Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

497 reviews

colyforniaroll's review against another edition

Go to review page

I had listened to A Southern Ladies Guide to Slaying Vampires a few years ago on Hoopla and remembered it being enjoyable, with genuinely frightening sectors, so had high hopes with the plot of this book. 

Decided to listen on Spotify & got 30% into it before deciding to take the DNF (which I HATE doing) due to the saturated stereotypes, slow plot line, and unlikeable characters that we meet one after another + the main character being one of them. It pains me, but I have to put my time in better stories.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

imbatmanbrb's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

enyltiak's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I loved this book—I didn't want to put it down as I was desperate to find out what was going on, but I also really didn't want it to end. This is really a book for horror movie (especially slasher horror) lovers, and in particular will be a fun read for Scream fans. 

I think this book is incredibly divisive when it comes to the representation of the female characters—some think it's flawless, some think it's offensively dreadful—but truly it's just... fine. I think a female author would have more nuance, something different and interesting to say that a man can't understand, but Hendrix clearly wrote these characters with the consideration that they're people, not objects, and so I really didn't have a problem with it. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ccoterie's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

God. Where to even begin with this book? The premise is strong and paves the way for a compelling look into the slasher genre and its final girls. It's clear (perhaps too clear, some references were basically direct copies) that Hendrix loves the genre. And yet I can't tell what this book was going for. There are a lot of details that left me baffled (not including racist stereotypes - I get that the book is an homage to classic slashers, but some tropes can die) or, as I look back on them, confused about their inclusion. I think this book could've benefitted from cutting a few plot points or picking a clearer tone.
The beginning involved a lot of starts and stops as I texted my friends my newest hesitation. I couldn't get into Lynn as a protagonist. Her mindset was certainly understandable, sometimes her paranoia was uncomfortably familiar, but something seemed off. It felt like an "I'm not like other girls" would've fit perfectly - there were some lines that got pretty close. Without a concrete reason to believe her mindset, Lynn just got on my nerves. The middle rectified this issue, providing a fast-paced action thriller that made her compelling. Chrissy marked another turning point.
I understand the reasons behind her inclusion - everything she has going on has potential. However, her mysticism, murderabilia, and boyfriend didn't have any payoff. They were all loose threads making more of a vessel for the author to get a message across than an actual character. I still can't understand why she was written to be so narratively cluttered. Her scene did not have to be as long as it was considering her sole purpose.
The ending left a lot unresolved for me, mostly regarding its mental health themes.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

concon95's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sallie_ees's review against another edition

Go to review page


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

laurenexploresbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a challenging work for me. I personally did not find this work to be enjoyable due to the mass amount of gore and trauma porn throughout the work. I appreciated the last 20 percent of the work, but again I felt like I did not fully get to connect with characters within this work. I kept going out of anger and horror than enjoyment. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

alexdefel513's review against another edition

Go to review page

fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

tiffanne11's review against another edition

Go to review page

tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.75

The first 70% or so of this book was a great thriller. Our cast of characters are "final girls", reminiscent of the last one standing in a slasher film but they lived through these traumas. The main character, Lynnette, copes with excessive paranoia, locking herself away and not getting attached to anyone. 
Everything changes when one of the members of their group is killed. No one is sure who they can trust and Lynnette runs. 
The majority of the book is building up this tension about who is hunting the final girls and why. As a reader, you are wondering if it is all in her head or if there is a killer out there orchestrating this whole thing. 
Unfortunately, the "reveal" makes no sense. It's not evidenced in the text. You couldn't figure it out, and that is not what makes a good twist. A good twist is one that makes all of the pieces slot in together and make sense. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bwest6377's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I wanted to love this book but found myself struggling to finish it. I really loved the concept but there were so many details the story became hard to follow. I did enjoy the twist and the final chapter, but the middle/main scene lost my mind interest because it felt way too minor detail oriented rather than focused on the main plot, like a flashback scene in a movie. I would 100% watch a movie adaptation of this book, but just unfortunately not my favorite 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings