3.5 stars for this chilling debut thriller.
I went in expecting your average kidnapping story but I got so much more than that. The description sets things up nicely but very very early on you learn that the captives held in the cabin are role playing scenes from their abductor’s childhood. This twist makes everything that much more creepy and messy.
I do feel like the ending section was a bit jumbled for me. I read this almost all in one day, which says something to how invested I was. But by the end it felt like it was trying a little too hard to be twisty and intense and it was just a tad too dramatic and extreme.

And the fact that there are not many reviews for this made it so hard to know what to expect, so this is even more of a testament to my genuine response.

My occasionally unhinged but always brutally honest thoughts:
- This is MESSED UP. But like in a good way?
- Like imagine spending 10 years of your life reliving the same day over and over again pretending to be an outdated housewife in danger of being murdered any day. WHAT.
- I also love the fact that they are held hostage in such a strangely free way, like they can wander outside without actually being able to leave. It’s extra devious but also different than most abductions held in a closet or basement or something.
- The collars added an extra element of danger and I think it helped lead the plot along as the captives had to not only escape, but not detonate their collars.
- Grace acting like her child-self gave me the creeps, and ESPECIALLY when she starts coming on to Derek as her “dad”??
- Mitch was kinda garbage and I never really cared about his character or involvement. He was kind of a wet rag kind of guy. Along for the evil ride but carrying no real personality or interest.
- I loved Kinsey and Brooke and their dynamic, their differences but their way of working together in understanding of their situation.
- The twist of Grace changing the script was really interesting in how this sets off a new urgency to the captives.
- Mina’s involvement was interesting. I knew there had to be a connection and I put the pieces together pretty quick, but seeing it all laid out was fun as it was woven into the other characters.
- I love romance, but this romance was not needed. I didn’t want the characters to end up together because this was some messed up trauma bonding. It kind of felt forced and didn’t actually add much to the overall story.

MILD SPOILERS based on the ending section:
- I simply do not believe that this would be remotely possible to pull off. There’s no way an entire town’s police force just let this shit happen??
- What are the odds that Mina just HAPPENED to be at the Airbnb at the same time all this was happening?
- Did they ever think to look at the collar remote once they got it from Grace? Instead of testing Cody’s collar on the perimeter, did they even check to see if the remote would let them deactivate them??
- Mina and Brady reuniting at the end was cringy and weird. I didn’t need their heartfelt love declaration while the whole freaking forest was burning down? Maybe talk about this later?

It looks as though I’m only the fifth person to rate this ARC on NetGalley, and unfortunately, I’m going to be the first one to not give this book five stars. I did enjoy it quite a bit, but I’m not sure if it reached five-star status for me.

This one is definitely a page turner, and it was definitely original. The synopsis is about all I can get into - we know a person has been kidnapped, and has been living in an isolated cabin for a decade. We also know a new abductee shows up and changes everything. What the synopsis doesn’t tell you is that this small group of people are all main characters in the sickest of plays. The people who are holding them hostage are psychopaths, and the cabin-dwellers are all just along for the ride.

This raced right along, had decent characters and an interesting plot. I think the reason it doesn’t hit five-star land for me is because the story is so over the top. We also learn a few things about the people who’ve been abducted, but we find out very little about the two people who are in charge of this twisted game. I think adding some backstory would have given this book a bit more depth; all of the characters were good, they just could have been more developed.

Despite that, I did enjoy this book a lot. It’s the author’s first thriller, and I have a lot of praise for how unique it was. I give this one four stars, and my recommendation!

(Thank you to Ticking Clock Press, Steph Nelson and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on February 27, 2024.)

“The Last thing she thought was, 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘦. That was ten years ago.”

Brooke is snatched on her way home from work one evening and ten years later she is still being held at a cabin by her kidnappers. She has stayed alive by being vigilant and following rules while other victims have not. When a new victim arrives, the dynamic changes drastically and now the only way for Brooke to survive is to break the rules.

This was not at all what I expected it to be going in and I mean that in the best way. The Final Scene is such a unique premise while being wholly believable given the good, the bad, and the truly deranged things some people do. This is a dark and terrifying yet thrilling story, but it’s not without light. Steph Nelson brilliantly captures the fears women have daily simply because they are women, but also inner strength, fortitude and what it takes to be a survivor.

From page one the tension began and the anxiety, claustrophobia and sense of impending doom Did. Not. Let. Up! About half way through the story there’s a new direction introduced which puts a spin on the entire perspective. With complex characters and a twisted plot, I literally could not turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next. When dealing with an emotionally disturbed psychopath all bets are off! Trust me, go into this blind - you won’t know what hit you!

Thank you Steph Nelson, Ticking Clock Press and NetGalley for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Scroll down for potential spoiler trigger warnings.



























⚠️Trigger warnings: body shaming, child loss, language, sexual situations, death, violence, manipulation, menacing, mention of drug addiction & prostitution

This book started and finished at breakneck speed. The amount of times my jaw dropped, the pain and frustration I felt right alongside these characters. It had everything you could ask for in a thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

A great story. I really felt for all of the characters. I was hesitant to pick this book up, but I am so glad that I did!