A grown up version of Mean Girls! This book has stuck with me since I finished it. I enjoyed the twists and turns, the horrible characters, the untrustworthy narration, it was just a good time.
There were bits that I found a little unbelievable and some sections that were a bit slow, but overall this was awesome and well worth the read!

When the time comes to reflect on 2020, on my list of good things, will be the incredible mysteries and thrillers that I have read. Usually, if I am a glutton and read too many in this genre, I inevitably start enjoying them less and less and need a book break. Not so this year as the skills of the authors I've read just keep delivering intriguing plots and characters and plenty of twists and turns.
Girl Gone Mad is mostly told by Emily Bennett. She is a therapist who works with troubled teenagers, and she is happy if she can make a difference in their lives. She knows what it is like to be a bully because she was a Harpy when she was in middle school. Mackenzie, Elise, Destiny, Courtney, Olivia, and Emily were the chosen six. Popular, privileged, and rotten to the core, they bullied their way through school....just because they could. Emily has never forgotten what they did to Grace Farmer, their last act of terror before the Harpies broke up. But as they used to say, “Once a Harpy, always a Harpy”, and maybe even fourteen years later, that is true.
When Emily's mother tells her that Olivia is dead and that she should attend the funeral, Emily wants nothing to do with her past. She relents under her mother's glare and attends the service with Courtney. When they learn Olivia killed herself under rather mysterious circumstances, and that Destiny is dead, by suicide, they wonder if Grace is finally having her revenge.
As the tension mounts chapter by chapter and more and more secrets are revealed, is it possible that Emily is losing her mind, or has her past caught up with her? It becomes increasingly difficult to separate the villains from the victims and the cat from the mouse. Yep, this is another fast-paced ride aboard the cray cray train, and the conclusion of this tale was unexpected and twisted. Kudos to the author for also exploring a devastating topic, bullying, while taking me on a wild ride.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop.

Emily is paying penance for her behavior as a HS bully. Now she is a therapist, helping other teens overcome their bullies and demons while she struggles to reconcile how her and her friends "The Harpies" treated Grace Farmer. But her past doubles down on her when one of the Harpies ends up dead. Was it Grace, coming back to get her revenge, or something even more sinister.

Teen bullying, and especially GIRL teen bullying is such a tricky subject. How do you fight raging insecurities, hormones, and a desperate need to fit in? That's the question to ask while we watch these "in girls" systematically torture any other girls who dare try to encroach upon their circle. But these scars last for a long time, and it begs a question, should they have to pay for it later in life?

Social commentary aside, this was compulsively readable, fun, and deliciously b*tchy. It's also slightly triggering seeing that I was once a HS girl once, but hey, I survived the read.

Synopsis:
Emily is a therapist that deals mainly with children who suffer bullying at school. But Emily has a secret, she was a bully herself, with a clique of another six girls. She has always been haunted by guilt but it only grows stronger when she finds out two of her school friends who were part of the same clique died in the last six months. Are they all still haunted by their past?

Review:
Plot: this is, without a doubt, the best thriller I’ve read this year! If I didn’t have to work, I would definitely have read this in one sitting - the plot is extremely original and hooking, full of subtle and unexpected twists and turns. The content is quite heavy though, it has many trigger warnings and it talks about bullying in a very raw way, really showing you how it can affect someone’s life.
Writing: Avery Bishop is a pseudonym for a bestselling writer with more than twelve books released! I found out a while after starting reading and I was shocked before about how precise and cohesive the writing was for a first debut. The book is written in 1st person which is fantastic for thrillers, because you become blind to all of the other character’s plans! Glimpses to the past were provided by Emily’s memories and it was great to understand how they ended up in that situation.
Characters: I love how the book really showed the meanness that can come from school students - it can be a very traumatizing moment of one’s life and the book showed just that. By providing glimpses of the past it was possible to understand all of the characters’ motivations and where their actions were coming from. They were all unique and flawed, a perfect representation of real life.
Verdict: The best thriller I read this year! It is dark, raw and twisted - everything I love in a book like this. Due to the high amount of trigger warnings it is not a book to be recommended to everyone, but fans of thriller will definitely be hooked by this novel. 5⭐️

Favorite Quote: “oftentimes people do a good job in hiding their depression. They know when to smile. When to laugh. How to say the right things at the right time. Until the day finally comes when the depression becomes too strong and they’re tired of fighting it.”
Soundtrack: How to Save a Life, by The Fray
Read Also: Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard

3.5 stars
I finished this book in two sittings and I don’t regret it. Girl Gone Mad is a fast-paced psychological thriller with some good plot twists. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This book was disturbing and not for the faint-hearted.

