Wonderful, wonderful YA slasher! Perfect balance of gore and thrill with enough romance to cause suspicion! Lived the FMC and risks she takes!

I am a horror girlie at heart. When I saw that this book was being described as giving off the same vibes as my favorite horror movie of all time, I knew that I had to get my hands on a copy, and I couldn't have been more happy with this experience!

The story centers around recent high school graduate and aspiring actress Hazel Lejeune. She's obsessed with slasher movies, and she's just been cast as the final girl in her first real movie. The only catch? The movie is being filmed in Pine Springs, Louisiana - the hometown that she and her mother fled fifteen years ago after her dad killed five of his students and was sentenced to life in prison as the Pine Springs Slasher. Desperate to know more about where she came from and the father she never really got to know, Hazel gets much more than she expected once she's on set. The film's plot is eerily similar to the real life tragedy of the town, and horrible accidents keep happening on set. It seems like the Pine Springs Slasher is back at it again, but her dad is still behind bars, so it couldn't be him this time. It's up to Hazel to figure out what's happening and fast, or she might just become the slasher's next victim.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Once the accidents start happening on set, the book keeps you on your tows trying to figure out who's behind what's going on. Nobody can be trusted, and while I usually pride myself on figuring out who the masked killer is long before the end, I was second guessing everything right up until the big reveal at the end. And the ending felt so satisfying as well even with the somewhat open-ended nature of the final page.

This is definitely a must read for slasher fans, and I look forward to reading more from Worley in the future!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was my 1st book by this author. I admit to not being the target audience, not much of a thriller/ horror fan or a teenager. A little too graphic and gory but entertaining at times. If you like Halloween horror, this book is for you. A+ to the setting in Louisiana to a movie set.

FINAL CUT by Olivia Worley kept me company on a particularly blue sick day this week. I read it in one sitting because I wanted to know who the killer was and if it was who Haze thought it was, and ahhhh I needed to know! If someone describes a book or movie as "SCREAM + ...", I will most definitely read that book or movie. I discovered FINAL CUT through other Bookstagrammers, and I am so glad this book and Worley were put on my radar! This was a genuinely solid slasher thriller, and Worley injected the story with a perfect melange of slasher tropes. horror movie chat, and new horror story material to keep it fun and intriguing for us oldies who know their slashers by heart, too.

FINAL CUT is a YA slasher with a lot of chutzpah, a high body count, some new twists on the slasher story, and a little romance with crooked smiles to balance things out. I can't wait to get this for my library!

The body count continues to rise on the set of a low-budget slasher film in Final Cut. Who says you can never go home again???? Hazel Lejeune is taking the bull by the horns and taking the lead in a new horror film that is being shot in Pine Springs, Louisiana. She won't just be stepping on set to be the final girl in the new slasher hit, she will be returning to the place her real life father spilled blood. Dubbed the Pine Springs Slasher, her father was convicted for killing several people fifteen years ago. Once on set and hoping to make a name for herself, Hazel tries to keep a low profile but when one of them is murdered, it's obvious there is a real killer on set!

This is a YA horror novel that delivers the chills and thrills while the bodies drop like flies! I found this book to be a solid read with a few twists thrown in along the way. I enjoyed the tension and the search for a killer. I never know who could be trussed or who had an axe to grind, but I enjoyed the quest to catch a killer.

I thought the author did a great job setting the stage. The Louisiana setting was fantastic as was having the killings take place on a horror film set. The characters were likeable, and I enjoyed the references to a few slasher film final girls and unstoppable, impossible to kill slasher killers.

I did not see the final reveal coming and thought the author did a great job leading up to the final unmasking if you will. As this is YA it wasn't as graphic or scary as some real-life horror films, but it was a very solid and bloody enjoyable book. I have a feeling the YA crowd are going to enjoy this one.

