Noelle knows horror. She even hosts a popular horror movie club and, with it being its one year anniversary, she wants to do something special, so she plans an exclusive Halloween party that is sure to garner those instagram likes. However, things take a turn at the party when a party clown shows up with their own vendetta.

THERE’S NO WAY I’D DIE FIRST by Lisa Springer was truly such a fun debut!

This book pays homage to all of the classic horror films, with each chapter heading quoting a movie and so many other references made throughout!

The beginning of the book was the strongest for me, but it quickly slipped into being a bit of a cheesy cliche - both with the writing and the wild murders, and also became tiring after a bit because we’ve got a lot of characters to chop through 🔪

The ultimate motive behind the killings was also predictable and, despite this book being hugely about diversity, it was hard to get that sense when every character was rich af.

Definitely a book I’d recommend for all you slasher fans looking for a fun read this spooky season!

Thanks to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House Children’s for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: September 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random Children’s house for this opportunity to read rage and review this arc which is available Sept5,2023!

This is a slick black horror book. Fun read and I cackled a few times. It takes the stupid trope that AA always die first in horror and make it a falsehood. It is at turns witty, terrifying and tense. I throughly enjoyed it!

I haven't had good luck with these sorts of books where the main character is a horror fan and is trying to outsmart and evade the killer. And my streak continues with this book 🙃 It wasn't a bad book, but I think this was not for me.

I loved the premise of this book: a horror fan throws a Halloween party, hires a creepy clown, and then said creepy clown turns murderous and starts killing her guests—um, yes, please! But good god I could not with these characters. I didn't like any of them. Had I known they were all influencers, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book. It's just a trope that does not appeal to me, and this book proved exactly why: It's hard to feel empathetic toward a bunch of entitled rich kids who care about no one but themselves. And maybe that was the point of some of these characters, but I didn't even like the main character, Noelle, either! She was a straight-up social climber. The only reason she invited these kids, in particular, was because of their huge following, something she hoped would help launch her new podcast. Ugh.

But I'll give the book this: most of the kills were pretty good and creative. Lol. And I appreciated the horror movie quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

Overall though, this was not for me. I liked the premise and the kills, but that's pretty much it. I was not a fan of the characters—none of them were relatable—and the reveal at the end with the culprit and their motive... Saw it coming. And it was honestly so laughable. Poor little rich kids from start to finish, and I couldn't care less about any of them. But like I said, this type of trope is not for me. But if you’re a fan, you might like this one!

It is officially spooky season and what better way to start it off than with a great Young Adult Horror novel that will keep you on your toes and leave you questioning who your friends really are?

Characters

I have to say, I loved the characters in this book. Noelle is a fierce girl who is looking to make a name for herself, but not in either of her parents' businesses and she's on track to do just that with her horror movie club, Jump Scares. Archer, the pop music sensation discovered on TikTok, who is finishing high school and planning to go to Julliard despite his music career. Demario, Noelle's best friend since forever. Taylor, a not-so-lucky-in-love friend who proves to be more resilient than you might think. There are others, but these four were my favorites. I liked the depth the characters had - the ones who needed it had it, the ones who didn't did not, and while you'll have to wait to find out all of their secrets, these characters are quite interesting.

Atmosphere

This book is written in a perfect atmosphere/setting - a big mansion, a raging thunderstorm, and a killer on the loose during what should have been an awesome Fright Night event for Jump Scares. We get to see several areas of the house and grounds and all of them are used to the story's best advantage.

Writing

Many times I find that debut novels, especially those that have a genre of Horror, are not very well written. But that isn't the case with There is No Way I'd Die First. This book is written well, easy to read, few if any typos (but I was reading an ARC, so we all know those aren't final copies and might have mistakes in them), and just flows brilliantly. I loved it and I want to read more of Lisa Springer's writing.

Plot

This book has a plot that reminds me of SAW without the over-the-top gore and elaborate schemes to get people to atone for their wrongdoing. People are being hunted down and murdered for their transgressions, or perceived transgressions, during what should have been a simple Fright Night gathering. The hows vary, but the whys are the most important thing, and wait until you find out the whys...

Intrigue

This book will definitely keep you coming back for more. You'll want to know what's going to happen next, who is going to die next, who is going to make it out alive. It's a fast past, fun, thrilling read that will leave you guessing as to what will happen next.

Relationships

The relationships in this book are complicated in some cases - love triangles, crushes, and even relationships based on hatred. But they all work together to build the story as it is and for that reason they work. They aren't too difficult to follow along with either, which is super helpful.

