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This B Just Won't Die!: A Novel
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Expected 13 Oct 26Win a free print copy of this book!
12 days and 02:50:42
100 copies available
U.S. only
This humorous, heart-pounding, feminist slasher takes on misogynist social pressures with one former scream queen as she is pursued by a serial killer impersonating the antagonist of her films. Former scream queen Barbra Jacobs desperately wants to break out of the box Hollywood has neatly packaged her in. Cast as the star of the Mirror horror franchise films twenty years ago, the breakout role that shaped her career has also destroyed her dreams of being taken seriously as an actress. Now forty, and still seeking the approval of everyone around her, she makes ends meet by signing old photos of herself and doing meet and greets at horror conventions. So when a producer calls asking her host The Monsters We Made, a hot new horror docuseries, she sees it as a step in the right direction. But when fans begin dying around her—and in ways that mimic the kills in her films—Barb is thrust back into a role she can’t seem to walk away The Final Girl. Will she ever break out of the display-box-life she’s been imprisoned in, or will Mirror Man end it all in Barbie’s Scream House?
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I`m not normally big on slashers, unless they’re of the splatter kind with kill scenes that are so over the top you have to laugh but the cover of this one had me curious and when I read that the main character was a menopausal woman I was just too curious not to request it. I’m certainly glad I did because this book was a lot of fun.
I blew through this book in one evening and I would have happily read another 100 pages of it. Pell’s writing style is smooth and easy to read. Reading this book really made me want to read more of her work.
I loved Barbra. The way she was still trying to figure out her own identity as a middle-aged woman and still feeling tapped in what she used to be so long ago, that felt very of our generation and oddly relatable. It wasn’t just Barb though, all the characters were pretty solid in their own way.
The sense of humor was fantastic, the timing of it was absolutely chef’s kiss. It prevented the topics explored from feeling hamfisted and forced. After all isn’t it how we cope with them in our daily lives?
The pacing in general was really solid in a steady build up where the characters were steadily solidified in bits and pieces sort of way up until the end where it sort of just frayed apart, that’s really my only problem with this book, I wasn’t super keen on how the ending was handled even though it was a pretty decent ending.
I blew through this book in one evening and I would have happily read another 100 pages of it. Pell’s writing style is smooth and easy to read. Reading this book really made me want to read more of her work.
I loved Barbra. The way she was still trying to figure out her own identity as a middle-aged woman and still feeling tapped in what she used to be so long ago, that felt very of our generation and oddly relatable. It wasn’t just Barb though, all the characters were pretty solid in their own way.
The sense of humor was fantastic, the timing of it was absolutely chef’s kiss. It prevented the topics explored from feeling hamfisted and forced. After all isn’t it how we cope with them in our daily lives?
The pacing in general was really solid in a steady build up where the characters were steadily solidified in bits and pieces sort of way up until the end where it sort of just frayed apart, that’s really my only problem with this book, I wasn’t super keen on how the ending was handled even though it was a pretty decent ending.
March 24, 2026
3.75 Stars
While obviously the feminism felt very surface level and in your face, it worked for the story being told here. Satirical horror romp that was tons of fun. I had a blast while reading this.
It was funny and a little bloody. Honestly, I love women who love horror and i love women who write horror. And yes slashers are for the girls, BUT something about a pink horror slasher just sits right in my heart. Barbie Just Won't Die! fed me very well. It was exactly what I expected and just what I needed.
I think the only issue I had was that maybe it was a bit too long because it started to become repetitive, and it felt a tiny bit slow and that some areas dragged.
Thank you to Gallery Books and netgalley for the arc.
While obviously the feminism felt very surface level and in your face, it worked for the story being told here. Satirical horror romp that was tons of fun. I had a blast while reading this.
It was funny and a little bloody. Honestly, I love women who love horror and i love women who write horror. And yes slashers are for the girls, BUT something about a pink horror slasher just sits right in my heart. Barbie Just Won't Die! fed me very well. It was exactly what I expected and just what I needed.
I think the only issue I had was that maybe it was a bit too long because it started to become repetitive, and it felt a tiny bit slow and that some areas dragged.
Thank you to Gallery Books and netgalley for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Final Girl Trope, Pink (Feminist) Horror, Conversational Tone
This is a great example of the meta type of final girl story where a final girl scream queen becomes a real life final girl. It has all the parts fans of this trope want, inside info about final girl movies, nods to the "rules" within the genre, mystery as to who the killer is, etc... Readers love that they know what beats of the story are coming and Barb here, she knows too and still even s she tries to avoid the known traps, still gets caught up in them.
This one doubled down on Barb (Barbie) who played Debbie in 6 movies as part of the Mirror Man film franchise. She is now aging and living off the fame of being Debbie, the well known and loved final girl. She wishes she had more of an acting career and is definitely not dealing well with her own aging, but the chance to do a docuseries about her franchise for it's 20th Anniversary and the chance to be taken more seriously draws her in to the world of the franchise again.
Many people die here FYI. And the resolution as to who is behind it all was satisfying and original. The details are put in here very well to make the entire story worth the read and the payoff.
Pink Horror-- This is the term being given to this new but very overdue type of horror that is written by women who are angry, women who write horror that is violent and nuanced and terrifying but also satisfying for anyone to read. These are not cozy stories. they are deadly, terrifying, and immersive in the fear they create but they also plumb serious issues of being a woman in a world that thinks you are weak or lesser, a society that judges you by how pretty you are, how little space you take up, how you can't be too much or men won't enjoy looking at you and isn't that the whole point if you existing. These authors all scream NO while telling stories with real terrifying teeth. It is a change from the past, and I for one am here for it.
We women had to read the dude versions of these stories forever. If we could read those, men can read these. And they will because they are good.
This obviously is filled with satire as well. It is both a love letter too and a skewering of the final girls movie, the conscious creation of the scream queen, and the desire by the male gaze to keep her in that role forever. This is hammered home in the con scenes.
It is also written in a conversational tone which will draw readers in to Barbie's pov very easily. Coupled with short chapters, readers will breeze through this novel.
This is a great read for all final girl trope readers but especially those who like Final Gril Suport Group by Grady Hendrix and people who like the feminist, scary, thought provoking horror of Rachel Harrison. Anything she writes.
Other authors who do this very well are C.J. Leede and Gwendolyn Kiste.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Final Girl Trope, Pink (Feminist) Horror, Conversational Tone
This is a great example of the meta type of final girl story where a final girl scream queen becomes a real life final girl. It has all the parts fans of this trope want, inside info about final girl movies, nods to the "rules" within the genre, mystery as to who the killer is, etc... Readers love that they know what beats of the story are coming and Barb here, she knows too and still even s she tries to avoid the known traps, still gets caught up in them.
This one doubled down on Barb (Barbie) who played Debbie in 6 movies as part of the Mirror Man film franchise. She is now aging and living off the fame of being Debbie, the well known and loved final girl. She wishes she had more of an acting career and is definitely not dealing well with her own aging, but the chance to do a docuseries about her franchise for it's 20th Anniversary and the chance to be taken more seriously draws her in to the world of the franchise again.
Many people die here FYI. And the resolution as to who is behind it all was satisfying and original. The details are put in here very well to make the entire story worth the read and the payoff.
Pink Horror-- This is the term being given to this new but very overdue type of horror that is written by women who are angry, women who write horror that is violent and nuanced and terrifying but also satisfying for anyone to read. These are not cozy stories. they are deadly, terrifying, and immersive in the fear they create but they also plumb serious issues of being a woman in a world that thinks you are weak or lesser, a society that judges you by how pretty you are, how little space you take up, how you can't be too much or men won't enjoy looking at you and isn't that the whole point if you existing. These authors all scream NO while telling stories with real terrifying teeth. It is a change from the past, and I for one am here for it.
We women had to read the dude versions of these stories forever. If we could read those, men can read these. And they will because they are good.
This obviously is filled with satire as well. It is both a love letter too and a skewering of the final girls movie, the conscious creation of the scream queen, and the desire by the male gaze to keep her in that role forever. This is hammered home in the con scenes.
It is also written in a conversational tone which will draw readers in to Barbie's pov very easily. Coupled with short chapters, readers will breeze through this novel.
This is a great read for all final girl trope readers but especially those who like Final Gril Suport Group by Grady Hendrix and people who like the feminist, scary, thought provoking horror of Rachel Harrison. Anything she writes.
Other authors who do this very well are C.J. Leede and Gwendolyn Kiste.
July 30, 2026
Thank you Tanya and Gallery for my free ARC of This B Just Won't Die! by Tanya Pell — out Oct 13!
