I was really excited to read this book, as I am a huge fan of horror books and movies. This book is a very slow burn, which I almost DNF'd multiple times. I continued to read hoping that it would pick up or something would happen. Unfortunately it didn't get interesting until about the last 5%. I did like the back and forth between timelines and script. Sometimes switching timelines can be hard to follow, but I thought the author executed it well. Adding in the script made for a different twist, which I liked. Overall I just wasn't impressed, and probably should have just DNF'd it.

I wanted to rate this book higher - it had so much potential and many chapters that were really great. The last 40% dragged on and lost the momentum setup in the first 60%. It made it so the ending was easily overlooked since I was bored by that point. Editing out some of the narrator’s introspection in the last 40% would help it wrap up better.

I did not finish this book. I think it reminded me too much of House of Leaves and I wasn’t the biggest fan.

The books starts out interesting and you are led to believe something shocking will happen based on the make protagonist, who comes across the final guy of sorts, but nothing shocking happens and the ending falls flat.

Yes, yes, yes! IF you could only pick up one Paul Tremblay book, this is the one. Honestly, you should read them all!

This one is super horror. Super terrifying and totally worth it. If you’re a fan definitely dive into this one!!

Paul Tremblay has become known for his complex, meta horror novels like A Head Full of Ghosts and The Pallbearer's Club - books that deliver a horror tale while also constantly questioning the limits and expectations of the genre, and often moving away from reliable narrators into realms of ambiguity and uncertainty. His newest book, the upcoming Horror Movie, doesn't go quite as far into meta games as Ghosts or Club, but it's a similarly complex tale that interrogates the "cursed film" genre, all while also thinking about the undercurrents of slasher and horror films, the complexities of art, and people's desire for the forbidden and the unknown. In its broadest terms, Horror Movie is the story of a remake of a cult horror film that was never released in full; instead, based off of three leaked scenes, a screenplay, and the lore around the filming, a remake that seeks to fully recreate the film has been launched, and the film's one surviving cast member narrates both the story of the remake and the original film, all intercut with that original screenplay. In some ways, it's less heady and complex than Tremblay's densest work (probably Ghosts), but that in no way makes it less heady and stimulating; rather than play with the standard slasher narrative (ground that's been tread a lot lately, even in good ways), Tremblay plunges into horror as an expression of inner pain and trauma, thinking about how it reflects the unease of the outcast or the violence that all of us are capable of. The end result is a strange little book, one that's hard to pin down; one moment, you're getting what feels like pretty thinly veiled satire of Tremblay's own Hollywood experience, and the next, you're dealing with an angry conversation between a demanding fan and a horror "icon." Sometimes, the screenplay is pure and utter horror; other times, it becomes painfully honest and devastating, revealing a broken soul whose art is an expression of her own turmoil. It all builds up to one of the more nightmarish endings that Tremblay has ever put on the page; whereas a lot of his books are constant unease and horror throughout, Horror Movie takes its time, slowly getting under your skin and unraveling things bit by bit until...well, you'll see. Tremblay's last couple of books - Survivor Song and Pallbearer - have been enjoyable but lesser, in my mind, than his earlier work, but Horror Movie feels like a return to form: a smart, insightful dive into horror that toys with the audience, asks them to question the genre they're in, but still delivers the goods and then some.

Paul Tremblay's latest novel, "Horror Movie" is every horror movie fans cup of scary, chilling, thrilling tea! All the goodness rolled into one book.

This was a book that really absorbs you from the very beginning. As it progresses, it became quite unsettling. For me, the vast majority of horror movies and books have fairly disposable characters and scenes that don’t really stick with you much after the conclusion. But the special ones in this genre can leave you with moments that will absolutely stick in your memory just from the sheer creativity of the mood that is established. Paul Tremblay’s “Horror Movie,” has several such scenes that have left me not only unsettled, but probing a central question of horror that is often ignored. This would be what the role of the reader and the viewer plays in the construction of such films and books. What responsibility the consumer of horror should have for pushing our artistic creators into these dark and unsettling places? This was a book where I had to pace myself and take it slowly just because it wasn’t a very fun or pleasing read, but at the same time, it seems like an essential book for fans of the genre.

I have read several books by Paul Tremblay and they are usually some of my favorites. A couple are hit or miss. This one is so very different yet similar to some of his other works. It is similar in the fact that he doesn't always give you all the details and leaves some things vague. I know this shouldn't bother me but it does. I want to know what happens. This is definitely a slow build tension book. All of the characters were really interesting and complex. However, my least favorite character is the main one. I am not sure why he does what he does. I know he deals with trauma, but then adds his own. I certainly didn't see the ending coming and that was a nice surprise, but I still don't quite understand why. No spoilers here. I am still not sure if I loved this book or just tolerated it. It may take a reread. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the free arc.

Horror Story is a cult classic film that nobody has ever seen; Only a couple of scenes were uploaded to You Tube and some script pages were leaked online. Despite nobody ever seeing the film, it is being remade following the original script. The plot jumps in time from the original filming, to the current filming and a little bit in-between, and includes scenes from the script. Because of the time jumps, the format was a little bit confusing at first, but was quick to get used to.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Horror Story by Paul Tremblay in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this one, it was creepy, and compelling, and so well written.

To put it shortly, the journey through this book makes for an unforgettable ending! The slow pace and eerie feeling tugs at all my classic horror heartstrings and I found myself flipping through pages like crazy by the end. It may not be for everyone if you're unwilling to read through a slow burn but the ending is worth it!

Incredibly thankful to have received the advanced copy for an honest review, thank you.

I really enjoyed this look at what makes a monster. I’m more of a horror reader than a horror film watcher, but I caught a few of the references to other works which were well done (also, is Karsten living in the House of Leaves house?) There’s these discussions that the characters go this is a bit pretentious of us but we care so deeply about this genre we have to have this discussion and as a film and literature student I was jumping for joy going yes yes yes lets make the viewer complicit lets talk about hallmarks of the genre and how to subvert expectations. Reminiscent of Mister Magic and My Heart Is A Chainsaw for their respective commitments to lost media and slasher exploration, Horror Movie is a quick but packed read which I enjoyed immensely. It releases June 11, 2024.


Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an advance copy of this book!

Chilling and mesmerizing. I loved everything about this, from the 90s nostalgia to the multiple unraveling plots. The final chapter had me in a chokehold, Horror at its best.

Holy Cow my mind is blown this was definitely one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far! I can’t get it out of my head!

Horror Movie is about a cult classic horror film that was never released but has a sinister reputation after some initially undisclosed tragedy, and a few clips and the script were uploaded to the internet. All kinds of rumors are out there about the events around the filming. The point of view of the book goes back and forth between modern day as the actor who played the Thin Kid is in talks to be involved in the reboot, and flashes back to the original events along with the story as told in the script.

The tension slowly builds as the Thin Kid tells his tale, and it's not always obvious what was literal truth and what might have been embellished. I found myself thoroughly engrossed between the events of the present, past, and the script itself.

the last 25% of this book really delivers on the promises and potential of the first 75%. I feel like saying any more than that is spoilers. there's an inherent mystery built into the plot, and it delivers in spades. alongside that, there is a clear critique of fandom, celebrity, and obsessions in general, as well as specific nods to what those things mean in a more specific fandom (like horror films). it's good. so well done. highly recommended for horror fans and pop culture lovers in general.


I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't often find myself getting spooked by horror novels but WOW was this one scary! I loved the past and present timeline. The writing was phenomenal. I will be spending the rest of April going back through Paul Tremblay's entire backlog of books. I could not recommend this book enough. If you are a horror fan, this book stands alone.

The first words to leave my mouth upon finishing this book were “what the heck in just read”. And i said this in the best way. At first was I was sort of meh about this but the further i got into the story, the more I kept coming back and needing to know more. I think this book is very successful at leaving you little Easter eggs and waiting for it to come back. I kept wanting to go back to this book to read.

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review