Short Fiction Friday: Final Girls by Mira Grant

Dr. Jennifer Webb has come up with a brilliant and innovative new therapy technique. It involves, essentially, nightmares. Patients are put under and monitored while experiencing a scenario that plays out as a horror movie. By creating such a situation - fully sensory and catered specifically to each patient's needs, the patient can work out and conquer their biggest issues. 

Esther, a reporter for Science Digest, is skeptical to say the least. Her father was tormented by bad therapy techniques during her lifetime and she makes no bones about her prejudices against Webb's creation. Nonetheless, Esther dives in when convinced to try the therapy herself. 

Unfortunately for Esther, things don't go quite as planned. 

Soooo horror movies as therapy? Works for me, I think fans of horror movies have long accepted that there's a psychological reason we enjoy these films. Many agree that it's a safe and protected environment in which to experience the adrenaline rush of being scared. And of course you generally get to see good conquer evil in the end.

The therapy created by Webb is basically that - an interactive horror movie, again catered specifically to the client, that allows them to work out deep seated psychological issues in a safe environment. And that's the plan for Esther too - for her to get to work through the issues she's faced regarding her father thereby being shown that Webb's method works and earning the method a positive report in Esther's piece.

Things first get a bit out of hand when Webb joins in the nightmare. Having already witnessed a pair of sisters working through their animosity together in such therapy, linked mentally through Webb's technology, the reader knows that Esther likely would not have agreed. And Webb's motives can be questioned considering she too understands the emotional bond that can be forged as result - in an attempt to ensure Esther will write only nice things?

What neither of them plans on is the twist that Grant throws at them in the form of... trouble in the facility.

And oh, that ending!

Final Girls is yet another quick and clever read from one of my FAVORITE authors. It's campy and fun, and perfect for horror fans looking for a light diversionary read at the moment.