⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ That's what I'd give this book.
The Final Girl Support Group riffs off of the best slasher film franchises, from Halloween to Scream, while author Grady Hendrix manages to create his own unique non-stop thrill ride complete with a flawed, paranoid and unforgettable final girl in Lynette Tarkington. Like every good horror movie heroine, Lynette fights to survive, no matter how many plot twists arise. And, like in every horror movie I've ever seen, crazy plot twists abound. I liked Lynette and the other four final girls. And I liked how Hendrix has written an entertaining thriller, but one with an edge to it, too; one that questions why society delights so much in seeing women killed off in these kinds of horror movies...and all their sequels. Suspenseful and compelling, this book is as good as everyone says.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes to give you a taste of just how good a writer Grady Hendrix is:
"Men don't have to pay attention the way we do. Men die because they make mistakes. Women? We die because we're female."
"If diamonds are a girl's best friend, then reliable handguns with stopping power are a final girls."
"Tell me how I chose this," I say. "I was minding my own business and a monster came through my door. Not because I ignored the Keep Out signs and snuck into the old asylum, not because I built my house on top of an Indian burial mound. I didn't 'ask for it', this was done to me."
"None of us have to be defined by the worst thing that ever happened to her. Unfortunately, those things have a bad habit of coming back and trying to kill us again. After awhile, you start to realize that your life isn't the thing that happens between the monsters, your life is the monsters."
"Dying isn't the important thing. It's nothing more than the punctuation mark on the end of your life. It's everything that came before that matters. Punctuation marks, most people skip right over them. They don't even have a sound."
Happy Reading!
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I haven't watched many horror movies. I'm kind of a chicken when it comes to that stuff. I like Alfred Hitchcock movies, but that is about it. I don't mind a horror book now and then though. This one seems eerily exciting.
ReplyDeleteI love Alfred Hitchcock's movies! They're great. And I've watched a few other horror movies, but you don't need to have seen them to enjoy this book.
DeleteI abandoned this one quite early, but now I keep seeing good reviews.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to get a good feel for this one at the beginning; Lynette comes across as a little crazy and I had my doubts, but the farther into it I got the more I liked it.
DeleteI had this one checked out from the library but turned it back in because someone else put a hold on it. I knew I wasn't going to be reading it for a bit. So, now I'm waiting again. We'll see when I get to it. I really liked FINAL GIRLS by Sager and I'm trying to think if I read the other book you mentioned. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't read The Never List, it's a good one! And I hope you get another copy of this one soon. :)
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ReplyDeleteI've been really curious about this one, so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. And those quotes you shared have me even more interested. :)
ReplyDeleteThey're good quotes, aren't they? Hendrix is a really good writer.
Deletei'm not much on horror but the lit world needs to recognize feminine reality!
ReplyDeleteYes! And Hendrix does a good job of that in this book.
DeleteI'm too wussy for this one, but I think it is fun that he chose to tap the big horror franchises from back in the day to deliver you a good one. :)
ReplyDeleteI thought that was fun, even though he doesn't mention them by name, his references were clear. :)
DeleteSounds like an interesting riff on all the horror movie cliches...while exploiting them to make his novel entertaining at the same time. Not sure if I'm feeling this as cleverness or hypocrisy...kinda confused.
ReplyDeleteWith the way Hendrix crafts a novel, I felt like him writing a horror story of his own to point out some of the fallacies in that genre was more biting and darkly satirical than hypocritical. But that's just me.
DeleteI like horror and this sounds good.
ReplyDeleteYou might really like this one! Thanks for commenting. :)
DeleteThat kind of seals it for me. I've been strongly considering this one (wish I would have read it in October) but with a review like that I'm in! :)
ReplyDeleteI really liked it. I hope you do, too!
DeleteI'm probably not likely to read this, but those are good quotes!
ReplyDeleteI really liked those quotes, too.
DeleteI just can't read horror, or anything scary, but I can appreciate the work a writer does to make a truly scary book. And this author has the skills for sure.
ReplyDeleteHe's a good writer.
DeleteI quite enjoyed this one too, though I found the plot to lose some steam/focus the more it went on. It was my first read by Hendrix, but it certainly won't be my last!
ReplyDeleteI've read his book Horrorstor, which I thought was a bit crazy, but very fun.
DeleteYep this was crazy, gruesome fun! Love the quotes!
ReplyDeleteWasn't it a ride? I really liked it.
DeleteWell, this sure sounds like a winner, especially for the Halloween season.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great October read! :)
DeleteI liked Hendrix's first book, in spite of all the gore, so I'm definitely in for this one. Probably not this year, but eventually. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween!
Horrorstor was a lot of fun, wasn't it? I really liked that one, too. :)
DeleteI wanted to read this one for R.I.P. but didn't get to it. Well no matter the season, I always love scary reads! Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteAnd this one's a good read any time of the year. :)
DeleteHi Lark, I started reading Grady Hendrix's The Southern Bookclub's Guide to Slaying Vampires a few weeks ago. It's a horror novel about a group of Southern women who frustrated by the boring book club they've joined ("Jude is Obscure for a reason") decide to form their own book club where they read and discuss books about serial killers and grizzly murders. I put the book down for awhile but I must get back to it because Grady Hendrix is talented and very funny!
ReplyDeleteHendrix is very talented. I loved his take on Ikea in his book Horrorstor. Have you read that one? I still need to read his Southern Bookclub's Guide to Slaying. Maybe next October. :)
DeleteDidn't read Horrorstor but the way I discovered Grady was through his nonfiction book Paperbacks from Hell in which he reviews the classic horror novels from the 1970's and 1980's which fans consider the golden age in the horror genre and he knows his field!
DeleteI didn't know he'd written a nonfiction book about classic horror novels. It sounds interesting. I wonder if my library has a copy of it. I'll have to check.
DeleteI don't normally read horror, but this sounds good. I enjoyed the quotes; they are observant and make a point without overdoing it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think that's what Hendrix was aiming for with this book.
DeleteThat first quote is so true.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it? I've been thinking about that one all week.
Delete5 stars wow. It looks like a fun fast-paced thriller ... but with an edge too. Nice.
ReplyDeleteIt just worked for me. Right timing, right kind of story. And I really liked it.
DeleteI don't normally read horror, but I have really enjoyed everything I've read from Hendrix so far. Looking forward to reading this one. It sounds so good!
ReplyDeleteI really like Hendrix's writing. I still need to read his Southern Ladies/Vampire one.
DeleteLooks like this one packed a feminist punch! I like it already.
ReplyDeleteIt kind of did. Lynette's a little crazy...until she's proven right.
DeleteLike Kay, I had this one checked out from the library but have to return it back because it's due before I could get around to it. Sigh. Perhaps next time. I'm glad you enjoyed the book. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a chance to read this one someday.
DeleteI need to pick this one up. I don't often read horror, but this one sounds like it plays with the slasher movie genre, which might be fun.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that about this book!
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