Shailee Thompson
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror + Romance
Initial Impression
The synopsis sounded really good, and it was the perfect book for the season, so I decided to give it a try and see how entertaining it is.
Summary
Jamie Prescott is basically every film student I knew in college—she’s doing her PhD on the overlap between rom-coms and slasher flicks. Her academic life and real life have a head-on collision when she and her best friend, Laurie, hit up a speed-dating event. It’s supposed to be a night of bad small talk and cheap street food, but then the power goes out. When it comes back on, Jamie’s date is dead at the table with his throat slit. Talk about a bad first impression.
From there, the doors are deadbolted, and a masked killer Jamie calls "Heart Eyes" starts picking everyone off. Jamie has to use her mental library of horror tropes just to stay alive. The plot gets even weirder when it seems the murders aren't random; the killer appears to be "courting" her, trying to turn her into his "Final Girl." She ends up in this bizarre romantic triangle with the other survivors—including a guy named Wes who is definitely suspicious—and she has to figure out if she’s the leading lady or just the next victim.
Characters
Jamie is... a lot. She’s got a "smart mouth" and a total obsession with cinema that makes her a fun narrator, but I’ll be honest: her constant meta-commentary on movie rules can get a little irritating. It is hard for me to believe that during such a horrific time, one would think about what had happened in a certain movie! At times, she feels less like a real person and more like a tool for the author to show off horror movie trivia. Luckily, her friend Laurie is there to act as a foil. She’s a "documentary-lover" and much more grounded, which balances out Jamie’s more theatrical vibes.
The rest of the cast, including the "mysterious" Wes, mostly feel like archetypes. Wes is described as a "wolf in Bill Pullman clothing," which is a vibe, but since the killing spree moves so fast, it’s hard to get attached to anyone. Most of them are gone before you even learn their last names.
Writing Style
Shailee Thompson writes in this fast-paced, first-person style that’s honestly pretty addictive. It’s witty, self-aware, and reads like a love letter to the genre. It will be interesting to see where the author will go from here. Will she concentrate on horror or romance? I guess time will tell about her future plans.
Setting and Atmosphere
Most of the action happens in a multi-level nightclub, which turns into a total death trap. The shift from the "red velvet" basement to the creepy, quiet upper floors makes the whole thing feel like an isolated stage play. While the author has done a good job with the setting, I feel the atmosphere was a bit lacking for me. I enjoy horror stories to be chilling and atmospheric. This story had the action but lacked the proper atmosphere. One of the reasons must be the movie trivia that the main character was obsessed with. I feel that would make you feel this story is more of a parody slasher film like “Scary Movie”. If that was the goal of the author, to make it a parody, she has succeeded.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s a fun debut. A fun mixture of survival instincts with romantic ones. It’s smart, but maybe too smart for its own good sometimes. All the trope-referencing can occasionally pull you out of the story just when things are getting dangerous.
I’m giving it a 3-star rating. It’s high on concept and wit, but it lacks the emotional weight to make the stakes feel "real." Still, if you’re a cinephile looking for a light, "criminally addictive" weekend read, this is probably right up your alley.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.
Key Themes
- The Intersection of Horror and Romance
- Survival Through Tropes and "Rules"
- The "Final Girl" Archetype
- Dating as a "Dangerous Pastime"
- Reality vs. Performance
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