This book lacked world building for me. I’m all for diving right into the action, but it has to make sense, and in this book, it didn’t really make sense to me. We were seemingly in the world we live in and then all of a sudden there was a demon and the teens just accepted it as normal. It was just odd. I also found the plot to be utterly predictable because of how it was laid out. To me it was like the author wanted it to be predictable and did this intentionally though I could never figure out why. When the reveal came at the end, I wasn’t surprised, I was more confused as I don’t think sufficient details were given as to the cause.

Overall, this is a book I wanted to enjoy because I liked the authors debut, but it just didn’t work for me.

This is an excellent follow-up to Joelle Wellington's debut novel, Their Vicious Games, and has solidified her as an author to watch. As you may be able to guess just from the title, this book follows a group of friends who find themselves in a real-life horror movie, and they are trying to escape death from a monster that seems to follow certain rules.

But this book also has DEPTH. There is a messy sister relationship at the core of the story that I absolutely adored, as well as commentary on gentrification. It was fast-paced as well. Once the story gets going, it gets GOING, and I think that is perfect for this type of book.

There was an extreeeemely stupid decision from one of the characters that everyone should have called out as dumb, and that bothered me a bit. It's true to that character, but I didn't feel like it made sense for the other characters not the call them on it. That's horror movie tropes for you, I guess.

I am so glad I decided to pick up this book. I know this author is going to keep bringing amazing books to the table.

Devon and Drew, sisters till the end, until Drew’s advanced IQ finally propelled her into a special private school in middle school. As graduation approaches, she scoffs at her sister , Drew who says “you want to hang out with my friends” and this is where our story truly begins.

Twins who have grown apart, last summer together and Devon wants to spend her last summer finding out who her sister is now and what she wants to become. But an ouija board gets pulled out and you can guess what happens from there.

As much as I loved Their Vicious Games, this book could do no wrong. As usual, the characters are fun and interesting. This definitely had a slower start to the action- I would not consider it fast paced. And it had a little too much predictability for me. Once the ending hit, it rushed through it too quickly and needed a little more detail. Currently I’m seeing it as thriller genre and really hope it gets marketed as young adult horror.

I might be biased (ps, I definitely am) but as long as I had fun with this one, I knew I was going to enjoy it. If you’re looking to dive into Joelle Wellington, I would start with Their Vicious Games. But she does write a great ensemble! I would round up to 3.5 stars

As a lover of campy, bad horror movies I absolutely loved this book! This book was simply made for people who love bad horror movies and social commentary, our cast of characters literally get sucked into a shitty horror movie!

I loved our main cast of characters, even when they were being annoying (when are teenagers not annoying know it alls?). Each one of them fit the horror archetype they were made to so well, it was so obvious who they were supposed to be but they all had their own little twist on the character. I really enjoyed being in Devon's head the entire book, she was so witty and quick thinking.

While this is a horror novel and follows the slasher/demon horror movie formula, at its core <i>The Blonde Dies First</i> is a love letter to community, friends, and found family. Readers watch these teens who care about each other and where they grew up more than anything in the world fight to protect that. We watch them tackle gentrification of their beloved neighborhood, dealing with changing friendship dynamics as people start to graduate and get ready for what comes after high school, and so much more.

The relationship between Devon and Drew is so special, twin relationships always make me tear up in books, and Joelle nailed how complicated and special the relationship you have with your twin is. You get each other better than anyone else but also never get the other at the same time.

While the book is predictable I still had a lot of fun with it! I think some of the pacing fell off a little bit but when it did it very soon after was back on track and my attention was captured again. This is the perfect book for people who like
-slasher & possession horror movies
-coming of age stories
-strong friendships

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Thank you Simon, Schuster and netgalley for this arc!

YA, LGBTQ and a thriller novel. What's more to love!

Set in new York City. Teenagers on summer break experience a summer they will never forget.

Honestly I loved this book. It grossed me out in the best way and scared me so much that I had to sleep with the lights on. But also had me laughing until tears. All the greatest things wrapped into one book.

Second book I've read by this author and will be tuning into more.

This was fun lol. A good 2nd book for JW. Following your horror movie trope - a group of friends trying to survive. I like when books don’t go as you expect, when you think you know what’s going to happen, who’s going to get bumped off - love these diverse books. Keep them coming!

Thank you Netgallay & Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for my first early arc.

Perfect summer read. Everything from the beginning to the end. It show the basic rules like those of a horror movie. Fun and the balance it gives everything.

Devon was everything. I love it 😋 also it was a fun action/comedy thriller read 😱😉.
The other characters / her and drew friends was a rowdy bunch they all have different personality and feels throughout the book. Especially the girls.

The final girl. 😈

The Blonde Dies First is perfect for any horror sapphire lovers.

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖
Genre: 😵 Horror Thriller
Sub-Genre: YA
Violence: 🔪🔪
Spice: 🔥(age appropriate)

Synopsis: I read Wellington’s Their Vicious Games, a teen thriller, earlier this year and became an instant fan. This new novel blends thriller with horror as a group of teens battle a demonic force that seems determined to murder its way through their friend group in accordance with horror movie cannon. But would a demon really follow the horror movie kill list shot for shot?