» READ IF YOU «
🔪 love a perimenopausal final girl who's painfully self-aware
🩸 want your slasher doing sharp commentary on feminism
💅 can’t resist potatoes, noise-cancelling airpods, or anything pink
» SYNOPSIS «
Barbra Jacobs was everybody’s favorite scream queen, beloved final girl of the Mirror Man franchise. But that was twenty years ago, and she was never able to break free from that one role. Now perimenopausal and scraping by on convention appearances and photo signings, she thinks hosting a new horror series might finally give her career a much-needed boost. But when fans start dying in kills that mirror her own in the films, Barb will be dragged back into the role she's spent decades trying to escape: Final Girl.
» REVIEW «
I am genuinely obsessed with Barb. Pell gives us a final girl who knows exactly what genre she's stuck in—not only has she SEEN the movies, she’s BEEN the girl who makes it out alive. But in real life, surviving a deranged killer turns out to be so much messier and harder than any script ever let on. Watching Barb bloom from someone chasing everyone else's approval into someone who's done being anyone's disposable scream queen is eeeeasily one of my favorite character journeys in horror this year. You will adore her, or your money back. Probably. Maybe. I can't promise that, okay?
What truly gets me excited about this book, though, is how much Pell manages to say underneath all the glitter and the gore—about aging, about dreams, about the world discarding women the second they stop being useful to the male gaze—without ever once losing her signature levity. This book is funny. It's campy in exactly the right ways. And yet, despite the humor and the slashing, it still finds room for real feminist teeth and honest self-actualization, which is such a hard balance to strike. Plus, the plot itself is wonderfully paced and full of delightful (and some decided less-so) characters. This is Pell at her absolute best.
One of my top for the year, without a doubt!
» RATING «
🩸 I'm Reborn 🩸
» READ-A-LIKES «
• Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison
• Jennifer’s Body (movie)
• Molka by Monika Kim
• Dollface by Lindy Ryan
» READ IF YOU «
🔪 love a perimenopausal final girl who's painfully self-aware
🩸 want your slasher doing sharp commentary on feminism
💅 can’t resist potatoes, noise-cancelling airpods, or anything pink
» SYNOPSIS «
Barbra Jacobs was everybody’s favorite scream queen, beloved final girl of the Mirror Man franchise. But that was twenty years ago, and she was never able to break free from that one role. Now perimenopausal and scraping by on convention appearances and photo signings, she thinks hosting a new horror series might finally give her career a much-needed boost. But when fans start dying in kills that mirror her own in the films, Barb will be dragged back into the role she's spent decades trying to escape: Final Girl.
» REVIEW «
I am genuinely obsessed with Barb. Pell gives us a final girl who knows exactly what genre she's stuck in—not only has she SEEN the movies, she’s BEEN the girl who makes it out alive. But in real life, surviving a deranged killer turns out to be so much messier and harder than any script ever let on. Watching Barb bloom from someone chasing everyone else's approval into someone who's done being anyone's disposable scream queen is eeeeasily one of my favorite character journeys in horror this year. You will adore her, or your money back. Probably. Maybe. I can't promise that, okay?
What truly gets me excited about this book, though, is how much Pell manages to say underneath all the glitter and the gore—about aging, about dreams, about the world discarding women the second they stop being useful to the male gaze—without ever once losing her signature levity. This book is funny. It's campy in exactly the right ways. And yet, despite the humor and the slashing, it still finds room for real feminist teeth and honest self-actualization, which is such a hard balance to strike. Plus, the plot itself is wonderfully paced and full of delightful (and some decided less-so) characters. This is Pell at her absolute best.
One of my top for the year, without a doubt!
» RATING «
🩸 I'm Reborn 🩸
» READ-A-LIKES «
• Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison
• Jennifer’s Body (movie)
• Molka by Monika Kim
• Dollface by Lindy Ryan
July 29, 2026
I have read so many feminist horrors and what I have learned is that the real horror is just being a woman.
This B Just Won’t Die follows Barb, an aging final girl from a very popular horror franchise. Barb has been in Hollywood for 20 years and has always just been Debbie her character. But that takes on a whole new meaning when she finds herself at the centre of a murder spree and the killer is mirror man- the killer from her franchise.
There is so much to unpack here- Barb’s story was so engaging. Not only are we at the centre of a good ole’ fashioned slasher narrative, we are also navigating the mess that is being a woman in Hollywood. Barb having come from a troubled family, has more baggage than most and has not accepted age gracefully. Throughout the story, we see her battle with her identity and watch her try and fail to differentiate between her and the iconic Debbie. Having spent so much of her life just being what society expects from her, she finds herself at a loss with who she even is in the first place.
Tanya Pell gives us a lot with this novel. But what really resonated was Barb’s monologue about being grateful. Because it’s true, as women, no matter how hard we work, we are expected to be grateful for what we have or what we have achieved. As if it’s so out of the realm of possibility we just have to be thankful that it happened.
Honestly horror is the perfectly vessel for these kinds of critiques and commentaries. This B Just Won’t Die was well thought out and executed. I enjoyed every moment of it. This is the perfect fall season read and I highly recommend it!
This B Just Won’t Die follows Barb, an aging final girl from a very popular horror franchise. Barb has been in Hollywood for 20 years and has always just been Debbie her character. But that takes on a whole new meaning when she finds herself at the centre of a murder spree and the killer is mirror man- the killer from her franchise.
There is so much to unpack here- Barb’s story was so engaging. Not only are we at the centre of a good ole’ fashioned slasher narrative, we are also navigating the mess that is being a woman in Hollywood. Barb having come from a troubled family, has more baggage than most and has not accepted age gracefully. Throughout the story, we see her battle with her identity and watch her try and fail to differentiate between her and the iconic Debbie. Having spent so much of her life just being what society expects from her, she finds herself at a loss with who she even is in the first place.
Tanya Pell gives us a lot with this novel. But what really resonated was Barb’s monologue about being grateful. Because it’s true, as women, no matter how hard we work, we are expected to be grateful for what we have or what we have achieved. As if it’s so out of the realm of possibility we just have to be thankful that it happened.
Honestly horror is the perfectly vessel for these kinds of critiques and commentaries. This B Just Won’t Die was well thought out and executed. I enjoyed every moment of it. This is the perfect fall season read and I highly recommend it!
Want to Read
March 28, 2026want want want! this one sounds soo good! Pub Date: 10/2026
May 13, 2026
I had high hopes for this one from the beginning and I’m so pleased this one delivered and then some! Campy, twisty, funny and a shockingly relatable main character (aside from the scream queen part). I devoured this one pretty quickly as it was hard to put down.
Barb is now 40, dealing with perimenopause, not knowing what she really wants and is a hopeless people pleaser. She found stardom in her youth as the final girl in a fan favorite horror franchise. She’s now drifting, not knowing what to do now that she isn’t in her 20s and can’t escape her final girl type cast in Hollywood.
She’s just trying to figure out who she is and what she wants while paying the bills doing cons and bit jobs that keep her reluctantly tied to horror and that long ago franchise. She’s great at faking it to make it until a serial killer starts masquerading as the villain from her horror movie franchise.
The best part is that Barb is painfully aware of what’s happening and what a final girl should do, but life isn’t the movies and it’s much easier when her choices are scripted and her life doesn’t depend on it.
I absolutely loved Barb and her development throughout the story, there’s a quiet feminine rage, acceptance of yourself and always being smarter than the slasher. This book does a fabulous job of being campy without being cheesy. There’s some nostalgia and horror lovers will love the throwbacks to other franchises that are given nods in this book. It’s twisty, it’s fast paced and the humor is well done. You’ll be rooting for Barb too!
Barb is now 40, dealing with perimenopause, not knowing what she really wants and is a hopeless people pleaser. She found stardom in her youth as the final girl in a fan favorite horror franchise. She’s now drifting, not knowing what to do now that she isn’t in her 20s and can’t escape her final girl type cast in Hollywood.
She’s just trying to figure out who she is and what she wants while paying the bills doing cons and bit jobs that keep her reluctantly tied to horror and that long ago franchise. She’s great at faking it to make it until a serial killer starts masquerading as the villain from her horror movie franchise.
The best part is that Barb is painfully aware of what’s happening and what a final girl should do, but life isn’t the movies and it’s much easier when her choices are scripted and her life doesn’t depend on it.
I absolutely loved Barb and her development throughout the story, there’s a quiet feminine rage, acceptance of yourself and always being smarter than the slasher. This book does a fabulous job of being campy without being cheesy. There’s some nostalgia and horror lovers will love the throwbacks to other franchises that are given nods in this book. It’s twisty, it’s fast paced and the humor is well done. You’ll be rooting for Barb too!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Tanya Pell has established herself as an absolute master of all different types of horror, and with Barbie Just Won’t Die!, she shows herself an absolute master of the slasher. This book works brilliantly as a classic slasher, following the familiar beats while having so many twists and surprises that will keep veterans and new readers alike shocked and delighted. Some truly gnarly kills, an instantly iconic villain, and some fantastic set pieces make this a slasher instant classic.
