“Because life wasn’t a movie. Death wasn’t a make-believe horror scene, people weren’t actors, and blood wasn’t Heinz tomato sauce. This was real.”

🩸I absolutely loved this book, from when Charley started Harrogate and the ghosts all followed her, i liked how they gained some sort of rapport.

🦇 I knew all along who the killer was and I loved the book even more because I wanted to know how it would end and what would happen.

🫶 Overall, if you love horror or a mystery then you will love this book, it isn’t too long and you can read it in one sitting the same way you can watch Scream.

Thank you so much for Netgalley and Little Tiger Group for giving me a free e-arc of How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dumore.

My review can also be seen on Goodreads.

I had such high hopes for this one. A YA horror set in an all girls school on a remote island, centred around a horror obsessed teen, what's not to love?! But ultimately the writing was very amateur, the dialogue didn't flow easily between characters making it difficult to relate to them at all, and it's riddled with plot holes. I'd have thought this was aimed at a younger audience (maybe pre-teen?) based on the writing language alone, and I found the cultural references to be quite condescending. I would have rated this lower, but the quality really picked up in the last 20%. If the whole book had been as wonderfully written as those last 50 pages, it might have been a 5 starer!

I absolutely loved this book, it managed to fit so much into a very short book. This gave off all of the Slasher movie vibes, I adore as a horror movie fan. It also reminded me of mean girls at times. I would 100% recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, easy, slasher movie style book. Thank you, little Tiger group and netgalley for my ARC.

Well that ending is GRIPPING. If you love horror movies, you’ll love this (I know my wife will love this!). Boarding school, murderer on the loose, rich girls who get their own way and the lure of boys! I raced through this today - fingers crossed for the sequel!

Scarlett Dunmore – How to Survive a Horror Movie
YA horror novels which pay homage to slasher films from the eighties and nineties continue to hit the shelves at speed. In How to Survive a Horror Movie the two main characters spend their weekends binging horror films, sticking to DVDs rather than streaming, whilst struggling to fit in at their remote island boarding school. Set somewhere between the UK and Ireland, there is also a boarding school for boys, otherwise it is a lonely, isolated location in which supplies are shipped in once a week. After the first murder is played down as an unfortunate accident, the police remain strangely absent, with the headmistress huffing and puffing about an increasing number of ‘accidents’, with one pupil falling and being impaled on a fence. There was a lot of humour in How to Survive a Horror Movie and it was not to be taken too seriously, otherwise you would start picking holes in the dumb plot, which is loaded with fun chapter headings akin to rules on how to survive a horror film, such as rule seven; don’t be the last one in gym or rule fourteen, interview witnesses – even if they’re dead.

When the novel kicks off Charley is determined to keep a low profile and is no longer quite the ‘new girl’ after enrolling late. With her new best friend and roommate they find the body of a fellow pupil, with events escalating when they also discover the second body. The story then staggers between thriller, horror, teen drama with an LGBTQIA+ vibe as Charley has a crush on another girl. There are the usual mean girls, hormones, a good dose of mystery, countless horror film referencing, with the action upping the ante when Charley starts seeing the ghosts of the dead classmates. This was fast-paced tongue-in-cheek stuff and good luck trying to figure out who the killer is! AGE RANGE 13+

A great read exactly as the blurb promised. Kept me guessing and I really enjoyed all the horror movie references. I think this is a YA title that can be enjoyed even more by less young (old) adults because of the nostalgic references. Only issue I had is I would have loved a named 'city' to get more of a geographic idea of where it was set. Also the references to city/mainland didn't seem natural. Will certainly recommend this book and read more by this author.

This was an enjoyable read. I liked the nods to horror classics and the mystery unfolded well. The main character is at times unlikeable but this does not affect the plot or the enjoyment of the book. A great read for young horror fans

this book has become an instant classic already. i’ve never read anything like it- it took the whole genre of horror, dissected it like some sort of science experiment and served it up on a platter like the end times were riding on it. i’m not typically one to delve into a ‘ghost story’ but there’s something about the way these characters are written and the way the imagery is shown that really captivated me and had me instantly hooked.

not only was the story and the plot just so well done and thought out, but the writing was fucking insane. the descriptions and imagery were on another level, and definitely not a level i’ve ever seen in a ya before.

i’m so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read and review this book. i’m so immensely pleased with it (ESPECIALLY that plot twist ending my god, please give scarlett dunmore ALL of the awards)

I was lured into this one by the title, and I'm glad I was! This book is perfect for horror fans of any age, with the setting geared towards the younger reader, and the knowing references to all the movies are right in the ballpark for the older ones. The story hooks in you in right away with the believable characters, and the nuanced relationships that anyone can instantly recognise from their school days whether it be in the here and now or (like me) nearly 20 years ago.

Charley is an instantly endearing protagonist, and the supporting cast just as much. Even when the girls start dropping and their ghosts following our heroine around, you cant help but feel sorry for them and their limbo-esque plight for justice.

The plot keeps you guessing, and just when you think you've figured everything out, another spanner gets thrown into the works forcing you to rethink your theories. Honestly I was still guessing right up until the end. The description used throughout is really well done, with one instance near the end causing me to pause for a moment waiting for my stomach to settle. The format of naming each chapter after a different rule from horror movies is a fantastic touch, and brings to mind the famous "Evil Overlord List" that did the rounds in the early days of the internet, which was a nice bit of nostalgia for me. I'm even more excited to see that a second book is already planned so I'll be keeping an eager eye for it.

I'd recommend reading this one on a dark rainy night to really enhance the atmosphere this book encapsulates so perfectly.

5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Tiger Group for the advance reader copy.

This was a quick read, a good concept overall but I kind of wish it wasn’t setting up a sequel.

There were some fun elements involved and the main character being obsessed with horror movies felt like a good fit.

Be aware that if you’re squeamish and/or don’t like the mention of being sick and violent descriptions then this might not be for you.

This was honestly such a delightful read.

The book is about a horror obsessed teen girl who suddenly finds herself in a middle of a horror movie of her own when her schoolmates start turning up dead.

Slasher horror is definitely my favourite horror genre so I was very much excited to read this book. I'll admit when the supernatural element was first introduced I thought it would make me dislike this book but surprisingly it ended up being my favourite element. It allowed to book to add this slightly humorous element in the most unexpected way while also ensuring we keep being reminded about the victims. It was a nice balance.

I thought the main character was slightly annoying but in a way that made sense, she was a teenager girl after all and it's only natural she would make some stupid choices. And I really enjoyed that she wasn't some selfless hero, she was terrified and as much as she loved horrors she didn't want to be stuck in one.

I think the one weakness of the book was the last chapter. I thought it was wrapped up too quickly and it very much felt like it was done that way only to set it up for the sequel. But will I read that sequel? Oh definitely!

It was a fun and quick read. It almost felt like I was watching a movie, and I did like that a lot. The story was very enjoyable and the characters were rather fine. Overall, it was an entertaining book and I would recommend to everyone who loves slasher movies and who’s looking for a fun time.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Obsessed doesn’t even begin to cover how I’m feeling right now! While the slasher story isn’t completely original I seriously enjoyed this SO much.

This book was the perfect length, and I’m so glad it wasn’t dragged out to become unnecessarily long. I also enjoyed the isolated school setting as it felt perfect for this genre. As a lover of slasher movies, I really enjoyed all of the horror references (especially Scream). In addition, the way the third act played out was so much fun and so intense, it was really exciting to read.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book!! It’s an easy book to binge read for halloween or summerween, and always keeps you on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait for the next book!!

Recommend if you like:
- ya mystery books such as truly devious & a good girls guide to murder
- movies such as: fear street, scream, the sixth sense or any slasher movie.

Do you like horror films? Then you'll love this


Set on an isolated island off the coast of island, a serial killer is loose and killing off students. Haunted by the victims, Charley must hide her own secrets whilst unearthing the mystery of whodunnit.

This was an enjoyable, fast paced read that was a breeze to get through. It has pockets off suspense and sooo many horror film references that shows off Charley's passion for the genre. The end has a few twists to keep you on your toes and I could imagine the whole thing like it was a horror film!

How to Survive a Horror Movie is a great Young Adult novel about surviving life in a private boarding school (in this case literally). Part murder mystery, part horror comedy, this book is pure entertainment. It keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times.

