A college killer on the loose! Striking randomly every couple of years. I was always scared of being the random girl having said the "wrong" thing to the wrong person, especially if alcohol was involved.

This was told in multiple POV which still had me guessing since I couldn't exactly tell their motives even from their own inner dialogue. Their roles weren't explained until the end when everything was falling apart.

But let me just tell you, you do not want to do a rideshare from a rideshare board in the dorms in the 90's,  oh wait isn't that like an Uber now. hmm. Well those are random .. still...   This had the Craigslist killer/Santa Barbara Killer written all over it. I will tell you I could've done without the killer's POV. Just Saying, YIKES. 

The whole book took place over one night. I thought the epilogue was interesting as it had a movie adaptation that was nothing like what actually happened (isn't that always the way) just to make it more entertaining or scary and kind of had a normal ending.

Moral of the story: Walk in pairs, don't befriend misogynist incels and take your medication.

Thank you  Dutton Books and Net galley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Sager is back! I looooved this one! The twists and turns and lack of fantasy was gold to me.

I loved the premise, and it totally had me through the whole thing! One of my favorites for sure!

Riley Sager has made a name for himself in the book world with his twisty page-turning thrillers. His newest, Survive the Night, takes us back to 1991, when a college student accepts a ride from a stranger that she’ll come to regret.

Charlie is guilt-ridden and grieving over the loss of her roommate and best friend Maddy, who was killed after Charlie left her outside a bar. Unable to finish the semester, she agrees to a ride home to Ohio from a man heading in the same direction. She knows this might be a bad idea, as there’s a serial killer out there – Maddy is the third woman to be killed, and there’s a detail in common to all of the murders that was not released to the press.

Charlie ignores the warning signs that getting into the car with Josh is a bad idea, but it isn’t long before she starts suspecting her life is in danger – picture Whoopie Goldberg saying, “You in danger, girl.”

There’s only one catch – Charlie experiences hallucinations, and she isn’t always sure what she’s experiencing is real or not. Josh might be the Campus Killer, but he might not be. Charlie is also a classic movie buff, and just about everything she knows about life she learned from a movie.

I have mixed feelings about Survive the Night. It’s eminently readable, I flew through it in a weekend, reading mostly at bedtime and in the morning. Given a free afternoon I would have finished it in one sitting. However, the direction the plot ends up going is a little unbelievable, and it’s really hard to believe Charlie would be so dumb as to get into the car with Josh to begin with, knowing there’s a killer on the loose.

I couldn’t figure out where the story was going and the big reveals were a surprise, and I really liked one revelation at the very end. Fans of Sager’s other books and those who love classic movies will enjoy this fast-paced thriller.

Deciding to leave her university, and her perfect boyfriend, after her best friend/roommate becomes the victim to a prolific serial killer, Charlie hitches a rides shortly after talking with Josh at the rideshare board.
As they travel the dark and deserted twisted highway on their way to Ohio where Charlie lives with her Nana, Charlie begins sensing that all is not right with the friendly and handsome Josh. Should she have waited for her boyfriend Robbie to drive her home like he requested? Could she actually be sharing the car with the Campus Killer himself?
A longtime movie buff who often escapes into ‘movies in her mind’, Charlie wonders if her suspicions and feelings are yet another episode of her own personal movie or is that bad feeling in her gut trying to tell her all is not right?
Full,of twists and turns and ever-changing views of who the bad guy really is, this novel kept me glued to the pages and I couldn’t stop reading! While I did figure out the Campus Killer’s identity, there were many reveals that I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended for libraries.

2.5 stars!
Charlie is reeling from the murder of her best friend and college roommate, Maddy. Her killer is still at large and Charlie decides to drop out when her grief becomes too overwhelming. She catches a ride home from a ride board with a mysterious stranger named Josh. She soon realizes Josh isn’t who he said he was when she keeps on discovering different lies he has told her. Charlie now has one goal and it’s to survive the night.

