Well, that was one of the dumbest protagonists I ever read yet. Charlie lacks any common sense. Her friend was just murdered by a serial killer and she decided to share a ride with a stranger. How dumb can she get? There are also those chances she could've taken to escape but she did not seize it. Honestly, I just want her to get killed halfway just so this book will be finished.

I'm not even sure if others will enjoy this but it is definitely NOT for me.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for my copy. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

This is actually the first book I’ve read by Riley Sager, but I’ve been wanting to for a while! Survive The Night takes place over the course of one evening as college student Charlie accepts a lift home across the country from a complete stranger she meets at the ride share board of her university. Charlie is leaving school in the middle of term for reasons that become clear and as she travels with this unknown young man. She also begins to realise he may be extremely dangerous – perhaps even a serial killer known as the ‘Campus Killer’.

This is such a tricky review for me because I think this book has some real problems, however I cannot deny how unputdownable I found it. The story moves along at a great pace and it’s the sort of book you can easily get sucked into and read in one-sitting. However, the plot is also a little far-fetched and melodramatic, which in some ways sort of works for the very cinematic style and structure but in other ways could get a little annoying. The same could be said for main character, Charlie, who I found likeable but also deeply frustrating. She is very much an unreliable narrator but I don’t think this comes off as well in Survive the Night as it does in other books. Overall I would say definitely give this book a go because it is certainly an intriguing and easy read. I wasn’t totally convinced by Survive the Night but I would still read more from this author in the future as there are some aspects that I did enjoy, like the atmosphere, the movie references and the 90’s setting, which was portrayed really effectively.

One of those books where you scream at the characters not to do something but they do it anyway. The heroine, student drop-out Charlie, accepts a ride-share from a stranger in order to get away from a campus terrorised by a serial killer. A large part of the story is an “is he/ isn’t he” question over the driver’s identity as it soon emerges that he isn’t who he says he is. Meanwhile, her boyfriend picks up that something isn’t quite right and decides to follow their trail. Very fast paced and twisty, it’s one of those books you read in one sitting.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy.

Let’s start by saying… I loved this. The story and setting initially brings to mind mid-80s horror movie "The Hitcher" and the whole feel of the book is very cinematic (and you'll discover why when you read it). As things progress it’s much more than that – and as the author says in his “End Credits”, it’s his love letter to the movies.

At times the book feels claustrophobic (most of the action takes place inside a Pontiac Grand Am). Charlie and Josh hook up to reach their final destination and Charlie starts to learn some uncomfortable truths about who she has hitched a ride with. Is he actually a Janitor from her University or is she about to become the next victim of the Campus Killer? She was the last person to see her best friend alive with the Killer but is unable to identify him. And as you read on you’ll see why.

There are many unexpected twists and turns on the road ahead. Charlie’s “ability” to zone out and see things as movies played out in her mind and ignoring the real-life situations around her (brought on by the tragic death of her parents in a car crash) is a nice device in the narrative – and much like the dream sequences in the original "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie – you never quite know what is real.

As a reader I related to Charlie's suspicions about Josh with the clues that were dropped teasingly throughout the first two-thirds of the story but all – no spoilers – is not what it first seemed. By the same token there were a couple of times I wanted to scream at her for not doing the right thing (you’ll know it when you read it).

The last third of the book comes into its own with some extra POVs and everything shifting easily into gear as it ends its journey. This is a great cat-and-mouse thriller that will keep you reading – and guessing –well into the night.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #hodderbooks for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I wanted and more from a Riley Sager. It kept me on the edge of my seat and questioning who was good, who was the real villain and how everyone would get out of it alive. The twist was so good and I loved it so much.

Interesting thriller which kept me entertained thoughout. I have only read one other book by the author but will be picking up more in the near future. characters were interesting and the plot was both interesting but not too over the top. great little read.

Riley Sager is becoming one of my favourite authors and he has done himself proud with this psychological thriller. This book was so so good! I was totally riveted watching the story progress and the interaction between Josh Baxter and Charlie Jordan as Charlie starts to realise she may have put herself in one of the scariest situations a person could be in. I just had to know what happened next and the problems that Charlie needed to overcome to figure out what was real or not in the run-up to the finale. And what a brilliant conclusion. A 5 star read for sure!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is such a thrilling ride of a book! Charlie is a movie buff who is trying to get over the shocking murder of her best friend and roommate by a serial killer lurking in their town. To get over her grief, she decides to leave college midway and go back home. To get there as quickly as possible, she hitches a ride with someone she meets by the university notice board - so far very 90s teen movie.

As the road trip starts, Charlie becomes suspicious of the man she’s sharing a car with and becomes convinced he might be the campus killer. At the same time, she suffers from hallucinations and cannot trust her mind. So begins the is he/is he not the killer?

The writing is amazing in that you feel everything she’s feeling. It starts off a bit slow - her grief is overbearing and clouds her senses. We are left in a fog of wondering if she’s over reaching with her suspicions. Then we start to see he’s gaslighting her and the tension ratchets. Oh my the tension … 😱! Then comes the bit where our suspicions are validated and everything starts to go wrong for her and it’s only a question of how he’s going to kill her. You think you have an idea and then it all goes crazy. Like some incredible twists and turns that you cannot predict (well maybe - lol I figured one out about 80% in). The whole time my heart is pounding in my chest.

I think the book could be polarizing for some people depending on if you enjoy watching movies and are able to suspend your disbelief. There are some things that happen that make you think “Really? This is ludicrous. No way this is realistic” and then the ultimate final twist makes it all make sense. I loved it. I love the whole movie angle. I actually hope it gets made into a movie. It’s amazing. 4.6/5 stars

Survive The Night had an intriguing premise but was ultimately let down by its weak characters and absurd plot threads – not to mention the ending.

Charlie blames herself after her best friend is brutally murdered. Their shared room at university only deepens that feeling, day after day. She needs to leave. It’s well known that a campus serial killer is lurking around, but she decides to post a flyer looking for a ride. She immediately meets a stranger who just so happens to be heading in that direction – so she takes him up on the offer.

Charlie has absolutely no sense of self-preservation. It’s difficult to believe a woman whose best friend was just murdered – who was told she might be targeted because of what she saw – would then get into a car with a stranger. After she realises something strange is going on, she’s given opportunity after opportunity to get out of the car and refuses. Oh, and she has ‘movie scene’ hallucinations sometimes, because what thriller is complete without this overdone and often ableist trope. Not to mention it isn’t relevant to anything other than an attempt to make her unreliable. Even with this ridiculously clueless main character the first half of the novel was enjoyable, slightly repetitive at times, but the potential was there. Then reveals start to happen, and they’re surprising, yes, but only because they’re so utterly ridiculous. The character motivations make no sense, their actions make no sense, the tone of the story makes no sense – it was entertaining, if only for how strange it was. Then the last few pages come along, and it turns what was a silly but occasionally fun book, into a groan-worthy waste of time.

I am a big fan of Riley Sager’s books and was absolutely delighted to get this e-arc!

He’s done it again! What a killer thriller!

I absolutely blitzed through this, I just couldn’t get enough. Literally, every single page had me hooked.

I liked the 90’s theme because, lets be honest, it’s unrealistic today to assume someone would get into a strangers car for a 9 hour road trip after a recent murder by an unknown serial killer.

It’s mainly Charlie’s pov but I did like that it flicked to other characters to get their thought processes for the same scenes.

I loved the ending - that last chapter was fantastic! That little extra twist that was completely unexpected.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am so looking forward to Sager’s next book!

This book is like a combination of all of the tropes from all of the trashy horror films you've ever seen bunged together in a fast-paced road trip cum slasher romp. If you come in prepared to suspend your sense of disbelief and leave any preconceptions at the door I can guarantee you'll be entertained and surprised for the few hours it takes to rattle through Riley Sager's latest novel.

My first time reading a Riley Sager, I have a few more lined up after this. Apparently, this is his weakest book, but I enjoyed most of it. This book is set in 1991 and I am sucker for anything set in the 80s/90s. This book would make a good film, especially as parts of the books are written similarly to movie script.

The logic of the main character is frustrating because it’s not there! I haven’t read much by an unreliable narrator but this case was taken a step too far here I feel. Some of the decisions she was making were beyond any reason which was very frustrating and caused me to eye-roll a few times!

I did enjoy the end when the tempo lifted and plot twists were revealed. Some I predicted, some caught me off-guard. This is an easy thriller to read, it doesn’t go too deep on the psychological aspect and could be read in one or two sittings.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read survive the night.
Great story idea, was my first time reading this author and I enjoyed the book enough but feel this may make a better film. 😬

EXCERPT: She thought she'd eventually become a professor at a school similar to Olyphant, teaching film studies to the next generation of cinephiles.

What she hadn't planned on was Madeleine Forrester swanning into their dorm room that first day of college on a gust of cigarette smoke and Chanel No. 5. She was beautiful. That was the first thing Charlie noticed. Pale and blonde and voluptuous, with a heart-shaped face that reminded her of Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind. Yet she seemed slightly worn around the edges. An intriguing exhaustion. Like a hungover debutante dragging herself home the morning after a cotillion.

Framed in the doorway, teetering on three inch heels, she surveyed their room and declared, 'What a dump!'

Charlie got the reference - Maddy was impersonating Liz Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? impersonating Bette Davis in Beyond the Forest - and her whole body fizzed like a jostled bottle of champagne. She'd just met a kindred spirit.

'I think I adore you,' she blurted.

ABOUT 'SURVIVE THE NIGHT': Charlie Jordan is being driven across the country by a serial killer. Maybe.

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.

MY THOUGHTS: I had heard so many great things about author Riley Sager, and started Survive the Night in great anticipation, which soon waned. This book is just NUTS! And sorry, but I don't mean that in a good way. I struggled to finish this.

