Book Review: "Final Girls" by Riley Sager
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ - 4 out of 5 stars
Format: Ebook borrowed from Libby, read on Kindle Paperwhite
What's your favorite scary movie? If that question is coming from an anonymous phone call, immediately hang up and prepare for your death scene. However, since this is a harmless book blog, feel free to answer in the comments. Mine is "Scream 4", and no, I will not elaborate or accept any criticism at this time. :)
What to Know About "Final Girls" by Riley Sager
The Quick & Dirty Reading Details
Psychological Thriller
Slasher Flick / Scream Queen / B-Horror Vibes
Final Girl Trope
Feminist Undertones
Flashbacks
The Plot of Riley Sager's "Final Girls"
The psychological thriller follows protagonist Quincy as she traverses life years after a brutal massacre that took the lives of her closest college friends, leaving her the sole survivor. Deemed the "final girls" by the press and embraced by online crime sleuths, her world starts to unravel after another survivor in the exclusive – and infamous – club is found dead and the only other member shows up unexpectedly at her New York apartment. From there, Quincy struggles to figure out the truth of what's happening to the final girls in the present and what actually happened to her friends in the past.
"Final Girls" Book Review
My Thoughts
If you, like me, love a slasher movie or b-horror flick, then prepare to welcome Riley Sager's "Final Girls" with open arms. The author creates an unique concept that caught my attention immediately, playing with the life-after time period for our much beloved scream queens. Yet, he takes what appears as surface level horror and dives into many other overlooked – but relevant – topics, including our culture's obsession with celebrity and the macabre as well as the erasure of perceived humanity in both areas.
Sager also relies heavily on flashbacks. Personally, I'm not usually a big fan of any type of time jump. Time travel is an instant "no" for me, but flashbacks are a literary device that I will accept in certain situations. In "Final Girls", Sager does an excellent job using the technique to build tension and intrigue, offering incredible value to the plot.
My biggest challenge when reading this psychological thriller was the pace during the first half of the book – the only reason for me giving four stars and not five. It's a slow build that focuses on growing characters and giving important background information. While some scenes could've been erased or provided in a TL:DR moment, many of them are essential to the plot and overall reader journey. Yet, the trudge along did risk losing my attention all together.
Any struggle I experienced in the first half was quickly made up for in the second. The pace quickly ramps up later in the novel and completely grabbed my attention, so much so that by the time I made it to the climax, I didn't want to put the book down.
The final conflict in “Final Girls” was both surprising and satisfying. No spoilers, but I LOVED the author's twist on the stereotypical "nice guy" trope that was forced down my generation' s throats for most of the 90s and 00s. Such feminist undertones reinforced my high rating of the novel and Sager's plot.
Would I Recommend: Absolutely
Would I Re-Read: No
Follow My Book Blog
Like what you see (or read)? Then come be my friend! I'd love to create a community of like-minded readers who love murder mysteries, thrillers, and horror, especially with sapphic characters.
Follow my book blog:
🖤 Thanks -Tiff