The Final Girl Support Group
Ratings282
Average rating3.5
This was okay. It was so over the top that it didn't feel scary or tense because nothing made sense. I finished it a couple of days ago and I can't even really remember the ending.
Took me a while to get through this. Something about this alternate universe where all the slasher movies are based on real events and Final Girls are a cultural phenomenon felt off to me–the way the public treats them didn't feel justified or make much sense. Still, the premise was fun and the end was really good, so I'm glad I stuck with it. It would make a great movie.
This was better than I thought it would be based on the silly title, but the cutesy tone was not for me.
I also don't understand the moralizing. If slasher movies were based on real life events, they would be gross movies. But slasher movies are very fictional. This book is not horror, but it certainly is meant to appeal to fans of horror. It's weird to me that a story would try to appeal to a fan group then preach to them about the wrongness of what they like while also fundamentally misrepresenting what they like.
Horror certainly has its issues, especially when it comes to the treatment of women. But one of those issues is not that Pamela Voorhees' pride and joy, her unstoppable killing machine of a son, who visits New York and outer space, and fights a telekinetic Carrie-knock off, is based on a real person.
Easy read. I thought it was a solid and fun book. It was pretty easy to guess who the real bad guys were from the moment they were introduced, but seeing as the book opens with a reddit post from these guys I don't think it was meant to be that hard to figure out anyway. It didn't take away from my enjoyment.
I'm gonna be honest I didn't think about the book too critically coz I like my horror fun and simple. As long as the story made sense, the characters were believable, and it took me along for the ride, I'd probably enjoy it.
My only complaint is that there were A LOT of characters with detailed backstories. I am horrible at names and take a while to familiarise myself with characters so trying to remember which final girl had which horror villain was a nightmare. I had to go back and reread pages and pages to figure out who this person is. But that's mostly on me and my inability to match names to faces lmao.
Meh, that is all I can say. It wasn't horrible but it was not very good either. I had heard so many good things and finally decided to buy after a glowing recommendation on BookTok. I now remember why I don't read books based on reviews. It was a quick read and I didn't have trouble finishing it. It does not make me want to read the others on his bookshelf. To me that's a sign of an author I don't care about. Riley Sager had a similar book about final girls and I liked that one much better.
Enjoyed the premise a lot though was not super enthralled with the characters or the action moments. I did like the few multimedia pieces and clever details.
I read this physically and with audiobook; Audiobook narration may have negatively impacted my enjoyment.
as someone who doesn't like the true crime industry and how it abuses the victims of horrific incidents, this was a nice change
the commentary on how women are objects meant to be killed by men kind of fell flat, but the overall idea of fanaticism surrounding mass murderers and psychopaths creating more mass murderers and psychopaths was hit well on the head
also, i really enjoyed getting to look at the aftermath of these slaughters through the lens of the survivors. not that i enjoyed seeing how their lives panned out, but that the story stayed focused on the victims, and never on the murderers (as true crime so often does these days)
got annoyed with the MC at the beginning tho. slow to start but it picks up!
4.5 stars. After reading some very meh reviews, I went into this one with low expectations. But Grady Hendrix has yet to disappoint me. His books are always fun and manage to (sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly) turn the genre on its head. I like a book (and author) that doesn't take itself too seriously. Looking forward to ‘How to Sell a Haunted House' in 2023 - gimme!!!
*4.5 stars. Hendrix is such a pleasure to read. His pop culture creativity, his darkly comic characters and his genre broadening neo-horror style have made him one of my favorites.
Mr. Hendrix, why? May I just ask why this piece of smug piece of shit had to be written? Repeating the same, half-baked, idiotic opinion is not making you profound, it's just ridiculous.
Let me elaborate, my friends.
A bunch of women are in a therapy group, old women, mind you, because at one point in their youth they were all the single survivors of massacres where they killed the perpetrator is self-defence.
One of them gets murdered, though. They automatically think they will be next.
I have liked the author's previous books, but this... Dude.
There is this repeating sentiment in this book, the idea that somehow women are just constantly killed for the lulz. That we are just victims. Always. And that senseless death is specific to women and that it just happens because we are women.
May I remind you how these women ended up there? Their respective groups got murdered. Like camp counsellors. Who aren't even all women. But somehow it's a problem of VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. It gives me intense “women are the REAL victims of war” energies and those can go fuck themselves.
I'm not saying all this because it was written by a man. Some reviews did that and I find it kind of telling they all went to “IT WAS SAID BY AN UGLY WHITE MAN”, like they wouldn't eat up this ridiculous idea if it was said by some “empowered” New York journo daughter of the elite.
It's just stupid. We can go the other direction; when men die brutally... nobody even cares. It's just background noise and unimportant. Is that any better? Well, maybe that idea isn't popular with the people the author was trying to court here, but hey.
It's a flat and annoying piece.
