I sadly didn't like this much & couldn't wait for it to end. I normally enjoy his books, but this one being more true to life, no supernatural/paranormal elements, felt too harsh & less fun. I wouldn't have finished it if I wasn't such a fan of his.

This was a very fun trope for a book premise, the final girl. Grady Hendrix books are always so fun for me. This one was a really good mix of fun and gore that somehow works.

I'm sort of torn on this one. I loved the premise and much of the writing, but I felt like a little something was lacking for me. Maybe it'll be a creeper where the more I think on it, the more I grow to love it. I know a whole host of patrons who will love it, so we will be purchasing a few copies for the library. Thank you!

Such a fun read! Everything Grady Hendrix writes creeps me out in a fun new way! A fast paced thriller, with plenty of twists and turns. There are several characters which can be tough to keep track of, but the more you read, the more you understand.

Are you a fan of the old slasher movies? Did you find yourself screaming at the teenagers not to go into the basement? The movies where there would be one line girl who survived the massacre by killing the deranged monster. She is what’s referred to as a Final Girl. This is their story!

Lynette is a final girl. Though some others have a hard time calling her that since she never actually killed her monster. But she is part of the support group with five other Final Girls. Though it seems that the ties that bind are quickly fraying.

These women can never seem to completely move forward as there is always some fan who wants their moment of fame by bringing the past to life. Could one of these deranged Final Girl Buff’s now be hunting the remaining girls? Is Lynette the only one who believes they are in danger? Can she save her fellow survivors before it’s too late?

It’s difficult to put in words how I felt about this book. I thought the writing was great and it held my attention and kept me wanting to know how it all turned out.

So perhaps it was the subject matter itself. I was a fan of these movies when I was younger. But maybe not so much anymore.🤷🏻‍♀️. I do like my thrillers dark, but this seemed especially dark and somewhat gruesome as the massacres were detailed.

This was my first read by this author, and I am definitely interested to see what he comes up with next.

A buddy read with Susanne!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing via NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

Review also posted on the Blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Complete Insanity!

Women who’ve Survived the Unthinkable Only to Face it All Over Again.

They are “The Final Girl Support Group” and they meet in secret. They have always thought they were the toughest, most bada$$ women out there.

Turns out they were wrong.

That’s right: These women survived massacres and are now known as “Final Girls.” Once again, they are being hunted down and killed and this time there’s no stopping whoever is responsible, as the culprit wants every last one of them wiped out.

Folks, let me just say that this book is Bat-Sh&t Crazy. And I’m talking Completely Crazy with a side of Tartar Sauce. Throw in some Mayonnaise and a Cat-Fight and I would have run screaming.

What started as intriguing and wildly entertaining, bordered on somewhat ridiculous as the book went on, and soon became a little too much for me to handle.

For me, this book was kind of like Thanksgiving Dinner. Wholly enjoyable at first until you eat too much and then it’s simply too much.

If you like Totally Convoluted, Completely Bat-Sh&t Crazy Storylines, this book is Most Definitely for You!

A buddy read with Kaceey that left us both reeling.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.

After tackling haunted furniture stores, high school exorcisms, devilish rock n roll cults, and vampire slaying book club ladies, Grady Hendrix takes on the "final girl" trope in his latest novel. When one of the members of her therapy group misses a meeting, Lynnette Tarkington knows deep in her heart that something isn't right. Determined to prove herself, she goes on a crazy non-stop thrill ride, trying to piece together the mystery that's threatening to upend the lives of herself and the other group members.

That's about all I can say without spoiling anything. It's an entertaining and action-packed read. As violent and gorey as the slasher movies it's based on. Despite my absolute annoyance at the main character's personality and behavior, I finished it in one sitting. Slashers are my least favorite horror subgenre. However, Hendrix does a great job putting his spin on a trope that, in my opinion, has been done to death. It's not my favorite of his and it's not my least favorite- but it is consistent with Hendrix's theme of female empowerment, which you see throughout his novels. I've been a fan of Grady Hendrix since Horrorstör, and I'll continue to read anything that he writes.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What happens to the final girls in the horror movies after the credits roll? They join a support group.

