Get the Chills With BookTok's Slasher Summer

"Slasher summer" has been all over social media, and we are all here for it. The trend focuses on the aesthetic surrounding classic slasher movies that take inspiration from classic horror films of the 1970s and '80s, such as "Sleepaway Camp" (1983) and "Friday the 13th" (1980). The trend revolves around outfits similar to how camp counselors in the 80s dressed, spending time outdoors and watching all of your favorite throwback horror movies. Why wait until October to maximize your spooky vintage vibes when you can get all of the thrills and chills from taking part in slasher summer?

This coming-of-age novel takes place in Niagara Falls in the 1980s and follows the story of Jack Baker, a 12-year-old boy living with his uncle, Calvin, a collector of occult artifacts and lover of conspiracy theories. When Jack befriends a pair of siblings in town, they form the Saturday Night Ghost Club, inspired by the strange objects Calvin collects. But as the summer goes on, what begins as a seemingly light-hearted project may ultimately uncover more than any of its members had imagined.

At Pritchett High, everyone wants an invite to the Senior Scavenge, an event where eight girls break into the Poison Apple Carnival after hours for a scavenger hunt, then gather at sunrise for a celebration in honor of their upcoming senior year. Minutes after the girls sneak into the carnival, a madman in a rubber mask begins slashing his way through the group, and senior, Violet Warren, quickly realizes his motives are personal. As her friends begin to be slaughtered in bizarre ways, Violet is left to fight to survive and figure out who the madman in rubber is.

If you love horror comedy, look no further than Grady Hendrix. The novel takes place in the 80s and follows Abby and Gretchen, best friends since the fifth grade. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act... differently. After strange coincidences and mysterious illnesses, Abby realizes there is only one explanation: Gretchen is possessed and she is the only one who can save her best friend's life. 

Set in Upstate NY, 1982, the Sun Down Motel hosts a wide variety of mysterious travelers. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn't right at the Sun Down and she's determined to uncover what the motel is hiding.

Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams: playing the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film. But when staff members begin disappearing and one turns up dead, suddenly Charity's role feels a lot more real. As she tries to survive the night and find out who is murdering her friends, she discovers that Camp Mirror Lake has secrets and a past of its own.

Are you a fan of the film "I Know What You Did Last Summer"? Did you know that the cult classic horror movie was originally based on a novel? Lois Duncan was a prolific thriller writer, with titles including "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Summer of Fear." This novel follows Rachel, a young girl whose cousin, Julia, is recently orphaned and comes to stay with Rachel's family. While Rachel is excited to get to know her cousin, suddenly things are not as they first seemed, as Julia seeps into every aspect of her life and everyone else appears enchanted by her. But what does Julia really want?

Jade Daniels is an angry outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. Her escape? Horror movies. The gorier, the better. But when blood begins to spill in her sleepy town, she pulls the readers into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold. Jones has described his novel as an "homage to horror and revenge and triumph," a sentiment that is clear from the first page. 

Love the 1960 classic film "Psycho"? Read the book that started it all. It was a dark, stormy night when Mary Crane glimpsed the unlit neon sign announcing the vacancy at the Bates motel. Desperate for a hot shower and a warm bed, Crane checks in, and Norman Bates, the manager, seemed nice... if a little odd.