Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0 stars

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A YA horror anthology by BIPOC Authors and featuring BIPOC characters. Many, but not all, also have lgbtqia content. Like most anthologies, this one is a bit of a mixed bag, with some stories working better for me than others. By order in the book:

“All Eyes on Me” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I wanted to love this one, but it didn’t really work for me.

“Hedge” -⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 - Creepy and effective.

“The Golden Dragon” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Revenge with an unexpected twist.

“Best Served Cold” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Equal parts scary and gross. Chef’s kiss.

“The Protege” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️. A magician’s apprentice gets in over his head. Meh.

“Docile Girls” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2. Possibly suffered a bit by coming after The Golden Dragon and covering similar themes. Solid, slasher based story.

“Grey Grove” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Ghosthunter style podcasters explore a haunted mansion. Kinda predictable.

“Everything’s Coming up Roses” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 - told by journal entries, it starts seeming fairly normal and gradually becomes more creepy. Really worked for me.

“Heaven” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️. A post-apocalyptic tale about who the real monsters are. It went on a bit too long and didn’t really land for me.

“Break Through Our Skin” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 - A non-binary youth struggles with being accepted, encounters ancient powerful spirit. Features body horror (not my fave) and destruction.

“Wasps” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - A girl taps into eldrich power to defend her home.

“Hell Is Other Demons” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Demon summoning and ghostly possession.

“The Road to Hell” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 - A haunted house story told from the POV of the house.

I read "The White Guy Dies First" because the title is irresistibly silly and perfectly captures my sense of humor. As a lover of anthologies, I appreciate how they allow me to dip in and out of different stories at my own pace, making them the perfect companion for my busy life. This particular collection piqued my interest further because of the phenomenal roster of authors contributing to it.

What I found was a diverse array of horror stories, each bringing something unique and engaging. From ancient terrors to modern villains, the range of themes and styles kept me captivated. Every story stands out, showcasing the remarkable talent of each author. The anthology's format made it easy to read a story here and there, yet I found myself often unable to put it down.

Overall, "The White Guy Dies First" exceeded my expectations. It’s an exciting, creative collection filled with cultural depth. If you love horror and anthologies, this is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This YA horror anthology features short stories by several horror/thriller authors that I really like! Each story has one main theme in common: they all feature a smug white guy that dies first. I loved that each story was completely different from another. Some featured sea monsters, haunted houses, vengeful spirits, post-apocalyptic settings, etc. Not only were the authors diverse but the characters in their stories were also diverse!

If I had to pick my favorite short stories from the collection, I would have to pick Terry J Benton-Walker, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and Kendare Blake's. But just because these were my favorites, doesn't change the impact and strength all of the other stories had!

Great anthology, definitely recommend!

I had a good time. Of course there were some short stories I liked better than others. I think this bind up is a great introduction to each author if you haven’t read them before to get a taste of what their writing style is like.

First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the publishers, the authors, and NetGalley for giving me the honour to read this ARC copy of The White Guy Dies First.

I was initially drawn to this anthology because of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, who is one of my favorite authors. I also have a passion for horror and anthologies, so this collection was the perfect match for me. I often struggle to find truly good and eerie horror writing, but The White Guy Dies First exceeded all my expectations.

The anthology includes thirteen scary stories by all-star contributors, and this time, the white guy dies first. Each story is unique and filled with ancient terrors and modern villains, offering a diverse range of horror experiences. From killer clowns to friendly cannibals, and impossible slashers to the dead who don’t stay dead, this book has it all.

Here's my breakdown of each story with their individual star ratings:

Ghoulfriends Online Blog by Terry J. Benton-Walker - 4.5 stars
All Eyes on Me by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé - 5 stars
Hedge by Kalynn Bayron - 3.5 stars
The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake - 4 stars
Best Served Cold by H.E. Edgmon - 3.5 stars
The Protégé by Lamar Giles - 3 stars
Docile Girls by Chloe Gong - 3.5 stars
Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson - 4 stars
Everything's Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson - 4 stars
Heaven by Adiba Jaigirdar - 3.5 stars
Break Through Our Skin by Naseem Jamnia - 4 stars
Wasps by Mark Oshiro - 3.5 stars
Hell is Other Demons by Karen Strong - 4.5 stars
The Road to Hell by Terry J. Benton-Walker - 5 stars
Epilogue by Terry J. Benton-Walker - 3.5 stars

I loved how the first story set the stage for the rest of the anthology—it was such a genius move! Overall, what a wild ride. I found myself gasping, cackling, giggling, cheering, and experiencing every emotion in between. This anthology exemplifies what creative literature is all about—a triumph of a book.

Overall, I'm giving The White Guy Dies First a 4.5-star rating. It was incredible, and I need more of this kind of horror anthology in my life. If you're a fan of horror and looking for a refreshing, diverse, and thrilling read, this is the book for you.

Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this short story anthology, which included 13 short horror stories with POC at the forefront of the narration. I enjoyed reading content from many YA authors that I have enjoyed in the past, and found that most of the stories packed punch in a small amount of pages. The stories felt cohesive even though each author had its own individual voice. Covering race, gender, and sexuality, I enjoyed that each story highlighted a different group and their experience with majority groups. I love a fantastic revenge read, where the bad guy gets it in the book like they never seem to in real life, and that really satisfied this for me. Would definitely recommend for fans of YA horror!

All Eyes On Me by Faridah Abike-Iyimide - 4

Hedge by Kalynn Bayron - 3.5

The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake - 3.5

Best Served Cold by HE Edgmon - 2

The Protege by Lamar Giles - 4

Docile Girls by Chloe Gong - 5

Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson - 3

Everything's Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D Jackson - 2.5

Heaven by Adiba Jaigirdar - 2

Break Through Our Skin by Naseem Jamnia- 1.5

Wasps by Mark Oshiro - 4

Hell Is Other Demons by Karen Strong - 3

The Road to Hell by Terry J Benton-Walker - 3


While reading, I thought this would probably be my favorite anthology, but a couple of the stories in the middle really brought down the average rating. Most of the stories were regular old horror, but Adiba Jaigirdar's story was climate fiction, which didn't seem like it fit with the other twelve stories. A couple of the stories had protagonists who were younger teenagers, which isn't common and nice to see.

CW: murder, clowns, mention of pet death, abusive parents, death of a parent, bullying, underage drinking, blood, dismemberment, body horror, drug use, racism, attempted rape, car accident, cannibalism, gore, stalking, cancer, fire

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This is a great YA horror anthology centering BIPOC authors and voices, with a wide spectrum of tones (from the cathartic to the truly horrifying). I can't wait for it to become a bestseller.

The White Guy Dies First, a young adult horror anthology, where the cisgender white guy always dies first was edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker and written by 13 authors of color. It’s a strong collection of creepy short stories about body horror, cannibalism, demonic possession, found media, haunted houses, killer clowns, the occult, the paranormal, slashers and more. Each story is thought-provoking and unique. My favorites are “Best Served Cold” by H.E. Edgmon, “Hedge” by Kaylynn Bayron and “Wasps” by Mark Oshiro. Recommended for fans of Jordan Peele, Stephen Graham Jones and Tananarive Due. ARC was provided by Tor Teen via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from the prologue to the very end!
The White Guy Dies First is a collection of 13 short horror stories in which, as the title suggests, the white guy dies first.
All of the stories are based around a central themes of gender identity, racism, misogyny, colonization and gentrification. I love stories which are entertaining and also touch on important, lesser discussed, social issues.
Some stories that stuck out to me were “The Golden Dragon” by Kendare Blake, “Best Served Cold” by H. E. Edgmon, and “Gray Grove” by Alexis Henderson.
These stories were funny, gory, sometimes cheesy, real, and ultimately extremely satisfying.
There were some stories that left me wanting more! Like, I could read a 400 page novel of “The Protégé” by Lamar Giles, and “Hell Is Other Demons” by Karen Strong.
I came across this anthology because I followed Alexis Henderson after reading her novel “The Year of the Witching” and I’m so glad I did! It lead me to find 12 more amazing horror authors and I can’t wait to read more of their work!
*Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review!*

this fell a little flat for me, the stories were good but there wasn’t enough cohesion as the opener may have made a reader think. i wish the opening section had been omitted as i would have expected the stories to feel less connected.

thank you netgalley for an arc of this in exchange for my honest review!

The White Guy Dies First is an anthology containing 13 short stories centered around teens and young adults of color in various scary, thrilling, and horrifyingly realistic scenarios.

This anthology contains works by Adiba Jaigirdar, Alexis Henderson, Chloe Gong, Faridah Abike-Iyimide, H.E. Edgmon, Kalynn Bayron, Karen Strong, Kendare Blake, Lamar Giles, Mark Oshiro, Naseem Jamnia, Tiffany D. Jackson and Terry J. Benton-Walker (who also edited the collection).

Very frequently with anthologies they'll contain hits and misses for me and I tend to prefer ones with an over-arching connecting plot. This didn't have a connecting plot, (although it does contain a nice intro/outro to kinda close things up) but I felt like all of the scenarios were so great that they managed to fit on their own. There wasn't a single story that I disliked or skipped and this anthology has marked several new authors onto my TBRs (some were definitely already on there though)!

