A review by eve_reads
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.5

 Overall Thoughts:
⁕ This book is a (somewhat comedic ode) to the final girls of slasher films like Chainsaw Massacre, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. There are supposedly lot's of hidden gems referencing these films throughout the novel. As someone who's not the biggest fan of the horror film industry, I missed most if not all of these connections.... BUT, overall, I still was able to understand and enjoy the plot on its own without external knowledge of those films.

⁕ As previously mentioned, this book teeters on the edge of dark humor. Yes, there is some very real, very tough commentary on gender-based violence, trauma, and the impact that media can have on these topics. However, this is still a Hendrix novel. It's grandly ridiculous and the reader must be willing to adhere a higher level of suspended disbelief in order to enjoy it for what it is.

⁕ The main "message" Hendrix tries to hit home at the end of the novel seems to be one of solidarity across the experience of womanhood (and all the trauma that comes with it). My issue with this is that (a) this theme was pretty half-baked throughout the action of the book until it was brought to the forefront in the conclusion, and (b) I have mixed feelings about a male author profiting off of a book that is based at its core on violence towards women.

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