Final Cut is my fourth Olivia Worley book, but sadly, my least favorite. As soon as I started Final Cut, I had the feeling that I had read this story before—I haven’t, the book isn’t published yet, it just felt wholly unoriginal.

Haze Lejeune is a teenage actress. She has been cast in a slasher film. And this is great because Haze is obsessed with slasher films. She has been ever since she learned her father was responsible for the death of five teenagers in a very slasher way.

Once Haze gets on set, scary things start happening. At first, it’s threats. But soon, people are dying. A lot of people. And there is literally no emotion attached to that.

Haze becomes determined to figure out who the killer is, what it has to do with her, and if this all means her father is actually innocent (ie is this new killer the one responsible for the original deaths?).

Fast-paced and easy to read, but overall predictable and not engaging enough for me. Not recommended. I’ve liked Worley’s previous books, so I’ll give future work a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

"'Scream' meets 'The Reappearance of Rachel Price'" was a perfect description. The story was enthralling from the start and had me rooting for the final girl and her friends the whole time. I enjoyed the plot twists every time a possible murderer was revealed and the ending surprised me.

This book gave me all the 90's slasher vibes I didn't know I needed. I grew up watching films like Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream so this was nostalgic for all the best reasons! I'll definitely be reading more of Worley's work.

I think this is the 3rd Olivia Worley book I’ve received as an ARC and this. is. the. best! It’s so great to see an author steadily get better. The pacing is perfect, the twist is unexpected, the characters are great. This is the perfect thriller for Halloween for those of us that don’t want horror.
Thanks to the author, St Martins Press, and NetGalley for this eARC.

A perfect book for fans of Scream, Final Girls, or any 80's/90's slasher films. This book follows a character named Haze who has been casted in a low budget horror film. However, once filming begins, a sting of "accidents" starts to occur. Is this just part of the film, is this a copy cat, or was the wrong slasher placed behind bars?

I like to think I am really good at figuring out the killer early on in the book, however, I was very wrong lol. Olivia Worley really lead me on and left things unpredictable.

I loved the cover of this book and it is initially what drew me into wanting to read. Definitely needs to be added to October TBR for spooky vibes!

YA
Graphic Violence
Animal Death
Murder
Parental Trama
Plot Twists

This book was so great! It was well written and the characters were so relatable. I really enjoyed it and will definitely recommend it to others!

When recent high school graduate Hazel Lejeune gets the lead role in a slasher film, it feels like a dream come true. This is her chance to break into the industry, build her reel, and prove to her mom that this ‘gap year’ can turn into a career. So what if it’s set in the nothing town of Pine Springs, Louisiana–the same place her father, the Pine Springs Slasher, was convicted of a series of murders fifteen years ago?

But when Haze arrives on set, she gets much more than she bargained for. The shoot is plagued with suspicious ‘accidents.’ Mentions of her dad dot the entire script. And then, a gruesome murder shocks everyone to the core. Now, it’s clear there’s a real killer on set—one who's determined to finish the film at all costs. But is this merely a copycat, or is the wrong Slasher behind bars?

Who doesn't love a good slasher book? I loved this book so much! It was a suspenseful and mysterious but also full of horror.

I received this ARC via email recommendation. It sounded promising, and it was a quick, easy, and interesting read. Definitely give it a try!

I didn’t know that a book could capture the unsettling feeling of a slasher film so perfectly. I don’t get scared during slasher films, but they have a way of creating tension in me while I watch a character fight for their life that has me on the edge of my seat and this book perfectly encapsulates that feeling without the usage of tense music. There are so many twists that I never saw coming and it made it perfect because the reveal of the killer was actually surprising. I also feel that the more gory scenes are written well. It isn’t over the top, but it still does a perfect job of giving us the gruesome vision of the scene. The swamp setting is fitting for this book because there is already something so mysterious about it. I’m also a little bit biased, but I love it when books have a film set element to them because it feels like home. I loved The Debutants by Olivia Worley and with my new love for this book, she is becoming one of my favourite mystery/horror authors. This is the perfect spooky season read, so make sure to pre-order so you have it just in time for Halloween!

This review is posted on my Instagram!

I absolutely devoured this book. This book is a slasher film in book form. It was such a fun read.

Just like watching slasher films, you want to figure out who the killer is. I was so sure of myself so many times. The twist at the end though!

This is such an incredibly written book, purely because it pulls you in so easily. It’s been a while since I’ve sat and just wanted to finish a book in one sitting.

The setting was beautifully described. I could visualize every place they went so vividly in my mind. I almost felt how humid it was from the descriptions.

This book will keep you on your toes. It was described as Scream meets The Reappearance of Rachel Price. I have seen Scream, but haven’t read the Holly Jackson book. This may have convinced me to read it.

There is no spice, which I feel is important to tell readers. Some people don’t like spice, and some people are all about it. There is definitely blood, murder, and violence.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Omg I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! Look, I’m the kind of girl who guesses who the killer is within the first 10 minutes of a movie or book. However, I was SHOCKED at the reveal. Would definitely recommend :)

I've had the genuine pleasure of reading and reviewing all of Olivia Worley's new books for the past three years in a row and I definitely think that this is her best book yet! The setting, the town and the swamp, was another character all in itself and it being the home of the Pine Springs Slasher added a whole additional layer of tension to the story. I also thought there was a vibrant cast of characters, all who stood out strongly and played off of one another well. I also really liked Haze as a main character. Her desires and motivations and personality came through so clearly.

When I was reading this, I worried that the piece would pigeon-hole itself into traditional slasher stereotypes, just because slashers are by nature a formulaic genre. But she did a great job paying homage to classics of the slasher genre and adding her own twists to the piece. The book also acknowledges slasher movie tropes, like the Final Girl, and does a great job almost winking at the reader by turning those tropes on their head and doing something new with them. I thought the mystery was very well done. I guessed some of it and some of it completely shocked me, in the way a good mystery does, when you look back and realize the clues were there all along. I also thought Worley did a great job showing why people are drawn to slashers, for good or bad, and showing that no one fits neatly into tropes like those, not even if we write the scripts ourselves. There is lots of focus on the nuances of human nature in this book that reminds me of Holly Jackson's mysteries. The author herself compared this book to The Reappearance of Rachel Price and I agree that there is a similar feeling when reading.

That said, I thought the ending was too quick. I wanted to see Haze confront her father for the crimes he did commit. I also wanted to see her get to fall in love and write her own story. I also thought that at times it was really hard to keep all the characters straight. There was one character who became important at the end whom I had entirely forgotten about. I had to go back to the beginning to remember how this character was involved in the story. Also, and maybe relatedly, I thought the pacing was too fast at the beginning and that's part of why it was so hard to keep all the characters straight.

That said, I think Olivia Worley's a rising star in the YA thriller/mystery genre and I really enjoyed this book! I definitely think that anyone who's a fan of Holly Jackson will be a fan of her work, especially this newest book!

When Haze is cast in the low-budget slasher, Swamp Creatures, Haze believes she will finally get some answers about her father. Swamp Creatures is being filmed in Pine Springs, Louisiana, a place known for the brutal killings of several high school students by the Pine Springs Slasher who is Haze's father. But as the shoot gets underway, several "accidents" occur and after one of the cast dies, Haze believes someone on set is to blame. As the killings continue, Haze must find out the truth about her father and what happened that night.

This book was heart-racing, full of twists with an ending I did not see coming. I could not put this book down as every chapter seemed to hold a new clue about the mystery of the Pine Spring Slasher and who is behind the deaths on Swamp Creatures. With so many possibilities, I could have never guessed the ending. Final Cut is the perfect book for slasher fans.

Final Cut is out October 28th.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review Final Cut. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love horror films. I really liked the pacing of this one. Felt like a slasher film in the best way. Small town? Check. Cast of diverse characters who all seem to love horror? Check. Surprising, gory deaths? Check. It was a fun, quick read that enjoy reading again each spooky season.

Final Cut follows 18 year old Haze Lejeune as she and the cast and crew of a low budget slasher flick begin filming in Louisiana. People start dying and Haze tries to figure out who the killer is.

This is perfect for fans of slasher movies like Scream and Halloween. I found this super entertaining. The murder, the investigation bits, and the suspense were well balanced. I thought it was very well paced too. I liked the characters. I loved the ending. I especially loved that I couldn’t figure out who the killer was until it was revealed. I’ll definitely be reading more by Olivia Worley.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Olivia Worley's books. She has become one of my automatic buy authors. I originally got an arc of The Debutantes and it got me hooked into her writing. Traditionally I find mystery books to be predictable but her books have surprised me. I'm interested throughout the entire book and actually feel invested in the stories and the characters. This felt like watching an actual 90s slasher film which made for a fun read. Can't wait to read more from her!

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Olivia Worley’s “Final Cut” is a pulse-pounding YA horror-thriller that leans hard into everything slasher fans crave: a creepy setting, a high-stakes mystery, a mounting body count, and just enough gore to make you squirm. With a premise that blends “Scream” meta-commentary with “I Know What You Did Last Summer” tension, this is a book that practically begs to be adapted for the big screen. Like many slasher, there is a pretty high death count and some pretty interesting and unique death scenes (one including dismemberment), so be aware of this before reading in case you’re comfortable with reading about the blood/gore; I would recommend this book to older YA readers.

Hazel “Haze” Lejeune is starring in Swamp Creatures, a new slasher flick based on the infamous Palm Springs Slasher murders—five teens brutally killed by a high school teacher fifteen years ago. The kicker? Hazel is the daughter of the alleged killer, and the movie’s “final girl” character is based on her. When Hazel returns to her hometown for filming, she’s not just facing the ghosts of her past—she’s walking right into a fresh wave of real-life horror. As “accidents” start happening on set—each one gruesomely targeting actors playing victims from the original case—Hazel begins to suspect the murders aren’t fiction. Someone wants to finish what was started. But is it a deranged copycat? The real killer, still out there? Or something even more twisted?

The idea of making a horror movie based on a real unsolved case—and casting the daughter of the alleged killer as the lead—is juicy enough. But Worley smartly layers in classic horror tropes and cinematic interludes that make the book feel like you’re watching a movie inside your head. It’s Scream-core in the best way. Haze is an unreliable narrator with just enough vulnerability and grit to keep you rooting for her. She’s trying to escape the shadow of her father’s crimes, navigate the chaos of filming, and not get murdered in the process. Her voice is sharp and compelling, and while she may not always make the smartest choices, her heart (and trauma) feel real.

The writing shifts between Hazel’s 1st-person perspective and short 3rd-person chapters of characters in their final moments, adding a chilling edge and building tension masterfully. These death scenes are graphic and detailed—think dismemberment, animal death, and high body count—making this a darker YA read that’s best for older teens or adults who love horror.

Yes, some early moments feel like standard horror fare (mysterious accidents, creepy vibes, a rabbit meets an unfortunate end), but stick with it—the second half slays. The twists are genuinely shocking, with one reveal that turns the entire plot on its head. Most readers won’t see it coming, and even if they do, the execution is top-tier. The final act is a full-throttle bloodbath with an emotionally satisfying payoff.

The pacing builds slowly at first, but once the deaths start rolling in, it’s a full sprint to the end. It captures the feeling of watching a slasher movie unfold in real time—complete with fake-outs, red herrings, and a villain monologue that would make Ghostface proud.

While the final twist is solid, the beginning plays things a bit safe. The setup doesn’t subvert tropes as much as it leans into them, so seasoned horror fans might find the first third a little familiar. Though the villain’s backstory is intriguing once revealed, the character isn’t developed much until the final chapters. A few earlier breadcrumbs could’ve made the payoff even more impactful.

Overall, “Final Cut” is a slasher-flick-turned-novel that delivers all the blood, betrayal, and backstory horror lovers crave. Olivia Worley doesn’t shy away from gore or emotional trauma, making this a standout in the YA thriller scene. It’s part mystery, part horror movie, part emotional journey of a girl facing down both her past and a present-day killer—with a little romance that doesn’t overpower the plot.

🩸 Content Warnings: graphic violence, animal death, murder, dismemberment, parental trauma, unreliable narrator
🎬 Verdict: A suspenseful, bloody homage to slasher films that’s both smart and scream-worthy.

What a wild ride! I finished this book in a 24-hour period and could not put it down. It was fast and fun and just what you need to escape for a little while. My only complaint was that it got confusing with too many layers of main characters (the real victims, the characters names, then the actors playing them - Susie vs. Sam vs. Haze) that sometimes got REALLY confusing. Also, was EVERYONE a suspect at one point or another? Even Aunt Bea at the diner? But overall, I really enjoyed this one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Easy to read, fast-paced and bingeable!

This was an easy but deserving 5⭐ rating from me. I've read most of this of this author's books and have come to expect storylines filled with mystery, suspense and plot twists, "Final Cut" met all of my expectations.

The author did a great crafting an intriguing plotline that pulls you into the mystery. It easily held my attention and I was able to read this book cover to cover in one session.

I think Slasher fans are really going to enjoy this YA Thriller and I'll definitely be recommending it.

Thank you Olivia Worley, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press| Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Will anything ever live up to Olivia Worley's debut novel, "People to Follow"? "The Debutantes" was good, and I think "Final Cut" was just about at the same level.

I thought the pacing of this book was great! I did find that when it came to the actual filming of the movie, I wasn't sure if this was just how sets run (albeit poorly) or if it was intentionally all over the place. The setting & the slasher vibes were a lot of fun, but I definitely expected the reveal of who the killer was (though the second twist had me surprised!). However, Olivia Worley does really well at making you suspicious of anyone & everyone, so pretty much everyone ended up on the suspect list at some point! Also, how was EVERYONE from this little town??

To highlight one specific thing I really loved that she did as an author: I really appreciated that she chose to not fully redeem certain characters. She allowed them to be good & bad simultaneously, or different levels of bad, and that was a valuable choice in my opinion.

I'll almost certainly pick up her next book!

Thanks to NetGalley, Olivia Worley, and the publisher for the ARC! Final Cut debuts on October 28th, 2025!

I’m not supposed to be writing this because I wasn’t even supposed to be reading this book right now. I have a bunch of other books NetGalley books I’m supposed to be writing reviews for yet I’m here writing a review because I had to know what happened in this book. Did I love the MC? Not really, she was a particular brand of irrational I wasn’t used to and yet I still read on. Because I had to know how it all went down and who did it. That’s why I really liked this book. It had me reading deep into the night when I know I have other books I should have been reading. There was something about this story that made it a bit addictive and kept tugging away at my curiosity. Check it out, you might find yourself in a similar position.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc