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Kill River #2
Kill River 2
It’s been a year since Cyndi went into the empty water park with her friends and almost got killed by a masked maniac. One full year since she learned how to be strong, how to be a survivor. Now it’s 1984, and summertime has come around again. Cyndi has a boyfriend, a new group of friends, and a part-time summer job. She has every reason to be happy and forget about the past.But she can’t forget. Her nightmares about the water park and her dead friends are getting worse. Wherever she goes, she keeps thinking she sees the killer from last summer watching her from the shadows. Worst of all, there’s a new water park opening up in town, and it looks eerily similar to the one from last year. Opening day is just around the corner, and Cyndi is starting to wonder if her water park nightmare is really over, or if it’s just beginning.
340 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2017
20 people are currently reading
635 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 84 reviews
February 27, 2018
Last year, I read Cameron Roubique's debut horror slasher
Kill River
and absolutely loved it. It was my bag in every way possible and filled my black heart with abounding joy. The story followed a group of teenagers who escape their boring summer camp and stumble upon a mysteriously empty water park called THRILL RIVER. It seems like a dream-come-true, but the night quickly turns into a nightmare when a masked killer starts picking the teens off one-by-one.
Now it is one year later and our main character Cyndi is trying to forget the events of that night. She's come a long way from the quiet, reserved girl she used to be. She now has a boyfriend, a group of friends, and a job at the community pool, but she is still haunted by that night... especially when an official Thrill River water park opens up in her city. She is shocked and disturbed to learn about this, and when her boyfriend gets a job there, she just knows something terrible is going to happen. Afterall, the killer's body was never found. He could still be out there... Needless to say, things escalate in true horror slasher fashion, giving horror fans all the hacking, slashing, and bloodshed they desire... and a little something more as well.
As with the first Kill River, Roubique gives the story a heart, which only quickens the pulse when things get tense. After all, a suspenseful story equates to likable characters that you don't want to see in any kind of danger. Roubique does this well, building onto Cyndi's already strong but vulnerable personae. I'd compare her to final girls such as Sydney Prescott from the Scream franchise and Laurie Strode from Halloween . She's someone you can root for. Even the newly introduced characters are likable... except for the ones you aren't supposed to like of course. In which case, it makes their impending doom all the more satisfying.
Cameron says in his afterward at the end of the book that writing this sequel was more challenging than he ever imagined, but he sure pulled it off. He got Cyndi back to Thrill River in a believable way, which isn't an easy feat. Not only that, but he made this sequel bigger and better with more action, a higher body count, and loads of '80s nostalgia. He also writes some very tender moments that helps build onto the (surviving) characters and their relationships with each other.
One of the most interesting things about Kill River 2 is the ever-expanding mystery surrounding the masked killer and the water park itself. It brings up more questions that I am excited to learn the answers to in Kill River 3! Until then, I'll be passing the time with Cameron Roubique's sophomore novel Disco Deathtrap!
Overall, both Kill River and Kill River 2 earn my highest recommendations, especially if you are a horror nerd like me. Even if you like YA fiction, give this a go! It should appeal just as well to the YA crowd as it will to the targeted adult audience. I give Kill River 2 by Cameron Roubique 5 out of 5 kick-ass final girls!
Also, look out for my upcoming video review of Kill River and Kill River 2!
Now it is one year later and our main character Cyndi is trying to forget the events of that night. She's come a long way from the quiet, reserved girl she used to be. She now has a boyfriend, a group of friends, and a job at the community pool, but she is still haunted by that night... especially when an official Thrill River water park opens up in her city. She is shocked and disturbed to learn about this, and when her boyfriend gets a job there, she just knows something terrible is going to happen. Afterall, the killer's body was never found. He could still be out there... Needless to say, things escalate in true horror slasher fashion, giving horror fans all the hacking, slashing, and bloodshed they desire... and a little something more as well.
As with the first Kill River, Roubique gives the story a heart, which only quickens the pulse when things get tense. After all, a suspenseful story equates to likable characters that you don't want to see in any kind of danger. Roubique does this well, building onto Cyndi's already strong but vulnerable personae. I'd compare her to final girls such as Sydney Prescott from the Scream franchise and Laurie Strode from Halloween . She's someone you can root for. Even the newly introduced characters are likable... except for the ones you aren't supposed to like of course. In which case, it makes their impending doom all the more satisfying.
Cameron says in his afterward at the end of the book that writing this sequel was more challenging than he ever imagined, but he sure pulled it off. He got Cyndi back to Thrill River in a believable way, which isn't an easy feat. Not only that, but he made this sequel bigger and better with more action, a higher body count, and loads of '80s nostalgia. He also writes some very tender moments that helps build onto the (surviving) characters and their relationships with each other.
One of the most interesting things about Kill River 2 is the ever-expanding mystery surrounding the masked killer and the water park itself. It brings up more questions that I am excited to learn the answers to in Kill River 3! Until then, I'll be passing the time with Cameron Roubique's sophomore novel Disco Deathtrap!
Overall, both Kill River and Kill River 2 earn my highest recommendations, especially if you are a horror nerd like me. Even if you like YA fiction, give this a go! It should appeal just as well to the YA crowd as it will to the targeted adult audience. I give Kill River 2 by Cameron Roubique 5 out of 5 kick-ass final girls!
Also, look out for my upcoming video review of Kill River and Kill River 2!
August 10, 2019
4.0 Stars
Another summer of slasher-y water park fun!
Kill River 2 is basically the book version of a sequel to a classic slasher movie. Since this is the second book in the Kill River series, I would personally recommend going back and reading the original Kill River book first. Certainly, this book is understandable on it’s own, but you will get so much more out of the reading experience by starting back at the beginning.
I really enjoyed the first Kill River book, but I actually might have enjoyed this sequel even more. This one had a faster pace with a stronger build up to the main event. I particularly appreciated Cindy’s character development in this one. Now a year older, she was much more mature, largely due to the traumatic events of the previous summer. I liked seeing how those events affected her psyche. Her PTSD felt like a natural development to her character and made her a wonderfully unreliable narrator.
While Kill River 2 is not a literary piece of horror, it’s just so much darn fun to read! Given the water park setting, this would be an excellent book to read during the summer months, especially on the beach or beside the pool. I would highly recommend this one to just about any horror readers, especially those who love the slasher movies. If you go into this book looking for a fun slasher read, then you won’t be disappointed!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author.
Another summer of slasher-y water park fun!
Kill River 2 is basically the book version of a sequel to a classic slasher movie. Since this is the second book in the Kill River series, I would personally recommend going back and reading the original Kill River book first. Certainly, this book is understandable on it’s own, but you will get so much more out of the reading experience by starting back at the beginning.
I really enjoyed the first Kill River book, but I actually might have enjoyed this sequel even more. This one had a faster pace with a stronger build up to the main event. I particularly appreciated Cindy’s character development in this one. Now a year older, she was much more mature, largely due to the traumatic events of the previous summer. I liked seeing how those events affected her psyche. Her PTSD felt like a natural development to her character and made her a wonderfully unreliable narrator.
While Kill River 2 is not a literary piece of horror, it’s just so much darn fun to read! Given the water park setting, this would be an excellent book to read during the summer months, especially on the beach or beside the pool. I would highly recommend this one to just about any horror readers, especially those who love the slasher movies. If you go into this book looking for a fun slasher read, then you won’t be disappointed!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author.
November 8, 2017
Cyndi is a "final girl", the lone survivor of a massacre at an empty water park.
It's 1984, a year later, and she is still grieving over the deaths of her friends. But she is moving forward as best she can. She has new friends and a new boyfriend and she has gotten her first real job. It's a new life for her but she is haunted by visions of her dead friends and even worse, she is starting to think she is being stalked. She is seeing the dark man in the creepy mask everywhere she goes and doubting her own sanity.
When her boyfriend gets a job at a new water park, Thrill River, she is invited to visit and join an after hour party there. It is a test of her courage but one she accepts.
And just as she feared, the killer is waiting for her. He has her exactly where he wants her. And he will kill and kill again and this time, he will finish what he started.
This is an awesome follow up to Roubique's Kill River and a rare thing: a sequel even better than the original. Highly recommended for fan's of 80's slasher movies!
It's 1984, a year later, and she is still grieving over the deaths of her friends. But she is moving forward as best she can. She has new friends and a new boyfriend and she has gotten her first real job. It's a new life for her but she is haunted by visions of her dead friends and even worse, she is starting to think she is being stalked. She is seeing the dark man in the creepy mask everywhere she goes and doubting her own sanity.
When her boyfriend gets a job at a new water park, Thrill River, she is invited to visit and join an after hour party there. It is a test of her courage but one she accepts.
And just as she feared, the killer is waiting for her. He has her exactly where he wants her. And he will kill and kill again and this time, he will finish what he started.
This is an awesome follow up to Roubique's Kill River and a rare thing: a sequel even better than the original. Highly recommended for fan's of 80's slasher movies!
November 5, 2018
Release Date: October 13, 2017
Genre: Horror
Actual Rating: 4.25 stars
I can already tell after reading both books in this series that Cameron Roubique is going to be a go-to horror author for me. His books take me back and remind me of The Fear Street series by R.L. Stine and some of my very favorite 80's horror novels that I can no longer find to read. The characters in this book and the first one (Kill River) are younger (middle school & high school) but it doesn't bother me being an adult reader. I honestly find this series so refreshing and fun that it doesn't matter how old the characters are! That tells you what a great author he is.
If you are a fan of 80's slasher horror done right I highly recommend reading this book. Just be sure to read Kill River 1 before you read this one as it follows the same survivor.
