A review by booktribe
The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the perfect book for horror nerds everywhere!🥰 I loved this sooo much! Definitely one of my fave reads of the year! My horror-loving heart is so happy!🖤🫶🏽 This is horror-comedy done perfectly!

The characters were so amazing! I loved them so much. They all had such distinct personalities. The character development was great & organic. We got to know the characters naturally through their actions & dialogue rather than just being told who they’re supposed to be.

This is the funniest book I’ve read in a long time. I laughed out loud several times. But, the horror element was incredibly distinct as well. I even enjoyed the romantic subplot, which is rare for me because I usually prefer romance-free horror. But, every piece of the story had its place and there was a perfect balance of everything. It definitely felt like a fun, trope-y horror movie in the best way! 

Even though the story follows the horror movie formula, the book wasn’t predictable in any way. This would make a great movie! It gave Scream vibes in several ways! (the original movie, not the awful sequels) I do feel like the explanation of everything at the end was slightly confusing, but not enough to dampen my enjoyment! I’m a poly-reader, I’m always reading multiple books at a time, but when I was reading this I didn’t pick up anything else! I was ADDICTED! Lemme hurry up and read Their Vicious Games by this author because after reading this, I want to read all her books!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc! All opinion are my own. 

CW: gentrification, classicism, adult/minor interactions, micro-aggressions, drug use