Reviews with content warning for Body horror - The Final Girl Support Group

For a book that is largely a commentary on the slasher genre and Final Girls, there are moments where it falls prey to the cliches that are so prevalent in slashers that I was able to clock them pretty early. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was a thrilling descent into madness with the gratification that maybe they weren’t mad at all. The feeling of being consistently gaslit and unsure of what to trust or where to look adds tremendously to the themes and feelings of the characters. I wish the ensemble was more present earlier in the book, but they were all well thought out characters.

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alisonnobrega's review against another edition

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dark 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

4.0

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kiingchika's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Wow. Just… wow. Lynnette has to be one of the worst protagonists ever, and it’s like girl, I get it, but I did not expect to be subject to it. She was just so insufferable. Like cracked, in every sense of the word. It dragged on forever, and I don’t even like horror but a YouTuber recommended it (last time I listen to influencers /hj) but man. The literal only reason it’s not a 1 star rating is for the sole fact that I was gagged when the killer was revealed.

I feel like I should’ve seen Skye coming cause when Lynnette thought it was the doctor I was like she’s just batshit crazy. I expected it even LESS when Stephanie was in on it? And then the stupid shit at the end where they tried to help her? Like okay damn maybe you all should’ve been in a pack, actually. (I’m kidding)

I’m just glad this book is done and over with. Only reason I didn't DNF is because I’m stubborn, but it literally took me a goddamn year to get through this shit.

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haileyhardcover's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

You know how you watch a horror movie and you find yourself yelling at the characters on screen? “OH, SHIT! RUN, GIRL, RUN!” No… just me? Ok. Well, that was my experience reading this book as well lol It is SO GOOD and SO hard to put down! I am sad that I started it late in the day on Sunday because if I hadn’t had long days at work yesterday and today, I absolutely would’ve blown through this entire book in one sitting. It had me hooked from page 1! Easily my favorite Hendrix I’ve read so far.

Since I recently read Final Girls by Riley Sager, I wanted to read TFGSG relatively soon after to compare the takes on the final girl premise. Both books explore a group of final girls under threat again, but that’s where the similarities end. Sager’s Final Girls was much more of a psychological thriller, where as Hendrix’s TFGSG is more action packed and campy-leaning horror. Though I really enjoyed Final Girls, TFGSG takes the cake for me. Both are five star reads, but I was more invested in and excited by TFGSG. I especially loved the added bonus material at the end of every chapter - interview notes, movie reviews, journal entries - it gave just enough extra information for context but in a fun and quickly digestible way. The titles of the chapters aligning with the progression of titles in a typical slasher film franchise was also a beautiful touch.

One tiny critique - Dr. Carol needs a HIIPA refresher course. You cannot just go around introducing people as your patients, Dr. Carol! Jeez!

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