Final Girls: A Novel

Final Girls was a good page turning thriller that had me questioning all of the characters, including our heroine, Quincy. However, I went into this book with really high expectations, having been praised by Stephen King as "the first great thriller of 2017", and was a little disappointed in the end.

Things I loved: The plot. I loved that Quincy couldn't remember what happened to her the night her friends were all slaughtered. I loved the very idea of The Final Girls. I loved the depth of Quincy's character, how she coped with the aftermath of the massacre. I really enjoyed getting to see the full story of what happened to Quincy and her friends at the cabin in pieces scattered throughout the story. It was all very solid.

Things I didn't care for: The ending. I mean, the ending itself was pretty awesome. But I expected a bigger twist. I had a theory that would have been epic, but it didn't happen that way. The ending is good, I see how it all tied up in the end, but I recently read Gone Girl and was expecting my mind to be blown. Unfortunately, it was not.

So, do I recommend this one? Yes, because it was an enjoyable ride, even if the ending was a little more predictable than I would have preferred.

An excellent thriller that I could barely put down. Once the story gets going , it never stops until the final pages. The concept of a Final Girl, a lone survivor of a massacre,is in itself an intriguing one, and this book boasts three of them. The focus is Quincy, a woman struggling to put the past behind her, particularly the terrible night when an escaped psychiatric patient killed a group of her friends, and its working, maybe a little too well, since she has no memories of the night in question left. When one of her fellow Final Girls dies, and another turns up on her doorstep, she begins to question herself and her memories, and things take a turn for the dark when she becomes involved in an illegal act.
Saying any more would only spoil what is an incredible story, full of twists and turns ,one that leaves the reader unsure who to trust, at even at times wondering what is going on. The book starts slowly but the tension gradually increases to an almost unbearable level as events unfold, both in the present and in the occasional chapters that gradually reveal what happened to Quincy that night. It's a smart book, and one that held my attention and had me gasping with surprise more than once. I highly recommend it.

I've seen mixed reviews about this book, but I really loved it. I liked that the timeline alternated between current events and then the moments leading up to Quincy's attack at Pine Cottage. When I saw that this was a "horror" book I did expect it to be a little bit more gory, but I felt like this fell more into the suspense or thriller genre. I guess when I think of horror, I think of the Saw movies and while there are some descriptive scenes of the attacks that made me cringe, it wasn't cover my eyes gore like the Saw movies (thank god!)

The author did a fantastic job of keeping me on the edge of my seat and I kept see-sawing between what I thought was going to happen and which characters I was supposed to dislike and love.

I really enjoyed Quincy, she's not your typical book "heroine" that's perfect all the time. She has her broken edges and is trying her best to hold everything together which makes her so much more relatable, until the author throws you through the spin cycle again and then you're like "Oh God, is Sam the heroine? I don't even really like her, do I? Maybe I do... WTF is going on!"

If you're a fan of WTF plots like Gone Girl, then you will enjoy this book. With all the different timelines going on and the multiple mysteries you are trying to solve, I guarantee you will be up all hours trying to finish this one!

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed Final Girls by Riley Sager. I saw the book posted on NetGalley but I wasn’t chosen to review it before it was available at my local library. I checked it out and went home ready to read.

Final Girls is about Quincy Carpenter, one of three women known as Final Girls…those who are the sole surviors of a massacre situation. She is a fairly successful baking blogger and living in New York with her boyfriend who is a public defender. She feels like she’s moved past all of the “final girl” nonsense and is just living her life. This all changes when the first “final girl,” Lisa is found dead in her bathtub from an apparent suicide.

Out of hiding comes the second “final girl,” Sam. Sam went off the grid not too long after her ordeal and no one has seen or heard from her since. She says she’s here to help Quincy face the past and really move on…but is she telling the truth??

I felt like the characters were well thought out. The story grabbed my interest and kept it throughout. The pace was good and I didn’t ever feel like things were dragging along. Overall, I really enjoyed the book.

Two stars, and I'm being generous. After reading other reviews it appears this book was attractive to the same people who watch slasher flicks. I don't, but I do enjoy well written thrillers with believable characters, of which this book is lacking. The old "memory loss" factor is such an easy conceit. An author can do & justify about anything when someone doesn't remember what happened. The reader is left with the thought that "anyone" could have done the deed, which is a cheap & easy trick. And can we PLEASE STOP the "Gone Girl" references fro every friction' book that comes out with a female in danger?!?!?

Final Girls will have you gripped from the start, it's a well paced dark thriller, and great debut from Riley Sager.Three survivors from 3 separate masacre's, all trying to get on with their lives, putting the horrors of the past behind them, with the media relentless in their continuous hounding of the girls, even naming them the Final Girls Club, their lives are one long silent scream, what secrets lie behind those screams, hidden in the darkness of the past?....now rearing up it's ugly head and bringing new dangers to threaten their lives. The character's are well written, you may not like them all, or their behaviour, but this just makes the plot all the more believeable. This book was really hard to put down, it's one of those rollercoaster journeys, fast, slightly eases up to take in the view, up, down, a few quick fast turns , building up the suspence, holding your breath as the tension rises, before you zoom down into the final straight ,heading for an ending you really never saw coming, but leaves you totally exillerated, and at the same time shocked!!...it is the whole package, unwrap it, you won't be disappointed.

FINAL GIRLS is a completely unique, dazzling, white-knuckle ride of a thriller which also shows great depth of understanding about trauma survivors. A "final girl" is a horror movie trope whereby there is a lone survivor of a serial killer's massacre, like Sally Hardisty in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Laurie Strode in Halloween, and Sidney Prescott in Scream. Here Riley Sager turns the device on its head by creating a story about actual "final girls," three women who outlived other victims of three different serial killers. Quincy Carpenter (29), the protagonist, is the youngest. Ten years ago she and her closest college friends went to spend an autumn weekend at Pine Cottage, her best friend Janelle's family cabin in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. A man, to whom Quincy will only refer to as "Him," killed everyone with a knife -- except for Quincy (who was critically wounded). She was rescued by a local cop named Franklin "Coop" Cooper, who shot "Him" dead. Quincy has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and can only remember the beginning of the massacre to when Coop rescued her.

Everything between those two points remains a blank in my memory. An hour, more or less, entirely wiped clean. "Dissociative amnesia" is the official diagnosis. More commonly known as repressed memory syndrome. Basically what I witnessed was too horrific for my fragile mind to hold on to. So I mentally cut it out. A self-performed lobotomy.

Quincy now leads a very ordered, though somewhat solitary life. Her live-in boyfriend Jeff, an attorney with the city's Public Defender's Office, is very loving and supportive. Quincy has a baking blog, a Xanax prescription, and a two-bedroom apartment in on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (bought with money from lawsuit settlements). Because of the heartache of losing her friends, she doesn't allow herself to get close to anyone. She still remains in touch with Coop, her self-appointed guardian. Coop makes the three-hour drive in to see Quincy because he has some news. He tells Quincy that Lisa Milner, the eldest of the "final girls," has killed herself.

Quincy is stunned. Lisa (42) had been in touch with Quincy over the years to offer support. Lisa survived a massacre at her sorority house in Muncie, Indiana, and went on to become a child psychiatrist. Only Lisa, Quincy and Samantha "Sam" Boyd (36), who survived a massacre at the Tampa motel where she worked as a maid, know what it feels like to be the only person to endure and outlive their assailants. Samantha went off the grid years ago, so Quincy feels truly alone...until Sam shows up at Quincy's door. These two "final girls" form an alliance which may help--or destroy--Quincy.

Riley Sager has written a mesmerizing thriller, and Quincy Carpenter is an unreliable narrator with great complexity. Her trauma has caused her to lose trust in herself. She has survivor's guilt, she has amnesia, and, being lonely and over-medicated, she is easily psychologically manipulated. She spends a lot of effort trying to appear "fine," when she most definitely is not. Quincy, however, is not someone to be underestimated.

The narrative is told in two ways. Present-day Quincy is written in the first-person. Scenes from Pine Cottage are in the third-person, which helps maintain the mystery of what really happened ten years ago.

The character development and the plot development are subtle yet strong. Nothing is revealed before the author wants it to be, and there are delicious twists and shocks. Sager's pacing is flawless, speeding up during action scenes, and sensitive when dealing with exposition and Quincy's internal monologue.

The author clearly knows film history and, with a deft touch, pays homage to classic films like Gaslight, Diabolique, Rosemary's Baby, and Single White Female. FINAL GIRLS is a true original, and will be the psychological thriller everyone will be dying to read this summer.