Girl Gone Mad follows Emily Bennett. She has an amazing job, gorgeous fiancé… so we thought. Until she finds out that someone from her past is coming back for revenge after what she and her former friends, dubbed the Harpies, did to them 14 years ago.

The plot was intriguing and we are thrust straight into the action from the start. It was a bit slow-moving at first but the pace picked up really quickly after. The flashbacks were a great addition to the narrative, but it was a bit disorientating because the flashbacks weren’t labeled as such and I had to figure it out myself.

Emily was an unlikeable character. But that’s what made her flawed and complex. I was on the fence on whether to support her and the Harpies or support the victim. Who are the actual villains in this story? The line was blurred. It was a messy game of cat-and-mouse between all the players and this made the plot and characters more compelling.

Overall, this was really fast-paced and gripping. It highlighted the effects of bullying and its lasting consequences. I recommend if you're looking for a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

2.5 stars rounded to 3.

I was surprised by how many 4-5 star reviews this book has gotten on goodreads. I’ll admit, the premise was intriguing - a group of mean middle school girls “harpies” bully a new girls severely leading to her attempted suicide. Years later, two of the harpies have killed themselves, and a few of the others are convinced it might be the girl they bullied causing these deaths.

The book had many plot holes and confusion caused by jumping from one time or thing to the next without any explanation - I don’t know how to explain - it was just confusing at many parts, especially the second half. I think it could have been edited to read in a clearer way and still have been able to tell the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite good, with an easygoing plot and little shocks throughout. It was slow to start with but then it soon gained momentum. I enjoyed reading it overall.

A terrifyingly easy to believe psychological thriller... Not hard to believe this female take on Lord of The Flies could actually happen! Pack mentality at its cruelest. Vile behaviour twisted to make it seem normal?! I really didn’t guess the ending, which always a sign of a good book for me... Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and the author for the ARC.

“Mean Girls” on steroids! This book takes “You can’t sit with us” to a WHOLE new level.

Having once been a junior high school girl myself, I did not find it at all a stretch to believe the mean junior high school girls (turned adults) would do any and all of the horrible things depicted in this book. You should definitely go into this book blind - maybe don’t even read the blurb - because the twists and intrigue begin early and keep coming at breakneck speed throughout the book.

Super fast-paced, scary, thrilling, and surprisingly introspective about why and how girls bully eachother, and what happens when mean girls grow up. I really enjoyed Emily, the very imperfect protagonist of this book, and also appreciated the sometimes uncomfortable insights about teenage girlhood. There was also a ton of action, plus major psychological thrills, red herrings galore, and a fantastic ending. This is an exceptional thriller and was completely unputdownable. Girl Gone Mad was the best kind of psychological thriller — one you can’t wait to get to the end of, but also wish would last forever. I’m super impressed with this author and I’m going to dedicate some serious Googling time to cracking their pseudonym so I can read the dozen other books they’ve written. Hats off to Avery Bishop, whoever she may be, for an unputdownable and heartpounding thriller worthy of a spot in this year‘s pantheon of best psychological thrillers. Fun, fun, fun. And creepy.

Thanks to Avery Bishop, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance copy of this book and extra thanks to my Goodreads friends who recommended it - I would have been sad to miss it!

Fourteen years ago Emily Bennett and her group of friends did something that was hurtful, mean, and unforgivable.
Now she works as a therapist and she can see the devastating consequences of what they did in the children she helps.
After hearing that one of the girls from their group has committed suicide, she decides to contact the rest of the group.
Sometimes things, and people are best left in the past.
What she discovers about people she grew up with and thought she knew is surprising and maybe even deadly.
A great book. Interesting and entertaining. I enjoyed the characters and the subject matter is always needing to be addressed.

Talk about toxic mean girls! Emily was part of a group called the Harpies when she was a teen. Today, she's a therapist who works with kids who have been traumatized. She hasn't really focused on what the group did to Grace all those years ago but slowly, slowly bad things are beginning to happen, starting with a suicide (or is it) by one of her old cohorts. Is Grace back? No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good cautionary tale you will wish teens would read but...

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Girl Gone Mad!

I loved this book!! It was fast-paced and kept my attention the whole time, dying for more. Emily finds out two former friends, Olivia and Destiny, have passed away both by suicide. She suspects something a little suspicious and reaches out to the rest of her middle school clique, known as the Harpies, which also includes Courtney, Elise and Mackenzie. The Harpies were your typical popular girl group aka the bullies, and they bullied one girl in particular, Grace Farmer. Emily starts to suspect what they did to Grace has something to do with what is happening now but she has no idea if Grace herself is responsible, vying for revenge, or is it someone else?? Once I got to about 40% through I literally couldn’t put the book down and read until 1am to finish! Def recommend!!

