I was so incredibly excited to get this book early for review. I absolutely love Riley Sager and typically devour everything he writes. This book didn't hold the same feeling for me as his previous books. I had a really hard time connecting with Charlie. Based on the synopsis I really thought the book would be more tense than it was for me. The story was great, but it's definitely not my favorite of his books. I did guess the plot twist really early into the book, but that happens to me on a lot of thrillers. Overall, it was a good story but just didn't feel like a Riley Sager book. I would recommend the story, but preface any recommendation by saying it's not like his other books. I would be more likely to recommend those before I recommended Survive the Night.

This was a four star book for me, but I removed a star for the predictability of the plot. I always deduct a star if I guess the plot less than halfway through.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Dutton for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This latest book from Riley Sager is definitely a return to his first two books (Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied), which I was really happy about. I'm not a fan of supernatural elements, so his last two books fell very flat for me. But in this book, we are back to the OMG-WTF-is-happening kind of thriller that Sager excels at.

I really enjoyed most of this book. The plot moves very quickly and I finished the book in 2 days because I was so invested in finding out what happens next. For most of the book, you're unsure which of the characters to trust, which I always like in a thriller. I was completely blindsided by the final twist in this book, but I did not buy the other "shock" moment that comes about 75% of the way through. As other reviewers have mentioned, the last quarter of the book is pretty chaotic and while I appreciated the twists, I didn't find all of them believeable/consistent with the first 3/4 of the book. I can't say more because I don't want to give anything away!

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Sager's first two books, or for anyone who is looking for a page-turner to read on vacation. This would be the perfect book to take to the beach or the lake and devour in a day.

It's infuriatingly stupid, but at least it was short. Netgalley expects me to write at least 100 characters for this review, but why should I expand more energy for a review than the author spent plotting the book?

I absolutely loved this book, as I have enjoyed all of Riley Sager's novels.
When I realized that most of the book was going to take place in a car, I worried it would be boring or get old quick. It didn't! Sager has a way with description that completely immerses me in the experience. Throughout Survive the Night there is a string of pop culture, movies and songs mostly, that felt like a warm blanket wrapping me up and submerging me further into the story.

I really enjoy the twists and turns nestled in each of his stories.

I've never read a Riley Sager book I've disliked. He manages to write perfectly paced books that keep me constantly on the edge of my seat and unable to put the book down. This was no different.

Riley Sager is one of my favorite authors. I have read and loved all of his books (with 3 out of his 4 published titles receiving 5/5 stars from me on Goodreads), but this one missed the mark. Unlike his other titles, Survive The Night never completely pulled me into the story. In addition, the ending just felt off - I can't really say more about that without spoiling anything though. Of course, since he is such a popular thriller/mystery author, I have no doubts that this book will be a bestseller once it is released in June. I am curious to see if other Sager superfans feel the same way after reading this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I hate to start like this but wow Survive The Night was an utter letdown, I have never read any of Riley Sager's other books and when I heard about I was instantly intrigued and dying to pick it up. Set early 90's two virtual strangers meet at a university rideshare bulletin board and decide to hit the road together, our driver is Josh Baxter and our passenger Charlie Jordan. Charlie is desperate to get back home to Ohio after her roommate and friend became the third victim of the Campus Killer. Once on the road, Charlie starts noticing a lot of unusual things about Josh including that he lied about where he was going and even his name leaving her to begin to think Josh might actually be the killer. I felt like everything until this part of the book was interesting and pretty good. Charlie can see movies in her head which can distort reality and having Josh gaslight and manipulate Charlie was brilliant. Once we hit the diner probably 40 or 50% off the way through it went from really great cat and mouse in the car to one stupid twist after another culminating in what might be one of the worst endings I have EVER read.

I previously read Home Before Dark by Riley Sager and very much enjoyed it.Survive the night had some pro's and cons for me.
Pros:
Twisty
Suspenseful
Atmospheric

Cons:
The protagonist was in her head a Lot.Way more than I enjoyed.I understand the need for introspection in a novel but when a character takes half a page to answer a question because they are thinking, it gets to be a bit much

The mind movies. If/when you read the book you will understand this reference. The movies were annoying.I was tired of them way before halfway through the book.

