Book Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Adult, Horror
Pages: 352
Format: Ebook
Rating: 
Goodreads summary: Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and, with that, one another. Despite the media’s attempts, they never meet.
Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.
That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy’s doorstep. Blowing through Quincy’s life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa’s death come to light, Quincy’s life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.
I picked up Final Girls after hearing a the positive reviews about Riley Sager. I’ve been searching for thrillers with stronger twists, and after finding Freida McFadden’s books a bit underwhelming, I was hoping Sager’s writing would offer something more compelling.
The premise itself was intriguing—Quincy Carpenter, the sole survivor of a brutal massacre at Pine Cottage, has tried to move on with her life. But when another “Final Girl,” Sam, shows up unexpectedly, Quincy is forced to confront the past she’s worked so hard to forget.
Plot & Pacing
The story alternates between past and present, gradually unraveling the mystery of what really happened that night at Pine Cottage. This structure worked well in keeping me engaged, even though the pacing wasn’t particularly fast. There were enough questions to keep me reading—why can’t Quincy remember the details of that night? What is Sam’s real motive? Why does Quincy have a habit of stealing? These small mysteries helped maintain suspense.
However, the big reveal at the end fell flat for me. Some twists were predictable, while others felt forced or unearned. While Quincy’s dark side added an unexpected layer to her character, one particular scene—where she attacks a homeless man—felt unnecessarily disturbing and out of place. It shocked me, but not in a way that made the story more compelling.
Characters & Development
Quincy is a complex protagonist, and while I appreciated how the book explored her trauma, I also struggled with some of her actions. She’s clearly suffering—self-medicating with Xanax, suppressing memories, and trying to maintain a perfect facade—but her behavior sometimes made her difficult to sympathize with. The book does a good job of showing how trauma manifests in different ways, but I wish Quincy’s journey had included more accountability and growth.
Sam is an interesting wildcard, though her motivations became predictable toward the end. Meanwhile, Quincy’s boyfriend, Jeff, felt like a non-factor in the story. His skepticism about Sam was valid, but his comments about Quincy’s apartment being a “victim fund” rubbed me the wrong way. Surprisingly, the character I found most compelling was Coop—the cop who rescued Quincy all those years ago. His presence in her life was steady and unwavering, and their chemistry was far more convincing than anything between Quincy and Jeff.
Themes & Takeaways
One of the book’s strongest aspects is its exploration of trauma and survival. Quincy doesn’t want to be labeled a “Final Girl,” but no matter how much she tries to move on, her past is inescapable. The book highlights how trauma doesn’t just disappear—it lingers, affecting every aspect of a person’s life. Quincy’s struggles with substance abuse, repression, and self-destructive behavior felt real, even if I didn’t always like how they were handled. If anything, to me Final Girls reinforced the importance of therapy and a strong support system—something Quincy desperately needed.
Final Thoughts
I’d rate Final Girls* two deer-stars. While it had solid pacing and an engaging premise, the ending left me disappointed. I wanted more from the big reveal, and some character choices felt frustrating rather than thought-provoking. Fans of fast-paced thrillers like Freida McFadden’s books might enjoy this, but for me, it fell short of my expectations.
That said, this was Riley Sager’s first thriller, and he’s only grown in popularity since. I’m open to giving his other books a try—hopefully, they’ll deliver the twists and depth I was looking for here.
