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Kill River #1
Kill River
The thought they had the whole water park to themselves. They were wrong...
In the summer of 1983, thirteen-year-old Cyndi and her three new-found friends Stacy, Zack, and Brad decide to sneak away from their summer camp in the middle of the night by rafting down the nearby rivers. After spending a tense night lost in the woods, the four teenagers stumble into a mysterious water park that appears to be completely empty.
At first, they are thrilled to have the rides all to themselves, at least until one of them disappears. Soon they discover that they are trapped in the park, and a dark figure is stalking them from the shadows, picking them off one by one. Once night falls, Cyndi will have to fight to escape the park, a masked maniac, and a living nightmare.
Kill River is a wild water park ride filled with blood, gore, and '80s nostalgia. Slasher fans rejoice, old-school horror is back!
In the summer of 1983, thirteen-year-old Cyndi and her three new-found friends Stacy, Zack, and Brad decide to sneak away from their summer camp in the middle of the night by rafting down the nearby rivers. After spending a tense night lost in the woods, the four teenagers stumble into a mysterious water park that appears to be completely empty.
At first, they are thrilled to have the rides all to themselves, at least until one of them disappears. Soon they discover that they are trapped in the park, and a dark figure is stalking them from the shadows, picking them off one by one. Once night falls, Cyndi will have to fight to escape the park, a masked maniac, and a living nightmare.
Kill River is a wild water park ride filled with blood, gore, and '80s nostalgia. Slasher fans rejoice, old-school horror is back!
348 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2015
106 people are currently reading
4041 people want to read
About the author
Cameron Roubique
8 books242 followersCameron Roubique is a horror author. His books include Frankie Graves, Golf Curse, Disco Deathtrap, and Kill River.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
September 6, 2019
My thoughts in a nutshell
I wanted to read a great slasher book, so I picked this one up and I regret it. It was a below than average experience.
I liked about this book that it takes place in the 80s. I really enjoyed the 80s references and kinds of music since Stranger Things.
I adored the location idea. The whole story happens in an abandoned water park. The place was quite creepy and it had a perfect atmosphere.
I hate the characters. They were so unlikable. I couldn't connect with them. When the villain killed somebody, I just shrugged my shoulders, and I kept reading. I didn't care what happens to them.
The killer's motive superficial. We didn't get too much answer. Who was he and why he killed people?
The writing style was way too easy and boring. The text had just a short and simple sentence. I didn't like it.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. If you want to give it a try, I say that you should borrow from your library.
June 18, 2018
This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
OK, so I'm older than dirt, which means I grew up in the 80s, which also means that I was raised on a healthy diet of slasher movies and horror novels. There were definitely rules and a formula for the genre, and out of all those films and rack after rack of gaudy paperbacks, an entire generation of horror tropes was born.
When I saw the cover for Kill River, and then learned it was written rather recently, I immediately expected an homage to those comfortably formulaic and over the top books of my childhood. Happily, I was right. Kill River delivers everything you expect from 80s slasher horror.
While the story does take a little time to pick up, I can appreciate the amount of setup. The final girl needs to become friends with her prankster fellow campers in order for her to have a valid reason to abandon camp and follow a bunch of kids she just met out onto a dark lake at night. The camp scenes are fun and reminiscent of all those movies and books that made summer camp in the 80s seem like an absolute requirement for kids. Even though I personally never went to summer camp, I'm so familiar with it through teen books and films that it feels familiar. Once the reader gets past the summer camp opening, the book really picks up and becomes a thrill ride.
I don't think I've ever read a horror novel that takes place in an abandoned water park. Things get creepy as soon as the teens find the park, and as they spend the afternoon wasting time on the rides they eventually start to become separated, and then the slasher goodness really begins.
I had tons of fun reading Kill River. It took me back to my childhood and gave me major nostalgia for all of those 80s slasher novels I read as a kid. I recommend picking this one up this summer, especially if you are going camping or spending the day at a water park. It will definitely add to your experience. Kill River is pure summer slasher horror fun.
OK, so I'm older than dirt, which means I grew up in the 80s, which also means that I was raised on a healthy diet of slasher movies and horror novels. There were definitely rules and a formula for the genre, and out of all those films and rack after rack of gaudy paperbacks, an entire generation of horror tropes was born.
When I saw the cover for Kill River, and then learned it was written rather recently, I immediately expected an homage to those comfortably formulaic and over the top books of my childhood. Happily, I was right. Kill River delivers everything you expect from 80s slasher horror.
While the story does take a little time to pick up, I can appreciate the amount of setup. The final girl needs to become friends with her prankster fellow campers in order for her to have a valid reason to abandon camp and follow a bunch of kids she just met out onto a dark lake at night. The camp scenes are fun and reminiscent of all those movies and books that made summer camp in the 80s seem like an absolute requirement for kids. Even though I personally never went to summer camp, I'm so familiar with it through teen books and films that it feels familiar. Once the reader gets past the summer camp opening, the book really picks up and becomes a thrill ride.
I don't think I've ever read a horror novel that takes place in an abandoned water park. Things get creepy as soon as the teens find the park, and as they spend the afternoon wasting time on the rides they eventually start to become separated, and then the slasher goodness really begins.
I had tons of fun reading Kill River. It took me back to my childhood and gave me major nostalgia for all of those 80s slasher novels I read as a kid. I recommend picking this one up this summer, especially if you are going camping or spending the day at a water park. It will definitely add to your experience. Kill River is pure summer slasher horror fun.
July 9, 2019
4.0 Stars Video Review: https://youtu.be/CekASOqZA6Y
What a brilliant example of slasher horror fiction! Inspired by the author's own teenage nightmare, the water park was the perfect setting for this fun piece of summer horror. The plot was completely engaging with vivid descriptions and enough narrative drive to keep to me racing to the heart-pounding finale. Reading like a slasher film, the setup was reminiscent of classic movies like Halloween, Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp. I absolutely loved all the 1980s nostalgia, with numerous references to popular music and clothing trends, blending seamlessly into the story. Kill River is a great addition to the lineup of nostalgic horror stories that have emerged in recent years.
I particularly loved the main character, Cyndi, who was a fleshed out, realistic teenage girl. She felt relatable, often reminding me of my younger self. Over the course of this novel, she developed as a character, pushing past her personal insecurities to become a stronger and more confident young woman.
I have previously read and enjoyed one of the author's other novels, Disco Deathtrap, which is another fun ride, but I would recommend starting this Kill River, since it's my personal favorite.
So if you're looking for an entertaining horror novel andlove slasher films, this is an absolute must-read! I look forward to reading the sequel, Killer River 2, sometime in the future!
I received a copy of this book from the author.
What a brilliant example of slasher horror fiction! Inspired by the author's own teenage nightmare, the water park was the perfect setting for this fun piece of summer horror. The plot was completely engaging with vivid descriptions and enough narrative drive to keep to me racing to the heart-pounding finale. Reading like a slasher film, the setup was reminiscent of classic movies like Halloween, Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp. I absolutely loved all the 1980s nostalgia, with numerous references to popular music and clothing trends, blending seamlessly into the story. Kill River is a great addition to the lineup of nostalgic horror stories that have emerged in recent years.
I particularly loved the main character, Cyndi, who was a fleshed out, realistic teenage girl. She felt relatable, often reminding me of my younger self. Over the course of this novel, she developed as a character, pushing past her personal insecurities to become a stronger and more confident young woman.