Thank you to the author and the publisher, Dutton, who allowed me to read this novel through NetGalley. Publication Date: July 11, 2017 Length: 352 pages

Quincy Carpenter is one of the final girls, a designation that lives in her deepest nightmares. As the sole survivor of a brutal attack, Quincy joined the ranks with two other young women who suffered the same fate. Years later, Quincy has mostly gotten her life into a semblance of order, but a tragedy threatens to put her back into the dark days. When one of the other final girls is found, dead of an apparent suicide, will Quincy have the strength to soldier on?

Final Girls took a turn early on that changed my opinion of the book from a great one to good. Quincy's response to the pressure from Samantha seemed really out of character. Yes, she did display some risky behavior beforehand, but it just did not seem all that realistic that she would allow someone to ramp up her behavior in that manner. There was one surprise at the end that I did not see coming, but the plot was mostly transparent. Final Girls was a good, quick read and one that I would recommend to those who like suspense thrillers.

Riley Sager just jumped to the top of my must-read authors!!! When Final Girls came out last year, I read an excerpt and thought it sounded like a cheesy horror movie so I never read it. This year I read The Last Time I Lied by this author and really liked it, so back I went to give Final Girls another shot. GREATNESS! I don't know how to describe it other than a cheesy horror movie with an actual plot, good characterization, better acting and a great mystery. I really liked Quincy and Sam. Are they likeable? Not really. But they are well fleshed out and you understand why. I did get an inkling of where this might be heading and was partially right at the end, but there was so much more that I never saw coming! Don't want to ruin anything, so......JUST READ IT!!!

If you watch or read horror or thrillers, the Final Girl is a favorite trope. This is the beautiful girl who, through a combination of luck and cunning (and with a lot of blood and screaming), survives our killer.

Of course, as we know, it’s never the Final Girl’s last scream. There’s always a part 2 (or 3 or 4 or 44 3D).

Quincy is a Final Girl. She survived the murders at Pine Cottage and now lives a pretty normal existence. Until her past comes back…with a vengeance.

Final Girls is a popcorn read. Pure adrenaline, shady characters who you just can’t trust, and the suspicion that even our Final Girl isn’t exactly who she seems. The suspense here is spot on – both the psychological suspense and some full on hell-bent-for-leather slice and dice slasher pic fun. The author teases us with flashbacks of the past until we finally discover what really happened that bloody night…and why Quincy may need breath enough for one last scream.

This is pure popcorn fun!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

It could have worked well. The last few chapters of FINAL GIRLS are a surprise. It’s structure, divulging the past little by little while characters in the present deal with the aftermath, each in her own way, has worked well in other novels.

So why doesn’t FINAL GIRLS deserve a high rating?

The first third of this novel is nothing but an introduction, first to Quincy’s hellish past, her run through the woods into the arms of a policeman, then to her seemingly normal present. It drags.

Then Tina/Sam enters the picture. Tina/Sam comes across as a suspicious person. Now FINAL GIRLS doesn’t drag as much. But Tina/Sam and Quincy do so much, while Jeff, Quincy’s live-in boyfriend, sleeps through it all. It is so unlikely.

The story progresses. Quincy learns more and more about Tina/Sam and the other final girls. It gets good. But the end is too neat and leaves me unhappy with its improbability.

I won FINAL GIRLS from bookclubcookbook.com.

What a fun and fast paced novel this one is! It’s an incredibly readable thriller with a great plot as well as great characters. Such a great addition to the thriller genre! Lots of twists and turns in this one. The premise is really interesting as it centers around the ‘final girls’ who each survived different nightmare events. As their stories all intertwine, you learn more about what they experienced and how they are actually coping in life after the events that in so many ways have defined them. The only reason it’s not a 5 star is that I figured out the twist fairly early in the book so the ending wasn’t quite as climactic as it would have been if I had not. But, I still enjoyed the ride … it’s a really strong thriller and an intense novel that is very well written. The novel had the feel of a horror movie in many ways and I think that aspect made the reading experience all the more enjoyable. I definitely recommend this one for fans of the thriller genre. It’s a really strong read that I think thriller fans will enjoy!

Great psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time I was reading! Final Girls is a fast-paced thriller that is full of suspense and intrigue.

The story involves three different women who just happen to have one thing in common. Each one of them was the only survivor of a murder spree. Although the events happened years apart, the press linked the three forever by nicknaming them the “final girls.”

Several years after the last murder spree, something happens that brings two of the women together. Their relationship is rocky from the start, but what eventually happens between them is absolutely shocking.

As I read, I had a multitude of questions and as they were answered in the story, I was not disappointed. Riley Sager offered several twists and surprises that I would never have guessed, with the ending being the most shocking of all.

Many thanks to Penguin’s First to Read program for the advance read copy in exchange for an honest review.

Four out of Five Stars
Thriller for fans of slasher films; girls-in-peril genre.

Since I’m not of fan of slasher films, I completely missed the significance of Riley Sager’s book title, The Final Girls. Aficionados of horror films know that the “final girl” is the one woman who manages to survive a bloody rampage by a serial killer.

While the novel is more of a thriller than a horror story, it still has its moments of gore, murder and madness. Final Girls follows the story of three beautiful, young women who are survivors. Lisa survives an attack by a knife wielding assailant who kills nine of her sorority sisters. Sam overwhelmed and killed “the Sack Man,” after he killed guests at the Nightlight Hotel, and Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape the nightmare of Pine Cottage and into the arms of her savior, Coop.

Years later, Lisa dies under mysterious circumstances, which catapults Quincy back into the public eye as she struggles to recover repressed memories of the killings at Pine Cottage. Sam, the second final girl, shows up unannounced on Quincy’s doorstep, totally disrupting her life. Is Sam there to offer help, or does she have her own agenda as she presses Quincy to recover her past?

The Final Girls is a pulse-pounding thriller, with many twists and turns. Although I guessed the solutions to the mysteries about one-third of the way through the book, the action and moody atmosphere kept me going to the end. I was willing to go along for the ride, and see how Sager told the tale. I was less in love with the idea that only lovely women are noteworthy, but that is something too often found in the press, suspense novels and movies.

I am not impressed with this book, I admit I am a picky reader and a book has to grab me by page 50-100 and this one did not, first of all I didn't like the title given to survivors of a tragic event, it's like if you stump your toe then it's 'let's call ourselves The Clumsy Girls' etc, I just found it a silly scenario, then right off the bat I didn't like the main character, Quincy, I thought she was whiny, needy, depressing and a coward and I don't for one minute think anyone will 'cling' to a cop for 10 years but then that's a big part of this story.

I'm sure it will get rave reviews but for me it just didn't hit the spot for a better rating.

“The first great thriller of 2017 is here: Final Girls, by Riley Sager. If you liked Gone Girl, you’ll like this.”—Stephen King

“A terrific read!”—Karin Slaughter, New York Times and international bestselling author

With reviews like that from two amazing thriller writers who could resist Final Girls? Honestly I would be very surprised if this isn’t turned into a movie. I absolutely LOVED it!

Would I recommend it? Definitely

The term “Final Girl” is defined as follows “The final girl is a trope in horror films (particularly slasher films). It refers to the last woman alive to confront the killer, ostensibly the one left to tell the story.” This sums up the plot perfectly, however Sager gives us more than just one unexpected twist along the way, making for the perfect thriller with classic slasher feel to it.

Final Girls opens with the story being told from the perspective of Quincy Carpenter, a Final Girl. Before Quincy, there was Lisa and Sam, survivors of two separate massacres, one in a sorority house, the other at a motel. Quincy however, does her best to not be a ‘Final Girl’. With the help of some Xanax and the occasional bottle wine, Quincy has made as normal a life for herself as she can manage whilst being unable to remember the details of that fateful night in the woods. Insisting she has moved on from the events that saw her friends killed, she now runs a successful baking blog and lives with her almost fiancé Jeff… that is until the first Final Girl is found dead in her bathtub. From here on out, the story continues to move between the current events and flashbacks to Quincy’s night at Pine Cottage during the night she almost died.

Enter Sam, the troubled and long thought to be dead or in hiding, second ‘Final Girl’. Sam shows up outside Quincy’s apartment a few days after Lisa’s death, insisting she just wants to check in on Quincy to make sure she’s okay. The two girls who previously have never met, quickly form an intense friendship, coming together to try and navigate the press attention surrounding them and the anger at being sole survivors, that has somehow bonded them together.

Around page 80, it becomes clear that Sam is eager to try and trigger Quincy’s memories of Pine Cottage, by any means necessary, much to the confusion of our main character. The reason why, leads the reader down a twisted road of unexpected reveals and character developments. This is when I was truly hooked on this book.

