There's No Way I'd Die First - Softcover

Springer, Lisa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593643208 ISBN 13: 9780593643204

Verlag: Random House Children's Books, 2024

Inhaltsangabe

A spine-tingling contemporary horror-comedy novel that follows a scary-movie buff as she hosts an elaborate Halloween bash but soon finds the festivities upended when she and her guests are forced to test their survival skills in a deadly game, from debut author Lisa Springer.

Seventeen-year-old Noelle Layne knows horror. Every trope, every warning sign, every survival tactic. She even leads a successful movie club dedicated to the genre. Who better to throw the ultimate, most exclusive Halloween party on all of Long Island?

With some of the top influencers in her school on the guest list, including gorgeous singer-songwriter Archer Mitchell, her popularity is bound to spike. She could really use the social boost for an upcoming brand expansion. Nothing is going to ruin this party.

Except…maybe the low budget It clown she hired for a stirring round of tag. He axes one of her classmates. From the looks of his devilish grin and bag full of killer tricks, he's just getting started.

A murderous clown is out for blood, but Noelle has been waiting her entire life to prove that she’s a Final Girl.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Lisa Springer is a writer from Barbados living in New York with her family. When she’s not writing,she’s probably reading, dreaming about the beach, or plotting her next dark and twisty novel. There’s No Way I’d Die First is her debut novel.

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Chapter 1


“It’s Halloween, I guess everyone’s entitled to one good scare.”

--Halloween (1978)


I’m not one to seek attention, but I don’t mind having all eyes on me today. It’s the first anniversary of my horror movie club and the day of what will be the most epic party Salford Prep’s senior class has ever seen. Hopefully.

I hop out of my car, my best friends Elise and Demario following a moment later. They popped out at lunchtime with me to help grab last-minute goody bag items.

A year ago, I never would have expected my mini rant on Insta about Black people being offed first in horror movies to go viral. Or that hundreds would log on when I threw out a random invitation to watch a horror movie with me online, one where the Black person actually makes it to the closing credits. That’s one of many reasons why I think Get Out is the greatest movie ever made. And my obsession with the film is why each of the twelve invitations to my anniversary party was accompanied by a vintage Tiffany silver spoon, a nod to the movie’s legendary hypnosis moment. With all the spooky activities I’ve got planned, everyone’s going to the Sunken Place.

A gust of wind swirls through the parking lot of the strip mall, scattering a raked pile of burgundy leaves, and I tighten the belt of my coat. For a beach town a few miles away from New York City, Glen Cove gets pretty cold this time of year.

“We’re gonna be late getting back to school,” Demario grumbles. “You’re really doing this?” He rubs his hand over his head, tousling his short locs. He’s got rich dark-brown skin, and broad shoulders from competitive swimming.

“Yes, we are,” I say, making a beeline to the antiques shop. The window display is overdone with a mix of skulls, hanging bats, and spiders.

I glance at Demario, unable to contain my excitement or laughter. Going to see a tarot reader on Halloween is the perfect content for building buzz.

I’ve got about forty thousand followers across both my TikTok and Instagram accounts. After tonight, I’m hoping to hit fifty. The magic number where I follow through with my plan of expanding my Jump Scares brand into a podcast.

“Need help with your makeup for the party?” Elise asks. She tucks a handful of unruly hair behind her ear. It’s a combination of loose coils and tight springy curls, from her Black and Filipino ancestry. Elise plans to follow in her mom’s footsteps as a Broadway makeup artist, and she’s my go-to when it comes to glam.

“Yes, prom makeup but make it dark,” I say. My costume is top-secret. Not even these two know what I’m wearing.

Witchy bells chime overhead as the door swings open.

“Did you see Archer liked your last post?” Elise says, showing me her phone. “Then again, he likes all your posts.”

The cheesiest grin spreads across my face. “Stop.” Yesterday, I posted a teaser about going to a tarot reader and asked followers to drop questions I should ask in the comments.

