April Fool's Day

by Jeff Rovin

Jokes aren't so funny when they end in murder! — Eight good friends, ready to celebrate spring break, gather at a remote summer home, an isolated island for the very rich. They're all ready to party, to pull a few pranks, a few April Fool's jokes. But suddenly the jokes are all too real. And the bodies start turning up... in the bushes, in the bedroom, bobbing in the water. Someone is on the island, someone with an evil thirst for death. As twilight descends, the vacation retreat becomes a deathtrap with no escape from the deadly tricks of... APRIL FOOL'S DAY.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeff Rovin's “April Fool’s Day” is an adaptation of the 1986 slasher pic that was loosely based on Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians/And Then There Were None." But while Christie was a master of characterization and suspense, AFD—the book—just doesn't compare, not to Christie’s book nor the ’86 film, starring Scream Queen Amy Steele and many other young B-movie actors from that era.

Mind you, it’s not a bad book; it’s one I’m happy to have read, but if I had to choose, I’d favor watching the movie again as opposed to re-reading the novel.

If you enjoy references to 1980's pop culture like soaps like "Search for Tomorrow," Heavy Metal cassette tapes and tongue-in-cheek references to Ed Grimley, I must say, this might be an interesting trip down memory lane. It’s also noteworthy that despite rose-colored nostalgia goggles, it was not a simpler time, as some “kids” were doing the same things back then that they’re doing today.

The setting is an isolated island filled with hard-drinking, pot-smoking, partner-swapping, rich, young college students named Muffy, Evelyn (Skip), Arch, Harvey (Hal), Nichelle (Nikki), Chaz, Nan, Kit and working-class outsider, Rob, and each character has a unique role in this deadly tale.

As the title is April Fool’s Day and it’s part of the horror/slasher genre, expect some violent murders and outlandish twists. Personally, as a horror film buff, I hated the movie the first time I saw it. But then upon a couple of re-watches, I realized how funny and dark it was. However there were missing pieces that never quite made sense. Those missing pieces were either never filmed or left on the cutting room floor. Reading the novelization filled in those missing pieces (especially about Nan and Skip), yet it took away much of the delight and silliness of the original premise.

If I hadn't seen the movie and had read this book when I was younger, I would have enjoyed it very much. But I'm old and judgmental, and you can't create a crew of awful, rotten kids without killing all of them off one by one in truly gory fashion like you would in a real slasher film.

I’m glad I read this, but into the eBay box it goes to find a new home.

3 stars for 1980’s nostalgia, natch.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 2 out of 5]

All I can say about this one is that sometimes movie - books work, sometimes they don't, and this is a case where it just doesn't. Written after the movie/screenplay, I had already seen the movie several times so was too familar with the content. The very end is different, but that's it. Written in a heavy handed YA style doesn't help. It brings it down to a childlike style that goes with a cheesy horror story, instead of digging deeper into the story and its motivations. Sure it's not a movie to be taken seriously and is there for fun value, but a book could have gotten into the character's minds, especially the haunted one of Nan with the abortion guilt.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st Read: August 24, 1993 - August 30, 1993 (**** Rating)
I remember seeing this movie on Cinemax in the mid 1980's when nearly everyone had a satellite dish in their backyard! Loved it then and it inspired me to go out and find this book. Who'd have known that my youngest sister had a copy of it? Even better than the movie.

2nd Read: February 7, 2017 - February 9, 2017 (*** Rating)
I still like the book better than the movie - but is very close. Nice whodunit story with an added twist that the movie never fully revealed.

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Saw the movie at the drive inn during my misspent youth. I liked it alright. Caught bits of it here and there through the years. Found the book and tried it out. They should have just stuck with the film. Not even going to give the remake a try.

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a kid in the 80s who grew up to love the crazy 'slashers' of the decade..."April Fool's Day" of course being a favorite of mine. I've had this book for years and just finally got to it. There are many similarities to the movie but quite a bit different...especially the ending. My guess is that the end of the movie was left as it was because it is supposed to be a fun slasher type movie and the ending of the book is the exact opposite.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There’s nothing to fear but fear and self”
A group of 20 year olds head out for a weekend party on an island and ones April fools day prank goes wrong!
A predictable slasher that leads to no connection with the characters.
Overall a pretty good Halloween read!

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

eponymous-ey sentence:
p43: Chaz and Arch followed, disagreeing about whether physical pain qualified as an April Fool's gag.

splatter:
p3: Muffy felt the punch of the blade against her chest, felt the hot spray of blood as it coated her cheek and arms and splattered over the white sheets and pillowcase.

not quite:
p15: "Like the saying goes, 'There's nothing to fear but fear and self.'"

p133: "...If I didn't have to work out this afternoon you wouldn't grow another milliinch...."

Haven't seen the movie, which was released back in 1986. Watching the trailer from IMDb though, it seems it has comedic elements, too.

[Paul Lê · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you felt cheated by the film, then this fast-paced and ultimately different novelization might be a better fit. It's basically the same story up until the end.

ETA: My retrospective of the April Fool's Day novelization at Bloody Disgusting.

[Strawberry Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I used to wander the horror section of our local video rental store, looking at the boxes and reading the blurbs on the back and daydreaming of the day I’d be old enough to rent them. The cover of April Fool’s Day always intrigued me. It was a picture of the back of a girl with her hair in a braid like a noose holding a bloody knife. How quintessentially 80s slasher is that. When I got my hands on the book I was beyond thrilled. This tattered shit from 1986 is more precious to me than a signed copy of War and Peace.

Anyway, the movie was on Plex last week so you probably watched it too. The book is the same up til the very end, where they decide to go back to the island and scare Muffy, but Skip tries to kill them all so they have to kill Skip. It’s a fun, fake bloody YA romp and damn if it’s not a hell of a good time.

[Craig · Rating 1 out of 5]

For anyone who doesn’t know, this is the movie tie-in for the 80s slasher film of the same name. For anyone who cares, the novel contains the original ending that was shot but never used or found again (and it pretty much flips the whole movie on its head). A group of friends gather together on an island for a party, only to go missing one by one. Turns out it’s all a big joke and no one gets hurt. It works as a movie, but reading it is torture. Sometimes movie tie-ins really expand on the story and help to enhance them; this one is pretty much done verbatim, and it’s horribly written. Other than the curiosity of the original ending (Muffy’s twin Skip loses his mind and starts some real killing), just stick to the movie instead.

[Keith Clanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

APRIL FOOL’S DAY is the companion novel to my favorite 80’s slasher. Character development was a bit lacking and had I not been a fan of the film, I probably would’ve been confused. I enjoyed the additional details, but the extended climax wasn’t necessary! The new, dark ending was totally lost on me.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woh! This was really good. Adapted the movie really well but also added a few extra insights. There’s even a whole extra ending not in the movie.
Very good read.

[Scott Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a few times and always enjoy it. Expands on the film but still remains faithful to it

[Adrienne L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure nostalgia rating but I used to love this movie and re-read the book several times as a kid. I should dig out my old copy, if I still have it, and give it a re-read. Maybe this time next year.