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.

A game of cat and mouse is about to play out. In order to win, Charlie must do only one thing . . . survive the night. What another gripping read from Riley Sager! It was captivating… I was absolutely hooked from the first page to the last. I had a complete shock at the twists… Love, love, loved all the characters!!!… I would love to see this made into a movie. Can’t wait to see what this author brings out next! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Charlie Jordan has been through a tough time and just wants to leave her college and go home. When she meets Josh Baxter at a ride share board, it seems like the perfect opportunity to get a ride home. As the long journey begins, the two chat and get to know each other. As time goes on, Charlie begins to question some of the things Josh has said and notices discrepancies in his story. Eventually she starts to suspect that he may be the 'Campus Killer', a serial killer who has killed several girls around the college, including Charlie's best friend. Trapped in a fast-moving car in the middle of nowhere with a possible serial killer, Charlie must do what she can to survive the night...

Another brilliant book by Riley Sager, I loved this book. It was tense and thrilling right from the beginning and Riley made it so interesting even though most of the story took place in the car. Full of shocks and excitement, I really recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Riley Sager is an auto-buy thriller author for me so it came as no surprise that I really loved this book and rated it 5 stars. Survive the Night made use of the unreliable narrator trope in a way that I really enjoyed; Charlie, our protagonist uses her imagination or “movies” as a way of escaping real life and dealing with traumatic events by altering or embellishing them. This in turn leads to Survive the Night having a “is it real, is it not” juxtaposition that I found thrilling and unique. The second half of the book is where it really kicked off for me, once that first plot twist dropped I was on the edge of my seat, I can say with honesty that I didn’t predict any of the twists and that’s a sure sign of winner in my book! The way this novel ended for me was just perfection, it warmed my heart but also had a bite of sadness to it too. I truly think this could be my favourite Sager thriller to date. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Charlie as a main character was...well, she was just everything. *end scene*

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

#SurviveTheNight #NetGalley
This novel is like a Hollywood movie. Must read of the year.
Casey Jordan is being driven across the country by a serial killer. Maybe. Behind the wheel is Josh Baxter, a stranger Casey 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, Casey 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.
Can you Survive The Night?
I loved it's narration so much. It was a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Straighten for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

I read this in one great gulp of a sitting, an edge of the seat road trip where there may be a serial killer or maybe not but you'll race through this brilliantly written thriller in order to find out.

In an utter homage to the movies, Riley Sager offers perhaps his best psychological thriller to date.

Full review for publication.

A huge thank you to netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book for me to read and review. I had to pick this up as soon as I was accepted.

Riley Sager is cementing himself as one of my favourite authors and tbh is my favourite thriller author. And he has without a doubt done it again. This book was so so good! I loved seeing the night progress and getting to see the interaction between Josh and Charlie as soon as Charlie starts to realise she may have put herself in one of the scariest situations someone could be in.

I did end up guessing who was the campus killer but not until way past the halfway point in the book and it didn't take away any of my enjoyment of the book. I enjoyed the book so much and read the whole book in a day because I just had to know what happened next. I loved the problems that Charlie had to try and overcome so that she could figure out what was real and what was not.

And oh my lord that ending was just perfect. I loved it so much. This is a 5 star read without doubt and would reccommend not only this book but anything by this author.

OMG, Survive The Night had me reeling!
I literally had to pick my jaw up off the floor because I couldn't believe what I was reading.
This was such a tense read. Suspense dripping of each page!

Believe it or not, this is actually the first Riley Sager book I've read.
Somehow I got the idea his books would not be for me, didn't like the covers either...🙈
However, when I read about this release, the premise and all the buzz surrounding it I was intrigued and hit the Netgalley request button.
Oh and I think this cover really is stunning by the way!🤩

So grateful to @netgalley and @hodderstoughton for allowing me to read and review the arc because this has proven to be one spectacular read!

Synopsis:
When Charlie's best friend and roommate Maddie is brutally killed by the so-called Campus Killer, guilt, fear and despair wash over her in the weeks after. All she wants to do is leave their dorm room and all that reminds her of the tragedy that took place.
Not wanting to waste any more time she decides to share a ride home to Ohio with a fellow student called Josh who's headed out in the same direction.
Although apprehensive about getting in the car with a virtual stranger, Charlie's urge to get away from campus is bigger. She promises her boyfriend Robbie that she will call him if she doesn't trust the situation or when she feels unsafe. And although Josh shows up in a decent car and is a sensible driver, Charlie quickly feels like there is something off about him. When discovering he lied to her, that feeling of unease starts to change into down right terror the farther they drive out... In fact, getting into the Grand Am that night might be the biggest mistake of her life...

