Thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

This novel was a fun quick read for me. This escape room meets haunted mansion style story kept me entertained throughout. This would be a perfect read if you are looking for something spooky yet quirky.

I only wish the reader wasn’t as clued in to the character’s backstories throughout, I feel like the ending would have made more of an impact.

Overall an enjoyable read, looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for another ARC!

Y’all although this was a short one, it’s very much worth it. You’ll enjoy the uniqueness of it, which has a locked room trope to it.

You may think who it may be between 7 authors, but nah your wrong!! They are playing a game, the game will give you chills and some thrill. Just read it! It’s a fun read!

Wow! I devoured this horror/mystery thriller by debut author, Mallory Arnold. It grabbed me from the first and didn't let me go till the end. I couldn't put it down and read it late into the night. Set in the ancestral home of the deceased horror writer, Mortimer Queen, a group of writers have been invited for the reading of his will. Hoping to be gifted with a portion of his vast wealth, they are shocked to find out they are expected to play a "game" instead. Locked inside the manor, the only way to escape is to answer a riddle and advance to the next room . If they fail to answer or if they answer incorrectly, the house will take one of them. As the story progresses, the reason why each participant was included is revealed. Who, if anyone, will survive to inherit Queen's vast fortune? Will it be worth the price? The storyline moves between the various characters as a little piece of their history with Queen is revealed. The transition between characters is well done. The wonderful descriptive narratives, dialogue and slow reveals of why Queen chose these writers kept my interest along the way. The moral dilemma of who was in the right or wrong was an interesting twist. But, was the punishment(s) worthy of their crime(s)? I always enjoy a book where I connect either positively or negatively with the characters. This was definitely the case here. I loved/hated them all. Mallory's last reveal at the end of the book was the perfect ending. I can not wait for her next novel! Thank you Mallory Arnold, Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review this ARC.

II thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was well done, the setting was awesome, the characters were believable, and the ending was fitting! This author kept the story going with views from each of the characters and then the twists and turns of each of those characters. I feel the story moved along at a good pace and did not lag in any area.
This book is a great one for people who want mystery, suspense, and violence without gory details. Death is around every corner, or should I say in every room. Truth becomes subject to interpretation. People are not always what they seem to be. The ending was not a surprise to me, but I loved that way it was done.
Can’t wait for another book to devour by this author!

*3.5

thank you netgalley for the arc of this book!

this book follows a bunch of horror writers who are called into this big manor by another late horror writer for the reading of his will and end up getting stuck in a deadly game.

i found this to be an okay read. i felt like the characters were at first a little bit too stereotypical (they did eventually grow on me), but they still felt very much like caricatures. i did not think this was super horror in terms of stakes, mostly because i did not care about these people enough to feel scared for them.

what i liked the most was the tip-toeing around the concept of whether these people are in the right or wrong, if they are good or bad, i do think that was well done. the idea of what side of the story was the truth, etc.

the writing was okay, i did find it a bit rambly at times. the atmosphere was fine, i like a good haunted house setting, it did remind me eerily of monster house!

i just hoped the stakes were higher and maybe the nature of the house and of certain characters better explained? i feel like that could’ve been played with a lot more and would’ve helped increase the eerie aspect of it.

finally, i found the ending to be okay, i also think that maybe the aspect of the mc’s lack of memory could have been hinted at and explored a lot more, i think the explanation at the end felt out of no where and abrupt because there was not enough intrigue regarding why melanie couldn’t remember anything.

This was a very intriguing premise but I found the major issues for me were the pacing and the large number of POVs. It took about 25% of the book before things really got going and the premise was properly explained to the characters, and it was hard to separate all voices - a lot of them seemed very similar, being arrogant and unlikeable horror authors. The quick shift from real world setting to horror story haunted house was a little jarring. That said, this was a very interesting idea and a new take on the locked room genre, which I hadn’t seen before.

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold has a really fun and creative premise, and there are definitely some laugh-out-loud moments. The humor and horror elements blend well at times, but the pacing felt uneven, and some parts dragged. It’s a light, quirky read that horror fans might enjoy, but it didn’t fully hit the mark for me. Still worth checking out if you’re into satire with a spooky twist.

I can't believe how fun of a time I had with this one!
A brilliant, exciting and complex thriller, 100% original and unique. In this one we're following 7 thriller writers, who are reunited in the home of a fellow horror novelist who just passed away... and who knows what it's in store for them!
I found it the perfect blend of meta-literature, tribute to Agatha Christie and the other pillars of the thriller-horror genre. I adored the style of Mallory Arnold, such a talented writer: her descriptions are just chef's kiss, and she created complex characters, that you can't help but both hate and care for. I liked the mystery element, I liked the plot twist and the pace, and I liked how well-rounded it was. Very very good, a 4.5 stars for sure!

