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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I've had the genuine pleasure of reading and reviewing all of Olivia Worley's new books for the past three years in a row and I definitely think that this is her best book yet! The setting, the town and the swamp, was another character all in itself and it being the home of the Pine Springs Slasher added a whole additional layer of tension to the story. I also thought there was a vibrant cast of characters, all who stood out strongly and played off of one another well. I also really liked Haze as a main character. Her desires and motivations and personality came through so clearly.
When I was reading this, I worried that the piece would pigeon-hole itself into traditional slasher stereotypes, just because slashers are by nature a formulaic genre. But she did a great job paying homage to classics of the slasher genre and adding her own twists to the piece. The book also acknowledges slasher movie tropes, like the Final Girl, and does a great job almost winking at the reader by turning those tropes on their head and doing something new with them. I thought the mystery was very well done. I guessed some of it and some of it completely shocked me, in the way a good mystery does, when you look back and realize the clues were there all along. I also thought Worley did a great job showing why people are drawn to slashers, for good or bad, and showing that no one fits neatly into tropes like those, not even if we write the scripts ourselves. There is lots of focus on the nuances of human nature in this book that reminds me of Holly Jackson's mysteries. The author herself compared this book to The Reappearance of Rachel Price and I agree that there is a similar feeling when reading.
That said, I thought the ending was too quick. I wanted to see Haze confront her father for the crimes he did commit. I also wanted to see her get to fall in love and write her own story. I also thought that at times it was really hard to keep all the characters straight. There was one character who became important at the end whom I had entirely forgotten about. I had to go back to the beginning to remember how this character was involved in the story. Also, and maybe relatedly, I thought the pacing was too fast at the beginning and that's part of why it was so hard to keep all the characters straight.
That said, I think Olivia Worley's a rising star in the YA thriller/mystery genre and I really enjoyed this book! I definitely think that anyone who's a fan of Holly Jackson will be a fan of her work, especially this newest book!
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Final Cut follows 18 year old Haze Lejeune as she and the cast and crew of a low budget slasher flick begin filming in Louisiana. People start dying and Haze tries to figure out who the killer is.
This is perfect for fans of slasher movies like Scream and Halloween. I found this super entertaining. The murder, the investigation bits, and the suspense were well balanced. I thought it was very well paced too. I liked the characters. I loved the ending. I especially loved that I couldn’t figure out who the killer was until it was revealed. I’ll definitely be reading more by Olivia Worley.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5⭐
What a twist!!! It's the first time since agggtm that I don't guess who the killer is!! The
What a twist!!! It's the first time since agggtm that I don't guess who the killer is!! The
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a fun YA thriller novel! I read this one in a couple hours and it definitely kept me on my toes. The whodunit isn’t easily dispensable and has a great twist. I think I suspected just about everyone at some point in the story.
I definitely picked out some clues, and one major thing that happened (so I’m patting myself on the back,) but I don’t think it was obvious. I was totally with the narrator when she was like “so and so did it because xyz….” And then a twist and I’m like okay yes it’s this person, and then it’s not.
The only thing I wish we had more on was the actual murderer. The character wasn’t gave much personality until the big reveal. Would have loved more before then.
The villain’s backstory was fantastic though. I really enjoyed this scream queen slasher book.
Blurb:
Haze is a new actress who gets a dream part in a new slasher movie. The only problem is, is that it’s in her hometown where her father murdered 5 teenagers and became known as the Pine Springs Slasher. Haze decides to give it a shot and is instantly entranced. Her fellow actors are great, and a particularly handsome Cameron catches her eye. But when strange things start to happen, accidents, and actual murders, Haze needs to figure out if this is a new Pine Springs Slasher or something even worse.
Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc!
I definitely picked out some clues, and one major thing that happened (so I’m patting myself on the back,) but I don’t think it was obvious. I was totally with the narrator when she was like “so and so did it because xyz….” And then a twist and I’m like okay yes it’s this person, and then it’s not.
The only thing I wish we had more on was the actual murderer. The character wasn’t gave much personality until the big reveal. Would have loved more before then.
The villain’s backstory was fantastic though. I really enjoyed this scream queen slasher book.
Blurb:
Haze is a new actress who gets a dream part in a new slasher movie. The only problem is, is that it’s in her hometown where her father murdered 5 teenagers and became known as the Pine Springs Slasher. Haze decides to give it a shot and is instantly entranced. Her fellow actors are great, and a particularly handsome Cameron catches her eye. But when strange things start to happen, accidents, and actual murders, Haze needs to figure out if this is a new Pine Springs Slasher or something even worse.
Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Final Cut is a fun, engaging YA slasher that's self-aware and referential without being obnoxious. I had a great time tagging along with Haze and discovering how her past was manifesting into her present- reading this book felt like spending a lazy summer afternoon having a horror movie marathon in the best way. Multimedia in a horror novel is one of my favorite things, and especially when the premise is about a movie. The script inclusions were fantastic, but it was the narration that opens the story that really shone and I was on the edge of my seat whenever we switched to that perspective. The pacing is a little slower at the start of the book but there's a lot to establish and by the 50% mark, it's full steam ahead and I don't think I put the book down once in the second half. Like what usually happens for me in slasher flicks, by the time the big reveals come around, I was too sucked in to even try to put the pieces together but the ending was satisfying and I'm excited to read Worley's other novels. Definitely recommend this to anyone that loves a good slasher movie and I think it transcends age groups really well- not too gory for the intended audience but a great homage to slasher movies for adult readers as well!
Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC- all opinions are my own!
Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC- all opinions are my own!
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Final Cut by Olivia Worley
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: YA Horror/Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: October 28, 2025
📍 Pine Springs, LA
🔪 Indie Slasher Film
🍃 Atmospheric Thriller
While the pacing was a little uneven at the beginning, Final Cut has the overall vibe of a twisty, fast-paced 90s horror film! I loved the backstory, the swampy Louisiana setting, and the twists that just kept coming! I never could've called the climax!
I absolutely recommend Final Cut for all lovers of twisty thrillers and classic slasher films!
Thank you so much @olivia.worley, @wednesdaybooks and NetGalley for the digital review copy!
⚠️ minor horror/gore elements
#FinalCutNovel, #WednesdayBooks, #OliviaWorley.
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: YA Horror/Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: October 28, 2025
📍 Pine Springs, LA
🔪 Indie Slasher Film
🍃 Atmospheric Thriller
While the pacing was a little uneven at the beginning, Final Cut has the overall vibe of a twisty, fast-paced 90s horror film! I loved the backstory, the swampy Louisiana setting, and the twists that just kept coming! I never could've called the climax!
I absolutely recommend Final Cut for all lovers of twisty thrillers and classic slasher films!
Thank you so much @olivia.worley, @wednesdaybooks and NetGalley for the digital review copy!
⚠️ minor horror/gore elements
#FinalCutNovel, #WednesdayBooks, #OliviaWorley.