Oh man. First The Maidens and now this one was also a disappointment. I am also a big Sager fan and by no means does this take away from the quality of his other books. Charlie was a problem for me as a protagonist. I found her narration to be really repetitive and she was unlikeable. The fact that she was unreliable because of the ‘movies in her mind’ also kind of threw me for a loop. Then she was able to just be done with them? I am not sure how accurate of a portrayal that is for mental illness. There were a couple of good red herrings but I found the ending to be cliché. Charlie could have gotten away many times but ultimately chose not to and I really struggled with that.

I have read all of Sager's other thrillers and have mixed feelings on all of them. His most recent, Home Before Dark, was my favorite, so I was hoping that this book would be even better.

Survive the Night follows a college student named Charlie who is looking for a ride back to her hometown. She wants to escape campus after her roommate was killed by the Campus Killer. She accepts a ride from a stranger named Josh. As the ride progresses, Charlie realizes that Josh may not be telling her the truth.

What I liked:
- The book was relatively short and the pacing was great. I finished it in one night
- I was invested in figuring out what happens to Charlie and who Josh really is

What I didn't like:
- Every single character was an unreliable narrator. But only Charlie had an excuse. I can't stand unreliable narrators that just decide not to tell the audience the truth. There needs to be some reason they can't be trusted besides the fact that the author chose to write them that way.
- The ending. It felt very abrupt, and I was angry at the new relationship.
- The characters had strange motivations. I had a hard time believing how extreme they would go

Overall, this book is a fast read so I don't regret going through it, but it was not my favorite of Sager's work.

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for the gifted eARC.

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚝, 𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕. 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎.

THE ENDING *chief kiss* PURE PERFECTION! Survive the Night is a thriller for film/movie lovers. It pays homage to the master of suspense, Mr. Alfred Hitchcock oozing with 90s era nostalgia. From the start you can’t help but be drawn to our main character and film nerd Charlie. She’s lost in her sadness and guilt after the death of her best friend, she also suffers from “movies” hallucinations to escape her reality. She’s a final girl for the ages and this is definitely a one-sitting kind of read.

You’re best friend was murdered and the killer wasn’t caught, would you get into a car with a random stranger? Definitely not, but Charlie is desperate to leave the bad memories behind and go home to Ohio. With every mile of this awkward and potentially dangerous car ride, the tension and paranoia rises. Poor Charlie doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not and that makes us (the reader) not know either. Is she being gaslighted? In typical Sager fashion he delivers the answer through ingenious, gasp-worthy twists. This is a must read summer thriller!

3.5 Stars
I love Riley Sager books and was looking forward to this one. It was a fun read full of twists and surprises. Reading this book is a lot like watching one of the 80's slasher movies where you find yourself screaming at the characters to use their brain and stop putting themselves in dangerous situations!! The main character, Charlie, was so frustrating to me!! She made me anxious and nervous and I just couldn't relate to her. However, isn't that the fun part of those slasher movies? Watching a bad situation get worse and worse and wondering how in the world are they going to get out of the mess that they have gotten themselves into? This book is able to give you that feeling. It is fast paced and as long as you can look past the slasher movie heroine stereo type you will enjoy the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review
#Netgalley #SurvivetheNight

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the digital ARC of this book.

When Riley Sager announces a new book, it automatically goes on my tbr list. He has cemented himself in that status for me despite the fact I haven’t loved all of his books. “Survive the Night” sounded intriguing and different from the rest of his books, spanning only a six-hour period and with minimal characters. The notion of being stuck in a car with a complete stranger that could be a murderer had my wheels spinning before I even picked it up—what would I do in this situation…would I even be caught in this situation? The answers to both of those questions are the exact opposite of what I read in the story, which is perhaps why I had a little trouble with the believability of this story. Charlie is looking for a ride to Ohio to get away from her life at Olyphant University. Her best friend was recently murdered by the “Campus Killer” and Charlie is blaming herself that it happened. Josh Baxter, a complete stranger to her, offers her a ride to Ohio after they meet at the campus ride board and Charlie accepts his offer. Over the span of the next few hours, Josh acts suspiciously leading Charlie to think she’s in the car with the Campus Killer. Charlie doesn’t always trust her assumptions though, because she has a movie-fueled imagination that requires her to take medication because she struggles to tell reality from made-up scenarios in her mind.

