Survive the Night: A Novel

I genuinely enjoyed this thriller! Sometimes I agree the MC acted a little like a character in a scary movie, doing the dumbest things, but she’s someone who’s going through grief and she overthinks a lot. I thought it was a fun read, I didn’t see the twist (all 5 of them) coming so that counts as a win to me!

Charlie agrees to share a ride home to Ohio with Josh Baxter, a stranger she meets at the college campus ride board, both eager to escape for their own reasons. Still reeling from the murder of her best friend, Charlie grows increasingly uneasy as Josh’s stories begin to unravel. As they drive through dark, deserted highways, her suspicions intensify. Trapped with no way to escape or call for help, Charlie must decide whether her fear is paranoia or if she’s fighting to survive a night with a killer. I actually DNFed this book like 2 years ago and I was upset bc the bookseller hyped it up and I just didn’t understand why at the time. BUT I held onto it for whatever reason and finally gave it a second chance. It was so good guys. Idk what was wrong with me the first time. Survive The Night is a locked-room mystery but you’re stuck in the car with a possible murderer. Also- isn’t everybody’s first lesson to never get in the car with a stranger??? While this isn’t my favorite Riley Sager book, it had enough curiosity for me to have to find out what happens and most importantly WHY things are happening. It’s a bit slower paced, but never boring. Also, this one does not have paranormal elements so if that isn’t your thing but you still want a taste of what this author is about, Survive The Night is still a great choice.

What to say about this book? Meh. It stutters along. There were times I wondered, where is this going? And then we arrive somewhere and then we’re back to, where is this going? Final destination, crazy town. And then there’s the ending. It’s kind of jarring. Don’t get me wrong. I love Riley Sager novels, but this one seems strangely unlike the previous ones. But give it a read. You may love it.

2.5/5 stars. I’m giving it an extra half a star, because it had an amount of suspense that I had been craving. But everything else was so insanely disappointing.

I have yet to be disappointed with one of Riley Sager's books! I loved the twists! This one gave me vibes from "No Exit" by Taylor Adams and "Run on Red" by Noelle W. Ihli, ONLY BETTER!