The Noise Effect, by Stevie Turner ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to the author for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

64 Pages

Synopsis: What lengths would you go to in order to ensure a peaceful existence? Newlyweds Eve and Leigh Chandler are thrilled to be given a council house on a recently built estate after living with Eve’s parents for a year, and are eager to get to know their new neighbours. Eve quickly forms a friendship with Tessa Patterson at number 16, but things turn sour when Mark Denny moves into number 18 with his two teenage sons. 

The Dennys enjoy playing their music loud enough for the whole street to hear. Leigh and Eve, both normally easy-going and placid, complain to the council after being driven to distraction by noise emanating from the house next door. However, this only serves to make them a sitting target for Mark Denny’s anger, causing Eve to discover a previously hidden side of her new husband that she was totally unaware of.

I “met” Stevie over on Pete’s blog at https://beetleypete.com during a recent series he generously did, introducing bloggers and posts they had written. Her writing intrigued me so when she offered to send me one of her stories I immediately jumped and I’m so glad I did because she’s an incredible writer. The Noise Effect may be only a little over 60 pages, but it grabbed me from the very first page and I was mesmerized until I finished it 45 minutes later. I loved Eve and Leigh, and having suffered from some truly awful neighbors myself, I more than emphasized with them. But even if you’ve been spared a similar experience, I promise you’ll still connect with this couple. The suspense is teased out over the course of the story and there’s more than one twist that managed to catch me by surprise. Even toward the end, when I thought I had everything figured out, there was one more revelation. 

One of the things I love about being a blogger on WordPress (besides meeting all you lovely people), is that I’ve been fortunate enough to have stumbled across some truly gifted writers. I’m thrilled to be able to say that I’m adding Stevie to that list. I’ve always had a problem with novellas and short stories, in part because it’s so difficult to have time to form an emotional attachment with the characters. In my recent review of Joe Hill’s Full Throttle, I panned the short story, Throttle, he wrote with his father, Stephen King, mainly because I hated the characters. And most of you know what a fan I am of theirs, so it truly pained me. Stevie has proven that you can have wonderfully developed characters that you care about even in a short story or novella, and for me, well, what a treat. I HIGHLY recommend The Noise Effect to everyone who’s looking for a quick, suspense-filled read with relatable and sympathetic characters. And if you don’t follow her already, please check out her fabulous blog at: https://steviet3.wordpress.com

Other places to find Stevie:

Website: http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/stevieturner

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/StevieTurner6

 

 

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Foul Is Fair (Foul Is Fair #1), by Hannah Capin ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Physical Abuse, Rape, Substance Abuse, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 4th, 2020

336 Pages

Synopsis: Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Elle’s sweet  sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Elle as their next victim.

They picked the wrong girl.

Sworn to vengeance, Elle transfers to St. Andrew’s. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She’ll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school’s hierarchy. She and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly.

Foul Is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

Obviously the synopsis for Foul Is Fair appealed to me because otherwise I wouldn’t have requested it, but I’m thrilled to say that this clever modernization of Macbeth surpassed my expectations!

You might surmise from the synopsis that this story could trigger some readers. Let me reaffirm that. Trigger warnings I’d include are: Gang rape, substance abuse, physical abuse and of course murder. The actual rape scene is seen through a series of flashbacks. It’s not graphic, but seen through Elle’s hazy memories (she was drugged), and her subsequent injuries, it’s obvious what happened, and it’ll make you want to take revenge yourself against those involved yourself. The murderous and bloody mayhem that ensues at the hands of Elle/Jade and her three friends/coven is not believable in any sense, especially when it’s clear that Elle’s parents and possibly a few other adults know at least some of what’s going on. But believability isn’t really the point of this tale. No, this is about a group of young men who have gotten away with raping countless girls who finally attacked the wrong one. Like Lady Macbeth, Elle isn’t even particularly likable, but I found myself rooting for her all the same.

Another thing I simply have to mention is the way Hannah Capin tells this. In a further nod to Shakespeare, this is almost poetic in style. This might turn off some readers, but I think it adds even more depth to the story. This is a suspense-filled quick read and I finished it in one sitting mainly because there was no way I was going to sleep until I got to the not-so-happy ending.