Genre: Horror
Actual Rating: 4.25 stars
I can already tell after reading both books in this series that Cameron Roubique is going to be a go-to horror author for me. His books take me back and remind me of The Fear Street series by R.L. Stine and some of my very favorite 80's horror novels that I can no longer find to read. The characters in this book and the first one (Kill River) are younger (middle school & high school) but it doesn't bother me being an adult reader. I honestly find this series so refreshing and fun that it doesn't matter how old the characters are! That tells you what a great author he is.
If you are a fan of 80's slasher horror done right I highly recommend reading this book. Just be sure to read Kill River 1 before you read this one as it follows the same survivor.
July 25, 2019
The sequel to Kill River was just as fun, campy, and nostalgic to me as the first one. I really enjoy stories with this type of setup - you really get to know the characters before mayhem and chaos both strike. And we get some good slasher-y mayhem in this one!
I love all the references to the 80s songs that Cyndi and other characters hear and think about as the book carries on. Somewhere in the back of my mind I begin to hear that song while I am reading and it becomes a soundtrack to what's happening. As a bonus, Roubique even lists all the songs at the end of the book as if there WAS a soundtrack! Super cool!
If you are a fan of slashers, 80s campy horror, and 80s pop culture, then this is the book and series for you! 5 stars and I am even more excited to see what more Roubique will give me!
I love all the references to the 80s songs that Cyndi and other characters hear and think about as the book carries on. Somewhere in the back of my mind I begin to hear that song while I am reading and it becomes a soundtrack to what's happening. As a bonus, Roubique even lists all the songs at the end of the book as if there WAS a soundtrack! Super cool!
If you are a fan of slashers, 80s campy horror, and 80s pop culture, then this is the book and series for you! 5 stars and I am even more excited to see what more Roubique will give me!
August 22, 2019
Really Fun Read!
After a slight slow start, Kill River 2 takes off with some teen drama and then the night of Cyndi’s worst nightmare manifesting into reality. I cheered at a couple points in this sequel, and now I am invested not only in this series (I cannot wait for Kill River 3), but the author as well.
Highly recommended if you like 80s slasher films. You might find yourself having fun even if you don’t.
After a slight slow start, Kill River 2 takes off with some teen drama and then the night of Cyndi’s worst nightmare manifesting into reality. I cheered at a couple points in this sequel, and now I am invested not only in this series (I cannot wait for Kill River 3), but the author as well.
Highly recommended if you like 80s slasher films. You might find yourself having fun even if you don’t.
July 10, 2018
The Kill River series is so much fun. It took me a little longer to connect with part 2 than part 1, but it was solid once it got going. For part 2, the focus is on a new water park opening instead of camp (in the first half). I think this book was gorier than the first one, so that was enjoyable. I appreciated getting some answers to questions I had after this first book. I am definitely sticking around if there's a Kill River 3!
August 3, 2024
3,5*
Another fun summer slusher following Cyndi, our final girl as her worst nightmares become reality….again
This one felt like a classic slasher sequel but you had to wait until the 64% mark for people to be running for their lives. Was the waiting worth it? I do think so.
Cyndi has new friends and a new boyfriend. The water park is about to open its door for the public and only Cyndi knows of the massacre that took place there just a year ago.
Her boyfriend is hired to work in the park as a lifeguard and she has no choice but to join her friends and visit the park. But something tells her, history will repeat itself. And the masked killer will come back to claim more lives.
This sequel also starts to reveal more information about the park, Cyndi and the killer.
In the end, it was fun, campy, and nostalgic. If you love 80s slashers and pop culture, you will really get to appreciate this trilogy.
Another fun summer slusher following Cyndi, our final girl as her worst nightmares become reality….again
This one felt like a classic slasher sequel but you had to wait until the 64% mark for people to be running for their lives. Was the waiting worth it? I do think so.
Cyndi has new friends and a new boyfriend. The water park is about to open its door for the public and only Cyndi knows of the massacre that took place there just a year ago.
Her boyfriend is hired to work in the park as a lifeguard and she has no choice but to join her friends and visit the park. But something tells her, history will repeat itself. And the masked killer will come back to claim more lives.
This sequel also starts to reveal more information about the park, Cyndi and the killer.
In the end, it was fun, campy, and nostalgic. If you love 80s slashers and pop culture, you will really get to appreciate this trilogy.
August 22, 2020
To be totally honest, I found Kill River part 1 a little slow. I still loved it, especially the second half, but it was definitely a slow burn, which is probably why I was so shocked by the pace of part 2. I remember glancing down at the percentage listed on my Kindle and thinking, "really, I've already read that far into the book?" It just seemed to fly by, and I got so into it that I couldn't stop reading. Kill River 2 has all the hallmarks of a great slasher sequel: It's darker, more violent, has a higher body count, has more insane kills, and we also get to know our protagonist better. I'm so happy that I went back to the water park! :D
January 15, 2023
4.25 stars
This is a fantastic slasher sequel. I had a lot of fun with Kill River, but I found it to be a little too bulky and bloated in the setup. However, Kill River 2 doesn't suffer from the bulky set up of its predecessor. Cindy has to face the horror of Thrill River again when it finally opens up in her town and now her boyfriend and her friends will have to survive its grand opening. Spoiler: most people don't. I found the energy and pacing of this one to be more intense and I was more entertained. I also found myself disliking and liking the characters in this one more than the previous one. A solid sequel and I can't wait to read the finale!
This is a fantastic slasher sequel. I had a lot of fun with Kill River, but I found it to be a little too bulky and bloated in the setup. However, Kill River 2 doesn't suffer from the bulky set up of its predecessor. Cindy has to face the horror of Thrill River again when it finally opens up in her town and now her boyfriend and her friends will have to survive its grand opening. Spoiler: most people don't. I found the energy and pacing of this one to be more intense and I was more entertained. I also found myself disliking and liking the characters in this one more than the previous one. A solid sequel and I can't wait to read the finale!
January 7, 2021
3.5 bumped up to 4.
Kill River 2 is better written than Part 1. While not as gnarly and inspired, there’s more attention to detail, characters are more defined, and the plotting is less haphazard. The 80s atmosphere is well-executed and the improved world-building leads to a fun surprise ending that had me hungry for more. The continuity and prose are improved, which was my issue with the first, but the second book still has some flaws.
The book does get bogged down in a way-too-long waterpark travelogue where characters visit rides and Cyndi has flashbacks to part one. There’s a serious Silent Night Deadly Night 2 thing going on where there are just too many flashbacks and repetitions of things from the first book, so reading them together it is kind of annoying that such a big chunk of the book is a refresher. The book does, however, improve on the horny teen slasher aspect, owning it in a way that will appeal to teens and genre fans but sensitive enough not to be weird about it. It’s a fine line and I found myself really feeling for Eddie and Johnny’s out-of-control hormones while also not feeling like the book was being particularly distasteful.
It does kind of lack the fever dream excitement of the first book’s second half but there’s still more than enough action to be satisfying. I look forward to completing the trilogy with hopes the author can tie it all together and maybe not describe all the same rides in excruciating detail for a third time, but what can you do?
An edgey slasher series for teens that manages to walk the line between horny and gorey without feeling like too much.
Kill River 2 is better written than Part 1. While not as gnarly and inspired, there’s more attention to detail, characters are more defined, and the plotting is less haphazard. The 80s atmosphere is well-executed and the improved world-building leads to a fun surprise ending that had me hungry for more. The continuity and prose are improved, which was my issue with the first, but the second book still has some flaws.
The book does get bogged down in a way-too-long waterpark travelogue where characters visit rides and Cyndi has flashbacks to part one. There’s a serious Silent Night Deadly Night 2 thing going on where there are just too many flashbacks and repetitions of things from the first book, so reading them together it is kind of annoying that such a big chunk of the book is a refresher. The book does, however, improve on the horny teen slasher aspect, owning it in a way that will appeal to teens and genre fans but sensitive enough not to be weird about it. It’s a fine line and I found myself really feeling for Eddie and Johnny’s out-of-control hormones while also not feeling like the book was being particularly distasteful.
It does kind of lack the fever dream excitement of the first book’s second half but there’s still more than enough action to be satisfying. I look forward to completing the trilogy with hopes the author can tie it all together and maybe not describe all the same rides in excruciating detail for a third time, but what can you do?
An edgey slasher series for teens that manages to walk the line between horny and gorey without feeling like too much.
May 17, 2018
Cameron has done it again - a novel that has the DNA of the 80s slasher movies flowing through its veins.
The follow-up to Kill River introduces several new characters and some old favourites too, while building on the mythology in interesting ways.
It takes a while to really get going - slightly too long, arguably - but when the slashing starts, it hits hard, and Roubique is not afraid to kill of several likeable characters.
Someone make this series into a movie, dammit!
The follow-up to Kill River introduces several new characters and some old favourites too, while building on the mythology in interesting ways.
It takes a while to really get going - slightly too long, arguably - but when the slashing starts, it hits hard, and Roubique is not afraid to kill of several likeable characters.
Someone make this series into a movie, dammit!
April 23, 2018
Warning: This review contains big spoilers for all of Cameron’s books. If you’re not familiar with them, then stop reading this and go check them out.
So, as I’ve stated in my reviews, I hold the first Kill River book in very high regard, seeing it as the kind of slasher story that other slasher story authors should aspire to write, with its unique setting, strong characterization, simple and humble approach that enhances the happenings in the story, and dynamic stalk, chase and kill scenes. Cameron’s second book, unfortunately, caused the complete opposite reaction in me, and that’s me putting it mildly. As such, I had a bit of trepidation going into Kill River 2, but remained hopeful, thinking that if Cameron took the same approach he did with the first Kill River, then this would be a great book. He decided to go bigger and bolder with it, which I understand why he’d go for it since many sequels go that route, and while sometimes it works (Aliens, anyone?), it often does not. And unfortunately, Kill River 2 got hit with sequelitis in the process of going bigger and bolder.
