I was really excited about this book. The premise was fantastic, and I thought for sure this was going to be the next big book.....but I was really bored reading it. By the second half, I was ready to DNF, and was skimming a lot. I'm not sure even what the reason was, I just couldn't get into it. I really loved the parts from Emma's perspective, but the rest just didn't work for me. I will reread down the line, and maybe will enjoy more. Sorry.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

I really liked this book. Set at an Oregon college at a sorority house, it's a suspenseful and surprisingly moving read about how the decisions and pacts we make affect the lives of those around us. I was in a sorority and I knew stereotypical girls like the ones in the book, although thankfully none as awful as the girls in the book, whose traits were exaggerated for purposes of the plot.

Emma goes to Merriwether University and joins a sorority to meet people and make friends. Her experience is typical until her sophomore year, when she as a nursing student, she gets caught up in a disaster not of her own making. There are a lot of bridges on campus, and when one of the sisters goes over, no one is sure if it was suicide or murder.

The mystery was interesting and kept my attention, and the book was well written. Some of the characters were better drawn than others. I liked the descriptions of the interactions between the sorority sisters in the house, they were true to life.

I highly recommend this book. It's an interesting mystery with a twist.

Sorority Girls, Murder, and a Web of sister secrets make for a quick and fun pact read.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4 stars.

Emma is excited for her first year at Merriwether University. New friends made at Theta Pi promise to bring a year of great fun and immediate family with the sisterhood. Until one night. A terrible act becomes a secret to hold. Emma faces a choice that becomes a burden, placing her in danger. "I am Theta born. Theta bred. And when I die, I'll be Theta dead".

I first have to say that I was nervous about picking up a sorority thriller. I would never join a Greek house, but I have always been intrigued by the rush, rituals, and camaraderie. But the sorority is more of a backdrop to the story at large.

Pretty, Nasty, Lovely is a well-written novel with a gripping story line. The opening scene is exciting and fast, setting the tone for the plot. Emma has blood on her hands and has fallen into disfavor with the other sisters. Jumping forwards, a rash of suicides haunts the university campus. This time the death brushes the sisterhood. Lydia has jumped off a bridge. Because of Emma's past, she wants to find out answers, but it leads her into a dangerous web of lies. And to a system that is failing its students. The plot is a great concept, but there are some issues in its execution. The story jumps around. At times it is choppy. Storylines executed in one chapter slowly return well down the table of contents. At times the story sets off into tangents that you are wondering if it is important. But what redeems the novel are the twists and the turns at the halfway mark that navigate you down several paths until the culmination in the final few chapters.

The characters within the book remind me of those in the movie Cruel Intentions. Some were better developed than others. In particular, Emma is a down to earth with deep emotional wounds from the loss of her mother and sister. She is not a typical member of the sorority but hoped her membership would improve her popularity. She is thoroughly likable. Defiance, Emma's roommate, pops out as a unique presence in the Theta house: dark, edgy and clairvoyant. We see the Roma background in full expression when Defiance takes Emma to her family home for Thanksgiving. Other Theta Pi sisters, Tori, Isabel, Courtney and, Meghan, were on the 2-D level with conversations that did nothing to round out the characters.

Several current issues brought into the spotlight include suicide and mental illness on college campuses. The reality today is that suicide is currently the second most common cause of death among college students. Noonan does a great job using the storyline to highlight the isolation, depression, high-performance pressure and substance abuse that contributes to the grim statistics. The novel excels at making these social issues universal.

Overall a fun mystery that I read in 2 days. If you enjoy sororities, campus life, and deceptive characters you will enjoy Pretty, Nasty, Lovely.

So, in Pretty Nasty Lovely, we’ve got some very unlikeable characters. They fit the bill for the pretty and nasty part – maybe not so much for the lovely part.

But, despite the unlikable characters, I did like the book.

You’ve got a very solid mystery. I was engaged and I really wanted to know what had happened – was it suicide? Or something even darker?

The descriptions of Greek life were terrific. I eschewed Greek life when in college. I did go to a sorority rush party that was on the beach a few miles from campus. I was so bored that I literally walked back to campus rather than suffer another minute. (I do wonder if they ever figured out someone was missing from that charter bus.) However, in this book, I sort of got why some people do like sorority life. The descriptions seem fair – to both the dark side and the benefits of the life.

There was one sub plot that rather bored me involving a sort of help group that the students and a teacher were involved in. No spoilers here – I’ll just say that at times it seemed to devolve into a platform for the author’s own opinions on the subject and it detracted from the story a bit.

Over all, though, I really enjoyed the read. I enjoyed discovering if I was right or wrong about our mystery (I was right!) and ended up – still not actually liking our characters – but getting them.

I love the idea of Pretty, Nasty, Lovely. It has a brilliant synopsis, and the story sounds like it would work on paper. It falls short in some areas, but is still an interesting read, nonetheless.

While the writing is great, the characters aren’t written that well. Some of the dialogues seem artificial. It’s not the characters that carry the story forward–it’s the plot. This is entirely a plot-driven book. It’s fast paced and the plot keeps the reader hooked till the end.

Pretty, Nasty, Lovely is a watered down version of what it could’ve been. Some story lines are opened up and then completely abandoned for the next few chapters until the author is ready to explore them again. The characters don’t show any development.

It may feel like I’m listing a lot of negatives, but here’s why I still think this is an interesting read. It explores many topics that aren’t discussed much–suicide, mental illness, and women’s health.

This book would work so much better if the characters showed signs of life and the plot were thickened in the currently choppy areas. You should still check it out if you want a quick, interesting read on scandal, sororities, and violence.

Pretty, Nasty, Lovely
Rosalind Noonan
Available: August 29, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I’m partial to a good sorority book – even though most of the nationally known Greek houses are technically women’s fraternities; in the grand scope of things, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that you find your niche with the ones you connect best with in your house, have a general sense of compassion and caring towards the sisters you may not like, and show up for rush events. Seriously – we got fined if we were late.
What I loved: Of course there were some great twists and turns towards the end but I think my favorite part of the book was how Emma’s view of Defiance changed as they grew closer over Thanksgiving break.
What I didn’t love: It’s a little choppy in parts – I think more could have been drawn out between the professor and his creepy stalker girlfriend. I also think the entire health center (or Death Center as we called it back in the days) mental illness thing with Dr. Cho could have been its own book as it seems a little Gestapo like and very off.
What I learned: I think I want to have a tea reading
Overall Grade: B

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