Scan barcode
theakilahbrown's review against another edition
- 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 was a fast read for me, in that I burned through about half of it in one day. The premise is basically "What if horror movies were real? What happens to those final girls after their movies are over?" The short answer is that they would form a support group. The long answer is that the horror is never truly over for them for a variety of reasons.
This is a horror book that critiques horror books, so, on the one hand, a lot of the commentary was on point, but on the other hand, I found myself wishing at times that it wasn't a *horror* book so that the point could be made in other ways, but that's not really the point of the book. As much as it is about movie monsters, it's also about real life monsters and the impact they have on the women (and children) they harm and what the glorification of movie monsters means. So, basically, it's like Scream but with a feminist bent.
I thought Lynnette was an interesting choice of a main character for many reasons, but one of the big ones is that she's not a "true" final girl because she didn't kill her monster like the other women did, and she also has the smallest life and is the most paranoid. I think there was a missed opportunity for Hendrix to get into WHY the other women made different choices because it almost seems like he's saying Lynnette made the right choice, which I don't necessarily agree with. There also should have been way more female friendship stuff in here, but it is there so I can't complain too much.
Those are relatively minor quibbles, though. I liked the book overall and thought it was smart and engaging. I wasn't sure at first how I felt about the ending, especially who the real life monster turned out to be, but the more I think about it, the more I like and appreciate it, so there's also that.
Some quotes:
Does this ever end? Will there always be someone out there turning little boys into monsters? Will we always be final girls? Will there always be monsters killing us?
I won't let messed-up parents keep making monsters, and I won't let these boys keep making more final girls. It's not some profound and ancient ritual. It's just a waste of life.
All in all, I would recommend it, especially if you're a fan of horror movies and/or badass women.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction and Chronic illness
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual violence
house_of_hannah's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
On a positive note, this is a very readable book, and I found myself flying through the pages quite quickly. It flows well, has great pacing, and the chapters are the perfect length. This is also a mixed media book, as at the beginning of each chapter there is an article, transcript, or even a reddit post that gives some insight to the backstories of the characters.
Overall, this was a promising book, but I just found it too difficult to look past how annoying the characters were.
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Kidnapping
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, and Vomit
seanml's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Car accident
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, and Cannibalism
suncourts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Pedophilia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
davidrb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Points deducted for
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail