I love a good horror book. This was so much fun. It was smart, and I loved the inspiration of the Black horror films throughout. Having a Black girl as our main character and final girl was also so great to see and I know many teens will appreciate this.

Oddly enough, I read this on the back end of And Then There Were None, and this book definitely had some of the same elements, but modernizing it for a new generation. Several influential teenagers are invited to a home in a remote location for a Halloween party hosted by Noelle, an aspiring horror podcaster. She, and her friends, have enormous wealth, and join Noelle at her family's mansion for Halloween. She has all kinds of things planned--including a clown she's hired to give them a scare. She doesn't know that the clown actually has dastardly plans to kill them all by the end of the night.

This book was full of self-aware horror tropes, gore, and twists and turns. It's probably one of the best slasher books I've ever read. There were a lot of characters to keep straight and not all of them were well-rounded, hence the four stars. I really did enjoy the social commentary in the book and the scares were great. I thought it was an awesome addition to teen horror lit.

Had fun with this one as a Scream/high school slasher girl. Minus a star cause, I thought the killer’s reasoning for killing felt a little heavy-handed.

I should have known that I was going to be let down the moment I read that this was a slasher.

Slashers as a movie genre - *chefs kiss* - as a book, strike out.

The book was filled with social media influencers and rich kids that bring nothing to the table. Each character lacked any real personality and were just the stereotypical person in a slasher.

Oof, this was not my favorite. I really love this premise, but it fails to mention that all the teens in this book are extremely rich and privileged. To back this up let me explain that this is about a horror enthusiast who throws a party for all her friends in her horror movie club. She hires a clown to come and play this super scary game of hide and seek with them, but it quickly goes south when he begins killing people. This party is at a giant mansion, and the guests are all teens who pretend to be cool, woke, activists but who we quickly learn do things like lie about volunteering in Puerto Rico and be complicit in online harassment campaigns. They don't deserve to be brutally murdered, but they also do partake in behaviors that should be called out, and they never are, except by a maniac killer clown. Our main character never acknowledges her own flaws or her friends.

When we learn who the killer is, it gets even worse. It's not a great reveal, or especially satisfying. It also villifies a real-life group of people in a super weird way. Like, these people are not out here targeting teen influencers irl.

Ultimately, I don't want to give this to teens because I do think it's harmful. I love what is said about representation in horror, and I wish that avenue was continued on more, instead of the pivot this takes. I was on the edge of my seat, and teens would have fun, but the wrong reader could genuinely get some negative takes from this.

Have The Lambs Stopped Screaming Babe?⁣
Name that scary movie lol. Anyways y’all this book was good and funny af which is always a win in my eyes. I can’t say much bc I’m keeping this review #SpoilerFree so let’s just get straight into my random thoughts ⬇️⁣
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• The audio is PERFECTION 🎧⁣
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• The clown was lowkey creepy af 😂🤡⁣
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• Noelle is so me. They asked her “𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵” she said “𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴” 😂 me af bc I’m not coming back for you. ⁣
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• Not the Birkin lmfao. Everytime she spoke of the Birkin I was weak af 😂👜⁣
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• Quick question 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲? Mines is Barbarian which is the chapter title or quote of Chapter 12 which I loved. ⁣
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• Which brings me to my next point. I loved all the nods to real Horror films 😳😱⁣
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• They talk about Scream one of my all time fav horror movies and how it has no black characters and wow never thought about that… Not cool.⁣
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Okay that’s all lol, overall I highly recommend this one. It’s PERFECT for spooky season & thank you @delacortepress for sending me this finished copy 💖

Horror movie fan club Halloween party turns deadly. This was supposed to be the party that changes everything for her and it does just not in the way that she had hoped. Who is stalking them and taking them out and why? I thought I knew who it was and I was totally wrong. I honestly didn’t see that twist coming. Very good, fast, entertaining read. Looking forward to more from this author.

I can appreciate the message this book was trying to send. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. Slashers in book form are hard and this one did not do a great job of building the suspense in my opinion. Also, all of the characters were a little too pretentious and annoying from the beginning, so it was hard to really root for any of them. I did really enjoy the nods to horror movies and the inclusion of the quotes from famous horror movies in the beginning.

You want a bad ass final girl? Well, you’re in for a treat.

Noelle is determined to have a killer party, but she’s going to get more than she bargained for. She’s hoping this party will launch her true crime / horror podcast even further and impress some of the other popular people in her class along the way. This Halloween party has to be epic so Noelle obviously has to hire a ‘murderous clown’… but is he acting a little too well??

This was a fantastic debut novel! If you’re looking for a ya slasher with humor, nostalgia, and of course, slashings- you’ll enjoy There’s No Way I’d Die First!

Enjoy the thrills and chills of a good horror movie? Want to be in a real-life thrasher film? Noelle Layne is an expert in horror and wants to up her podcast to superstar heights by throwing a frightening Halloween party. But will this party get her fame or death? There's No Way I'd Die First brings back the one-by-one deaths of Scream and I know what you did last summer. This body horror and blood-splattering novel will bring back horrid memories of murderous clowns. While the frights are enjoyable, the characters are not so enjoyable. They are spoiled, entitled, and not very relatable.

This was so fun and had everything I love about a book wrapped into one book. I really cannot wait to read more from this author.

