficient body-count mechanics. Its real subject is the social violence that begins long before the first axe swing. By the time blood starts flying, Cedar Lake has already proved perfectly capable of destroying a person without steel.

The town has built a small civic economy around “Slasher,” the campy local horror franchise filmed there decades earlier. There is a festival, a fan culture, a shadow cast at the Rialto, a whole municipal machinery devoted to rerunning the same story until it hardens into heritage. As teenagers, Patrick, Jason, Tiffany, Jen, Freddy, Mikey and Carrie once performed that machinery from the inside. They did not merely love the movie; they inhabited its stock parts. Jason was the jock golden boy. Tiffany the polished queen bee. Jen the local goth with sharp teeth and better reflexes than anyone gave her credit for. Freddy the stoner clown and aspiring screenwriter. Mikey the needy outsider straining to become legible as a man. Patrick the organizer who mistakes preparation for protection. Carrie, naturally, was the designated “Final Girl,” cherished so long as she remained decorous, useful, and easy to read. The novel’s first triumph is to show that these are not just genre labels. They are social assignments. Cedar Lake has already cast them before the killer ever does.


At the Rialto, horror begins as communal theater, a local ritual in which performance, spectatorship, and social casting become indistinguishable.

That is what gives “Slasher Summer” its nasty aftertaste. The novel is not finally about a masked murderer invading a nostalgic weekend. It is about what happens when a group that once found pleasure in reenacting a story discovers that it never stopped enforcing its terms. Carrie’s grievance is not some generalized adolescent hurt. It is specific, ugly, and communal. After “The Photo” destroys her standing in town, she learns exactly how conditional the group’s affection was. The same people who found her lovable as the shy, churchy, unthreatening good girl are perfectly willing to turn her into spectacle once she slips outside the acceptable script. Boys jeer. Girls punish. Friends avert their eyes. The town that enjoyed shouting “Virgin!” at the movies turns out to have no use for her once innocence ceases to be decorative. Chen’s sharpest insight is that the axe does not introduce a new form of violence. It only gives material force to humiliations already in circulation.

The multi-voiced structure is crucial here. The rotating close-third chapters do more than distribute suspense. They stage a series of bad readings. Each character keeps interpreting danger through stale habits of attention. Patrick reaches for logistics, lists, emergency supplies, culinary surprises, contingency plans. Jason tries to believe steadiness itself will count as leadership, even as football, father, masculinity and Tiffany’s future-script are crushing him from the inside. Tiffany mistakes desirability for insulation until the novel strips that fantasy down to the bone. Jen treats irony as armor and learns, horribly, that wit is not the same thing as invulnerability. Freddy interprets everything through movie grammar because movie grammar is one of the few idioms in which he feels articulate. Mikey translates injury into entitlement. Suspicion keeps changing hands, but so does interpretive authority. Everyone still sees everyone else through old school roles long after those roles have curdled.

Chen is very good at making that process entertaining without letting it feel weightless. The prose moves fast, but not lazily. She writes in brisk, clipped units that tighten further as panic strips thought down to reflex. The jokes come naturally out of character rather than being draped over the novel as tonal insurance. Freddy’s interior monologues are a particular pleasure, full of self-mythologizing screenplay logic and spectacularly poor judgment. Jen’s sections are nearly as strong, because Chen understands that contempt can be both a style and a survival tactic. Even Patrick, who could easily have remained a neat little control freak, acquires real texture as the night tears through his rituals. The language is not lush, and wisely so. A book this alert to slasher tradition would suffocate under too much ornamental horror prose. Chen keeps the sentences clean enough that when something ghastly happens, the impact comes from precision rather than purple insistence.

That precision extends to the book’s use of genre reference. The horror talk is not merely a fan-service wink. These characters really do think in scenes, rules, archetypes, sequels, reboots, and kill logic. “Slasher” is not just a favorite movie to them. It is one of the forms in which they learned to organize fear, shame, desire, and status. The audience-participation culture at the Rialto matters because it has trained Cedar Lake to confuse performance with essence. Carrie is not only cast as the Final Girl onstage; she is expected to remain one offstage too – modest, symbolic, clean, survivable. That is why her eventual revolt lands with more force than a simple reveal would otherwise carry. She is not trying only to get revenge. She is trying to seize authorship from a town that never allowed her to own her own image in the first place.


After the nostalgia curdles, the cabin stops functioning as shrine or set and begins, with terrible quiet, to bear witness.

That, to my mind, is the book’s most underdiscussed strength. “Slasher Summer” understands that humiliation is not only painful because it wounds. It is painful because it fixes. It reduces a whole person to a repeatable public image. Underneath the cabin thrills and the fan-culture savvy, Chen has written a novel about what it means to be trapped in the afterlife of one bad read. Carrie is terrifying not because she suddenly becomes evil, full stop, but because she experiences murder as a grotesque form of revision. If the town insists on turning her into a story, she will stage the ending herself. She does not merely seek agency. She mistakes violent correction for agency. That confusion is the novel’s central artistic risk, and for long stretches it pays off.


Carrie emerges not as caricatured monster but as a self-anointed avenger, the novel’s Final Girl rewritten into an icon of grievance and control.

It helps that the supporting cast is more than sacrificial livestock. Patrick, especially, becomes the book’s emotional counterweight. He begins as the anxious organizer of the reunion, the boy who believes enough foresight might fence off catastrophe. By the end, he has been stripped of systems, dignity, and illusion, and becomes the novel’s most affecting witness to what horror looks like once it stops being a shared hobby and starts being fact. His culinary subplot, which could have felt merely cute, turns out to matter because it gives him a genuine desire to nurture that is not reducible to fussiness. The same goes for Jason, whose buried panic about the life everyone expects him to want gives his chapters a pressure the novel uses well. Their belated tenderness is one of the book’s best surprises: not overplayed, not sentimental, and all the more moving for arriving amid ruin.

The set pieces are also more thematically shaped than they first seem. Tiffany’s death in the lake is not just a gruesome showstopper, though it is certainly that. It is the destruction of a fantasy that beauty, rank and visibility amount to protection. Jen’s chase through the woods works because it strips her cultivated hardness down to an animal fact: she wants to live, and all her stylish nihilism buckles under that want. Freddy’s death is grotesque, sad and darkly funny in exactly the right ratio, because he dies still trying to improvise survival out of genre literacy, snack logic and hopeful stupidity. Chen repeatedly links death to the self-flattering narratives her characters tell about themselves. That is why the violence registers as more than splatter. Each kill punctures a delusion before it ends a life.


Tiffany in the lake – still radiant, suddenly exposed – marks the instant when glamour fails and the novel’s body count becomes bodily fact.

The novel is not without real costs. Its largest weakness appears once the reveal is fully on the table. For most of the book, motive is dramatized through atmosphere, behavior, old resentments, and collective misrecognition. In the final stretch, some of that pressure gets translated too directly into explanation. The therapist thread is the clearest example. The idea itself is excellent – that the language of healing, boundaries, self-actualization and “toxic relationships” can be twisted into a private permission structure for violence – but it lands harder when Chen lets us watch that corruption in practice than when the novel stops to state it. The same is true of Mikey. He is effective as a creature of rancid injury and weak-man entitlement, but by the end he resolves into a somewhat more familiar figure than the earlier chapters promise. The book is strongest when it leaves motive overdetermined, ugly, and only partly nameable. It is slightly weaker when it begins sorting motive into labeled drawers.

Still, I would rather read a slasher novel that overreaches in pursuit of actual argument than one that coasts on affectionate reference and kill choreography. “Slasher Summer” wants to be several things at once: a cabin-in-the-woods thriller, a fan-savvy love letter to slasher grammar, a study in communal shame, a book about spectatorship, and a small-town revenge tragedy about who gets to remain human after public degradation. Most of the time, it carries those ambitions with impressive agility. It is not profound in a solemn, self-advertising way. It is smarter than that. It knows that insight in this mode has to arrive bloodstained, half-joking, a little hysterical, and attached to bodies.

The book also brushes several current anxieties without reducing itself to a tract about any of them: the afterlife of one humiliating image, the cowardice of bystanders who do nothing and still think of themselves as decent, the pressure to turn therapy language into moral permission, the confusion of obsessive “protection” with love, the ease with which a whole community can turn a person into a file. In that sense the novel feels less reactive than diagnostic. Its charge does not depend on one moment in culture. It depends on a much older pattern: crowds love innocence until innocence stops performing correctly.

I land at 84/100, which translates to 4/5 stars. That score reflects a novel I admire more than I wholly trust – one sharp enough to wound, forceful enough to surprise, and clever enough to know that nostalgia is often just violence with better branding. Its central achievement is not the reveal, or even the body count. It is the way Chen turns slasher mechanics into a study of social typecasting, then refuses to let anyone keep the flattering story they had been telling about themselves. What lingers is not simply who killed whom. It is the book’s meaner recognition that spectacle always needs an audience, and that an audience can be built long before anyone puts on the mask. By the end, Cedar Lake can cancel the festival, postpone the museum, tear down the cabin, and still remain what it was – a place that knows how to cast, how to cheer, how to look, and how not to see until it is much too late.


These exploratory thumbnails test how distance, tree pressure, window glow, and lake space might carry the novel’s hush before the horror fully surfaces.

[image error]
The graphite underdrawing reduces the emblematic image to its emotional architecture – cabin, lake, treeline, and the first faint pressure of something unspoken.


This swatch study gathers the review’s visual vocabulary from the cover palette – bruised greens, warm window creams, and reds reserved for latent threat.


The first-wash stage shows the painting beginning to breathe, with atmosphere arriving before detail and menace surfacing through tone rather than statement.

All watercolor illustrations by Demetris Papadimitropoulos.

[Hailey Giuffre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This book was a ROLLER COASTER!! As a lover of horror media, I greatly appreciated all the little “blink and you’ll miss it” references, as well as the “in your face” ones.

Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. I had to re-read the big reveal just to make sure I was understanding everything right- and not in a bad way. Man. This book was just so awesome, especially for a big ole horror nerd.

And THE ENDING. I won’t say much at risk of spoiling anything, except “damn”.

What a kick ass book. Highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Tara Dawes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are mine.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I had such high hopes for this book as I loved the concept of it and enjoy a good slasher movie/book. However, in most ways this one just didn't meet my expectations. There are some things that the book/author did incredibly well though. I think the tension in some scenes was top notch and the kills were visceral and the author did a great job making me see everything (as gross as some of it was). Had those two things carried over to the rest of the book I would have loved this one, sadly that wasn't the case.

The thing that absolutely destroyed this book for me was the character work and the plotting. These characters were all horrible and not in that "unlikable main character" kind of way, they were just dumb caricatures. I realize that they were supposed to all be slotted into certain "roles" but they still could have had some depth, something beyond those roles. They were supposed to be in their early 20's but they acted like they were 12, every POV (and there were plenty) was frustrating and at some point I was hoping every single character was murdered because none of them were smart enough to live, they were seriously some of the most inept characters I've read since I read a book with a shockingly similar premise that's also being released this summer. I'm not saying this comparison was intentional on the part of either author by the way, it just seems to be a popular theme for books this summer!

The setting/time period was also a bit confusing, between the names of the characters and a lot of their references this really felt like it should have taken place in the early-mid 2000's little things like that took me out of the story, probably me nitpicking and maybe had I not hated these characters I could have overlooked it. Also, the weird reefer madness with Tiffany (I believe) saying that the drugs could have made Freddy into a crazed killer was certainly a choice and saying cannabis over and over again was just weird.

As for the plotting issue (warning here be spoilers) the "who is the masked killer" reveal was both obvious and made no sense. It was obvious because it was the most obvious choice that I partially called almost immediately, it made no sense because we as the reader have been in all these characters heads when they are actively running for their lives, like who are you running from? Certain scenes became incredibly repetitive and really slowed the story down such as what was the whole purpose of Carrie going to see her mother? How many times did we need to be in Tiffany's head where we got to hear her entire lifes purpose was to marry Jason and be queen bee, like we get it. We didn't need scene after scene talking about the show at the theatre. I honestly just became bored waiting for people to die. I'm not even going to touch on Carrie's "tragic backstory", because honestly based on her age at the time that feels a bit like a plot hole, also self-responsibility she has none. The epilogue ending was also a bit obvious, although I don't fault it for that because that at least feels true to the genre and is a decent enough setup for another book.

All my ranting aside, if you can read this and the character work doesn't drive you up a wall I can see someone enjoying this, it's a bit of a cheesy trope filled slasher and like I said the kills and tension are great, I just couldn't get past the characters which made me more critical and less likely to turn off my brain (I'm not saying turn off your brain in a bad way either, sometimes a fun slasher is just mindless fun and thats the fun of it!). I will also say kudos to the person who designed the physical book as from what I've seen of it there are some really need looking editions of it, which makes me even sadder that I didn't end up loving the book.

I really do hope that this book can work better for others!!

[Macabre.bestie.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first, thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the advanced copy of Slasher Summer. And let me tell you… this one? It absolutely understood the assignment.

