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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I really love Gretchen McNeil's writing style. This book was incredibly fast-paced, and for such a huge cast of characters, Gretchen did a great job of giving them all unique personalities and motivations. I love that this series is as much about female friendships as it is about the mystery. There were some great twists and turns in this installment and while I did guess the killer about halfway through, things didn't play out how I expected and I was genuinely concerned for our heroines. With these kinds of stories, the climax is always a tiny bit of a letdown because the build-up is SO good, but this book kept things moving. And there were a few surprises at the very end that I really enjoyed. All in all, highly recommended! If you like fast-paced suspense and well-developed characters, Gretchen McNeil is your girl. :-)
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The follow-up and conclusion to the Don't Get Mad duology picks up where Get Even ended, with Margot in a coma and Bree in juvie after taking the fall for the group. It's up to Kitty and Olivia, with help from Ed the Head, to catch the true murderer before he or she strikes again.
I really enjoyed the first book, Get Even, and I was happy to learn it would be a duology. At first I wondered if all the loose ends from the first book would be able to be wrapped up in just one more book, but with all the action happening, everything wrapped up that needed to be wrapped up.
The secret friendship of the four girls continued to be a highlight for me in the sequel. They're all so different and bring different strengths to the group. I liked the way they would interact with each other, support each other, and with the group being separated this time, it added new dynamics to the plot. There were moment with each girl when I thought they were my favourite character but really, I just liked them all. They all had personal things they had to deal with as well as the mystery of finding out who was setting them up for murder.
The plot, the mystery, the murder, was intense and fun to read. It had suspense, twists, romance, everything that I needed to keep me turning the pages to find out if my theories on the killer were right. It was one of those times when I wanted to be right about the killer's identity more than I wanted to be surprised and I was happy to have figured it out.
I liked the addition of the guys into the group. They added a lot of humour and a dynamic that was fun to read. They also specialized in areas the girls were weaker in so they added value in that aspect as well. It was great that none of them were crack teen detectives who never made mistakes and assumptions. They were good at investigating but the mistakes they made were realistic.
A fun, fast-paced duology that was entertaining to read.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the first book, Get Even, and I was happy to learn it would be a duology. At first I wondered if all the loose ends from the first book would be able to be wrapped up in just one more book, but with all the action happening, everything wrapped up that needed to be wrapped up.
The secret friendship of the four girls continued to be a highlight for me in the sequel. They're all so different and bring different strengths to the group. I liked the way they would interact with each other, support each other, and with the group being separated this time, it added new dynamics to the plot. There were moment with each girl when I thought they were my favourite character but really, I just liked them all. They all had personal things they had to deal with as well as the mystery of finding out who was setting them up for murder.
The plot, the mystery, the murder, was intense and fun to read. It had suspense, twists, romance, everything that I needed to keep me turning the pages to find out if my theories on the killer were right. It was one of those times when I wanted to be right about the killer's identity more than I wanted to be surprised and I was happy to have figured it out.
I liked the addition of the guys into the group. They added a lot of humour and a dynamic that was fun to read. They also specialized in areas the girls were weaker in so they added value in that aspect as well. It was great that none of them were crack teen detectives who never made mistakes and assumptions. They were good at investigating but the mistakes they made were realistic.
A fun, fast-paced duology that was entertaining to read.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Violence
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide attempt
Review originally posted on Bookish Lifestyle
Gretchen McNeil's Don't Get Mad duology is one of the most tightly woven, convoluted, unpredictable and ingeniously potted teen revenge series I've read to date. It's a fast-paced, high-intensity mystery/thriller with plenty of unexpected twists, badass cast of characters and convoluted yet seamlessly put together story line. In other words, this series rocks.
In my review of the first book, Get Even, I said that the book wasn't as substantial and dark as Gretchen's stand-alone novels and boy, am I going to eat those words right now. At the time, I did not realize the scope of this story and just how awesomely complex and well-thought-out it was going to be. I am sorry, Gretchen, that I ever doubted your plotting skills. I will know better next time, I promise.
Get Dirty was just flawless. A magnificent and perfectly satisfying conclusion to an epic and masterfully written mini-series. The book was just... wow. I am not even sure where to begin. With the cruel cliffhanger ending of Get Even, and the many unanswered questions we were left with, I was counting the days to the release date of Get Dirty. I couldn't wait to find out how this story ends and who was behind all the murders. I really had no idea. That's a big part of why I love this series so much, it is completely unpredictable. I was almost done with the second book and I was still as clueless as I was at the beginning of the first one. It was almost frustrating, but also freakishly enjoyable, because really, point me to another author who can plot so devilishly. I honestly doubt anyone can beat McNeil at this game.
I also really loved the fact that we got to know the characters from a more personal side. We got a look at their backgrounds and history, their family relationships and past. It wasn't a whole lot of details, but the details we got definitely made the story deeper and more complex. Plus, they really helped me understand the motivations of the characters. I appreciated that, especially since Gretchen could have done without it and the story would've been just as great.
Overall, this is a fantastic duology. Truly. If you like books full of twists and turns, with nail-biting suspense and jaw-dropping surprises, you will have a fabulous time reading this series. It's an explosive one.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ok I never write reviews and hardly ever even mark the star rating, however you all need this book in your lives! I will keep this simple, if you enjoy stories about friendship, suspense, shocking reveals, debates on whether revenge is really the answer and being on the edge of your seat, then this is the book series for you. I truly couldn't read this book fast enough, no need for a bookmark because McNeil keeps you guessing right until the end and the payoff is worth it, you won't want to put it down. The friendship between the four girls is well written and evolves organically through the two books, conflict is addressed and dealt with revealing flawed and relatable characters that you both root for and question throughout both books. The moral dilemma of who really is the "victim" and what happens when we take action against a wrong without discovering the motive is perfectly cultivated. These books are so well written and I highly recommend reading them!