What do you think?
Barbie Just Won't Die!
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26
This humorous, heart-pounding, feminist slasher follows an ageing 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?
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?
1 pages, Audio CD
Expected publication October 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 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.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review in the August 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/08...
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.
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.
July 23, 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 decidedly 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
• Revenge (2017 film)
• 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 decidedly 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
• Revenge (2017 film)
• 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!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First off, I knew I had to read this book based on the title and cover alone. I am not typically into slasher type books but I was willing to give this one a shot and it was a bloody good time. I found the main character, Barbara, to be really relatable especially as an "aging" woman these days. I could relate to her woes of getting older and not being good enough, pretty enough, just enough really and I think that's why I liked her so much. As far as the whodunnit aspect, I was a bit less enamored and it was a bit underwhelming. I still really enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it to others looking for a fun, slasher, horror novel that is a tad campy. Great to read especially around slasher season aka Halloween.
Side note, I agree, potatoes are self care :)
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Side note, I agree, potatoes are self care :)
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The first 50% was, in my opinion, so long. It was just this internal monologue over and over again. I get the point and the message it was saying but I feel it was a bit to much of the same thing that was repeated.
The second half was good, a bit of mystery/thriller. Some things were a little far fetched and made it a little hard to take seriously.
Overall I know a lot of fan of this genre will love this book but for me it was just okay.
Thank you Simons & Schuster for this ARC
The second half was good, a bit of mystery/thriller. Some things were a little far fetched and made it a little hard to take seriously.
Overall I know a lot of fan of this genre will love this book but for me it was just okay.
Thank you Simons & Schuster for this ARC
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.
August 26, 2026
Review of Advanced Copy provided by the Publisher.
So, I thought this was going to be a horror book, but it came across more like a light thriller/mystery. This takes a look at the role of scream queens in horror movies, aging, and being a woman in Hollywood. I enjoyed the overall concept, but the execution seemed strained and disjointed. I get the feeling it was trying to say something, but it wasn’t quite getting where it wanted to be.
I think this book definitely has its intended audience and that they will absolutely enjoy it.
For me, it was just okay.
So, I thought this was going to be a horror book, but it came across more like a light thriller/mystery. This takes a look at the role of scream queens in horror movies, aging, and being a woman in Hollywood. I enjoyed the overall concept, but the execution seemed strained and disjointed. I get the feeling it was trying to say something, but it wasn’t quite getting where it wanted to be.
I think this book definitely has its intended audience and that they will absolutely enjoy it.
For me, it was just okay.
April 15, 2026
Great slasher and several excellent moments of tension. Enjoyed the commentary and thoughts on perimenopausal women in society!
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
3.5/5 ✩
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC.
This B Just Won't Die! is surely a meta, trope-y book for slasher fans. It utilizes familiar elements that we know and love while winking at us along the way. In regards to it's overall atmosphere as a slasher, this book is like putting on a comfortable, familiar pair of shoes.
The thing that I found most engaging was our final girl, Barb. The way that Pell wrote her body dysmorphia, self-loathing, and want to be wanted made her relatable and sympathetic, the kind of person you could root for even if you can't relate to all of her personal issues. Pell captured an ongoing debate in horror quite well - when do we stop reveling in the violence to reflect on how women in the genre are treated?
Although the feel of This B Just Won't Die! worked in a lot of ways, it suffered in storytelling and pacing. The bookends of the narrative were well done, but at about 45% of the way into the story, it slowed so much that it became a tad boring. Luckily, the thrills picked back up at about 65% in and maintained a good pace up till the end.
But after a while, this book - for me - began to feel almost too full of tropes that it started to lose its fun. There's a fine line of predictability that comes with horror, and specifically the slasher genre - eventually we stop reveling in the familiar fun and begin to instead wait for something interesting to actually happen.
The thing that truly brought this story down the most, in my opinion, is the finale reveals. As I mentioned, predictability is to be expected in the genre, but the fact that I guessed all 3 of the big reveals and was let down by all of them? A bit unfortunate.
So, although I have my gripes with This B Just Won't Die!, I think it may work incredibly well for other readers. For those who enjoy 90s slasher vibes with a little bit of camp, this will be a fun ride!
R.E.A.D.S. SCORE
R: 7/10
E: 6/10
A: 6/10
D: 6/10
S: 6/10
Total: 6.20/10.00
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC.
This B Just Won't Die! is surely a meta, trope-y book for slasher fans. It utilizes familiar elements that we know and love while winking at us along the way. In regards to it's overall atmosphere as a slasher, this book is like putting on a comfortable, familiar pair of shoes.