Overall,this was a decent read and I finished it quickly.The twists were well done and the suspense was on point.Without the cons I mentioned it would've been a 4 star instead of a 3.Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the eArc that allowed me to read and review this book.

If there is one lesson to take away from reading this book is that you don't take rides from strangers, and definitely do not stop at a diner in the middle of nowhere with said stranger with whom you suspect just might be a serial killer who killed your best friend. That's a recipe for a very bad car ride and in general very bad time,

Survive the Night is my first foray into a Riley Sager book after hearing many good things about his work, and this book was certainly an interesting read. This story centers around a young college student Charlie Jordan in the midst of dealing with the sudden murder of her best friend Maddy deciding she needs to leave campus immediately and get away. One problem - she doesn't drive and needs a ride to get her there. In comes Josh, a mysterious young man who is conveniently looking for someone to drive with him to Ohio - the same location Charlie wants to escape to. Naturally, she accepts his offer to give her a ride in exchange for her company on a long drive. One would assume things could be fine, but then again there is a serial killer at large who stalks the campus and has the moniker of the Campus Killer - Hm. Maybe not the best idea to accept a ride from a total stranger one would think.

This book puts you through all the hoops and keeps you guessing about what exactly is going on until the very end. There were points where I thought I had it all figured out and then suddenly I was thrown a curve ball and felt off kilter and even more confused, just as Charlie did during the whole ordeal.

I think the author did a pretty good job at building the suspense and keeping it interesting considering the setting of most of the novel taking place in a car with only two characters as the focus. The novel had a constant claustrophobic feeling with the uneasy back and forth with Charlie and Josh, and I felt like I was indeed stuck in that car just as Charlie was with all the anxiety of the situation at hand. I enjoyed the pace right up until the last 30% of the book and then I felt like things were moving very quickly and it threw the story out of wack for me personally. In saying that, I did not enjoy the ending as it all felt a little unrealistic and convoluted. The story took a 180 and not in a way that benefited the progression of the plot that had been unfolding and being told. I don't mind a twist ending, but this one just felt very much like the author was trying to shock readers with some cheap twists and turns that lacked proper build up and depth and just as quickly as it began it was just...over. Very clean and disappointing conclusion. It fell flat for me and ultimately lowered my overall enjoyment of the book as a whole.

All in all, this was an interesting read that kept me mostly engaged. I wouldn't say it was something wholly creative and new that I had never read in a novel before, but if you're a fan of a slow build up story with a heavy dose of twists and turns at any given moment then this book is for you! I personally was not a fan, but I could see others really digging this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinion.

While reading the first half of this book, I couldn’t help but think this plot has been done before. It takes place over the course of 1 night, the main character is a college student girl trying to make her way home during a snow storm and some of the setting takes place at a rest stop. I kept getting major No Exit vibes!

I would never downplay things like mental illness, but I felt like he used the main character’s depression as an excuse for her mistakes to cloud her judgement just to create a plot. That concept tends to pop up in a lot of books and can be overdone! It didn’t bother me here, but I wanted more from the aspect of creating “movies in her mind.”

I caught on to who the culprit was pretty quick, but the details leading up to the reveal and even after was shocking. It kept me intrigued the whole time! Overall, it was a well done thriller that tied up all loose ends which I can appreciate about this one.

Wow. I really, really enjoyed this book. Sager has an amazing ability to draw a reader in and make them think exactly what he wants them to think. I thought I had some things figured out, and then BAM! there's a blind curve, then I think well that's all, there can't be anything else surprising, and then BOOM! another twisty turn!

