Every time I read a new Riley Sager book I think to myself:

"Is this my new favorite of his?! Could this be even better than his last one?!?"

And I often answer "yes. why yes it could be." Every time.

(yes, I often talk to myself about these very important things... let's not judge now :)

So, let's just be honest and say they're all my faves and we'll just go with that. It's just too hard to pick at this point. And why should we have to anyways?!

They are always so wonderfully creepy and campy, and Survive the Night is a dark and seductive joyride of 90s nostalgia and pop culture movie references, with some seriously claustrophobic moments and fun 80s horror movie vibes.

Even though I saw the big twist coming, I still tightened my seatbelt and hung on to the 'oh shit' bar for dear life through all the sharp turns we are steered through. It was an eerie and bumpy ride in the most delicious of ways that quickly picks up steam from the very beginning, and doesn't hit the brakes until the very end, of this this fast-paced thrill of a story.

"Be smart. Be brave. Be careful."

Charlie Jordan, a college student at Olyphant University, was none of these things the night she accepted a ride share with a total stranger on November 19, 1981. Charlie, a distraught wreck after the murder of her roommate, Maddy, was desperate to get home to her beloved grandmother in Youngstown, Ohio. The handsome young man standing at the ride board as she put up her flyer seemed the answer. Although she doesn't know Josh Baxter, Charlie packs up her dorm room, says goodbye to her boyfriend, Robbie, and hops in the car. Soon, her suspicions and paranoia creep in and Charlie -- movie obsessed with a vivid imagination -- wonders if he could be the Campus Killer. No spoilers.

This was a very quick read but I had some issues with it right from the start. As the narrative continued, I was often confused as to what was really happening, what was the movie, and what was Charlie's fugue states. Sager tries a few of the usual twisty tricks, but the rising action and the denouement were quite a stretch for my believability scale. Perhaps you will have better luck relating to this protagonist and find it less predictable than I did. I've read all of Sager's previous books, but did not enjoy this as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Unfortunately, this Sager was not for me. I really enjoyed his first two novels and felt the three since those have been very flat.

I am a HUGE Sager fan, and that’s saying something because I don’t have many male authors on my shelf.

So what did I like about this book?

This book was cool in that it made me feel like I was watching a noir style film.

There was an unreliable narrator, and while I feel like that trope has been played out a lot, Sager is able to keep it fresh with a spin I haven’t seen before.

This thriller pulls you in from the first page and then keeps you hooked for the whole ride.

The novel was fast paced, but didn’t seem rushed, kept me guessing and I loved every second. I mean, I read it in a day.

If you’re looking for a thriller with twists and turns that makes you feel like you’ve been transported to a noir thriller film? I would definitely check this out!

4.5/5🥂

This is my third Sager book so far, and he really does manage to get me every time.

Lately, every time I read a thriller I guess at the killer really early on in the book, which takes some of the excitement out of it. But Sager always keeps me guessing until the end, which I appreciate.

It’s the early ‘90s and Charlie Jordan’s roommate and friend has been murdered by a serial killer. She just can’t stay at school anymore and is trying to find a ride back to her hometown. While putting up a flyer on a ride-share noticeboard she meets Josh, who’s heading her way. So they agree to split the gas and go together. But the more time they spend together in the car the more Charlie is convinced that Josh is actually the serial killer. There’s just one problem…Charlie isn’t sure what’s real and what she’s imagining any more.

A big chunk of the book takes place in the car, and I will admit I found it a little slow to get into at first. That could also have something to do with me not generally enjoying unreliable narrators and there is a lot of ‘is Charlie unreliable or isn’t she’ going on, to begin with.

Otherwise, once I got into the story I was completely hooked and basically binged it in a day. I did not see the two big main twists coming at all, which was delightful. The story is mostly told from Charlie’s point of view, but there are a couple of chapters thrown in to give you a little taste of what’s going through Josh’s mind too. At one point I was so wrapped up in the story, and at a very intense part of it, that I didn’t hear my husband come home. So, when he walked into the room I literally jumped, and maybe screamed a little. Don’t worry, my heart rate eventually returned to normal.

In short, if you’re a thriller-lover I definitely recommend you get your hands on this one!

This was one of summers most anticipated titles for me, and it pains me to say it really wasn’t for me. Riley Sager’s heroine in this outing is a college student whose best friend had been murdered by the Campus Killer, a serial killer who takes a tooth from each of his victims, of which there have been three so far. As killers go this seemed a wildly tame trophy to me, but hey, they’re easier to take than say, an arm.

