Final Girls

This is how you do a psychological thriller!!!

Quincy Carpenter is the lone survivor of a grisly crime. Ten years ago she went away with a group of friends to a cabin in the woods (sounds like the setting for a horror movie) to celebrate the birthday of a friend. She is the only one who came home alive. Everyone that weekend was murdered, Quincy was attacked as well, but survived her ordeal only to not remember what happened. She remembers arriving at the cabin with her friends, she remembers events leading up to the night of the murders, and she remembers being saved by a police officer as she ran through the woods covered by blood. The police investigating the murders don’t believe her when she does not recall the attack. How could everyone be murdered viciously and she survived with non-life threatening stab wounds?

Now the press has dubbed her a “final girl” She in not the only one with this title. Two other women who have survived vicious attacks have also been dubbed “final girls” by the media. The press and society are interested in how these women survived. The press wants to know everything about their attacks and what these “final girls” had to do in order to survive.

Quincy has made a life for herself since her ordeal. She lives with her boyfriend, she has a baking blog and gets through her day with the help of her Xanax prescription. She has also maintained a relationship with Coop, the police officer who saved her all those years ago. Even after ten years, she still can’t remember the massacre that occurred at the cabin.

Then she receives word that one of the other “final girls”, Lisa is dead, and the other final girl (Sam) shows up on her doorstep. Suddenly Quincy’s life is turned upside down and she starts engaging in activities that are out of the norm for her. Sam wants Quincy to remember what happened the night she was attacked. She tells her that knowing will set her free….but will it? Do you really want to remember your worst nightmare? Will knowing set your free or will it make things worse?

Soon Quincy begins to have her doubts about her new “friend” Sam, about the night her friends were murdered. She learns more details about Lisa’s death which make her even more concerned about Sam, her own recent behaviors and that horrible night all of those years ago. Suddenly the nice comfortable life she has built for herself begins to unravel.

Reading this book was like watching a really good horror film/psychological thriller and I do mean that as a compliment! This book had a lot of twists and turns. I like when a book can keep me guessing. There were so many ways this book could have ended and I think this book ended brilliantly. Quite a few times I thought I had this book figured out. I liked that it managed to shock me. I also loved how the Author wrote each character to be interesting – I didn’t like all of the characters but they had depth and felt real.

Everything unravels at the perfect pace. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I also enjoyed the way the story is presented. The reader is given glimpses into what happened ten years ago at the cottage as Quincy ,in the present day, is going about her life. As Quincy begins to remember more, the reader is shown more of the past. This was a very nice touch! As that “AHA” moment comes to Quincy it is also revealed to the reader. I felt like I was on the road to discovery with the main character. The story-line told at the cabin was very atmospheric. It was actually quite perfect and gave the story that “horror film” type feel to it. The atmosphere is foreboding, creepy and dark – this setting the “mood” for the massacre.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wish I had the time to go back and read this book all over again. It really is that good! I have a feeling this book is going to be on my top 10 favorite books of the year list! I highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (I honestly LOVED it btw!)