Book Review: How To Kill A Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

Official Synopsis: When Jamie Prescott and her best friend Laurie attend a speed-dating event, Jamie expects to meet a roster of mediocre men and indulge in some street food afterwards. She doesn’t expect one of her dates to have his throat slit at their table during a blackout. After the lights come back on and there are more bodies on the floor, it becomes clear that dating can be a very dangerous pastime.

Armed with makeshift weapons and Jamie’s extensive knowledge of what NOT to do in a slasher, the remaining speed daters try to find an exit while the killer adds to their body count. As the night progresses and Jamie comes face-to-mask with the murderer, she begins to suspect they are committing the slayings to woo one of the daters and turn them into a real-life Final Girl. But Jamie has other plans, and as she fights for her life, she can’t help but find herself ensconced in a love triangle with two of the other survivors. Will she make it through the bloodshed to find her Happily Ever After? Or does this machete-wielding psychopath have another ending in mind?

How To Kill A Guy in Ten Dates is a really great combination of a slasher/thriller mixed with rom-com vibes. The whole story starts with Jamie and her best friend, Laurie, attending a speed dating night, where things are looking...bleak. That is until Jamie talks with Wes, or well until she talks too much to Wes, who doesn't seem as interested in her once she starts explaining her love for slasher movies to him during their short time together. Then there is John, so could be a nice option for Jamie, he gives off the vibes of stable relationship, if not a little bit boring. When she is meeting with another man, Curtis, who is coming on entirely too strong, the lights cut out, and when they turn back on...Curtis is sitting across from her with his throat slit.

Using her overabundance of knowledge on slasher movies, Jamie is determined to get her and Laurie out of this situation alive. As the survivors of the attack start to team up, hoping to make it out without a knife in their back, Jamie starts to led the charge. But the more she goes off the rules of slashers, she starts to become suspicious to some of the other survivors. As they make their way around the club, which is full of more bodies, a lack of phones and closed off doors, Jamie and Wes work together to get everyone out. But as the night goes on, more and more things start to come to light and Jamie wonders if the person she finds so wonderful might be the one behind this whole thing.

One thing I really loved about this book, which might seem silly, is the epigraph at the beginning of each chapter. They are mis-quoted rom-com movie quotes to add slasher nods and each one made me laugh. These just add some fun to the story, especially since the whole book plays off Jamie's love for slashers and rom-coms.

When it comes to the characters, I really enjoyed Jamie, who is the main POV of the book, and how she works her way through all that is happening that night and how she, mostly, keeps a level head. We get her inner monologue and some of her comments are really funny at times, even when there is a terrible thing happening around and to her. Since the book is from her point of view, we also only understand as much as a she does, so the killer is a mystery to us as much as it is to Jamie during the story. We also get to see how she is fighting with some...less than ideal at the time, feelings for both Wes and John, and how if they survive what she would hope might happen with them. Jamie and Laurie both have a lot of knowledge of movies, meaning a lot of fun quotes and moments about 'well in this movie...' that some of the other victims don't appreciate at the time.

Wes, especially, was my favorite of the love interests, mostly because he had a mysterious vibe to him but also that while trying to survive he seemed to fall easily into the role of helping and leading (which we learn why later but I refuse to spoil it). Wes has a lot of strength to him and I think that helps a lot with the story, though reminder, we only hear about him through Jamie's rose-colored glasses.

Now, my one note about this book has nothing to do with the writing or context but the audiobook. I listened to part of this book and the female narrator was great. The male one, who would talk for Wes and/or John at times, I had a really hard time understanding. There was an accent or something that just didn't work well with me I guess, but it felt a little out of place since the story takes place in NYC. Either way, it is a small detail that might matter to some who choose the audiobook. Or, it's just a 'Maggie problem' which I accept.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, especially since a slasher-esc novel would not normally be my thing. I think it played really well into the tropes of slashers and rom-coms and did it in a playful (though bloody) way. This book is definitely a fun read for around Valentine's Day (especially if you aren't feeling something lovey-dovey.)

I rated this book 4 / 5 stars!

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