Synopsis
Lynnette Tarkington is one of several women who make up the "Final Girl Support Group," a group of women who are the sole survivors of horrific massacres. Adrienne was a camp counselor who survived a killer named Bruce who claimed that he was seeking revenge for a nonexistent son. Marilyn was attacked by bloodthirsty cannibals. Dani's brother Nick escaped from a mental asylum and, on Halloween, slaughtered anyone who stood between him and his sister. Julia was left a final girl after her boyfriend and one of his friends decided to turn her into a final girl, and Heather had to face a "Dream Killer." Lynnette herself had to deal with a situation dubbed the "Silent Night Slayings" by the media. A seventh member, Chrissy, left the group in order to sell murder memorabilia. Their experiences left a lasting impact on their lives that has endured into their later adulthood.
Lynette is barely hanging on, only leaving her secured apartment to attend the support group. During one of the gatherings the women learn that Adrienne was killed. They all return to their respective homes, however Julia follows Lynette home and tricks her into allowing her into the apartment along with a reporter, Russell. The trio are attacked and Lynette flees the home and calls her therapist, Dr. Carol, who takes her into her home. The following day Lynette returns to her apartment to retrieve a copy of a tell-all book that Russell had attempted to blackmail her into writing. She then reunites with Marilyn and Heather, learning that Dani had been arrested by the police when they tried to question her about her reopened case. They decide to try and check in on Dani's wife, who is in hospice, however the outing results in the woman's death and Lynette's arrest. Once in jail, the police accuse her of sleeping with the Silent Night Slayings killer, Ricky, using forged letters as evidence. She is attacked in prison by a guard and saved by her former lover Garrett, who reveals that he set up the prison attack to prove that she wasn't safe. Lynette attacks him and flees.
She decides to kidnap a girl she learned about from Dr. Carol's office, Stephanie, who had survived her tennis coach's attempt to kill all of his players. The two decide to investigate leads on their own, including a suspicion that Chrissy may have knowledge of the killer. Chrissy's boyfriend attacks the group and Chrissy dies in the resulting chaos, but not before she voices suspicion that Dr. Carol may be related to the murders. Lynette and Stephanie reconnect with Dani, who tells them that everyone is gathering at Camp Red Lake, the site of Adrienne's slayings. On the way there Lynette and Dani are attacked by Stephanie, revealing that she was one of the killers behind the recent events. Lynette manages to survive by pretending to be dead and makes her way to the camp, where she learns that Dr. Carol's son Skye was also behind the murders. The support group manages to overcome their attackers just in time for the police to arrive and arrest Skye and Stephanie.
In the aftermath of the events, Lynette comes to live with Dani on her ranch while the other women try to heal in their own ways. Lynette comes to realize that Stephanie was groomed by Skye into committing the murders and that while Stephanie was an agressor, she is still a victim of a monster. The book ends with Lynette visiting Stephanie in prison and welcoming her to the Final Girls Support Group.
Development
While writing the book, Hendrix chose not to read other books centered on final girls, as he did not want to be influenced. He completed a first draft of the novel in 2014, but was unable to sell the manuscript due to Riley Sager announcing that he would be penning the novel Final Girls . Hendrix has stated that he was glad the novel did not sell, as he later rewrote the second half of the novel as "I was sticking the landing, but I was sticking a C-minus landing." In an interview, he also stated that he wrote The Final Girl Support Group as a standalone novel, with no intent for a sequel. [3]
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