What happens when the victim of high school bullies gets her revenge when they are all adults? The Spite Game will answer that question. What amazed me about this story was that Ava kept giving the mean girls another chance at being nice to her, at being her friend, and each time they screwed her over. It's also interesting the lengths Ava would go to as an adult to exact revenge. It's too bad she couldn't just move on though.

This fast-paced read was definitely a great read (made my "best of" list) and would highly recommend. There isn't a lot of mystery since you kind of already know what's going on, but it was a wild ride. I tend to like revenge books, and this did not disappoint, but it also held a strong element of disgust at bully behavior when the person being bullied so clearly keeps trying with them. Dare I say that MOST people have some sort of being bullied story in their past? I, myself, was bullied... but cannot imagine exacting revenge as an adult. Gen X was taught "sticks and stone", but that seems to be disappearing, and this book could be viewed as a warning.

This book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for a review. (Sorry the review is so late!)

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Full review to be found on Goodreads and on my website.

DNF at 25%. It's been over four years since I received this ARC. I gave it a go and have decided it is not for me. It interested me then and no longer does now.

Our story begins with a disappearance -- Mel, a budding actress, has vanished. Enter Ana, her childhood friend and our narrator. Ana tried so hard throughout high school to be a part of Mel's group, but just when it seemed like she was fitting in, Mel and her friends Cass and Saanvi would bully Ava just enough to keep her at arm's length. Years later, Ava can't seem to let the past go, so she stalks the three former friends, trying to find a way to pay them back for the anguish they caused her. As Ava sits waiting at the police office, she recounts all they put her through...

Thoughts: I really, really tried to like this story. But there was very little to work with. Some of the secondary characters were interesting, such as Evan and Bea, and Ava herself is intriguing. I appreciated how the author broke each part of the book down into the traits of a psychopath, as Ava is referred to in high school, but those headings aren't revealed until over halfway into the story so readers may not realize that's what the author is referring to. Also, while what Mel and her friends did to Ava was absolutely horrible, I'm not sure it warranted the stalkerish level Ava takes it to, especially considering how she struggles to move on with her life after high school. I thought that was a bit anti-climatic. The cat-and-mouse aspect of the story was the most interesting with Cass, to be honest, and Cass was the nicest to Ava in high school for lack of any other real friends. Also, as Ava is recounting her history with her former classmates, she keeps saying, "But you don't want to hear about that..." -- this is not only repetitive but also a bit grating as it left me wondering why it was being recounted, then. Almost like it was a waste of everyone's time because, if it didn't have anything to do with what happened to Mel, then why spend two-three chapters telling readers about it? I wish I had more positive feedback to give, but other than liking most of the secondary characters outside of Ava's bullies and the breakdown of book parts, this was a disappointing story. But I am thankful to NetGalley and the publishers for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

While I like the take on the devastating effect of bullying on the human psyche (especially if you are an insecure teenage girl), I think that this novel lacks the direction in storytelling. This is not the story of murder mystery, this is not even the story of revenge - this is a story about "how the bad people got paid back the just and right way". And in this apologetic aspect lies the problem and what is wrong about the morale of this story - you are either flawed or not, but you can not have your cake and eat it, too.
Evan is lovely, but Ava is very much broken character who should enter a serious therapy to understand how much she is broken. And I mean it - the revenge idea might sound nice and all, but it works the described way only in the novels.

I read this arc in 2018. I thought I had submitted a review, but obviously I did not. I remember little about the details other than this being about revenge, and I have in my notes that although it was quick paced and readable, however, the story really wasn't for me. 2.5

An entertaining revenge tale with crossover appeal. A solid purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Ava was bullied in high school and has decided, slowly, over a few years to get revenge on the bullies she idolized, Melissa, Cass, Saanvi. Things start small, but as many things that start small it begins to escalate. This book is basically Ava's confession of what she did. There are different timelines, which I am not overly fond of of but I was able to keep up. My daughter was bullied in school, so this was a tad heart-wrenching, but not so much so.
I gave this a 3 star review, I enjoyed it, but I can see how some might not be able to keep up with the past, present, past and I hate that she actually kind of let them bully her.

