As a slasher lover, this checked all the boxes. As a horror movie fan, the quotes that head each chapter filled me with a familiar feeling of giddiness. There's also just enough criticism of Black experiences with horror movies and the genre to make someone think (and a younger person to seek out more information,) and a vicious critique of the ways that privilege is afforded and that sometimes the consequences come and knock on the door.

Noelle is a wealthy high school girl with aspirations - she has a horror movie club and aspires to be a film critic. She brings attention to the contributions of Black people in horror. She wants to transition the club into a podcast so decides to host an exclusive party for the anniversary of the club. This means inviting the people in her fancy prep school that are both members of the club and the ones that have the biggest social media followings. It's all about the numbers, and all about what can be shown on their feeds to get more people to join. There are activities, a movie to watch, and then she also hired a clown to play a spooky game of hide and seek. The group assembled includes some of Noelle's best friends, her crush Archer, and later a visit from a guy dressed as Pennywise who calls himself Gage, and starts to hunt them down.

Literally.

With this being a YA book, I wasn't sure if this was going to be deadly or more on the injury and incapacitation side of things.

It's brutal.

As someone who loves horror, the creativity and seemingly endless ways the bodies stack up was fun to read. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what would happen next, how it was happening, or when the next plan would blow up in their faces (sometimes...literally...) and who would make it out of this grueling punishment alive. Everything they do and who they are is constantly used against them. Be warned, there's an element of gore here, but nothing is dwelt on for too long.

Noelle says early on that she would be a Final Girl, and that belief gets put to the test. If you want to know if she earns the title, you'll have to read it for yourself.

"I am Noelle Layne, Final Girl, the rightful Queen of Castle Hill, Escapologist, and the great Survivor of Nassau County." Noelle is a horror junkie, starting her own virtual horror movie club Jump Scares, and working her way to a hopeful podcast. She gives insightful commentary while preparing in real life in case she ever has a final girl moment. In a bid to boost her ratings,she invites the who's who of her high school influencers to a horror party at her house. But things quickly go sideways when the clown she hired for her party turns out to be on a murderous rampage. Noelle quickly has to confront if she really is final girl material or if she is facing her curtain call.

This is one of my top reads this year. The pacing was brisk, which, along with the suspense built by the killings, kept me reading at breakneck speed. Noelle is a great character. She is intelligent, fierce, and determined to survive. I loved all the allusions to popular horror movies and horror tropes. Since it's for a teen audience, the book isn't overly gory, but still packs some great scares. This is Springer's debut novel, and she has made a fan for life!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

*An instagram review will be run on Sept 9th

I love YA slasher novels so this one was the PERFECT read for me! And I found it to be really unique too! I recommend it to those who enjoy horror!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've been on a bit of a horror/slasher kick lately (blame Spooky Season), so I was excited to dive into this book, which seemed like it had the perfect vibe for my mood. And it was... fine. If some streaming service made a movie out of this book, I'd definitely grab some popcorn and throw it on, and there were definitely some genuinely fun parts (and very grisly murders that made me gasp and pull some very questionable faces), but the ending just seemed... lackluster. The explanation for why the murders were committed was... fine. It was all just very fine. But, damn, that cover is just to die for.

This is the teen slasher I have been looking for, giving off Scream vibes crossed with a locked room mystery. Thirteen teens are trapped in a house with a creepy clown who is hunting them down one by one. The murders are gruesome, the viillain seems invincible, and the tropes are aplenty, including the final girl showdown with the bad guy. I loved everything about this book, from the horror movie quotes at the beginning of each chapter to the over the top creativeness of the killer.

But this is not just a horror movie come to life. It also gives social commentary on anti-capitalism and affluenza, which gives the story added depth.

I absolutely love that we are getting more YA slasher books. There's No Way I'd Die First scared me deeply and I absolutely recommend it. This is such a great debut for Lisa Springer. This book is such a good mix of campy horror and everything else you want in a slasher piece of media. Don't hesitate to check this book out! (Also, another book that makes me afraid of clowns.)

