*3.5

As an avid horror movie fan this was a blast, I liked seeing all the horror movie tropes, but with enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat.

I am gonna be honest, I don’t think this book needs a sequel, so the ending took me a bit by surprise.

A grisly, sharp valentine to all things slasher, How to Survive a Horror Movie was the ultimate treat for horror enthusiasts, shocking and bloody and utterly eccentric. I'm excited that this is the opening book in a series, especially after the cliffhanger at the end and I'll definitely be picking up book 2 when it's released!

Fan of horror slasher movies? Need a popcorn horror/Thriller ? You need to read this book! Full of slasher tropes and fun genre elements! This book was a fun fast read that just is unputdownable!

I don't really get what this book was trying to go for. I liked the concept of students at an all girls boarding school located on an isolated island being murdered, with one girl being able to see the ghosts of her murdered schoolmates, but I feel like there was so many other unnecessary elements that dragged this book down - one being the force-feeding of the main characters horror fixation.

Purporsfully playing into horror movie tropes in a way that basically breaks the 4th wall is something I was really excited to see in books this year, but it's something I'm finding is very hard to pull of successfully and something this book didn't accomplish, partly because it didn't make sense why the character would be doing that. Taking survival advice from horror media? Yeah I can get behind that. Deciding what and when the killers endgame is purely based off the typical horror movie structure? No, that makes no sense within this context - just because the main character is following movie survival logic, doesn't mean the killer is following movie killer logic.

While I really liked the constant stream of killings, it was disappointing how low stakes this felt. Like the lack of reaction from anyone except the main character was confusing, jarring and took so much realism away from the story.

The main thing I'm taking away from this book is a sense of frustration for what this book could have been.

What is more perfect to read before halloween than a 2000s classic slasher set in an all girls boarding school on a deserted island.. well deserted apart from the all boys school that is 😉

Dark academic meets Scream meets Bly Manor

This book has everything you would possible expect from a slasher ya book. Gruesome death, meta discussion of horror genre. It was fast paced, action packed, funny, witty (a bit cringey) and filled with horror movie and book references. The supernatural element was just the sprinkle on a masked killer cake

Questions is how do we feel about sequels?

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Tiger Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

#Netgalley

How To Survive A Horror Movie is a brand new YA novel described as the perfect choice for fans of Scream, Fear Street, and The Midnight Club. I can’t resist a creepy tale at this time ot year, so was eager to read this, especially given the setting.

Charley has just enrolled in a private girls boarding school on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. She’s hoping for a fresh start after a bad break up with her ex girlfriend and a murky past that’s alluded to throughout the book.
Luckily she becomes the best of friends with her roommate Olive; they both share a love of horror movies and have regular cosy nights watching slashers while a storm rages outside.
All is well then until bodies of fellow students start showing up, but it’s always Charley and Olive that seem to find them.
Charley becomes convinced there’s a serial killer on the island but no one will believe her. Can she convince everyone before she’s the next victim?!

This is a fun, very self-aware read, much in the style of Randy from Scream’s “rules for surviving a horror movie”. There is also a supernatural element which may not be for everyone, but added to the not-quite-reality vibes for me.
The setting is also great; a properly gothic old school building with the cliffs surrounding it a constant threat, and only the rough sea as an escape. Love.

On the slightly negative side, there’s a good bit of repetition. Charley reports that her thighs are on fire about 5 different times when she’s forced to run to escape someone. This is the difference sometimes with YA writing. It probably won’t be an issue for a younger audience reading this, but it did grate on my nerves after a while.
I also predicted the ending but I am a horror movie nerd, so that’s probably not too surprising 😅

A fun read for #SpookySeason, that will be a big hit with a YA audience.

With many thanks to @netgalley and @littletigerbooks for my early copy. #HowToSurviveAHorrorMovie is available to buy now. All opinions are my own, as always.

A twisty, horror film references filled & sometimes comedic ya novel. Great to read on the run up to Halloween. Liked the character of Charley and dark and creepy vibes of Dunmore!

A fun horror YA book (with a smattering of comedy) set on an isolated island with two boarding schools. The perfect scene for a slasher scenario as soon as the weather gets a bit rough.
OK, so some clichés here but it was an enjoyable popcorn read. I loved the references to the do’s and don’ts of horror movies (think Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer). This author went one step further and added ghosts into the mix and it worked.
The book was fast paced and could easily be read in one sitting. There is a mixture of characters - some quite annoying but it is teenage girls and the author does bring some depth to Charley’s character as she slowly introduces a bit of her back story. However, there is a sequel and I can’t wait to read it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

Fans of horror movies will love this book! It had so many references and little jokes. I enjoyed it a lot, though I’m not really that familiar with many of the references, being a complete wuss when it comes to scary movies. It was still fun to see them break down the tropes and use them for survival tips.

