Double Take Audio Edition: Survive the Night y Riley Sager

 Welcome back to where we read one book and share our reviews. Today’s Double Take has a bit of a twist in that we both listened to the book. That book was 

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

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 getaway. 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.

Ro’s Review:

Let’s talk about the narrator first. Survive the Night was narrated by Savannah Gilmore. This was the first book I have listened to that she narrated. I found her voice pleasant and not one that gets on your nerves. You know the ones that are too breathy or flat or monotone. (If you listen to enough audiobooks you’ll know there is a difference between flat and monotone). She kept me engaged and kept the pacing with the story. She isn’t a favorite but she is one that if I found an audiobook read by her again I wouldn’t turn it away just cuz of her. (Which I have definitely done).

Now onto the story. So personally I enjoy thrillers that have twists that I cannot predict. I have to really think who the killer could be. I have found only a couple authors that can keep me on my toes. So if you know me Riley Sager is an Auto buy for me.

 I will say I was NOT disappointed. He did it again in my opinion. It had a couple twists that I couldn’t predict.  There were multiple spots that I just couldn’t figure out if it was real or Charlie’s imagination. He did a great of pulling you into believing one thing then flipping it on you, only to pull you in again, and since he flipped it, you think it’ll happen again because writers can get repetitive but then doesn’t so it definitely kept me on my toes. 

I also never predicted the killer. They kinda came out of the blue and I loved it. I was here for it. The only problem I had trouble with is why is a girl with hallucinations getting into a car with a stranger. I mean haven’t we all heard of stranger danger. But then again I’m sure I went home with some strangers in my 20’s 🤫🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ 

 Also, no spoilers but that ending was a little too cheesy for me. After all, that suspense, it took away a little from the story so thank goodness it was at the end. And when I read it again I’ll just stop before that so the weight of that story can just be.

 If you Read Survive the night did you enjoy that ending? 

TEE'S THOUGHTS 

I might not be the popular reviewer after this one...but I really had some issues with Riley Sager's new book Survive The Night.

I will say this, this is my second book by Sager, the only other one I read was Home Before Dark, and I thought that was creepy AF. So I will admit, I went into this one thinking ( hoping ) it would be the same. It wasn't.

The story to me was just so-so. It lacked something. I didn't even find it much of a thriller to be honest. Sure there were parts, like the time Charlie was in the bathroom trying to explain her situation to the lady in there with her, or the time she was at the cafe talking to her boyfriend begging for help...I just kept expecting Josh to show up and well...

But the rest, it was a " take it or leave it " story.

My biggest issue was Charlie. Both main characters were unreliable narrators, but she was the worst, and I hate to say it...ignorant...dumb...call it what you want. At her age, she should know not to get into a car with strangers. I know it was at a college rideshare board and for the most part, it was supposed to be safe, but...HELLO...her roommate had been murdered two months before and they STILL had not caught the murderer. Even she knew she shouldn't get in the car. Then, I won't even go into her not realizing if things were real or her own daydreams off into movieland.

I also found the story a bit drawn out, it was definitely a slow burner for me

HOWEVER...

No. I did not figure out who the killer was, though several people have told me they thought it was obvious. And yes, there were several good twists in the book that kept me listening.

I think many people will really enjoy this book. The writing was great. I just think I went in expecting a different type of story and with high expectations after reading Sager's last book. BUT...I will say this, I probably will never hear Nirvana again without his book popping up in my mind.

Oh yeah....I agree with Ro on Savannah Gilmore's Narration. Her voice was very clear, and she did not sound as if she had a fake accent, as some of the other books I have recently listened to seemed to attempt. I think this is probably one of my major pet peeves with audiobooks.