Maddie Shephard learned the hard way that true crime is no laughing matter. Not when she found herself the target of a madman. Plagued by nightmares and a worsening neurological condition, she is a far cry from the flippant podcast host she used to be.
Heather Gorney was one of the first to earn the title “Final Girl.” She had money, fame and respect. But new Final Girls have emerged. Girls who want to be like her without earning it. Girls who need to be taught a lesson. Because Heather doesn’t share the spotlight.
Nova Cabrera is a nobody. A poor Dominican girl from the inner city, a brutal assault left her broken and desperate. The legal system failed her. The media ignores her. Her suffering doesn’t matter to them. If they won’t notice, she’ll just have to make them.
Three very different woman bonded by trauma will find themselves on a collision course, not just with each other, but with a killer that has unfinished business.
This is my 1st book by James Kaine, & I grabbed this one because two narrators I very much enjoy, Moniqua Plante & Christian Leatherman, narrate, & I enjoy slasher thrillers. I went in blind, which is the best way to experience this one as it’s unpredictable, over-the-top, & a wild ride. And this felt more like a real slasher movie than any other slasher book I’ve read!
The story is told in a multi-POV with a really interesting structure. It starts with an excerpt from Final Girl Melissa Campbell’s book detailing how she survived, told in her first-person POV, before shifting into third person as she signs copies at one of New York City’s largest bookstores. She’s suddenly murdered in the opening chapter (not a spoiler), and the killer leaves a chilling message on the bathroom mirror: “Not So Final Now.” For me, thiswas such a dramatic and intriguing setup, and I needed to know where the story was headed. From there, we get the first episode of “The Killer Couple” podcast from Maddie and her boyfriend, Owen, two true-crime junkies discussing the killer Melissa originally survived. As the story unfolds, we get to know Maddie much better and discover something terrible happened to her months earlier, leaving her with physical scars and trauma. Her Tourette’s syndrome is thoughtfully incorporated into the story and becomes really interesting during podcast episodes, survival scenes, and interactions with her best friend, Lizzie. Lizzie plays a much bigger role than I initially expected, and by the end, she was one of my favorite characters!
Then there are all the other POVs, including Nova Cabrera, a young woman caught in a court battle against a rich-boy attacker she met on New Year’s Eve, and Heather Gorney, another Final Girl whose survival story is the most grotesque and unbelievable of them all. Heather’s a real standout—she’s ruthless, unpredictable, and increasingly unhinged, and I was questioning her motives immediately. As the story unfolds, most of the female characters prove to be absolute NUT BARS in one way or another, in the best possible way—so have your popcorn ready!
At the center of everything is Ray Curtis, a serial killer who feels very much like a Michael Myers-type character—relentless, terrifying, and seemingly impossible to stop. The authorities believe he perished in a fire, but his resurgence and the disturbing history of his family are revealed in some brilliantly unpredictable ways.
I will admit that during roughly the first 30%, there were a lot of POV changes, and I found myself wondering how many characters were going to be introduced. Thankfully, it settles down, and I had no trouble following everything. As you’d expect in a slasher thriller, you ABSOLUTELY need to suspend your disbelief throughout, just like watching a slasher movie. Characters make terrible decisions, ignore huge red flags, and put themselves in situations where I was yelling at them to turn around and run. As the story moves toward the climax, there are far too many convenient moments for what happens to feel at all plausible, but I went in expecting this and enjoyed the wild ride—and let me tell you, it gets WILD!!
The chapters are extremely short, with some only being a couple of minutes long on audio, and many end on mini cliffhangers that keep you hooked. The constant POV shifts work well on audiobook, and the Killer Couple podcast segments throughout add another layer to the story and elevate the audiobook production. Figuring out when the podcast episodes actually take place confused me at first, but later on, I had some major “a-ha moments,” and they helped me piece everything together.
When all the threads come crashing together in the climax, you get exactly the kind of high-stakes, over-the-top confrontation you expect in a slasher film—but in this case, the terror is amplified because multiple villains are in one place! There were some killings late in the story that really surprised me, along with some extremely satisfying moments right at the end. The epilogue left me unsettled and opens the door for what could be a very interestingsequel! I also have to say that this book would translate really well to film, and I would absolutely watch this as a movie!