Sager dabbled into some elements of noir on this one—a rising trend I’m seeing in recent book releases. It takes place at night, we have an anti-hero, violence, mystery and our main character is a loner with a bit of a nihilistic view on life in the beginning. I liked it for that and it was a fast read. With so few characters it was fairly predictable and the twists left me a bit underwhelmed. I also had a hard time believing I would ever under any circumstances get into a car with a complete stranger…at night... as a young female college student... when there was a serial killer running loose…and no cell phones (this takes place in the 90’s). I’m not always a fan of unreliable narrators either, but the instances she wasn’t reliable was due to her mental state not deliberately misleading us. It was a bit jarring at times to keep being pulled in and out of reality but overall I enjoyed the book and thought it was a good stab at a noir(ish) thriller. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for my electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have read all of Riley Sager's book so when I received my ecopy of this, I was so ecstatic! I enjoy that Sager's books are very much like good 'ol summer horror flicks so it feels very fitting that his new book would come out at the start of summer.

"Survive the Night" follows college student Charlie as she agrees to join a rideshare with handsome stranger Josh. Charlie is in a hurry to get away from campus following the murder of her best friend by the Campus Killer and Josh needs to get back to his ailing father; both their destinations lead to Ohio. However, the longer she is in the car with Josh at the wheel, Charlie slowly contends with the realization that Josh is a complete stranger and that he may not be telling her the truth about his motivations to drive to Ohio. Charlie doesn't know if this is her instincts warning her or if it's her movie-themed hallucinations. All she knows is that she can only depend on herself as she tries to "survive the night".

I really enjoyed this one! I normally have issues with how Sager depicts women in his novels (issues with a lot of NLOG character types and shaming of more "traditional" feminine traits and desires) but I liked Charlie a lot. She reminded me of the girls I met in the Film department during my short stint as a Film major. I will say that with this novel, a good knowledge of Film History will help. That said, I found all of Charlie's film references to be incredibly grating and pretentious; I feel like there was a film reference every few pages and I feel like Sager did that to get across that Charlie is a total film nerd but it came across more as somebody who WANTS to be seen as a film expert but it just felt too overly exaggerated. As an ex-Film woman, I can say that I didn't know anybody, man or woman, who tried to flex their film knowledge as much as Charlie tries in this novel. That said, she was an interesting character to follow and I felt like her motivations came across very natural.

Like some of his other novels, Sager does utilize multiple narrative stand points and he does well with that but I think it's because he does so sparingly. He leaves a lot of the story telling to Charlie while giving us clues in the other narratives which I enjoyed. Like I said before, Sager's novels remind me of summer teen horror flicks (I'm actually surprised that none of his novels have been optioned for film because I think they'd be a lot of jumpy fun) and this novel is not exempt from that statement. This novel in particular comes across very cinematically and I think that works especially well because of Charlie's hallucinations which take the form of movie scenes/genres and the chapter titles are written in the form of scripts (ex: INT. CAR - NIGHT) which really add to that cinematic feel.

I really enjoyed this book.. I binged it in a night and it really felt like I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was REALLY going on alongside Charlie. Riley Sager is not an amazing writer but his novels are fun and engaging. He is also a consistent writer in my opinion. If you've read Sager's other novels, you will definitely enjoy this one. If you want something that's a little bit spooky and a quick read, you'll enjoy this one. I will say that Sager's big statement at the end (said through Charlie) about films is kind of pretentious but in the context of Charlie and her development, it makes sense. Just comes across as preachy. You're still going to enjoy the novel though!

