Riley Sager

"It's November 1991. George H.W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana's in the tape deck, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer"--

A Novel

Survive the Night

Charlie Jordan is being driven across the country by a serial killer. Maybe.

Behind the wheel is Josh Baxter, a stranger Charlie met by the college ride share board, who also has a good reason for leaving university in the middle of term. On the road they share their stories, carefully avoiding the subject dominating the news - the Campus Killer, who's tied up and stabbed three students in the span of a year, has just struck again.

Travelling the lengthy journey between university and their final destination, Charlie begins to notice discrepancies in Josh's story.

As she begins to plan her escape from the man she is becoming certain is the killer, she starts to suspect that Josh knows exactly what she's thinking.

Meaning that she could very well end up as his next victim.

A game of cat and mouse is about to play out. In order to win, Charlie must do only one thing . . . survive the night.

Ruthie C

That's the tricky thing about movies. They can be wonderful and beautiful and amazing. But they're not like life, which is won- derful beautiful and amazing in a different way.

Movies ae my life, she had told Josh. It should have been the other way around. Charlie should have been able to say, My life is like the movies.

lt’s not stupid to want to believe the best in people. You shouldn't get mad at yourself for thinking someone is good and not inherently evil.

Tatum Miller

Charlie Jordan is being driven across the country by a serial killer. Maybe. Behind the wheel is Josh Baxter, a stranger Charlie met by the college ride share board, who also has a good reason for leaving university in the middle of term. On the road they share their stories, carefully avoiding the subject dominating the news - the Campus Killer, who's tied up and stabbed three students in the span of a year, has just struck again. Travelling the lengthy journey between university and their final destination, Charlie begins to notice discrepancies in Josh's story. As she begins to plan her escape from the man she is becoming certain is the killer, she starts to suspect that Josh knows exactly what she's thinking. Meaning that she could very well end up as his next victim. A game of cat and mouse is about to play out. In order to win, Charlie must do only one thing . . . survive the night. ************************* Praise for Riley Sager 'Dark, frightening and twisty story that you won't be able to put down' Shari Lapena on Home Before Dark 'Clever, twisty, and altogether spine-chilling. . . [A] deliciously terrifying story' Ruth Ware on Home Before Dark 'Great . . . If you liked Gone Girl, you'll like this' Stephen King on Final Girls

Lindsay

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One of New York Times Book Review's "summer reads guaranteed to make your heart thump and your skin crawl"; An Amazon Best of the Month Pick; Named a must-read summer book by The Washington Post, USA Today, Vulture, BuzzFeed, Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, CNN, New York Post, Good Housekeeping, E!, PopSugar, CrimeReads, Thrillist, and BookRiot. It’s November 1991. Nirvana's in the tape deck, George H. W. Bush is in the White House, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer. Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the shocking murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father—or so he says. The longer she sits in the passenger seat, the more Charlie notices there’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t want her to see inside the trunk. As they travel an empty, twisty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly anxious Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s jittery mistrust merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination? One thing is certain—Charlie has nowhere to run and no way to call for help. Trapped in a terrifying game of cat and mouse played out on pitch-black roads and in neon-lit parking lots, Charlie knows the only way to win is to survive the night.

Taylor

I held off on reading this book for a long time because of the polarizing reviews it got. From what I remember, when it came out so many people disliked it, and there were some good reasons for this. But after finishing this book, I must say, after reading so many bad mysteries and thrillers in the recent years, this was pretty decent. 

I love Riley Sager's writing. I also love the way he writes his female characters. Usually when a man writes female characters it's obvious it was written by a man, but with Riley Sager I have never felt that. The story was decent, the characters were unique, and there was a lot of movie talk in the book - which I obviously did not understand, but if you're a movie nerd, good for you. 

The plot was interesting, but the main problem, in my opinion was the fact that there were only a few characters. Because of this it was easy to figure out who the villain is. Due to this, the plot twist/s did not hit as hard. But it was still interesting to get the overall picture towards the end. 

