Synopsis
Eden Hills, Minnesota is famous for two things: its lucrative, ‘80s-inspired fashion mall, and a missing-persons epidemic that has plagued the town’s youth and confounded officials for years. High school junior, Penny, has grown skeptical of the town’s official stance on the disappearances, but has so far kept that to herself. See, she just started her first-ever job at one of the mall’s trendiest stores and doesn’t want to sound like a conspiracy nut to her cool friends and the popular guy who might just help her get over the girl who broke her heart. But when a late-night party in the mall turns deadly, Penny won’t have the luxury of playing it cool. A killer is on the loose, and the dark history of Eden Hills is about to be revealed.
From Angela Sylvaine, author of Frost Bite and The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls, comes the killer re-release of her very first novella, now with added chapters and scenes. This one is certain to please slasher fans young and old. Cover art by Dan Fris.
Review
A huge thank you to Angela for sending an eARC my way!
Complete with killer (pun intended, I do not apologize) 80s vibes and tons of slasher-y fun, Angela Sylvaine’s Chopping Spree is a romping good time featuring much more horror than meets the eye. Set in the present day, Penny works at a popular fashion store in the mall her dad manages with some of the coolest kids in school. This is a mall that can’t seem to let go of the past for more reasons than one from music choices to the overall vibes. However, it is THE place to work, but not all is swell in the land of neon lights and Duran Duran. Kids are going missing, and the truth of their disappearance arrives at Penny’s feet during a late night shift, covered in blood and strikingly sharp.
The levels of fun that Angela Sylvaine implements in this novella are markedly impressive given the sinister nature of the plot that unfolds. The story opens with a ruthless kill as any good slasher does, but we immediately feel connected to Penny for her first job and the crush she may or may not have on her coworker on the heels of a breakup. It’s lighter fare that grounds the story and has us invested from the start. Additionally, we learn she is a bright character, someone who questions the explanations she’s been given regarding her peers’ disappearances despite everyone else’s lack of questioning. This set-up works wonders for creating suspense, placing us in Penny’s shoes and wondering what everyone knows that she doesn’t.
Chopping Spree presents itself as a straightforward slasher, but rest assured, there are plenty of twists and turns that add to the fast-paced killing spree that ensues. While we think we know the formula for a story such as this, Sylvaine is quick to remind us that anything is possible in the world of horror fiction. And that’s what makes this so fun. It’s a pleasant surprise to be taken on a ride, especially with horror given how often some tropes and ideas are used. While Chopping Spree hits the expected notes of a slasher, there’s so much more to enjoy in the unexpected twist delivered amidst banger 80s needle-drops. In fact, it’s my sincere plea that everyone takes notes from Angela and includes a playlist at the back of their books.
Easily read in one enthralling sitting, this slashed-up, certified banger of a novella should be on your radar heading into spooky season. There are twists, there are turns, and there’s Oingo Boingo. What more could you want? On a serious note, this is a fantastic story that delivers equally on entertainment and horror with a penchant for the unexpected. It undoubtedly succeeds on entertainment value alone, but the use of this mall stuck in the past to demonstrate the state of capitalism and the “way things have always been” mentality is stunning. Angela Sylvaine is quickly becoming one of my favorite voices in horror fiction for her versatility and creativity as an author as evidenced by her collection The Dead Spot and, now, Chopping Spree. Let’s go to the mall, yeah?
Chopping Spree by Angela Sylvaine releases on September 24th from Dark Matter INK. To preorder directly from their site, use this link: https://darkmattermagazine.shop/products/chopping-spree
Leave a Reply