Book #18 : The Final Girl Support Group, Grady Hendrix

Synopsis: 

A fast-paced, thrilling horror novel that follows a group of heroines to die for, from the brilliant New York Times bestselling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires.

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she's not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette's worst fears are realized—someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

 Discussion Questions: 

1. If you had to use three words to describe Lynnette, what would they be? If she had to use three words to describe herself, what do you think they would be? 

2. Dr. Carol wrote in her notes that “Lynnette’s coping mechanisms are extreme by any measure. Her behavior feels less like survivor’s guilt and more like an attempt to punish herself.” Do you agree with that statement? 

3. Even though the support group is fracturing in the beginning of the book, all the members do come together as the danger against them grows. Each of the women has different strengths and weaknesses. What does each contribute to the survival of the group? Which final girl did you identify most strongly with and why? 

4. In the excerpt we see of Adrienne’s speech, she writes, “What does it say about us that so much of the entertainment we consume is about killing women?” Why do you think the women-in-peril trope and slasher films have been so popular over the years and what does that say about our society? 

5. In this book, Adrienne won a case that meant the women can profit off of the movies that glorify violence against them. How does that complicate their relationship to the films? 

6. Which twists in the book did you find the most shocking? Which ones did you see coming? 

7. How much do you think Stephanie acted under her own will? How much blame do you think she deserves for her actions? 

8. What kind of future do you see for the final girls? Also, after losing so much, does Dr. Carol become a new final girl now?

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