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:
.5
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