“Fancy some virtual reality total emersion healing? Zombies included free of charge….”

My kindle informed me that reading Mira Grant’s latest novella “The Final Girls” was going to cost me 135 minutes of my time, having read a few of Mira’s books in the past I was happy to reacquainting myself with her new release. I’m pleased to say it didn’t disappoint and was an highly efficient mix of horror, speculative and science fiction. This author is particularly effective when she mashes up horror with these other genres. Great examples are the “Newsflesh” series which begins with “Feed” (2010) which has news hungry and techy brilliant teens fighting it out after a zombie holocaust. Also very entertaining is the “Parasite” series, a complex blend of hard science and horror, in which a genetically engineered tapeworm eradicates illness, but the tapeworms soon get nasty and mankind is in serious pearl. Both these sequences are great examples of what Mira can do. However, her real name is Seanan McGuire, and this highly prolific author also writes urban fantasy under that name.

“Final Girls” has a whiff of both series mentioned above. Pulling in at just over 100 pages, it’s a good length for this compact and tight story which has a high technological drive. I also think it is a very assessable book for YA readers as this brisk read has no excess flab at all. Be prepared also for a VERY cool opening sequence. Two young women are being stalked by something nasty in a dark wood, imagine your innermost fears (scarecrows here…), and when death is just about to arrive….

END PROGRAM? You wake up….. Welcome to a new type of therapeutic healing that is based on total emersion therapy, which is pretty much the same as living in a computer game. However, waking up from this particular type of therapy means that what you have experienced feels real and remains with you beyond the dream. So whatever experience you had in the therapy also changed you because it is in many ways real. The whole story is set within the Webb Virtual Therapy Institute who have pioneered this new type of technology and are using it to help people with psychological, family and mental problems. Everything from arachnophobia to siblings who have hated each other since they were children. By having shared psychological experiences through the Virtual Therapy the company claim they can overcome all psychological problems.

This leads to the main thrust of the plot, science journalist Esther has arrived at the company to interview the lead scientist Dr Jennifer Webb and believes it to be a load of dangerous rubbish, this is partially to do with an issue from her past and previous scientific trails that failed. We soon realise that for Esther to truly write honestly about Virtual Therapy must experience it first hand. Dangerous stuff… As Dr Webb also has her own very dodgy agenda…. Throw in a few other curveballs and you have a very nippy little story which can easily be read in one sitting.

I really liked the way the plot manoeuvred between the real and the virtual world, the blurrings of it all, not to mention at various points you’re not entirely sure who is shafting who. The flip back to the teenage versions of the characters were also great, equally so an ending that will definitely make you smile. Through much of it the author successfully projects the virtual reality world as a type of computer game, the problem being someone is in charge of the computer code and it’s definitely not you. A very good read.

The Final Girls is being released by Subterranean Press towards the end of April and is well worth the £3.99 price tag for the kindle version. I really would avoid the £32 price being quoted on Amazon for the hardback though!

Thanks to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for providing a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

For those who don't know, Mira Grant is a pseudonym for the genius and brilliant Seanan McGuire who, over the past two years, has weaseled her way up to my top favorites list of authors. She's absolutely fantastic, and this shorty is just another shining example of how she can throw you into any situation and make you care about the characters and what's happening to them AND make you feel like the world she's creating is bigger than just the words on the page.

This one wasn't perfect by any means - the resolution seemed a little rushed, and the novella could have been another 20-30 pages long and felt more complete, but it was still a shiny little gem of a story.

Read it. :)

I would like to thank Subterranean Press, Mira Grant (Seanan Mcguire), and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Final Girls!

Esther Hoffman is a reporter who lost her father due to phony regression therapy, so she dedicates her life to debunking anything she sees as pseudo-science. Esther hears about Dr. Webb who created virtual reality technology to heal relationships, emotional trauma, and phobias by putting people in virtual horror movies and nightmares. As Esther tries the virtual reality technology there is something far worse going on in Dr. Webb's facility. A woman has broken into the facility to steal the technology behind the new virtual reality therapy.
Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) uses her unique writing style to her advantage. She is incredible with the written word. This book read like a Cadillac. The story line was smooth and crisp. The author paced the story to perfection, and the transitions were excellent. This novella will have you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. This novella is definitely a one sit read, so carve out some time in your day to read it. The ending was a little abrupt, but what an ending! That ending was epic! Needless to say, this novella packs a powerful punch!
I highly recommend this novella to anyone who likes horror and suspense books. I also recommend this book to anyone who likes Seanan McGuire's work!