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely good things in this book. You can see the growth in Cyndi from the first book to this one, as she’s now more confident in herself, more social and open and not afraid to speak up anymore, and I’m definitely a big supporter of actual character development in any story, especially horror, as it’s a genre in which character development is often considered irrelevant. The characters Eddie and Christie are great additions to the story; Eddie’s very fun and likable (he was my favorite character in this book in almost the same way Stacy was my favorite in the first book) while Christie and Cyndi have a sisterly bond that feels pretty genuine and reminds you of Cyndi and Stacy’s friendship from the first book. Then there’s Cyndi’s mom, who gets a big heap of character development throughout the book, with her and Cyndi’s mother-daughter talk later in the book being a big highlight overall, it was really well done. Starting the story with a bang and not even bothering to hide the killer at first was a bold move that I feel worked as well (even though that killer must be a serious ninja to go through the town unseen like that). As always, Cameron adds a soundtrack and it’s a fun one with catchy songs (I especially appreciated the Van Halen ones). The new park is finished and fully operational instead of the very unfinished under-construction park from the first book, and it’s pretty cool too, and a couple of the deaths are great, as well as a great fight with the killer by the wave pool that I consider the highlight of the deaths and mayhem portion of the book, it was a very dynamic and very thrilling fight, I’d say it’s the best in all three of Cameron’s books thus far.
Unfortunately, the negatives are pretty strong in my eyes. For starters, this is the third book in a row where Cameron puts in a body count so enormous that Jason Voorhees would need around five movies to achieve it, and this is the second time that almost all of those deaths happen offscreen to characters we never even got to meet (the deaths in Disco Deathtrap happen mostly onscreen, but again, there are way too many deaths and most are characters we never get to meet). To me at least, the essence of a slasher comes from three essential elements: the stalking, the attack and the chase. When the bodycount goes into the several dozens and most of them are people we never met and got killed offscreen, then those three essentials are lacking. Especially because there is a rather significant Headscratcher regarding so many deaths in both Kill River books, especially the first book (which I’d call the otherwise excellent book’s one significant flaw), namely, if most victims are construction workers building the park and the killer has been killing them over the course of a week or two or three, then shouldn’t the families of those dead workers be extremely worried, trying to get in touch, trying to find them, etc? That’s one problem (of many) with such big bodycounts, they can lead to plotholes that someone who’s very/overly detail oriented won’t be able to stop thinking about, at least that’s the case with me. Now, regarding the few deaths we do see happen, two of the deaths are greatly executed, one is basically a throwaway and the fourth one I disliked (I will explain why further in the review), plus the stalking is nowhere near as strong as it is in the first book, and the same thing can be said about the chases, since we get only one and it’s basically a rehash of a chase from the first book, though this one does have one strong point with a struggle between hero and killer during it. The overall stalk-and-slash portion of this book was pretty weak overall when compared to the first book, it had its highlights (that fight by the wave pool is really excellent) but it just feels like a downgrade overall. And by this point Cameron having an enormous bodycount made up mostly of people the reader never gets to meet has become a running gag, and one that I really, really hope he stops using in his future books.
And while those things certainly were a big flaw for me, I’d say the weakest point of the book is the characters Johnny and Jennifer. Let me discuss Johnny first. He is Cyndi’s boyfriend who has two small cameos in the first book and we get to know him here. At least as well as he can be known, because Johnny is very dull and boring, especially when you compare him to the guys from the first book, he just does not stand out at all. What’s worse is that because of Johnny, Cyndi’s characterization suffers quite a bit, because almost everything about her in this book revolves around Johnny to the point where it often feels like he’s the main character and Cyndi’s a secondary character, which is not helped by the book having several long stretches where the main focus is on Johnny and Brady (who’s really over-the-top as the drunk, irresponsible, junkie asshole that most people like for some reason) and Cyndi not getting much to do at all besides think of Johnny and be (rightfully) paranoid about the new park. She gets a job more to be near him than anything else, she gets into it with the killer mainly because she wants to save Johnny, and her only new friends are Johnny’s own best friend and Johnny’s little sister, so we don’t even see her making new friends of her own like it happened in the first book, or just having any kind of social life that doesn’t revolve around him. Really, other than some time spent with Eddie and Christie without Johnny (where it’s shown that their interactions with Cyndi are far more engaging than their interactions with Johnny, they just have better chemistry with her than with him) and the excellent mom and daughter talk later in the book, Cyndi is not allowed to evolve as a character because Johnny holds her back from doing so. Overall he just did not work for me as a character at all, and the fact that he’s so prminent in the book.
And then there’s Jennifer, Cyndi’s former best friend turned enemy who was mentioned a few times in the first book, clearly being set up for future installments, and unfortunately, her character is wasted here. She’s basically there to anger Cyndi and nothing else, and she’s portrayed as nothing but nasty, even doing drugs and the like at the young age of 14, but we don’t see anything beyond that behavior. We never get into her and Cyndi having been friends before and how that friendship started or was like, we never get into why Jennifer started hating Cyndi and picking on her, with the narration stating that Jennifer’s mean girl behavior had grown more intense through the year between the first book and this one but we never learn why, she’s just there to annoy Cyndi on occasion and nothing else. There’s a point much later in the book when, after another of her nasty moments, Jennifer starts thinking about her home life, including what sounds like overly strict and possibly even abusive parents, which would explain why Jennifer is so attached to Brady and tries imitating him, sounding like he was the only one she really looked up to growing up and his influence on her was a toxic one rather than a good one. To me that moment was vital and should’ve come so much, much earlier than it did, because finally we got a glimpse of why Jennifer is the way she is, and we needed so much more of that, we needed genuine characterization for her after she had already been set up in the first book. But that does not happen, because as soon as we get that small glimpse of characterization on her, the killer attacks her, but we don’t see her actually get killed, which prompted in me the reaction of “I’m willing to bet that the killer sets her on a deathtrap that Cyndi won’t be able to save her from just so the killer can taunt Cyndi”. And that’s exactly what happens. Cyndi finds Jennifer stark naked in a deathtrap and we get several pages of Cyndi trying to free Jennifer before the killer can kill her, which of course fails and Jennifer is unceremoniously killed off, and because it was so obvious that that’s exactly what would happen (in part because while he’s into killing 14 year old kids, I highly doubt Cameron would want to have a 14 year old girl running around naked in his book, as just by writing about the concept it makes me feel highly uncomfortable), it makes the whole scene just lack tension and makes it boring and tedious to sit through. After the set-up from the first book detailing the history between Jennifer and Cyndi, Jennifer should’ve been one of the highlights of the book, one of the best characters, but instead she’s a complete non-entity that’s only there to occasionally piss Cyndi off and to add an extra body to the already huge bodycount. You could literally write out all of Jennifer’s scenes in the book and it wouldn’t change a thing. To have her character be so misused and basically wasted is my biggest gripe with this book.
Another weak point of the book is the overall lack of a varied teenage cast. There’s very few of them that get any attention, and while Cameron does introduce several, most of them are barely in the book at all. At one point Christie shows up with two friends, twins who are described as polar opposites, but the girls just stand around never saying a single word (and even Cameron seems to forget there were two of them just a few pages later and continues the scenes as though it was just one girl in there instead of a pair of twins), he showcases a boy Christie likes who also does nothing. The most egregious case with this is Jennifer’s mean girl posse, who each gets just one thing to make them stand out but then are barely in the book at all, and it feels like a wasted opportunity. Each girl has a distinct personality as Lindsey’s the lovestruck dreamer, Lisa’s the timid follower, and Jeanie’s the bubbly ditz (and one of my favorite characters overall, with one small moment at the water park being funny, super cute and I liked it a lot). There was a lot of potential for this group of popular mean girls to add a lot of spice and variety to the teenage proceedings, but they’re barely in the book at all and it feels like they’re not gonna be coming back for the third anyway. The potential was there for lots of fun teenage interactions (which Cameron has proven already that he can do really well) and a varied group on the run from the killer, but it doesn’t happen and it’s a bummer.
Speaking of variety, after the very varied cast of Disco Deathtrap, it was a letdown to go back to cliched slasher story characters all being white and slim and mostly pretty, though that's a bit of a minor gripe compared to anything else. The survivors also end up being classic slasher cliché, unfortunately, it was too predictable.
And then there’s the final two chapters (one of them being the epilogue). These ones were just not good. Cyndi’s arch-nemesis are revealed in full, and they’re basically a family of multi-millionaire serial killers who get away with murder because they’re multi-millionaires. I think Cameron went way too big, way too far and way too fast, as this feels more like the plot of a superhero comic book than a slasher movie. How can one simple teen girl go up against a family or murderous millionaires who can get away with murder by throwing money at it? It’s too bizarre and over-the-top in its execution and it doesn’t work, in part because it doesn’t answer questions in regards of the victims. What about all the families of the dozens of construction workers the killer killed in the first book? Even more, the parents of Stacy, Zack and Brad all work in the company owned by the villains, with Stacy’s father being the vice-president, and one would think they’d be looking into how, why and by who their children were murdered, but they’re never even mentioned here. The killer, who showcases a ton of personality in this book as opposed to the first, and while it has an excellent moment between him and Cyndi before she goes after him, it overall feels pretty jarring in how different he is as a character now, on top of how he survives things that should’ve killed him, way too many times. Combine that with how the villains get away with it in part because during the end, Cyndi basically loses all her intelligence, she takes a massive level in idiocy in that she can’t recognize that the supposed killer’s corpse that she’s shown is the single most obvious red herring, such as the fact that the red herring and killer are of similar heights, but the red herring is moderately athletic in build while the killer’s huge and bulky, or that the killer has several obvious scars and injuries and yet Cyndi never asks to see them, being shown only the red herring’s face and she’s fooled by it and leaves it at that. This was the single most frustrating thing in the whole book and made for such a bad way to close up the story.