I have previously read and enjoyed one of the author's other novels, Disco Deathtrap, which is another fun ride, but I would recommend starting this Kill River, since it's my personal favorite.
So if you're looking for an entertaining horror novel andlove slasher films, this is an absolute must-read! I look forward to reading the sequel, Killer River 2, sometime in the future!
I received a copy of this book from the author.
June 8, 2023
3.5
Thank you to the author for sending copies to the Night Worms for reading and reviewing.
This book was so hard for me to rate!
At first, this was slow going for me. I was not impressed with the set up at all. It felt juvenile and basic. Actually, it was almost like just a very standard run down of a bunch of teens arriving at summer camp. There was zero flavor.
I think this is where some of my horror-reading buddies bailed on it and I totally get it.
But then some of my other friends told me that once the action starts, it's hard to put down so I decided to press on.
I'm so glad I did!
As soon as a group of teens "escape camp" and head down the river on a raft, things get increasingly more exciting. Once they show up at "Thrill River" Water Park, I couldn't stop reading. This was so much fun, the closest I can come to comparing it as a reading experience is to say that it feels like a Goosebumps book but for grownups.
There are some seriously fun scares, gross-outs and intense action scenes. It made me hungry for more. The author truly knows this sub genre and its audience. I only wish that the first 50-100 pages were a little more engaging/compelling. It was a little too YA for me and could have used more of an edge.
Thank you to the author for sending copies to the Night Worms for reading and reviewing.
This book was so hard for me to rate!
At first, this was slow going for me. I was not impressed with the set up at all. It felt juvenile and basic. Actually, it was almost like just a very standard run down of a bunch of teens arriving at summer camp. There was zero flavor.
I think this is where some of my horror-reading buddies bailed on it and I totally get it.
But then some of my other friends told me that once the action starts, it's hard to put down so I decided to press on.
I'm so glad I did!
As soon as a group of teens "escape camp" and head down the river on a raft, things get increasingly more exciting. Once they show up at "Thrill River" Water Park, I couldn't stop reading. This was so much fun, the closest I can come to comparing it as a reading experience is to say that it feels like a Goosebumps book but for grownups.
There are some seriously fun scares, gross-outs and intense action scenes. It made me hungry for more. The author truly knows this sub genre and its audience. I only wish that the first 50-100 pages were a little more engaging/compelling. It was a little too YA for me and could have used more of an edge.
December 7, 2017
Hold on tight, kids! You can bet your life this is one water ride you'll never forget...
'80s nostalgia is at an all-time high in terms of popularity. We have Stranger Things, the surprise nonfiction hit from Grady Hendrix titled Paperbacks from Hell, the It (2017) film adaption, and endless other Stephen King works being brought to the screen. What do these things have in common other than the '80s? Horror, baby! The 1980s was an awesome decade for horror entertainment, and audiences are craving it more than ever. So what better time to bring back the infamous slasher movie craze of the '80s? Cue Kill River by Cameron Roubique.
Kill River takes place in 1983 and follows 13-year-old Cyndi who is sent away to summer camp by her parents. She meets three new friends (much to her surprise) and the four hatch a plan to steal a raft and sneak away from this boring summer camp. However, after getting lost on the river, they stumble across an empty water park called THRILL RIVER. It seems almost too good to be true... and that's because it is. In true slasher horror fashion, things take a bloody turn.
What we have here is a blast of a book from beginning to end. It is fast-paced, thrilling, steeped in '80s pop culture references, and fits in perfectly with the slasher genre... but Roubique takes some much appreciated liberties here.
If you are familiar with the slasher subgenre, you will know that many of those films had rather unlikable characters that left you aching to see them get the ax... literally. That is not the case here. Our main character Cyndi is one of my favorite protagonists that I've read in a long time. I'm not using that term lightly. Even though I'm a 25-year-old guy, I genuinely connected to this girl. When the story opens, we know right away that Cyndi is a shy character. She doesn't know how to communicate well and has no interest in making friends, instead finding peace in her music. Everyone else can just leave her alone. As book nerds, I think we can all relate to this. However, when Cyndi goes to camp she begins to make friends and open up. And when put in life-or-death situations, she uses her wits to keep going. By the end of the book, Cyndi is a better version of herself. And that's something Roubique should be proud of.
Believe it or not, Cyndi isn't even my favorite character. At camp, she meets Stacy who seems like a spoiled rich girl at first glance. But this girl goes out of her way to make Cyndi feel at home. Stacy welcomes her, sticks up for her, and understands Cyndi even though the two are very different people. It's rare to see a wholesome bond like this in a book with teen characters. Even the other two characters Brad and Zach, while not always likable, are believable as teenage boys and aren't bad kids.
But enough about characters. What you really need in a slasher is a lot of fun, and this book has it. Even during the first half of the book when our characters are at camp and doing regular teen things, there is never a boring moment. I was swept up in the nostalgic memories of going to camp myself and I felt right at home while reading. Then when the story gets to the good stuff (i.e. the bloodshed), it's no breaks from there. Roubique's writing is descriptive but follows a steady beat all the way through.
Obviously, if you are a slasher fan you should totally pick this book up. Also, I think YA readers will really dig it. After all, the characters are young and slasher films were always meant to attract the teenage crowd.
Kill River has a quality that should appeal to readers across the spectrum. I give Kill River by Cameron Roubique 5 out of 5 masked water park killers!
'80s nostalgia is at an all-time high in terms of popularity. We have Stranger Things, the surprise nonfiction hit from Grady Hendrix titled Paperbacks from Hell, the It (2017) film adaption, and endless other Stephen King works being brought to the screen. What do these things have in common other than the '80s? Horror, baby! The 1980s was an awesome decade for horror entertainment, and audiences are craving it more than ever. So what better time to bring back the infamous slasher movie craze of the '80s? Cue Kill River by Cameron Roubique.
Kill River takes place in 1983 and follows 13-year-old Cyndi who is sent away to summer camp by her parents. She meets three new friends (much to her surprise) and the four hatch a plan to steal a raft and sneak away from this boring summer camp. However, after getting lost on the river, they stumble across an empty water park called THRILL RIVER. It seems almost too good to be true... and that's because it is. In true slasher horror fashion, things take a bloody turn.
What we have here is a blast of a book from beginning to end. It is fast-paced, thrilling, steeped in '80s pop culture references, and fits in perfectly with the slasher genre... but Roubique takes some much appreciated liberties here.
If you are familiar with the slasher subgenre, you will know that many of those films had rather unlikable characters that left you aching to see them get the ax... literally. That is not the case here. Our main character Cyndi is one of my favorite protagonists that I've read in a long time. I'm not using that term lightly. Even though I'm a 25-year-old guy, I genuinely connected to this girl. When the story opens, we know right away that Cyndi is a shy character. She doesn't know how to communicate well and has no interest in making friends, instead finding peace in her music. Everyone else can just leave her alone. As book nerds, I think we can all relate to this. However, when Cyndi goes to camp she begins to make friends and open up. And when put in life-or-death situations, she uses her wits to keep going. By the end of the book, Cyndi is a better version of herself. And that's something Roubique should be proud of.
