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A review by kodameansfriend
I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Hmmm. What can I say about this new Slasher by one of my favorite horror authors? Well....it was...definitely different that what I've read so far from Mr. Jones. Did I love it? Honestly: No. It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong... but I just didn't feel excited or have a blast like I have with his other books. The story has some great gore and slasher scenes, but I just felt very disconnected from the main character. There were a few transitions between the non-slasher and slashing scenes that I found confusing (like I'd missed something), and they just weren't smooth. I often wondered if the lead was actually killing people or if it was all in his head. And maybe that was the author's intent, but I found that the slasher scenes felt injected, and I don't think the overall story was executed as well as it could have been.
Previously, I have purchased all of the Jones titles I've read prior to reading them, and in this novel's case: I'm kind of glad I got an ARC of #IWasATeenageSlasher, thanks to #NetGalley, #SagaPress, and my Colorado-neighbor ... because, I probably will not reread this one. Also, It's important that I note that Slashers are my favorite subgenre of horror, and #StephenGrahamJones is an ACE in this category, but I honestly felt like this story felt a little forced, as if Jones maybe had this great idea (and the concept IS great), but had trouble navigating where to go with it. There are some consistencies with Jones's writing that are still present here: great gore/slasher scenes, a weird, creative, and fun supernatural twist on things, to be specific. And maybe if you go into it knowing all these things, you'll have a great time. But I should tell you all that this story is a train-of-thought/internal-narration novel, where you're in the main character's (the slasher's) head the whole time—so if those types of stories aren't your thing...you might skip this one. I typically enjoy train-of-/internal-thought narration, but this story just didn't hit for me. When I finished, I thought: "Welp. That was a book." Lol.
All of that said, I'm still a huge fan of SGJ, and look forward to more stories from the Slasher Master. It kind of breaks my heart to slap 3 stars on this one, but there it is.
Previously, I have purchased all of the Jones titles I've read prior to reading them, and in this novel's case: I'm kind of glad I got an ARC of #IWasATeenageSlasher, thanks to #NetGalley, #SagaPress, and my Colorado-neighbor ... because, I probably will not reread this one. Also, It's important that I note that Slashers are my favorite subgenre of horror, and #StephenGrahamJones is an ACE in this category, but I honestly felt like this story felt a little forced, as if Jones maybe had this great idea (and the concept IS great), but had trouble navigating where to go with it. There are some consistencies with Jones's writing that are still present here: great gore/slasher scenes, a weird, creative, and fun supernatural twist on things, to be specific. And maybe if you go into it knowing all these things, you'll have a great time. But I should tell you all that this story is a train-of-thought/internal-narration novel, where you're in the main character's (the slasher's) head the whole time—so if those types of stories aren't your thing...you might skip this one. I typically enjoy train-of-/internal-thought narration, but this story just didn't hit for me. When I finished, I thought: "Welp. That was a book." Lol.
All of that said, I'm still a huge fan of SGJ, and look forward to more stories from the Slasher Master. It kind of breaks my heart to slap 3 stars on this one, but there it is.