Both unexpected and incredibly satisfying, the ending was not what I expected and I’m so glad I bumped this one up my ‘to-be-read’ pile. If you’re looking for something to get you started on the build up to Halloween this Autumn, start here. As I’ve said before, as a fan of thrillers, horror’s and your classic 90’s slasher movie, this book was right up my alley. I couldn’t recommend it more to anyone else of the same like mind.

“You got what you wanted: hero and villain face to face. Well, you know what happens now? The villain dies!”-Sidney Prescott

It should come as a surprise to no one by now that my favorite troupe of the Horror genre is the Final Girl: a young woman who, through a perfect mix of intelligence, bravery, strength and luck survives and defeats the villain by the end of a scary movie. It’s my love for these amazing characters that drew me to Riley Sager’s “Final Girls”. I glanced the title in passing on instagram and was immediately intrigued! Upon looking up its summery, I knew I needed to read it. I bought and devoured it!!! Sager’s creepy tale is absolutely brilliant, showing what can happen to these women after they’ve earned that title! It was dark, thrilling, relatable and powerful! It is now one of my favorite books and I definitely recommend it!! I had to take a picture of it with the necklace worn by my favorite Final Girl, Sidney Prescott! ❤️??

This debut novel is an exciting and fast-paced traditional thriller. Quincy, along with two other women, share the infamous moniker of the titular "Final Girls" named after their similarities to the last girl standing of horror films. Quincy survived the massacre of her friends in a rented condo in the woods while Lisa, the first final girl, is the sole survivor of a rampage at a sorority house. Samantha survived an attack a motel at night. Though never formally all together, the women still share this strong connection foisted upon them by the media. A decade after her attack, Quincy struggles to embrace a "normal" life. But when Quincy receives unsettling news about Lisa, and Samantha unexpectedly shows up, Quincy finds herself in a precarious new situation, clinging to her ideas of normalcy while memories from That Night resurface.

The storyline moves quickly and is darkly thrilling. The plot holds some genuine surprises, too, and I am definitely going to be keeping my eye out for more from Sager in the future!

I could barely put this book down! I had it for about 2 weeks before I dare read it (it's not my usual read; I'm a bit of a chicken), and it was a final book on my summer reading bingo for the library. That said, I was actually looking forward to it, despite my procrastination. The cover alone drew me in.
Every time I thought I got things figured out, I was wrong, and the plot moved in another direction. Turns out even when some of the plot was how I thought it might be, there was something about it that was totally original and exciting for me. Sometimes I felt irritated by the characters' choices and that was fine; I was right to be...! The writing style was fluid and even with the jumps back to the past (they were done in a coherent manner), I enjoyed Riley's writing. I think I expected the book to be different somehow than it actually was, but nonetheless, thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to another book from her!

Final Girls by Riley Sager is the edge-of-your-seat heart-pounding thriller you have been waiting for. Get ready for a twisted tale of horror and deceit. Final Girls is told in alternating perspectives, both in present day events and flashbacks. You can follow along Quincy Carpenter’s present-day life, life after she became a ‘Final Girl’. You are also able to have insight into the past, how she became a ‘Final Girl’ and what that means. Horrific events occurred 10 years ago to forever alter Quincy’s life and prior to that, horror struck the lives of both Lisa Milner and Samantha Boyd. These three girls-turned-women are now bonded together as survivors of heinous massacres. As you fly through the pages of Riley Sager’s masterpiece you will try to uncover what happened all those years ago and what horrors lie in wait as the truths unravel. All the praise for Sager’s Final Girls, a compulsive read that is truly unputdownable.

I give this one 5 horrifically good stars out of 5.

Book #65 Read in 2017
Final Girls by Riley Sager

This is my pick for best thriller so far this year. Quincy is a "final girl", the lone survivor of a killing spree at a cottage. Her college friends were butchered. She is not the lone final girl though...there are Lisa and Sam....both lone survivors of a similar horrific event. Quincy has tried to move on with her life but then Lisa commits suicide and Sam comes to visit Quincy. Will her life be turned upside down more than it already is? This book has great twists and turns which will keep readers guessing until the end. I borrowed this book from the public library.

I could hardly put this book down; it really sucked me into the plot and wouldn't let go! The main characters of the broken Quincy and the creepy Sam/Tina were definitely interesting, if not exactly likeable. However, the conclusion--while a huge twist--was not exactly believable. How did the murderer commit all those murders, traveling to different states, when that person supposedly had a full-time job? Although sick and evil, that person cannot possibly be everywhere all the time! So I felt that was a very weak part of the book, which is why I gave it only 4 stars instead of 5. Still, I look forward to reading Ms. Sager's next book.

I loved this book. I am a huge lover of horror movies and books. While Stephen King recommending this book is impressive, he isn't my favorite author. But it lived up to his recommendation. The pace of the book was good, drawing me in deeper with every chapter. By the time I was 3/4 done with this book, I could barely set it down. I begrudgingly did, to go to work, but I would read up to the minute I clocked in. The twists and turns the book took me on were impressive- I didn't see the end coming. There were plenty of red herrings to deceive you and plenty of clues sprinkled throughout.

In the end, I would highly recommend reading this book.

I'm a fan of a dark mystery, and this book was no exception. My palms are sweating as I write this review, because the memory of knives is so frightening. With three girls left in the world who are lone survivors of horrific massacres, their paths converge in an unlikely and terrifying way. It makes you realize that you can blithely go through life until one day, you find yourself in a situation that forever alters your perception of the world and the people around you. The questions that begs an answer are, do you really know who to trust? Could there be inherent evil deep down in all of us? The Final Girls was a fast paced thriller that kept me hooked.

I feel as if I read a different book than most of the other reviewers. I am not sure why it is getting such high praise. The "heroine" is understandably damaged but also completely unlikable. I was not rooting for her and I really did not care if she lived or died. It's hard to finish a book when you can't invest yourself in it but I muddled through because I was expecting some big finish. Maybe that was part of the problem. It has a complete cheese ball ending. So trite. Three stars because I liked the initial idea and actually finished the book. But it is nothing special and I won't be recommending it to anyone.

In case you didn't know this, and I didn't, Final Girls is the term used by the press to identify girls who come out as the survivor in some horrendous occurrence. Quincy Carpenter, the primary character, is one of 3 girls who share the same kind of history having survived a catastrophic event. They are each trying to recover from their experience.
One reviewer said that they found it particularly easy to figure out. I, and a few others, did not find it easy.
I really enjoyed this one and I think it is her debut outing.

This is an impressive debut that’s difficult to summarise without giving spoilers. So I’ll just say it’s a pacy, well-written thriller full of twists and turns and red herrings that leads you up the garden path and back again until the final unexpected reveal. There are two teeny clues along the way that point to what really happened at Pine Cottage but if you’re able to put them together to arrive at the solution before you read it on the page, then you deserve congratulations (or you’re lying!). My only slight reservation is that I didn’t really fall in love with Quincy as a character but the unfolding plot kept me hooked in spite of this.

Final Girls

Oh my goodness, what a book!!!!!

Ten years ago Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with her five friends...but only Quincy came back alive.

Lisa lost nine sorority sisters in a college massacre and Sam went up against the Sack Man and lived. These three survivors have been dubbed The Final Girls, despite having never met.

We are taken on one heck of a roller coaster ride with this book. It's a fast paced thriller with so many twists and turns you'll be left dizzy.

I absolutely loved this book and predict big things for The Final Girls in 2017! 5*

This was the first book by Riley Sager that I've read and I really, really enjoyed it. As a psychological thriller it ticked all the boxes. I did not like the character Samantha from the start of the book and wished someone could have picked up on her and the effect she had on Quincy. I loved Quincy but also felt that she was easily influenced and not in a good way. I loved most of the characters. The ending is not predictable and the twist I did not foresee.
I would highly recommend this book to all lovers of psychological thrillers.
Thank you to Random House UK, Ebury Publishing via Netgalley for the copy.

This book has all the elements I look for in a good psychological thriller, it's twisty and engrossing. I was hooked at the start and I was always going to read through to the end but I did have a few issues with it. I never really took to Quincy as a character and some of her behaviour beggars belief. There was a plot twist that I had earlier considered and disregarded so that didn't fit for me. From the other reviews I have seen this is clearly going to be a best seller but it fell a bit short of the wow factor for me.

I received and ARC of Final Girls via NetGalley and my thanks to Ebury Press for that.

I thought that based on the recommendation by Stephen King that it was the first great thriller of 2017 that it would be a bit dark, a true thriller, maybe even horror. It’s none of those things. Instead it’s one of those cutesy, highly ironic romance novels masquerading (rebranded) as a thriller like so many others these days. It’s certainly not thrilling, there’s really not any tension or any creatively plotted mystery. It plays out like a Lifetime TV movie at best. The only reason for two stars over one is because at least it features a bit of professional polish.

