'Birthday Party Demon' is a quick, campy, easy read for fans of Christopher Pike, RL Stine, etc., and evokes plenty of 90's nostalgia. It also captures the realistic feelings of growing up and growing apart from childhood friends, as well discovering identity, and those are the strongest parts of the book. The author does take a creative angle during the height of the supernatural events that was really fun at first, however, at a certain point the balance shifted too far into period-specific references that lessened the tension of the horror elements.

Perfect for 90's kids and fans of campy horror, and YA horror.

Renting videotapes, looking at fashion magazines, having a birthday party & accidentally summoning a demon. You know, girly things!
Three friends (shy Tina, sporty Lacey & goth girl Eve) try to have a normal & fun birthday party celebration, but one which instead descends into total demonic chaos. This short novel about strained friendships and battling demons is such a nostalgia-drenched read. There are 90s references everywhere, and it all culminates in my favorite part of the book (where two of the girls are trapped inside a fashion catalog...yes, you read that right).
What I wished was done better, was the characterization (for example, I thought Deon should have been more fleshed out) and the ending (the buildup to the cemetery battle is good, but everything wraps up/concludes just a little to quickly).
If you miss 90s shows like Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark, this short read has that aesthetic/vibe going.

A fun nod to '90s nostalgia and the birthday parties every Millennial knows of along with fans of Fear Street, The Craft, and My Best Friend's Exorcism.

Book:
BIRTHDAY PARTY DEMON by Wendy Dalrymple
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the earc (Feb 18)

Review:
3.5⭐
I went back and forth on how to rate this, but I landed on a little under 4 stars bc I did enjoy it even though it was quite short---like unbelievably short---and there were points that were lacking.
It's Tina's 16th birthday and she and her friends are having a sleepover. When they use a Ouija board, followed by playing Light as a feather, they are drawn into a demonic game---one they so bad want to get out of.
BIRTHDAY PARTY DEMON was a quick and easy read that packed a punch. I was intrigued by this, starting with Tina's visions of shadows and the voices she heard---though this part did feel incomplete because why was she seeing and hearing things before the summons??? I wish that would have been touched on again. At least an explanation.
This book was fast-paced and with all the vibes of something out of Goosebump, which is probably why it felt a tad juvenile at times. I don't know how to explain it. Perhaps it's because the creepy factor wasn't as creepy as it could of been. Don't get me wrong, it had some factors that were creepy, bur with a cover and title like that, I was expecting more.

Picked this read up off Netgalley, so thank you for that.

This is centered around young teen girls, so if that's not your vibe, be-aware, but is written well, and despite being older, i enjoyed it.

This is what i would think, I would let my teen read, if i had one lol
But the nostalgia factor had me bent over a barrel, amazing.

Then they break my personal number one rule, fucking with Ouija Board, big no no.

This sleepover takes a big wrong turn and now everyone is in danger, and what happens when one of them is possessed by a demon ??

I'm not saying i believe in it, but i have read more then enough books. Its a bad idea, just in case lol .

Baffled by this and not entirely sure how to rate it. 3.7 stars? 3.5? I just don’t know what the point of it all was.

Sure, it’s an homage to 90s teen horror. But it’s not SAYING anything. There’s a frisson of lesbian romance and a demon and some slumber party antics that made me want to read The Sleepover Club again, but as a horror novel mainly aimed at adults it felt a bit random.

Liked the writing. Liked the theme. Just think more could have been done.

This is a rather short book, or a longer novella, if you will but it managed to actually keep me interested from the first page to the last. The story is fast paced and nostalgic, in a way, felt very 80-90s teenage film with that added horror flare.

We follow main character Tina and her two gbest friends getting together for Tina's 16th birthday party and things go very wrong.

I think it would work as a longer story too.

This novella was filled with 90s nostalgia, flavored liked a b-movie, and topped with some teenage anxieties. "Birthday party demon" is campy as well as fun. If you ever wondered if R. L. Stein dropped his pen, rest assured that Darlymple picked it right back up.

This is giving goosebumps but also babysitters club - I would have frothed this when I was younger and definitely I loved it now as an adult! It just radiates pink camp horror and to make it even better it was such a fun fast paced quick read.

I was hooked in by the description and I hoped it was going to be a super fun read and I was right - this was the perfect quick read!