Overall, Kill River 2 did not live up to the first one at all. I didn’t dislike it to the extent I did Disco Deathtrap, but all the positives the book has are marred by the fact that the negatives are too egregious, and it overall feels like one big missed opportunity. The saddest thing is that my opinion of the first Kill River has always been very positive, but this follow-up to the story, the revelations in this book, it’s making me look at the first one in a different way that I just can’t shake off and it’s really jarring. That’s two books in a row that, at least for me, went way too far off the opposite end of the spectrum from what the first one achieved, and it dampens my longing for the next book to come out. While I’m still curious about what Cameron’s next book will be, as I know it will be a new and different one, I’m just not looking forward to any more installments in the Kill River story. And it’s great that so many people enjoy Cameron’s books, he deserves the praise and attention good reviews on his books, and I don’t deny that it makes me feel terrible that I can’t see in them what others can see.
So, as I’ve stated in my reviews, I hold the first Kill River book in very high regard, seeing it as the kind of slasher story that other slasher story authors should aspire to write, with its unique setting, strong characterization, simple and humble approach that enhances the happenings in the story, and dynamic stalk, chase and kill scenes. Cameron’s second book, unfortunately, caused the complete opposite reaction in me, and that’s me putting it mildly. As such, I had a bit of trepidation going into Kill River 2, but remained hopeful, thinking that if Cameron took the same approach he did with the first Kill River, then this would be a great book. He decided to go bigger and bolder with it, which I understand why he’d go for it since many sequels go that route, and while sometimes it works (Aliens, anyone?), it often does not. And unfortunately, Kill River 2 got hit with sequelitis in the process of going bigger and bolder.
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely good things in this book. You can see the growth in Cyndi from the first book to this one, as she’s now more confident in herself, more social and open and not afraid to speak up anymore, and I’m definitely a big supporter of actual character development in any story, especially horror, as it’s a genre in which character development is often considered irrelevant. The characters Eddie and Christie are great additions to the story; Eddie’s very fun and likable (he was my favorite character in this book in almost the same way Stacy was my favorite in the first book) while Christie and Cyndi have a sisterly bond that feels pretty genuine and reminds you of Cyndi and Stacy’s friendship from the first book. Then there’s Cyndi’s mom, who gets a big heap of character development throughout the book, with her and Cyndi’s mother-daughter talk later in the book being a big highlight overall, it was really well done. Starting the story with a bang and not even bothering to hide the killer at first was a bold move that I feel worked as well (even though that killer must be a serious ninja to go through the town unseen like that). As always, Cameron adds a soundtrack and it’s a fun one with catchy songs (I especially appreciated the Van Halen ones). The new park is finished and fully operational instead of the very unfinished under-construction park from the first book, and it’s pretty cool too, and a couple of the deaths are great, as well as a great fight with the killer by the wave pool that I consider the highlight of the deaths and mayhem portion of the book, it was a very dynamic and very thrilling fight, I’d say it’s the best in all three of Cameron’s books thus far.
Unfortunately, the negatives are pretty strong in my eyes. For starters, this is the third book in a row where Cameron puts in a body count so enormous that Jason Voorhees would need around five movies to achieve it, and this is the second time that almost all of those deaths happen offscreen to characters we never even got to meet (the deaths in Disco Deathtrap happen mostly onscreen, but again, there are way too many deaths and most are characters we never get to meet). To me at least, the essence of a slasher comes from three essential elements: the stalking, the attack and the chase. When the bodycount goes into the several dozens and most of them are people we never met and got killed offscreen, then those three essentials are lacking. Especially because there is a rather significant Headscratcher regarding so many deaths in both Kill River books, especially the first book (which I’d call the otherwise excellent book’s one significant flaw), namely, if most victims are construction workers building the park and the killer has been killing them over the course of a week or two or three, then shouldn’t the families of those dead workers be extremely worried, trying to get in touch, trying to find them, etc? That’s one problem (of many) with such big bodycounts, they can lead to plotholes that someone who’s very/overly detail oriented won’t be able to stop thinking about, at least that’s the case with me. Now, regarding the few deaths we do see happen, two of the deaths are greatly executed, one is basically a throwaway and the fourth one I disliked (I will explain why further in the review), plus the stalking is nowhere near as strong as it is in the first book, and the same thing can be said about the chases, since we get only one and it’s basically a rehash of a chase from the first book, though this one does have one strong point with a struggle between hero and killer during it. The overall stalk-and-slash portion of this book was pretty weak overall when compared to the first book, it had its highlights (that fight by the wave pool is really excellent) but it just feels like a downgrade overall. And by this point Cameron having an enormous bodycount made up mostly of people the reader never gets to meet has become a running gag, and one that I really, really hope he stops using in his future books.
And while those things certainly were a big flaw for me, I’d say the weakest point of the book is the characters Johnny and Jennifer. Let me discuss Johnny first. He is Cyndi’s boyfriend who has two small cameos in the first book and we get to know him here. At least as well as he can be known, because Johnny is very dull and boring, especially when you compare him to the guys from the first book, he just does not stand out at all. What’s worse is that because of Johnny, Cyndi’s characterization suffers quite a bit, because almost everything about her in this book revolves around Johnny to the point where it often feels like he’s the main character and Cyndi’s a secondary character, which is not helped by the book having several long stretches where the main focus is on Johnny and Brady (who’s really over-the-top as the drunk, irresponsible, junkie asshole that most people like for some reason) and Cyndi not getting much to do at all besides think of Johnny and be (rightfully) paranoid about the new park. She gets a job more to be near him than anything else, she gets into it with the killer mainly because she wants to save Johnny, and her only new friends are Johnny’s own best friend and Johnny’s little sister, so we don’t even see her making new friends of her own like it happened in the first book, or just having any kind of social life that doesn’t revolve around him. Really, other than some time spent with Eddie and Christie without Johnny (where it’s shown that their interactions with Cyndi are far more engaging than their interactions with Johnny, they just have better chemistry with her than with him) and the excellent mom and daughter talk later in the book, Cyndi is not allowed to evolve as a character because Johnny holds her back from doing so. Overall he just did not work for me as a character at all, and the fact that he’s so prminent in the book.
And then there’s Jennifer, Cyndi’s former best friend turned enemy who was mentioned a few times in the first book, clearly being set up for future installments, and unfortunately, her character is wasted here. She’s basically there to anger Cyndi and nothing else, and she’s portrayed as nothing but nasty, even doing drugs and the like at the young age of 14, but we don’t see anything beyond that behavior. We never get into her and Cyndi having been friends before and how that friendship started or was like, we never get into why Jennifer started hating Cyndi and picking on her, with the narration stating that Jennifer’s mean girl behavior had grown more intense through the year between the first book and this one but we never learn why, she’s just there to annoy Cyndi on occasion and nothing else. There’s a point much later in the book when, after another of her nasty moments, Jennifer starts thinking about her home life, including what sounds like overly strict and possibly even abusive parents, which would explain why Jennifer is so attached to Brady and tries imitating him, sounding like he was the only one she really looked up to growing up and his influence on her was a toxic one rather than a good one. To me that moment was vital and should’ve come so much, much earlier than it did, because finally we got a glimpse of why Jennifer is the way she is, and we needed so much more of that, we needed genuine characterization for her after she had already been set up in the first book. But that does not happen, because as soon as we get that small glimpse of characterization on her, the killer attacks her, but we don’t see her actually get killed, which prompted in me the reaction of “I’m willing to bet that the killer sets her on a deathtrap that Cyndi won’t be able to save her from just so the killer can taunt Cyndi”. And that’s exactly what happens. Cyndi finds Jennifer stark naked in a deathtrap and we get several pages of Cyndi trying to free Jennifer before the killer can kill her, which of course fails and Jennifer is unceremoniously killed off, and because it was so obvious that that’s exactly what would happen (in part because while he’s into killing 14 year old kids, I highly doubt Cameron would want to have a 14 year old girl running around naked in his book, as just by writing about the concept it makes me feel highly uncomfortable), it makes the whole scene just lack tension and makes it boring and tedious to sit through. After the set-up from the first book detailing the history between Jennifer and Cyndi, Jennifer should’ve been one of the highlights of the book, one of the best characters, but instead she’s a complete non-entity that’s only there to occasionally piss Cyndi off and to add an extra body to the already huge bodycount. You could literally write out all of Jennifer’s scenes in the book and it wouldn’t change a thing. To have her character be so misused and basically wasted is my biggest gripe with this book.
Another weak point of the book is the overall lack of a varied teenage cast. There’s very few of them that get any attention, and while Cameron does introduce several, most of them are barely in the book at all. At one point Christie shows up with two friends, twins who are described as polar opposites, but the girls just stand around never saying a single word (and even Cameron seems to forget there were two of them just a few pages later and continues the scenes as though it was just one girl in there instead of a pair of twins), he showcases a boy Christie likes who also does nothing. The most egregious case with this is Jennifer’s mean girl posse, who each gets just one thing to make them stand out but then are barely in the book at all, and it feels like a wasted opportunity. Each girl has a distinct personality as Lindsey’s the lovestruck dreamer, Lisa’s the timid follower, and Jeanie’s the bubbly ditz (and one of my favorite characters overall, with one small moment at the water park being funny, super cute and I liked it a lot). There was a lot of potential for this group of popular mean girls to add a lot of spice and variety to the teenage proceedings, but they’re barely in the book at all and it feels like they’re not gonna be coming back for the third anyway. The potential was there for lots of fun teenage interactions (which Cameron has proven already that he can do really well) and a varied group on the run from the killer, but it doesn’t happen and it’s a bummer.
