A decade ago, Quincy Carpenter became a final girl, the sole survivor of a horror movie-esque massacre. Struggling to move past the title, Quincy is dragged back into the spotlight when one of her fellow final girls is found dead. Deemed “the first great thriller of 2017” by Stephen King, Riley Sager’s Final Girls is a suspenseful thrill ride that will have you guessing* until the very end.

*guessing wrong

ALL THE BLOOD. And all the drama. This one was a 2-sitting read for me, and the only reason I didn't finish it in one is because I was too freaked out to try to read any more of it in bed! It is classic slasher and the comparisons to Scream were perfect - if this were a film there would be crazy-dramatic music and you'd be yelling at the screen, "Do NOT go back in there! Are you CRAZY!?" all the while reveling in the delicious dramatic horror of it all. I was kept guessing almost up to almost the very end (I did have a few moments of wondering at the possibility of the real killer during the book) and can honestly say this is the first blood-soaked book I have enjoyed since high school (and that was almost 20 years ago). Not my typical read, but one I'm very glad I indulged in!

3.5/5 I read this as an ARC from NetGalley. I enjoyed most of this book. I had a hard time getting through the middle portion, I kept putting it down because it wasn't moving as fast as I would have hoped it would. Overall, I will recommend this to any patron that is looking for a murder mystery/thriller in the YA section of my library and I will be purchasing it for our collection. The idea of the story was interesting and the characters were mostly well developed. The twist at the end was great and I didn't really see it coming, which helped the star rating I gave this book.

Just the other day I came upon something that reminded me of the author, Todd Ritter. I loved his books and I noticed that he had not published anything lately. I knew that he was little known and as such his following was somewhat meh. However, I had met Todd Ritter and found him to be very personable and entertaining. I hoped the best for him. So when I discovered this, I sunk a little bit, hoping he was doing well.

Then, this book came up on my TBR pile. While reading the blurbs, I noticed the phrase "previously published author". Curiosity peaked, I looked them up. Surprise, surprise, it's Todd Ritter! I am so happy he's publishing again and I'm pretty sure his little known status is no more!

I read this book all in one sitting. A story of three girls who were the girls left by serial killers. Either left for dead, thought they were dead or they got away.

A title that no one wants, Quincy is the latest to receive it. She was involved in a massacre that took place in a camp cabin in the middle of the woods years before. She is now leading a "normal" life as a cooking blogger and engaged to her fiance, Jeff. She finds therapeutic satisfaction in the officer that found her and saved her, Coop.

When news that Lisa, another "Final Girl" who survived an attack on her college girls dorm commits suicide, Quincy is visited by the last "Final Girl", Samantha Boyd. Samantha was involved in the attacks by the "Sack Man" while working in a motel.

Samantha has been a curious one for the reporters. Her picture has never been shown, no one knows anything about her whereabouts, she's gone with the wind. Her sudden appearance at Quincy's doorstep adds a new element to this whole story. One where the real intrigue begins. And, where the person searching for the "Final Girls" comes hunting.

A story full of action, suspense and thrills, I found page-turning and mesmerizing. I read it all in one day because I could not put it down.

Kudos to the author for a job well done and your new, well deserved status!

Thanks to Penguin Group/Dutton and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Back in January, I spotlighted in a Top 5 Wednesday post that this book was one of my most highly anticipated reads for this year. There was a lot of hype surrounding it and that didn't seem to dissipate once it was finally released in July. I was super excited to receive an advanced copy and tried to dive into this one as quickly as I could; however, this did not turn into the thrilling, page-turner that I had believed it to be. I don't think that this is the book's fault, but rather a case of my expectations being a lot higher going into it. The story was ultimately an enjoyable read given the subject matter and would be a great place to start for those looking to get into the thriller or horror genres. It's dark, but not dark enough to turn off curious readers.

I'm not a huge horror fan much less horror films, so I was not familiar with the "final girl" archetype. This idea of the last girl standing still having to fight years later after surviving her ordeal was really intriguing to me. Quincy tries to present herself to family and the outside world as the perfect survivor despite having obvious internal conflict with her past. She's now a baking blogger and everything about her life appears "cute" and "sweet." She doesn't make a big deal about the massacre, largely because she can't remember what happened, and no one else around her brings it up. It's only when another final girl, Sam, comes knocking that Quincy begins to really confront what happened to her all those years ago as well as what it means to be the only survivor.

