The Run-Down: In I Was a Teenage Slasher, Stephen Graham Jones boldly inverts the slasher genre in this heartfelt, yet frequently confusing, horror entry.


Review:
I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones is a retroactive perspective of a former teenage slasher, Tolly Driver, who was cursed to murder for revenge at the age of seventeen after a party goes very wrong. Jones fully adopts the voice of Tolly, even down to his typing style (Tolly underlines italicized words and uses a double en-dash for an em-dash). It takes a skilled author to write a novel in the style of an amateur, but Jones mostly pulls it off. Tolly’s desultory and uptalk-riddled narration adds a certain level of charm to the story, and it highlights the tragedy of Tolly’s situation—even though he is cursed to murder his peers in a universe-ordained act of revenge, he’s still a goofy, astray kid at heart.

The narration in I Was a Teenage Slasher will not work for everyone, however, as it requires a certain level of concentration to understand. The setting, action, and characters of the story move at a rapid pace without visible markers for transition between them—this, coupled with constant references to specific pieces of mechanical equipment or set pieces, often results in a confusing and frustrating reading experience. Tolly’s reflection on his life alternates between the profound, irreverent, and tragic; this book is concerned with the loss of innocence and agency in a world that expects people to play certain roles. Unfortunately, the frequently bewildering plot mechanics of Tolly’s slasher role often undermine the depth and clarity with which Jones explores these themes.

The heart of the story, however, lies in Tolly’s character and his relationship with his best friend, Amber. Jones nails the awkward, aimless nature of Tolly’s seventeen-year-old character as he navigates the death of his father, high school bullies, and his transformation into a movie villain. At his side is his loyal friend Amber, who recognizes Tolly’s cursed state for what it is and does her best to guide him through his path from dopey teen to violent murderer. Their relationship lends this story its heart, humor, and tragedy, and ultimately results in a surprisingly poignant ending to a book riddled with groan-worthy jokes and gag-worthy slasher horror.

You might like this book if . . .
· You are a fan of slasher movies
· You want to read a unique take on the slasher genre
· You want to read a book that will make you laugh, scream, and cry

You might not like this book if . . .
· You don’t have a strong stomach for gross-out horror
· You find the narrative style—written to mimic Tolly’s unfiltered, amateurish, and confessional writing style—distracting or irritating
· You want a horror book that you can enjoy with your brain off


Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! SGJ does it again. Another entry in what feels like a masterclass in slashers. This book’s DNA feels like the culmination of his previous works, making it feel both familiar and brand new. A treat for his constant readers and a great introduction for new readers. This one does it all. It showcases Jones’ obsession with slashers while also breathing air made of the weirdness and idiosyncrasies that make his work stick with you, rattling in your head, for so long. Can’t wait for the next one. Can’t believe I’m alive at the same time as Stephen Graham Jones and Caitlin Clark.

“You think big thoughts when you’re seventeen.
Big, stupid thoughts.”

And these thoughts, stupid though they may be, often are, they’re kinda how we all survive the genre that is high school. But what if you’re suddenly thrust into a whole other genre? And what if that genre is horror? I mean, the high school genre is a bit of that in its own way, yeah, but still. One day it’s surviving high school, the next it’s just surviving.

Best of times, right?

Since we’re now in Horror-land, though, it’s all as the croupier says: rien ne va plus.

No one’s safe, and getting slashed, that’s something I suspect we’re all actively wanting to very much not happen, but what if that horror dial got cranked to Spinal Tap levels and not only do you have to witness the carnage, but have to be the one causing it? More so, what if you can’t stop? What if there’s a very definite end, but that end still has you on one side of a blade and another living, breathing human on the other?

“Ghosts aren’t the only ones who have to stick around for unfinished business,” after all.

You’re a slasher. You didn’t ask to be, but you are. From here on out it’s masks and blood and knowing however much you limp, how shot or torn up you are, it’ll never keep your hands clean, nor your conscience.

But maybe you’ll have the best best friend ever, though, too. Like Tolly. Maybe you’ll have an Amber Big Plume Dennison on your side, someone who can still see you in you, someone who’ll give you a piece of humanity to remember, to cling to. Someone who’ll give you memories “you don’t measure in minutes or miles, but by how much of yourself is still in” them.

Slashers may not die easily, but love is immortal.

Schting!

4 stars

What's it like to creep around in a teenage slasher's brain? Well, you, too, can find out the answer to that question - and find yourself surprised in some ways - in this aptly named effort from the inimitable Stephen Graham Jones!

Tolly Driver, the fantastically named m.c., is the titular teenage slasher. The novel is set in the late '80s, and those of us who lived through that time will all find added appeal in the author's exceptional rendering of place. While the desolation and unbearable expectations of this Texas town are at the center, so are the times, along with what it's like to be a contemporary high schooler. Tolly recounts pivotal experiences - his own and others' - that reveal the terrors of his nemeses and the rationale for his subsequent choices and behaviors. These scenes are memorable and, in some ways, visceral, and they meet the definition of horror in more ways than one.

Structurally, this very much FEELS autobiographical. Readers get right into Tolly's mind and perspective and experience his repeated memories and minor gaps. What I came to love most about this book is the relationship between Tolly and the final girl, and while I did have some periodic struggles with the pacing and structure, I never lost interest in or focus on this aspect. I also really appreciated how vulnerable Tolly is. This isn't a quality I expected to associate with him, but so many details of his character, even down to the pervasiveness of a serious allergy, reinforce this element.

This is a unique read that I enjoyed for the horror elements but even more so because of the character study and that aforementioned specific relationship. It's does seem like today's teens are wilding out, but this book is a good reminder that they have nothing on those of us who survived young lives in the '80s.

I really wanted to live this book as I am a huge fan of this author and his Indian trilogy.
But alas, I couldn’t even get a third of the way through. I did not like the story structure or how it was told - frankly, I couldn’t even discern if it was the narrator’s imagination, fact or fantasy. I love a good slasher/serial killer novel more than any other genre but….
I am not soured on this author but this was a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this highly anticipated ARC. What else can be said? Dr. Jones consistently gives us the finest horror. I loved this book: the gore, the emotions and slasheryness all layered into one entertaining and captivating story. An absolute auto buy author for life <3