"From New York Times bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones comes a classic slasher story with a twist - perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix.

1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton - and a place where everyone knows everyone else's business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, the unfairness of being on the outside, through the slasher horror he lives but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic."

Period nostalgia and summer horror in one!

I enjoyed the story and the worldbuilding. I like the idea of a slasher being a movie monster akin to werewolves. The biggest drawback is the writing. It's written in a stream-of-consciousness style that frequently goes off-topic. As someone with ADHD, this made for a challenging read. I often had to reread pages because I was confused about what was happening or the story did not keep me invested. I would love to see this become a movie. The story is good, but I don't think Jones's writing style works well for me.

I struggled to find this engaging. I tried both the arc and the audio and sadly I just found the initial set up a bit too all over the place.

This was my first Sephen Graham Jones and I’m glad I started with this book. This felt like a coming of age story for our 17 year old protagonist Tolly. This is told in an autobiography style by Tolly himself. He writes about his entire experience in detail. I think we all can see a piece of Tolly in all of us. He is a scrawny kid growing up in the 80’s grieving the recent loss of his father. He is feeling somewhat lost and confused on how he should act which makes him a target by some school bullies. He goes to a party one evening and his life and many others change forever.

I enjoyed following Tolly and his best friend Amber throughout this story. I thought their friendship was strong and SGJ wrote their friendship well. You rooted for Tolly throughout the book even though he was doing some terrible things. There were some pretty gruesome scenes in here and I made the mistake of reading before bed, hello nightmares, but that’s the whole point of reading horror right? Overall, I would recommend this book to the horror buffs and SGJ fans out there. You won’t be disappointed in Tolly and his Slasher persona.

Thank you to Netgalley, Stephen Graham Jones and Saga Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book expecting similar storylines to the Indian Lake Trilogy, and I was wrong in the best way possible. I didn't expect I'd be weeping at the end of a slasher book, but weep I did! The format and POV it is written in does lead it to become a bit redundant in the apology department- we apologize to a lot of the same people almost every chapter- but besides that menial gripe I was sold! Never have I been so shocked by writing then immediately switch to feeling pain for the slasher. Brilliant!

I Was a Teenage Slasher was such a great read. It is full of dark humor and references to 80s and 90s slashers. I would definitely recommend to fans of Hendrix and Sager.

SGJ had a tough act to follow after giving me a character as dynamic and fierce as Jade (so if you haven't read the My Heart Is A Chainsaw trilogy, what are you even doing with your life? Pause here and go read those immediately) but I could not wait to dive into IWATS.

Also try not saying that title to the tune of I Teenage Dirtbag, I dare you.

From the publisher, via goodreads:
1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton—and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, the unfairness of being on the outside, through the slasher horror he lives but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic.

I...love it. I love it. I don't know where else to start. I love it.

This is so much more than a slasher. It's a rich, nuanced tale of identity and horror, a bleeding heart in every sense of the term. The power of SGJ's writing is in the straight forward brutal honesty. He doesn't shy away from gore or feelings and both will leave you raw and emotionally invested in the end. Tolly's character is utterly relatable and the confessional tone somehow manages to put you on the outside with him while also giving you carte blanche insight into the blueprint of his mind.

Unique, brutal, deep, and haunting, I Was A Teenage Slasher is an automatic classic and an absolute must-read. Do yourself a favor and save room on your shelves for the entire SGJ collection.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing an eARC in exchange for review consideration.

I have so many mixed feelings here. To label this a horror novel would technically be correct -- but at its beating heart, I believe it was trying to be a love story. A complicated, confused one, but still a love story nonetheless.

Stephen Graham Jones is such a talented writer when it comes to endearing you to his characters. It was hard not to feel for Tolly and Amber both throughout this. I think that's why I kept turning proverbial pages at lightning speed because a part of me hoped for a happy ending for both of them.

That being said, in terms of gore or climactic action, there was arguably little here. This was set up to be -- in my opinion -- much darker than it ultimately read to be. This was Tolly's arguable coming of age, or maybe coming to terms with himself. It was interesting to read from the point of view of a cinema-style "slasher", sure, but the result was this could have perhaps been 100 pages shorter or even a novella and would have had similar punch to what was eventually offered. The idea itself is interesting, but the stretching out of a arguably predictable plot to really hammer home to emotional impact it had on a teenager personally didn't land the way I feel it could have.

My thanks to Saga Press for the Advanced Readers Copy -- Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorites.

As I’m finding with most fiction books that explore the slasher and final girl tropes, this story was very meta. What I mean by this is that the characters always reference the tropes outright and use this knowledge to inform their decisions. I love it.

This novel goes heavy on exploring horror tropes with characters that are well aware of them. This has obviously been done many times in horror movies and novels, but what makes this one a little unique is that we are in the mind of a teenager who is cursed to become a serial killer.

