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aliyyah's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was so good!
The Girls Are All so Nice Here is about Ambrosia and Sully, two former best friends who return to their college reunion only to find that they’re being circled by someone who wants revenge for what they did ten years ago.
I loved the plot of this book. It was wild and there were so many little twists that surprised me. I really liked the way the story was told, as we saw both present day as well as flashbacks to the girls college days. I was hooked from the very start.
These characters were so interesting to read about. This novel is filled with people doing terrible things, especially Ambrosia and Sully. Their friendship is so toxic and compelling and as they spiral out of control, it is impossible to look away. Ambrosia is desperate for validation and will do anything to get it but she still feels so real and it is easy to get caught up in her actions.
The writing was absolutely addicting. I sped through this one. This is one of those books that are impossible to put down.
This thriller is about the ugly side of girlhood and the horrible things that women are capable of doing to each other in order to get what they want. It is about the games that go too far and the way desire can turn deadly. The girls are not so nice after all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide
lunahbird's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Update:
I can’t stop thinking about this book. Bumped it up to a 4.5
4.25⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A story of wanting to be accepted, seen, loved but at what cost? A true mean girls book. Obsession, destruction, lies, guilt, murder, revenge. All things I wasn’t expecting but it sucked me in until the very end.
It was an interesting and uncomfortable take to be in the POV of one of the mean girls. To be inside her head and thoughts as things spiraled out of control.
I would’ve loved a bit more clarity at the end. But I guess that’s what keeps you thinking about it even after you’ve finished reading it.
I enjoyed it a lot!
I can’t stop thinking about this book. Bumped it up to a 4.5
4.25⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A story of wanting to be accepted, seen, loved but at what cost? A true mean girls book. Obsession, destruction, lies, guilt, murder, revenge. All things I wasn’t expecting but it sucked me in until the very end.
It was an interesting and uncomfortable take to be in the POV of one of the mean girls. To be inside her head and thoughts as things spiraled out of control.
I would’ve loved a bit more clarity at the end. But I guess that’s what keeps you thinking about it even after you’ve finished reading it.
I enjoyed it a lot!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
deedireads's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Girls Are All So Nice Here is a brutal, twisted thriller with a wild ending, told from the perspective of the mean girl herself.
For you if: You like thrillers and narrators that people love to hate.
FULL REVIEW:
First, big thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending me an advance copy of this one. I veryyy rarely read thrillers; they just aren’t my thing. But every once in a while it’s nice to mix things up and read something different from the heavier literary fiction and complex fantasy I gravitate to.
The Girls Are All So Nice Here is a mean girls story flipped inside out: The narrator is the bully. That, in itself, is a really interesting choice that makes this book do something that others in the genre don’t. Ambrosia “Amb” Wellington is a pretty terrible person, all of it stemming from an overwhelming hunger to feel accepted and validated. The timeline flips back and forth between her freshman year of college and what happened with her roommate, and the present day at her 10-year college reunion as she desperately tries to hide her secrets (and past self) from her husband.
There’s no doubt that Laurie Elizabeth Flynn can write a story that keeps you reading. The ending of this one wasn’t so much a twist — the devastating details are revealed gradually throughout — as a shock. I just never would have expected her to do that. And the epilogue is the WTF icing on the cake.
This is an uncomfortable, brutal, gripping story about the devastating effects of the toxic gender expectations that lead women to hurt and compete with one another. If you like to read thrillers and are looking for something that sets itself apart with interesting choices (not to mention an author who’s sure to be a new talent to follow), pick this one up.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Girls Are All So Nice Here is a brutal, twisted thriller with a wild ending, told from the perspective of the mean girl herself.
For you if: You like thrillers and narrators that people love to hate.
FULL REVIEW:
First, big thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending me an advance copy of this one. I veryyy rarely read thrillers; they just aren’t my thing. But every once in a while it’s nice to mix things up and read something different from the heavier literary fiction and complex fantasy I gravitate to.
The Girls Are All So Nice Here is a mean girls story flipped inside out: The narrator is the bully. That, in itself, is a really interesting choice that makes this book do something that others in the genre don’t. Ambrosia “Amb” Wellington is a pretty terrible person, all of it stemming from an overwhelming hunger to feel accepted and validated. The timeline flips back and forth between her freshman year of college and what happened with her roommate, and the present day at her 10-year college reunion as she desperately tries to hide her secrets (and past self) from her husband.
There’s no doubt that Laurie Elizabeth Flynn can write a story that keeps you reading. The ending of this one wasn’t so much a twist — the devastating details are revealed gradually throughout — as a shock. I just never would have expected her to do that. And the epilogue is the WTF icing on the cake.
