Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!
The horror genre has undergone a wealth of change (some not for
the better) and innovation in the past forty years. But one sub-genre that has
endured is the slasher film. Movies like Friday the 13th and
Halloween have taken the "final girl" trope, and invented and
re-invented it. I have been a fan of these films since I was a pre-teen. And
when I read the synopsis for Final Girls, I knew what my next book in my To Be
Read pile would be.
Final Girls is written by Riley Sager (a pseudonym for
author Todd Ritter) and it is published by Penguin-Random House under their
Dutton Books imprint. Final Girls follows the life of Quincy Carpenter, the
sole survivor of the notorious Pine Cottage murders that occurred a
decade ago. She is living in New York City in an apartment paid for by
earnings she has accumulated from interviews that she had done in the past
about her story. A successful baker with an up-and-coming website, called
Quincy's Sweets, Quincy is not the girl she used to be. She is happy (with the
help of Xanax) and is engaged to a Public Defender, named Jeff. She has long
since blocked out the events of Pine Cottage. She may not sleep well, but
at least she does not remember seeing her friends butchered.
But then news arrives that another "Final Girl",
Lisa Milner (sole survivor of an Indiana sorority house massacre), is found
dead in her bath tub with her wrists slit. Acquainted with Lisa, Quincy is
struck with sadness and doubt at the news of her fellow survivor's suicide.
Lisa was strong-willed. Lisa was helping other victims of traumatic
experiences. Lisa would never kill herself. A mystery that is set aside as
Samantha Boyd (sole survivor of the Nightlight Inn massacre) ends up on
Quincy's doorstep bearing the same doubts that Quincy has about Milner's
passing. But Sam is also in New York City for other reasons that Quincy's
fiancee is dubious about. And even Coop, the cop who saved Quincy a decade
earlier at Pine Cottage, is wondering what Sam's real motivations are. But when
a reporter from a tabloid enters into the mix, Quincy begins to remember that
night at Pine Cottage. And she is warned that Samantha Boyd may not be telling
her all of the truth.
But the question still remains: If Lisa Milner was indeed
murdered, who killed her? And would Quincy and Sam be next? Three famous Final
Girls: one down, two to go.
Final Girls is written with structure of a mystery novel,
and the brutality of a gory slasher film. The reader is given snippets of the
events of Pine Cottage as the current day mystery of why Lisa Milner committed
suicide unfolds. Sager's writing often overlaps the past and present
as the reader is sucked deeper into the mystery of Lisa Milner's suicide, while
slowly thrusting us into the terrifying events of Pine Cottage. I
found this to be a bit nerve-wracking as I sat there into the late hours of the
night reading. Just when I was settled into the mystery of the present a chapter
pops up with the header, Pine Cottage. And each chapter at the doomed vacation
cabin is love-letter to the horror fan. I remember anxiously awaiting the
header: Pine Cottage- Midnight (when all hell breaks loose).
But Final Girls is not just a mystery-horror novel. It also
dives deep into the psychology of the survivor. The depictions of
post traumatic lives in this novel had a way of seeping into my
pours. I felt that I was with the characters and living their
struggles. This aspect of the book made the story personal. And when I was
delivered the shocking twist at the end, I was just as shocked as the main
characters were.
I read this book in part with the audio presentation read
by actresses Erin Bennett and Hillary Huber. Both narrators did a wonderful job
reading the current and past narratives. Their voices could be soothing at
times, but rough and emotional when the words needed those inflections. They
were the perfect complement to Sager's story.
I gave this book four out of five stars. I was thoroughly
entertained by the mystery, and often nervous to continue on with my
visit to Pine Cottage. I found this to be a great addition to my Fall season
reading. With Halloween coming up this is the perfect read!
Have fun reading this week.
Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.
Also please follow me on my social media platforms, and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and the Book Depository. I am also looking for contributions to open my business. Please visit my GoFundMe page if you wish to help me out.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
Also please follow me on my social media platforms, and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and the Book Depository. I am also looking for contributions to open my business. Please visit my GoFundMe page if you wish to help me out.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
At Book
Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Xepherus3
At eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/xepherusstudios
At Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XepherusStudios
At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3
At eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/xepherusstudios
At Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XepherusStudios
At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3
At RedBubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/xepherus3
At Twitter: https://twitter.com/XepherusStudios
My Amazon
Wish List: https://amzn.com/w/3J58FXCH0Y44F
All written content and top logo (c) Copyright 2017 by Thomas Bahr II
Final Girls Cover is Copyright (C) by
Penguin-Random House Publishing
Comments
Post a Comment