Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

33 reviews

abmochapman's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Final Girl Support Group has such an interesting premise and didn’t necessarily disappoint, even though it was not exactly what I expected. It is, of course, mirrored after slasher movies and  it focuses more on those themes than the support group itself. There is only one session with the main cast of final girls before their world starts to fall apart, again. From there, the plot inches forward until about halfway when it picks up and the book feels almost impossible to put down. The number of incredible, almost ridiculous twists is dizzying. As compelling as the climax is, I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief. The resolution is gratifying, but still, I am left with so many questions and pieces that don’t seem to fit together.

As other reviewers have said, that may be because The Final Girl Support Group doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. Is it a parody of slasher movies, or is it meant to be taken seriously as a thriller? Is it an ode to the genre, or is it a satirical deconstruction? Reviews praise it as having accomplished both, but I am a bit more conflicted. To me, the novel does not subvert its tropes as much as it relies on them.

The main character, for example, is overly-cautious to recorrect the naivety that she blames for her final girl status. Yet, it is also her irrational and naïve choices that lead her once again into the arms of the monster. She should not have been able to survive but by some miracle, she does.

Like the movies, it’s compelling but unbelievable.

Perhaps the best function the novel serves is to highlight our society’s disgusting obsession with and gross exploitation of victims of violence. The novel explicitly asks readers, “what does it say about us that so much of the entertainment we consume is about killing women?”. The plot, too, confirms the harm that movies and media that glorify mass murder can cause. It’s a very necessary conversation, and one that I am glad the horror genre is having. It’s interesting, though, because the novel is so self-aware except about how it might also contribute to the problem. Doesn’t it also exploit the phenomenon of violence against women (and our morbid curiosity about it) for entertainment and profit? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Blood, Stalking, Terminal illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Police brutality, Excrement, Grief, Addiction, and Suicidal thoughts

sngspicysword's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

THE PLOT TWIST OMG! THIS IS SUCH AN AMAZING BOOK! it’s really helped me get out of my reading slump. Highly recommend!!! I will say the author is a bit dramatic at times but the writing is INSANE.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Addiction, Gore, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Stalking, Child death, Death of parent, and Police brutality

Minor: Terminal illness, Animal death, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Forced institutionalization

ewarde's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is nuts. I am not a horror movie fan, but this book is a sort of behind the scenes peak at the slasher dramas and it is insane. This book explores the concept of "the final girl" and makes you understand the connection between them and the killer. Its just a mind bending thriller from start to finish that makes you question everything.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Gore, Blood, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Confinement

Minor: Animal cruelty and Mass/school shootings

brookey8888's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really enjoyed this one and I know a lot of people don’t t like this so it’s an unpopular opinion. I just was so invested in the story and the characters and I didn’t see a lot of things happening. I thought the concept was interesting and the topics thought provoking and I liked some of the discussions in this. I really liked Lynnette as the main character and the strength and growth she went through. This also made me weirdly emotional at times, but it’s just the dark themes and the horrible world it’s hard not to. This was also pretty funny at times. I don’t know something about this just worked for me. I liked the sister aspect which I think really made me enjoy this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Cursing, Death of parent, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Pedophilia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Vomit, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Torture, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Animal death, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Misogyny

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was SUCH an amazing introduction into Grady Hendrix's books for me. Wow. I'm very impressed with how he wrote women and from their perspective - super well done. Loved the homage he paid to classic horror films and stories. Things like how the chapters were named??? Genius touches that showed that he truly holds this genre dear. So so good!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Blood, Gun violence, Car accident, Violence, Death, Gore, Murder, and Misogyny

Moderate: Medical content, Stalking, Mental illness, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship

magikorbert's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

i really really wish they had given fu(bar)gate a different username in that lil reddit screenshot. it made me immediately suspicious of steph and it feels like it’s giving something away way too early

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Body horror, Gore, Death, Animal cruelty, and Adult/minor relationship

punkrockingnerd's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really like it! It's def a work made by someone who loves the original horror classics but is willing to put a twist on them to make the stories more impactful. I wish the characters were more like a family, though. When bad stuff starts happening, I really wanted them to be more supportive of each other, but they dove right into fighting, and it wears on you after awhile. So... not found family, but it's a fun time!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Violence, Cancer, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Ableism, Animal death, Torture, Cannibalism, Self harm, Confinement, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Emotional abuse

cjblates's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Stalking, Addiction, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug use, and Murder

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

3.5/5

A great fun read which plays of many horror/slasher tropes but I felt the end got a little too Rambo-ish for my liking which distracted from my enjoyment of some great twists.

I really enjoyed Grady's writing style though so will be going back for more.

Full review to come.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Stalking

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Animal death

a_wren_that_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Body horror, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Torture, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape

Moderate: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use

Minor: Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, and Cannibalism