Another thing that a lot of people disliked was the ending, and all I have to say is, I saw it coming from a mile away. It was so obvious from the conversations. Yes, a bit unconventional, but does not take away from the fact that the rest of the book was good. 

nuha ✨️

I held off on reading this book for a long time because of the polarizing reviews it got. From what I remember, when it came out so many people disliked it, and there were some good reasons for this. But after finishing this book, I must say, after reading so many bad mysteries and thrillers in the recent years, this was pretty decent. 

I love Riley Sager's writing. I also love the way he writes his female characters. Usually when a man writes female characters it's obvious it was written by a man, but with Riley Sager I have never felt that. The story was decent, the characters were unique, and there was a lot of movie talk in the book - which I obviously did not understand, but if you're a movie nerd, good for you. 

The plot was interesting, but the main problem, in my opinion was the fact that there were only a few characters. Because of this it was easy to figure out who the villain is. Due to this, the plot twist/s did not hit as hard. But it was still interesting to get the overall picture towards the end. 

Another thing that a lot of people disliked was the ending, and all I have to say is, I saw it coming from a mile away. It was so obvious from the conversations. Yes, a bit unconventional, but does not take away from the fact that the rest of the book was good. 

i really disliked this book. the main character is written to be so dumb like there was a quote she said that made me not even want to finish reading but i had like ~60 pages left. i get some people aren't going to be smart protagonists but this was like on a level so dumb, no one would ever do some of the things she does, like literally no one and that just makes it hard for me to read the book. 

the twist was i guess fine, like it surprised me, i guess. but yeah IDK. was just not a fan how this author wrote a female protagonist, so i think this will be my first and last sager book. 

alice l

i really disliked this book. the main character is written to be so dumb like there was a quote she said that made me not even want to finish reading but i had like ~60 pages left. i get some people aren't going to be smart protagonists but this was like on a level so dumb, no one would ever do some of the things she does, like literally no one and that just makes it hard for me to read the book. 

the twist was i guess fine, like it surprised me, i guess. but yeah IDK. was just not a fan how this author wrote a female protagonist, so i think this will be my first and last sager book. 

Rebecca Hurd

As always I love Riley Sager!! Great story with a few good twists…I figured out the killer before the big reveal but it was still a great read and I loved the ending!!!!

Kellie Davis

some of the twists i saw coming, some i didn’t. another good book by riley sager.

kels

The protagonist was so dumb at some parts, but I liked the twists, writing style, and overall plot

Antonia Murabito

THE TWIST IN THIS ONE WAS ABSOLUTELY INSANE!! Riley did it again with a book a probably won’t ever stop thinking about. His writing never fails to have an unpredictable and incredible ending.

Lauren Dale

I guessed the main plot twist but otherwise it was ok!

Kate W

rhegan🧋

riley you know that plot twist was dumb af….

Ryan 

either i'm choosing the worst riley sager books or i just don't think this author doesn't writer compelling thrillers as i hope

i have unfortunately decided to waste the last 5 hours reading this book and it's not like it's the most hated book but oh boy, this was not a good book for me.

you have the main character, charlie, who has a mental illness that isn't well-elaborated to begin with and became someone who i thought was unreliable but is probably the most paranoid person to read about that i wished she took her meds (at least something that worked for her). in addition, she can just dissociate herself from the real world by watching films and can create hallucinations in which she's so distorted from her own truth. again, her mental illness doesn't elaborate on that and sager's 3-person omniscient POV failed to provide any more context.

from there, the novel takes off with unrealistic characters with incomplete backgrounds that didn't make me feel attached to or cared about, an overnight plot that never felt anything suspenseful or thrilling, and a predictable ending that might've came from the limited amount of characters that makes it all very unsatisfying to me.

please tell me there are any better riley sager books that fall under the level of an actual thriller. maybe 3rd time's a charm?

isabella

Riley Sager is not for me. Too dumb and too over the top.