The years ago college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone , the only survivor ! This book blew me away ! An absolute must read ! A horror tinged mystery that is frighteningly believable and keeps you guessing till the end ! This was my first time to read a book by this talented author but won't be the last ! I loved this book ! Thanks to #Netgalley and #PenguinGroupDutton for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review ! #FinalGirls

I can totally understand the hype surrounding this book. I'll admit in the beginning I had a tough time getting into it. I didn't really care for either Quincy or Sam. I found them both so annoying. Then you hit a point in this book where the tension amps up and you just can't put it down. I devoured the pages until the very end. The ending was completely surprising which turned this from a 3 star read to a 4 star read.

As someone who totally digs horror films, suspense novels, mysteries, and true crime, I guessed the ending early on in the novel. However, it was still a great, quick, easy read. I enjoyed the character development and horror movie tropes. Apart from the Final Girl protagonist, there was the bitchy, fake, two-faced slut friend, the Fboy jock, the goody two shoes, the rugged, protective father-figure cop. Great novel, I highly recommend it.

Final Girls has been one of my favorite books so far this year. The pacing was so well done that I literally couldn't put the book down. There is a lot of red herrings thrown in and I liked how the author kept me guessing. The ending was so unexpected! I liked how the flashbacks built up gradually to what happened that fateful night and how it shaped the person Quincey has become. If you love thrillers that keep you guessing, this book is a must read!

I smugly thought I had the murderer figured out early on (I was wrong), switched horses at the halfway point (wrong again), and my jaw literally dropped when what "really" happened at Pine Cottage was revealed. The full-circle ending was my favorite part of the book. It showed that Quincy had finally accepted, and even embraced, the role as a Final Girl assigned by the world. That ending was simply perfect.

Take nothing for granted, enjoy the ride, and recommend this one to your friends.

*ARC via netgalley*

These are not normally my types of books, but if Sager keeps writing like this I will keep reading them! Quincy is trying to lead a normal life after some tragic events that happened to her in the past. She has cooking website, a apartment,a boyfriend who is a public defender. Then one of the other Final Girls turns up dead. And another Final Girl shows up on her door step. That's when things unravel and she tries to figure out everything that is going on. I won't say anymore but you need to read this!

I will say that this book has the potential to delight fans of horror, but it reads more like a meddling teen drama. The flashbacks and forwards and the emphasis on drama to stand in for actual stakes leaves the story feeling like it's missing any sort of punch. For two or three chapters you are enthralled by this book as the climax of the story is heated, but the ending lacks any sort of punch, even with the big reveal. I will say that the best, absolute BEST, part of this book is the introspection of the protagonist, as it's clear a lot of love and care went into crafting her character. If the story drove better I think I would've fallen in love with this book, but as it is the book feels adequate. Just adequate.

This is a must read for horror movie addicts. I'm talking about the movies like Halloween, Friday the Thirteenth, etc. The Final Girl is a survivor although she does find other survivors. This is a dark and twisty thriller that will keep you glued. It's good, There were points which lacked believability, so I give it four rather than five stars. All the same, this is a thriller for you if you like horror.

I loved everything about this book. The idea of Final Girls. The well-fleshed characters. The plot and the pacing. Riley Sager kept me guessing, leading my suspicions and then having them change directions. I had no idea who the killer was until the end. Not only that, but there's other little tidbits and weird quirks that grabbed my attention and I wanted explained. All of it added up in the end for a satisfying conclusion. Not much else I can say without fear of spoilers. A definite must-read!

I am not a huge fan of thrillers, but I read this as part of a Facebook book group I am in and also since it is October. I listened to this on audiobook and I enjoyed it.

Half way through I thought I had the twists and turns all figured out. I was happy I was wrong. I did not see the final twist coming.

There were certain parts of this book that I enjoyed and others that were just ok.

Overall, a great thriller for the season!

I really wanted to like this book. I like most of the authors that recommend it on the jacket but man is this book bad. The "twists" are by and large predictable and the characters really aren't believable. The writing is amateurish and some of the scenes had me laughing out loud, but not in a good way. The flashbacks to what happened to Quincy are actually pretty decent but almost all of the present day stuff varies between predictable, bland or outlandishly stupid.

An enoyable read with a good premise and fairly good pacing although the first half is a bit sluggish. I rarely can identify who did it but I actually guessed this one about half-way but there is enough twists to keep you questioning yourself. Since the main character has memory issues, she is obviously a suspect herself as are all the secondary characters. The book has an effective outcome that doesn't leave you feeling cheated.

I seriously didn't know anything about this book. Didn't read reviews. The book jacket did say that Stephen King liked it but I don't take those statements to heart. Same with Oprah's recommendations. So I went into this book blind. What a great read! I was baffled, traumatized, stunned, and totally confused. Talk about twists and turns! I didn't know who to trust or believe. It's a great survivor story with sickening, ominous surprises. Yes I liked it!

This was a lot of fun! The last hundred pages or so had me really hooked, but the rest was a bit slow and I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters themselves. I did get swept up in the story and I really enjoyed the mystery and flashbacks, which honestly are what kept me reading.

So, everything I can say about this would include a spoiler. It's brilliantly written, quick and constantly intriguing. Putting it down was a chore. When the big "reveal" happened, I had a moment of "wait, what?" feeling it wasn't quite right...but then Riley Sager made it just right. After my moment of hesitation, I was drawn right back in, clear through to, what may be, one of the best final lines uttered by a character ever.

Don't miss this one!

I don’t know that I’ve ever rolled my eyes at a book before, but wow. The other review that compares it to a bad Lifetime movie is spot on. I consider myself pretty easy to please, but the cliches, cheesy dialogue, and straight up illogical pieces made this painful to read. The narrator describes herself as feeling “radiant” multiple times. It’s rough.

Got an early copy on NetGalley and soo wanted to love this. The whole concept is fantastic and offers an original take on the final girl trope.

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I was unable to finish it. In short, it's BORING. Slow and boring. Two of the worst things a book can be for me. The main character, Quincy, whines, and whines, and whines, and whines, all while doing the same thing over and over and expecting me to care. Well, I didn't. Sometimes there are characters that are too stupid to live (TSTL). Quincy is one of them.

The pace was so frustratingly slow that it makes Ernest Hemingway read like a Michael Bay film.

Okay, so this isn't to say that Riley is a bad writer, in fact, quite the opposite is true. The writing is crisp and fluent and never caused me to stutter. There's a great writer here in a story that just didn't click with me.

I *will* buy Todd Ritter's...excuse me...Riley Sager's next book in hopes that he has a better grip on plotting and pace.

Just as soon as you assume you know something, BLAMMO, it changes again. With tons of twists and turns, this book will really have you guessing what's really going on until the very end. Every single time you get the feeling you have had it figured out the whole time, the rug is pulled out from under your smug ass and you're left wondering ,"how did this happen to me?"
Excellently written.

Wow! I am a huge fan of a plot twist and this book was exactly that! It was so intriguing trying to figure out what exactly happened back at Pine Cottage and why Quincy was the lone survivor from that gory night. As the story unfolded piece by piece, you get drawn into the book like a moth to a flame. I am looking forward to any other books by this author and will buy them no questions asked! This was the best read in a while for me.

I wanted to love this book. I had it on my "don't miss list" for months and was the first to check it out of my library, thinking it would for sure be one of the books I wound up buying.

Not so.

There are a few interesting twists, but none of them sizzle - mostly it just felt incredibly formulaic (and disappointing). The characters are really stereotypes, the flashbacks are full of boring and unlikeable characters. Some of the psychological introversion was interesting, but not to the extent it happened over and over.

The details that stay with me are more about interesting word choice or grape soda or that sort of thing. And really, doesn't that define boring?

I have the Audible version of this book. It's definitely worth taking a listen. The two different time lines have a different narrator, which I really like. It keeps the two stories separate but still linked. The story itself was pretty good, not the best, but still good. I didn't find myself spacing out or wanting to turn it off.

Quincy Carpenter is the sole survivor of a bloody massacre ten years ago. She has tried to put all the memories and notoriety behind her, in fact remembering very few details of that terrible night. She keeps in touch with the cop that rescued her but otherwise lives her life anew, with her attorney boyfriend and a baking blog that keeps her occupied.

But all of a sudden she starts hearing from and about other Final Girls, as the sole survivors of these tragic events have been labelled. And her life is turning topsy turvy again.

This was a fast-paced thriller, with lots of turns and false leads. The characters were well described but I didn't find any of them especially likeable. Some of the happenings stretched the "believability" factor too. It was an okay story but not one I would read again.

