2.5 Stars

After her best friend/roommate is murdered by a college serial killer dubbed the "Campus Killer”, a depressed Charlie wants to leave Olyphant University in the middle of the semester. In the process of posting her flyer to a board in search for a ride back to Ohio, Charlie meets a stranger, Josh, who just so happens to be going to Ohio – of course, nothing weird about a man about 10 years older in a college shirt being at the rideshare board too!

Charlie agrees, packs her belongings, says goodbye to her boyfriend, and jumps in the car with Josh. Charlie immediately begins to suspect that Josh is not who he says he is so she begins plotting her escape. The second half of the book is where things speed up and some action actually happens. There are several plot twists that I didn’t see coming - mainly because I spent the first half of the novel screeching at my kindle because of the main character’s utter stupidity!! She has multiple chances to escape but never does. Sager’s reasoning behind this is by making Charlie an unreliable narrator who, upon a trigger, plays events in her mind as if they are movies (she loves movies) and gets confused between real life and these zoned-out moments.
However, each scene is depicted by its camera location: INT (interior) or EXT (exterior) so I think that this story could have been made better if it was produced as a movie.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

5 STARS!

“You’re that girl, right?”
“I am,” she says. “I’m that girl. The one who let her roommate get murdered.”

Holy hell, this book is going to go down as one of my top reads of 2021. I guess, for some reason, that’s an unpopular opinion because most of the feedback I saw on this book was negative, and I’m really sitting here scratching my head. I thought it was fantastic, had 1 billion twists and turns, and kept me guessing and completely entertained the whole time.

Charlie has had one heck of a semester, and she wants to go home. Her best friend was murdered earlier in the semester and she is stricken with grief over it. She's a ghost of herself. So, she finds a ride home on the campus ride board from a fellow student... or so she thinks.

This entire book spans the events of one WILD evening.

I buddy read this with an equally picky friend of mine and she loved it too, just as much as I did!

I will say, this was my first read by this author so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. But it will certainly not be my last.

Riley Sager, you have a new fan!

If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller with tons of twists and turns that is highly entertaining, look no further. Fantastic book!

“That’s the tricky thing about movies. They can be wonderful and beautiful and amazing. But they’re not like life, which is wonderful, beautiful, and amazing in a different way.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for my e-ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review.

If I had to sum up this book in one word, it would be 'cinematic'. Everything about it relates to films - the plot, the structure, the chapter titles, the references... even the characters are movie buffs. Compared to the author's other books that I've read, it wasn't one of the best, however. The content is more like Final Girls than Lock Every Door or Home Before Dark, which is fine with me, but the writing style seemed a bit lazy and the plot was surprisingly thin.

The story is set in 1991 and mainly follows Charlie, a student who is grieving for her best friend Maddy, the victim of an unknown serial killer. Going against all common sense and despite the fearful atmosphere on campus, Charlie accepts a 6-hour lift home from a stranger, Josh, whom she doesn't trust. The question is whether her instinct is right and how she can 'survive the night', to refer to the title. Matters are complicated by her mental health condition - she has hallucinations, 'movies in the mind', which are a result of the trauma of Maddy's death. She doesn't always know what's real.

I found the story to be quite pacy, as it takes place over just a few hours. Charlie's hallucinations are central to the plot but it's unacceptable now to exploit mental health for the sake of thrills I think. Oddly, some of the issues I had with the book, such as the thriller clichés, were explained and even absolved by the twist ending, which was a clever device. I didn't really enjoy the journey, though. I'm going to be cautious about reading Riley Sager's next book; I hope it's more sophisticated than this one.

[This review will be published on my blog on 1st December 2021]

If truth be told, Riley Sager and me aren't the best of friends. I've read all of his books and I've only loved a couple, and the others have all been decidedly average for me, and unfortunately, that's where this book sits as well.

The only reason for the 3-star rating, as opposed to a 2-star rating, is because I did really enjoy the first half of this novel. I loved the scenes in the car when the 2 characters started out on their drive. There was this constant feeling of dread, of something being not quite right. The slow build up of tension was great, together with the spooky atmosphere. I loved all that. The book had so many great possibilities at that stage. But then, alas, things went downhill from there. Once the characters left the diner, everything went pear-shaped for me.

The main character in this book just makes such poor decisions, but that actually wasn't what bothered me the most (because thrillers do tend to breed characters that make strange decisions). The thing that really got under my skin was how bizarre the whole story became. Just so unlikely. And characters whipping in out of nowhere and acting in bizarre ways. Things that would never happen in real life. Okay, again, I suppose thrillers do by their very nature lean towards the unrealistic, but I don't know exactly what it was about this book that seemed to make the bizarre happenings more bizarre than normal. And as for the big reveal at the end...oh please! Again, just so out of left field. I don't know. Something just bothered me about it all.

The main character was okay, and she didn't bother me as much as she's bothered some others. Yeah, her decision making was dodgy, and the weird movies in her head were also a bit too much, but I was just mwah about her. Overall, the book didn't have any specifically memorable characters. There were very few characters in this book, which didn't bother me and it did make for an easy read, but none of them were specifically developed.

So in summary, I didn't feel like I wasted my time with this one, and the first half definitely entertained me, but the story as a whole fell flat. There was so much potential with this one, but I didn't love where it went. So, it was okay, but not great. It's not one that I'll remember in weeks to come.

2.5/5 rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had such high expectations for this book but it was a huge disappointment. I had so many WTF reactions throughout but I ploughed on to the end, I ended up skimming parts after 85% of the book because I wanted to know who the killer was. The main protagonist Charlie I did not like/care about as I found her very dumb and she ends up doing things that are stupid even though she knows she shouldn’t be doing. The concept was interesting although the book falls flat for me.

First of all, I was so excited for the release of this book & when I heard some mixed reviews, I was really nervous to get into it.

But thankfully, I really enjoyed this book!

As usual, Riley Sager did a fantastic job of creating this atmosphere where I was constantly on the edge of my seat while reading this.

I loved the isolative settings, the long stretches of empty roads. Additionally, I think setting this book in 90s before everyone had phones handy, really added to the isolation and suspense.

I did think it was strange at the start why Charlie got into the car with Josh, but as the story progressed, I definitely came to understand how she made that decision.

I thought I had the story sussed, I knew the ending, I was so sure but I was do wrong, I never could have guessed that twist & it was amazing!

Overall, I gave this 4 stars!

Thank you to Riley Sager, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Riley Sager has written a book, Survive The Night, which is unlike any other book I have read before. The whole book spans the events of just one single night, though we do get glimpses of the past, though recollections and films.
It is incredibly hard to discuss the story, without giving away vital plot lines. The story twists and turns so much, that I felt the same confusion that Charlie feels within her head. I struggled to understand what was real, and what was in Charlie’s mind, which made the book more of an immersive experience.
I did find Charlie’s decisions and behaviour hard to understand, but very thankfully, I have never found myself in her situation, and I hope to keep it that way too. I felt the story did stretch plausibility, but it is fiction, so maybe that’s unfair. Having said that, it’s just 3* from me.

Survive The Night sees Charlie accept a ride from a stranger Josh, in an attempt to get away from university as quickly as she can after the murder of her best friend.

As a main character I found Charlie a little annoying and unbelievable in parts. Her best friend is murdered by a serial killer who hasn’t yet been caught but she gets in a car with a complete stranger that she met the day before. A pretty dumb thing to do.

Although Charlie did some stupid things I did like her character development. Survive the Night started off a little slowly but from around 20% in is full of twists at every turn and will keep you wanting to read more.

I thoroughly enjoyed Riley Sager’s most recent book and would definitely recommend to any thriller fan.

This is my fourth Riley Sager book, two of which I've really enjoyed and two of which I haven't. Happily, this is one of those that I liked very much! It tells the story of Charlie, a university student accepting a ride share back to her home town who finds herself in an increasingly dangerous position. I thought that the narrative style and structure here worked really well. Charlie is a film buff and has a passion for old movies, and the structure reflects that, which I thought was a very clever choice by the author. I also thought that the plot, while utterly ridiculous, was wildly entertaining throughout and read like a movie - again, a clear choice by the author. There are some character motivation choices that I didn't like, however and some areas that pushed my suspension of disbelief too far, but overall I would say that this is another fast paced and wild ride from Riley Sager that starts strong and just keeps going. Such fun!
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Charlie needs to get home from university, so when she meets Josh at the college ride share board, she’s in luck. However, just like the movies, things aren’t all as they seem. On the road, the pair share their stories, carefully avoiding the subject dominating the news — the Campus Killer, who's tied up and stabbed three students in the span of a year, has just struck again. When Josh’s story starts to fall apart, suspicions grow. Charlie’s only objective? To survive the night.

“Survive the Night” is my first book from Riley Sager, and WHAT A BOOK! The story, the writing style, the twists. I can’t get enough.

The story is incredibly fast paced, and I couldn’t put it down. The writing style, paired with the plot, makes this one of the most unputdownable books I’ve read all year. The only thing that could have been improved is a little more depth with some of the characters, as I found a few of them bland and couldn’t easily picture them.

I’m really looking forward to picking up another of Sager’s books, and would recommend “Survive the Night” for anyone who’s a fan of suspenseful thrillers.

I must admit I was really excited to receive an ARC for this book. The female protagonist was naive and ubeliveable and the story spiralled into a fantasy-like scenario. It’s a shame as I love serial killer/thriller stories but this one was just not for me.

Survive The Night is the first book I’ve read by @riley.sager. I’ve watched many of Heather at @bookables booktube recommendations of Riley’s other books so I was excited to get started with this. I’ve been saving it until the end of September when all the Halloween decorations have started to appear on the shelves and it’s a bit darker at night so it was a more atmospheric reading experience!

The story follows Charlie and Jordan. They meet on campus when Charlie is looking to hitch a ride back home and Jordan just so happens to be looking for someone to share the journey with. The embark on the journey home shortly thereafter and almost immediately something just feels amiss.

From there the story twists and turns, I doubted myself the whole way through, often flicking back to check what I’d read. Charlie is introduced as an unreliable narrator from the get go and this definitely added to the overall suspense of the story.

I truly was completely captivated by this book. I’m not sure why I still find myself surprised when there’s always just one more twist. Lately I’ve been reading more thrillers so you would think I’d learn! The twists in this story just kept on coming, the pacing of the story cranking up with each one to the point where I didn’t want to put the book down. I read it over two sittings and just felt blown away by it by the end.

I’m definitely going to have a closer look at other books from this author. Have you read any of Riley’s books? If so where would you recommend I start next?

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was one nerve wracking, twisted tale. I loved it. So far, this is my favorite book by this author. Didn't care much for the others.

'Survive The Night' follows Charlie, a college student who has recently lost her best friend and is looking to escape back home. She gets a lift from stranger Josh Baxter and they end up travelling through the dead of night. Charlie starts questioning who she is travelling with and Josh's intentions. What will happen?

I read the whole book in one sitting and on the edge the entire time. Throughout the tension was thick and with the fast pace, it made for a entertaining read, I did have to suspend reality for some parts to work, too many questionable decisions were made. Charlie's internal monologue, at first I really enjoyed but it did get a bit convoluted towards the end. The mental-health aspect could have been explored at a deeper level (not more movies in the mind: too repetitive). I liked the epilogue, maybe it's the Pisces in me. The book had good twists and I liked I could visualise it like a movie, in line with the premise.

Thank you to the author, Riley Sager and publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for the e-arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Charlie needs to go home so accepts a lift from a stranger who may or may not be the campus killer..... All she has to do now is survive the night with Josh. It doesn't help that movies play in her mind and she isnt sure what's reality or what's just her mind. Josh keeping secrets and telling lie in the car doesn't help at all. All things point to Josh being the killer but is he and why? What does he want with Charlie, hasn't she been through enough trauma?

