Adult, ARC review, book review

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones (ARC Review)

Title: I Was a Teenage Slasher
Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Horror
Publisher: S&S/Saga Press
Published: July 16, 2024

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

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, and shared sense of unfairness of being on the outside through the slasher horror Jones loves, 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.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I’ve been wanting to read Stephen Graham Jones’ work for a while now, and when I saw that an ARC of their newest novel I Was a Teenage Slasher was available, I figured why not start with this newest release? As the book title indicates, I Was a Teenage Slasher promised slasher elements, and since spooky season was just around the corner, I was excited to dive in.

Having never read Jones’ work before, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was surprised by the narration style. It definitely caught me off guard at first, but as I got deeper into the book, I found it to be an interesting way to get pulled into the story. 

For a good portion of I Was a Teenage Slasher, I really didn’t know what was happening. The story had me on edge, guessing and second-guessing what was going on. When everything finally clicked into place, it was completely unexpected.

I won’t say more to avoid spoilers, but I will say this: I Was a Teenage Slasher left me eager to explore more of Jones’ work. My curiosity is officially piqued! I’ll definitely be adding more of their books to my reading list.

⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻

⤖ Let's Chat ⬻

Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!

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