I cannot get over the genius plot line and structure of this story. It's so cinematic, well crafted and original. Also loved the early ninetees vibe.

If you are only going to read one thriller this year, you need to get your hands on this although you probably already know that because this one is all over Bookstagram.
Meanwhile, I have to catch up on some of Sager's earlier work...
Any recommendations?

All I can say is "amazing" and "READ THIS BOOK"!! you will definitely not regret it. Its on an entirely different level than most thrillers etc I've read recently. I had began to wonder if books like this were still being written and thank god I had requested the pre release of this one because this book is the reason I love reading so much!!I'm quite sure my house could have been burning around me and I'd never had noticed as long as I had my kindle to find out what was going to happen next. Everything about this book from the concept to the characters to the twists and turns just come together to make it *chefs kiss* ..... just incredible

I started the book knowing from reviews that I will read a good thriller. It exceeded, by far, my expectations!

The trope of mentally unstable main character, at the beginning gave me the feeling that it will be a usual story as many others out there. But I was wrong and I’ve never been more pleased about being wrong!

The plot has so many twists and turns, and heroes become the villains when you don’t expect it. You have suspicions but you’re never completely right and then things swift again and your point of view changes.

I found marvellous the way the story is woven in this fast-paced, suspenseful, page-turner read! The book is not long and it doesn’t ‘slouch’ at any point. This is the first book of RS that I read and I’m already looking for the next one!

Riley does it again…..this guy is just an absolute genius with thrillers and misdirection. What would you do if you accepted a lift home from a stranger…..who turned out to be a serial killer? Very Ted Bundyesque….. this is perfect for those dark nights and reading by lamplight just to scare yourself silly

Survive the Night is a masterpiece. Full of twists, turns and red herrings, proving that Sager has mastered the art of misdirection. You’re left constantly second guessing what you think you know and whether it’s actually real or not. I did eventually figure out who the Campus Killer was (around the 75% mark) but even then, I wasn’t absolutely certain until events started to unfold.

Charlie was a fantastic main character. Her character development was flawless. She rose to every new challenge presented to her and towards the end, she emerged a femme fatale more than worthy of leading lady status. There were times when her mental illness made her seem like an unreliable narrator. This isn’t a trope that I’m particularly warm towards as I feel that it stigmatises mental illness but I liked that Sager used this as an opportunity to address trauma and the many different types of coping mechanisms that can kick in as a response to trauma.

Initially, I wasn’t sure that I would like the way that the book was styled like a movie with noted directions for each setting. However, it worked incredibly well and managed to get across the classic Hitchcockian thriller movie vibes that I think Sager was going for.

Overall, Survive the Night was easily one of my favourite thrillers, if not books, of the year so far. It’s a book that I’ll be thinking about for a LONG time and one that I’ll be recommending to anyone and everyone who will listen to me rave about how good this is.

I have read a few of Riley Sager's books and they have never failed to disappoint!

Survive the night lived up to my expectations, Imagine possibly being stuck in a car with a serial killer? Yikes! It's any woman's fear, This book was very engaging, addictive, It gave me goose bumps and kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend it will not disappoint you.

A big thank you to netgalley for my copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.

I love this book. It is an atmospheric chiller and it made me visualise all the scenes. It was so wonderfully detailed that I felt like I personally knew every character. The twist was predictable but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless. This author never fails to impress me!

It’s 9pm on Tuesday 19th November 1991 and Olyphant University student Charlie is waiting for a ride with Josh to take her back to Ohio. She’s fleeing the university in grief and reluctantly leaving her relationship with Robbie following the murder of her best friend Maddy two months previously by the Campus Killer. Shortly after 9pm the headlights of the Pontiac Grand Am appear and not too long into the journey Charlie realises she has made a shocking error.

