Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith is a psychological thriller that gives off '90s slasher film vibes while giving a suspenseful narrative

The premise of this book is incredibly fun. An isolated cabin, a fractured group of people who made a hit cult-classic horror film decades ago, a deadly secret shared between them? FUN.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel like the book lived up to its full potential.
The characters were pretty stereotypical and forgettable. Ella, our main character, is the only point of view we get which leads to some interesting reveals throughout the story, but I would've loved some scenes from either an outside point of view or even the person who is seeking revenge on them.
I want to be clear that I did like this book. It was enjoyable, if a tad predictable, and kept me interested. It just felt like there were some key elements missing. If the characters and their motivations had been explored a bit more, it wouldn't feel like such an anti-climax when we do find out what's going on. But maybe that's just me.
I'd still recommend this for a fun summer thriller!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Also, the cover is STUNNING. The VIBES.

Ella Winters is a refreshingly vulnerable and relatable final girl you can’t help but root for. The rural Tennessee cabin setting? Absolutely perfect for dialing up the creepy, suspenseful atmosphere that kept me hooked from start to finish. Every plot twist had me gasping (no spoilers here, promise!), and I loved how the story kept me guessing about the masked villain’s identity—my theories changed more times than I can count!
What really made this book a page-turner was the clever back-and-forth between Hollywood glitz, the haunting past, and the tense present. It created a rollercoaster of emotions and suspense that I didn’t want to end. If you’re craving a slasher thriller with juicy secrets and a killer setting, this one’s a must-read!

I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions.

3.5⭐️

Okay so this started off as a slower burn character-driven story and I was a tad unsure. By the 50% mark, things started going in the slasher direction and I REALLY enjoyed where it went from there. I loved Ella’s character. She was honest in her struggles and genuine in her feelings. I enjoyed Riley too. I didn’t care for the others but the story took a few interesting turns and the twists were entertaining. Overall, I liked it!!!

Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith is a psychological thriller that gives off '90s slasher film vibes while giving a suspenseful narrative. Smith intertwines two different timelines and incorporates pieces from the original movie script, enhancing the deep experience while building tension.
The book was a pretty slow start, and was hard to continue to jump into. Once I got to further into the story the twists and turns were exciting. In the end I probably would not pick it up again, but I did enjoy the storyline, and the way it was written delivered a very good flow to the story.

Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith is a sharp, chilling thriller that brilliantly blends Hollywood nostalgia with slasher horror in all the best ways. Ella Winters, once the beloved “final girl” of a cult-classic film, is pulled back into the spotlight—and into danger—when a reunion documentary turns deadly. I loved how the story played with the blurred lines between fiction and reality, slowly revealing the dark secret the cast buried decades ago. The isolated cabin setting, creepy callbacks to the original movie, and the masked killer stalking the cast make for a tense, cinematic ride. It’s a clever, suspenseful page-turner that asks what happens when the past refuses to stay buried—and whether the final girl can truly survive twice.

I'm a huge fan of campy horror movies and murder mysteries, so I loved the premise of this book. It was a fast paced read, and kept me involved enough to read it one sitting.

However, there were some issues that kept me from totally enjoying it. For one, there was A LOT going on in a relatively short book: A slasher movie homage, a murder mystery, plus several other big elements I won't mention to avoid spoilers. The two timelines (plus the script sections which didn't feel entirely necessary) often got redundant, and slowed down the pace (Why did we need an entire chapter about filming an awkward sex scene? It had no relevance to the plot). The biggest issue was with the characters, though. Ella, our protagonist was a mess, and not very interesting most of the time. The rest were mostly terrible, and spent a lot of time saying the same dialogue over and over again (do they have cell service out there???).

This is a pretty good debut novel from Miranda Smith. Glad that NetGalley and Random House gave me the opportunity to give it a review before it comes out in June. I would have to give it a 3/5 though. The concept/idea is really great. I enjoyed the back and forth between the past/present, and it really feels like a slasher movie. However, I think the set up tool way too long. A little too much history and unnecessary banter that could have been left out to make a stronger novel. That will come in time I think for Miranda and I look forward to her future books. Once it got going, it was really good and I think it all tied up very nicely.

I LOVE a good thrasher novel that keeps me guessing. I was absolutely THRILLED that I was selected for this arc from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam publishing. The writing itself was so unique. I loved that the novel had dual timelines, but it also included pieces of the film's script as well. I LOVE unique writing structure. Overall, I was satisfied, but there were times where I found myself working hard to read in order to finish the text. The suspense was there, and I did appreciate that. I was just left feeling like something was missing.

I always admire the courage and creativity it takes to write a debut novel, and Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith certainly shows promise in its concept. The premise was intriguing and had the potential for a compelling psychological thriller.

That said, I found it a bit difficult to connect with the characters, and the pacing felt a bit drawn out in places, which made it hard for me to stay fully engaged. I believe there’s a strong voice here, and with more refinement in character development and plot structure, future works could really shine.

Wishing the author all the best in her writing journey—there’s clear talent here, and I look forward to seeing how her storytelling evolves!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

2.5⭐️

I wanted to love this. I love slasher movies, so this one sounded great. Unfortunately, the pacing was way too slow. Almost nothing interesting happened until the 55-60% mark. I also felt that Ella's thoughts and actions were so repetitive. How many times do I need to read about hearing a twig snap? Or the big and awful thing they did 20 years ago? Eventually, the pacing did pick up, and the ending was fairly decent. Some of the side characters were interesting and fun. I think this was a fun idea with poor execution.

The premise and title is what drew me in with this but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. I found myself getting bored and wanting the climax to come. It did give Slasher vibes though, which I enjoyed. Overall, not a bad book!

