Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random house for this book!!
I adored this book, it read like a cheesey 80s supernatural thriller in all the best ways. I loved all the horror movie references and the group of friends, felt like an actual group of friends you'd see in a horror movie. The character development was great and felt real, especially with the siblings.

I dived into this so quick as it was on my highly anticipated book releases and boy did it not disappoint me! I absolutely loved it, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 1 August 2024

“The Blonde Dies First” offers a fresh take on the YA horror thriller genre, blending elements of classic slasher films with contemporary social commentary. The novel follows Devon Harris as she navigates a summer that unexpectedly turns into a real-life horror movie, complete with a demonic entity hunting her and her friends.

The author successfully captures the essence of teenage angst and drama, a hallmark of this genre. While some characters lack depth, the dynamic interactions and chemistry among the friend group more than compensate for this shortcoming. The dialogue shines with moments of humour, featuring comical one-liners that provide welcome relief from the mounting tension.

One of the book's strengths lies in its ability to balance multiple narrative threads. The author deftly weaves together the horror plot with interpersonal conflicts within the friend group, as well as a budding romance between two characters. This multifaceted approach adds depth to the story and keeps readers engaged beyond the central horror elements.

The novel addresses themes of race and class, drawing parallels between the social dynamics at play in horror movies and real-life situations. This adds a layer of social commentary that elevates the book beyond a typical slasher story.

While much of the plot follows familiar horror tropes and can be predictable at times, the author manages to incorporate a few unexpected twists that keep readers on their toes. These surprises help maintain suspense and prevent the story from becoming too formulaic.

In summary, “The Blonde Dies First” is an entertaining read for fans of YA horror thrillers. It successfully combines the thrills of a slasher film with the relatable drama of teenage life, all while touching on important social issues. Despite some predictable elements and flat characters, the engaging group dynamics, moments of humour, and occasional plot twists make for an enjoyable and thought-provoking reading experience.


Thank you so much to NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK Children's | Penguin, and the author, Joelle Wellington, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

After a group of friends partake in the use of an Ouija board a party, they all start to get hunter down. But it seems to be in the order of every classic horror movie out there. I went into this book thinking that it would be in some way predictable, given the characters are hunted down in the style of classic horror movie but boy was I wrong. This book is packed with twists and turns and the most amazing and relatable cast of characters. The characters have been friends for most of their lives and that level of connection shines through as you read, I particularly loved the dynamic between the twin sisters and how their connection evolved in this story. Interwoven with all this drama and horrifying moments is the most beautiful sapphic slow burn romance that honestly just sealed the deal with me wanting to recommend this book to anyone that will listen!

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read, if you like horror movies this book is the one for you. I did find the ending/reveal to be predictable but I still enjoyed the story nonetheless.

I really liked the characters of this book, however had issues with the pacing, it kept getting quite slow and I found myself having to make myself finish it, the last 20% was really good and really twisted it up however I wished it had come sooner, I also found it quite predictable however this could be a me issue due to reading a lot of similar type books and watching similar films.

The title and the cover drew me in to this one. I tend to go into books without reading synopses first, so I was expecting a slasher - but got a demonic haunting instead. I was a little disappointed, but I persevered.

I am forever chasing that chilling feeling I got as a kid reading Goosebumps and Point Horror stories - so I am partial to a YA horror. I do love the teenage angst and drama from this genre and this one fit the bill. Some of the characters were flat, but the interactions and chemistry between the friends made up for it. There were some funny interactions and comical one-liners at points. The author created turmoil between the friendship group and accomplished a sweet relationship between two of the characters - all while being chased by a demonic entity - impressive. Most of the book was predictable, but there were a couple of twists I wasn't expecting.

I liked that the book was inclusive of race, class and sexual orientation - a message that all books should come with. The book did not end how I thought it would - with the honorary white, 'not like other girls' surviving a murderous onslaught. Kudos.

The cynical (old) reader in me couldn't help but notice the glaring plot-holes such as why was there no investigation into the second murder? The book is full of technological references so surely this night club had CCTV? But do these things really matter for teenage readers? Probably not. I was not really feeling the twist at the end either - very farfetched. As for audience - I did consider recommending this to my daughter (15) but then there was pot involved and I'm not that type of Mum so.... possibly for college age kids?

My major issue with the book was the Kindle formatting. The first few chapters were awful with paragraphs all over the place. The rest of the book was a little better, but we also had texts in different colours and it was a little distracting. There were also typos littered throughout the text and hyphens missing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK Children's for the eARC.

this book was perfect. i know i probably say that about thrillers all the time but i truly meant it. the friendships, the relationships, the horror vibes. i was obsessed. drew and devon had a complicated but realistic sibling dynamic which i loved reading about. & yaya has my heart!!!!

Twins Devon and Drew have always been different, but when Drew is moving on and graduating early, Devon wants to make their last summer together the best one ever

One of the ways she will do this is meeting Drews school friends, well Andrea to them. And Devon realised how much her, her current friend group and her sister have grown apart

When Drews new romantic interest pulls out a ouija board at the party where they all are meeting for the first time, Devon tries to be cool with it, but all her friends realise this isn't a smart thing to be doing...

This is solidified when a shadow demon starts hunting the friend group starting with Devon.... after all, rule one... The Blonde Dies First....

I really enjoyed this book, nice wee spin on the supernatural/slasher genre. I love a self aware horror with nods to other horrors and the 'rules'

Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the review copy, all opinions my own regardless.

After this and Joelles first book which I devoured as well, she's definitely going to be one to watch!

I adored Their Vicious Games last year, and so have been eagerly awaiting this one since I first heard of it. Whilst very different to TVG in some ways, this book was so much fun, whilst still highlighting issues of social class.
I loved the characters and their complexities- Devon and Drew's complex relationship, Drew's struggles with her different identities, and their relationships with their friend group.
I wasn't sure about the supernatural element at first, but it was done really well. I loved the ouija element as this isn't something I've read much about at all, as well as seeing Joelle's take, and twists on the classic horror genre. I was gripped seeing whether everyone's suspicions of the classic kill order would be true.
Overall, a fantastic read full of suspense.