Chante JVR

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“You can’t change what’s happened. The only thing you can control is how you deal with it.”

*Spoilers, obviously.

I don’t know why I get so annoyed when something written by a man, feels like it was written by a man.

Riley Sager’s “Final Girls” promises a suspenseful and chilling experience, but unfortunately, it falls flat on its promises, leaving me with a sense of dissatisfaction and frustration.

Synopsis:

“Final Girls” by Riley Sager is a psychological thriller that follows the story of Quincy Carpenter, the lone survivor of a brutal massacre at a remote cabin. Quincy becomes part of an exclusive club known as the “Final Girls” — a group of women who have each survived different horrific mass killings.

The novel alternates between the present, where Quincy is trying to rebuild her life after the traumatic events, and flashbacks to the night of the massacre. Quincy, along with fellow Final Girls, Sam and Lisa, are thrust into the media spotlight and struggle to cope with the label that society has placed on them.

As Quincy attempts to move on, she befriends a mysterious Final Girl named Sam, who disrupts the delicate balance Quincy has established in her life. The narrative becomes increasingly tense as secrets and lies unravel, forcing Quincy to confront the truth about that fateful night and the events that followed.

Lackluster Plot Twist

One of the most glaring issues with “Final Girls” is its attempt at a twisty plot that ultimately feels forced and uninspired. The supposed revelation at the end feels more like a cheap trick than a clever turn of events, leaving me with a sense of having invested time in a story that fails to deliver a genuinely shocking or satisfying conclusion. Especially since I stopped caring about the characters about 70% in. I imagined Coop, our ruggishly handsome cop who rescues her when from the bloodbath she endures at Pine Cone Cottage, as Hopper from Stranger Things. You know, this guy:

You know, a sweet fatherly figure who was/would always be there for her. So when it turns out that he’s been IN LOVE WITH HER THIS WHOLE TIME, I immediately got the ick. His “obsession” with her felt like an underdeveloped plot device meant to shock rather than actually make sense.

Stereotypical Characters

The characters in “Final Girls” are disappointingly one-dimensional, fitting into tired horror movie stereotypes without any significant depth or development. They were all so horrible and their decisions didn’t feel justified (other than, I suppose, to make you feel suspicious of them rather than the person it actually was). Don’t even get me started on Sam. It almost feels as if Sager writes women the way he views them; crazy, shallow, and unnecessarily sexual.

Me with every character in this book:

As a result of all of this, it’s challenging to connect with or care about their fates, making the entire reading experience feel detached and unengaging.

Uneven Pacing

The pacing of “Final Girls” is erratic. The first 60% is incredibly boring, focused solely on Quincy dealing/not dealing with her trauma and her annoying boyfriend, Jeff.

Small moments of intense action were followed by incredibly long periods of stagnation. Sager struggles to maintain a consistent rhythm, leading to a disjointed reading experience. This lack of fluidity prevents the story from building and sustaining the necessary momentum to keep readers engaged.

Unfulfilled Potential

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of “Final Girls” is the squandering of its potential. The initial premise hinted at a compelling exploration of trauma, survival, and the psychological toll of being a “final girl.” However, these themes are never fully realized, leaving readers with a sense of unmet expectations and a story that falls short of its intriguing premise.

The book comes full circle with Quincy running off to meet a new final girl to who she, ala-Barney Stinson, proclaims, “I’m gonna teach you how to be a Final Girl”. 🙄🙄🙄🙄

“Final Girls” by Riley Sager fails to live up to the hype surrounding it. The lackluster plot twist, underdeveloped characters, predictable narrative, uneven pacing, and unfulfilled potential make it difficult to recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers. Unfortunately, it stands as a prime example of a promising concept that ultimately fails to deliver a satisfying reading experience. 1 star.

** Also I just learnt that Riley Sager is a fake name and now I’m mad mad.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider donating to mine and my husband’s immigration fund and help us get to the UK! Even a small amount would mean the world to us.

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