Another cracking read from Sager, I would advise as I did, going into this blind and enjoying the ride(pun intended)

Set in the very early 90s, in a world with little internet and no mobile phones, this one again has a real 80s slasher feel to it despite having only a small amount of violence in it.

Taking place over a 6 hour period as a girl takes a lift with a stranger, this is not your garden variety serial killer story. Its more of a suspense thriller as the author plays with your sense of what is and isnt real.

There are some twists in this that were fantastic, a real sense that I had the carpet pulled from under my feet. The main twist towards the end was kind of obvious but at that point it didnt really matter as the book was so enjoyable.

Sagers writing style is as always utterly readable. You will be lost in this book and finished it before you know it.

Yes our main protagonist does make some questionable decisions from time to time but it in no way takes away from the fun of this book. Yes this book is a fun read despite the subject matter.

Grab yourself a copy if you can and as I said at the start, go in blind for maximum enjoyment.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

This was my first every Riley Sager book and a highly anticipated one at that — because I know that people just love his books and I also love a good thriller.

But… and I’m not sure if I was unduly influenced by some of the reviews I’d read prior to picking this one up… the first two-thirds of the book bored me a bit.

I just didn’t love the incessant mind games that took place in the car, I found the twist a bit far-fetched and the conclusion had me like, yeah right!

So, all in all not the most satisfying thriller for me.

However, because I know that so many people have loved his previous books I will totally give him another go at some point.

I was so looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately for me it did not deliver. Talk about a slow burner I kept waiting for something to happen. Charlie was so annoying and dumb. I just wanted to shake her. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This was stupid and I’m annoyed.

What a frustrating book, with frustrating characters and a frustrating plot. The plot was pointless, the twists rubbish and the main character an absolute idiot with all the sense of a wet paper towel.

And then the author goes on a tangent about women not being believed enough which I am in full agreement with, but it won’t make me think any better of Charlie. What a wet wipe.

A quick and easy read though so sure I’ll look into more of Riley’s work but this was very disappointing.

Charlie is drowning in grief and guilt after the death of her best friend, Maddy. After an argument in a club, Charlie said things she shouldn’t to Maddy and they parted ways only for the Campus Killer to swoop in to make Maddy their latest victim. Now Charlie finds the university is filled with haunting memories of Maddy and she needs to escape. She signs up to a ride share with Josh, a fellow student she hasn’t met, in order to get away as soon as possible. Not long after they hit the road, it’s clear Josh is not all he seems and hiding something. Could Charlie had accepted a lift from the Campus Killer? Can she survive the night?

“Survive the Night” was a fast paced, real page turner of a thriller. Tension and plot twists are really well crafted by the author so that I struggled to put the book down or stop thinking about it when I had to stop reading. Yes, I figured out the identity of the killer early on but I still enjoyed being along for the ride (if you pardon the awful pun) whilst Charlie figured it out. I could have done without Charlie’s unique defence mechanism of imagining film scenes when the going gets tough - that just got irritating after a while. There were a couple of plot holes/actions that didn’t fit in with the characters the author had built up- unfortunately I can’t elaborate here as I want to avoid spoilers. However all in all the book delivered all I want from a thriller - an interesting and unique plot, a fast and tense pace and a satisfying ending. I would recommend it other fans of the genre. As Charlie might say, it would certainly make a good movie.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a little bit of a slow and confusing start, but once I understood Charlie’s penchant for seeing movies in her mind, I was able to delve into the flow of the writing much more easily.

There’s something about stories where the bulk of the plot takes place over one day/evening. Notable movies in this area are: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Empire Records, and my personal favourite The Breakfast Club. I’m sure there are books in this field, but I can’t think of any except This Loe Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher. How these writers fit in so much plot, character growth, and action over such a short time frame is nothing short of masterful.

Survive the Night, as the title implies, follows Charlie, our movie obsessed protagonist over one evening where while trying to get away from the mayhem caused by The Campus Killer at her college, she may have actually accepted a ride from New Jersey to Ohio WITH him.
She can’t be certain, but something about her ride share buddy definitely seems off.
Cue in some well placed early 90s music and what we have here is a psychological thriller that will play with your own mind as much as Charlie’s.
I’m certainly never going to hear Nirvana’s Come As You Are in the same way again.

It’s my first Riley Sager novel and I dare say it won’t be my last. I struggled to put it down.l and totally got into the heart in mouth moments, the blood pumping tension, the fear of being trapped in a car with someone who may or may not be a serial killer.
Whoo-wee this was one wild ride (pardon the pun!)

Full of movie quotes, red herrings, misdirections, and a protagonist that finds even herself to be unreliable, Survive the Night is one heck of a suspense novel that carries a strong message.
Not all strangers are dangerous, and not all loved ones are safe.

Many thanks to Riley Sager, Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. While I may have guessed some parts, the confirmation and the way things played out, were equally as exciting!

