Beware That Girl
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
For fans of We Were Liars, Gone Girl, and The Girl on the Train comes a powerful psychological thriller with a gripping pace and Hitchcockian twists. Set against the backdrop of New York City, this compelling novel delves into the dysfunctional yet mesmerizing world of the mega-wealthy elite and will keep readers guessing until the very last page. The Haves. The Have-Nots. Kate O’Brien appears to be a Have-Not. Her whole life has been a series of setbacks she’s had to snake her way out of—some more sinister than others. But she’s determined to change all that. She’s book-smart. She’s street-smart. And she’s also a masterful liar. As the scholarship student at the elite Waverly School in NYC, Kate has her work cut out for her: her plan is to climb the social ranks and land a spot at Yale. She’s already found her “people” among the senior-class “it” girls—specifically in the cosseted, mega-wealthy yet deeply damaged Olivia Sumner. As for Olivia, she considers Kate the best friend she’s always needed, the sister she never had. When the handsome and whip-smart Mark Redkin joins the Waverly administration as head of fund-raising, he immediately charms his way into the faculty’s and students’ lives, becoming especially close to Olivia, a fact she’s intent on keeping to herself. It becomes increasingly obvious that Redkin poses a threat to Kate, too, in a way she can’t reveal—and can’t afford to ignore. Mark has his own plan for a bright future and never doubts that he can pull it off. How close can Kate and Olivia get to him without having to share their dark pasts? “Combines a Gossip Girl milieu with the unsettled psychological terrain of Gone Girl.” —PW “It’s smart, dark, entertaining, and unpredictable.” —Quill & Quire, Starred
Reviews with the most likes.
A terrifically trashy teen thriller, just in time for beach season.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for the advance reading copy.
You and me, Olivia—together. Just us. Kate was back and Olivia exhaled.
content warnings for: child abuse, domestic violence, emotional abuse, physical abuse, mental health issues
Well this book was certainly a bit of a rollercoaster.
Beware That Girl follows Katie O'Brien, a poor orphaned scholarship girl, and Olivia Sumner, her seemingly complete opposite, over the course of six months, and the friendships and romances they develop.
Both girls have secrets, but Katie basically picks Olivia out as being vulnerable and is going to exploit that to ensure she gets into Yale.
Yep, this story is full of lies and deceit and manipulation from start to finish.
The ending twist? Probably a little bit predictable but still enjoyable nonetheless. I was pitying Olivia throughout the whole book, thinking that she was being taken advantage of, but the ending definitely added a little bit of depth to her character even if it was stereotypical.
This is a book that is full of stereotypes; the heavily accented housekeeper, the private schoolgirls self-medicating and being whisked away at even the hint of a scandal, the mysterious and charming male member of staff who's clearly hiding something under the dazzling smile. It's all stereotypical and you almost know how it's going to end from the start, but once the shallow writing and mostly two-dimensional characters fade a little bit (i.e. once you near the end of the book) this does
Beware That Girl was definitely marketed wrong and definitely suffered as a result. The characters feel like teenagers (as in 15ish) but with their ages and the adult material this should definitely be classed as a new adult novel. Because it straddles these two genres, it's hard to pin down exactly what it's trying to do and accomplish.
Yes, this book could have been better. But yes, this book did have enjoyable elements. The dynamic between Olivia and Kate was particularly interesting, and the sinister yet loving edge to it was probably the most interesting part of Beware That Girl.
If you're looking for strong and interesting characters then this is not the book for you. If however, you're looking for characters that you love to hate, and to waste a few hours going down the rabbit hole, well then, this is the book for you.
