Final Girls by Riley Sager tells the story of Quincy Carpenter, a college student who survived a brutal massacre that claimed the lives of her friends. Along with two other women who also survived similar incidents, Quincy is known as one of the “Final Girls.” However, their pasts come back to haunt them when one of the Final Girls is found dead and another shows up on Quincy’s doorstep. While I loved the first half of this book and was captivated by Sager’s writing style, I have to admit that the ending left me feeling disappointed.
The beginning of Final Girls sets up an intriguing premise that immediately draws readers in. We follow Quincy as she tries to move on from her traumatic past and build a new life for herself. But when Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead under suspicious circumstances, everything starts to unravel. Sam, the second Final Girl, shows up on Quincy’s doorstep and begins to stir up memories from their shared past. As more details about Lisa’s death emerge, it becomes clear that something sinister is going on.
Throughout the book, Sager does an excellent job of building tension and keeping readers guessing about what will happen next. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way that kept me on edge and eager to find out how everything would be resolved. The characters are well-developed and complex, each with their own secrets and motivations.
However, as I got closer to the end of the book, I started to feel like things were dragging on too long. And while I won’t spoil anything here, I will say that the ending felt unsatisfying.
That being said, I still think that Final Girls is a worthwhile read for fans of the thriller/horror genre. Sager’s writing is engaging and the premise is genuinely intriguing. The first half of the book gives you hope and while the ending may not have been my favorite part, it’s still worth reading to see how everything plays out.
Final Girls is available at bookstores everywhere. Listen to the audiobook narrated by Erin Bennett and Hillary Huber on Libro.fm and support local bookstores!
