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l_and_l's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book felt very bland overall. Clare does so little besides floating around in the story it seems forced to have her as the narrator. Apart from Tabitha, none of the characters are much developped when they could all have participated in the story in a much more significant way. Samuel and Imogen are basically useless, they are just there and do like one thing throughout the whole story. Overall the settings are great but I don't understand why we got the details of the episode at the very end when we get boring details of Clare's new life after the accident. It could have been such a great novel with a somehow refreshing plot among dark academia but it really only manages to look like a draft and that's what's disappointed me after everyone hyped it up. It's just not what I expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Torture
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Alcoholism
caitdonlew's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit
aileron's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Torture, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Suicide
Minor: Animal cruelty and Alcoholism
vanillanightmare's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A well-plotted story set in dark and labyrinthine Edinburgh. With tension from the outset, it is wickedly gruesome and unhinged, with obsession, codependency, and toxic female friendships. The ending felt a little rushed in places and there were a few characters I’d have loved to learn more about but it all came together! An incredible debut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicide, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Vomit, Torture, and Sexual assault
kyrajg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
bleucaldwell's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
sarafinley's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
First off, thank you Penguin Random House for sending me an ARC of this book!
Without giving anything away this is essentially a story of a group of unhinged women inflicting friendship on each other. I found it to be more of a slow burn suspense with clever writing that places you within the dark academia atmosphere in a bit of a disorienting way.
This book is told from the perspective of Claire, who is writing out the details of her time with her toxic group of college friends who called themselves The Shiver. This perspective provides peaks into the future, references to Claire’s own dark past, and some incredible insight into obsessive relationships.
This is one of those books where I could definitely see myself re-rating once I sit with it a little longer but for now it feels like a solid four stars.
Without giving anything away this is essentially a story of a group of unhinged women inflicting friendship on each other. I found it to be more of a slow burn suspense with clever writing that places you within the dark academia atmosphere in a bit of a disorienting way.
This book is told from the perspective of Claire, who is writing out the details of her time with her toxic group of college friends who called themselves The Shiver. This perspective provides peaks into the future, references to Claire’s own dark past, and some incredible insight into obsessive relationships.
This is one of those books where I could definitely see myself re-rating once I sit with it a little longer but for now it feels like a solid four stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual assault
mothumn's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Penguin Random House for the gifted copy in return for my honest review.
A compelling and dark story of all consuming toxic female friendships set in an academic setting, with many twists and turns.
From the beginning I really enjoyed reading about the friendships between the girls, the depiction of toxic friendships between girls felt so eerily familiar, with the snide petty remarks, backhanded compliments, and yet a total obsession with each other. I thought it was so well done and was extremely realistic, however I felt like it was missing the part about why they were so obsessed with each other in the first place. I often felt like I was simply being told things without being shown it and just had to trust that it was true.
This friendship is the main driving point for the book, as you may have inferred from the books title, and although there is actually a plot outside of just there obsession with each other, I was mostly interested in them. Because there was so much focus on this other plot, especially in the last two parts of the book, it left me wanting more of the first part, and so the book did slowly lost my interest.
However, that's not too say I didn't enjoy it or that it was bad, it's just that I was wanting something different from the book, something that from the first part the author had shown she was capable of. It's an interesting literary thrilling with shocking twists that I didn't see coming and kept me hooked (even if I did lose some steam towards the end). As far as thrillers go, I actually liked it quite a bit and would definitely recommend. If you liked the group aspect of Mona Awad's Bunny but didn't enjoy the absurdity and also like thrillers, then this might be the book for you. However if you’re looking for a dark academia read as I’ve seen this grouped in with, you are going to getting much more dark than academia as only in the beginning there is only a few scenes that take place in that setting.
I am interested in what this author writes in the future and even though this wasn't necessarily for me I am looking forward to her career.
Please note content warnings for this book because there are definitely some that a lot of people may find difficult to read about.
A compelling and dark story of all consuming toxic female friendships set in an academic setting, with many twists and turns.
From the beginning I really enjoyed reading about the friendships between the girls, the depiction of toxic friendships between girls felt so eerily familiar, with the snide petty remarks, backhanded compliments, and yet a total obsession with each other. I thought it was so well done and was extremely realistic, however I felt like it was missing the part about why they were so obsessed with each other in the first place. I often felt like I was simply being told things without being shown it and just had to trust that it was true.
This friendship is the main driving point for the book, as you may have inferred from the books title, and although there is actually a plot outside of just there obsession with each other, I was mostly interested in them. Because there was so much focus on this other plot, especially in the last two parts of the book, it left me wanting more of the first part, and so the book did slowly lost my interest.
However, that's not too say I didn't enjoy it or that it was bad, it's just that I was wanting something different from the book, something that from the first part the author had shown she was capable of. It's an interesting literary thrilling with shocking twists that I didn't see coming and kept me hooked (even if I did lose some steam towards the end). As far as thrillers go, I actually liked it quite a bit and would definitely recommend. If you liked the group aspect of Mona Awad's Bunny but didn't enjoy the absurdity and also like thrillers, then this might be the book for you. However if you’re looking for a dark academia read as I’ve seen this grouped in with, you are going to getting much more dark than academia as only in the beginning there is only a few scenes that take place in that setting.
I am interested in what this author writes in the future and even though this wasn't necessarily for me I am looking forward to her career.
Please note content warnings for this book because there are definitely some that a lot of people may find difficult to read about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Confinement, Pedophilia, Stalking, Vomit, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Animal death
dixiecarroll's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4-4.5 Stars. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is The Secret History meets Bunny with some freaky twists and turns. It’s in the Dark Academia genre but a little more psychological thriller. It made me feel icky at times, but it was so interesting!
It lost a half-star because at times the plot felt slightly disjointed and not as polished as some others, but this is a fantastic debut novel and the ending had my gripping my kindle for dear life.
Grab this when it’s published next week on January 10th!
It lost a half-star because at times the plot felt slightly disjointed and not as polished as some others, but this is a fantastic debut novel and the ending had my gripping my kindle for dear life.
Grab this when it’s published next week on January 10th!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Murder
jos_haunted_library's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.0
When I saw this book I wanted to read it immediately: a toxic friendship with a touch of feminism and set in Edinburgh. What’s not to like?
The book for me was a slow burner for sure but it allowed to understand how Clare always had the need to re-invent herself and it increases how intoxicating it is as you read it. As she meets a new group of friends she tries to find her way to fit in despite the clear differences in lifestyles, and secrets…
The book is well written, I love how to gives the dark and gloomy ambience typical to Edinburgh. The characters are well written and the plot is nice and intense. An excellent debut!
I would definitely recommend checking for trigger warnings before hand as it has some heavy themes such as SA, m*rder and su*cide.
If you like the toxic friendship trope meets thriller I really recommend this book. Although if you don’t like slow paced books you might struggle a bit.
Thanks NetGalley and the author for this eARC.
The book for me was a slow burner for sure but it allowed to understand how Clare always had the need to re-invent herself and it increases how intoxicating it is as you read it. As she meets a new group of friends she tries to find her way to fit in despite the clear differences in lifestyles, and secrets…
The book is well written, I love how to gives the dark and gloomy ambience typical to Edinburgh. The characters are well written and the plot is nice and intense. An excellent debut!
I would definitely recommend checking for trigger warnings before hand as it has some heavy themes such as SA, m*rder and su*cide.
If you like the toxic friendship trope meets thriller I really recommend this book. Although if you don’t like slow paced books you might struggle a bit.
Thanks NetGalley and the author for this eARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Vomit