I absolutely loved Show Stopper!

Everything about this book was so compelling. The characters came alive on the pages, the setting was fully realized, and the friendships and romances felt so authentic. I loved these characters and the backdrop of Ghostlight. It was fast paced but also made plenty of room for character development. I liked the complicated dynamic between Faye and her friends and her budding romance with Wes. And the murder mystery kept me guessing until close to the very end. This was a fantastic slasher with heart and enough gore for horror fans. Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Showstopper by Lily Anderson takes place at a the top theater camp in the country, Camp Ghostlight. Faye, used to playing the ingenue, is ready to step into the much metier villain role this year, but, with the death of the artistic director, she is forced to go to face-to-face with, and audition against her BFF. Things start to really go haywire when stagehands get into accidents and people start to die. Who is behind it all and will Faye survive the summer?

As a former theater kid myself I absolutely devoured this plot. I started out playing the title role of Goldilocks (as a brunette, mind you) and did improv theater well into my 30s until my chronic pain felled me, so this was right up my alley and I am dorking out as any true dramaphile would.

The setting is the fictional Rockville College, a dumpy educational institution with a stellar theater located somewhere in California (two hours from Silicon Valley to be exact). California may sound glamorous, but this location can really stand in for much of the county and it is the perfect place to center camp.

This was such a great set up, the characters were so well written and rang oh-so-true. More than just the ingenue and the villain, we have the heartthrob, the annoying kid, the destined to play a wacky relative performer and more. And each of them jumps off the page with the perfect dialogue and panache. There were plenty of twists and the story kept me entertained and guessing at the killer though I never got it. Definitely the most fun I have had reading in a while. Four 1/2 stars rounded to 5, for this bring-down-the-house thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you’ve ever lived for the spotlight, powered through tech week with nothing but nerves and caffeine, or sworn that the show must go on even as chaos breaks loose backstage… “Showstopper” by Lily Anderson is your twisted little love letter. This is a YA horror book made for theater kids, and this book is definitely entertaining.

Set at Ghostlight Youth Theater Camp, a summer haven for high school drama kids, Showstopper blends classic slasher horror with coming-of-age emotions, messy friendships, queer romance, and—oh yeah—a serial killer picking off cast and crew one by one. Equal parts Scream and High School Musical, it delivers both gory thrills and emotionally layered storytelling. Faye is an Afro-Latina theater kid who’s finally ready to take the stage as herself—no more sugarcoated princess roles. It’s her last summer at Ghostlight, and she’s determined to make it count. But her dream of center stage gets tangled up with best friend drama, a swoon-worthy (and trans) love interest, and a whole lot of blood. When mysterious "accidents" begin to strike down fellow campers—stagehands, actors, even directors—it becomes clear that someone isn’t just gunning for a standing ovation… they’re out for revenge.

Anderson absolutely nails the backstage energy—rivalries, tech booth hookups, cast politics, and that hell week adrenaline that makes everyone forget how exhausted (and sometimes endangered) they are. This is written by a theater kid for theater kids. There’s standout LGBTQIA+ representation throughout, with characters open about their identities and relationships. Faye’s love story with a trans character is refreshingly sweet and emotionally mature without overtaking the main plot.

Yes, there’s a body count—and yes, it escalates into full-blown horror—but “Showstopper” is more than just a murder mystery. It offers pointed commentary on toxic theater culture, especially the way adult men in theater/tech prey on young actresses and young teenagers don’t realize there is something wrong with adults pursuing hook-ups with underage teenagers. They just think it’s “normal,” showing how this thinking is internalized. There’s also an underlying message about how institutions fail to protect teens when things go wrong. The killings aren't random; they’re personal.

Each kill scene gets its own chilling POV, ratcheting up the dread while giving readers an up-close look at the stakes. As the deaths grow more brutal, the absurdity of everyone still focusing on the production becomes almost darkly comedic… and terrifyingly real.

After the initial bloodbath, the middle drags a bit as the story leans more into melodrama than murder. The slow-down lets us marinate in character dynamics, but I did feel that the tension fizzles too long before the final act as the story focuses more on the theater aspects over the thrills of the murders. You may guess the "why" behind the murders early on, but the full reveal still offers surprises—especially in who’s involved. It’s a revenge story at its core, but one rooted in heartbreak, not just horror. The ending offers solid closure for most characters, including a gut-wrenching resolution for one. Still, an epilogue would’ve helped soften the come-down from the intensity and show more healing after the final curtain.

Overall, “Showstopper” is a standout YA horror with teeth, heart, and a killer instinct for theater drama. It's gory and glittery, fun and furious, and filled with the kind of complex, emotional teen characters who feel like real people—messy, brave, and doing their best in the face of the unthinkable. Whether you're here for the kills, the camp, or the camaraderie, “Showstopper” earns its standing ovation.

💀 Trigger Warnings: gore, violence, death of minors, grooming/age-inappropriate relationships (addressed critically)
🏳️‍🌈 Highlights: strong LGBTQIA+ rep, BIPOC main character, sweet queer romance amidst the horror