A few years ago, if you had asked me what my favorite kinds of horror films and stories were, slashers would probably not even be on the list. I doubt I would have even though of it. But slashers are having a moment right now - one that sociologically was pretty predictable, if you're paying attention - and this past summer when I watched Netflix's Fear Street movies, I found myself reminded of how the paperback slasher-thrillers produced by the likes of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike were what I used to live for when I was a preteen. Before I ever saw my first horror movie.So now, I'm all in. Between Fear Street and Hell Fest and the new Halloween movies, I'm here for it. And when I saw this book listed, I don't think I even read the synopsis. The title is the concept - and this concept, with this author, is gold.The Final Girl Support Group exists in an alternate universe, one where the surviving victims of mass homicides get first dibs on the rights to their story (this is a surprisingly topical idea actually, as the present interest in true crime has raised the question of who gets to profit from who's story, and the fine line between raising awareness and exploitation). As such, this is the world where the mythos of the final girl came first, before the movies. In Grady Hendrix's world, there are alternate versions of the final girls we know of - Laurie from Halloween, Sid from Scream, Sally from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, even Nancy from A Nightmare on Elm Street (how the supernatural elements of that story are incorporated into a world of knife-wielding spree killers is brilliant!). It would come off as cheap if Hendrix wasn't so damn good. Then there's Lynette Tarkington, the final girl who isn't really a final girl - she didn't kill her monster, she merely survived him. Lynette's life revolves around keeping herself safe - there is not an escape route she hasn't thought of, security measure she hasn't taken, a mode of violence that she isn't aware of. And yet, when someone comes for her and the other final girls she's been in therapy with for years, she's caught off guard. Every precaution she's taken suddenly crumbles to dust, and Lynette begins to realize that in order to save anyone - let alone herself - she has to do more than just survive. The Final Girl Support Group is swift. Like [b:My Best Friend's Exorcism 41015038 My Best Friend's Exorcism Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533059241l/41015038.SY75.jpg 46065002], it is brilliantly paced. Hendrix is freaking surgical with the way he creates his thrills and beats. But even so, I read this book a lot more slowly then I expected. Because while it feels like being in a slasher movie - it's action-packed and thrilling and funny - it is first and foremost about trauma. Most importantly, what happens after trauma. Hendrix had a mission with this book - it was to imagine who these women really were, who they became after the worst day of their life. Which ones used what they were given to make something greater, or those that are barely hanging on. Which ones have scars and disabilities, which ones have partners and book deals. Lynette may be a paranoid shut-in, but she makes a living writing romance novels. Hendrix was intent on giving each of these women texture, and not just the gritty kind that is given to Laurie Strode and Sarah Connor.That's actually something that this book intentionally tries to subvert - the way the bad ass loner trope has infiltrated female representation in media. It wasn't healthy in men, and certainly isn't any healthier in women. Lynette is so intent on protecting herself, that she isolates herself from everyone and everything - and she's not better off for it. And she's not a bad ass. She's scared, she's clumsy, she's a terrible judge of character. Her trauma didn't turn her into a superhero - it turned her into a wrecking ball barreling through life, lucky if she doesn't destroy everything around her in the process. Lynette is a frustrating and terrifying protagonist to follow, and as the story rounded the corner of its final climax, I felt like I was trying to pump the breaks on a car skidding out of control. This book has its tongue-in-cheek moments, the way all of Hendrix's work does, but overall its pretty damn dark and unflinching. Hendrix's humor is less about cheeky irreverence and more about acknowledging the absurdity of our realities. And this book in particular is very unapologetic about what it wants to say. I daresay some may even find it preachy in how overtly it wants to examine our impulse to watch bad things happening to women, not to mention our need for revenge disguised as justice. That's why Hendrix is so overt about the movies he's referencing - he wants you to be thinking about the victims of Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees when you read this. He wants you to be thinking about what you felt when you watched those movies, and how you feel when you see those characters in this different light. And if even with all that, this book is incredibly entertaining. But it is not always an easy read.
wow. this book is Not Good. the only thing i can appreciate here is this attempted messaging, because i think if well executed, this book could have been a really good commentary on the way violence against women has become commoditized. however, this book was not well executed. for one thing, this book did to it's own characters the very thing it's trying to critique. i know nothing about any of these women, main character included, besides the bare bones of the details of their own horror story and one other character trait that's harped on relentlessly. one could argue for the flatness of the main character makes sense because the rest of her personality has been stripped in response to her trauma, but that 1. still makes her uninteresting to follow and 2. is not written in a way that makes that feels intentional. this book also felt more like a thriller than a horror, which is fine i guess but not what i was signing up for. this book also felt severely underwritten. there's something to be said for not being gratuitous with the character's backstories, but because their personal horrors were the only things i knew about the characters, the lack of almost any detail left me with nothing to grasp onto or any way to distinguish the characters from each other. there was also a few things (in regards to heather's character, if you know you know) that i literally have no idea what those scenes could have been even hinting at or what significance they were supposed to have because absolutely nothing was said about them. (does this mean a sequel? god, please no.) we literally never even heard chrissy's backstory. who was keith???? i guess it's not important? the writing was also not engaging in any way and the only thing i even mildly enjoyed were the sparse mixed media elements, however all the references to these fake franchises that were such obvious references to real life horror franchises was very confusing for me to keep up with and remember which girl belonged to which fake franchise, and then to remember which real franchise they belonged to. (ALSO BY THE END YOU REALIZE THIS ENTIRE FUCKING BOOK IS A SCREAM 4 RIP OFF?????) i could honestly go on even more but yeah, one star, don't recommend.