Thoughts: I loved Scream when it came out my senior year of high school, so I adored the meta elements of this story as it laid out the relevant horror movie tropes and then subverted them. I will admit that horror is not generally my genre, but I’m glad I stepped into this one. While this is a horror novel, it is also a story about relationships. Wellington evocatively captures the love, loyalty, and friction of a group of childhood friends and neighbors. She also illustrates that while family isn’t perfect, there’s always a chance to mend fences, even if one is fighting off a murderous demon. This novel is a love letter to Brooklyn and the importance of community. The hows and whys of the story’s inciting event felt a little vague once explained and the resolution was perhaps a bit more revenge-fantasy-made-real than I would have liked. That being said, I’m not sure the origin story allowed for any other denouement. And I certainly didn’t see the final twists coming. To write a book that is at once a self-referential horror romp and an engaging character study proves Wellington’s writing chops. I look forward to seeing what she offers next.

Thank you to @simonandschuster for the #gifted copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the gifted copy. This was a good read. The book has my attention from start to finish. Will this be your next read?

if this book has zero fans i am dead honestly because i absolutely loved reading this. the way the author finds a way to encapsulate her fans and keeping them hooked with plot twist after plot twist. these kids were so funny and shared the same exact thoughts i did. another thing i loved was the thrill the demon brought like coming out of nowhere had me so hooked

Devon has my whole heart.

She's alt, loves to crochet, and is queer. But she also struggles with self-doubt in a way a lot of us can relate to.

This was such a fun book and I flew through it. It takes the classic meta-horror of Scream and brings it full circle to the modern day.

The demon in this book was effective and unnerving. It would never make the same mistakes as Ghostface. The lore surrounding it was honestly one of my favorite parts of this book.

There was no religion needed no possession, it was so refreshing.

Even though this book was themed around horror movie tropes it breaks away from the tropes that plague demonic entities in popular media.
.

I want to thank Netgalley, Joelle Wellington, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review

This is the perfect book for horror nerds everywhere!🥰 I loved this sooo much! Definitely one of my fave reads of the year! My horror-loving heart is so happy!🖤🫶🏽 This is horror-comedy done perfectly!

The characters were so amazing! I loved them so much. They all had such distinct personalities. The character development was great & organic. We got to know the characters naturally through their actions & dialogue rather than just being told who they’re supposed to be.

This is the funniest book I’ve read in a long time. I laughed out loud several times. But, the horror element was incredibly distinct as well. I even enjoyed the romantic subplot, which is rare for me because I usually prefer romance-free horror. But, every piece of the story had its place and there was a perfect balance of everything. It definitely felt like a fun, trope-y horror movie in the best way!

Even though the story follows the horror movie formula, the book wasn’t predictable in any way. This would make a great movie! It gave Scream vibes in several ways! (the original movie, not the awful sequels) I do feel like the explanation of everything at the end was slightly confusing, but not enough to dampen my enjoyment! I’m a poly-reader, I’m always reading multiple books at a time, but when I was reading this I didn’t pick up anything else! I was ADDICTED! Lemme hurry up and read Their Vicious Games by this author because after reading this, I want to read all her books!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc! All opinion are my own.

CW: gentrification, classicism, adult/minor interactions, micro-aggressions, drug use

(full review will go up on my socials closer to publication day per the publisher’s request)

I really enjoyed this one!! An action packed supernatural horror/thriller set in NY?? Say no more, I’m in!!

If you love shitty predictable horror movies, you will love this book (said with so much love and not as an insult). Our main cast of characters finds themselves in situation mirroring a shitty horror movie and following all the tropes we know and love (or sometimes hate).

Some people might think that the book would be boring, since it’s established from the beginning how the plot is going to unfold since we’re following specific tropes, but the author found ways to add in her own twists and turns to keep readers on their toes and I was definitely surprised at the end!

I loved our main cast of characters (with the exception of Drew) and although this is a horror novel, this is also a love letter to friend groups and how friends are really like families. With the book being on the shorter side, it would’ve been easy for the characters to feel two dimensional and very shallow, but I think the author did a great job with showing the dynamics between all of the group members and giving us enough information about them as individuals that they all felt like fully fleshed out characters. I also appreciated that they were able to grow and change throughout the novel.

I do think the pacing was a little off and there were times where my attention would drift, and Drew pissed me off for 90% of the book which is why I’m giving this a 4 instead of a 5 but overall, I really enjoyed this and if you read Joelle’s first book and enjoyed it I highly recommend this one as well.

Thank you to Simon & Schuester for providing me with this eARC!

