Slaughter High: The Official Novelization

by Caleb J. Pecue

SLAUGHTER HIGH is written by Caleb J. Pecue (The Hushed Boys) and features an all-new foreword by writer and director Mark Ezra. Fans of the movie and new listeners alike will not want to miss this fast-paced slasher, which, while remaining faithful to the source material, expands the story in imaginative new ways.

In Slaughter High…At Doddsville County High, awkward science whiz Marty Rantzen hides out in the chemistry lab, the only place safe from the whispers and cruelty that follow him through the halls. When the school's reigning drama queen, Carol, lures him into the girls' locker room, Marty believes, briefly, that he's finally been seen. Instead, it's a brutal April Fool's Day prank, staged to strip him of his dignity and leave him shattered. Broken and humiliated, Marty retreats to the lab, where a drug-laced joint and careless tampering trigger a horrific accident that leaves him permanently scarred.

Five years later, eight former classmates receive an invitation to a reunion on April 1st. Drawn back to their abandoned high school, they break in to escape a storm and begin to celebrate . . . until the doors lock behind them. What unfolds is no reunion at all. Someone from their past has returned with only one thing on their vengeance.

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2026

About the author

Caleb J. Pecue is the owner and operator of Terrorcore Publishing, which specializes in bringing back the vintage paperbacks of the ’70s-’90s. His Doors of Darkness series brings together stories connected by location, whether that be on Fern Street, Pike Street, or in the Sherwood Mall. In 2026, he is releasing a YA horror line of books, Rewind, that pays homage to the Point Horror books of the ’90s. In addition, he is the author of the novelization of Mark Ezra’s 1985 slasher, Slaughter High.

Reviews

[David Denoyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fan of SLAUGHTER HIGH for the last decade, I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of this newly released novelization from TerrorCore & it did not disappoint! Giving more backstory on events that lead to the vicious prank setting the deadly events in motion, this novelization leaves no stone unturned as we dive into Marty’s tortured high school life that only worsens as Carol brings her friends together for a prank no one will forget. Packed with new information on characters, fully fleshed out scenes of carnage, & a brand new ending from the film, this is a novelization I recommend for fans of the film & 80s slashers.

[R. E. Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book! One of my favorite slashers from the 80s. Hands down 5 stars!