
Slasher Summer
A Novel
Crown · Print & ebook · June 23, 2026
In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer.
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- Who it’s for
- For readers who enjoy campy 1980s slasher-film homages.
- Themes
- Slasher horror, Reunion and old friendships, High-school identity
- Pacing
- Fast
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In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer. But the real horror is not being able to escape who you were in high school. . . . This stunning paperback features vibrantly designed stenciled edges! The sleepy town of Cedar Lake is best known as the shooting location of the campy ’80s horror flick Slasher.
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In high school, preppy Patrick, jock Jason, cheerleader Tiffany, stoner Freddy, goth Jennifer, and nerdy Mikey had played the cast of Slasher during midnight showings, with virginal Carrie as the Final Girl, of course. Years later, the friends reunite at the remote cabin where Slasher was filmed. They’ve changed since high school—Carrie found a boyfriend, Patrick came out, Mikey bulked up, and, well, Freddy’s still stoned—and they’re looking forward to a weekend to catch up. But when night falls, and the eponymous masked killer is spotted, the reunion takes a deadly turn. The friends discover their tires deflated and the phone line disconnected, and soon they’re being stalked by a mysterious assailant. Is someone trying to make their Slasher experience as authentic as possible? One thing is for sure. Before the night is over, they each will have to take on the role they thought they'd left behind.
Who it’s for
- For readers who enjoy campy 1980s slasher-film homages.
- For readers drawn to stories about old friends confronting who they were in high school.
Where it sits
| Slasher Horror | 98% |
|---|---|
| Suspense | 64% |
| LGBTQ+ Fiction | 55% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Slasher Horror
- Suspense
- LGBTQ+ Fiction
- Authors
- E. L. Chen
- Publisher
- Crown
- Published
- June 23, 2026
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Slasher horror · Reunion and old friendships · High-school identity
- Reading lane
- Slasher Horror