A locked room style mystery with a 90s vibe written in screenplay format that will have you playing it out as a movie in your mind.⁣
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Loved the screenplay format, the use of an unreliable narrator, the locked in a car with no place to run setting & of course the 90s vibe gave me all the feels - the tape deck, the music, the public pay phone requiring actual change (𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘱!). This would make for an awesome movie - I’d be all in to watch! Yet, I didn’t feel as enamored with the book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, I was entertained, I finished it quickly - I just didn’t love it. Mostly, I felt like I was waiting for something more.⁣
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I’m a huge Sager fan and my summers have become synonymous with reading his latest release so trust me, I wanted to love this book more. I just felt the twists were predictable (𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦) and I didn’t get that 𝘞𝘖𝘞 moment that I have come to love and expect from a Sager thriller. Still, if your a Sager fan this is definitely a fun, light thriller with a great cinematic nod.

After her roommate is killed by the Campus Killer, Charlie feels she needs to flee school for home and stay there, for good. She is so desperate to get home that she gets into the car with this complete stranger, who seems nice enough at first, but it doesn’t take long for her to grow suspicious of him. After unraveling a few of his lies, she knows she can no longer stay in this car with him and begins plotting her escape.

I loved this one! I was captivated from the beginning and felt that pull to keep reading to find out how it all goes down. Charlie’s decisions were infuriating and I spent most of the book screaming at her in my head, but I’m pretty sure that’s what Sager intended for us. I 100% did not see that ending coming - I obviously won’t tell you what it is but just know that I LOVED IT. If nothing else, this book is worth the read just for that! Bravo!

#SurvivetheNight #NetGalley
I thought I had this one solved, but then I was thrown for a loop, Hell Yes! Thank you to the author for giving a book that was different and hard to figure out! I loved the movie time out's that Charlie has and it just added to the unreliable storytelling of the main character. A must read!

With this being my first ever Sager, I was nervous and excited! I had high hopes for this story.

What I liked:

The short chapters and propulsive plot kept me turning pages with fervour. I really enjoyed the pacing, the twists and turns, and the reveals throughout. I predicted the final reveal, but it didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the story.

What I didn’t like:

Wow - have you ever met a character that made the exact opposite choices that you yourself would make? I have, and her name is Charlie. Yikes - I was so frustrated with her choices & logic, and it took me out of the story more than once. I guess we can blame it on the innocence of the 1990s?

The ending. I just felt like it was forced. Lest I reveal anything, I will just keep it at that. The entire last part of the book just did not work for me, and the last paragraph had me rolling my eyes so hard I saw my brain.

Will I read another Riley Sager? ABSOLUTELY! I really liked his writing. Like a lot. And this pleasantly surprised me a lot.

Awesome thriller. My favorite Sager so far. This author keep improving in every book. The story is good, the pace is amazing, a true page turner. I highly recommend it!

Disappointed that this was not as good as the last one. I keep reading this author wanting every book to live up to The Last Time I Lied and then never do. Home Before Dark came pretty dang close so I was hoping this one would build on that momentum but that doesn't seem to be how it's working. This felt flat to me.

Marvelously thrilling and fun. All of Sager’s books are cinematic to me but this one feels it the most. Loved all the references and callbacks to classic films.

I read this baby in two sittings because I really wanted to know what the heck was going on and also because I find Sager’s writing to be really addictive and it just clicks with my soul. The late night drive on the highway with a stranger as a backdrop in the 90’s was creepy but yet so perfect, and the story was super twisty and full of surprises. There were some really slow parts that I feel that the reader could do without but then there were some really good parts too but what book is perfect right? Regardless, it was an entertaining read and one that I will tell everyone to read!! I look forward to more of Sager’s work :)

Rating: 3.5
I definitely had a good time reading/listening to this book. I usually enjoy Riley Sager's books (some more then others) but they are always pretty solid thrillers. Even though I figured out the twist SUPER early on I still enjoyed the ride. I think towards the end when a big twist was revealed that it lost me and I wasn't going to end up enjoying this but I was satisfied with the ending. Even with the typical thriller tropes like an unreliable narrator- it was still a different take which I appreciated and made for a better mystery. It was a quick read and kept my attention. Recommend if you enjoyed Riley Sager's other books.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm just not sure what to write about this book. Having read all of Riley Sager's previous books, I was all set for a good story - but I just kept finding things in this book that didn't sit with me. So the main character, Charlie, is leaving college because her best friend was murdered by a serial killer, aptly named "The Campus Killer", and Charlie feels guilty for leaving her friend at a party alone. So of course she does the only sensible thing and hitches a ride with a total stranger. Better yet, her boyfriend, Robbie, drops her off at the spot she is supposed to meet her ride, and doesn't even hang around to meet the guy who is giving his girlfriend a ride. He just leaves. Then there is the fact that Charlie escapes her reality sometimes by playing "movies" in her mind. So there are scenes that your reading and thinking are real, and then you find out it's all just a movie in Charlie's mind. Kinda annoying. Throw in a couple of unbelievable things that happen - for example, Charlie gets the opportunity to escape from the guy who is giving her a ride, whom she believes is the campus killer, but does she? Nah. She gets back in the car with him. I did feel like I wanted to finish the story to see what happened, but I have to say this was a disappointing read for me. Seemed like it just kept getting more and more unrealistic. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