Archer Mitchell might be a big deal musician now, but when I first started crushing on him, back in middle school, he was just a scrawny kid with spiky blond hair and a nose ring, making music and posting videos online. Then, last summer, one of his songs blew up on TikTok and he landed a record deal, and now Billboard calls him a “hitmaker.” But to me, he’s still just Archer, the nice guy who sits next to me in AP English.

Smoke swirls from a stick of incense burning in a wooden boat holder that produces an overwhelming smell of lavender. The midday sun glints off a set of silver trinkets displayed on the countertop along with a clutter of collectible plates and shiny polished candlesticks and other knickknacks. There’s a sign near the doorway: PSYCHIC READINGS BY ADELINA.

Demario gets his phone ready. He films most of my reels and other social media stuff and gets a real kick out of me being awkward on camera. Since I launched Jump Scares a year ago, people are taking notice, and the response to my poll on whether I should start a podcast was an overwhelming yes. My escape room event last spring with a Haunting of Hill House theme was a success, and the summer outdoor horror movie in the park was huge. But Halloween is my favorite time of the year. Aside from the entertainment, it’s cozy, the temperature is cooling everything down, and pumpkin spice season has begun.

A girl appears from down a narrow aisle and introduces herself as Adelina. I first notice the contrast between her pale skin and ombre blue hair. She’s dressed in baby blue and pink from head to toe. And with the black lipstick, her outfit’s giving serious pastel goth.

Adelina leads me to a geometric patterned table behind a tangerine-colored Moroccan-inspired curtain. I smile at Demario’s phone camera, masking the anxiety that threatens to rise to the surface.

Listen, I’m pumped about this party. Hella stressed too, though, because what if it flops? My nerves are buzzing--not only is this a huge milestone for the club, but it’s also the launch of something much bigger. Instead of me just uploading cult classics to a streaming platform for my monthly watch party, people are actually coming over to my house. Everyone thinks I’m renting a place by Crescent Beach like I did for the escape room, so when I drop the location pin, they’re going to freak. No one passes up an invitation to Castle Hill, thanks to Mom being a legend for the epic parties she throws.

Everything’s ready--the house is decorated with nightmare-inducing black and orange decorations. I’ve got a mouthwatering catering menu to die for. Plus, my parents have taken off for an anniversary weekend in the Adirondacks.

So, if not now, when?

I get comfy in the chair as an electronic dance version of “I Put a Spell on You” plays at a low volume from a speaker.

“Do you want to ask the deck a question?” Adelina asks, handing it to me. “Handling the cards will help you tap into your intuition.”

“Right,” I say, fanning out the cards like in a poker game. I bite back laughter. Tarot cards are fun and the perfect vibe for Halloween, but it’s not like I take them seriously. I clear my throat and ask the question that got the most likes on my poll. “Is starting a podcast the best move for me right now?”

Weirdly, posing the question out loud brings out all my insecurities. There are tons of horror-related podcasts out there. I’m trying to build credibility as a film critic, but on a podcast I’ll be just another voice echoing in the wind. Why would anyone be interested in what I have to say? has been a persistent thought.

Adelina shuffles the cards and cuts the deck by dividing it and then combining them into one again. She pulls three cards and sets them facedown on the table.

She flips the first card. Her glossy lips part in the tiniest O. There’s an image of a hand coming out of the clouds holding a coin.

“Oh shit, is that a pentagram?” Demario asks from behind the camera.

I lean over for a better look. Um, yep, that’s a pentagram. Ominous.

“Ace of Pentacles,” Adelina says, nodding. “It’s about growth and prosperity. A new beginning or venture will bring great opportunities.”

“Ha!” I pop my fingers into a V sign for the camera. “Okay, next card.”

Adelina turns it over and her lips flatten into a thin line. The lady on the card is sitting up...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Random House Children's Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2024
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593643208
• ISBN 13: 9780593643204
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 304
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Buchpark GmbH; gpsr@buchpark.de; ; Krügerweg 1; Trebbin; Brandenburg; 14959; Deutschland