Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith is a fast-paced and engaging thriller that keeps readers hooked with its alternating plotlines and unexpected twists. The dual timeline structure adds intrigue, seamlessly weaving past and present to build suspense. While this approach keeps the momentum going, it occasionally disrupts the pacing, making some moments feel less impactful.

The characters are well-developed, with distinct personalities that add depth to the mystery. The protagonist's growing paranoia is convincingly written, and the supporting cast creates just enough doubt to keep readers second-guessing their motives. While some character arcs could have been explored further, they still contribute to the novel’s gripping tension.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is how it cleverly misleads the reader. Just when you think you have everything figured out, Smith delivers a twist that flips expectations upside down. While some twists are truly surprising, a few feel slightly convenient, making the resolution not as satisfying as it could have been.

A unique highlight of the novel is the chapters written in a script-like format, which really help to visualize what the movie set would have looked like on film. This stylistic choice adds an immersive quality, making the behind-the-scenes aspects of the story feel cinematic and real.

Overall, Smile for the Cameras is a quick, entertaining read with a clever structure, compelling characters, and plenty of surprises. It’s the kind of book that’s easy to devour in one sitting, making it perfect for fans of twisty thrillers.

I would recommend this book to any fellow horror movie fan. It reminds me of a classic slasher film with a “who done it?” element. I enjoyed it!

This book was a lot of fun to read! The protagonist, Ella, has been out of the acting game for 20 years after playing the Final Girl in a horror film that created an enduring cult following. 20 years later, the cast and crew reunite to film a reunion special. Reluctant to attend due to an unknown tragedy that occurred during filming, Ella eventually agrees to attend in order to get back in the good graces of the studios and dip her toes back into the acting world.

The book alternates between "Now" and "Then" chapters (punctuated by snippets of the original screenplay) which swap between the original filming and the current events of the reunion special. Over the lat 20 years, it becomes clear that each actor has faced their own personal struggles (substance abuse, anxiety, success, etc.). Throughout the book we are introduced to old cast and crew and all the infighting and drama that occurred during the month long original filing. It becomes clear that they are all keeping a deadly secret and someone is coming for revenge.

The premise of this book reminded me of Scream - a movie within a movie, of sorts. I thought the pacing of the book was perfect, it let out enough information at a time to keep the reader hooked and the mystery was enticing. The character development sometimes felt a stagnant, but that could be due to the time frames we are dealing with - a month long filming of the original movie, possibly interacting during the a press tour, then 20 years of minimal contact. Overall, the end contained one major twist related to Ella's friendship with Petra during the reunion that I didn't see coming, but some of the other revelations felt a bit too easy and unrealistic to me.

(Spoilers hidden in Goodreads Link)

Otherwise, I really liked this book for what it was. I would definitely recommend it for someone looking for an easy fun read and especially if they like the scream queen teen horror movie tropes. Actually, in that way, the end sooooort of fit the trope. Would definitely read more of this author's work!

Thank you, NetGalley and Bantam/RandomHouse for the eARC! <3

I enjoyed this one! Anyone who loves slasher films like Friday the 13th or Scream will like this book! There were a few twists I did not see coming and kept me on my toes.

The original cast members of the hit cult classic horror film, Grad Night, are getting back together for a reunion. It’s been 20 years since the movie hit theaters and quickly skyrocketed the majority of the cast into major stars. The only cast member that has turned down reunion requests time and time against is Ella. But, with the prospect of her career taking off again if she agrees, everything in her that was screaming not to accept decides to anyway.
It's meant to be a weekend of group and one-on-one interviews, ending in a memorial for Ben, who played the titular killer in the original film who had recently passed away from cancer. But, it quickly turns into a horror of it’s own.
Miranda Smith provides us with a fun campy horror novel that is quite the page turner. It has your normal horror tropes that we all enjoy, and it definitely gave me “Scream” vibes, which is a major plus for a franchise junkie like myself! I went into this as a first time Miranda Smith reader, and I definitely would read another from her. It kept my attention, and I did not see the twist coming.
Thank you to NetGalley, Miranda Smith and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of Smile for the Cameras. The opinions aforementioned are my own.

