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BOOK INFO
Title: Final Girls
Author: Riley Sager
Publisher: Dutton
Publish Date: July 11, 2017
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Series: na
My Rating: 4/5
BOOK BLURB
Ten years ago, six friends went on vacation. One made it out alive….
In that instant, college student Quincy Carpenter became a member of a very exclusive club—a group of survivors the press dubbed “The Final Girls”: Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who endured the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape the massacre at Pine Cottage. Despite the media’s attempts, the three girls have never met.
Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life. Her mind won’t let her recall the events of that night; the past is in the past…until the first Final Girl is found dead in her bathtub and the second Final Girl appears on Quincy’s doorstep.
Blowing through Quincy’s life like a hurricane, Sam seems intent on making her relive the trauma of her ordeal. When disturbing details about Lisa’s death emerge, Quincy desperately tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies while evading both the police and bloodthirsty reporters. Quincy knows that in order to survive she has to remember what really happened at Pine Cottage.
Because the only thing worse than being a Final Girl is being a dead one.

MY REVIEW
The Final Girls is a moniker used to label survivors of horror movie style attacks. While in college, Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with some friends. During their trip, the group was attacked and everyone was killed, except for Quincy. Being the lone survivor of the massacre made Quincy a Final Girl. There are only two other Final Girls, Lisa and Sam. Fast forward ten years… Quincy learns that Lisa, the first Final Girl, has died. Lisa’s death hits Quincy hard. Even though they had never met, the Final Girls have something in common that no one else can understand. Soon, Sam shows up on Quincy’s doorstep. As Sam inserts herself into Quincy’s life, she also pressures Quincy to remember the night of the attack. Quincy starts to realize that something is not right with her memories, Sam’s behavior, and Lisa’s death.
The story is told from Quincy’s point of view in the present day, but also contains flashbacks to the night she and her friends were attacked. Quincy had a very difficult time coping with the massacre, and between self-medicating and her desire to forget, she has managed to suppress her memories of the attack. A big part of the story deals with Lisa accepting her Final Girl status and remembering what happened.
Final Girls is a fun and exciting thriller. Unreliable characters. Twisty plot. Good for fans of thrillers who enjoy the final girl trope. Entertaining and suspenseful.
Books by Riley Sager:
- Final Girls
- The Last Time I Lied
- Lock Every Door
- Home Before Dark
- Survive the Night
- The House Across the Lake
- The Only One Left
- Middle of the Night
Typically, those who get attacked in horror style have broken the rules.
Yes! A classic part of the horror movies I used to watch. I enjoyed that it was used for a plot in a psychological thriller.
I’ve had this book on my shelf for awhile and now you’ve got me wanting to move this up! Great review, Darinda.
Thanks, Jonetta! It was one I had been wanting to read one for a long time too. Glad I finally got around to it. 😊
I still need to read this one, too! Happy you enjoyed it and loved your review, Darinda!
Thanks, Jennifer! Hope you enjoy it when you get the chance to read it.
Not sure if I wanna invest my time in another psychological thriller after being disappointed by a few 😞but this sounds intriguing!
It’s a genre I love, but the selection is definitely varied. This one kept my interest though. 😊
definitely worth checking out then! 😀
Terrific review!!!
Thank you!