I absolutely love this book and it’s by far my favourite Riley Sager to date!! It’s the way it’s written that hooks me in as it has such a cinematic feel, it’s like a Hitchcock movie fading from colour to black and white. This is reinforced by the many movie references and by Charlie as she believes movies are like life, only better. I love how Night keeps being reiterated in various ways through film through suffering, through the journey in the night and by ‘Take back the Night’ after Maddy's murder. It’s so intriguing trying to work out what is real versus the illusion of what Mandy THINKS she sees and experiences and you have no idea who will survive the night. There’s a real intimacy and also creepiness with being in the car with Josh and there are admissions, uncertainties, growing nervousness, insecurity and fear but you also wonder if Charlie is willing something bad to happen because of guilt surrounding Maddy's death. The tension grows, you have no idea what is going to happen and so the atmosphere builds added to by fog, mental fog, snow and ice in veins. You feel what Charlie feels, her sense of isolation, her fear but then you question is she really seeing what she thinks she sees? As she cast herself as a femme fatale in a movie of her own making? What role is Josh playing? As we reach the climax I nearly jump out of my skin!! I so do not see that coming!!! It becomes a high octane thriller where you scarcely dare to breathe! I love the ultimate ending too, so clever, and yes, it feels right!

Overall, this is just my kind of book, really clever, well written, something to puzzle over and for me it’s a five star all the way!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This book is absolutely amazing! I'm a first time Riley Sager reader, but it would definitely won't be the last book I read from him. Survive the Night is beautifully written, with just the perfect pace and thrilling details, where everything is not what it seems. All the twists are on the right place and the story is super addicting. I would say the main character will get on your nerves from time to time, but it is what it is. 5/5 starts!!

*This is an ARC. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this title. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Riley Sager is one of the best thriller writers I have read. Picking up a Riley Sager novel you 100% know you had better give up the whole weekend, don't make plans, get snacks and drinks because you are not moving, not going to bed, not talking the another human until you finish the last page, and Survive The Night is exactly that.
It starts with Charlie, a dry humoured, loner university student who just wants to get home to her Nana, her only family, in Ohio. She can't wait for her boyfriend to drive her home so she accepts a lift from a (suspish) well-timed meeting of another student who wants company along his drive home.
And so they set off at 9pm on the long night of driving ahead.
We find out that Charlie is running away from her University life. Her roommate has been murdered by a serial killer and her mental health is failing, she feels she needs to go home and rethink her whole life, but things start to play out along the way that Charlie questions if her imagination really is warped or whether she's the only one who's right.

So this book will definitely give you Hitchcock vibes. If you don't question everyone then we can't be friends. I literally had every character at some point of the book pegged as the baddie.
I couldn't find a fault with this book. The set up was fabulous, the tension was nerve-racking, the way it made me say "it's you" about every single person mentioned on every single page.
My only advise upon picking up this book is put a "do not disturb" sign around your neck because you are not going anywhere until you've turned the last page, read the last word, and closed the back cover!

Such a fun romp that you will devour in one sitting. Deliciously plotty, it will keep you guessing until the end. Loved it.

Excellent thriller, very original in style, it is written as a movie. Charlie, the main character is movie obsessed and narrates her life as a movie, the book is written the same way.
I found the writing very gripping and absorbing, and the twists were amazing! No spoilers, Read this excellent twisty thriller for yourself!

I really enjoyed this book, it was one of those books you just can’t stop reading. It truly felt like going on this journey with Charlie, I loved all the twists and turns and the ‘movies’ added bits of confusion that I really liked!

Riley Sager gets to me. Every. Single. Time. This book started a tiny bit slower than others but the build was worth the wait. Charlie the heroine, makes you love her and hate her at times in the book. The two major twists are more than a little surprising and made me grin with glee about where the story might go next. All the movie parts threaded throughout the story, and throwback songs added to the enjoyment. Can’t wait for his next!

OMG what a book. So many twists and turns. This book made me question everything I thought I knew. Fantastic reading. Riley Sager never disappoints.

OMG this book had me gripped right from the start. You can’t help but feel all the emotions that Charlie is going through, and the twist near the end,did not see that coming.

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying this book. Riley Sager's writing is just so easy to get absorbed in. I am only a quarter of the way through this ARC, but I have already ordered copies of Lock Every Door, Final Girls, Last Time I Lied and Home Before Dark.

Survive the Night has everything I look for in a thriller: edge-of-your-seat suspense, subtle clues and red herrings, complex characters who make choices you sometimes question, and a twisty ending you don't see coming. This was my first Riley Sager novel, and it certainly won't be my last.

The pace and scope of the story really surprised me, considering the fact that the majority of it takes place within the confines of a car. As the protagonist, Charlie, drives with a stranger down the highway, there's barely a quiet moment at all, with panicked thoughts, suspicious comments and desperate action happening almost constantly.

I've read a lot of reviews saying this would hit harder as a movie, but personally I think that a lot of the power and fear behind what's happening comes from the thoughts and traumas informing the main character's decisions. And that's something you can only grasp if you can see inside her head.

What really sets this book apart is how Charlie uses movies to cope with trauma. This bleeds into the unfolding events in a number of ways, from the dramatic intro and exit scenes leading into each chapter, to the added layer of doubt and confusion when she begins to have trouble differentiating between the fantastical 'movies in her mind' and reality.

If you're a movie buff, a fan of psychological thrillers, or a mystery fan looking for your next gripping read, Survive the Night will not disappoint.

What can I say…..in fitting with the plot, this book needs to be made into a film!
Absolutely loved it from start to finish. I always see the twist coming in thrillers but not this time which was an excellent surprise.
My first Riley Sager book but certainly not the last.
#SurviveTheNight
#NetGalley

What an absolute rush. This book was phenomenal start to finish. I adore this author and this book did not disappoint. Fast paced and full of terror. Crazy plot twists and turns. My heart was pounding like crazy through the last half of this book. It is so well written you feel like you know the characters and you feel their terror. Once you start this book you will not be able to put it down. This is one of my favourite books this year! Absolutely jaw droppingly amazing!

I always like to go into Riley Sager’s books blind as I know from experience each book always captures me and I will not put it down, I loved the experience and edge of my seat feeling I got from this book.

Charlie Jordan is sharing a ride with Josh Baxter a guy she meets, all Charlie wants to do is leave college and go back home. Catching a ride with josh is a perfect opportunity to go home but after getting to know each other, Charlie is questioning some of the stuff and actions josh mentions in his stories. Thinking/Suspecting he may be the ‘Campus Killer’ a serial killer who has been killing several girls on campus in which one of the victims was Charlie’s best friend herself. Charlie must do and try and figure out how to ‘survive the night’ alongside the twists and the turns that will come up.

I always enjoy every Riley Sager book that has came out, this was another amazing book that I thoroughly enjoyed, it is thriller from the beginning and always gives me a sitting on the edge of your seat feeling. Full of twists and shocks, this book will keep you wanting to stay up to finish it all. I would recommend this book definitely.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy in return for my honest feedback. I cannot wait for what the author will bring next!

A tense read with plenty of twists, that keeps you guessing most of the way through. Yes, you sometimes want to take the protagonist, Charlie, and give her a good shake, but the story draws you in from the start.

Dark and tense, I finished it in just over a day as I couldn't put it down! The author cleverly makes you change your mind several times about certain characters, right up to the reveal. A great read that will keep you turning the pages to the end. Many thanks to the author and publisher for this ARC. Highly recommend.

Riley Sager has blown it out of the water with this diamond! I couldn’t stop reading, every time I thought I knew what was coming another spanner was thrown in to the works and another twist entered the mix. I recommend this to every thriller/horror/suspense fan. A brilliant amount of creepy and suspenseful fiction.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So far this summer I’ve been disappointed with the highly anticipated blockbuster type thrillers I’ve read, so I was wondering why I was reading yet another one, but I was pleasantly surprised

The unique twist to the plot is that the main character is a film studies major and there is a running theme of old movies throughout the book. I love old movies and love how the author is able to tie these old classics into the story he wove. I will say I’m not sure everyone will connect with the choice by the author if they haven’t seen or appreciated any of the referenced movies. North by Northwest. Shadow of a Doubt.

Charlie is a student at Olyphant University and has decided to leave school after her roommate is murdered. It’s 1991 and she needs a ride home, so the solution is the school ride board, where she agrees to a ride with a stranger. I know your senses are already a tingle right? While the book never references 80s horror movies, it reminds me of screaming don’t do it, while watching Halloween or Friday the 13th. There are many moments throughout the book where you’ll question Charlie’s decisions, but I never thought it was too much. I like that to explain Charlie’s questionable decision making and her reliability in general, she has a past that is fraught with grief and regrets, that are slowly revealed during the book.

