Thank you Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Scarlett Dunmore’s “How to Survive a Horror Movie” is a spirited debut that leans into every teen slasher trope with love, humor, and a generous helping of gore. It's a YA horror mystery that wears its influences proudly on its blood-spattered sleeve—think “Scream,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and a dash of “Heathers” for good measure. But rather than subverting the rules of horror, it gleefully plays by them, offering commentary for those with experience in horror while also providing younger readers a solid, entertaining introduction to the genre.

At the heart of the story is Charley Sullivan, a self-proclaimed horror nerd trying to escape a murky past by transferring to a remote all-girls boarding school off the coast of Ireland. Her plan to keep a low profile quickly goes up in smoke when her classmates start turning up dead. Luckily—or unluckily—Charley has one strange advantage: she can see and talk to the ghosts of the recently murdered. With the help of her sardonic best friend Olive and a growing cast of freshly-dead teens, Charley finds herself caught in a real-life slasher flick, racing to unmask the killer before she ends up the next victim.

Charley is a charming, snarky protagonist with a deep knowledge of horror cinema, and her voice gives the book its pulse. While her ghostly sidekicks occasionally dip the tone more into friendly hauntings than terrifying murders, the banter and interactions keep the energy high. Charley’s dry humor and endless horror movie references will resonate with those who regularly engage with horror movies.

The book is structured around the "rules" of horror movies, with each chapter named after a classic survival tip—don’t split up, don’t answer the phone, don’t say “I’ll be right back.” It’s a clever format, and Dunmore uses it to frame the story as part-love letter, part instructional guide to surviving your own slasher scenario. That said, while the format is fun, it doesn’t always dig deeper into or challenge those tropes. Instead of reimagining or flipping them, the book largely sticks to familiar beats—and if you’re well-versed in horror, the mystery may feel predictable.

Still, for younger readers or genre newcomers, this might be the perfect gateway. The references, while on-the-nose, can serve as a primer to the slasher canon and might inspire teens to explore the classics. There are no subtle nods here—every movie mentioned is name-dropped, explained, and often directly compared to what’s happening in the story. Depending on your taste, that’s either delightfully meta or a little heavy-handed.

Despite the rising body count, “How to Survive a Horror Movie” keeps things more fun than frightening. Yes, there are some surprisingly grisly moments which may make the book a bit uncomfortable for younger readers (I would recommend this book to teen readers, though probably not MG readers due to the deaths and gore), but the overall tone is breezy, often cozy, and occasionally veers into Scooby-Doo territory. At times, the stakes felt too low and the scares a bit too soft—there’s rarely a sense that Charley is in true danger—but the book’s accessibility and humor more than made up for these instances.

The twist ending may not be shocking for seasoned mystery readers, but it’s entertaining and capped off with a solid pace and momentum. And with a sequel on the way (there has to be with that cliffhanger), Dunmore clearly has plans to build out Charley’s gory little universe even further.

Overall, “How to Survive a Horror Movie” is a cheeky, genre-aware YA horror that doesn’t break new ground but has a great time running through the familiar ones. With a clever structure, a likable lesbian protagonist, and a steady mix of creepy and comedic, it’s perfect for younger teens looking to dip their toes into slasher horror without diving into full-blown terror.