Slasher Summer by E.L. Chen
Crown (June 2026)
Reviewed by Haley Newlin
Slasher Summer is a blood-soaked whodunnit made for fans of slasher horror films like Friday the 13th and Scream. E.L. Chen’s horror expertise, not just in references and nods to iconic horror flicks like Psycho and Get Out, but in the execution of tropes and rules of survival, rivals even the most die-hard fans and know-it-all characters we love, like Scream’s Randy Meeks.
Slasher Summer follows a dysfunctional, sometimes toxic, group of friends returning to their hometown to reconnect at a cabin in the woods where a popular 80s slasher movie was filmed.
Patrick, the perfectionist, wants everything to go according to the careful plan he organized. Jen is the edgy goth of the group who can’t be bothered with the petty squabbles of on-and-off golden couple Tiffany and Jason. Mikey wants to prove himself as a grown-up and more than just the kid cousin of football superstar Jason. Freddy is the lovable stoner who reminded me so much of Shaggy (played by Scream King Matthew Lillard) in the live-action Scooby-Doo films. And then there’s Carrie. Carrie is the good girl who wants to make peace with the past so she can finally move on because “the real horror is never being able to escape who you were in high school.”
As the sun sets and darkness befalls the cabin, the woods, and the lake, old secrets come to light. Then, an axe-wielding man is spotted in the woods, and things quickly take a deadly turn. Soon, everyone is a suspect.
There’s dread and angst seeded into Slasher Summer from the start, but the second half of the book is where sh*t really hits the fan. I struggled at first with the bickering amongst the group and the less-than-friendly atmosphere of this reunion, but it was all necessary to set the stage for the slashing ahead.
Slasher Summer is a very cinematic read with a screenplay-like structure, which is perfect for the horror movie theme. And there’s so much fun imagery and infamous horror tropes throughout that will thrill horror fans, like a thunderstorm over a cabin in the woods near a lake, a creepy caller, and a masked killer. There are also the horror rules of survival laid out in playful quips, and as the chaos ensues, too, including: never pick up the phone, never split up, never go into the basement or up the stairs, and never forget that everyone is a suspect.
The ending has a great twist and carries a lot of truth about how we form our perception of people and project our assumptions onto them, which can be incredibly dangerous.
The final scene is heartfelt and conclusive, until, in typical slasher film form, it isn’t. Well played, Chen.
If you enjoyed Brian McAuley’s Breathe In, Bleed Out, or Kalynn Bayron’s You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight, Slasher Summer is a must-read.
Also for horror cinephiles with a special love of films like Nightmare on Elm Street, the Fear Street trilogy, Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