The thing that I found most engaging was our final girl, Barb. The way that Pell wrote her body dysmorphia, self-loathing, and want to be wanted made her relatable and sympathetic, the kind of person you could root for even if you can't relate to all of her personal issues. Pell captured an ongoing debate in horror quite well - when do we stop reveling in the violence to reflect on how women in the genre are treated?
Although the feel of This B Just Won't Die! worked in a lot of ways, it suffered in storytelling and pacing. The bookends of the narrative were well done, but at about 45% of the way into the story, it slowed so much that it became a tad boring. Luckily, the thrills picked back up at about 65% in and maintained a good pace up till the end.
But after a while, this book - for me - began to feel almost too full of tropes that it started to lose its fun. There's a fine line of predictability that comes with horror, and specifically the slasher genre - eventually we stop reveling in the familiar fun and begin to instead wait for something interesting to actually happen.
The thing that truly brought this story down the most, in my opinion, is the finale reveals. As I mentioned, predictability is to be expected in the genre, but the fact that I guessed all 3 of the big reveals and was let down by all of them? A bit unfortunate.
So, although I have my gripes with This B Just Won't Die!, I think it may work incredibly well for other readers. For those who enjoy 90s slasher vibes with a little bit of camp, this will be a fun ride!
R.E.A.D.S. SCORE
R: 7/10
E: 6/10
A: 6/10
D: 6/10
S: 6/10
Total: 6.20/10.00
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
If you love horror movies—and especially all the wonderfully nerdy culture surrounding them, from conventions and panels to actors, writers, filmmakers, and superfans—have I got a book for you.
This Btch Just Won’t Die* was SO much fun. Tonya Paul takes the classic final-girl trope and gives it a clever, feminist spin with Barb, a former horror actress who made her name starring in a series of slasher films. Think Jamie Lee Curtis or Neve Campbell: she survived the fictional masked killers again and again and became forever associated with the character she played.
Now Barb has stepped back somewhat from Hollywood and is approaching 40, but suddenly someone dressed as the antagonist from her old movies begins stalking her in real life. Barb finds herself forced back into the role everyone knows her for—except this time there’s no script, and the blood is very real.
I had such a good time with this. The pacing is excellent, the mystery kept me guessing, and there are just enough characters and red herrings to give you a solid group of suspects without making the story feel overcrowded. And yes, it gets pretty bloody! This definitely leans into classic slasher territory, with strong Halloween-style vibes.
But underneath all the blood and horror-movie fun, there’s a surprisingly thoughtful story about aging, identity, and what Hollywood expects from women. Barb became famous for the person she portrayed in her twenties, and now, as she approaches 40, everyone still wants her to be that version of herself. How much of Barb is the “final girl” audiences fell in love with? Where does the character end and the actual woman begin? And what happens when an industry and a fandom don’t particularly want women to change—or age at all?
The horror-convention setting makes all of this even more fun. The panels, superfans, actors, writers, and general horror-geek atmosphere made it feel like the book was written by someone who genuinely understands the culture surrounding these movies.
This was easily my favorite book I read this week. Bloody, fast-paced, clever, feminist, and genuinely fun. Horror readers—especially final-girl fans—should absolutely put this one on their lists.
This Btch Just Won’t Die* publishes October 13, 2026.
Thank you to Gallery Books for sending me an advance reader’s edition!
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.
September 23, 2026
Apparently “pink horror” is a thing, and if This B Just Won’t Die is any indication, I need more of it immediately. Tanya Pell delivers a wildly entertaining mashup of horror, thriller, comedy, and classic slasher movie vibes that somehow works perfectly. I don’t read a ton of horror, but this is exactly the kind I enjoy: campy, satirical, suspenseful, gruesome without taking itself too seriously, and powered by a whole lot of female rage.
And Barb? My kind of woman. She’s forty, perimenopausal, sarcastic, resentful, annoyed, and completely sick of everyone’s shit, especially the final girl role she’s been trapped in for twenty years. I loved the way Pell plays with horror tropes while also exploring aging, Hollywood, the expectations placed on women, and what happens when a woman finally gets tired of making herself palatable for everyone else. There’s plenty of humor here, but underneath it is some very real anger and emotion that gave the story more depth than I expected.
Don’t mistake all that fun for a lack of actual horror, though. There are gruesome kills, plenty of suspense, lots of action, and a killer recreating murders from Barb’s old slasher franchise. The whole thing has such a great throwback horror movie feel while still feeling fresh and modern. If you liked Dollface or How to Kill a Guy in 10 Dates, this has a very similar blend of feminine aesthetics, dark humor, violence, and women who have simply HAD ENOUGH.
