BOOK:
THE BLONDE DIES FIRST by Joelle Wellington
Thank you Simon Teen and Netgalley (July 30)

Review:
4.5⭐
After read THEIR VICIOUS GAMES last year, which was one of my favorite reads of 2023, I had über high expectations for THE BLONDE DIES FIRST. I'm glad to say that my expectations were met...mostly. I could have used a smidge more drama besides killer demon and [Redacted and Redacted].
THE BLONDE DIES FIRST follows Devon, Drew, Malachi, Leila, Yaya, and Gael as they band together to combat a demon. They must do whatever it takes to survive.
This book pulled me in from the first page. There's just something about Joelle's writing that makes it seem like the reader isn't reading. THE BLONDE DIES FIRST is encapsulating, and it's a page-turner. I had to know if survival was possible for the group. I had to know if they'd be able to stop the demon.
This book was a quick read. I literally read it in less than a day. It pulled me in that much. Also, I totally saw the twist coming from a mile away.

What I Liked About It:
*the twist at the end
*how it pulled me in and kept me there

The real-life horror movie has begun. The blonde is up first, then the asshole—right up to the Final Girl. Unless the murderous cycle can be broken, they’re all going to be next.

The Blonde Dies First is magnificent in its murderous mayhem. It is pure slasher gold and should definitely be gracing your shelves.

Joelle Wellington burst onto the scene and straight into my heart with the phenomenal Their Vicious Games—a cutting satirical mystery with bite and darkness at its core. Wellington continues this winning streak here, proving that great characterisation and delectably dark tales are a hallmark of her work. The horror tones of Their Vicious Games take centre stage in this incredibly insidious original horror thriller, that also pays homage to classic slashers. It is just such a gorily good time.

I’m quickly learning that Wellington is deft at weaving in exploration of wider social topics into her writing—The Blonde Dies First delves into race and class particularly. The social commentary is nuanced and true to life, especially examining the clash of cultural expectations and the mindsets that accompany this. It is an intersection of class and race that just is not seen depicted in the media. Class is such a key presence in society and it is so intrinsically intertwined with ideas around race. In particular focus here is the way that your upbringing can lead you to have an entirely different live—Wellington explores the switching and adapting that is often forced upon marginalised people of colour. It also comes in comedically via the horror aspects, which I’ll expand on later in this review.

At its heart, we have two sisters: Devon and Drew. Their relationship forms the crux of the book as their lives seem to be splitting off, after being inseparable before. I liked how messy and authentic they were—they do not fit neatly into any preconceived ideas or boxes. Instead, they make mistakes, they fight and they are stubborn at times. Devon acts as our protagonist and you can keenly feel that hurt and sense of isolation as she feels like everything is coming apart for her. This is channelled into an obsessive control of wanting to make their final summer together perfect, with dire consequences. The supporting cast was also fantastic, with dialogue that crackled with humour and heart. They also all get moments to develop and reflect—feeling like they all grow in one way or another. I also have to shoutout the subtler relationship dynamic that develops over the course of the book. It is a really heart-warming contrast to the horror around them but never feels forced or like it’s overshadowing.

In particular, it pays respect to classics and newcomers of the slasher genre – showing an immersion in and appreciation for these types of stories. The author’s note at the back of the book also paid tribute to the iconic Wes Craven and I definitely felt that respect to his style comes through in terms of the humour and wit infused into the book. It is a very meta take on horror, with characters acknowledging unwritten rules of the genre. Even the title plays into that meta narrative blending and awareness of tropes. There’s also an acknowledgment of the long running understanding in horror narratives that BIPOC characters may immediately nope out at any sort of messing around with the supernatural. It stems from a cultural awareness that this is the kind of stupidity reserved for white privilege that also fails to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors and a lack of knowledge about the consequences of their actions. Wellington consistently tackles this throughout, from the hilarious initial scenes to the meta running commentary and internal monologues.

This book flips the script on typical slasher narratives, in part because of its focus on a group of BIPOC characters dealing with this mess created by stupid, privileged people. Wellington plays into these tropes and character archetypes to unpick them and instead present us with complex, compelling characters. It is also excellent to see a cast of BIPOC characters in this space which has been historically dominated by white voices and narratives, with marginalised characters as a punchline or early kill. Without giving everything away, let us just say that Wellington plays by different rules here.