It’s an intriguing premise and it’s interesting to be in the viewpoint of a teenager who really doesn’t want to kill. Also, some of the murder scenes are really gruesome. I loved the discussion of victims, what makes a final girl a final girl, and the main character transforming into this scary slasher killer who’s mask is made from belts? There is some humor mixed with the horror that made this a very enjoyable read.

I really really wanted to like this book and I did somewhat. The idea behind it was great and I loved the two main characters. The story ebbed and flowed so much that I unfortunately lost interest off and on. I could totally see this being an amazing B comedy horror film.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book before publication! The review will be live on my blog on 7/5/24. I will also feature the review on Instagram that same day and post my review to Goodreads, The Storygraph, Fable, and retail sites.

Review:

There is nothing I love more than a good slasher. As of late, I've found that slasher books can be hit or miss for me, but that was not the case with this one. Stephen Graham Jones knocked it out of the park and made my 80s slasher-loving heart so happy. This gripping novel takes us back to the year 1989 in the sleepy town of Lamesa, Texas, where seventeen-year-old Tolly Driver finds himself caught up in a sinister curse that will change his life forever.

We spend the entire book in the mind of Tolly, a seemingly ordinary man with a dark and deadly secret to tell. Thirty-some-odd years after he was forced to leave his sleepy West Texas town, he is finally ready to tell his story. Armed with an old computer, he sits down to write out what happened the summer between his junior and senior years of high school - something that caused him to murder six people and then disappear, never to be heard from again. As the story unfolds, we witness Tolly struggling with the death of his father and eventually having to come to terms with the bloody path that fate has laid out for him. With each page turned, we are drawn deeper into the dark and twisted world of a young man driven to kill for revenge. Tolly never wanted to be a slasher, but he and his best friend Amber made a fateful decision to go to a party, and a series of events transpired that left Tolly vulnerable to something that turned him into a homicidal maniac.

Jones paints a vivid picture of life in rural Texas during the late 80s, bringing the setting to life with vivid descriptions and attention to detail, transporting readers back in time to a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business and nothing exciting ever happens -at least not before this fateful night that kicks everything into super-high gear.

Jones does an excellent job of building tension and suspense throughout the novel, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they follow Tolly's journey toward his inevitable fate of hacking through those who wronged him, culminating in a showdown with his final girl. The writing is crisp and engaging, with a raw and authentic voice that brings the characters and setting to life. What really made the novel shine was the bits of comedy peppered throughout. Tolly is not the hulking, lurking shape we're used to seeing when it comes to a slasher. He's tall and, lanky and unassuming. He also really doesn't want to hurt anyone, but he can't help but succumb to the drive of the slasher inhabiting his mind.

What I also loved about this book was the unique perspective from which it is told. Instead of following the typical formula of a group of victims being pursued by an unknown, masked killer, we are given insight into the mind of the killer himself. Tolly's struggle with his actions and the weight of his curse makes for a compelling and very entertaining read.

Jones definitely knows slasher movies and all of the tropes that we've grown to expect from them. I loved how he explained the 'schtink' sound knives make any time Tolly picks one up, cars that won't start when he touches them, and old chainsaws that only start for him; Jones covers it all in very entertaining detail.

If you are a fan of 80s slasher films, then you must read this book. It's the perfect summer read for fans of horror and psychological thrillers. With its unique narrative style, richly drawn characters, and engaging look at what makes a slasher tick, this novel will keep you hooked from start to finish. I couldn't put it down, and I will definitely purchase a finished copy when it is released.

"I Was a Teenage Slasher" by Stephen Graham Jones is an electrifying and genre-bending novel that completely captivated me from start to finish.

Jones masterfully blends horror, humor, and coming-of-age themes to create a story that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling. The protagonist, an ordinary teenager thrust into extraordinary and terrifying circumstances, navigates a world where the lines between victim and villain blur. Jones' ability to create complex characters ensured that I was deeply invested in their fates, which heightened the tension and emotional impact of the story.

What really stood out to me was the innovative approach to the slasher genre. Jones pays homage to the classic tropes while simultaneously subverting them, offering unexpected twists and turns that kept the narrative fresh and unpredictable. His writing style is sharp and engaging, with vivid descriptions that brought the horror to life without resorting to gratuitous gore.

"I Was a Teenage Slasher" also excels in its exploration of deeper themes. Through the lens of horror, Jones delves into issues of identity, trauma, and the struggles of adolescence. The protagonist's journey is not just about survival, but also about self-discovery and confronting inner demons.

Stephen Graham Jones has crafted a novel that is both a love letter to and a reimagining of the slasher genre. "I Was a Teenage Slasher" is a must-read for horror fans and anyone looking for a compelling and original story. It's a thrilling, thought-provoking, and highly entertaining read that left me eagerly anticipating what Jones will come up with next.

What a lovely twist on the slasher story - a slasher that doesn’t want to be one, but is cursed by the blood of a slasher he witnessed killing his classmates. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again here, Stephen Graham Jones is a master of the slasher genre and his knowledge of the genre shines through in his writing.

