I love slasher films and I love horror books, yet before the recent years, I seem to be hard pressed to find any slasher novels. Imagine my surprise upon discovering Cameron Roubique’s Kill River books! Right now, I’d like to discuss the first book in the series.
WHAT IS IT?
Written byCameron Roubique and first published in 2015, Kill River is about a young teen named Cyndi and her friends who run away from their boring summer camp only to find themselves trapped in a hidden water park in the woods. Once inside, a mysterious masked maniac picks them off one by one.
WHAT DID I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK?
Cameron Roubique definitely knows and loves his slasher flicks. There’s a ton of references in this first book that will please slasher fans like me. That said, they’re not intrusive or disrupt the story in any way, rather these references seamlessly mesh well with the material. Unlike a lot of slasher films, though, the author knows how to flesh out his characters to the point that you don’t want to see anything bad happen to them. This makes it all the more painful when the kills do come as Mr. Roubique does not mince words and let’s us know how these characters are dispatched.
Despite the references and the slasher genre being commonly considered formulaic, this book surprisingly keeps everything fresh, thanks to the aforementioned character development and the unique setting. I don’t really recall a lot of slasher films (or books) set in a water park, aside from 2001’s The Pool.
Finally, as the book is set in the ’80s and our main girl Cyndi loved music, we do get some needle drop moments when certain delicious ’80s songs are mentioned. Interestingly, the author has listed the songs mentioned in the book in a neat little list so you can create your own playlist — or mixtape, if you will — to listen to while reading the book or after.
WHAT DIDN’T I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK?
I can’t say that I have any negatives for this one. I’m a big slasher fan and Cameron Roubique delivered. Call me a happy camper!
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Kill River a fast and smooth-flowing ride that doesn’t skimp on brutality. Characters are fleshed out and detailed enough that you don’t want them to face a gruesome fate. I’d like to talk about the other Kill River books next time around, and I look forward to reading the author’s other works.
More Book Reviews:
NOW YOU’RE ONE OF US (2007) Book Review: Getting to Know Your In-Laws is Disturbing
Marrying into a family is scary territory, I would imagine. You might know the person you’re marrying but what of the people they live with? And who exactly were they…
Recent Reads: The Year of the Witching and Other Reads
Hey, gang! Dustin here again with another round of Recent Reads. This one, admittedly, comes in late so it’s not that recent. But, hey, the year is almost over and I’d definitely…
Recent Reads: My Heart is a Chainsaw, The Four Corners of Horror, Cirque Berserk, and The Taking of Jake Livingston
Hello there, GoH friends! This is Dustin here again with another edition of Recent Reads to share with you my thoughts on four books for July! For this one, we…
Touch the Night by Max Booth III Book Review – Your Mother Should Not Read This Book
Having received this book from Cemetery Dance as a promotional item, I was delighted to have an opportunity to read and review an author and title I had not heard…
The Helios Syndrome (2023) Book Review – Modern-Day Necromancy
The Helios Syndrome is a 2023 supernatural thriller novella penned from the mind of Vivian Shaw. Born in Kenya, Vivian moved to the US, where she earned a BA in…
Carnal Curses, Disfigured Dreams: Japanese Horror & Bizarre Cinema 1898-1949 (2019) Book Review – A Trove of Lost and Forgotten Japanese Horror
Zombies, vampires, mechanical men, mad scientists, monsters, killer apes, living statues, ghosts, demons – all the iconic figures of bizarre cinema can be found in Japan’s early film output, filtered…
Dustin is a horror fan and sometimes short story writer who hails from the Philippines. He likes a lot of the horror genre but usually goes for slashers and arthouse/slowburn stuff. Currently, he’s trying to make up for lost time in the horror literature world by digesting as many horror books as he can.