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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Look, at this point in our relationship, I will openly admit that whatever McGinnis writes, I'm here for. ALL. OF. IT.
ALSO.... can we take a second to just ::mmmmhhmmmmmm:: for all the Poe-ness. I'm going to reread this with my annotation kit, and I'm so excited. I also felt I failed because I didn't catch Rue until the ending (
Anyways, I loved the story. I don't quite understand how people are disliking this. I love the characters, and I love the way that McGinnis looks at women in our culture.
ALSO.... can we take a second to just ::mmmmhhmmmmmm:: for all the Poe-ness. I'm going to reread this with my annotation kit, and I'm so excited. I also felt I failed because I didn't catch Rue until the ending (
Spoiler
How could I miss the flipping orangutan?!?!?!!??!?! The Murders in the Rue Morgue.Anyways, I loved the story. I don't quite understand how people are disliking this. I love the characters, and I love the way that McGinnis looks at women in our culture.
3.5 stars. Read as an audiobook, which I think was a great choice. I enjoyed the 3 different voices as the POV would switch based on the chapter.
This made me think of Veronica Mars with the theme of teen who used to live the life of the rich and famous but lost it all and is now the school pariah. Old friends are enemies, the town shuns the family, etc,. Only thank goodness Veronica had her dad (who is, BTW, one of my favorite fictional dads), because Tress's grandpa Cecil is utter trash. Worse than trash. That man should be arrested and just thrown in jail for child AND animal abuse and neglect. So Tress has to raise herself, make her own money (selling drugs) or steal what she can't afford (which are the bare basics of used clothes from Goodwill and tampons since Cecil tells her to "just hold it"). All the while still going to the same high school as the other richie rich kids of Amontillado, OH (I'm guessing her parents paid for it all before disappearing? How is she affording this tuition right now?)
And then you have her former best friend, now a big bitch not really doing much to help her former best friend who is OBVIOUSLY in a terrible home. (Quick aside: like seriously, why is no one helping Tress? They all just brush her off as white trash now that she lives with her grandpa, steals shit, smells like animals and is totally not getting the attention she needs. Is there not ONE concerned parent or guidance councilor or teacher in this town? Did I miss something??)
So when Tress starts to brick up her former best friend Felicity to try and learn what happened the night of her parents' disappearance, where Felicity was a witness, I honestly don't blame her. Sure we get some redeeming qualities from Felicities side of the story but I'm all about revenge. Brick her up, I say!
This is why I can't read much YA these days. Everyone is just so... catty and bitchy in these high school settings. I get very angry and just can't quite suspend my disbelief enough that there isn't a single halfway-decent adult in this town. I need books with redeeming characters. Luckily this book had Hugh. And a giant panther.
This made me think of Veronica Mars with the theme of teen who used to live the life of the rich and famous but lost it all and is now the school pariah. Old friends are enemies, the town shuns the family, etc,. Only thank goodness Veronica had her dad (who is, BTW, one of my favorite fictional dads), because Tress's grandpa Cecil is utter trash. Worse than trash. That man should be arrested and just thrown in jail for child AND animal abuse and neglect. So Tress has to raise herself, make her own money (selling drugs) or steal what she can't afford (which are the bare basics of used clothes from Goodwill and tampons since Cecil tells her to "just hold it"). All the while still going to the same high school as the other richie rich kids of Amontillado, OH (I'm guessing her parents paid for it all before disappearing? How is she affording this tuition right now?)
And then you have her former best friend, now a big bitch not really doing much to help her former best friend who is OBVIOUSLY in a terrible home. (Quick aside: like seriously, why is no one helping Tress? They all just brush her off as white trash now that she lives with her grandpa, steals shit, smells like animals and is totally not getting the attention she needs. Is there not ONE concerned parent or guidance councilor or teacher in this town? Did I miss something??)
So when Tress starts to brick up her former best friend Felicity to try and learn what happened the night of her parents' disappearance, where Felicity was a witness, I honestly don't blame her. Sure we get some redeeming qualities from Felicities side of the story but I'm all about revenge. Brick her up, I say!
This is why I can't read much YA these days. Everyone is just so... catty and bitchy in these high school settings. I get very angry and just can't quite suspend my disbelief enough that there isn't a single halfway-decent adult in this town. I need books with redeeming characters. Luckily this book had Hugh. And a giant panther.
