The Blonde Dies First
A group of friends fight to choose their own fates when faced with a demonic force that acts according to horror movie rules in this trope-savvy, “script-flipping hair-raiser” (Publishers Weekly) from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.
Devon is always being left behind by her genius twin sister, Drew. At this point, it’s a fact of life. But Devon has one last plan before Drew leaves for college a whole year early—The Best Summer Ever. After committing to the bit a little too much, the twins and their chaotic circle of friends learn why you don’t ever mess with a Ouija board if you want to actually survive the Best Summer Ever, and soon find themselves being hunted down by…a demon?
But while there’s no mistaking the creeping, venomous figure is not from around here, their method doesn’t feel very demonic at all. In fact, it’s downright human—going after them in typical slasher movie kill order. And that means Devon, the blonde, is up first and her decade-long crush, Yaya, is the Final Girl who must kill or be killed to end the cycle.
Devon has never liked playing by anyone else’s rules though, not even a demon’s, and the longer this goes on, the more she feels Drew and Yaya slipping away from her even as she tries to help them all survive. Can they use their horror movie knowledge to flip the script and become the hunters instead of the hunted? Or will their best summer ever be their last?
Devon is always being left behind by her genius twin sister, Drew. At this point, it’s a fact of life. But Devon has one last plan before Drew leaves for college a whole year early—The Best Summer Ever. After committing to the bit a little too much, the twins and their chaotic circle of friends learn why you don’t ever mess with a Ouija board if you want to actually survive the Best Summer Ever, and soon find themselves being hunted down by…a demon?
But while there’s no mistaking the creeping, venomous figure is not from around here, their method doesn’t feel very demonic at all. In fact, it’s downright human—going after them in typical slasher movie kill order. And that means Devon, the blonde, is up first and her decade-long crush, Yaya, is the Final Girl who must kill or be killed to end the cycle.
Devon has never liked playing by anyone else’s rules though, not even a demon’s, and the longer this goes on, the more she feels Drew and Yaya slipping away from her even as she tries to help them all survive. Can they use their horror movie knowledge to flip the script and become the hunters instead of the hunted? Or will their best summer ever be their last?
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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
As a slasher and huge Scream fan, I can honestly say The Blonde Dies First hits all the notes.
Storytelling
The story follows Devon, a queer girl who likes to be crafty and crazy with her looks. This includes dying her hair and eyebrows to a blonde, making her the token blonde girl of any horror film.
And, as we know, the blonde always dies first…unless you substitute her with another blonde.
After a séance goes wrong, a demon suddenly begins hunting Devon and her friends. Luckily for her, one of her best friends is a horror film nerd and knows exactly what’s happening to them.
I love the play on the tropes – the blonde, the token gay, the asshole, the nerd, the independent girl, the love interest, and the Final Girl. Wellington takes these tropes but also establishes that people are not just one thing to be defined by. They are many things and can be many things. I loved that about this book; I loved that it flipped the tropes to flush out these characters and give them strong dynamics and complex characterization.
I want to say this is very much a character-driven novel. Devon is our main protagonist, and she’s a twin. Now, Drew is a genius, Drew is graduating early, and their twin bond is very strained. So, while the story is as much about flipping the switch on the horror tropes, it’s also about the bond between these two girls and them reforming their relationship.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved The Blonde Dies First, devouring it in a little under a day, unable to put it down. The tension, the pacing, the way it feels like a Scream movie reinvented.
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Perfect for fans of Jordan Peele and Scream, The Blonde Dies First is a slasher perfect for horror fans.
As a slasher and huge Scream fan, I can honestly say The Blonde Dies First hits all the notes.
Storytelling
The story follows Devon, a queer girl who likes to be crafty and crazy with her looks. This includes dying her hair and eyebrows to a blonde, making her the token blonde girl of any horror film.
And, as we know, the blonde always dies first…unless you substitute her with another blonde.
After a séance goes wrong, a demon suddenly begins hunting Devon and her friends. Luckily for her, one of her best friends is a horror film nerd and knows exactly what’s happening to them.
I love the play on the tropes – the blonde, the token gay, the asshole, the nerd, the independent girl, the love interest, and the Final Girl. Wellington takes these tropes but also establishes that people are not just one thing to be defined by. They are many things and can be many things. I loved that about this book; I loved that it flipped the tropes to flush out these characters and give them strong dynamics and complex characterization.
I want to say this is very much a character-driven novel. Devon is our main protagonist, and she’s a twin. Now, Drew is a genius, Drew is graduating early, and their twin bond is very strained. So, while the story is as much about flipping the switch on the horror tropes, it’s also about the bond between these two girls and them reforming their relationship.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved The Blonde Dies First, devouring it in a little under a day, unable to put it down. The tension, the pacing, the way it feels like a Scream movie reinvented.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
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