Speaking of variety, after the very varied cast of Disco Deathtrap, it was a letdown to go back to cliched slasher story characters all being white and slim and mostly pretty, though that's a bit of a minor gripe compared to anything else. The survivors also end up being classic slasher cliché, unfortunately, it was too predictable.
And then there’s the final two chapters (one of them being the epilogue). These ones were just not good. Cyndi’s arch-nemesis are revealed in full, and they’re basically a family of multi-millionaire serial killers who get away with murder because they’re multi-millionaires. I think Cameron went way too big, way too far and way too fast, as this feels more like the plot of a superhero comic book than a slasher movie. How can one simple teen girl go up against a family or murderous millionaires who can get away with murder by throwing money at it? It’s too bizarre and over-the-top in its execution and it doesn’t work, in part because it doesn’t answer questions in regards of the victims. What about all the families of the dozens of construction workers the killer killed in the first book? Even more, the parents of Stacy, Zack and Brad all work in the company owned by the villains, with Stacy’s father being the vice-president, and one would think they’d be looking into how, why and by who their children were murdered, but they’re never even mentioned here. The killer, who showcases a ton of personality in this book as opposed to the first, and while it has an excellent moment between him and Cyndi before she goes after him, it overall feels pretty jarring in how different he is as a character now, on top of how he survives things that should’ve killed him, way too many times. Combine that with how the villains get away with it in part because during the end, Cyndi basically loses all her intelligence, she takes a massive level in idiocy in that she can’t recognize that the supposed killer’s corpse that she’s shown is the single most obvious red herring, such as the fact that the red herring and killer are of similar heights, but the red herring is moderately athletic in build while the killer’s huge and bulky, or that the killer has several obvious scars and injuries and yet Cyndi never asks to see them, being shown only the red herring’s face and she’s fooled by it and leaves it at that. This was the single most frustrating thing in the whole book and made for such a bad way to close up the story.
Overall, Kill River 2 did not live up to the first one at all. I didn’t dislike it to the extent I did Disco Deathtrap, but all the positives the book has are marred by the fact that the negatives are too egregious, and it overall feels like one big missed opportunity. The saddest thing is that my opinion of the first Kill River has always been very positive, but this follow-up to the story, the revelations in this book, it’s making me look at the first one in a different way that I just can’t shake off and it’s really jarring. That’s two books in a row that, at least for me, went way too far off the opposite end of the spectrum from what the first one achieved, and it dampens my longing for the next book to come out. While I’m still curious about what Cameron’s next book will be, as I know it will be a new and different one, I’m just not looking forward to any more installments in the Kill River story. And it’s great that so many people enjoy Cameron’s books, he deserves the praise and attention good reviews on his books, and I don’t deny that it makes me feel terrible that I can’t see in them what others can see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2020
So much fun and better than the first. Full review to come.
May 30, 2020
I think I enjoyed Kill River 2 more than I enjoyed Kill River 1, and I enjoyed that one immensely. The pacing was better in 2, and almost all the stakes were raised in a pretty believable manner.
I particularly loved the continued character growth with Cyndi, which was, I felt, probably the highlight of the book. The kill scenes in this one are even more slashery fun than the original, and the ending has me hyped for Kill River 3. The author really knows how to write a fun story and really hook me in.
I’ll admit that I was initially let down by the red-herring ending. It felt so shoehorned and insignificant and also made zero sense and left me scratching my head. Had I not read the epilogue I would have walked away extremely dissatisfied with Kill River 2, but the epilogue rights all of those wrongs and is great bait for a sequel.
Solid 5/5 stars for me. Absolutely a blast.
I particularly loved the continued character growth with Cyndi, which was, I felt, probably the highlight of the book. The kill scenes in this one are even more slashery fun than the original, and the ending has me hyped for Kill River 3. The author really knows how to write a fun story and really hook me in.
I’ll admit that I was initially let down by the red-herring ending. It felt so shoehorned and insignificant and also made zero sense and left me scratching my head. Had I not read the epilogue I would have walked away extremely dissatisfied with Kill River 2, but the epilogue rights all of those wrongs and is great bait for a sequel.
Solid 5/5 stars for me. Absolutely a blast.
October 8, 2021
A worthy successor in the Kill River franchise, Cameron Roubique has delivered that hardest of all gifts; a noteworthy sequel. Sure, a lot of the same pitfalls that popped up in the first entry are still present in this second slashing, but they seem less frequent and more polished. I loved the characters, I love the setting, I love the soundtrack, and I really fuckin love the gnarly kills.
There are some lulls in the storyline that are kind of tough to overlook. It does take a while for things to get going. And when I say a while, I mean like over 65% of the books length. I didn't mind it that much and that's a testament to Roubique's writing ability and the believability of the world he has created. The characters are fun and the location is awesome so I didn't get too upset that I had to spend so much time with them. I understand it's Roubique making us feel something for our characters, making us live the days with them, and therefore making it all the more impactful when they are ruthlessly slaughtered. I get all that, and it works in varying degrees, but I still think a little treat here and there would have served the novel wonders. Even those old school slasher movies knew to sprinkle in a few throwaway kills before the masked lunatic meets our heroes.
The body count is just as mountainous in this outing as the first, but probably even more confusing. I simply do not understand how or when 95% of these kids got killed. It doesn't make an iota of sense to me, that whole wave pool scene. So, besides that and the fact it was all off-page, we have another solid handful of kills. I think it was almost exactly like the first one actually, somewhere around 3-5 set pieces with important characters killed off. All of those were outstanding and kept the carnage and gore dialed up to maximum efficiency.
There's a decent twist at the end here. I wouldn't say I saw it coming, but I also won't say it blew me away. It was solid and I'm excited to see what it means in the next entry.
This series has me hooked and I am a big fan of Cameron Roubique's stories, and his own personal story. I find it pretty inspiring and compelling. Every book he has out so far is something I'm clamoring to read. His way of getting his 80s slasher novels out into the world fills me with hope that I will eventually get my own horror novels out into the eagerly waiting hands of some readers.
I'm not entirely sure what Kill River 3 has in store, but I can assure everyone reading this that I am excited to grab my float and dive in. I hope some of the lulls are taken care of and there's a few more killers set pieces, but I think at this point its safe to assume I'm gunna dig it no matter how it goes down.
There are some lulls in the storyline that are kind of tough to overlook. It does take a while for things to get going. And when I say a while, I mean like over 65% of the books length. I didn't mind it that much and that's a testament to Roubique's writing ability and the believability of the world he has created. The characters are fun and the location is awesome so I didn't get too upset that I had to spend so much time with them. I understand it's Roubique making us feel something for our characters, making us live the days with them, and therefore making it all the more impactful when they are ruthlessly slaughtered. I get all that, and it works in varying degrees, but I still think a little treat here and there would have served the novel wonders. Even those old school slasher movies knew to sprinkle in a few throwaway kills before the masked lunatic meets our heroes.
The body count is just as mountainous in this outing as the first, but probably even more confusing. I simply do not understand how or when 95% of these kids got killed. It doesn't make an iota of sense to me, that whole wave pool scene. So, besides that and the fact it was all off-page, we have another solid handful of kills. I think it was almost exactly like the first one actually, somewhere around 3-5 set pieces with important characters killed off. All of those were outstanding and kept the carnage and gore dialed up to maximum efficiency.
There's a decent twist at the end here. I wouldn't say I saw it coming, but I also won't say it blew me away. It was solid and I'm excited to see what it means in the next entry.
This series has me hooked and I am a big fan of Cameron Roubique's stories, and his own personal story. I find it pretty inspiring and compelling. Every book he has out so far is something I'm clamoring to read. His way of getting his 80s slasher novels out into the world fills me with hope that I will eventually get my own horror novels out into the eagerly waiting hands of some readers.
I'm not entirely sure what Kill River 3 has in store, but I can assure everyone reading this that I am excited to grab my float and dive in. I hope some of the lulls are taken care of and there's a few more killers set pieces, but I think at this point its safe to assume I'm gunna dig it no matter how it goes down.
June 2, 2023
3.5-4/5 Stars 💫
I decided to revisit this trilogy after suddenly remembering, years later, how harsh I was on the first book when it seemed undeserved. I think it was worth the revisit! This book has some strange suggestive moments with the descriptions of a few underage characters but are usually brief and can be forgotten as they're not a big focus but it's still questionable nonetheless. The first book and this sequel both take a while to really get going but I found myself actually enjoying this one so much better, it's pretty fun and I didn't find myself skimming through. I like the direction this one took and the new characters were good enough to keep me interested. Kills were pretty good and while I didn't find it to be nail-biting or too tense, the story flowed well and seemed to be much more thought out. This one was great, especially compared to the original. I might decide to read the finale but who knows.
I decided to revisit this trilogy after suddenly remembering, years later, how harsh I was on the first book when it seemed undeserved. I think it was worth the revisit! This book has some strange suggestive moments with the descriptions of a few underage characters but are usually brief and can be forgotten as they're not a big focus but it's still questionable nonetheless. The first book and this sequel both take a while to really get going but I found myself actually enjoying this one so much better, it's pretty fun and I didn't find myself skimming through. I like the direction this one took and the new characters were good enough to keep me interested. Kills were pretty good and while I didn't find it to be nail-biting or too tense, the story flowed well and seemed to be much more thought out. This one was great, especially compared to the original. I might decide to read the finale but who knows.