Foul Is Fair is a bloody, provocative revenge tale that’s perfect for the #MeToo era and lays waste to the adage “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” It doesn’t attempt to teach a life lesson but rather fills that fantasy that so many of us have whenever we read about someone not getting the justice they deserve because of their social circumstances among other things. Think Macbeth meets Kill Bill with a dash of Heathers. Due to the subject matter, violence and language, I’d say this is for ages 16 and up. Otherwise, I cannot recommend this highly enough!

 

 

Vendetta In Death (In Death #49), by J.D. Robb ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to Edelweiss and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 3, 2019

368 Pages

Synopsis: The predator becomes the prey in the newest thriller in the newest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring homicide detective Eve Dallas.

She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless.

The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims—-but they don’t know his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price.

Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…

I know I’ve raved about a lot of authors over the five years this blog has been online, but there’s one that I’ve severely neglected—J.D. Robb. Robb is actually the pseudonym Nora Roberts writes her bestselling In Death series under, and I was lucky enough to be approved for #49, Vendetta in Death.

Vendetta in Death is a perfect example of why this series continues to be so successful even after almost twenty-five years. In their 49th outing, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, her dishy multi-bazillionaire husband Roarke, her trusty partner Peabody, and the rest of the familiar cast of characters, take on Lady Justice, a vigilante who takes avenging women who have been assaulted, much too far. As Robb does in many of her set slightly in the future books, she takes a real world issue like the #MeToo movement, and puts her own unique spin on it. Although the identity of Lady Justice is evident early on, which took a tiny bit of the suspense away, most of the fun is seeing Team Eve get their man, or in this case, woman. 

As usual, the chemistry between Eve and Roarke is absolutely sizzling. They are hands down, one of my favorite fictional couples. The love and passion these two have for each other makes them true soulmates. And as entertaining as they are, likewise are the relationships Eve has with Peabody and the other secondary characters, who are so likable that they really each could have their own spinoff series.

Once again, Robb has spun a thoroughly enjoyable mystery that kept me utterly captivated for the three hours it took me to read it. Vendetta in Death will surely please her longtime fans. While I think this could work as a standalone, I do recommend you read the series in order. Eve and Roarke have a dense and complex backstory, as do most of the other characters, and this really adds wonderful layers to the story. I know you’re thinking “Kim! There’s no way I’m tackling a 49 book series. No author is that good!” Well let me assure you, Robb is indeed worth it. All the books are very quick reads and I guarantee that once you start them, you won’t be able to stop. Just in case, the first book is Naked in Death!

 

 

 

Imaginary Friend, by Stephen Chbosky ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Non-Fiction, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Horror, Mystery, Substance Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, Torture

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 1st, 2019

720 Pages

Synopsis: Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER.

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed, but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone else in the town will never be the same again.

Soon, Kate and Christopher will find themselves in the fight for their lives, caught in the middle of a war between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.

Imaginary Friend is probably one of the most anticipated books of 2019, as it’s the first book written by The Perks of Being a Wallflower author, Stephen Chbosky, in twenty years. Given how much I loved POBAW and the film adaptation, as soon as I found out about it I contacted the publisher and begged for an eARC. Grand Central Publishing was already one of my favorite publishing houses, but now they’ve gone to the top of my list thanks to their generosity.

Chbosky’s first book as well as its film adaptation has an enormous cult following, so his second twenty years later, is a dream come true, particularly as it’s so different. If you look on Goodreads you’ll see a lot of mixed reactions to it. After spending the last four nights reading, I can say that while I did have a couple of issues, for the most part I really enjoyed it. 

One of the chief complaints seems to be the length. Yes,720 pages makes for a long story, but this didn’t bother me until the last 200 pages. At that point I think the battle between good and evil goes on a little too long and could have been pared down some. One saving grace is that Chbosky and his editor were smart when they decided to make the chapters short because this helps keep the pace going even during the slower sections. The actual horror portion doesn’t truly kick in until a little past the first quarter. Instead, this first part is spent introducing the characters which I didn’t mind at all because I loved them, especially Christopher, a seven-year-old boy who literally winds up having the fate of the world resting on his tiny shoulders. Having a small child be the main character in an adult novel carries quite a bit of risk, but Stephen Chbosky successfully pulls it off. He perfectly captures Christopher’s feelings of confusion, frustration, and fright, as well as his love for his mother and friends. The bond between Christopher and his mom, Kate, is beautiful and one of my favorite parts of the story. 

