We all wonder what happens to the Final Girl when the bad guy is vanquished, the dead are collected, and the credits start rolling. For far too long the idea is that Final Girls go on to lead perfectly normal lives despites some pesky night terrors and a smidge of hypervigilance. The Final Girl Support Group breathed some reality into what happens when the popcorn has been eaten and the man in the mask is relegated to screen fantasy. Filled with characters who feel raw, so real, and achingly poetic writing, and a mystery that will keep you glued to the pages, The Final Girl Support Group needs to be at the top of your list.

I grew up on the slasher flicks of the 90s and early 00s. I never realized until quite recently the last girl standing was known as a "Final Girl." After reading Riley Sager's book "Final Girls," I started seeing a lot of buzz about The Final Girl Support Group, and my interest was piqued.

I loved this unique take. Real-life final girls from horrible events meet weekly in a support group to help them cope and put their lives back together. Until it appears someone is targeting them all one by one.

The entire story had me mesmerized. You never quite think about what happens to the girls that are faced with the unthinkable, and Grady Hendrix had me really thinking about what their lives would be like now. It kept me on the edge of my seat, the characters were all very distinct and interesting, and as a whole, it was a fun book to read.

Time to check out The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires now!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've never been disappointed by a Grady Hendrix novel and The Final Girl Support Group continues his streak of outstanding horror work.

Packed full of little references for horror movie fans, Hendrix pulls reality and fiction together to craft a story that blends some of the greatest horror films with his unique storytelling. It's like Scream and Behind The Mask had a literary baby.

While certainly a twist filled, action packed, horror homage, it's not without a few early pacing problems. It can be hard to keep up with at first as the story races through a lot of setup that I wished had just stopped to take a breath. There's so many nods to real horror films and subtle character references that one can feel overwhelmed.

The novel does slow down around the halfway mark so you get a chance to make a better connection with the characters, which only enhances the strange twists the tale has in store.

It's rare that I'll read anything more than once since there's always a to be read pile waiting for me, but I can't wait to jump back into this one again and search out all the little details I may have missed.

I love Grady Hendrix, but this book read like a really good idea that just didn’t get to cook all the way. It has a lot of the classic Hendrix elements that I love like female camaraderie, dark humor, and nods to classic horror tropes, but the plot just felt kind of disjointed to me. It’s definitely worth a read if you’re already a Hendrix fan; but if this is you’re first time reading him, I recommend picking up Horrorstör or My Best Friend’s Exorcism instead.

What happens to all those girls who survive axe murderers? You know, the ones who are left standing when the credits roll for a slasher flick. As you can imagine, the experience makes an impact, and that's where the Final Girl Support Group comes in. Lynette survived the Santa Claus Killer over 20 years ago. She's a recluse, hesitating to venture outside her apartment except to attend a monthly session with five other final women who survived their own killers. But when another final girl is killed, a gunfight happens at Lynette's apartment, and Lynette finds out someone has written a book about the final girls' secrets, she's on the run.

This is a fun thriller, and I imagine horror movie fans will especially delight in catching references to their favorite films. I'm in no way a slasher movie devotee (can't stand horror movies at all) but I still liked some elements of this, especially Lynette's moral ambiguity. This one seemed a little lighter to me in spirit despite plenty of gore and twists.

I had hoped for more of an exploration with the prurient fascination we have for female victims of violence—particularly white young ones. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires more with me, particularly because of the clear commentary on how the real villain is patriarchy and not vampires. Nevertheless, a fun, horror-inspired thriller.

This was my first, but definitely not my last Hendrix book. I sort of put it on the back burner, nit knowing what to expect, but wish I hadn’t, as it blew me away. The formatting is a bit hard on kindle, with the magazine articles, doctor notes, etc. not being able to be formatted to larger letters, but that would be my only complaint and I have a hard time with small reading so may not effect everyone. Absolutely amazing character development, with a writing style that keeps you hooked until the final page. Loved the concept, of the final girl support group and how each are so different, but the same. Truly found it to be a fun, chilling, and demented read! Highly recommend to those who like slasher type thrillers, which repeat the victims!

