How to Survive a Slasher

Gr 9 Up–Satterfield, OH, is infamous for the gruesome Wolf Man murders, first at a local camp and later within the town itself. Embracing its dark history, Satterfield has rebranded itself as Slasherville, hosting festivals for true crime enthusiasts. While the town thrives on notoriety, CJ Smith and her family feel differently. Years ago, CJ’s father, who escaped the first Wolf Man in his youth, died heroically protecting CJ and her brother from the second Wolf Man. In the aftermath, the Smiths have spent years running survival drills, living by their mother’s rule—don’t be a hero; stay alive. One day, CJ receives an unexpected package, an unpublished manuscript from the anonymous horror author Moon Satterfield. The book eerily predicts the rise of a third Wolf Man and a new wave of murders. Now CJ faces an impossible choice; honor her family’s motto and keep her head down or defy her instincts to stop the killer before more innocent lives are lost. Winans masterfully blends small-town horror with chilling suspense. Satterfield’s macabre history feels disturbingly real, thanks to the author’s attention to detail and true crime research. Fans of slasher horror will appreciate the novel’s nods to genre tropes, while its deeper exploration of gender identity, through the genderfluid and queer-identifying protagonist CJ, adds a thoughtful and refreshing layer to the story. The book contains strong language.