I’m also a fan of the time period of the novel. I loved the references to music and other small details. And by choosing the previous century, it pains me to write that, it is pre cell phones, when you really were out of contact at times. I don’t want to go into too much detail and risk spoiling one of the twists and turns. But I’ll say I saw a few of them coming long before the revelations and still liked the book. And there were a few that made me go whoa.

While I’ve seen mixed reviews on this one, I think anyone that liked Sager’s earlier work, The Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied, will enjoy this novel.

Although Josh is a stranger, Charlie is desperate to get away and gets in the car with Josh – escaping her student life and the murder of her best friend. At first, the long journey seems pleasant enough but after they get talking

Charlie realises that Josh might be the campus killer, and she is in real danger.

What a claustrophobic, chilling, twisty masterpiece!

I have to hand it to Riley Sager – what a rollercoaster ride. I loved the characters and the plot had me on edge the entire way through. Charlie’s movie fanaticism was brilliant, and I loved all the movie references.

So intense and the danger felt so real.

Superb!

My first Riley Sager book and I was overwhelmed with the suspense he has written in this book. I read the book in one sitting and was mind blown.

The process of changing the story process, as a reader you learn how thrillers work and read confidently. Sager breaks all the unspoken rules in suspense writing and had be questioning everything I had just read.

A superior suspense thriller that has rocked my world. I have all Riley Sagers previous books I must experience his writing again and again.

After reading survive the night by Riley sager I can confidently say this and home before dark by the same author are some of my favourite thrillers. I couldn’t put the book down even for a moment until I’d finished, it has be on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was going to happen next. This book had some of the most amazing plot twists after plot twists that I’ve ever seen. And I highly recommend that anyone looking for another thriller or book by this author to please pick it up ASAP.

WOW WOW WOW is all I can say about this book.
This was my first Riley Sager book and hearing so much about this author I wasn't sure if it would live up to the hype. But it exceeded all my expectations! I was hooked from the very beginning and now I'm going to be reading all the rest of Sagers books immediately.

I never knew who to trust all the way through this! Is Josh really a killer or is Charlier hallucinating all of these details. Some things that came about from their conversations was so creepy and I was on edge waiting to find out more. I read this book in one sitting and it is 100% a 5 star read for me! Amazing!

The writing was just perfect the build up was brilliant. How can you build something up so tensely with mainly being in a car? Honestly the twists and turns in this were perfect I was on the edge of my seat reading it and I could not put it down. 5 stars as the atmosphere and plot were 🤌🏼

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Survive the Night but that has in no way influenced my review.

I am currently suffering the biggest book hangover thanks to the divine Survive the Night. Regular readers of damppebbles may  be aware that I am a huge Riley Sager fan. Sager's debut, Final Girls, is one of my very favourite books (I have a Final Girls purse!). Home Before Dark, which was published last year, was one of my favourite books of 2020. If Riley Sager writes it, I want to read it. Getting my mitts on a copy of Survive the Night sent me a little giddy with joy. I devoured this book. I feel bereft now that it's over. But one thing's for sure, I know nothing else I read for a while is going to come anywhere close to topping Survive the Night.

Charlie has had enough of College and wants to return to the comfort of her home and Nana Norma. Her boyfriend, Robbie, isn't able to drive her to Youngstown for a few more days but Charlie can't wait any longer. Putting her trust in a stranger, she advertises on the 'ride board' for a lift. Which is where she meets Josh Baxter. He seems nice enough. She's cautious, of course. As a movie buff and a Film Theory student, she knows what can happen when you climb into a car with a stranger! She's desperate to return home though. The need to escape Olyphant University and everything that happened there is great. So she reluctantly accepts the risk. Telling herself over and over again to be smart, be brave and be careful. But as the journey progresses, Charlie starts to think she's made a terrible mistake. Could Josh be a serial killer after all...?

The first thing I need to say about Survive the Night is that it felt quite different to the author's previous books. I would classify Sager's books as predominantly mysteries, but mysteries which err on the side of horror. Survive the Night felt more crime noir than any of his previous novels. Movies play a big part of the plot, which may have given the book a different feel. Or it may be the overall vibe of the story (the long drive into the night with a complete stranger). Or perhaps it's because it's set in 1991 and the author has excelled at putting an aged/retro feel into his text (no matter what you say, 1991 wasn't THAT long ago! Thirty years is nothing, right...? ). I can't put my finger on exactly what gives Survive the Night its utterly hypnotic and immersive appeal, but I loved it. If this is the direction the author has chosen to go in, then I'm all for it!

