I was SO excited to read this book based on the description, so I dove right in after I was approved. It’s a locked room-ish thriller based on 90s slashers movies…hello YES PLEASE! Unfortunately this book fell short of my expectations a bit. Parts of the book (honestly, close to 60% of the book) moved SO slowly, and then to me the ending seemed so rushed and the reveals just keep coming all in a row. Even though some points felt a bit ridiculous, I still really enjoyed following the journey of the story.

I will admit I am a sucker for a good slasher. Smile For the Cameras fits the bill for any slasher/horror fan. I stayed up late in the night to finish this book and it was worth the loss of sleep. I recommend to anyone looking for a fast paced read with plot twists.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ballentine, and Miranda Smith for allowing me to read this ARC.

This had an interesting premise but the first 65-ish% dragged on. We kept getting hints that something awful happened 20 years ago and was covered up, but it took a long time for anything to happen.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has been brought to you by #MeToo, (The Final) Girl power, and a number of other thriller genre cliches.
So why did I read it? Well, I'm a sucker for books about movies and a fan of slashers movies. Why specifically slasher movies? Because as this book can amply attest to, slashers work better on screen.
Does that mean this book was a dud?
Well, no, not exactly, but it did get more and more trite and obnoxiously overexplained as it went on. The movie slashers usually have the decency to wrap up under 120 minutes or so.
Also, they are usually more fun. And, as the case may be with all the Scream movies, infinitely cleverer.

This book didn't quite hit those marks, but the genre seems to thrive on mediocrities, so it'll fit right in.
This is a story of Ella, a washed-up actress pushing forty, who gets a second chance at stardom when she is invited to the twenty-year reunion of the slasher flick that put her on the map. And also, the one that led her to eventually quit the business.
Why? Because something went wrong during the shoot, though the author really takes her time revealing what that something may be. I think the idea there is to pump up the suspense, but it veers into roll-your-eyes silliness instead.
So in the genre-standard alternating timelines of then and now, interspersed with the original movie script, the reader gets to slowly find out what happened, who died and why and how, etc.

This is the kind of book that makes up by easily digestible readability what it doesn't have in depth or originality. It's fine, it's entertaining, it passes the time, but it doesn't even try to say anything interesting or new.
Just about all the male characters are evil. Most of the female characters are virtuous. The past reveal is hugely underwhelming. The present reveal is overwrought to the point of convolution. But it's an easy, mindless read of more-of-the-same variety that is sure to find its audience.
Thanks Netgalley.

This is genuinely one of the best “Final Girl” thrillers I’ve read in a while! You start off in the dark about what happened during the original film shoot and slowly piece it together through flashbacks and conversations between the cast during the reunion. It was fast-paced, intense, and kept the adrenaline running. The overall concept of the story was interesting and it was executed really well. I’d give this a 9 on a 10 point scale, converting to a 4.5 star, but I am choosing to round up as NetGalley doesn’t allow for half stars. Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers, “Final Girl” stories, and wants a book they will devour in a couple days.

Are you ready for your next psychological thriller? Check out Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith. It was a great read.

This was a fun campy horror book that reminded me of I Know What You Did Last Summer & Scream! Really enjoyed it! Thanks NetGalley, Random House & Miranda Smith for letting me read Smile for the Cameras before its June 2025 release!

𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥, 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤? 𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬? 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞?

I was so excited to see that this author had a slasher book in the works, and this was everything I hoped for! Twenty years ago, Ella Winters was Hollywood's newest It Girl. A seemingly overnight sensation, her claim to fame was the Final Girl in the slasher 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒅 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, which would go on to become a cult classic. The world was at her feet, until one terrible night in the woods with her co-stars changed the trajectory of her life forever.

Ella retreated from all the fame and glory to care for her ailing mother who sacrificed so much for Ella's success; at least, that's what people thought. While her mother did indeed need care, Ella also needed time to assuage her guilt. Now that her mother is gone and her career has long-stalled, one call from her agent was enough to get her into a meeting. She's tempted by promises of projects, but they all hinge on one thing--a reunion of the original members. If Ella refuses, her career is done. But saying yes means facing the awful thing they all did so many years ago.

