I would give this book 3.75 stars. I really enjoyed it. I have never read anything by Joelle Wellington but I definitely will in the future. Her writing style was very clear and bright and I could really feel Devon's voice. I enjoyed the reality of the characters, how they were all fleshed out and uniquely interesting entities. Devon and Drew's relationship was a storyline I liked. Wellington's writing really made me care about their relationship and growth. The handling of growing up and family relationships was relatable no matter who you are.

I am a huge horror fan and found that the slasher theme was well-done but fresh and funny. The characters being so specific but also so tightly knit made the story move seamlessly and I was absolutely invested.

My only gripes with the book was I thought it was a bit slow in the beginning and I thought the reasoning for the demonic possession was anticlimactic, just that it was because the neighbor was irritated by them.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

I was so excited to receive this as an eARC. I loved Joelle Wellington's previous novel "Their Vicious Games". This was such a different YA novel than any I've read. The Blonde Dies First is a mix of horror, thriller, and movie tropes. Devon has a list things to check off to make up the perfect summer for her friends and twin sister Drew. Night one of the list at a party and it all goes wrong. Messing with an Ouija board means bad things when a demon suddenly starts following them around and killing those close to the group. I loved the exploration of family dynamics, queer love, and coming of age going into senior year of high school. The demonic part of the book was wild but fun when you take it for what it is! Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC.

I got this ARC book from Netgalley. Thank you so much for this early read.


So, honestly, I couldn't finish this. I got to 20% and it wasn't for me.
I just finished her other book
Thier vicious games. I enjoyed and was excited to read this.

"The Blonde Dies First" is a teen horror adventure that plunges a tight-knit group of childhood friends into a summer they'll never forget. Devon is determined to make this the "best summer ever" as it's the last one she and her twin sister Drew will have together before Drew heads off early to graduation.

But what starts as a quest for unforgettable memories quickly becomes a nightmare when a session with a Ouija board at a party unleashes supernatural chaos. Now, their sole focus shifts from fun to survival as they confront a malevolent demon unleashed by the board.

This story pays homage to classic horror films in a way that feels like a love letter to the genre—think "Scream" with its clever, trope-heavy, and meta approach. While some twists may be predictable, plenty more unexpected turns keep the suspense high and the pages turning.

I would recommend this for ages 16 and up, especially if they are fans of slasher-type movies. I am not a big fan of that genre, but I can see how someone who is a fan would enjoy this book. It’s a good “Summerween” read.

I appreciate the diversity in this book as the gang of friends is comprised of diverse personalities and backgrounds, including Black, white, and Latino members, as well as queer representation.

This was 3 out of 5 stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author, Joelle Wellingthon, for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Okay I thought this was a genuinely FUN slasher read. There are rules to follow like your standard slasher movie, but the backdrop for the story was unique! I would certainly pick this up to read this coming spooky season, and highly recommend! I also did NOT predict that ending, which was awesome.

This book had everything that I enjoy in a YA fiction novel. A group of friends who grew up together and will stick by each other no matter what (found family), suspense (this is a supernatural horror book I believe), witty banter and humor, minority and queer representation done beautifully, and a very interesting plot. This was also my first introduction to Joelle Wellington and her writing is amazing; it is realistic and truly draws you in. I love books having a main female character who is black, because I do believe representation matters, but I know for a fact that anyone and everyone can and will enjoy this book, no matter their background. I was rooting for them every step of the way, and even when it ended, I wanted more time with these characters and their story. Even though some elements of the story were predictable, it was interesting to see exactly how the author intended to have things play out from beginning to end.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC!

I liked it, but the ending was not what I had expected. At some parts, I got a bit bored but it got good real fast.

The Blonde Dies First is a heart-racing supernatural horror thriller that will have you at the edge of your seat. If you've ever needed a reason to stay away from Ouija boards, this book is like the 50th reason! When twins Andrea and Devon and their friends decide to play with an Ouija board at a party, they accidentally unleash a demon. The demon starts following the classic horror movie rules, making it impossible for them to know who it's targeting. This horror comedy novel is packed with "Scream" movie vibes and explores the themes of friendship and sisterhood. A thrilling young adult horror novel that has left me eagerly anticipating more from this talented author.

I normally don’t read ghost or paranormal stories, but this seemed interesting, especially coming from the author of The Vicious Games. It almost had Scream or other 90s horror vibes to it. I enjoyed the thrills and the descriptions of what was taking place when the demon was taking chase. The other outside plots tended to bore me. Thats why I’d rate this a 3.5 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

2⭐️

Thank you netgalley for sending me a copy of Joelle Wellington’s newest book The Blonde Dies First

The premise of this story had potential but it fell sooooo flat for me. This just missed the mark and was a bit of a disappointment, so I was surprised to see how many high reviews it was getting. I could not relate to any of the characters and actually found all their personalities quite annoying. There was way too much focus on the complicated sister relationship that two of the characters shared in addition to talking way too much about all the teenage relationship drama, it was kind of cringe to me. When the plot finally got to the demon hunting I found myself so confused and bored. The motive of the villain in this was so elementary and lame and I felt like there really wasn’t a lot of depth to it. I found myself skimming a good 45% of the book just to see what happens in the end. Definitely a pass for me but I’m sure there are people out there who will like it! Just wasn’t for me!