Believe it or not, Cyndi isn't even my favorite character. At camp, she meets Stacy who seems like a spoiled rich girl at first glance. But this girl goes out of her way to make Cyndi feel at home. Stacy welcomes her, sticks up for her, and understands Cyndi even though the two are very different people. It's rare to see a wholesome bond like this in a book with teen characters. Even the other two characters Brad and Zach, while not always likable, are believable as teenage boys and aren't bad kids.
But enough about characters. What you really need in a slasher is a lot of fun, and this book has it. Even during the first half of the book when our characters are at camp and doing regular teen things, there is never a boring moment. I was swept up in the nostalgic memories of going to camp myself and I felt right at home while reading. Then when the story gets to the good stuff (i.e. the bloodshed), it's no breaks from there. Roubique's writing is descriptive but follows a steady beat all the way through.
Obviously, if you are a slasher fan you should totally pick this book up. Also, I think YA readers will really dig it. After all, the characters are young and slasher films were always meant to attract the teenage crowd.
Kill River has a quality that should appeal to readers across the spectrum. I give Kill River by Cameron Roubique 5 out of 5 masked water park killers!
December 22, 2020
3.5
Thank you, Cameron Roubique for providing free copies to the Night Worms in exchange for honest reviews.
Kill River is a blast. Serious 80s slasher vibes. It's a perfect summer read because the setting is SUMMER CAMP. It was a lot of fun. I felt there was a lot that could've been cut out but overall I really enjoyed it. The build up is a bit slow paced but when it picks up, it doesnt let you go!
Thank you, Cameron Roubique for providing free copies to the Night Worms in exchange for honest reviews.
Kill River is a blast. Serious 80s slasher vibes. It's a perfect summer read because the setting is SUMMER CAMP. It was a lot of fun. I felt there was a lot that could've been cut out but overall I really enjoyed it. The build up is a bit slow paced but when it picks up, it doesnt let you go!
June 13, 2018
I have never been a big fan of the slasher genre. I’ve seen the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and am a fan of it, but other than that . . . no, there isn’t much in the genre I enjoy. It is a subset known for its vapid, shallow characters and predictable plots. A group of teens end up somewhere secluded (sometimes against their will, sometimes not) and are picked off one by one — typically in various gruesome ways — by a mysterious killer.
And there will be a final girl. There’s always a final girl. You know, the one that must escape from the killer after all her friends are killed.
Kill River follows this follows this formula to a T . . . but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. From this book’s cover art to the tacky eighty references throughout the story, this is obviously a loving homage to the campy slasher movement of the late seventies and early eighties. That’s fine; in fact, I was excited for this book for that very reason. The problem is, this book adds nothing to the slasher field. Nothing. In the end, there is no reason for this book to exist. Every plot point, every character arc, is ripped straight from well-known slasher movies and novels of the horror boom.
While reading this I bounced back and forth between all the ratings. During the first few chapters (when the teens are still at Camp), I had decided on three stars. What I was reading was . . . fine, with some shaky prose. Then the four main characters finally ran away from camp and it turned into a four-star adventure. Then the scares ramped up, and I had decided on five stars! But then cliches began to abound, and my rating went down . . . until the excessively anti-climatic ending. That was when I settled on two stars.
I really wanted to like this book, and it isn’t without merit. It’s a fun summer read, for sure, just don’t go into it expecting it to be anything more than a rip-off of titles like Friday the 13th.
And there will be a final girl. There’s always a final girl. You know, the one that must escape from the killer after all her friends are killed.
Kill River follows this follows this formula to a T . . . but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. From this book’s cover art to the tacky eighty references throughout the story, this is obviously a loving homage to the campy slasher movement of the late seventies and early eighties. That’s fine; in fact, I was excited for this book for that very reason. The problem is, this book adds nothing to the slasher field. Nothing. In the end, there is no reason for this book to exist. Every plot point, every character arc, is ripped straight from well-known slasher movies and novels of the horror boom.
While reading this I bounced back and forth between all the ratings. During the first few chapters (when the teens are still at Camp), I had decided on three stars. What I was reading was . . . fine, with some shaky prose. Then the four main characters finally ran away from camp and it turned into a four-star adventure. Then the scares ramped up, and I had decided on five stars! But then cliches began to abound, and my rating went down . . . until the excessively anti-climatic ending. That was when I settled on two stars.
I really wanted to like this book, and it isn’t without merit. It’s a fun summer read, for sure, just don’t go into it expecting it to be anything more than a rip-off of titles like Friday the 13th.
October 11, 2018
Release Date: August 1, 2015
Genre: Horror (Slasher Horror)
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Damn! Talk about nostalgia. This book takes me back. Sure, I was only a little toddler in the 80's but I grew up with all things 80's horror and am still obsessed with it. So finding this gem of a book is pretty much amazing. Kill River is everything I hoped it would be. A deranged killer stalking teens in thewoods water park, murder, mayhem, and enough gore to make it feel authentic. Cameron Roubique is a new to me author, but he will be one I constantly check for updates on future books. In fact, I am moving on to the next book this week because I can't stop thinking about this one! It's a pure delight- might I even say legendary? I loved it.
If you are a fan of the horror genre, pick up this book! Especially if you are an obsessive fan of all things 80's horror like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, and movies that fit with these ones. If you aren't but are curious, I still recommend this one! It's a treat and perfect for the season and to satiate any of your dark needs.
Genre: Horror (Slasher Horror)
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Damn! Talk about nostalgia. This book takes me back. Sure, I was only a little toddler in the 80's but I grew up with all things 80's horror and am still obsessed with it. So finding this gem of a book is pretty much amazing. Kill River is everything I hoped it would be. A deranged killer stalking teens in the
If you are a fan of the horror genre, pick up this book! Especially if you are an obsessive fan of all things 80's horror like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, and movies that fit with these ones. If you aren't but are curious, I still recommend this one! It's a treat and perfect for the season and to satiate any of your dark needs.
June 14, 2018
3.5
First, I'll start out with the issues I had with this one.
- The writing was very simplistic.
- I wanted there to be more lore about the water park, it kind of appeared out of nowhere over halfway through the story.
- Having the characters be 13/14 seemed a little strange for a slasher.
But, of course, there was a lot of stuff I enjoyed as well.
- The characters were very fleshed out, which made some of the death scenes quite impactful.
- I felt that it had a strong sense of place with the water park.
- Cyndi was an AMAZING final girl
- I flew through the second half of the book because I had to know what was going to happen!
Recommend it to fans of slasher stories with an 80's twist
First, I'll start out with the issues I had with this one.
- The writing was very simplistic.
- I wanted there to be more lore about the water park, it kind of appeared out of nowhere over halfway through the story.
- Having the characters be 13/14 seemed a little strange for a slasher.
But, of course, there was a lot of stuff I enjoyed as well.
- The characters were very fleshed out, which made some of the death scenes quite impactful.
- I felt that it had a strong sense of place with the water park.
- Cyndi was an AMAZING final girl
- I flew through the second half of the book because I had to know what was going to happen!
Recommend it to fans of slasher stories with an 80's twist
July 12, 2019
Kill River is about 13-year-old Cindi who is a loner and takes solace in listening to music on her walkman. In an effort to make her more sociable her parents send her off to summer camp. Thankfully she meets a few other teens, Stacy, Brad and Zack, but she soon finds out they're troublemakers and have plans to escape the camp. She tags along and they find themselves in an abandoned water park where there is a killer on the loose.
