Meg

Novellas for me are either love or hate and this one was LOVE for me. I fell in love with the characters right from the beginning. The story drew me in and kept me intrigued the whole way through. And I didn't feel like anything was left unexplained. There's a romantic love story and a friends love story. There's representation as well - and it's done tastefully. Oh, and there are some sexy scenes AND some horrifying scenes - I cannot ask for more. The writing was superb and everything flowed well.

Overall I consider this a feel-good horror story. What is that you may ask? It's a horror story that in spite of all of the horror, you feel good when you've finished reading. And since it's a shorter book everything got right to the point. 5 stars from me!

If you are ready for a clusterf*&%! of a story dive on into this one! When I started reading this I tried to get a handle of what was going on but it wasn't until I just let the story unfold as it did that I started to enjoy this. There are about 7 different storylines and not all of them make sense to the story. However, I enjoyed it nonetheless. The characters are interesting - some loveable, some hateable. The premise of the book I haven't read before. I think I was just in the mood for a book that messed with my mind and kept me on my toes.

THIS IS NOT A HAUNTED HOUSE STORY!!!!! Between the cover, description, and book lists I really was expecting a haunted house story and was INCREDIBLY disappointed when no haunted house action was happening. Once I got over hoping the “haunted house” vibe would come I started to enjoy this more. So, if I can save someone from going into this being disappointed my job is done.

I. Was. Creeped. Out. I am not the easiest to scare or creep out. I enjoy a good horror movie, story, book, etc. but I am so picky about what truly frightens me. And this book gave me the creeps. And I think what made it so creepy was how much the story was believable. Tiffany Jackson's writing made me think and feel like I was in that situation. This book is so much more than just a haunted house too.

The next thing I truly appreciated was the portrayal of anxiety and how people with it struggle and become desperate to ease the storm that goes on in our brains daily. The issues that it arises with family and friends and how it can be such an apparent issue but also something that you are so disconnected from to be able to control.

Finally the subtleties of class and color discrimination. It isn't written in a way that's in your face but you cannot be blind to it. The control and dominance are so subtle. Yet, you're regularly left wondering what can be gained from the motives of certain characters throughout this book only to realize it doesn't matter. It's all about the control and manipulation of the town and the people in it.

Weed. Marijuana. Grass. The devil's lettuce. Whatever you call it - it is a prevalent topic in this book. It's a unique perspective as well that I think people will find intriguing (especially in today's society).

Finally, the ending throws you a curveball. And if you pay attention it's honestly not the biggest surprise but it is very well executed. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would LOVE for there to be some sort of continuation to it. I'm also excited to get to Grown (also by Tiffany Jackson) which has been sitting on my shelf for too long.

If you are looking for a fun, light, mysterious haunted story, behold this gem of a book. It jumps right into something that is mysterious, exciting, and a bit scary. From there it takes you on a ride with the delightful MC Keira. It gives you the cozy feeling of being in a small town with a bunch of likable characters. Yet, there is always that bit of mystery and danger lurking. Throughout the book, I fell in love with the town, Keira, and the group of people that she's surrounded by. And then finding out there is a second book to this really made my heart soar.

Overall, this is a great book for those that love a bit of a scare but are not ready to get too dark or creepy.

If you like paranormal thrillers set in a remote location, this will be the book for you. I was intrigued from the beginning of getting to know the MC's Tieg and Prentiss. Being a big fan of paranormal investigator shows and the like, I was excited to learn that that was the background these men had. And their goal in being in this remote part of the world was to create the next best show. So, I was a fan of the characters right away. The excitement in the plot really started right from page one. I could really feel what they were feeling being in this super cold, remote area in Siberia.

That's the next thing...it is cold. At first, I found the descriptions of the cold endearing and helpful. I can barely imagine, but I felt like this was the best I'd ever be able to get close to imagining. However, as the book goes on there is no way that you can forget it's cold. It's mentioned so regularly by every single character, multiple times. It went past proving the point to being a bit grating. However, this was only mildly annoying. I would quickly lose the annoyance of it when gripped with the issues that these characters end up facing. And those problems surmount as the book goes on.