I adored Charlie. If you're a fan of the unreliable narrator then oh boy, you need to get yourself a copy of this book! Charlie, having lost both parents in a car accident when she was younger, and having to deal with the trauma of a double funeral, now experiences 'movies in her mind'. Hallucinations to the rest of us. These vivid scenes play out in front of her and only afterwards, when she has 'come to' does she realise they weren't real. Unfortunately for Charlie, the occurrence and the clarity of these 'movies' is on the increase. Which Josh uses to his advantage...

I was a little concerned, before starting the book, that a tale about a six hour long road trip could end up being a little dry. I needn't have worried. It's anything but! As realisation dawns on Charlie, an intricate game of cat and mouse begins in the confines of Josh's Grand Am. The tension builds beautifully, unease and suspicion mount and it's a glorious, hypnotic thing!

Would I recommend this book? 100%, YES! I loved Survive the Night. Everything about it was perfection on a page. The twists are weaved into the story masterfully. One in particular I was able to guess but as you can see, it certainly didn't spoil my reading experience at all. Plus there are lots of other really clever little details thrown into the story to keep you gripped and turning the pages. Sager has excelled himself. I feel as though I lived this book alongside the characters. Absolutely bloody marvellous! Tense, all absorbing and utterly captivating. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Survive the Night. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Let me just start by saying that I LOVED this one! Riley Sager is one of my all time favorite thriller authors, so I was dying to get a copy of Survive the Night. I’d seen some mixed reviews come in from other early reviewers, but I didn’t read any of them prior to reading the book, because I wanted to go in fairly blind. I’m glad I did, because I ended up absolutely loving this one. Of Sager’s 5 novels, it’s up there at the top of the list with me as one of my favorites of his!

After the murder of her roommate/best friend by a serial killer known as the ‘Campus Killer’, Charlie can’t stay at school any longer. The trauma she’s endured between the death of her parents and now her friend has resulted in her seeing “movies in her mind” – she zones out and sees a false reality happening. She wants to go home to visit her grandmother, but since she doesn’t drive, she agrees to ride with a stranger named Josh that she meets at the campus ride share board. As their ride progresses, she becomes increasingly convinced that he’s lying to her, and may actually be the Campus Killer. Remember – this is set in 1991, so there are no cell phones she can use to call for help! That combined with the fact that she can’t always trust what she “sees” happening because of her mental movies lead to a tense, fast-paced, gripping story, and I devoured every second of it.

The novel is told sort of like reading a script or play – you get to see the location of each part of the book through headings, for example “INT GRAND AM”, so you know it’s set inside of the Grand Am car that our main character Charlie is in. In addition to that element, Charlie is a film student who is a big movie buff. There are several movies, directors, and actors mentioned throughout the book – it really is an homage to classic film in addition to being a thriller.

As I said before, I adored this one, from beginning to end (especially the end!) and rated it 5 big stars! I think this would be an excellent mini-series! Lots of twists and turns, a narrator who can’t trust herself, and an element of being ‘trapped’ in a car with someone you can’t trust. What more could you want?! I can’t wait to see what Sager writes next!

It's November 1991. Charlie's best friend, Maddy, was murdered by a still-at-large serial killer. To get away from it all, Charlie decides to take a trip home to see her nan. Good thing Josh Baxter also needs to drive cross country to visit his sick father, or so he says. After all, what does Charlie really know about Josh?

YAS. This is my new favourite Riley Sager book. I loved Lock Every Door but the ending was too far fetched for me for it to be a 5-star read. This one was so good.

What I loved:
- Charlie was big into her movie references, so I love that the whole book is framed as a script.
- The twists kept coming and they were believable.
- Sager did a great job at ramping up and maintaining the sense of uneasiness and tension.
- It was the perfect length.
- I adore the full circle ending of this book.

Any negatives?
- I'm not sure if it's because I basically read this book in two parts, but I do think that the first half of this book is stronger than the last half.

HOWEVER, the whole thing is great so go read this book!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

What a ride!!!! I totally thought I had this booked sussed about halfway through. Even though I thought I knew where this book was going, I was still so compelled to keep reading. And I’m so glad I did, because I was wrong. This book took some unexpected turns in the second half which moved it from a 4 star to a 5 for me. I did unfortunately randomly guess part of the ending, but the way it was revealed and the action at the end had me racing to finish it. This book would make such a good film.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review,

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have not read other books by this author but I loved this one. There were twists and turns, plenty of suspense, a great premise and good writing. I couldn’t put it down until I saw how it ended! Highly recommend and I’ll be looking for more books by the author.

who do you trust when you can't trust yourself. who do you trust when you think you deserve to die and that maybe you are riding in a car with a killer. An interesting premise to this new and very tense Riley Sager book, told as scenes from a movie, esp confusing to the main character, a girl names Charlie as she has blackouts that show up as movie scenes. He has the ability to write realistic female characters, which I appreciate about him. Though did wonder why no one seemed to have a cell phone??????

For once it's not a spoiler to use the words 'unreliable narrator' because wow is one at work here! Be warned - don't pick this up planning to 'just read a bit' because you won't put it down until the end. This is a great serial killer/suspense thriller that ramps up the tension throughout to a finale that made my jaw drop.

What a fantastic book!
I am a hug fan of Riley Sager and have enjoyed his other texts, this new book did not disappoint.

The story follows grieving Charlie, who after losing her best friend tragically decided to leave University and to return home.

Charlie finds a ride home with a 'friendly stranger' , but, all is not what it seems.

Many red flags makes Charlie see that her friendly ride is in fact the murderer who killed her best friend and who has now come back for her.

What follows is a game of cat and mouse with roles between Charlie and the killer interchangeable in these roles throughout.

Charlie must get home safe but also stop 'Josh' from murdering other women.

Throughout the story there are potential 'saviours' who could help Charlie but for one reason and another, cant really help Charlie who is left to avenge her friend, whilst staying alive.

I was constantly questioning Charlie's actions, almost like shouting at the TV screen while watching a thriller, and was engaged throughout the story.

Riley is able to write from a female perspective really well and does reference the 'blame' that Women experience from the world and themselves for actions and circumstance beyond their control and how Women when attacked, physically or mentally, are blamed rather than supported.

5 out of 5 from me.

5 stars
Enjoyability 10/10

After losing her best friend to a brutal murder, Charlie decides to leave her college life behind and go home to heal. She feels like she can't wait and arranges a ride with a stranger she met on the post board. This is the 90's way before rideshare and cell phones; keep that in mind.

As the drive goes on and they exchange stories, Charlie starts to notice there is more to Josh than meets the eye and panics as she suspects she might be riding with the Campus Killer. Will she survive the night?

Nothing I can say about Survive the Night will do it justice. It feels that with every Sager I read, I think that's his best yet, but seriously THIS is Sager's best novel so far. I kind of feel bad for him. It must have been so painful to wait so long to share this book with the world. Hopefully, his torture has an end date - June 29th.

The opening chapter is one of the strongest I have read in a long while, definitely in my top 10 of all times. I was hooked from the first word. Sager set the pace, and it never slowed down. The quote from All About Eve was eerily accurate, and I am glad I listened and fastened my seatbelt!

Survive the Night is a book that doesn't take itself seriously on the surface: It's a bit campy, and it pays homage to some of the best movies of all time. This book is heaven on earth to any movie buff! As an homage, it is a quilt of the most beloved tropes. In the hands of any other author, this would be a disaster. But what Sager achieve was a novel that, at its core, is tightly plotted, intentional, fast-paced, witty, intense, scary, vertigo-inducing (see what I did there?), and very interactive. I was literally talking to (okay, yelling at) Charlie through the whole book. I believed her, I doubted her, I was mad at her, I worried for her. When I finished reading the last word, I dropped the book started clapping as I thanked Sager out loud for such a fantastic experience.

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Hodder & Stoughton, Riley Sager, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Survive the Night.

Yes I may have done a little happy dance when I was approved for this... I do love Riley Sager ❤️ It was a drop everything and read for me ... and I smashed it out in just a few hours. I could not stop reading it. I have seen some mixed reviews on this one but I throughly enjoyed the ride.

I think the key is to go in with an open mind and be ready to suspend belief. Take it fo what it is and enjoy. Think of it as a movie, one that you cannot stop watching even though you think you know what I said going to happen. I did pick a few of the twists but that did not take away from the story. It was fun and addictive and an escape from reality for a few hours... work for me.

A 6 hour road rip with a complete stranger? Not for me, but Charle is that desperate to leave her life at college behind. Her best friend has been murdered by the Campus Killer, who has not been caught yet, an she feels so guilty. So she packs up her room and says goodbye to her boyfriend and gets into the car with Josh, he stranger. Things start. Feel off and he seems to know things about her and the meet that he shouldn’t know... stranger danger in the extreme.

As ai said, it is an addictive read, heavy in the movie quotes and talk. I loved that.! Highly recommend

Thank you so much up Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All the stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow ! Riley Sager does it again. I flew through this book in one sitting just could not stop reading !!
Did not see the twists coming at all really enjoyable fast paced Thriller.

I'm a huge fan of Riley Sager and was so excited to get an ARC of this book. As expected, it is a gripping read, and takes a unique take on a serial killer/victim story. Charlie is a very well drawn character, and you find yourself rooting for her to overcome everything the book throws at her

This novel tells the story of a college student catching a ride with a highly suspect person and her struggle to stay alive during the course of one fateful night. A crazy thrill of a book!

Let me start by saying that I will gladly read anything that Riley Sager writes. He's an auto-buy author for me and did not disappoint me with his latest book, Survive the Night.

Casey is struggling with college life after the surprise death of her roommate and longs to return home. When Josh, a complete stranger she's met at the ride board, offers her a ride home, she accepts. But Casey's roommate was murdered by the Campus Killer who is yet to be found. What does she know about Josh? Could he be the Campus Killer and Casey be his next victim?

The premise of this one is so perfect, I could see it unfolding perfectly as a horror film and I loved it! Casey is a great character, if a little lacking in common sense - would you really accept a lift from a stranger when your roommate was recently murdered? But, this is a typical horror trope (girls who run upstairs instead of out of the door, anyone?). I knew that the story had to have more to the extremely obvious and the twists and turns along the way we're perfect. I couldn't put it down, which is just what I wanted.

It's difficult to go into this one more without spoiling it but it was perfect and I can't wait for Riley Sager's next book.

A huge thank you for allowing me the chance to read in exchange for an honest review!

I remember reading Sagers first book – Final Girls knowing it was a book I had to tell everyone about. I have enjoyed every book since, but I think this one is easily competing to be my favourite.

I just couldn’t stop reading, when I started the book It didn’t feel like something new, it felt easy. Sometimes the first few chapters in a book can pass really slowly because you’re learning about the world, the characters and the storyline begins to grow. This felt like I’d dived into a cool pool on a hot day, welcoming and morish.
This story is all about Charlie. She lost her parents years ago and now shes living alone on campus because her roommates been killed but the local serial killer. Charlie has a great boyfriend in Robbie who is supportive and loyal but Charlie just cant cope anymore.

She has an over active imagination which leads her to play movie style scenarios in her head, sometime the line for reality blurs a little with the imagination fairies. Charlie just wants to go home, to forget about her dead best friend, to get away from the room that they shared and the memory that they made so when she looks for a car pool home shes both relieved and cautious when a stranger offers her a ride.

Straight away we don’t want to trust him, who is he really, why cant she see in the trunk, and could he be the campus killer. The ride home is going to be longer, tense and awkward! Charlie uses her movie knowledge, and trivia to help navigate the journey that she needs to make.

The story is fast paced, its informative, and despite the easy potential for confusion due to Charlies movie episodes the story is easy to follow, I couldn’t read quick enough!

4.5 stars!

Charlie can no longer cope with her reality and needs to leave university and visit her gran. Charlie innocently hitches a ride but will she survive the night?

First off, I am not one of those people who seeks out the plot twists when reading a thriller. I read the story for what it is. With that being said, I expected this to be a quiet, straightforward thriller. Don't ask me why but well done to Riley Sager for that red herring.

The story starts off innocently enough and I thought it was going to be a straightforward read, until about the 60% mark. All of a sudden, Riley hits us with twist after twist after twist and it was a ride! I absolutely loved it.

The writing is great as always and the story setting is quite atmospheric. I loved how Riley was able to have me think one thing and then making the reality to be something completely different.