Nicholas Adams (1)

***Contains Spoilers***

I read this as a teen in the 90’s and was worried that it wouldn’t hold up. There’s a reason why I still remembered some minor plot points all these years later. This book is a slasher wrapped in a mystery. It’s well written and surprisingly feminist. I love that the main character, Robyn, not only saves herself, but also saves her boyfriend.

I read this as a teen in the 90’s and was worried that it wouldn’t hold up. There’s a reason why I still remembered some minor plot points all these years later. This book is a slasher wrapped in a mystery. It’s well written and surprisingly feminist. I love that the main character, Robyn, not only saves herself, but also saves her boyfriend.

For a 90's young adult thriller, this is fairly typical fare, but it was a good book for its genre. It mixes suspense with the zodiac in the form of a serial killer who is targeting people one by one based on their zodiac sign, starting with an Aries girl who he strangles with a wool scarf, choosing this weapon because wool comes from a ram - he then goes on to kill a Taurus, a Gemini, etc, choosing their methods of death according to their sign. The motive for this is eventually revealed, show more and the overall story is well-written and nicely paced for a young adult novel. I liked it a lot. show less

Okay so I legit only read this because it was according to the end credits the inspiration for the movie Tarot. I have a compulsion I think to read the books movies are based on haha. Let me just say this is very 90s young adult horror. I don't hate this book but also I don't think it is anything life changing. It was mostly just a quick read that didn't require much thought. It isn't really horror so much as slasher which is fine. It plays up the slasher angle pretty well, even giving us show more the perspective of the slasher. I think it ends up being pretty predictable overall. The high school angle is also very high school to the point of slightly irritating, but also like okay you get a pass all your friends are being murdered. Really I would just say this is one of those books to pick up if you need a quick read or to recommend to the teenage horror buff in your life. show less