This book feels like digging up a dusty VHS tape from the back of a horror-obsessed childhood; one of those slightly warped, static-laced gems you know you probably shouldn’t have watched so young, but did anyway. The vibes? Pure 80s slasher goodness. Campy, cliché, and completely self-aware in the best possible way. It doesn’t try to reinvent the genre instead it lovingly resurrects it.

We’ve got our classic lineup: the jock, the cheerleader, the goth, the nerd, the preppy, the stoner… and of course, our sweet “final girl.” Together, they once formed the delightfully named Jumpscare Society, bonding over horror films, including their town’s claim to fame—a slasher film simply titled Slasher. Subtle? Never. Perfect? Absolutely.

Fast forward a few years (and one scandal later), and this rag-tag group reunites in their hometown of Cedar Lake, because what could possibly go wrong with a weekend getaway at the very cabin where the film was shot?

…yeah. Exactly.

What starts as nostalgia-fueled fun quickly curdles into something far more sinister. A prank call turns into a very real threat, and suddenly, they’re no longer reminiscing about horror but they’re living it. Paranoia creeps in like fog over the lake. Old friendships feel… off. And when you haven’t seen someone in years, you start to wonder...were they always like this?

Or is something darker hiding beneath the surface?

And oh, the tropes… they come in swinging like an axe in the dark. Pun intended! We’re talking: eerie lakeside cabin, ominous phone call, dead lines, no cell service, power outages, and yes, you guessed it - someone in a mask who turned unresolved issues into a body count. Sprinkle in some questionable decision-making (because of course they split up), and it’s basically a love letter to everything that made 80s horror iconic.

It does take a little time to get going, a bit like that slow pan across a quiet forest before the chaos begins, but once it hits its stride... you’re hooked. I had theories. Multiple. I was side-eyeing everyone. And while I thought I had it figured out… the twist still managed to land in a satisfying way.

My one little gripe? The ending. I was craving something grittier - maybe a touch more tragic, something that lingers under your skin. Don’t get me wrong, I see why they went the more crowd-pleasing route, but I was really hoping that final cabin scene would lean a bit more bittersweet… leave us with a chill and a heavy heart instead of comfort.

Still… something tells me this might not be the last we see of the Slasher. 👀

If you’re craving that nostalgic, popcorn-horror energy with a modern twist, this one is absolutely worth the read. Just maybe… don’t answer the phone while you’re reading.

You’ve been warned. ☎️

[witchy_book_babe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the advanced reading copy!

This was a very strong 4.5 Stars for me, I had a few nitpicky things I personally would like to see adjusted. But, honestly this was such a nostalgic read for me that brought me back some decadessss. Back when I would browse the channels and end up finding a cool slasher/horror film on the t.v. with some snacks on my lap. Sometimes a whole marathon that would go on.

The nod to iconic Slasher/Horror films/franchises was really cool to me and something that I was actually happy that I could piece together…at least, I hope I am somewhere in the right vicinity:

Carrie=“Carrie White” from “Carrie”. Religious uptight mother and a strict upbringing.

Jen= I am assuming she was named after “Jennifer Check” from “Jennifer’s Body”, however, I felt like Jen was only “Jennifer Check” in name, because this Jen was a Latina Goth Girl with a pretty bold attitude maybe even toeing the line of “Nancy Downs” character from “The Craft”. (*Sidenote* I am deep in my theory here lol, but I think that Jen and Tiffany’s Slasher Summer’s characters are swapped. So, Jen really has the characteristics of “Tiffany Valentine” and vice versa with Tiffany.)

Tiffany = “Tiffany Valentine” from “Bride of Chucky”. Tiffany is the quintessential blonde, cheerleader that gave me those “Jennifer Check” vibes.

Jason = “Jason Voorhees”, this is definitely more loosely based because Jason in this story is a jock, with some secrets he’s battling.

Patrick = “Patrick Bateman” from “American Psycho”; he was a really particular, clean cut character that one could say almost had such methodical methods that veered on a sociopathic’s attention to details.

Freddy = “Freddy Kreuger”, now I think Freddy is only Freddy in name because his character was adorably hilarious to me. A complete stoner that was more reminiscent of “Shaggy” from “Scooby Doo” than the villainous “Freddy Krueger”.

Mikey = “Michael Myers” from “Halloween”, Michael aka Mikey was a nerdy, shy kid with not the greatest childhood. And as an adult, he grew up to be quite massive; which gave me the little nods to the iconic Michael.

I think that this story paid an honorable homage to all of the Slasher/Horror films that I grew up on. Giving me so many flashbacks to movies I had even forgotten about (Shoutout to “Club Dread”). I thought the ending was the perfect way to end this story, just like any other iconic/classic ominous ending….is it really the end? Fade to black and roll the credits. I think that very well, may have been my favorite part. Just really styled that Nostalgic bow nice and pretty in my opinion!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

If you're a fan of light horror or classic 80s/90s slashers, then Slasher Summer is the read for you. It's a fun, campy book that doesn't overstay its welcome, and has a plot that goes where you don't expect!

Our cast of characters are all members of the Jumpscare Society, a group formed in high school that brought together people from completely different walks of life who are also classic horror film archetypes. You have Jen, the goth, Tiffany, the cheerleader, Jason, the jock, Mikey, the nerd, Patrick, the sensible guy, Freddy, the stoner, and Carrie, the virgin/Final Girl. In the four years since they finished high school, they still strongly radiate their stereotypes and act like teenagers, even though most are in their early 20s.

Cedar Lake, the town they all lived in, is famous for being the location of the Slasher film, a horror released in the 80s that has gained a cult following in the town. To celebrate before the cabin where it was filmed is torn down, Patrick invites everyone back for one last summer of fun. Carrie is an unexpected guest; an incident in high school caused her to leave town and move in with her dad, and not everyone is happy to see her again.

Of course, this is a slasher, so things start to go wrong pretty quickly. We get all the classic moments: a lake, a mask, no telephone, a creepy cabin, and an unstoppable killer. The POV's switch between the characters rapidly, and we get to spend time with them all at one point or another, but I'd say our main core are Patrick, Carrie, and Jason.

There's some surprisingly detailed gore in this, and the action is pretty much non-stop from about 15-20% in, but I found that I enjoyed it all. The cast is full of typical horror archetypes, but with diversity added. Patrick is a Black gay man, Jen is a lesbian Latina, Freddy is a Korean stoner, and Carrie, the Final Girl, is Chinese. As you might expect, some of the characters make very self-aware quips about this, bringing it into the modern day.

I won't go into the plot more, as I think it's best read without knowing too much, but I think this would make a great film to add to the modern horror classics.

My only critique was that our experience with most of the side characters is pretty shallow, so we don't really get to know them. We get surface-level interactions, and there's not much to really connect you with them or want them to survive. Still, I understood that this is a slightly more satire slasher, so enjoyed it either way!

[Willie Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓
🅿🅴🆁🅵🅴🅲🆃🅸🅾🅽

🔪"ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪᴇ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ."🩸

🚫 Absolutely ZERO criticism of this book.
🏆 This one is going on the 𝘍𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 shelf!

🤘 A Must-Read for Fᵣᵢdₐy ₜₕₑ ₁₃ₜₕ fans.

𝟏𝟎𝟎% 80s Slasher clichés and multiple Horror Film references, and I am here for Every Second of it!!
I had SO much fun reading this!! I’m talkin’ giddy giggles and everything. 🤩


Seven friends from the high school club, 𝘑𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺, reunite after 4 years apart for a weekend of fun.
Back in school they were part of the town’s reenactment of a popular slasher film which was shot on location. Everyone had their part to play; the jock, the preppy, the nerd, the cheerleader, the stoner, the goth, and the final girl. But of course, that is just acting. And people change after high school. Right?
Now, back in Cedar Lake, at the cabin where ‘Slasher’ was filmed, and together again, those casting roles which seemed to be embedded in their DNA begin to resurface.
😱 Turns out, they are living a real-life slasher film.
The threat is real and the blood isn’t fake.
And they soon realize that maybe the stuff happens in horror movies the way it does for a reason. It’s not too far from reality.

Everyone becomes a suspect.
How well do you really know old high school friends after years apart?


✔️ From the very first chapter the vibes are giving and the mood is set!
The character names alone are enough to make any horror fan smile: Jason, Michael, Freddy, and Carrie, just to name a few.

This has everything!
🫣 We’re in a cabin on a lake, across from a summer camp. They get an ominous phone call. Then the phone line is dead. There’s no cell service. The power is out. There’s an axe-wielding psycho on the loose. They have to split up to look for a party member. The tires on the vehicles are slashed.
It just. Keeps, Giving!

This was So well done. Not a cheesy redo. And the classic film references were perfectly placed.

Freddy, the stoner was my favorite character and Chapter 15 was ‘bloody’ hilarious.

I CANNOT wait for more! Because of course there will be a sequel 😁


🙏 Thank you So much NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the gifted eARC.

[Kate Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Predictable in the twists and endings but an enjoyable read. You can tell the author loves horror in the way that it is written and all the homages to the classics, including our main characters names.

In high school, a group of friends started a club based around horror movies, the Jumpscare Society, and played the cast of campy 80's horror classic Slasher at their theater during midnight showings. Now, four years after events that tore most of the group apart, they're having a reunion at the Slasher cabin.

Patrick always the preppy put together one has always harbored a crush for his high school best friend but is hoping after his years away at Harvard he can prove he has moved on. Jason, his best friend, grew up the town jock dating the head cheerleader, but has recently ended things with her, deciding it's time to figure out what he actually wants to do with his life instead of following the path others have created for him. Tiffany, the cheerleader, is determined to show Jason the mistake he is making, she didn't sink so many years into him to lose him now. Mikey (Michael), the nerd, Jason's cousin who grew up in his shadow, never getting the attention or girls that his cousin got, is hoping to show his time away at MIT has helped him become the man he always wanted to be seen as. Jen, the bitchy goth, who is always down to stir the pot and just waiting for the end of summer when she can access her trust fund and get out of this town. Freddy, the stoner, who still works as a janitor at the theater they used to perform in. And of course, Carrie, who played the final girl, was always the virginal innocent of the group until the incident in high school that tore them apart.

Now, Patrick is out in the open, Mikey has some muscle, Carrie has a boyfriend, Jason and Tiffany are on the outs, and well Freddy is still stoned, and Jen is still a bitch. As the night goes on the incident from high school is revealed, and after some slashed tires and phone lines, the crew start to wonder exactly who here might have a taste for revenge.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slasher Summer is a horror novel about a group who were once friends in high school, now reunited in the remote cabin where their cult favourite slasher film movie was filmed. Patrick has invited his old group of friends, all of whom came together to watch horror films, back together to stay in the cabin in their hometown where the film Slasher was made. Things between them haven't been the same since high school, but this is their chance to come back together. However, when they spot the slasher from the film in the woods, suddenly their reunion is more than just a chance to remember the horror films they used to watch.

This book is one of the many love letters to slasher stories that have been released in recent years, featuring many references to classic slasher films and characters. The book doesn't get too bogged down in the references though, and it really builds up the characterisation of the group as the focus rather than just ticking off tropes. I loved the way that it plays with some of the more dated elements of slasher tropes, particularly around race and sexuality, and questions who is allowed to play which role in the genre. At the same time, the narrative has a slow build up and then a gory second half, so it doesn't lack the kind of excitement you'd expect from the genre. I worked out the twist partway through, but it was still a satisfying ending that felt decently set up.

If you're a fan of fun slasher stories, but also want a version that takes characters who are slightly older than the usual teens and has them wonder if they really want to stay who they were in high school, then Slasher Summer is one to look out for. There's definitely a few characters whose deaths make you feel like you wished they could've had longer, which I think is a testament to the characterisation as in many slashers you can often struggle to tell the initial deaths apart.

[Josephine Salgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Friday the 13th and Scream, this is the book for you. It perfectly blends that isolated cabin in the woods atmosphere. It was self aware, with plenty of references of the classic 80s slasher films throughout the story. I especially loved how every character is named after an iconic horror movie figure, which I thought was the perfect touch.

The story follows a group of seven high school friends reuniting for one last "hurrah" at a remote cabin. However, their weekend of fun quickly turns into a nightmare. The main theme is that you can never truly escape your past mistakes. As it comes to life when a masked killer begins picking them off one by one. To survive, they are forced to confront the secrets they’ve been running from.

I’ll admit, the story starts off a bit slow and I had to force myself to keep reading through to get into it. The first few chapters focus heavily on multiple perspectives to establish the characters messy backgrounds and complex dynamics. But I think they focused on that a little too much for my liking. While the beginning felt like a bit of a climb, the tension between the friends kept me intrigued until the pace got better. Once the slasher elements kicked in, I couldn't put it down!

It was hilarious and frustrating, "in a good way," to watch these characters discuss horror movie tropes and exactly what not to do, only to fall right into the killer's traps anyway. Every time I thought I had the killer unmasked, a new twist proved me wrong.

Some plots were super predictable, but overall the summer slasher energy was perfect. It’s the perfect summer read that delivers chills, laughs, and chaos. It’s a great reminder that the past always catches up to you.

