The Lifeguard (novel)

==Publication==

==Publication==

''The Lifeguard'' is a standalone thriller novel. This being said, it was published under the imprint Point Horror in the late 1980s, making it #3 in the imprint's series. The original first Point Horror edition with its [[Seapunk|wavy aquatic]] title font is sought after by collectors, while subsequent editions have had a variety of more modern cover image designs. John Bilancini of ''80s Baby'' described the original first edition cover fondly, saying of it, "if you grew up in the 1980s with access to Scholastic Book Fairs, you know the cover: A stern looking teenage hunk in sunglasses, sitting on a lifeguard stand. Next to the picture is the caption, “Don’t call for help. He may kill you.”"{{cite web |last1=Bilancini |first1=John |title=The Lifeguard |url=https://eightiesbaby.net/2019/11/18/the-lifeguard/ |website=eightiesbaby.net |date=18 November 2019 |publisher=80s Baby |access-date=19 July 2022}} Alissa Burger of ''[[Tor.com|Tor]]'' called ''The Lifeguard'' one of the most iconic symbols of the 1980s teen horror paperback movement in western pop culture, saying, "the cover of Cusick’s ''The Lifeguard'' is one of the most iconic of the Point Horror novels, featuring a muscled, blonde, and unsmiling lifeguard sitting atop a lifeguard station, looking over the water and directly out toward the reader. This eponymous lifeguard is ominous and unfeeling, radiating a clear aura of danger. This unsettling image, coupled with the tagline “Don’t call for help. He may just kill you” underscores the reality that in these teen horror novels, it’s best to trust no one, whether in suburban babysitting or on an island vacation. That’s certainly the best strategy for staying alive."{{cite web |last1=Burger |first1=Alissa |title=The '90s Teen Horror Landscape: The Babysitter and The Lifeguard |url=https://www.tor.com/2021/09/22/the-90s-teen-horror-landscape-the-babysitter-and-the-lifeguard/ |website=www.tor.com |date=22 September 2021 |publisher=Tor |access-date=19 July 2022}} More modern variations of the book had silvery, iridescent imagery and more digitized minimalist styles in an attempt to market the book to a 2010s demographic.

''The Lifeguard'' is a standalone thriller novel. This being said, it was published under the imprint Point Horror in the late 1980s, making it #3 in the imprint's series. The original first Point Horror edition with its [[Seapunk|wavy aquatic]] title font is sought after by collectors, while subsequent editions have had a variety of more modern cover image designs. John Bilancini of ''80s Baby'' described the original first edition cover fondly, saying of it, "if you grew up in the 1980s with access to Scholastic Book Fairs, you know the cover: A stern looking teenage hunk in sunglasses, sitting on a lifeguard stand. Next to the picture is the caption, “Don’t call for help. He may kill you.”"{{cite web |last1=Bilancini |first1=John |title=The Lifeguard |url=https://eightiesbaby.net/2019/11/18/the-lifeguard/ |website=eightiesbaby.net |date=18 November 2019 |publisher=80s Baby |access-date=19 July 2022}} Alissa Burger of ''[[Tor.com|Tor]]'' called ''The Lifeguard'' one of the most iconic symbols of the 1980s teen horror [[paperback]] movement in western pop culture, saying, "the cover of Cusick’s ''The Lifeguard'' is one of the most iconic of the Point Horror novels, featuring a muscled, blonde, and unsmiling lifeguard sitting atop a lifeguard station, looking over the water and directly out toward the reader. This eponymous lifeguard is ominous and unfeeling, radiating a clear aura of danger. This unsettling image, coupled with the [[tagline]] “Don’t call for help. He may just kill you” underscores the reality that in these teen horror novels, it’s best to trust no one, whether in suburban babysitting or on an island vacation. That’s certainly the best strategy for staying alive."{{cite web |last1=Burger |first1=Alissa |title=The '90s Teen Horror Landscape: The Babysitter and The Lifeguard |url=https://www.tor.com/2021/09/22/the-90s-teen-horror-landscape-the-babysitter-and-the-lifeguard/ |website=www.tor.com |date=22 September 2021 |publisher=Tor |access-date=19 July 2022}} More modern variations of the book had silvery, iridescent imagery and more digitized minimalist styles in an attempt to market the book to a 2010s demographic.

In 2021, ''Book Riot'' listed ''The Lifeguard'' on its "Summertime Scares" reading list; the edition listed had a digitized, radically revamped cover with turquoise text and a shadow silhouette of a lifeguard on it. ''Book Riot'' praised the book as a good summer read, saying, "I mean, just look at that cover. That just screams scary beach read right there. It is also a Point Horror book, which was one of the go-tos for YA horror in the early ’90s. This one is about Kelsey, who gets invited to the famous Beverly Island for a fun-filled summer. Too bad for her that someone appears to have other plans for her... As I mentioned, this is a '90s horror, so expect a fair amount of cheese. Still, if you’re looking for an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours, this will do it."{{cite web |last1=Hinton |first1=P.N. |title=Summertime Scares: Horror Reads for Summer |url=https://bookriot.com/summer-horror-books/ |website=bookriot.com |date=22 July 2021 |publisher=Book Riot |access-date=19 July 2022}}

In 2021, ''Book Riot'' listed ''The Lifeguard'' on its "Summertime Scares" reading list; the edition listed had a digitized, radically revamped cover with turquoise text and a shadow silhouette of a lifeguard on it. ''Book Riot'' praised the book as a good summer read, saying, "I mean, just look at that cover. That just screams scary beach read right there. It is also a Point Horror book, which was one of the go-tos for YA horror in the early ’90s. This one is about Kelsey, who gets invited to the famous Beverly Island for a fun-filled summer. Too bad for her that someone appears to have other plans for her... As I mentioned, this is a '90s horror, so expect a fair amount of cheese. Still, if you’re looking for an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours, this will do it."{{cite web |last1=Hinton |first1=P.N. |title=Summertime Scares: Horror Reads for Summer |url=https://bookriot.com/summer-horror-books/ |website=bookriot.com |date=22 July 2021 |publisher=Book Riot |access-date=19 July 2022}}