I really liked this authors debut, so I was definitely on board to read this second book. I will say I enjoyed her first book ‘The Vicious Games’ more than this one, but for fans of YA Horror/Thriller this will be an enjoyable read.
Devon and her group of friends are a tight knit group. With Devon’s twin sister Drew graduating early from high school, Devon is determined to give her the “Best Summer Ever”. One of the first steps to this BSE is attending a party being thrown by Drews’s friends from school. Drew attends a more prestigious high school since she’s basically a genius, and her friends from school have never met her twin or her neighborhood friends, so this party will make it a big first for the group. As the kids attend the party, Drew’s “boyfriend” pulls outs an Ouiji board to see if they can summon someone or something. Devon wants to make Drew feel as if she accepts her friends so she plays along to “get along”. Little do the kids know this isn’t just a kids board game and once Devon is almost killed at work, the kids soon realize they got more than they bargained for at that party.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC

A bit slow and not much that really kept me intrigued. I wanted to love this but it fell flat for me:

actual rating: 4 stars

the blonde dies first by joelle wellington is such a fun and thrilling horror read, blending suspense with humor and offering a fresh twist on classic horror tropes. once the story picks up, it doesn’t slow down, keeping you on your toes with a demon that follows slasher movie rules. the best part? the friendship at the center of it all. the dynamics between the main characters, particularly the twins devon and drew, really bring the emotional depth to the story, even when chaos and danger are lurking around every corner.

devon is such a relatable protagonist—she’s the blonde in the slasher scenario, but she doesn’t just accept her fate. i loved how the book plays with horror movie conventions, especially the meta horror aspect, which made it so much more enjoyable for me. there’s a great balance between the high stakes and lighthearted moments, which prevents the book from taking itself too seriously. it’s got just the right amount of humor and tension to keep things engaging.

the relationship between the twins is one of the highlights. their dynamic is strained but realistic, and watching their bond unfold amidst the chaos added so much to the overall emotional depth. i really enjoyed diving into their complicated relationship, and it made the story feel more personal as devon navigated not only survival but also the fear of losing the person she’s always been closest to.

overall, the blonde dies first is a great mix of horror, comedy, and friendship, and i had an amazing time reading it. it felt like being pulled into a horror-comedy movie where the rules are constantly being flipped, and i didn’t want it to end. a highly enjoyable and unique take on the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was creepy! This book had me jumping out of my skin. That twist in the end was so well done and I did not see it coming. I really did enjoy how creepy this book was and this would be a very good spooky season read.

thank you netgalley & the publisher for gifting me this advanced reader copy!

this book totally sounded like something that I would love, the comparison to scream is what sold me on it and unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.

The story follows a group teens trying to live out the best summer ever when they decide to use an ouija board and are suddenly being stalked my an evil entity.

I think the little bits of horror movies and final girl trope was very fun to see in a book but not done in a way that I really loved! I had a really hard time staying interested in the plot, it didn’t feel like a lot was happening.

I think some people are going to love this book, but unfortunately for me after trying many times to get into this book I decided to give up. I might try this one again in the future but for right now it’s just not for me!

Thank You to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this book due to the fact that I read Their Vicious Games and ate it up. While her second novel was entertaining and thrilling, it fell a little flat on my end. I was shocked at the plot twist and I love her writing style. I wasn't in love with the characters as much and I did enjoy the horror aspects of the book. Joelle Wellington is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of her work. Overall, a solid 3 starts.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC of The Blonde Dies First in exchange for my honest review!

This had a pretty slow start, almost DNFing level so, but I worked through it and ended up having a fun time! It wasn’t majorly spooky but had a few standout moments. I think this will be a major hit with teens (which is its intended audience!), especially with the general vibes.

This book is a treasure. A beautiful, crazy homage to the slasher/horror genre that has its own unique twists and turns, and I loved every minute of it!

When a tight-knit group of friends find themselves at a party and a Ouji board is brought out to summon a spirit, it seems like it’s all fun and games. That is, until an actual demon begins stalking the group, seeming to follow the traditional “rules” of a horror movie. Can Devon and her friends outsmart the evil spirit (and figure out their own personal lives) before it’s too late?

This book read like a Gen Z version of Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer, which made it fun for and fresh, even for a crusty ol’ millennial like me. It was scary, funny, and full of heart. The descriptions were vivid and I was pulled in to the story of these characters- both the horror storyline and story of their characters’ personal lives, like Devon’s crush on Yaya and her angst about her relationship with her twin, Drew.

Plus, there’s some nice twists in there. Trust me, as one of the characters says, there’s always an act three twist in a movie, and boy is there ever! I loved it- it was stunning and cheesy, just like a good slasher twist should be.

This book was a great read and I loved the escape it gave me while reading it. Joelle Wellington is quickly becoming a favorite YA thriller author!

I realllllllllllllly enjoyed this book... LIKE A LOT.

It had so many fun concepts of horror that I love and turned them all on their head. The characters are well developed and all extremely lovable in their own ways. They all added their own important voice to horror as a whole and towards the plot itself.

I also LOVED the entity. It was intriguing and truly terrifying...

Also... the twist at the end... HYSTERICAL!

Loved this book and can't wait for more from the author!

A slow start for sure but worth pushing through to get to the cool demonnic stuff! Devon is a likeable character and I pushed through to see her development annd where the book was headed. I also loved the queer aspects as they did a great job of represennting the teenage coming of age aspects which are important to get right in a YA book. That being said the Teen agnst definately makes it a YA book- not one that adult readers (not reading with the intest for their classroom like me) might find a bit annoying.

Devon is a twin and is planning the best summer ever before her sister goes off to college. One night she and her friends decide to play with an Ouija board and start being pursued by a demon. I got Scream vibes from this and it was a funny slasher novel without the gore.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC copy! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.

After falling in love with Joelle Wellington’s Their Vicious Games, I went into The Blonde Dies First with high hopes. Unfortunately, this sophomore novel didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The story had an intriguing concept with its sci-fi elements and a final twist that added a spark of excitement. However, the journey to get there felt lackluster. The beginning dragged on, making it hard to stay engaged, and I struggled to connect with any of the characters. While I understand that YA books often reflect the complexities (and sometimes the insufferability) of teenage personalities, this felt a bit over the top.

There was so much potential for this book to embrace its horror-movie inspiration, but it never fully leaned into the thrills and chills I was hoping for. That said, there’s a foundation here that could have been spectacular with more character depth and a quicker pace. Fans of Wellington might still find moments to enjoy, but for me, this one fell flat.

Rating: 3/5

A good YA slasher book. It was not predictable but it did lead us to some interesting paths and to learn a bit about ouiji boards. It was a quick read and a good friends to the end kind of vibe.

This was different from any other “slasher” type book I have read. Was quite entertaining and kept me on my toes! Wasn’t super scary, but was quite messy. 4.5 stars!!

Maaaan I was so excited for this one!

I was only able to get through about 20% of this book before I decided to DNF it. I found the main character a bit annoying and I didn’t like the dialogue between the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This. Book. AH!

I loved the use of slasher film tropes to tell this story and develop the characters.
I was a little suspicious of a few different people throughout because I just didn't know what to expect.
Overall this book was fantastic and absolutely met the expectations I had for a Joelle Wellington book that were set by reading Their Vicious Games.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book.
All opinions are my own.

This book offers an intriguing twist on the classic teen slasher storyline. Much like Scream, it breaks the fourth wall, challenging the reader’s expectations about the typical order in which teens are picked off based on their roles within the storyline. It draws readers in, making them part of both the horror and the reading experience.
The storyline felt somewhat disjointed to me. I was intrigued by the dynamics between the friends and how they’d have to come together to face the entity targeting them. And the mystery of uncovering the demonic force and discovering the identity of the one picking them off one by one pulled me in. However, I felt there was a lack of connection between these elements, which left me feeling lost at times. Overall it was a compelling story and I enjoyed the author's take on the teen slasher with a fantasy aspect.


*Thank you to Joelle Wellington, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

A fast fun little read. It reminded me a lot of the Scream movies. Some of the descriptions of the characters did take me out just a little bit however.

After reading @jowellington other book 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘎𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴, I couldn’t wait to read 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵.
At first, I didn’t know where this book was going because it had monsters but it also felt like someone was playing with this particular group of kids.
Devon, her twin sister Drew & their friends live in the ever changing neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Drew is graduating (early!) & Devon is determined to make it the BEST SUMMER EVER!
But, after attending a party of one of Drew’s friends house, weird things happen to the group of friends; as they see they are being targeted one by one like a horror movie (the blonde, the jock, the nerd, the asshole, & the final girl who happens to be Devon’s crush). But when Devon narrowly escapes, the group uses their knowledge of horror movies to try & survive the summer.
So like I said, it was giving supernatural vibes but also in my head, I was thinking could it be special effects?
If you read between the lines, you can kind of guess who was behind everything but it took me until like thee very end to really get a theory.
I really liked that this book took place in Brooklyn, so it was super easy for me to picture the setting. Overall, I really enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘎𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 & I can’t wait to read more of Joelle Wellington books!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me with an eARC of The Blonde Dies First in exchange for my honest review!

As a fan of slasher horror, I'm glad that this was quite the fun and thrilling tale. It's intriguing to see how this takes its Scream-esque foundation and blends in a paranormal layer to create something fresh, even while it's relying on fairly familiar tropes. The likability of Devon and her friend group further amplifies the entertainment and gets me more invested in the suspense that they're doing their best to survive through. Sure, the first act can move along a little slowly, but it doesn't deter me much. And when we reach the third act, it ends up satisfying me as to how we wrap up the mystery and where we leave off the characters.

Overall, I'm officially rating The Blonde Dies First four out of five stars. I'll be keeping more of Joelle Washington's work in mind down the line.