I wanna give a special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki Kossaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slasher Summer by E. L. Chen is 1980s slasher nostalgia turned all the way up, and I had a really good time with it.

Seven friends reunite in the cabin where the cult horror film Slasher was shot. Back in high school, they worked at a theater performing the movie Rocky Horror style, very The Rocky Horror Picture Show energy, which immediately pulled me in. That shared history gives everything an edge before the horror even starts.

Of course, this is a terrible idea from the beginning. A group with unresolved history returning to the exact place tied to their obsession and past was never going to end well. Once things start going wrong, they spiral fast. The violence hits hard and the pacing does not let up. It leans into that classic slasher feeling where no one feels safe.

What worked best for me was the group dynamic. These characters are not just there to be picked off. They have tension, baggage, and complicated relationships that add weight to what is happening. When things fall apart, it is not just about survival. It is about everything they never dealt with.

The setting really adds to the atmosphere. The cabin feels heavy with history and memory, almost like it is holding onto everything that happened before. It makes the horror feel more personal and more suffocating.

At times the chaos can feel a little overwhelming and some moments move so fast they blur together, but it also fits the tone. This is not quiet horror. It is loud, messy, and relentless.

Overall, this was a fun, bloody, nostalgic slasher with enough character depth to keep me invested. If you love classic slasher vibes, messy friend groups, and horror that does not hold back, this one is worth picking up.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#netgalley thanks for the ARC!

Slasher Summer was a lot of fun.  This was an interesting and cool read. As others have said it definitely feels like reading a scream movie but it leans into that in a positive and charming way.

I enjoyed all the horror movie and trope references throughout the book as well.

The word choices were nice and descriptions were great though I think it would have benefited maybe from a little quicker of a pace.

I predicted the twist but ive also seen many many horror movies and read many books.

The characters were interesting and some tropes diverted and overall Everyone behaved in ways I found believable.  I had some questions but no more than in any other slasher book or movie and I think the author clearly cared about the world, characters,  and subject material.

Looking forward to more from this author in the future!
#netgalley thanks for the ARC!

Slasher Summer was a lot of fun. This was an interesting and cool read. As others have said it definitely feels like reading a scream movie but it leans into that in a positive and charming way.

I enjoyed all the horror movie and trope references throughout the book as well.

The word choices were nice and descriptions were great though I think it would have benefited maybe from a little quicker of a pace.

I predicted the twist but ive also seen many many horror movies and read many books.

The characters were interesting and some tropes diverted and overall Everyone behaved in ways I found believable. I had some questions but no more than in any other slasher book or movie and I think the author clearly cared about the world, characters, and subject material.

Looking forward to more from this author in the future!

[Savanha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slasher Summer by E. L. Chen is a darkly campy, self-aware love letter to classic horror that fully embraces the genre’s most recognizable tropes while still finding clever ways to subvert them. Set during Cedar Lake’s annual festival celebrating a cult 80s slasher film, the story follows seven former friends—once united as the Jumpscare Society—who reunite at the infamous cabin where the movie was filmed. Each character neatly mirrors a familiar horror archetype, from the “Final Girl” to the jock and the goth, but the novel quickly complicates these roles. When a chilling phone call traps them at the cabin with a promise that none will survive the night, the nostalgic reunion spirals into a deadly game of survival that feels both familiar and freshly reimagined.

What makes this novel especially engaging is its sharp self-awareness and strong character work. The rotating POV structure allows each member of the group to feel distinct and human, adding emotional weight to a premise that could have easily leaned too far into parody. The characters openly acknowledge horror conventions—particularly how people of color, queer characters, and women are often treated in the genre—which adds a thoughtful layer beneath the campy thrills. Even with a large cast, the story remains focused and compelling, making it easy to stay invested in everyone’s fate. While parts of the ending may feel predictable, the constant misdirection keeps the tension high and the reader guessing. Overall, Slasher Summer is a fast-paced, entertaining read that balances homage and innovation, delivering a satisfying experience for both horror fans and newcomers alike.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Elyrria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slasher Summer is the perfect Summerween read! It blends old-timey slasher horror with an original story that will keep readers turning the pages at a breakneck pace!

A group of friends enjoys a vacation at a remote cabin near a lake, not long after graduating from high school and building their respective adult lives. As the getaway unfolds, it becomes clear that old resentments are rapidly rising to the surface and that a traitor dwells among them.