5/5 stars!

Wow! What a cool, fun, smart little techno-thriller this is! Esther, a pop-science reporter, goes on assignment to investigate an experimental psychological treatment involving deeply immersive virtual reality technology. When Esther decides to go under the treatment as part of her story...let's just say some very real shit hits the virtual fan.

I'm new to exploring Mira Grant's (Feed) work but have read a little under her pseudonym, Seanan McGuire (Every Heart a Doorway). It's clear that she's very knowledgeable in her chosen genres. Largely, this novella borrows a lot of ideas from other sources, mixes in some original thoughts, and comes out the other side a very thoughtful story. I'm in a rare moment where I actually think I want this to be adapted to screen.

I think the book's length is perfect for adapting because there's very little that would need to be trimmed. It's a very tight story with no filler and a small, manageable cast of characters. There are tons of different influences at work here. There's a bit of corporate espionage ala Jurassic Park mixed with a sort of Cabin-in-the-Woods-meets-Lawnmower-Man vibe which creates a lot of action very quickly. There's a good amount of thriller/horror-like content with out actually being a horror story and some nice metaphor that wraps up the end pretty nicely.

If you're looking for a short but exciting read with a cool, techno-horror edge this is worth a shot. It's well worth the sum of its parts.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
As I've come to expect from Ms. Grant, a thoroughly good read. Perhaps a bit rushed: at times it felt like the outline for for a larger/longer piece. Taken for what it is, any reader familiar with the author's body of work won't be disappointed.

I got this novella through NetGalley to review. Previous to reading this I have read Grant’s Newsflesh series (loved it) and the first couple books in her Parasitology series (didn’t like it much). Grant is a pen name for Seanan McGuire who writes many urban fantasy series (October Daye, Incryptid, Velveteen vs.) which I absolutely adore. This was a well done novella. I enjoyed the concept but thought the ending felt a bit rushed.

This whole story explores the concept of what would happen if you could fix social/mental disorders you suffer from by working through VR nightmares. Supposedly fear is a strong motivator and could potentially be used to change your most basic reactions to people and/or life situations. Of course Dr. Webb wants to use this for good to help people. However, Esther is a skeptic that is out to prove the Dr. Webb is full of it.

When Esther agrees to try the therapy out to debunk it, things go horribly wrong. As you might imagine there are a lot of thriller/horror aspects to this story. Things get quite gory and creepy at times. Despite this I never felt super scared reading this...just kind of creeped out.

I felt like this novella didn’t quite reach its full potential. You are talking about dealing in nightmares here and IMHO things never get all that nightmarish. I just feel like that part of the story could have been a bit more creative and engaging. I however, did really enjoy the idea of using nightmares as therapy and thought that was interesting.

I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed. I would have liked to see in more detail (just another little chapter or something) how things played out between Dr. Webb and Esther. All that being said this was a good novella that makes you think while delivering a thrill.

Overall this was a good novella. I think it had potential to be a great novella but it didn’t quite make it for me. Some of the concepts were really interesting and I liked the main characters. I thought some aspects could have been more creative and the ending was a bit rushed. I would recommend for Mira Grant fans and for horror fans.

The first stand-alone stort-story / novella I've read by Mira Grant (all the others have been in her Newsflesh universe), and it reminded me why I prefer longer novels in order to flesh out the universe more. I loved the premise of the story (revisiting problems via dreams and augmented reality), but thought the writing could have been better. The suspenseful part of the story wasn't nearly as powerful as it would have been, if you'd gotten to know the characters better, and I missed some sort of proper resolution / explanation at the end.

Still, Mira Grant always writes stories worth reading, and despite my small complaints I did enjoy the book and am as always eager to read more from her hand.

This novella by Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire is a fast and thrilling read. The plot is unusual and interesting and the end is fitting. That being said, it is definitely for fans of Science Fiction-recommended for library collections with a strong demand for the genre.

A great genre-busting novella: sci-fi, horror, psychology, meditation on female friendship, and even a bit of corporate espionage. I quite loved this, and it's just the right length for the story it tells.