I love an unreliable narrator, but Sager has taken this trope a step or two too far. At first I was intrigued, then I became disgruntled, and finally bored by the whole 'is this real?/is this a hallucination/dream?' minefield.

The story has oodles of potential, and there was one twist that I didn't see coming that earned this read an extra half star. Sager's description of Charlie and Maddy's first meeting is absolutely superb, but honestly? I could have done without the endless movie references. And yes, I have watched and enjoyed the majority of the movies referred to but, as I am fond of saying, sometimes less is more, and these were overdone.

Will I read more from Riley Sager? Yes. But I won't be recommending Survive the Night to anyone.

⭐⭐.2

#SurvivetheNight #NetGalley

I: @riley.sager @hodderbooks

T: @Riley_Sager @HodderBooks

#historicalfiction #mentalhealth #murdermystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR: Riley Sager is the award-winning pseudonym of a former journalist, editor and graphic designer who previously published mysteries under his real name.

A native of Pennsylvania, Riley now lives in Princeton, New Jersey. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, cooking and going to the movies as much as possible. His favorite film is "Rear Window." Or maybe "Jaws." But probably, if he's being honest, "Mary Poppins."

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Survive the Night by Riley Sager for review. I'm just sorry I didn't like this more. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

After hearing some mixed reviews for this one I was dubious going into this but I was pleasantly surprised.
Don't get me wrong there are issues in this book - the main character Charlie's logic in the majority of this book is pretty much non existent, that is something that was very apparent to me whilst reading.
But the characters themselves and the plot I really enjoyed, I was intruided the whole way through and although I did predict a couple of the plot twists I still enjoyed the ending.
It is very twisty and I really enjoyed that - The plot wad different to anything I've read before so I think that added to my enjoyment.
I will be definitely bumping up my other Riley Sager books on my tbr.

Trying to escape her campus life after her best friend was murdered, Charlie gets on a road trip with a stranger that, along the way, seems to know way too much about her life.

There are so many unbelievable twists in here but I was hooked because that’s what I was in the mood for, an escape from the reality with so many old movies quotes and some of my favourite music songs from the 90s .

Unpredictable twists? Not so much, but that never stopped my enjoyment.

It was my first book by the author and I can see why his books are so loved/hated. I got one enjoyed it a lot and I’m looking forward to read more in the future.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy.

Well I did it!! I finally got round to a Riley Sager book (ridiculous, I know…) but I can tell you right now, it won’t be my last.

Loved it. I hurtled through this one in the space of a day and a half. Starting off with a tantalising beginning, the story slowly and teasingly unwrapped itself to produce a satisfying and deviously twisted ending. The unreliable narrator was masterfully executed - Sager plays with the reader like a cat plays with a mouse… toying shrewdly until the final swoop.

Charlie did get my goat a few times and I wanted to grab her and give her a good shake, but I love it when characters evoke emotions in me.

If you haven’t read this one, then get a wiggle on. I certainly will be for more Sager books!

Charlie Jordan really needs a ride home. She's desperate enough to take a ride with a stranger, even though there is a killer loose on her campus. When Charlie meets Josh by the ride board she decides he seems nice enough, and has as good a reason as she does to be leaving campus mid-term. As they start their roadtrip they share their stories, but as they get further from campus Charlie starts to notice discrepancies in Josh's story, and before long she is convinced that he is the Campus Killer. Worse yet she could be his next victim.

I've only read one Riley Sager book before so don't have a lot of experience with his writing. I did enjoy that one so was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one the same way.

The biggest issue that I had with this whole book is Charlie. I just couldn't get to grips with the decisions she was making, and so couldn't relate to her at all. In fact she's quite infuriating and not remotely sympathetic because of this. On top of that she's a highly unreliable narrator, but the method used to show that here did't appeal to me at all. Charlie has a thing she calls 'movies in her mind' where she sees events playing out differently to how they really are when she is stressed. I didn't really like the way the author used this as often as he did to keep replaying the same scenes with slight differences. I also thought it was playing on mental health issues to benefit the story, and didn't seem overly sincere.

The plot has some good aspects to it, but did get really out there towards the end. A few of the twists were a bit too far fetched to be believable, and things started to seem rather contrived to get it all wrapped up in a nice neat bow for the end of the book.

I did like the idea of the main story actually being a movie script, with the intro/outro detailing Charlie's thoughts on the movie of her life. This was an interesting idea, and maybe something that could have been played up more.

All in all this missed the mark for me, I didn't feel the thriller vibe and didn't connect with the characters. I've seen some cracker reviews of it though so maybe have a look at some of those too before you make a call on reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I read the blurb of this story, I knew it was right up my street!
Although the story was gripping at times, I feel it lacked a little something. The thing that keeps you up at night reading until 3am!
Thank you to Riley Sager, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Survive the night by Riley Sager.
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.
A very good read. Great story and characters. 4*.