I did a lot of reading in 2024, and was pretty lucky to have (mostly) enjoyed all the books and comics I picked up. That could have made it difficult to choose favorites when it came time to reflect on the year, but there was no question in my mind about which book I loved most, because one in particular fully knocked me on my ass, ripped my heart out, made me laugh, made me cry, etc., etc., etc.: Stephen Graham Jones’ I Was A Teenage Slasher.
Now, I Was A Teenage Slasher wouldn’t seem like the kind story that’d leave you weeping about love and the power of friendship if you’re, you know, judging a book by its cover. The slasher genre isn’t exactly known for emotional depth, so if you went into this thinking you were just in for a classic revenge-killing spree with some teenage antics mixed in, I wouldn’t blame you. And you wouldn’t be entirely wrong — this book indeed has those things. But the supernatural slasher element, while being a major part of the plot, feels secondary to the rollercoaster coming of age story that’s really at its heart.
Tolly Driver doesn’t want to be a slasher, but he is. It’s in his blood, thanks to a string of freak incidents that aligned in just the right way to seal his fate. Amber, his best friend and truly a ride-or-die, has lots of knowledge on the subject and essentially becomes his trip guide on this bewildering journey. I Was A Teenage Slasher deals with a lot of difficult subjects, like the grief of losing a parent young, something I instantly related to, the pressure of trying to do right by the people you love, and the terrifying reality of growing up and growing into yourself. But it’s also very often funny, which helped offset all the gore and tragedy.
This is the second year in a row a Stephen Graham Jones book has landed at the top of my list, which isn’t surprising because I’m a big fan, but I Was A Teenage Slasher is really on another level. It isn’t just one of my favorite books of the year, it’s probably one of my favorite books ever. I wanted to start it over the second I finished reading it, but I couldn’t because I was crying too hard. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend Editor
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