Many thanks to net galley for letting me read thus.

Behind the wheel is Josh Baxter, a stranger Charlie met by the college ride share board, who also has a good reason for leaving university in the middle of term. On the road they share their stories, carefully avoiding the subject dominating the news - the Campus Killer, who's tied up and stabbed three students in the span of a year, has just struck again. Travelling the lengthy journey between university and their final destination, Charlie begins to notice discrepancies in Josh's story. As she begins to plan her escape from the man she is becoming certain is the killer, she starts to suspect that Josh knows exactly what she's thinking. Meaning that she could very well end up as his next victim.

Wow, wow, wow! I absolutely ADORED this book and honestly do not know why I left it on my shelf for so long. This is set over the course of one night but events that took place prior to the night do come into play. Sager writes this like a film description and Charlie being a film buff plays right into this. I loved the classic film references that run throughout the read and the atmosphere that Sager creates ties in perfectly as well. This feels like a classic thrilling film that is actually a book and I was absolutely gripped by it.

Sager really throws everything at this read, there is twist after twist and I found the whole read incredibly exciting and could not wait to discover what twist would come next. From the beginning, I was hooked, but as the read progresses, I was even more thrilled by the way Sager ramps up the dramatics and the tension, I really did not know what would happen next and it was an intense experience.

I will not dwell on the characters too much as I think it will ruin it for you but suffice to say, the characters are excellent and really bring this plot to life. Sager has created the perfect balance in personalities and I loved what they all brought to the plot.

I think it is clear that I adored 'Survive the Night', it is such an exhilarating, thrilling read and definitely the most exciting thriller I have read this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy.

Sorry, I will not write a Review about Survive the Night von Riley Sager. The book was not what I expected... not my cup of tea...

I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one sitting. Yes, the main character Charlie, was extremely annoying and needed professional help and a hug. Yet, she had suffered from so much trauma with recent losses. Her best friend/ roommate was killed by the campus killer. The name alone was extremely nerve wracking. She decided to leave school to go home after her friend died. Totally understandable when there was a killer loose. Now what I don’t understand was why she choose to get in a car with a stranger?! No references, no discussion, no questions beforehand?! That was stupid on her part. The first half of the book was great in setting up what could be possibly be a great ending. Which was why I enjoyed the book. But then the second half was a bit of a let down because of the killer. Now the killer, which I never guessed but in retrospect should have, murdered those girls for reasons that made no sense to me. I didn’t get it. It seemed to me the writer was trying to give us something. Even if it made it worse. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot until the ending which was meh for me.
I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have read a couple of Sager's books previously and although I enjoyed them, I felt they kind of just trundled along without much excitement or thrill.

Unfortunately this one didn't change my view on his work, and I don't know if I will read another. Although, I would never say never, it may just have been the plot/characters - the writing is good.

Charlie has to hitch a ride with a stranger and it turns out he's a serial killer. Will she SURVIVE THE NIGHT?

I didn't like Charlie - she's a bit stupid, she doesn't make good choices. I understand that kind of makes the book, but I had to really try hard to believe any of what she did/said. She is an unreliable narrator if ever I did read one, and I think this was just a bit too disorientating for me.

Like I say, the writing was good, it had good pace, I just didn't get on with the plot or characters and this let it down for me. I think if you are a horror film junkie then you may appreciate this one a little more as you will have the nostalgia and recognition coming through pretty much from the start. I lean more toward the thriller than the horror so I didn't appreciate this as much as I imagine it was intended.

The story premise for the first half of the book is quite simple, to survive the night in a car with a person who might or might not be a serial killer. Although, being in one place for the majority of the book might seem boring; however, Riley Sager played up that one setting. It propels the story instead of being stagnant. Charlie's concept of reality or a movie in her head does mess with the reader's mind. At times, I didn't know which way was the truth. The characters development was good. The ending does have one imperfection, the tooth. I won't ruin the book by stating what it is. This book is worth the read.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.