At any rate, Charlie, our heroine, decides to take a leave from campus, gently letting down her hunk of a boyfriend, and leading him to believe they still will have a future. Sager sets his book in the early 90s before cell phones or ubers so Charlie ends up hitching a ride off a campus flyer. The driver is cute and charming and seems like a totally normal dude to drive through the night with to get to her Grandmothers house. Or is he? Before long Charlie begins to suspect this guy might be more than he says he is. The problem is, Charlie, as all unreliable narrators do, has stopped taking her prescription medicine and as a result has moments where she effectively zones out and sees her life playing out like a movie blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.

I’m not going to start to break down my issues with the book beyond one critical plot point I figured out which was a bummer. Additionally the story really didn’t take off until nearly the fifty percent mark leaving a fairly suspense-less suspense novel. I’m sure I’ll be in the minority here, and in this case I’m okay with that.
Thanks to Dutton Books for the advance copy.

Twists and turns and ups and downs make Riley Sager’s “Survive the Night” a roller coaster of a read! Charlie blames herself for her best friend Maddie’s murder by the “Campus Killer”. She is so wracked by guilt that she needs to get off campus and go back home. Not wanting to wait until Thanksgiving break, she accepts a ride from another student named Josh whom she has never met before. She tells her concerned boyfriend that she will check in by phone (payphone as this is the early 1990’s) when they stop on the road, and if things are not right, she will use a code phrase. Charlie starts doubting that Josh is who he says he is and her fear starts to build. The long, tense night thus begins when Charlie questions if she should have accepted this ride from a stranger. Could he be the “Campus Killer”? Will she be able to get help if she needs it? Is she strong and smart enough to take care of herself? Or is she just playing a “movie in her mind”?

Thank you to Penugin Group Dutton and Netgalley for the e-galley.

WOW!!! This is now my favorite Riley Sager book! I read a lot of thrillers and so it can be tough to surprise me. Even though I don’t try to look ahead, I often end up seeing where things are headed. That did not happen in Survive The Night AT ALL.

I am not saying anything about the plot because I didn’t know a single thing about the plot when I started. All you need to know is if you are going to read one thriller this summer, make it this one! And be sure to leave yourself time to read it in one shot because once you start, you won’t be able to put it down.

Thank you so much to Dutton and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

Survive the Night is the latest thriller from superstar author, Riley Sagar. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment compared to his previous books.

Even though the song, Stupid Girl by Garbage, didn’t come out until 5 years after the book’s time period of 1991, I couldn’t help but hear it buzzing around in my head while reading this novel. For Charlie really is a stupid girl. Mind-blowingly stupid. If you feel guilty that your college roommate died at the hands of a local serial killer, why, oh why, would you get in a car with a stranger? In 1991, before cellphones. Especially if you are obsessed with film noir and Hitchcock movies. Did you learn nothing from watching them?

I have watched most of the famous film noirs. They have a common theme. I guessed this theme would be the twist in the book less than 10% into the novel. Then I just waited it out until I could confirm my guess.

Even though I adored both of the previous books I’ve read by this author, Survive the Night failed on several levels for me. Charlie was such an idiot; I was actually rooting for the serial killer to off her. As I mentioned earlier, I guessed the twist ending early on in the book. However, I did enjoy the atmospheric, yet modern, setting of a car ride at night. A feeling of dread filled the novel. Still, this was a 3.5 star read for me—rounded up to 4 stars. But I am looking forward to the next quirky tale from this author.

Thanks to Dutton Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

OK- so this isn't my new FAVORITE Riley Sager book, but I still enjoyed a lot about it. The perfectly executed early 90's setting (and the pop culture references that allows), the stomach dropping moments of terror, the complicated character of Charlie. I thought the way that Charlie's mental health and the "movies in her mind" were handled made the story a little muddy at points, but that was kind of the point. Like all of Sager's books, this one was so cinematic and would lend itself so well to adapation.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Waffling between a 3-3.5 because to say 3.25 would sound to certifiably nit-picky to publically proclaim. In all fairness, I have increasingly enjoyed Sager's book with each new release, Home Before Dark my favorite so far, so my anticipation was high. I also read it in one sitting, so that's saying something; however, I think this was more do to the fact that (1) it was dizzifying and (2) I kept waiting for the grab me moment that never came. The story wasn't predictable, yet it was likewise unsurprising and I definitely didn't care much for the ending. One reviewer called the book gimmicky and I think that's a fair assessment. It's still rather readable though and I will, of course, continue to read every book that Riley Sager writes.

I feel really awful about this rating, because I love the fun lighthearted camp of Riley Sager’s horror-movie-style novels. They’re not satire, but they always read like a coy wink to a beloved film genre. But this installment feels like an after thought. The premise had me super excited, but I struggled throughout. I genuinely rolled my eyes at Charlie’s silly incoherent actions, and winced at every repetitive “movie in my mind” reference to hallucinations.
Better luck next time, in my opinion. Will keep reading Sager non-stop, regardless.

