A horrifying thriller about a group of "Final Girls" who survived attempted murders only to find themselves stalked by a deranged killer again. This one definitely tipped into the too violent and gory and terrifying for me at times, but then again I literally couldn't stop listening to is and stayed up most of the night finishing it which is a pretty good recommendation.

While the concept of the Final Girl isn't new, Grady Hendrix successfully makes the reader feel for the character, giving her qualities of friends we may have in real life. This novel kept me furiously turning pages to follow the main character. Would definitely recommend!

i have a lot of thoughts, but this is the fastest-paced hendrix novel yet. it moves along at breakneck speed, and whole playing "spot the references" is a lot of fun for a slasher fan such as myself, the real treat is the way in which the author engages with the real-world ramifications of masked killers, and brings everything into the modern age. there's more than a hint of behind the mask, scream 4, and tragedy girls in here, making this an excellent point on the spectrum of this horror subgenre.

what makes it work is that these are real, broken people, and the way hendrix looks at just how these women all would've responded to the trauma they faced, rather than focusing in on the killers themselves. not for nothing did i read this immediately after watching the netflix true crime series, murder among the mormons, which faltered as it focused in on the murder-y bits for two episodes, before really digging into the fraud, forgery, and personal issues of its focus, mark hofmann.

hendrix knows that the truly interesting and lasting impressions are of the flawed people and what makes them tick, rather than just reveling in the blood, gore, and mess. there's plenty of that, to be sure, but telling this story from the point of view of those affected, but with empathy and honesty, makes the fgsg something which will hopefully change the slasher narrative and infuse it with fresh blood (sorry. i'll see myself out).

So many twists and turns (something I also appreciate with horror movies in general)! I liked that all the women were different and complex and sometimes unlikable, but I still wanted to know more about their stories and what was going to happen to them (slightly disappointed that we didn't find out more about Heather's story because it was the weirdest one but alas). Lynnette was an interesting POV to tell the story from, but it was nice seeing her grow and change throughout the story. All in all this was a very interesting take on a classic horror tropes and was decently creepy (at least for me but I'm not a big horror reader).
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this book - it was not for me! I liked the authors other books, but this one did not work for me!

I didn't love this one and DNFed it at about 30%. I thought it was a little hard to follow with all of the characters and it just didn't do it for me the way I hoped it would. It's possible it was a case of right book, wrong time. I might give it another go at another time and see if I like it better.

Hendrix does it again! The tension starts pretty quickly as we explore the fallout in the lives of Final Girls. The characters are well developed and the pacing keeps the reader on their toes. Not wanting to give away too much, I can only say that Hendrix knows this genre and is able to keep even the savviest of readers off kilter.

Hendrix never fails to entertain. Reminds me a bit of Stephen King in his style and pop culture references. Like a classic eighties paper back original horror novel with a twist Read it and enjoy!

This is what I was craving when I read Riley Sager's Final Girls a few years back. It was a fun book to read also on the back of watching the newest Scream. So many fun nods to fans of the genre and while I could see the twist coming, Hendrix never fails to provide a good time!

Grady Hendrix, usually the master of creepy disturbing horror and accompanying dark humor, misses the mark slightly here. Following his usual formula - a group of vastly different women taking on a power attacking them and theirs - it feels just slightly unkempt, not quite polished enough. Scenes that worked really worked, but there are long stretches in between filled with characters whose motivations and actions don't make much sense. The finale felt a little rumpled too. The villains didn't make much sense to me and felt like a bit of a cop out in comparison to his other books. Really cool concept, and loved the incorporation of the industry of slasher flicks, but this one just didn't quite come together like I wanted it to.

I’ve been a fan of author Grady Hendrix after first reading My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and loving the nostalgia that comes to life on page.

In THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP, I was once again brought into the original storyline of a group of heroines that survived a killer, and it instantly brought me to the days of watching slasher movies I loved!

*many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

My first Grady Hendrix book will definitely not be my last. Part thriller, suspense, mystery, action-adventure, and a lot of fun for something so dark. He does horror-humor so well.

And a very likeable, but also unreliable and questionable narrator, with just great characters all around.

The story is perfectly horrible and amazing at the same time, and you can't find that balance in most books.

Grady Hendricks never fails to mix horror and some comedy together, and I absolutely love that. I also love the entire Final Girls concept, so anything related to final girls and I am THERE. I love horror, all types, and love love love series with a good final girl. (Nancy and Sydney are my top favorites. Especially Sydney because Scream gets very meta sometimes.) I should stop. I could go on about Final Girls FOREVER.

