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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can see how this is not for everyone, but I had a great time reading this! I read it in two days, and I think that explains how engaging and easy to read I found it.
First of all, I fuck with this book because the absolute chaos energy of trying to retell The Cask of Amontillado and The Masque of the Red Death in a YA novel is gutsy š Like, truly deranged to retell a story where someone gets entombed but make it teenagers doing it and experiencing it. It was great!
Honestly, my favorite part about this is that even though so many cruel and unexpected things happen, I can totally see teenagers doing what is done in this novel. Of course thereās things you have to suspend your disbelief about, but at the core of it so much is accurate. The reasoning behind the actions themselves also make sense. Thatās what I think makes this novel great!
Because McGinnis chose to set this in a small town, I also find that Tress, but especially Felicity make a lot of sense in the narrative. Felicity is ultimately a people pleaser who wants to support her motherās agenda of establishing their family as a respected family in this small community. She often uses inaction in order to passively allow heinous things to happen (despite her disagreement with the actions) because she doesnāt want to risk her social standing. Itās sad, but itās real. It also makes it very real how she still strongly cares about Tress despite her being at the scene of so many terrible things happening to Tress. The love is still there, but the protection is gone.
I think the main thing I disagree with some of the reviews is the believability of Tress experiencing remorse for her actions. Some readers think this is unrealistic because of how far sheās already gone, but I donāt think itās unrealistic. Thereās a huge cavern between wanting to harm someone and actually harming someone. Thereās also a world of difference between feeling resentful and angry and realizing youāve done something terrible not only to someone you once (still) loved, but someone who is fighting to tell you the truth because of things they themselves suppressed. None of this is easy, so it shouldnāt be unbelievable that Tress could regret her actions.
Anyway! I had a great time reading this. Iām so glad to have entered my Mindy McGinnis era āØ As an Edgar Allan Poe fan, I knew reading this as my second McGinnis book was the right choice, and I proved that to be true āš¼
P.S. Justice for Ribbit! I sure hope he gets his revenge in book two šš¼ The people around him aināt shit!
First of all, I fuck with this book because the absolute chaos energy of trying to retell The Cask of Amontillado and The Masque of the Red Death in a YA novel is gutsy š Like, truly deranged to retell a story where someone gets entombed but make it teenagers doing it and experiencing it. It was great!
Honestly, my favorite part about this is that even though so many cruel and unexpected things happen, I can totally see teenagers doing what is done in this novel. Of course thereās things you have to suspend your disbelief about, but at the core of it so much is accurate. The reasoning behind the actions themselves also make sense. Thatās what I think makes this novel great!
Because McGinnis chose to set this in a small town, I also find that Tress, but especially Felicity make a lot of sense in the narrative. Felicity is ultimately a people pleaser who wants to support her motherās agenda of establishing their family as a respected family in this small community. She often uses inaction in order to passively allow heinous things to happen (despite her disagreement with the actions) because she doesnāt want to risk her social standing. Itās sad, but itās real. It also makes it very real how she still strongly cares about Tress despite her being at the scene of so many terrible things happening to Tress. The love is still there, but the protection is gone.
Anyway! I had a great time reading this. Iām so glad to have entered my Mindy McGinnis era āØ As an Edgar Allan Poe fan, I knew reading this as my second McGinnis book was the right choice, and I proved that to be true āš¼
P.S. Justice for Ribbit! I sure hope he gets his revenge in book two šš¼ The people around him aināt shit!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had to go back and re-read the ending a couple of times to see what I missed! So good!!!!
Wow. This was very intense. All the trigger warning beware. I enjoyed this soooo much. It reminded me of SADIE!!! It left me feeling gutted like Sadie did. Thank you so much for this ARC! It was left open ended and there will be a sequel surprisingly.
This was insanely good... as a fan of Edgar Allan Poe this is close to perfect. I wouldn't say the first half is as good as the second half, but the ending made up for it all.
What.
The Initial Insult is about Triss and Felicity. Seven years ago, Triss lost her parents while they were driving Felicity home. Felicity has it all and she's worked hard to bury what happened, even in her own mind. But she'll have to remember what happened when Triss has the perfect idea for revenge and to figure out what happened that night.
I gotta say, Mindy McGinnis does not fuck around. She shows the absolute worse of people and doesn't shy away from being gory and disturbing. Little scary but I respect that she goes OFF. This story was so dark and disturbing and I'm just ????
The way the story is told though was so hard for me to keep up. There was a panther on the loose and it had a pov??? at the halloween party while weird shit is happening WHILE the povs and time kept switching. I was listening to the audiobook and I was just confused half the time until I got it, got grossed out, and then got confused again.
Then after ALL OF THIS, the book ends in a cliffhanger so we literally don't learn anything anyway. So what was the point of it besides to be wild?
The Initial Insult is about Triss and Felicity. Seven years ago, Triss lost her parents while they were driving Felicity home. Felicity has it all and she's worked hard to bury what happened, even in her own mind. But she'll have to remember what happened when Triss has the perfect idea for revenge and to figure out what happened that night.
I gotta say, Mindy McGinnis does not fuck around. She shows the absolute worse of people and doesn't shy away from being gory and disturbing. Little scary but I respect that she goes OFF. This story was so dark and disturbing and I'm just ????
The way the story is told though was so hard for me to keep up. There was a panther on the loose and it had a pov??? at the halloween party while weird shit is happening WHILE the povs and time kept switching. I was listening to the audiobook and I was just confused half the time until I got it, got grossed out, and then got confused again.
Then after ALL OF THIS, the book ends in a cliffhanger so we literally don't learn anything anyway. So what was the point of it besides to be wild?
I love Mindy McGinnis. Her writing style has always kept me intrigued and her plot has always kept me reading until the very last page. This book is no different, and the difficult relationship she has woven between two girls is beautiful in its tragedy.
This novel alternates between the past and the present, but I was never confused as to what was happening. Iām not one for revenge novels, but I love that McGinnis used one of Edgar Allan Poeās short stories as inspiration. The pain and emotion that these two girls feel throughout the novel really grips at my heart. And her use of the cat for some of the alternating chapters? Brilliant. I loved them all.
Overall, I really enjoyed this twisted, crazy novel and I canāt wait for the second book! Mindy McGinnis never ceases to amaze me with her novels and I love every single one. My favorite character has to be the panther. Yep. I said it.
Favorite quote: āāYou know what it means when nobodyās talking in Amontillado?ā āIt means somebody important wants it kept quiet.āā
This novel alternates between the past and the present, but I was never confused as to what was happening. Iām not one for revenge novels, but I love that McGinnis used one of Edgar Allan Poeās short stories as inspiration. The pain and emotion that these two girls feel throughout the novel really grips at my heart. And her use of the cat for some of the alternating chapters? Brilliant. I loved them all.
Overall, I really enjoyed this twisted, crazy novel and I canāt wait for the second book! Mindy McGinnis never ceases to amaze me with her novels and I love every single one. My favorite character has to be the panther. Yep. I said it.
Favorite quote: āāYou know what it means when nobodyās talking in Amontillado?ā āIt means somebody important wants it kept quiet.āā