Natalie Naudus was fantastic on audio. She perfectly captured Barb’s rage, resentment, sarcasm, and constant annoyance while still giving the more vulnerable and emotional moments the weight they needed. Her performance made Barb feel even more vivid and was such a good match for the book’s heightened, campy energy. This was ridiculously fun, ideal for fall, and further proof that apparently my preferred flavor of horror is women being funny, furious, and possibly covered in blood.
Perfect for readers who love:
* Campy slasher movie vibes
* Feminist horror with plenty of female rage
* Dark humor and sharp sarcasm
* Funny, fed-up middle-aged heroines
* Thriller, horror, and comedy mashups
* Gruesome kills and fast-paced action
* Satirical takes on classic horror tropes
* Fantastic audiobook narration
And Barb? My kind of woman. She’s forty, perimenopausal, sarcastic, resentful, annoyed, and completely sick of everyone’s shit, especially the final girl role she’s been trapped in for twenty years. I loved the way Pell plays with horror tropes while also exploring aging, Hollywood, the expectations placed on women, and what happens when a woman finally gets tired of making herself palatable for everyone else. There’s plenty of humor here, but underneath it is some very real anger and emotion that gave the story more depth than I expected.
Don’t mistake all that fun for a lack of actual horror, though. There are gruesome kills, plenty of suspense, lots of action, and a killer recreating murders from Barb’s old slasher franchise. The whole thing has such a great throwback horror movie feel while still feeling fresh and modern. If you liked Dollface or How to Kill a Guy in 10 Dates, this has a very similar blend of feminine aesthetics, dark humor, violence, and women who have simply HAD ENOUGH.
Natalie Naudus was fantastic on audio. She perfectly captured Barb’s rage, resentment, sarcasm, and constant annoyance while still giving the more vulnerable and emotional moments the weight they needed. Her performance made Barb feel even more vivid and was such a good match for the book’s heightened, campy energy. This was ridiculously fun, ideal for fall, and further proof that apparently my preferred flavor of horror is women being funny, furious, and possibly covered in blood.
Perfect for readers who love:
* Campy slasher movie vibes
* Feminist horror with plenty of female rage
* Dark humor and sharp sarcasm
* Funny, fed-up middle-aged heroines
* Thriller, horror, and comedy mashups
* Gruesome kills and fast-paced action
* Satirical takes on classic horror tropes
* Fantastic audiobook narration
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
Thank you to NetGalley for this book to review; this is 2.5 stars rounded up.
I've only recently started seeing the term 'pink horror' floating around, and I have to say, I'm a huge fan of this emerging genre. I love CJ Leede, Rachel Harrison, Taylor Groth, and the voicey, feminist-horror-based novels that have been coming out more and more often recently, so when I heard that this one was also incredibly voicey, I couldn't resist.
I feel like so many women will be able to see themselves in at least one of the characters, especially Barb. Even brief descriptions like 'serial fawner' were relatable and easy to hold on to. The pre-menopausal feeling of losing your mind and trying to keep it together, the frustration at being typecast or stereotyped, and just the flat-out desire to prove yourself all came through; even the side characters had their own quirks and flaws that brought them to life. Everything was easy to picture.
That said, this felt a LOT like Grady Hendrix's Final Girls, so I can't help but compare the two, and one thing I truly enjoyed in Final Girls was the constant twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Even though plenty of characters die off-page, the first death in this one felt random, and nothing came of it for quite a while. It felt like it took so long to get started; I'm not sure that it actually did, page-number-wise, but the earlier chapters were a bit of a slog. There were multiple false starts, and even the line 'final girls are survivors, not heroes' or 'final girls aren't heroes' was repeated multiple times almost in back to back chapters, just going to show how repetitive the inner monologue could be.
By the time the reveals were rolling in, they felt predictable. Not that predictable's always a bad thing if the payoff and journey there was worth it, but with this one, I've got mixed feelings. I didn't even care about the 'mastermind reveal' because their character was so grating as a whole. A fun read at times, but left me wishing it had been more clever and tricky to solve. I started skimming about halfway through.
I've only recently started seeing the term 'pink horror' floating around, and I have to say, I'm a huge fan of this emerging genre. I love CJ Leede, Rachel Harrison, Taylor Groth, and the voicey, feminist-horror-based novels that have been coming out more and more often recently, so when I heard that this one was also incredibly voicey, I couldn't resist.
I feel like so many women will be able to see themselves in at least one of the characters, especially Barb. Even brief descriptions like 'serial fawner' were relatable and easy to hold on to. The pre-menopausal feeling of losing your mind and trying to keep it together, the frustration at being typecast or stereotyped, and just the flat-out desire to prove yourself all came through; even the side characters had their own quirks and flaws that brought them to life. Everything was easy to picture.