Have you ever read a book or watched a movie where someone woke up at the end and the entire story had been a dream? That’s how I felt about eight times in this book – granted not at the end – (I actually lost count, so eight might be completely wrong. I may have undershot).

Charlie isn’t dreaming though. She has movies in her mind and drifts out of reality as a means of coping with emotional events. There are so many times in this book I had to question whether something was really happening, only to find out it wasn’t, only to find out that the correction was actually the movie in her mind. My suggestion? Read this book in one sitting to avoid being as confused as I was! It’s definitely riveting and good enough to read in one sitting and I regret not doing just that.

Charlie’s roommate was murdered. The guilt weighs on her and she needs to escape campus. Taking a ride from a stranger ends up being the last thing she should have done. But is the person she thinks is dangerous the true danger? Or is it the person she leasts expects?
——————
TW: murder, stabbing, kidnapping, car accidents, suicide

OH MY GOD!!!!!!! I love Riley Sager and anything that he writes, but this book had my head absolutely swimming. Sager has a way of sucking you into his worlds and not letting you go. You are stuck until he says so. This book had me so tense yet so utterly confused for a good majority of the book. I can't say anything about the plotline in fear of giving anything away. You just have to read it... NOW. I think this one ranks as my top Sager book as well as a top read for the year. 5 BIG SHINING STARS!!! Thank you soooooo much, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early. AMAZING!

This is Sager's best thriller yet. The twists and turns are fresh, and the main character is eccentric and easily attached to the reader's emotions.

First and foremost I just want to say that I loved most of Riley Sagers books until Survive the night. I was looking forward to this book so much and was disappointed.
I do not want to say too much as it is best to not read too much of the synopsis as it gives awaysome of the storyline.
I spent most of the time sighing and eye rolling through this book as it was one trope after another and don’t get me started over the ending. You really have to suspend your belief with Survive the night.

Even though this book was a bust for me I will still read more from Riley Sager.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Ok, so I don’t think this was my favorite by Riley and I’m sad about that because there was so much in it that I loved. When a book starts off with “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” You know you have a kindred spirit with the author. There were so many old movie references in this story that I just loved! I can also say the premise of the story was good. There are some very good, very uncomfortable moments toward the end that were hard to read but in a GOOD way! The kind that make you know the author knows what they are doing and writing you a quality thriller.
Without giving anything away I’ll say that I really did enjoy the story. There were some parts that felt super repetitive to me and could have been left out. The ending was a little off for me. I think being such a fan of RS that I was just expecting that big revealing WOW moment and didn’t feel satisfied completely. Of course I still recommend this as a solid read and Sager will always be an auto buy author for me.

This entire story has a noir feel to it. It’s very visual, and it reads like an old, 1950’s classic movie, which happens to be the film genre the main character is obsessed with.

The action takes place over about six hours, and I DO think it’s a book you should read on a lazy Saturday or Sunday, so you don’t have to pause and pick it back up later. Sadly, I did NOT do this and wish that I had. Instead, I read it over a week and went long stretches between reading during the midpoint of the book, which killed some of the momentum. This was not Sager’s fault, since he’s such a master at building tension. No, I blame life and having to be an adult. But during the last third of the book, I dropped everything and HAD to finish.

There are only a handful of characters in this, yet somehow the book contains incredibly effective twists, turns and reveals. Only Sager can pull this kind of thing off, I swear.

I sort of figured some things out, but it didn’t matter -- the ending STILL blew me away. In fact, while this may not be my favorite Sager book (a spot still reserved for LOCK EVERY DOOR), it may very well be my favorite climax and ending to a Sager book. And honestly, it may be in the number two slot - which is saying a lot!

You don't want to miss this one! It comes out June 29th! Buy it, read it, love it!

Thank you Dutton for the ARC!

Riley’s baaaack!!! Honestly I was a bit worried after his last two but I have fomo and had to give it a chance. If I wasn’t so busy I would have read it in two days. The pacing was off though and perhaps it was me but it felt a little slow in the first 50% and then warp speed for the second half. After finishing im still not sure what the truth is. 😂 What’s a movie and what’s the truth?!? Loved the movie references and pit stops along the way. A solid summer wild ride.

this was a quick thriller that had me reading on to see how it would end! it wasn't my favorite book setting of his as i felt like the two people trapped in the car limited what could really happen throughout the story but overall it was a suspenseful read. unfortunately i guessed the plot twist before it game but the ending was one of the most realistic of Sager's which i appreciated! i can definitely see this being another summer thriller hit for Sager. job well done!