Cover Image: Survive the Night

Survive the Night

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I love Riley Sager. I've read all of his books and this one did not disappoint! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down!

Was this review helpful?

I read this book a while ago but even now I think about it. I really enjoyed the plot, it was really creative and unpredictable. It had some good twists and turns that kept you guessing what was going to happen. *slight spoiler* I also love it when books have a flash forward section at the end of the book, it really completes the story in my eyes. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Was this review helpful?

Another amazing book from Riley sager had me gripped from the start and had me second guessing throughout.

Was this review helpful?

I'm quite the fan of Riley Sagar and Survive the Night is no different, its tense and gripping throughout. Often making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Was this review helpful?

I am a huge lover of this authors books and was so excited for this one, it did not disappoint at all. This author has such a talent for writing fast paced thrillers with unforeseen plot twists and this was no different. Another fantastic read from this author

Was this review helpful?

This book just wasn't for me. I didn't really feel any tension, and the MC just annoyed me with some of the decisions she made.

Was this review helpful?

Survive the Night - Riley Sager

I found this book a bit of a slow burner, the beginning dragged a little for me, but when once we got going I really appreciated the twists and turns and I found one in particular VERY surprising which is always great. This is the first time reading a Sager book so was not sure what to expect, I wasn't blown away but I will definitely be coming back for more.

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️💫

⚠️ TW/CW: Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Mental Illness, Car Accident

Thoughts: I really liked the concept of this story however the main character was just so unbelievably annoying. I spent most of the time confused as to why on earth she continued to make the decisions she did and it really took me out of the story. I did really enjoy the many twists within this and the ending saved it a little bit for me but ultimately I just don’t think this is Riley Sager’s best work. It felt a little too long and just kind of confusing at times too. I think there’s definitely an audience for this and I just wasn’t it. If you enjoy unlikable characters this might be more your kind of book!

Recommend? 🤷🏻‍♀️
Reread? ❌

Was this review helpful?

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

Was this review helpful?

I know this book was polarising but I loved it. I loved how the story was told in real-time; over the course of a night and how we followed the story hour by hour. As well as the chapters set out as scenes I found to be a clever nod to the main characters' love of films. No, it was nothing groundbreaking and as to be expected with a book of this pacing there were lulls but I did enjoy the journey of the story even if the twists were not particularly stand out or shocking.

Was this review helpful?

I'm a huge lover of Riley Sager books, lock every door and home before dark are 2 of my absolute favourite reads so I'm really sad about survive the night because honestly this book just annoyed me to no end.

I think about 50 pages in I was just absolutely bewildered by the main characters actions they just ( to me at least) weren't even the slightest bit believable and as the story goes on her actions get more and more wild to the point were I was so close to dnfing. Charlie just does things that I don't think any women in her right mind would ever do especially one who's at college and I'm supposed to think she's pretty intelligent but the way her brain worked in this book was just a straight up no from me, her logic just drove me nuts. There is 2 maybe 3 scenes in here were her thought process just completely baffled me.

I feel like I need to follow that up with I'm a total sucker for a great character and this book is purely character driven and so the fact that the characters are acting pretty stupid the entire book just grated on me.

But even after saying all that I will say this was still an incredibly quick read, it definitely reads easy although be warned the main character might just drive you nuts.

Thank you so much to the publishers at netgalley for the e arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙍𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧

This was my first novel by Sager and I was instantly drawn in by this beautiful cover. I was slightly apprehensive, having seen nothing but praise for books like LOCK EVERY DOOR and FINAL GIRLS but pretty mixed reviews for this one. Set in the early 90’s and told through the perspectives of Charlie and Josh, I found Charlie’s chapters the most engaging as the paranoia and ‘movie daydreams’ lull you into a sense of not knowing what was real and what wasn’t.

I’m personally not a big movie fan and this book references movies a lot, so if you’re into your films, you’d probably appreciate this element a lot more than I did. The plot, covering only 24 hours, was expectedly very character led. Charlie was literally every dumb 90’s girl in a cheesy horror movie (the one you’re constantly shouting “what are you doing!?” at) and although she wasn’t entirely unlikeable, she sure made some questionable decisions. Would you get in a car with a stranger after your best friend gets murdered by a still-on-the-loose ‘campus killer’? Just absolutely not.