Overall, this is a strong slasher thriller, and it works REALLY well on audiobook. Moniqua Plante does an impressive job giving the many female characters distinct voices and personalities, while Christian Leatherman handles the male characters and his part of the podcast segments effortlessly. If you go into this with the right expectations, are prepared to suspend your disbelief throughout, and enjoy the crazy ride, you’ll have a lot of fun with this one!! I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it!
Narrator Performance
The Final Final Girl is read by seasoned narrators Moniqua Plante and Christian Leatherman. Plante really showcases her acting talent here by giving all of the female leads distinct, convincing voices and personalities—and these women have completely different backgrounds, circumstances, motivations, and levels of sanity!!
Plante portrays the main protagonist, Maddie Shephard, with a warm, vulnerable voice, layered with determination and resilience underneath. You can hear the lingering effects of the trauma she experienced months earlier in her dialogue. The delivery also captures how much effort Maddie puts into managing her Tourette syndrome symptoms—the scenes when her tics unexpectedly interrupt her speech and decision-making are really effective! I also loved the way Plante narrated the scenes between Maddie and Lizzie. Their back-and-forth banter sounds like two people who really know each other.
For Nova Cabrera, Plante gives a very different performance. At first, Nova is portrayed as anxious, desperate, and angry—and given everything happening in her life and her legal battle against her attacker, I (initially) felt empathy for her. Plante’s accents for Nova and her family members are also all very convincing. As Nova’s story progresses, Plante subtly shifts the performance and reveals a darker, morally gray side to the character. It felt like her mask was slowly lifting as I was listening, and it made me question what Nova would do next! Plante’s performance of Heather Gorney was my favorite of all—she portrays her with an intelligent-sounding, calculating, unhinged voice with the perfect touch of sarcasm in her tone. Plante’s delivery of Heather’s unhinged rants, scheming, and bizarre retorts gave me so many emotions—I laughed out loud, was grossed out, shocked, and on edge. A very dynamic performance!!
Leatherman provides an excellent contrast for the male characters, particularly for Owen during the podcast segments. Initially, he makes Owen sound like a supportive boyfriend and someone who’s interested in helping Maddie heal. But as more of Owen’s selfish motivations become apparent, Leatherman subtly shifts his portrayal. You can hear that he’s interested in attention. During heated exchanges between Owen and Maddie later on, Leatherman’s delivery makes the tension palpable and gripping. I already disliked Owen by that point, but hearing Leatherman’s delivery made me dislike him even more!
Leatherman’s performance of Detective Mike Cordell is a real highlight, particularly once he starts investigating without authority. He gives the character more urgency and suspicion in his voice as he tries to figure out what’s happening and how the murders connect—especially when Mike enters the home where Chloe has been murdered. The intensity and suspense in those scenes made me feel like I was listening to the audio of a horror film!
The Killer Couple podcast segments are another highlight. The duet-style narration gives these segments an immersive, high-production value—and I felt like I was in the room recording the podcast with them. Both narrators also do a great job conveying the complex and sometimes toxic relationship between Maddie and Owen.
If you enjoy slasher thrillers with podcast elements, serial killers, multiple Final Girls, and seriously unhinged characters, grab a copy of this audiobook ASAP!
Narrator Performance
The Final Final Girl is read by seasoned narrators Moniqua Plante and Christian Leatherman. Plante really showcases her acting talent here by giving all of the female leads distinct, convincing voices and personalities—and these women have completely different backgrounds, circumstances, motivations, and levels of sanity!!
Plante portrays the main protagonist, Maddie Shephard, with a warm, vulnerable voice, layered with determination and resilience underneath. You can hear the lingering effects of the trauma she experienced months earlier in her dialogue. The delivery also captures how much effort Maddie puts into managing her Tourette syndrome symptoms—the scenes when her tics unexpectedly interrupt her speech and decision-making are really effective! I also loved the way Plante narrated the scenes between Maddie and Lizzie. Their back-and-forth banter sounds like two people who really know each other.
For Nova Cabrera, Plante gives a very different performance. At first, Nova is portrayed as anxious, desperate, and angry—and given everything happening in her life and her legal battle against her attacker, I (initially) felt empathy for her. Plante’s accents for Nova and her family members are also all very convincing. As Nova’s story progresses, Plante subtly shifts the performance and reveals a darker, morally gray side to the character. It felt like her mask was slowly lifting as I was listening, and it made me question what Nova would do next! Plante’s performance of Heather Gorney was my favorite of all—she portrays her with an intelligent-sounding, calculating, unhinged voice with the perfect touch of sarcasm in her tone. Plante’s delivery of Heather’s unhinged rants, scheming, and bizarre retorts gave me so many emotions—I laughed out loud, was grossed out, shocked, and on edge. A very dynamic performance!!