Well, I didn’t love this one, mainly because I don’t enjoy dark revenge reads. I especially don’t enjoy Poe so I didn’t get all the Easter eggs and references to his stories you all mentioned in your reviews. That being said, I have students who do like these types of books and enjoy reading Poe. I am always glad to have a book that will excite them. The ending in this book was a surprise and I may consider reading the second book in the duology to find out how it all ends.
As interesting as the book sounds, the opening scene (which features animal death) made it clear it’s not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
this book is so! cool!
i loved nearly everything about it--the gritty characters, the looming mystery of tress's parents, the setting of the party and the flu and the cat, the atmosphere that something is about to go very very wrong, and the cask of amontillado retelling nailed down to a lot of unique details!
i loved that book keeps you guessing at every page, about what is going to be revealed about the mystery and what is not. you think one thing will happen. I've read some of McGinnis's previous works and she really is a talented writer, and this has been my favorite book by her so far.
the reason i didn't give it a full five stars is because i did get a little confused in the end, and as much as i loved the cat perspective, it was a little confusing to me and i didn't understand it. the story basically devolved into a chaotic mess in the last 90% ... and i know felicity remembers something important about the night tress's parents went missing, but I couldn't really understand what she remembered because the writing was a little confusing. BUT perhaps the devolution into a chaotic madness in the end is an ode to the cask of amontillado? and it does leave the book very open-ended and the second book can take the story nearly anywhere. it is rare when book endings are so deliciously unpredictable by the time the second book comes around, and that to me is a sign of an author's meticulous planning and ingenuity.
overall, it was such a ride! i will be going back and trying to understand a few scenes, however...
i loved nearly everything about it--the gritty characters, the looming mystery of tress's parents, the setting of the party and the flu and the cat, the atmosphere that something is about to go very very wrong, and the cask of amontillado retelling nailed down to a lot of unique details!
i loved that book keeps you guessing at every page, about what is going to be revealed about the mystery and what is not. you think one thing will happen
Spoiler
...(ex: like more people will die from the flu, etc) but it doesn't, and that unpredictability worked so well for this bookthe reason i didn't give it a full five stars is because i did get a little confused in the end, and as much as i loved the cat perspective, it was a little confusing to me and i didn't understand it. the story basically devolved into a chaotic mess in the last 90% ... and i know felicity remembers something important about the night tress's parents went missing, but I couldn't really understand what she remembered because the writing was a little confusing. BUT perhaps the devolution into a chaotic madness in the end is an ode to the cask of amontillado? and it does leave the book very open-ended and the second book can take the story nearly anywhere. it is rare when book endings are so deliciously unpredictable by the time the second book comes around, and that to me is a sign of an author's meticulous planning and ingenuity.
overall, it was such a ride! i will be going back and trying to understand a few scenes, however...
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book has messed with my mind big time. Although this story takes place in contemporary reality it truly feels like a completely different world. A world where your last name gives you power and status and where power and status is all that matters. The characters will do and say anything to give them a semblance of power, and that was trippy.
I was definitely intrigued by the premise of a girl slowly killing her former best friend to uncover the truth behind her parents' disappearance. There were parts that I found more boring than others but overall I was really hooked on the story.
The author doesn't shy away from darker subjects and painting a harsh truth for the reader, but it all fits together really well in this book. I'm looking forward to the second book in this duology!
Full review to come.
This book has messed with my mind big time. Although this story takes place in contemporary reality it truly feels like a completely different world. A world where your last name gives you power and status and where power and status is all that matters. The characters will do and say anything to give them a semblance of power, and that was trippy.
I was definitely intrigued by the premise of a girl slowly killing her former best friend to uncover the truth behind her parents' disappearance. There were parts that I found more boring than others but overall I was really hooked on the story.
The author doesn't shy away from darker subjects and painting a harsh truth for the reader, but it all fits together really well in this book. I'm looking forward to the second book in this duology!
Full review to come.
I don’t think I know Poe well enough to understand all this? Just not my cup of tea.
Mindy McGinnis goes to the dark places like no one else! I really enjoyed this creepy tale of vengeance.