Headline:
I could’ve rated Social Creature 2 stars OR 4 stars and felt good about either choice….it’s completely ridiculous and messed up, but also addictive and intriguing. This book made me say “holy sh*t” multiple times.

Plot Summary:
When Louise, a nobody trying to make it in NYC, meets Lavinia, an outrageous party girl/socialite, they embark on an intense friendship during which Lavinia ends up dead (this is not a spoiler…it’s revealed almost immediately and in the publishers’ blurb!).

Why I Read It:
I’m a sucker for NYC social world books…especially dark and disturbing ones. Plus, Tyler Goodson (Manager at Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA) and one of my top recommendation sources gave it 4 stars.

Major Themes:
Friendship, obsession, social media, New York City, image, socialites

What I Liked:
- This is one demented story. Maybe the most messed up book I’ve read since The Roanoke Girls. If you like dark and twisted, Social Creature is for you! But, fair warning, this book is not for everyone. Some people will absolutely hate it.
- The bottom line with Social Creature, and the reason I decided on 4 rather than 2 stars, is that it’s absolutely addictive. I couldn’t put it down, especially during the second half.
- At first, I was bored by the seemingly endless stream of ridiculous parties and socialite antics, but I couldn’t have predicted in a million years where this story would go. It’s the rare book that I wanted to DNF many times in the beginning, but I’m thrilled I didn’t.
- The writing has a frantic, breathless, almost childlike quality with lots of “and, and, ands”…which totally fits the story.
- Lavinia and Louise (and some fringe characters) seem ridiculous and unrealistic. But, having lived in NYC for years, I can assure you that people like this really exist. There are “It” Girls who are essentially exaggerated caricatures and have personal “brands” they try to live up to. There are nobodies who completely reinvent themselves into somebodies…while disavowing their past. And, there are the kids of famous and successful people who live lives of debauchery funded by their parents. These characters would’ve made me want to throw the book across the room (and will probably make many other readers do just that) had I not lived in NYC and understood that the craziness is very real.
- Finally, try to go in as blind as possible. Shockingly, the publisher’s blurb actually does a good job of not revealing too much.

What I Didn’t Like:
- The publishers compared Social Creature to Gillian Flynn and Donna Tartt, which I don’t think are quite accurate. I can see Gillian Flynn a bit, but definitely not Donna Tartt. Publisher comparisons are always a crapshoot!
- The story takes a bit to heat up. At first, the endless stream of NYC socialite parties was over-the-top, but also annoying and monotonous. I wish some of this had been cut down.
- It got kind of raunchy at times, which doesn’t bother me, but will absolutely bother people who are more sensitive to that stuff.

A Defining Quote:
"There’s a reason people are able to function, in this world, as social creatures, and a good part of that reason is that there are a lot of questions you’re better off not knowing the answer to, and if you’re smart you won’t even ask."

Good for People Who Like…
Dark and disturbing books, New York City, dislikable characters, open-ended endings

Other Books You May Like:
Another dark, disturbing book with a cat and mouse game:
Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach (my review)

I don't really know if I liked this book or not. I did at first but as the story went on I lost interest in it. I really didn't like the ending. It felt rushed and too easy. None of the characters were likable which is normally ok for me. I don't have to like a character to enjoy a story but these characters were just insufferable. I probably wouldn't recommend this book.

Very compelling tale here - I went through this one pretty quickly & enjoyed the storyline & character development. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity!

This book was a DNF for me. I suspect that at another time, I might have enjoyed it, but it just didn't grab me when I tried to read it during the summer months. I still think it is a stunning cover. Thank you for allowing me access to this early edition. I am sorry that I was unable to file a review at this time. I wish you all the best of luck with the book and should I see it appear on Best Of lists at the end of the year, i will reconsider and give it another try.

I wasn't sure I'd enjoy "Social Creature," the debut novel by Tara Isabella Burton. The first few pages were slow for my reading tastes. However, by the end of the first chapter, I was hooked!

The author offered a glimpse into the lifestyles of the big city spender and party scene, while giving us a deep look into a "normal" person's insecurities and desires to fit in. The contrasts between Louise and Lavinia are fascinating with each having her own strengths and weaknesses. Who among us hasn't wished to step into society at least for a few minutes and experience what it's like to be with the "in crowd." With the help of social media, that life is only a finger scroll away, whether it be true or not.

With this novel, we get to experience the thrills - and chills - without the consequences. The twists and turns kept me guessing and eager for more.

Definitely a strange one but worth sticking with! Not for every triller reader but if you like a hint of Gossip shirk thrown in, this is definitely for you!

A dark debut about Louise and Lavinia, inseparable friends in a glitzy New York, until a rift destroys their friendship and their lives. This novel will keep you guessing and is difficult to put down.

I liked the premise of this novel. What troubled me was my inability to connect to the characters. They seemed a little two-dimensional to me, which kind of goes along with the social media aspect. How much do we really know about internet friends? The story itself was entertaining, and the twists not telegraphed. I just wanted to care more about the characters, as that would have contributed to the experience.

“Social Creature” by Tara Isabella Burton explores the dark corners of the association between millionaire Lavinia and poor-as-a-church mouse Louise, provides a shocking ending in a story that evokes Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” with female protagonists. These two young women, whose relationship has been cemented on mutual toxicity, manipulation and lies, will attend a late-night Manhattan soiree, with only one making it out alive.
Burton's story is a 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' meets 'Girl, Interrupted' in the social media age. The ending will make you think you know everything, but perhaps you only know what this unreliable narrator wants you to see.