But the beauty of this book doesn’t just stop there, because Pell uses the slasher as a way to explore the way that society looks at women, and specifically women as they age. Barbra Jacob’s is a completely three dimensional, breathing, fully formed, flawed, and fantastic main character. She makes good decisions, bad decisions, selfish decisions, selfless decisions, and shows how so often a man (especially a white man) can do the same thing and be celebrated, but when a woman does it, it’s a problem.
The director and co-star of the iconic slasher film she is celebrating the anniversary of are rugged, mature geniuses and iconoclasts, she is past her prime and has to act exactly as expected if she hopes to continue landing roles and jobs in show business.
Pell doesn’t flinch from the realities of the human body as it ages (or when it is damaged in an attack) and this becomes a book that works so perfectly as both an entertainment and a philosophical look at the effects of patriarchy and unfair expectations of women.
A must read and Pell further cements herself as a favorite of mine personally and a definite must buy author.
But the beauty of this book doesn’t just stop there, because Pell uses the slasher as a way to explore the way that society looks at women, and specifically women as they age. Barbra Jacob’s is a completely three dimensional, breathing, fully formed, flawed, and fantastic main character. She makes good decisions, bad decisions, selfish decisions, selfless decisions, and shows how so often a man (especially a white man) can do the same thing and be celebrated, but when a woman does it, it’s a problem.
The director and co-star of the iconic slasher film she is celebrating the anniversary of are rugged, mature geniuses and iconoclasts, she is past her prime and has to act exactly as expected if she hopes to continue landing roles and jobs in show business.
Pell doesn’t flinch from the realities of the human body as it ages (or when it is damaged in an attack) and this becomes a book that works so perfectly as both an entertainment and a philosophical look at the effects of patriarchy and unfair expectations of women.
A must read and Pell further cements herself as a favorite of mine personally and a definite must buy author.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
It's always a blast to dive into a new slasher story, but what's even more fun is a fresh, unique, and entertaining take on the slasher genre such as
Tanya Pell
's
This B Just Won't Die
. Pell wonderfully balances horror, just the right amount of humor, and social commentary in this chilling tale.
Former scream queen Barbra Jacobs desperately wants to break out of the box Hollywood has neatly packaged her in. Cast as the star of the Mirror horror franchise films twenty years ago, the breakout role that shaped her career has also destroyed her dreams of being taken seriously as an actress. Now forty, and still seeking the approval of everyone around her, she makes ends meet by signing old photos of herself and doing meet and greets at horror conventions.
So when a producer calls asking her host The Monsters We Made, a hot new horror docuseries, she sees it as a step in the right direction. But when fans begin dying around her—and in ways that mimic the kills in her films—Barb is thrust back into a role she can’t seem to walk away from: The Final Girl.
Will she ever break out of the display-box-life she’s been imprisoned in, or will Mirror Man end it all in Barbie’s Scream House?
As someone who has worked closely with various conventions and hosted a number of panels, its fun to dive into a fictional story the features the convention life. Knowing that a lot of the guests of these conventions are not currently working in their field and spend most of their time signing autographs and taking photos with the fans from their work of the past. Twisting this story from there into a slasher story made for a gripping adventure.
Its not the convention itself that takes center stage, but our main character Barbra "Barb" Jacobs and her struggle to find an identity while dealing with the struggles of aging, typecasting, and finding self-worth. This made Barb's character feel much more relatable and the stakes all that more higher. Pell wonderfully crafts Barb's character in a way that made it easy to root for her, while also making her more than a typical Final Girl, one with more emotional depth.
This B Just Won't Die is proof of Pell's love for the genre. Pell crafts a horror story that feels familiar to us fans of the genre, all while delivering on surprises and elements that keep you on the edge of your seat. It's the actual scares in this story that terrify you, but it's the relationship to real life horrors that hit even harder, including aging, visibility, fame, and societal expectations. Blending these themes into a story, while also creating a sense of unease isn't easy, but Pell lands it wonderfully.
Pell doesn't let off the gas with This B Just Won't Die. It's a fast-paced story with escalating tension that made each page quick, but also carry a lot of weight and momentum. It's the dark humor moments that give us a slight break from the tension that allows this novel to be swallowed a bit easier, but it also remains very entertaining during these breaks in suspense.
This B Just Won't Die is a wildly entertaining slasher that truly understands what horror fans love while delivering something fresh and meaningful. Tanya Pell wonderfully balances frights, dark humor, and thoughtful social commentary on aging, fame, and identity to create a story that feels thrilling and somehow relatable. Barb is a Final Girl worth rooting for and her journey adds emotional weight to the blood-soaked mystery unfolding around her. This B Just Won't Die is a love letter to slasher fans that proves familiar tropes can still feel fresh and relevant.
This B Just Won't Die! hits bookstores everywhere on October 13, 2026 from Gallery Books. The audiobook, narrated by Natalie Naudus, is available via Libro.fm!
NOTE: We received an advance copy of This B Just Won't Die! from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
Former scream queen Barbra Jacobs desperately wants to break out of the box Hollywood has neatly packaged her in. Cast as the star of the Mirror horror franchise films twenty years ago, the breakout role that shaped her career has also destroyed her dreams of being taken seriously as an actress. Now forty, and still seeking the approval of everyone around her, she makes ends meet by signing old photos of herself and doing meet and greets at horror conventions.
So when a producer calls asking her host The Monsters We Made, a hot new horror docuseries, she sees it as a step in the right direction. But when fans begin dying around her—and in ways that mimic the kills in her films—Barb is thrust back into a role she can’t seem to walk away from: The Final Girl.
Will she ever break out of the display-box-life she’s been imprisoned in, or will Mirror Man end it all in Barbie’s Scream House?
As someone who has worked closely with various conventions and hosted a number of panels, its fun to dive into a fictional story the features the convention life. Knowing that a lot of the guests of these conventions are not currently working in their field and spend most of their time signing autographs and taking photos with the fans from their work of the past. Twisting this story from there into a slasher story made for a gripping adventure.
Its not the convention itself that takes center stage, but our main character Barbra "Barb" Jacobs and her struggle to find an identity while dealing with the struggles of aging, typecasting, and finding self-worth. This made Barb's character feel much more relatable and the stakes all that more higher. Pell wonderfully crafts Barb's character in a way that made it easy to root for her, while also making her more than a typical Final Girl, one with more emotional depth.
This B Just Won't Die is proof of Pell's love for the genre. Pell crafts a horror story that feels familiar to us fans of the genre, all while delivering on surprises and elements that keep you on the edge of your seat. It's the actual scares in this story that terrify you, but it's the relationship to real life horrors that hit even harder, including aging, visibility, fame, and societal expectations. Blending these themes into a story, while also creating a sense of unease isn't easy, but Pell lands it wonderfully.
Pell doesn't let off the gas with This B Just Won't Die. It's a fast-paced story with escalating tension that made each page quick, but also carry a lot of weight and momentum. It's the dark humor moments that give us a slight break from the tension that allows this novel to be swallowed a bit easier, but it also remains very entertaining during these breaks in suspense.
This B Just Won't Die is a wildly entertaining slasher that truly understands what horror fans love while delivering something fresh and meaningful. Tanya Pell wonderfully balances frights, dark humor, and thoughtful social commentary on aging, fame, and identity to create a story that feels thrilling and somehow relatable. Barb is a Final Girl worth rooting for and her journey adds emotional weight to the blood-soaked mystery unfolding around her. This B Just Won't Die is a love letter to slasher fans that proves familiar tropes can still feel fresh and relevant.
This B Just Won't Die! hits bookstores everywhere on October 13, 2026 from Gallery Books. The audiobook, narrated by Natalie Naudus, is available via Libro.fm!
NOTE: We received an advance copy of This B Just Won't Die! from the publisher. Opinions are our own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
**5 Stars**
*This B Just Won't Die!* by Tanya Pell was everything I want from a slasher novel and then some. Sharp, darkly funny, self-aware, emotional, and packed with enough horror goodness to keep me hooked from beginning to end. This was my first book by Tanya Pell, and by the time I reached the final page, she had officially earned a spot on my insta-buy author list.
One thing I know about myself as a reader is that I will never get tired of a great Final Girl story. Give me horror conventions, scream queens, serial killers, and meta commentary on the genre, and I'm already invested. Pell takes those familiar elements and delivers something that feels both nostalgic and fresh, balancing horror and humor in a way that never undercuts either.