She reluctantly agrees to return to the original set, a rustic cabin in rural Tennessee, to reunite with her castmates. But it isn't long before the actors begin to fall victim to someone dressed as the original villain, meeting the same horrific fates as their fictional characters. That's when Ella knows their secret has been exposed, and someone is getting their revenge.

Steeped in the nostalgia of 90s slasher films, SMILE FOR THE CAMERAS will make you reminisce for a simpler time when the blade of an ax, wielded by a very clear villain, was coming for your face instead of the knife buried in your back by a smiling frenemy. Thank you to Random House Publishing/Ballantine for this early read. This title is expected to publish June 24, 2025.

This is my opinion and my opinion alone.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine for the chance to read Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith.
I think the story is great, but it was too repetitive and just was not going anywhere. There could have been more to add and make it more of a thriller. I was annoyed with the MC and her story.

This was just not a read for me.

I really liked this book. I loved the theme of a 20 year cast reunion on the original set of a horror slasher movie. I was convinced I had it figured out and I was blown away by a quite a few plot twists. Highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith is an engaging and thought-provoking read that dives into the world of fame, identity, and the impact of social media. Smith’s writing is captivating, and she does a wonderful job of creating relatable characters while exploring the consequences of living under the constant gaze of the public eye. The narrative is compelling, with moments of both humor and poignancy, making it an enjoyable experience for those interested in contemporary fiction. However, at times, the pacing can feel a bit uneven, but overall, it’s a solid exploration of modern celebrity culture.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up)

Thank you Bantam/Random House Publishing Group & NetGalley for the opportunity read an e-ARC of Smile for the Cameras ahead of its June 2025 release.

I really enjoyed this book! I’m a big fan of slasher films & horror so this entire book felt nostalgic. It was definitely a unique concept for a book & I really appreciate the inclusion of the “screenplay” scenes , it really felt like watching a movie! This was an incredibly fun and thrilling experience. The author has a very easy to read/follow writing style and man , I read a lot of thrillers but I did NOT have any of the twists figured out with this one! Truly shocking, surprisingly moving & an overall amazing tale of strength & survival. I also loved the nods to how the MCs all dealt with life after tragedy/trauma & how delicately that was handled & how amazingly it played into the story itself. Having past & present POVs worked really well in this book as it felt like you were discovering all the little secrets as they played out back then! My only reason for taking down 1/2 star is because it took about 60% to get to the main climactic plot point of the story , but it was still nice to have some “getting to know” the characters in the beginning, I just think that portion could’ve been a bit more condensed. However, I’m not upset about it & this book defintiely gets a rec from me to every thriller & slasher movie lover!

My review can be found on Goodreads currently which I will link below. I plan to post a review to my Instagram profile where I share reviews & book related content, but I will be waiting closer to publication day to post that. Once posted I will edit my feedback to include that link! I have also included a link to my fable review which includes he same info but expands on rating specific elements of the book! Thanks again for the opportunity!

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to have this arc. I love slasher films. I love the dual timeline. And I felt like this book came together at the end and a really good way. This book was such a fast pace good thriller. I really enjoyed how they had the script involved in the book as well. I cannot wait to see what else is. Author is going to write.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I won't lie - the cover of this one was exactly the type of cover that draws me in without even reading the synopsis. I was getting big time "Cabin in the Woods' vibes from this one so it was an immediate request. This was so fun and it was a quick and twisty read. It was like Prom Night meets Blair Witch Project meets And Then There Were None, and I really enjoyed it. A campy slasher was an unexpectedly fun read for this team of year and it was really enjoyable. I really liked the 90s horror slasher vibes and if you're into the horror/thriller genre at all, you'll have a blast with this one! Three and a half stars, but rounded up to four for NetGalley. Can't wait to buy the hardcover for my shelf!

Miranda Smith’s Smile for the Cameras is a chilling and suspenseful locked-room thriller that blends the eerie atmosphere of Scream with the psychological depth of a Hollywood comeback story. Twenty years after starring in the cult-classic slasher Grad Night, former "final girl" Ella Winters is ready to reclaim her career—only to find herself trapped in a real-life horror movie when the cast members of the original film start dying in gruesome, eerily familiar ways.