It’s also such a great book in terms of terrifying atmosphere. The summoning scene is perfectly pitched in the way the party scene immediately sours when the supernatural comes into play. Instantly, there is a sense of foreboding and darkness that is acknowledged by our central characters but ignored by others. This is also the point where things start to get gnarly. There are some stomach-churning scenes in here. It is brutal and bloody. Wellington does not mess around when it comes to the slash in slasher. This has some brilliant and gruesome original kills—constantly ramping up the tension and increasing the stakes. Nothing feels certain or safe until the final page. As before, Wellington weaves a web that you cannot help but get entangled in. This is a layered plot with plenty to say about misogyny, gentrification and carving out your own path in life.

The Blonde Dies First cements Wellington as a tour de force. Whatever she decides to turn her pen towards next, you can bet it’ll be brilliant.

I saw the plot twist coming from the start, the characters didn't seem as freaked out by the situation as they probably should have been and there were some obvious references to the Scream movies, but I love that franchise so I was ok with it. Overall, this was an entertaining book and I look forward to reading other books by this author.

THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE YA THRILLER.

i quickly fell in love with Joelle’s writing style maybe three chapters into Their Vicious Games (another 5⭐️ read) and i knew it would be just the same with Blonde!! the books cuts right to chase — we all know why we’re here, so let’s not beat around the bush. the sudden start of drama was so refreshing bc things don’t always build up in life, they just happen. thrillers thrill. there was just enough background set to get a connection with each character before shit hit the fan. as a thriller/horror FAN since birth, i absolutely LOVED the idea of a plot line following all those stereotypes. it made it so interesting to see what came next— you think you knew, but you’re always wrong.

on a deeper level, this book focused a lot on sisterhood. the FMCs are twins, who couldn’t be more different as they are identical. the story not only follows the friend group, but the relationship between the twins, and how this affects the group as a whole. although i’m not a twin, my sister is 16mo younger than me and we were pretty much raised as such. i resonated heavily with Devon & Drew’s relationship. watching the two of them thrive as individuals but resent each other for words unsaid was a like looking in a mirror of me & my sister at their age. in the end, all they wanted was to be heard and once me & my sister realized that, we became inseparable (will Devon & Drew? idk no spoilers here hehehe).

needless to say, if Joelle wrote it, ima read it. we’re 2 for 2, and i cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this one! 😍

I’m so happy I got my hands on this book!!! Thank you Netgalley & Simon and Shuster Publishing for the advance reading copy 🫶🏾

This YA book centers on a group of friends who are being chased by a demon slasher serial killer thing. Think Scream mixed with Scary Movie lol. This book plays into a lot of horror movie stereotypes/thriller tropes that we see play out within the group of friends. I was sat y’all. I really didn’t want to put this one down!!

Things I loved
-overall the book was really fun to read and had a nice balance between suspense, horror, comedy, and drama
-the group of friends were so easy to root for. They were young and complex ofc, but constantly showed up for/protected each other as a group
-the coming of age + character development wrapped into the story
-cliché horror
-the queer romance story within was really cute. I just wish they both said something sooner!!!! 🥹 iykyk
-I was pleased with the ending lol

I loved Their Vicious Games so Joelle Wellington will always have a fan in me!

This book is such a tropey fun time!

The story plays on a lot of horror movie stereotypes/rules/tropes and also thriller tropes and I had such a fun time reading it. This is entirely centered around a group of friends who are just so lovable and easy to root for. They are so determined to make sure that they don't fall into any of the horror pitfalls while they are being stalked by an evil entity. All of the female characters, in particular, were incredibly well rounded and badass.

One of my favorite elements of this story was the humor. It added such a needed levity to the story and worked well in reminding you that what you were reading was happening to teenagers without falling into that typical whiny and annoying teenager trope. I also really loved how quick everyone in the group was to believe one another. Listen, if your friend comes to you and says that they are being stalked and attacked by an evil monster... you might have your doubts initially. However, all these friends were so quick in listening to the other characters, hearing them out, and plunging head first into navigating this situation with full loyalty and belief.

This was a quick read and would make for an excellent adaptation. I will say, in terms of the ending, I was certainly glad to see some characters get what they deserved.

THE BLONDE DIES FIRST is a great read for horror movie lovers. It plays heavily into the tropes so horror fans will especially enjoy it, but even those unfamiliar with the genre, will enjoy the universal concepts of dealing with sibling relationships, crushes, changing friendships and the anxiety of what comes next in life. This book is perfect for fans of the movie VAMPIRES VS THE BRONX!

While I like the premise of this book, it didn't work for me. I struggled to connect with the characters or to understand the protagonist's desire to reconnect with a sister who was being so unpleasant to her. It also seemed weird to me that the supernatural elements were so quickly accepted when the book is otherwise set in a super realistic world, and that everyone so quickly jumped to accepting the horror movie tropes as the "rules."

I also review books for teachers to recommend to students, and there was more profanity and references to teen partying than I would feel comfortable recommending to students from the front of the classroom.

I want to start off by acknowledging that I know I’m not exactly the target audience for this book and that did affect my rating because I could. Not. Deal. With the sibling & Yaya drama of it all. I know that was Devon’s journey, I totally get it, but it’s like oh my god please just talk to people, I’m begging you.

Anyway aside from that this book was pretty funny, I liked the little references sprinkled in and once we started to get some action, I thought that was pretty fun. The post credits scene really took this over the top from a 3 star rating into a 4 star. Yes, it really is that simple to please me and get a higher rating. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I feel like there were also some good conversations regarding gentrification, classism, and the safety of Black, queer kids lightly sprinkled in as well.

If you’re a teen or just more into YA than I am and are a lover of self referential horror, this is your book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty good, pretty fun. It didn't quite live up to Their Vicious Games for me, but I had a great time reading this. I hadn't quite realized that it had a supernatural element going in, whoops, but yeah this is a great addition to the YA horror space.

The Blonde Dies First is a fun, suspense-filled YA slasher novel with a twist on classic horror tropes and a friend group you’d be willing to die for. My favorite thing about the book was the characters. Other than Devon, I absolutely loved Gael. Though I appreciated the character growth from all the characters, especially Drew. I love the meta moments and the fun twists on all the slasher movie tropes we love, and I was genuinely shocked by the ending. Wes Craven would be proud! I also loved the Brooklyn setting and world building. The descriptions of their neighborhoods and the different locations were written in a way that I could easily picture and put myself there with the characters. This is the perfect horror book if you’re just dipping your foot in the genre or don’t want anything too terrifying. It’s not scary but provides the right amount of creeps. Overall, I think The Blonde Dies First is a fun summer read but will of course also be perfect for spooky season. I highly recommend checking it out.

The Blonde Dies First is a YA Horror I enjoyed. I really liked Their Vicious Games so I requested this ARC the second I saw it.

A group of friends accidentally summon a demon that wants to kill them. The demon follows horror movie rules, which made for a trope heavy and interesting read. I particularly liked having a sapphic main character and friend group that was largely BIPOC.

I really enjoyed the various character dynamics within the friend group. While there was an intentional focus on their individual archetypes, I enjoyed seeing the way the characters interacted with one another and the histories they all shared. It helped make them all feel real and that they existed beyond their archetype.

Overall, this is a not too scary horror that is perfect for fans of Scream but make it sapphic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an arc of The Blonde Dies First. I was thrilled to get a copy of this from Joelle Wellington as I enjoyed their Vicious Games. This for me was not as good but still good. The Pros-the cast of characters were great! Dev and Drew although twins so dynamic as individuals. I really felt for each of them and made reading their stories really fun. Yaya was just too good! Cons-this wasn't as creepy and scary as I thought it was going to be but overall great read!

1 ⭐️

Unfortunately, after reading 7 chapters, this going to be a DNF for me. 😔😔😔. Joelle Wellington is a VERY skilled writer. Her books, though, just aren’t for me. Two months ago, after reading a handful of positive reviews on “Their Vicious Games”, I tried to read it. Once I got to 40% of the book, I lost interest and it started to feel a bit predictable. After skimming the remaining 60%, it turned out that my thoughts were proven correct. 😬😬😬. Moving on to this book, I have found that it reads more on the younger side of YA (ages 13-14) than the older side of YA that I am use to reading. I also found myself struggling to enjoy both Devon and Drew as well as their friend group and I became a little bit uncomfortable with the decision on the use of a Oujia board.

