“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.
How to Survive a Horror Sequel is a fast-paced horror comedy, perfect for fans of RL Stine’s Fear Street, Christopher Pike’s Midnight Club and Kat Ellis’ Harrow Lake. ”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of How to Survive a Horror Sequel by Scarlett Dunmore. How to Survive a Horror Sequel was published by Little Tiger Books on Thursday 4th September 2025 and is available in paperback and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of How to Survive a Horror Sequel but that has in no way influenced my review.

Last year, I had the pleasure of reading Scarlett Dunmore’s YA debut, How to Survive a Horror Movie. Due to one thing or another (IYKYK), I didn’t get to share my thoughts until fairly recently. Suffice to say, I loved the book and was eagerly anticipating the follow-up. That follow-up, How to Survive a Horror Sequel (brilliant title!), was published earlier this month. I jumped at the chance to read it and be reunited with Dunmore’s plucky, courageous final girl, Charley, once again. Things took a bit of a strange turn for Charley in the first book. Surely lightning doesn’t strike twice, does it…?

Horror movie fan Charley is still reeling from the events of last year and her short stint at posh boarding school, Harrogate. She and her mum have packed what they can into the car and hit the road, leaving Harrogate and its horrors for dust. Charley wants to keep moving for as long as possible, so that her tormentor from last year won’t be able to find them. Her mum has other ideas though. She’s looking for somewhere they can set down roots and start rebuilding their lives. On their way through Glendale, a small Scottish town fondly known by locals as The Devil’s Punchbowl, in the middle of a howling storm, their car breaks down. The local garage is unable to source the parts they need, so the local Mayor offers them somewhere to stay for the night. One night, of course, leads to many more. Charley’s anxiety about staying put for too long escalates. And there’s something about a group of kids at her new school that doesn’t quite sit right. When strange things start happening, when local residents start disappearing, and with Hallowe’en around the corner, Charley can’t help but feel history is repeating itself. All she needs now is for the Harrogate Killer to make an appearance…

First things first, if you’re planning on reading book one, How to Survive a Horror Movie (known from here on in as HTSAHM), then please read that first. There are some hefty spoilers for the first book in this sequel, including ‘who’, ‘what’ and ‘why’, so please read the two books in order. Secondly, I have seen many, many reviews where the name of the killer in the first book is revealed. If you don’t want to know who the killer is (and seriously, why would you?), then please avoid all review sites 😂. You’re safe here, though. I won’t tell a soul!

How to Survive a Horror Sequel is a wonderfully fun, laugh-out-loud homage to horror movies, in general, but to horror movie ‘sequels’ specifically. Dunmore knew exactly what she was doing with this book, and she has done it extremely well. Charley is a lead character you can’t help but like. Just your everyday, ordinary horror movie geek who happened to end up in her own personal horror movie. Living by the lessons she’s learnt via the movies she loves so much. They did her well in the first book, but can those lessons keep her alive in the second? As the blurb says, ‘Can you be a final girl and survive your own horror movie – twice?’. I think if anyone can, Charley probably can. But you’ll have to read the book for yourself and see…

I love how Charley’s character has developed over the books. If you have read HTSAHM then that special skill Charley has in book one is still very much present in the sequel. With a little help from the local spirits, Charley’s suspicions of strange goings-on are eventually confirmed. All is definitely not right in the town of Glendale. But what exactly is Charley up against this time? With two great new friends, determined to help our final girl through, I thought the sequel was just as good as its predecessor. And we all know sequels tend to have an awful lot to live up to!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. How to Survive a Horror Sequel is a wild YA horror ride with twists and turns, a charming lead character and a plot to really get your teeth into. With a number of grisly deaths along the way, alongside some true laugh-out-loud moments, this follow-up is a must-read for teenage horror fans (slightly older teenagers, I would say). I loved the characters, even the ones you’re not supposed to like. The Scottish setting is beautifully drawn. The isolation and the seclusion of Glendale, aka The Devil’s Punchbowl, spilling from the page like a creeping, eerie fog (you know the type!). The small town feel, the odd local inhabitants and the feeling that, despite their car not working, perhaps Charley and Mum should do WHATEVER THEY CAN TO LEAVE. Leave now and never, EVER return! All in all, I loved being reunited with Charley. She’s a worthy final girl in my eyes. Great characters (old and new), a highly intriguing plot, a perfectly penned setting and a gloriously cinematic ending. There’s a well-written sense of impending doom throughout, which really grabbed my attention and had me rapt, hanging on every word. Marvellous stuff, and I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for us next. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of How to Survive a Horror Sequel. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

How to Survive a Horror Sequel by Scarlett Dunmore was published in the UK by Little Tiger Books on 4th September 2025 and is available in paperback and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Scarlett 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.

How to Survive a Horror Movie, the first in a new comedy-horror YA series, is published by Little Tiger on 5th September and will be followed by a sequel in 2025.