Leatherman provides an excellent contrast for the male characters, particularly for Owen during the podcast segments. Initially, he makes Owen sound like a supportive boyfriend and someone who’s interested in helping Maddie heal. But as more of Owen’s selfish motivations become apparent, Leatherman subtly shifts his portrayal. You can hear that he’s interested in attention. During heated exchanges between Owen and Maddie later on, Leatherman’s delivery makes the tension palpable and gripping. I already disliked Owen by that point, but hearing Leatherman’s delivery made me dislike him even more!
Leatherman’s performance of Detective Mike Cordell is a real highlight, particularly once he starts investigating without authority. He gives the character more urgency and suspicion in his voice as he tries to figure out what’s happening and how the murders connect—especially when Mike enters the home where Chloe has been murdered. The intensity and suspense in those scenes made me feel like I was listening to the audio of a horror film!
The Killer Couple podcast segments are another highlight. The duet-style narration gives these segments an immersive, high-production value—and I felt like I was in the room recording the podcast with them. Both narrators also do a great job conveying the complex and sometimes toxic relationship between Maddie and Owen.
If you enjoy slasher thrillers with podcast elements, serial killers, multiple Final Girls, and seriously unhinged characters, grab a copy of this audiobook ASAP!
The Final Final Girl is read by seasoned narrators Moniqua Plante and Christian Leatherman. Plante really showcases her acting talent here by giving all of the female leads distinct, convincing voices and personalities—and these women have completely different backgrounds, circumstances, motivations, and levels of sanity!!
Plante portrays the main protagonist, Maddie Shephard, with a warm, vulnerable voice, layered with determination and resilience underneath. You can hear the lingering effects of the trauma she experienced months earlier in her dialogue. The delivery also captures how much effort Maddie puts into managing her Tourette syndrome symptoms—the scenes when her tics unexpectedly interrupt her speech and decision-making are really effective! I also loved the way Plante narrated the scenes between Maddie and Lizzie. Their back-and-forth banter sounds like two people who really know each other.
For Nova Cabrera, Plante gives a very different performance. At first, Nova is portrayed as anxious, desperate, and angry—and given everything happening in her life and her legal battle against her attacker, I (initially) felt empathy for her. Plante’s accents for Nova and her family members are also all very convincing. As Nova’s story progresses, Plante subtly shifts the performance and reveals a darker, morally gray side to the character. It felt like her mask was slowly lifting as I was listening, and it made me question what Nova would do next! Plante’s performance of Heather Gorney was my favorite of all—she portrays her with an intelligent-sounding, calculating, unhinged voice with the perfect touch of sarcasm in her tone. Plante’s delivery of Heather’s unhinged rants, scheming, and bizarre retorts gave me so many emotions—I laughed out loud, was grossed out, shocked, and on edge. A very dynamic performance!!
Leatherman provides an excellent contrast for the male characters, particularly for Owen during the podcast segments. Initially, he makes Owen sound like a supportive boyfriend and someone who’s interested in helping Maddie heal. But as more of Owen’s selfish motivations become apparent, Leatherman subtly shifts his portrayal. You can hear that he’s interested in attention. During heated exchanges between Owen and Maddie later on, Leatherman’s delivery makes the tension palpable and gripping. I already disliked Owen by that point, but hearing Leatherman’s delivery made me dislike him even more!
Leatherman’s performance of Detective Mike Cordell is a real highlight, particularly once he starts investigating without authority. He gives the character more urgency and suspicion in his voice as he tries to figure out what’s happening and how the murders connect—especially when Mike enters the home where Chloe has been murdered. The intensity and suspense in those scenes made me feel like I was listening to the audio of a horror film!
The Killer Couple podcast segments are another highlight. The duet-style narration gives these segments an immersive, high-production value—and I felt like I was in the room recording the podcast with them. Both narrators also do a great job conveying the complex and sometimes toxic relationship between Maddie and Owen.
If you enjoy slasher thrillers with podcast elements, serial killers, multiple Final Girls, and seriously unhinged characters, grab a copy of this audiobook ASAP!
