Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

This book reminds me of a more grown up version of the fear street books, absolutely loved it!

I love a good slasher fic. This one definitely hit all the things you look for. The characters, the misdirects, the "slashing", then finally the reveal. This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. I had no idea who the bad guy was, loved the references to the classics of slasher. Definitely recommend.

Final Cut by Olivia Worley was a mixed read for me. I loved the premise of murders on the set of a slasher film, and a lead teen actress who is secretly the daughter of a real killer.

I found the pacing a bit off though — it took a bit to get going, and then the last third of the book had a few too many twists, turns, and revelations to me.

It’s worth a read, though I didn’t love it as much as Olivia Worley’s People To Follow, the characters were a lot of fun and I loved the swampy Louisiana setting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for my review copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! As an avid slasher fan I really enjoyed this books. I appreciated the nostalgic tone and elements of the story that felt true to the genre but I loved the true crime twist. There were some predictable moments in the story however the twist at the end really made the story stand out! Overall if you love slashers and true crime this novel is definitely for you

This book was awesome! It surprised me in the end and it was full of believable twist. Each chapter ended in suspense and I really enjoyed that! Thank you!

I really liked this nostalgic slasher mystery. We get a few perspectives, but mainly follow Haze (not Hazel), a young actor who is cast as the "final girl" in a slasher film. There's a few layers of intrigue here: first, she's the daughter of a man who was convicted for the real-life murders of several high school students when Haze was a toddler. She never really knew her dad, but has always been drawn to the horror genre, which makes her feel like maybe there's something a little twisted inside her. On top of that history, the film she's in is actually being shot in the town she and her mom left, where the murders happened -- and the plot are characters are sounding eerily familiar. Once the cameras start rolling it becomes clear that there is a new murderer on the loose, and the targets are the actors of the film -- cast in roles that mimic the teens who died fifteen years ago. Haze is determined not only to survive (as the final girl is written) but figure out who the murderer is this time. And maybe it's not a copycat killer... maybe it's the same killer as before, meaning her dad could be innocent??

What I think worked best about this book is the layers: not only is it a book that honors the genre (perfect for fans of Stephen Graham Jones' Indian Lake trilogy or Riley Sager's The Final Girls, or obviously Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc.) -- but it is an interesting take on how a series of murders continues to affect the community years later. Haze isn't the only character who has a connection to the town or the murders, and of course the folks in town all have memories and trauma. The mystery played out with a satisfying series of twists and turns and just enough suspense to keep me reading past my bedtime. Thanks Olivia Worley!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for accepting my request for an ACR of this book!
“Tropes are tropes for a reason. And if I’m the final girl, then I’m going to do this right.”
4.25/5
One thing about me is that I LOVEE Horror books, and this one had the best spooky atmosphere. It being set in Louisiana add so much more to the story. I enjoyed a lot of the characters, but there was one that really blended into the background, where I hoped they wouldn’t. The plot really had me on the edge of my seat and I loved following Haze’s story. Every motive had me guessing on who it would be while being in the backdrop of a gruesome mystery. The book in a whole reminded me of Perfect Little Monsters meets One of Us is Lying.

I dnfed this book. Usually I wouldn't give a review for a dnfed book however I want to say something about it. The premise sounded really good. And I was looking forward to this. But I found myself confused. Early on. And rereading the same paragraphs over and over. Idk if this was a me problem or a book problem but it was a problem.

As a lover of the slasher genre, this book was so much fun! I really enjoyed it from start to finish. (Also shoutout for having a character named Sadie lol) Haze is a great FMC to follow, she’s got her reasons for being there but is also not so driven by it that she’s not affected by what she’s learning. And the whole killer reveal was great. A solid ya slasher!

It’s like Scream movie meets Woman of the Hour.
Interesting and quick read and easy to unfold and follow through. Finished it in a day and a half. The authors way of mixing together elements from different horror movies that the killer used to in a way “build” his moment was pretty cool.

A solid slasher novel that puts a new spin on the Final Girl trope. Would appeal to fans of Fear Street and You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight.

Slasher film turned real slasher?! Count me in! This book reads like a slasher film for sure. I could see the scenes playing out in my head. Who’s the killer? Possibly anyone and everyone on that set. There are hidden connections that will steer you one way or the other. I did figure out the killer early on, but it was still enjoyable to put it all together, and some things had me doubting myself.
By the end, I was left wanting answers to some things but it didn’t take much away from the book.
This is definitely a book you should pick up if you’re into slasher films and murder mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

The most unbelievable thing in this book is that in a cast of teen actors exactly no one is an insufferable theatre kid, not even the one who does theatre.

I picked this up because teen actor on low budget film production is an extremely niche life experience, but one I happen to have, and I love Scream (1996). But if you want to do self referential, post modern teen thriller—particularly as a book—you can’t just coast on pinterest mood board vibes and contrite final girl observations. Without the craft or commentary of a skilled author, you’re basically left with a dramatically inert slog that’s indistinguishable from the most forgettable straight to streaming slasher movies we’re winking at.

this whole book is predicated on Hazel making stupid decisions and not talking to people, all while she admonishes herself in her inner monologue for being stupid and not communicating. It’s not charming or funny when she constantly says “if this were a movie I would be screaming at the final girl not to open the door but I do it anyway!!” Either avoid the cliche you’re calling out or do something interesting with it. It doesn’t lean into camp enough for lampshading to make Hazel’s boneheaded decision making tolerable (this book takes itself way, way too seriously for that) and Hazel is not well-written enough for her actions to seem anything but contrived. The book is at its most entertaining when it commits to the bit, and I think it would have been more successful if the author had dialed up the absurdity and drama and focused less on Hazel’s daddy issues.

But worst of all this book is boring. It is so so so boring. I know this is YA, but Goosebumps is scarier than this. Not a single ounce of tension or real sense of danger to be found here, not even when characters have knives to their throats, because no one has a personality beyond “smirky and chews on a toothpick.” Kills have no weight to them because side characters are introduced once and barely mentioned again and everyone is bland and forgettable.

So if we’re not doing scary in this slasher homage, then what are we doing here? Why did I spend hours of my life finishing this that I will never get back? We’re not doing campy or soapy or fast paced and twisty. And we’re definitely not solving an intriguing mystery with entertaining characters or a fun romance subplot. Is it just vibes and saying names of movies? (Yes.)

I’m fully aware I’m not the target demo, so I always try and keep that in mind when I read and rate YA, but I enjoy a YA thriller the way I enjoy a CW show: I come in prepared to suspend my disbelief and have a fun time. But interesting characters with depth and a well-paced plot are basic storytelling fundamentals; I consider them bare minimum for a competent book, and if you’re gonna invoke Scream as your comp I’m gonna expect you to be at least a little clever. Unfortunately, Final Cut falls short across the board. For adult readers this is beyond skippable, but I can’t say I recommend it to the target demo either. It’s not just that the ending isn’t worth it—the journey to get there isn’t even a good time. You can read better.

Would I re-read this book: No

Who should read this book:
YA thriller fans
People whose only exposure to Scream is Skeet Ulrich licking blood off his hand in a TikTok edit

Similar books (books you should read instead):
anything by Holly Jackson — YA thrillers of varying quality
I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones — like it’s not, but if you like the idea of “slasher obsessed teen becomes the final girl” and want to see it explored, read this
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson — teen detective with weird special interest solves past and present murders, refuses to ask adults for help

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of the eARC.

This young adult novel came with all of the slasher vibes I loved! It was full of excitement, mixed in with a lot of suspense! It is wicked, twisty, eerie and dark. It is emotional and adventurous. I really loved the plot and premise of this book. I also found the plot to be well executed. It captured my attention right away! It is beautifully written and comes with a book cover that matches the storyline! This is a fast paced, easy to read book. It has a diverse cast of characters and strong character development. I have personally never read a book quite like this one, it is unique and thought provoking. I found this to be a spooky book, not a scary nightmarish one. It came with vivid descriptions and gave me very nostalgic memories.

“Final Cut” is where a low budget slasher film turns into a true horror slasher story! Things start to become crazy! It makes you wonder who the real killer is… Overall, I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars!

If you’re a fan of the movie Scream or if you like young adult thriller books, you would enjoy reading this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Olivia Worley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for this electronic ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on October 28, 2025!

Final Cut is a solid thriller bringing to life the teen slasher vibes of the late 90s/early 00’s. It’s gory, it’s dark and extremely entertaining. This novel may be YA, but it doesn’t shy from the darker aspects of the genre. While not necessarily revolutionary as a thrill, there are enough twists to keep the momentum going.

This novel was an absolute surprise and perfect read for the beach or a dark and stormy night.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a fun read! As a Louisiana native, I appreciated not making the local characters caricatures while including elements that are stereotypical to the state. The relationship between Haze and Cameron was a little predictable and the dialogue was a bit underdeveloped. I did enjoy the twists at the end and I did not predict the culprits which adds to the enjoyment for me. I would give this 3.5/5 stars and I would definitely read more by this author.

If you like slasher films or the final girl trope, then you'll love this novel. It was paced well and engaging, I was able to finish it within two sittings.

thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc !!

Final Cut follows Olivia as she returns to her hometown for the first time since her father was convicted as the Pine Springs Slasher. She’s there to launch her acting career as the lead in a slasher film. But once filming begins, strange “accidents” start happening on set, and it quickly becomes clear there's a real copycat killer on the loose.

This book was simply fun (and a little brutal). I loved the classic slasher vibe, it’s fast-paced, a bit over-the-top, and easy to get breeze through. It kind of reminded me of Scream (the TV show). You definitely have to suspend disbelief when it comes to all the character connections and the general situation Olivia gets herself into cause girl?? The characters throughout the book were WAY too chill also, three people will die and everyone’s just like, hahaha yesterday was wild.

The twist caught me off guard, which I appreciated, but I wasn’t totally satisfied with how it played out. That said, the second half was way stronger than the first, and I really enjoyed flying through it. I also liked how the film script was woven into a few scenes, it added a fun layer of mixed media.

Overall, this was a solid, entertaining YA slasher. If you’re into that kind of thing, I think you’ll have a good time with it.

I love fun YA slasher books and this one did not disappoint! it gave vibes of the reappearance of rachel price, which I LOVED. I love the fun tropes and it was just up my alley!

Ahh I absolutely LOVED this book! This is my probably my favorite YA horror book that I’ve ever read. “Final Cut” is a clear love letter to the slasher genre, but it manages to be a perfect mix of its own story and references to classic slashers. I figured out some of the ending but not all of it, so there were some nice surprises. And there were some likable characters in the cast. I highly recommend this book if you’re a slasher fan and honestly probably even if you’re not.

Thank you St. Martins Press, Wednesday Books, Olivia Worley and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own.