Smith does a fantastic job weaving past and present, revealing the dark secret that has haunted Ella and her co-stars for decades. The setting—a remote cabin in Tennessee, where the original movie was filmed—adds to the tension, creating an isolated, claustrophobic atmosphere that enhances the slasher vibe. The pacing is strong, delivering twists at just the right moments to keep readers hooked.

While some character development feels a bit shallow, particularly among the supporting cast, Ella is a compelling protagonist—flawed, haunted, and determined to survive once again. The blend of Hollywood commentary, nostalgic horror references, and psychological suspense makes this an engaging, fun, and eerie read.

So I love this author and have read many of her books and this one is certainly a Paige Turner. I would say that the only thing that brought it down from five stars is the difficulty of keeping the story straight when you’re dealing with the same characters, just many years apart and then interspersed with a movie script. There’s just a lot of moving pieces and the changing of time periods can be a little difficult to follow. The story is a great one, though, we have a group who filmed a slasher movie that became a cult, classic together many years ago, and now they have reunited for the reunion. Unfortunately, though this group has a secret and someone knows the truth and is determined to make it all come out. What follows is a slasher movie written in book form that keeps you turning pages to find out who is behind all of it. I will say that I had no idea who the killer was until the very end.

As a sucker for slasher movies, this book was a thrill! The scenes felt so cinematic, like I was watching the horror unfold. The tension was nonstop, the deaths cleverly mirrored the original movie, and Ella’s fight for survival kept me hooked. Some twists were predictable, but that only added to the fun. A true page-turner for horror fans!

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Miranda Smith’s “Smile for the Cameras” is a nostalgic, slow-burning thriller that pays homage to classic 90s and early 2000s slasher films. With themes of Hollywood exploitation, revenge, and buried secrets, this book blends past and present timelines to create an atmospheric and engaging read—especially for fans of films like “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

The story follows Ella, once the “Final Girl” of Grad Night, a cult classic horror film that launched her acting career. Now, twenty years later, she has spent her time away from the spotlight caring for her ailing mother, avoiding the fame (and trauma) that came with the movie. When she’s convinced to return for a documentary celebrating Grad Night, Ella finds herself back on set with old castmates, confronting memories she’d rather forget. But what starts as a nostalgic reunion quickly turns into a nightmare as the past refuses to stay buried.

The novel unfolds in alternating timelines, switching between the present-day documentary shoot and flashbacks to the original film’s production. The inclusion of Grad Night's screenplay adds a meta layer, reflecting on Hollywood’s treatment of women both in front of and behind the camera. However, while these transcripts offer an interesting structural element, they aren’t particularly unique or engaging for a horror movie, especially with the kill scenes. The early sections of the book also move at a slow pace—much of the first half is filled with Ella’s guilt and vague allusions to a dark secret without much actual development.

The turning point comes in the last third of the book when the slow-burn tension gives way to a full-blown slasher revenge story. The reveal of what really happened during the filming of Grad Night delivers a twist that, while somewhat predictable, is still effective in its execution. Ella, an unreliable narrator for much of the book, finally finds strength and resolution as the truth comes to light. The final act takes a strong stance against Hollywood’s history of abusive directors, making the conclusion feel not only satisfying but also thematically relevant.

While the book struggles with pacing in its first half, the payoff in the final 30% makes up for it. The horror elements—though initially subdued—eventually come to the forefront, and the book’s nostalgic, campy slasher vibes make it a fun and engaging read. If you love slow-burning mysteries with a satisfying revenge arc, “Smile for the Cameras” is worth checking out.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I really liked the split timeline of this book and the flashes between what happened the first time the cast was on set to the reunion. I thought they were weaved together well and each timeline was strong and interesting.

The mystery throughout the book was well done and I couldn’t guess what happened, which was fun for me!!

I really liked all the references to slasher films and I think the tone of the book showed some really great appreciation for that source material.