I Was a Teenage Slasher – Stephen Graham Jones

In horror, origin stories are usually pieced together by other characters, like final girls or authorities on the hunt. With “I Was a Teenage Slasher,” Stephen Graham Jones flips the script, offering up the autobiography of the killer himself: a nerdy, awkward teenager who — due to a near fatal prank — unwittingly becomes a vessel of vengeance against the band kids who almost killed him. 

Set in the small, dusty Texas town of Lamesa circa 1989, Jones taps into a particular flavor of nostalgia – filled with drive-ins, discmans and hair bands — something akin to Stephen King’s reminiscence of the 1950s and '60s. 

But rather than wholesome Americana, we get a harsh 1980s lens on the protagonist’s world: oil, cotton and a pervasive small-town tension to outsiders, driven by Communist fears and the lingering effects of Reganomics. 

Tolly, an unlikely antihero, recounts his murderous transformation with a tender sincerity that reflects Jones' deep affection for the slasher genre. Michael Crouch’s narration brings Tolly’s tragic charm to life —Texas twang and all — balancing awkward innocence with a rising, simmering anger, playing him as a Teenage Jekyl and Hyde.  

Yet, the book struggles in its execution. While Jones clearly knows his horror tropes, often building on them with a creative reverence reminiscent of “Scream,” the pacing doesn’t hold up.

Confusion sets in early, with an overly complex cast of side characters and unclear rules behind Tolly’s transformation. Is he a killer due to a peanut-induced shock, supernatural possession or an overreaction to being an outcast? As the bloodshed ramps up, so does the WTFness, making the eventual killings feel more chaotic than iconic.

Despite these pacing stumbles, there are moments of true brilliance — clever rule-building, genre-savvy self-awareness and a particular joy in the gory set pieces that fans of Jones will recognize and love. 

But the energy fades in places, diluted by a story that could have done with more narrative focus. Perhaps this concept would work better as a novella or a film, where Tolly’s descent into slasherhood could be distilled into something sharper.

Jones' portrayal of Tolly as a relatable, almost pitiable killer is commendable, even refreshing. But as much as I wanted to fully enjoy the book, its inconsistent tone — a strange mix between YA awkwardness and adult horror — left me feeling rather ambivalent. 

The novel’s occasional sophomoric touches match Tolly’s age but detract from the sharpness we might expect from Jones, especially given the biting horror of his previous works.

Ultimately, “Slasher” is an intriguing experiment into metahorror and a homage to 80s slashers (mostly Jason Voorhees) that narrowly misses its mark. If you’re looking for something punchy, gory and unapologetic, I’d suggest Chuck Tingle’s “Bury Your Gays” instead. 

Thank you to Libro.fm, Simon & Schuster Audio and the author for a free copy of the audiobook. This exchange of goods did not influence my review.

Rating (story): 3/5 stars

Rating (narration): 4/5 stars

Format: Audiobook (personal library)

Dates read: October 21 – October 25, 2024

Multi-tasking: Good to go. Sometimes the audiobook can feel like a mess of names and action sequences, but the longer chapters and repetitive structure would be tiresome if you aren’t doing other activities while listening.