Will buzz around platforms and use top Amazon reviewer number on release date!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early read of The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix. So, what is a “final girl”? In horror movies, the final girl is the sole survivor at the end of the movie, vanquishing the monster and outlasting all the other characters. Lynnette, Dani, Adrienne, Julie, Marilyn and Heather are all real life final girls. They are part of a therapy group, whose leader, Dr. Carol, is an expert on the trauma they experienced. But now, someone has murdered Adrienne, Lynnette and Julie are caught in a sniper attack at Lynnette’s apartment, and Heather’s house burns down. Lynnette, our narrator, has lived her life in fear, barricaded in her apartment, going out only for the support group, her plant Fine (short for Final Plant) her only companion. She knows that someone is out to get them - that the timing of these incidents is not a coincidence - but the killer has found ways to make sure that no one will believe her. In the end, it will be up to Lynnette to stop living in fear and save her friends. I have to say, this was a real page-turner. The author has embraced the 1980’s horror movie genre and incorporated the tropes into the book – the monster around the corner, the killer that just won’t die, the “why are you going into the barn” feeling, the twists and turns in unmasking the killer. If you like fast-paced thrillers, if you like the unreliable narrator, if you are just a fan of those cheesy 1980’s slasher movies, then this book is for you.

Another strong book from Hendrix - I don't think it's quite as good as his last, but it's an effective page-turner. It reminds me of "We Sold Our Souls" in that it's a very fast-moving chase book - once the main character starts running it doesn't slow until the end. The slasher movie references are fun Easter eggs but non-horror fans won't be lost. Hendrix writes women very well, in my opinion - each "final girl" has a genuine complex personality, nobody is ever a caricature.

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix 

To get the most out of this story, it helps to be familiar with the horror slasher films of old, and their many sequels and crossovers, where an unimaginably horrible killer bloodily slaughters just about everybody before the last girl standing finally defeats him. Lynnette Tarkington survived her ordeal twenty two years ago and now attends monthly support group meetings with five other final girl survivors. 

Lynnette is not living her best life ever after. Every moment of her every day and night consists of her obsessing on not allowing the next monster to reel her in. Nothing about her life is normal and her only real meaningful relationship is with her beloved houseplant, Fine. Without Fine and her monthly support group meetings, Lynnette's life would have no structure. 

But now, one of the girls has missed the latest meeting and they soon realize why. Someone is out to end the final girls and everyone is suspect. Lynnette is on the run, possibly running right toward the monster or monsters who want to put an end to the final girls. 

Lynette seems to come into her own when she realizes that all their lives are at stake and she has to track down whoever is behind the attempts on the lives of the remaining final girls. During her original ordeal, she was merely a bystander (or hanger...bad joke alert!) and almost doesn't qualify for final girl status. Now she's taking the bull by the horns and really meeting the challenge head on...she will not let the other down. Naturally, in horror slasher movie style, this story is gory, gross, gruesome and way over the top in almost every way but the humor is there, thanks to all the over the top-ness. 

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a great book in its own right but is also an excellent homage to horror movies.

I love Grandy Hendrix’s books because they’re scary but also incredibly fun. This is the perfect example. It’s so, SO tense but there also are these fun references and winks. It doesn’t really break the tension so much as give a small smile before cranking up the creepiness.

4.5 stars -- I think this book confirms that whatever Grady Hendrix is selling, I'm apparently buying it, because while most of this plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, I was 1000% down for the ride. Could not put this down and had all of the serial killer slasher movie references you could want. I love his cheeky humor (my favorite was the slasher called Gnomecoming) and I enjoyed the way we saw different ways that "final girls" might react to the trauma they went through. Much like in THE SOUTHERN BOOKCLUB'S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES, I appreciated that our main character was believably flawed and I liked the complicated relationships that she had with all the other women in the group. All in all, this was a big page turner for me and I think if you can let the improbabilities slide, it's a crowd pleaser

Wow,just wow! This book is both a horror movie rollercoaster ride and a loving tribute to the often unappreciated leading ladies of the slasher genre.