The nostalgia I got from this book thinking about my old friends and the sleepovers we had was amazing. Am I ever glad, however, none of us ever got possessed. The blend of camp and horror was amazing. Very reminiscent of a R.L. Stine. It's such a fun book highly recommend.

Tina is lamenting the fact that she doesn't seem to have the relationship she used to have with her two best friends, Lacey and Eve. But when her mother suggests she invite them for a sleepover to celebrate her sixteenth birthday, much to Tina;s surprise, they're both excited to come over. When the girls resort to their old childhood games of playing with a Ouija board, then trying out a magic spell Eve learned from her new Goth friends, they unwittingly unleash a demon that possesses Lacey and creates a hellish nightmare for the trio.
The author says right up front that inspiration came from the likes of R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and others from her childhood, and it's apparent in the story. Chock full of 90s trends and imagery, it has a nostalgic feel to it. I'm not entirely sure who the right audience would be for it, as it's a little grown up for kids, but a bit on the childish side for teens. If you're a fan of Stine, Pike, et al, you'll probably find it amusing enough.

This was fun, easy to read and I found myself wishing it was longer. The idea of being stuck in a 90s teen magazine is a world I want to explore!!

In my opinion, for such a short novel, the sapphic thread was unrequited. We didn’t see it come to a conclusion however I’m guessing this is a set up for a full length.

A spooky,fun, late 80s/early 90s era tale of 3 teens,a birthday party, and a demon.

This was a quick read that had me both smiling and creeped out! Nostalgia hit me hard with the era's references and as well as teen drama and sleepover memories. That part was fun and humorous. But when the story got into horror mode, this author didn't hold back on the creep factor! It really was a nice light blend of young adult horror.

I really enjoy this author's writing and will continue to read her work! 4⭐️

As always, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is fun! It exceeded my expectations. It scratches the same itch as teen horror king RL Stine, a la Fear Street, but it’s got its own vibe, more modern and of the times even though it’s set in the 90s with all the touchstones. The real question though: how are the scares? I’m happy to say, the book delivers! There’s also a rather jarring twist, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Definitely not something I’ve seen before.

4/5 stars, pick it up if you’re nostalgic for old-school teen horror.

*An uncorrected proof of this book was provided by the publisher at the reviewer’s request in exchange for a fair and uncompromising review.

I simply cannot contain my enthusiasm and pure joy at this novella, DID SOMEONE SAY CAMPY PINK HORROR 90S NOSTALGIA DEMON FUN? (I did, hi!) I'm a huge fan of Wendy and this was incredible, I mean, look at the cover, already it's a winner, think goosebumps but girly, girlybumps- oh wait no that sounds wrong, this was an absolute joy to read, full of 90s nostalgia and had a sweet coming of age-esque vibe, focusing on the power of friendships, underneath the whole demon possession *thang*, for fans of MBFE (if you're not cool that's My Best Friends Exorcism) but make it YA, Point Horror, Jennifer's Body, The Craft..you get the vibe right? it's a vibe 🌟

campy, fun, and dramatic horror novella that really feels in the time. it's super cool and i would recommend itr for a short pulpy read. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This DEFINITELY took me right back to the 90’s. This definitely has a Goosebumps/Are You Afraid of the Dark type vibe and I’m here for it. Short one sitting read that will give you all the nostalgia!

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in February of 2025!

A sweet sixteen birthday party gone wrong once the witchcraft and ouija board comes out to play. Pink GAY horror. PINK GAY HORROR!!! This reminded me so much of the baby horror (goosebumps, are you afraid of the dark) used to consume like a beast and made me insanely nostalgic. (also guys, do we remember the are you afraid of the dark episode of the kid stuck in the mall??) Campy fun and all around delightful. I enjoy every second of this short and fast paced story. We need more girl power 90's neon pink horror. In fact, I'm demanding it.

Loved this. I would have eaten this up when I was younger. I ate it up now as an adult. It's like a modern Goosebumps, so fun, so campy.

I'd have loved to have spent more time inside the magazine, I think only three chapters were fully spent there, but the rest of the story was just as enjoyable so it's really hard to complain.

I didn't know what pink horror was before this, but now I do, and it may be my new favorite. Will be reading more by Wendy Dalrymple immediately.