I was so excited to see Riley Sager had a new back and immediately went to Netgalley to request an ARC. The cover is creepy and the premise seemed good. I really liked Charlie as the main character. However, I did not think this book and the story measured up to Sager's past work. Charlie is upset and traumatized after her roommate/best friend is murdered and she leaves school to move back with her grandma. She refuses to drive anymore because of what happened to her friend, which is a little ridiculous. She posts on a message board she needs a ride back to Ohio. Enter Josh....the stranger, who happens to live a few towns away. What happens on their drive to Ohio? You'll have to find out yourself.

This book had the potential to be so much better than it was. Like another reviewer said "Cliche after cliche to the point it was annoying AF to read and I just wanted to get to the ending, which was bad and disappointing.

Still recommended because of the author but this is not her best, unfortunately.

Thanks to NEtgalley, Riley Sager and Penguin Group Dutton Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available" 6/29/21

Riley Sager has once again written a highly addictive thriller that kept me guessing on a lot of fronts. There were times that I thought I had figured things out, and while that was the case in one instance, for the most part I was completely surprised by the turns of events in SURVIVE THE NIGHT. The suspense skillfully builds up to a release point, and once we come down from one moment, the wheels are already turning to create a new slow build to the next moment. Most of our perspective is that of Charlie, a traumatized and paranoid woman dropping out of college after her best friend Maddy's murder. Her guilt and previous traumas have manifested in hallucinations and dissociative episodes. This kind of thing is pretty old hat in the thriller genre, and while Charlie as a character doesn't really re-invent any wheels, the cat and mouse game between her and potential killer Josh is strong enough that I could forgive some of the tropes that Sager relies on in regards to her character. The story flows well, the pacing is right, and it feels very cinematic in a lot of ways. Which is appropriate, given Charlie's love for cinema.

SURVIVE THE NIGHT is sure to be a fun summer thriller! If you like the genre and have liked Sager's works before, you will probably find a lot to like here!

First line: Fade in.

Summary: Two months earlier, Charlie’s best friend, Maddy was murdered by the Campus Killer. But what makes things even worse is that Charlie could have done something to stop it from happening. She blames herself. And the only way she feels that she can move on from this tragedy is to leave school and go home to try and heal.

At the university ride board she meets a young man who offers to drive her home since it is on his way. Charlie is so desperate to leave Olyphant that she accepts. But as soon as she gets into his car she starts to wonder if she has made a terrible choice. Little things start to happen which makes Charlie wonder if Josh is not what he seems. Will she survive the long night time drive?

My Thoughts: I had so much fun reading this book! I kept having to tell myself to relax. I was caught up in the tension and fear. It immediately sucked me in. And Charlie is a very unreliable narrator since she has a disorder that takes her out of reality if things become too much for her. As I read I never knew what to believe and what is one of the movies in her head.

Riley Sager’s books always have the feel of an eighties horror movie. That may be one of the reasons I love them so much. They can be cheesy at times but that is how I want an eighties movie to be. There was lots of twists and turns. I did not expect the ending at all. Some things seemed a little obvious but I was very shocked by big reveal. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a fast and fun thriller for the summer. It hits the spot perfectly.

FYI: Violence, murder, and some language.

This was... disappointing.

It's very hard to review this book without spoilers but here we go. The premise was okay. Main female character decides to leave university, her studies and her boyfriend to go back home after her roommate/best friend is murdered by the "Campus Killer". For that, she gets a ride from a stranger... oh, it's in the 90s so she has no cell phone...

The problem is that it was cliché after cliché after cliché. I even felt the need to double check I was reading the right book.

The ending was bad. Then it got even worse.

Another winner from Riley Sager! Survive the Night was just as fun of a read as I expected from Sager, and the premise hooks you in right away. Yes, it's a common trope but I feel like it works and I was ready for a road trip gone wrong kind of thriller. There is some suspension of belief, the main character Charlie accepting a car ride from a stranger even though she is till grappling with the trauma of her best friend being murdered by the "Campus Killer" is a bit suspect, but also kind of works in a self-sabotaging kind of way. Dare I say, I can relate to this kind of character. If you are looking for a book to get you out of a rut or something that you can read in one sitting Survive the Night is the book for you.