I was going to say that I'm interested in reading more from Mira Grant, but apparently I already have -- I didn't realize that she also publishes as Seanan McGuire. If all her work as Grant is as good as this, I'm bound to love it.

Esther has an assignment to write an expose on what she's sure is another form of crank therapy bound to cause more harm than good. She's set to actually experience this technology for herself, but it comes with an awful lot of safety waivers.

Dr. Jennifer Webb is the creator of the therapy. She knows she has a groundbreaking technology on her hands, she just needs to convince the perfect skeptic to advocate for her. It's a gamble, but one she's willing to take.

The technology deposits patients into a chemically enhanced virtual reality, putting them in the middle of their very own horror movie nightmare.

The novella takes virtual reality into interesting territory, blurring the lines of real and invented. Like many great pieces of classic science fiction, we're left with the reminder that any tool or technology may be used for purposes far different than intended.

Grant/McGuire always constructs characters that are compelling and easy to care about, and this story is certainly no different. One to pick up.

What fun this was! I'm a huge fan of Mira Grant's work, and this was no exception. Give this a read--you won't regret it. It was fascinating the whole way through! Great idea, too.

I've been a fan of Ms Grant's work since I stumbled over Feed in an airport bookstore many years ago. With each new series she continues to impress more and more. But when it comes to her sort works I look forward to them even more and Final Girls doesn't disappoint. Tight focused plotting and twists that you don't see coming all in just 112 pages. The print edition may be a little pricey for some coming from Subterranean Press but it's worth every penny.

Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.

My first thought on reading "Final Girls" was that this would make a fantastic horror movie. "Final Girls" follows a journalist named Esther as she investigates a controversial virtual reality treatment for psychological and relationship issues. I don't want to give too many details because I think that the story is best experienced without knowing what to expect, but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it's based on a great concept.

One additional note, it's refreshing to read a story (especially a horror story like this one), where all of the principle characters are female. For such a short book there was some really good character work and the pacing was quick without feeling rushed. This was another great Mira Grant novella.

I am not certain what to think about this at all. It seemed like two different stories that had similar elements and could be combined, so they were, but when it came to wrapping it up and coming to a conclusion, it was too muddled. I don't usually mind open-ended or some things being unanswered, but in this case it felt like a bit more back story as to one critical plot element would have been well-served. And there were hints that this machine didn't work, it had flaws, so what about the sisters? Were the effects of their "therapy" real?
Overall, I think this just ended up too messy and muddled - strongly post-modern, but sadly in a not-so-good way.

Final Girls by Mira Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another win for Mira Grant (Seanan Mcguire). :)

This is a short psychological technothriller involving virtual reality, psychological therapy, and a bit of industrial espionage.... but if you're REALLY worried that you'll be missing out on a few nom-nom moments, don't be. This has everything we've ever wanted in a book from the horror/SF queen.

The real joy comes from both the characters and the cool explanation of how to use dreams and virtual reality together to build helpful, if fake, memories and establish a better foundation for one's psyche.

Were you scarred by something in your childhood? Missing fundamental connections with your loved ones? Perhaps just need to take care of a few phobias? No problem. Introducing scripted dreams/memories. :)

Of course things go to hell.

And that's what we love so much about these books, right?

Most interestingly, however, is the focus on FRIENDSHIP in this novella. It's pretty damn awesome.

I'd say go run out and buy a copy, but it's at a whopping $40 at the moment! Still, it's worth it. :) Assuming you're not using Netgalley! Hi, Netgalley!

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this cool ARC! :)

Really enjoyed this. A great idea and beautifully written. Could it have been better as a short story? Well, probably. But I always think stories should be shorter. Still very good though.

