Welcome to Slashtag!

It's a horror reality show that takes 7 celebrities and places them in the infamous Propitius Hotel. The hotel is famous for being the home to Arthur Wilson, a notorious serial killer.

Tawny Howlett is a top lifestyle influencer who has seen her image take a battering after a drink she endorsed made people sick. To help her image, she agrees to take part in the reality horror show that will be streamed for all to see. She doesn't want to, but her image needs some help! It is when she enters the home with other participants that she learns the ghosts are real and the horror is all too real. There they will have to work together to survive. Tawny's younger sister, April will help Tawny in any way that she can from the outside.

Fans of "The Cabin in the woods", "Saw", "Big Brother" and escape rooms will enjoy this one. Plus, readers will also get H.H. Holmes and his "Murder Castle" vibes from this book. There are plenty of horror film references thrown in as well. I don't think I need to tell anyone that this book is creepy, dark, gory, entertaining, and horrific!

Throughout the book, I wanted things to move along a little bit more. I thought the book could have used a little bit of editing and been just as enjoyable but not feel as long. I enjoyed the dread, tension, and unease in the book. One could feel it when the participants realized that their lives were in danger. Like a horror film, this does get gory.

Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining book which would make a killer movie!

Tawny Howlett is an influencer, her following is gigantic and she's currently having the worst week of her career. A health drink that she endorsed has made people incredibly ill and now her followers want her to pay dearly. Tawny could think of nothing better than just being able to fade into oblivion and become an anonymous nobody, but her sister still needs medical care. When he PR manager approaches her with a way to make good with the public, she balks at the idea, but soon she's given an offer she can't refuse and reluctantly agrees. Enter Slashtag, the most immersive horror reality TV experience that has been tried to date. A competition where seven prolific competitors will spend a weekend at the Propitius Hotel, that was built and operated by prolific serial killer Arthur Wilson from 1905 - 1928. With no access to the outside world, they will have to solve puzzles in order to complete tasks that will eventually send Arthur Wilson's spirit back to whence it came. Oh, and they also need to try and survive while doing that. The thing is, the contestants soon realise that Arthur Wilson's ghost is very real, and they'll have to work together to vanquish him while doing their best to stay alive. All of this is being live streamed, but no help is coming for the celebrities as the viewers have no idea that the carnage, they are witnessing is real. With the help of Tawny's sister April, will the group of mismatched personalities be able to survive? Or will they be cancelled forever?

I was browsing through Netgalley, as someone with way too many books to read as it is, does. And I came across this book. From memory, I initially scrolled past due to the gaudy cover, but then I found myself wondering about the premise and scrolled back to find it. Once I read the blurb, I requested it so fast, and I found that it's the first time in a long time that I've actually been nervous that I wouldn't be accepted onto the review team. But! I was, and it was happy days. The premise interested me so much, it gave me that slasher/horror vibe and also felt a little bit like house on haunted hill at the same time, which if you don't know, is one of my guilty pleasure all-time favourite movies. Something about locked building horror has always been super enjoyable for me. I feel like there's something about the group of survivors being locked in somewhere, unable to escape that just ramps up the atmosphere and anxiety, which I love. Something about knowing that either they stand up and fight or they die just really adds to the sense of urgency.

One thing I loved about this book, was the cast of characters. The group of celebrities that were put into this situation felt so appropriate for audiences of today. You had influencers, a cosplayer, a reality TV star, an actor, a mystery identity celebrity chef and a disgraced ex-football star. When you look at society as a whole today, social media influencers are EVERYWHERE. And they have such huge followings, people who hang off their every post and word, people who won't try any products unless it is endorsed by such-and-such person. I feel like the types of characters that Cohn chose to be the focus of this story was fantastic. He not only chose very apt characters, but he also went a step further and really pointed out and shone a light on the fact that, what people see on their screens, is not the effortless, real deal that they think it is. The work that goes into photos and videos and posts that these people are making look so effortless and thrown together, when in reality there's probably hours and hours of work that went into that 'effortless' photo. I really loved how so much emphasis was put on what Tawny has to do to get ready for a day of not doing much, of the appearance and mask she has to wear in order to keep her fanbase happy and engaged. How every little thing she does is scrutinised to within an inch of its life and she has to be so careful about her choice of words, the brands that she uses and associates with, brands she endorses and even to where she's seen eating out or what food she's putting into her body. I feel that a lot of people either dream of being an influencer or star of some kind not realising how much work it actually is to do so. And others will sit there and berate these people for being lazy and not having a 'real job' when in reality, these people work harder than almost anybody to have what they have and do what they do. I loved that Tawny was so disillusioned by it all that she was seriously considering the health drink fiasco a godsend that may just be her ticket out of the spotlight.

I really loved the personalities of the characters as well. Initially I just kept rolling my eyes whenever D-Wreck got some page time, but by halfway through, my thoughts on him really started to change. His character development was fantastic, and I really loved the dynamic between him and Tawny. I was so intrigued by the character of the cosplayer...I want to say Kiki? She comes across as so sweet and innocent when in reality she seemed so volatile as the story progressed, whether this was due to the stuff she was carrying in the apothecary bag, or the slow descent into madness, I'm not sure, but it was such an awesome contrast when you think about how she would have presented to her fanbase to what her personality really was. And Shawn, oh Shawn, he was one of those characters that I held out so much hope for his survival, something about his giant teddy bear persona just tugged at my heartstrings and I absolutely ADORED his character. Him, Tawny and D-Wreck were my tops, and I just can't say anything bad about Shawn! I loved that all the characters had these traumas and dark pasts that they were dealing with and forced to face. It goes to show that it doesn't matter what someone is projecting out to the world, you never really know what anyone is dealing with on the inside.

The story itself was a page turner, I couldn't put it down. I loved the whole setup of the show and the history of behind the hotel and Arthur Wilson. This was the story that I've been looking for since last year. Along with the book I read previously to this, they both hit their marks, and this one just really gave me what I was after. It gave me that Saw II, House on Haunted Hill, 13 Ghosts kinda feel, and I was just here for it. It's a story that really kept you guessing and wondering whether you could actually trust what you thought to be true and what was being revealed. I didn't expect a couple of the reveals that happened throughout the latter part of the story, and when it took a serious turn and headed into something deeper than I initially thought it would, at first, I didn't know how I felt about it, but I feel like that turn in the story just added another layer of horror to its already bursting seams. I wouldn't say cosmic horror as such, but it was that kind of horror that is just so much bigger than what you thought. The atmosphere that Cohn created was palpable and he really brought the creep factor and the sense of dread and anxiety that I look for in a good horror story. Being able to make your readers really feel the isolation, dread and sense of hopelessness that befalls your characters is a skill that not every writer has, but Cohn certainly does.

The ending that we got, while satisfying enough, even though I did feel it gave me closure, it still felt open ended enough that you wonder what happens next. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about where it left off, but it's not enough for me to drop my rating at all, this was a solid read that was everything I wanted and more and I will recommend it by screaming it from the rooftops, it's just that good. I've already recommended it to a bookish friend; I think I may have been almost finished it or had just finished it and I was already throwing it in people's faces screaming at them to move it up their list.

All in all, this was a fantastically gory, dark, and genuine fear inducing novel that I can't praise high enough. It kept me glued to the page and in a time where I find I'm getting through books slower; this one really made me feel back in the game. The cast of characters were beautiful three dimensional and realistically flawed, and even though there were a couple of annoying ones, I found that I didn't actually hate any of them. They all served a purpose and added to the story. If you love a good, locked building horror that gives you that isolated feeling as you slowly descend into madness, while simultaneously shining a light on relevant topics of the times, give this one a crack, you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley for supplying a free copy of Slashtag in exchange for an honest review!

I was hooked from the moment I read the title of this book, Slashtag. It seemed cheesy and corny in all the best ways and I knew I had to read it. I'm a big horror fan, though I tend to be pretty iffy on ghosts, if I'm being honest. I don't know, they're just so... not scary to me. I've narrowed it down and I only like ghost stories if the ghosts are sad, and the ghost in this book is, uh, not that.

So, once I realized the ghost was REAL and MEAN and NOT SAD and was gonna be here a while, I definitely had to readjust my expectations, and I never really recovered in that aspect. I don't know, ghosts just aren't scary, especially when I couldn't track any specific rules with said ghost (Objects go through ghost, but ghost can hold objects? You can't explain that.) Don't even get me started on the spirit wrangler. Don't get me started!

I really, really loved the potential for meta commentary on these huge corporations buying up all the competition, the exploitation of participants in reality television, and society's penchant for consuming human suffering on a mass scale, but I feel like a lot of really biting commentary was sidelined due to the inclusion of a ghost, which I truly feel you could remove and not lose much story wise.