I received this book from Net Galley and Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.

I too thought it would be a great read given Steven Kings endorsement but I ended up speed reading through it just to see how it ended. The main character was unsympathetic and in many ways poorly developed. That is, are we to forgive her for almost beating a man to death, trashing kitchens in a blind rage or even picking up that fateful knife in the beginning just because she was traumatized earlier? It was impossible to like her - same for Tina/Sam. And I agree with others who have said the ending is hard to reconcile with the rest of the story.

Total page turner that sucks you in. Finished this book from cover to cover over the course of a weekend. Great twists. Just when you think you have it figured out, another curve ball comes. It reminded me a lot of the Scream / I Know What You Did Last Summer movies and reads like a scary movie script. Excellent book and especially a great read for fans of 80's and 90's slasher movies.

I absolutely could not put this down. I love thrillers and most of the time they are very predictable. This had me going with every page I turned. If I didn't have work the next day, I would have stayed up all night to finish it. Does anybody know if she wrote another book? It said she has written under another name. Can anybody tell me who that might be and what those books are like?

Meh. I am so incredibly disappointed by the fact that I didn't really care for this book. Based on the description, I was so sure that I would fall in love with this book. I do think that my opinion will be in the minority with this book. Based on all of the reviews that I have seen so far, most people are really enjoying this book and I predict that it will be very popular.

I didn't hate this book but I didn't really like it either. This was one of those books that I really didn't connect with any of the characters and by the time the big twists started happening, I just didn't care what happened. The book was a bit different than I expected. Since the description mentions a horror movie-scale massacre, I expected the book to be pretty gruesome. I wanted gruesome because I am weird like that. There are a few more bloody scenes but not like I had thought it would be.

This book is told from Quincy's point of view. Quincy is a Final Girl which means she was the only survivor from a nightmare that killed her friends. She is deeply affected by that night years later. I just never liked Quincy. Not at all. Since the whole book is told from her point of view, it was really hard to enjoy the story. Most of the book is really about what is going on in the present time period with Quincy and Sam, another Final Girl.

I am not going to be recommending this book but I do think that a lot of readers will like it a lot more than I did. There were a few twists that I wouldn't have ever been able to guess and the premise was pretty interesting. This is the first book by Riley Sager that I have read and I would be open to trying his work again in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Dutton via First to Read.

I found this utterly unreadable. The writing barely arose to the level of mediocre. The dialogue was stilted, the plot plodding and the twists contrived if not downright absurd. There was no character development, which led me to care little, if nothing, about the main character, Quincy. Plus, she commits a heinous act for which she never faced any consequences. I hate when people do stupid things for no good reason, and Quincy did them in spades. I stopped reading about a third through the book and then just skimmed through to the end. For anyone looking for a thriller along the lines of Girl on the Train, and don't waste your money. If you absolutely feel you must read it, at least borrow it from the library.

Quincy Carpenter is the only survivor of the Pine Cottage massacre that occurred ten years ago. She is known as a 'final girl', "film-geek speak for the last woman standing at the end of a horror movie". She is still connected to Coop, the police officer who she ran to as she was escaping through the woods. Quincy is a victim of amnesia and, despite therapy and hypnosis, cannot remember the details of what happened during the time that she escaped and her friends were murdered.

Coop and Quincy get together two or three times a year and, during his most recent visit, he gives her the news that Lisa, the survivor of another massacre, has taken her own life. This is startling to Quincy since Lisa had been her support system in the past. Quincy is told to prepare for an onslaught of media curiosity.

As time progresses, does Quincy begin to remember what happened? Is her memory of events important? This novel purports to be a psychological thriller and mystery. It read more like a 'slasher' novel. I found the issues of mental illness too pat and the characters too shallow to really hold my interest. This is not a book I connected with.

I absolutely could not put this book down. Interesting concept with lots of twists and turns. It employs the storytelling technique of only slowly allowing you to see what happened in the past as something dramatic unfolds in the present, which I find particularly compelling.

I had been hearing a lot about this book and it's so worth the hype. This book is the mega rollercoaster with all the wild twists and turns that will churn your stomach and have your heart racing. One of the best books I have read this year. Pick it up and be ready to ignore everything and everyone until the last word has been read.

Loved this fast paced thriller. I thought I had this story figured out but boy was I wrong. I got fooled and that rarely happens. This book left me a book hangover as I truly didn’t have a clue. I want to reread it to see if I can recognize any hidden clues I missed.

Riley Sager's FINAL GIRLS is being hyped to the moon and back by publisher Dutton, aided by a glowing endorsement by Stephen King, who called it "The first great thriller of 2017", and such blurbs as "THIS IS THE BEST BOOK OF 2017.", and "Smart and provocative, with plenty of twists and turns." I'm pretty jaded, but I'm always up for a few twists and turns in my fiction, so I picked up my review copy and dove in.

As I said, I'm pretty jaded. I'm the guy that sees the twists coming a mile away, and I had this book's big twist pegged almost from the get-go. I'm not bragging, or trying to act like I'm some kind of super-genius reader....but when you've seen thousands of movies, read thousands of books, and consumed hundreds of thousands of comic-books, chances are that you've seen something before that will lead you to figuring out the ending before most of your friends will. So, twists and turns......not really.

Moving on from that disappointment, the story itself, once it kicks into gear, is fairly enjoyable. (It does take quite a while to get going, though.) Anyone who has ever seen a slasher film will be aware of the concept of a "Final girl".....A smart, attractive, usually chaste, girl, who manages to survive the serial killer while all around her succumbed, she inevitably takes a beating, but manages to overcome (And usually kill....) her attacker. Quincy Carpenter is just such a girl.

The lone survivor of the infamous "Pine Cottage Massacre", Quincy has been slowly rebuilding her shattered life, and has settled into a manageable, if somewhat lonely, routine. That routine is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Samantha Boyd, another celebrated "Final Girl". Samantha was the lone survivor of a slaughter at The Nightlight Inn, and has been living in seclusion ever since. Sam, as she prefers to be called, has emerged from isolation thanks to the suicide of Lisa Milner, the original last girl standing.

Sam has arrived to see if Quincy is dealing well with the news of Lisa's suicide, but her impromptu visit soon turns into an extended stay in Quincy's guest room, and it doesn't take long before Samantha has insinuated herself into every aspect of Quincy's life. In short order, Quincey is drinking, popping Xanax by the handful, and indulging in all sorts of self-destructive behavior with Sam.....but an incident in Central Park causes Quincy to question what Sam is really after, and her inquiries into Sam's past will force her to confront the truth behind the Pine Cottage Massacre that she has kept buried in her own subconscious......

Once the book actually gets going, it was fairly enjoyable. At least, as enjoyable as a book totally lacking in sympathetic characters can be. Quincy is a bit of a self-centered jerk, and she does some remarkably stupid things over the course of her story. The book is well-written enough to make up for the unlikable lead, though.

Speaking of the author: Dutton has been stringing out the mystery of "Who is Riley Sager?", dropping bread crumbs such as Sager being a previously published author writing under a pseudonym. I must be the only person on earth who actually reads the indicia page, because it says right there "Copyright 2017 by Todd Ritter". So...mystery solved. Riley Sager is Todd Ritter. Someone at Dutton screwed that up big-time.

FINAL GIRLS is a well-written thriller, but it'll probably be more enjoyable to readers who only occasionally slum in horror movies and thriller novels. If you've seen a Freddy or Jason movie before, or read a mystery, this book will hold no surprises for you.

Dutton provided a review copy.

I LOVED this book! Sooo many twists and turns. I'd think I had the plot figured out and...BAM! plot twist to end all plot twists! So very well-written and just plain old riveting. This is in my top ten reads for 2018, for sure!

I thought this would be a horror story but it turned out to be more of a psychological thriller instead. Either way I still enjoyed the book. It was well written and kept me interested. There were also some twists in the end. I recommend this book if you like suspense. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I read this straight through and couldn’t put it down. The premise seemed really silly to me but I was still completely engrossed and entertained. The twist was a good one I didn’t see coming (but I’m pretty oblivious to these things) and the ending was nice and open ended which fit well.

Holyyyyy crap I loved this book. Read the entire book today, couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Everytime I thought I knew what was going on, the next chapter would prove me wrong. Definitely going to check out his next book.

It’s a relatively quick read. But I found it all too ridiculous and hard to believe. A tad predictable. It’s what you’re signing up for with these books but this one went too far for me. Not a bad book, just not great.

When and How does a meme BECOME a meme?

