About the Book:

Can you be a final girl and survive your own horror movie – twice?

Almost a year after the horrors of Harrogate, Charley is slowly regaining some semblance of a normal life in a small village called Briar’s Hill, AKA ‘The Devil’s Punchbowl’. Then she befriends the local misfits and learns of her new home’s ties to witchcraft – and realises that Briar’s Hill has more secrets than she bargained for.

However, the town’s troubled past might just be the key to Charley understanding her ability to speak to the dead, especially with Halloween approaching. But when the Harrogate Killer makes a shocking return, blood is spilled and an entirely new terror is unleashed.

Before Charley can flee town, the dead are talking and if she doesn’t start listening, they’ll find ways to make her. Charley’s horror knowledge will be put to the test once more, and if she and the Harrogate Killer don’t figure out how to work together, they’ll be trapped in Briar’s Hill forever. Or worse – buried in it.

Find this book on Goodreads. Find on Bookshop.org UK (affiliate link.)

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About the Author:

Scarlett Dunmore studied English and Creative Writing, eventually finding a love for YA literature. When she’s not writing, she can often be found watching scary films or exploring abandoned abbeys, old cemeteries and ruined castles in Scotland for inspiration.

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Interview:

Horror has a steady popularity, unlike some genres that have a more cyclic popularity (i.e. dystopias). What do you think gives it such a constant appeal?

For me, horror is alluring; it has intrigue, suspense. There’s a thrill of not knowing what comes next and who is responsible. I’m sure there are a lot of psychology studies behind it, but I think we enjoy consuming horror experiences through books and films because it makes us feel something. It’s like entering an Escape Room, or eating hot sauce or riding on rollercoasters – why do we do this to ourselves??

This series riffs on horror tropes. Having written one book before this – HOW TO SURVIVE A HORROR MOVIE – did you find you’d already used a trope and had to look for another? Are there any you wanted to use in this book but didn’t fit into the tale?

There were a lot of tropes in the first book I intentionally repurposed for the sequel but that’s how sequels work usually. It’s a tried and tested method – new cast, new scares, but same formula. There were a few tropes I didn’t use that I decided to save for the third book in the series though, but I can’t share too much…

What is your favourite horror trope and which movie do you think handles it best?

I love a good jump scare and ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ does it perfectly. That and ‘The Conjuring’. 

Horror villains are often a personification of the main character’s fears and flaws. What do you feel Olive is a personification of?

Being alone; being without purpose and without a community. Also, I think Olive personifies regret and what happens to you when you can’t move on from the past, especially one that is repeatedly haunting you.  

Why are horror villains such a powerful tool for exploring our own demons – and making them feel more defeatable?

I think to fear a horror villain, we need to better understand what drives them, what are their motivations, what lengths will they go to enact revenge? Knowing these facts not only helps the Final Girl defeat them in the end, but reveals a part of the Final Girl herself. Think about Sidney Prescott, and what connected her to the killer in the first Scream movie. Both of those characters were riddled with sadness, confusion, rage. Sometimes the villain is a reflection of the hero, a darker reflection perhaps, but a reflection nonetheless. Also, consider the plot twist at the end of The Haunting of Hill House – that’s a perfect example of reflection. 

Horror sequels have to introduce many new characters in order to “replenish” the cast, thanks to the previous book’s death count. Were there any challenges associated with introducing a largely all-new crew? Which new character are you most excited for readers to meet?

Yes, it’s challenging to balance a larger and newer cast with the aim of keeping a narrative tone intimate and restrictive. Too large a cast impacts on suspense and atmosphere, and readers may get lost with who’s who; too small a cast doesn’t give a writer a lot of options for planting false clues and red herrings. For HOW TO SURVIVE A HORROR SEQUEL, I loved all of my new characters but Asher was my favourite. I had Eddie from Stranger Things in my head the entire time! 

Do you think you’d survive a horror sequel?

I’d like to think so because I’m so clued up on the rules for survival, especially after writing these books, but hopefully I’ll never be tested!!

Please can you recommend a UKYA book you think readers will love?

I really enjoyed Amy McCaw’s MINA AND THE UNDEAD* for the setting and the nod to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  

*affiliate link

Thank you, Scarlett!