I went into Smile for the Cameras expecting a full-blown slasher/horror thrill ride—something bloody, tense, and in line with the genre’s classic "final girl" tropes. What I got was…not quite that.

The premise is undeniably intriguing: Ella Winters, once a scream queen icon and the sole survivor of a cult classic slasher film, returns to the spotlight decades later for a reunion documentary. But secrets buried on the original set are unearthed when cast members begin dying in eerily familiar ways. Sounds like a recipe for a fast-paced, suspenseful slasher, right?

Well, not exactly.

The book is divided into three parts—then, now, and excerpts from the Grad Night script. While this structure is a cool concept in theory, it can be confusing in execution. You’ll definitely need to pay attention to chapter headings or risk getting lost. That said, it does add an atmospheric, meta vibe that fans of horror movie nostalgia might appreciate.

The issue, for me, lies in the pacing and plot repetition. The first half of the novel feels like a rehash of the same beats—Ella's guilt, the group's shared secret, and the tension between the characters—without much progression. It doesn't really lean into the slasher potential, and there's a noticeable lack of mystery or suspense until the final act. Even then, the "big reveal" feels underwhelming, delivered mostly through dialogue with minimal action.

In truth, I’d categorize this more as a slow-burn drama with thriller undertones rather than a true horror or mystery. It has emotional weight, explores the trauma of fame and past choices, and asks interesting questions about legacy and guilt. But if you’re looking for scares, chills, or edge-of-your-seat thrills, you might want to lower your expectations.

If you go in expecting more character drama than carnage, Smile for the Cameras could work for you. Just don’t expect it to play by the rules of the genre it’s referencing.

This was okay. It had my attention enough to finish it. I wanted to know what was going to happen. I found it predictable and I was kinda let down. I loved the premise of the story, that’s what had me interested in this book. But it didn’t work out for me. Maybe it’s just me. I think others would probably enjoy it though.

Smile for the Cameras was a fun mix of slasher nostalgia and psychological suspense. It follows Ella, the sole survivor of a cult classic horror movie, who returns to the film’s original set for a reunion documentary. But of course, it’s not just about revisiting the past—someone is out for blood, and the lines between fiction and reality start to blur.

I really enjoyed the setup—it gave me serious Scream meets I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes. The isolated setting, the masked figure, the cast reunion… all of it was dripping with that classic horror tension, which I loved. Ella was a solid main character, carrying a lot of guilt and trauma that added emotional weight to the story.

Where it lost me a bit was in the middle. Some of the twists felt a little obvious, and a few side characters were forgettable. I kept wanting more depth from the supporting cast, especially since the whole plot hinges on their shared history.

Still, I flew through it. The pacing picked back up toward the end, and there were a couple of reveals I didn’t see coming. It’s one of those books that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel but knows exactly what it wants to be—and it mostly delivers.

If you’re into slashers, creepy old film sets, and stories where secrets come back to haunt people (literally), this one’s worth a read.

Friday the 13th meets scream meets i know what you did last summer. This book is for every person who grew up watching slasher films and loved the shock and awe of finally finding out the truth at the end! I devoured this book and enjoyed the horror movie that played in my head the whole time I read.

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I like the concept of a horror film reunion and the cast dealing with their past. The past and now timelines were interesting to keep the suspense going. There were a lot of twists and some were predictable. It got better towards the end bc they would talk about what happened then we finally get to it in the past.

Déjà vu slapped me in the face hard with this one. There was something about this one that I remembered. I wrote what I thought I remembered happening on a piece of paper and gave it to my husband. When the big reveal happened, I had him read the book and then my note. It matched up perfectly. Was this book released previously? Or am I just weird? Or do I just read too damn much? Maybe don't answer most of the questions.

This book had a lot of potential, but the final result was disappointing. The plot was predictable, and I could easily figure out what would happen before it actually did. Books like this do nothing for me, as they leave little to the imagination.

The characters were uninteresting, and I did not care about any of them or what happened to them. The only thing that made me happy about this was when it was over.

How can something with such an amazing cover be so boring?

Ella made a name for herself as a young actress by playing the Final Girl in a cult classic horror movie in the early 2000's that ended in tragedy. Her agent has convinced her to return for a reunion weekend and Ella eventually agrees even though it's the last place on earth she wants to be. Will the cast be able to keep their secret when they return to the scene of the crime? Or will someone give them away?

The setting was great, the classic cabin in the woods horror movie trope. I think every movie fan has that movie that they'd love to see have a cast reunion and for me that would be an indie horror movie that launched (technically relaunched) the Camp Blood franchise. The first half of the book was a bit slow as we see the main character being drawn into the reunion and then the cast and crew coming back together. I found myself starting to get a bit irritated with the constant references to what happened on set two decades earlier but we still weren't getting any clues as to what that was.

Reading the original script in between chapters was fun. Though there was nothing special about the movie plot, it was classic cult horror material and made for a fun backdrop to the book.

Now, the ending. I was pretty disappointed with that. There was a paranormal slant that actually kind of made me mad. I felt like I'd been lied to (because, let's face it, I had). I also didn't care for the ending. I think I know why the author played it out the way she did, but it was a total cop-out and it didn't make me think any more of the characters (or any less of the killer) as I think it was intended to. To avoid spoilers, I'll say no more except to say that in a horror there has to be a bad guy and the bad guy should actually be a bad guy. I know people today are very sensitive and want to think that everyone is a fluffy bunny, but that's romance novel territory and this was a slasher. The author pulled their punches and the book suffered for it.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Wow this was very hard to put down! This was a very fun slasher horror murder mystery!

I loved the dual timelines and some of the characters, but I struggled with the FMC Ella. I feel like the “Final Girl” should be a stronger character. She was very weak character which became a little frustrating. She did have some growth, but not really.

The twists in this book were so good and surprising!

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!