Review Detail

THE WHITE GUY DIES FIRST is a horror anthology aimed at Young Adult readers. 13 terrifying stories fill this book, each written by and starring people of color. At times some of the stories can get a bit gory, but I feel as though the overall tone and content is appropriate for teenagers, especially older teenagers.

What I Loved:
The atmospheres in these stories were thrilling. Several of them sucked me in and had me on edge. Many of these authors did not fail with writing content that made the book feel like a horror movie. Their choices of words and settings worked to their benefit to create truly horrifying spectacles.

Each story had a different tone and the authors did an excellent job at making each of their stories unique. Sometimes anthologies can blend together and you forget some of the stories, but the authors in this book managed to make their stories stand out from the crowd.

The stories cover a wide range of horror subgenres and it’s interesting to see how they develop. The authors have their own takes on horror and their stories play around with the themes and subgenres.

Favorite Story:
THE PROTÉGÉ by Lamar Giles

What Left Me Wanting More:
I found that not all of the stories enthralled me to the same extent. It’s hard to find an anthology where they do. Some of the plots fell a bit flat or the horror just didn’t feel quite right. However, this is definitely a personal thing. One of my least favorite stories may be someone’s favorite.

Final Verdict:
THE WHITE GUY DIES FIRST is a horrifyingly good anthology from BIPOC authors that feature some of the many subgenres of horror. From slashers to the occult. Killer clowns to body horror to possession. There is a wide variety of stories to delight a horror reader. Even non-horror readers, like me, may find some stories that capture their interest. At times the content can be gory and truly scary, so I recommend caution, but the content still manages to stay in a Young Adult range.

A truly terrifying array of horror stories, THE WHITE GUY DIES FIRST isn’t afraid to tackle some of the issues people of color face in the world…and how some of them might handle the situation.