The Blonde Dies First is like the movie Scream in book form. Not necessarily the same killer or rules. It does state the rules they are to follow.
At first before any of the action starts it seems really boring and slow. Once the action starts it does move a little faster and it gets better. I wouldn't recommend anyone under 14 to read in my opinion. It isn't really gory or any of that. There are deaths in it but they don't over describe anything. There is a lot of talk about virgins and sex as they apply to some of the "horror movie rules". Overall it was a decent read.

An interesting novel that is exciting and easy to read. Follow a group of inner city kids that have a major problem to solve.

The Blonde Dies First is a queer thriller that is centered around a core group a friends. Our story begins with Devon who is coming to terms with her gifted twin sister heading off to college early. She and her twin, Drew, have a strained relationship, but with this new change, Devon wants to do everything in her power to make their last summer together, the best summer ever.

Between her fear of being left behind by her twin and her growing feelings for her best friend, Yaya, our main heroine has her hands full. But things go from strained to terrifying when a demonic presence begins to pursue the group and shows no signs of slowing down. Can Devon and her friends work together to stop the demon and salvage their “best summer ever” or will they fall before this seemingly unstoppable force?

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

I really enjoyed Their Vicious Games so I was foaming at the mouth for a chance to read this one. This has some of the classic thriller and slasher aspects that I love and explores the dynamic of the friend group so well. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC 🫶🏾.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed Joelle Wellington's previous novel. I had loved it, so was very excited to read this (and thank you to the author/publisher for my copy)! Unfortunately, I was taken aback by how different of a reading experience it was, considering it was by the same author. Personally, I found it difficult to finish reading (but kept going in hopes that it would somehow turn around). While I appreciated the diversity/representation and some of the more powerful themes (sibling dynamics, social status, racism/prejudice, etc), I did not enjoy the overall plot or flow of the story. I really, really struggled to stay engaged. I absolutely loved her previous novel, but this one was a miss for me personally.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Blonde Dies First and its metamodernist approach to the supernatural slasher tropes and themes.

I love horror, movies, books, novellas, podcasts, bring it! First of all The Blonde Dies First is YA and I am not. But, I loved it!
It is more than a horror story; it’s a story of friends, family, unconditional love and tenacity! It follows the typical horror trope (group of friends stalked by a demon unintentionally unleashed during a fateful Ouija board escapade at a really pretentious party) but it’s much more! Rich, quirky, relatable characters, an atmospheric setting and a well crafted plot keep the reader captivated. I’d love to see this adapted into a Netflix series!

Okay first have you seen this cover? I mean wow right! Even the title made me giggle because I mean yes in horror films the dumb blonde always dies first have you seen Scream? The start of this book was a bit slow I was already thinking of putting it on DNF but something told me to keep going and man am I glad I did!! You will not be disappointed keep going! The characters the plot the whole vibe of this book brought me back to the classic horror films that I love!! Definitely an amazing book! I can't wait to check out some of her other books!

Read if you like books with:
🔪 Horror Movies
🩸 Slashers
🏃🏼‍♀️ Horror Tropes
🖤 BIPOC characters
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ Rep
📚 YA Books

From someone who does not watch horror movies but kinda knows a bit about them I feel like this book was everything it was meant to be, but also, that’s coming from someone who doesn’t watch horror or slashers so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

I was so excited to read this one after seeing all the hype the authors previous book received, but for me, I think it didn’t work quite as well because of what I said above, horror just isn’t my thing in this sense.

That said, I loved the bipoc rep, the lgbtq rep, and that the YA in this made it a good foot in the door to this type of horror read for me!

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC and my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This was insane. omg. I went in very blind to what the actual plot of this was, and it kinda added to the shock value of everything that happens. The cast of characters is very diverse, but not in a way that made any of the characters feel like a token. This book as a whole made me feel like it should be October, not July just from the overall vibe of it.

I had such a great time once the plot of the book picked up. My biggest complaints were that the beginning of the book drug a little bit, just as the characters were established, since it is a slightly large group of main characters. There were some points where everything did feel a little repetitive, but it wasn't so bad to the point where I wasn't enjoying the book. I also did guess the twist, which is not something I can usually do, so there's that too. Overall though, had fun.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy of the book!

I did make it 50% through this book but it seemed pretty predictable and I didn't feel I needed to continue on.

I did somewhat like the characters and the story line is a fun teenage friend group haunted by a demon they accidently released via a Quija board.