We have had slasher movies and books and TV episodes and, what, cereal boxes around for... well. way too long

And, in EVERY ONE OF THEM, there is always one survivor, who is always of the female persuasion

And, for all I know they have always been called the Final Girl; but I only started to hear the phrase about one, maybe two, years ago when, in either the singular or the plural they were the title of at least 2 movies and Lord knows how many TV shows, and, probably, other books

And every one of them, by DEFINITION, had to have a plotline that reads something like this: The "FINAL girl(s)" will, once again be stalked and (this is hardly a spoiler, it's a requirement) by the book/movie/TV show/trading card's end there will be a whole lot fewer "Finals"

So, in the end, you have to rely, not on the plot to enthral you, but the author.

Riley Sager is one hell of an author

I cannot guarantee that you'll read this in one sitting, but I CAN guarantee that whenever you do stop, you'll need a towel to wipe the sweat on your palms & brow and, maybe a good excuse not to go to work or school the next day, 'cause you ain't sleeping that night!

Oh my gosh, this is one of the best mystery/thriller books I've ever read! The end totally caught me off guard, so many twists and turns, and pure craziness! I loved it! Seriously could not put it down, was literally reading while I stirred a pot of chili on the stove. Great book!

I was tied on how to rate this book because it starts off interesting then drags and enters the completely ridiculous territory for a substantial part of the middle. But the suspense kept me reading and despite guessing the mystery early, it had enough twists and turns to leave the reader satisfied. I’d say it’s closer to 3.5 stars.

WOW! I cannot say enough about this book. The fact that the author is writing with a pseudonym makes it all that better!! The characters are complicated and at times, lovable and at others totally unreliable. I couldn't put this book down---unless it was dark out...The scenes at the camp are creepy!!

I just finished this novel and I think its a great read. Quincy Carpenter is the only person to make it out alive after the murders of her friends in a cabin on vacation. Ten years later Quincy is doing well until the news of Lisa, a fellow "Final Girl", dies.
The storyline is fast paced with a protag who is an independent, intelligent and a strong woman; a survivor. The writing is well done and the character of Quincy is well developed. In Final Girls, there is lots of mystery and suspense. There were some red herrings here and I was never sure what the outcome would be. I really liked the journey and this was a solid riveting read, I did not want to put this down until I finished. I think this is an impressive first novel!
I will definitely keep Riley Sager on my list of must read authors

As I read this story, I'd keep telling myself that I know what happened; I know who did what; I know the answers...Then I would turn the page to find out I was mistaken each time.

Suspenseful and heartbreaking. I found myself second guessing and holding my breath.

This novel is one of the best thrillers I have read this year. The characters are well developed and the story line will keep you on the edge of your seat. I don't even want to give away the plot - just read it for yourself. You won't be disappointed if you enjoy suspension.

​Final Girls is an interesting story by Riley Sager. Final Girls goes back and forth in time to educate the reader as to what had happened years ago. Ms Sager keeps the reader guessing with surprises and some edge of the seat moments.

This one might be a 4.5. I loved the character of Quincy, even when she did stupid things. I loved the premise. I was a little afraid that all the buzz about this book meant disappointment for me, but I really enjoyed every minute of it. One of my favorite books of summer.

I got 100 pages in and had to give it up. I found it slow in a boring and not a slow burn way. None of the characters grabbed me or made me care what would happen to them. I wanted to like it based on the premise, but I just couldn't.

This book was suspenseful and a real page turner. I read the last half in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. It was everything I look for in a suspense/thriller book. I had an audible gasp after every chapter. That is until the last 20 pages. I would have given this book five stars if it would have ended 20 pages earlier. The twist at the end made no sense and left me feeling completely cheated. It just didn't work for me and made absolutely no sense. I would recommend this book if you enjoy the ride of a good suspense book but are not bothered by the ending falling completely flat.

2.75 stars. Wow...that’s an ending. You will never see this ending coming. I want to say that this book is a rollercoaster, but it’s not. It’s boring through most of the book. The ending is the only thing that saved it. I hated all of the characters, no one is trustworthy, like I said before it was boring, and it was kind of weirdly set up. This book made me so angry. It took everything I hate about people and put it in this book. I wasn’t planning on finishing this book. But I felt like i had to for my friends who I was reading it with.

I loved this book the only thing I wish were different is I wish the story would have been told about the pine cottage massacre! My favorite parts were the flashbacks but honestly I'm a sucker for a good scary movie, which explains my love of the flashbacks!

I was not expecting the ending though, and I was constantly questioning everyone's motives throughout the whole book and I PROMISE you won't guess the ending either

I couldn't stop reading this book from the minute I started it. I thought at one point I knew what was happening and how it would end but I was wrong. So glad my book club decided to read this one. I highly recommend it.

Twisty, you say? this certainly is, I am usually pretty good at working out the plot, not with this book though.Full of suspense and surprises and well written.kept me puzzling trying to work it out all the way through.Good book, well worth a read.

This was going to be about a 3.5 star read for me until the last 2 pages! Don't get it twisted.. I really liked this book. I just don't think it reached its full potential. But that ending has me hoping this will be a series! Would I recommend? Hell yes!

This book actually kept my interest. I loved the Final Girls and the story. The end was a twist I was not expecting that is all I am going to say to not spoil it for others. This is highly recommended by me and it's a great all around book.

This book quickly grabbed my attention and it was very unpredictable, but I just didn't like where this book went. I fell like it had way more potential and honestly I just wasn't happy with the ending.

We all know that any decent screamer movie starts in a cabin in the woods... Quincy is the lone survivor of a gruesome massacre and tries to move on with life even though the press and her past make it hard. She is semi adjusted as a successful blogger and settled in a relationship until a woman from the past (another survivor of a different massacre) seeks her out and things begin to unravel. Sam enters Quincy's life unexpectedly and seemingly with two purposes to turn her life upside down and make her remember the past. I have to admit that I was surprised by how the story unraveled at the end. Quincy has to be one of the unluckiest main characters in screamer novels and that's saying a lot. The pace of the book is steady and built up nicely, it's a fun and easy read.

Book's destiny: pre-teen sleepover read aloud for giggles

Unbelievable. I can usually guess who the real killer is within the first 5 chapters. This, even when it was moving slow, had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. The last 10 chapters I LITERALLY could NOT put the book down and just kept shouting "Oh my! Oh gosh!!!! No way!!!! Ahhhh!!!!" as my mother stared and laughed at me. I will be reading this again and praying they make a movie

Great read. Dark and twisted. Can be frustrating at times when you want the main character to just get with it, but it won't slow you down. Twists weren't too far out there, and weren't obvious enough that you see them all coming.

I ran into this book by accident I had been looking for the, The last time I lied, Riley’s newest book and I’m glad I did. This books of filled with twist and turns and shocking finale. Read this in 2 days, Couldn’t put it down.

Five stars for pacing, well-written, several red herrings, and that I didn't-see- it -coming till 3/4 of the way through reading this book. Definitely on par with Stephen King. A good psychological thriller.

This was the perfect smart summer beach read--I couldn't put it down! The mystery is expertly plotted and invites lots of guessing, and the reveals surprised and satisfied me. For fans of Ruth Ware, Stephen King, and Tana French.

Holyyyyy crap I loved this book. Read the entire book today, couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Everytime I thought I knew what was going on, the next chapter would prove me wrong. Definitely going to check out his next book.

It’s a relatively quick read. But I found it all too ridiculous and hard to believe. A tad predictable. It’s what you’re signing up for with these books but this one went too far for me. Not a bad book, just not great.

When and How does a meme BECOME a meme?

We have had slasher movies and books and TV episodes and, what, cereal boxes around for... well. way too long

And, in EVERY ONE OF THEM, there is always one survivor, who is always of the female persuasion

And, for all I know they have always been called the Final Girl; but I only started to hear the phrase about one, maybe two, years ago when, in either the singular or the plural they were the title of at least 2 movies and Lord knows how many TV shows, and, probably, other books

And every one of them, by DEFINITION, had to have a plotline that reads something like this: The "FINAL girl(s)" will, once again be stalked and (this is hardly a spoiler, it's a requirement) by the book/movie/TV show/trading card's end there will be a whole lot fewer "Finals"

So, in the end, you have to rely, not on the plot to enthral you, but the author.

Riley Sager is one hell of an author

I cannot guarantee that you'll read this in one sitting, but I CAN guarantee that whenever you do stop, you'll need a towel to wipe the sweat on your palms & brow and, maybe a good excuse not to go to work or school the next day, 'cause you ain't sleeping that night!

Oh my gosh, this is one of the best mystery/thriller books I've ever read! The end totally caught me off guard, so many twists and turns, and pure craziness! I loved it! Seriously could not put it down, was literally reading while I stirred a pot of chili on the stove. Great book!

