Scan barcode
bookishlittlebird's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Death of parent, Self harm, and Adult/minor relationship
sahoek's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Ableism, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Wow, this book was fucked up! We are given two rotating perspectives (third person POV of Hannah - flashbacks & present-day first-person POV of Dawn Foster). Hannah endured bullying because of her weight when she tried out for the cheerleading squad by Ella, Naomi, and Lucy - a popular girls' clique reminiscent of Mean Girls. Dawn transfers schools in her senior year of high school, and ends up living with her Aunt Maddy, then running into Ella, Naomi, and Lucy too. She makes a new friend Raquel, who is autistic and also bullied by the three popular girls.
The day after a party at Ella's house, Ella is found dead by her boyfriend, and then Dawn is immediately a suspect as the "new girl". Dawn and Raquel begin their own investigation to see who had a motive to kill Ella, and the friend group's secrets begin to unravel.
I feel uncomfortable that this, like many other psychological thrillers, posit mental illness as this evil, uncontrollable, villainous part of you? Was I a bit surprised at the twists? Sure, absolutely, and I recognize it made for an enticing story. I just wonder if the mental health representation (beyond the autistic rep) could have been navigated a bit differently.
Overall, I think Cindy RX He knows how to write a compelling, engaging story, and I will read more of Cindy's work in the future. I read this in one sitting, so it definitely kept me at the edge of my seat and I was absolutely entertained, but I still am a bit exhausted by this trope of "the bad guy was mentally ill!" that is often used in this genre.
Wow, this book was fucked up! We are given two rotating perspectives (third person POV of Hannah - flashbacks & present-day first-person POV of Dawn Foster). Hannah endured bullying because of her weight when she tried out for the cheerleading squad by Ella, Naomi, and Lucy - a popular girls' clique reminiscent of Mean Girls. Dawn transfers schools in her senior year of high school, and ends up living with her Aunt Maddy, then running into Ella, Naomi, and Lucy too. She makes a new friend Raquel, who is autistic and also bullied by the three popular girls.
The day after a party at Ella's house, Ella is found dead by her boyfriend, and then Dawn is immediately a suspect as the "new girl". Dawn and Raquel begin their own investigation to see who had a motive to kill Ella, and the friend group's secrets begin to unravel.
I feel uncomfortable that this, like many other psychological thrillers, posit mental illness as this evil, uncontrollable, villainous part of you? Was I a bit surprised at the twists? Sure, absolutely, and I recognize it made for an enticing story. I just wonder if the mental health representation (beyond the autistic rep) could have been navigated a bit differently.
Overall, I think Cindy RX He knows how to write a compelling, engaging story, and I will read more of Cindy's work in the future. I read this in one sitting, so it definitely kept me at the edge of my seat and I was absolutely entertained, but I still am a bit exhausted by this trope of "the bad guy was mentally ill!" that is often used in this genre.
Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Ableism, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Alcohol, Medical trauma, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Adult/minor relationship
More...