I was sold on this book when it was described on NetGalley as a combo of Gossip Girl and Gone Girl. That nails it, but doesn’t totally cover how engrossing and mad the scene and characters are. So creepy and great.

Gatsby meets Tom Ripley meets the movie Metropolitan in Tara Isabella Burton's Social Creature (Doubleday, digital galley), a cut-glass crystal tale of obsessive friendship. Louise is a poor aspiring writer when rich socialite Lavinia decides they'll be new best friends. Before long, Louise is caught up in the endless party of Lavinia's life, drinking champagne under the stars and deliberately ignoring signs that's she's just another plaything of Lavinia's. Besides, Louise likes Lavinia's money and all that it buys, from the clothes to the makeovers to the glam friends with names like Athena Maidenhead. Still, all this can only end in tears. The question is whose tears and just what will be recorded for posterity on social media. Louise or Lavinia? Which one is bad, mad and dangerous to know?

from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

3.5 stars

Social Creature tells the twisted tale of Louise and Lavernia. Louise is taken under the wing of Lavernia, a rich trust fund girl, and is shown the wild crazy life of 2o somethings in New York City who are out to experience "more poetry" and live for parties and the social life as documented on social media. Much too much time is spent in the narrative of setting the story's events in order to establish this jaded NYC atmosphere. Things turn dark when Lavernia turns much to needy, and Louise is more and more attached financially to Lavernia. What's a girl to do?

Little rings true in this work. The tale makes no sense in the world of social media where one's life is documented, catalogued, and one's phone can trace your every step. The ending is very unsatisfying.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this electronic copy.

Tense, original, and totally delicious. Highly recommend if you were even vaguely interested in the Anna Delvey story or similar scammers.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Dang, this was a stylish, disturbing, engrossing, and modern read. Very original with feels of a classic novel.

There was honestly nothing about this that worked for me. By all accounts, I should have been the target audience for this - a 30 year old New Yorker who grew up on Gossip Girl and the like... I should have put it down when I tried picking it up and putting back down about 30 times but eventually I stuck it out - and wished I hadn't.

**This book was provided to me as an advanced reader copy from Netgalley. All views contained within this review are my own.**

Lavinia has everything, and Louise believes she has nothing. Lavinia brings Louise into her social circle, and then into her home. They begin an intense and codependent relationship that has gone completely off the rails by the halfway point of the book.

Both of these characters are severely unlikeable in my opinion. Lavinia is NEEDY, and Louise is self-sabotaging, and deceitful. I don't understand how either girl manages to make, never mind keep, friends and lovers.

There are several completely implausible plot points, and holes that make the book rather unenjoyable.

I say all of this, only to mention that I *flew* through reading this book. The prose was easy to read, and engaging, despite the off-the-rails plot.[book:The Social Contract|12651]

Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton
Doubleday, 2018
Crime Fiction/Thriller; 273 pgs
Source: NetGalley

Was this book ever addicting! It was described as such in a snippet I had read when deciding whether I wanted to read and review Tara Isabella Burton’s Social Creature—and the word fits. It was hard not to be sucked into Lavinia’s world. She’s an extremely intense character, and Louise is a compelling unreliable narrator. These are characters I cannot imagine myself ever wanting to know or hang out with in real life. I have never been nor wanted to be a part of their scene. Louise seemingly leads a relatively quiet life, barely making ends meet. She longs for something more—and when Lavinia walks into her life, she is swept up into a world she only ever dreamed of being a part of: attending book readings and parties, excessive drinking and drug use, trespassing, and living the high life in New York City.

I did not know what to make of Lavinia at first. I could whip out my DSM-VI and come up with a host of diagnoses. She latches onto Louise instantly, pulling Louise into her lifestyle. The two become close extremely fast. There were times I could not tell who was more dependent on the other—they both seemed to need each other and were using each other in their own ways. I too felt pulled into Lavinia’s life, right alongside Louise. I had no idea where the author was going to take me. There is definite foreshadowing—even the Goodreads synopsis gives some of it away (which is why I am not posting it here), but how, when and why remained a mystery until it was revealed outright by the author. As the reader, I just knew something bad was going to happen. This is one of those books in which I think the less known going in, the better.

I did not like any of the characters. Maybe a little Rex, but even then, not really. That is not something that bothers me too much though. I do not have to like the characters to enjoy a book, especially a book like this. I have kind of come to expect I will not. There were brief moments I felt sympathy for either Louise or Lavinia, but they were, as I said, brief. It took me a moment with this one to get into the narrative voice. Louise is the one who tells us the story, and she does it in her own way, sometimes flashing back to the past.

It is not unusual in today’s day and age for social media to make an appearance. It really has to in some respects, doesn’t it, if it is to be believable? At least for a book set in modern times. I liked how the author used Facebook in the novel. While seemingly bringing people closer together, it tends to be a more superficial way to stay in touch.

When I finished the book, I found myself wondering if I liked it. As a thriller, it gave me just what I was looking for. I had a hard time putting this one down, and I couldn’t wait to get back to it when I had to stop reading. It was full of unexpected twists and melodrama. It was compelling and unique. The novel is dark and left me a bit unsettled as I read.

An of the moment dark and edgy novel with its finger on the pulse of today’s youth culture and social media celebrity draw

Great, riveting suspense! A fantastic one-sitting read about a woman with nothing who makes friends with a woman who has everything. A kind of Cinderella story with a twist! Highly recommended!

A fast paced thriller. NYC has always interested me and I picked this book up assuming that that initself would hold my interest but the story was intriguing. An awesome summer read.