By Hunter Shea

In the front matter of Slash, there is a small interview with author Hunter Shea, in which he says Slash is a return to 80s slasher films. While I didn’t feel that overwhelming vibe in the beginning of the book, the story certainly went that way in its second half. And for me, that’s where the problem lies; I am not a fan of slasher films. Of all the ones I’ve watched, only one or two have I genuinely enjoyed. So, why, you may ask, did I want to read this book so much going in? Well, maybe a month or so ago, I read my first Hunter Shea novel: Creature. That book had so much heart and emotional turmoil to it, that I felt a great connection to the characters and their situation (and not just because I share a dreaded disease with the main character of that story). With Slash, however, I couldn’t find that connection. While, yes, the beginning did make me feel like we would be going in a similar direction as Creature (in the sense of development and sympathy for the cast), Slash quickly lost my interest once the blood began to fly.

Now, I’ve already said I’m not a fan of the slasher genre. As such, I’m not going to go into detail about the things I didn’t like here; if it’s a common element of the genre, chances are I didn’t like it. That being said, I think Hunter Shea did a great job in writing a book with an 80s slasher feel. He sought to create his own Jason or Mike Myers, and I think he succeeded for the most part. The villain’s backstory is a little muddy, but interesting nevertheless. He is also a very capable enemy, and therefore exceptionally scary. A threat is only as good as their strength and resilience, of which this guy has plenty.

There are one or two cool death sequences – as well as several gruesome images described – so it’s safe to say Slash has an adequate amount of blood and gore. The characters are also mostly likeable – except for Sharon, who I hated throughout – and the setting feels like a classic. Again, this really just boils down to my preference in horror; I want suspense over blood and guts. Unlike Creature, I felt like this one lacked in suspense. It seemed like I knew what was going to happen, more or less, the entire ride. However, if you’re into this subgenre (and the films of Halloween and Friday the 13th), then Slash is definitely a story I’d recommend. I believe Shea accomplished what he sought out to do with this one, making Slash a success.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Slash-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-Hunter/dp/1787581780/

Review by Aiden Merchant
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I received a copy of this book from Flame Tree Press for review consideration.