Frightful good fun.
A scream queen commits to the act in this homage to teen horror.
It’s been 15 years since the Pine Springs Slasher went on a killing spree at the high school in the sleepy Louisiana town where Hazel “Haze” Lejeune lived as a child. The convicted killer? Her father, Cal Dupre, horror movie buff, beloved English teacher, and the victims’ film club mentor. Now 18, Haze is a budding actor and horror fan in her own right. When an indie film producer offers her a lead role playing the final girl in Swamp Creatures—a slasher flick shooting in Pine Springs—she accepts, hoping to finally get some closure. After a chilling opening sequence, Haze’s first-person narrative alternates with excerpts from the movie script, creating a taut story within a story. At first, when the actors and crew assemble, there’s a buzzy, summer camp vibe. But filming gets off to a rough start as freak accidents—or something more sinister—pile up. Some classic slasher movie–style deaths ensue, but much of the novel is suspenseful rather than truly terrifying, making this an appealing choice for casual horror fans. At its heart, the novel is about Haze, who’s cued white, unravelling her father’s legacy and what—if any—role she wants for him in her life. Some readers may wish that the supporting cast—which is diverse in ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity—were characterized more richly; nonetheless, spine-tingling action delivers a satisfying conclusion.
Frightful good fun. (Thriller. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781250392985
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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