DNF. She is one of my all time fav authors, but I couldn’t stomach this one. The subject matter being a horror film just isn’t my thing and she usually doesn’t have spice in her books so, it disappointed me to read so much spice. I just wasn’t connecting with the characters and read over half of the book and decided to move on.

I want to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I enjoyed the plot of this book. It's told in alternating timelines, past and present, with some inserts of the original screenplay. I particularly enjoyed the last 25% of the book. It was twisty, engaging, and action packed. The story wraps up solidly and in a satisfying way. The majority of my issue came from the first 60% of the book being extremely slow moving. This was a quick read (I finished it within 7 hours) but I found myself struggling through the first 55-60% of the book. The main character wasn't very strong/likeable until the end of the book. They kept vaguely mentioning this "horrible thing" that happened 20 years ago but never mentioning what the "horrible thing" was. By 60 %, I almost didn't care what they had done.

I will say that the ending redeemed the book for me. The writing was good, the twist was unexpected, and the atmosphere was totally nostalgic.

I posted my review on Fable, Goodreads and Instagram. I did rate this read at 3.5 stars.

OMG! The twists! The turns! The unexpected! This book kept me on my toes the whole time. I loved how it went back and forth from then and now. It was a nice to get some background without a block of backstory, instead it was broken up. I also loved how the script for the movie is in the book. Gives the audience a bigger picture on what each then part is based on. The ending was chefs kiss. I loved the redemption arc for each character and was so happy the big bad is gone. No spoilers! Who deserved a redemption arc? Who’s the big bad? Read for yourself!

Ah such a quick read for me. Smile for the Cameras, is a thrilling locked-room mystery inspired by ’90s slasher films. It follows Ella Winters, a former Hollywood star returning to the cabin where her cult-classic horror movie was filmed. As the reunion unfolds, cast members begin to die in ways mirroring their on-screen deaths, suggesting that a long-buried secret has resurfaced.

A fun read for fans of slashers and how they are made!

At the heart of it all is our former “final girl”, Ella. She’s desperate to save her acting career after taking a long break from the spotlight, even if that means facing her haunting past and reprising her role in a much more terrifying and real way.
There’s a dual timeline— when the slasher film, Grad Night, was made (including a script for the movie in between chapters) and present day as they make a reunion documentary at the secluded Tennessee cabin where the movie was shot 20 years ago.
While the story took a minute to fully take off, I was really invested when it did! Absolutely recommending this book to all of my friends who enjoy celebrating “slasher summer”!! Thanks so much for allowing me to read this early!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of Smile For The Cameras.
If you love horror slasher movies well you’re in luck. This book right here is it! You get a little bit of Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Friday the 13th throughout the book.
The thing I love the most about the book is you get the past story, the present story, and the movie script (which the book is based around.)
Yes it was your average slasher movie scrip but that twist was great. It honestly made you think it was about a bunch of kids killing someone and disposing of the body only to come back to the site 20 years later. But you are so wrong. It’s not who you think it is. I will not elaborate on that last sentence but just know that you won’t guess it.

*Smile for the Camera* by Miranda Smith is an intriguing and darkly captivating memoir-style novel that explores themes of identity, deception, and the lengths people will go to for fame. The story follows a young woman who becomes the subject of a highly publicized and invasive photo project, unraveling a journey of self-discovery, vulnerability, and the impact of being thrust into the public eye.

On the positive side, Smith’s writing is powerful, with an intense emotional undercurrent that pulls the reader into the protagonist’s world. The exploration of personal identity and the psychological toll of public scrutiny is thought-provoking and well-executed. The author’s ability to create tension around the protagonist’s inner conflict is one of the book’s strongest points, and the premise itself is fascinating, offering an insightful critique of the societal obsession with image and perfection.

However, while the concept is compelling, the pacing can feel uneven at times. The middle of the book tends to drag, with moments of repetition that may cause some readers to lose interest. Additionally, the protagonist's emotional journey can feel disconnected at times, making it hard to fully empathize with her struggles, despite the depth of the themes.

Some readers may also find the resolution of the story somewhat unsatisfying, as the book leaves certain aspects of the protagonist’s journey unresolved, which can be a bit frustrating for those who enjoy more conclusive endings.

Overall, *Smile for the Camera* is a thought-provoking read with a powerful exploration of fame, identity, and the pressures of public life. While the pacing and character development may not be perfect, the book offers a compelling, if somewhat unsettling, look at the cost of living under the scrutiny of the camera lens. Fans of character-driven stories with social commentary will likely find it an interesting, if imperfect, read.

Ella Winters hit it big with her first starring role in the horror film Grad Night. However, she didn’t keep ascending and, instead, stopped working to take care of her dying mother.

20 years later, she’s looking to rekindle her career. However, the only way she can do it is by giving a Grad Night reunion interview at the same place where the film was made. Ella would do almost anything to get a second chance, but she and her cast mates did something bad on that site 20 years ago. And now, it seems like it’s come home to roost.

This was an enjoyable book that had a couple of nice twists. Recommended for horror and thriller fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

As someone who has always loved 90s (and early 2000s) slasher films, the description of this book was right up my alley. I really enjoyed that we got the past and present POVs, as well as the script of the movie. It moved a bit slow at the beginning, but after that I was hooked and ended up finishing it in a few sittings. I also was shocked by the reveals, which doesn’t happen often for me anymore just because I’ve read so many thrillers at this point. Definitely think this will make a great summertime read if you're looking for an atmospheric, quick thriller read!

I started this book & literally could not put it down until I finished. What a fun story!! I am such a sucker for slasher movies and slasher books. The main twist at the end was something I definitely did NOT see coming. I loved this!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: June 24, 2025

🎥 20 Year Film Reunion
🔪 Deadly Secrets
🗒 Nonlinear Timeline
🩸 Slasher Chase
🔏 Locked Room Thriller
❗️ Final Girl

💭 In "Smile for the Cameras," a reluctant group of actors reunites on the original set of their slasher film for a 20-year reunion documentary, only to discover a new killer in the same outfit as their cult-classic villain, who knows their secrets and is hellbent on revenge.

This one is a little slower-paced at the beginning, but I thought it was a very fun premise. I enjoyed that the past was mainly written as the script of "Grad Night" (the actual film), and it was definitely worth sticking around for that twist!

𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴 is perfect if you're looking for a thriller with 90's slasher movie vibes! It will have you on the edge of your seat and guessing who's behind the mask!

Thank you so much, Random House and NetGalley, for the digital review copy!

PG-16: sex scenes (x2 for a script and once in past, not super explicit), some foul language, murder, violence, minor gore, roofies/SA

I don’t get the bad reviews? That’s honestly crazy. This was great from start to finish. A murder mystery kind of mixed up with a horror story but it’s also sort of meta. It’s the best of all worlds. It’s a past/present/script line up, and it’s perfect. I didn’t see the twist coming at all, and it definitely made me say “WHAT” out loud. I liked the characters and the pacing. All in all so solid and I can’t wait to own it.

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

Ella is looking to get back into the film business after taking a few years off to care for her terminally ill mother. Unfortunately, the only way she can resume her career is if she agrees to appear in a reunion project with her fellow actors from a slasher film they did 20 years ago. Something happened during the film that was deeply traumatizing, and while her fellow actors know about it, Ella has no desire to go back to the location where it all happened, or to see them all again. Her agent convinces her that, as the only holdout for doing the reunion, she will be causing the project to fall apart if she doesn't agree. She will also derail her comeback. Ella finally agrees and sets off for the filming location, a remote cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. In the original film, she was the Final Girl and survivor. Many rumors have circulated about the film: that the cabin was haunted, that someone was seriously injured, and that another person disappeared during the filming and hasn't been seen since. The film became a cult classic and there's a lot of interest in the project. It seems that someone knows about what really happened during the original project, and they are out for revenge when violent scenes from the movie are reenacted for real.

The action in the story moves from the present back to the original film, where Ella was just starting out in her first project. There are many uncomfortable issues (aside from all the murders!) such as the powerlessness of women and overlooking of bad and criminal behavior by the men in charge. One thing that was a bit annoying in the story was the number of times "the industry" was mentioned. Aside from that, I enjoyed the suspense of trying to figure out who knew the secrets from the past that everyone was working so hard to conceal.