Book Review

𝑺𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕
𝑩𝒚: @rileysager
𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction
𝑮𝑹 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆: 3.86
⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5 Stars

“I’m so happy ’cause today I found my friends, they’re in my head” ⎯ Nirvana, 1990

𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆

It's the early 90's. George H. W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana’s in the tape deck and movie fanatic Charlie Jordon is placing a flyer on her college campus ride board. She doesn't know that her future looks like all she knows is she needs to get out of here and as soon as possible. So, when good looking Josh Baxter with his charming winning smile says he can drive if she helps with gas she agrees.

They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. There’s something suspicious about Josh. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Or is Charlie’s suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination? The movies in her head are becoming more vivid, more real than ever. If Charlie doesn't snap out of them it could be life or death.

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔

I know back-to-back Riley Sager books! I can truly say I'm obsessed! LOL! Another fanfreakintastic job again for Riley! This one was so much fun and just incredibly hopeful. I mean I read it in a day and 1/2 not even HAHA! I want to say I ABSOLOUTELY LOVE the ending/epilogue. I was hoping for it so much! The movies in Charlie's head were a bit odd IMO. I'm not sure I liked them in the story. They made it weird and her a bit crazy. But maybe that was just one of the many, many twists that was in this awesome book that you get to read. Because there are so many twists your head will spin! Great job Riley!

Survive the Night releases on June 29th 2021

#SurvivetheNight #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Riley Sager and Dutton/Penguin Group for this e-ARC

Wow! This was a wild ride! I was throughly entertained the entire time and felt like I was fly through the pages! There's not a lot of plot development, it jumps right to the point. It it very suspenseful and had my heart racing numerous times.

The MC Charlie has lost both parents in a car crash and her best friend was just killed. She uses movies as a coping mechanism to deal with her grief which leads Charlie to see these movie like hallucinations in her grief stricken mind which make it hard to know what is real or not.

There were a few twists that I really enjoyed but Lso some moments and character actions that were hard for me to believe.

Overall the unreliable narrator and suspense filled story made this a very quick, enjoyable read!

Thank you Dutton Books and Netgalley for my arc!

I did not think Riley Sager‘s last book was worth the hype. This one fell short of five stars for me. I will say I saw the ending from the beginning but the twist and turns that eventually got there had me self doubting, which is very much like what is happening to the main character. This was a page turner, I will give it that. I consumed this book so quickly.

As with all Riley Sager novels, this one kept me guessing until the final chapters. I really enjoyed the closed room aspect of Charlie being stuck in a car on a long road trip with a stranger she just met and then started suspecting was actually the infamous Campus Killer who had just recently been suspected of murdering Charlie's best friend, Maddy. But as the two get closer to their destination, Charlie begins to second guess what she believes to be true, and then things take a wrong turn, indeed. I enjoyed this book, but it's not my favorite Sager novel. It felt like the plot moved along a little slowly at the start and then at the end, everything was rushed to be finished. Thank you for the early review copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5
I love Riley Sager's stories. This may not be one of my favorite books by this author but it kept me reading, it kept me invested. I finished it in one sitting. I did guess the main plot twist and no matter that it was predictable in that way, I still enjoyed the twists and turns that led to that reveal. It was a fun, fast-paced thriller with unreliable but intriguing characters.

3.5 stars
It's November 1991 and Charlie Jordan is stressed, and depressed, and can't wait another minute to leave this college town. Charlie is failing her classes, hiding in her dorm room and feeling overwhelmed by the death of her roommate and best friend Maddie by the newly returned serial killer "Campus Killer."
Charlie wants to go to Ohio and her grandmother NOW. At the college ride board, Charlie encounters Josh who is leaving that night to care for his ill father in Ohio. Even though Charlie's hunky, kind professor boyfriend thinks this is a poor idea, Charlie decides to take the six hour trip to see Nana.
Oh what a trip it is, Remember it is 1991 - no cell phones - no GPS - no internet. Is Josh who he says he is? Why is he secretive about the contents of the car trunk? The empty highway, the dark night, the snow fall - all add to the question, who will Survive the Night?
This is a story that drives you one way only to interrupt that ride when the next curve comes up. It is interesting to read a story where updated technology is not used, only common sense and intuition help Charlie. The too neat ending takes too long to arrive. I felt that the tense and serious atmosphere somehow got lost in an unexpected out of nowhere end.
Overall it is a swift read that will keep one's interest
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #SurvivetheNight #RileySager

Charlie's had "movies" that play in her head most of her life, leaving no choice but to question what is real and what is not. So, after her best friend is murdered practically right in front of her own eyes, she decides she needs to leave college immediately and takes a ride offer from a complete and utter stranger.. and then begins one.long.night.

This is one cat and mouse game that will leave you questioning every character and every action! It was a fun and thrilling premise as usual from Sager, however I think he lost me with his out of character ending on this one. It just seemed a bit detached from the rest of the book, and I feel like he would have normally played it out differently.

But that's just a little glitch for me, and this is definitely still a 4-star read for me and not one to miss!

Thanks to NetGalley, Riley Sager and Dutton/Penguin Group for this eARC!!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charlie, a movie-obsessed, guilt-ridden college student is trying to escape her demons by leaving her college campus in the week leading up to Thanksgiving 1991. She accepts a ride from a handsome stranger at a ride board on campus (despite there being a serial killer on the loose who murdered her best friend/roommate) and makes the very wise decision to get into a car with this man at 9pm for an overnight drive from New Jersey to Ohio. Rather quickly into the ride, she determines that she may indeed be in the car with the Campus Killer and it's going to take a miracle for her to "survive the night".

I have enjoyed Riley Sager books in the past. The premise is really good, but the execution just wasn't quite it. There were a lot of clichés, and none of the character behaviors are particularly believable. Characters are very important for me in a book, and sadly, I think that the characters are just really weak in this book. Normally, I enjoy an unreliable narrator, but Charlie's "movies" and wavering gets a bit repetitive after a while. I also just didn't really like Charlie. She was a difficult character to relate to, and every single decision she made was the wrong one.

The atmosphere during the first like 70% of the book is actually pretty spooky and good, but it's that last 30ish% that really throw the whole book off. Character behaviors are not realistic or believable. Additionally, the epilogue is just... not quite what should have happened. I wanted to like this. However, it just wasn't for me.

Short Review: What a wild ride! Thrill seekers this is your book.

Long Review: I loved Home Before Dark so I highly anticipated reading this one. First, I love this cover. The typography lover/designer in me is swooning. It's got creepy written all over it. Second, let me just say, this one packs in the surprises up until the very end. I love that in a thriller. The whole book had me questioning all the characters motives and dying to know who the real killer was...see what I did there?

My only criticism is it took me awhile to "warm" up to the main character. However, by the end of the book, I was thoroughly rooting for Charlie!

Thriller lovers get this one on your must read list! Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for an eARC copy of this book.

I absolutely loved the setup for this one. The story appeared to be simple, but I was reading for some easy entertainment. The story out great with a growing sense that "something was not right", creating a sense of claustrophobic unease. Unfortunately, I really disliked how the story progressed and was ultimately unsatisfied by the conclusion. I have read and loved all of Sager's previous books, so I am sadden that this one left me so disappointed.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

First off -Thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and Netgalley for my review copy!

OK once again I am going to be the odd one out on what I believe will be a super popular book! I just did not love this one. Charlie the movie buff that sees "movies" in her mind really got on my nerves after a while. What's real what isn't? It was ok for a bit but did really start wearing on me after a while. I know many will love that aspect. I guess I just couldn't get past the fact that Charlie got into a car with a complete stranger after her BFF was murdered and she knew there was a serial killer still out there. WHO DOES THAT?! I know it needed to happen for the whole story line and such but geez. I did like the drama of it all after we were knee deep into the story and even though I had it figured out I still liked how the story ended.

This is my first Riley Sager book and boy did it not disappoint!

It is so fast paced and I love the twists and mind blown each time.

I loved the main character so much - even though there were times she stressed me out i just loved getting to know her and I loved her love for films.

I will definitely be reading more of his books

5 stars!

HOLY SH*T. What. Did. I. Just. Read?

Where do I even begin with this one? First of all, I really like Riley Sager's book. I think this is my 3rd one I've read (plus I have "Home Before Dark" waiting in the wings for me). Let me set the stage first. Our main character, Charlie, is a student at Olyphant University. She her roommate and best friend was just murdered and she's decided to drop out of school and head home (which is with her Grandma Norma). The only problem? She hasn't driven a car since her parents died in a horrible, freak, car accident. This leaves only one choice: The campus ride share board. Charlie quickly finds a ride and in the following days, they set out for home. Initially, everything seems fine then Charlie starts to worry about this stranger she's decided to take a ride with. As the night unfolds, more and more is revealed that makes her more and more anxious.

I absolutely LOVE thrillers, especially now because I have been in a bit of a reading slump. Survive The Night blasted me out of that slump. Pacing of this book was perfect and the eerie, suspenseful vibe made me effortlessly flip the pages. I've read my fair share of thrillers over the years and not much surprises me anymore, especially endings. Sager really wrote a creative ending - it was true to the story and definitely not cookie cutter! I highly recommend this book to fans of thrillers, suspense or fast-paced books!

A big thank you to Penguin / Random House for the ARC (and for helping me get out of this reading slump)!

I've read all of Riley Sager's books, and Survive the Night is definitely my favorite! Survive the Night is the perfect fast paced, tense thriller.

The year is 1991. Charlie, a movie obsessed college student, has found herself stuck in a car, in the middle of the night, with a stranger. A stranger who just might be a serial killer. The Campus Killer, to be specific. The killer who murdered her best friend.

Following the murder of her best friend, Charlie decides it is time to leave campus, and all of the grief and loss she has suffered, behind. She meets a man named Josh at a ride share board on campus and they decide to drive together in hopes of making a long, lonely trip a little less lonely. But then things start to get odd with Josh and his back story isn't exactly adding up. Charlie grows suspicious and starts to think that Josh, if that even is his real name, is the campus serial killer.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this book was that you never really knew who to trust. As Charlie begins to suspect Josh, so does the reader, but then you sort of doubt yourself/ Charlie. Is she just being paranoid? Or is this guy really sketchy? It was one of those books that you just had to keep turning the pages to figure out what these characters were up to and to figure them out! Plus, with the entirety of the book taking place in a car, there was so much claustrophobic tension.

I also loved the nostalgic feel this book had. From the music, to the cars, taking place in the 90's added an extra element of atmosphere.

Charlie is a college student still reeling from the murder of her best friend. They had some harsh final words, and the guilt is too much for her to bear. She decides to leave school and go home, accepting a ride from a stranger off a bulletin board. Soon Charlie wonders if the friendly, handsome guy behind the wheel is who he claims to be, and after a series of terrifying events, Charlie knows she's in for the fight of her life.

The beginning of this book was tough. I struggled to stay engaged and connect with the characters. While Charlie comes across as a sympathetic character, the "movies" she sees in her head were quite disturbing, as the reader never really knew what true reality was or if Charlie was a reliable narrator. However, I accepted this as part of her character, and the action picked up. There were some incredible twists and turns that I didn't see coming which more than made up for that rough start.

And then I got to the ending.

I finished the book two days ago, and I'm still super salty over that ending. I didn't like it one bit. It seemed cheap, cliche, and a bit Lifetime movie-of-the-week.

If you discount the beginning and ending, you have a pretty good character-driven thriller.