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52 pages 1 hour read

The Final Girl Support Group

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Book Brief

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Grady Hendrix

The Final Girl Support Group

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021
Book Details
Pages

339

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

California • 2010s

Publication Year

2021

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix follows Lynette Tarkington, a member of a support group for women who have survived horrific acts of violence, as they find themselves targeted once again by an unknown assailant. The women, all “final girls” whose stories have inspired slasher films, must confront their past traumas and the new threat that seeks to destroy them. The novel includes depictions of graphic violence and references to violence against women.

Suspenseful

Unnerving

Dark

Gritty

Mysterious

Reviews & Readership

3.8

160,615 ratings

54%

Loved it

33%

Mixed feelings

14%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Grady Hendrix's The Final Girl Support Group is praised for its thrilling pace and clever homage to slasher films, appealing to horror enthusiasts with its dark humor and engaging characters. Critics highlight its innovative plot but note occasional predictability and underdeveloped secondary characters. Overall, it offers compelling entertainment for fans of the genre.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Final Girl Support Group?

The ideal reader for Grady Hendrix's The Final Girl Support Group is a fan of slasher film tropes and horror thrillers, particularly those who enjoyed Riley Sager’s Final Girls and Stephen Graham Jones’s The Last Final Girl. They appreciate suspenseful, character-driven narratives with a dark, nostalgic twist.

3.8

160,615 ratings

54%

Loved it

33%

Mixed feelings

14%

Not a fan

Character List

Lynnette Tarkinson

The protagonist and a Final Girl deeply invested in safety, Lynnette is hypervigilant and manages her fear through extreme security measures and routines. Her past ties to traumatic events significantly inform her interactions and decisions.

Tough and law-abiding, Dani resides on a remote ranch with her wife Michelle, who is battling cancer. Her experiences are marked by encounters with a masked killer linked to her family.

The most educated among the Final Girls, Julia is a wheelchair user due to past injuries and represents the physical and emotional scars left by trauma. Her experiences connect to a high school boyfriend who turned violent.

A Texas debutante with connections to a traumatic past involving a cannibalistic family, Marilyn prefers to ignore her survivor history and focuses on her wealthy social life. She is characterized by her politeness and genuine care for others.

An outlier even among the Final Girls due to her supernatural experiences, Heather faces skepticism about her past and struggles with addiction. Her actions are often shaped by jealousy and doubt.

Although she never appears directly in the narrative, Adrienne serves as a mentor and inspiration to Lynnette, with a successful legacy of turning her trauma into positive activism. She was involved in a violent confrontation with a camp attacker.

A psychologist who leads the support group, Dr. Carol is compassionate and supportive, drawing on her professional knowledge and written work to aid the survivors. Her personal life and family are also significant elements of her story.

The youngest of the Final Girls, Stephanie's past involves a violent incident she survived at Camp Red Lake. Her sharp intellect and spirited demeanor play a crucial role in her interactions with others.

Tied to a homecoming massacre, Chrissy distances herself from her traumatic past by engaging in the trade of crime memorabilia. Her outlook on life and identity is deeply philosophical yet controversial within the group.

Book Details
Pages

339

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

California • 2010s

Publication Year

2021

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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