Cameron Roubique

I haven’t read a lot of slashers, but I know enough about the genre to recognize this as an old-school throwback to 80s nostalgia and horror. Not only is it tense and bloody, but it’s also a lot of fun! I realized just how fun once I put the book down and could breath again. I’m not kidding when I say this book had me on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the second half!

Despite an extended first half void of many scares, I sped through this book. I actually enjoyed the longer set show more up: getting to know the kids and understanding their dynamics to each other and the camp. As a teacher I felt like protagonists are incredibly realistic characters, and I’ll admit I felt for Counselor Sheehan having to put up with their shenanigans haha

But again, that second half show less

Hold on tight, kids! You can bet your life this is one water ride you'll never forget...

'80s nostalgia is at an all-time high in terms of popularity. We have Stranger Things, the surprise nonfiction hit from Grady Hendrix titled Paperbacks from Hell, the It (2017) film adaption, and endless other Stephen King works being brought to the screen. What do these things have in common other than the '80s? Horror, baby! The 1980s was an awesome decade for horror entertainment, and audiences are show more craving it more than ever. So what better time to bring back the infamous slasher movie craze of the '80s? Cue Kill River by Cameron Roubique.

Kill River takes place in 1983 and follows 13-year-old Cyndi who is sent away to summer camp by her parents. She meets three new friends (much to her surprise) and the four hatch a plan to steal a raft and sneak away from this boring summer camp. However, after getting lost on the river, they stumble across an empty water park called THRILL RIVER. It seems almost too good to be true... and that's because it is. In true slasher horror fashion, things take a bloody turn.

What we have here is a blast of a book from beginning to end. It is fast-paced, thrilling, steeped in '80s pop culture references, and fits in perfectly with the slasher genre... but Roubique takes some much appreciated liberties here.

If you are familiar with the slasher subgenre, you will know that many of those films had rather unlikable characters that left you aching to see them get the ax... literally. That is not the case here. Our main character Cyndi is one of my favorite protagonists that I've read in a long time. I'm not using that term lightly. Even though I'm a 25-year-old guy, I genuinely connected to this girl. When the story opens, we know right away that Cyndi is a shy character. She doesn't know how to communicate well and has no interest in making friends, instead finding peace in her music. Everyone else can just leave her alone. As book nerds, I think we can all relate to this. However, when Cyndi goes to camp she begins to make friends and open up. And when put in life-or-death situations, she uses her wits to keep going. By the end of the book, Cyndi is a better version of herself. And that's something Roubique should be proud of.

Believe it or not, Cyndi isn't even my favorite character. At camp, she meets Stacy who seems like a spoiled rich girl at first glance. But this girl goes out of her way to make Cyndi feel at home. Stacy welcomes her, sticks up for her, and understands Cyndi even though the two are very different people. It's rare to see a wholesome bond like this in a book with teen characters. Even the other two characters Brad and Zach, while not always likable, are believable as teenage boys and aren't bad kids.

But enough about characters. What you really need in a slasher is a lot of fun, and this book has it. Even during the first half of the book when our characters are at camp and doing regular teen things, there is never a boring moment. I was swept up in the nostalgic memories of going to camp myself and I felt right at home while reading. Then when the story gets to the good stuff (i.e. the bloodshed), it's no breaks from there. Roubique's writing is descriptive but follows a steady beat all the way through.

Obviously, if you are a slasher fan you should totally pick this book up. Also, I think YA readers will really dig it. After all, the characters are young and slasher films were always meant to attract the teenage crowd.

Kill River has a quality that should appeal to readers across the spectrum. I give Kill River by Cameron Roubique 5 out of 5 masked water park killers! show less

This is not a good idea. We should not be here. These woods don't belong to us.

Reading this book was a no-brainer for me. I grew up on horror, specifically slashers, so this review might be biased.

Kill River follows our anti-social teen hero Cyndi as her parents force her to attend Camp Kikawa, a sleepaway camp where she knows no one. Shortly thereafter she meets Stacy, the only other teen girl at camp, which has mainly younger kids. Stacy introduces her to Zack and Brad, the other older show more camp regulars. Without spoiling anything, our newly-formed teen quartet soon find themselves at an abandoned water park. Then the "fun" begins.

This book ticks all the 80's slasher horror boxes for me: pop culture references, teen romance, stupid teens doing stupid things, romps in the woods, creepy masked killer, gruesome kills, and an eerie deserted place that is definitely suspicious but no one seems to care until it's too late. (exhales)

Might as well have a little fun before we get back to civilization and have to start doin' time. What's the worst that could happen?

I had two main gripes with Kill River. First, the writing is very simplistic and plain, even for the genre. It does make for a quick read, though. Second, the buildup to anything suspenseful or scary was very long, maybe 50% into the book. Prior to that, it doesn't feel like a horror novel at all. Once it does start, however, it's completely uncontrolled bloody chaos that I could not put down.

Obviously, this is not going to be groundbreaking literature. But it's fun and delivers what it promises, and for those reasons I really enjoyed it. If you like slasher horror, definitely check this series out. show less

This book was super fun. It felt like reading a slasher movie but didn't read like a film script, if that makes sense. There were just enough clues to figure out the killer, yet there was also just enough doubt thrown around to keep you thinking that maybe you were wrong about who was rolling around on a pair of skates stabbing people.