Barbra was an incredibly compelling protagonist. As a former scream queen struggling to move beyond the role that defined her career, she carries so much frustration, vulnerability, and determination throughout the story. Her journey isn't just about surviving a killer—it's about identity, self-worth, and breaking free from the boxes other people place us in. Watching her navigate those challenges made her feel far more layered than the typical horror heroine.
The horror itself absolutely delivered. The kills were creative, the tension was high, and the mystery surrounding Mirror Man kept me guessing. At the same time, the story never forgot to be fun. There were multiple moments where I found myself grinning because the book clearly understands and loves horror as much as its readers do.
What surprised me most was how thoughtful the story became beneath the blood and chaos. This isn't just a slasher. It's a novel that asks readers to think about celebrity, aging, expectations, identity, and the ways society often tries to define women long after they've outgrown the roles assigned to them. The themes felt natural and never overshadowed the entertainment value.
And can we talk about the aesthetic for a second? A pink horror book that is equal parts brutal, clever, and introspective is basically catnip for me. The contrast between the vibrant exterior and the darker themes inside worked perfectly.
Overall, *This B Just Won't Die!* was an absolute knockout. It's a love letter to horror fans, a fantastic Final Girl story, and a sharp examination of identity wrapped in a bloody, entertaining slasher package. If you love horror, scream queens, meta commentary, and stories that make you think while keeping you thoroughly entertained, put this one on your TBR immediately.
Tanya Pell has officially made me a fan, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
Thank you, NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Tanya Pell (an absolute icon!) for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and fair review.
*This B Just Won't Die!* by Tanya Pell was everything I want from a slasher novel and then some. Sharp, darkly funny, self-aware, emotional, and packed with enough horror goodness to keep me hooked from beginning to end. This was my first book by Tanya Pell, and by the time I reached the final page, she had officially earned a spot on my insta-buy author list.
One thing I know about myself as a reader is that I will never get tired of a great Final Girl story. Give me horror conventions, scream queens, serial killers, and meta commentary on the genre, and I'm already invested. Pell takes those familiar elements and delivers something that feels both nostalgic and fresh, balancing horror and humor in a way that never undercuts either.
Barbra was an incredibly compelling protagonist. As a former scream queen struggling to move beyond the role that defined her career, she carries so much frustration, vulnerability, and determination throughout the story. Her journey isn't just about surviving a killer—it's about identity, self-worth, and breaking free from the boxes other people place us in. Watching her navigate those challenges made her feel far more layered than the typical horror heroine.
The horror itself absolutely delivered. The kills were creative, the tension was high, and the mystery surrounding Mirror Man kept me guessing. At the same time, the story never forgot to be fun. There were multiple moments where I found myself grinning because the book clearly understands and loves horror as much as its readers do.
What surprised me most was how thoughtful the story became beneath the blood and chaos. This isn't just a slasher. It's a novel that asks readers to think about celebrity, aging, expectations, identity, and the ways society often tries to define women long after they've outgrown the roles assigned to them. The themes felt natural and never overshadowed the entertainment value.
And can we talk about the aesthetic for a second? A pink horror book that is equal parts brutal, clever, and introspective is basically catnip for me. The contrast between the vibrant exterior and the darker themes inside worked perfectly.
Overall, *This B Just Won't Die!* was an absolute knockout. It's a love letter to horror fans, a fantastic Final Girl story, and a sharp examination of identity wrapped in a bloody, entertaining slasher package. If you love horror, scream queens, meta commentary, and stories that make you think while keeping you thoroughly entertained, put this one on your TBR immediately.
Tanya Pell has officially made me a fan, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
Thank you, NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Tanya Pell (an absolute icon!) for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and fair review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“Barbie Just Won’t Die!” by Tanya Pell is honestly such a fun, chaotic slasher horror with self-aware humor, and it works way better than you’d expect.
The story follows Barbra (aka Barb), a former scream queen who got famous years ago for playing the stereotypical “final girl” in a horror movie franchise. Now she’s in her 40s, stuck signing autographs and dealing with an industry that’s basically moved on without her. She’s tired of being typecast, tired of people underestimating her, and honestly just tired in general. So when she gets the chance to host a docuseries tied to her old films, she jumps at it, which, of course, turns out to be a terrible idea.
Things escalate fast when people around her start dying in ways that mirror the movies that made her famous. There’s a stalker element that’s genuinely creepy, especially since the killer seems obsessed with blurring the line between fiction and reality. It gives the whole book this meta, “are we inside a horror movie right now?” vibe that makes it really entertaining, especially if you’re into slasher tropes since this book has a lot of slasher movie references throughout.
One of the best parts of this book is Barb herself. She’s not your typical perfect final girl; she’s insecure, a bit of a people pleaser, and struggling with aging in Hollywood and her own self-worth. But that’s what makes her feel real. Watching her grow, stand up for herself, and reclaim her agency is just as satisfying as all the horror elements. There’s also a really strong sense of female camaraderie among the women in the film industry, which adds a nice layer to the story.
That said, the pacing isn’t perfect. It takes a while for the main action to fully kick in (almost halfway through), and there are some slower sections where Barb is stuck in her own head. But once it hits that final stretch? It goes. Full-on slasher mode with characters getting picked off one by one, lots of gore, intense chase scenes, and a super twisty reveal that’s honestly hard to predict.
Also, the humor? Surprisingly great. It balances the darker themes really well and keeps the book from feeling too heavy, even when it’s dealing with stuff like fame, trauma, and identity.
Overall, this is a super entertaining, slightly unhinged meta-horror with a feminist edge. If you like slasher movies, messy but lovable characters, and stories that poke fun at horror while still delivering actual scares, you’ll probably have a blast with this one.
“Barbie Just Won’t Die!” by Tanya Pell is honestly such a fun, chaotic slasher horror with self-aware humor, and it works way better than you’d expect.
The story follows Barbra (aka Barb), a former scream queen who got famous years ago for playing the stereotypical “final girl” in a horror movie franchise. Now she’s in her 40s, stuck signing autographs and dealing with an industry that’s basically moved on without her. She’s tired of being typecast, tired of people underestimating her, and honestly just tired in general. So when she gets the chance to host a docuseries tied to her old films, she jumps at it, which, of course, turns out to be a terrible idea.
Things escalate fast when people around her start dying in ways that mirror the movies that made her famous. There’s a stalker element that’s genuinely creepy, especially since the killer seems obsessed with blurring the line between fiction and reality. It gives the whole book this meta, “are we inside a horror movie right now?” vibe that makes it really entertaining, especially if you’re into slasher tropes since this book has a lot of slasher movie references throughout.
One of the best parts of this book is Barb herself. She’s not your typical perfect final girl; she’s insecure, a bit of a people pleaser, and struggling with aging in Hollywood and her own self-worth. But that’s what makes her feel real. Watching her grow, stand up for herself, and reclaim her agency is just as satisfying as all the horror elements. There’s also a really strong sense of female camaraderie among the women in the film industry, which adds a nice layer to the story.
That said, the pacing isn’t perfect. It takes a while for the main action to fully kick in (almost halfway through), and there are some slower sections where Barb is stuck in her own head. But once it hits that final stretch? It goes. Full-on slasher mode with characters getting picked off one by one, lots of gore, intense chase scenes, and a super twisty reveal that’s honestly hard to predict.
Also, the humor? Surprisingly great. It balances the darker themes really well and keeps the book from feeling too heavy, even when it’s dealing with stuff like fame, trauma, and identity.
Overall, this is a super entertaining, slightly unhinged meta-horror with a feminist edge. If you like slasher movies, messy but lovable characters, and stories that poke fun at horror while still delivering actual scares, you’ll probably have a blast with this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book right here, this is my exact brand of horror – a meta slasher set to the backdrop of what it means to be an aging woman and the misogyny that the world smothers us with each passing year presented on our bodies. Chef’s kiss, I had such a fun time with this one.
A main staple of slashers are the kills. While we don’t get to see the kills on page, the finding of the bodies is brutal. That first death, I was imagining that presented like a movie with the meditated music and the award-winning scream, it was so well written and presented on the page. Each following death is equally grotesque and haunting. While the Final Girl is the star of the show, the killer must live up to that same standard, and the Mirror Faced killed does live up to that horror.
And what a Final Girl Barb is. At her heart, she is the staple of what makes a final girl – brave, clever, unwilling to be killed, feral when that feral need to fight is presented – but she’s also just a woman; a woman who is going through the aging process and constantly presented with the glorified image of herself at twenty and everything that makes a twenty year old woman. She’s no longer spry, perky breasted, lean built and a walking universal sex image.
She’s forty, with everything that comes from reaching the age of forty, and the world always has something to say about a woman who dared to age. And I loved that she’s allowed to be forty – she’s got hot flashes, her body has its aches, she eats as she pleases, and despite the world sometimes shoving her into the box of beauty, she recognizes that her worth isn’t tied to what the world demands of a woman. A Final Girl is still a Final Girl all these years later, even if the world thinks less of her for not still being the same as she was twenty years prior.
