A Book Spy Review: ‘Final Girls’ By Riley Sager

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Ten years ago, Quincy Carter went on vacation with a handful of friends. Instead of a relaxing trip, the six girls all endured hell, and Quincy was the only one who survived the nightmare to talk about it. Except, of course, that the trip is the last thing in the world she wants to talk about.

Following the entire ordeal, the media does their best to make Quincy one of their “Final Girls,” a small trio of young women who have managed to survive mass murders. Hoping to move on from the past, Quincy wants no part of the media’s attention. Instead, she puts herself through college, then takes a job in New York City. As time goes by, Quincy finds more and more missing puzzle pieces to her ideal image of happiness–including a steady relationship with Jeff, a man she’s ready to settle down with.

Sadly, Quincy’s perfect life is threatened when Lisa, the first of the media’s highly-covered Final Girls, kills herself–thrusting both Quincy and Sam Boyd (the second Final Girl) back into the spotlight.

To Quincy’s surprise, Sam shows up on her doorstep, though her motives aren’t exactly crystal clear. In fact, the longer Sam stays in Quincy’s life, the more trouble she brings.

Apart from constantly trying to get Quincy to talk about the night her friends were killed, events that Quincy can’t remember due to amnesia-like memory loss, Sam’s presence seems to shine a light on Quincy’s struggles. Like, for example, her addiction to Xanax and the many small crimes she’s committed over the years–revealing that the once perceived all-together Quincy is actually damaged and struggling beneath the surface.

Eventually, questions and motives begin to pile up. Did Lisa really kill herself? Why, exactly, did Sam come out of hiding to track down Quincy? And finally, is Quincy telling the truth about her memory loss or is there something about the night her friends were slaughtered that she wants to keep a secret?

Sager expertly mixes in a set of flashback scenes detailing what happened to Quincy and her friends, slowly pulling back the curtain to reveal a chilling and shocking truth.

If you ever wondered what happens to the few surviving characters who actually make it long enough to see the credits roll at the end of slasher movies, Sager provides a dark, haunting, and wildly entertaining answer. Mixing equal parts psychological thriller and crime fiction, Sager’s Final Girls is a must-read for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.

Book Details

Author: Riley Sager
Pages: 352 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1101985364
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Book Spy Rating: 7/10
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