This book was full of tension and every decision was well planned out, aiding in the suspense - the element of the 90’s setting, with no mobile phones or internet really added to the oppressive feeling. I’m excited to read more of Sager’s work as the writing style is engaging and well plotted and I enjoyed this book, but I’ve nothing to compare it with.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (3/5)

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!

Was this review helpful?

Hmm.. I struggled with this one a bit I am afraid. Great premise and started well, but the plot was very inconsistent and was just very difficult to get into.

Was this review helpful?

I was truly excited to finally get my hands on a book by Riley Sager, mainly because it's a name that is quite popular on Booktube and Bookstagram. Everyone recommends Riley Sager's books, and everyone raves about them, so I was so happy to have been approved for this ARC.

Maybe because of my high expectations, this book kind of fell flat for me. I went into it expecting the next best thing, but really, it's a book that I forgot days after I have read it.

I found the characters foolish and frustrating, and I like a good character. That, paired with the writing...it just all didn't work for me.

It's not particularly good or bad, it's just...a forgettable story, that didn't make me feel anything really....

I do look forward to reading something else from Riley Sager, but if I were to base that decision solely on this book, I wouldn't go picking up anything else by this author.

I apologise to the publisher for the belated review, due to personal issues.

Was this review helpful?

Strong story with well-developed characters. The pacing was going up and down, same was the books ability to hold my attention. Overall, not the best I've read by this author.

Was this review helpful?

This title wasn’t for me. I didn’t love it. The story was strong though. Book was well written. Characters were well developed. The scope was strong. A lot of other people enjoyed this title

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I had such big expectations but I just couldn’t get into the writing style or plot. Apologies

Was this review helpful?

An interesting premise that does manage to stand strong on Sager's writing and pretty excellent pacing, but the plot fails to keep the attention intact and the start frustrates a little too much before the later half actually unfolds with a fine cinema-like thrilling undertone. Unreliable narrators can be shocking but also a lazy tactic and this one gives a mix of both. There's definitely potential and some readers will enjoy this but it speaks volumes when the plot twists fail to impress not because they could be guessed by the reader but because the protagonist was ridiculous enough to not see any of it coming.

Was this review helpful?

I was disappointed in this book, largely because there were major plotholes and unrealistic character behavior. The entire ending fell flat and I soon realized that it didn't matter anyways.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton, in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy. Every so often a thriller will come along which just blows all other thrillers out of the water, and Survive the Night is just one in a long line by Riley Sager to do so.

Survive the Night is the story of Charlie, a college girl whose roommate has recently been murdered by the notorious 'Campus Killer'. Riddled with guilt and suffering periods of dissociation, she makes the rash decision one night to hitch a long ride home with a guy she meets on campus who happens to be driving her way. Faced with a long roadtrip and a potentially bad decision, they start talking and Charlie starts to wonder if maybe she has gotten into the car with precisely the person who might have killed her roommate.

This book is intense. I was worried at first that it was playing its cards too early, but of course I should have known better. Rather than being full of dramatic twists, this book gently shifts and shifts back like a rope ladder, never quite letting you feel secure. The writing is a beautiful lesson in how to create tension and a sense of dread. I read it on a journey home and it made the trip seem so quick, that's how absorbed I was.

As a protagonist, Charlie is a super interesting character. People who are tired of the whole 'mentally ill' heroine trope in thrillers might be disappointed here, but I found her an intriguing and (perhaps most importantly) sympathetic protagonist. Even as she makes stupid decisions, you can always understand her rationale, even if you don't agree with it. That's quite a hard task for a thriller author to accomplish, and it never felt like Charlie was being forced into making stupid decisions for the sake of the plot.

I can't say a whole lot more without giving stuff away, but if you're a fan of either closed space or cat and mouse thrillers, then this book is for you. It's a fast-paced, tightly woven read with plenty to keep you engaged for the ride. Definitely worth checking out this author if you haven't already!

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Was this review helpful?