What happens when a group of teens who run a fantasy horror experience find out the horror is real?

The “experience” takes place at an isolated location where a popular horror movie, “The Curse of Camp Mirror Lake,” was filmed.  Visitors come to this immersive environment expecting to be scared. They are invited to try and survive the night while being pursued by a deranged killer.

A group of teenagers are responsible for running the camp’s bloody special effects. The teens also play the role of attendees who get slaughtered. Charity is one of the teens and she is in charge. She plays the role of the “last girl” – the classic horror movie trope of being the only person to survive. Two nights before the season ends, some of her staff members go missing. Strange things start to happen, and Charity and her friends make some horrifying discoveries. Could the camp really be cursed? The adults who are supposed to help are useless. It soon becomes clear the teens will have to rely on everything they know about the camp, horror movies and their own survival skills to make it out alive.

The start of this novel leads you to believe you’ll be reading a series of horror tropes, but the story goes in a very different and terrifying direction. For example, Black people typically are the first to die in horror movies, but here, “last girl” Charity is Black. The teens represent a range of cultures and sexualities, which is another thing often missing from horror stories. This novel is as enjoyable as it is scary, thanks to some unexpected twists and a killer ending.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight comes out in June but you can pre-order it now!