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Final girls–you know them, those girls that survived the horror movie? The ones that fought back and defeated the killer and are still alive when the credits roll? Ever wonder what their life is like after the credits are done rolling??
I love a good horror, but was never a huge fan of slashers. But having read and loved Grady Hendrix’s previous book “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires” I knew I wanted to read this one.
A final girl is the girl who survives the end of a horror movie, the one that fought back, defeated the killer and is left alive at the end. And on the first Thursday of each month, they all meet with a therapist for support group. When one of the final girls misses a meeting, Lynette Tarkington fears that someone knows about the support group and is determined to eliminate the remaining final girls, and sets out to track down the person who is behind it all.
I enjoyed the premise of the book and ended up binge-reading it in a couple of days. While I wouldn’t say it was as enjoyable as TSBCGTSV, I still enjoyed it for the most part despite the gory content. Lynette lives her live constantly on edge, always guarded, aware of her exits, and armed. Her most meaningful relationship is with her houseplant. She’s crazy, and an unreliable narrator. There were times when her character frustrated me, but in the same way I sometimes get frustrated at the main character in a horror movie. It felt like an OTT classic slasher, and I like the nods to the old films (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, etc).
My one gripe would be that I didn’t feel like I was connected with any of the characters. I would have appreciated a little more character exploration and development of some of the other supporting characters. I did like the bond that the final girls had with each other towards the end and I enjoyed the conclusion. I look forward to reading more of Hendrix’s works.
The Final Girl Support Group on Amazon
2 Comments
Mark
February 22, 2022 at 7:43 pmI have a love hate relationship with slashers (except for the Scream franchise, which is all out love). This has been on my radar for a while. Glad to know you mostly enjoyed it.
Farrah
February 23, 2022 at 12:07 amOoo, I really love the premise of this book — definitely a unique spin. Would’ve been cool if they’d gone more into each character but it does sound like a good read nonetheless. Will be adding to my ever-growing to-read list!