- Genre: Horror, Thriller
- Published by: S&S/Saga Press
- Publish date: July 16, 2024
- Number of pages: 384 pages
- Author’s website: https://www.demontheory.net/
- Support local! Pre-order the book on BookShop!
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.
Rating: 4/5
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.
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to know!
I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from Netgalley and S&S/Saga Press. This has not impacted my rating and this review is voluntary.
Musings by Michelle 