The pacing of this story felt very off. It takes half of the book to even get to the water park. I felt it was unnecessarily long and moved way too slowly. If the reader is going to spend half the book getting to know the characters they have to be worth getting to know, and unfortunately I found them very one-dimensional and things got very repetitive.
Once we get to the water park it still takes a while longer for the story to really get going. There are long descriptions of the park and the rides yet I had a hard time visualising things, so it was a strange mix of overly descriptive and not descriptive enough. The pace does eventually pick up and there were some entertaining moments and some good gory scenes as the killer is after the group of teens but, for me, it wasn't enough to balance out the rest of the book. I know this is meant to be a mindless slasher but mindless should be fun whereas this just felt boring and forgettable.
The pacing of this story felt very off. It takes half of the book to even get to the water park. I felt it was unnecessarily long and moved way too slowly. If the reader is going to spend half the book getting to know the characters they have to be worth getting to know, and unfortunately I found them very one-dimensional and things got very repetitive.
Once we get to the water park it still takes a while longer for the story to really get going. There are long descriptions of the park and the rides yet I had a hard time visualising things, so it was a strange mix of overly descriptive and not descriptive enough. The pace does eventually pick up and there were some entertaining moments and some good gory scenes as the killer is after the group of teens but, for me, it wasn't enough to balance out the rest of the book. I know this is meant to be a mindless slasher but mindless should be fun whereas this just felt boring and forgettable.
September 11, 2022
Sometimes, you spend a long time anticipating a book on your TBR, convinced it's going to be perfect for you, and you finally get to it... and it's a total bust, and you hate every moment of it. Unfortunately, Kill River was one of those books for me.
I love campy 80s slashers, I love summer camp horror, and I love horror books involving theme parks/carnivals/etc., so honestly, this was a perfect formula, but something about the execution left me wanting so much more. Far too much time was spent on character development and build-up that was honestly annoying and didn't matter in the end; I wasn't here for watching a bunch of 13-year-olds fall in puppy love, I was here for hack'em slash'em bloody goodness!
Aside from how slow the book felt and how little of these 345 pages were dedicated to the action, I also generally didn't enjoy the characters, writing, or action scenes much at all. I can see why this book works so well for a lot of people, especially with the 80s references woven throughout, but in the end, I was left wishing it had been about half as long and twice as scary.
✨ Content warnings for:
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I love campy 80s slashers, I love summer camp horror, and I love horror books involving theme parks/carnivals/etc., so honestly, this was a perfect formula, but something about the execution left me wanting so much more. Far too much time was spent on character development and build-up that was honestly annoying and didn't matter in the end; I wasn't here for watching a bunch of 13-year-olds fall in puppy love, I was here for hack'em slash'em bloody goodness!
Aside from how slow the book felt and how little of these 345 pages were dedicated to the action, I also generally didn't enjoy the characters, writing, or action scenes much at all. I can see why this book works so well for a lot of people, especially with the 80s references woven throughout, but in the end, I was left wishing it had been about half as long and twice as scary.
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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July 23, 2022
2.5-3ish stars. So so so much potential but it dragged soooo much.
August 7, 2021
My kids always ask: “If you could, Mom, what era would you want to live in?” Without a doubt, my first answer is always the 80s....and I already lived through them.
Why?
Simple. It was an awesome time. It was a decade that, in my mind, did not have a great deal of worldwide conflict or wars. It was a colourful, fun, vibrant, life-in-moderation, girls-just-wanna-fun, pre-internet time. You could still enjoy the good things in life and time wasn’t yet flying right by.
This is the decade of Twisted Sister, Cindy Lauper, The Monster Squad, Nightmare on Elm Street, Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, New Order, Back to the Future, Duran Duran, The Creepshow, Footloose, Friday the 13th.....the best authors, directors, movies, and music came from this time. It was a fun, cheesy, scary time!!!!
Cameron Roubique does a terrific job bringing my teenage and camp days back. You will whip through this book. It starts off slow but strikes the exact note of a bygone time. If you lived through the eighties, you will feel like you are revisiting your youth. If you haven’t, you’ll wish you had.
What makes this book interesting is that three quarters of the book has a PG-13 (young adult) vibe. But, once you hit a specific point in the book, it completely picks up speed and you feel like you have just entered “Sleepaway Camp”.
I, personally, had a great time. The book does not have a great deal of depth and there are some repetitive parts and more could have been done to flesh out the backstory but....... IT WAS A BLAST TO READ. I am committed to reading more from Cameron Roubique!!!!
Why?
Simple. It was an awesome time. It was a decade that, in my mind, did not have a great deal of worldwide conflict or wars. It was a colourful, fun, vibrant, life-in-moderation, girls-just-wanna-fun, pre-internet time. You could still enjoy the good things in life and time wasn’t yet flying right by.
This is the decade of Twisted Sister, Cindy Lauper, The Monster Squad, Nightmare on Elm Street, Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, New Order, Back to the Future, Duran Duran, The Creepshow, Footloose, Friday the 13th.....the best authors, directors, movies, and music came from this time. It was a fun, cheesy, scary time!!!!
Cameron Roubique does a terrific job bringing my teenage and camp days back. You will whip through this book. It starts off slow but strikes the exact note of a bygone time. If you lived through the eighties, you will feel like you are revisiting your youth. If you haven’t, you’ll wish you had.
What makes this book interesting is that three quarters of the book has a PG-13 (young adult) vibe. But, once you hit a specific point in the book, it completely picks up speed and you feel like you have just entered “Sleepaway Camp”.
I, personally, had a great time. The book does not have a great deal of depth and there are some repetitive parts and more could have been done to flesh out the backstory but....... IT WAS A BLAST TO READ. I am committed to reading more from Cameron Roubique!!!!
June 20, 2018
"This is not a good idea. We should not be here. These woods don't belong to us."
Kill River was such an enjoyable read for me. I've been on a Friday the 13th kick lately, and this book was a good companion.
I used to work at a camp a long time ago, and it was so much fun. The beginning of this book was really nostalgic for me, and I loved reading both halves of the story.
As with any slasher story, you have to suspend your disbelief. Anything is possible in slasher world, and you have to go with it. Kill River was successful at covering all the elements of a slasher story.
I went ahead and ordered the second book, and I am really looking forward to reading it. Thank you to Cameron Roubique for sending copies of Kill River to the NightWorms!
Kill River was such an enjoyable read for me. I've been on a Friday the 13th kick lately, and this book was a good companion.
I used to work at a camp a long time ago, and it was so much fun. The beginning of this book was really nostalgic for me, and I loved reading both halves of the story.
As with any slasher story, you have to suspend your disbelief. Anything is possible in slasher world, and you have to go with it. Kill River was successful at covering all the elements of a slasher story.
I went ahead and ordered the second book, and I am really looking forward to reading it. Thank you to Cameron Roubique for sending copies of Kill River to the NightWorms!
August 12, 2022
3.5
It took 140 pages to actually get to the water park and that was just way too slow for a slasher.
I also found it weird that the characters were 13-14 years old, that’s just so young and some of the things that were mentioned just made me feel icky and uncomfortable.
I feel like the gore and kill scenes could have been more exciting and amplified.
It was fine, not the best slasher I’ve ever read.