Final Cut by Olivia Worley is a book for all slasher movie fans. Our main character, Haze, is an aspiring actress. She gets a big break by being cast in a low-budget slasher film - Swamp Creature. The film is loosely inspired by a local serial killer. The location of the film is a small, swamp town where, years ago, a high school teacher confessed to killing all his Film Club students. And Haze has a secret. She is the daughter of the town’s serial killer. When dangerous things begin to happen on the film set, Haze must decide who to trust and how to survive.

I wanted to love this book. I just liked it. There are tons of twists all the way up to the very last page. There are blood and guts, murders and mutilations. The book references lots of classic slasher films. The characters of the book fell flat for me. I was not particularly invested in any of them or their relationships. This book will have wide appeal to teenage readers and would be a good addition to library collections. Overall, I will recommend this book to die hard slasher fans but might not be at the very top of my list.

This story is THE embodiment of slasher movies of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It takes all the iconic tropes from Halloween, Friday the 13th, Scream, and more, and transforms them into something new and exciting. I’ve been a huge fan of Worley’s since her debut, but Final Cut is easily my new favorite!

I could picture each scene in my mind - the characters, the plot, the TWISTS. Each page raised as many questions as it answered. I was hanging on to every word - needing to know if Cal was innocent, needing to know what would happen next, needing to know how the present-day script connected back to the original killings. An immersive atmosphere and sheer perfection. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The book is a solid YA slasher but the ending just feel off for me. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the twists and turns that just took over the ending. The ending just drained on as well.

I wanted to love this (I say this a lot) but I wanted to love this so bad.

This book was like “Showstopper” meets “Smile for the Cameras” and it was a plot that had me so excited.

It just fell flat for me and wasn’t as exciting and gory as it could have been.

The first half of the book moved super slow but than the last half was super fast with twists and turns and I felt like I was playing catchup and not fully grasping the twists

Now playing:

KILLER QUEEN - Mad Tsia
1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47

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Characters:

Haze: Okay I really really liked Haze's character, she felt like all her actions were hers. And I mean okay she had some dumb moments but I mean it's not really horror if the main girl doesn't do anything stupid at one point. But over all she was a kickass final girl who I really enjoyed reading from her perspective

Cameron: Okay he was such a sweetheart, I loved him from the moment he showed up on page. If you know me you know that if I'm going to fully enjoy a book I need it to have a tiny romance. And this was the perfect amount! It never distracted from the plot and it was just the right amount

The others: I can't say much else without spoiling but I had a suspicion who the killer would be, but over all I enjoyed the whole cast very much

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Plot: SUCH A GOOD PLOT I CANT EVEN AHH-

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Writing: The writing was so. fun. It was scary but not like unreadable scary and gore. It kept me engaged the entire time and I just wanted to know who did it and thats when you know it's a fantastic thriller.

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Overall thoughts: This book was such a pleasant surprise!!! I enjoyed the entire thing and it was one of those books that I just kept finding myself wanting to read. It was so fun and kept me engaged the entire time, if she continues to write like this she could easily become an instant buy author!!!

What a fun read! This YA slasher had all the right vibes, would make a great horror movie or series! Would definitely check this author out again!

Final Cut is a fast-paced YA slasher, that brings all of the Scream vibes, with fun twists and turns. I typically don't read the slasher genre, but since Final Cut is YA, it is a milder take on the gore and horror, and is definitely along the lines of the original Scream movie.

The Southern setting was a big draw for me, and the small town feel and Louisiana swamps brought a great creepy factor to the story. Worley employs one of my favorite writing techniques in this type of book, where everyone's a suspect. It adds to the mystery and fun of trying to figure out the identity of the killer. I really enjoyed the combination of a slasher movie being filmed, with history coming back to repeat itself from the Pine Springs murders that happened 15 years earlier, and the mystery of who had connections back then and if the original suspect was guilty or not.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
* TW: Gore (human & animal)
* Southern Setting
* Young Adlut Slasher
* Multiple POVs
* Suspense & Twists
* Movie Set

𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲?
🥶 (No)

If you love Slasher movies/reads, I would definitely recommend adding Final Cut to your Halloween/Spooky Season TBR.