Leticia Leal

Wowee I slammed through this book. Though compelling, it sure was silly as hell.

Denaiir

what a roller coaster! I almost dropped it 10 times, then a plot twist seemed to make it better (I mean enough to push through), but then another one was making it worse. 
I HATE unreliable narrators, the "movies-in-her-imd" were stupid, her focus on old movies pretentious, Maddie's character was the worst friend ever, Josh was stupid (what the hell is he doing with the mind games??), the potential villains were all horrible characters (not despicable, but just unbelievable and badly written) and the final twist was laughable (and don't get me started on the epilogue)
quite disappointed with this one since I quite enjoyed all the previous books by the author
maybe he should write less books and focus on plot quality?

Lara Engle

I swear, I think Riley Sager makes dice with his characters on each side on one, then ridiculous plot points on another. He rolls the dice, then that's what MUST HAPPEN. He's like, "Ope. Serial killer matched with that one? Oh well, gotta do it. That one eats french fries and stabs someone, but also attempts to overdose on sleep medication. Alrighty." There's no other explanation for the absurd twists and turns in his books. His characters are often annoying and unrealistic, but I still keep turning those pages.

I kinda called the plot twist on this one, but it still fun & thrilling nonetheless.

Jillian Roberts

Jenna Wooten

** spoiler alert **
           It was a page turner, and had twists I didn’t see coming. But the main character drove me crazy!! The whole book making awful decisions after having plenty of evidence to change her mind. And the antagonist was a really dumb twist. I wouldn’t of guessed it, and wanted to finish it in one day so I’d know how it ended- but 🥴

Lorraine

This book starts on a College Campus and around Charlie, whose best friend Maddy is the third victim of serial killer - The Campus Killer.

Charlie has decided she can no longer stay at College after what happened to Maddy and the guilt she feels surrounding her murder. She oddly agrees to take the trip home with a complete stranger and here the story gets interesting… or doesn’t as the case may be. I was so disappointed with this book, I found it a hard slog until the last maybe five chapters, which moved it from a two star to three for me. I’m afraid that there was not a lot about it that I liked. I’m glad it picked up a little towards the end, but still not great. I know a lot love this author, so I will still try another book to see if this one was a one off.

some of it was pretty corny, but the big twist was SO good (even if I predicted it) and the last “movie montage” with Maddy actually made my heart ache. I didn’t personally find Charlie annoying! Maybe it’s just my movie-loving, maladaptive daydream having self projecting onto her, but I found her really likeable. Also loved the final epilogue of sorts. Another fun twist to finish a twisty book.

Catherine Coronado

Survive the Night by Riley Sager is a rollercoaster of a book that's perfect if you're looking for a quick and mindless read. Don't expect too much from it, and just keep pushing through any loose ends that don't connect. Now, let's dive into my complaints about this interesting yet facepalm-inducing story.

First off, our main character Charlie seems to have only half a brain cell. Seriously, her lack of common sense is mind-boggling. Despite experiencing multiple tragedies in her life, she still manages to trust a complete stranger. Bravo, Charlie! And when she discovers clues that this stranger, Josh aka Jake, is not who he claims to be, she decides to embark on a stupid road trip with him. Oh, and let's not forget when she shares her delusions of grandeur with him. Because why not spill all your secrets to a lying stranger? Nothing bad could come of that, right? And of course, we can't miss the eye-roll-inducing moment of the murderer reveal, but we will get to that at a later point in the review.

Then there's Marge, who Charlie spends half the novel complaining about loss and missing her friend Maddy, only to completely fail at recognizing Maddy's own grandmother. How did that escape her? Maybe she needs a new pair of glasses or a crash course in family recognition.

And let's talk about the ending, where Charlie and Josh aka Jake end up together. Seriously? How dare she get together with a man who essentially kidnapped her? Romance at its finest, I suppose.