It took 140 pages to actually get to the water park and that was just way too slow for a slasher.
I also found it weird that the characters were 13-14 years old, that’s just so young and some of the things that were mentioned just made me feel icky and uncomfortable.
I feel like the gore and kill scenes could have been more exciting and amplified.
It was fine, not the best slasher I’ve ever read.
March 20, 2022
Boring!
Mi aspettavo il minimo da uno slasher, ovvero sano divertimento da ammazzamenti. E invece la noia.
E poi nemmeno un minimo di spiegazioni su chi era il killer e perché lo faceva, un pochino di back story…no, zero.
Mi aspettavo il minimo da uno slasher, ovvero sano divertimento da ammazzamenti. E invece la noia.
E poi nemmeno un minimo di spiegazioni su chi era il killer e perché lo faceva, un pochino di back story…no, zero.
July 10, 2019
3.5 - rounding up to 4. This was a lot of fun! I’ve never read what I would consider a “slasher novel”. There were some times I was getting anxious! Fun summer read.
July 15, 2019
I am so sad to have to give this a one star rating but I feel for me to give it anything higher would be dishonest.
First let’s start with the positives:
1. This cover is amazing. I mean, I think we can all agree on that, right?! Maybe it deserves another half star for the cover.
2. I think the author really had fun writing this book and that he really loves the 80s slasher horror genre. And that is so amazing to be doing something that you love so much.
Now for the negatives:
1. I personally thought the characters were too young. It felt very strange to be reading about 13 and 14 year olds in this genre. I have never seen a slasher movie with teens that young. A lot of the things that occurred felt especially icky when keeping in mind how young the kids were.
2. The beginning of the book was super slow. It took forever for the kids to get to the water park and once they did I wasn’t even remotely scared. There was no anticipation or build up. My heart was never beating fast even once the killer finally made his appearance. The only part that seemed to be heart pumping was the part when the final girl was running from the killer.
3. And finally the biggest negative here was the writing which was some of the most simplistic writing I’ve ever read. The sentence structure was very basic. The same adjectives were repeated over and over. And the descriptions of characters and the setting were unclear. For example one character is described as “a popular looking fourteen-year-old girl”. People are popular for all different kinds of reasons; it is not a trait that can be quantified into someone’s looks. When you say someone is “popular looking”, I have no idea what that means. The examples of poor writing are manifold but I’ll just leave it there.
First let’s start with the positives:
1. This cover is amazing. I mean, I think we can all agree on that, right?! Maybe it deserves another half star for the cover.
2. I think the author really had fun writing this book and that he really loves the 80s slasher horror genre. And that is so amazing to be doing something that you love so much.
Now for the negatives:
1. I personally thought the characters were too young. It felt very strange to be reading about 13 and 14 year olds in this genre. I have never seen a slasher movie with teens that young. A lot of the things that occurred felt especially icky when keeping in mind how young the kids were.
2. The beginning of the book was super slow. It took forever for the kids to get to the water park and once they did I wasn’t even remotely scared. There was no anticipation or build up. My heart was never beating fast even once the killer finally made his appearance. The only part that seemed to be heart pumping was the part when the final girl was running from the killer.
3. And finally the biggest negative here was the writing which was some of the most simplistic writing I’ve ever read. The sentence structure was very basic. The same adjectives were repeated over and over. And the descriptions of characters and the setting were unclear. For example one character is described as “a popular looking fourteen-year-old girl”. People are popular for all different kinds of reasons; it is not a trait that can be quantified into someone’s looks. When you say someone is “popular looking”, I have no idea what that means. The examples of poor writing are manifold but I’ll just leave it there.
March 26, 2017
Before Netflix and Amazon, people went to video stores to rent their movies. It wasn't as convenient as things are now, of course, and the return fees sucked, but there was a special joy of discovery when you found a great movie you never heard of.
"Kill River" is like a little known indie film in the horror section of one of those video stores. If it was a VHS tape it would have been on the shelves after "Friday The 13th", "The Funhouse", "Halloween", and "Happy Birthday To Me". And it would have been one of those awesome discoveries that you told all your friends about and happily paid a late return fee because you wanted to watch it again.
It has all the classic elements of slasher movies from the 1980's-- partying teenagers, adults who don't understand, a secluded and creepy location-- but it doesn't feel cliched. It feels like a love letter to those movies. And most importantly it has a creepy masked killer.
The only thing missing is a sequel, which I understand is in the works!
"Kill River" is like a little known indie film in the horror section of one of those video stores. If it was a VHS tape it would have been on the shelves after "Friday The 13th", "The Funhouse", "Halloween", and "Happy Birthday To Me". And it would have been one of those awesome discoveries that you told all your friends about and happily paid a late return fee because you wanted to watch it again.
It has all the classic elements of slasher movies from the 1980's-- partying teenagers, adults who don't understand, a secluded and creepy location-- but it doesn't feel cliched. It feels like a love letter to those movies. And most importantly it has a creepy masked killer.
The only thing missing is a sequel, which I understand is in the works!
April 12, 2018
If you ever hanker for the glory days of 80s slasher movies, then you owe it to yourself to pick up Kill River, a spiritual sequel to movies like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp and The Burning.
Likeable characters, a nostalgic feeling, terrific spooky location - it checks all the boxes.
Oh yeah, and the kills, when they come, are brutal.
Check it out!
Likeable characters, a nostalgic feeling, terrific spooky location - it checks all the boxes.
Oh yeah, and the kills, when they come, are brutal.
Check it out!
August 16, 2020
This is not a good idea. We should not be here. These woods don't belong to us.
Reading this book was a no-brainer for me. I grew up on horror, specifically slashers, so this review might be biased.
Kill River follows our anti-social teen hero Cyndi as her parents force her to attend Camp Kikawa, a sleepaway camp where she knows no one. Shortly thereafter she meets Stacy, the only other teen girl at camp, which has mainly younger kids. Stacy introduces her to Zack and Brad, the other older camp regulars. Without spoiling anything, our newly-formed teen quartet soon find themselves at an abandoned water park. Then the "fun" begins.
This book ticks all the 80's slasher horror boxes for me: pop culture references, teen romance, stupid teens doing stupid things, romps in the woods, creepy masked killer, gruesome kills, and an eerie deserted place that is definitely suspicious but no one seems to care until it's too late. (exhales)
Might as well have a little fun before we get back to civilization and have to start doin' time. What's the worst that could happen?
I had two main gripes with Kill River. First, the writing is very simplistic and plain, even for the genre. It does make for a quick read, though. Second, the buildup to anything suspenseful or scary was very long, maybe 50% into the book. Prior to that, it doesn't feel like a horror novel at all. Once it does start, however, it's completely uncontrolled bloody chaos that I could not put down.
Obviously, this is not going to be groundbreaking literature. But it's fun and delivers what it promises, and for those reasons I really enjoyed it. If you like slasher horror, definitely check this series out.
July 18, 2024
3,5*
Set in the 80s we follow Cyndi during what will be the worst summer of her life. And it is not because her parents are sending her to a summer camp without her consent to spend the summer with a bunch of kids (even though that does sound indeed awful). It is because she will find herself fighting for her life.
The moment Cyndi arrives at the summer camp, she hates it. However, she has unexpectedly found some friends so the summer might not be so dull after all.