While the Mirror franchise is only brought up in memories, I want these movies! A campy fifth installment where the Final Girl and killer are trapped in a Doctor Who/Happy Death Day style time warp where they try to kill/escape each other…. Yes please!! That is the camp slasher horror that we as a people deserve. This novel feels like a love note to the slasher genre.
Honest Review given for digital ARC Via Netgalley
A main staple of slashers are the kills. While we don’t get to see the kills on page, the finding of the bodies is brutal. That first death, I was imagining that presented like a movie with the meditated music and the award-winning scream, it was so well written and presented on the page. Each following death is equally grotesque and haunting. While the Final Girl is the star of the show, the killer must live up to that same standard, and the Mirror Faced killed does live up to that horror.
And what a Final Girl Barb is. At her heart, she is the staple of what makes a final girl – brave, clever, unwilling to be killed, feral when that feral need to fight is presented – but she’s also just a woman; a woman who is going through the aging process and constantly presented with the glorified image of herself at twenty and everything that makes a twenty year old woman. She’s no longer spry, perky breasted, lean built and a walking universal sex image.
She’s forty, with everything that comes from reaching the age of forty, and the world always has something to say about a woman who dared to age. And I loved that she’s allowed to be forty – she’s got hot flashes, her body has its aches, she eats as she pleases, and despite the world sometimes shoving her into the box of beauty, she recognizes that her worth isn’t tied to what the world demands of a woman. A Final Girl is still a Final Girl all these years later, even if the world thinks less of her for not still being the same as she was twenty years prior.
While the Mirror franchise is only brought up in memories, I want these movies! A campy fifth installment where the Final Girl and killer are trapped in a Doctor Who/Happy Death Day style time warp where they try to kill/escape each other…. Yes please!! That is the camp slasher horror that we as a people deserve. This novel feels like a love note to the slasher genre.
Honest Review given for digital ARC Via Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑨 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒘𝒐-𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑨 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔.
Barbra Jacobs used to be the girl you screamed for and rooted for in the same breath, the iconic Final Girl from the Mirror horror franchise. Now she’s forty, stuck signing glossy photos of her younger self and trying to convince the world, and quite possibly herself, that she’s more than the role that made her famous. When she’s offered a chance to host a new horror docuseries, it feels like a lifeline. But she never expected fans to start dying. The savagery felt familiar as it was the kind of brutality that mirrored the films that made her a star. And just like that, Barb realizes she isn’t just revisiting her past; she’s being dragged back into it, whether she wants to be or not.
This book is campy, sharp, and biting in all the right places, and it deftly explores the absurdity of fame, fandom, and the way women in horror get boxed into roles they’re never allowed to outgrow. But underneath the blood and the chaos and the sheer “wtf” moments, there are themes that are a little more cutting, such as the pressure to stay relevant, the impossible standards that must be navigated, and most of all, the way the world consumes women and then acts shocked when they don’t come out of it untouched.
And then there’s the horror of it all, which does not hold back. The kills are creative, the tension builds like a slasher you can’t quite look away from, and there’s this delicious thread of “is this real or is this part of the performance?” running through the entire story. It’s fast and feral in the way it balances humor with something genuinely unsettling. But more than anything, it feels like a love letter to the genre while also dragging it, just a little, for everything it’s done to the women who made it iconic. By the end, one thing felt very clear: the industry might have tried to keep Barb in a box, but she was never going to stay there quietly. So many thanks to Gallery Books for this fun early copy that will publish October 13, 2026.
Barbra Jacobs used to be the girl you screamed for and rooted for in the same breath, the iconic Final Girl from the Mirror horror franchise. Now she’s forty, stuck signing glossy photos of her younger self and trying to convince the world, and quite possibly herself, that she’s more than the role that made her famous. When she’s offered a chance to host a new horror docuseries, it feels like a lifeline. But she never expected fans to start dying. The savagery felt familiar as it was the kind of brutality that mirrored the films that made her a star. And just like that, Barb realizes she isn’t just revisiting her past; she’s being dragged back into it, whether she wants to be or not.
This book is campy, sharp, and biting in all the right places, and it deftly explores the absurdity of fame, fandom, and the way women in horror get boxed into roles they’re never allowed to outgrow. But underneath the blood and the chaos and the sheer “wtf” moments, there are themes that are a little more cutting, such as the pressure to stay relevant, the impossible standards that must be navigated, and most of all, the way the world consumes women and then acts shocked when they don’t come out of it untouched.
And then there’s the horror of it all, which does not hold back. The kills are creative, the tension builds like a slasher you can’t quite look away from, and there’s this delicious thread of “is this real or is this part of the performance?” running through the entire story. It’s fast and feral in the way it balances humor with something genuinely unsettling. But more than anything, it feels like a love letter to the genre while also dragging it, just a little, for everything it’s done to the women who made it iconic. By the end, one thing felt very clear: the industry might have tried to keep Barb in a box, but she was never going to stay there quietly. So many thanks to Gallery Books for this fun early copy that will publish October 13, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A big thank you to Tanya Pell for graciously giving me this ARC at the Summer of Horrors event in Brooklyn!
💬... Well for someone who really enjoys slasher movies, I am very particular when it comes to slasher books. Maybe it's because a slasher movie is over in like 90 minutes but it takes several hours to read a book? But enough about me, this book is all about Barbra (Barbie, Debbie, Barb), an aging scream queen who is stuck between who she was when she was the star of a huge horror franchise and who she really is as an older woman continuing to live off her fame by attending horror cons.
The final girl/slasher tropes and satire are strong with this one in all the right ways. I quite enjoyed the movie villain from the horror franchise, Mirror Man 🪞. It was a perfect mix of keeping the vibes from other franchises (think Freddy and Jason) while creating something new. I also enjoyed the ending, which is probably my biggest issue with slashers. This book follows all the slasher "rules" but still keeps you guessing until the big reveal. The payoff here is worth it.
A note on the characters which goes against most slasher "rules" (in a good way)...all of the characters are flushed out and aren't just fodder for the killer. You need a large cast for a proper slasher so you can have a lot of juicy kills. Instead of just having a random cast of characters with no development, you know who everyone is and what their relationship with Barb is like. You don't accidentally mistake them for one another while reading.
The book is written all from Barb's POV and our girl has a strong inner monologue, but one I really think a lot of women can relate to. There is also a more conversational tone in the writing, which really helps things keep moving and adds to the final girl feel. Chapters are also short (which is one of my favorite things)!
My one and only knock against this book is that it became a bit repetitive about 1/2-2/3 of the way through which slowed me down a bit. But the ending more than made up for that.
If you're a fan of final girls 🔪 and pink horror 🩷, this is for you!!
💬... Well for someone who really enjoys slasher movies, I am very particular when it comes to slasher books. Maybe it's because a slasher movie is over in like 90 minutes but it takes several hours to read a book? But enough about me, this book is all about Barbra (Barbie, Debbie, Barb), an aging scream queen who is stuck between who she was when she was the star of a huge horror franchise and who she really is as an older woman continuing to live off her fame by attending horror cons.
The final girl/slasher tropes and satire are strong with this one in all the right ways. I quite enjoyed the movie villain from the horror franchise, Mirror Man 🪞. It was a perfect mix of keeping the vibes from other franchises (think Freddy and Jason) while creating something new. I also enjoyed the ending, which is probably my biggest issue with slashers. This book follows all the slasher "rules" but still keeps you guessing until the big reveal. The payoff here is worth it.
A note on the characters which goes against most slasher "rules" (in a good way)...all of the characters are flushed out and aren't just fodder for the killer. You need a large cast for a proper slasher so you can have a lot of juicy kills. Instead of just having a random cast of characters with no development, you know who everyone is and what their relationship with Barb is like. You don't accidentally mistake them for one another while reading.
The book is written all from Barb's POV and our girl has a strong inner monologue, but one I really think a lot of women can relate to. There is also a more conversational tone in the writing, which really helps things keep moving and adds to the final girl feel. Chapters are also short (which is one of my favorite things)!
My one and only knock against this book is that it became a bit repetitive about 1/2-2/3 of the way through which slowed me down a bit. But the ending more than made up for that.
If you're a fan of final girls 🔪 and pink horror 🩷, this is for you!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a fun, bloody little love letter to slasher movies and honestly, Barb might be one of my favorite horror heroines in a while. She’s forty, exhausted, over everybody’s nonsense, and still somehow expected to smile politely while signing photos from a role she played twenty years ago. Extremely relatable, honestly.
What I loved most was how this balanced campy horror fun with the very real frustration of being a woman aging in an industry that worships youth and then acts shocked when women get angry about it. Barb spends so much of the story trying to fit into the version of herself everyone else wants, while also dealing with a killer recreating murders from her old movies. Casual stressful Tuesday.
The horror stuff was genuinely entertaining too. Creepy masks, dramatic kills, horror convention chaos, fans acting way too intense, and that delicious feeling that someone is always watching. It felt like reading a slasher movie while yelling at the screen, except Barb actually knows the horror rules and keeps trying not to become another victim. I loved her for that.
Also, the humor really worked for me. There’s this sharp, funny self awareness running through the whole thing that kept it from feeling too heavy even when things got dark. And the nostalgia for old school horror movies? So good. You can tell this was written by someone who genuinely loves the genre, even while poking fun at it a little.
Definitely recommend this if you love meta horror, final girls with personality, and stories that are both fun and a little furious underneath all the blood.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
What I loved most was how this balanced campy horror fun with the very real frustration of being a woman aging in an industry that worships youth and then acts shocked when women get angry about it. Barb spends so much of the story trying to fit into the version of herself everyone else wants, while also dealing with a killer recreating murders from her old movies. Casual stressful Tuesday.
The horror stuff was genuinely entertaining too. Creepy masks, dramatic kills, horror convention chaos, fans acting way too intense, and that delicious feeling that someone is always watching. It felt like reading a slasher movie while yelling at the screen, except Barb actually knows the horror rules and keeps trying not to become another victim. I loved her for that.
Also, the humor really worked for me. There’s this sharp, funny self awareness running through the whole thing that kept it from feeling too heavy even when things got dark. And the nostalgia for old school horror movies? So good. You can tell this was written by someone who genuinely loves the genre, even while poking fun at it a little.
Definitely recommend this if you love meta horror, final girls with personality, and stories that are both fun and a little furious underneath all the blood.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5 ⭐ ARC Review - Hilarious and relatable, this slasher horror book about a movie final girl becoming an IRL final girl is so quotable and full of feminine struggles and rage that I will 100% be buying myself a copy!!
🔪 For Fans of:
- slasher horror
- satirical horror
- pink horror
- feminine rage
- campy
- relatable
- final girl
- reunion
- romance subplot
- body image issues
✏️ Spoiler-Free ARC Review
Barbie prefers to be called Barb. She’s not a doll and she’s not her on-screen final girl character, Debbie, anymore but when the people around her start dying in the same ways as the slasher movies she was been in, she has to wonder why now?
This feminist-slasher is 100% feminist rage and 100% slasher and I loved it.
Not only was this horror book super meta (movie final girl becomes real final girl), but the main character knows it, the way she mentions stereotypes and laughs at herself while also highlighting the horror movie genre in the feminist light.
I highlighted a LOT of passages because even though this is a funny, campy, pink horror book… it’s got a lot of heart to it.
The main character is hilarious, self conscious, and relatable. There’s great character development. She and the other characters have genuinely good and natural yet funny writing. It’s got great banter.
🖤 Thank you to author Tanya Pell and publisher Gallery Books for the digital advanced reader copy (ARC) via NetGalley.
As always, my reviews are honest, my own, and voluntary!
📚 Book: This B Just Won’t Die by Tanya Pell (formerly titled Barbie Just Won’t Die)
📅 Release Date: October 13, 2026
⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5
🔪 For Fans of:
- slasher horror
- satirical horror
- pink horror
- feminine rage
- campy
- relatable
- final girl
- reunion
- romance subplot
- body image issues
✏️ Spoiler-Free ARC Review
Barbie prefers to be called Barb. She’s not a doll and she’s not her on-screen final girl character, Debbie, anymore but when the people around her start dying in the same ways as the slasher movies she was been in, she has to wonder why now?
This feminist-slasher is 100% feminist rage and 100% slasher and I loved it.
Not only was this horror book super meta (movie final girl becomes real final girl), but the main character knows it, the way she mentions stereotypes and laughs at herself while also highlighting the horror movie genre in the feminist light.
I highlighted a LOT of passages because even though this is a funny, campy, pink horror book… it’s got a lot of heart to it.
The main character is hilarious, self conscious, and relatable. There’s great character development. She and the other characters have genuinely good and natural yet funny writing. It’s got great banter.
🖤 Thank you to author Tanya Pell and publisher Gallery Books for the digital advanced reader copy (ARC) via NetGalley.
As always, my reviews are honest, my own, and voluntary!
📚 Book: This B Just Won’t Die by Tanya Pell (formerly titled Barbie Just Won’t Die)
📅 Release Date: October 13, 2026
⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have mixed feelings about this one.
Barbara is an aging scream queen and is desperate to be seen as more than the final girl. Unfortunately for Barb someone is recreating the killings from her movies and she's been thrust into the center of the action.
What I liked: This book is a vibe. I loved the pink horror, feminist, campy feel. I also loved the side characters. Typically I'm pretty good at guessing the 'who did it' but this one genuinely kept me guessing. At no point did I know who the killer was. The ending is super satisfying.
What I didn't like: The beginning of this was SLOW. The first three chapters were basically just Barbra signing autographs at a horror con while having an existential crisis about being old. The pacing in general was bogged down by a few too many inner monologues. The story didn't truly get going until about half way through. In my opinion, slashers should always have lightning fast pace. Thankfully, the second half picks up speed.
Despite it's slower start, I think This B Just Wont Die is a fun read for campy horror fans. Pick this up if you enjoy a little bit of feminist rage.
Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the eARC of This B Just Wont Die by Tanya Pell!
Barbara is an aging scream queen and is desperate to be seen as more than the final girl. Unfortunately for Barb someone is recreating the killings from her movies and she's been thrust into the center of the action.
What I liked: This book is a vibe. I loved the pink horror, feminist, campy feel. I also loved the side characters. Typically I'm pretty good at guessing the 'who did it' but this one genuinely kept me guessing. At no point did I know who the killer was. The ending is super satisfying.
What I didn't like: The beginning of this was SLOW. The first three chapters were basically just Barbra signing autographs at a horror con while having an existential crisis about being old. The pacing in general was bogged down by a few too many inner monologues. The story didn't truly get going until about half way through. In my opinion, slashers should always have lightning fast pace. Thankfully, the second half picks up speed.
Despite it's slower start, I think This B Just Wont Die is a fun read for campy horror fans. Pick this up if you enjoy a little bit of feminist rage.
Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the eARC of This B Just Wont Die by Tanya Pell!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Absolutely loved this one.
This was so suspenseful that it felt like watching a slasher film play out in real time. The tension was intense, especially during the escape scenes, and I loved being inside Barb’s head as she tried to figure out who was after her and how to outsmart the killer.
One of my favorite parts was the way Barb thinks through all the classic final girl choices. She knows the horror movie rules. She knows what the audience is screaming at the screen: don’t go in there, don’t look behind you, don’t split up. So instead of falling into the usual traps, she tries to do the opposite. That made the story unique, while still keeping the stakes high.
Barb was such a compelling character because she was both vulnerable and fearless. She is not just running from a killer; she is also fighting against the box Hollywood and horror fandom have trapped her in. The story does a great job exploring aging, especially the way women are often treated as less valuable when they no longer meet impossible expectations of youthfulness and beauty. It strongly points to how much of that value is shaped by male standards and fan entitlement.
Barb is a final girl I could not help but root for. I loved that it has something to say underneath all the blood and suspense.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to review and provide my honest feedback.
This was so suspenseful that it felt like watching a slasher film play out in real time. The tension was intense, especially during the escape scenes, and I loved being inside Barb’s head as she tried to figure out who was after her and how to outsmart the killer.
One of my favorite parts was the way Barb thinks through all the classic final girl choices. She knows the horror movie rules. She knows what the audience is screaming at the screen: don’t go in there, don’t look behind you, don’t split up. So instead of falling into the usual traps, she tries to do the opposite. That made the story unique, while still keeping the stakes high.
Barb was such a compelling character because she was both vulnerable and fearless. She is not just running from a killer; she is also fighting against the box Hollywood and horror fandom have trapped her in. The story does a great job exploring aging, especially the way women are often treated as less valuable when they no longer meet impossible expectations of youthfulness and beauty. It strongly points to how much of that value is shaped by male standards and fan entitlement.
Barb is a final girl I could not help but root for. I loved that it has something to say underneath all the blood and suspense.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to review and provide my honest feedback.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC
I adored this book from the first page all the way until the end. The writing was fantastic, the humor was on point and the characters were wonderful. Sure, they weren’t always good people or likeable, but I still loved them. Minus one or two.
