Book Review; You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

Earlier this year, I read the YA slasher novel You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight b Kalynn Bayron and today I'll post my review of the book.

Description from Goodreads

At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game . . . but can you survive the night?

This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street.

Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business.

But the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they'll need figure out what this killer is after. Is there is more to the story of Mirror Lake and its dangerous past than Charity ever suspected?

My Thoughts on the Book

I went into this book with high expectations as I loved several of the other books by Kalynn Bayron, and it was an enjoyable YA summer slasher with a few unexpected elements thrown into the mix. An element I enjoy with this author's books is how she normalise queer relationships and doesn't make a big deal out of it.

As it's a shorter fast-paced book, it doesn't have that much character and plot development, in addition to the twist added in the second half of the book which I didn't feel quite fit with the summer slasher-vibe. I enjoyed the premise of the book though, as well as the the atmosphere, the friendships and the dynamics between the friends. Oh, and I did also enjoy all the references to horror movies, horror tropes, and such.

I'm not saying it's a bad book, as it was a fun and engaging read, but perhaps it wasn't quite what I expected.