Noelle invites her aspiring pop star crush and up and coming influencers from her school for an over-the-top Halloween party. When the creepy clown she hired goes off script and begins brutally taking out the guests, Noelle must fight to survive the night. The book moves quickly and benefits from current pop culture references, direct quotes and tropes from horror classics, and several plot twists and turns.

Noelle is going to take her horror movie reviews and streaming parties into the podcast universe, and to do that she invites 12 of the most elite from her senior class to a party no one will forget. She ups the scare factor by hiring a Pennywise-esque clown to play a scary game of hide and seek...but the clown takes things to far and now Noelle and her friends are fighting for their lives in a real life horror movie.

This was bloody and gory and packed full of everything someone who loves horror movies and books would want. Quote from classic horror movies, an out of control clown bent on revenge, teens who seem to have it all getting murdered...it's quite the wild ride, a departure from a lot of teen thriller/horror novels. People die! And they die in horrifying, bloody ways. There's no "gotcha!" reveals where someone is still alive, nope, when they die...they die and stay dead. And the villain, he is like every horror bad guy out there--damn near indestructible and trying to cause as much murder and mayhem as he can.

This was an enjoyable, gory romp, which talks about the challenges that POC face in movies and life in general--relegated to the first death of the movie, or the sassy sidekick that ultimately sacrifices themselves so their white bff can survive, and then takes those tropes and turns them on their heads. This was a great debut YA horror novel.

There's No Way I'd Die First is a fast-paced young adult thriller. This book is perfect for the fall/Halloween season! I would highly recommend this book to horror movie fans.

I hated all of the characters and that's exactly why Springer did wonderfully with her final girl fall vibed book that hits right at the exact time that these thrillers are making their mark. Wholeheartedly though, I am over the podcasting/YouTubing/influencer elements that make teens seem like they've got the world at their beck and call-- they don't. For that, I was put-off (similar to [book:The Island|60813624])

Otherwise, Noelle's voice if phenomenally done. She's a vivid, domineering, knows-what-she-wants girl who is going to do the things that bring her joy and say the things she wants to say to take up space. Her character was my favorite part and the Halloween setup with the overnight final girl elements sans a literal countdown worked for the thriller itself.

Cover and title, check and check as well. For a debut in this market right now, it'll work out just fine!

There’s No Way I’d Die First is the perfect YA book for slasher and horror movie fans. It was fun and very fast moving. We have our main character, Noelle, who is getting ready for her huge Halloween party. Noelle has a horror movie club and wants to branch out to making a podcast. She’s invited all of the other influencer/popular kids from her very rich school and promises it’s an exclusive party.
Everything was going well until the clown she hired traps all of them in her house and picks them off one by one. Noelle is determined to use her horror movie knowledge to be the final girl and get out alive.

This was really fun and I’m only removing a star because I felt like the clown’s reasoning for murder and one scene I felt was unnecessary (don’t want to add spoilers!) Overall it’s perfect for spooky season and for any horror fans out there! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC! 4 stars!

Noelle knows horror. She even hosts a popular horror movie club and, with it being its one year anniversary, she wants to do something special, so she plans an exclusive Halloween party that is sure to garner those instagram likes. However, things take a turn at the party when a party clown shows up with their own vendetta.

THERE’S NO WAY I’D DIE FIRST by Lisa Springer was truly such a fun debut!

This book pays homage to all of the classic horror films, with each chapter heading quoting a movie and so many other references made throughout!

The beginning of the book was the strongest for me, but it quickly slipped into being a bit of a cheesy cliche - both with the writing and the wild murders, and also became tiring after a bit because we’ve got a lot of characters to chop through 🔪

The ultimate motive behind the killings was also predictable and, despite this book being hugely about diversity, it was hard to get that sense when every character was rich af.

Definitely a book I’d recommend for all you slasher fans looking for a fun read this spooky season!

Thanks to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House Children’s for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: September 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random Children’s house for this opportunity to read rage and review this arc which is available Sept5,2023!

This is a slick black horror book. Fun read and I cackled a few times. It takes the stupid trope that AA always die first in horror and make it a falsehood. It is at turns witty, terrifying and tense. I throughly enjoyed it!