One day, our four main characters want to escape the camp and they end up finding a water park. The park seems to be abandoned but the rides are open so they decide to have some fun. All was indeed fun and games until one of them disappeared.
With a masked killer on the loose, they will have to fight for their lives.
This was a fun slasher that started to really pick up the pace half way through and it offered an interesting setting with the water park. The rides, the tension and the kills made this book a perfect summer slasher.
I really enjoyed Cyndi as the main character and she felt like a real teenager.
Set in the 80s we follow Cyndi during what will be the worst summer of her life. And it is not because her parents are sending her to a summer camp without her consent to spend the summer with a bunch of kids (even though that does sound indeed awful). It is because she will find herself fighting for her life.
The moment Cyndi arrives at the summer camp, she hates it. However, she has unexpectedly found some friends so the summer might not be so dull after all.
One day, our four main characters want to escape the camp and they end up finding a water park. The park seems to be abandoned but the rides are open so they decide to have some fun. All was indeed fun and games until one of them disappeared.
With a masked killer on the loose, they will have to fight for their lives.
This was a fun slasher that started to really pick up the pace half way through and it offered an interesting setting with the water park. The rides, the tension and the kills made this book a perfect summer slasher.
I really enjoyed Cyndi as the main character and she felt like a real teenager.
June 20, 2018
First off I want to give a HUGE thanks to author Cameron Roubique for sending me and my fellow Night Worms in exchange for an honest review.
To be fair, my initial interest in this book came from the cover art. There’s just something about skulls with eyeballs that get me. And then pair that with some vintage looking teens rafting down the river? SOLD! What’s even cooler to me is that the author not only wrote this book but also designed and created this stunning cover art. Multi-faceted authors/artists always get bonus points from me because I can’t even imagine being half as creative and talented sometimes!
After seeing the cover and reading what the book was about, I was immediately hooked when I saw the last lines of the synopsis: “Kill River is a wild, water park ride, filled with blood, gore, and ‘80s nostalgia. Slasher fans rejoice, old-school horror is back!” Those of you who know me know that I have always been a massive fan for slasher movies and ‘80s slashers are my favorite. I love everything about them from low budgets, questionable acting (at times), themes, methods of killing, music, and more. Some of my favorites include: Slumber Party Massacre series, Sorority House Massacre series, Sleepaway Camp Series, Killer Party, House on Sorority Row, Black Christmas, Hide and go Shriek, Madman, The Burning, Friday the 13th series, Halloween, and I could literally go on for at least 50 more slasher films I LOVE and watch all the time.
Kill River is like reading an ‘80s slasher movie. And that is pure heaven to my eyes! I have only read few books that flow the way this one did and like that of an actual ‘80s killer movie. I want more like this. I NEED MORE like this to be completely honest. From the opening scenes of the book we have kids who are getting to a summer camp. As the setting builds and we get some character development, the story escalates with our four main characters on an adventure outside of the camp. After a crazy, hectic night on a raft in the river, they end up at an abandoned water park and enjoy all the rides to themselves. One of them soon disappears and the chaos ensues.
Again, there are so many elements of this story that parallel with ‘80s slasher movies. We get an atmospheric introduction to a setting, we meet some characters and immediately love some and hate others, a lot of slaphappy fun happens, and then the terror, horror, blood, and gore BEGIN! An added bonus of this book is that the author even mentions several ‘80s songs that the kids are listening to as the story progresses. We can hear that music and we can leave our modern technological world full of smart phones and selfies and return to simpler times that give the best nostalgia vibes.
This book was so good and so inspiring of ‘80s slashers to me that it took me longer to read than I intended. This is because every chapter or two I would put the book down and pop one of my favorite movies into my DVD player. But this made the reading even that much more enjoyable for me because I truly got to savor the book. A lot of times I love a book so much I will finish it in one or two sittings. So I am glad I got to soak this one in as much as I did. I also enjoyed reading this with soundtrack scores from Halloween, IT, and Suspiria in the background as that added some creepy vibes all around!
I absolutely give this book ALL the stars and recommend every horror slasher lover to GET. THIS. BOOK! I have already ordered the sequel, Kill River 2, and Disco Deathtrap. Both have stunning cover art and promising plots. Thanks again to Cameron Roubique for sending this copy to me and allowing me into your horror-loving mind and reminding me just how passionate and better my life is with ‘80s slashers in it!
To be fair, my initial interest in this book came from the cover art. There’s just something about skulls with eyeballs that get me. And then pair that with some vintage looking teens rafting down the river? SOLD! What’s even cooler to me is that the author not only wrote this book but also designed and created this stunning cover art. Multi-faceted authors/artists always get bonus points from me because I can’t even imagine being half as creative and talented sometimes!
After seeing the cover and reading what the book was about, I was immediately hooked when I saw the last lines of the synopsis: “Kill River is a wild, water park ride, filled with blood, gore, and ‘80s nostalgia. Slasher fans rejoice, old-school horror is back!” Those of you who know me know that I have always been a massive fan for slasher movies and ‘80s slashers are my favorite. I love everything about them from low budgets, questionable acting (at times), themes, methods of killing, music, and more. Some of my favorites include: Slumber Party Massacre series, Sorority House Massacre series, Sleepaway Camp Series, Killer Party, House on Sorority Row, Black Christmas, Hide and go Shriek, Madman, The Burning, Friday the 13th series, Halloween, and I could literally go on for at least 50 more slasher films I LOVE and watch all the time.
Kill River is like reading an ‘80s slasher movie. And that is pure heaven to my eyes! I have only read few books that flow the way this one did and like that of an actual ‘80s killer movie. I want more like this. I NEED MORE like this to be completely honest. From the opening scenes of the book we have kids who are getting to a summer camp. As the setting builds and we get some character development, the story escalates with our four main characters on an adventure outside of the camp. After a crazy, hectic night on a raft in the river, they end up at an abandoned water park and enjoy all the rides to themselves. One of them soon disappears and the chaos ensues.
Again, there are so many elements of this story that parallel with ‘80s slasher movies. We get an atmospheric introduction to a setting, we meet some characters and immediately love some and hate others, a lot of slaphappy fun happens, and then the terror, horror, blood, and gore BEGIN! An added bonus of this book is that the author even mentions several ‘80s songs that the kids are listening to as the story progresses. We can hear that music and we can leave our modern technological world full of smart phones and selfies and return to simpler times that give the best nostalgia vibes.
This book was so good and so inspiring of ‘80s slashers to me that it took me longer to read than I intended. This is because every chapter or two I would put the book down and pop one of my favorite movies into my DVD player. But this made the reading even that much more enjoyable for me because I truly got to savor the book. A lot of times I love a book so much I will finish it in one or two sittings. So I am glad I got to soak this one in as much as I did. I also enjoyed reading this with soundtrack scores from Halloween, IT, and Suspiria in the background as that added some creepy vibes all around!
I absolutely give this book ALL the stars and recommend every horror slasher lover to GET. THIS. BOOK! I have already ordered the sequel, Kill River 2, and Disco Deathtrap. Both have stunning cover art and promising plots. Thanks again to Cameron Roubique for sending this copy to me and allowing me into your horror-loving mind and reminding me just how passionate and better my life is with ‘80s slashers in it!
August 17, 2022
2.5 stars
What this book excelled at was the atmosphere of summer camp and the pop culture references that were weaved into the story set in the eighties.