The story itself is a creative spin on the familiar good vs evil theme. There’s a ton of religious symbolism which may not appeal to every reader, but I thought was entirely in keeping with the storyline. There’s some awkward and repetitive phrasing scattered throughout which was occasionally distracting, but it didn’t substantially detract from my enjoyment. In addition to the main story with Christopher and his family and friends, there are others centered around secondary characters which blend intriguing layers into the larger picture. There are quite a lot of twists, and one in particular that I thought particularly brilliant. The ending perfectly wraps all the plot lines up yet leaves the door open a crack for a possible sequel.

Imaginary Friend may not be the same generation-defining literary achievement as its predecessor was, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable horror story that’s perfect for fans of books like The Stand, by Stephen King. One word of caution. There are quite a few themes here that may be triggers for some people. These include: child abuse, domestic violence, suicide, torture, substance abuse, and extreme violence and gore. Also, I am now terrified of deer! 

Good Girls Lie, by J.T. Ellison

Tags

Adult Fiction, LGBT, Mental Health, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 31st, 2019

384 Pages

Synopsis: 

Goode girls don’t lie…

Perched atop a hill, in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia the Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this Ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies, or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. But when a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide. 

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

I love mysteries set at boarding schools, so naturally Good Girls Lie called out to me. Unfortunately after struggling to read this over the last week, I’ve reluctantly come to the conclusion this just isn’t for me. 

This is a tough review for me to write because I actually liked the plot. It’s dark and twisty and kept me guessing. However, there were a couple of things that drove me up the wall. First, I am 54-years-old so it’s been many years since I’ve a teenager, but I can say unhesitatingly that teens do not talk the way they do in this book. For example, there’s a scene where an adult is telling a 16-year-old girl that he approves of her not being an active user of social media. Her reply is: “Goodness no. I find social media a waste of time. Not to mention an invasion of privacy.” Or how about this: “Epochs of  instinct tells me this is an important moment.” Goodness no. No teen talks like or thinks this. I could bore you with the many other examples of this, but trust me. The teens consistently talk and think like 50+-year-olds. There are also sections where the author inserts an interactive narrative that directly speaks to the reader. Instead of coming across as clever, which I’m sure was the intention, to me it was grating and self-indulgent. And finally, without venturing into spoiler territory, there’s a mental health issue that’s a big part of the plot, and I vehemently disagree with the way it’s handled and discussed.

I need to be honest and say that Good Girls Lie is getting many 4 and 5 star reviews on Goodreads, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it and I’m being overly picky. This is why I’m not rating it. If you do decide to give it a try, please keep in mind that despite the boarding school setting and the age of some of the characters, this is not a YA book. 

#MurderFunding (#MurderTrending #2), by Gretchen McNeil ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Horror, Humor, LGBT, Mystery, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Freeform for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 6th, 2019

336 Pages

Synopsis: WELCOME TO WHO WANTS TO BE A PAINIAC? the latest reality TV show on the hunt for the next big-hit serial killer. But don’t worry—no one is actually going to murder anyone, as real as the fake gore and pretend murder may appear…uh right?

Seventeen-year-old Becca Martinello is about to find out. When her perfectly normal soccer mom dies in a car crash, a strange girl named Stef appears to let Becca know that her Mom was none other than one of Alcatraz 2.0’s most popular serial killers—Molly Mauler. Soon, Becca ends up on Who Wants To Be a Painiac? to learn the truth about her mom’s connection to Molly, but things turn sinister when people are murdered IRL. Will Becca uncover dark secrets and make it out of the deadly reality game alive? Or will she get cut?

While I didn’t review last year’s #MurderTrending I really enjoyed the completely over-the-top storyline mixed with spot-on biting social commentary. The premise of the first book is that in the not too distant future, convicted murderers are sent to an island called Alcatraz 2.0 to be hunted down and killed gruesomely by costumed government sanctioned serial killers. And this is all broadcast for the masses as a bloody reality show. There’s even an app where the show’s legions of fans can comment and place bets. Of course, just as in real life, some of those convicted are actually innocent. Sound familiar? I’ve been looking forward to seeing where Gretchen McNeil was going to go with the sequel.

