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I Was A Teenage Slasher Hardcover – July 16, 2024

by Stephen Graham Jones (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 282 ratings
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A USA TODAY Bestseller

From New York Times bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones comes a classic slasher story with a twist—perfect for fans of Adam Cesareand Grady Hendrix.

1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton—and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, and shared sense of unfairness of being on the outside through the slasher horror Jones loves, but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic.
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  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    S&S/Saga Press
  4. Publication date
    July 16, 2024
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1668022249
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1668022245
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

I Was a Teenage Slasher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Stephen Graham Jones’s viciously clever, over-the-top, genre-skewing new novel turns a gruesome murderer into 'your friendly neighborhood slasher'...spectacularly engaging narrative voice, which is imbued with a street-smart lyricism that makes even the loftiest observations glitter like knife blades." ― ―New York Times Book Review

"A playful, self-aware and remarkably gory horror novel." ― ―The New York Times

“Readers will watch something original emerge before their eyes, realizing why everyone needs to be as obsessed with the Slasher as Jones is himself. Suggest to every reader who loves a perfectly rendered time and place or just wants a chilling, captivating, and thought provoking story where every detail matters and every page is worth their time.” ― ―Booklist, starred review

“The story has a clear love for the splashy slasher films that inspired it, and Jones does a great job of landing the plot’s gorier excesses as the bodies pile up…{F]ans of meta horror will find a lot to love as Jones remixes well-worn tropes with glee.” ― ―Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Stephen Graham Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians. He has been an NEA fellowship recipient and a recipient of several awards including the Ray Bradbury Award from the Los Angeles Times, the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Jesse Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the Alex Award from American Library Association. He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ S&S/Saga Press (July 16, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1668022249
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1668022245
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 282 ratings

About the author

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Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones

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Born and raised in Texas. In Boulder, Colorado now. Forty-nine. Blackfeet. Into werewolves and slashers, zombies and vampires, haunted houses and good stories. Would wear pirate shirts a lot if I could find them. And probably carry some kind of sword. More over at http://demontheory.net or http://twitter.com/@SGJ72

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
282 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and re-read with intriguing twists. They also mention the storyline has a slasher with a peanut allergy.

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ReadabilityStoryline
3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and say it deserves a re-read.

"...Gosh I loved this a lot, deserves a re-read, there is a twist too.If you like horror, slashers etc this is a great read. Was it scary?..." Read more

"...I wasn’t sure what to expect when going into this one but dang. It was so good!..." Read more

"Wow, interesting read..." Read more

3 customers mention "Storyline"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the storyline intriguing and fascinating. They also say the author makes horror fascinating, instead of just gross.

"...He makes Horror fascinating instead of just gross and the gore is only as needed...." Read more

"Alas, it barely worked for me. There are some intriguing twists, including a slasher with a peanut allergy...." Read more

"...His writing just flows off the page. Brilliant story. I loved this book. Tolly is a slasher to root for...." Read more

