Per una volta una lettura che, al netto del fatto che avrei preso Charley a sberloni* (ma mi capita spesso con le protagoniste dei romanzi, YA e non solo), mi ha divertito parecchio. Nutrita di tutti i luoghi comuni dei film horror, con un consiglio per sopravvivere come titolo di ogni capitolo (i miei preferito decisamente "Cardio! Cardio! Cardio!" e "Metti sempre scarpe in cui puoi correre" XD), riesce a essere simpatico pur nelle sue forzature; in più mi è piaciuto moltissimo come l'autrice rende e utilizza i fantasmi delle vittime.
*Dopodichè, diciamocelo: se i personaggi dei romanzi avessero uno straccio di buonsenso si pubblicherebbe molto meno.
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Oddio, e forze non sarebbe neanche un male, eh.

This was a perfectly fine read, but none of it elevated the story beyond 3 stars. If you like YA Horror, this one is likely to satisfy you, although it might not be very memorable after just a few days.

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

Exciting, thrilling, surprising! These are certainly the main words that came to my mind as soon as I put off this book.
Charley is our main character, a horror movie addict, who happens to find herself into her own slasher movie in her suggestive school on an island. Everything around her is mysterious and she brings the reader with her for a ride, that's for sure! I adored the clever and sassy horror genre's quotations and the brilliance of the writing, which is able to both keep me on my tiptoes and yet flows as smooth as a river. It's a very intriguing book, full of real and unexpected plot-twist: as an avid thriller reader and a master in horrr movies, I thought I could be able to catch on the plot-twists... but it turned out that I can't. Not on these amazing ones though.
The characters are intriguing, and there are a lot of curious elements that will surely give us a great sequel.
Shout out to this one, it was amazing and such a fun time!

A big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I was so excited for this book because it is a locked door thriller with a supernatural aspect and horror movie referenced! That sounds like it would be perfect for me.

Sadly, I think it was too YA for me. I definitely think this would be suited for younger readers even though there is the death and a small portion of gore. Probably wouldn’t recommend but did like the twist of who did it.

An absolutely fun and campy read that is also an ode to horror movies. We follow Charley, our horror film aficionado as she finds herself in a real life horror film. Charley has her horror movie rules to follow (a nice nod to Zombieland) to try and keep herself alive as she tries to sort out this mess AND survive.

The characters are fun and there are so many horror references throughout the book, which were a treat to pick out as the novel progresses. This is a YA novel but it’s a very enjoyable novel for adults who want to read something to remind them of their beloved Goosebumps books from their childhood, but that doesn’t read quite as a silly YA horror.

I did find the dialogues to be very YA but the plot itself made up for it. It has all the traditional slasher elements and the humor throughout keeps things from being too heavy. You can absolutely get your horror vibe on without having to worry it’s going to keep you awake listening for things that go bump in the night. You may stay awake to finish it though!

I enjoyed this. It was very meta and nostalgic of scream like slashers. The humor was great, and I thought it had some pretty great twists. It’s one person pov and the story flows well. All in all solid addition to YA horror. This will be out in September 2025, just in time for spooky season!
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC.

A very quick and easy read. Nice twist at the end. Love all the horror references but not the shade to Jane Austen lol. Would have liked a bit more of the romance build up.

Fast-paced, funny, and full of surprises, this thrilling mystery delivers a perfect blend of scares and sarcasm. With a sharp heroine, eerie setting, and killer twists, it’s a fresh and fiercely entertaining take on the classic slasher. A total blast for horror lovers.

If you love slasher movies and ghost stories, this is the book for you! Sometimes scary, always fun. I did guess the ending but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of the story.

*** Spoilers Ahead!***

There were so many things I loved about this book. The setting at Harrowgate, the Elles, rhe unique ghosts and Charley's love of the horror genre were some of my favorite parts of this novel. There were a few things Charley did that drove me a little crazy, such as pulling a murder weapon from a dead body (any horror fangirl knows better than that!) and trusting Saorise (it's always the love interest! Never trust the love interest!). I liked the added twist of the second killer, though I should have expected it given the many nods to Wes Craven's Scream.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it! I plan on buying it as soon as the physical copy is available.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this arc!

Twisty and fun, definitely read like a love letter to the genre! I liked our heroine, and the reveal of whodunit was a little surprising (I don't want to give away which part exactly surprised me)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for providing this book, with my honest review below.

How to Survive a Horror Movie has a little sprinkle of fantasy to its take on a girl using classic horror films to guide her actions in finding a killer - a unique take on the YA horror genre and one that kept this book fresh.