I read this novel at a lightning fast pace yet was able to fully take in the emotional nuances of the characters and enjoy the nods to several classic slasher films(particularly Silent Night,Deadly Night!).

All I will say about the plot is that the title group of women who survived brutal killing sprees that were made into horror movie franchises find themselves targeted all at once by unknown forces. The least likely of them is the only one looking for answers yet getting over her own personal demons may be more of a hindrance than fighting off the current threat in her path.

Fans of Grady Hendrix will be thrilled with this scary summer treat and new readers should find this a great excuse to read his other works! A definite Best Book of the Year for me.

Wow, just wow! This book is both a horror movie rollercoaster ride and a loving tribute to the often unappreciated leading ladies of the slasher genre.

I read this novel at a lightning fast pace yet was able to fully take in the emotional nuances of the characters and enjoy the nods to several classic slasher films(particularly Silent Night,Deadly Night!).

All I will say about the plot is that the title group of women who survived brutal killing sprees that were made into horror movie franchises find themselves targeted all at once by unknown forces. The least likely of them is the only one looking for answers yet getting over her own personal demons may be more of a hindrance than fighting off the current threat in her path.

Fans of Grady Hendrix will be thrilled with this scary summer treat and new readers should find this a great excuse to read his other works! A definite Best Book of the Year for me..

I love slasher stories - I've been a fan since I was a kid and got to watch my first Friday the 13th movie.

Being a long time fan of slasher movies, I do understand there is a certain formula to a slasher or final girl story/movie. I still love to find an underlying original theme or spin to it. I was just a touch disappointed that there were final girls in this story who had almost the exact same story as Friday the 13th, Halloween and SCREAM. Other than that, this particular story had a life of its own. For younger readers who did not grow up on these movies, I think they will absolutely LOVE this book. Reading is very subjective, so others who did grow up on these stories/movies may feel entirely different than I do.

We are introduced to a group of Final Girls who have been a part of a support group for several years (16, I think) and have stood by each other in the lives they were able to rebuild (those that could).

Until one group meeting when it is apparent that several of the women want to quit. It is during this meeting that it's discovered a new Final Girl has been made and one of the group members was also murdered in the process. A chain of resulting events makes is very clear someone is hunting ALL of the Final Girls. One of the group, Lynnette seems to be the only one who has put together what has happened and we follow along with her as she seeks to entreat each of the members to be on guard and get to safety. Her credibility is abruptly destroyed as new evidence in HER case is brought to light and a warrant for her arrest is issued.

Can Lynnette convince any of the Final Girls of the threat against them before it's too late? It is even really too late....or is Lynnette fabricating all of this? Is Lynnette responsible for the murders from her event??? Looks like you'll need to read and find out!

This is a very fast paced story - even with being a little disappointed in the rip-offs from the movie stories, I still enjoyed reading this story and found myself staying up super late past my bedtime because I had to know what happened next. It was a predictable slasher story...except, that it wasn't. I thought I knew what was happening and who was behind it...about 4 different times. (Wrong every single time, lol)

I've already looked into a couple more titles by Grady Hendrix because I enjoyed this one so much, especially his writing style and character building.

An exciting book that will keep you turning pages. Full of twists and turns. A bit gory. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Another weird and whacky book by Grady Hendrix. I loved the premise (reminded me of Riley Sager's Final Girls) and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Lynnette is apart of a support but this isn’t your ordinary support group. All the members are Final Girls, which are the last woman alive after a violent attack.

The group consists of five women who all managed to survive an attack at the hands of psycho men. They meet weekly to discuss their experience and have become like family.

After many years members of the group are finding themselves under attack once again. Lynnette goes on the run to try and save her friends and find out who is trying to kill all the Final Girls.

