Published by S&S/Saga Press Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror
Format: ARC, eBook
WOWZA!
Stephen Graham Jones Killed it with I Was a Teenage Slasher!!!!!! 🔪Gripping, nostalgic, and evoking emotion, I Was a Teenage Slasher had me smiling, reminiscing on my youth in a small town, reminding me of my love of 80’s slasher films, and loving the music references. 🎬🎸🔪📖🎤🎥
Small towns are like ‘Cheers’, everyone knows your name, your business, and your history. Tolly Driver lives in a small town. He’s a good guy but alas, things went down as they often do, and he has been cursed to kill, seeking revenge. All the wonderful and glorious horror film tropes come into play. Fans of horror films know – there is a final girl – there is always a final girl!
This is a book with heart. I found myself smiling, feeling sad, and even cheering while reading this original and brilliantly written book. We get to know the killer through his perspective. Stephen Graham Jones provides readers with Tolly’ thoughts and experiences using Tolly’s journal/autobiography. This was a unique and very nice touch. Readers learn about Tolly’s life, his losses, his relationship with others, his thoughts as a teenage slasher, and his thoughts/relationship with his friend Amber.
When this book is not evoking emotion, it is oozing with nostalgia. It was pure bliss. There was also a fair amount of blood, murder, and gore. It also has a coming-of-age element with Tolly being a teenager in a small town. He loves his mom, he helps, he is an outsider, and he is a friend.
Unique, gripping, nostalgic, dark, and brilliant. Stephen Graham Jones continues to deliver bloody good books! 🔪
Thank you to Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.