Barb is a forty year-old actor who’s biggest film role was the final girl in a series of horror movies about 20 years ago. Now, she’s stuck signing autographs while people talk at her about her career. A career that hasn’t been quite as successful as she was hoping. She’s bored, tired and dreading the slow creep of growing old in an industry that has little use for older women. Then, things take a turn and suddenly, she finds herself at the center of a real-life horror movie. And she really isn’t enjoying that at all.
Barbie Just Won’t Die is sprinkled with horror fandom, genre tidbits and enough humor to keep me entertained. I loved Barb even though she was a people pleaser (which I am not and does drive me slightly insane). I especially loved watching her grow and start to stand up for herself.
Overall, I give this 4.5 stars rounded up to a 5. I recommend Barbie Just Won’t Die to anyone who wants a funny, meta-horror novel with a feminist bent and a woman who is so over it.
I adored this book from the first page all the way until the end. The writing was fantastic, the humor was on point and the characters were wonderful. Sure, they weren’t always good people or likeable, but I still loved them. Minus one or two.
Barb is a forty year-old actor who’s biggest film role was the final girl in a series of horror movies about 20 years ago. Now, she’s stuck signing autographs while people talk at her about her career. A career that hasn’t been quite as successful as she was hoping. She’s bored, tired and dreading the slow creep of growing old in an industry that has little use for older women. Then, things take a turn and suddenly, she finds herself at the center of a real-life horror movie. And she really isn’t enjoying that at all.
Barbie Just Won’t Die is sprinkled with horror fandom, genre tidbits and enough humor to keep me entertained. I loved Barb even though she was a people pleaser (which I am not and does drive me slightly insane). I especially loved watching her grow and start to stand up for herself.
Overall, I give this 4.5 stars rounded up to a 5. I recommend Barbie Just Won’t Die to anyone who wants a funny, meta-horror novel with a feminist bent and a woman who is so over it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Okay but this was SO much more than just a slasher.
Barbie Just Won’t Die! follows Barb Jacobs, a former scream queen who’s been stuck in her “final girl” era for decades and honestly? That alone hooked me. But what I didn’t expect was how layered, self-aware, and sharp this story would be.
This book doesn’t just use slasher tropes… it flips them on their head. It asks what happens after the movie ends. After the fame fades. After the industry decides you’ve outlived your moment. And watching Barb grapple with that while being pulled back into a real-life horror scenario was equal parts unsettling and compelling.
There’s a really strong commentary here on aging in Hollywood, female rage, and the way women’s trauma is packaged as entertainment and it hits. But what I loved most is that it never loses the fun. It’s still chaotic, still bloody, still very much a slasher at its core.
Barb is messy, vulnerable, and painfully human. She’s not a perfect “final girl,” and that’s exactly why she works. I found myself rooting for her the entire time.
Also… the meta elements?? So good. The kills mirroring her old films added this eerie, full circle feeling that kept me hooked.
If you’re into horror that’s smart, a little unhinged, and actually has something to say, definitely pick this up
Barbie Just Won’t Die! follows Barb Jacobs, a former scream queen who’s been stuck in her “final girl” era for decades and honestly? That alone hooked me. But what I didn’t expect was how layered, self-aware, and sharp this story would be.
This book doesn’t just use slasher tropes… it flips them on their head. It asks what happens after the movie ends. After the fame fades. After the industry decides you’ve outlived your moment. And watching Barb grapple with that while being pulled back into a real-life horror scenario was equal parts unsettling and compelling.
There’s a really strong commentary here on aging in Hollywood, female rage, and the way women’s trauma is packaged as entertainment and it hits. But what I loved most is that it never loses the fun. It’s still chaotic, still bloody, still very much a slasher at its core.
Barb is messy, vulnerable, and painfully human. She’s not a perfect “final girl,” and that’s exactly why she works. I found myself rooting for her the entire time.
Also… the meta elements?? So good. The kills mirroring her old films added this eerie, full circle feeling that kept me hooked.
If you’re into horror that’s smart, a little unhinged, and actually has something to say, definitely pick this up
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A chaotic ride full of camp, gore, and taking back one's self worth after years of people pleasing & body dismorphia. Barb proves that being a Final Girl is more then just surviving & just because your aging that doesn't mean you can't still be a badass.
Premenopausal Barb is stuck. After starring as the Final Girl for the highly successful Mirror Man Franchise, she has become a typcast. A forever scream queen. Now 40 stuck on the Horror Con circut, with a severe case of BDD, she struggles with being seen as a serious actress. When an offer comes to host a horror docuseries, this just might be her ticket to be truly seen as something more. But when someone is killing off people around her that mirror the deaths from her movies, Barb will have to truly embrace being a Final Girl to survive the night.
A Meta Slasher about an aging Scream Queen becoming a real life Final Girl? Yes, Please. TBJWD is a wild ride chalk full of social commentary, trusting/not trusting frenemies, and of course a crazed slasher on the loose. When Barb goes from survival mode to feminie rage mode, it was iconic. Truly pink horror at it's finest.
Also shout out to hotel lamp, the underrated mvp of this novel.
Premenopausal Barb is stuck. After starring as the Final Girl for the highly successful Mirror Man Franchise, she has become a typcast. A forever scream queen. Now 40 stuck on the Horror Con circut, with a severe case of BDD, she struggles with being seen as a serious actress. When an offer comes to host a horror docuseries, this just might be her ticket to be truly seen as something more. But when someone is killing off people around her that mirror the deaths from her movies, Barb will have to truly embrace being a Final Girl to survive the night.
A Meta Slasher about an aging Scream Queen becoming a real life Final Girl? Yes, Please. TBJWD is a wild ride chalk full of social commentary, trusting/not trusting frenemies, and of course a crazed slasher on the loose. When Barb goes from survival mode to feminie rage mode, it was iconic. Truly pink horror at it's finest.
Also shout out to hotel lamp, the underrated mvp of this novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2026
What is a fun slasher! Campy. Twisty. Nostalgic.
Former scream queen Barbra “Barbie” Jacobs desperately wants to escape the role that made her famous.
Twenty years after starring as Debbie, the final girl in the Mirror slasher franchise, she’s scraping by doing horror conventions and signing old headshots when she’s offered a chance at a comeback… 🩸
Beneath the surface, this is a story about coming to terms with ageing, identity, and finding your worth beyond the version of yourself that the world expects you to be.
“Forty years old and scared of her own fucking reflection because of what she might see in the mirror.”
^^^ That line perfectly captures the emotional core of this book.
💅 My one petty complaint? I hated that her name was Barbra/Barbie. It felt unoriginal and pulled too much social capital from an iconic character we already know and love.
🔪 Predictable ending
🔪 Supporting characters felt surface level
🔪 The Barb/Barbie naming choice wasn’t for me
🖤 Final girl trope
🖤 Feminist horror
🖤 Great gateway slasher
────────────────────
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada | Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Former scream queen Barbra “Barbie” Jacobs desperately wants to escape the role that made her famous.
Twenty years after starring as Debbie, the final girl in the Mirror slasher franchise, she’s scraping by doing horror conventions and signing old headshots when she’s offered a chance at a comeback… 🩸
Beneath the surface, this is a story about coming to terms with ageing, identity, and finding your worth beyond the version of yourself that the world expects you to be.
“Forty years old and scared of her own fucking reflection because of what she might see in the mirror.”
^^^ That line perfectly captures the emotional core of this book.
💅 My one petty complaint? I hated that her name was Barbra/Barbie. It felt unoriginal and pulled too much social capital from an iconic character we already know and love.
🔪 Predictable ending
🔪 Supporting characters felt surface level
🔪 The Barb/Barbie naming choice wasn’t for me
🖤 Final girl trope
🖤 Feminist horror
🖤 Great gateway slasher
────────────────────
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada | Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars rounded up!
Thank you Gallery Books for the e-arc!
This B Just Won’t Die was such a fun ride. I found it funny and biting. Yes this is a slasher book, but it’s so much more than that. I love how Tanya captured so many of the microaggressions women deal with and the standards we’re held to as we age. My favorite quote that made me reflect was:
Her tone would be light and casual, because nobody loved an irrational, nervous woman.
Or a hysterical woman.
Or an anxious woman.
Or an ugly woman.
Or an honest woman.
Or a confident woman.
Barbra is a horror movie star. She’s a final girl, and when someone starts killing people off like in her movies she finds herself in danger. The last bit of the book was everything I love from a slasher movie. It had my heart racing and I was trying to figure out who the killer was. I didn’t expect the ending at all!! I found the sarcastic comments about the killer so funny and I loved the fourth wall breaking moments.
I think combining horror with the pink picture perfect Barbie image was brilliant and I want to read more like this!
Thank you Gallery Books for the e-arc!