Book titles rarely give a true picture of the plot, but this is an exception since it is basically a story of continuous jeopardy throughout one night in November 1991. Charlie is a student of Cinema at Olyphant University, an introverted girl who experiences episodes where the real world sinks beneath a hallucination which looks and operates like a cinematic version of the situation, or a plausible extrapolation from the present. Possibly a defence mechanism she had created to get through the death of her parents in a car crash, these episodes have become more extreme since her roommate, Maddy, became the third victim of the “Campus Killer”. Charlie is riddled with guilt because, after an argument, she had abandoned Maddy at a dance, leaving her to walk home alone. Her last glimpse of Maddy was of her lighting a cigarette for a man, a man she can’t describe because the scene had been overlaid with a Hollywood veneer. Haunted by Maddy appearing in hallucinatory flashbacks and current movies in her mind Charlie wants to flee to the safety of her grandmother’s house. Her boyfriend, Robbie, offers to take her in a few days but she feels she can’t wait and puts up a notice on the University “Ride Board” seeking a lift. Josh, a stranger but apparently a fellow student, happens to be nearby at that moment and becomes her driver for the trip, leaving shortly before midnight and due to last about six hours. Shortly after they set off, she becomes suspicious of Josh and concludes that he is the “Campus Killer”. For reasons which appear increasingly contrived, she strings along with him as they drive onwards into the wilderness of the Poconos.
The author is good at building tension through the various scenes, but Charlie’s rationale for sticking with Josh (which shifts several times) never seems very convincing. When the first big reveal occurs it seems to require that Charlie seeking a car ride with a stranger was inevitable but I can’t deduce why this would be the case. The second is not exactly a surprise. The aftermath doesn’t accord with any police or other legal procedures. If you are prepared to overlook these issues then it is a good and fairly exciting story.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Gripping, enthralling, dark, tense and atmospheric. I couldnt put this book down, from the storyline to the characters everything just came together perfectly on the pages. I loved it.

I am a huge fan of Riley Sager's book and this did not disappoint me. The writing style is just what I love and I find I get lost in these novels.

We meet Charlie who is being driven across the country by a stranger - yeah the character of Charlie is incredibly stupid and naïve but nonetheless people this is a made up story and does not have to be read as legit.

Anyway Charlie is slightly depressed with grief and living on campus, she is trying to get to her final destination and accepts a lift off Josh, he is wearing a campus sweater so he must be a college boy??? You will need to read this as I feel you can not get the full story from a review.

I really do not want to give too much of this novel away, but if you like gripping/anxiety inducing books then do give this a go - ignore the many negative reviews and go on this incredibly amazing/crazy journey.

Thanks to Riley Sager, NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I can never resist a new Riley Sager book and have been eagerly anticipating this one. I picked it up and read it all in one day as it was written in such a way that I just didn’t want to put it down. We’re following Charlie who is really struggling after her best friend was murdered and now she’s leaving Uni. She finds Josh on the ride share board at school and says goodbye to her boyfriend. We find out that Charlie has had a tough life and when things are really bad she sees movies in her head overlaying what is really happening. The first half of this novel was gripping, I was unnerved with suspicions (and to be honest hopes) of where the novel might go as Charlie becomes increasingly unnerved by Josh. Unfortunately, the novel instead went in a much more predictable direction and ultimately left me feeling a bit disappointed. Having said that, I couldn’t put the book down so it was clearly gripping and it was enjoyable enough for the most part.

Charlie isa grieving the death of her best friend, Maddy, who was killed by a serial killer nicknamed the campus killer.
Charlie deals with her grief by escaping to watch movies in her mind but when that's not enough she decided to leave college and hitch a ride with a stranger.
Once in the car with Josh, although possibly not his real name, she realises she might be in danger. Charlie must survive the night at any means necessary.
This book had such a retro feel to it being set in 1991 with no mobile phones or easily accessible Internet. Jumping into Charlie's "movies" also makes it a bit of a mind bender. This fast paced thriller had me racing towards the end but unfortunately with so few characters the ending became a little bit predictable. I still really enjoyed the read though and would recommend to my customers.

So this book felt a bit like a hot mess.... but in a good way. Is that even a thing? The main character, Charlie, is super unreliable which is actually something I enjoy in a thriller. So she wants to leave campus and go home as there's a serial killer killing girls on campus. How does she get home I hear you ask. Well, she's sooooooo worried about the serial killer that she accepts a ride from a male stranger! Part way home she convinces herself that her ride is actually the killer. BUT..... and here's where things get a bit shaky, Charlie has a habit of zoning out and having super realistic daydreams to the point where she isn't sure if what happened is part of the daydream or IRL! So like I said... a mess! I think the gaslighting and unreliable narrator was written so well that I hadn't a clue what to believe or what to expect.
I really enjoyed Survive The Night and can't wait to read another by Riley Sager.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

An emotionally fragile student is desperate to get away from college after her room mate becomes the latest victim of a local serial killer.  Charlie cannot stand to be at the college any longer.  She is not even able to wait a couple more days until her boyfriend can drive her the 400 miles home, and so she accepts an offer of a lift from an older guy, Josh, who is heading off in the same direction the next evening.  It means driving through the night with someone she knows absolutely nothing about but at least she can put college behind her.  However, it doesn't take long for Charlie to become suspicious of her handsome chauffeur, so much so that she begins to wonder if Josh himself could be the Campus Killer.  

