I’ve had mixed experiences with Stephen graham jones but I loved this. It was just such a fun, fast read! I think it had some gore (as expected) but there was so much more heart to it then I expected. Going in I expected more like a memoir of a serial killer but it felt more like a drama at parts with the dialogue and set up. It’s very unique and even if you aren’t a big Stephen graham jones fan I highly recommend this.
4.5/5 stars.

I’m biased because I not only love Stephen Graham Jones, but I also love a good 1980s summer slasher - and that’s exactly what this is, especially the first half. The set up of everything felt so visceral and I could easily picture myself reading this in the summer, popsicle melting down my arm, and heavy metal blasting in my ears. It’s a great release for July! It’s hard coming off the heels of The Lake Witch Trilogy, especially with characters as strong as Letha and Jade, but Tolly and Amber won me over enough that I welled up by the end. As always, Jones’ dissection of the horror genre is so enjoyable when you’re an equally big fan of the material, and I’m so grateful that I got to read the book early! 4.5 stars

Was going to give this four stars but in the end I just couldn't do it.

Told as a memoir/confession when he is about 35 year old, Tolly Driver reveals the events that happened when he when he was 17 years old and became a slasher like from an 80's movie. The telling is a bit teenage awkward with loads of terminology from farming and oil rigs told like we should know what he means, and little turn of phrases that aren't native to where I'm from.

The blurb said this book is for fans of Grady Hendrix and Riley Sager, but apart from both of them having "final girls" in titles of their books, this feels unique and not quite their writing styles. The first half or so had the same pace as Paul Tremblay's The Pallbearers Club, slow with lots of backstory and rambling memories of when his father was still alive, inner dialogue, and Tolly trying to make sense of what is happening to him. The second half though, was where everything comes alive. His friend Amber comes up with a theory that explains his changes, and it is so brilliant that it accounts for all the flaws in the old slasher movies as well. I can't reveal anything else, but this story's premise was so unique you have to discover it for yourself. Loved the unexpected ending as well.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It’s 1989 in Lamesa, Texas a clumsy outcast, Tolly Driver, along with his life-long best friend Amber hit up a high school party against their better judgement. While in attendance, they’re inadvertently caught in the middle of a blood-bath on the part of a deranged killer seemingly back from the dead. Caught in the cross-fire and nearly left for dead, Tolly begins noticing strange things happening to him. How can he suddenly hit perfect targets without trying? Why do vehicles struggle to start in his presence? How is he able to fire up long-dead chainsaws? What is Tolly turning into?

Stephen Graham Jones’ THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS was arguably the best book I read in 2020 and I mostly enjoyed MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW (still have to read those sequels), so I when I saw I WAS A TEENAGE SLASHER available for review on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t really click with me, which is surprising given that more than a few blurbs and reviews said this one would be perfect for fans of Grady Hendrix. But this is one of those occasions where I think maybe Hendrix would have done it better? I hate saying something like that because there’s no way of ever knowing and it’s certainly not fair to the author. This is HIS book, after all. But I have a feeling that Hendrix is on a roll right now with meta-horror fiction that it feels more like Jones is trying his hand at what Hendrix has been doing.

In presenting this like a slasher’s memoir, I get what Jones was going for here by inhabiting Tolly’s scattered thoughts and confusion. For me however, I had a tough time following the action, which left me frustrated re-reading passages over and over again rather than getting that feeling of atmospheric immersion you crave with horror fiction. Even if that’s the point, I didn’t enjoy the experience. Just wasn’t for me.

dnf at 15%
I really wanted to like this book, the concept sounded really fun, but something about the writing didn't work for me, I couldn't get into it


Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada | S&S/Saga Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was so fun! Brought me right back to being a teenager. Due to the writing style in this one, told from the perspective and voice of a seventeen year old boy, you have to just let go and go with the flow. Ignore the 10 thousand commas.

If you like silly teen slashers from the 80s and 90s then definitely give this one a go. Not on the same level as The Only Good Indians, but definitely a fun little read.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the arc!