This book gives you characters that are larger than life, and yet oh so real. You get super creepy locations and unreliable situations. It's everything I need in a thriller. This was amazing, and I loved it!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Love a good Riley Sager thriller! This was a fast-paced ride (literally) in a car overnight with plenty of twists and turns. The screenplay and the "movies in her mind" concept made this a little strange and also Charlie is a semi-unreliable narrator due to her mental state following the murder of her roommate. Which of course, makes you wonder WHY she would accept a ride from a total stranger?? But beyond that point, if you just accept that she desperately needs to get home and it's the 90s so no one has cell phones, you'll be rooting for Charlie to survive the night!

Not my favorite Riley Sager novel, but I did find the premise intriguing. I feel like I should have related more to the main character, but for some reason I just didn't. I t got points for being set in the nineties and having a Nirvana song as a central plot point, but that's kind of it. Definitely not a waste of time though! Still entertaining.

Riley Sager is a genius. This is a riveting book that can be read on so many levels--first, as a genuine page-turner, with fascinating characters and a compelling story. (Reviews always say: "I couldn't turn the pages fast enough"--band in this case, that's absolutely true. I had to force myself to slow down to read every single word,)
But SURVIVE THE NIGHT is brilliant in so many other ways. The innovative structure. The deep understanding of classic films--not only their plots and characters, but the. classic story-telling elements they use to enchant and immerse us. I can't say much more without giving it all away, but this is not what it appears! And because I want you to have all the fun I did--so let me just say I have never read a book as hilariously brilliant and wise and knowledgeable as this, and when I finished, I truly started applauding.

I received an ARC copy of the book from #NetGalley.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. The premise was really good, but the chapters were way longer than they needed to be and full of filler. The main character was so unlikeable I was hoping she'd get killed by the middle of the second chapter. She pretty much spent the majority of the book whining about her life. I ended up skipping to the end, which was disappointing.

You know those books where you're rooting for the main character to be murdered the entire time only to be sadly disappointed? This is one of those books.

I just loved this book! The twists and turns don't stop coming. Riley Sager gets better and better with every title.. When Charlie accepts a ride home to Ohio from school, one evening, she has no idea of the roller coaster ride she's in for.! I don't want to spoil a thing, so much awaits the reader.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

Publish Date: June 28, 2021

I can’t say too much about this book without giving away a bunch of spoilers, but I will say I really enjoyed it! Often I find thrillers to be hit or miss, but Riley Sager knows how to write an atmospheric story with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way to the end! If you’re a thriller fan, you definitely won’t want to miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the review copy!

I am still trying to process what I just read! Set in the early 90's, Charlie is a college student who needs to get home. Luckily she meets Josh at the student ride board, and he offers to drive her. What ensues next is one heck of a car ride!! I got to about the halfway point thinking that this wasn't going to be my favorite Sager book, but boy was I wrong! Moe twists and turns that you can shake a stick at, and I'm still reeling from that ending. I'm pretty sure Mr. Sager set up that ending specifically for readers to.....well, you'll need to read it :). Easily my favorite from him!! Order this NOW!!!

*I was given a free ARC of this book by Penguin Group Dutton in exchange for an honest review*

Charlie’s best friend has been murdered and she needs to get home. There to drive is Josh, a relative stranger she met at her university. As they drive through the night, Charlie grows suspicious of Josh’s true intentions. Forced to confront the fact that she just might be in the car with her best friend’s killer, Charlie must fight to survive the night.

I’m convinced Riley Sager wrote this book by filling up a bucket with cliches and then writing in plot points for whichever ones he pulled out at random. This was predictable to the point of dullness. I like to think I have a healthy ability to suspend my disbelief but I fully fell off the ledge when we got to the point where an elderly woman weeks from dying of cancer pulled an unconscious adult man into the backseat of a car. The main character was incredibly dim and frustrating. She behaved so frustratingly, in fact, that I lost all compulsion to root for her. I had the final plot twist called chapters before it actually happened.

While I was under no illusion that this would be an inspired literary experience, I at least feel his other novels “Lock Every Door” and “Home Before Dark” managed to maintain their dramatic tension despite their flaws in believability. This one, however, fell completely flat. I think I am officially breaking up with Riley Sager.