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lovelymisanthrope's review
- 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
bros3nthal's review
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Violence, Torture, Murder, and Kidnapping
rosesofthespring'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
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Cancer, Ableism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Police brutality, Cursing, Misogyny, Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Moderate: Excrement, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Racism, Torture, Cannibalism, Animal death, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
There is a description of a previous ex-relationship with a huge power imbalance and considerable age gap. The younger party is 18.janetk242's review
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Torture, and Death
Moderate: Stalking and Panic attacks/disorders
novel_nibbles's review
- 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
4.5
Set in a word where the campy horror film franchises I enjoyed in my teens (and the odd sleep over of my tweens)are based on real events. The Final girls are still dealing (or not) with the consequences of the life defining “crisis” and “sequels” that happened in their formative years.
While elements of the book are truly stomach turning, the fantasy element and Easter eggs allowed me to read the book with a level of detached enjoyment. That’s not to say I wasn’t effected and didn’t have to keep a of the lights turned on while reading!
Fast paced with short chapters and epistolary elements I raced through t the satisfy bloody finish.
I can see myself reading more from this author
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Torture
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, and Drug abuse
romonko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
The only reason that I read it was because it was a gift box book. I am sure that there are fans of the horror genre that have read this and enjoyed it, and I am sorry to disagree with them. I read it to the end, even as difficult as it was, and am kind of glad that I did as the end was the only tiny flicker of light in the entire book. The descriptions of the slayings are so horrendous that I am afraid I skipped through most of them. The characters are a depraved and vicious lot. At some primal level, I can understand how anyone that had gone through and seen the horrors that these girls have lived through would forever be scarred and unable to function normally. It is the most extreme form of PTSD that there is. That at least came through loud and clear in this book. Each of the victims had their own coping mechanisms, and each relied on their group therapy to help them through it. That all makes sense, but to have to live through what each of them saw and experienced was too much for me. I know there are monsters in this world, but I don't have to get to know them as well as I came to know the monsters in this book.
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
beebeewin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I will say that I felt like there could have been more of a build up to the mystery. I was trying to solve it the entire time and felt like more hints could have been peppered in. Due to this lack of foreshadowing or hints, the ending did feel a little rushed/out of the blue. I think by building up to the "Monster" a little bit more the suspense and pay off would have been greater.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a little bit of a thriller read with poignant commentary on the world and how violence affects the women subjected to it. Grady gave nuisance to a story that could have been very heavy handed.
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Mass/school shootings, Alcoholism, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
britkbrown's review
- 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
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Sexism, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Misogyny, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Child death
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Torture, Blood, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Cancer
mthornburg13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail