Lynette Tarkington survived a massacre in the 1990s. Traumatized following the death of her family at the hands of a brutal slasher, Lynn has spent her adult years peeking around every corner, staying clear of every window and every door and always having her eyes on all potential exits in the event she has to run.

Lynnette isn’t alone. She’s a “final girl”, the one left standing at the end of a killing spree at the hands of a monster (think classic movie killers Jason and Freddy). Once a month, she gathers with the other final girls living in Los Angeles for group therapy.

That is, until someone begins picking them off.

Grady Hendrix is a delight. Plain and simple. Now that I’ve read all of his novels (and his one non-fiction book), I can cement him as one of my favorite authors today. I know these books are gimmick heavy, but they work. It’s like a big-budget summer popcorn movie or something released from Marvel where I’m generally certain I’m going to enjoy my experience.

THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP is no exception. This book pushes the gas to the floor and doesn’t let go. It even flirts with the idea of an unreliable narrator given that Lynn is so mentally damaged that I found myself even having a difficult time trusting her given her propensity for simple explanations while jumping to conclusions. A panic-stricken, anxiety filled mind will do that to you.

There are more than a few gruesome scenes here, which is generally what you want from a horror novel featuring a slasher or two. The body count is on the lower side, but that’s more to do with the fact that someone is hunting finals girls – which, if movies have taught us anything, is not an easy thing to do.

Apart from some of the questionable motivations on the part of the killer, I thought this was a super fun read and along with Stephen Graham Jones’ MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW, should more than fill the average horror readers quota for spooky season.