July 9, 2023
This was so much better than the first book! Probably because the action starts much earlier. The first Kill River takes a very long time to get to the actual slasher part, but Kill River 2 dives right in. Cyndi still hasn't told anyone what happened last summer, due to a NDA she signed in exchange for full college tuition, but her nightmares continue and the stress of not being able to talk about last summer is straining her relationship with Johnny. When a new waterpark is about to open, Cyndi is horrified to discover that it's built on the layout and rides of the hidden park she and her friends discovered last year. Now Cyndi feels haunted, and thinks she sees the killer from last summer still stalking her. But she killed him, right? When her boyfriend gets a job at the new water park, Cyndi feels pressure to visit the park in order to see him and try to keep up her normal act. Things go terribly, thrillingly wrong.
February 24, 2021
Runnin’ With The Devil
I think I was too harsh in my rating of Kill River 1. I believe I gave it 4 stars, but in my mind it has become a 5 star book because Cameron Roubique has successfully created a
slasher to die for (pun intended) and a sequel that adds
more to the legend. I am jumping into Kill River 3 immediately as I am dying to know what will happen next.
If you are out there looking for a hidden gem author in the horror world, look no further. Roubique will start with a PG story of teenagers in the 80s, but read on because at about the halfway point, the story will turn full fledged X-rated horror with some devious and fun kill scenes. The book reads like a movie and the reader will be transported to a simpler time when you had to find a pay phone/walkie talkie for help. The characters are colourful, and although somewhat cliche, absolutely fun to engage with. Especially important is that the cast of characters truly behave the way kids did in the 80s rather than how they do in modern times.
I love the fact that Roubique includes a soundtrack at the end of each book. If you take the time to look up the songs that you are not familiar with, you will be transported back to your youth or you will get a sense of the 80s, if you didn’t live through them (Btw... the Buddy Holly song at the end was perfection!)
I think I was too harsh in my rating of Kill River 1. I believe I gave it 4 stars, but in my mind it has become a 5 star book because Cameron Roubique has successfully created a
slasher to die for (pun intended) and a sequel that adds
more to the legend. I am jumping into Kill River 3 immediately as I am dying to know what will happen next.
If you are out there looking for a hidden gem author in the horror world, look no further. Roubique will start with a PG story of teenagers in the 80s, but read on because at about the halfway point, the story will turn full fledged X-rated horror with some devious and fun kill scenes. The book reads like a movie and the reader will be transported to a simpler time when you had to find a pay phone/walkie talkie for help. The characters are colourful, and although somewhat cliche, absolutely fun to engage with. Especially important is that the cast of characters truly behave the way kids did in the 80s rather than how they do in modern times.
I love the fact that Roubique includes a soundtrack at the end of each book. If you take the time to look up the songs that you are not familiar with, you will be transported back to your youth or you will get a sense of the 80s, if you didn’t live through them (Btw... the Buddy Holly song at the end was perfection!)
August 18, 2018
Another fantastic book by Mr. Roubique!! Wow! I thought for sure I would maybe give this a “lower” rating cause naturally sequels to amazing pieces of work sometimes tend to fall short but boy was I wrong, and by lower rating I mean 4 stars. Somehow this author always makes my heart race and my anxiety fly through the roof!
Poor Cyndi, can’t catch a break but “she’s a survivor”.
This time around there were so many other emotions tied into this book besides just fear. There were so many characters I just despised, and honestly was rooting for their death, and other characters that I just loved, including Cyndi! She is one bad B!!
Highly recommend this sequel!
Poor Cyndi, can’t catch a break but “she’s a survivor”.
This time around there were so many other emotions tied into this book besides just fear. There were so many characters I just despised, and honestly was rooting for their death, and other characters that I just loved, including Cyndi! She is one bad B!!
Highly recommend this sequel!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2024
4.5 stars...not a PERFECT book for me...but wow...I had a really fun time reading this and I think I enjoyed it a bit more than the first book. But to be fair...I think part of that is because the first book did a great job at making me feel for the characters and the slasher parts were fantastic...so when this one starts I'm already in it and invested. And I read the first book like 2 years ago...so I think that's a testament to how memorable it was and how well done it was.
My main critique of the first Kill River book is that it takes...like 60% of the book to GET to the Waterpark and slasher stuff. The rest is just build up and character work which...while great...is tough pacing for a horror book when there's nothing really happening as lead up in that first 60% other than character work. And while I do think it could have been trimmed down a bit...I think it paid off in the first book once we DID get to the Waterpark and it CONTINUES to pay off in Kill River 2.
This book starts off with a bang. Immediately...after a brief intro to new characters and our returning character...there is a scene that gives me so much anxiety...I really felt what she was feeling and I was like...yes...here we go. And there are a handful of other scenes like this first one that make sense, fit the storyline, and help build the tension...even though, like the first book, we don't get to the slasher Waterpark stuff until pretty late in the book. But these tense scenes sprinkled throughout the beginning really work well to keep the pacing from feeling too slow. It's just right (for me) because we still get the character work and relationship building (so that first on page kill was a real gut punch), we got those anxiety filling scenes, AND we got some fun 80s nostalgia with the music, tech, a school dance, and a trip to the mall.
If any trimming were to be done here...I personally feel like Jennifer and her whole storyline could've been cut because I don't think it really added much to the storyline and it didn't give me any closure about their "once friends now enemies" friendship. So I personally would have preferred either more on this or take it out all together. But who knows...maybe in the 3rd book we will get something more on this?
Another thing that is a minor personal pet peeve and kept this from being a perfect read for me...why are the chapters so long?! Especially when they have so many breaks within the chapter...easily could have just made a new chapter start at each of these breaks and it would have been a better reading experience for me...but it's a really minor complaint so it's not something that will bother everyone.
I don't think I want to wait so long to read Kill River 3...this was a blast and I'm already looking forward to returning to this world and to reading more from this author.
My main critique of the first Kill River book is that it takes...like 60% of the book to GET to the Waterpark and slasher stuff. The rest is just build up and character work which...while great...is tough pacing for a horror book when there's nothing really happening as lead up in that first 60% other than character work. And while I do think it could have been trimmed down a bit...I think it paid off in the first book once we DID get to the Waterpark and it CONTINUES to pay off in Kill River 2.
This book starts off with a bang. Immediately...after a brief intro to new characters and our returning character...there is a scene that gives me so much anxiety...I really felt what she was feeling and I was like...yes...here we go. And there are a handful of other scenes like this first one that make sense, fit the storyline, and help build the tension...even though, like the first book, we don't get to the slasher Waterpark stuff until pretty late in the book. But these tense scenes sprinkled throughout the beginning really work well to keep the pacing from feeling too slow. It's just right (for me) because we still get the character work and relationship building (so that first on page kill was a real gut punch), we got those anxiety filling scenes, AND we got some fun 80s nostalgia with the music, tech, a school dance, and a trip to the mall.
If any trimming were to be done here...I personally feel like Jennifer and her whole storyline could've been cut because I don't think it really added much to the storyline and it didn't give me any closure about their "once friends now enemies" friendship. So I personally would have preferred either more on this or take it out all together. But who knows...maybe in the 3rd book we will get something more on this?
Another thing that is a minor personal pet peeve and kept this from being a perfect read for me...why are the chapters so long?! Especially when they have so many breaks within the chapter...easily could have just made a new chapter start at each of these breaks and it would have been a better reading experience for me...but it's a really minor complaint so it's not something that will bother everyone.
I don't think I want to wait so long to read Kill River 3...this was a blast and I'm already looking forward to returning to this world and to reading more from this author.
September 2, 2019
5 out of 5 stars - for both
Cameron has done it! He is a new favourite author of mine.
I honestly had never read a 80's slasher horror read before. To be honest I never even realised anything such as this existed within sub genres in horror. Until I took part in the BookTube's: Bloody Beach Readathon. Thank goodness for this readathon held by incredible BookTubers because I have now found one of my favourite type of reads within horror.
Kill River and Kill River 2 read exactly as 80's slasher films. The first half is a slower paced read. Giving the perfect moment to introduce the characters, get a feel for their personalities and what they were all about. The plot was described in such perfect detail. I could really envision the scenes and where the characters where in each moment. It also gave me time to pick and choose my favourite characters and not so favourite.
I found myself even before the creepy moments started working around in my head who I thought was going to be killed first and potentially how they were going to die.
You know....just based on your typical slasher film rules. You know ... those rules....If you don't... than I don't think you are a true slasher films lover!
Cameron's description for both the characters and the settings were phenomenal and without being overly wordy. I felt as though I was seeing everything Cyndi and her friends where in the moment, right down to the beautifully landscaped water park decorated with the perfect wildflowers and other designs. Now this may become to hard for some to read when the murder scenes start. They did get extremely gruesome at times, so be sure you have a good strong stomach.... I can't stress this enough.
These reads are not for everyone. But if you want to experience some of that 80's slasher film nostalgic feels be sure to pick up both Kill River and its amazing sequel Kill River 2.
"𝕂𝕚𝕝𝕝 ℝ𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕕 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕜 𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕, 𝕘𝕠𝕣𝕖, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 '𝟠𝟘𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕘𝕚𝕒. 𝕊𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕛𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖, 𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕣 𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜!"
And of course thank you all for reading.
Your Gruesome Book Worm
-Nichole
Cameron has done it! He is a new favourite author of mine.
I honestly had never read a 80's slasher horror read before. To be honest I never even realised anything such as this existed within sub genres in horror. Until I took part in the BookTube's: Bloody Beach Readathon. Thank goodness for this readathon held by incredible BookTubers because I have now found one of my favourite type of reads within horror.
Kill River and Kill River 2 read exactly as 80's slasher films. The first half is a slower paced read. Giving the perfect moment to introduce the characters, get a feel for their personalities and what they were all about. The plot was described in such perfect detail. I could really envision the scenes and where the characters where in each moment. It also gave me time to pick and choose my favourite characters and not so favourite.
