Wow, this was so incredibly disturbing, in all the ways you want from a story like this. There are some scenes that will probably stick with me forever. The body horror… the psychological torture… the creepy, unsettling nature of it all… brace yourself for this one. I liked the dual timeline, the blurring of lines, and my absolute favorite part of it all was getting to read the script. This was a sick, twisted, mindwarp of a book. I can easily see it becoming one of the most popular horror releases of this year. Equally difficult to put down and difficult to stomach reading. So much more than just a “cursed film” story, it’s creepy, sinister, haunting, and unforgettable!

"My theory is that we're in hell. Some of us are demons and some of us make demons because we don't know what else to do ..."

In June 1993, a group of amateur film-makers set out to make a movie called Horror Movie. During the filming, certain events took place that resulted in the movie never officially releasing. Only three scenes were released, and as a result, a fanbase was created out of an interest in knowing more about this unusual cursed horror flick.

Flash forward, the man who played "The Thin Kid" is working to secure a potential reboot of the film. He is the only surviving cast member. As the unnamed narrator begins reflecting back on the filming of the movie, the lines between fantasy and truth are blurred. The unnamed narrator is determined to have this movie finally see the light of day, but old memories, overzealous movie producers, and bizarre fan encounters, make you, the reader, question if releasing this film is the right decision.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay is an eccentric story of curses, monsters, and gore. The end, will have you questioning your overall sanity. And the blurring between past / present and truth / fiction, will have you absolutely losing your mind.

3.5/5 as the writing sometimes was a little confusing - but again, maybe that was the intention of the writer.

WTF did I just read, you guys? I was expecting a “haunted movie set” sort of horror and … huh. There are definitely no ghosts to be found here.

But did I enjoy it? I mean, “enjoy” is a strong word since it's not at all an easy book to read. It was engrossing, for sure, but also very unsettling. It did take me a bit to get into the story, I think mainly due to the format, but I was completely hooked by the 25% mark. There was never any chance of this novel ending happily, and yet I couldn't stop reading it.

The format is an unusual one. It switches back and forth between the past (the original filming of the movie) to the present day (the filming of the reboot), but also includes sections of the screenplay in every chapter. Oh, and the narration is actually an audiobook that the surviving cast member has written about the events. It's a lot to sort out initially, but it really works once you've gotten into the swing of things.

That screenplay, though? Yeah, never in a million, billion years would I watch a film based off of it. I'm pretty sure that scenes from the book are already going to stick in my head for years, and I'd probably need therapy after watching a film version. Fans of slasher-type horror won't bat an eye – it's really rather tame compared to a lot of stuff out there – but I haven't enjoyed gory films since my aunt took me to see A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master in the theater when I was nine. I had to come home and go straight to bed and had nightmares about it for years. But, I digress.

And the ending? I mean, you kind of see it coming, I think. There's not really any other way it could end, especially once you learn about the protagonist's “tattoos.” But was I ready for it? Hell no.

Paul Tremblay's HORROR MOVIE lives up to the hype. As a horror book fanatic, I loved the references and throwbacks to 80s/90s horror, and appreciated the innovation in format.

HORROR MOVIE is a dual timeline story that follows the star of an 90s indie horror film that never gets released during the movie's filming as well as present day ~30 years later as reboot talks are underway. This story is filled with tension driven by young-adult invincibility and emotional turmoil and imagery that has the reader turning their attention inward.

Wow. This hits hard in the meaning of what a horror movie is, and what it can do psychologically and physically to viewers. Wow. It’s like we are watching a horror movie as we read and how we would respond to it in real life.

_Horror Movie_ by Paul Tremblay is a disturbing and nightmarish read that will haunt the reader well after finishing the book. Told from the present-day perspective of the actor who played “The Thin Kid” and the horror movie script from 1993, it follows a group of young filmmakers as they film a gritty horror film that became a cult classic, to the present remake of the movie. It blends periods of time and blurs the line between reality and script, revealing real monsters that reside in some of us.

A tale of two timelines- in one a young man is recruited to cast in a horror movie. In the other he is now the only survivor, being cast in a role in the remake of that same film. A film that only exists in online lore and speculation, and of course in the man’s own mind. Including portions of the script of the original film, the past and present narration of the story comes together to tell the story of madness and the human ability to be truly monstrous. I would definitely categorize this book as a slow burn horror. It’s unnerving throughout for sure, but it takes it’s time slowly building to the final scene. I really like that about it. It was a weird little novel, but overall I did like it. I especially liked the past narration about how they filmed the original movie, and how all that ended. I really wished I read this in a physical format, I feel like it would be much easier to follow that way. It took a little while for me to get into this one, but I still enjoyed it.

This review will be posted on my instagram @boozehoundbookclub

It took me a good while to get into this one. I really love Paul Tremblay but I found myself sort of confused for the first half of the book. It did all finally fall into place and I really loved the ending. Overall, I would recommend this book to friends and family with the advice to push through because the second half of the book was worth it for me.

Thank you to Paul Tremblay, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Horror Movie follows a character who once played the Thin Kid in a cult horror film many years ago--but did he ever stop being the Thin Kid? It might be a bit unclear. With only 3 scenes formally released to the public, it is no wonder that years later there are plans to remake the film in its entirety despite all but one of the original cast members dying under strange circumstances.