This is an uncomfortable, brutal, gripping story about the devastating effects of the toxic gender expectations that lead women to hurt and compete with one another. If you like to read thrillers and are looking for something that sets itself apart with interesting choices (not to mention an author who’s sure to be a new talent to follow), pick this one up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Blood, and Sexual content
kamin8882's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars !! wow! this book was intense! this books covers all the things that we try to prevent our kids from going through- bulling, mean girls, suicide. definitely a book about how people form themselves to be something to fit in, and turn into the people they hate they most.
Ambrosia Wellington, our main character, is a "nice girl" turned mean. This book follows her on two timelines, now and freshman year-when something horrible happened and she was the cause. Ambrosia wanted to leave her good girl, suburban life behind her, become an actress and be on top. Amb's new friend Sloan was a wild child and a force to be reckoned with. All Amb wanted to be Sloan's right hand and so she did anything she could to be that... partying, sleeping around, drugs, bullying... not caring for anything or anything except themselves. This included Amb's super sweet, perfect roommate, Flora. They despised her because she was pretty, nice, cheerful, great boyfriend and always positive. So they decided to do something about it.
This book was CRAZY!!! All the girls are soooo NOT NICE !! This book covers all the things MEAN GIRLS are... selfish, jealous, vicious, cruel, beautiful! I loved the mystery of the story, trying to figure out what happened. I loved the class reunion and all the girls who were all MEAN WOMEN now, still competing to be the best. The characters were all so horrible that you loved them and hated them at the same time. The twists and secrets in this book will leave your jaw dropping for sure.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for allowing to listen to this book as a ALC. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Ambrosia Wellington, our main character, is a "nice girl" turned mean. This book follows her on two timelines, now and freshman year-when something horrible happened and she was the cause. Ambrosia wanted to leave her good girl, suburban life behind her, become an actress and be on top. Amb's new friend Sloan was a wild child and a force to be reckoned with. All Amb wanted to be Sloan's right hand and so she did anything she could to be that... partying, sleeping around, drugs, bullying... not caring for anything or anything except themselves. This included Amb's super sweet, perfect roommate, Flora. They despised her because she was pretty, nice, cheerful, great boyfriend and always positive. So they decided to do something about it.
This book was CRAZY!!! All the girls are soooo NOT NICE !! This book covers all the things MEAN GIRLS are... selfish, jealous, vicious, cruel, beautiful! I loved the mystery of the story, trying to figure out what happened. I loved the class reunion and all the girls who were all MEAN WOMEN now, still competing to be the best. The characters were all so horrible that you loved them and hated them at the same time. The twists and secrets in this book will leave your jaw dropping for sure.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for allowing to listen to this book as a ALC. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Toxic relationship
rbookish's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this made no sense for like 80% of the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
carolinebrooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Bullying
Moderate: Rape
literarymarvel's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don’t like books that put girls against girls. And I hate psychological and emotional manipulation. And that is literally all this book is: two narcissistic, drugged up, drunk college girls who ruin another girl’s life - all because they can. The four stars for this novel are primarily for the writing. It’s gripping, suspenseful, and leaves you reeling with that ending. But it was a total trauma to read. So if you struggle with any of the trigger content warnings, don’t read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
illegiblescribble's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
a viciously sharp dual-timeline thriller that is just as likely to stab you in the back as it is to congratulate you on putting the pieces together.
it's been a while since i've read a thriller that left me reeling like this one did. the characters for the most part were unlikeable, the depiction of college life mildly unrealistic, the ending a wish fulfillment, but "the girls are all so nice here" is more than the sum of its parts. the real treat is the number of breadcrumb details scattered throughout the book that are easy to miss due to the first-person narration; ambrosia's voice is so strong it drowned out my inner skeptic that usually scoffs at the ridiculousness of most thrillers' plots!
while my college experience was nothing like ambrosia's, her constant worry and desperate attempts to fit in resonated with me (and i heard plenty of wild tales from the more adventurous of my friends!). ultimately, "the girls are all so nice here" was a page-turner that i could not put down until i had finished it... at 4am! if that's not high praise, i don't know what is.
thank you to netgalley and simon and schuster for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
it's been a while since i've read a thriller that left me reeling like this one did. the characters for the most part were unlikeable, the depiction of college life mildly unrealistic, the ending a wish fulfillment, but "the girls are all so nice here" is more than the sum of its parts. the real treat is the number of breadcrumb details scattered throughout the book that are easy to miss due to the first-person narration; ambrosia's voice is so strong it drowned out my inner skeptic that usually scoffs at the ridiculousness of most thrillers' plots!
while my college experience was nothing like ambrosia's, her constant worry and desperate attempts to fit in resonated with me (and i heard plenty of wild tales from the more adventurous of my friends!). ultimately, "the girls are all so nice here" was a page-turner that i could not put down until i had finished it... at 4am! if that's not high praise, i don't know what is.
thank you to netgalley and simon and schuster for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
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