Charley is clearly escaping her past at a remote island with a private school for girls (and a separate one for boys) but what she’s escaping from is a mystery that is slowly revealed alongside several ghosts - representing Charley’s newly dead schoolmates. As she tries to figure out the why behind that mystery her love of horror films act as a guide to not only catch the killer but keep her and her roommate and close friend Olive safe. I loved the use of common horror tropes for Charley and the winking take on them within each chapter. And the end is to be read to be believed - whether you’re a horror film buff or not I don’t think you’ll see the tropes at play there.

This book ends with an opening to continue the story, or at least keep the reader on edge, and I know it’ll be as much a hit for young readers as it was for me. Congratulations to author Scarlett Dunmore on this debut novel to be proud of.

I really enjoyed this one! Lots of twists and turns and an ending I didn’t see coming but should have! Charly, running from her past, enrolls at a boarding school on an island. It’s an all girls school and it has its means girls. Charly and her friend Olive are in love with horror. They spend their free time reading and watching horror. So when girls start dying they have to work out who is doing it. Especially when, because of their love for horror, they become the prime suspects. Can they survive a horror movie? Fun and twisty and will have you consuming it!

Thank you Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Scarlett Dunmore’s “How to Survive a Horror Movie” is a spirited debut that leans into every teen slasher trope with love, humor, and a generous helping of gore. It's a YA horror mystery that wears its influences proudly on its blood-spattered sleeve—think “Scream,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and a dash of “Heathers” for good measure. But rather than subverting the rules of horror, it gleefully plays by them, offering commentary for those with experience in horror while also providing younger readers a solid, entertaining introduction to the genre.

At the heart of the story is Charley Sullivan, a self-proclaimed horror nerd trying to escape a murky past by transferring to a remote all-girls boarding school off the coast of Ireland. Her plan to keep a low profile quickly goes up in smoke when her classmates start turning up dead. Luckily—or unluckily—Charley has one strange advantage: she can see and talk to the ghosts of the recently murdered. With the help of her sardonic best friend Olive and a growing cast of freshly-dead teens, Charley finds herself caught in a real-life slasher flick, racing to unmask the killer before she ends up the next victim.

Charley is a charming, snarky protagonist with a deep knowledge of horror cinema, and her voice gives the book its pulse. While her ghostly sidekicks occasionally dip the tone more into friendly hauntings than terrifying murders, the banter and interactions keep the energy high. Charley’s dry humor and endless horror movie references will resonate with those who regularly engage with horror movies.

The book is structured around the "rules" of horror movies, with each chapter named after a classic survival tip—don’t split up, don’t answer the phone, don’t say “I’ll be right back.” It’s a clever format, and Dunmore uses it to frame the story as part-love letter, part instructional guide to surviving your own slasher scenario. That said, while the format is fun, it doesn’t always dig deeper into or challenge those tropes. Instead of reimagining or flipping them, the book largely sticks to familiar beats—and if you’re well-versed in horror, the mystery may feel predictable.

Still, for younger readers or genre newcomers, this might be the perfect gateway. The references, while on-the-nose, can serve as a primer to the slasher canon and might inspire teens to explore the classics. There are no subtle nods here—every movie mentioned is name-dropped, explained, and often directly compared to what’s happening in the story. Depending on your taste, that’s either delightfully meta or a little heavy-handed.

Despite the rising body count, “How to Survive a Horror Movie” keeps things more fun than frightening. Yes, there are some surprisingly grisly moments which may make the book a bit uncomfortable for younger readers (I would recommend this book to teen readers, though probably not MG readers due to the deaths and gore), but the overall tone is breezy, often cozy, and occasionally veers into Scooby-Doo territory. At times, the stakes felt too low and the scares a bit too soft—there’s rarely a sense that Charley is in true danger—but the book’s accessibility and humor more than made up for these instances.

The twist ending may not be shocking for seasoned mystery readers, but it’s entertaining and capped off with a solid pace and momentum. And with a sequel on the way (there has to be with that cliffhanger), Dunmore clearly has plans to build out Charley’s gory little universe even further.

Overall, “How to Survive a Horror Movie” is a cheeky, genre-aware YA horror that doesn’t break new ground but has a great time running through the familiar ones. With a clever structure, a likable lesbian protagonist, and a steady mix of creepy and comedic, it’s perfect for younger teens looking to dip their toes into slasher horror without diving into full-blown terror.