Lucas Blogs About Final Girls

F/NAL G/RLS by R/LEY SAGER?

Before we go any further, I assume that you know what the "final girl" trope is in horror film. If not, Google is your friend.

So, what's this book's deal?

I'm glad you asked, Hypothetical Reader. It's the story of Quincy Carpenter, a baking blogger (yes, this is her real job, and yes, the book does explain how she manages to financially support herself (hint: it doesn't involve the blog)) in Manhattan who, ten years earlier, was the lone survivor of the Pine Cottage Murders (think any slasher movie with an escaped mental patient). Luckily (kinda) for Quincy, she has no memory of what happened between midnight and one am on the night in question. Afterwards, the media dub her a "Final Girl." Sharing this dubious honor are Lisa Milner, who years earlier survived a similar slaughter at her sorority house, and Samantha Boyd, who was working at the Nightlight Inn when it was attacked by the Sack Man. None of these women have ever met IRL, but Lisa did reach out to Quincy after the Pine Cottage Murders.

Anyway, the story kicks into gear when Coop, the cop (Really, Sager, you just threw an extra "o" into a character's job to make his name?) who saved Quincy and killed the escaped mental patient, makes a quick jaunt from Pennsylvania to New York to let Quincy know that Lisa Milner has committed suicide. DUN DUN DUUUH-uuuuh-UNNNN!

Okay, but like, is the book any good?

For certain values of "good," yeah. It's a solid piece of commercial writing without much in the way of artistic ambition.

You don't have to be a tool.

My bad. Let's put it another way, this is the very definition of an okay book. I don't love it, I don't hate it, but I did have fun reading it. That said, I wasn't so much reading because I cared what happens as to find out if I had predicted the twist correctly.

Had you?

No, but that's because the twist that I'd predicted was the most hackneyed and obvious one.

So, the twist isn't that Quincy killed her friends and blocked out the memory?

No, thank God. How stupid would that have been?

Pretty stupid. But don't tell me what the actual twist is.

All right, but if you're cleverer than me (fair odds) you might figure it out yourself. Maybe not though, the plot gets convoluted in places. In summarizing the book to a friend and I had to keep doubling back to explain what was actually happening when it seemed like something else was happening.

So what's more important in this, plot or characters?

Deffo the plot. The characters aren't poorly written (some of the dialogue is) but they are all types. Like say, Quincy's boyfriend Jeff, the sensitive, but ambitious Public Defender; or Sam Boyd, the tough chick with a chip on her shoulder and a secret (and who's probably read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at some point). I don't think anyone will be clamoring for a sequel about their continuing adventures.

What about Quincy?

What about her?

Is she better developed?

Hmm, well, she does have more of an arc. And while she isn't particularly sympathetic (past trauma aside) there is an effective character moment when she owns up to just how messed-up she is.

Do you know any interesting facts about the author?

Riley Sager is the pen name of Todd Ritter, this is part of a larger trend of male thriller writers publishing under gender neutral pen names.

Is there anything in this book that would make me not want to read it?

Like in terms of "graphic content?"

Jesus! Did you just use scare quotes?

Sorry 'bout that. The novel is pretty frank about violence and sex. If that's not your scene, you know, maybe skip it.

Aren't you worried this is getting too long?

Yeah, but's it's my first post and I can edit it later. Anyway, we should wrap up pretty quick, any other questions.

What's the POV?

Quincy narrates in first person present tense, which helps maintain a sense of immediacy in the less exciting stretches. The narration switches to limited omniscient third person during flashbacks.

Okay, so would you recommend that other people read Final Girls?

I dunno. If they wanna.

You're the worst, Lucas.

Final Girls by Riley Sager, Dutton Trade Paperback edition, January 2018, 330 pages, pairs well with movie theatre popcorn

Links:

Guardian article about male writers disguising their gender.

Riley Sager's website, if you're into that type of thing.