It was an easy read and I felt like all the characters were unique to themselves and none of them annoyed me too badly, hehe. The ending was... okay, I did feel like it petered out a bit towards the end. All in all, Shawn is best boy and I was rooting for him the whole time.

I couldn't put this down.
From the first page when we land in the middle of Tawny's life and her being a social media pariah, I was hooked.
The cast of characters trapped in the house with Tawny were all interesting in their own ways and I wish we had learned more about them. Especially Kiki.
Honestly, I go back and forth with my feelings on the bulk of this book.
Sure, it's a great horror mystery, but I feel like it jumped the shark at a certain point.

This is the kind of book I have no problem reading but would freak me out if I watched a movie based on it. And those kinds of books are the best kind of books. I even thought about what was happening while adulting and parenting, which is definitely a good sign.

I received a copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a copy to review!!

After reading the synopsis I just had to read this and I am happy to report that it exceeded my expectations. Slashtag was such a love letter to so many things in the horror genre. The way the author writes is incredibly fun and made for a super exciting read. I really loved the characters, everyone felt very fleshed out and I found myself rooting for certain characters like I would when watching a reality show. Another thing that I really enjoyed was the setting, the hotel definitely had Dr. H. H. Holmes murder castle vibes. During the book there would be E-Mails to and from characters in the story and I love the way that it helped flesh out the goings ons behind the scenes, it was also a great way to convey the people who work in reality tv and how a lot of reality tv can be not as real as we think it might be.

(Spoiler free review)

good lord almighty was this book traumatizing in all the best ways possible!! I consume a lot of horror content and yet Slashtag is the first book or movie to ever cause me to have nightmares 😍

seriously everything in there was sooo good, I went in with low expectations as books never scare me but I could feel my heart beating faster once shit got real. I could feel the tension and the fear of the characters like I was in the house myself pls the writing was amazing.

the characters were all great in their own way, they had their little character development while going through all the chaos it was so well done!

the plot??????? insane, legendary, ground breaking, iconic. each scene fit just right with the others, inventive and creative horror scenes, chef kiss🤌

the chapters with corporate emails and the pov outside the house were the perfect touch to put it all together and create an unbearable suspens, loved that!


anyway I can't shut up about it because it was just too good, I could sell my soul to watch a movie adaptation of this book🙏

I would watch the movie.

5 ⭐ idea // 3 ⭐ satisfaction

Old hotel. Killer ghost. 7 players.

Supernatural episode + puzzles + annoying female lead

There are no tricks, this book gives you exactly what it promises. If you like the sound of the blurb, read this book. (Yes, I spent more than half the book questioning what was really going on, wondering if I was being tricked. The suspense I created from nothing was one of the most enjoyable factors!)

Setting ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters ⭐⭐⭐
Scare Factor ⭐⭐⭐
Suspense ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (until the last 100 pages)
Twists ⭐⭐
Ending ⭐
Overall Story ⭐⭐⭐
Writing Quality ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Enjoyment ⭐⭐⭐

3.5 ⭐

*misspelling Sidney Prescott 🔪 dude, really!
*female lead: eh, she's no Sidney or Sam and Dean
*April's POV = tell answers + ruin suspense ☹️
*Favourite scene: The bathroom and the bathtub, "My arms and legs!" 🦵 🛁 Hahaha
*maybe they should have tried salt🧂
*biggest strength: the game
*biggest weakness: the sisters

I'd read something else by this author.

From reading the blurb I was very excited to read this, the idea of a reality show meshed with slasher vibes sounded unlike anything I've read before, I love the slasher genre and this didn't disappoint, it was a fun fast paced blood soaked ride, I'd recommend it to fans of clown in a cornfield/my heart is a chainsaw

Thank you @netgally for the ARC of Slashtag by Jon Cohn.

This was a fast paced slasher/ghost story.
It was slightly gory, but the gore was well done. It reminded me of the movie Escape Room and would be a movie that I would enjoy watching with my teen daughter who loves scary movies. I liked the play on reality TV and how you didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

A group of celebrities stay in a haunted mansion as a reality show. They have a sequence of quests they have to solve as well as not being "eliminated". It becomes a race for survival, while the game makers also have their own plans.

Slashtag had a really good premise so I was really excited to read it and I'm happy to say I really enjoyed it!

It was well written, fast paced, had many twists and turns and I really liked the main characters!
There were so many great moments that i just couldn't put the book down as it was just so much fun!

I definitely highly recommend this book!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed my time in the game within this book. What I, at first, thought would be another hack and slash with bo depth turned out to be false.

Yeah, there's a LOT of brutality, torture, and bloodshed along the way but this novel also has a very engaging story about identity, influencer society, and trauma.

The characters are well developed and, if you've been on the internet at all, you'll recognise these people. Which makes this story seem realistic and something that is within the realm of possibility.

But the deep dark secrets of this game they're all involved with are truly terrifying and you'll find yourself rooting for characters that, previously, you might not have.

If you're looking for a supernatural bloody slasher that also has a very compelling narrative, I highly recommend this book. It's fantastic!

I really enjoyed this book! It got me from the beginning and had a lot of good twists and turns, will definitely be reading more of this author’s books!
~ this book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The same review is on goodreads.

I was very intrigued by the premise, with it being set in a horror reality show with a lot of "Big Brother" vibes. The characters where great and they added the drama and tension, making it feel very much like a reality show. But there where more serious moments as well. It had elements of escape rooms, true crime, ghosts and was able to make it all work well. Really enjoyed this one and would det read something more by Jon Cohn

4 stars

Wild and thrilling slasher! Fast paced, plenty of gory moments while holding a good storyline.
A perfect summer read for us horror lovers.

2023 so far has blessed me with an extraordinary number of extraordinary books! Most so far have been 4 * or 5 *, with rare exceptions. Many have been super great. Yet another in this latter category, an unputdownable, wildly imaginative, gory, incredibly twisty, Horror Thriller, is the recently released novel from Jon Cohn, SLASHTAG. (Release Date: April 26 2023)

Let me assure you: I will be waiting in line to read Jon Cohn's next novel! SLASHTAG is Influencer/Reality Show/Hybrid Media/Performance Art with a strong foundational dose of Cosmic Lovecraftian "sell-your-eternal-soul" Horror! There is nothing that it lacks, and I wanted to start back at the beginning and read it all over again!!

Slashtag by Jon Cohn is a fantastically thrilling slasher!

This book will take you on the thrill of your lifetime with all of its twists and turns. A real page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end of the book.
It is written with such vivid imagery. Simply amazing.
A chilling, page turning thriller that will have you racing through the pages till the shocking end. A taut, unputdownable thriller.
The characters were well defined and realistic.
A book that had me on tenterhooks. Packed with tension and twists, this is an amazing, unputdownable page turner. Loved it.

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

Thank You NetGalley and Deadbolt Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

When seven celebrities are invited to a haunted hotel with the same history as the one created by HH Holmes in Chicago They’re all reluctant to go but are convinced by emotional blackmail well not all of them… Tawny is however she is a lifestyle influencer in the thing she loves most in the world it’s her sister April they both went through a horrible ordeal which put April in a wheelchair and gave Tawny scars she has spent most of her life trying to hide. The only reason she agrees to go to this haunted house reality show is because they said they could help get her sisters the kidneys and rehab she needs. The show is being funded by a mega media conglomerate Who has purchased all the popular social media sites and made one big social website that if you want to be on the Internet it is your only choice. No one understands how a virtually unknown politician and his rich partners came from to become such big players and a huge part of the zeitgeist in any event they’re here and are funding this reality show at first Tawny isn’t excited at all but right before she enters the haunted hotel they’re all given cell phones that only has a Camera app Notes app in the ability to send a one emergency message to her fellow contestants but then she notices an app with her name on it and when she presses it it says good dogs keep their mouth shut which is a reference to the horrible ordeal that happened to her and her sister and wants she presses it it disappears this will not be the only time she was reminded of the horrible event that changed her in Aprils life forever as a matter of a fact she will learn ghosts are real and because of that running from your past is not an option. This book is so good she is on this show with an anonymous clerk whose identity no one knows but everyone thinks is a celebrity an actor name Landon who played the hotel owner in the movie that turned out to be a flop another influencer name Britt who’s from Texas Keke Kawaii a football player name Sean and Tawny’s fake public boyfriend Derek who’s known as the wreck. He is a 30-year-old man child who wants to change his image and has been dating her with the plans of doing just that but when they enter the haunted house not all of them will be leaving. As I said this book is so good the dialogue flows and when I say you will not want to put this book down I’m being so serious I stayed up all night until I was finished reading Slash Tag by Jon Cohn an author I have never heard of before but I have already picked my next book by him which I think is his only other book but either way I feel like this is just the beginning for Mr. Cohn If you love horror then you’ll definitely love this book I do and did and highly recommended this is a definite five star read in the gradebook any lover of paranormal horror will love. I received this book from NetGalley but I’m leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.