This B Just Won’t Die was such a fun ride. I found it funny and biting. Yes this is a slasher book, but it’s so much more than that. I love how Tanya captured so many of the microaggressions women deal with and the standards we’re held to as we age. My favorite quote that made me reflect was:
Her tone would be light and casual, because nobody loved an irrational, nervous woman.
Or a hysterical woman.
Or an anxious woman.
Or an ugly woman.
Or an honest woman.
Or a confident woman.
Barbra is a horror movie star. She’s a final girl, and when someone starts killing people off like in her movies she finds herself in danger. The last bit of the book was everything I love from a slasher movie. It had my heart racing and I was trying to figure out who the killer was. I didn’t expect the ending at all!! I found the sarcastic comments about the killer so funny and I loved the fourth wall breaking moments.
I think combining horror with the pink picture perfect Barbie image was brilliant and I want to read more like this!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love 80’s slasher/horror movies. If I know that a “Friday the 13th”, “Halloween”, “Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Happy Birthday to Me”, or “My Bloody Valentine” movie is on, you better believe I have my popcorn ready, and I’m bunched up with a blanket and my dog on the couch. And every light on.
So, what happens when an aging scream queen is at a HorrorCon and someone is killed? What happens when the dead bodies continue to show up? Even better yet, what happens when a group of those involved in her most famous horror franchise find themselves away from everyone else and they are being hunted by the killer from the movies? Well, for one, a lot of them die. And in only the manner that someone dies in 80s slasher flicks.
The snark is on full display in this novel. The blood flows just as much as the snarky comments. And it is glorious.
There were several laugh out loud moments in this book. Now that I have read the book, I can’t wait to listen to the audiobook.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
So, what happens when an aging scream queen is at a HorrorCon and someone is killed? What happens when the dead bodies continue to show up? Even better yet, what happens when a group of those involved in her most famous horror franchise find themselves away from everyone else and they are being hunted by the killer from the movies? Well, for one, a lot of them die. And in only the manner that someone dies in 80s slasher flicks.
The snark is on full display in this novel. The blood flows just as much as the snarky comments. And it is glorious.
There were several laugh out loud moments in this book. Now that I have read the book, I can’t wait to listen to the audiobook.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy
I received this advanced reader copy from an ARC drop at bookcon. Overall, I thought this book was a very entertaining slasher. Barb was a deeply feeling character internalizing a lot of self image issues and honestly a bit of trauma from being the “final girl” in an industry that liked to see these girls bleed and suffer, so she was definitely unpacking a lot of emotions throughout the book.
Where I thought this book could’ve had some more development was around the characters and their motives. I felt like I had a few looming questions after the end of the book and things that were left open? Also, while I didn’t think the twist was predictable, I thought it wasn’t really all that surprising in the end and almost felt like I wanted a way more “out there” twist.
Regardless, I had fun reading this and I LOVE the cover! I would recommend if you’re looking for a good slasher that’s for the girls.
Where I thought this book could’ve had some more development was around the characters and their motives. I felt like I had a few looming questions after the end of the book and things that were left open? Also, while I didn’t think the twist was predictable, I thought it wasn’t really all that surprising in the end and almost felt like I wanted a way more “out there” twist.
Regardless, I had fun reading this and I LOVE the cover! I would recommend if you’re looking for a good slasher that’s for the girls.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Barbie Jacobs has been a Scream Queen her whole life. The Mirror Man franchise catapulted her to horror fame, but after twenty years of playing the same character, she wants to grow and expand her acting chops. Unfortunately, someone has other plans for Barbie. Because someone is hellbent on taking her from onscreen Scream Queen to a real life Final Girl. Has her career as a Final Girl prepared her for this all too real confrontation?
This was a fun and campy story with a meta vibe similar to the Scream movies. There was also great commentary regarding the struggles of aging in Hollywood and body dysmorphia. Barbie struggled with mirrors via Mirror Man in her career as well as a phobia of mirrors in her waking life. I did love the symbolism even if it was a bit heavy-handed and on the nose.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun and campy story with a meta vibe similar to the Scream movies. There was also great commentary regarding the struggles of aging in Hollywood and body dysmorphia. Barbie struggled with mirrors via Mirror Man in her career as well as a phobia of mirrors in her waking life. I did love the symbolism even if it was a bit heavy-handed and on the nose.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This book was highly entertaining from the first page. I loved the dynamics of the main characters and how accurate the Con culture portrayal was! The FMC was extremely relatable with a strong, feminist voice. Original premise, action oriented, great plot twists, and a quick read.
Barb (Barbie) is a 40-something actress best known for the series of horror films from her twenties where she starred as the final girl/scream queen lead opposite of a slasher villain known as "mirror man". She wants nothing more than to separate herself from her horror-bimbo public persona, but when an anniversary reunion tour draws her back in and a copy-cat killer strikes, it's all a screaming, down-hill spiral from there.
*As expected for a horror novel, lots of gore and violence. Also some body dysmorphia, toxic relationships, and dealing with trauma.
This book was highly entertaining from the first page. I loved the dynamics of the main characters and how accurate the Con culture portrayal was! The FMC was extremely relatable with a strong, feminist voice. Original premise, action oriented, great plot twists, and a quick read.
Barb (Barbie) is a 40-something actress best known for the series of horror films from her twenties where she starred as the final girl/scream queen lead opposite of a slasher villain known as "mirror man". She wants nothing more than to separate herself from her horror-bimbo public persona, but when an anniversary reunion tour draws her back in and a copy-cat killer strikes, it's all a screaming, down-hill spiral from there.
*As expected for a horror novel, lots of gore and violence. Also some body dysmorphia, toxic relationships, and dealing with trauma.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An absolute riot of a slasher. Faded scream queen Barbra (though she went by Barbie during her time as star of a horror series) is trying to revitalize her career and make people finally take her seriously as an actress. So when a producer calls asking her to host a docuseries, she decides it's a great idea! Unfortunately, she has more worries than just her career: soon, people start dying around her in ways which mirror deaths from her horror franchise. And who could have done it all? Find out!
Dramatic, tense, and with some satisfyingly gory kills throughout. You'd be surprised how many creepy things can be done with a killer whose entire thing is mirrors. Plus, the characters are great throughout. 5 stars. Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the E-ARC.
Dramatic, tense, and with some satisfyingly gory kills throughout. You'd be surprised how many creepy things can be done with a killer whose entire thing is mirrors. Plus, the characters are great throughout. 5 stars. Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the E-ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced reading copy.
I thought that the beginning was really strong and as a woman, I found myself really connecting with the FMC Barbra/Barbie/Barb. However, this story felt, at its core, an admission of personal grudges that were being aired out. I felt like the focus came across as internal, suppressed feelings demanding multiple monologues which, ultimately buried the Horror plotline.
Even though I can appreciate all of the feminist views and "Huzzah, I am woman!" close ups...I was wanting a page turning, anxiety propelling type of read. There were far too many lulls in this story where I nearly considered dnf'ing at the 50% mark.
This story was not for me. This author is not for me.
I thought that the beginning was really strong and as a woman, I found myself really connecting with the FMC Barbra/Barbie/Barb. However, this story felt, at its core, an admission of personal grudges that were being aired out. I felt like the focus came across as internal, suppressed feelings demanding multiple monologues which, ultimately buried the Horror plotline.
Even though I can appreciate all of the feminist views and "Huzzah, I am woman!" close ups...I was wanting a page turning, anxiety propelling type of read. There were far too many lulls in this story where I nearly considered dnf'ing at the 50% mark.
This story was not for me. This author is not for me.
Review of advance copy
5/5: This B Just Won't Die
Barbra was a former scream queen/final girl in a popular slasher horror film series. 2o years later, she's dealing with perimenopause and (unwashed) fans at horror conventions drooling over her younger self. But when Mirror Man (her on-screen villain) starts appearing (and slashing) in real life, Barbara finds herself facing her past once again.
Vibes:
-pink horror
-slasher
-commentary on perimenopause (and women as we age)
-final girl trope
-campy
-bloody but not over the top gross
-dark humor
SUCH a fun story! I lovedddd this! I absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys pink horror and/or slasher stories. (For comps, it reminded me a bit of Rachel Harrison meets Nat Cassidy.)
Barbra was a former scream queen/final girl in a popular slasher horror film series. 2o years later, she's dealing with perimenopause and (unwashed) fans at horror conventions drooling over her younger self. But when Mirror Man (her on-screen villain) starts appearing (and slashing) in real life, Barbara finds herself facing her past once again.
Vibes:
-pink horror
-slasher
-commentary on perimenopause (and women as we age)
-final girl trope
-campy
-bloody but not over the top gross
-dark humor
SUCH a fun story! I lovedddd this! I absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys pink horror and/or slasher stories. (For comps, it reminded me a bit of Rachel Harrison meets Nat Cassidy.)
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