There's No Way I'd Die First masterfully pays homage to the beloved slasher films of the 80s and 90s while injecting a fresh, modern twist into the genre. With impeccable writing that seamlessly blends nostalgia and contemporary elements, the film is a love letter to the iconic tropes of classic horror. The story unfolds with a perfect balance of suspense and humor, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats while also delivering clever nods to the genre's roots. The characters, reminiscent of those we've come to love and fear, are brought to life with depth and charisma. As the plot unfolds, the film skillfully subverts expectations, offering a thrilling ride for both seasoned horror enthusiasts and a new generation of viewers. There's No Way I'd Die First is a delightful and engaging addition to the slasher genre, proving that a well-crafted blend of old and new can yield a truly memorable cinematic experience.

This was a fun ride, a YA slasher that actually had some substance. Chaotic in the best way. A thrilling horror with woke Gen Z'ers. Loved all the horror movie references! I think the worst part of it was the villain being a clown. For a YA horror that just feels too on the nose? stereotypical? lazy? Also the reveal at the end of who the villain was fell a little flat because the reader doesn't really have any connection to the character; the character is only loosely tied to the story which was disappointing. But I did appreciate the diversity representation in the book. We need more horror with rich black final girls! 4 stars. Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc

I can appreciate what this book is attempting to do, looking at horror tropes through a more social lens. It breaks down choices that characters make that lead to their downfall. It thinks it's subverting expectations. But nothing is ever turned on it's ear. In fact, it ends up a fairly standard slasher. A random killer punishes privileged teens by subjecting them to increasingly nonsensical tortures. It tries to point out forms of privilege but this isn't enough to overwhelm the nonsense.

I must have blacked out when I read the summary of this one because I did not realize the killer was dressed up as a clown, which made this book that more creepy. This was definitely a fun read especially for Halloween season. It was more gory than I was expecting from a YA read and it definitely added to the kills. I also enjoyed the quotes from scary movies that started each chapter.

I definitely think this book dragged on more than it should and found myself saying “why haven’t you tried killing the killer” multiple times. Also all the characters are spoiled rich kids, which made me like the characters less.

Overall, this was a fun read for spooky season and would recommend to anyone who loves horror movies.

A clear homage to classic slasher movies from the 80s/90s, with a modern "gen z" twist. A fun read, especially leading up to Halloween. Will most likely purchase a title for our teen horror section.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

One group of rich and internet famous teens + a Halloween party = a truly killer night. Horror fanatic Noelle plans an exclusive Halloween party for a small group of the biggest stars of her senior class, hoping to boost her own socials. The scares are fun at first, until the clown she hired takes things a bit too far. He's there for a reason, and no one will make it out unscathed. Can Noelle prove that she is a Final Girl, or will she be just another casualty?

This was a fun read for Halloween. Feels just like a typical slasher flick. Fits all the tropes, but trying to fit with the current times (maybe trying too hard). Clowns really are horrifying, especially when they actually want to murder you! I did find most of the characters a bit annoying (very spoiled rich kids), but I guess that kind of works since you don't really mind when they get taken down. The characters are pretty one dimensional. Lots of action and gore when the kills start though. I wanted to see where the story led, though it ended up being fairly predictable. Very campy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

Wow, what a fun story!! This is a very unique take on the horror genre, at least to me, with a FMC that is determined to be the final girl. Her party ends up taking a turn for the worse when her hired clown has plans of their own.

This was definitely a slasher-esque book, but I absolutely ate it up. It felt like a fun teen slasher flick from the 90s-early 2000s. Absolutely recommend this book!

This young adult contemporary horror novel was a terrifying romp in the best way. Noelle is poised to take her successful horror movie club to the next level with an exclusive Halloween party none of the cool kids would dare miss, and she’s ready to rock it when things go terrifyingly awry because that ‘low budget It clown’ she hired is taking the method method to a new level and she’s not going down without a fight. She knows Black girls usually die first in almost all the scary movies but she’s ready to prove that she’s a Final Girl.

I was heavy into horror novels as a teen and young adult but have taken a long break in the last few years so this was a treat to read because it was one of the first times I’ve seen my (younger) self reflected in any way! I was really touched by the fact that our mc is not only a young Black woman but also one who knows her genre and is committed to being the Final Girl, in all ways. Loved the incorporation of lived experiences and how Lisa touches on privilege and marginalization even as murder and mayhem is happening.

There’s a playlist embedded in the story since it’s set at a horror movie club party that goes horrifically awry when the clown that’s been hired comes with his much bloodier game plan in mind which I thoroughly enjoyed. Some of the tracks that came to mind for me as I was reading it include: Flawless by Beyoncé, Betrayal by Yo Gotti, Scream by The Misfits, Tripping by Nathan Barr and Paint The Town Red by Doja Cat.

Content Warning: Murder, Blood, Clowns

My thanks to Lisa Springer, Delacorte Press, tbrbeyondtours.com and NetGalley for the DRC of “There’s No Way I’d Die First”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Do you like scary teen movies? Do you like books that feel like you’re watching a scary teen movie? Then There’s No Way I’d Die First is the book for you!

I had so much fun reading this teen horror book. This was such a well done debut novel by Lisa Springer. It had all the slasher horror goodness that I love in horror books. There are some pretty gruesome parts in this book and I think you’ll love this one if you love slashers.

This book features a psychotic murderous clown, so beware if you have a fear of clowns like me! There are some terrifying clown scenes that made my fear even worse. Darn creepy clowns!

There’s No Way I’d Die First is the perfect spooky season read. I loved the kick ass main character and the horror filled story. Definitely add this book to your tbr.

4/5 stars