About the Book
-
Author:
- Joelle Wellington
- Genres:
- Girl-Girl Romance
- Horror
- Suspense
Cover Story: Ode To Slashers
BFF Charm: Destiny’s Child
Talky Talk: Cinematic
Bonus Factors: Friendships, New York City, Sisters
Relationship Status: All For One, One For All
Cover Story: Ode To Slashers
It’s a nice ode to slasher flicks being a little silly and cheesy, with the slashes of claws in the background hinting at something more sinister at play.
The Deal:
Devon has always felt “left behind” by her twin sister, Drew, who is genius-level smart and is now graduating early from her fancy-pants private school to attend college…well, it really doesn’t matter where, because the point is, it’s Away from Devon. So she’s determined to make Drew’s final summer home the “Best Summer Ever!!” so she doesn’t forget all the things she should love best about NYC: namely, Devon and their close pack of friends-since-preschool.
The Best Summer Ever unfortunately includes attending a hoity-toity house party hosted by Drew’s friends and pretending to like it…at least until the Ouija board comes out. Summoning spirits from beyond is totally some white people shit, but, unfortunately, by playing nice with Drew’s friends, Devon is now playing with fire…and it’s life or death.
BFF Charm: Destiny’s Child
I would not have been cool enough as a teen to hang out in Devon’s group – these kids are enlightened, casual weed smokers, and fearless at being themselves and being there for each other, even when that means a demon is after your BFFs. You can tell when the author is a fellow Old who hasn’t been around teens for a long time, and while I do not recreationally hang around teens, as part of my job I interact with a lot of 18-22 year olds, so there were a lot of behavior tics that rang true. Devon is not without her hang-ups, but I could relate to her feelings of teen ennui, always being the cheerleader for others but failing to recognize / invest in her own strengths.
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Devon has been in love with one of her friends, a graceful Black ballet dancer named Yaya, since they were children, but she’s too chickenshit to ever tell her, so she avoids casual physical contact and bemoans her unrequited love to her other friends, who, rightfully, tell her to get over herself. Having a romantic interest in a horror movie is always a risky move!
Talky Talk: Cinematic
It was a bit of a slow start, but I was fully invested by the time we got to the bodega (IYKYK). I’ve done all types of horror, but sometimes I need a lighter YA version that hits but doesn’t HIT; this was a good blend of scary without being too scary. Obvs YMMV, and while I didn’t find this book to be super scary, I do think the descriptions of the demon thing chasing them were quite shiver-inducing. Wellington had a unique way of giving descriptions of people, places, and situations that made the story leap off the page and kept me invested. It felt cinematic, and if a production company wanted to put actual effort into making a decent YA adaptation (shaming you, Uglies movie), this would be a fun pick!
I figured out most of the twists ahead of the characters, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story. I also liked the way Wellington took the classic slasher tropes and either played into them or twisted them in a fresh way.
Bonus Factor: Friendships
These friends tease and fight and comfort and support each other unreservedly, and it was a delight to see. There’s a lot of backstabbing and secret personas that get revealed in the thriller/horror genre, so genuine ride-or-dies raise the stakes – please don’t kill my faves!
Bonus Factor: New York City
Some may get tired of the oft-used NYC setting, but I never do. Off the top of my head (and I don’t care enough to Google it), I can’t really think of any major horror franchises set there—it’s usually those pesky small towns hiding a seedy underbelly—so that did bring something fresh to the table. You can tell Wellington has been there (and, sure enough, her bio says she was born and raised in Brooklyn) because it feels like a lived-in, seventh character in this cast of friends. It might be hard to make a city feel cozy, but mission accomplished!
Bonus Factor: Sisters
As Devon puts it, she and Drew are NOT “those” types of twins you see in the media; they couldn’t be more different. Despite that, Devon has always longed for that closeness, and her relationship with her sister is one of the more compelling parts of the book.
Relationship Status: All For One, One For All
If we were stuck in a horror movie together, Book, I feel reasonably certain that you’d help me survive it. That’s the mark of a true friend.
FTC Full Disclosure: I got my review copy from the library. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. The Blond Dies First is available now.