A quick list of some of my favorite stories:
The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake
Docile Girls by Chloe Gong
Everything's Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson
The Road to Hell by Terry J Benton-Walker

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and authors for the ebook arc!

I enjoyed reading every single short story. I will admit, some of the short stories definitely had my heart racing. I will be recommending this book to everyone. Absolutely everyone!

Have you read it yet?

The White Guy Dies first is 13 stories where, as the title suggests, the white guy dies first. Let me start off by saying I loved the title of this book, as soon as I saw this title I knew I had to read this book.

To be very honest I am not a horror fan, I do not watch horror movies at all, I have seen a few but it is not my thing. As this is YA horror I decided to give it a try because as it was YA I did not expect it could be too gory, well I was wrong. Some of these stories were a bit graphic for my taste, but I am sure for horror fans they will be just up their ally, as there are gory details on death and some stories even mention cannibalism.

This was the first time I read a collection of short stories but I enjoyed it, it was a different experience. Some of the stories I liked more than others, which is normal as they are all written by different authors. My favourite stories were "The Golden Dragon", "Docile Girls" and "Gray Grove".

I loved the take the epilogue took and I found it a great way to tie the book together.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection as a whole and I think each author did a great job shedding light on social issues.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC the above review is of my own thoughts.

“The White Guy Dies First” is a diverse collection of short horror tales that unapologetically share the rage that the entitled can leave in every one of us.

I would recommend this to anyone that is a fan, or has been curious of the writing style, of any of the contributing authors. You’re more than likely to discover a new favorite amongst them, I know I found a few that I plan on reading more from!

My favorite aspect of this collection was its variety. Each story felt like they could stand out on their own, either in its unique voice or its fun twist on a classic horror trope. I also felt that each story really showcased how the horror genre can be used to highlight and explore social commentary in visceral ways. I didn’t go into any of these stories expecting to be mad, but boy did I start supporting people’s wrongs by the end of it! It was honestly so cathartic rooting for the less than perfect main characters represented throughout, but I’m a sucker for messy characters that I can connect with.

I also appreciated the flow of the stories. They were ordered in such a way that it felt like a quiet anger simmering and building up into a final story that let out all of its pent up rage. I had initially worked through this by reading a single story a day but I almost wish I read it in fewer sittings to get this full effect. It was also such a nice touch to build a world around the collection to give context on why the stories were gathered together.

However, this collection wasn’t quite a 5 star read for me as I felt that some stories were not nearly as fleshed out as others. There were a few that I found myself wishing were actually full length and others that felt a bit rushed to fit into the format. That may be due to some personal taste, I know that certain subgenres of horror fall flat for me, so this may not be the case for all reading experiences.

This was a fun collection of 13 YA horror short stories by BIPOC authors where the white guy dies first!

Some stories were better than others, as seems typical (for me anyways) with short story collections. Here are a few of my favorites:

📖 Hedge by Kalynn Bayron
📖 The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake
📖 Docile Girls by Chloe Gong
📖 Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson
📖 Everything’s Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson

Now I need to check out more of these authors’ books!!! 🙌

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing/Tor Teen for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

Hands down one of my favorite collections of short stories to date. Was initially drawn in by the bright cover and title and was not disappointed by the stories within.

Despite knowing ahead of time who would be on the chopping block in each story, I was still on the edge of my seat for each installment and caught off guard by quite a few of the scenes.

🎧𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 &| 𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰📔
4 🌟
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This audiobook production is phenomenal!!!! Great for the spooky season. This is a 13 short scary stories, with 13 different BIPOC authors where WE survive the first kill. Some stories were great, and some were just ok. But the audiobook was everything I needed and more.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 July.16
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Thank you, Netgalley, MacmillanAudio for the (ALC)-audiobook and Tor Publishing Group for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

I am finding a deep love for curated anthologies that get the job done, and this is no exception: Readers are getting what they’re looking for. This collection hosts 13 stories, and I want to give a special shoutout to the editors for their formatting and sequencing, creating a flow that tells its own story.
This collection boasts strong names, from Faridah àbíké-íyímídé, Lamar Giles, Kalynn Bayron and more, as well as a few authors I was unfamiliar with before. I read this entire book in two sittings over the course of 24 hours; each story felt unique and added something special to the overall themes. I’ll be adding my Goodreads review with a more detailed breakdown of each story closer to release day!

After starting this book, I found a review that pointed out some things regarding the stories. The review said most stories centered whiteness and racial trauma, and I was hoping for something different. I was hoping this collection would do something else than it did, and while I did really enjoy the one story I read, that review made me rethink my decision to read and review this. I may come back to this collection later as an audiobook after it releases, but currently, I don’t want to read this when it’s not going to be what I hoped for.