My biggest issue in this book is with the pacing. While there’ a lot of build up, the action frustratingly doesn’t start until the second half of the book. Because of that, the action does kick in, everything seems extremely rushed. I also didn’t connect with the new characters as much as I did with the original “Death Breakfast Club.” Becca’s being an LGBT character is welcome, but without going into spoilers, her overall attitude about Alcatraz 2.0 really got on my nerves. The relationship between her and Steph also didn’t click with me. Steph remained a standoffish mystery until the last couple of chapters and because of this I never connected with her. I actually liked the secondary characters more, especially Coop and Fiona. The survivors from Alcatraz 2.0 also make some brief appearances which I was happy to see. There are a couple of welcome twists that caught me by surprise, and while everything for the most part is wrapped up at the end, the last sentence has me wondering if there will be a third book.

Although I don’t think #MurderFunding is quite as good as it’s predecessor, overall I still enjoyed it. Questions left at the end of #MurderTrending are answered and while there are a couple of loose ends left, they could be due to the rumored third book. Because of some pretty gory scenes in the second half of the book, I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone younger than high school age. That said, I think both these books could be used to introduce some interesting discussions about our increasing reliance of social media, our fascination with realty shows, and most importantly the negatives surrounding the death penalty.

Cold As Marble (Light As a Feather #2), by Zoe Aarsen ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date October 8th, 2019

384 Pages

Synopsis: McKenna’s mission to save her friends from their predicted deaths continues in the second installment in the Light as a Feather series that’s perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!

The deadly game continues…

Olivia and Candace are dead, both casualties of Violet’s deadly game of Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. McKenna and Misha are the only ones left, and having failed to locate and destroy the source of Violet’s power, her curse still abounds, eager to claim more lives.

What does Violet want? And how can she be stopped? Armed with a mysterious package containing clues, McKenna hopes to end this once and for all…before it’s too late.

Cold As Marble actually improves upon Light As a Feather in terms of snappier dialogue, better character development, smoother pacing, and more scares replacing teen angst and drama. The characters are more fleshed out and relatable, especially McKenna, whose shallowness seriously got on my nerves in the first book. Zoe Aarsen also throws more interesting elements like occult and Wiccan magick. The plot is fast moving and entertaining and and I zipped through this in about two hours. The ending sets things up nicely for the final book, Silent As the Grave, which doesn’t have a release date yet. I have be honest and say there are better supernatural/paranormal books out there for teens, but overall Cold As Marble is a fun, mildly scary and suspenseful read that will appeal to fans of Pretty Little Liars.

 

Slay, by Brittney Morris ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Coming-of age, Diversity, Gaming, Racism, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 24th, 2019

336 Pages

Synopsis: By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the Black man.”

But when a teen is murdered in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in The SLAY world, news of the game reaches the mainstream media, and Slay is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process? 

As a 54-year-old white woman, I’m obviously not the target audience for a book like Slay, but even so, I really enjoyed this and think it entirely lives up to the hype surrounding it. I absolutely adored Kiera and I think many teens will relate to her. She’s someone who knows who she is, yet is still caught between two worlds, and isn’t comfortable with being forced by others into representing the wider black culture. This is behind her creation of the massive online game Slay where she and other players can feel comfortable being themselves. 

The world of Slay is gorgeously written and the fight scenes are particularly phenomenal. Morris does an exceptional job at balancing this virtual world, with the real world issues that Kiera is encountering. I think it’s brilliantly done and the only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars is because I think some of the other characters, particularly Kiera’s parents and boyfriend could have been developed a little more. 

The story itself is timely yet utterly unique, which is another reason why in my opinion, Slayer is going to be one of the most talked about books of the Fall. Inspired by the movie Black Panther, Brittney Morris wrote this in eleven days. I know, right?! Morris was the first female African-American graduate of her high school, and the only African-American woman at the previous place where she worked. She says her background and interactions with the world are reflected in her fiction. 

“I got used to feeling out of place in a room full of people who don’t look like me, and shrinking myself down to something that’s ‘acceptable’ by everyone. I wrote Slay for black teens who live between worlds as I did, who feel pressure to be one version of themselves at work or school, and only get to be themselves among people who share their experiences.”

Slay is a fantastic book that I guarantee will hold wide appeal to its target audience and beyond. I’m already choosing my dream cast for the future film I’m sure will be coming. I highly recommend it to fans of Black Panther and Ready Player One.

