Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

36 reviews

itsheyfay's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Violence, Body horror, Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Misogyny

Moderate: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Sexual harassment, and Abandonment

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Ableism, and Racism

apestforwrens's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-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

Slow start but worth it. Our heroine takes a little time to warm up to, but do not let that discourage you. This is coming from someone who does not like horror: I loved this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical content, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Confinement, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, and Abandonment

Its a slasher, there is genre typical content. Because it takes place from within the heroine's head, there is some derealization.

bloopyfloopy's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Child death, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Blood

ghouligan's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Stalking, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

ka_ke's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Do you enjoy campy horror movies like Final Destination? Then The Final Girl Support Group is for you! It’s one half sociological analysis of feminism, murder, psychopathy, sociopathy, and dangerous obsession, and the other half is a campy murder novel. Definitely one of Grady Hendrix’s best novels. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Body horror, Gore, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, and Medical content

wallywoahjack's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.25

Hendrix writes good charaters, but I just wasn’t very satisfied by the plot. I also think there’s times where you can really tell this is a story about women being written by a man. The ideas behind it are compelling for sure, and I like the mix of supernatural elements.

I also think this book could have worked simply as just a story of these women going to their final girl support group. Another issue I had was that I just personally hate the way most people write about school shooter/shooter inspired events. It just never feels like its done right. I did find the murder memorial/fans part quite intriguing,and I think he played that out as a very intresting concept. Another major issue I had is that it’s stated that Stephanie was groomed, when it sounds like both Lynette and (Krissy? Kristen?) were as well. Lynette by that awful cop. The group shames K for sleeping with her killer but I swear it also stated he was he godfather? The cop is just brushed off as a scheming dope who’s still trying to profit off of Lynette and nothing is ever really said about what he did to her. It just left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit

brittmariereads_'s review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Gore, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gun violence, Addiction, and Drug abuse

anoveldestination's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

4.0

I was intrigued when I first started this book, but I wasn't sold until the ending. At the beginning, I struggled to understand the character's motivations and questioned the choice of Lynette as the narrator over other girls in the book, but by the end, Gary Hendrix had once again made me fall in love with all of the characters and their journeys. There's so much that happens in this book and so much to unpack, that I'm honestly still processing it. However, Grady Hendrix is a talented writer, and he juggles so many complex themes, characters, and plot points with ease. The writing and story are both emotionally impactful and suspenseful and entertaining. 

With all that being said, I thought the pacing was off. The story starts with a bang, but I thought the whodunnit plot dragged in the middle, and the scenes at the police station, while important for Lynette's character backstory and growth, felt like they didn't add anything to the plot and were an unnecessary interruption. I also think that while each character was developed well in the story, there were too many characters. I don't think we needed to see Michelle in the story. I also think some of the themes could've still been communicated without having both Garrett and Stephanie in the book. I wasn't sure if Garrett needed to be an actual character in the book or just someone we heard about through Lynette. Also, Pax, while essential to the plot, I don't think the story needed him and that Gary Hendrix could've found a way to make the plot work without Pax. Still, I was never overwhelmed by the number of characters. I just think some of the characters and their purposes felt too similar. 

Despite my issues with the book, I love the way everything comes together at the end. The book is also engaging, with great moments of suspense. It's a true thriller that you won't want to put down. Within this entertaining plot, Grady Hendrix manages to insert truly original characters and communicate important feminist themes. The book is the perfect balance of reading for pleasure and reading for enrichment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Homophobia

keen's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Racism, and Sexual assault

kait4573's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

Lead is an unlikable character and deals with heavy PTSD

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, and Hate crime