Book Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager

4 ⭐️’s from me!

Goodreads Summary: “Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and, with that, one another. Despite the media’s attempts, they never meet.

Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.

That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy’s doorstep. Blowing through Quincy’s life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa’s death come to light, Quincy’s life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.”

My Review:

If you are looking for a book to get wrapped up in this summer – this is it! I finished this one in less than 24 hours…

Quincy has survived a horrific ordeal, but her memory of the events is hazy at best. She has done her best to move on from her past but new events threaten to disturb the balance she has created.

This book throws plenty of curve balls – and I definitely found myself thinking “No, please, No!” and “It can’t be them…can it?” on more than one occasion. I was well and truly hooked way past by bedtime – it reminded me of when I used to secretly read under the covers with a flashlight as a child because my book was just soooo good. Sleep doesn’t matter right?

Amongst all the mystery and thrilling events, Sager asks us what does it mean to be normal? And are we somehow bonded by our similar sufferings – how far will that bond go? Quincy is so real and authentic you are right there with her as she confronts her past – invested in her survival. It is no wonder all my book loving friends are recommending this read. Take our advice!