While the story is largely happening in the present, there are small flashbacks throughout that gradually reveal what happened that night to Quincy and her friends. I enjoyed reading these scenes, and interestingly, they aren't written to reflect Quincy's memory returning, but rather, as a true account of what happened. It was very subtle and gripping, which definitely helps to keep the story going because I had such a difficult time staying invested in the present situation. Everything began to drag and feel repetitive with so much unnecessary drama, especially for a character who had steered clear of such turmoil for so long. Surprisingly, in the end, there is more than one big reveal, but everything happens so fast that it wasn't exactly a satisfying or complete conclusion. I enjoyed all the red herrings and never saw the ending coming even if it was incredibly disappointing.

I think the atmosphere of this story lends itself greatly to being read in the fall as we get closer to Halloween. I have no doubt that this will be a book that many will lose themselves in, but in the end, it was just a good read for me. Nothing mind-blowing, but definitely worth the time.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and Riley Sager. It was a pleasure reading this book and providing a review!

This book was soooo good!!!! I couldn't put it down! Will definitely be buying copies for the store! Way to go!!!!

Wow-- I couldn't put this down from start to finish! Great story, intriguing characters; just when I though I knew what was happening, I was floored with something ELSE happening! I have three words…. READ THIS BOOK!!!

This will go live on my blog on Wednesday, kellyvision.wordpress.com

Quincy is the only survivor of a mass murder that left all her friends dead. The press dub her a "Final Girl," one of three survivors of somewhat similar mass murders (committed by different people and not connected). When one commits suicide (which, OF COURSE, turns out to be murder), the third finds Quincy. Safety in numbers, right?

As we know from horror movies, everyone is a suspect. And there are a LOT of potential suspects in Quincy's life (including Sam, who may or may not be the friend she claims to be). But there's also Quinn's boyfriend, a reporter, the cop who saved her life and may be a little too close...at this point, she should literally trust no one.

This book is incredibly fun, especially if you're into horror movies. It's also suspenseful, and I loved the "EVERYBODY'S A SUSPECT" feel, which is not unlike Scream.

This is a great vacation read--toss it in your tote and hit the beach! Recommended.

Final Girls attempts to turn the horror trope of the "final girl" - the blood-stained heroine who makes it out alive at the end of a slasher-horror flick - on it's head, with great success.

Our heroine, Quincy, is one of three "final girls" but is trying desperately to move on with her life. Between her baking blog and her fiance, she's making a good start. The police officer who saved her life contacts her to let her know that the first "final girl", Lisa, has been found dead in her home of a suicide. The other final girl, Sam, shows up at her apartment out of the blue, and the news hits that Lisa's death might not have been at her own hands.

For anyone who is a fan of the slasher horror genre, this book is a treat. As I was reading it reminded me so much of Scream that I could almost picture the scenes in my head. This book is not a wink-and-nudge commentary on the genre, though. It takes itself very seriously and, as a result, does a better job translating into a proper suspense-thriller than it might have had it attempted any level of camp. Watching Quincy's perfect facade crumble under the strain of Lisa's death and Sam's arrival was cringe-worthy, and I found myself shouting at her to just go back to baking! The flashbacks Sager used to fill us in on exactly what happened the night of the massacre Quincy survived were well executed and were a nice way to show, rather than tell, the reader about that night. Sager successfully juggles several red herrings that lead up to a twist that, I'm happy to report, I didn't see coming in the least. (Others have said they did correctly predict the ending, so perhaps I should have as well. I was just having so much fun I clearly wasn't paying close attention!)

This book is pure entertainment and a ton of fun. It's entirely suitable, though, for someone who stays away from horror but might want to dip their toes into something that will leave them up late at night with the lights on. :) (Does that classify a horror-lite?)

FINAL GIRLS Written by Riley Sager
July 2017; 342 Pages (Dutton, Penguin)
Genre: mystery, suspense, fiction

(I received an ARC from the Publisher via NETGALLEY)

Rating: 3 STARS

A decade earlier, Quincy Carpenter while on vacation with friends, survived a massacre and was the sole survivor. She joins two other girls with similar fates as the "Final Girls". Final Girls refers to the girl that survives in a horror film. They become big in the media and while they have so much in common they have not met in person.