But unfortunately, I think this book could have been shorter in length. The 'slasher' part really isn't until the end and I think there was a lot more of this book than necessary.
I could easily see the premise of this story being shortened and told as a campfire story because it's creepy and fun.
I am kind of interested in continuing the series solely for an explanation behind some of the questions that were left unanswered in this novel.
What this book excelled at was the atmosphere of summer camp and the pop culture references that were weaved into the story set in the eighties.
But unfortunately, I think this book could have been shorter in length. The 'slasher' part really isn't until the end and I think there was a lot more of this book than necessary.
I could easily see the premise of this story being shortened and told as a campfire story because it's creepy and fun.
I am kind of interested in continuing the series solely for an explanation behind some of the questions that were left unanswered in this novel.
September 17, 2021
When Cyndi, a music-obsessed 13 year old, is sent away to Camp Kikawa for the summer, she's sure it'll suck. Right away she meets Stacey, Brad, and Zack, slightly older kids who have also been forced to go to camp. After a tense couple of days, the 4 teens decide to escape camp to spend the summer on their own. This plan obviously go horrifically wrong, and Cyndi and her friends find themselves in an abandoned theme park, run by a masked killer.
I enjoyed this! I thought it was a fun, horror-filled ride. It had a good amount of gore, genuine female friendship (which I ALWAYS appreciate), and adventure. However, this book could have spent a liiiiittle less time at Camp and more time exploring Thrill River, I think the horror would have come through even more. To that end, I think that spending the time to establish Stacey and Cyndi's friendship was worth it. Which is it, Lauren?! Choose!
Anyway, I would totally recommend this to horror fans! It was a lot of fun.
I enjoyed this! I thought it was a fun, horror-filled ride. It had a good amount of gore, genuine female friendship (which I ALWAYS appreciate), and adventure. However, this book could have spent a liiiiittle less time at Camp and more time exploring Thrill River, I think the horror would have come through even more. To that end, I think that spending the time to establish Stacey and Cyndi's friendship was worth it. Which is it, Lauren?! Choose!
Anyway, I would totally recommend this to horror fans! It was a lot of fun.
August 14, 2021
Review to follow
June 17, 2018
Boy do I love a good slasher. A movie with a masked guy running around knocking off teens—does it get any better than that? And, what is it about this trope that so has so captured our imagination? The blood and guts and gore, yes, but there is something about that darkened figure, silhouetted in the moonlight voyeuristically watching frolicking teens in the woods, or their neighborhood, or any other environ, his grip tightening around some instrument of death. There is something that draws us in.
It is obvious from that start that Roubique is a fan of the '80s slasher trope. I'm sure he's seen all the flicks, knows all the cliches that we love (and love to hate), and boy does he nail the cover of this book, which he created himself—am I right??
He takes on that very visual medium in book form, something that I really haven't seen that much of. There are a few: Stephen Graham Jones has taken on the genre, perhaps American Psycho counts, though it's more of a social satire, and I can think of a few others, but none that are so steeped in the '80s slasher tradition, that truly golden era, as this one. (And please do direct me to slasher books if you know of them. But before you mention it, no, Final Girls doesn't count—that is a thriller, not a horror novel, and it isn't a very good one at that).
The story has a good setup: bored, older kids at camp go on a rafting adventure and wind up at a water park that seems deserted—but someone is there, watching them, stalking them. Our heroine is a quiet, Walkman-loving girl who has a hard time making friends, but thinks she might have found a few, finally. And so the blood bath begins!
Though I have a few questions about the functionality of water parks—is it really plausible that they hook up to creeks or streams and use that water instead of a more controlled water source?
But, those kinds of inconsistencies perhaps can be overlooked as plot convenience, which is par for the course in slasher films.
Slightly more egregious is the disregard for consistency with the films and songs used in the book. Though the author does acknowledge one of these in the afterword, that was not the only instance. And I feel like if the music was going to be so integral to the plot, it should have been consistent with the real-life pieces of the book matching the setting of the book. Perhaps a bit nit-picky, but still true.
I can say that I didn't know where the plot for this book was going. I knew there would be blood, but I didn't know who or when or exactly what was going on. The book definitely hit the beats of a slasher film and that was a lot of fun to read and envision.
The writing felt amateurish and underdeveloped to me, which had the effect of pulling me out of the plot. For example, the book is written in third person with multiple POVs, but I found it difficult to follow the thread between who was thinking what sometimes, as it switches back and forth with little warning and with little indication of which character is in focus. This needed to be smoothed out throughout the book.
I have to admit that this is a fun and enjoyable pulpy little read, but in the end, it doesn't feel like a finished book to me. It needs a round of edits to help breathe a little life into it, round out the characters (especially their dialogue and the transitions between each of their thoughts), and to correct basic errors. (I have a hard time ignoring basic copy editing errors in books. So sloppy.)
My thanks to the author for generously supplying the Nightworms with copies of this one to read!
It is obvious from that start that Roubique is a fan of the '80s slasher trope. I'm sure he's seen all the flicks, knows all the cliches that we love (and love to hate), and boy does he nail the cover of this book, which he created himself—am I right??
He takes on that very visual medium in book form, something that I really haven't seen that much of. There are a few: Stephen Graham Jones has taken on the genre, perhaps American Psycho counts, though it's more of a social satire, and I can think of a few others, but none that are so steeped in the '80s slasher tradition, that truly golden era, as this one. (And please do direct me to slasher books if you know of them. But before you mention it, no, Final Girls doesn't count—that is a thriller, not a horror novel, and it isn't a very good one at that).
The story has a good setup: bored, older kids at camp go on a rafting adventure and wind up at a water park that seems deserted—but someone is there, watching them, stalking them. Our heroine is a quiet, Walkman-loving girl who has a hard time making friends, but thinks she might have found a few, finally. And so the blood bath begins!
Though I have a few questions about the functionality of water parks—is it really plausible that they hook up to creeks or streams and use that water instead of a more controlled water source?
But, those kinds of inconsistencies perhaps can be overlooked as plot convenience, which is par for the course in slasher films.
Slightly more egregious is the disregard for consistency with the films and songs used in the book. Though the author does acknowledge one of these in the afterword, that was not the only instance. And I feel like if the music was going to be so integral to the plot, it should have been consistent with the real-life pieces of the book matching the setting of the book. Perhaps a bit nit-picky, but still true.
I can say that I didn't know where the plot for this book was going. I knew there would be blood, but I didn't know who or when or exactly what was going on. The book definitely hit the beats of a slasher film and that was a lot of fun to read and envision.
The writing felt amateurish and underdeveloped to me, which had the effect of pulling me out of the plot. For example, the book is written in third person with multiple POVs, but I found it difficult to follow the thread between who was thinking what sometimes, as it switches back and forth with little warning and with little indication of which character is in focus. This needed to be smoothed out throughout the book.
I have to admit that this is a fun and enjoyable pulpy little read, but in the end, it doesn't feel like a finished book to me. It needs a round of edits to help breathe a little life into it, round out the characters (especially their dialogue and the transitions between each of their thoughts), and to correct basic errors. (I have a hard time ignoring basic copy editing errors in books. So sloppy.)
My thanks to the author for generously supplying the Nightworms with copies of this one to read!
June 12, 2023
Man, I’ve had this languishing on my Kindle for far too long.
David Sodergren has told me to read Roubique a million times. LJ Dougherty has told me read Roubique a million times. When I was on a podcast with Cameron, David and LJ, everyone insisted I read Cameron. So, I’m happy to report – I’ve finally got to the book one of the Kill River series.
I went in completely blind other than knowing it was a slasher novel involving teenagers and a water park.
What I liked: Because I went into this one completely blind, it made for a very odd opening when we get to meet our four main teens – Stacy, Cyndi, Brad and Zach as they arrive at summer camp. Cyndi is the new girl in the group, the other three having been there previously, but is quickly welcomed as part of their friendship. After some things go down, they decide to escape and go home late one night, only to get lost and end up at an abandoned water park.
It’s here, at the water park that the slasher aspect arrives and it becomes a story of survival and just who will survive. The action is fast and furious and the teens struggle to survive and make it out alive.
It was great to see the strong female characters in Stacy and Cyndi, all too often in slashers are the girls there to just be killed after showing their boobs, but this went the opposite direction and we got to see them stand up for themselves and each other and do what needed to be done to survive.
The ending works well to have this as a one off or for the reader to continue on and see what happens in the second novel. I really enjoy when an author sets things up like that as it give the reader the control over whether they want to continue.
What I didn’t like: This was a novel of two different halves. The first half was actually a really engaging summer camp story, of these four teens connecting and bonding and helping Cyndi come out of her shell. I would’ve been delighted if the novel would’ve stayed at that location and the slasher aspect arrived there. But what really threw me for a loop, was that they leave, get lost, find this abandoned waterpark and instead of trying to continue on and find help, they decided to remain all day and use the rides and have fun. It was hard to wrap my head around that decision.
Additionally, we only got a singular paragraph even discussing the ‘why’ of what happened with the waterpark and being abandoned. I’m in the camp where I think if the novel would’ve started at that water park and stayed at the water park, we would’ve had more pages to learn the horrors that await. The two distinct locations I think was a bit of a lost opportunity to expand upon one or the other.
Why you should buy this: If you like slashers, 80s-slashers, teens surviving in slashers or just straight-up action-packed novels where the characters have to survive against the hardest of odds, then this one is for you. Roubique has an easy way of getting the reader into his writing almost immediately and you’ll feel like the characters were people you know in your day-to-day life.
This was a fun one and definitely one for folks who dig the retro-horror-slasher genre!
David Sodergren has told me to read Roubique a million times. LJ Dougherty has told me read Roubique a million times. When I was on a podcast with Cameron, David and LJ, everyone insisted I read Cameron. So, I’m happy to report – I’ve finally got to the book one of the Kill River series.
I went in completely blind other than knowing it was a slasher novel involving teenagers and a water park.
What I liked: Because I went into this one completely blind, it made for a very odd opening when we get to meet our four main teens – Stacy, Cyndi, Brad and Zach as they arrive at summer camp. Cyndi is the new girl in the group, the other three having been there previously, but is quickly welcomed as part of their friendship. After some things go down, they decide to escape and go home late one night, only to get lost and end up at an abandoned water park.
It’s here, at the water park that the slasher aspect arrives and it becomes a story of survival and just who will survive. The action is fast and furious and the teens struggle to survive and make it out alive.
It was great to see the strong female characters in Stacy and Cyndi, all too often in slashers are the girls there to just be killed after showing their boobs, but this went the opposite direction and we got to see them stand up for themselves and each other and do what needed to be done to survive.
The ending works well to have this as a one off or for the reader to continue on and see what happens in the second novel. I really enjoy when an author sets things up like that as it give the reader the control over whether they want to continue.
What I didn’t like: This was a novel of two different halves. The first half was actually a really engaging summer camp story, of these four teens connecting and bonding and helping Cyndi come out of her shell. I would’ve been delighted if the novel would’ve stayed at that location and the slasher aspect arrived there. But what really threw me for a loop, was that they leave, get lost, find this abandoned waterpark and instead of trying to continue on and find help, they decided to remain all day and use the rides and have fun. It was hard to wrap my head around that decision.
Additionally, we only got a singular paragraph even discussing the ‘why’ of what happened with the waterpark and being abandoned. I’m in the camp where I think if the novel would’ve started at that water park and stayed at the water park, we would’ve had more pages to learn the horrors that await. The two distinct locations I think was a bit of a lost opportunity to expand upon one or the other.
Why you should buy this: If you like slashers, 80s-slashers, teens surviving in slashers or just straight-up action-packed novels where the characters have to survive against the hardest of odds, then this one is for you. Roubique has an easy way of getting the reader into his writing almost immediately and you’ll feel like the characters were people you know in your day-to-day life.
This was a fun one and definitely one for folks who dig the retro-horror-slasher genre!
August 4, 2022
In theory this is exactly what I want, but in execution it was driving me bonkers.
For starters the characters we are following in this story are 14 years old. They didn’t quite read their age, but sometimes they did and it reminded me how young they were. What really took away from my enjoyment was the writing. It felt simple yet so descriptive, repetitively descriptive and like I get it they’re at a water park. I understand the basic concept I don’t need every single rock, tree, flower, walkway, ride, turn in the path explained to me. It also did have a slow start which I’m pretty sure is typical with slashers, but we don’t arrive at the waterpark until well into 100 pages, so I was surprised how long it took to get there. Once Cyndi, Stacy, Zack, and Brad made it to the water park though it felt they were there for days and days. Again, I think this falls back on describing everything in sight. I did think that the look over your shoulder moments were fun and there were some nasty gag moments in there. I appreciated that the ending felt complete if you aren’t interested in moving on with the series, but open for those that are interested.
I don’t think I’m gonna be moving on in this series, but I would like to check out Disco Deathtrap written by the same author.
For starters the characters we are following in this story are 14 years old. They didn’t quite read their age, but sometimes they did and it reminded me how young they were. What really took away from my enjoyment was the writing. It felt simple yet so descriptive, repetitively descriptive and like I get it they’re at a water park. I understand the basic concept I don’t need every single rock, tree, flower, walkway, ride, turn in the path explained to me. It also did have a slow start which I’m pretty sure is typical with slashers, but we don’t arrive at the waterpark until well into 100 pages, so I was surprised how long it took to get there. Once Cyndi, Stacy, Zack, and Brad made it to the water park though it felt they were there for days and days. Again, I think this falls back on describing everything in sight. I did think that the look over your shoulder moments were fun and there were some nasty gag moments in there. I appreciated that the ending felt complete if you aren’t interested in moving on with the series, but open for those that are interested.
I don’t think I’m gonna be moving on in this series, but I would like to check out Disco Deathtrap written by the same author.
September 2, 2020
All the dull parts of a slasher
Kill River is a slog to get through. If you are more interested in 80s pop culture than you are in a tense horror story, this is the book for you. A poor attempt at Stephen King, Amblin movies, and Stranger Things style narrative. The young teen characters are overly written, the plot is as interesting as watching ice melt, and there is almost no tension in this very long book.
Kill River is a slog to get through. If you are more interested in 80s pop culture than you are in a tense horror story, this is the book for you. A poor attempt at Stephen King, Amblin movies, and Stranger Things style narrative. The young teen characters are overly written, the plot is as interesting as watching ice melt, and there is almost no tension in this very long book.
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