How to Survive a ­Horror Movie

Gr 9 Up–Debut Murders begin a year into Charley’s time as the new girl. Harrogate is an elite all-girls boarding school on Saltee Island in the Irish Sea, where students are placed in dorms based on family wealth and rarely leave. Charley enrolled when she needed time away from her shadowy past and bad breakup with her ex-girlfriend. She bonded with her best friend Olive over their love of horror movies, starting Slasher Saturday movie nights. Charley’s senior classmates start dying, and the haunting begins. Although administrators want to classify the ghosts as tragic storm-related accidents, Charley wants to get the ghosts’ help, solve the murders, and prove her innocence. This horror novel mixes slasher, comedy, dark academia, paranormal, and mystery elements. Horror fans will enjoy the tropes, scream queens, and horror franchise references. Each chapter title is a rule for surviving a horror novel. While there is some gore, witty moments break up the tension. The characters are fun, varied, and reminiscent of those found in teen movies. There are some predictable moments and a formulaic setup.