I have a much I had a lot of fun reading in 2024 and was very lucky in that I (mostly) enjoyed all the books and comics I picked up. This could have made it difficult to pick favorites when it came time to reflect on the year, but I had no question which book I loved the most, because one in particular blew me away, ripped my heart out, took me made me laugh, made me cry, etc. etc. etc.: Stephen Graham Jones’ I was a teenage slasher.
Now, I was a teenage slasher It doesn’t seem to me like the nice story that makes you cry about love and the power of friendship if you judge a book by, you know, its cover. The slasher genre isn’t exactly known for its emotional depth. So if you went into this thinking you’re in for a classic revenge plot with some juvenile escapades, I wouldn’t blame you. And you’re not entirely wrong – this book actually has those things. But the supernatural slasher element, while an important part of the plot, feels secondary to the rollercoaster coming-of-age story that’s actually at its core.
Tolly Driver doesn’t want to be a slasher, but it is. It’s in his blood, thanks to a series of unusual incidents that were just the thing to seal his fate. Amber, his best friend and real life partner, has a lot of knowledge on the subject and essentially becomes his tour guide on this confusing journey. I was a teenage slasher Covers many difficult topics, such as the grief of losing a parent at a young age, something that immediately came to mind, the pressure of wanting to do right by the people you love, and the terrible reality of to grow up and grow into yourself. But it’s also very often funny, which helped balance out all the blood and tragedy.
This is the second year in a row that a book by Stephen Graham Jones has been at the top of my list, which isn’t surprising since I’m a big fan, but I was a teenage slasher is really on another level. Not only is it one of my favorite books of the year, it’s probably one of my favorite books ever. I wanted to start over as soon as I finished reading it, but I couldn’t because I was crying too much. — Cheyenne MacDonald, weekend editor