3.5. Many things happened left and right. It was all over the place too.
Almost all girls died or hurt just like a horror film would be like.
I'm not sure about this one. I finished listening to it a few minutes ago and I'm underwhelmed.
Debating a 2-3 star rating.
There were some interesting elements but the MC kept making weird assumptions and for a final girl... she felt a little too trusting. IDK. I need to think about this one.
2 stars for the final girl trope and the witty chapter names. This book was an utter snooze fest, who needs the Dream King when you can just read this book? What awful characters, predictable ending, and just one of the worst pacing in thrillers. The beginning wasn't anything to rave about but wow that middle section was a nightmare to get through. Skip this one at all costs.
Way more of a psychological thriller than an actual horror book but god damn this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire ride!!! I blew through it in two days and wow. I am speechless. As a horror movie buff and also a novice writer I am blown away by the amount of intricate details sprinkled throughout the book that lead to one thing after the other.
I am recommending this book to EVERYONE I meet from here on out.
Also I cried over a plant. That's how good this book is.
Lynette Tarkington is a final girl. The last one standing after the blood soaked rampage of some deranged maniac. But after the killer is caught or killed and the world moves on, after the failed movie deals, book tours, talk show rounds and the constant hounding to sign blood soaked murderbelia passes, what becomes of these final girls? In Lynette's case she becomes a uber-paranoid, ultra-militant, agoraphobe with a houseplant named Fine for a pet that only comes out of hiding to attend therapy with other final girls. When one of the group is found murdered, she's convinced all their lives are in danger.
These final girls are clearly modelled after some classic slasher scream queens. Lynette's story is pulled from the little known Christmas horror Silent Night, Deadly Night but we also have Marilyn who is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dani is Halloween, Heather is Nightmare on Elm Street, Julia is Scream and Adrienne, who's death kicks off the story, is from Friday the 13th. When she's found dead it's up to Lynette to warn the others and find out who wants them all dead.
But let's not forget Lynette is wrestling with her own demons. She obsessively tracks peoples shoes when she's outside because stalkers can easily change outfits but rarely their shoes. She's got bugout bags stashed all over town, doubles back on buses and never takes the elevator. She's sequestered herself in such a tiny little life of her own that she's not exactly great at empathy and interpreting social cues. Her fears come off as unhinged and she's found guilty of a whole host of betrayals and screwups.
So we get a horror thriller whodunit helmed by an unreliable narrator. And it's a non-stop thriller from front to back with a cinematic climax worthy of the inevitable TV adaptation. It's smart, self-aware slasher fiction that gets a modern day, meta update without getting too bogged down in handwringing analysis. Fast and bloody with all the adrenaline of a classic drive-in horror movie. Another killer cut from Grady Hendrix.
This author is quickly becoming an auto-buy! Horrorstor was fun and unique and this one equally so. I really enjoyed this as I am a slasher movie fan. It was fun to read this in a real world format where the horror movies I loved to watch had actual faces and backstories. The nostalgia was real with this one. Now I want to go binge watch those oldie but goodies
Rating: 3 leaves out of 5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Story: 3/5
Writing: 2/5
Genre: horror/thriller/mystery
Type: Audiobook
Worth?: Yes, but read the book if you can!
This was my first book by Grady Hendrix and if this man is in charge of who reads his stories... maybe he shouldn't. I'm sorry Adrienne King, I know you were in Friday the 13th and all but you did horrendous job at reading this story. On normal speed it was like molasses with this woman. I did speed it up higher than normal. Everyone sound WAY older than they should have been. The only thing that saved this story from being a 2 is the cover.
The first half of the story was not it. I couldn't tell who was who in the story and figuring out if things really happened or not seemed to be a thing in this book. Now coming up to the second half it seemed to be clearer on things and I knew who was who, there was a little of a plot twist in there as well.
This book is great! It's a horror comedy. Lynette is determined to survive and become a real final girl. It seems someone is out to kill them all. The book reads like a horror comedy movie which you can totally see in your head. I definitely recommend this book
Final Girl Support Group is fun, but it made me wish it was written by a better author.
There's some really great ideas in there, and the cliff notes plot is really good, but the characters are one dimensional cardboard cut-outs of wet toilet paper.
A group of final girls meet for therapy, then a couple of them miss a meeting. Their worse fears are realized. This was not one of my favorites, I just didn't care about any of the characters. I had such high hopes for this one.