I definitely recommend this for a summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read Survive The Night

After three Riley Sager books, one a DNF, I’m still not sure what I think of this author’s book - I just keep trying because everyone else seems to love them 🤷‍♀️

✔️ the overall story is interesting- with lots of twists and turns, and most not really expected ; you are def constantly kept guessing
✖️ the book however often dragged for me and I just found myself skimming pages to find out what happens

Thank you Penguin Group, Dutton Books, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Wow. Just wow! I devour books by Riley Sager, so it was a no-brainer to request Survive the Night from NetGalley. I never know what to expect when I’m reading a Sager book. Each is so different, yet all are gripping and engrossing. Strangely, I had reservations about Survive the Night. I’m not a big fan of serial killer fiction, but, hey—it was Sager, one of my auto-buy authors—so I was more than willing to take a chance. I should have known he’d knock it into the stratosphere.

Charlie needs a ride from college to her hometown. She’s desperate to put the past behind her after her best friend becomes the third victim of a serial murderer known as the Campus Killer. She meets Josh, also headed to her home state of Ohio, and agrees to ride with him, sharing expenses along the way. But during the long, dark night over deserted back roads, Charlie begins to suspect Josh isn’t who he claims to be. Too much of what he says doesn’t add up, each successive hiccup making her think she may be sharing the car with the Campus Killer, a man who has reason to want her dead. She caught a glimpse of him in the shadows before he killed her friend.

Although this is a book about a serial killer, there is nothing gory or graphic about it. The operational word here is TENSION—with a capital T.

The story plays out over the course of several nail-biting hours during which the author had me second-guessing myself multiple times. I waffled between frustration, fear, and irritation over Charlie’s actions. Sometimes I was cheering for her, other times I wanted to shake sense into her. It wasn’t until the end when everything falls into place that I realized how deftly I’d been played.

I also loved the use of old movies in the story (Charlie is a film student) and Charlie’s penchant of separating from reality for brief spans for “movies in her mind.” I did spot one of the “reveals” before the last act, but by then, I believe it was expected. And it was so deliciously perfect, those pieces dropping into place were wholly satisfying.

Survive the Night reinforces why I devour books by Sager. He’s a master of suspense who crosses T’s and dots I’s with such subtlety the reader doesn’t even realize how skillfully he orchestrats threads in the background—until they explode in your face.

Definitely among my favorite reads of the year. If you enjoy cat-and-mouse suspense and well-plotted fiction, don’t miss this slick, edge-of-your seat thrill ride!

I've been a fan of Riley Sager's books since I read The Last Time I Lied three years ago. Survive the Night is Sager's upcoming bookish offering to his readers and I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy from the publisher.

This book had an interesting and eerie (but not quite believable) premise that was set in the early 1990's pre-cell phone era which gave Sager some leeway to trap his characters into precarious situations. Although this first half was slower to take off, it had good tension, but I had that niggling feeling that I was waiting for ... more.

Things picked up in the second half and the creepy feel continued with a small cast of characters (featuring unreliable narrators), but the execution became convoluted with lots of movie references (most I didn't get) and Charlie's confusing 'movies in her mind'. To be honest, I think this book would have been amazing as a short story.

In the end, this was a unique read that oozes a chilling, uneasy vibe. It had a few implausible plot points (particularly from a female POV) requiring the reader to suspend disbelief, but I enjoyed the 1990's era and the 'locked room' feel within the car. Even though this wasn't my favourite work of Sager's, I look forward to reading his future books.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Penguin Group Dutton for my advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

What a ride! The pun was unintentional, but it stands. While I enjoyed Sager’s Final Girls, Survive the Night feels like it’s younger sister. The style did create a good atmosphere and the twists were greatly appreciated. It’s was a quick, enjoyable read. I’m so glad to have gotten an ARC of this! It’s a solid 4. The turns surprised me, even if a few felt a little flat upon reveal. Still, quite enjoyed it!

I LOVED this book. I am a huge fan of thrillers and mysteries, but they so rarely surprise me anymore. "Survive the Night" shocked me and I was unable to see the end coming at any point!

An unreliable narrator is often key to modern mysteries, but Charlie is the most believable of unreliable narrators. She is a shy, withdrawn young woman whose best friend has been killed 3 months before, and for that reason is looking to go home and drop out of the college that incessantly reminds her of how she failed to save her friend's life. She accepts a ride from New Jersey to Ohio from a stranger at a public ride board, as is common in 1991 when the story takes place, which leads her to a night that she will never forget...if she survives at all.

Without spoiling anything, this turns into a night that you, the reader, will never forget. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. In a world where "Gone Girl" remains the highest standard of mystery novel, "Survive the Night" is here to dethrone it. HIGHLY recommend.

This one started to get a little tedious for me. For a while I thought the whole thing was going to take place in the car. It also got a bit confusing trying to decipher if Charlie was having a mental break or if the action was actually taking place. But the ending is phenomenal. And I wouldn't have guessed the culprit!
Charlie has had a hard time coping with her life since her best friend was murdered by the Campus Killer. She meets Josh at the communal ride board and decides to drive back to Ohio with him, sharing money for gas and food. But some things about Josh just aren't adding up. Could he be the Campus Killer? Did Charlie make a huge mistake trying to get away from school early and with basically a total stranger? If only she can survive the night!

*Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced e-arc of this novel.

Blaming herself for the death of her roommate by the Campus Killer, Charlie Jordan decides to abruptly leave her New Jersey university in the middle of a semester. Initially thankful to have found a ride home to Ohio through a ride board, Charlie begins to suspect that the stranger she is sharing the car with may not simply be a university janitor—he may be the Campus Killer.

Here we go...I did not like this book. I have tried to read another Sager novel and I really want to like them but I just don't think they're for me. I understand that as readers we have to suspend belief, but I just couldn't get over the fact that immediately following the death of her roommate Charlie decides to hitch a ride cross country with a stranger. Add to this the unreliable female narrator trope and I'm out. I knew these things going in but somehow I thought the story would overpower me and I'd be hooked. Not the case. I won't be rating this book because I really think this is a case of it's not the book, it's me.

Nothing cures a book slump quite like a psychological thriller, and that is exactly what Survive the Night did for me! Ive been having a rough reading year, not enjoying much of what I’ve read, and this one totally pulled me out of it. Thanks Riley! 😁

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Flashback to 1991 when there was still phone booths and tape decks, Charlie uses the ride share board at school hoping to get away to Ohio after feeling guilt and grief over her friends death. The third victim of who is know as the Campus Killer, Charlie thinks she saw her friend talking to him the night she died, but can’t remember any of the details. Now she starts to suspect Josh, the guy she’s hitched a ride with, but then wonders if it’s just part of her wild imagination. As the night grows longer and the highway becomes lonelier, Charlie must decide how she is going to stay alive.... and survive the night.

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I immediately got hooked into this story and the characters. The writing was solid and like a good thriller does, it kept you guessing the whole way thru. I loved the 1991 setting and all the details presented for that timeline, and I liked the way the whole film aspect was incorporated into the plot. I found the story started to drag a bit at the half way mark but then quickly picked back up. I ended up being surprised at the turn of events more than a few times! I only had one issue with the book, and I won’t say anything to avoid spoilers, but it was in the ending.... Besides that one thing tho, this was an enjoyable read for me!

For Charlie, movies are a means of escape -- especially the movies that play out in her mind. Desperate to flee school and the guilt she feels over her best friend's murder, Charlie agrees to share a ride back to Ohio with a stranger, but she soon starts to wonder how much of her fear over his real identity is grounded in reality versus a figment of her unruly imagination. Either way, you can bet this road trip won't go according to plan.

In true Sager fashion, this thriller is original and edgy, with propulsive pacing and characters that feel so real you could pinch them. In other words, Survive the Night is one wild ride.

I enjoy reading Riley Sager Thrillers and this one was no exception. A good plot with twists and turns and shocking revelations, this book has it all. One critic I do have is that the ending could be a little faster. I found myself speed reading just to finish it. A few pages can easily be shaved off.