Day’s YA: THE WHITE GUY DIES FIRST

THE WHITE GUY DIES FIRST: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power by Terry J. Benton-Walker
9781250861269
7/16/2024
Tor Teen
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

This is a horror anthology like no other. The monsters are scarier, the twists are more shocking, and the stories are written by fan-favorite authors of the horror genre and beyond. But, while terrifying, you should feel safe reading this collection . . . because this time, the white guy dies first.

Here’s a sampling of the frightening tales in this anthology:

“All Eyes On Me” by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: The first story is set at a circus in “Middle of Nowhere, 1987” and features a clown who is not quite as innocent as she comes across.

“The Golden Dragon” by Kendare Blake is about a Korean-American girl who is trying to fit in with her white peers, but after they are particularly cruel to her, a local ghost gets revenge.

“Best Served Cold” by H. E. Edgmon: This one gave me serious goosebumps. This story is about an Indigenous teen in Michigan who gets kidnapped by someone with an insatiable hunger. 

“Docile Girls” by Chloe Gong is a fresh take on the classic high school slasher story, about a group of teens trapped in their school gym and being taken down one by one.

“Everything’s Coming Up Roses” by Tiffany D. Jackson: Written as a series of diary entries, this one chronicles the twisted thoughts of a teenage girl who is hiding a dark secret in her garden.

“Heaven” by Adiba Jaigirdar is a dystopian horror story about a girl who lives in a community of the last humans left who do everything they can to survive the “sunken,” the zombie-like creatures who roam the waters. Except everything she’s been told is a lie. 

Each focusing on a different subgenre and trope of the horror genre, this anthology has a little something for everyone. From creepy, to gory, to just plain unsettling, and everything in between, the tales collected here are guaranteed to make your spine tingle and your stomach turn.

“A delightfully creepy collection of 13 short stories that explores the human elements of ghouls, phantoms, vengeful spirits, and sadistic demons . . . A memorable offering of imaginative frights that’s not for the faint of heart or those with weak stomachs.”

• —Kirkus Reviews

Happy reading!
<3 Emily