Sword and Pen (The Great Library #5), by Rachel Caine ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Alternate History, Diversity, Fantasy, LGBT, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 3rd, 2019

368 Pages

Synopsis: With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone, must decide if it’s worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen, but with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, it’s future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never for, to forge a new future for the Great Library…or see everything it stood for crumble.

The Great Library is one of those series that’s improved with each book, and Sword and Pen perfectly brings to a conclusion one of the best YA series I’ve come across. When the series first started, Jess was the star, with everyone else cast as supporting players. But as in many fantasy stories, where would the main character be without his friends? Would Harry Potter have been able to defeat Voldemort without Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Neville, and okay, Ron? I think not. While Jess has all the qualities you look for in a hero, he also has flaws which have come to light as the series’ mythology has progressed, which is why it’s important that each of the other characters have taken on more responsibility with each new book. This last book is a true ensemble with everyone spread out across Alexandria and each chapter told from a different POV. One non-spoiler-spoiler: a favorite character dies. I’m not going to say who, but I felt I had to warn any Great Library fans who might read this. From beginning to end it’s a non-stop roller-coaster ride that builds to a thrilling finale. I finished this in about three hours and that was with me trying to read more slowly because I didn’t want to say goodbye. But gosh darn Rachel Caine! Just like with every other book she’s written, she just sucked me right in! 

In the end Pen and Sword has left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand it brings everything to a satisfying “couldn’t ask for anything more” conclusion. On the other, I loved the alternate history and characters that Rachel Caine created so much, that I’m having difficulty saying goodbye. But then, that’s the mark of a truly great writer isn’t it? I promise fans of this series that they’re going to love this entry. If you haven’t read any of the books, but you’re intrigued, I recommend you start at the beginning. Here are the books in order:

 

The Retreat, by Sherri Smith ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Molestation//Rape, LGBT, Mystery, Self-harm, Substance Abuse, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: August 13th, 2019

 

352 Pages

Synopsis: Sherri Smith illuminates the dark side of the self-care and wellness industry in a thrilling ride of revenge perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers. The Retreat is a twisting, bone-chilling suspense that asks: how well do you really know your friends?

Four friends.

Four secrets.

A weekend that will change them forever…if they survive.

Kate Manning was a beloved child star until her mid-teens when her manager attacked her and permanently scarred her face, effectively ending her career and sending her on a path of all-too-familiar post-Hollywood self-destruction. 

Now twenty-seven, Katie wants a better answer to those clickbait “Where Are The Now?” articles that float around online. An answer she hopes to find when her brother’s fiancée invites her to a wellness retreat upstate. Together with Katie’s two best friends—-one struggling with crippling debt and family obligations, one running away from a failed job and relationship—-Katie will try to find the inner peace promised at the tranquil retreat. But finding oneself might just drudge up more memories than Katie is prepared to deal with.

Each woman has come to the retreat for different reasons. Each has her secrets to hide. And at the end of this weekend, only one will be left standing.

At about 50 pages in to The Retreat, I thought it was going to be a campy take on a familiar theme and that this was going to turn out to be a “meh” review. But then it took some twisty turns down the dark side, and I wound up enjoying this much more than I originally thought.

This is both a plot driven and character driven tale. No one here is very likable, at least at first. However, all the characters turn out to be much more complicated than they first appear to be. The story is told from former child star and scandal-ridden Katie’s POV, as well as those of her sister-in-law-to-be, Ellie-Rose, and her two best friends, Carmen and Ariel. All four women have secrets that they’re desperately trying to protect, and the way Sherri Smith teasingly reveals each backstory was mesmerizing.

The mystery itself was tantalizing and made for a true page turner with its shocking twists. While I was pretty sure who the villain was by the halfway point, I couldn’t figure out their motivation, so when the big reveal came I was caught by surprise. While the ending for the most part tied up Katie’s story, there were other loose ends that left me with some questions.

Overall, The Retreat is an entertaining and quick read that will make you think twice before going on a wellness retreat. There are several issues that come up that could prove a trigger for some readers. These include: child molestation/rape, substance abuse, gory violence (near the end) and self-harm. This is the first book I’ve read by Sherri Smith, but it certainly won’t be the last!