I haven't had good luck with these sorts of books where the main character is a horror fan and is trying to outsmart and evade the killer. And my streak continues with this book 🙃 It wasn't a bad book, but I think this was not for me.

I loved the premise of this book: a horror fan throws a Halloween party, hires a creepy clown, and then said creepy clown turns murderous and starts killing her guests—um, yes, please! But good god I could not with these characters. I didn't like any of them. Had I known they were all influencers, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book. It's just a trope that does not appeal to me, and this book proved exactly why: It's hard to feel empathetic toward a bunch of entitled rich kids who care about no one but themselves. And maybe that was the point of some of these characters, but I didn't even like the main character, Noelle, either! She was a straight-up social climber. The only reason she invited these kids, in particular, was because of their huge following, something she hoped would help launch her new podcast. Ugh.

But I'll give the book this: most of the kills were pretty good and creative. Lol. And I appreciated the horror movie quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

Overall though, this was not for me. I liked the premise and the kills, but that's pretty much it. I was not a fan of the characters—none of them were relatable—and the reveal at the end with the culprit and their motive... Saw it coming. And it was honestly so laughable. Poor little rich kids from start to finish, and I couldn't care less about any of them. But like I said, this type of trope is not for me. But if you’re a fan, you might like this one!

It is officially spooky season and what better way to start it off than with a great Young Adult Horror novel that will keep you on your toes and leave you questioning who your friends really are?

Characters

I have to say, I loved the characters in this book. Noelle is a fierce girl who is looking to make a name for herself, but not in either of her parents' businesses and she's on track to do just that with her horror movie club, Jump Scares. Archer, the pop music sensation discovered on TikTok, who is finishing high school and planning to go to Julliard despite his music career. Demario, Noelle's best friend since forever. Taylor, a not-so-lucky-in-love friend who proves to be more resilient than you might think. There are others, but these four were my favorites. I liked the depth the characters had - the ones who needed it had it, the ones who didn't did not, and while you'll have to wait to find out all of their secrets, these characters are quite interesting.

Atmosphere

This book is written in a perfect atmosphere/setting - a big mansion, a raging thunderstorm, and a killer on the loose during what should have been an awesome Fright Night event for Jump Scares. We get to see several areas of the house and grounds and all of them are used to the story's best advantage.

Writing

Many times I find that debut novels, especially those that have a genre of Horror, are not very well written. But that isn't the case with There is No Way I'd Die First. This book is written well, easy to read, few if any typos (but I was reading an ARC, so we all know those aren't final copies and might have mistakes in them), and just flows brilliantly. I loved it and I want to read more of Lisa Springer's writing.

Plot

This book has a plot that reminds me of SAW without the over-the-top gore and elaborate schemes to get people to atone for their wrongdoing. People are being hunted down and murdered for their transgressions, or perceived transgressions, during what should have been a simple Fright Night gathering. The hows vary, but the whys are the most important thing, and wait until you find out the whys...

Intrigue

This book will definitely keep you coming back for more. You'll want to know what's going to happen next, who is going to die next, who is going to make it out alive. It's a fast past, fun, thrilling read that will leave you guessing as to what will happen next.

Relationships

The relationships in this book are complicated in some cases - love triangles, crushes, and even relationships based on hatred. But they all work together to build the story as it is and for that reason they work. They aren't too difficult to follow along with either, which is super helpful.

Ending

I loved the way this ended. Did we lose a few characters? Sure, that's kind of the point of a horror novel - you usually lose a few characters along the way. Did the bad guys prevail or did good triumph? Well, you'll have to read the book to find that out. But let's just say that I was very impressed.

Conclusion

I gave this book 5 stars because it is a brilliant debut novel for Lisa Springer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves horror - especially if they want to read a horror novel that includes Black representation.

This definitely had potential. I loved the premise and the plot at the start with the hints of unease and the "something's not quite right here" moments were great.
HOWEVER. Once it descended into madness it was just kind of gross. Maybe I wasn't expecting all the gore, and maybe that's on me. But pooping in a bag? Really? Why did we need that??
I enjoyed the writing style, and maybe someday I'll read another book by this author. This one just wasn't for me.

For a book that very well could have turned into a bland knock-off of the teen slasher genre it was a quick, enjoyable read with some memorable moments and smart decisions. I certainly won't say that this book by any means reinvents the wheel, but it does it's job well. First the good; there were a few kills that I thought were pretty great - original in idea and honestly frightening. Our self-proclaimed final girl character also made some excellent decisions from time to time, and showed some true innovation and spunk. Sure, she could have done a little better a few too many times, but that's not exactly untrue of pretty much every slasher story, so I'm not going to hold it against the author because there also has to be a threat the entire story or it's over much too quickly. My only main (fairly minor) disappointment came from the fact that the man behind the mask wasn't really someone you could figure out yourself, and thus the reveal from the main characters seemed slightly far-fetched. I also have to say that there were quite a few times that the bad guy either recovered from injuries much too quickly or seemed rather resilient to pain, which considering it's supposed to be realistic fell a little outside the realm of believability, but seeing as it's also somewhat of a staple for the genre it can be forgiven. I'm not sure that in a few months it will stand out as anything overly memorable, but I'm not mad I took the time to read it, and I know there will be teens who will just eat it up. As a whole I don't think this book was anything groundbreaking, but then again I don't think it was trying to be, and it certainly was enjoyable enough I would be more than happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a good teen slasher book.

This is a great one for any horror loving YA readers. There are a ton of horror film references and nods, and this is definitely not one for the easily scared or squeamish as it's pretty gory. The storyline is solid and the setting at an over the top luxury estate means plenty of space for the plot. The story frequently makes commentary on race in horror and how it is portrayed and how BIPOC characters are treated in the genre, and it really adds to the story.

A teen obsessed with horror movies finds herself in a real horror when a killer clown terrorizes her party. Noelle loves horror movies and even started her own virtual watch club. She is keen to start a podcast to boost her cred even more so she throws a Halloween party for the it kids who also love horror movies. Fiction becomes reality though when a killer clown (literally) starts killing people and there is no escape. Noelle though refuses to become yet another black girl dead in a horror “movie.”

I really enjoyed this one! I found it legit spooky and creepy, and I had to know what happened! I do think the ultimate reason why was a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the book. However, this is a spooky thrill ride I’d definitely recommend! Maybe avoid of clowns are your #1 fear. If you don’t like them but it’s not the worst, you’ll be fine. I don’t like clowns so that added to the creep for me!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Noel loves horror movies and she’s also an advocate for the plight of black actors in horror movies. She even has a website called jump scares and she recently announced she’s going to start a podcast. She does it with her two best friends Demario and Elise she started it a year ago and to celebrate her one year anniversary the announcement of her podcast and Halloween she’s having a costume party at her lavish mansion home while her parents are in the Adirondacks celebrating their own anniversary. She’s inviting all the influencers from Crossland high school and that includes archer The boy she’s been crushing on since seventh grade and a famous singer from TikTok Charlie who’s a financial wizard his girlfriend Madison the world traveler Dylan the popular athlete and his model influencer girlfriend Kirstie Josh a classmate who claimed to be woke who also has a very popular podcast in oh yes Demario and Elise and a few others her home is decorated the caterers have set up in the festivities or beginning but when she starts getting scary intimidating Insta messages she blows them off and tries to have a good time. This will include the scary clown she invited who’s name is Gage and they’re going to play hide and seek with him. Gauge is a little bit creepier then she expected but because he supposed to be scary she starts the game. When Kirstie winds up dead she knows things are not going as planned. Noel has always claim to be a final girl but she never wanted to find out this way who has it out for her and her rich friends and why? Teen horror is my favorite genre and although they had a few eye rolling moments for the most part this was a smart funny top notch horror story and one I highly recommend it is a solid four star read and if you love teen horror then you love There’s No Way I’d Die First by Julia Springer it really is a great read. I want to think random house and net galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.