The structure of the story appears to be meant to throw the reader off a bit and keep them on edge. This is reflective of the main chatacter's mental state, as I would say that he is an unreliable narrator. The story is told via 3 different points in time; the narrator's present, past, and through scripts from the original "Horror Movie" that were previously never released. We follow the narrator as he slowly comes to terms with his past, along with the newfound fame that came at quite the cost. The deeper he falls into the hole that is the new Horror movie, the more we watch as his mind fragments and falls into madness. It really is a treat to read the story and see how each era presented flows into the other, until it culminates in the finale.

This was an engrossing yet very unsettling book by an author I have enjoyed in the past, and also a book that made me say what did I just read??? It has an interesting format, switching back and forth between past and present of the original filming of the movie to the present day filming of the reboot. That format works actually. The surviving cast members are the ones telling the horrifying story, and it leaves you with a sense of unease and quiet terror as you follow the story. It is a VERY gory book when it describes the screenplay of the movie, typical slasher type film but that didn't bother me as much as it may some. The ending was a little predictable but overall this was a very creative, unexpected and dark book. Definitely for horror fans!

Having other Paul Tremblay books on my TBR but not yet read this was my actual first book that i have consumed by this author. I enjoyed it but when I was expecting an actual horror title that was not really what I got. I didn’t really get a mystery or thriller either. I will say there was a mystery and a horrorish component to it but it that kept the momentum of me reading and finishing it in one sitting. Horror Movie, while not only the title of the book is the title of the movie that was being made in the book and the movie that is being revamped and remade. It is a “cursed” title that never was actually aired do to something that happened during the initial filming. Instead years later 3 scenes were released after the fact and an occult like status was given to it in hopes that someone would pick up the title and remake it and release it in theatres.
Through the book we go back and forth throughout the time line of the initial filming and a more current timeline. Learning more about what happened during the filming and actually reading the script and seeing what was playing out during the filming. Not only were the characters of the film names Cleo, Karson, and Valentina, those were the “actors” names as well as they were based on them. This being so the question really lied within were was some of the fictional movie characters really completely fictional or not.

Overall I liked it and I am really interested in reading Paul Tremblay’s backlog.

For the first three quarters, as good as anything the author's written- "Head Full of Ghosts" good. Meandered a bit toward the end with an ambiguous ending that veered more toward confusing than satisfying. Getting there was a blast- the whole book got the feel of cheap horror movies spot on- from "Slaughter High" to- whether intentional or not= "Skinamarink." Definitely recommend.

Big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. The following is my honest review. Horror Movie is my first book by the author. It takes a minute to jump into the story and know exactly what's going on, but you'll quickly begin following along. It jumps between past and present, with bits of a screenplay. Right off the back it's eerie, weird, but also good enough to keep the curious readers tugging along. Midway through the book your thoughts will probably be WHAT THE FROG AM I READING? What's real? What's not? But, you'll be curious enough to keep going. I hardly read horror, in fact, I read majority romcoms, ok. Why did I think I could just skip into this book is beyond me. I can say that I read this book within hours. I've never been so absorbed by a story and scared to put it down. I loved everything about this weird, creepy book.

I enjoyed parts of this book, but felt that it was mismarketed. I expected a horror book but felt that the plot and writing style mostly matched literary fiction. I didn’t find that most of the twists and turns paid off. I feel that I would’ve enjoyed it more had I not expected a horror novel.

I'm not sure I liked the way this was written but overall the book was good. Solid 4star. Will definitely be looking for more from this author.

A reboot is planned for a 1993 horror flick that was never fully released. The only surviving member of the film, the man who played “The Thin Kid”, remembers the past and how reality and film blended.

This was a very atmospheric and immersive novel. The format really brings you right into the story and it feels like you’re in the movie. I enjoyed the screen play sections, despite the atypical format. Overall it was too odd and artsy for my tastes. It went in a direction I was not expecting, which an often be a good thing, but it wasn’t my type of horror.

“The Mask is ugly and grotesque and familiar and we cannot stop staring at it because all monsters are mirrors.”

Horror Movie comes out 6/11.

When I started this book I didn't know what I expected. As an avid horror movie fan, I found myself intrigued and wanted to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. From the moment I started reading, I was ALL IN. The style of writing is good but some passages seem a bit like filler. The cuts between the past, present and screenplay drove me as a reader to keep digging. I wanted to know how it ended. What a fantastic read.

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Four teens make a horror movie that never gets released. It is rumored the production was cursed. Years later our unnamed protagonist The Thin Kid tells the story of the film and its reboot.

I never get a real read on our narrator and how the film affected him, nor can I tell which events happen and what was made up to preserve the lore of the original film. That uncertainty adds to the general creepiness of the book.

I recommend this book to fans of 70s and 80s horror films.

I felt real dread reading this book! I liked the dual timelines and trying to figure out what was going to happen next in both as well as the screenplay. A fun read for horror fans!

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

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I think I struggled mostly with the delivery and format of the novel itself. Switching back and forth between the screenplay and timelines made it confusing and difficult to follow. Also, it seemed like everyone was very unreliable, which I usually enjoy, but for some reason this made things even more confusing for me this time. The ending was interesting though, but I will say that overall this one was not what I was expecting!