Ending

I loved the way this ended. Did we lose a few characters? Sure, that's kind of the point of a horror novel - you usually lose a few characters along the way. Did the bad guys prevail or did good triumph? Well, you'll have to read the book to find that out. But let's just say that I was very impressed.

Conclusion

I gave this book 5 stars because it is a brilliant debut novel for Lisa Springer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves horror - especially if they want to read a horror novel that includes Black representation.

This definitely had potential. I loved the premise and the plot at the start with the hints of unease and the "something's not quite right here" moments were great.
HOWEVER. Once it descended into madness it was just kind of gross. Maybe I wasn't expecting all the gore, and maybe that's on me. But pooping in a bag? Really? Why did we need that??
I enjoyed the writing style, and maybe someday I'll read another book by this author. This one just wasn't for me.

For a book that very well could have turned into a bland knock-off of the teen slasher genre it was a quick, enjoyable read with some memorable moments and smart decisions. I certainly won't say that this book by any means reinvents the wheel, but it does it's job well. First the good; there were a few kills that I thought were pretty great - original in idea and honestly frightening. Our self-proclaimed final girl character also made some excellent decisions from time to time, and showed some true innovation and spunk. Sure, she could have done a little better a few too many times, but that's not exactly untrue of pretty much every slasher story, so I'm not going to hold it against the author because there also has to be a threat the entire story or it's over much too quickly. My only main (fairly minor) disappointment came from the fact that the man behind the mask wasn't really someone you could figure out yourself, and thus the reveal from the main characters seemed slightly far-fetched. I also have to say that there were quite a few times that the bad guy either recovered from injuries much too quickly or seemed rather resilient to pain, which considering it's supposed to be realistic fell a little outside the realm of believability, but seeing as it's also somewhat of a staple for the genre it can be forgiven. I'm not sure that in a few months it will stand out as anything overly memorable, but I'm not mad I took the time to read it, and I know there will be teens who will just eat it up. As a whole I don't think this book was anything groundbreaking, but then again I don't think it was trying to be, and it certainly was enjoyable enough I would be more than happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a good teen slasher book.

This is a great one for any horror loving YA readers. There are a ton of horror film references and nods, and this is definitely not one for the easily scared or squeamish as it's pretty gory. The storyline is solid and the setting at an over the top luxury estate means plenty of space for the plot. The story frequently makes commentary on race in horror and how it is portrayed and how BIPOC characters are treated in the genre, and it really adds to the story.

A teen obsessed with horror movies finds herself in a real horror when a killer clown terrorizes her party. Noelle loves horror movies and even started her own virtual watch club. She is keen to start a podcast to boost her cred even more so she throws a Halloween party for the it kids who also love horror movies. Fiction becomes reality though when a killer clown (literally) starts killing people and there is no escape. Noelle though refuses to become yet another black girl dead in a horror “movie.”

I really enjoyed this one! I found it legit spooky and creepy, and I had to know what happened! I do think the ultimate reason why was a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the book. However, this is a spooky thrill ride I’d definitely recommend! Maybe avoid of clowns are your #1 fear. If you don’t like them but it’s not the worst, you’ll be fine. I don’t like clowns so that added to the creep for me!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Noel loves horror movies and she’s also an advocate for the plight of black actors in horror movies. She even has a website called jump scares and she recently announced she’s going to start a podcast. She does it with her two best friends Demario and Elise she started it a year ago and to celebrate her one year anniversary the announcement of her podcast and Halloween she’s having a costume party at her lavish mansion home while her parents are in the Adirondacks celebrating their own anniversary. She’s inviting all the influencers from Crossland high school and that includes archer The boy she’s been crushing on since seventh grade and a famous singer from TikTok Charlie who’s a financial wizard his girlfriend Madison the world traveler Dylan the popular athlete and his model influencer girlfriend Kirstie Josh a classmate who claimed to be woke who also has a very popular podcast in oh yes Demario and Elise and a few others her home is decorated the caterers have set up in the festivities or beginning but when she starts getting scary intimidating Insta messages she blows them off and tries to have a good time. This will include the scary clown she invited who’s name is Gage and they’re going to play hide and seek with him. Gauge is a little bit creepier then she expected but because he supposed to be scary she starts the game. When Kirstie winds up dead she knows things are not going as planned. Noel has always claim to be a final girl but she never wanted to find out this way who has it out for her and her rich friends and why? Teen horror is my favorite genre and although they had a few eye rolling moments for the most part this was a smart funny top notch horror story and one I highly recommend it is a solid four star read and if you love teen horror then you love There’s No Way I’d Die First by Julia Springer it really is a great read. I want to think random house and net galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I did not see where this book was going but I love it! I know my students will enjoy ready it as well, especially due to the diversity of all the main characters. The book gives off some modern Agatha Christie vibes which is perfect for the upcoming Halloween season.

Tag, you're it.

I cannot tell you how much fun I had reading There's No Way I'd Die First. I think YA slasher horror has a big soft spot in my heart because all I wanted as a kid was to watch horror movies with my dad, play my video games, and read my books. I love suspending my disbelief. Not much has changed as an adult. To relax, I watch horror movies and read my fucked up books on my couch, and I’ve replaced video games with wine because I can. I have always enjoyed being weird and dark and crazy (literally a Barbie movie quote!)

You would think reading about rich influencer activist teens with get-away-with-anything access would be a little much, but it's somehow not. They're all just kids trying to escape a killer clown at an epic Halloween party gone awry, and it's just so much fun. So much fun! Our main character, Noelle is one of the coolest and I'll have her back forever. Start that podcast, girl. I'll listen. I like your taste in horror and your final girl mantra.

Lisa Springer does a great job of blending a little comedy and a lot of creepy and has such a great voice. I couldn't stop reading. Every slasher needs a motive! Gage the Clown was a great villain full of fun, horrific toys, and a kink for these kids' worst fears, and I was very into it. I just had a stupid smile on my face the whole time. Thanks for the ride!

Also, this cover? Killer.

5/5. Thank you, NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the e-galley!

The first thing I want to say is, look at that cover! It's stunning!
I enjoyed There's No Way I'd Die First.
It was a quick and fun slasher read, which is great as I'm a huge fan of slashers!

I thought it was quite well written and great for a debut book. I'm definitely curious to see what the author writes next!
It took a bit for the action to start, but once it did, it did not stop!
Be warned, though, that this book was quite gory and had some brutal deaths.
The characters, while not the most likeable, which, to be honest, I find very common in the genre.
They were still a lot of fun to read about, and I also thought the romance was quite cute.

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a fun YA slasher and it's perfect for spooky season!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.75ish stars,

I was super excited for this YA slasher, but sadly it ended up falling kind of flat for me! While I love a book that jumps into the action, the killing started so early in this that we barely got to know any of the characters, including the our protagonist, imo. As a result, I did not give a damn about a single character which made them hard to root for and made all the deaths pack less of a punch.

All right, before you say anything, I know that one of the frustratingly fun things about slashers is when characters make dumb decisions. So dumb, in fact, that it's simply unrealistic. So I somewhat shamefully admit that a realism aspect was another issue I had with this. However, I found it difficult to believe that a single human killer clown was able to control and subdue (what started as) 12 people just by having a knife. I almost wished this had a paranormal element so I could've bought into the idea that, despite various attempts, the victims just couldn't take him out.

I was ultimately confused about some of the themes and messages I got from this. I think there was an interesting dynamic regarding classist privilege that could've been explored more, but it ended up being one-dimensional.

I will say there were some lines in here that were quite funny, and reminded me of some of the one-liners in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, which I love. Also, I have to give credit to the author for her creativity in how some of the characters were killed off.

Check this one out if you want a quick, gory read for the spooky season, but be ready to suspend your disbelief!

This was fun if you like YA horror, especially in the vein of movies like Scream or even old school book by R.L. Stine or Christopher Pike. This book instantly brought me back to the feeling of reading those books when I was younger. I so wish this book would be made into a movie because I could picture it the whole time and it would be amazing! Certainly, a perfect fall/Halloween read. Definitely add this one to your TBR pile!

There's No Way I'd Die First comes out next week on September 5, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

I'm never one to seek attention, but I don't mind having all eyes on me today. It's the first anniversary of my horror movie club and the day of what will be the most epic party Salford Prep's senior class has ever seen. Hopefully.

First up a big big thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and the publisher for allowing me to read this book!

This book was HIGH on my list. I just love a good slasher, I love a good horror. Give me! And then also taking place on Halloween during a storm? Clowns (which terrify me)? Horror movies? Sign me up! Sadly. I got to 32% before I was just like, wait how is this even going to be another +/-60%? It just didn't feel like it would have to take that long. Especially since this just took mostly place in a house that, while being quite big, shouldn't have that many spaces to hide and run. Plus, given that we are barely getting to know the characters? When x died? It was thanks to the recording that I had maybe a vague sense why or who. I would have rather gotten to know the characters a bit more so I could be more invested in them. Plus, there were some inconsistencies that had me scratching my head (open windows, but then suddenly all of the are closed and such). The clown is way too strong for someone who is obviously human, he was just too much. Not to mention, pooping in a Birkin Bag? Yes, I skipped to the ending (which I generally only do rarely when a book just doesn't have the grasp on me and I want to know if gets better) so I found out that he did that. EWW. WTF?
Not to mention the political/racism parts. I don't mind if issues like this are added, but it was constantly mentioned to the point I was like, we get it.
Oh, and lastly, the romance between Archer and Noelle. I don't mind romance, but it needs to be done well. Flirting while people are dying or later at the end was just not really appropriate or made me go AWWW. It was rather more like, WTF people are dying, stop it and go survive.
Also NFT/Crypto is bad. Go away with it.
Oh, and as I said, I checked the ending, and WTF is up with his motivation to murder people? URGH.

