This was freaking fantastic. Started off a little weak for me but got stronger and stronger as it went on. Longer review to come once I organize my thThis was freaking fantastic. Started off a little weak for me but got stronger and stronger as it went on. Longer review to come once I organize my thoughts.
Thank you to the publisher and Libro FM for my ALC! All opinions my own....more
I didn't realize how much I needed a satirical slasher book in my life until this one and oh was it GOOD. I don't usually read thrillers but this4.5/5
I didn't realize how much I needed a satirical slasher book in my life until this one and oh was it GOOD. I don't usually read thrillers but this was so much more than that. My Sister, the Serial Killer is about two sisters who couldn't be more different from each other. There's Korede, the older sister who is bitter about everything her younger sister, Ayoola, has. Ayoola has beauty, charm, and their mother's favour while Korede is often considered subpar in everything she does. My Sister, the Serial Killer is dark, witty, and funny all at once. Braithwaite masterfully includes a social commentary on women's roles in society, social media, and abuse to name a few. It's a story of sisterhood, moral dilemmas, and dysfunctional relationships. It's fascinating and highly addictive, and Braithwaite is a writer to watch out for....more
This is hands down one of the most creative books I've read in a long time. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is Groundhog Day meets Rating: 3.5/5
This is hands down one of the most creative books I've read in a long time. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is Groundhog Day meets Agatha Christie. Fans who love whodunnit books will enjoy this story with its twists. The main character, Aidan Bishop, relives the same day over and over in a mission to find who murders Evelyn Hardcastle.
This isn't your ordinary crime novel though. In this book, Aidan is able to 'jump' from one character to another, allowing him to live the same day through someone else's perspective. I found this part of the book particularly clever and plotting the book with all the time shifts Turton adds to the mix must have been a mission and a half. It worked incredibly well though and it was my favourite thing about the book.
One thing that didn't work well for me was the pacing. The book kicks off with a great start but after reading 20% of it, it stalled quite a bit as Aidan relived each day. The mini hints and clues kept me reading but it also got quite repetitive. The last 10-15% of the book then became very action packed as it tied everything together. The thing is, I loved the reveal and what came after it BUT since the book also introduced some new information at the end, I was left wanting more. So yes, it's a solid standalone, but I also wished it was a series? I mean that's a good sign, right?
Overall, I would recommend this book for fans of mystery/crime/thriller books. It's a unique novel with a blend of genres and I'm always going to love it for that.
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I tend to avoid Thrillers because I always think I'm too much of a wimp to read them. And then I do read them, end up enjoying them, and roll my eyes I tend to avoid Thrillers because I always think I'm too much of a wimp to read them. And then I do read them, end up enjoying them, and roll my eyes at myself for not reading them sooner. Had it not been for Dutton Books sending me a copy of Final Girls, I probably would have added it to my TBR and left it there to collect imaginary virtual dust.
I'm so glad I read it though because I haven't flown through a book that quickly in a long time!
I enjoyed reading about the main character, Quincy, and how her life has been after what she went through. I was intrigued by the idea of a Final Girl which was a term coined for the last surviving girl in horror movies. In this book, there were three and while the story focuses on Quincy, we also got to read about two other Final Girls.
It's hard to say much without spoiling anything but I really liked how Sager wrote her characters. They were interesting yet 'normal' enough to be relatable while being suspicious and unreliable at the same time. I was hooked by every new piece of information that could lead me to guess the missing pieces in Quincy's story but as hard as I tried to figure out the plot twist, I was off until just before the reveal. Sager put enough misdirection in the book that it challenged any assumptions I had, which was what made it fun!
The only thing I didn't like about the book was the underwhelming feeling I got with the reveal. The reason behind the person's actions was quite... anticlimactic and I just expected a bit more punch to come along with it. I also thought the ending, particularly the last page, was a little cheesy/out of character. I could see the character making the same decision in the future but not at the time she did. It just felt a bit too clean and convenient.
Overall, Final Girls was a successful debut novel by Riley Sager and I'll be on the look out for her future releases. I recently discovered Sager is a pseudonym too so I'm also very curious about what else she writes under....more
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