Final Girls

Final Girls 

Final Girls is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. This is the debut novel from bestselling author Riley Sager. I have been reading his books for a couple of years now, and have become quite a fan. 

He is easily high on my auto-buy list, meaning I always automatically buy every new book he publishes, and I own all of them in hardcover editions. Hardcovers are always my personal favorite. What about you? Are you a hardcover or paperback fan? I much prefer hardcovers because they last so much longer, and the spines aren’t destroyed even when purchased used and not brand new. 

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This year I have decided to read more from my favorite authors. Riley Sager also has a brand new novel coming out soon, called The Unknown. Which is part of what prompted me to start reading more of his books. I want to have read them all before the new one is released. 

The next question is, which of his books should I read after this one? I am thinking about Middle of the Night, so if you want to read about that, keep an eye on my reviews for that one coming up soon. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that life is too short to read bad books, and I want to read so much more from my favorite authors. Which is my big focus this year. How about you? What kind of reading goals do you have for the new year? Tell me about them in the comments! 

Have you read Final Girls? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

About Final Girls 

Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls: 

Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them and, with that, one another. Despite the media’s attempts, they never meet.

Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past. 

That is until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit; and Sam, the second Final Girl, appears on Quincy’s doorstep. Blowing through Quincy’s life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. 

And when new details about Lisa’s death come to light, Quincy’s life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished. 

Thoughts on Final Girls 

“Sam’s in the kitchen, apron on, pretending to be Betty Fucking Crocker. Pretending to be anything other than a devious bitch. When I enter, she’s hovering over a mixing bowl, whisking eggs into a snowy pile of sugar and flour.” 

Riley Sager, Final Girls

In Final Girls we meet Quincy, who is a survivor of a mass murder. She is trying to find a life outside of being a victim or survivor of a horrible tragedy. There are two other women that the media have dubbed Final Girls as well. 

Quincy has always suppressed her memories of that fateful night, and the police think she was the killer. Because why else would she survive a mass murder when no one else did? But she pretends everything is great. Usually with the help of Xanax and cheap wine. 

She’s then built a great life off the money from surviving that ordeal. She bought a home, has a baking blog, and a lawyer for a boyfriend. Looks like a great life, right? Then she meets Sam, another Final Girl, and her world is turned upside down. 

With Sam’s help, along with Xanax and alcohol, Quincy makes some really questionable choices through the book, and I have to wonder why. What is Sam’s goal with pushing Quincy to do the things she does? Is it to trigger memories? A blackmail technique? Is she going to murder Quincy? 

My biggest complaint about this story was it moved at the pace of a handicapped turtle who was lost. I had to take breaks and move to other stories, and then come back to this one. There were more than a couple times where I had to talk myself into picking up the book because I wanted to finish it. 

It didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat. The first fifty percent of this book was a chore to read. Riley Sager built a great story, don’t get me wrong, especially for this being his debut novel. But I wanted it to move much faster. I may be impatient in that regard. 

It really picked up around the seventy five to eighty percent mark, and once it did, it was fantastic. Although it still wasn’t as great as other stories that I’ve read from him. I kind of suspected one person as being a bad guy, and it felt a bit predictable in that regard, because I was right. 

But there were other parts of the story where I was dead wrong, and didn’t guess the answer correctly. Which is one of the things I really enjoy about all of Riley Sager’s novels. Usually when I think I know the answer, I’m way off base. So to be right about one of them was almost a shock to me, and a letdown. 

Final Girls was a test of my patience, in that I wanted the story to move faster, and it was almost a do no not finish for me. I’m so glad that I decided to stick with it because it was worth my time. But I was wondering about the first part of it. If this wasn’t a Riley Sager book, it may very well have ended up in the do not finish pile, but he is one of my favorite authors and my expectations were high going into this. 

My personal favorite is The Last Time I Lied, because it kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing wrong the entire time. Final Girls didn’t meet that same expectation of what I wanted from a Riley Sager novel. 

Final Thoughts on Final Girls 

“I’m his creation, forged from blood and pain and the cold steel of a blade. I’m a fucking Final Girl.” 

Riley Sager, Final Girls

I’m calling Final Girls a four star read. It was good, but I really wanted something great. Although for being Riley Sager’s debut novel, it was good. I’ve read a number of debut novels from authors that were not half this good. My opinion is primarily based on the pace of the book. 

I had to remind myself that this was Sager’s first novel, and I’m thrilled to say that his writing has done nothing but improve from here. I love the fact I’m a fan and can see how much he has grown as an author from this book moving forward. I will definitely continue to be a fan for life. 

What I really wish Riley Sager had done with this book is weave more of the past and present together. He did this to an extent, but it was every few chapters. I think if he had done it every other chapter and we saw more of the Pine Cottage memories, it would have moved much faster. I really like stories that go back and forth with every chapter, because it sets an excellent pace, and that was exactly what was missing here. 

I still enjoyed reading the story of Final Girls, and I am glad I did. But I’m also excited to move on to another Riley Sager novel and read those. I have two more to go before I’ve checked them all off the list, and I’m thinking that I’ll read Middle of the Night next. Have you read that one? 

Discussion 

Have you read Final Girls or any other writing from bestselling author Riley Sager? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

About the Author 

Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently Home Before Dark and Survive the Night. His first novel, Final Girls, has been published in 30 countries and won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel. His latest book, The House Across the Lake, will be published in 2022 by Dutton Books.

A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey. When he’s not writing, he enjoys reading, cooking and going to the movies as much as possible. His favorite film is “Rear Window.” Or maybe “Jaws.” But probably, if he’s being honest, “Mary Poppins.” 

Purchasing Final Girls 

• If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Final Girls, click here.
• For the hardcover version, click here.
• Click here for the Kindle version.
• Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

More from Riley Sager 

Did you enjoy my review of Final Girls? Need another great Riley Sager novel? Here are my favorites! 

• Final Girls 
• The Last Time I Lied 
• Lock Every Door 
• Home Before Dark 
• Survive the Night 
• The House Across the Lake 
• The Only One Left 
• Middle of the Night 
• With a Vengeance 
• The Unknown

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