I Was a Teenage Slasher

By: Stephen Graham Jones

Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Stephen Graham Jones

A USA TODAY Bestseller

An Alex Award Winner

From New York Times bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones comes a classic slasher story with a twist—perfect for fans of Adam Cesare and Grady Hendrix.

1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton—and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, and shared sense of unfairness of being on the outside through the slasher horror Jones loves, but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic.

©2024 Stephen Graham Jones (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

My Favorite so Far

It was such a different take on the genre; the dynamic between Slasher and Final Girl. I loved the friendship between Amber and Tolly throughout. Well written, engaging, and heartbreaking.

Meandering

Good narration, but it’s not easy to follow the story. I’m sure it works for some folks, but this writing style was not for me.

Another great perspective!

I have really come to enjoy how the author’s writing style has adapted, much like his characters do. I have been a fan of Stephen Graham Jones since I first discovered him and he just keeps getting better. I really enjoyed this story’s narrator as well. He is emotive while keeping a natural presence. I won’t go into details of the book. I’ll just say if you’re a fan of the author or the genre, this title needs to be in your collection!

So much fun

The story was so much different from anything else I have read. The narrator was INCREDIBLE! I will read this one again!

Disgustingly good!

Another great horror novel by a great author. Ever wonder why a slasher becomes a slasher? Look no further! An interesting look at slashers. Makes you feel sympathy for the killerwhile experiencing visceral dread at the acts he's committing. I couldn't help rooting for the killer hoping he could control his instincts.

Heartbreaking

Only Stephen Graham Jones can make the first person story of a slasher heartbreaking. Such a fantastic perspective. Thank you SGJ

one of my fave writers for sure

This guy is great! Listened to this after Night of the Mannequin and it’s almost like a new version of it. Only complaint— narrators will never know how to pronounce the right “wind”

Horror that broke me...

This one broke me, I still cry when I think about the ending. One of the best books I've ever read and I've read tons!! This has everything a horror fan wants, the Slasher genre rules, the gore and guts...all of it. This isn't just about the horror though. SGJ pulled every single heartstring to the point of almost snapping before letting go so you can feel it reverberate inside while you're wiping the tears from your cheeks. Love and friendship aren't something slashers really think about and yet our main character does, a lot and it makes this book an absolute must read.

Or must listen, the narrator brings this story to life so perfectly it gave me goosebumps. Seriously, you will do yourself a disservice if you don't give it a listen!

All the great Slashers…

his southern accent was the perfect touch to the story.

This was a fun listen, like letting me into the head of all the great teen slashers i grew up loving.

i got a bit lost i the story and had to rewind it a handful of times, but overall i enjoyed it.

Rambling tangents with occasional violence

After reading/listening to and enjoying the Indian Lake Trilogy and loving All the Good Indians, I was excited for this one. But despite the unique POV, SGJ’s rambling style was fatiguing in this one. It doesn’t dig deep enough into the characters to make a memorable statement about life in small town Texas, And it didn’t go hard enough with the slasher elements to provide any unique shock or horror. At this point the meta-slasher, where characters acknowledge the “rules” of slasher film tropes while battling their own slasher is becoming a trope itself, and SGJ is too good a writer to keep mining that same territory. The narration wad pretty good in this though.