I'm not sure if it's because the formatting on this was VERY messed up or if it was just the way the book was written, but I had an extremely hard time keeping up between flashbacks and what was real. It had the potential to be a very good book but it fell flat for me.

I liked the symmetry of this story and it was a good quick read. The timeline jumped around in a way that I found confusing at times and there were some key scenes that I would have loved to see more fleshed out. That said, I consumed this book in a matter of hours, and it kept my interest right to the end.
Thanks netgalley for the ereview edition of this book.

Characters were well developed. The plot was intriguing. Loved the descriptiveness of the book. I would like to read more from this author

I struggled a little with this book, I hate to admit. The protagonist was not likable nor could I feel truly absorbed by the story. The wiring is good, maybe too good for a story like this, because it slowed down the pace. It's not a bad book by any means, just not quite for me.

This book was just not for me. I could not keep the story straight and it was so depressing all the time. I would recommend a younger adult audience.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I had a tough time getting into this book.....I really didn’t enjoy the main character at all, very hard to root for......I found at times the story felt a bit all over the place...sometimes confusing.
Overall it was an ok read!

Not really sure how I feel about this one. The plot was a bit far fetched. Some mean girls pull a pretty gross stunt that doesn't even make it out of the room it happened in and then call you names for a few months and you go on a 10 year long stalking/revenge fest culminating in *spoiler**** the murder of one of the people, ironically, the only one who wasn't even in the room? The author was talented enough to keep the story moving, but I wouldn't read this one more than once and if I met this girl in real life would recommend my therapist to her in a heart beat. Move on girl, move on.

I cannot remember the last time I read an opening paragraph that grabbed me as hard as this one did. It set an incredibly high standard of visceral honesty that the book stayed faithful to until the end. This novel is a great glimpse into the mind of a woman hell bent on revenge for severe bullying. It explores the danger of isolation, the universal need for connection, and how a failure to build a life of your own can lead to serious dysfunction. I also enjoyed the subversive ending. I tore through the book and I've just sent samples of the rest of her work to my Kindle. Very excited to have found such a talented, unique, and articulate voice.

The description was really good but story was somewhat disappointing. Too much narrative and not a lot of action.

Thank you for this early copy!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a well-written novel. I will be checking out more from this author in the future!

A wonderful and well-constructed revenge thriller that will keep you reading until the end! Looking forward to more from this author.

I enjoyed the style in which this was written. There was a clear build-up and plot organization in the story. Charaters were fleshed out and well written. Conflict was sensible and twisty. Would recommend. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

See link to goodreads review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2455694865?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This book kept my interest peaked, albeit the subject matter, that I found was quite disturbing. I disliked most of the characters. I especially disliked Ava, the main character. I do not want to interject any spoilers, so I won’t comment any further but to say, it is a page turner. I read it in two days. That’s why the three stars.

I was disappointed, the story was hard to follow because it kept jumping back and forth. The revenge plots she thought were lame and pretty boring, I was hoping something exciting and suspenseful would happen but the book just turned out to be a girl trying to come to terms with being bullied as a high schooler and how it affects her adult life and relationships

Well. Not sure what I have just read. This was not so much a whodunit as a whatexactlydidshedo? I felt compelled to keep reading, but found the denouement a big let down. I was expecting another significant part of the backstory to be revealed, which never was.

From the blurb, I guess I was expecting a Mean Girls situation and some clever revenge plots. This was a lot darker and sadder. I felt sorry for Ava, but also can't stand her.

I guess this has something to say about the potential long term impact of bullying. Not so much what Ava does as the way she feels about herself. She believes she is incapable of being loved, is unloveable because of who she is deep down. She then sabotages any chance of happiness that may come her way.

On a completely different note, the novel certainly has a particular time and place. I can't decide if that is a good thing, or if it will make it feel dated quickly.

This book was dismal. But I think that was intended.

This book goes between the present and the past. The past is Ava in high school where she was bullied by a group of girls. The present is Ava as an adult consumed with revenge. So much so that she is unable to even have an adult relationship. Poor girl. However, I didn't feel sorry for Ava while I was reading this. I felt a little bit disgusted by her.

Everyone has been through shit, and everyone moves past it. That is part of growing up. But what happens when you can't move past it? This is where we find our girl. Teetering dangerously between manic and in need of a good therapist.

I think the author was trying for a Gillian Flynn type of novel, but for me the characters weren't as complete. It could have just been me though. I did read the book all the way to the end, but it wasn't something that I would enthusiastically recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an advance copy of this book.

I was disappointed by The Spite Game, a story about Ava, who wanted nothing more than to be friends with the popular kids in high school. She finds a way in, but as is often the case, hanging with the popular crowd is not what it is cracked up to be. Ava spends years trying to deal with what happened her last few years of high school. Some of the characters were developed better than others. Parts of the story grab the attention better than others. The ending was not what I had hoped for. Not a terrible book, but definitely not one of my favorites.

This had so much potential when I started reading it - and everyone loves a bit of a revenge read, but I found it to be childish, unbelievable and unrelateable! I precevered - but I don’t know why! Not for me I am afraid.

This is an absorbing tale of a young woman who seemingly can’t mentally move past high school. Ava wants desperately to be part of the in crowd and when she comes to the aid of one if the group she thinks that’s her ticket. Unfortunately the in crowd only views her as an oddity and being with them in exposes Ava to more abuse and indignity. And she decides that if that is how they see her then that is what she truly be inside. Fast forward a few years and ‘the group’ is off to university and beyond. Ava is still obsessed and cyberstalks them. And she uses all the cunning and malice they told her was part of her in her revenge.

There were times reading The Spite Game that wanted to just hug Ava and take her to a therapist. The material is rough but I always hard a hard time putting this one down. There were a lot of late nights while I was reading. I wanted to see where Ava’s plans would lead her. I think you will too.