Thank you net galley for this ARC of “The Blonde Dies First!!!!!! Joelle Wellington blew this book out the water!!!!! This was such a FUN read! I literally could not put it down! This was also my first slasher/ thriller!!!!! When the ouiji board entered the chat, I already knew this book was about to go crazy!!!!! Taking place in NYC, a group of teenage friends were being hunted by a demon and the kill order was based on an old horror movies plot! These friends worked together to try to outsmart this demon and keep everyone alive. The blonde definitely died first!!!!! As you can imagine, friendships were on the line, lots of blame was placed, and hospital visits were involved! I loved the elements of friendship, community, diversity, and comedy. Joelle was really in her bag with this one. I’m excited for all that’s to come from her!!!!!

AHHHHHHHH!!!! This book was SO good! And that’s a true compliment coming from me because I normally do not like YA or thriller/ mystery books. But when I tell you this book had me skipping outings just to get back to the characters I cannot make this up. Joelle wrote not only a fantasy story but she also created these five characters who are so loyal and unwavering in their loyalty to each other that you can’t help but root for them.
If you are like me in that books play out like movies in your head definitely pick this up ASAP. The descriptive writing style of Ms. Wellington painted such a vivid picture in my head of every interaction throughout this book that I couldn’t help being sucked into this universe Joelle has created for her readers.
If you take nothing else from this review please note that this book was so good I went and bought Joelle’s Their Vicious Games before even finishing The Blonde Dies First because I enjoyed her writing style so much. I found myself refreshing my kindle, hoping for something (anything) more but all in all this book was a fantastic read with a super satisfying ending that will have you enraptured until the very last word.

Short and Sweet Review
Devon is determined to have the best summer ever, she even has a list of requirements. Devon’s twin sister Drew is graduating a year early, so this summer is the time they have to spend together. When The twins and their group of friends go to a party at one of Drews friends house things go downhill. At the party an Ouija board is brought out and then Devon and her friend are chased by a demon and this demon kills in the kind of order you would see in a horror movie. If the group is correct the last one the demon is coming after is the final girl and they either have to kill the demon or be killed.
The Blonde Dies First, not only deals with a group of friends trying to avoid a demon but it’s also a story about sisterhood. Devon and Drew don’t always get along, Devon usually feels like she’s inadequate when compared to Drew but Drew doesn’t like the pedestal people put her on and we see this relationship evolve during the book. Okay back to the action, after Drew’s goofy friend plays with an Ouija board Devon is attacked by the demon but ends up surviving. Devon and Drew have a group of four other friends, and their friend Gael realizes that the demon is following a kill order from a horror movie. They also realize that Devons crush Yaya is the final girl. Now that they know what to expect from the demon they form a plan. I enjoyed reading this book, it did feel like a horror movie and you can just picture everything playing out. I loved this group of friends and they understood the assignment, they had each others backs and they knew not to split up! When we get to the end of the book we learn who summoned the demon and when we hear their reasoning it’s a bit ridiculous. I usually don’t like when culprits have bad reasonings but I feel like the author knew what she was doing here because the characters even said, “this is so unserious.” The ending was good and I loved the different relationships that are portrayed in this book from the family, friend, or even romantic.
This was a fun action packed thriller/horror novel. The book may seem predictable, but it doesn’t take away from the story. If you enjoy horror movies you’ll definitely have a good time reading this book!

This is another great YA horror from Joelle Wellington, perfect for a summer read. The characters have depth and are differentiated from the beginning, and the story itself is a great mix of self-aware satire and very earnest supernatural-slasher horror. The way Wellington deals with white privilege--and dumbassery--is great, as the main characters have to deal with the fallout of their white peers' Ouija shenanigans. It definitely lives up to the cover!

Imagine it's summertime. You are in your late teens, hanging out with a small group of your closest friends & twin sister. You decide that this summer is going to be the best summer ever, so you plan it out accordingly. It has to be the best since your sister is leaving you (again) to attend college early. All seems to be going well until a demon comes after YOU first & then decides to haunt each of your friends for the next few days. Straight out of a horror movie, it seems! Or is it!?

The Blonde Dies First definitely gave me all of the fuzzy summertime vibes of staying out late, hanging with friends. We follow Devon & her crew as they piece together who summoned the demon after them & how to kill it off. The idea is based off of past horror movies & their cliche 'kill order'. Anyone who has watched any horror/paranormal movies made within the last 20 years will recognize a few references & nods.

The beginning of the book was a tad overwhelming with details about every little thing, but tampered off after a while. I liked how each character is open about their sexuality & has a love interest, which is intertwined well with the horror/thriller elements of the book. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would!

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the eARC of this book for my honest review!

This book was amazing from start to finish. This is the second book I've read by Joelle Wellington and it feels like she has mastered the art of balancing humor, heart and horror. Although I did guess the villain pretty early on I still enjoyed the ride leading up to the big reveal. But I have to say my absolute favorite part of the book was the characters. I fell in love with Drew, Devon and thier friend group and found myself wishing I had a group of friends like them ( minus the being hunted by a demon). The characters were so well written and each had so much personality that it was easy to get lost in the story and imagine them as real people that you were rooting for. They were smart, funny, strong but also flawed and vulnerable. I also loved the final confrontation and the fact that we got closure as the reader. Definitely loved this book and looking forward to more from this author.

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