I found myself even before the creepy moments started working around in my head who I thought was going to be killed first and potentially how they were going to die.
You know....just based on your typical slasher film rules. You know ... those rules....If you don't... than I don't think you are a true slasher films lover!
Cameron's description for both the characters and the settings were phenomenal and without being overly wordy. I felt as though I was seeing everything Cyndi and her friends where in the moment, right down to the beautifully landscaped water park decorated with the perfect wildflowers and other designs. Now this may become to hard for some to read when the murder scenes start. They did get extremely gruesome at times, so be sure you have a good strong stomach.... I can't stress this enough.
These reads are not for everyone. But if you want to experience some of that 80's slasher film nostalgic feels be sure to pick up both Kill River and its amazing sequel Kill River 2.
"𝕂𝕚𝕝𝕝 ℝ𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕕 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕜 𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕, 𝕘𝕠𝕣𝕖, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 '𝟠𝟘𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕘𝕚𝕒. 𝕊𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕛𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖, 𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕣 𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜!"
And of course thank you all for reading.
Your Gruesome Book Worm
-Nichole
August 14, 2020
REVIEW: Kill River 2 by Cameron Roubique
.
The Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy!
•
Okay so, in terms of my favourite slasher sequels (thinking films, naturally): Halloween II, H20 and 2018 are some of my favourites, but then there's A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors which is considered the best Freddy film by many fans, and Friday the 13th Part II was an epic continuation of the original (I always say that the two must be watched as a double bill). Well, I'm pleased to say I have found the literary equivalent in Kill River 2.
•
I devoured this book in 2 days. I absolutely could not put it down - something that is said a lot, but not a phrase I use lightly. Horror aside for a moment, I was so invested in the characters: Cyndi's development from the first book was enthralling; her relationship with Johnny, her rivalry with Jennifer, her relationship with her parents (and the love triangle... or square, rather, that takes place). I could have read the 'social' aspect of this book for hundreds and hundreds of pages, BUT...
•
The horror. Oh, wow. Again, Cyndi's character arc was deeply built upon, and her PTSD reminded me of Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode in all of those Halloween sequels I mentioned. The best way I can describe the horror is; the first book reminds me of Friday the 13th, an isolated camp and woodland setting, whereas this was more like Halloween, in the town with a killer on the loose. I don't want to give too much away, but it was tense and scary and gory! Just as you'd expect from any sequel: more fast-paced and more action, and certainly not at the expense of the story, because...
•
The most pleasing thing about this book was getting some answers that I so desperately wanted from the first novel. I suspect the author had the sequels planned out which is why some answers were held back, but I'm not complaining; we got an amazing sequel out of it!
•
Onto number 3 ASAP!!! 👀
•
Rating: 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪 out of 5
.
The Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy!
•
Okay so, in terms of my favourite slasher sequels (thinking films, naturally): Halloween II, H20 and 2018 are some of my favourites, but then there's A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors which is considered the best Freddy film by many fans, and Friday the 13th Part II was an epic continuation of the original (I always say that the two must be watched as a double bill). Well, I'm pleased to say I have found the literary equivalent in Kill River 2.
•
I devoured this book in 2 days. I absolutely could not put it down - something that is said a lot, but not a phrase I use lightly. Horror aside for a moment, I was so invested in the characters: Cyndi's development from the first book was enthralling; her relationship with Johnny, her rivalry with Jennifer, her relationship with her parents (and the love triangle... or square, rather, that takes place). I could have read the 'social' aspect of this book for hundreds and hundreds of pages, BUT...
•
The horror. Oh, wow. Again, Cyndi's character arc was deeply built upon, and her PTSD reminded me of Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode in all of those Halloween sequels I mentioned. The best way I can describe the horror is; the first book reminds me of Friday the 13th, an isolated camp and woodland setting, whereas this was more like Halloween, in the town with a killer on the loose. I don't want to give too much away, but it was tense and scary and gory! Just as you'd expect from any sequel: more fast-paced and more action, and certainly not at the expense of the story, because...
•
The most pleasing thing about this book was getting some answers that I so desperately wanted from the first novel. I suspect the author had the sequels planned out which is why some answers were held back, but I'm not complaining; we got an amazing sequel out of it!
•
Onto number 3 ASAP!!! 👀
•
Rating: 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪 out of 5
September 6, 2022
Two and a half stars
I was really disappointed with this book. First of all, the ratings led me to believe that it would be better than the first book, which, although that had some issues, I mostly enjoyed it. But while the writing was better in this book, the pace was agonizingly slow. Virtually nothing happens until the last 100 pages or so. The writing is too descriptive, but not in a good way. I love all the 80s nostalgia, but it has to be edited down when it starts to affect the pace of the story. So much of the book is just pages and pages of unnecessary descriptions. Things that could have been written in a line or two take up whole paragraphs.
The other big problem I have was that even though there is a huge kill count, most of those take place off the page. Instead of spending 75 pages on the layout of the water park, the snack stand, etc., why not spend 10 pages, at least, killing some of those people on the page? Also, most of those killed were nameless to us. Again, instead of the pointless descriptions and product placements, spend some pages to give us even a shallow introduction to some of these characters. This way, when their bodies are found, we actually care.
There were some positive points in the book. I really liked the way Cyndi’s character has grown (although she still reads much older than 14, an issue I had with the first book, as well). I also liked that her parents, particularly her mother got a bigger part in this book and how their relationship was covered. And how Cyndi seems to be suffering from PTSD. I also loved the new character Eddie. He seemed real, kind, and funny. I also really liked Christie. The other characters were good too, if a bit one dimensional. And the very end hooked me in enough that I do plan on reading the third book.
Overall, I think if you enjoy the first book, you’d probably enjoy this one. If you were on the fence about the last one, then I would skip this.
I was really disappointed with this book. First of all, the ratings led me to believe that it would be better than the first book, which, although that had some issues, I mostly enjoyed it. But while the writing was better in this book, the pace was agonizingly slow. Virtually nothing happens until the last 100 pages or so. The writing is too descriptive, but not in a good way. I love all the 80s nostalgia, but it has to be edited down when it starts to affect the pace of the story. So much of the book is just pages and pages of unnecessary descriptions. Things that could have been written in a line or two take up whole paragraphs.
The other big problem I have was that even though there is a huge kill count, most of those take place off the page. Instead of spending 75 pages on the layout of the water park, the snack stand, etc., why not spend 10 pages, at least, killing some of those people on the page? Also, most of those killed were nameless to us. Again, instead of the pointless descriptions and product placements, spend some pages to give us even a shallow introduction to some of these characters. This way, when their bodies are found, we actually care.
There were some positive points in the book. I really liked the way Cyndi’s character has grown (although she still reads much older than 14, an issue I had with the first book, as well). I also liked that her parents, particularly her mother got a bigger part in this book and how their relationship was covered. And how Cyndi seems to be suffering from PTSD. I also loved the new character Eddie. He seemed real, kind, and funny. I also really liked Christie. The other characters were good too, if a bit one dimensional. And the very end hooked me in enough that I do plan on reading the third book.
Overall, I think if you enjoy the first book, you’d probably enjoy this one. If you were on the fence about the last one, then I would skip this.
August 29, 2024
I know Cameron Roubique is a fan of Stephen King, and I cringed when I saw him sign off of this book with his name and the dates during which the book was written - a classic King trope. Cameron Roubique, for all the influence and inspiration he takes from him, doesn’t come within the same neighborhood as King’s writing talent.
The setting is good, Cyndi is still likable, the new cast of characters around her is interesting enough. There are a couple issues and, just like in the first book, the main one is that the writing is just amateurish. Commas everywhere, not a semicolon in sight, sometimes the wrong word is used, sometimes there’s confusion around who is talking, incredibly weird sentence structure, etc. I was hoping he would improve (or get a better editor) after book one, and unfortunately that isn’t the case.
The other issue, which I was more forgiving of in the first book, is that it takes a LONG time to get to the action. Once the action starts, it’s honestly pretty great; unfortunately, that’s not until about 75% of the way through the book. The biggest chunk of it is Cyndi going through the water park as a visitor and struggling with her trauma, thinking she’s seeing the killer or generally something going wrong everywhere. The interplay between the characters is decent throughout this section, especially for an 80s slasher, which elevates the book a bit. I just wish more of the book was the action, even if that means it’s longer.
The first entry was a 4-star book that I knocked down a star for grammar; this one is the same deal but from a lower starting point.
The setting is good, Cyndi is still likable, the new cast of characters around her is interesting enough. There are a couple issues and, just like in the first book, the main one is that the writing is just amateurish. Commas everywhere, not a semicolon in sight, sometimes the wrong word is used, sometimes there’s confusion around who is talking, incredibly weird sentence structure, etc. I was hoping he would improve (or get a better editor) after book one, and unfortunately that isn’t the case.
The other issue, which I was more forgiving of in the first book, is that it takes a LONG time to get to the action. Once the action starts, it’s honestly pretty great; unfortunately, that’s not until about 75% of the way through the book. The biggest chunk of it is Cyndi going through the water park as a visitor and struggling with her trauma, thinking she’s seeing the killer or generally something going wrong everywhere. The interplay between the characters is decent throughout this section, especially for an 80s slasher, which elevates the book a bit. I just wish more of the book was the action, even if that means it’s longer.
The first entry was a 4-star book that I knocked down a star for grammar; this one is the same deal but from a lower starting point.
July 27, 2022
Kill River 2 picks up where the first left off. It’s a bout a year later and Cyndi is trying to move on with her life and leave the events of let summer behind. She has a boyfriend, she has a job, and she’s looking forward to high school, but despite her determination to move forward she’s still struggling with the massacre at the water park. When Cyndi’s boyfriend Johnny begins working at an exact replica of the deadly water park she experienced a year ago, she soon has to accept the fact that her masked killer is not only still alive, but still blood thirsty.
Kill River 2 has its problems. It’s way longer than it needs to be and like the first book there are a lot of unnecessary scenes. The Kill River series is also very, very white; meaning every single character is a middle class white person. It was pretty infuriating to have another character introduced and it was just another white kid, I’d love for the next book in this series to have some diversity.
Now that my major issues with Kill River in general have been covered I can get into what I liked. In this book you can tell the author is getting more comfortable. His writing has improved from the first book and the flow of the story is so much better. While it still isn’t going to win any literary awards, I was happy to see Roubique grow as a writer. Along with the improved writing skills was the story! If you love 80s slashers, Kill River has all those classic vibes, and i actually liked Kill River 2 more than the first book. I can’t wait to see what happens with Cyndi in Kill River 3!
Kill River 2 has its problems. It’s way longer than it needs to be and like the first book there are a lot of unnecessary scenes. The Kill River series is also very, very white; meaning every single character is a middle class white person. It was pretty infuriating to have another character introduced and it was just another white kid, I’d love for the next book in this series to have some diversity.
Now that my major issues with Kill River in general have been covered I can get into what I liked. In this book you can tell the author is getting more comfortable. His writing has improved from the first book and the flow of the story is so much better. While it still isn’t going to win any literary awards, I was happy to see Roubique grow as a writer. Along with the improved writing skills was the story! If you love 80s slashers, Kill River has all those classic vibes, and i actually liked Kill River 2 more than the first book. I can’t wait to see what happens with Cyndi in Kill River 3!
October 29, 2023
KILL RIVER 2 beginnt Sequel-typisch damit, dass das Final Girl Cyndi dem Slasher erneut begegnet. Die nächsten 200 Seiten sind dann aber eher eine Teenager-Seifenoper als ein spannender Horror-Roman. Im letzten Drittel befällt mich als Leser, der gerade erst Teil 1 gelesen hat, ein starkes Deja-vu: Setting und Ablauf sind fast identisch. Roubique wiederholt sich auch beim Erzählen gerne und lässt Offensichtliches nicht unausgesprochen.
War in Band 1 der sexuelle Subtext vergleichsweise unaufdringlich, mag man hier von "sub" kaum noch sprechen und fast unverhüllt wird klar, dass der Slasher das Agens ist, mittels dem ein jungfräuliches Mädchen zur Frau werden soll. Da werden mit kurzen und langen Stichwaffen alle möglichen Körperteile penetriert und an Cyndis Schenkeln fließt so einiges an Blut und Schleim herunter. Da sich alles in einem Wasserpark abspielt, tropfen Bikinis, Haare und Beine natürlich ohnehin ständig, und da können auch die toten Hände von Leichen, die massenweise im Wasser treiben, sie eklig am Hintern berühren (schon in Band 1). Man könnte an dieser Stelle länger über die Bezeichnung "final girl" sinnieren. Am Ende misshandelt der Slasher übrigens auch ihren Freund Johnny auf eine Weise, die der Beschreibung einer Vergewaltigung mehr als nahe kommt.
Subtil ist das alles nicht, aber was erwartet man gerechterweise von einem Slasher-Roman?
War in Band 1 der sexuelle Subtext vergleichsweise unaufdringlich, mag man hier von "sub" kaum noch sprechen und fast unverhüllt wird klar, dass der Slasher das Agens ist, mittels dem ein jungfräuliches Mädchen zur Frau werden soll. Da werden mit kurzen und langen Stichwaffen alle möglichen Körperteile penetriert und an Cyndis Schenkeln fließt so einiges an Blut und Schleim herunter. Da sich alles in einem Wasserpark abspielt, tropfen Bikinis, Haare und Beine natürlich ohnehin ständig, und da können auch die toten Hände von Leichen, die massenweise im Wasser treiben, sie eklig am Hintern berühren (schon in Band 1). Man könnte an dieser Stelle länger über die Bezeichnung "final girl" sinnieren. Am Ende misshandelt der Slasher übrigens auch ihren Freund Johnny auf eine Weise, die der Beschreibung einer Vergewaltigung mehr als nahe kommt.
Subtil ist das alles nicht, aber was erwartet man gerechterweise von einem Slasher-Roman?
October 21, 2020
3.5 stars, I am still really enjoying my time with Cyndi, Johnny, Mr Sheehan and Thrill River.
This one takes place a year after the events of Kill River. Cyndi has a new boyfriend that is a lifeguard and unexpectedly gets transferred to the newly opening Thrill River. Due to this, Cyndi feels pressured to return to the place of her nightmares in Kill River 2.
So let me start off by saying that Roubique is the master of setting the tone of his books. These books are a love letter to 80's slasher horror films and he has the vibe so spot on while reading its like they play out as a movie in my head. I love it so much. I think this amazing achievement of atmosphere is what keeps me coming back for more and more with Roubique.
This book, to me, actually didn't suffer middle book syndrome, my bigger issue was the pacing. There was a ton of adrenaline pumping action in the first book but the majority of the second book was set up for action that was good but didn't last as long. I just wanted more action. There was a lull in the middle where Cyndi was going through the theme park and kind of reliving the horrors previous year and I eventually got bored and was ready to move on to the next thing.
The thing that made up for the shortened climax was the really awesome twist at the end. I don't know who could read that ending and now want to pick up Kill River 3 immediately, I know I did and I am already reading book three!
This one takes place a year after the events of Kill River. Cyndi has a new boyfriend that is a lifeguard and unexpectedly gets transferred to the newly opening Thrill River. Due to this, Cyndi feels pressured to return to the place of her nightmares in Kill River 2.
So let me start off by saying that Roubique is the master of setting the tone of his books. These books are a love letter to 80's slasher horror films and he has the vibe so spot on while reading its like they play out as a movie in my head. I love it so much. I think this amazing achievement of atmosphere is what keeps me coming back for more and more with Roubique.
This book, to me, actually didn't suffer middle book syndrome, my bigger issue was the pacing. There was a ton of adrenaline pumping action in the first book but the majority of the second book was set up for action that was good but didn't last as long. I just wanted more action. There was a lull in the middle where Cyndi was going through the theme park and kind of reliving the horrors previous year and I eventually got bored and was ready to move on to the next thing.
The thing that made up for the shortened climax was the really awesome twist at the end. I don't know who could read that ending and now want to pick up Kill River 3 immediately, I know I did and I am already reading book three!
August 31, 2021
I feel very conflicted about this. Like with the last one, I really enjoyed the main character, and some of the conflicts she encounters are well done. Good teen-drama type stuff.
What annoyed me more so in this one than in the last one (maybe because I assumed the author would have avoided these similar mistakes) was the extremely simple prose. It's much better in this one for sure, but I can almost feel when the author is doing an 'all nighter' and is getting tired writing the current chapter. I very very very quickly got sick of reading "she/he couldn't help but laugh". That phrase is repeated ad nauseum. Some of it reads like stuff I wrote in high school.
The other thing that bugged me a little bit but this might just be my own short coming, was the constant description of ride placement, it felt a bit clunky sometimes, but that might just be me being rubbish with directions.
Something that goes hand in hand with that is when there is "tension building" moments. Usually just boils down to someone wandering through the park and it usually doesn't build tension so much, just someone wandering around.
All that being said, I did enjoy it and will read the next one. I like Cyndi a lot, not sure if I like her current boyfriend. Not much to him.
For sure improvement in writing style/prose from the last one though.
What annoyed me more so in this one than in the last one (maybe because I assumed the author would have avoided these similar mistakes) was the extremely simple prose. It's much better in this one for sure, but I can almost feel when the author is doing an 'all nighter' and is getting tired writing the current chapter. I very very very quickly got sick of reading "she/he couldn't help but laugh". That phrase is repeated ad nauseum. Some of it reads like stuff I wrote in high school.
The other thing that bugged me a little bit but this might just be my own short coming, was the constant description of ride placement, it felt a bit clunky sometimes, but that might just be me being rubbish with directions.
Something that goes hand in hand with that is when there is "tension building" moments. Usually just boils down to someone wandering through the park and it usually doesn't build tension so much, just someone wandering around.
All that being said, I did enjoy it and will read the next one. I like Cyndi a lot, not sure if I like her current boyfriend. Not much to him.
For sure improvement in writing style/prose from the last one though.
November 8, 2021
FOR INTERNATIONAL READERS - ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
3 1/2 Stars
* SPOILER FREE PLOT *
Cyndi is the "final girl" from “Kill River 1” is the lone survivor of a massacre at an empty water park.
It's 1984, a year later , she is still haunted by visions of her past. But she managed to have new friends who cars for and a new boyfriend but a new Water Park opens in her town, Thrill River, and it’s THE SAME of the previous year massacre… ACTION!
If you liked…
Book:“Kill River”
Movie: Every 80's Slashers
vocabulary difficulty
*= even my grandfather would understand
*****= Shakespeare meets Einstein while talking Quantum Mechanic
Internal descriptions ***
External environment descriptions ****
description of actions *****
Mental and / or emotional insights **
Presence of slang **
FINAL vocabulary difficulty ***
PRO
Fun to read
Fast Paced (except for the description that tend to slow the action down a bit)
Good characterization
Likeable characters
’80 feeling
Cool Soundtrack
CONS
Too many descriptions
Some death action hard to follow
FINAL VOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL READERS ***1/2
What’s next?
"Kill River 3" and if you need a break before to keep up with the trilogy you can read "Forgotten Island"
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