this thriller was a villainous delight. i found the plot incredibly compelling and feel like i got to know most of the characters - and i don’t often praise character development in fast-paced thrillers. fair warning: be prepared to dislike most of the characters, including our main POV (jessica). i found the toxicity fun, but totally understand if it is off-putting to some readers. i was able to reasonably suspect each member of the friend group over the course of the novel, which fueled me to devour it in just a few hours. the pacing was PERFECT; nothing felt dragging or rushed to me. i also appreciate a book with short chapters. while there were some surprising plot twists, they were all well executed & breadcrumbs were laid for each major reveal. one thing that may irk you is the heightened/immature dialogue: it’s like one of those “teen” cw shows. the vicious, witty snark is a little too unbelievable at times. i am looking forward to ashley winstead’s next thriller! 

 

CW: murder, drug use / addiction, sexual assault, homophobia, toxic friendship/bullying, death of a parent, suicidal thoughts