The first thing that struck me about this story, was the lyrical wording. It was a pleasure to read just from that perspective. Combined with the beautiful writing and the plot which is intriguing given its length the story brings up questions that we are, or should be, asking. What does the future ethics of virtual reality look like? This story takes these questions, spins a fascinating two level plot, and writes it in gorgeous language. Did I also mention the cast of all incredibly awesome female characters? This makes for a very interesting, short, read and I would encourage anyone who enjoys horror, is interested in psychology and ethics, or virtual reality to pick this up.

esther hoffman is a skeptical journalist who's doing a piece on a new controversial, but so far proven effective, form of therapy. essentially, it's an adapted regression therapy, where patients face horror-movie scenarios in order to overcome a significant event, or to change something in their personalities. dr. webb, the creator of the method, invites her to try it out for herself so she can see it's really effective. and it does work, in a way. esther is definitely affected.

i've read another piece by mira grant before, rolling in the deep, and this one reminded me a lot of it: compelling characters, a plausible story that morphs into unimaginable horrors, and fantastic writing. there's a tale of female friendship woven into the science and the deaths in this one that definitely made it stand out. although it's very short, the conection shown between the characters was entirely believable and well-constructed.

this one was particularly interesting to me because i'm a psych major, and i was surprised because the way dr. webb described her procedures was completely realistic, albeit it would not stand in a contemporary setting, because it completely disregards some notions that have become common even in the most behaviour-centric forms of therapy.

and also this would just never happen because it's way too risky and the horror-story scenario formed here would definitely happen lol

but STILL. this was ridiculously entertaining and i read it in one sitting, which is definitely a rare occurrence to me now that i'm a working woman. definitely recommend that y'all check this one out, even if you're not usually into horror (like moi!), because it's super quick and interesting.

E se la nuova frontiera della psicoterapia fosse l'horror?

Se immergersi, con l'aiuto di un mix di farmaci e sotto rigoroso monitoraggio medico, in uno scenario accuratamente costruito utilizzando tutti i topoi del genere risanasse traumi, cancellasse fobie, ricucisse conflitti, cambiando attraverso l'esperienza (simulata, ma non per il corpo - e il corpo influenza la mente) quello che siamo, ma in modo sottile, senza modificare la nostra personalità?

E se nel mezzo di una sessione l'orrore si scatenasse davvero nella clinica, e il sogno indotto diventasse davvero una corsa contro la morte per puro, semplice spavento?

Una novella che è un brillante mix di fantascienza e horror, e che con uno stile coinvolgente e brillante, personaggi credibili e un utilizzo geniale dei topoi del genere costruisce una storia che toglie il fiato, chiusa da un finale sorprendente.

man, i'm so glad i didn't have to spend 40 bucks on this. not because i would have regretted the purchase if i still had disposable income to toss madly at things i love, but because the relationship between "things i want" and "things i can afford to want" is uneven and the more money i can allocate for cat chemo and rent, the fewer my panic attacks will be. so, all gratitude to the services of netgalley for people who wish they were high rollers, but are not.

this is another win for mira grant.

i can see this sci-fi/horror novella being adapted into a better-than-average episode of <i>black mirror</i>. in fact, it reads like a mash-up of the <i>black mirror</i> episode "playtest," buffy, and the free tor short i just read by julianna baggott, [book:The Virtual Swallows of Hog Island|33647502], which you can read here: http://www.tor.com/2017/01/25/the-virtual-swallows-of-hog-island/.

it's about the union of technology and therapy, where clients are shot through with pharmacological goodies and delivered into a virtual reality landscape designed by technicians with backgrounds in theater or haunted house design, intended to force patients to face their fears in a safe environment to overcome phobias, or to go through a fear-based experience with a rival or enemy in the expectation that a shared emotionally-charged scenario will diminish animosity and heal their relationship. however, every "safe environment" can be twisted into dangertown in the wrong hands. and mira grant loves to be the puppeteer manipulating those hands.

it's too short to reveal too much, but know that it has all the things that make mira grant so damn good: science bits that seem plausible, characters facing horrifying adversaries, blood blood carnage, lines like <i>any word can be an insult if it's thrown hard enough from the window of a moving sneer,</i> and an ending that is satisfying, unexpected, and a little more emotionally complicated than most.

financially untroubled folks can show your support and spend your $$$ here:

http://subterraneanpress.com/final-girls

the rest of you can get it from netgalley for free until may.

either way, you should get on it.

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THANK YOU NETGALLEY!! review to come!

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*oooh, the cover is up now!! and there's an EXCERPT at that link! go read it!

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i am too freaking poor right now to be spending 40 bucks on a novella, but maybe one of y'all can grab a copy and tell me all about it:

http://subterraneanpress.com/store/product_detail/final_girls_preorder

i will be waiting.