“Sccchhhhting!” 🗡️
4 out of 5 stars

“Sccchhhhting!” 🗡️

I've never met a slasher story I didn’t love. The only thing stronger than my love of books, is my love of horror movies, so let’s get our hands bloody, shall we?!My only introduction to Stephen Graham Jones thus far has been “Only the Good Indians” - which I loved, because I’ve been saving the Indian Lake Trilogy for a special occasion (AKA being snowed in over the winter with a built-in reading binge). I knew it after book 1, but book 2 solidified that Jones’ writing style really resonates with me: it’s eerie and unrelenting with intricate layers of melancholy you can wade through or peel apart like a Twizzler.In I Was a Teenage Slasher, average yet uncool teenager Tolly Driver is trying to survive high school and the rural West Texas town he feels destined to be stuck in. Tolly is a good kid with an aimless existence, aside from the bond he shares with his best friend Amber. Tolly's small world begins to shift when he suddenly finds himself cursed to begin slashing and killing his classmates one by one in the name of revenge. 🩸I loved all of the meta-horror goodness Jones served up in this book: exploring weapons at our disposal (a Town that’s driven by oil and cotton has quite a cascade to choose from), realizing characters are making ridiculous decisions they wouldn’t normally make (if not in a slasher story) and rooting for our final girl…girl(s)?...girl. 💪🏾What truly won me over is how quickly I realized I wasn’t only rooting for a final girl to survive…but for Tolly too because Jones' unique brand of prose feels like it's written exactly how he would speak it. The way Jones uses language, nostalgic references and Tolly’s outsider-biographical retelling to illustrate this bizarre, shocking and heart-wrenching chain of events, makes it so you can’t look away. 👀Mid-way through, I felt like there was no way in hell I was getting a happy ending out of this story (people like Tolly don’t get happy endings) but I begged for one anyway because I wanted that for Tolly and Amber. Okay, maybe ESPECIALLY for Amber Big Plume Dennison, because that’s my girl and I'll ride for her without question.I really enjoyed this book. It made my heart flop around in my chest and reminded me how it feels to have a friendship founded by a shared sense of otherness. Spoiler alert: those friendships run deep. ❤️‍🔥
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Top reviews from the United States

gradysbaby
5.0 out of 5 stars I love you Tolly!!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
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Wow!! Wow!!! A1 #1

Loved this book (can you tell) this is a book about two teens and one, unfortunately becomes a slasher. You know, like Jason or Freddie. The guy that has his own music when he’s around. Anyway, this is also a coming of age story, a story about friendship, a story about what’s it’s like to grow up in a small town, a story to bring awareness to people with allergies, specifically to peanuts, this is also a story about murder, death and the outcomes of being bullied. Lastly; it’s a story about love, hope, and never ending question marks at the end of every line of dialogue.

Gosh I loved this a lot, deserves a re-read, there is a twist too.

If you like horror, slashers etc this is a great read. Was it scary? Negative, this wasn’t scary at all but there was some action that will have you going “oh no!!!” And some scenes making you go “awwwwww” yeah. It’s great, please read it.

12/12 belts
7 people found this helpful
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María J. Estrada
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Concept
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2024
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This is my first time reading a novel by this author, and I hope to read more. I loved the concept of the story being told from the POV of a teenage serial killer. The characters were great, especially Amber. I was not put off by Tolly's tangents and stream of consciousness. I have a teenage son, and he can be random.

I was thrown off by the Joss storyline. I get how it connects to Tolly, but it was an odd choice for a serial killer origin story. I did love that scene with the dogs. That was amazing.

I wanted to give the book five stars, but it was light on the killings. Plus, the kills for Tolly didn't really start until 1/3 of the novel. I loved the exposition, but I wanted death sooner. More death. I don't mean the slasher had to kill a lot of people, but the death scenes were too short. I wanted more guts and blood, more of that anxiety before people die.

Otherwise, I will recommend the book to others.
2 people found this helpful
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J. Milburn
3.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to love this
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2024
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Alas, it barely worked for me. There are some intriguing twists, including a slasher with a peanut allergy. In the end , it just felt light on story and reason for being. The man can write, but this one felt tossed off
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Miris
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED IT!!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2024
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And this is coming from a grown adult woman who can not stand horror! Stephen Graham Jones answers all the questions that come to mind if you've ever found yourself transfixed to the screen at your Grandma's house unable to look away from the movie you were most definitely forbidden to watch by your mother. How is this serial killer so dang fast? How is this serial killer so strong? Why is he so angry? How is this guy even still alive? It's a stream-of-conscious book with no breaks but somehow with perfect pacing. You really do kind of root for BOTH of the Slashers in the book and the ending was just...chef's kiss! I wouldn't recommend reading this book right before bed, but I also couldn't put it down! The depth of detail SGJ gives, the dedication to the Slasher research is really...primo. I didn't think it was possible to humanize a Slasher but SGJ did it and he did it very well. He makes Horror fascinating instead of just gross and the gore is only as needed. You read this book and you really do go back in time and you're right there with the characters and you understand every action taken by every character. HIGHLY RECOMMEND and again, I don't even like Horror!
3 people found this helpful
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JC
4.0 out of 5 stars So much more than the literary equivalent of a B-movie horror flick
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2024
One might expect the literary equivalent of a B-movie horror flick from its title. But with 'I Was a Teenage Slasher,' Stephen Graham Jones delivers so much more. Don't get me wrong, fans of slasher films and horror novels will enjoy this work—there's blood and carnage galore. Yet, for those who like to dig deeper, there's a wealth of substance beneath the slasher veneer.

