WTF did I just read, you guys? I was expecting a “haunted movie set” sort of horror and … huh. There are definitely no ghosts to be found here.

But did I enjoy it? I mean, “enjoy” is a strong word since it's not at all an easy book to read. It was engrossing, for sure, but also very unsettling. It did take me a bit to get into the story, I think mainly due to the format, but I was completely hooked by the 25% mark. There was never any chance of this novel ending happily, and yet I couldn't stop reading it.

The format is an unusual one. It switches back and forth between the past (the original filming of the movie) to the present day (the filming of the reboot), but also includes sections of the screenplay in every chapter. Oh, and the narration is actually an audiobook that the surviving cast member has written about the events. It's a lot to sort out initially, but it really works once you've gotten into the swing of things.

That screenplay, though? Yeah, never in a million, billion years would I watch a film based off of it. I'm pretty sure that scenes from the book are already going to stick in my head for years, and I'd probably need therapy after watching a film version. Fans of slasher-type horror won't bat an eye – it's really rather tame compared to a lot of stuff out there – but I haven't enjoyed gory films since my aunt took me to see A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master in the theater when I was nine. I had to come home and go straight to bed and had nightmares about it for years. But, I digress.

And the ending? I mean, you kind of see it coming, I think. There's not really any other way it could end, especially once you learn about the protagonist's “tattoos.” But was I ready for it? Hell no.

As an aside, I read this book while also listening to an audiobook of guided meditations. Well, not at the exact same time, obviously, but I rotated back and forth between the two. The juxtaposition between “relax and focus on your breathing” to “things are really creepy and everyone's going to die!” was quite disconcerting. Come to think of it, perhaps that's why I sucked so much at the meditating.

So, yeah. Overall rating: 4.15 stars, rounded down. If you like artsy horror films and/or creature features, this book will be right up your alley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

There are bits and pieces here that feel a lot like Tremblay's earlier work, Head Full of Ghosts, but it gets further into the kind of abstract, vague styling his newer books had. I enjoyed it, but was craving more context near the end, more resolution.

I love horror movies IN THEORY but in practice I'm usually too chicken to watch them, so a book about a horror movie is totally my jam, and I gulped this one down. The framing device works well, intercutting between the past doomed shooting of the original 90's movie and the worryingly weird narrator walking us through the process of the contemporary remake, and the double climax is satisfyingly blood-drenched and icky in a wonderfully creepy holy-shit-did-that-just-happen way. I could wish it were longer, but it might have lost itself in the weeds if it were. On the slight side, but enjoyable and worth reading if you like horror.

This was one book that I went into blind. I saw the title and cover and was automatically sold. Then I spotted the author and sold my soul for an early copy. Holy shit! You all are in for a wild ride through hell!

I finished this book last week and I still get chills thinking about it. The way this was written had my full attention and I found myself thinking about this book and "The Thin Kid" in the most bizarre times during the day. It honestly consumed my life. Then I finished this and I was in shock. That ending was like nothing I had ever read before. It ripped my soul apart and I had to reread the last couple of chapters. All I can really say is, Fuck!! You all better prepare yourself for the horror masterpiece that is about to fall into your laps.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I’m really sorry but I didn’t enjoy this at all. Well-written? Absolutely. But the plot was kiiind of a pretentious slog. I’ve read and loved three other books of Tremblay’s so hopefully will continue to enjoy his future work. I just did not care for the narrator, the screenplay portions, the type of creature horror it turned into. Not for me. While I’d give this a 4 for writing, I give it a 2 for plot. We will meet in the middle with three stars.