I was tied on how to rate this book because it starts off interesting then drags and enters the completely ridiculous territory for a substantial part of the middle. But the suspense kept me reading and despite guessing the mystery early, it had enough twists and turns to leave the reader satisfied. I’d say it’s closer to 3.5 stars.

WOW! I cannot say enough about this book. The fact that the author is writing with a pseudonym makes it all that better!! The characters are complicated and at times, lovable and at others totally unreliable. I couldn't put this book down---unless it was dark out...The scenes at the camp are creepy!!

I just finished this novel and I think its a great read. Quincy Carpenter is the only person to make it out alive after the murders of her friends in a cabin on vacation. Ten years later Quincy is doing well until the news of Lisa, a fellow "Final Girl", dies.
The storyline is fast paced with a protag who is an independent, intelligent and a strong woman; a survivor. The writing is well done and the character of Quincy is well developed. In Final Girls, there is lots of mystery and suspense. There were some red herrings here and I was never sure what the outcome would be. I really liked the journey and this was a solid riveting read, I did not want to put this down until I finished. I think this is an impressive first novel!
I will definitely keep Riley Sager on my list of must read authors

As I read this story, I'd keep telling myself that I know what happened; I know who did what; I know the answers...Then I would turn the page to find out I was mistaken each time.

Suspenseful and heartbreaking. I found myself second guessing and holding my breath.

This novel is one of the best thrillers I have read this year. The characters are well developed and the story line will keep you on the edge of your seat. I don't even want to give away the plot - just read it for yourself. You won't be disappointed if you enjoy suspension.

​Final Girls is an interesting story by Riley Sager. Final Girls goes back and forth in time to educate the reader as to what had happened years ago. Ms Sager keeps the reader guessing with surprises and some edge of the seat moments.

This one might be a 4.5. I loved the character of Quincy, even when she did stupid things. I loved the premise. I was a little afraid that all the buzz about this book meant disappointment for me, but I really enjoyed every minute of it. One of my favorite books of summer.

I got 100 pages in and had to give it up. I found it slow in a boring and not a slow burn way. None of the characters grabbed me or made me care what would happen to them. I wanted to like it based on the premise, but I just couldn't.

This book was suspenseful and a real page turner. I read the last half in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. It was everything I look for in a suspense/thriller book. I had an audible gasp after every chapter. That is until the last 20 pages. I would have given this book five stars if it would have ended 20 pages earlier. The twist at the end made no sense and left me feeling completely cheated. It just didn't work for me and made absolutely no sense. I would recommend this book if you enjoy the ride of a good suspense book but are not bothered by the ending falling completely flat.

2.75 stars. Wow...that’s an ending. You will never see this ending coming. I want to say that this book is a rollercoaster, but it’s not. It’s boring through most of the book. The ending is the only thing that saved it. I hated all of the characters, no one is trustworthy, like I said before it was boring, and it was kind of weirdly set up. This book made me so angry. It took everything I hate about people and put it in this book. I wasn’t planning on finishing this book. But I felt like i had to for my friends who I was reading it with.

I really enjoyed this book and read it as part of my book club. It was an easy read and I got through it very quickly as it was riveting and fast-paced. Definitely a good read if you're looking for something entertaining and enjoyable.

I just finished this book. It was a very engaging read and I didn’t want to put it down. The ending was a complete surprise and I would never have guessed that it would happen. I highly recommend it. I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers and this is my favorite one in a long time.

I was ready to give up on this book but it picked up about 2/3 of the way through. The ending was good. Halfway through, I thought I’d be giving it 1 star, then finally things started happening to pique my interest. Not sure I’d read another by this author though.

I thought this was a great one. Well-written although there was an overuse of some phrasing. Still, it hooked me and kept me interested the whole time! A little gory for my taste but I’m a wimp - wasn’t tooooo bad!

I absolutely loved this book! It had me thinking which made me more invested in the story and the characters. Some people say the ending was predictable but I don't see how. It really surprised me. I would absolutely read this book again and I plan to!

I raced through this pulse-pounding thriller faster than I wanted to: I wanted this story to be longer because it was so good, so original, and so full of plot twists that I didn't see coming that I was kept guessing as to where the plot's big reveal was going that up until the last 30 pages I had no clue. I will be praising this book to all my book-loving friends, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense, mystery, and well-crafted stories.

Final Girls is a serial-killer-thriller with the variation of the added "Final Girls" concept. Told mostly from the POV of a serial killer survivor who remembers nothing of the attack that killed a group of her friends in a forested cabin, the novel does have the positive feature of many unexpected twists and turns. Those really begin to kick in at about the one-third point. (Things are somewhat slow before that.) I was pleased that my first guess about the plot resolution ended up being wrong--although my second guess was correct. Still, I am reaching a point of weariness with serial killer novels, because I stayed relatively uninterested in all the characters and events in Final Girls, right through the hyperkinetic ending and a melodramatic epilogue.
PS - I am adding Lisa Gardner to my "Don't Trust The Blurb" list. (Stephen King is at the top of the list.) She declared this the "best book of 2017" in her blurb. Often I think well-known authors are trying to help out newer writers with positive blurbs--there is no way Final Girls should be "best" of anything.

I was really excited for this to come out-- it sounded like a fun and interesting page turner, perfect for travel. It unfortunately really falls flat. It's boring and predictable. None of the characters are very compelling. Motivations attributed to their actions felt very trite. I found myself skimming even the more action-y parts. I was looking for my new Gone Girl or Girl on the Train, but this wasn't it.

The Gone Girl phenom has pushed thrillers with unstable narrators to the front of bookshelves. This book continues and elevates that idea. Twist and turns and a roller coaster like ending make that book hard to put down

For me this book was just okay. The story line was rather predictable, but there were some twists that made it worth reading to the end. However, I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable.

The deal breaker, for me, is that I guessed both secrets immediately. If a book is supposed to be a suspenseful thriller, either you're not supposed to know whodunit, or you're supposed to get inside the head of the villain and that's part of the structure. In this book, you're not supposed to know whodunit (and another identity, later), but it's extremely obvious. The thriller part is not particularly thrilling. The characters are not likeable. I didn't find myself rooting for one or another. The worst part was that I easily put the book down to do other things - even read a few other books before finishing this. If you want a suspense novel that won't take up too much of your attention, this might suit you. If you want to exercise your brain, figuring out what's going on, skip this one.

Final Girls is a psychological suspense thriller that relied on too many cliches for my comfort and just didn't work for me. I never bought into the premise of the "Final Girls" and found the characters to be flat and uninspired. You could easily equate this book to a 1980's slasher movie, but with even fewer surprises. A plot that is predictable, characters that do incredibly dumb things, and a total lack of depth make this book a big miss for me. About the only good thing I can say about this one is that it was a quick read. Thank goodness.

I could not put this book down!! I finished it in 2 days and I can't remember the last time a I read a book as involved and intense as Final Girls! If you want a good page turning book, I HIGHLY recommend!

I really enjoyed this book and read it as part of my book club. It was an easy read and I got through it very quickly as it was riveting and fast-paced. Definitely a good read if you're looking for something entertaining and enjoyable.

I just finished this book. It was a very engaging read and I didn’t want to put it down. The ending was a complete surprise and I would never have guessed that it would happen. I highly recommend it. I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers and this is my favorite one in a long time.

I was ready to give up on this book but it picked up about 2/3 of the way through. The ending was good. Halfway through, I thought I’d be giving it 1 star, then finally things started happening to pique my interest. Not sure I’d read another by this author though.

I thought this was a great one. Well-written although there was an overuse of some phrasing. Still, it hooked me and kept me interested the whole time! A little gory for my taste but I’m a wimp - wasn’t tooooo bad!

I absolutely loved this book! It had me thinking which made me more invested in the story and the characters. Some people say the ending was predictable but I don't see how. It really surprised me. I would absolutely read this book again and I plan to!

I raced through this pulse-pounding thriller faster than I wanted to: I wanted this story to be longer because it was so good, so original, and so full of plot twists that I didn't see coming that I was kept guessing as to where the plot's big reveal was going that up until the last 30 pages I had no clue. I will be praising this book to all my book-loving friends, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense, mystery, and well-crafted stories.

This book was. Absolutely. AMAZING. I’m going to try to articulate it as well as possible, but it really is one of those books that just needs to be read.

The first thing that stands out in this story is the voice. The storytelling is unique in that while it’s raw and dark and edgy, it’s not pushing the reader TOO far. You know how sometimes language is just SO visceral to evoke a gut reaction - like, it’s EXTRA dark and gritty and it can come off as forced? Yeah, this book doesn’t have that. It punches in all the right places but also leaves enough breathing room so you can focus on the plot and subplots. It’s a thriller, after all, and the language complements the story and the characters amazingly. The pacing, themes and syntax are all just instruments in a well-composed song - a song that has you begging for the crescendo to climax but a song you also don’t quite want to end.

