The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington
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Web ID: 184970336 reviews
Scream Vibes
The Blonde Dies First is like the movie Scream in book form. Not necessarily the same killer or rules. It does state the rules they are to follow. At first before any of the action starts it seems really boring and slow. Once the action starts it does move a little faster and it gets better. I wouldn't recommend anyone under 14 to read in my opinion. It isn't really gory or any of that. There are deaths in it but they don't over describe anything. There is a lot of talk about virgins and sex as they apply to some of the "horror movie rules". Overall it was a decent read.
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Meta Horror is Best Horror
I want to start off by acknowledging that I know I’m not exactly the target audience for this book and that did affect my rating because I could. Not. Deal. With the sibling & Yaya drama of it all. I know that was Devon’s journey, I totally get it, but it’s like oh my god please just talk to people, I’m begging you. Anyway aside from that this book was pretty funny, I liked the little references sprinkled in and once we started to get some action, I thought that was pretty fun. The post credits scene really took this over the top from a 3 star rating into a 4 star. Yes, it really is that simple to please me and get a higher rating. 🤷🏻♀️ I feel like there were also some good conversations regarding gentrification, classism, and the safety of Black, queer kids lightly sprinkled in as well. If you’re a teen or just more into YA than I am and are a lover of self referential horror, this is your book.
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✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
practically perfect! literally the only thing that could have changed was more demon-y scenes. i will say, this book is mainly about the relationships devon (main character) has. her friend group! malachi! yaya! i looovvveeee this book, and u will too
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Review ~ The Blonde Dies First
The Blonde Dies First is a queer YA thriller/horror that reads like a slasher film. I have loved a book by Joelle in the past so knew I had to give this one a try. I wound up really enjoying it! Our leading lady, Devon has decided this is going to be the best summer ever because her twin sister, Drew is going off to college early. When someone pulled out a Ouija board during Drew’s graduation party, Devon and her friend group were antsy but went along with it to appease her. Now a demon is unleashed and going after Devon and her friends. They must figure out how to kill the demon or they will wind up dead in the process. This story has slasher film stereotypes we all know of and brings it into book form. Once the action starts you will not want to put this book down. It was such a quick read because the story just kept moving and I had to see what would happen next. There are some twists and turns I did not see coming which I always appreciate. Some parts were a tad predictable, but this is marketed towards YA so keep that in mind. I recommend this if you are a fan of YA horror or slasher movies.
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A whole lot of fun
Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Supernatural slasher sign me right up! Devon’s twin sister Drea has always been the genius and when she graduates a year early Devon is determined to give her the best summer ever and bring them closer together. But when the attend a party of a guy from Drea’s fancy private school, they’ll find that the rich kids like to mess with things like Ouija boards. None of Devon and Drea’s friends are happy about it but Devon goes forward in an attempt to make her sister happy. However when something or someone begins hunting the twins and their friends they’ll realize they may be in for more then they can handle. This particular hunter seems to be following slasher movie rules which means Devon, as the blond, is up first. It also means her crush, YaYa, is the final girl. Can she save herself, her sister, and their friends? Can she forge a relationship between her and Drea? Will she have the courage to tell YaYa how she feels? A interesting way to mix the supernatural with slasher and I enjoyed it very much! I also loved that while you had those elements there’s also a story of two sisters who don’t really understand each other and have a lot of feelings towards one another! Plus there’s the queer love and crushes! The story all centers around strong group of friends, most of whom are black, and how gentrification impacts communities! Joelle Wellington weaves them all seamlessly into a story that is fast paced, funny, a bit of a mystery, and a whole lot of fun!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Kids on a subway
One of my favorite genres is kids on a bike. You know, where the kids ride around on their bikes and solve some giant mystery without the help of adults. The Blond Dies First is this, but taking the kids from the suburbs and into the city. We can call it kids on a subway. Devon is determined to have the best summer ever when she finds out her twin sister is graduating high school early, leaving her and their group of friends behind. This leads Devon to a party she would never really go to where the kids break out a Ouija board, releasing a horror that none of them ever knew was possible. Joelle Wellington adds a brilliant twist on the well known teen slasher trope and spins it on its head. The characters know what's happening, very similar to Scream, but all of it is coupled with real world horrors, like elitism, classism, and gentrification. The characters in this story are also very diverse, brining representation to a genre that hasn't always been diverse. What makes this book stand out is that the kids deal with actual, real world kid issues while dealing with a demon who wants to kill everything. The kids deal with messy family dynamics, the pain of growing up and growing apart, queer love, and pressures from friends. The characters do talk about drugs and sex, but none of it is too graphic, so the book stays firmly in the YA genre. The pressures the characters face will seem very familiar to kids, so the book is highly relatable in that sense. Overall, this book was fun. I think it was a little slow to get started, but now I realize it was us getting to be a part of the friend group and knowing each character. Without that beginning, the end of the book would not have been as satisfying
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com