Final Girls

by: Riley Sager
published: July 11, 2017
genre: Thriller, Mystery, Horror
352 Pages, E-Book
Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis

Ten years ago, Quincy Carpenter was the sole survivor of a brutal massacre at Pine Cottage, a secluded cabin in the Poconos. Her college roommate, Janelle, and four other friends were murdered in a single terrifying night, and somehow Quincy lived—but she has no memory of what happened. Her only recollection is running terrified into the arms of a police officer, who ultimately saved her life. Despite years of trying, the details of that night remain locked away in her mind.

Now, living in New York City with her public defender boyfriend, Jeff, and running a baking blog, Quincy seems to be doing okay—or at least pretending to. But when Lisa Milner, another “final girl” survivor like Quincy, is found dead of an apparent suicide, everything changes. Lisa’s death pulls Quincy back into the spotlight, and when Sam Boyd—the third final girl—shows up unannounced, things spiral quickly. Together, Quincy and Sam begin to dig into Lisa’s death and, inevitably, into Quincy’s own traumatic past. As buried memories begin to surface, the truth turns out to be far darker than either of them imagined.

My Final Thoughts

I usually enjoy Riley Sager’s novels, but Final Girls just didn’t do it for me. The plot felt strangely familiar—maybe I’d read it before I started tracking my books—but either way, it didn’t leave much of an impression. The story felt like it defied basic logic, and I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to buy into what was happening. I get that thrillers like this often rely on protagonists making questionable choices, but Quincy’s decisions were just too far-fetched. Who lets a complete stranger crash at their place with no questions asked—especially after surviving a massacre?

And then that same stranger convinces her to play Fight Club in the middle of the night? Come on. If people like Quincy really exist, it’s amazing we’re not all out here buying bridges from con artists. I genuinely wanted to like this book, but it felt like watching a cheesy ’80s slasher film—complete with bad CGI and too-bright fake blood. I’m not a fan of this one, but it won’t stop me from picking up more of Sager’s work. I know he’s capable of better.