Over the last few years Riley Sager has become a firm favourite author of mine and I look forward to his new books with great anticipation.  Sadly this latest book fell a little bit flat for me.  It is a decent story but the authors previous books, in my opinion, have much more depth. Maybe my expectations were just a little too high. 3.5 stars

Really enjoyed the author's previous works, but this seemed different. Good, but not great. Would it have worked better for me if I was a film buff?

Also, did not appreciate the character throwing out her meds at the start of the book. Pretty much signals that an aspect of the storyline would not have been an issue if she'd just taken her meds as prescribed.

An easy five stars.

Something about an unreliable narrator (or two), a switching narrative and movie references drew me in on this one and holy hell. Wow.

Side note, how have I never read a Riley Sager before..?!?

This book made me gasp out loud in disbelief and shock and kept me guessing. I LOVED IT.

2⭐️
A new author to me. I was keen to read as he is a very well respected author in the psychological thriller fb group I’m a member of.

Charlie is leaving college after her friends sudden death at the hands of a stranger leave her unable to cope in that environment. She is taking a ride with a stranger sharing expenses. To add to the situation Charlie suffers from dreamlike trances where she doesn’t know what is real and way isn’t.
Josh also comes over as an unreliable character.
I’m afraid I struggled from the outset with the premise of the story, it pushed the boundaries of poor decision making too far for me. I couldn’t go with the concept.
The movie references I found irritating, even though that is Charlie’s whole life.
I didn’t engage with the characters,so it didn’t matter to me which one survived the night.
It gets a creepy scary feel during the journey as there are more revelations. The whole book just gets weirder and wackier.
To enjoy this one you have to be able to suspend belief and go with the flow. By the time the whole thing clicks it’s really too late to appreciate it if that makes sense. That’s even if my interpretation is correct. I’m afraid this one really wasn’t for me. It has also put me off trying other books by this author, as I see it’s still pulling in 4 and 5⭐️ reviews so it doesn’t look like his style is for me.

I was hooked on this book, grabbed my attention. From the beginning and totally different to the books I’ve read recently! Brilliant read.

After loving Sager's previous novel 'Home Before Dark', this honestly felt like a completely different writer!
I was rather confused by the premise- why would any character get into a car with a stranger after her best friend is murdered by a serial killer?!?! WHAT?
Unfortunately, the air of unbelieavability just shone all around this book and I found it so difficult to fathom the actions of the characters. I was just spending my reading time getting annoyed and frustrated.
If an author goes down the road of an unbelievable situation and centres the whole book around it, you've got to convince your readers why you do it, and for me this never happened.

Riley Sager books never fail to entertain and keep you fully entertained from beginning to end. He takes a plot which you feel you know inside and out and gives it originality and enough twists and turns to keep you unbalanced until the final pages.

Survive the Night is his nod to the film noir genre and setting it in the 90’s is pure genius as we are in a world without cell phones which gives it some extra tense situations. Taking a leaf out of classic films such as Shadow of a Doubt, Double Indemnity, etc, we follow Charlie as she is does a ride share to leave university after the murder of her roommate and good friend. We see most of the world through Charlie’s eyes though Sager does add some red herrings to keep the reader off balanced.

The characters are very well developed and the reader is fully invested in them as the plot twists and turns along the highway. There are some interesting character developments which include Charlie getting lost in her head as she thinks she is trapped in a film and not in real life. I truly admire this plot point because this really shouldn’t work but Sager turns it up and makes it believable.

The plot has its twists and turns and though there is a slow start, Sager keeps this interesting because you really want to see how this really turns out. The novel is basically a story of five characters and this keeps the plot rolling on. There is not a wasted scene or plot device and fully rewarding when the exciting conclusion takes its toll on the characters.

This is another exceptional, highly entertaining book by Sager which I personally look forward to with each and every release. This is the future of dark fiction genre as he takes a classic plot and twists and turns it into a unique experience. Survive the Night demands to be read and be experienced. The only fault is waiting for the next Sager book to be released. Excellent.

After the murder of her best friend, Charlie finally decided that enough is enough and she wants to leave college.

Her boyfriend is unable to take her so she looks on the lift board where she meets Josh who agrees to drive her.

Well that wasn’t what I was expecting! There were plenty of twists and turns - enough to keep you on your toes and keep guessing.

I did find it a bit slow paced in some parts and I didn’t really ‘get’ the movies in her head when she was reliving various events.

The final twist though - that was a surprise! I had no idea that it was going to end up like that but it was a very clever ending.

I’d definitely read more of his novels and although this wasn’t something I’d rush to read again, i wasn’t able to put it down