How to Survive a Slasher

There’s a reason CJ Smith’s hometown of Satterville, Ohio is infamously known as Slasherville: years ago, it was the site of not one, but two real-life Friday the 13th-style massacres. CJ’s dad survived the first attack; only CJ survived the second. And thanks to the mysterious writer Moon Satter’s two bestselling novels based on the events, the town—and CJ—will always be defined by its horrific past.

Then a third unpublished Moon Satter manuscript shows up addressed to CJ. But unlike the other two, it’s not based on the past. Instead, this one predicts new murders.

Fortunately, CJ appears only as an extra (chances of survival: high). But what are they going to do, just stand by as their classmates get picked off one by one? On the morning that the manuscript predicts the first murder to occur, they set out to stop it. CJ succeeds in saving one classmate, but in her place, the story's intended final girl turns up dead. CJ and their friends have suddenly gone from extras to leads—and they’re going to have to use everything they know about the rules of horror movies to make it out alive.

"A whip-smart, genre-savvy horror that perfectly balances dark humor with a genuine struggle for survival." --Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of Compound Fracture

"Winans expertly blends chills and laughs in this cozy slasher with characters you'd die for. The perfect pick-me-up for the horror girlies." --Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She Is a Haunting

"Fast-paced, chilling, and packed with punchy horror. Slasher fans will stay up all night to finish this one!" --Lisa Springer, author of There's No Way I'd Die First

"A delightful twist on slashers, Final Girls, and what it means to live in the present with the ones you love. Smart, inventive, and a whole lot of fun." --Jessica Lewis, author of Bad Witch Burning

"A meta thrill ride that feels like your favorite slasher movie come to life." --Liselle Sambury, author of Tender Beasts

"A thoroughly modern thriller that's both a sharp slasher and a clever commentary on the genre." --Booklist

"Plays with horror tropes in entertaining and exciting ways and keeps the suspense up with twists aplenty." --Kirkus Reviews

"Winans masterfully blends small-town horror with chilling suspense. . . . Fast-paced and thrilling, this novel will be a hit among those who devour slasher fiction and true crime. Expect it to fly off the shelves" --School Library Journal

"Mixing tongue-in-cheek references to horror classics like Scream and Friday the 13th with an engaging meta premise, Winans delivers a cheeky adventure thriller." --Publishers Weekly

Justine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a queer and nonbinary writer who lives in Los Angeles with their husband and incredible cats. Their YA debut, BIANCA TORRE IS AFRAID OF EVERYTHING, was an Indies Introduce title and critically acclaimed comedic murder mystery. Their MG debut, THE OTHERWOODS, is a spooky portal fantasy that received four starred reviews and was an Indie Next pick. When not writing queer, creepy, and fun fiction for kids and teens, they can be found training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reading manga and webcomics, and actively avoiding real life scary situations.

Instagram: @justinepwinans
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