I loved this book so much! I felt like I was watching a Scream movie, and the fast pace was the cherry on top! I hate horror books where the characters have indistinguishable personalities, and readers can't keep track of who is who. E.L. Chen made no such mistakes, and each character has their own signature personality and background, which made it easy to remember who was who and what their motivations were. I kept flipping back to the cover to admire it and muse about whether this book will be made into a new slasher movie for modern watchers!

This is a perfect book for old-school slasher fans and horror newbies alike! The writing style is approachable, well-paced, and flows like a polished movie script.

Thank you to the publishers at NetGalley and Crown for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! This is an excellent book to add to a Summerween TBR, while roasting s'mores and sitting by a bonfire. Summer slashers should be recognized as a formal microgenre of slasher horror! I can't wait to see what E.L. Chen writes next, because this was just what my spooky little reader heart wanted.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first ever ARC! A huge thank you to Netgalley who gave me the chance to read this campy, 80s inspired slasher story before it’s published.

This story is perfect for horror lovers. The entire book is packed with nods to classic horror, from outright references to subtle nods to horror history. The novel takes a meta, Scream style approach. It’s self aware in all the right ways. It understands the horror book/movie format and talks about it openly.

Despite the intentionally formulaic plot, I was still on the edge of my seat. About half way through the novel I found myself glued to the pages, just wanting to see where the story went. The setting was eerie, the slasher’s design was simple yet effective, and the pacing was great.

The writing did take some getting used to, with very modern language thrown in, with words like “BFF” being used. While I didn’t love that aspect, I was able to get past it. The kills were interesting, with some being much campier than others. No spoilers here, but some felt intense and gory while others felt too over the top. Again, I could get past it because the story was made to be campy.

An element of the story that I did love was the ages of the characters and the stage of life they were in. They were becoming adults while still grappling with their past. It felt authentic. While there’s definitely horror about people out of high school (the Scream series goes on for years) many stories still do seem to focus on teenagers. I love stories about adults making sense of their lives and being honest about how our youth shapes us.

In all I really did love this book. It was addictive. Any horror fans, especially any slasher fans, need to check this book out. Especially because I see a sequel in this story’s future!

[Jess Reads Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC.

A group of friends get together for the last time at a remote cabin known as the Slasher cabin, famous for where the 80s film Slasher was set. The friends were all part of the Jumpscare Society back in high school, so of course, they are all in. Except, it’s not all fun and games.

I’m not the biggest lover of the campy 80s slasher genre, so I purely picked this book up from
NG because I like the author and of course want to support her. But I was pleasantly surprised because it was hella tropey, gory, insightful, and did not feel disrespectful to the victims. Most of the book and plot was relatively predictable, and I do believe that’s kind of the point. This genre kind of works the same way most times, it’s just a slight variation in execution and character development.

I truly enjoyed the characters. Sure, they were very stereotypical. Jock, hot bimbo, the nerd, the guy who’s always high, etc. The thing about books is that you can expand on their inner thoughts, which is something that movies may not be able to portray. While tropey on the surface, many of them are much more complex than whatever meets the eye. The various POVs really help to establish that.

Maybe because im not a slasher expert, I did not see the twist/reveal coming. But I did enjoy it immensely, and the ending? Dang. If you enjoy the generic slasher vibes, the tropes, the mix of characters, then definitely pick this one up! The cover is also super eye catching NGL!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Crown, Penguin, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 rounded up to a 4

I went into this book wanting a fun time with a slasher and that's exactly what I got: a slasher film in book format, packed in with all the cliches of the genre.

It's exactly what it says it is on the tin and I had so much fun with it.

Until a certain point.

I'm a horror girlie, have been since my parents let me watch I Know What You Did Last Summer when I turned ten, and I love the genres, idiosyncrasies and all. I was immediately signed up for this book just seeing it was about a group of high school friends reuniting at the filming location of their favorite horror film. The fact that each character -- I think also named after icons of horror, if I'm not mistaken -- played a specific archetype of the genre was even better. And then you give me a gay love story subplot? Oh, I'm foaming at the mouth.

Problem is, it started to lose me a little after the halfway mark. At that point I'd already made my guess as to who the killer was (and I was right) and I felt like we were going in literal circles in that forest. It did begin to feel repetitive. But once we hit the third act I locked in and got invested again. For a 300-page book, I wasn't expecting a lagging middle, but I suppose that's another idiosyncrasy of the genre.

But I'm on board for the sequel the author set up. I worry it's going to venture too far into Breathe In, Bleed Out territory, but we'll see.