Quincy who has not been able to remember the details of that night is now getting better. She has her own business, a fiancee and has a trusting friend in the cop who saved her. Just as her life seems to be settling down, Lisa, the first Final Girl is found dead. It is thought to be a suicide but the media is all over the cases again. Then Sam comes to Quincy and reveals things that may turn everything worse.

I could not wait to read this book since it was announced! I was so happy when the publishers approved my request. I wanted to wait till the book was coming out to read it, and I set aside time to read it in one sitting. I don't know if it was my high expectations or what but I was really disappointed with this novel. There wasn't too much suspense so I kept putting the book down and found it hard to pick it back up. I could not like or relate to Qunicy and felt no real tension. The ending was easier to figure out, and once I did reading the rest of the book seemed like a chore. I rated it a three because it was an unique idea, and Sager seems to have promise.

This was a clever, twisty thriller that kept me interested throughout. It was a bit slow to get off the ground, but picked up speed as it got closer to the end. The surprise twists didn't make me gasp, but I did find them surprising, mostly. What I didn't love was the writing- dialogue sometimes didn't ring true, and some traits (like the main character's need to chase her Xanax with grape soda) were mentioned so often as to be annoying.

Review: FINAL GIRLS by Riley Sager

Oh my! A somewhat tiptoeish start soon tossed me onto a runaway rollercoaster of thrills, terror, and mystery. In this environment, I couldn't be certain who was who, who was culpable of what, and who could be trusted, if anyone--including our protagonist, the woman who insists she is "normal" despite the past everybody remembers except her.

Quincy Carpenter, like two other young women earlier, survived a massacre of sorts: one at a sorority house (Lisa of Indiana), one at a motel (Samantha of Florida). Quincy was the sole survivor of a group of friends at a weekend retreat in a forest cottage in Pennsylvania. The press terms them "Final Girls," like the sole remaining heroine in B-grade horror movies. (I prefer the concept of "Last Man Standing," as in Westerns; surviving ought to imply some skill and strength of will, rather than simply be left alive because the killer died or was captured.)

FINAL GIRLS "blew me out of the water". After six decades of voracious reading of mysteries, thrillers, and horror, the author still managed to blindside me, and I truly "didn't see it coming." I can't wait to read this novel again.

First line: "The forest had claws and teeth."

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.

Highlights: Once you're hooked you can't put it down. It had lots of twists and turns and you'll never guess how it ends.

Lowlights: It really took me longer to get into then I thought it would.

FYI: Lots of graphic violence.

For a horror lover, this read was slightly off the mark for me. Let me explain.

I think Final Girls is a passable thriller. There is intrigue, introspective heroines, and a twist ending. A genre novel for the thriller category. Perhaps, that is why I didn't love it as much as I was hoping. What I expected from the title, and synopsis was a tale closer to the movie Cabin in the Woods. Namely, a parody that poked fun at one of the most well known slasher-movie tropes, while also honoring the horror genre. This is where Final Girls missed the mark for me. It didn't quite live up to this expectation.

That being said, there is still a lot to love here. Quincey, is a strong female protagonist, you cannot help but like - even as she gets dragged into the immorality of another Final Girl. The trio of Final Girls all have interesting and familiar back stories which were a small nod to the horror genre; sorority house, hotel serial killer, a cottage in the woods. I also felt these characters were for the most part multi-faceted. The mystery was decent, though again, I was hoping for a little more depth. I do commend the author for using a trope within a trope (think insane Asylums) to trick the reader, but I was still left thinking, "but where is the suspense?".

Ultimately, I suggest this is you want a fast thriller with some small nods to the horror genre. I think this is an appropriate read for those who don't typically read scary novels, as the actual gore and suspense is limited.

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.

It can be hard to find a thriller that offers a great story line, characters that bring the story to life, and twists that actually make the story super exciting. So I’m really happy that I came across Final Girls, because it had all of those elements plus more, making it a totally enjoyable book that I loved from the very first page.

Final Girls is like a horror movie – and a good one. It has an original plot that really draws the reader into the story, and yes, there are some gruesome details that those who love horror movies and books have come to enjoy. From the scary, thrilling moments to the everyday look into the main character’s life, there isn’t a single dull moment the entire way through the book – it really kept me on my toes and kept me guessing and interested, all the way to the very end.

