Imitation is the highest form of flattery in this new take on horror. Hendrix weaves slasher tropes and famous franchises into a suspenseful thriller that will have you screaming for more.
Summary:
The horror genre typically contains a cast of usual characters: the killer, the jock, the stoner, etc., most of which are dead by the end of the movie. And then there's the "final girl," the sole survivor to escape the killing spree. Decades after their events, six of these women share a support group to better move on from their traumas. But when one of them is murdered, Lynnette is convinced that someone is gunning for them again. Prepared if a little paranoid, she sets out to track down the killer and protect herself and her fellow final girls.
Verdict: 9/10
Hendrix deftly intertwined the craziest cliches of horror with realistic elements and relatable people. Including "interviews" of the victims' families, "newspaper clippings" of the events, and "article snippets" from journals, he gave the story more weight. Even the acknowledgements were credits for the fake actors and producers of final girl movie franchises (though it ends with a reference to Hitchcock which I'm not so sure is fake. I'll have to do more research on that).
There were a lot of details to memorize as each character had their own backstory and franchise, their own killers and conspiracies, and their own different reactions to their trauma. I got a little lost in the names at times. But each was so clever! You can tell which franchise the author modeled (Friday the 13th was almost word for word along with Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street). I would have liked to know a bit more about which movies Lynnette's and Chrissy's were modeled after (though some have suggested Black Christmas or My Bloody Valentine). And for a book that tried to bring realism to these franchises, I would have liked more explanation regarding the supernatural aspects of Nightmare and others and how they fit into this world.
The details and clues Hendrix included were fantastic! They were enough for me to guess the culprit but not too obvious. And I love the inclusion of history and myths like the Ninitikati and Orchomenus. It brought another level to the story, even if Lynette like this reader rejects Chrissy's supernatural beliefs.
(DISCLAIMER) Obviously, this is horror, there's going to be some graphic and disturbing material. Even then, the scene in Crazy Chrissy's barn really creeped me out. It showed the reader the psychotic mindset and how a killer or fan might find meaning in their actions (yin-yang, life-death, birth and murder being the final girl’s rebirth), but the logic got a little too close to reality for comfort. And the recounts of the police's taunts and of the crimes themselves were hard to stomach. Just know what you're signing up for.
The emotions struck deeper than expected of a typical slasher book. Hendrix had a way of making the extreme violence personal, humanizing everyone involved be it the victims and the killers. The story has more gravity, inspired by well-known slashers and true crimes too.
And the messages behind the madness spoke to life. I'm not sure the scene with Michelle was all that necessary, but it brought up an interesting point as to how Hollywood plays up quick, horrific demises but shies away from the suffering of terminal illness. Deep comments on morality and society are scattered throughout, like the "article" on slasher movies in the age of mass shootings that I found really fascinating (pg. 111).
Hendrix also evaluated how women are portrayed in the horror genre and often targeted as victims for killers in real life as well. There were some moments where the feminism got a little heavy handed, but in the lens of these characters' experiences, can you blame them?
“Men don’t have to pay attention the way we do. Men die because they make mistakes. Women? We die because we’re female.” - Hendrix, pg. 24
Final girls are a testament to sexism as most serial killers (that we know of) are men who see women as prime or easy targets. But in that sense, final girls also prove them wrong, outlasting their attacker and being smarter and stronger than the rest.
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