I watch Bookables on Youtube a lot, mostly to get recommendations for romance novels (her favorite trope is hate to love, so is mine), but since she's also a seasonal reader, when September comes around, she makes video about fall reads. That usually means more suspense novels. I've heard her say she scares easily before so I don't think straight up horror is her thing. Anyway, I heard about this book in one of her videos and it's the first of Riley Sager's novels that I've read.
Survive the Night takes place over the course of one night, in November of 1991. It's about a girl named Charlie who gets a ride home from college with Josh, a complete stranger, after her best friend/roommate, Maddy, is murdered. Charlie blames herself and can't handle being at school anymore, so she decides to leave it, and her boyfriend, Robbie, behind. Unfortunately for Charlie, during her ride with Josh, she begins to notice that not everything adds up with him. She catches him in several lies, his license has a different name on it and she's starting to think maybe he's actually the Campus Killer. To make matters more complicated, Charlie "sees movies" in her head. Hallucinations. How much of what she's experiencing is real and how much of it is her imagination?
The entire premise of this book is terrifying and had me stressed out. I started thinking about how I would never, ever get into a car with a man I don't know. Men scare me. I'm sure most women feel the same way. If I were walking alone after dark (which I rarely do if I can help it) and I saw a man walking towards me...Or noticed them walking behind me...I would panic. I can't imagine any situation where I would willingly get into a car with a complete stranger. And yes, I know not all men are dangerous. That isn't the point.
Here's what I liked about Survive the Night. I loved all the references to old movies. Old movies are my thing, I was happy to see it. I also really enjoyed the first half of the book. It seemed like something that could actually happen, it was realistic. And Josh was likable, for someone who is potentially a serial killer. That's it though.
Because the truth is, I really didn't like this book overall. It was predictable, I had it figured out before 10:00 p.m. (Josh picks Charlie up a little after 9:00 p.m.). Charlie is impossible to feel sorry for, I even wanted her to die at a certain point because every decision she made was illogical and stupid. It was almost like she was trying to get herself killed, I was so frustrated throughout the second half of the book. The motive was ridiculous and I really hated the ending. It was a quick read, thankfully, because at a certain point, I really just wanted it to end. The tension I felt reading the first half was replaced by annoyance. It's not the worst book I've ever read, but none of Charlie's actions made sense. If you're looking for an easy read, this is it, but...You've been warned.
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