So sadly, this was not for me. I will definitely be open to checking out other books by the writer and see if they are better!

What's not to love?! A swanky house turned into Halloween Party Central with a sassy heroine, a slew of influencers you might love to hate, a sweet romance, a truly creepy clown, and a raging storm — all the perfect ingredients for a delightfully deadly Halloween bash. This is the perfect read to kick off Spooky Season. I'll be recommending this book on my podcast The Library of Lost Time https://strongsenseofplace.com/library on September 15.

There's No Way I'd Die First is easily one of the best YA horrors I have read this year.

This is a slasher narrative unlike any other. It is gory, violent and so imaginative in its kills. Springer has created some truly nightmarish scenarios, which will stay with me for quite some time. I love how much the narrative is immersed in the horror genre itself, from Noelle’s knowledge of the genre, her podcast and her regular quipping in various films. At the same time, it is careful to critique the consideration of horror within the media and particularly how horror has traditionally treated Black characters. Through Noelle, Springer has ignited such an important conversation. I absolutely loved her as a protagonist as well. She had such strong Final Girl energy, determined, driven and wanting to survive at all costs. It was interesting to see how her knowledge both helped and hindered her within an actual horror narrative unfolding around her.

The way this plot unfolds is nothing short of spectacular. This is a tight, incredibly atmospheric and claustrophobic book. Every second is like being on a knife edge. The tension is kept at a high at all times. Like any good slasher, there are plenty of surprises up its sleeve. There were a couple of moments that made my stomach curl up in dread. As a key part of this, the eventual motivations that are laid out are perfectly chaotic and yet terrifyingly rational at the same time. You can exactly recognise the kind of person that is laying these out. They recontextualise the deaths and frame the entire narrative in a completely new light. It is just so real and cuts to the bone in a terrifying manner.

There’s No Way I’d Die First is a book mired in blood, guts and gore. Do not read with the lights out.

Love when a horror party becomes an actual horror story.

The was a perfect start to spooky season read that I binged in a day. Quick read but not lacking on content, style, or representation.

YA horror with a slasher lean? It's quite the campy spooky time!

We are following horror movie fanatic Noelle, who proudly claims she would definitely be a Final Girl. Noelle is having a Halloween party celebrating the first anniversary of her horror movie club, Jump Scare, with the richest and most popular kids in her school. It's quite a cast, but we're provided a Guest List at the front of the book to keep track of everyone. (And personally I needed to refer to it a few times!) Once the party begins, a game of tag becomes a nightmarish test to see who could be the survivor against a killer clown.

This was a super quick read, with plenty of intrigue to keep the pages turning. While I did find plenty of eye roll moments--maybe we don't flirt over a friend's dead body and clues left behind by a killer clown?--the actual plot kept it pushing.

I think this is definitely more of a YA read. Not just in terms of writing, but I genuinely think a young adult (high school age) would get the most enjoyment out of this. 4 stars!

This sprawling horror slasher takes us on a chilling journey with Noelle, the head of her school's horror movie club and an upcoming podcast host with an encyclopedic knowledge of horror tropes and films. Her ambitious mission? To host the ultimate Halloween bash, attended by the most influential students in her high school, in a bid to skyrocket her popularity and make a name for herself. However, chaos ensues when the eerie clown entertainer she hires turns her into an unwitting pariah, all in the most unexpected and unsettling ways.

My excitement for this book knows no bounds! As a die-hard fan of slasher movies, I've been fervently seeking a novel that captures the electrifying essence of those films—minus the extreme horror elements—and this book delivered brilliantly. It expertly found the perfect balance of well-placed gore and ingeniously imaginative kill scenes. While the plot may have brushed against some clichés and predictable moments, it's precisely these elements that contribute to the exhilarating appeal of slashers, and I found immense enjoyment in every bit of it.

A page-turner through and through, I found myself utterly engrossed and unable to set the book aside. The subtle romance woven into the narrative brought back fond memories of the Jenna Ortega Scream movies, and it added an extra layer of enthralling nostalgia. This is the exact kind of riveting experience I had been yearning for, a sensation that, in my opinion, wasn't fully achieved by "You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight."