I will love anything this man writes apparently. This was funny, obnoxious, touching, cringe [I'm talking about the multiple finger chopping scenes], thrilling, and slow paced. I love getting a very detailed account of an event or of someone's life, so even though our Thin Kid was unlikeable I could not get enough. I also love being a little confused while I read and details being mysteriously sprinkled throughout the story until things fit together. But lol I am still a little confused [wonderfully so]. I think the only thing stopping this from being a 5 star is that I don't love movie sets in books so that is entirely my fault [sorry mr. Tremblay, I'll try to do better next time *salute emoji*]. But I may just be salty that Mercy couldn't edit this one too.

Where do I even start with this review? The obvious, I suppose, is many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my ARC copy of this one.

Now, the review.

FADE IN

INT. HOUSE - DAY

The reviewer finishes the last page of the book on their ereader. Is it a kindle? Is it a book? Does it matter which device was used to complete HORROR MOVIE? For the sake of this review, the reviewer wants the reader of this review to come up with their own assumptions.

The reviewer PAUSES, wondering just how to sum up their feelings. Do other reviewers feel this way? The immediate five stars was an obvious answer. The novel was solid, crisp and critical of the consumption of lore surrounding the genre. But what about the human condition?

The reviewer thinks the novel nails that too. That passage, you know the one, the one PAUL TREMBLAY said viewers would all remember this scene, that scene is the penultimate scene that pulls the entirety of the plot together. It is tense, and it is crucial, to make us wait and wait and wait while detailing how we respond to the tension. How our humanity, our morals, our perception on life, the universe, and everything, can bring out many a visceral reaction, internal and external. HORROR MOVIE, in all its glory, is a masterclass in the way books should garner your reaction, in the way writers should explore their form to invoke your response.

The reviewer is grateful for having read this book. The reviewer thinks everyone should read this book. The reviewer hopes this review is as unconventional as the novel itself, knows that this review cannot match the beauty that is the novel, but tries anyway. The reviewer, after typing and typing, hopes this review will convince you to jump on this wild ride of a book now.

FADE OUT

I love Paul Tremblay and his latest did not disappoint! This book was not at all what I was expecting but in a good way. It’s one of those that builds and is suspenseful, almost like you’re watching a movie.

As Horror Movie progresses you’re wondering what in the world is going on and what is the point of this book? By the end you know why. I was surprised by the ending but now realize I shouldn’t have been.

Thanks NetGalley!

I tried listening to the audiobook initially, but I was so lost and it sounded like there was something wrong with the quality so I stopped. Now I realize they were trying to distinguish between the character's dialogue and the screenplay, between the past and the present. It was much easier to read it here on NetGalley.

This book felt really slow to me and I wasn't fully invested in it until it picked up the pace towards the end— and what an ending it was!

“Horror Movie” by Paul Tremblay - 4 stars (Pub Date: Out Now!) is an atmospheric lookback on 90’s horror movie culture with low budget special effects and all. With youth angst, monster movie makeup (or is it?) and a ‘which end is up’ Blair Witch feel to it, this novel feels like I’m back in my moody early 90’s “Pump Up the Volume” days.

Good Things: The uncertainty and lack of focus feels very much like the video quality from self-produced films of the time. I’m never really sure if what’s being recounted really happened, if part of the movie production, or if it’s in the main character's head. That makes it interesting, albeit confusing. The book is not over-long so that feeling of confusion doesn’t require a huge time investment.

Opportunities: Fair Warning. Ambiguous Ending alert! Of all the things in all the world of reading, my second biggest pet peeve is an ambiguous ending. It actually might be a tie between that feeling of “what the hell, just tell me already?!” and my other major pet peeve, which is to start and read the first book in a series or trilogy NOT KNOWING IT’S the FIRST … and the others aren’t published yet. I hate that too. I THINK I know how this ended, if read literally, then I am certain that all the pages that come before the end take on a whole new meaning. Which is also very 90’s Horror actually, so…maybe that WTF moment is intentionally period-accurate. GRR.

Final Thoughts: This was fun. Just fun. I was going to say it wasn’t amazing, but then I waited to write this for a few weeks, and I can’t stop randomly thinking about different scenes, parts, or styles of this story which might be bumping it from a 3.5 to a 4. What the hell, I’ll up it because dammit, I just can’t stop thinking about the whole damn thing. Bravo Mr. Tremblay…you are living rent free in my head now.

I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read of this story by netgalley and William Morrow. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #horrormovie #paultremblay #horror #netgalleyreviewer #arc #arcs

Details
Review Shared on Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/leah_cyphert_butidigressbookclub
Publishing Review 7/13/2024

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Unfortunately, this was not a novel that resonated with me. I'm a fan of mystery or suspense, but I guess horror is not for me. This book is told in alternating viewpoints, from the surviving castmate of an independent horror film and from the script of the movie itself. The script parts felt slow and boring, and I wasn't ever really frightened. I preferred the modern day narration, but by that ending...I'm not sure what I was supposed to have gotten out of this book.

When it's not just a cursed "tape," but the movie itself...a movie where things have gone terribly wrong, and they want to remake it? With the enigmatic 'star' of the film? Excellent use of form, with the script, dual timelines, and so many subtle touches, it's a masterpiece, and it won't get out of my head. Bravo.

Excuse me? This book is something else. First, the audio is fantastic. I love how much nuance they put into it. Aside from that this book is wild. It's not fast or gratuitous, but is so well thought out. It does everything with intention, and has some great metaphors while also being deliciously creepy. I loved it.

Paul Tremblay writes epic horror that's almost understated as it is impactful and unnerving. A gripping read and a great story. Spooky and entertaining

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

Honestly...I really liked it. I'm guilty of reading some other people's thoughts on the book before I wrote down my own, and noticed that a lot of readers really didn't care for the screenplay portions of this book- but those were the scenes that really hooked me. The story was weird and vague in an "I'm not really sure exactly what's going on here" kind of way, which sometimes works for me (Cabin at the End of the World, Head Full of Ghosts) and sometimes doesn't (The Pallbearer's Club)- but I do think that Tremblay has a knack for writing books that leave you wondering what's real and what isn't. The ending of this book rocked, and it was totally different from where I thought it was going. I'm glad it ended up there, because I was really starting to wonder what the point of the present narration was when we could have spent the time in the much more interesting past when they were making the movie, but the ending mostly made up for it.

Twisty, disturbing, and suspenseful- I would watch this movie.

Horror Movie was unlike anything I have read. The story combines the past, current time as well as the screenplay from the movie the 4 friends were making. From the get go parts of the story are withheld as the movie is filmed, especially the parts about Paul and his character “the thin kid”. As we move further into the story we wonder about Paul’s retelling and what is real and what is fiction. While everyone else that worked on the movie is dead, is Pau’s fate even worse? The book does a great job making him sympathetic until the very end and then WTF!!!

I went back and forth with this book. It's hands down my favorite Paul Tremblay novel. It was interesting, moved fast, and I found it to be a rather mean--yet new concept. So mean in fact that I had to put the book down for a while. The author pushed this story right to a breaking point, but thankfully did not push it over. I'm not sure I could stomach some of the possibilities he pointed out as potential future storyline. Thank you, Paul Tremblay, for going soft on us readers with this. The ending felt inevitable to me, but also as a reader I hung on wondering if and when and how. I was the fish in the river following the fisherman's fly as it bounced and twirled through meandering gentle rapids. Cheers and 4 stars.

Title: Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
Publication Date- 07/09/24
Publisher- William Morrow
Overall Rating- 6 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review:
Woah, this was not what I was expecting in the best way possible. I know early reviews are pretty mixed, let me through my ideas in the hat.

I think one of the things that’s causing a stir is that this is really literary horror. It’s not very thrilling, it’s not very suspenseful, it doesn’t do a lot different. I think the synopsis sets you up for exactly what you’re going to get… for the most part. Some things I wish were done differently are it says “Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful twist on the “cursed film” that breathlessly builds to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.” I wish instead it said “Horror Movie is an obsessive, atmospheric, nostalgic, haunting story about friendship, the weird one and growing up.”

Some things that I loved about this story was the “vibe” as the young kids say. It was very atmospheric and kept me wanting more, I actually didn’t want this book to end. I thoroughly enjoyed how unsettling and disturbingly intimate some of the scenes were. They confront a lot of humanity, human nature and friendships.

As far as the horror movie aspects, I felt like they were done really well. We get parts of the script in almost every chapter, I did feel like I was on the set of a movie that was being put on by very emo, emotionally immature teens. Which sounds awful but we’ve all been there and I felt that in this story.
Not everyone is going to like this ending, it’s not thrilling or shocking and is rather left open. This book is slow paced and then it just kind of ends. I don’t know what’s with my brain these days but it felt perfect to me. It felt like I went on an awful, sometimes horrifying journey then the story ended, just like life.

Dnf twice. I picked this book up on two separate occasions and I couldn’t get past page 5 both times. I’m sure others will like and appreciate this book but the writing style is just not for me

Horror Movie
Written by Paul Tremblay
Published by William Morrow
Release Date June 11, 2024


“ Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful feat of storytelling genius that builds inexorably to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.”

WOW! That sentence was the last in the publisher’s blurb about the book and it represents how I feel perfectly. When I first saw this book either oh Goodreads as a giveaway or on Netgalley, I wanted so bad to read it. It was all I could think of. And boy when I was approved I was so happy that I read it that day and read it in one day. Tremblay is one of my top 3 favorite authors and he knows how to tell a story that will stay with you for a long, long time. This book masterfully takes the past into the present and the present into the past.
Nostalgic and impressive Tremblay reaches down into your chest and grabs your soul while you are on the ride of your life….. College kids decide to make a horror movie and something happens that keeps the whole movie from being made. Years later, Hollywood decides that they want to remake what was done while using the only person left….the thin man. His selective memories are the catalyst for how this plays out. The thin guys memories are woven into the pieces that will be cut together to make this movie. There has been a huge cult following ever since the 90’s when this movie was in its infancy so they need to make it as good as they can and with a budget that would put it up there with the likes of Texas Chainsaw Masacre.
The book is slow at first but as it builds up the suspense and is chilling and teeming with heart pounding scenes. I am in love with Tremblay and his ability to weave psychological terror and thrilling suspense together while keeping you, the reader, so entranced and entertained. Tremblay never left any clues to what happened throughout and so that made it harder to figure out exactly what was about to happen but when it did happen…….IT HAPPENED. The ending of this movie was terrifying. You won’t expect it nor will you recover from it. I know that this may not be for everyone but for those of you who love gory horror movies, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. Please run and get your copy now.


5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Horror movie follows a group of young filmmakers in the creation of a low budget horror movie. Jump to three decades later Hollywood is set to reboot the film with the only surviving cast member "The Thin Kid". As he revisits the screenplay the dark events that happened on the original set are revealed.

I oved the setting of an early 90s low budget horror film. I also enjoyed the alternating moments between past and present as well as the screenplay being included.

In the scenes from the past perspective you can tell there is a lot of anxiousness for things to go right and started letting things slide. You could tell their were concerns and things definitely start to snow-ball.

I recommend picking up the audiobook, the screenplay parts are really entertaining with the page flips.
This one really delivered at the end, liked sense of dread throughout. While the POV of the main character is pretentious AF the ending really made it work for me. While it's a frustrating POV to follow I think it's definitely purposeful.

Would recommend to fans of psychological thrillers/ horror that are not opposed to following a pretentious main character.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc.

I have read MOST Paul Tremblay books. Some of them I love and some of them I don't, but all of them have really made me think about some of the observations made in the novels. The Horror Movie is different. It was very past-paced, and very dark. I think the thing that surprised me the most was that I didn't really feel like there were any social observations that interested me beyond just acknowledging that they were there in the book, but no deep thinking beyond that. The book was horrific in that a group of kids went way too far to make a movie some years back that now people are saying was cursed. I won't give away any reasons why that was so, but suffice it to say, I think the "curse" was just a product of how deep these kids went into telling a horror story, ala The Blair Witch Project. I would recommend this to horror lovers. I would not have unequivocally said that about his past books that I read as they had more message than horror sometimes. This one was not a deep thinker for me.....it was just straight, average, often gross, horror.

I really enjoyed Tremblay's THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD and am happy to report that this book is even better. I read this book as an ARC but think it would absolutely KILL (no pun intended) as an audiobook, especially if they got a full cast for the screenplay parts. I thought the plot here was a slow burn but not slowly paced - the tension and mystery had me so hooked I was excited to keep reading even if it didn't feel like much was happening. And I LOVE the inclusion of the screenplay here. So much.

Some parts made me nauseous (the finger!!), some left me a little confused, and others? I'm not entirely sure, but I felt a full range of emotions while reading that made the experience very immersive and entertaining. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, but you can't win 'em all.

I think this is a pretty disturbing book that is unique in that I didn't feel gross after reading it like I did some others of this sort of genre (THE DUMB HOUSE, THE WASP FACTORY, THE ROANOKE GIRLS, etc.), which I really found to be refreshing. If you've wanted to step up your game in horror intensity but don't want to feel super yucky about it, this is a good starting place!

i was sorely disappointed by this book. it was so slow and nothing happened until the end. It was missing something but I'm not sure what it was.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of Horror Movie in exchange for my honest review.

Horror Movie tells of a group of 20-somethings who spend a few weeks together making....well, a horror movie. The stage is early 90's with a low budget, a soon to be demolished condemned school, and guerrilla style filming. When something goes horribly wrong the consequences echo decades into the future.

I was so hopeful for this one. I love a book with a movie/screenplay element to it. However, I just flat out did not enjoy this book. My main problem was the torture of the main movie character. It wasn't particularly gory, but literally made me sick to my stomach at times. (In fact, it kind of gave me baby Tender is the Flesh vibes.) I also didn't really care for any of the characters. Most were just terrible people. ALSO, DID WE EVER LEARN THE MAIN CHARACTER'S ACTUAL NAME?! Or did I completely miss it? 🤔

One thing I really did enjoy was the alternating moments between the past, present, and the actual screenplay. Some chapters were a bit long for my liking so being able to have an obvious stopping point was appreciated.

Overall, I just didn't care for this one and mainly stuck around to see how it all came together. 2⭐️