This an ARC review for #netgalley
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‎Let’s talk about this fantastic book!
‎How to Survive a Horror Story was my first read in June, and I must say, it was absolutely bloody fantastic. From its sophisticated book cover to the catchy blurb, not to mention the unique and interesting characters, the settings, and the engaging plot, it completely captured my attention. The story starts with Melanie heading to the manor of a late, famous horror writer because she’s unexpectedly included in his will. This baffled her, as she had only met the old man once. There, she finds herself among six well-known, best-selling horror authors. However, they soon discover that they’ve fallen into a trap set by the late Mortimer—a twisted form of revenge for how they treated him during his lifetime.
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‎I particularly loved the eerie manor setting and the introduction of the characters. Each is distinctive, and their dynamics offer many perspectives, giving an "unreliable narrator" vibe. As the plot unfolds and they desperately seek to escape the sinister Monster House, I ponder who the real monster is. Is it the deceased Mortimer, who seems to be revising and rewriting his story with a grudge, or could it be the seven individuals, Melanie included, who are trapped in this strange situation? The engagement factor of the story is spot-on; I was eager to know the mysteries, especially the question of what exactly Melanie did to end up there in the first place.
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‎I can’t forget to mention some of my favourite characters. Buck stood out for me; he exudes that protective vibe I can't get enough of. Then there’s Melanie. Although she appears somewhat fragile, she surprisingly brings a sense of calm to the chaos surrounding them.
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‎Some moments didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I found myself skimming through some conversations and backstories, which felt a bit tedious and less engaging. Despite those minor hiccups, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I hope there will be a sequel because I'd love to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
This book was an easy, fast paced thriller/horror. Sometimes I get bored with books like this kept me engaged the whole time! I was hooked on the characters and what was going to happen next. This does have some gore but I will say it’s not awful. So baby horror readers will like this one too!

How to Survive a Horror Story is a fun but okay thriller that entered and left my life so quickly without packing a punch. Mallory Arnold is a fine writer with good ideas but overall this book doesn’t correlate as a whole.

The premise was definitely interesting, and I read it fairly quickly because I wanted to know what happened. However I wasn’t IN love with it. Definitely a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold. All opinions are my own.

A group of horror writers are invited to the reading of a will of another famous horror writer. Each invitee has some sort of connection to the recently deceased. They are invited to his long generational family manor for the reading. They soon learn they may have been duped as they are told they will need to play a game full or riddles and madness to reach the end. If they make a mistake the house will take one of them as payment. Literally.

I really wanted to like this but alas it didn't appeal to me. I love haunted house style books and the horror genre in general. What kept me from liking this as much as I had hoped is the slow pace in the beginning of the story and so much attention on the character's backstories, etc. when what I really wanted was more of the house with creepier and scarier scenes. Readers who like games and riddles in their stories will surely appreciate this one. And of course, gore. How to Survive a Horror Story will be available at all major book retailers on July 8th. Happy Reading !!!!!

I devoured this debut novel! What a unique premise- kept me gripped from start to finish! Can’t wait to see what Mallory writes next

Thank you to Netgalley and Poison Pen Pressed for an ARC for review.

2.5 - rounded up.

I wanted to like this so bad, but unfortunately it didn't land the way that I wanted it to. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters in particular and this almost felt a bit too trope heavy for me. I'm still new to the horror genre, but this one just wasn't for me.

"And Then There Were None" meets "Monster House" with authors trying to escape a will reading. This was a fun, fast, creepy read that creates a strong element of suspense without holding back. Characters drive the story as their pasts are flushed out and we learn how vindictive people can become.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! I had so much fun reading this. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot. Finished this in 2 days :)

This is really good it gave me all the horror cliches loved the mystery aspect and the characters where great I definitely can understand the relationship between Melanie and her mom. I read somewhere this is like clue and knives out had a monster baby and I totally agree

Overall Vibes: Trope-filled locked door haunted house
Hot Sauce Scale: 0 (duh? It isn't that type of book!)

This quote from the first few chapters nailed how I felt after finishing this book:

“Streamin’ services!” Buck playfully shakes a fist in the air. “It’s all about what’ll do well on TV these days.” “And none of the big platforms want a horror movie about the evil stuff ‘normal’ people do,” he says, using finger quotes on normal. “They want the haunted houses, the freaky man in the mask, the sadistic killings. It’s more entertaining.”

Is How to Survive a Horror Story totally filled with horror tropes? Yes. Is it a story you have seen before? 100%. Will it make for a successful movie on Netflix or a similar service? Undoubtedly. This book is written perfectly for a mid or low-budget movie adaptation. It feels familiar and derivative enough that it's comfortable binge-reading (or, when it does get adapted, binge-watching). Nothing really hits as a surprise or twist, and the majority of the characters are all so incredibly bullheaded or dumb that you know they're just lambs headed to the slaughter.

The story is a blend of And Then There Were None, Knives Out, and House on Haunted Hill with bits and pieces of other locked-room and haunted house media thrown in. By Haunted Hill I specifically mean the campy, goofy one made in the late 90s. The kills in this book have the same level of over-the-top weirdness with unexplained supernatural elements that were common in 90s/00s horror films. You know the, "It's haunted, we don't have to explain how or why it can operate like this, it's ghosts, man!" You just have to roll with it.

Some of the characters are more sympathetic than others. None of them really stood out. I think I felt the most empathy for Buck. He did appear to try to improve himself and have character growth. I wasn't a huge fan of how often the character POV flipped between chapters. I'm not sure that worked very well as a narrative choice. I did, however, like how the Short Stories were dropped in after major events.

This is very much a slightly above-average horror book that will make a better movie adaptation one day. If Goodreads let me do a 3.5 star, I think I'd settle there. Since it doesn't, I'm going to hit it right at 3.

This was a very fun story and I had no idea how it would end. It definitely kept me intrigued learning everyone's story and background with Mortimer. It was bit long but I would recommend it to others.