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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Oooof. What a *masterful* reworking of The Cask of Amontillado. Like the OG, it's not pretty--unlike the OG, which was only chilling (with all due props to one of my fave authors, E.A. Poe), this book's also painful, heartbreaking. It snatches you up and swings you around, periodically making you think, "OK, maybe there's a glimmer of hope here...", then dashes you against a slowly rising brick wall, again and again. I mean, DANG. Part revenge tale, part mystery, The Initial Insult lays down layer upon layer of "insults," only these aren't words that never hurt you, these are the sticks and stones that break friendships, that break *people*. I scarfed it down within 24 hours and can't believe I've reached the end. But this can't be the end. Really, it can't. (And actually, I guess it isn't, as a sequel's due out next year--whew!) I'm waaaaay past my teen years but this YA novel SHOOK ME UP. Seriously, DANG, Mindy McGinnis--if Netflix isn't sliding into your DMs, begging you to let them make this into a series, then what are they even doing???
I got this audiobook because I adore Mindy McGinnis! I own every one of her books and I have loved them all and this one was just as great as those. This waa such a great thriller. The back and forth narrative made this book a bit confusing and wild but I loved it. Neither narrator seemed fully reliable which just added to the confusing whirlwind that was this book.
McGinnis is the super star when it comes to making books feel wild and brilliant with just her writing style and this book is a shinning example of that. You are racing to get answers along with Tress and Felicity. The later it gets the fast and more manic the characters get and it is brilliant making your heart race and the pages fly by. This book is just a shinning example of what a good YA thriller could be!
McGinnis is the super star when it comes to making books feel wild and brilliant with just her writing style and this book is a shinning example of that. You are racing to get answers along with Tress and Felicity. The later it gets the fast and more manic the characters get and it is brilliant making your heart race and the pages fly by. This book is just a shinning example of what a good YA thriller could be!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Wow this book is gnarly! I’m not sure I liked it, but it definitely succeeded in making me uncomfortable.
not entirely sure what to make of this one to be honest!
dark
emotional
tense
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Animal death, Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty
**Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Children’s/Katherine Tegen Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way change my rating**
First 5 star of 2021. Not surprised because Mindy McGinnis is a very talented author whose books I have previously enjoyed. She’s skilled at creating and holding tension and that is DEFINITELY on display here!
The Initial Insult is a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado. For those who haven’t read that, it involves two former friends where one felt slighted and lures him under false pretenses to wall him up alive, brick by brick. It is unsettling to say the least. In this version, Tress Montaur begins to wall in her ex-best friend, Felicity Turnado, to get answers about her parents death. Felicity was with them when it happened, but experiences seizures and claims to not remember. McGinnis has woven other Poe works in as well. I noticed The Fall of the House of Usher, Annabelle Lee, The Raven, The Black Cat, and the Pit and the Pendulum. In particular, the Black Cat was a great addition. Tress lives at a private zoo with her grandpa after her parents death (think Tiger King). A panther escapes and terrorizes the party they’re at, adding tension and danger to an already tension-filled plot. I’m very curious to see what she includes in The Last Laugh.
Tress and Felicity have such an interesting and complex history throughout the book. It was good to see events through both of their eyes. McGinnis would write an event through one and then the next chapter is the same event through the eyes of the other, giving the reader a more complete look at these two characters. The side characters, while used somewhat sparsely, were well developed and gave you an idea of who each one was, what their motives were, etc.
I had an advanced audiobook and I think I will check out both a finished copy of the print novel and a finished audiobook. There were some chapters from the point of view of the panther that read kind of weird in the advanced audio. Kind of the like robotic voice would smash words together. I would like to experience those chapters again with a finished copy.
That aside, the only complaint I have is that I have to wait for book 2. This was awesome and one I’d highly recommend to fans of Poe or Suspense novels.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
First 5 star of 2021. Not surprised because Mindy McGinnis is a very talented author whose books I have previously enjoyed. She’s skilled at creating and holding tension and that is DEFINITELY on display here!
The Initial Insult is a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado. For those who haven’t read that, it involves two former friends where one felt slighted and lures him under false pretenses to wall him up alive, brick by brick. It is unsettling to say the least. In this version, Tress Montaur begins to wall in her ex-best friend, Felicity Turnado, to get answers about her parents death. Felicity was with them when it happened, but experiences seizures and claims to not remember. McGinnis has woven other Poe works in as well. I noticed The Fall of the House of Usher, Annabelle Lee, The Raven, The Black Cat, and the Pit and the Pendulum. In particular, the Black Cat was a great addition. Tress lives at a private zoo with her grandpa after her parents death (think Tiger King). A panther escapes and terrorizes the party they’re at, adding tension and danger to an already tension-filled plot. I’m very curious to see what she includes in The Last Laugh.
Tress and Felicity have such an interesting and complex history throughout the book. It was good to see events through both of their eyes. McGinnis would write an event through one and then the next chapter is the same event through the eyes of the other, giving the reader a more complete look at these two characters. The side characters, while used somewhat sparsely, were well developed and gave you an idea of who each one was, what their motives were, etc.
I had an advanced audiobook and I think I will check out both a finished copy of the print novel and a finished audiobook. There were some chapters from the point of view of the panther that read kind of weird in the advanced audio. Kind of the like robotic voice would smash words together. I would like to experience those chapters again with a finished copy.
That aside, the only complaint I have is that I have to wait for book 2. This was awesome and one I’d highly recommend to fans of Poe or Suspense novels.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Not sure how to feel about this one, but "mad" feels close. Poe's The Cask of Amontillado always fascinated (and scared) me since I first read it in 7th grade English class, so I had decent expectations for McGinnis's take. While she nailed the creepy, gothic tone & mood of the original story, just about everything else irked me. A non-exhaustive list:
The fact that this review is so long should indicate how much I didn't like this book... I never write long reviews for books I like, ha. 1.5 stars, but I rounded up because the tone/mood was well done and it read quick.
• While I liked the Shakespearean feel of a town that cares only about whether you're one of the four founding families, it wasn't well developed and felt very YA. Hard to believe a town would be that obsessed with last names in this day and age no matter how small.
• There were one too many elements. Not a spoiler since it's in the description, but the panther escape & flu were superfluous to the story and crowded out more important elements.
• Was I supposed to find both girls equally justified? Because I really dislikedSpoiler
Tress, despite all the horrible things that happened to her. I think McGinnis' intention was for both characters to be equally sympathetic, but Felicity was a more likable and relatable character. Tress just came across insane.
• The non-ending. Thrillers/mysteries should not be a series unless the second book is a totally separate mystery. I feel like I just read half a book and would be PO'd if I paid for this instead of borrowing from the library.
The fact that this review is so long should indicate how much I didn't like this book... I never write long reviews for books I like, ha. 1.5 stars, but I rounded up because the tone/mood was well done and it read quick.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Interesting chronology that jumped back and forth throughout two girls’ friendship, from elementary school to senior year.
This was a quick read because of the mounting tension, suspense, and the reader’s need to see if the truth is revealed.
I tore through the last 40 pages because I HAD to know!
There is even a sequel, which I will likely recommend to students who have read the first one but probably won’t pick up for myself.
This was a quick read because of the mounting tension, suspense, and the reader’s need to see if the truth is revealed.
I tore through the last 40 pages because I HAD to know!
There is even a sequel, which I will likely recommend to students who have read the first one but probably won’t pick up for myself.