I grew up loving 80s slasher stories. From Nightmare on Elm Street, to Friday the 13th and the incredible Halloween, I loved watching an inescapable killer stalking college students and picking them off one-by-one.
In truth, when I watch them nowadays, a part of me cheers on Freddie, Jason and Michael, urging them to get the annoying teenagers. And I suppose there’s something philosophical in the idea that, one day, we all mature to the point where Jason Vorhees is our spirit animal.
But this review isn’t about philosophy: it’s about incredible writing.
Sarah Jules knows how to tell a story. More than that, she understands narrative tension better than many of those we see on the bestseller lists.
This starts off as a simple story about five university housemates going to spend a weekend in the middle of nowhere before going their separate ways at the conclusion of their studies. Except, we soon learn that the trip is not so innocent. It’s a ruse for a vindictive prank.
The prank goes wrong. A student dies.
And Sarah Jules weaves a web of intrigue around all that happens to the point where every page seems to have a new twist.
I started reading this when I had a million other things to do. It was so engaging I finished it within two days and that was because the second half was so compelling. If you want to spend a weekend awake and savouring blissful anxiety, get yourself a copy of Don’t Lie.
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