The characters in the book are so real and full of personality, and all of their horror stories really add to the chilling atmosphere of the book. Quincy, Lisa, and Sam have all been through ordeals that no one should ever have to deal with – ordeals that they were the only survivors of, and they carry that around with them. While they never meet, despite the media trying to get them to for ages, things go south when Lisa ends up dead, and Sam decides to seek out Quincy to put a stop to everything that is going on.

Like I said, the creepy vibes that I got off this book make it a perfect summer thriller, and I think I’m adding it to my favorites list! If you like thrillers, don’t miss this one!

There are so many well thought out elements and details in Final Girls that makes it such a joy to read. I really found myself drawn to the characters the most, as this book really is a character driven novel that I honestly have to recommend to anyone who likes a good thriller .

Note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Final Girls was an incredibly engaging read. It had everything that I want in a mystery and psychological thriller. It had an atmosphere that pulled me in a creeped me out, a plot full of mystery and surprises, unreliable narrators and complex characters, and great ending that had me totally shocked.

So I commented prior to actually completing this review that perhaps I needed a Xanax and some grape soda before writing it. Well, I decided to skip that plan but definitely apologize to anyone who has already read this because you've probably grown really tired of that phrase since you heard it a thousand times in the book. At least that's how I feel. I went into "Final Girls" pumped and ready to find my next favorite horror writer. I mean come on, there's a blurb on the cover from Stephen King. Surely my favorite author wouldn't mislead me? Well, sorry Stephen, this is one book which can "float on" with Pennywise. I wanted to love "Final Girls" and thanks to all the hype and all the 5/5 reviews, I knew the book was packed full of excitement and twists and turns and I couldn't wait to see how it all panned out. The problem was, that promise set me up for failure. All the time I was reading I kept imagining where all the twists could lead and unfortunately, I think some of my scenarios interested me more than the reality of the book.

"Final Girls" tells the tale of Quincy Carpenter, a young woman who ten years ago escaped the massacre of her college pals while camping in a Pine Woods cottage. Riley has blacked out a lot of what happened, but was basically labeled a "final girl" by the media, along with Lisa and Sam, who also survived similar fates. And if you need help understanding the concept of a final girl, don't worry, the author explained it over and over again throughout the book. Riley lives with her public defender boyfriend and insists her life is going well, despite drinking too much and downing the previously mentioned Xanax and grape soda on a regular basis. Early on in the book, one of the other two girls, Lisa, is murdered, and the third elusive girl, Sam, literally shows up on Riley's sidewalk. What happens next is a train wreck which for me went on and on (and on and on), to determine what happened to Lisa and if Riley and Sam are the next intended casualties.

The main problem for me with the book is that I didn't connect with any of the characters. Riley was a mess which was made worse because she was always justifying she was okay. Sam is all over the place and I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her. Jeff, the boyfriend is unlikable and I don't know why he put up with Riley and vice versa - maybe they did deserve each other. Coop, Riley's savior cop had potential and at the end, I still probably liked him the best of all which is saying a lot. I think I would have liked Lisa but since we learn she died practically in chapter one, the reader never gets to know her very well. So see, not a great cast of characters. Also, the actual twist feel flat for me and I spent a lot of time wishing everyone would just die.

I don't mean for this review to come across so harsh. I know lots of people love this book and in the end, my expectations were probably just too much. I should know better than to allow the hype to suck me in. I wouldn't actually tell people not to read it. I mean, come on, this book is plastered everywhere so it's hard to ignore. However, if any of my comments seem like things that might prevent you from enjoying a book, do yourself a favor and borrow it from the library so you don't actually pay for it or perhaps skip it altogether. I might be interested in reading Sager's next effort, or since it's actually a pen name for an already established writer, maybe some of his past stuff. Right now, I'm just not sure.

WHAT!! Well holy $h!¥, this was so unexpected. This book kept me guessing until the very end. It is so messed up, I don't even know where to start. The characters are damaged yet compelling as in most psychological thrillers, but somehow, this novel managed to set itself apart.
I loved the writing style, I loved all the twists and turns, but most of all, I loved that the author was able to shock me with an ending I never saw it coming. It was brilliant!
Speaking of shocking, I thought this book was Riley Sager's debut. But it turned out that Riley Sager is a pseudo for Todd Ritter! Why chose a different gender pseudonym?

Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton! I was able to enjoy this ARC. I will certainly recommend it to my friends and library patrons!

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