This was easily a 5 star read for me.

A slasher book with a strong final girl character who happens to be the daughter of an infamous killer? Yes. Please yes.

This book scratched all the right itches for me. We have a kill right from the start and then get into the story. Haze is on the journey of self discovery while filming a movie based on her father's kills. She may not realize it thinking she was there to prove his innocence or find further evidence of guilt. But that's my takeaway from this. She needed to find her true self. Not the daughter of a killer.

Not knowing who she can trust when people start dropping all around but still rooting for Caneron to be a good guy. Just beautiful slasher movie type stuff in a well written book.

I'll be honest, all the connections were a great way to deceive me of the real culprit. Normally I feel like I can just guess and be right. But this one definitely had me jaw dropping in a few places. And there were some big reveals that I couldn't see coming.

I can't wait for everyone to read this. And my hope is the author gets the love she deserves for this. Especially any final girls who helped inspire her to write this.

This novel follows Hazel “Haze” Lejeune, recent high school graduate and daughter of a serial killer, as she returns to the town where her father’s crimes took place 15 years prior. She’s been cast in a slasher film that seems based upon the original slayings, and soon art seems to be imitating real life. Haze desperately tries to figure out who’s behind the heinous acts before anyone else is harmed.

After a tantalizing start, I had mixed feelings about the work as a whole. It might be that I had a hard time deciding what I felt about Haze. However, the events at the end of the novel showed Haze’s true self, and I was impressed with her bravery and clarity.

Thanks to Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Publishing for the e-ARC of this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

I’m not a big consumer of YA books generally but the concept of this book intrigued me. I found the setting/plot of the story interesting but ultimately I wasn’t drawn in by the characters.

If you like the Scream movies, this is the book for you. Overall, this was a fast paced story with characters who were easy to get invested in.I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be checking out more of this authors writing!!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐️ “Everyone’s so fixated on the killer that it’s easy for the victims to stop feeling real”

Wow I really didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. I don’t typically feel “scared” from books the way I do when watching thriller movies, but this one actually had my heart racing a little. I devoured this book and couldn’t put it down once I really got into it.

The writing was great and I loved the way the story was told, from the very beginning all the way to the end. It was the perfect balance of 1st person storytelling from our main character with a small amount of third person interludes sprinkled in. The imagery was so good, details down to the creaky old fans and the soda cup with condensation really made it feel like an immersive story and it really felt like I was watching a movie in my head.

The pacing of the thriller was well done and built up and crescendoed perfectly. Our main character is definitely a bit of an unreliable narrator but it works really well in the story. The twists and the suspicions of whodunit were plentiful and I feel like I suspected almost every single character at one point even if just for a second. Personally I did not see all of the big reveals at the end coming and guessed maybe 15-25% of the twists.

Definitely recommend this book, especially if you like the slasher genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for this ARC.

This was such a fun read! The layout, the setting, the characters, the backstory….it all came together nicely. I liked the big reveal at the end but felt it could have been delivered a bit more smoothly.

What a fun YA thriller novel! I read this one in a couple hours and it definitely kept me on my toes. The whodunit isn’t easily dispensable and has a great twist. I think I suspected just about everyone at some point in the story.
I definitely picked out some clues, and one major thing that happened (so I’m patting myself on the back,) but I don’t think it was obvious. I was totally with the narrator when she was like “so and so did it because xyz….” And then a twist and I’m like okay yes it’s this person, and then it’s not.
The only thing I wish we had more on was the actual murderer. The character wasn’t gave much personality until the big reveal. Would have loved more before then.
The villain’s backstory was fantastic though. I really enjoyed this scream queen slasher book.

Blurb:
Haze is a new actress who gets a dream part in a new slasher movie. The only problem is, is that it’s in her hometown where her father murdered 5 teenagers and became known as the Pine Springs Slasher. Haze decides to give it a shot and is instantly entranced. Her fellow actors are great, and a particularly handsome Cameron catches her eye. But when strange things start to happen, accidents, and actual murders, Haze needs to figure out if this is a new Pine Springs Slasher or something even worse.


Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc!

3.5 rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an entertaining and exciting story in the “slasher appreciation” genre.

This was an “ode to slashers” book about a slasher film in the making that’s loosely based on a series of murders from years prior, and quickly becomes the scene of multiple murders in itself. So meta and so good. I’m not one to watch slashers, but I love a good thriller novel. And just like any scary movie, the adrenaline rush that comes from the thrill of making it through to the end was so satisfying. The suspense and twists throughout were impeccable 🤌🏼 I loved trying to figure things out along with the main character, Hazel. Such a great book that captured my interest right away, but also had me holding off until daylight hours to read because I was getting too jumpy reading before bed 🙃 I’m definitely looking into more of Olivia Worley’s books.

BIG FAN OF EVERYTHING IN THIS BOOK! The second I read "slasher film" and "scream" in the blurb, I knew this book was for me. 🤭 This book felt like an homage to all 90s slasher films, the vibes were immaculate throughout. It was so well done that it felt like I was watching a movie in my head as I read the book.

The book follows Haze, who is casted in a low-budget slasher film and as they begin filming, "accidents" begin to occur on set and suddenly people start dropping like flies. 🫣 This thriller was THRILLING and yet I never once correctly guessed the killer (pretends to be shocked). Some parts had me SWEATING because I was worried for my favourite characters 🫠 but hey that's all part of the fun when it comes to slasher films: no one is safe!

If you're a fan of Scream, final girls and slasher films, do yourself a favour and read this book! You won't be disappointed.

Final Cut is a fun, engaging YA slasher that's self-aware and referential without being obnoxious. I had a great time tagging along with Haze and discovering how her past was manifesting into her present- reading this book felt like spending a lazy afternoon having a horror movie marathon in the best way. Multimedia in a horror novel is one of my favorite things, and especially when the premise is about a movie. The script inclusions were fantastic, but it was the narration that opens the story that really shone and I was on the edge of my seat whenever we switched to that perspective. The pacing is a little slower at the start of the book but there's a lot to establish and by the 50% mark, it's full steam ahead and I don't think I put the book down once in the second half. Like what usually happens for me in slasher flicks, by the time the big reveals come around, I was too sucked in to even try to put the pieces together but the ending was satisfying and I'm excited to read Worley's other novels. Definitely recommend this to anyone that loves a good slasher movie and I think it transcends age groups really well- not too gory for the intended audience but a great homage to slasher movies for adult readers as well!

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC- all opinions are my own!

Final Cut was an amazing slasher story. Haze Lejeune, our protagonist, is starring as Sam, the final girl, in a slasher flick called Swamp Creatures. The slasher is related to the case of the Palm Springs Slasher, a teacher who was arrested after murdering five of his film club students approximately 15 years before. Haze has always felt a connection to the case, so she eagerly auditioned for the movie after the director reached out. She, along with fellow cast Cameron, Lucas, and Nina, are dragged into the world of the Palm Springs Slasher after their castmates start experiencing odd and sometimes fatal accidents. Readers will delight in following along with the cast as they attempt to figure out what happened 15 years ago, as well as who the killer is today. The book reads like a slasher, with cuts from the script making you feel like you're in a movie. Haze is a likable protagonist, and the readers will be on the edge of their seats as they try to figure out, along with Haze, who she can trust and if she can stay alive. This was a great read - spooky, suspenseful, and very compelling. A must-read for YA fans of mystery and horror!

My favorite thing about this book was all the little nods to Louisiana! As a Louisiana native, it was so fun to read a book set in a place similar to where I grew up.

I’ll eat up any book that feels like watching a slasher film, and this one was perfect. It felt like an ode to all of my favorite movies and the twist at the end got me! While I really liked this book, some parts felt a bit choppy, but it was a really enjoyable read.

In Final Cut, Olivia Worley slices deep into slasher tropes and serves up a clever, thriller packed with secrets, screams, and small-town skeletons.

Hazel Lejeune swore she’d never go back to Pine Springs. But now, freshly graduated and desperate for a break, she’s returned as a cast member on an indie horror film based on her hometown’s most gruesome legend: the Pine Springs Slasher. The twist? That “legend” is real, it is Hazel’s father who is serving life behind bars.

But no one on set knows her connection to the case, and Hazel is determined to keep it that way. She just needs to blend in, hit her marks, and get out. Easier said than done when her co-star might be too charming to trust and when people on set start dying for real.

Fast-paced, razor-sharp, and soaked in old-school horror vibes, Final Cut is a bloody delight for fans of slashers, scream queens, and thrillers that bump in the night.
#FinalCut #StMartinsPress #OliviaWorley #SlasherSeason #ReadInTheDark #HorrorMetaThriller

4.5⭐

What a twist!!! It's the first time since agggtm that I don't guess who the killer is!! The👏🏻 thriller 👏🏻 is👏🏻 thrilling. The pace is just right, not too fast, not too slow. The plot is really unpredictable. I suspected everyone except the actual killer 😅

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Thanks to the author and publisher for reaching out to me and sending an early copy via Netgalley 💕💕

Well f-ing crafted. There were glimmers of going off the rails, but the story was taught and fraught and a high-speed slasher from the beginning to the end. I can very much see Hazel returning ala Sidney Prescott. Well done, Ms. Worley, well done.

Thank you so much for letting me read this book!! I read it in one go, without stopping... I had so many questions and the twists and turns were excellent. The story is well constructed! A must read!

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book.

For the first time in a long time, I have no issues with anything, not even minor things, except for the YA rating. This can totally be YA, however it needs to be on thriller shelves as well! This is the second book I've read in the past couple of months that are thrillers under YA labels, that have blown away the "adult" thriller novels I've been reading lately. This book sucked me in and it gave me everything!!! Yes I did totally figure it out but that was through zero fault of the author or the book. Just like this book says, finding out who's done it is what a big thrill of slashers is, the same goes for thrillers and mysteries for me. There are no plot holes, no impossibilities, no annoyances, just straight and true thriller. One that had me devouring it and constantly questioning my thinking and second guessing myself like a detective would I loved it!

That ending though! I loved it, I don't know if it was but I'm really hoping it was done on purpose. Everything in the description of this story is exactly what this is, and I hope fingers crossed hope that it might keep mimicking the way the Scream series has gone because I could totally see how that would set it up! I need this as a movie too. Like all the other movies it mentions, it could be a completely new series all its own for the big screen. One that would get a cult following like every other one mentioned! This was perfect! I can't wait to read more by this author and see all that she can do!

Thank you very much again from the bottom of my heart for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book! It has taken the absolute top spot for thrillers I've read this year, and in my entire time of reading! I will not be able to forget this book!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Final Cut by Olivia Worley
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: YA Horror/Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: October 28, 2025

📍 Pine Springs, LA
🔪 Indie Slasher Film
🍃 Atmospheric Thriller

While the pacing was a little uneven at the beginning, Final Cut has the overall vibe of a twisty, fast-paced 90s horror film! I loved the backstory, the swampy Louisiana setting, and the twists that just kept coming! I never could've called the climax!

I absolutely recommend Final Cut for all lovers of twisty thrillers and classic slasher films!

Thank you so much @olivia.worley, @wednesdaybooks and NetGalley for the digital review copy!

⚠️ minor horror/gore elements

#FinalCutNovel, #WednesdayBooks, #OliviaWorley.

I really enjoyed this. The main character, Haze, is excellent. A slasher on the set of a movie? SIGN ME UP. The story also has script writing throughout which I think was a fantastic addition. The story was so hard to put down, and yeah, I didn’t guess the killer at all. The surprise twist was magnificent. All in all, excellent addition to the world of YA horror. Don’t miss it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC! This will be out in October of 2025!