One thing I really loved about this book is that the ending actually shocked me. I’m absolutely horrible about guessing the endings of books and I try not to but I just can’t help it! So! I’m not going to get into this because it’s worth just reading. I’ll say I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Also - the horror aspect. I feel like I haven’t been genuinely afraid during a book in a while but there are flashbacks throughout this book that take place during the night of a massacre (not a spoiler, don’t worry) and there are just some moments where I literally would turn to my roommate on the couch and be like ‘oh my God, this is terrifying.’ And that’s a job well done by Riley Sager.

Riley Sager is incredibly gifted. If you read any thrillers this year, please do be sure it’s this one! I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. I’m constantly recommending it. You’ll be thrilled and shocked and intrigued and feel all the feels. It’s a contender for my favorite book of 2017.

I honestly had no idea where this book was headed right up until the final and shocking pages of this brilliantly written thriller. I was absolutely taken on a ride without seeing the end in sight and I loved every moment of it. That rarely happens for me, when I get to the end of a thriller and haven't figured out the puzzle. And then to be so caught off guard. Yowza! And what an ending it was.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of psychological suspense and to everyone who loves a brilliantly written book with well drawn characters. And to mystery lovers who love a surprise ending. This is a beauty.

Finally a book written to answer the question... what happens next? I have always wondered what happens after the horror film or book was over. This story is just that. Final Girls is about that one girl that is left after everyone else is dead! I was so excited to read this and it read very fast. I was hanging on my seat through out the whole book. Lots of action for it to be "the story after"! A great horror read around Halloween and I would recommend it to everyone who loves horror, a who done it and some slasher action.

Speechless! That rounds things up. I still cannot believe this was a debut novel because of its complexity in character development and plot and penmanship.
Let's not forget the way this book surprised me completely, because I did NOT see that coming, and I am great guessing things in thriller! But no, this one was a complete surprise and one I still can't get out of my head.
It might have been lacking a bit in the mystery part during most of the novel, but that's only because it gave more importance to the characters in a way that wanted the reader to really get to know them.

I found the writing to be really good, easy, fast paced and thrilling. It definitely felt like a fresh and vivid read and its short chapters also helped the story to move along in an addictive and nerve-breaking way.
The switch between present and past that took part slowly in every couple of chapters was fluid and tricky. It kept you guessing because Quincy's Final Girl plot unravelled bit by bit, so you couldn't get the complete picture, which was a great idea because that way you kept guessing wrong all of the time.
It started out slowly which is something I usually don't like in any other genres, but in these type of psychological thrillers I think it's the way to go. That slow burning method is what helps you get into the character's mind

Keep in mind that this story was a hard one to summarize and try to speak about giving the particular genre of it, where it is so easy to spoil things when one doesn't want to. So I kept things as light as possible.

This one took the Final Girl concept to a whole other level! although it might start a bit slow, it gives some Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes, giving the concept of it all, but in this case the author just took it all up a notch and made everything more confusing, thrilling and overall mouth-watering! We start this story knowing that there are currently three Final Girls in the US. Fina Girl aka the lone survivor of a massacre.

We follow Quincy, a final girl (she doesn't believe in this term and says she is not such thing) with some serious memory problems who apparently adjusted (or so she thinks) quite well to the normal life she now leads. She lives in NYC with a stable companion, Jeff, in an apparent great apartment (thanks to some unexpected money), has a blog and has no friends except for the officer who saved her that tragic day years ago, Cooper. That's all we know about how this woman passes her days. Neither she nor her companion talk about her past, they simply ran a thick veil through all of that misery. Everything is calm and clear until one day one of the surviving final girls turns up dead, from an apparent suicide. This happening is the start of a frantic recollection. Another day all of a sudden Sam, the other final girl, Sam, appears in Quincy's door wanting to reconnect, be there for her, basically whatever she wants/needs. This appearance takes Quincy's life by surprise and slowly starts to turn everything into an absolute chaos or more precisely starts to point out how Quincy's life is not normal or not OK at all, doesn't matter what she tries to project to the outside world, the inside is just rotten. Quincy and Sam make quite the pair and although Quincy is happy at first to have some understanding company, her significant other, Jeff, and her trusted saviour/counselor, Cooper, don't feel the same way. Things evolve, plots get more complicated and confusing giving that we keep getting glimpses into what happened to bring Quincy to this situation.
Things seem to go in a clear direction, but as it turns out, the plot keeps thickening and you find yourself immersed in this zigzag road with no clear finish line.

Is fair to say that this book starts slow and that gives as the opportunity to get to know our main protagonist better and get into the psychological part of this thriller. It set the foundation for what's to come pretty well. And along the way, I fell in a nerve-wrecking state more than once and twice, giving some of our character's actions!! I left myself go completely into this read.

Suffice to say that I didn't see the final twist coming. In fact, I had taken a note about something similar happening but I underlined it as an impossible, because the absurdity of it all, but well, guess my surprise when everything turned out the way it did! This book left me open-mouthed and completely in love with it, but also left me exhausted because of all of the energy I had put into it.

This story brings a good cocktail of different characters to live. From the now to the flashbacks we get so many different storylines and personalities that enrich this story.
Quincy is our main protagonist and is such a rich and enraging character... She is the one that made me so anxious, angry and frustrated... but also equally engaged into the story and her Final Girl situation and development. Her boyfriend Fred was another great addition because it served to give her character some kind of moral compass to it all.
Sam, is a tricky character to describe. I didn't like her from the beginning, but still I recognized something good in her, something that wanted to help Quincy, in her own strange way that is. Not an especially nice or bright character, but one necessary to unveil everything in Quincy's darken memories.
Then we've got Cooper, the officer who rescued Quincy in the first place. We get presented to this character as a sweet guy, secretly and at some degree in love with Quincy. He is another character who is always there for her and frankly he is the major pillar in Quincy's foundation.
Between the flashback characters we meet a colorful arrange of teenagers. An apparent, at first glance, nice and funny bunch with some jealousy entwined. But it was specially one sweet guy that caught my eye at the end of it all, which only made this story's ending even sadder.

This book kept my attention from the very beginning, so much so that I delayed other plans and read until it was finished. I thought I had figured out the big mystery at the beginning, but I was wrong. There were plenty of twists and turns and they were very well done. I am not a fan of slasher movies and there were plenty of gruesome parts of this book, but I really enjoyed the plot.

I could NOT put this book down. It was a real page turner. Everytime I thought I'd figured it out, I had not. Kept me guessing and thinking to whole time. A great story of survival and who can/can't be trusted when ones world is torn apart by extreme tragedy. I highly suggest this book.

This book had me from the beginning. I started reading it at night bc I like to read before bed. But, I stayed up until 2:00 am bc I was already interested in the book and finished it the next day. I really enjoyed the book and have recommended it to family and friends. If you are wondering if you should read it the answer is YES, especially if you like suspense/thrillers.

This book kept me interested, it would make a good movie or mini series adaptation. I didn't figure out how it was going to end and I usually do with other mystery books. It was twisty and kept me guessing. I recommend it!

So I don't read many books in this genre often but this one piqued my interest. The concept of following "final girls" from terrible events sounds so entertaining. Unfortunately for me this just wasn't. I was kind of bored with the story and spent most of it waiting for something to happen. I saw this under horror and thriller a lot so I was waiting for it to take that turn and it never really did. Plus I had no feelings toward the main character. She wasn't likable but wasn't an unlikable character that you still enjoy reading. She was just sort of there. I did enjoy the flashbacks to her tragic event but I really wanted this to be more.

I really, really wanted to love this book… but I just didn’t. The premise of this book is interesting (“Final girl” survives a horror-movie-style massacre… and then goes on living her life). It incorporates horror movie tropes and stereotypes in a way that was interesting at times, but other times felt too over the top. Where there were opportunities to take those tropes and put an interesting spin on it, things just didn’t come together for me. ?

All of that being said, the story did suck me in! I did read it through this in just a few days, despite my mixed feelings. This is definitely an easy read, and if you’re a fan of the horror/thriller genre, check it out. Just maybe don’t add it to the top of your list.

I hadn't heard of this book before it was gifted to me. What a gift. For two days I was glued to the words on the pages, trying to figure out what was going on, what was that forgotten story. And then I was brought to heel with how it ended. Never did I see that coming. My only criticism was critics comparing it to Gone Girl. This was far superior and far more intriguing.