If you've ever driven through West Texas, you know all too well the feeling of smallness and isolation that come with those wide-open spaces. The dusty road, the tumbleweeds scattering across the pavement on their way to whatever destination the wind has in mind, the solitary oil pump in the distance, the smell of mesquite in the air, and the way the heat can make everything feel surreal. If you have yet to experience that, Jones' writing will make you feel like you have. His vivid prose transports you to the heart of West Texas, creating a backdrop that's as much a character as the people populating his novel. His ability to capture the essence of this stark landscape adds depth to the story, intertwining the isolation of the setting with the terror of his narrative.

In this novel, Jones delivers not just the expected thrills and chills but a nuanced exploration of adolescence. He captures the essence of teenage life—his young characters are raw, real, and relatable. They struggle with identity, belonging, and the desire to escape. There's an authenticity to Jones' portrayal of teenagers, with their restless energy, the quiet but ever-present tension of small-town life, and the lurking shadows of past traumas and future anxieties.

When I first encountered a Jones novel, I struggled with his distinct, often fragmented, fast-paced prose. However, once I acclimated to it, I recognized it as a reflection of the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the events he describes. His narratives are layered with cultural references, dark humor, and a deep understanding of human fears, making his stories relatable and memorable. He has become one of my favorite contemporary horror writers.
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T. M. Mayfield
5.0 out of 5 stars attention grabbing!
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2024
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The way this book had my whole attention from the first page until the last is mindblowing. I wasn’t sure what to expect when going into this one but dang. It was so good! It took a hot minute to figure out what was going on, and even then, I was kept second guessing. Tbh, I loved his spin on the slasher and final girl thing.

Definitely a must read!
5 people found this helpful
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HKDaddyo
2.0 out of 5 stars Not his best work
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2024
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It's too bad because I like and follow the author. He writes in the personaof Tolly, who rambles and digresses pointlessly. I could not become interested in him or care what happens to him. There's a LOT of exposition that could have been handled much more concisely, and the chapters go on gurney forever.
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Top reviews from other countries

Don
5.0 out of 5 stars Got this as a gift for a very nice lady... she likes this kind of literature!
Reviewed in Canada on July 20, 2024
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I heard about this during a radio interview with the author, I know it's a good one!
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Siobhain (What You Tolkien About)
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for slasher fans
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2024
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I love slashers and I have loved the Jade Daniels trilogy and Only Good Indians so I was excited for I was A Teenage Slasher. I can safely say this was a hit with me from the start. As always with Stephen Graham Jones the writing is fantastic. Tolly Driver, once again, a brilliant protagonist… or is it antagonist? Either way they are fantastic.

The writing is a little like stream of consciousness or at least the ramblings of someone, which despite the killing part, I could relate to. The style makes you get into Tolly’s head and to understand them. It’s really hard not to like them. Then again this is coming from someone who likes Pamela Voorhees, Jason Voorhees, Stu Macher, and Mickey Altieri (and now Tolly Driver) so perhaps I’m not the best one to ask. Needless to say it’s something new, interesting and keeps you hooked.

I loved seeing the story from the slasher’s perspective. It adds a layer of humanity to them so it’s not clear cut (excuse the pun) on who is right or wrong.

If you are fan of slashers this is a must read. Jones showcases once again his love for the horror genre and slashes. He gives you everything you could want and best of all it’s almost like reading a memoir of Tolly. A classic for ‘Summerween’ or all year round if you are a horror lover.
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