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lucy_readsbooks13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I'm a chicken when it comes to scary books, and this was perfect for me. It's not very scary, and it has a fast-paced plot which doesn't allow for carefully built-up jump scares.
The main character was both insufferable and very easy to empathize with. I understood her ways and her reasons, but from time to time she was as interesting as a wet sponge and as likable as one of the "Monsters".
The plot was interesting, I quite liked that final e-mail, it juxtaposed two different times and "trends" in crime. The past is not told through a dual timeline but the reader is told about them, and it's supported by different reports, news articles, movie reviews, etc. and I really.
Slasher movies are the only horror movies I'm brave enough to watch so this premise really intrigued me, and parts of it were very well executed.
I managed to guess certain aspects of the ending, and my edition has some grammar and spelling mistakes. I don't think it's intentional because they are not constant enough though. There have also been certain problems with continuity, like a character leaves something behind but has it again three pages later. miscommunication is one of the tropes I can't stand, and unfortunately, it was abused here.
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Death, Gore, Violence, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Body horror, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Terminal illness, Cancer, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Toxic relationship
jadeejf's review against another edition
- 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
Hendrix did a masterful job of creating an unreliable narrator (or is she?), and weaving in a lot of excellent horror movie Easter eggs. It did occasionally veer into the gory, but it's a book about final girls, so you have to kind of expect that. I really enjoyed it.
Graphic: Torture, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Death, Stalking, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Car accident, Blood, Chronic illness, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
vickymcckey's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Child death, Gore, Violence, Gun violence, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Death, Blood, Torture, Death of parent, and Medical content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Car accident, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
Minor: Cannibalism and Animal cruelty
kazy's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
really enjoyed! it’s always fun to see things that are so clearly love letters from the author to the genre itself (not without its own criticism of the genre as well). it certainly felt like watching a contemporary slasher movie, the kind made by someone who’s seen every one and had some notes.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, Cancer, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Child death, Death of parent, Violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, and Misogyny
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Mental illness
Minor: Ableism, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Suicide, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, and Incest
mentions of victim blaming (both external and heavily internal),justmys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Vomit, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Murder, Misogyny, Stalking, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Body horror, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Sexism
Moderate: Confinement, Car accident, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Not sure if I'll actively search out to read any more by Grady Hendrix. This is only my second book and it feels a little...icky? For lack of a better term. He's so determined to have women go through such harrowing events and it's just starting to feel like...like every other man making a living off of women's suffering????? Maybe the others are different but for now I need a break.letters_from_gabriella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, Gore, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Death, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Violence, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Cursing, Child death, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Murder, Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, Drug abuse, Stalking, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Vomit, Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
tabea1409's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Death, Animal death, Kidnapping, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Mental illness, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cancer, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, and Child death
sarah_mcmullan_nz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
As someone who makes their living out of watching and writing about horror films, this book was incredibly frustrating to read.
In all honesty, I think I enjoyed trying to figure out who the characters were supposed to be way more than reading this poorly written, sloppily plotted incredibly obvious story.
Having said that - don't waste your time.
There are far better horror books, books about final girls and final girl films out there. Find them.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Blood, Drug abuse, Cancer, Cannibalism, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Child death, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, and Toxic friendship
thirteenlaurels's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Blood, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Car accident, Gore, Body horror, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Police brutality
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Gaslighting, Cancer, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
"The Final Girl Support Group" follows Lynnette, a woman who survived a massacre and gained the title of a "final girl". For over a decade she has been meeting with other final girls in a support group, in an effort to try to help one another survive life after tragedy. When one of the women misses a meeting, Lynnette quickly realizes that their worst fears are coming true, and someone is determined to bring down each of them.
Of all of the Grady Hendrix books that I have read, this one was my least favorite. One of the elements that I have really enjoyed about his books in the past is that although his books are dark and tackle challenging elements, there is always this outlandish, comedic element. Unfortunately, this particular book did not feel like Grady Hendrix's normal brand of horror, to me. This story was dark and forced the characters to face some of their deepest fear, but there did not feel like there was the same level of comedy.
Lynnette was such an unlikeable main character. She has centered her entire life around being a final girl, which I empathize that her trauma probably did that to her, but I felt like she had nothing else to her personality. She has purely been in survival mode, and she has not found any joy in life for decades. Additionally, for someone so closed off from people because she is always expecting the worst, she seemed to trust characters a little too quickly. This did not feel authentic to her character, and it felt more like a way to make the plot move along.
Although I did not initially see the big reveal about who was behind this, I also did not feel hooked or shocked by it either. By the time it was revealed who was behind this, I was so done with this story that I almost did not care.
I think this idea had a lot of potential, and I am sad that it unfortunately just did not work for me. However, I will still continue to read Grady Hendrix in the future, and I will still continue to recommend his books to the right reader.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Gore, Death of parent, Medical content, Gun violence, Stalking, Grief, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Toxic friendship, Torture, Child death, and Police brutality