I'm not a huge fan of LitRPG books (I find it difficult to sustain my disbelief as the 'stats' appear in-text, so I guess I prefer the author leave their workings behind the page). However, I am very much a fan of scary movies, so I put my preconceptions aside and stepped into the world of Carousel feeling hopeful.

It was everything I'd imagined and so much more - I found myself captivated virtually from the start! Yes, those stats are there for all to see, but they're simple enough that they don't impede the plot at all. What we have is a real fourth-wall-busting adventure that asks just what you might do to survive one of those 18=rated tales when your own life is the one on the line?

The writing here is quick and functional, without any feathery flourishes; this book knows where it's going and wastes no time getting there. I initially thought protagonist Riley was female (Final Girl, anyone?) until I quickly realized that he's not - but it doesn't matter, because he's such an effective audience surrogate that it doesn't matter. He's a Film Buff and so am I. I'm with him for the duration with that movie moxie, and it's just huge fun.

Thee author knows that we're in on the joke too, and delights in playing with expectations. Is the first villain a vampire, a cultist, Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde... nope, he's something very different. Zombies lurching on-screen? Not quite in the way you thought. It's marvellous and so refreshing as a relative newcomer to this sub-genre.

I gather that the author is quite a way into this series, so I'm very excited to see what comes next for our survivors. In the meantime, I'm definitely recommending that you visit Carousel yourself soon!