He also can write some incredible characters with complex relationships. The fact this whole book is really just a letter from the slasher to his best friend was a fun aspect to the story that takes on a whole new meaning at the end. What a beautiful and sad ending to this story! I loved this story so much and am working my way through reading all things by the authors as soon as I can now.

I’ve read a lot of Stephen Graham Jones, and for some reason, I walked into this with preconceived notions that this would be a typical slasher story. I should have known that he would put the most interesting twist on it, while still honoring the slasher genre in the only way he can. I loved it.
Tolly Driver is a typical, awkward teenager low on the social food chain of his high school in Lamesa, Texas in the 1980’s. He’s got one best friend, and a deadly peanut allergy. He also unwittingly becomes a slasher. He didn’t want to. Really. It just happened one night.
This story is such a fun, engrossing, sometimes heart-tugging slasher by one of my all-time favorites.

Anyone surprised that Stephen Graham Jones is perfection? Cool, me neither.

Stephen Graham Jones is an auto-read for me now. Pair that with my favorite horror movie trope, the classic American slasher, and we’re guaranteed a 5/5 star book. And guess what, it lived up to the hype.

Thanks so much for fueling new nightmares, all centered around Justin Joss and the pumpjack. Legit had real nightmares about him. Justin aside, as he’s not even the main character, this book was so nuanced and layered, I’m going to be thinking about it for quite some time.

Truly a great summer read and will perfectly take you into spooky season.

“I Was a Teenage Slasher” is told via a letter from Tolly to his best high school friend Amber, not unlike other books by Stephen Graham Jones. It seems that if the blood of a reanimated corpse bent on revenge mixes with your blood, it turns you into a “slasher” bent on vengeance. This is what happens at popular kid Deek’s party who also happens to be one of the kids who accidentally killed Justin Joss. Tolly and his friend Amber (who are not popular) decide they are going to the party. Unfortunately, the popular kids aren’t done picking on unpopular kids like Tolly and Justin. Tolly gets raging drunk at the party because people keep giving him mixed drinks. Once Tolly is incredibly drunk to the point of vomiting, the band kids decide to have some fun and strap Tolly to a lounge chair with their belts. Then someone gives Tolly a drink with a few peanuts in it and force him to drink it. Despite vomiting, Tolly has a bad reaction to the peanuts because he is violently allergic to nuts. Fortunately one of the girls at the party who used to babysit for Tolly knows about his allergy and goes and gets his EpiPen. Once Stace uses the EpiPen on Tolly, his condition improves, but then Justin Joss shows up at the party. Several of the kids at the party were responsible for Justin’s death and he wants his revenge. During the melee in which Justin kills several of the kids, two drops of “blood” from Justin drop onto Tolly. When Tolly rubs his forehead to remove the blood, Justin’s “blood” gets into the cut on his forehead. The book continues on with Tolly becoming a “slasher” killing the kids that had wronged him.

I really enjoyed this story. It was different from the Jade Daniels books in that Tolly himself is not a “slasher” fan, although his friend Amber and her brother are. The way that Tolly becomes a “slasher” is different from any other thing like this I have read. It was an incredibly creative idea. As a “slasher” fan from the 1980’s, I understood a lot of what Tolly and Amber were discussing and I think people who know the film genre will enjoy the storyline.

Thank you to Saga Press for allowing me to read the book in advance of publication.

This will definitely appeal to horror nerds. It had a lot of elements I really liked. The play on horror tropes was really interestingly done. I loved the West Texas setting. You could tell Jones knew what he was talking about. The setting really added to the overall horror mood. I really struggled with the writing style, though. I had a hard time following the plot with the main character's long and meandering flashbacks mid-action scene. I think those that love Jones's Indian Lake Trilogy will still really like this one.

Stephen Graham Jones turns the slasher genre on its head by telling the story from the slasher’s point of view. Tolly Driver is growing up in 1980’s West Texas when he unexpectedly becomes a killer one hot July. With the help of his slasher movie-loving best friend, Amber, he navigates his new need for vengeance. Somehow SGJ created a slasher you can’t help but love. You may come for the slasher vibes and 80’s nostalgia, but you’ll stay for the friendship dynamics and unique coming-of-age story! If you are a horror fan, you need this book in your collection!

Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for the advanced copy.

Interesting, I love a lot of what I've read by this author (especially Mongrels). Having a fresh take on the so thoroughly overdone slasher genre is always refreshing and makes for a perfect summer read.

From the creator of Jade Daniels and the young narrative voice of Mongrels, comes Tolly Driver, a young man with allergies, social awkwardness, a single solid friend, and really bad luck. After visiting a party he and his friend Amber probably should not have visited, the two are drawn into a story arc as old as Blood Feast and as trapped by genre as Halloween.

Just when I thought he couldn't pull another story out by drawing from the roots of slasher films, Stephen Graham Jones tips the whole thing on its ear and gives you a new perspective. A view from the other side of the one-way mirror into the half of the genre normalliy reserved for the shadows.

Every story deserves to be told, even if when it's dark and inevitable.

A wonderful novel, beautifully told.