Anyway, I was on board for this crazy train. And crazy it was! I'm not going to give too much away, and in my opinion it's relatively easy to figure out who is involved in the final girl takedown. But the journey there was gory and crazy and fast paced.

While each girl in the group has her own horror story (and movie made based on the horror story) you can definitely see which real world horror movies these girls stories are based around (Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, ect....). Then the book turns into its own slasher story. We are just along for the ride, on the run, and trying not to die along the way. There are some twists and turns that keep things exciting too!

I love how Grady Hendrix also tries to impart knowledge of final girl lore into his book. I appreciate that, as a lover of the trope.

So this was a fun read. The best trigger warning I can give is if you don't like slasher horror movies and all the bad things that go along with those movies, you may want to steer clear of this. But otherwise, have fun!!!!

Roller Coaster Ride for Horror Aficionados

In horror movies, the final girls are the ones left standing when the credits roll. They made it through the worst night of their lives…but what happens after?

From chain saws to summer camp slayers, The Final Girl Support Group pays tribute to and slyly subverts our most popular horror films—movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream.

Lynette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre. For more than a decade, she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, working to put their lives back together. Then one woman misses a meeting, and their worst fears are realized—someone knows about the group and is determined to rip their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about final girls is that no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

Anyone who’s a fan of horror movies will recognize the movies referenced and the characters utilized in this roller coaster ride of a book. I found this book brilliant, fun, and incredibly well thought out. While I haven’t read any of Grady Hendrix’ other novels, I can tell you that I adored this one.

One of the reasons I really enjoyed it is the level of detail and thought that went into each piece of the story, each character. If you know anything about horror movies, even slightly, you will pick up on his references. Each final girl is from some of the most popular horror flicks out there and that’s what makes them engaging. You get a look at what might be once they grow up, what kind of real life trauma they would have endured but also it is a love letter to the genre of speculating on what would happen if the films had all been real. And it is clear to me, that even while slyly poking fun at the films, it also pays homage to each movie. 

The main character, Lynette is far from perfect and yet, never gives up. Her actions are believable, her motivations easy to understand, and her pain can be empathized with. Most women have had occasion to look behind themselves on a dark street and many have endured similar trauma. While men might enjoy the horror tropes, this book will resonate most with women. And while those who’ve been traumatized might not want to read this, most women will connect with all the final girls and their travails. 

The plot is intense and each twist and turn will keep you turning the page. While a fan of horror films will guess some of the surprises, there are a few that keep you on the edge of your seat and enough suspense to keep you guessing throughout the book. I love the way real world actions are woven with action and suspense. Like I said, I loved this book. If you love horror movies, I highly recommend checking out this new book on the Final Girls of all your horror films. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 horror movies.

Even with the controversy surrounding this book and another of a similar premise..I loved it! Hendrix is such a creative genius!! Will read anything he writes.

The premise of this book was very intriguing and had my attention. This is a fast paced horror/thriller that keeps you on your toes. It's intense, it's dark, and quite different from anything I have ever read before. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

I'm a big Grady Hendrix fan already, so I was predisposed to like this book. And it did not disappoint. This is a little darker and deeper than his previous novels. Hendrix always has such catchy, clever titles and that makes you expect a catchy, clever book. This one's a little more serious under all the meta 80s slasher movie references. And that's a good thing. I went thru hating AND loving all of the final girl characters (as well as patting myself on the back for recognizing the various slasher film Easter egg scattered throughout. It ends up being a powerful statement about women and surviving and the need for community.

This book was not for me. I don’t know if this was meant to be satire, but to me this is the only way it would make sense. If it was intended to be satire I think it fell flat. If not, then I’m afraid the characters were absolutely unrealistic and unrelatable and the plot bizarre. I just could not get on board with this idea and these characters.

A few words to describe this book: extremely unreliable narrator, kick ass action, and girl power! First half of the book was spent me trying to keep calm while reading a very anxious narrator’s worst case scenario plans. The second half was more fast paced and had a few gory scenes and lots of action. This is my second Grady Hendrix book and this one I liked much better than Horrostor. I do recommend this book only if you enjoy horror/thrillers.

THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP was an absolute blast from beginning to end. Hendrix expertly and lovingly pays homage to the slasher film genre, and all the final girls populating the titular support group will sound familiar to fans of the genre. This book walks a very fine line-- it takes the pain and trauma endured by its main characters absolutely seriously, recognizing the grave consequences of survival and loss. At the same time, it's a tremendous amount of fun that will keep you guessing till the very end.