Mean Girls to the extreme! Girl Gone Mad is one crazy psychological thriller and I could not get enough of it. I have been seeing this one all over social media and was very excited to finally read it. And it did not disappoint, this book will keep you turning pages to find out what would happen next. It was relatable, twisty and and addictive...you need to read this book.

In middle school they called themselves the Harpies and their motto was “ once a Harpie, always a Harpie” They were the popular girls, and they were the mean girls. You do not want to get in the wrong side of these girls. After a weekend when they carry out their absolute worst, they swear a blood oath to never talk about Grace Farmer again.

Fast forward 14 years and the girls have gone their separate ways. Emily Bennett is now a therapist who treats. She reconnects with her childhood friends when they discover that one of them has killed themselves and and another’s has died in suspicious circumstances. It has to be linked to what they used to do to people but how and who? I

This books shows how the actions, relationships and events of your childhood shape you as a reason into adulthood. Mentally they will never be the same again.

Thanks to Lake Union and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.

I was flabbergasted by this story of childhood abuse impacting the lives of grown up protagonists. The past they were certain was securely left behind came back to bite them with a vengeance. The storyline flowed seamlessly and the ending was completely unexpected.

A FIENDISHLY, NASTY, CRAZY BOOK!

I AM THE GIRL GONE MAD, MAD WITH EXCITEMENT AND THRILL, what a book! This is my first book by the author and I am glad to have read this WICKED WICKED STORY!

A group of 8th grader meaner than mean girls called "HARPIES" do something sinister one weekend to one of the new girls in school.
"ONCE A HARPY, ALWAYS A HARPY."
Fourteen years later, some of these odious women start dying under mysterious circumstances but it looks like suicide.
Is it a REVENGE or REDEMPTION?

A malicious, fast paced savage tale which I enjoyed very much. Riveting is the least I can say, this book was amazing!
I recommend this to all of you!

"STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME."

The book has triggers for :
- suicide/cutting
- bullying
- depression
- abuse

Thankyou NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
LOVED IT!

This one felt suspenseful but at the same time like it took a while for things to get (and keep) rolling. However, the end felt a bit rushed and I feel like I still have some questions.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I need to say that Avery Bishop is a master at writing suspense...I was blown away how phenomenal this book was. The entire cast of characters in Girl Gone Mad are well developed and the story-line was thoroughly and intricately planned out. The twists and turns were shocking and unexpected—Loved that. The pacing is spot on...trust me when I say it’s unputdownable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written psychological thriller. Girl Gone Mad is as much about hard-earned redemption and self-awareness as it is about a mystery needing to be solved. And even if you guess the ending - and thus, by the nature of this story, the beginning - I think the plot’s arc of resilience and self-reconciliation still keep the story fresh and inspiring, and ward off any disappointment that would be felt with just a basic whodunit.

Therapist Emily has an interesting past. She once was in a group Harpies, popular girls who bullied the new girl to her breaking point. Years later it seems that karma strikes back.

When mean girls never grow up. Who is the real bully and what are the consequences?

Danger, murders, suspicions. I just flew through the pages.
Twisty tale of bullying, shocking thriller with surprising end.

As a victim of bullying, I can certainly empathize with Grace as to the psychological and emotional impact. I remember the popular group of girls like the Harpies and how badly I and all girls wanted to be part of them in elementary school. What was interesting about this book is how that group played out in their adulthood in terms of career choice and lack of emotional depth in relationships. Hard to read but well worth it.

<b>”Once a Harpy, always a Harpy”</b>

What a nice motto, isn’t it? With such a “pleasant” nickname who would have guessed these girls weren’t the sweetest and best behaved, right?

This story came to reinforce two personal views of mine:
1. I can’t stand teenagers and much less when they come in a group.
2. Karma’s a bitch (and yes, I’m not ashamed to say that I clapped my hands when some of these girls got their comeuppance) 😅

Seeing as “Mean Girls” was already taken, this book could have also been called “Meanest Girls”, as they are one of the pettiest and more vicious bunch of girls I’ve ever read about. It’s a pretty well depiction of how sometimes kids will do anything to fit in with the group, forming toxic and unequal friendships that will push them too far at times. We’ve all been to middle and high school, so it won’t come as a surprise to anyone how twisted kids can sometimes be, and I’m sure we can all recognize some of these characters.

To say I was completely glued to my kindle would be an understatement as I read this in just a couple of sittings despite its length. I flew through the pages and the last quarter had me literally biting my nails (well, the ones I had left).

I loved how we got little snippets from the past intertwined in the chapters, instead of the Now and Then chapters usual in this kind of stories.

Although I had some theories formed in my head, the ending caught me completely unaware and I thought it quite clever.

I was doubting between 4 or 5 stars so I guess I’ll settle at 4,5 ⭐️ and I will definetely keep an eye out for what this author has next in store.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.