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The Final Final Girl
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26A Simon & Schuster audiobook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every listener.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 15, 2026
About the author
James Kaine
14 books365 followersJames Kaine is a bestselling author known for such works as MY PET WEREWOLF and THE DEAD CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND, a novel that BookLife by Publishers Weekly proclaimed, “will chill readers to the bone.” An active member of the Horror Writers Association, he is building a growing catalogue of terrifying tales that have been translated into multiple languages, won awards and garnered critical acclaim. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, children and Boston Terrier.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Title: The Final Final Girl
Author: James Kaine
Release Date:9/15/26
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Any story James writes is gold. Four final girls became famous after surviving brutal attacks by serial killers. Now they are being targeted by someone who wants them dead. Maddie, a podcast host, is plagued by Tourette syndrome and nightmares. Heather, the first person to earn the title of “Final Girl” after surviving an attack from a family of cannibals, is MAD. Other Final Girls have emerged without “earning” the title, and Heather doesn’t want to share the fame. Nova, a girl from the inner city, is assaulted. With the legal system failing her, she doesn’t feel like she’s noticed. And if she cannot get others to notice her, she’ll make them notice her. Three different women, now on a collision course with each other and a killer with what could be catastrophic results.
“The Final Final Girl” is such a great book that it’s hard to know where to begin praising it. To begin, James is taking a very familiar slasher horror trope, the “final girl” concept, and breathing originality and creativity into the story. Final girl novels are a dime a dozen in the horror community. This one raises the bar considerably. The story is creative, brutal, and suspenseful and the characters are developed perfectly. Each character, whether “good” or “bad”, develops a quick emotional connection with the reader. As well, I do appreciate how James incorporates some of his personal life into one of the characters (Maddie). The characters are so vivid, it feels like they are standing there in front of you rather than just a name on paper. Character development is very important and plays a significant role in how memorable a story is to me. James made the story unforgettable and continued the streak of killer, kick ass books that I’ve recently read (for the other recent authors, you know who you are, and thank you so much for everything you do)!
Checking out this book is not a recommendation, it’s an absolute must. Thank you James for the ARC opportunity!
Author: James Kaine
Release Date:9/15/26
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Any story James writes is gold. Four final girls became famous after surviving brutal attacks by serial killers. Now they are being targeted by someone who wants them dead. Maddie, a podcast host, is plagued by Tourette syndrome and nightmares. Heather, the first person to earn the title of “Final Girl” after surviving an attack from a family of cannibals, is MAD. Other Final Girls have emerged without “earning” the title, and Heather doesn’t want to share the fame. Nova, a girl from the inner city, is assaulted. With the legal system failing her, she doesn’t feel like she’s noticed. And if she cannot get others to notice her, she’ll make them notice her. Three different women, now on a collision course with each other and a killer with what could be catastrophic results.
“The Final Final Girl” is such a great book that it’s hard to know where to begin praising it. To begin, James is taking a very familiar slasher horror trope, the “final girl” concept, and breathing originality and creativity into the story. Final girl novels are a dime a dozen in the horror community. This one raises the bar considerably. The story is creative, brutal, and suspenseful and the characters are developed perfectly. Each character, whether “good” or “bad”, develops a quick emotional connection with the reader. As well, I do appreciate how James incorporates some of his personal life into one of the characters (Maddie). The characters are so vivid, it feels like they are standing there in front of you rather than just a name on paper. Character development is very important and plays a significant role in how memorable a story is to me. James made the story unforgettable and continued the streak of killer, kick ass books that I’ve recently read (for the other recent authors, you know who you are, and thank you so much for everything you do)!
Checking out this book is not a recommendation, it’s an absolute must. Thank you James for the ARC opportunity!
Review of advance copy received from Author
**ARC Review**
Author: James Kaine
Book: The Final Final Girl
Book Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Horror
“Every face represented a loss to the world—children that would never be born, careers that would never be realized, a world that they would never get the chance to change.”
The Final Final Girl by James Kaine is, in my opinion, the perfect slasher story. It is an open love letter to the genre and delivers on every promise. It opens in a bloody fashion and is practically non-stop throughout the entire book.
The final girl is the character in a slasher horror movie who survives until the very end. You have Laurie Strode from Halloween, Sidney Prescott from Scream, Nancy Thompson from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and so many others. What happens after the final girl survives the killer? How do they go on with their lives? What happens when someone starts killing off the final girls? Madeline Shephard, a college girl who suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, survived the killer known as Nobody. She is left haunted by what happened and is just trying to move on with her life. When she goes back to her former college to close some doors on her past, her past comes back to haunt her.
There are so many cultural references to other slasher movies in this story, but it never feels like it is trying to be them; this story stands on its own. In a way, Madeline might be my all-time favorite final girl now. The story was unique. In a genre that constantly falls back on old and clichéd tropes, this one goes above and beyond. It shows the utmost respect for the genre and delivers a powerful plot that kept me guessing about what would happen next.
James Kaine is a powerhouse of an author who keeps writing hit after hit. He shows the genre with the greatest respect and knows how to scare his audience. He is a master at playing with your emotions and ripping the rug out from under you, and The Final Final Girl is no exception. Make sure you preorder this book and pick it up on September 15th.
Author: James Kaine
Book: The Final Final Girl
Book Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Horror
“Every face represented a loss to the world—children that would never be born, careers that would never be realized, a world that they would never get the chance to change.”
The Final Final Girl by James Kaine is, in my opinion, the perfect slasher story. It is an open love letter to the genre and delivers on every promise. It opens in a bloody fashion and is practically non-stop throughout the entire book.
The final girl is the character in a slasher horror movie who survives until the very end. You have Laurie Strode from Halloween, Sidney Prescott from Scream, Nancy Thompson from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and so many others. What happens after the final girl survives the killer? How do they go on with their lives? What happens when someone starts killing off the final girls? Madeline Shephard, a college girl who suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, survived the killer known as Nobody. She is left haunted by what happened and is just trying to move on with her life. When she goes back to her former college to close some doors on her past, her past comes back to haunt her.
There are so many cultural references to other slasher movies in this story, but it never feels like it is trying to be them; this story stands on its own. In a way, Madeline might be my all-time favorite final girl now. The story was unique. In a genre that constantly falls back on old and clichéd tropes, this one goes above and beyond. It shows the utmost respect for the genre and delivers a powerful plot that kept me guessing about what would happen next.
James Kaine is a powerhouse of an author who keeps writing hit after hit. He shows the genre with the greatest respect and knows how to scare his audience. He is a master at playing with your emotions and ripping the rug out from under you, and The Final Final Girl is no exception. Make sure you preorder this book and pick it up on September 15th.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another page-turner from James Kaine! This time he gives us his extraordinary take on the "final girl" horror trope - the movie-inspired concept of the girl who not only survives in a slasher movie, but also manages to kill the serial killer (or so we are led to believe!). Kaine's book is as good as anything recently written on the same idea, either by Hendrix or Graham Jones; and (dare I say it?), at times I thought it might be even better! The pacing is relentless, the twists original, the storytelling genius, but it's the characters that really make a difference: I binged their stories in a couple of sittings, eager to see how the world would treat slasher survivors if they were real - and how they themselves would respond to this nasty encounter with evil!
The premise is compelling: someone is killing final girls, and the action starts immediately! Through several smartly placed flashbacks (and the transcripts of a true crime podcast), the whole picture arises bit by bit. The cast is large, and the four major players are introduced right as the story is developping (a young woman who faced down a demented clown, another who got hurt by her own brother, a third hunted by that same brother later on, and an older woman who survived an attack by cannibals, and now left forgotten by the public). By the time we have a good grasp of the issues tormenting each one, the story has reached full speed, and remains in high gear right to the explosive, bloody, and gory ending! And even then, the twists keep coming!
It's impossible not to love such a superbly plotted and emotionally intense book. Although it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it's easy to see how it might lead to a sequel. A great, intelligent, gruesome read!
The premise is compelling: someone is killing final girls, and the action starts immediately! Through several smartly placed flashbacks (and the transcripts of a true crime podcast), the whole picture arises bit by bit. The cast is large, and the four major players are introduced right as the story is developping (a young woman who faced down a demented clown, another who got hurt by her own brother, a third hunted by that same brother later on, and an older woman who survived an attack by cannibals, and now left forgotten by the public). By the time we have a good grasp of the issues tormenting each one, the story has reached full speed, and remains in high gear right to the explosive, bloody, and gory ending! And even then, the twists keep coming!