If you like dark horror slasher novels with a unique writing style and subversive themes, then you might enjoy this book.

First off, I loved this book. I thought it was well-written and compelling, with a critical yet subtle examination of the inherent sexism underlying a lot of horror tropes, especially within the slasher genre. However, I don't think this book is suited for all readers, even those who typically like darker literature. For starters, this book is really dark. It isn't excessively gory or graphic, but it also doesn't shy away from delving into the physically and psychologically traumatic aspects of mass-killings. This could easily be triggering for some readers. Additionally, there are a lot of characters and their backstories are given in bits and pieces throughout the book, so it can be difficult to remember who is who (and what happened to who, etc.). Also, the writing style is very strong and distinct, which might be off-putting to some readers--for me, personally, it took a bit to really "get into" the writing style, but once I did, it was a home run. Finally, while there are mystery elements in the book, it is not a mystery novel; it is most definitely a horror novel that provides a modern perspective on 80s slasher movies.

Alright. Now, with all of those caveats out of the way, let's get into the things I enjoyed. As I mentioned above, this book was a modern take on 80s slasher movies. It took all of the aspects that made 80s horror so distinct and entertaining and critiqued it, turning it on its head, and implementing modern elements, bringing 80s horror into the modern era. I found its examination of modern mass-killings and the effects it has on both the survivors as well as society itself to be seamlessly worked into the fabric of the story. It investigates both personal and collective trauma, incorporates themes of female empowerment, and investigates the role that feminism plays in the horror genre. There were strong themes of sisterhood and found family throughout the novel, which I enjoyed. Even though the characters were sometimes hard to keep track of, they were all fleshed-out and distinct people that interacted with one another in believable ways. I loved the relationships that the characters developed throughout the book. Also, without giving too much away the ending was immensely satisfying (which was especially wonderful since a lot of horror books have sloppy, wrap-it-up endings that leave a sour taste in the mouth--not so with this book, which made you want to savor the ending like a chocolate cupcake).

Overall, this book satisfied my weird, niche horror tastes and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys 80s horror and female empowerment as much as I do.

Let me start by saying that I've LOVED all of Grady Hendrix's other books. His books got me into reading horror! I really wanted to love The Final Girl Support Group, but it just didn't hit home for me. The plot description sounded thrilling and horrifying, and I enjoy the "Final Girl" trope in books and movies. However, I couldn't really get into this. I felt disconnected from the characters. There were parts of the books that I enjoyed, including learning about the backstories of the final girls, Dani's relationship, and the encounter with Chrissy. Overall, this book was just okay (which was disappointing).

Grady Hendrix never ceases to amuse, entertain, and scare me. He is consistently one of my favorite writers. I loved his blend of horror and humor. The Final Girls Support Group is definitely going to be a new favorite of mine. All Hendrix's novels tackle a different horror trope and this one tackles the idea of final girls.

I’ve never been as frustrated with a main character as I was with Lynnette. If there was a bad decision to be made, you could count on her to make it. But isn’t that what we enjoy about slashers? Yelling at protagonists for taking a shower while a killer stalks their home? Rolling our eyes when a group decides to split up? Although we’re not subjected to a shower scene, this book is an action-packed slasher film packed into a fun read. It’s bloody, scary, cheesy, and frustrating, but no matter how much she frustrates you, you still root for the heroine (or heroines) at the end. If you grew up loving horror movies like Halloween and its sequels, you’ll love Hendrix’s latest work.

Let me first say that I loved this authors last book and I was so looking forward to this one. I honestly didn’t finish this - I wanted to love it so much but just could not get through it. I read the majority of the book, but just had no desire to finish. Half the time I had to keep going back to see what was going on. I also couldn’t keep track of which crime belonged to which girl and it got frustrating. I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it just fell short for me.

My first introduction to this author was with Horrorstör. I could not read that book fast enough. From there, I wanted to read more. Yet, I got behind and missed reading several of this author's book until The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. To be honest, I did not like The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. In fact, I barely got a third of the way into that book when I DNF'd it.

So, when I saw this latest book, I had some hesitation. However, the premise was too good to pass up checking it out. Um...hello. I just finished reading this book. It did not disappoint. Fans of this author will be in for a real treat. I enjoyed this book so much that I am willing to give this author another chance to wow me with hopefully his next book as well.

I like the "campy" slasher film vibes this book is giving me. It references to so many famous movies like Jason and Scream. Horror fans alike will like this book. Lets cheer for the final girls. The ones that survived only to keep surviving every day.

Interesting way to approach a horror mystery. It really makes you think about the the roll of woman in horror movies and how damaging it can be to a regular mass murder society.

Hendrix has a special way of creating characters you love and root for, and realistic horror that will have you on the edge of your seat. Like his other works, FGSG features beautifully woven interpersonal relationships existing in a world that can bring us such monsters. Each Final Girl feels familiar to us right off the bat as their traumatic history are written as the inspiration for classic horror films we all know and daresay, love (looking at you Scream and Halloween). And how true crime can encourage unhealthily obsessions and superfans (i.e. murderabilia). FGSG shows the audience the people events like that leave behind and the struggles and triumphs that come to pass, and moments big and small of redemption.

Minor spoilers below:

So, I adored Grady Hendrix's THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB'S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES, which, although it had a cast of mostly white characters, interrogated whiteness and the harm that it does as a construct in suburbia. The characters were also all mostly white for a reason—they're meant to represent a specific demographic, and the character pitfalls that come with that demographic.

In contrast, THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP has a cast of all white characters for seemingly no reason. But maybe that's good, given that Hendrix treats the only person of color terribly. There is one Black woman, but she dies off the page in like, chapter two, and we never get to meet her. (She later appears as the Magical Negro trope, of course, in a flashback.) Most of the characters besides the lead are two-dimensional, reduced to stereotypes, and this was just a big disappointment compared to Southern Book Club.

Hendrix takes a look at trauma and voyeurism in this clever tribute to 80's slasher horror. He displays his usual skill with pacing and writing some gruesome scares along with his excellent character work. Good for readers looking for a horror title, and there are a lot of nice easter eggs for hardcore slasher fans.

Grady Hendrix does it again with an amazing blend of horror, pop culture, and girl power. Perhaps it is my penchant for final girls and slasher flicks, but this quickly became my favorite Hendrix novel.

You might not recognize all their names, you might get some of their stories confused, but you know these women. They're the last ones standing at the end of the movie, and we see the bogyman isn't quite dead yet. They're the demure babysitter, the unassuming girl next door, the friendly carefree counselor. They never the one's you think should out last everyone, but there's something in them that keeps them fighting, keeps them alive. Makes them Final Girls.

But what happens after the credit roll, and everyone goes home? Where does the final girl go after the hospital. After the funerals? She goes to group therapy. Enter: The Final Girl Support Group.

And what happens when the safety and sanctity of that solemn circle is broken? Final girls do the only thing they know how to: fight to survive.

Thank you to Netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley from Berkeley Publishing Group. Lynette and her fellow support group members were a big deal in the 80’s and 90’s when they were in the spotlight for living despite their monsters trying to kill them, once and even twice. Now they have their support group meetings to keep their fears in check. After a series of unfortunate events, Lynette is convinced someone is coming after all the final girls. She is on the run hitting up her support group friends and coming into contact with people from her past.

Grady Hendrix is great at bringing a nostalgic feel to his stories. He gives obvious nods to Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and more. He does it with grace and fun. Lynette is an unreliable narrator. The story kept me reading to find out the mystery and hear the backstory of every final girl. Overall, another entertaining read from Hendrix. If you are familiar with him, this is classic Hendrix.

This book feels like a spiritual companion to Daryl Gregory’s We Are All Completely Fine. I can imagine a meeting between the two support groups would be wild. This story has lots of fun twists and turns that keep you guessing right up until the end.