I think my favourite part of this book was the focus on the lessons that can be learnt from the horror genre. I love the fact that our main character Charley sees her favourite movies and novels as more than sources of cheap thrills. Slasher movies can teach you about survival, stories about the supernatural can teach you the importance of sticking together, and horror in general can teach you vital life lessons (like always ‘have more than one escape route’ or ‘avoid rooms with mannequins’).

Whilst parts of the narrative are cliched, like the appearance of three ‘popular girls’ at the start of the novel, I think that the author plays with our expectations of a school-based horror novel. In particular, I haven’t read many YA thrillers where the ghosts of the victims turn up to help solve their own murders. The only thing that I can’t forgive is Charley’s dismissal of the genius of Jane Austen. How can anyone hate Pride and Prejudice!

Overall, this was a short and spooky novel that was very easy to read. I think that anyone who enjoyed the Fear Street trilogy or the School Spirits TV series would enjoy this novel!

Trigger Warnings*: bullying, burning to death, reference to drug use, suggested suicide, suicide, hanging, decapitation, vomiting (described in detail), stabbing, impalement, violence, gore, blood

*This is not an exhaustive list, just things I picked up on/remember. These things happen to varying degrees on the page, they’re either mentioned as happening off page with little to some detail or on page with some to lots of detail. For some triggers there are multiple occurrences

How to Survive a Horror Movie can easily be read in a sitting due to how fast paced and gripping the novel is. Dunmore barrels you through the plot, from murder to murder, Charley running into person after person. Sometimes it all becomes a little toofast paced in all the wrong places, where a slower pace would’ve done wonders on multiple aspects of the book from the plot to the characterisations.

I wouldn’t say this book was amazing by any means. I think it was fun, and I can certainly see the horror/slasher inspiration in the plot structure aside from the very frequent direct references. I liked that the book didn’t shy away from the gore, however I’d say if you’re someone who can’t stand sick like me (god, even the word had me heaving) do be warned there’s a lot of it, often described in detail (potential to put you off your dinner). At one point I felt physically nauseous because I got a thought stuck in my head and then I started to panic which then strengthened a certain feeling and I was a mess so that was great. So yeah, be warned! I think I would have been fine if it wasn’t for the detail. And I need to stop typing about this because I’m thinking about it and — nope. Don’t need to trigger you.

I think the plot was ambitious but messy. If more time and care was taken to it, I think it could’ve been amazing. While a few hints were dropped here and there it just felt like a scrambled mess and the emotional impact it should’ve had didn’t hit because we didn’t really get to know any of these characters. I think my favourite character, and the one who had the best development was Meghan — and she was a Ghost!

I loved the part with the Ghosts, I think that was the best part of the book and I liked when they worked together and we saw them form relationships.

All in all, an okay mystery and thriller read that is a page turner — however, a lot of flaws with the characterisation and the plots that holds this book back from its potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Little Fox, for the opportunity to read this book.

Truthfully at the start I wasn't enjoying this book. However, as I continued reading and reminded myself that this is a YA book and while I often read books for that age group, I'm not exactly the primary audience I found it an enjoyable read as the story and mystery progressed. The fast-paced and high stakes nature of the story kept me hooked, and I found myself engrossed in the mystery of it all that kept me guessing and genuinely shocked and surprised me in the end. I'm sure this is a book that would be great for it's intended audience, especially young horror fans who will delight in the various references to popular horror movies.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I really enjoyed How To Survive A Horror Movie. I thought the way the book was laid out and broken down was very clever. There were so many quotes and scenes that were just brilliant. I won’t put any spoilers don’t worry. I laughed so much with some of the ways things were described. Scarlett Dunmore did an amazing job of descriptions and making it easy to picture scenes in head whilst reading. It kept me guessing throughout. I look forward to reading future work from Scarlett.

Thank you Net galley for an ARC copy and the chance to review in exchange for an honest review.

This was a YA fiction with a dark slasher vibe throughout. Set in a remote girls boarding school on an island the author manages to evoke an atmosphere of claustrophobia and loneliness. The mystery evolves at a pace and you certainly couldn't describe it as 'cosy'.

I enjoyed the isolated setting which added to the horror aesthetic and the author also cleverly avoided being specific about the setting. The Mean Girls vibes made me think it was off the coast is California but the harsh conditions made me think of the Irish coast giving more Derry Girls vibes.

A darker and more bloody book than I would usually expect from YA, this was an enjoyable read which never went too far into gore as to lose the fun.