This was my second book by this author and I was very excited to get the chance to read it. The premise is really different and I found this one hard to put down. I think you need to suspend your mind a little as there are parts that are somewhat unrealistic. I would say my only knock on this one might be the ending. It didn’t ruin the overall enjoyment of the story but I just found it hard to believe. Lynnette is a pretty interesting main character and is super querky. I could definitely see this book being turned into a movie in the future. I highly recommend this one especially if you are a horror movie fan

Hello all! This week’s review is going to be a bit different from my typical reviews – instead of love and romance, we’re talking about some slashers and horror. When people ask, “What do you like to read?”, I’m forced to answer with the very bizarre and worrying, “Oh, romance and horror primarily.” Very strange combination. But they are indeed my favorites, and Grady Hendrix is the master of the genre (and yes, I’m counting Stephen King!).

The Final Girl Support Group follows Lynette, one of six girls who survived a serial killer and is now hashing it out in a monthly therapy appointment. Finals girls fight back, but are left haunted by their experiences and all that comes after. Over the years, the group has begun to fall apart, but the death of one of their members starts in motion a clear attempt on all their lives. Lynette is determined to stop it.

I’m like a Grady Hendrix superfan, to be honest. I’ve read all the fiction he’s put out, and it’s my understanding that his academic study of the horror genre through the 80’s is what makes him so fantastic. This book is no different. Hendrix inspires fear through connection to his characters and their psyche, not through situations. It’s like the difference between seeing a psychological horror movie that leaves you reeling, and watching a slasher film with jump scares – for lack of a better example. Lynette isn’t always loveable, but she’s relatable. You understand and her and what motivates her, which is why this story frightens you to your core (additionally, an anxiety diagnosis may increase fear levels while reading).

One thing I absolutely have to drill into here is Hendrix’s understanding of women. It’s been a privilege of mine to discuss with my fabulous library coworkers what it is to tap into women’s fear, after we all read The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires last year (an absolute must read, if you haven’t). We’re pretty much all in agreement that Hendrix is either the most in-tune man in the world or his books are ghost written by women. And I say this because, horror movies, and really the whole genre (again, looking at you Stephen King) don’t focus on women other than as objects of violence and sexuality. Essentially, many modern horror tales create rape fantasies that romanticize the violence and don’t leave you thinking about women as people, or what comes after this moment on the screen. They are faceless, nameless, and abused by cinema and literature. Think Rob Zombie’s Halloween. While this is still blood-curdling and disturbing for female viewers, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth on the repercussions of this media in the real world, and the minds of its makers. And I think, particularly after reading his two most recent novels, Hendrix gets this, and is dissecting it for us all to watch. These books are terrifying because Hendrix dares to give the women a name and ask “What happens now? What happens after?”…and it’s even more horrifying than meaningless slaughter on a big screen.

Now, the reason this book is four stars and not five, was simply that I liked Southern Book Club’s Guide better. I’ve previously read Final Girls by Riley Sager, which is a completely unfair comparison here, but I think it turned me off to the idea of a Final Girl and the kind of story we’re telling in this book. Southern Book Club’s Guide lived in my head for months after, haunting me with the thought of “What if you knew there was danger, but no one would listen?”…it’s the kind of book where the ideas are part of you now, but it’s not always a happy thought. This one taps into that too, but not in a way I so connected with. I hope others find a different experience, as my issue may be one of personal preference.

The Final Girl Support Group hits shelves next week, July 13, and I highly implore you to grab a copy. I hope you find a new favorite author, and find yourself reading all the way back to My Best Friend’s Exorcism. You won’t be disappointed. A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seven years in the making for the author to discover what horror has done to him--and indeed, what it has done to us all. I loved the way this book was put together with excerpts from interviews and books between each chapter So slyly done to pay tribute at the same time you poke fun at and skewer all those horror films we have watched and loved over the years. To see how our obsession with violence destroys the lives of these women and how they keep fighting on anyway is empathetic and insightful. Another not to be missed book by Hendrix.

I enjoyed this book. It was a page turner, and I couldn't put it down! If you like classic slasher horror movies then you will enjoy this book.