But hold on tight because here comes the big WTF moment: the boyfriend is the killer! While a plot twist can be exciting, the killer's reasoning behind the murders falls flat. Killing four women because they wanted attention and weren't special? Really? That's the best you could come up with? It's a cop-out, plain and simple.

Now, let's address the biggest what the fuck moment of them all. This is my second Riley Sager book, the first being "Lock Every Door," and I can't help but notice a recurring pattern: incredibly stupid main female characters. It's like a curse or a running joke that I just can't seem to escape.

In conclusion, Survive the Night is a fast-paced and interesting read, but be prepared for characters lacking in basic common sense and plot twists that leave you scratching your head. If you're looking for a book to switch off your brain and have a good laugh at the absurdity, this might just be the one for you. Just don't expect any intellectual stimulation along the way.

Survive the Night by Riley Sager is a rollercoaster of a book that's perfect if you're looking for a quick and mindless read. Don't expect too much from it, and just keep pushing through any loose ends that don't connect. Now, let's dive into my complaints about this interesting yet facepalm-inducing story.

First off, our main character Charlie seems to have only half a brain cell. Seriously, her lack of common sense is mind-boggling. Despite experiencing multiple tragedies in her life, she still manages to trust a complete stranger. Bravo, Charlie! And when she discovers clues that this stranger, Josh aka Jake, is not who he claims to be, she decides to embark on a stupid road trip with him. Oh, and let's not forget when she shares her delusions of grandeur with him. Because why not spill all your secrets to a lying stranger? Nothing bad could come of that, right? And of course, we can't miss the eye-roll-inducing moment of the murderer reveal, but we will get to that at a later point in the review.

Then there's Marge, who Charlie spends half the novel complaining about loss and missing her friend Maddy, only to completely fail at recognizing Maddy's own grandmother. How did that escape her? Maybe she needs a new pair of glasses or a crash course in family recognition.

And let's talk about the ending, where Charlie and Josh aka Jake end up together. Seriously? How dare she get together with a man who essentially kidnapped her? Romance at its finest, I suppose.

But hold on tight because here comes the big WTF moment: the boyfriend is the killer! While a plot twist can be exciting, the killer's reasoning behind the murders falls flat. Killing four women because they wanted attention and weren't special? Really? That's the best you could come up with? It's a cop-out, plain and simple.

Now, let's address the biggest what the fuck moment of them all. This is my second Riley Sager book, the first being "Lock Every Door," and I can't help but notice a recurring pattern: incredibly stupid main female characters. It's like a curse or a running joke that I just can't seem to escape.

In conclusion, Survive the Night is a fast-paced and interesting read, but be prepared for characters lacking in basic common sense and plot twists that leave you scratching your head. If you're looking for a book to switch off your brain and have a good laugh at the absurdity, this might just be the one for you. Just don't expect any intellectual stimulation along the way.

Emmm :p

if you like plot twists as much as i do READ THIS BOOK. my jaw dropped multiple times. i finished it within a few hours. OMG. it was soooooo sooo good!!!

Some predictable twists, and a bit hard to read at the beginning when she didn't know of she was losing her mind or not.

Jenny Engel

Some predictable twists, and a bit hard to read at the beginning when she didn't know of she was losing her mind or not.

Easy, fast read.

Ok I almost put this book down as a DNF multiple times but then another twist would show up that kept me going. I didn’t love the portrayal of mental illness and grief, but I really enjoyed the movie references. Also I totally knew Robbie was the killer. But learning we got the movie version at the end! That blew my mind.

Amelia Hruby

Alexa M

i knew this was going to be bad based on reviews, but wanted to see for myself.
the first half of the book is just dumb bitch chronicles, then the second half is like what. i will say the BIG twist i did not see coming, and liked. but i felt everything was very rushed at the end and didnt all make sense. also could not get based how fing stupid our MC is... like girlfriend get a GRIP

Survive the Night A Novel

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