With a BEAUTIFUL book cover and some really interesting story themes, this book may work for any and every reader who loves the horror genre. Sadly, I am not one of those readers. I TRULY wish Joelle Wellington well on her writing career and all of her future endeavors!!!

Side Note: Any book that I DNF automatically receives a 1 star.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for granting my request for an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

I’ve read Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington and loved it. So naturally, I had to read The Blond Die First and it did not disappoint. There’s something about her writing that makes it hard to put the book down. Everything just flows really nice and she knows how to grab your attention. I’m not really a horror girly but wanted to give this a try. It’s definitely beginner-friendly horror so if you want to read something to ease your way into the genre I recommend this! Also, I loved the cast of characters. The banter is great and laughed out loud multiple times. Ms. Wellington is now one of my auto-buy authors! Can’t wait to see what she puts out next.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for the eARC!
I wanted to love this so much following "These Vicious Games" (which I loved), and likely set my expectations too high with this book. I didn't connect with any of the characters nor their interpersonal relationships, and found the plot to be extremely predictable. If you can get past the predictability and the not-fully fleshed out characters, this book is a pretty quick and fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a final girl thriller read. I loved their vicious games so I could not wait to dive into this read! This read was really great, I was a little skeptical when it came to the Ouija board aspect (I am creeped out by that whole thing..haha). However, this book did a great job of while still keeping the thriller/horror aspect not making me wanna splash holy water around the room. Great read! Can't wait to see what Joelle brings us next.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

This book was a lot of fun and gives you exactly what the synopsis suggests. This was a fun trope-filled, trope- breaking demonic slasher coming-of-age story.

Things I really liked:
All the different character and relationship dynamics.
- The friend group and parents all seemed really supportive of each other.
- I really enjoyed the "Scream" call out and them breaking down the Demonic tropes.
- The big reveal- while not super surprising was a fun one.
- The kill scenes were AWESOME
- The demon was hauntingly creepy and unique

** SPOILERS BELOW***


Some things I didn't like/ had issues with:
- This one is action filled, but I will admit I had some trouble following the action scenes. I'm not sure if it was me or the writing, but I kept finding myself completely lost and having to read and reread action scenes to try and figure out what happened to who and how.
- I was really kind of put off by Drew and Devon's relationship drama it just felt a bit tired I know the whole point of this book was calling out and changing tropes, but like been there done that.
- None...NONE of the main characters actually succumbed to the demon? Again- I get it we are breaking from the usual tropes, but awful convenient that the entire friend group makes it out mostly unscathed. (not that I wanted to see any of them die...)
- The author seemed *really* obsessed with teeth, like I get it Keith has straight teeth.
- I cannot understand why the entire friend group got grounded because one of them "tripped" down the stairs and broke an ankle... that was a bit silly.


I really enjoyed my time reading this book, and honestly, I'd love to see this as a movie I think it would be an absolute blast!

This was the perfect book to kick off summerween! It felt like one of those classic campy cult horror films! I loved the dialogue between the friend group and the relationship between the twins. I could guess somewhat of what was going to happen but it still was enjoyable! I loved all the throwbacks to old horror movies and the spin on the blonde characters always being the first to die!

4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun! I have been struggling to finish books lately, but I completely devoured this in a single day. From the first chapter, I was immediately swept up in the story and couldn't put it down, without wanting to pick it right back up.

Joelle Wellington did such an amazing job with the Scream influences. She balances suspense, horror, and campiness in a way that truly mirrors the movies, while still having her own twist on the story. Several choices she made thrilled me to no end and made me gasp out loud.

I really loved the friend group and the multiple relationships within the group. It truly felt so real and lived in, like actual friends who have know each other for most of their lives. Something particular I like was that the group didn't hesitate to show up for each other, but also would call someone out if they feel that they were being mistreated. I think all of the characters were so interesting to learn about and do wish we got more time with some of them.

I just loved my time with this so much. I think Joelle Wellington's concepts and writing are so enjoyable and I'm even more excited to pick up her debut, as well as any of her future work.