We all knew that the Harrogate Killer must still be alive.
After all, their death was only confirmed by forensic testing, (AKA ‘expensive but cheatable laboratory tests completed by someone who could potentially – and in the horror fiction world, easily – be bribed or misled’,) not by anyone actually eyeballing their blood soaked corpse.
Then there was that teasing final scene in ‘How to Survive a Horror Movie’. Was Charley simply going mad? Or had her would-be killer cheated death only to tease the Final Girl, without killing her off?
What we didn’t know, was that the Harrogate Killer would be side-lined in what they thought would be their own sequel. Well, Charley’s sequel. After all, she’s the Neve Campbell character in this franchise.
What’s it about?
I’m going to pinch the blurb for this one:
Can you be a final girl and survive your own horror movie – twice?
Almost a year after the horrors of Harrogate, Charley and her mum find themselves stranded in a small village called Glendale, AKA ‘The Devil’s Punchbowl’. Then she befriends the local misfits and learns of her new home’s ties to witchcraft – and realises that Glendale has even more secrets than she bargained for.
However, the town’s troubled past might just be the key to Charley understanding her ability to speak to the dead, especially with Halloween approaching. But after a series of disappearances, the ghosts acting differently this time, and the Harrogate Killer making a shocking return, Charley realises she might have taken on more than she can handle.
Before she can flee town, a new terror is unleashed, placing her friends and family in danger. Charley’s horror knowledge will be put to the test once more, and if she and the Harrogate Killer don’t figure out how to work together, they’ll be trapped in Glendale forever. Or worse – buried in it.
How to Survive a Horror Sequel is a fast-paced horror comedy, perfect for fans of RL Stine’s Fear Street, Christopher Pike’s Midnight Club and Kat Ellis’ Harrow Lake.
What’s it like?
The back of my book sums this up nicely: More murders. More ghosts. More survival rules.
In Glendale Charley is puzzled to be confronted by ghosts who appear to have stuck around a lot longer than her Harrogate ghouls had been able to, but more disturbing is their sheer prevalence. Something definitely isn’t right in The Devil’s Punchbowl and it seems to once again fall upon Charlie, as one of the few people alert to something strange, to work out what it is.
Once again, expect a fast pace, frequent deaths and a generally sarcastic tone. Expect plenty of horror sequel tropes and tricks. Yes, the suspiciously handsome man and magnetically beautiful woman will turn out to be dangerous. Yes, you will inevitably discover bonus conspirators appear at just the wrong moment – but, equally, so might a friend that you left for dead a few chapters back (even if they really were dead!)
Final thoughts
‘The creepy house had a basement. Of course it did.’
Mild horror and YA fans, you’re in for a treat. Expect much sarcasm, some slapstick deaths and the kind of pontificating from the villain/s that will allow our plucky heroine to escape into the next sequel.
I wanted more from these ghosts; different circumstances mean different relationships between Charley and the Devil’s Punchbowl ghosts, and I missed the teenage bitchiness and preoccupations of the Harrogate ghosts. That said, the ghosts here have a rather different, and increasingly useful, skillset…
A truly fun dash through a ghost – and witch – infested town. I look forward to the next instalment!