Overall, I find this book to be exciting and unique. I enjoyed the writing style. There were times it did drag and felt repetitive, but overall a good book. The one thing that I think would have made this book so much better for me is if we got a bit more information on a big character/plot point. However, I don't feel like it was very necessary to elaborate on it for the story to be a good one.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC for a fair and honest review.

When I was younger I fell in love with fantasy books. I'd seek them out and become obsessed with the different characters and worlds. Over time I stopped reading so much fantasy and started reading more Thrillers and Horror books. This book reminded me why Fantasy is such a great genre and how it can pull you into a whole new world.

I devoured this book. Like, couldn't stop listening to it. Don't get me wrong, there are times that it dragged on and gave a bit too much information for my brain to comprehend. That did not deter me and it paid off. By the end, I felt I had a good grasp on the world, the creatures, the magic, and the characters. It's a rollercoaster as well. Time after time it seems it's getting the high point of the story. And then it comes down only to bring you to the next exciting part. It is a large book where a lot of things could have gotten lost, but I think the length did it justice.

Overall, a 10/10 for reminding me what it's like to get so engrossed in a world that is nothing like your own and falling in love with characters that you'll never get to meet. I haven't been excited for a new release like I am about the next one in this series for a long time.

4.75 stars
This was just a good story. I think a lot of books that I tend to read are very dark or very deep and this was like a breath of fresh air. Don't get me wrong, this book had its heartache and flawed characters. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if there wasn't. However, it wasn't hard to read. You got to learn about all of the different characters and how they were interconnected through an ongoing timeline. A week or a couple months could have gone by between one person's story and the next. And each one gave you a brief glimpse into some of the other characters stories. I very much enjoyed the writing style as well.
Overall, it was a quiet book that showed the things that people struggle with daily and how the ways people struggle are all different. What you see or perceive of others is not always the way they feel or perceive themselves. For that sake, I gave it more stars than I would otherwise. The pain, joy, love, friendships, romances, and everything in between that all of us have throughout our days and life were covered in a muted way. There wasn't a lot of drama, or characters that you couldn't love or that you loved too much and were too perfect. It was just a nice, muted story of humanity, in my opinion. Very much enjoyed.

Do you believe in ghosts? Do you NOT believe in ghosts? Are you interested in the intrigue around ghosts? Well, this book is for you. I will begin by saying that I do believe in ghosts but am also a huge skeptic. I believe in basically everything paranormal, cryptids, aliens, and the rest. However, if you were to provide me with proof, I would consistently try to poke holes in it and not believe. I LOVE watching ghost hunting shows, but also think they are mostly full of shit. So, this book was for me.
This book will take you through the history books that we did not learn in school. From ancient civilizations, to seances of the 20's, to today's said ghost hunting shows. It covers the stories, the technology, the intrigue, and the debunks. At the end, I was a bit disappointed with how much was explained. I like the wonderment of such things, however, there was just enough still unexplained that I wasn't too disappointed. The book is written very well and was easy to fly through. There are some amazing pictures, so I recommend a hard copy. I am now a Marc Hartzman fan and will be reading some of his other works.

This was my first Christina Lauren book. I love a good romance, but it's not my go-to genre so they are few and far between. I was in the mood for something fun and light and that would get me in the Christmas spirit. I picked the PERFECT book for it too.

I'm not going into too many details because, spoilers, but I will say this was a fun read. It made me happy. It made me laugh and even had me tearing up at parts. It made me think of all of the light Christmas movies that come out each year. The ones that put you in the mood to do holiday activities and fall in love. I believe that I will be reading more Christina Lauren books.

I'm going to start by saying that I am a huge fan of Pretty Little Liars and Once Upon a Time and this book says that it's a mix of the two. And honestly, I saw that. There was drama, mystery, some murders, and a curse with storybook characters. I'm ALSO a huge fan of those OG fairy tales that aren't surrounded by princes and princesses and happy endings. And that's what this story is all about. So the premise is great and imaginative and had me hooked. However, I was slightly disappointed, but I feel like this is book 1 in what will be a series and I am very excited about that (if it isn't I am going to be incredibly disappointed and would change this review drastically).

The characters made me like and hate the book (in a good way). Some of the characters here were the worst. I won't give any spoilers but a main character that I was expecting to love, I loathed. She was mean for the sake of mean with no backstory that warranted it. I'm all for the villains of stories, but it's their stories that made them interesting. But maybe, if there are more books we'll get to learn more about this particular character. There were also some characters that were so sweet and earnest. And all said and done I think this perfectly highlighted the different personalities and moods teenagers have/go through.

Also, I loved the visibility. I love a book that is diverse and highlights different backgrounds, religions, sexualities, and cultures. All of the main characters are a plethora of sexualities and it's a boarding school in Switzerland that accommodates kids from all over the world. There was a lack of different races, however, that was noted in the book and I think will be touched on more (again, hoping for some more in a series).

This would have been a 4 star read other than the fact that I never felt excited. I never had the drive to learn what happens next. I don't know if that's due to my mood while reading or the writing, but I would definitely reread later to see and DEFINITELY read any other books related to this one to see how the story continues to unfold.

I recommend those to love fairytales (especially the twisted ones), boarding school dramas, and a bit of magic.

I'll premise this review with the fact that I LOVED Rachel Harrison's book The Return. It was the perfect spooky book. There was some gore, and mystery, and horror! As soon as I was finished I saw that she was releasing another book, Cackle, and I immediately added it to my TBR. Once I saw it on Netgalley I requested it. And waited. And waited. And FINALLY got the email that I was approved. In the meantime, I had read other reviews about how different this was from Harrison's previous novel. I try to never read reviews of books I have yet to read because I don't like being biased. However, I was happy I saw this because it allowed me to go into this book with the correct headspace. Instead of expecting the level of creep and grossness that The Return gave me, I went in just hoping for a good witch book AND I GOT IT!

This book is so fun. It really stays on the lighter side which was a nice break from the endless list of heavy, horror filled books I've been reading lately. It highlights friendship, sisterhood, and the reality that we are strong and capable alone, just as we are (maybe even more) in a relationship. It really gave me some girl power feels - and a strong feeling of self worth and capability. And gave me a strong dose of witchyness! This is perfect for the fall/spooky season. It made me want to grab my closes witch sister, head to the farmers market, then back to one of our houses to bake. I suggest grabbing a nice bottle of wine, finding a cozy spot with a comfy blanket, and settling in for a heartwarming book.

I suggest this to all fiction lovers. There's a bit of something for everyone. If you're looking for a dark and twisty tale, though, I'd go elsewhere (maybe try The Return).

*Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well. Well. Well. This book was an interesting one! I felt like The Fast and the Furious was combined with Flatliners and Call Me By Your Name. And I mean this in all of the best ways. I felt that the haunts and scary bits in this book were almost second hand. I was so pulled in by the characters and their relationships with one another and the hunt for answers about Eddie's research and death that I would breeze through a scary part and have to go back because I felt like I didn't fully appreciate it. I'm all for the scares but when you add some interesting character building AND a budding romance I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT! The descriptions made me feel like I could feel what the main character was going through too.

There were a few things that didn't feel complete to me and some things that I wish Mandelo would have gone in more depth with. However, I felt that, overall, the story was great. Very entertaining! The subtle but visible issues that are highlighted was also something that I liked but wished there was more on them. I recommend this for fans of Horror, LGBTQIA+, and Thrillers. This was a Audio listen for me and LOVED the narrator.

TW:Violence, Death, Suicide, Racism, Homophobia, Drug & Alcohol use

*Thank you to Netgalley and McMillan Audio for the audio ARC for an honest review.

What. A. Wild. Ride. This book was such a surprise to me. While reading thrillers/horror as regularly as I do, I'm not always super shocked by the big twist. However, this one had me. This one will have you wondering what is going on and then when you get to the twist, there's more following.

I started this book all kinds of confused. I had read a few vague reviews and of course the blurb and my brain immediately tried to make sense of what was going on and what the “secrets” were. I have a bad tendency to try to learn the twists as soon as I start reading the first page. I think this added to my confusion. After getting a ways through the first half I finally decided to stop trying and to just embrace the story. I think that is when I started to truly enjoy it. The way the characters are woven together and each have their own story that adds to twists throughout the book was so beautifully done. It's hard to not have empathy for all of the characters, including the ones that are the “bad” characters. I thought this book had a lot of heart and did a great job at addressing the different ways trauma and pain can manifest. It's not something you see put out there that often. I listened to this on audio and thought the narrators did a great job.

Thank you Netgalley and

This is a book club read for September 2021. I don't know if I would have picked it up otherwise. But I am very glad that I did. This fairytale retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses was a rollercoaster and so unique.

I'll begin by saying this book seems to be a hodgepodge of genres. It's fantasy with murder mystery, romance, suspense, and horror. It's layered and a few times I felt like I went from reading one book to a completely different one. I adored the MC. The sisters and other side characters all added unique personalities to this already unique story. There were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming and few that were spelled out in neons signs to me. However, even the ones I expected, their circumstances I did not see coming.

Overall a great read. The first half is a 3 star read but the second half is a 5 star. So it equals out to 4 stars. I recommend for those who enjoy fantasy, romance, and horror.

This book was a breath of fresh air. After reading a lot of thriller and horror books, a YA was just what I needed. And as much as this one has action, twists, and turns, it leaves you feeling good. I'm used to dystopian style books (especially those in a series) leaving your stomach in knots. This one left me with some hope.

This book has a wonderful romance trope (won't tell you what to not give it away). There are multiple points of views that are done very well. The main characters all have layers and secrets that make their stories very interesting. Tessa has a wonderful personality. She's strong willed, kind, and honest. She's a great female protagonist.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. It was such a nice change of pace. I'm excited to read/listen to the rest of the series when it comes out. I'll be waiting patiently. I listened to this on Audible and the narrators were wonderful as well.

Highly recommend for those that like dystopian, YA, romance, royalty, and medical dramas.

This is my first Colson Whitehead novel. I have a number of his books on my TBR but I always tend to put off reading books that are what I put in the category of “heavier novels”. However, this one was a great balance.

This book chronicles the life of a business owning black man in 60's era Harlem. Ray Carney comes from a crooked family. Raised by his father who was a known crook. As an adult, Ray went to college and got his business degree and now owns a furniture store. He's legit and provides for his wife and 2 children. Even he if does meddle in products that were acquired by less than honest means. He's only “a little crooked”. There is also a heist of a prominent Harlem hotel that Carney is pulled into by his cousin Freddy, that doesn't go all that smoothly.

I loved Whitehead's writing. There were points in the book that fell flat and made me a little bored but they were easy to get through due to the beautiful writing. This book chronicles what is was like in 60's Harlem as a black man, an entrepreneur, and as a crook. The characters are all interesting and there's even some humor that if you don't pay attention, you could miss. I am very excited to read his other books now that I've dipped my toes. I recommend this for those that enjoy a good crime book and historical fiction.

Thank you Netgalley and Double day for providing an eARC for an honest review.

I am a big fan of monsters. I believe that there are unexplained beings all around us and there are things we don't understand. I don't believe that we are the only intelligent being in the universe. If you are like me, I think you would enjoy this book.

This book combines fantasy and the real world issues that we are facing today, but puts different faces to them. What do you think would happen if it was revealed on a global scale that monsters existed? And as you're trying to get a handle on that all of a sudden all of the proof is wiped from existence and all you're left with is the question of what you actually saw. A question if you just conjured those images in your mind or if you did see it and you realize there is a force powerful enough to wipe viral videos from existence (we all know how hard, if not impossible, that is).

This book has a lot of points of views. I think this helps with getting the full scope of the story and seeing the way it affects different people that are within this story. This allows for empathy and clearly is something I wish we had today - a way to see an issue from all sides. However, this does add to the confusion. This book is kind of all over the place which I think is also the allure of it. It's from many different perspectives and it goes between different time lines, different universes, and doesn't fully explain each monster and god. Instead, it gives you tid bits that you won't understand without following the whole book. There are still things left open ended that hopefully future books (this is meant to be a series) will address.

Overall, I enjoyed this. Once I got the rhythm of the writing and understand each POV, their roll (as much as I could understand) and how they related to each other I thought this was an incredibly interesting book. This was an audio book for me and the narrator did a fantastic job as well.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced eCopy for an honest review.

RIGHT. OUT. THE. GATE! This book had me creeped out after the first page. There isn't the false sense of comfort that some books put you into until the big reveal, that we all know is coming, that there is something more sinister happening. You know right from the beginning, this is going to be a ride. And a ride it was.

I just learned of Darcy Coates. I know what you're thinking; How are you a horror fan but have never heard of Darcy Coates? Well, I blame the fact that for the longest time I had no other horror read fans around me and I was occasionally finding things that I'd reach and ultimately be disappointed. Then I found my people. I found the people that love everything horror and have done the work and have recommended the greats. Now, I believe, I will never be lost and without a good, scary book ever again. Now....to the review.

With this being the first Darcy Coates book I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I had high expectations that I was going to love it due to the amount of people who have recommended her and the amazing reviews I've read from like minded reviewers. And this book did not disappoint. I went through the first half of the book thinking something was off. There was just something that I couldn't put my finger on. And then the reveal happens and it makes so much sense. It was easy to shift gears and view the story from a different perspective then. But then you realize the story is still off and you're trying to put together what is going on. And when you FINALLY learn all there is to know, and you are not disappointed. It's a ride. The characters are great, the story is GREAT, and the setting of this home that has become a living thing (another character basically) to me is spectacular. The story is also touching and has a lot of heart.

I highly recommend those who love a good ghost story!

*Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a eARC for an honest review.

I am very excited for the rest of the books in this trilogy. I thought this book was decent but it was definitely (hopefully) setting up for the series.

I love the concept of this book. The magic, the atmosphere, the people, and the plot are all unique. I enjoyed very much getting to know Tea and the circumstances that get her to become a powerful Bone Witch.....I THINK she becomes a powerful Bone Witch. You get snippets throughout this book showing Tea being strong and wielding a power that the world has never seen. The majority of the time the book is going through Tea's life after she learns that she has the magic of a Bone Witch. It's almost like an origin story - we just don't know what makes Tea such a legend yet. There are a FEW exciting parts, however, most of the book is pretty boring. They go over her lessons, the people she meets, the roles of the different people, the history, etc. Which is great, but it's a little dull when that is the WHOLE of the book.

My rating would have been less if this was a standalone. Overall, I think this book gave a lot of information that built this world and these characters and I am excited to get to the next two books!

This book was a fun read. I found myself easily putting it down at times and other times saying “just one more chapter” until I basically read half of the book. #1 positive thing I noticed about this book: SHORT CHAPTERS!

I'll start with the characters. They are unlikable. They are morally all over the place (some gray, some straight black, some all over the place). Even the likeable ones are a bit off. Yet you don't really hate them, but you don't really like them. The book is written from multiple POV's and I think this aids in the characters (even the worse ones) aren't completely hateable. I like when characters have layers and keep you guessing if this is someone that you would be friends with IRL. Or if you they were a friend and you found out their deep, dark secrets, would you still remain their friend?

Next; the setting. This is set in a private school that children of the wealthy attend. These students are on track to go to Ivy League schools and their parents demand it. This level of stress is not at all schools. These specific private schools breed this stress. And also some of the best students in the country. This setting is perfect to set the mood for teachers who believe that they are incredibly special. The students AND the teachers all have egos to deal with. This sets up the plot perfectly!

Finally; the plot. The characters and the setting set up for the plot nicely. And it gets wild. At times a bit crazy and I felt that some things were a bit far fetched but had fun with the different characters I didn't even mind. There are a few side plots that get thrown in that aid the main plot that comes in at different times with no notice. and the ending was good enough for me.

Overall, I thought this was a fun read and a wild ride. I'd recommend for people that like thrillers, murder mysteries, true crime, and the like.

The premise of the book is so interesting. It's based on the fairytale A Brewery of Eggshells but it covers so much more than that. It tackles the topic of children, motherhood, and the struggles that follow. It's creepy, there's a mystery, and there's the question if the narrator is reliable. All things that usually I love. However, I couldn't say I loved this one.

I'll begin by saying that I listened to this on Audible and highly recommend if you like audio books. The narrator did a great job and raised the creep factor for me. I so felt for Lauren and her journey becoming a new mother to twin boys. So many women are faced with hardships after birth but it's rarely talked about. And Lauren had twins! The author did a good job portraying that. There's a creepy story about a drowned village....I'm here for it! It was a ghost legend that had you wondering if it could be true. This book between two perspectives; Lauren Tranter (the mother of newborn twin boys) and Joanna Harper (the detective that gets wrapped up in the Tranter family as multiple issues happen that involve the police). I think this helped the book to set up the question if Lauren is a reliable narrator. I also really disliked her husband and I always think books that bring out strong emotions (either good or bad) are a positive.

The real issue I had with this one is that by the end of it I did not feel satisfied. There's a lot of questions I felt that were left open ended. I think this was done to leave up to interpretation of the reader but it didn't sit well with me. We went on this long journey and learned all of these things only for none of it to really be put to use. I wasn't sure if this was a ghost story or a story of a troubled woman. I may be alone in this and to others it was completely apparent, but I just think it fell flat for me.

Overall, I did enjoy listening to this and would recommend to people who like folklore, fairytales, ghost stories, and psychological thrillers.

This was such a different read than I was expected. It was a bit of whodunnit, a bit of dark fantasy, and a whole lot of death.

To start I will premise with I am from Baltimore. A lot of the themes and feelings related to the city the main character grapples with I can completely relate to. There was also a bit of nostalgia since I haven't lived in Baltimore since I was 14 years old.

I'll begin with Joey, the main character. She is hardened and she has attitude. She has the attitude of someone that has been screwed over one too many times. Her upbringing was hard, and her personality reflects it. She has a very deep seeded distrust for the police. So, when she picks up her friend's car that needs a tow and finds a body in the trunk she's none too thrilled about the attention from the police that brings her. And the attention it brings her friend after he cannot be found for questioning. The longer he's missing the more it's assumed he caused the person in the trunk's death. To everyone other than Joey. She believes wholeheartedly that her friend could never do such a thing. And when she goes finding answers she finds way more than she bargained for.

This is where things get a little crazy. The beginning starts off strong. We're introduced to the characters, the setting, and the mystery that surrounds Joey's friend Wayland, the body found, and the suspicious substance that was found with it. As she's digging, we start getting more into the fantasy part of the book. And then halfway through the book things start to really get weird. Which, I love weird. Except this was kind of confusing weird. When everything was said and done, I was left with more questions than answers. I did enjoy the premise and the ending, but I just wish some of the plot holes were tidied up a bit better. Most were left unanswered or answered so briefly you could almost miss it. There is one twist that I thought was clever but again was a bit confusing for a lot of the book.

The writing was also a bit difficult at times. Sometimes it would be sped up and get confusing. Almost as if it was rushed. Which I think may have had something to do with Joey's state of mind at times, but it was hard to tell.

Due to it being a bit confusing and some questions going unanswered or not being answered thoroughly enough I gave it a lower rating. However, overall, I felt the premise of this was very interested. If you like a book that's weird and dark, I suggest this one.

I am going to begin by saying that I could not wait to read this book! I have read all of Riley Sager's other books and very much enjoyed all of them. So this was a highly anticipated read for me. I was also born in the 90's and was looking forward to some 90's nostalgia.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed. I'm not sure if it's from the book overall or just being a bit let down because I was looking forward to it so much.

I'll start by saying what I liked about the book. I think the premise of this is very interesting. I do enjoy his writing and it flowed well. The illness that ailed the MC was interesting. I actually liked the ending but I don't want to say why because it would be a spoiler. Lets just say that for loving the thriller/horror genre I have a thing for a certain type of ending that is rarely seen.

Now to get to what I did not enjoy. I did not enjoy the MC. I thought she was incredibly stupid - because she wasn't naive, she knew the decisions she was making wasn't the greatest. Most of the twist I saw coming very early on, however, the extent of it I did not. The reason for that is, it was a bit far fetched. (However, this kind of ties in at the end so this didn't have bearing on my rating). There was very little 90's nostalgia. Other than having to use payphones (lack of cell phones, etc.) and SOME pop culture nothing much was said. The MC is a movie buff but it's not what I was hoping for, unfortunately. (And my own personal opinion, but I'm a bit played out of the classic movie trope, but if you like it you'll probably enjoy that part of this book)! And I just kind of felt bored through the whole thing. Sager is so good at making you feel the anxiety and stress of his characters and playing the guessing game. I never felt that with this one. Even the action parts I felt a bit bored and just wanted to get through because I just had a feeling of how it was going to end.

Overall, my least favorite Sager book. I'll be looking forward to his next one though! I also always like to add to any negative reviews that this is my OPINION and your experience with the book may be very different. I know a lot of people who very much enjoyed this. Happy reading!

This book starts right out of the gate. There is no warm up to the group starting to realize something is off. Which I loved. Quite a lot of thrillers tend to build the scene and the characters before getting into the meaty part where the characters realize not all is what it may seem (which there is nothing wrong with that). However, I found it refreshing to get to the excitement ASAP. I also enjoyed the switch between the past and present. You can guess the twist of a lot of thrillers because they give you a lot of information that you can put together if you're a good sleuth. It was hard to put anything together with this book because you're learning what happened in the past as you're learning what is happening in the present. It's two story lines that unfold right next to each other from start to finish (just 10 years apart). Not only was the delivery of the twist satisfying but the twist itself was a good one.

Another reason for my five stars was Milla, the narrator. I really liked her, flaws and all. The awareness and growth she had over ten years was believable. The way she viewed and interacted with her friends was very human as well. Sometimes protagonists/narrators are either made too perfect or too imperfect to like, but she was a perfect mixture of both (for myself). The way Reynolds introduced and allowed us to get to know the other characters was also interesting. The good, the bad, and the ugly. You couldn't help but be suspicious of all of them in some way. Even the ones you wanted to love.





SPOILERS COMING UP. DO NOT READ FARTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS









The final thing that made me really love the book was the ending. And I think this could go either way. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. I really like Milla and Curtis. I like Brent too but I think the author did a good job at making the reader see that he's changed from the fun loving, sweet guy he was 10 years ago and also not allowing us to get to know him much present day. Where Milla and Curtis have a lot of time together and dialogue you start to feel a connection between the two and are really rooting for them (the same for past and present). So when it's revealed that Curtis and Milla were NOT the killer and also not the one harassing them currently, I was so relieved. I did love Brent, but I didn't feel too disappointed when his reveal came because I know past Brent and current Brent were two different people and this was the incident that caused the change. The author did a GREAT job at describing real life sexuality and relationships. Milla was straight, but also had a thing for Sastia that she didn't understand until well after she slept with her. She had relations with Brent but didn't want any more than a physical relationship and friendship (especially since she liked Curtis). Brent felt slighted and clingy to Milla (even though that's usually the girl's M.O.). These people and relationships weren't clean cut and put into compartments or stereotyped. And FINALLY Milla and Curtis get to be with each other felt like some poetic justice considering they were the two most innocent of the group, yet still had to deal with so much pain.

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends ever since Gretchen was the only one to show up at Abby's birthday party in the 4th grade. Now in high school, they are still inseparable, but have slightly different priorities now. Going into their 10th grade year everything begins as usual. Until one night after a botched acid trip Gretchen starts acting different. She's not bathing, she's wearing the same clothes, her sweet demeanor is switched to a more aggressive one, and she seems to be pulling away and ignoring all of her friends. As Abby starts to really worry Gretchen shows up to school better than ever. Except, something is still not right. From there, Abby fights to get back her best friend, because it's clear to her that's not Gretchen.

I enjoyed this read so much. It was very entertaining and scary. I am a fan of anything scary, creepy, weird, or unexplained. So this was in my wheel house. I was born in the 90's but I have a LOVE for 80's movies (especially horror movies) and this was the best book for some 80's nostalgia (especially for music). I don't know how but Hendrix captured the angst and antics of a teenage girl quite well. There were moments when I thought “man, these kids are mean” but then remembered what it was like being in high school and how every little comment could be blown up into something bigger and worse than it is. In a book that is anything but sweet the love and friendship between Abby and Gretchen is hear warming. I listened to this on Audible and the narrator did a great job. All around, a very entertaining and creepy read. Highly recommend to those that love horror AND to those that love a good 80's teen drama.