Final Cut is everything I want in a YA slasher: a small town dripping with eerie atmosphere, a cast of potential suspects, and a main character who’s both self-aware and compelling. Haze was such a great MC! Smart, genre-savvy, and determined to avoid the same mistakes that doomed the final girls she’s seen in movies. I especially loved her complicated relationship with her dad and the way that storyline wove into the mystery.

A slasher set on the set of a movie was such a great idea for the plot. The mix of murder, investigation, and creeping suspense kept me hooked from start to finish. I thought the script excerpts sprinkled throughout were a fantastic touch, they really enhanced the “watching a movie” vibe. It honestly felt like reading a lost 90s horror flick, with stops at dingy motels, a swamp full of gators, and a small-town police station, each setting dropping new clues and raising the tension.

The pacing was on point, and I appreciated how the story balanced first-person narration with brief third-person interludes. It gave just enough extra perspective without losing the immediacy of Haze’s voice. While the killer’s reveal didn’t shock me, the journey there was still wildly entertaining.

This is perfect for fans of Scream or Halloween who want something that feels both nostalgic and fresh. Olivia Worley has clearly studied the genre, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Not typically a slasher fan but I really enjoyed this book. Final Cut was well written with a mix of horror and thriller aspects. It kept me on my toes the entire time. It had me questioning every character and their possible motives. I hold t out it down and wanted to read it all in one sitting.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! I ended up DNFing this one due to finding some of the gore a bit too much to stomach, especially a scene involving rather graphic animal harm/death. However, if you have a stronger stomach than me, I did otherwise enjoy it. One thing that stuck out in particular to me was that, as a film actor, everything seemed to be pretty accurate. I find this pretty rare in books surrounding films so I really appreciate how well researched this book is!

i love this one! Worley never fails to keep me wanting more. I like how the twist comes and doesn’t let go

Definitely more of a 4.5!

This was a really enjoyable thriller, even for someone (like myself) who is far too cowardly to watch slashers or horror films! It was really easy to get into and get absorbed in the mystery with all the twists and turns -- as much as I tried to guess who the killer would be, I was still thrown for a loop at the end reveal!

I think the main thing I wish we would have gotten was an on-page conversation between Haze and her dad -- though the final paragraphs hint at this, I kind of wish we, the readers, could have also seen it, since I wanted to learn more about their dynamic! This also didn't really need a romance in any way in my opinion, so, while the romance that was there didn't overshadow anything else or distract me from the main slasher plot, it also didn't really add much.

Overall though, I would absolutely recommend this for anyone who loves slashers -- it's full of references to classic films and characters -- and also to those who don't, as it's an enjoyable and fast-paced thriller! Definitely a great pick for the upcoming spooky season :)

I liked this one! I remember really enjoying Worley's PEOPLE TO FOLLOW as well, so I'm glad to see this author being consistent. I really appreciated the homages to classic horror movies and the genre at large, and I liked our cast of characters. It was super twisty too in a really fun way! Worley did a really solid job pulling me as the reader all over the place when it came to the whodunnit aspect of the plot--I was sure I knew what was going on a handful of times and I was never correct.

I know this is a young adult book but I’ve read some phenomenal young adult thrillers that kept me on my toes. This one did not. The variation in text and formatting throughout to express scenes and scripts pulled me out of this. I would have preferred the theme be an ode to slashers but not actually have sections of script within the book that have important plot events in them.

I also prefer fewer characters in my thrillers. This one had enough to lose track of easily.

I just wasn’t invested in this one but the writing style was enjoyable enough to capture my attention and make me want to finish it. I would check out other books by this author. 3.5 rounding up to 4 as the system allows.

Thank you for this ARC! I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.