My most anticipated book of the year did not let me down! Sager does it again! You won't be able to put this one down once you pick it up. Tons of twists that I did not see coming. Sager is an auto buy author for me and I can't wait to see what else he publishes in the coming years.

I adore all of Riley Sager's books, but WOW! Survive the Night is absolutely my new favorite of his. Sager is an author whose books just get better each time.

I’ve been a fan of Sager’s work and was really looking forward to this book. It’s got a great premise and I really like md the character Charlie. While I initially had fun with the novel, so much of it was predictable. I’m looking forward to reading more from Sager.

This was the first book I've read from Riley Sager. From the beginning, I loved the setting. Back in the nineties, where people could not use mobile phones, listened to Nirvana and could not google the person next to them. On the other hand, nowadays, we've become pretty much transparent to the rest of the world.
Together with a potential killer that could have killed your best friend would be the worst situation ever. It sounds like a horror movie and if this situation is not bad enough, Charlie suffers from sudden movie -like sequences when her consciousness says goodbye. What is real, what is only in Charlie's mind? The reader can't say it clearly and neither can Charlie.

I liked the way how Sager wrote this story, I felt well-entertained. When you've read more than half of the book, there are some exciting plot twists coming and the whole story moves on very fast. Also, I was happy that the male author has chosen a female heroine who is tough and not waiting for the knight in white armor to save her. From a feminist point of view, I was also happy.

I would recommend it to readers who love fast-paced thrillers with psychological horror. Indeed this could be one of my book highlights for 2021.

What a ride. Literally. I loved it. My first Sager, definitely not my last. Every choice feels so intentional and the twists are so good.

Another winner from Riley Sager in Survive the Night. This one has twists and turns and and ending that will have you wanting to read the book all over again to read from another perspective! Or at least I did :-)

Thank you to Riley Sager, Dutton Books, and NetGalley for this E-ARC!

Charlie needs to leave campus, no, not in ten days when Thanksgiving break happens, but now. She is tired of living with the ghost of her murdered roommate and best friend and the guilt that it was her fault. Enter Josh, a young man looking to get home and split the cost of gas with someone. As Charlie climbs into the car, she begins to wonder exactly who she's driving with. She's willing to bet against her hallucinations that he's the Campus Killer, the very same one who murdered her best friend. Charlie goes from fear to determination as she takes on the killer in a game of wits and speed. After all, only one of them needs to survive the night to tell the tale.

This book blew me away! Like read in less in 24 hours blew me away. Apparently as I inch closer to 30 my reading tastes have gone the way of the murder-y thrillers. I found this story impossible to put down. I loved the format of the story, the film script lent itself to creating a fast paced plot and also reminding you were you were in their world. It also makes much more sense at the end.

Charlie's unreliable narration was a gift and delight. The way she second guessed herself felt real, as real as anyone second guessing their memories when accompanied with mental unease. The classic movie references were enjoyable and added detail to every scene. I did not see the ending coming until the very last moment, which is exactly how I like it. It's much more fun when you keep guessing.

Pros: Unreliable narrator, fast paced, plot twists and turns, fantastic formatting, character you immediately want to sink your teeth into, and an ending to die for.

Cons: potentially unbelievable motive for our serial killer (depends on your thoughts, I think it worked but could've worked just a smidge better).

9/10 would recommend for fans of fast paced thrillers, unreliable narrators, classic film references, and putting your grief to use.

Taking place in a total of 6 hours, this book is very interesting and the pacing moves quickly. While the ending may upset some, the writing and characters and well written.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest opinion.

This read like a nail-biting screenplay more than a novel, but I didn’t hate it. I didn’t enjoy the writing as much as Sanger’s previous novels but it kept me reading. 3.5 stars.

I am a big Riley Sager fan, but this was not my favorite of his. I did not love the mental health aspect making the narrator unreliable. I thought the end was too unbelievable. I will continue supporting Sager and reading his books as they come out, but this was not what I was hoping it would be! I still would recommend it to those who like thrillers that take place in 24 hours.