It's impossible not to love such a superbly plotted and emotionally intense book. Although it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it's easy to see how it might lead to a sequel. A great, intelligent, gruesome read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I always eagerly devour James Kaine’s books so when I heard he had one coming out about slashers and final girls (my fav trope!) and it was compared to Heathers (my fav movie) I leapt at the opportunity to read it early.
And it’s just as intense and bloody as I hoped it would be.
Final girls are a movie concept where one lone surviving girl beats the psycho who put her in that situation. Except final girls exist in the real world too like Melissa, Heather, Rose, and Maddie. They’ve all suffered horrible things. But when one of their own is murdered, they come to the horrific realization that there’s a new enemy at fault, and they’re hunting final girls.
There were so many things I loved about this book that I don’t know where to begin.
The inclusivity was fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that had Tourette’s syndrome so well represented. It really made Maddie feel like a real person to me. But honestly all the characters were written in ways that brought them to life. Even the ones I hated. Understanding their choices made the book so much more tense because I genuinely couldn’t tell if the bad guys would win this time or not.
And that ending? Chills!
If you’re a fan of slashers and want to see a new twist on the trope, don’t miss this one!
And it’s just as intense and bloody as I hoped it would be.
Final girls are a movie concept where one lone surviving girl beats the psycho who put her in that situation. Except final girls exist in the real world too like Melissa, Heather, Rose, and Maddie. They’ve all suffered horrible things. But when one of their own is murdered, they come to the horrific realization that there’s a new enemy at fault, and they’re hunting final girls.
There were so many things I loved about this book that I don’t know where to begin.
The inclusivity was fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that had Tourette’s syndrome so well represented. It really made Maddie feel like a real person to me. But honestly all the characters were written in ways that brought them to life. Even the ones I hated. Understanding their choices made the book so much more tense because I genuinely couldn’t tell if the bad guys would win this time or not.
And that ending? Chills!
If you’re a fan of slashers and want to see a new twist on the trope, don’t miss this one!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author and the publisher or publishers for all your hard work! I'm leaving this review voluntarily and happily! Take a look!
I do not like how long it took me to finish this book. I think at the time when I started it I had so many books I had to catch up i was burnt out and I just couldn't get into anything during that time. It was such a struggle. I had to take a break. Im so glad that i did because wow this book was amazing. There are some twists in this book you will not see coming and its definitely dark, twisted, atmospheric and will have you biting your nails till the very end. I absolutely love each of the characters and their stories. They are all unique and different and definitely interesting. Some chapters might be long but its definitely worth it.
This isent just about one girl there are multiple girls involved and you get to learn each of their stories as the book goes on. There is death, blood and slight gore. If your looking for something darkly brutal this isent the book for you.
Im so glad that i took that break and came back. It made it to where I was able to enjoy this book in full and what can I say, I will always be a big fan of this authors work. Hes never let me down.
I do not like how long it took me to finish this book. I think at the time when I started it I had so many books I had to catch up i was burnt out and I just couldn't get into anything during that time. It was such a struggle. I had to take a break. Im so glad that i did because wow this book was amazing. There are some twists in this book you will not see coming and its definitely dark, twisted, atmospheric and will have you biting your nails till the very end. I absolutely love each of the characters and their stories. They are all unique and different and definitely interesting. Some chapters might be long but its definitely worth it.
This isent just about one girl there are multiple girls involved and you get to learn each of their stories as the book goes on. There is death, blood and slight gore. If your looking for something darkly brutal this isent the book for you.
Im so glad that i took that break and came back. It made it to where I was able to enjoy this book in full and what can I say, I will always be a big fan of this authors work. Hes never let me down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
James Kaine is one of my automatic go‑to authors—if he publishes a book, I’m grabbing it. In The Final Final Girl, he dives into one of my all‑time favorite horror tropes: the final girl. But instead of retreading the usual ground, he explores what happens after these girls survive. What does life look like once the dust settles? How do they carry their trauma? Are there others out there just like them?
The story follows five survivors—Melissa, Heather, Rose, Maddie, and Nova—as someone starts hunting them down one by one. The pacing is fast, the kills are gory, and the twists genuinely surprised me. It was one of those books I kept telling myself I’d put down “after one more chapter,” and then suddenly I was done. I can’t recommend it enough.
One character, Maddie, has Tourette’s syndrome, and Kaine handles her portrayal with honesty and care. He pushes back against common misconceptions—like the idea that people with Tourette’s randomly shout curse words, which is actually quite rare. As someone who lives with a person who has Tourette’s, I really appreciated how accurate and compassionate his depiction was. It felt real and respectfully done.
Please go buy this book now! You won’t regret it.
The story follows five survivors—Melissa, Heather, Rose, Maddie, and Nova—as someone starts hunting them down one by one. The pacing is fast, the kills are gory, and the twists genuinely surprised me. It was one of those books I kept telling myself I’d put down “after one more chapter,” and then suddenly I was done. I can’t recommend it enough.
One character, Maddie, has Tourette’s syndrome, and Kaine handles her portrayal with honesty and care. He pushes back against common misconceptions—like the idea that people with Tourette’s randomly shout curse words, which is actually quite rare. As someone who lives with a person who has Tourette’s, I really appreciated how accurate and compassionate his depiction was. It felt real and respectfully done.
Please go buy this book now! You won’t regret it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
James Kaine is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me, so the second I heard he was writing a slasher, I already knew I was going to love it.
Four women. Four Final Girls. Four lives permanently destroyed by the horrors they survived. But someone is hunting them down because surviving isn’t enough anymore. Somebody wants the ultimate title: the Final Final Girl.
What I loved most about this was seeing the aftermath. Slashers usually end once the killer is dead, but this shows what happens after the credits roll. The trauma. The obsession. The fame. The damage. Some cling to the title, some hide from it, and some become something far darker.
Fast-paced, brutal, and impossible to put down. The twists kept coming, the kills did not hold back, and trust me - do NOT get attached to anyone. I finished this desperately hoping there was another chapter waiting for me because I needed more. And now I need a sequel because I need to know what happened with Nova and Nobody immediately.
Four women. Four Final Girls. Four lives permanently destroyed by the horrors they survived. But someone is hunting them down because surviving isn’t enough anymore. Somebody wants the ultimate title: the Final Final Girl.
What I loved most about this was seeing the aftermath. Slashers usually end once the killer is dead, but this shows what happens after the credits roll. The trauma. The obsession. The fame. The damage. Some cling to the title, some hide from it, and some become something far darker.
Fast-paced, brutal, and impossible to put down. The twists kept coming, the kills did not hold back, and trust me - do NOT get attached to anyone. I finished this desperately hoping there was another chapter waiting for me because I needed more. And now I need a sequel because I need to know what happened with Nova and Nobody immediately.
May 24, 2026
Once again, I had the pleasure of being a part of James’ ARC Team…and again, another incredible story by James Kaine.
This story hits close to home for James. Maddie, our main character suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome. James’ son also has Tourette’s, so it is portrayed accurately in this book and was incredibly well written.
Maddie is a final girl, she survived here encounter with Ray Curtis, a serial killer that goes by the name of “nobody.” After a year and a half…Maddie is doing her best. She is in therapy and learning to deal with her trauma. Maddie decides to confront her past, not only does that mean dealing with her ex boyfriend, Owen..but going back to where her trauma began.
There is only one problem, someone is hunting down final girls. After a final girl named Melissa is brutally murdered during a book signing event, all final girls are put on notice. Will Maddie be the “final final girl” and continue to be a survivor…or will Maddie become a just another headline?
This story hits close to home for James. Maddie, our main character suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome. James’ son also has Tourette’s, so it is portrayed accurately in this book and was incredibly well written.
Maddie is a final girl, she survived here encounter with Ray Curtis, a serial killer that goes by the name of “nobody.” After a year and a half…Maddie is doing her best. She is in therapy and learning to deal with her trauma. Maddie decides to confront her past, not only does that mean dealing with her ex boyfriend, Owen..but going back to where her trauma began.