That said, this felt a LOT like Grady Hendrix's Final Girls, so I can't help but compare the two, and one thing I truly enjoyed in Final Girls was the constant twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Even though plenty of characters die off-page, the first death in this one felt random, and nothing came of it for quite a while. It felt like it took so long to get started; I'm not sure that it actually did, page-number-wise, but the earlier chapters were a bit of a slog. There were multiple false starts, and even the line 'final girls are survivors, not heroes' or 'final girls aren't heroes' was repeated multiple times almost in back to back chapters, just going to show how repetitive the inner monologue could be.
By the time the reveals were rolling in, they felt predictable. Not that predictable's always a bad thing if the payoff and journey there was worth it, but with this one, I've got mixed feelings. I didn't even care about the 'mastermind reveal' because their character was so grating as a whole. A fun read at times, but left me wishing it had been more clever and tricky to solve. I started skimming about halfway through.
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!
September 23, 2026
I had such a fun time reading This B Just Won’t Die! by Tanya Pell! It was funny, bloody, suspenseful, and full of everything I love about a good slasher. I especially loved how the story played with classic horror movie tropes while still feeling fresh and different.
Barb was such a great main character. After spending twenty years being known as the Final Girl from the Mirror movies, she’s desperate to prove that she’s more than the role that made her famous. But just when she thinks she might finally be moving forward with her career, people around her start dying in ways that are eerily similar to the kills from her movies. Suddenly, Barb finds herself living through her own real-life slasher—and once again being forced into the role she’s spent years trying to escape.
I loved the mix of horror and humor, but I also really enjoyed the deeper story underneath it all. Barb’s struggles with getting older, people-pleasing, Hollywood’s expectations of women, and figuring out who she is outside of the character everyone associates her with gave the book so much more depth than I was expecting.
The horror references and nods to classic slashers made it even more enjoyable for me. There were plenty of twists, bloody moments, and scenes that kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. It had that fun, campy slasher feeling without becoming too over-the-top or cheesy.
Overall, This B Just Won’t Die! was an incredibly entertaining read. I loved Barb, loved the slasher elements, and really enjoyed the message behind the story. Funny, bloody, twisty, and surprisingly heartfelt—this was an easy 5 stars for me!
Barb was such a great main character. After spending twenty years being known as the Final Girl from the Mirror movies, she’s desperate to prove that she’s more than the role that made her famous. But just when she thinks she might finally be moving forward with her career, people around her start dying in ways that are eerily similar to the kills from her movies. Suddenly, Barb finds herself living through her own real-life slasher—and once again being forced into the role she’s spent years trying to escape.
I loved the mix of horror and humor, but I also really enjoyed the deeper story underneath it all. Barb’s struggles with getting older, people-pleasing, Hollywood’s expectations of women, and figuring out who she is outside of the character everyone associates her with gave the book so much more depth than I was expecting.
The horror references and nods to classic slashers made it even more enjoyable for me. There were plenty of twists, bloody moments, and scenes that kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. It had that fun, campy slasher feeling without becoming too over-the-top or cheesy.
Overall, This B Just Won’t Die! was an incredibly entertaining read. I loved Barb, loved the slasher elements, and really enjoyed the message behind the story. Funny, bloody, twisty, and surprisingly heartfelt—this was an easy 5 stars for me!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The pink, the title, the synopsis?? Sold
I loved this, thank you for the #gifted copy Gallery!!
Barbra wants to be more then the characters she's been painted into, she wants to be more then just another scream queen but Hollywood had other plans and now she does the circuit signing photos and meet and greets empty and wallowing in the past she kind of hates even tho it gave her the leg up into the industry.
She wants to be taken seriously and have roles that are more then just some silly girl running around in a slasher or being chased by monsters, so when she gets a call about a documentary she say yes, this is the chance she's been waiting for.
Then it gets weird, people start dying around her, which odd but even more odd is they are dying like those in her past movies but live and in color and for real, no action and calling cut as everyone gets up off the ground now.
This was totally campy but in a way that isn't just that, I was mad for Barbra and felt her frustration in some ways. She was chewed up and spit out, then everyone acted shocked she wasn't so greatful, that she wanted more.
I loved that she was finally fighting for what she wanted, finding herself even after she and lost of those around her thought she was past her experation date.
This was such a fun one and I was on edge, who was killing all these fans and why?? Was Barbra the end goal, the final kill or would she be the hero finally not just a final girl but the hero of the story.
Loved this.
I loved this, thank you for the #gifted copy Gallery!!
Barbra wants to be more then the characters she's been painted into, she wants to be more then just another scream queen but Hollywood had other plans and now she does the circuit signing photos and meet and greets empty and wallowing in the past she kind of hates even tho it gave her the leg up into the industry.
She wants to be taken seriously and have roles that are more then just some silly girl running around in a slasher or being chased by monsters, so when she gets a call about a documentary she say yes, this is the chance she's been waiting for.
Then it gets weird, people start dying around her, which odd but even more odd is they are dying like those in her past movies but live and in color and for real, no action and calling cut as everyone gets up off the ground now.
This was totally campy but in a way that isn't just that, I was mad for Barbra and felt her frustration in some ways. She was chewed up and spit out, then everyone acted shocked she wasn't so greatful, that she wanted more.
I loved that she was finally fighting for what she wanted, finding herself even after she and lost of those around her thought she was past her experation date.
This was such a fun one and I was on edge, who was killing all these fans and why?? Was Barbra the end goal, the final kill or would she be the hero finally not just a final girl but the hero of the story.
Loved this.
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
Barb Jacobs was once the ultimate final girl, but twenty years later, she’s struggling to figure out who she is outside of the horror franchise that made her famous. At 40, she’s dealing with aging, perimenopause, people-pleasing, and the constant pressure to fit into the version of herself that everyone else expects. When a killer starts recreating the murders from her old movies, Barb suddenly finds herself living in the kind of horror story she thought she left behind.
I absolutely loved Barb as a character. She’s funny, flawed, self-aware, and so easy to root for. I loved how the story explores the expectations placed on women as they age and the frustration of being valued for an image rather than who you actually are. The feminine rage running through the story that made her journey feel like so much more than just surviving a killer.
The slasher elements were fantastic, with plenty of suspense, twists, and some great horror references sprinkled throughout. I also loved that Barb knows all the rules of the genre, but knowing what you’re supposed to do in a horror movie doesn’t necessarily make surviving one any easier.
The humour worked really well. It was fast-paced and entertaining. I thought it was clever and a thoroughly enjoyable slasher with a final girl I loved cheering for!
Thank you @simonschusterca, Tanya Pell & NetGalley for the #gifted earc. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Campy, outrageous, and satirical—fans of horror-comedies like the Scary Movie franchise, Happy Death Day, and Rachel Harrison—THIS B JUST WON’T DIE! is a must-read!
Not going to lie, but the cover immediately sold me prior to knowing anything about the plot. 😂 Thank you @gallerybooks for my gifted copy!
Neve Campbell and Jamie Lee Curtis watch out, because Barbra Jacobs is the final girl of all final girls! Former scream queen from the Mirror Man series, Barbra Jacobs is desperate to escape the horror franchise that defined her career, but a chance to reinvent herself by hosting a buzzy new horror docuseries takes a deadly turn when fans begin dying in ways that mimic the kills from her movies. Hunted by a serial killer impersonating the infamous Mirror Man, Barb must once again become the Final Girl while confronting the misogynistic expectations and Hollywood pressures that have kept her trapped for decades.
This book is less thrillery and horror and more comedy and satirical. I think the cover sells the story that way, but just make sure you know that before picking it up. Barbra is an awesome protagonist and final girl and I loved getting to know her. Even though this book steers more the comedy route, there’s action and bloodshed with many killings à la slasher vibes. I had a blast from start-to-finish and I’m unsure if the author will return back to this world, but if it’s a chance to hangout with Barbra again, I’m all for it! STARS: 4, PUB: 10/13
Not going to lie, but the cover immediately sold me prior to knowing anything about the plot. 😂 Thank you @gallerybooks for my gifted copy!
Neve Campbell and Jamie Lee Curtis watch out, because Barbra Jacobs is the final girl of all final girls! Former scream queen from the Mirror Man series, Barbra Jacobs is desperate to escape the horror franchise that defined her career, but a chance to reinvent herself by hosting a buzzy new horror docuseries takes a deadly turn when fans begin dying in ways that mimic the kills from her movies. Hunted by a serial killer impersonating the infamous Mirror Man, Barb must once again become the Final Girl while confronting the misogynistic expectations and Hollywood pressures that have kept her trapped for decades.
This book is less thrillery and horror and more comedy and satirical. I think the cover sells the story that way, but just make sure you know that before picking it up. Barbra is an awesome protagonist and final girl and I loved getting to know her. Even though this book steers more the comedy route, there’s action and bloodshed with many killings à la slasher vibes. I had a blast from start-to-finish and I’m unsure if the author will return back to this world, but if it’s a chance to hangout with Barbra again, I’m all for it! STARS: 4, PUB: 10/13
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