Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning
Willow’s worst nightmare was being cancelled. But the woods of Camp Castaway might destroy more than her reputation.
After sitcom star Willow tweeted herself into infamy and had to be dragged blind-drunk out of a swimming pool, her agent shipped her off to the woodsy and wonderfully anonymous confines of Camp Castaway. Tucked away in the trees of upstate New York, Castaway is a summer camp for adults in desperate need of leaving behind their mistakes, their social media accounts, their lives. No real names, no phones…no way to call for help.Willow is relieved to find that her fellow campers seem okay. To her shock, her own favorite actress is here, sitting by the campfire and roasting a s’more. And did that jaded writer, Dani, just wink at her? But the peaceful vibe is shattered when a terrifying woman pops shrieking from the wardrobe in Willow’s room. Soon after, one of the campers vanishes. Is Willow about to get cancelled all over again, this time for good?Soon, terror grips the group, campers begin to lose their heads—literally!—and Willow and her new friends are on the run. As paranoia grows and disturbing past deeds come to light, this escape from their shallow lifestyles might just lead to a set of shallow graves.
Review:
I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I LOVE a summer camp slasher, and as soon as I saw the cover for this one, I knew I had to read it. Despite a few lingering questions regarding the “why/how” behind the killer’s motives, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
The story follows “Willow” (her camp name), a disgraced sitcom star who checks herself into Camp Castaway to escape the fallout of a scandalous tweet. At one time, she was one of the most popular actors working today thanks to her Netflix series, but a tweet that was taken out of context led to her being quickly canceled. The promise of being able to disconnect from electronics for a couple of weeks sounded very appealing to Willow, but what she expected to be a relaxing retreat in the woods turns into a nightmare when campers start disappearing, and heads literally begin to roll. As Willow and her new friends try to unravel the mystery of what is happening at the camp, they uncover a disturbing secret behind the camp’s history that could cost them their lives if they don’t get out soon.
Winning’s writing style is fast-paced and suspenseful, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from the very first chapter. The camp setting, a wellness retreat for adults, is a refreshing twist in the summer camp slasher genre. The camp is supposed to be one of healing, but the history around the camp is anything but, and the campers find that out in a brutal fashion.
As the campers struggle to survive and uncover the truth behind the terror at Camp Castaway, Winning skillfully weaves together themes of fame, social media, and cancel culture. He explores the dark side of celebrity culture, the lengths people will go to to escape their past mistakes, and those who seem all too happy to destroy them, regardless of the severity of said mistake. This makes the novel not just a thrilling read, but also a thought-provoking commentary on our society.
A crew of unforgettable characters helps move the story along. From the jaded writer Dani, who Willow finds herself crushing on, to Willow’s favorite actress, Juniper, the shy and panic-stricken Kurt, and the mysterious owner of the camp, Bebe (and several others), the story is full of victims and suspects galore.
And, of course, there’s a local legend around the camp, and this time around, it’s a woman known as “Knock-Knock Nancy.” Legend has it that Nancy was an alleged witch in the 1800s and was decapitated by a crazy priest when she refused to accept she was evil. Legend has it that if you hear three knocks on your door, you shouldn’t answer because it’s Nancy, and she’ll take off your head. Learning more about the legend and how it tied into the demise of the campers was a lot of fun. I think my only complaint with this one was that I was confused by the final reveal of who the killer was. I understood the motive, but the “how” wasn’t clear. (I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to spoil anything.) That said, despite the lingering questions, it wasn’t enough to ruin my overall enjoyment of the book. It was still a lot of fun!
Despite a few lingering questions, this was everything I could have asked for in a fun slasher. With its unforgettable characters and suspenseful plot, this is the perfect summer read for slasher fans. So grab your flashlight, gather around the campfire, and prepare for a rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, and chilling surprises. You can thank me later.