There is only one problem, someone is hunting down final girls. After a final girl named Melissa is brutally murdered during a book signing event, all final girls are put on notice. Will Maddie be the “final final girl” and continue to be a survivor…or will Maddie become a just another headline?
Review of advance copy received from Author
I cannot get tired of James Kaine's stories. Each and every single one of them is original, full of dread and tension and able to make you feel all the feels.
The Final Final Girl doesn't, in any way, lower the high bar of quality horror that James Kaine has gotten us addicted to.
I loved every moment and I enjoyed seeing how horrifying experiences can shape people in different way, making them either victims, fighters for survival, or psychotic killers.
A state of the art horror slasher story that will bring out all the deepest fears and feelings, with just a bit of humour to spice things up. Now, for real: "Sweaty pork tits!", will live rent free forever in my brain.
As a bonus, loved finding out more about the Tourette syndrom and how the affected people have to deal with the stigma of a silly media image made to disguise the reality of the situation.
The Final Final Girl doesn't, in any way, lower the high bar of quality horror that James Kaine has gotten us addicted to.
I loved every moment and I enjoyed seeing how horrifying experiences can shape people in different way, making them either victims, fighters for survival, or psychotic killers.
A state of the art horror slasher story that will bring out all the deepest fears and feelings, with just a bit of humour to spice things up. Now, for real: "Sweaty pork tits!", will live rent free forever in my brain.
As a bonus, loved finding out more about the Tourette syndrom and how the affected people have to deal with the stigma of a silly media image made to disguise the reality of the situation.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really liked this one. It's the perfect mix of monster and slasher in my humble option, and the fast pace will keep the pages turning.
I really liked seeing a main character that wasn't typical. Maddie is nothing if not resourceful despite a neurological disorder that's honestly not seen much in any fiction, let alone horror.
Despite the modern technology, this really has that good ole 80's slasher nostalgia feel to it and I was absolutely here for it.
I honestly hope a sequel for this is made. This story isn't finished and I think I'll be upset if I never get to see how it all really turns out.
I really liked seeing a main character that wasn't typical. Maddie is nothing if not resourceful despite a neurological disorder that's honestly not seen much in any fiction, let alone horror.
Despite the modern technology, this really has that good ole 80's slasher nostalgia feel to it and I was absolutely here for it.
I honestly hope a sequel for this is made. This story isn't finished and I think I'll be upset if I never get to see how it all really turns out.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Author James Kaine never ever disappoints. This book had me hooked from the start. A slasher survivor trying to share her story, becomes a victim and other slasher survivors who thought their nightmare was over. . .realize it has just begun again. who is taking out these final girls and why?
The end of the book gave me chills. . ."sister" having a whole new meaning and feeling.
Another must read book by James Kane. . . I also love the fact that even in his writing he's able to educate on something like Tourette's where there are so many inaccurate beliefs on what the symptoms are and he calls them out blatantly in the book perfectly.
ANOTHER MUST READ!!
The end of the book gave me chills. . ."sister" having a whole new meaning and feeling.
Another must read book by James Kane. . . I also love the fact that even in his writing he's able to educate on something like Tourette's where there are so many inaccurate beliefs on what the symptoms are and he calls them out blatantly in the book perfectly.
ANOTHER MUST READ!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
James Kaine has done it again with, The Final Final Girl. With his superb writing skills we get a story about several Final girls, those who survived, those who escaped their maniac killers. Only their stories don't stop there. Their stories collide and what ensues is a bloody mess. This was a brilliant book, keeping me excited to turn the page and keep reading way too many chapters at a time. James Kaine is someone I will always recommend because it's all worth reading.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Book 22 of 2026.
Another banger from James Kaine.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of the book.
It’s a fun, slasher that has a good body count!
Someone is trying to eliminate The Final Girls to become The Final Final Girl!!!
But who? And why?
No spoilers here…
Check it out when it’s released you won’t be disappointed!
Another banger from James Kaine.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of the book.
It’s a fun, slasher that has a good body count!
Someone is trying to eliminate The Final Girls to become The Final Final Girl!!!
But who? And why?
No spoilers here…
Check it out when it’s released you won’t be disappointed!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Final Final Girl is a page turner for sure. While you know who the killer is from the start the thrill is to see who will survive the kill! Who will be the Final Final Girl!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews