Final Girls has one of the coolest concepts I have seen in a while but the length of the book is so short that it ends up being slightly underdeveloped. Thankfully, it still turns out great I just wanted more.

Dr. Jennifer Webb has invented a new form of therapy that puts her patients into a dream state that can be manipulated. The process is to heal different psychological wounds and mend relationships between people. It basically puts people into a horror movie and it makes them bond and come out of their dream state a new person.

Esther Hoffman is a journalist who doubts that this procedure works. Dr. Webb wants to make a believer out of her so what better way than to go through the procedure with her. While both women are in their medically induced dream state someone is trying to steal their research and it makes for a deadly situation.

This was so much fun and it was over way too soon. I would love to see this explored further. Mira Grant's writing will get you sucked into this world and you won’t want to leave.

The writing and premise is as wonderful as everything else Grant goes into. Her writing style is truly one of my favorites. However, reading this book felt as if I was reading two separate books that have been combined into one. Sometimes the characters would make choices that didn’t feel like some thing they would actually do. And while I get that the idea of the simulation is that it can change personalities, I did not think it would be so instantaneous or extreme. I still had a good time but it wasn’t what I was hoping.

3.75ish stars

The concept for this novella was intriguing; as other reviews have mentioned, it would have been interesting to see it further developed into a full-length story. It was a quick and fun read, although if you’re not good with blood and violence, you should probably skip this one; it was definitely more of a slasher story than a suspenseful thriller. That aside, I did enjoy it, and I’m curious to explore what else this author has written.

I loved the story but wasnt very into the audiobook. I am so thankful to be able to have consumed this book.

4/5 stars

This was an extremely enjoyable, short and innovative story. To me, Mira Grant claimed her spot at queen of sci fi horror with Into the Drowning Deep. Although this is definitely more of the psychological thriller, it was super imaginative and had its horrifying creature moments.

The concept is the real draw with this story. We already know that Mira Grant has superb story ideas, and this was no different. Imagine if virtual reality horror stories tailored to your fears were used as a form of psychological therapy. The very ambitious Dr Jennifer Webb has developed the technology to place her patients into a hyponotic-like virtual reality where they experience the likes of everyone’s favourite horror films to, putting it extremely plainly, scare themselves to healing. Although too short to dive into this with too much depth, it was still insanely interesting and thrilling to explore. Especially when things go wrong.

Our other main character Erica is a pop science journalist who has dedicated her life to debunking phony and harmful therapies. When she goes to investigate Dr Webb’s initiative, Erica agrees to experience the virtual reality for herself. Although in opposition to each other from the beginning, the way in which the character’s stories developed and intertwined was an intriguing and unexpected choice. From the beginning, the story went straight to the action, the thrill and the meat of the story, it was fast-paced and fully engrossing. Although I’m left wanting more from these characters, the story was just long enough to be tantalising and fully engaging.

Mira Grant dazzled me with Into the Drowning Deep and I have been on the lookout for books by her ever since. When I saw this audiobook was on NetGalley I had to jump on it.

Dr. Jennifer Webb has created virtual reality technology to help users heal psychological wounds by running them through horror film scenarios. I don't know about you, but I think that would cause psychological wounds! Can you heal while being a medical cocktail that has you running from danger?

Esther Hoffman is a journalist who wants to unearth the truth about Dr. Webb's company. Will she be successful? She is not the only one who want to unearth the truth....

This was a fast listen and had vibes of The Cabin in the woods movie and Black Mirror. Mira Grant has a great imagination and was able to tell her story in a gripping and fascinating way.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A very spooky listen, Final Girls tells the story of Esther Hoffman, a reporter out to debunk Dr. Jennifer Webb’s therapy that is reported to reduce phobias, and help patients overcome their fears. Esther’s Dad had been unfairly accused of sexual abuse by patients who underwent regression therapy, later proven to be false, but it was too late for her father.

