You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight
This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson's White Smoke, Friday the 13th, The Haunting of Bly Manor and Get Out. Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the "final girl" at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business. But in the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they'll need to figure out what this killer is after. Is there more to the story of Mirror Lake and its dangerous past than Charity ever suspected?
Review: Pulse-pounding horror * Guardian *
Like any good horror movie, this one is full of twists and turns, with one heck of a kicker at the end * NPR *
In this latest novel, Bayron (My Dear Henry, 2023) integrates the traditional conventions of a slasher novel with the story of a queer, Black girl protagonist who subverts the trope of "Black people dying first." Bayron's foray into the YA horror space helps continue the effort of decentering whiteness in the genre. The overall campiness of the novel will appeal to fans of '90s horror films, and make the book as fun as it is terrifying * Booklist *
The book centres Black characters, and its prose sings. This Wicked Fate is a delightful novel about literal Black Girl Magic, found family, and queer love, with adventures and a satisfying twist on Greek mythology * Foreword Reviews, starred review on THIS WICKED FATE *
Sharp banter, dynamic characters, and a warm sapphic romance give this even more verve * Booklist on THIS WICKED FATE *
Mesmerising and beautiful * Tracy Deonn, NYT bestselling author of Legendborn on THIS POISON HEART *
This duology closer delves deeper into mythology while depicting textured, realistic relationships * Kirkus Reviews on THIS POISON HEART and THIS WICKED FATE *
A delicious mix of intoxicating fantasy and coming of age, steeped in Greek mythology and peppered with references to the Jordan Peele films Get Out and Us * Observer New Review on THIS POISON HEART *
Kalynn Bayron does more than re-write a fairy-tale ... She breaks it apart and rebuilds it into a wholly original and captivating story where girls finally decide for themselves who lives happily ever after * Brigid Kemmerer on CINDERELLA IS DEAD *