One way or another, the final girl always comes back.

PRE-READING THOUGHTS:
I had a blast with the first book — teen slasher vibes, witty meta-commentary, and just the right level of blood spatter. I was curious how a sequel would raise the stakes... and it turns out the answer is: welcome to Cult Town, population extremely cursed.

POST-READING
As I thought…
Charley still brings the sass and smarts, but this time she’s up against something older, deeper, and way more insidious than just a masked killer. I loved the horror sequel rules woven through and the clever pivots to folk horror.
It surprised me by…
How emotionally invested I got in the “enemy of my enemy” dynamic — and the fact that the Harrogate Killer somehow… grew on me?! The slow unravelling of the town’s secrets felt very Midsommar-lite in the best possible way.

✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦
📘 Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
🎬 The Wicker Man meets Scream 2

✦ MUSIC PAIRING ✦
Because sometimes, the heart of a story plays out like a song.

Featured Song: “bury a friend” – Billie Eilish

Vibe Album: Hozier – Hozier (the debut one, for max broody woods and cryptic menace)
Artist Recommendation: Chelsea Wolfe, for those haunting, glimmering edge-of-sanity vibes
✧ VIBE CHECK ✧
🎨 Colour Palette: cornfield gold, blood red, weathered parchment

🎬 Soundtrack: distant drumming, a voice whispering your name in the wind

🍂 Season: autumn — but it’s too quiet, and the leaves fall in patterns

😬 Mood: claustrophobic curiosity
👃 Scent: dried herbs, damp cellars, and something rotting sweet under the floorboards
★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

9 of Swords – Nightfall Tarot
The card of nightmares and terrors - usually unfounded, but in this case...The aftermath of horror never truly leaves. She survived once, but now the shadows are back - and no one believes her until the screaming starts again. A card for sleepless nights, creeping dread, and truth twisted into paranoia

How to Survive a Horror Sequel by Scarlett Dunmore is a clever, meta twist on slasher tropes that both celebrates and pokes fun at the genre. The pacing is sharp, and the self-aware humor keeps the story entertaining, especially for fans who love spotting nods to classic horror sequels. Dunmore’s voice is playful and knowing, making it easy to breeze through.

That said, the balance between satire and suspense sometimes falters—leaning more on parody than genuine tension. While fun and inventive, it doesn’t fully land the emotional depth or scares it aims for. Still, at 3.5 stars, it’s a witty, enjoyable read for horror fans looking for something smart but not too heavy.

When I found out about How to Survive a Horror Sequel I knew I had to get my hands on an advanced copy. I loved book one so I was really excited for the sequel. While I did really enjoy this book, it wasn’t as good as the first.

The tension from book one wasn’t as present in How to Survive a Horror Sequel. In book one, Charley was on an isolated island with a serial killer with no means of getting away. This time she literally could have just walked away from the town. I did like the setting though. Small towns are one of my favourite settings for books, apparently even creepy ones that are full of ghosts.

I adored the slasher style of book one so was hoping How to Survive a Horror Sequel would be similar. Unfortunately, it leaned a lot more into the paranormal, which wasn’t particularly bad, but I don’t find paranormal horror as unsettling. I loved the slasher style of book one but I will say the ‘new terror’ was really interesting and I liked how it tied into traditional folklore.

I also really liked the new cast of characters. Charley’s new friends, Flora and Max, were great. Flora was a particular standout – she had a really cool vibe from the first second you met her. I weirdly also like the antagonists of How to Survive a Horror Sequel. They were definitely bad people but also really interesting. They did a good job at fooling you into thinking they were just not nice rather than actually evil.

The small town really helped with the creepiness too. I didn’t like the setting as much as book one, this one had more of a cosy vibe, but the descriptions of it were great. I love the idea of a creepy little Scottish town with a history of witchcraft and other paranormal activities. Very cool. Not for Charley though, she did not have a great time.

I honestly don’t feel like I can comment on much more without giving huge spoilers. There’s one particular reveal that had me quite literally rolling my eyes as it was a bit ridiculous but the tension from the point onwards was incredible.

As with book one, How to Survive a Horror Sequel hints at a next installment, which I will 100% be checking out whenever it is published. If I’m able to get my hands on an advanced copy again I will be very happy.

I’d highly recommend you check out this series for yourself. It’s twisty, full of suspense and has really great side characters.

a sequel worthy of the slasher genre,
if you love classics like scream this is a must read a little more out there with incorporating supernatural elements.
those elements make it such a wild and fun ride !

It was an enjoyable read. The perfect kind of book to binge read in a way. It is rather fast-paced and eventful. The plot was easy to follow and full of movies & tv shows references. I just wished the murders started happening a bit quicker, but other than that, I had a good time reading this book.
If you’re looking for a spooky read I highly recommend this book (and the book that comes before that one as well of course).

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Having narrowly escaped a pair of high school killers, Charley finds themselves stranded in a quaint Scottish town with her Mum after nearly a year on the road.

On the surface, the tight-knit community is a welcoming place to rebuild. However, Charley still has the ability to see ghosts, and the place is swimming with them. Charley is also convinced that Olive is still after her.

What lurks beneath the surface at Glendale and can Charley find out before it’s too late?

A brilliant murder mystery full of horror movie references. A rare case where the sequel is better than the original.

For fans of Fear Street.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read an ARC via NetGalley!!

This book was a nice little change of pace for me. It’s a YA/teenage comedy with a bit of horror and a bit of romance mixed in!
I couldn’t remember whether I’d read the first of this series but the author made it really easy to read this whether you read the first one or not. Of course the added context of the first book is great but I love that you could read this as a single book too.

I loved the characters. They were so diverse and unique, and a lot of them were easy to relate to! I felt as though they were all pretty loveable, and the horrid characters were easy to hate too, so the author did a great job with character development.

If you like rom coms with a touch of horror, this book would be great for you!!

Rating: 4/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️?

In this fun, fear-filled follow-up, Scarlett Dunmore picks up with Charley and her mum on the run from Olive—Charley’s murderous ex from book one. Their journey takes them to a strange town called The Devil’s Punchbowl, where not everything adds up.

Leaning into 90s horror nostalgia, the book nods to classics like The Faculty and The Craft, embracing its cheesy charm in all the right ways. It plays with familiar horror tropes while still feeling fresh and entertaining.

As with any good sequel, it brings back familiar faces while introducing new ones, expanding the story in a satisfying way. Dunmore blends horror references, quirky moments, and character-driven storytelling into a sequel that’s as fun as it is clever.

A definite read for fans of 90s horror!