The story opens with one of the horror movie scenarios used by Dr. Webb to cure her patients, two sisters who’d grown emotionally apart. To help convince her that the therapy is bona fide, Webb convinces Esther to try one session. And that’s where things start to go wrong….

Great story read by a great narrator.

My thanks to Tantor Audio and to Netgalley for providing an ALC of Final Girls.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this ARC! I thought this story had a very interesting plot and it’s what draw me to request to read it. The narrator did an excellent job on this audiobook and it really added to the creepy plot. I did find it a little hard to follow at parts, but I enjoyed the themes used throughout.

This was my first read by Mira Grant and I would be interested in reading more!

Final Girls is a fast-paced science fiction horror about manipulating dreams to heal psychological wounds and how that technology can be misused. The idea itself is incredibly interesting, but the characters felt lacking. I found myself wishing the book was longer to get more in depth with the story.

I am sorry to say I am not the right audience for this story. Too much fantasy for my taste. There are lots of people who will like this, I am sure of that. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Tantor audio and Netgalley for this story. I was not really sure what was about at the beginng. I am not a scifi fun but I wanted to try. I was glad was a short story and the development was fast. So it was easy to get through even not a fan. So I reccomend to those who are not searching for very complicated books.

Very interesting concept. I think this would make a good sci-fi/thriller movie. Could have been longer an more thought out. Overall, a solid quick read.

Journalist, Esther Hoffman is out to debunk the claims of Dr Jennifer Webb, a woman who claims to be able to “cure” patients of debilitating fears with a combination of horrifying images and a potent narcotic cocktail. It’s personal for Esther, who’s made a career out of expoing charlatans and snake oil salesman since “past life regression” therapy destroyed her father. What Esther doesn’t know is that Webb’s therapy will make monsters of normal people. A creepy and thrilling read

I haven't read many novellas but this was a fun quick thriller. The book is narrated from the POV of a journalist, Esther Hoffman, who is writing a story on Dr, Jennifer Webb and her study using a type of exposure therapy using virtual reality. However Dr. Webb is using peoples phobias and fears and turning them into horror filled realities, in hopes for a change. Follow along to see how Esther visit to interview turns into a study on her biggest fear!

Jennifer Pickens is a great narrator for this story.

I don't know exactly what I was expecting based on the description of this book, but whatever it was, this wasn't it. It's very short, more a novella than a novel, which probably lends itself to some of the issues with pacing, lack of characterization, and general lack of letting us SEE and conclude what the author wants us to think rather than be TOLD what to think. The characters were superficial and non-sympathetic across the board. The only benefit of the short length? I didn't have to suffer through this book any longer. I would not recommend this one to a single person, I'm sorry to say.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for this ARC.

THIS was so spooky. There were so many line in this book that gave me the creeps. The narrator was spot on as well. She is one of the best.
I will give this another listen. It was perfect for a lonely stormy morning in my creepy workplace.

The line about the woman not being afraid of spiders anymore and then basically saying she isn't afraid of anything anymore as a corpse. Obviously that is not even close to how it is written but I gasped out loud. The opening lines had me hooked.
Thank you Mira Grant for writing this! Thank you narrator for being the best of all time.

Read this if you like super creepy spooky stuff.

Oooh, this one is spooky-ooky and mind-bender at that, which leaves me dying to read additional Science Fiction/Futuristic tales of technology gone horribly wrong, or maybe right -- Depends on how you look at it.

Dr. Jennifer Webb has developed a cutting-edge, world-renowned, logic-defying bit of tech that seeks to provide relief and aid to patients who have an overwhelming amount of psychological childhood trauma weighing them down. A skeptic journalist, Esther, deems to break down these too-g00d-to-be-true claims and debunk this treatment.

What Esther doesn't end up predicting is that these trials would rehash more trauma through their flash image horror narratives that the doc prescribed. Sit in with patients, alike, and let the paranoia of the session keep you guessing on what's real and what these horror movie scenes are meant to cure.