The Final Girl Support Group is a horror-themed mystery novel by American writer Grady Hendrix, published July 13, 2021 by Berkley Books. A television series adaptation has been announced.
 First edition hardcover | |
| Author | Grady Hendrix |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Adrienne King |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror Mystery |
| Publisher | Berkley |
Publication date | 2021 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback), ebook, audiobook |
| Pages | 352 pages |
| ISBN | 9780593201237 First Edition Hardcover |
| OCLC | 1202772135 |
| 813/.6 | |
| LC Class | PS3608.E543 F56 2021 |
| Preceded by | The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires |
| Followed by | How to Sell a Haunted House |
Bloody Disgusting voiced their interest in the novel prior to its release, naming it one of "13 Horror Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2021".[1]
Synopsis
editLynnette Tarkington is one of several women who make up the "Final Girl Support Group," a group of women who are the sole survivors of horrific massacres. Adrienne was a camp counselor who survived a killer who claimed that he was seeking revenge for a nonexistent son. Marilyn was attacked by bloodthirsty cannibals. Dani's brother Nick escaped from a mental asylum and, on Halloween, slaughtered anyone who stood between him and his sister. Julia was left a final girl after her boyfriend and one of his friends decided to turn her into a final girl, and Heather had to face a "Dream Killer." Lynnette herself had to deal with a situation dubbed the "Silent Night Slayings" by the media. Their experiences left a lasting impact on their lives that has endured into their later adulthood.
Lynnette is barely hanging on, as she spends her time outside of the group sequestered in her apartment. The others are seemingly not much better in their lives, as the infamy and subsequent movie series about their experiences have made moving on difficult. The support group is one of the only things in her life that makes Lynnette able to leave the safety of her apartment. When Adrienne is found murdered in her home, Lynnette is certain that someone is out to finish the work that their respective killers failed at: to kill all of the final girls once and for all.[2]
Development
editWhile writing the book, Hendrix chose not to read other books centered on final girls, as he did not want to be influenced. He completed a first draft of the novel in 2014, but was unable to sell the manuscript due to Riley Sager announcing that he would be penning the novel Final Girls. Hendrix has stated that he was glad the novel did not sell, as he later rewrote the second half of the novel as "I was sticking the landing, but I was sticking a C-minus landing." In an interview, he also stated that he wrote The Final Girl Support Group as a standalone novel, with no intent for a sequel.[3]
Release
editThe Final Girl Support Group was released in hardback and ebook formats on July 13, 2021, through Berkley.[4][5] An audiobook adaptation narrated by Friday the 13th actress Adrienne King was simultaneously released via W.F. Howes, an RBmedia company and Penguin Random House Audio.[6][7]
Reception
editCritical reception has been positive.[8][9] USA Today gave the novel 3/4 stars, writing that "It’s a thin and bloody line that separates horror fun from the truly horrific, and Grady has a lot of fun walking it as he writes his final girls a triumphant conclusion rarely afforded survivors in real life."[10] The AV Club praised the novel's tension, as they felt that the "wicked pleasure of Hendrix’s book comes from just how effectively he sets up the life-or-death stakes of Lynnette’s situation—and how clearly outmatched her and the other women seem to be."[11]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Goodreads Choice Award | Horror | Won | [12] |
| Bram Stoker Award | Novel | Nominated | [13] |
Adaptation
editAdaptation rights were optioned prior to the book's release date by Annapurna Pictures, with the intention to turn the novel into a television series. Per Deadline, Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain will serve as screenwriters while Grady Hendrix will executive produce with Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle, Patrick Chu, and Adam Goldworm.[14]
References
edit- ^ Navarro, Meagan (2021-02-02). "13 Horror Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2021". Bloody Disgusting!. Archived from the original on 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
- ^ "The Final Girl Support Group". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
- ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (2021-07-13). "'The Final Girl Support Group' Brings Slasher Films Into the Real World". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ Hendrix, Grady (2021). The final girl support group. New York. ISBN 978-0-593-20123-7. OCLC 1202772135.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Hendrix, Grady (2021). The final girl support group. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-593-20125-1. OCLC 1235902127.
- ^ "My Best Friend's Exorcism Author Grady Hendrix's New Novel Hits in July". Dread Central. 2021-02-26. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
- ^ Squires, John (2021-07-08). "'The Final Girl Support Group' Audiobook Will Be Narrated by 'Friday the 13th' Star Adrienne King!". Bloody Disgusting!. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ Haup, Jonathan; Perryman, Holland (11 July 2021). "Review: Inspiring sisterhood of survivors face deadly common foe in Hendrix's new novel". Post and Courier. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix". Book Marks. Archived from the original on 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ VanDenburgh, Barbara. "'The Final Girl Support Group' a savvy summer slasher from horror hound Grady Hendrix". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2021-07-28. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ "Grady Hendrix's The Final Girl Support Group is a page-turning slasher". The A.V. Club. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ "Announcing the Winners of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards!". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
- ^ "Winners & Nominees". The Bram Stoker Awards. Archived from the original on 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2020-11-16). "'The Final Girl Support Group': Annapurna Adapting NY Times Bestselling Author Grady Hendrix's Upcoming Novel As Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-05-07.