I did find it a little predictable. I think it was meant to be as it was using so many horror movie tropes, but I was bored for a bit in the middle feeling like I knew what was going to happen. The ending surprised me a lot though, so it was just the middle I was not so keen on.

I loved the ghosts that accompanied Charley throughout half of the book. It was a nice way to increase the horror value while also giving vital information to Charley. I also found them really comedic in parts. It was probably my favourite part of the book.

A good book for the horror fan in your life.

Really enjoyed this.

Horror movie references, teenagers and a secluded location meant a perfect recipe for a slasher YA.

I really enjoyed the pacing and the story and the tension and scares were just enough.

I loved this YA horror novel

It had great characters that i loved

I absolutely loved all the horror movie references and would so be friends with the characters

Will be reading more from this author

Charley has moved to a boarding school on a remote island to escape the life she has at home. Olive is her roommate and best friend they are both bond over their love of horror movies. Charley finds herself in what could be her own personal horror movie when her year group starts getting murdered but what's worse for Charley is she can see the dead class mates in all the gory forms of how they died. Can Charley and Olive figure out who the killer is and who will be the next victim.

This book was so much fun I loved it. I was hooked from the very beginning to the end and I couldn't put it down. This was a fast paced YA thriller / mystery story with a lot of humour thrown in along with some gory scenes and descriptions. There are a lot of references to horror movies which I loved and made this book such a fun read. The twist was so unexpected 😱 To also find out there will be a sequel I CAN'T WAIT !! Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Little Tiger Group and Scarlett Dunmore for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. I really loved the book and its characters. I can see that the author spent a long time on worldbuilding and forming 3 dimensional characters. This was already on my wish-list for the year, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. I loved the read and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

A scary YA novel set in a boarding school, very trendy topic and I can see lots of young people enjoying this. Lots of references to horror films, and a bit of a "Ghosts" (the TV show) plot. I liked the atmosphere of the island, and the characters were well described. Lots of twists and turns, and I hope there's a sequel!!

Took me a while to get into this one and honestly I considered DNFing regularly as there was too many pop culture references. At one point the entire opening scene for The Lost Boys was written down and honestly of you have to count on other works to make your own is it worth it??

However I am so glad I pushed though as its a total love story to the teen slasher movie genre where you know what's coming and the characters are all over done and cheesy. But it's done so well.
The ending actually had me shook..

Such a fun book. A really gripping mystery with an ending I did not see coming at all and I loved all the horror movie references.

Oh this was such a fun ya horror novel!

I would highly recommend this, the characters were great the plot was great and the pacing was excellent. I couldn’t put it down

This book is perfect for Halloween times, this does not mean it wouldn’t be good read any other time of the year. I love the pacing and the overall story telling. Such a fun read.

A murder mystery horror YA is the perfect book to read at night curdled up in bed. This book did not disappoint

*"How to Survive a Horror Movie" by Scarlett Dunmore is a clever and entertaining guide that blends humor with a love for the horror genre. Dunmore playfully deconstructs classic horror tropes, offering both a satirical survival manual and a fun homage to the genre’s most iconic moments. The book is packed with witty advice, from avoiding haunted houses to outsmarting monsters, making it a laugh-out-loud read for horror fans. With its sharp observations and affectionate nods to horror classics, *How to Survive a Horror Movie* is a must-read for anyone who loves a good scare and a good laugh.*

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review!
At first, I wasn't sure about this. Mainly because a baby blue dahlia is mentioned and as someone obsessed with dahlias I know they don't exist. (I know. This shouldn't be a big deal and has nothing to do with the actual book, but it really got to me. Plus, the tenses got muddled up at one point, but maybe that was just because it was an arc and not a final copy.)
Despite that, I really liked this book. Once the victims started turning into ghosts, I couldn't put the book down, and every time Meghan popped up, I ended up laughing out loud. It was comedic, slightly gory, tense, shocking, and a little predicable in that way the best slasher movies are.
If you're a bigger lover of the horror genre, then i highly recommend it. It really did feel like a horror movie, and I really enjoyed the chapter headers (rules), and the little nods to the classics. All in all, I can't wait for the next one! Highly recommend!