This book was a slow burn for me. I could not ever get into it. I felt like the characters were to complex, and just never went any where for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "The Spite Game" by Anna Snoekstra. Overall, I enjoyed this work of fiction. It had its twists and turns. The ending felt a little unimpressive considering the revenge that the main character, Ava was after. Ava felt like a young adult stuck in her high school days, hell bent on revenge from high school bullying. The revenge Ava in-acted felt a little too far fetched. I would still recommend this book to people who enjoy revenge plots and suspense.

This book has mixed reviews so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have to say I enjoyed it. Ava was bullied in high school and vows to get her revenge. The writing made it easy for me to commiserate with her on her revenge mission. Nothing earl shattering here but it is an entertaining read.

I think pretty much every person out there has been on the receiving end of bullying. Just some received more than others.

Ms Snoekstra takes the idea of bullying in our youth and the pain it leaves behind to a new level in The Spite Game.

Ava was hurt terribly by 3 girls who claimed to be her friends. As an adult, she stalks and then does little things that affect their own lives.

Written in a narrative of reflection by Ava as she sits in a police station, the title is gripping and may just evoke your own memories of those mean girls from high school.

Revenge is a dish served cold in Anna Snoekstra's "The Spite Game", in which twenty-something Ava tracks down her former high school tormentors with the goal of getting even. As a teenager, Ava sought acceptance from the desirable clique - Saanvi, Cass, and queen bee Mel - only to be the subject of cruel pranks and bullying. Now, Ava is determined to make the mean girls pay. Her plans are carefully calculated ... but is someone else playing the game?

"The Spite Game"'s shifting timelines work against the story's pacing: at times, the novel feels disjointed. However, Snoekstra hits some strong emotional beats and successfully pulls of a twist ending.

Ava wanted nothing more than to fit in as a teenage in high school. When she finally is befriended by some semi-cool kids, she is both ecstatic and apprehensive. Why did they choose her? Unfortunately, that becomes clear when they pull a horrible prank on her. Not only is she devastated, but she wants payback. Oh boy, does she ever.

I know I should be politically correct and say that Ava should have learned to "let it go". But honestly, I was cheering her on. Each time she ruined the life of one of her teenage bullies, I thought - you go girl. I'm the first to admit that Ava might have taken things a little too far, especially with Mel. And her unresovled anger does show how that can overtake one's own life. I get all that. But it was worth throwing all that out the door and watching as one bully vicitm turned the tables.

I like Ms. Snoeskstra's style and thought process. She always comes up with some out there characters and situations to keep the reader guessing.

My thanks to Harlequin-Mira and Netgalley.

Women can be so vindictive so always be careful of how you treat people. This is definitely the moral of this story. I enjoyed this story. The main character was so naive in thinking every time they wanted to be friends with her they would mean it this time. But she definitely took matters in her own hands. She definitely had a few screws loose and I enjoyed it

Well this was certainly a lot different than I expected! Ava was "bullied" in school by her friends and as she got older, she began to think of ways to make them pay for what they did.

Is this a thriller? Meh, not really and I wouldn't call it suspensefully either. There is more of a psychological creepiness to it.

As twisted as Ava is (and I think she was!) you can't help but feel empathy for her after what these mean girls did to her.

I love how Anna Snoekstra writes and I can't wait to read more of her work!

I love me a good thriller but this book just did not do it for me. I felt it was too juvenile and the main character was just so stuck on what happened in high school so long ago and the time to enact revenge had come and gone. Not good at all.

THE SPITE GAME
Written by Anna Snoekstra
2018; Mira (320 pages)

(Review Not on Blog)

RATING: 2 STARS (DNF @45%)

I liked the premise of this book and the first two chapters were good, but then it started waning for me. It kept talking about this thing happening but never came to it. I am trying not to force myself to read books I am not enjoying so DNF it goes.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

This was a bit of a weird book. The narrator Ava, is a young woman who is an outsider at her high school but wants very much to be accepted by a trio of girls who seem to have all the fun, boys and friends that one could want. Unfortunately they are not interested in having anything to do with Ava, because they see her as inferior to them. Then they begin to toy with her by inviting her to spend time with them and when she does, they convince her to do things which she feels she cannot refuse. This continues until one night when they do something to her which she cannot forgive or get past. At this point Ava begins to plan her revenge. The story is well written and moves along at a decent pace but it is rather dark. The characters are not likeable and Ava can be particularly annoying. But it was definitely interesting and a book I wanted to read in its entirety. Recommended for those who enjoy reading books from the viewpoint of the "slightly off" character.