I really enjoyed this novel and thought the storyline was unique. I qucikly became invested in the story and this book surely grabs your attention! The only thing that bugged me is the characters got on my nerves at times but hey it happens. Overall I think it was a good read and not your everyday thrill either. I recommend this novel!😀

If you choose to start this novel, be prepared to leave everything behind and become incredibly distracted from your daily activities. Social Creatures will become your addiction, with its sing-songy descriptions, fanciful characters, and gripping plot. Similar to Behind Her Eyes: A Novel and Behind Closed Doors, this novel is enticing and quite deceptive to the very end.

Louise is a very plain twenty-something who wishes very much for her life to be different. As the tale begins, we see exactly how mundane her daily existence is. She goes to work, wallows in her own misery, wishes her life were different, and goes to sleep. There is nothing exciting about Louise....until she meets Lavinia. Lavinia is a charismatic, passionate, wealthy, socialite who tends to adopt those who are less fortunate than herself. Tara clearly defines both young women through her writing, as Louise's point of view tends to be more dry, methodical, and obsessive. While Lavinia's point of view is poetic, enchanting, and romantic. There was never a moment, as a reader, when I could not tell whose journey I was on. The best way to describe the first 3/4 of this book is that it is a whirlwind friendship that will leave you wanting more of the chaos. Tara slowly unveils the unruly nature of the girls' relationship and once the threads were loosened, it was like witnessing a horrific train accident; I could not turn my eyes away and the pages just kept turning. Despite the second half of Social Creatures being fast-paced and mind-blowing, I found it somewhat difficult to maintain interest during the first half. I understand the buildup was necessary, but I think there were some scenes that I could have done without to speed up the pace. If you enjoy slow burners that take their time unfolding, but once they are open they become completely unhinged, then you will absolutely enjoy this novel. Tara's writing style is unlike any other and it captivated me from the moment I started reading. She definitely has a unique style that is sharp and witty. Overall, it was amazing to witness the deception of Louise's character and the dynamic of a twisted friendship between two disturbed women.

Every single character in this story is unlikeable. No redeeming qualities to be found here, lol. The story flows well and the last half is slow building dread and tension. Enjoyable and will probably do fair well, but doesn’t really bring anything new to the genre.

3.5 rounded up to 4 Stars

Louise is a lonely, almost 30 yr old New Yorker. She lives a typical life working several jobs and hardly ever goes out. When she places an ad to be an SAT tutor she receives a call from Lavinia. Lavinia hires Louise to tutor her younger sister Cordelia, who is home visiting from her private school. When Louise arrives to their brownstone she is immediately intrigued by the lifestyle these sisters seem to live. Lavinia is larger than life in a feathered dress and their apartment is lavishly decorated. Lavinia leaves to go to a party and doesn't arrive back home until dawn. Louise tells Lavinia she can help sew her damaged feather dress and Lavinia tells Louise she will pay her for every hour that she has been at the apartment. A friendship is formed and their fate is sealed.

The two girls become inseparable. Lavinia takes Louise out to all her parties and introduces her to all her New York City party friends. Lavinia always pays for everything, money seems to be no object. She pays for expensive drinks and upscale bars, all the Uber rides they take, and lets Louise wear all her expensive dresses. Lavinia makes sure pictures are taken and posted and she immediately gets hundreds of likes. When Lavinia offers to take Louise in so she can temporarily stay with her it seems as if all of Louise's dreams are coming true, although her life has taken a dramatic turn. She has more friends and a healthy social life, but Lavinia is so demanding that Louise has to quit her jobs one by one. What seemed like a fun friendship starts to turn into an unhealthy one with catastrophic events.

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. None of the characters were very likable, Lavinia was downright annoying. She was overly demanding and needy. Louise liked to be needed at first but couldn't seem to keep up with Lavinia. She just became "too much" and Louise started to spiral out of control. There was one event that happened in the story which hooked me and made me want to read straight through until I finished. At certain points this story was cringeworthy, but I've seen enough Dateline Mysteries to know that situations like this can happen in real life. My one criticism is the backstory with Louise and he ex boyfriend. I would have liked to get the full story on what happened between the two of them.

Overall a good read and one I would recommend.

For me this book started off very slow, but it picked up and became more interesting.

I gave this book 3 stars because overall it was average for me.

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

This is one of those times where the blurb name dropping might be a curse. If readers go into this expecting something warped like Gillian Flynn, there will be a lot of disappointed faces on the intertubes (except for one scene that had Mitchell like awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww yeah!!!!). I also get the <i>idea</i> of the comparison to Donna Tartt because Tara Isabella Burton has a distinct writing style, but once again it’s not very accurate. Why all the bells and whistles? Why not only say exactly what this is and leave it at that? In case you don’t know what the “that” is let me scream it out for you: <i>Social Creature</i> is a <b>A MODERNIZATION OF <I>THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY</I></b> - <i>(but with 100% more vaginas)</i>.

Louise meets Lavinia and gets swept up into a lifestyle of champagne and endless parties. She becomes Lavinia’s “pet” of sorts – someone to groom, dress up, show how the other half lives. But Louise can’t afford Lavinia’s lavish lifestyle and even though Lavinia always means well and plans on picking up the tab, cab fare, etc., it doesn’t always work out that way. When Louise’s real life world starts falling apart and the shine wears off their new friendship revealing some truths, desperate measures are taken.

<i>Social Creature</i> is what would happen if <I>The Talented Mr. Ripley</I>, <I>The Great Gatsby</I> and <I>Black Swan</I> had a baby. Now you can decide if you want to read it.

<i>ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!</i>

Social Creature is an intriguing, very suspenseful mystery that had me hooked from the beginning. It's almost Agatha Christie-esque with a large dose of Gillian Flynn. The character development is outstanding. You'll find yourself disturbed, but in the best way. Highly recommended to readers looking for their next psychological thriller.

I so enjoyed this mystery, which reminded me all the way through of the Agatha Christie books. The story was a little dark, menacing, full of unlikeable characters, but a great murder mystery. Hal is a tarot card reader, who really has no faith in her skill and feels pretty much a fraudster. But it seems she does have skill, whether it is psychic or intuitive, which helps her solve the mystery.

This book was like watching a train wreck. You know you should just step away, but the events are so horrifying that you need to find out what happened. Louise Wilson, who is struggling at maintaining her life in New York, meets Lavinia, who is younger and wealthier. Lavinia introduces Louise to her high-end social scene, and nothing good ensues. I don't want to give spoilers, but let me just say that what Louise was able to get away with was jaw-dropping. I thought the role social media played in the story was interesting, especially as it caused envy in Louise. I can't say that I loved this book or that I even liked it, but I did admire the author's ability to sustain suspense. Actual rating 2.5 out of 5 stars

I didn't finish this, and I appear to be in the minority. I had high hopes at the very beginning, but about a quarter of the way through, I just gave up. This is a story about two 20-something's. One is rich and vapid, partying and doing nothing with her life. The other wishes she were rich and vapid. I can't relate to either, so didn't much care how story unfolded or how it ended. I did enjoy the writing style, just not the story.

I had to DNF this but I think that was all me! It was just too stressful for me. So I would say that this book is successful in making the reader feel a sense of suspense and uneasiness. I don't think it is a bad book by any means and a reader who isn't me would likely love it!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for a review. First off, I absolutely love the cover of this book. It immediately caught my eye and was the reason that I was interested in it in the first place. Initially I was a bit thrown off by the writing style of the author, I had to re-read a few times and it took me a while to get drawn in to the book but once I was I was hooked and finished it within a few hours. I'm not sure if you are suppose to really like the main character or not, but I personally ended up liking her and enjoyed how the story played out. I think that the description of New York/all of the parties was interesting and even though that lifestyle would not be for me I enjoyed getting to live it through the characters for a time.

What an exhilarating read! I honestly wasn't sure about how I'd feel about this book when I first requested, and was approved, for an ARC copy. I'm so glad that I did! What an amazing book, filled with a cast of memorable characters, in a glittering New York City setting. The story is seen through the eyes of Louise (Lulu), a young woman with nothing, whom is enchanted by and befriended by the "just too much" rich girl, Lavinia. Accompanied throughout the tale by a cast of wonderfully detailed characters, the reader gets a peek at the New York City of the young, rich, bored and depraved. So many intertwining relationships/friendships filled with loathing, envy, oneupmanship, desperation; this book will leave you wanting more.

I honestly wasn't expecting the second half of the book and the ending was an oh my gosh moment. I couldn't put it down and stayed up well past my bedtime reading.

*I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*

I'm so happy that I was able to read this early, because of this book isn't released until June. But I know this is going to be the thriller of the summer.

This was cleverly and masterfully done because while giving you something it also gives you nothing at the same time. The characters arcs were fulfilled and it played out like a mystery movie. It masterfully gives you a story of two girls-the one with nothing and the one with everything-become friends in a very toxic friendship that is filled with parties, money, drugs and social media. Social media played an important part in this novel and the need to impress rather than be in the moment. Social media creates a need to be more like a person that you slowly lose yourself and who you were and that's when it's time to let go. But on the other hand, it can become an obsession...maybe even deadly. GAHHH!! The ending...you just have to READ IT!

This book kind of exhausted me, TBH.

I couldn't stand any of the characters, which I don't typically mind, but for some reason these all grated on my nerves, not to mention they all had obnoxious names.

Lavinia: High maintenance, spoiled little rich girl who lives life to the fullest, often at others expense. (And I'm not just referring to money)

Louise: This one confused the heck out of me....often appearing as a dull, mousy, wallflower; and others she is shown as beautiful, vibrant and witty. But one this for sure-she's an opportunist!

Rex: Lavinia's ex and first true love, who doesn't appear to have a backbone whatsoever.

Cordelia: Lavinia's book smart sister, who was the most palatable character of all of them.

Mimi: Lavinia's discarded friend who reeks of desperation and doesn't care.

Then there is Beowulf, Hal, Gavin, and a few more oddballs thrown in for good measure.

The plot is so bizarre, but even more bizarre is that it did hold my interest to the end.
I can't say it was great, but there is something about the strangeness of this story that kept me going.

In a nutshell, it's Lavinia's world, and the other characters just live it in. Party all night, eat and sleep all day. Then a murder takes place, but the character is kept alive through the use of social media, and no one is the wiser.

Sound silly? It kind of is...
But it's also quirky and definitely outside the box, so I can see why there are a lot of people who responded much better to this than I did. The 3 stars is for the creative premise. Haven't ever read anything like this before, and probably won't ever again.

Give it a go, let me know which side of the fence you fall on!

ARC provided by NetGalley

This is a very interesting book. It draws comparisons to the Ripley books, but this book is different in that neither character is very likable. I felt that they deserved whatever was going to happen to both of them in the end, but I couldn't stop reading in spite of myself.

The book is so well written, and the plot is very compelling and really draws you in. There are plot summaries galore on Goodreads, so I won't do the recap, but I definitely recommend this book!

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

I give Social Creature 25 glamorous glitzy Stars. The bright kind of ones that light up a NYC rooftop at 1am and make everyone look glamorous. The kind of stars that make your champagne sparkle in your skyline selfie.
That’s how many ⭐️s I award this book.
But under the bright lights of the parties and underneath the sequin gowns, this story is DARK. It’s as dark and sad as the bars are at 5am when the parties finally end and nothing is left but empty wine bottles, trampled confetti and tattered silk dresses. Dark, dark dark. And lonely.

Lavinia lives in luxe. Expensive gowns, a bank account with $102,000.00 in it, a Upper West Side apartment paid for by mommy and daddy. She doesn’t work, she doesn’t do much except spend money and go to parties. She is the Social Creature. She is the party. People kiss her feet to be part of her nights and in her selfies.
Lavinia posts EVERYTHING. Her whole life is on social media. She gets 53 likes within seconds when she posts a selfie. And she takes a lot of selfies. Online her life looks fabulous. Even when she’s drunk outside the Met in the fountain, mascara down her face...people want to BE Lavinia. And want to be her friend.She’s perfect. If you get in her selfie, you might just be her friend.

Louise is a poor mousy girl from New Hampshire living in Brooklyn, working three jobs. She has no social media presence. The one date she had, he “ghosted” her after the date. She doesn’t own a ball gown. She has $6 in her account.

This is the story of when Lavinia and Louise meet.

The twists are freakin’ insane! The story is crazy. Nothing is as it seems. I loved every feather covered page, every trip to the beach at 4am in the snow when I as a reader could feel my teeth chattering, every secret, every LIE.

Social Creature comes out June 5th!

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my free ARC copy and inviting me into these parties with Lavinia. My honest opinion is ALL the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Now I need to go “friend” her.......

By Tara Isabella Burton
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Penguin First to Read and Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lavinia is rich, wild and daring. Louise is living life on the edge in other ways. She works three jobs just to make the rent on her dinky apartment. When this unlikely duo collide with each other, Louise begins to lose all sense of self as Lavinia becomes a drug and alcohol Auntie Mame, encouraging Louise to live more and more on the edge until she becomes a permanent accessory of her mentor.

Soon Louise is going to all the “in” places and seeing all the chic people. Selfies are a must as well as extravagant food, drink and over the top and sometimes illegal activities. The more involved she becomes, the less she is herself. Both figuratively and literally.

When the sand castle friendship seems to be dissolving, how far will Louise go to keep up the charade of existence Lavinia has created for her? Do we really know who Louise is?

Burton has written a fabulous book of deception and debauchery. Are these two girls Thelma and Louise, just on a joyride through life until the end goes tragically wrong? Are they both cold and calculating – or is one of them manipulating the other to keep from living a lonely existence? The twists, turns and emotions of this novel make it a true page turner.

Like Louise it is fun to step into a world that most of us just read about on the internet or in tabloids. Most of us would not like to participate, but what if we had someone encouraging and paying for all of the craziness? Maybe we would give it a try. What if we got in too deep? My suggestion is to live this craziness through the pages of Burton’s engrossing novel.

Tara Isabella Burton brings her debut novel to life skillfully. With understated realities, the plot can take the reader places he will hopefully never go in real life. Her writing style creates a reality that is so alluring, we are drawn into the characters and story from the first page and held there until the last word is read.

I hope to hear much more from this author. Social Creature is a gem.

Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman

Tara Isabella Burton did an amazing job with keeping me on toes while reading this suspenseful book. Constantly on edge and reaming with anxiety, I had to put this book down to take deep breaths. The characters were well developed, and this book left me wanting to know more of their futures.

Social Creature appeared to be very intriguing and suspenseful, but for some reason, it just wasn't for me. Louise was honestly rather pathetic and Lavinia just annoyed me to death. She sort of reminded me of Daisy Buchanan with her ridiculous and extravagant ways of speaking and celebrating every little thing on the planet. The closer they became, the more Louise's issues stuck out regarding her self-esteem and self-worth. Although the author wonderfully developed her characters, I could not stand any of them. Interesting premise, like The Talented Mr. Ripley, but unfortunately, I struggled to get through this and really did not like it.