I Was a Teenage Slasher

The quote “I’m good with ether” recurs throughout the novel as an inside joke between Tolly and Amber. Though the phrase originated from Tolly’s father, how does its appropriation into a joke contribute to developing Tolly and Amber’s relationship?

What is the novel’s position on potential and working-class life?

Tolly distances himself from his body. How does the body relate to the theme of Fate Versus Free Will?

Tolly frames the narrative as a memoir of his slasher days. What does this suggest about memory?

One of the reasons that Tolly stays away from Amber is fear for her safety. Does his belief in the trope of the slasher sequel imply his continued belief in fate? Consider his motivations for writing his memoir, as well as his conclusions after Amber defeats him.

Amber is the only major Indigenous American character in the novel. How does her race play into her fulfillment of the final girl trope? Is Jones commenting on the absence of Indigenous people from the genre?

How does the novel differentiate between justice and revenge? Does consequence play a role in distinguishing the two concepts? How?

Tolly explains that he only lied about the welder in Chapter 6 because he wanted to depict how he felt instead of what actually transpired between them. How does this explanation serve as a commentary on the slasher genre as a whole? In what ways does the genre’s over-the-top violence represent feelings around teenage life?