Mini-Spoiler-Free Review: Mister Tender’s Girl
If Mister Tender reminds you of Slenderman, you probably aren’t the only one. There are bits and pieces of the legend of The Slenderman throughout Mister Tender’s Girl and if you know anything about him, you’ll see them. If not, you should do a little scary research sometime, though it is not necessary before reading this thriller.

Mister Tender is a graphic novel character. One that is not terribly tender, despite his name. He inspires fear in readers and actually gets into the heads of some teen girls who attempt murder for his approval.

The novel explores the daughter of Mr. Tender’s creator. Alice of paranoia and fear of knives. Everything pushes her buttons. Someone could mean her harm… is it in her head or real? Is Mr. Tender out there somewhere? Is he looking for Alice?

I read this in two sittings. I really loved the psychological elements and the suspense. If you like thrillers and don’t mind looking behind you for a few days after reading, go for this one!

Been reading Carter Wilson for a while now, he's always done well and occasionally more so. This one, though, is unquestionably his magnum opus or, at least, the best of the best, the one that showcases just how far he's come as an author. This is a pretty thrilling thriller, a genuinely intense suspense. This is good, very good. All the more so for being set right around the spookiest time of the year from mid October until November 1st. Mister Tender is a graphic novel character, an irresistibly charming bartender with a demonic angle to him, he wants to know your secret desires and what you would do to get them and then he nudges you toward that goal. Mister Tender's girl is the daughter of the graphic novel creator, who survived a terrible attack inspired by the story as a teenager and has dedicated her life since to becoming an ultimate survivor, to getting as far from victimhood as possible. Now her past seems to be all around her and getting closer and there is no one she can trust. Mister Tender is coming to get her. Sounds like fun, right? And it is, it really is, a bonafide treat for mystery thriller fans, even if a moral at times is ever so slightly heavy handed. Strong likeable female protagonist, strong writing, fascinating cast of characters, eerie atmosphere, great pacing...this was a very enjoyable read. And, despite the page count, quite a quick one too. Thanks Netgalley.

Too many characters going in and out of the storyline and a bizarre unbelieveable ending. No thank you.

Carter Wilson has once again proven that he is one of the best and most original thriller writers in the business today. Mysteries within mysteries, this is a story of obsession,family secrets, and tragedy as we see Alice terrorized and traumatized by people and events orchestrated by her fathers fictional creation, MR TINDER. Every time I thought I had things figured out I was blindsided by another revelation. Creepy and suspenseful, this is one to add to your to be read list!

The premise for this book was so good, I had to read it immediately, and I wasn’t disappointed! (Well, except for the fact I lost sleep staying up to read it). When Alice was growing up in London, her father created a huge stir with a series of graphic novels about Mister Tender, a very bad bartender who preyed on the sad and lonely customers in his bar by convincing to commit terrible atrocities. One day Alice is attacked, nearly stabbed to death by two of her school friends who tell police that Mister Tender told them to do it. Alice’s father stopped writing the books, but the damage was done and Alice mover to America with her mother. As an adult, Alice is a fearful woman, prone to panic attacks and worry that Mister Tender is not through with her. I’m sure this story is based, in part, on the Slender Man murder of a young girl who was murdered by her own friends, because Slender Man told them to do it. This book is terrifying on so many levels, not the least of which is that mass delusion exists and that the young or weak-minded are especially vulnerable. Read this book! Creeptastic!

I am completely fascinated by urban legends, so when I heard Mister Tender's Girl by Carter Wilson was inspired by the very real 'Slender Man' stabbing, I couldn't wait to read this creepy novel.

Alice owns a coffee and sweets shop called the Stone Rose. 'Silence, memories and nighttime' frighten her. She suffers debilitating panic attacks. Her fears are not unfounded; she lives her life scared with good reason.

When Alice was a young girl living in London, her father created, wrote and inked a series of graphic novels about Mister Tender - a part human, part demon bartender who listens to his customer’s tales of woe and then convinces them to do very bad things.

A few nights before Halloween, Alice is walking home with two school friends. They are obsessed with her father's books and stab her multiple times claiming they were instructed to do so by Mister Tender. She survives the attack, but shortly after she is released from hospital her father stops writing the stories and her parents divorce. Alice and her brother move to America with their mother. Her father is later killed by an unknown assailant, the murderer never caught.

Now an adult, Alice keeps to herself. She is lonely and decides to check a dating site she has signed up with and is horrified to see she has a match under the screen name ‘Mister Tender'. Since moving to the US she has changed her name and never shared her past with anyone.

Wilson composes a very troubling, specific history for Alice and she grabbed my attention from the moment she was introduced. She has trained herself to be physically strong, but mentally she is a mess. Her paranoia is palpable. It overwhelms her and affects how she lives her life. Multi-faceted and flawed, Alice is a complicated personality who maintained my focus and holds her own in the story. She managed to gain my sympathy as well as my admiration, carrying her scars both inside and out.

All of Wilson's characters are rendered with lovingly exquisite detail and he is somehow able to do this with very few words. There is an intensity in his descriptions - from the interactions Alice has with her mother and brother to the customers in her shop.

The tension builds quickly and you know something very bad is coming just around the corner. Wilson's writing conveys a brooding sense of fear that is unrelenting. He convincingly unleashes a terrifyingly real creation into his fictional world. Dark and chilling, Mister Tender's Girl fully lived up to my expectations. Highly recommended.