Book Tour: Dead Teenager Movie by Cethan Leahy

About The Book

In this YA slasher, a horror-obsessed girl joins a group of wealthy teens for a wild weekend in a remote house, only to discover that the local murder rumours may be far more real – and far closer – than she imagined.

She loved scary movies… until she had the starring role.

A spree of murders is haunting Cork city, leaving behind stories of ghost parties and dismembered janitors, of dead diner owners and folkloric entities.

Die-hard horror buff April ignores it all for one perfect weekend of debauchery with Carl and his group of rich, hot and dangerously irresistible friends.

Together, they head to the West Cork countryside for an unforgettable trip before college begins. But in a remote mountainside house with views to die for, the dream party turns into a nightmare. Because some stories don’t stay stories. And someone, or something, inside the house wants more than fear. They want blood.

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My Review

A serial killer in County Cork. A group of teens going away for the weekend to an isolated house in the country. A book steeped in slasher horror lore.

April is determined to make the most of her time between leaving secondary school and entering college. When handsome, wealthy, not-her-usual-type Carl invites her to spend the weekend with him and three of his close friends, she jumps at the chance.

There is a serial killer on the lose in Cork city, and what is more inviting to a would-be horror movie killer than a house full of teenagers in the middle of nowhere?

Unfortunately for April, her last hurrah as a carefree teen might literally be her last party.

The characters in this book fulfil the expected archetypes of horror movies. There is April, the maiden. A sweet teen who loves watching horror movies with her best friend, played hockey for years, and wouldn’t kill a spider. Carl, the scholar, who got a car from his parents for doing well on his Leaving Cert results. Scarlett, the whore, who flirts relentlessly with another member of the group, John. Erica, the fool, with her bag full of recreational drugs. John, the athlete, with his constant reminders that he plays rugby.

However, it would be a disservice to the characters to reduce them to these archetypes. Leahy obviously knows and loves the horror genre. Much like the movies ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’, and ‘Cabin in the Woods’, played with horror tropes and audience expectations, so does the author. The result is just as fun as the movies. Some characters, such as April, are knowingly aware of the conventions of slasher movies, while others are manipulated by the author to bring attention to, or subvert said conventions.

The characters are also extremely Irish. This aspect may not work so well for readers from other countries, but it increased the entertainment value for this reader.

The novel is written in omniscient narration, moving between different characters, horror podcasts about the serial murders, and even murder victims. The narrator has a strong, light-hearted voice that works well for this point of view. Given the twists and turns within the novel, omniscient narration was the right choice for this book.

While Cork city appears briefly, most of the action takes place in an isolated part of West Cork. The setting is perfect for the horrible shenanigans that ensue. It is a beautiful part of the Irish countryside, but relatively isolated. The addition of a round tower as an integral setting added to the novel. For those who don’t know, round towers were built in the early medieval period by Irish monks to hide in during Viking attacks.

The novel is fast paced. The focus changes between each short, exciting chapter. Sometimes highlighting the serial murders, by way of a podcast, or showing two teens who live in the village near the holiday house, at other times showing the reader what the mysterious masked figure hunting the teens is up to. The narration also moves backwards in time to detail important scenes that add new meaning to the current events.

While there is an occasional tense atmosphere to this novel, and the twists and turns of the plot are surprising, the overall tone of the book is so humorous that it should be classed as a horror comedy. There is one scene where the teens are waiting in the kitchen for the masked figure to appear that is laugh out loud funny. Horror fans will find plenty to chuckle at, with frequent references to other horror novels and movies, and the very Irish reaction of the characters to the typical slasher movie set-ups.

The author is obviously a knowledgeable horror fan, who writes lovingly about the genre, playfully poking fun at slasher horror, while at the same time writing a story and characters worthy of the sub genre. Little things like the chapter titles all being horror movies added to the enjoyment of the book.

The only disappointment were the frequent instances of the Lord’s name being taken in vain, which was particularly disheartening to see in a novel aimed at young adults.

Overall, ‘Dead Teenager Movie’ is a satisfying horror comedy in similar vein to the movies ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’ and ‘Cabin in the Woods’.

This book is aimed at young adults, who will be sure to love it, but horror fans of all ages will be equally entertained.

As an Irish author of horror, and horror comedy, this reader was particularly interested in reading ‘Dead Teenager Movie’. The combination of laughs and tense scenes, together with the unique Irish setting and characters, was done well, and provided an entertaining book.

While aspects of this book, such as dissing certain universities the characters got into, may only hit the mark with Irish readers, there is a lot in this book to appeal to international horror fans. Apart from the deconstruction and reconstruction of the slasher story, seeing the teenagers being hunted in a non-typical setting is sure to provoke curiosity in those non-native to the Emerald Isle.

Thank you to The Write Reads and the publisher for providing me with a review copy.

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About the Author

Cethan Leahy is an author and filmmaker from Cork. His debut novel, Tuesdays Are Just as Bad, was published to widespread acclaim, earning a shortlist nomination for the CBI Book of the Year Award and winning the Senior Category of the Great Reads Awards. Alongside his writing, Cethan works across film and animation. When he’s not writing stories, he’s usually thinking about them.

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