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A review by thereadingraccoon
The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power by Terry J. Benton-Walker
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This young adult horror anthology puts diverse characters in the main roles with the “white guy” as the first victim.
Goulfriends Online Blog by Terry J. Benton-Walker - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story sets up the book, explaining that there will be thirteen stories in the collection based on the movies a fictional filmmaker made before his disappearance.
All Eyes on Me by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A girl trying to break up with her boyfriend ends up with a flirty female clown in a hall of mirrors.
Hedge by Kalynn Bayron - ⭐️⭐️
I had problems focusing on this one. Two brothers return to the creepy topiary garden where their dad disappeared.
The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A girl finds out what her friends and the boy she likes really think of her when they take her to a haunted Japanese garden. This one was one of my favorites in the collection.
Best Served Cold by H.E. Edgmon - ⭐️⭐️
A Native American boy has a stomach-turning interaction with a serial killer and cannibal. This one was just too disgusting for me.
The Protégé by Lamar Giles - ⭐️⭐️
A boy is asked to watch a mysterious box for his neighbor and gets pulled into a group of evil magicians. I couldn’t get into this one.
Docile Girls by Chloe Gong - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfect for fans of teen slashers. A group of high schoolers decorating for a dance get picked off one by one. I enjoyed this one.
Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two girls visit an old slave plantation looking for answers about a teenager’s disappearance decades earlier.
Everything’s Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A teenager’s letters to an unnamed pen pal slowly reveal her dark side. One of the best stories in the collection.
Heaven by Adiba Jaigirdar - ⭐️⭐️
Usually post-apocalyptic stories are my favorite, especially if there is a lot of government corruption and secrets, but I couldn’t get into this world or the characters.
Break Through Our Skin by Naseem Jamnia - ⭐️⭐️
A teenage museum intern who works with ancient relics gets even with the boss she hates. I didn’t enjoy this character.
Wasps by Mark Oshiro - ⭐️⭐️
A girl’s Brooklyn home is not for sale, and the greedy developers find out the hard way. I had a hard time focusing on this story.
Hell is Other Demons by Karen Strong - ⭐️⭐️
A girl gets invited to a demon raising and things go sideways. This one didn’t keep my interest.
The Road to Hell by Terry J. Benton-Walker - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A couple tries to fix up an abandoned Florida mansion, their teenage son in tow, only to have the sentient evil that lives in the home become obsessed with the boy.
Goulfriends Online Blog by Terry J. Benton-Walker - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story sets up the book, explaining that there will be thirteen stories in the collection based on the movies a fictional filmmaker made before his disappearance.
All Eyes on Me by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A girl trying to break up with her boyfriend ends up with a flirty female clown in a hall of mirrors.
Hedge by Kalynn Bayron - ⭐️⭐️
I had problems focusing on this one. Two brothers return to the creepy topiary garden where their dad disappeared.
The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A girl finds out what her friends and the boy she likes really think of her when they take her to a haunted Japanese garden. This one was one of my favorites in the collection.
Best Served Cold by H.E. Edgmon - ⭐️⭐️
A Native American boy has a stomach-turning interaction with a serial killer and cannibal. This one was just too disgusting for me.
The Protégé by Lamar Giles - ⭐️⭐️
A boy is asked to watch a mysterious box for his neighbor and gets pulled into a group of evil magicians. I couldn’t get into this one.
Docile Girls by Chloe Gong - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfect for fans of teen slashers. A group of high schoolers decorating for a dance get picked off one by one. I enjoyed this one.
Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two girls visit an old slave plantation looking for answers about a teenager’s disappearance decades earlier.
Everything’s Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A teenager’s letters to an unnamed pen pal slowly reveal her dark side. One of the best stories in the collection.
Heaven by Adiba Jaigirdar - ⭐️⭐️
Usually post-apocalyptic stories are my favorite, especially if there is a lot of government corruption and secrets, but I couldn’t get into this world or the characters.
Break Through Our Skin by Naseem Jamnia - ⭐️⭐️
A teenage museum intern who works with ancient relics gets even with the boss she hates. I didn’t enjoy this character.
Wasps by Mark Oshiro - ⭐️⭐️
A girl’s Brooklyn home is not for sale, and the greedy developers find out the hard way. I had a hard time focusing on this story.
Hell is Other Demons by Karen Strong - ⭐️⭐️
A girl gets invited to a demon raising and things go sideways. This one didn’t keep my interest.
The Road to Hell by Terry J. Benton-Walker - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A couple tries to fix up an abandoned Florida mansion, their teenage son in tow, only to have the sentient evil that lives in the home become obsessed with the boy.