Plot twists & trauma in ‘Final Girls’ - Review

My review for 'Final Girls' by Riley Sager. My review was originally published in the Steubenville Herald-Star newspaper. Link to the original post: https://www.heraldstaronline.com/news/local-news/2017/08/plot-twists-and-trauma-in-final-girls/

By SAMANTHA KURTY (my maiden name)

Staff writer

Quincy Carpenter’s life changed forever after the Pine Cottage Murders. While on vacation, all of her friends fell prey to a murderous stranger with a knife, and she was the lone survivor.

Quincy became a Final Girl, a name given to her and two other massacre survivors by the press. She spent almost a decade trying to leave the past behind her, made easier by her repressed memories of that night and her persistence to live a “normal” life. That normal life is uprooted when Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, and Sam, the other Final Girl, comes to Quincy’s doorstep for the first time. Chaos erupts and Quincy’s life is in danger once again.

“Final Girls” is a novel by Riley Sager. It was released in June of this year. Upon review, author Stephen King called the book “the first great thriller of 2017.” King also noted that “if you liked ‘Gone Girl,’ you’ll like this.”

When beginning to read the book, the story-telling starts at a slow pace, filling the chapters with excessive details and dragging out events. The plot’s central conflict begins with Lisa’s death and Sam’s arrival. However, there’s quite a lot of introduction before the plot actually moves forward.

And when the story does move forward, it seemed directionless at times. For instance, the first half of the book is about Quincy and Sam becoming friends, Sam’s manipulative and slightly suspicious actions, and Quincy and her boyfriend arguing. The thrilling elements do not arise until about halfway through the book.

Although thrillers and mystery novels are often praised for twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats, the plot was on such a curvy road at times, I was nowhere near the edge of my seat. However, the book's synopsis promises mystery, thrills, and danger. And it does not disappoint.

The last half of the book takes readers on a wild roller coaster, leaving them second-guessing themselves. The text unravels, answering why Sam has come to Quincy after so many years, what exactly happened to Quincy and her friends 10 years before, and why Quincy’s life is in danger again. The mix-matched puzzle pieces come together in a seamless fit and leave you speed-reading through the night, wanting to know what will happen next. You’ll never guess how the book ends.

One highlight of “Final Girls” is its focus on trauma and self-identity. The characters are easily the most interesting part of the story, especially Quincy. The first half of the book explores her day-to-day life before Sam came along and how she’s been dealing with the aftermath of Pine Cottage.

At first, she seems like a happy person. She has a loving boyfriend, a great apartment, and a successful baking blog. However, her thoughts and feelings are not as sunny as her appearance. She’s often distant from her loved ones She has an addiction to Xanax to handle any sort of worry or panic that creeps in throughout the day. And as the chapters roll on, readers discover Quincy’s severe anger issues that she often expresses verbally and physically. These character traits display some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, in which trauma victims sometimes experience addiction problems and or harbor angry or sad emotions.

Another interesting characteristic is Quincy’s kleptomania; she specifically steals shiny objects in which she can see her reflection. She says that she likes to make sure her reflection is there, worried that someday it might not be. She also makes comments that she doesn’t know who she is or that she feels like a “shadow” of a girl. This identity crisis also can be a symptom of PTSD. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs states that “confrontation with overwhelming experience from which actual escape is not possible, such as childhood abuse, torture, as well as war trauma, challenges the individual to find an escape from the external environment as well as their internal distress and arousal when no escape is possible.” Some traumatic incidents sometimes can make victims feel dissociated from themselves.

By escaping their internal environment, victims can sometimes lose themselves in the process. These characteristics flesh out Quincy and make her a believable character. “Final Girls” doesn’t just focus on the action-packed thrills of the story, but highlights the many emotional assets that trauma can cause.

Overall, “Final Girls” is a deeply engrossing read. The story’s exciting plot and psychological detail make the slow start worthwhile.