January 1, 2025
There's a new murderer in Satterville, Ohio--better known as Slasherville thanks to the fictionalized accounts of the town's two massacres by a pseudonymous author. CJ Smith, a white-presenting, bisexual, genderqueer teen, abhors Moon Satter's novels because their own life is so entwined with the actual events. Their dad survived the first massacre, perpetrated by a killer who donned a wolf mask at a summer camp in 1996, but he was killed in the second attack, six years ago. CJ survived by hiding in a closet. When an unpublished manuscript for a third Moon Satter novel shows up on CJ's doorstep, they think it must be a prank...until elements of the story, which recounts new Wolf Man killings, start to come true. When the final girl in Satter's unpublished novel instead winds up being the first victim in real life, CJ must step into the main character role to stop the killings. This metafictive work plays with horror tropes in entertaining and exciting ways and keeps the suspense up with twists aplenty. CJ is a captivating lead, figuring out how to stand out and take charge and when to ask for help and accept support. Secondary characters, including CJ's Costa Rican American classmate and new friend, Nadia Mart�nez, and Sebasti�n, Nadia's cousin and CJ's crush, are equally dynamic. These relationships add warmth and humor to a story that's not afraid to dabble in the dark. An engrossing slasher story that honors the genre while feeling fresh.(Horror. 14-18)
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February 1, 2025
Grades 9-12 Welcome to Slasherville, Ohio. The small town of Satterville earned its sinister nickname by being the site of gruesome murders committed by two individuals wearing cheap plastic wolf masks--events that became infamous after a series of sensational novels about the killings gained immense popularity. The bloody legacy of the Wolf Man attacks weighs heavily on CJ, who witnessed their father's murder during the last spree and who, years later, mysteriously receives the manuscript for a new Slasherville novel. When someone starts killing again, seemingly using the unpublished book as a guide, CJ knows they must unmask this new Wolf Man and confront their trauma once and for all. Aspiring to give a generation their own Scream, Winans (Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything, 2023) delivers a thoroughly modern thriller that's both a sharp slasher and a clever commentary on the genre. This contributes to the growing trend of horror stories, like Kalynn Bayron's You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight (2023), told from the perspective of queer protagonists, offering new, refreshing takes on an otherwise widely explored genre.
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March 1, 2025
Gr 9 Up-Satterfield, OH, is infamous for the gruesome Wolf Man murders, first at a local camp and later within the town itself. Embracing its dark history, Satterfield has rebranded itself as Slasherville, hosting festivals for true crime enthusiasts. While the town thrives on notoriety, CJ Smith and her family feel differently. Years ago, CJ's father, who escaped the first Wolf Man in his youth, died heroically protecting CJ and her brother from the second Wolf Man. In the aftermath, the Smiths have spent years running survival drills, living by their mother's rule-don't be a hero; stay alive. One day, CJ receives an unexpected package, an unpublished manuscript from the anonymous horror author Moon Satterfield. The book eerily predicts the rise of a third Wolf Man and a new wave of murders. Now CJ faces an impossible choice; honor her family's motto and keep her head down or defy her instincts to stop the killer before more innocent lives are lost. Winans masterfully blends small-town horror with chilling suspense. Satterfield's macabre history feels disturbingly real, thanks to the author's attention to detail and true crime research. Fans of slasher horror will appreciate the novel's nods to genre tropes, while its deeper exploration of gender identity, through the genderfluid and queer-identifying protagonist CJ, adds a thoughtful and refreshing layer to the story. The book contains strong language. VERDICT Highly recommended for high school readers and fans of horror. Fast-paced and thrilling, this novel will be a hit among those who devour slasher fiction and true crime. Expect it to fly off the shelves.-Jeni Tahaney
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