I would like to strongly preface this review by saying that the issues that I have had with this book are completely my own, and that they do not, in any way reflect my opinions of the author's works in general. That said, I have to regretfully break up with this book. It is making my left eye twitch.
I started reading The Last Final Girl for my October horror marathon. I tracked down Stephen Graham Jones on Goodreads while trying to find horror writers who are not old white dudes. I looked through his list of works, and fell in love with his bibliography. Dude totally gives good Title! And the author photo is quite dishy. (Hello Book FanGrRLs!)
I was immediately drawn to this book's concept! For those of you unaware of what a Final Girl is, it has to do with the incredibly formulaic nature of B-Horror movies, specifically slashers. The Final Girl is so called because she is the only one standing at the end.
Sidney Prescott, Nancy Thompson, Ellen Ripley. These are Final Girls. For me it will always be Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode.
I wanted to love this book, I really did! And for the most part, it was very book crush worthy! The concept is awesome. The plot's great. In the opening pages, Jones's Final Girl (seemingly) defeats a killer by using her D cup bikini top as a slingshot. The characters are appropriately campy. (A slasher villain named Billie Jean because he wears a Michael Jackson mask) I even loved the dialogue!
Completely badass!
My problem was very specifically the Point of View of the book. It is written as an amalgamation of a prose narrative and a screenplay. It's written in first person present tense, and it is actually a pretty nifty idea. I loved the concept when I read about it in the book blurb. The Goodreads reviews bear out its unique nature of writing style. The book is basically told in present tense stage direction with dialogue peppered-in. The paragraphs transition between scenes in a whip-pan style like a camera would, which is very cool.
Do I have 'but'face?
My problem (and I emphasize the 'my' here) is my meandering career path. My Bachelor's degree is in Telecommunications and Film Making, so I was trained to read and write stage direction in a specific style. Shot description: Shot Action. My Library School training taught me to analyze prose in a narrative sense. All of this sounds, and is perhaps, a bit pretentious.
Basically, in reading this book, my brain is unable to follow the narrative of the prose, for the whip-pan style of paragraph transition. I tried to power through, but the transitions became painful. I gave it twenty pages before I finally had to call it quits.
I read an article recently on Book Riot about when it's time to break up with a book. For me it was the eye twitch. This book just wasn't for me. But I still recommend The Last Final Girl as a book date for all you horror junkies out there. You may well be able to weather the transitions better than I. Your brain may not be as stringent about the writing style. And if you do, please please, tell me how it ends? I'd be ever so grateful!
I have not given up on Stephen Graham Jones, though! Upon returning The Last Final Girl to my InterLibrary Loan clerk, I put Mongrels on hold. Cause mama lurvs her some werewolves! So we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, rock on Billie Jean!
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