I Was A Teenage Slasher

"Stephen Graham Jones never disappoints. The mixture of 80s nostalgia is alive and kicking in this thriller. I love the interesting approach that Graham took on being a serial killer. It was fun, hip, and refreshing. Definitely nothing that has been done before."

"You know those books that you should really like because the concept is great, the characters are really interesting, and it holds your attention but for some reason you just don’t love it? That’s how this book was for me"

"This was PAINFUL to get through. I had to force myself to keep going the entire time. 100% would’ve DNF’ed if this wasn’t for book clubs/reading challenges. This was way too much like “Horror Movie” and “The Pallbearers Club”. Unfortunately, it’s looking like Stephen Graham Jones may be joining Paul Tremblay and Grady Hendrix as one of my least favorites/that I’m giving up on."

"This book is a meta look the slasher genre, wrapped in pretty 1980’s coming of age packaging and tied with a bloody bow. This is one of the best books that I have read in 2024. I absolutely loved every second I spent in 1989 Lamesa, Texas. The main character is Tolly Driver, and he is recounting the summer of his junior year. He had just lost his father in a car accident and was known as the town outcast that needs to be pitied by everyone except his best friend Amber Dennison, who has always had his back, and will always be there for him. The two of them head off to a high school party and Tolly hopes this will be the night that changes how people see him, just in time for his senior year. That night does bring about change, just not in the way that he was hoping it would. Caught in mechanizations beyond his control Tolly and Amber, take a wild ride through the West Texas hot summer days that will leave an entire town scarred forever. The characters are grade A characters that take over your mind and leave a lasting impression. The soundtrack of the book kicks the nostalgia vibes up while still feeling like a timeless piece of fiction. It has all of the feelings, and it even made me cry. Overall, it felt like watching a mash-up of The Lost Boys and Heathers with Randy Meeks and Joe Goldberg. I think fans of slashers will love this book, but I also think this is a great book for people who love coming of age stories like Sixteen Candles. This is a horror book, but I feel it’s accessible to all types of readers and shouldn’t induce nightmares for those of you who avoid the genre for that reason."