Whoa! A retelling of The Cask of Amontillado + The Tiger King!
My students will LOVE this title! Our school is about an hour away from Joe Exotic's "zoo" featured in the Tiger King, so we are able to easily visualize the "White Trash Zoo" where one of the main character's, Tress, lives.
Mindy McGinnis always brings the crazy and The Initial Insult is full of the McGinnis madness. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and Mcginnis does an excellent job making them unique and endearing-- even the other main character, Felicity-- the small-town popular, rich girl/ ex-bff who has a "shameful" secret.
I had to listen to the last 6 short chapters for a 2nd time because the ending arrived before I was prepared. Then I remembered that this is part 1 of a duology! Great! Because I definitely need more!

3.5 stars rounded to 4
(FYI: I don't recommend the audio ARC-- the computerized reading doesn't bring the same feels)

I received this as an eARC audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As in, I couldn’t get enough of it. It was an extremely fast-paced book told from rivaling POVs. Tress believes Felicity knows more than she’s letting on about the disappearance of her parents... but Felicity has other secrets that keep her from being able to reveal what happened. Now her former best friend is trying to force the truth out brick by brick, layer by layer. It’s action packed throughout, but we really reach the climax at the end and I can’t wait for the second in the series!

Also, how the hell does Mindy McGinnis come up with this stuff????

This book is about two high school girls, Tressa and Felicity, who used to be best friends. One night Tressa’s parents are driving Felicity home when they disappear. Felicity is found, but she can’t remember what happened. Tressa is sent to live with her Tiger King like grandfather and her life makes a complete change from what she knew before.

The story is told between the past and present and both girls’ perspectives. There is also a few chapters from a quite unique perspective.

Being that this is Mindy McGinnis, this book is dark and gritty and hits on some tough situations for teens. Mindy has done a fabulous job taking from Edgar Allen Poe and creating a modern day story. If you are a Poe fan, you will love the references.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the sequel. Thank you NetGalley for the free audio in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, and can I say it again? WOW. I have read This Darkness Mine, so I had an idea of what I'd signed up for with a Mindy McGinnis book but my mind was still blown by her impressive prose. McGinnis has crafted two amazing main characters, Tress and Felicity, that switch POV's throughout the book. This creates an interesting dynamic of perspectives as we settle into a Cask of Amontillado type situation. That's right, someone is getting entombed behind a brick wall Edgar-Allan-Poe-Style! I absolutely loved this premise, and I found the flashbacks to their friendship falling apart (told by both sides) to be completely fascinating.

McGinnis has perfectly crafted yet another psycho-thriller and I can't wait for the second half of this duology. I thought I knew where this was going but was so intrigued by the flashback stories that I didn't care too much, and then BAM! My expected ending did NOT happen. I was so shocked I had to re-listen to the last couple of chapters to confirm I wasn't dreaming! The ending was so abrupt it left me reeling, and it would have been a perfect ending point to the entire story, no second half needed, if I wasn't left with so many unresolved flashback questions. You could say I'm dying to ind out what happens next!

* I was provided an audiobook arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

The first thing I have to say about this Poe retelling is how well written it is. It’s so creative and captivating a story, I couldn’t stop listening. We have 3 different perspectives telling us this tale, and all 3 of them are interesting and well rounded. I think that’s what makes this so special. As for the story itself, Tress has lost her parents, in the most literal sense, and possibly locked somewhere in her former best friend’s memory is the how and why. I loved the different perspectives of Tress and Felicity as they recall their childhood together and the memories which ripped them apart. There was something about the way they’re written that reminded me of the voice of Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird) and I truly enjoyed being on this book. I do have to mention this is a duology and the second book is not available yet, but it’s one I’ll for sure be picking up as that ending was shocking and I need answers to all the mysteries remaining.

This book is amazing. The non narration was not so amazing. The cadence wasn't there so while I enjoyed the plot following along was just tough.
Overall a great story if you enjoy not knowing what will happen next and multiple povs.

WOW!
So, I'm a long time fan of Mindy McGinnis. By 'fan' I mean I'm borderline obsessed. I love the rich characters, dark plots, and realness she brings to her books. When I first heard the premise for 'The Initial Insult' I was hooked. Edgar Alan Poe meets The Tiger King checks all my boxes. Right on brand, this book brings a darker side to teens, life in the Appalachian areas, and the human will for survival. This book did not disappoint with anything other than waiting for the next installment.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Children's - Katherine Tegen Books for this audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first audiobook arc I've listened to on Netgalley and I thought it was decent for being a synthetic voice--it didn't distract me at all. Overall, I thought the premise was interesting and loved how it's Poe-esk. The book is about two young girls and how their friendship became strained after the one's parents disappear after they try to take home the other girl in the middle of a sleepover. Tress, the girl who's parents disappeared, believes her old friend, Felicity, knows what happened that night even though she claims she doesn't remember anything. So Tress comes up with a plan to try and get the truth out of Felicity.

There was a lot going on and it got a little confusing towards the end once the chapters were short and hopped between the multiple characters with this audiobook. I wasn't too thrilled about the ending and it really didn't satisfy the itch I had while listening to the majority of the book. I see that this is number 1 of a duology so how it ended makes sense but ah! I want answers now! :)

3.5/5

I feel that the synthetic voice really detracts from the emotion and drama happening in the story. Hearing a robotic voice read expletives and talk about slutty Halloween costumes is not fun. I will give the e-book a try instead.

This was a DNF got me, which I almost never do.

I was so excited about the premise of this book. I listened to over 50% of this story, and I just could not find interest or engage in the story or with the characters.

I received an advanced audiobook copy from Harper Children's and Katherine Tegen Books. All opinions are 100% my own.

I was absolutely hooked, and when I hit the ending....I wasn't ready to be done!
It was creepy, beautiful, and tragic. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author

I would like to thank Mindy McGinnis, Harper Children's, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. When I first heard that this book was being published, it immediately flew to the top of my to be read pile for 2021. My excitement only grew when I was given the opportunity to review this early and let me tell you...it did not let me down!

In this novel, Tress seeks answers from her former best friend, Felicity, as she was the last to see her parents alive many years ago. Tress takes Felicity during a party and begins to enclose her brick by brick to find the answers she so desperately seeks. We can actively see both girls spiraling throughout. In this book, Mindy McGinnis does not shy away from the dark and brutal aspects of her other writing.

I am a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe's, so discovering that this book was being influenced by his work did not disappoint. I loved listening for all of the parallels and clues throughout the audiobook. There were so many details that were drawn from his work, The Cask of Amontillado.

My only concern with this audiobook was the lack of clarification between characters. As this story focuses on the story of two girls, it is difficult to differentiate when the same voice is speaking for both.

I will absolutely be pre-ordering a physical copy of this book and have already begun to encourage my friends and family to do the same! I cannot wait for the second book in the series!

My review is based on the synthetic audiobook narrator, and I can't lie that it did make it hard to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed the story. I love a good mystery thriller, and this did not disappoint. It was truly creepy at times, and Mindy McGinnis's writing is amazing and adds so much atmosphere.

I had no idea this would be a series, but I can't wait for the next one! I would definitely recommend the final version of this book to fans of suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this one!

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis is book one in a YA duology. I was kindly provided an early audiobook narrated thru a synthetic voice from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. Although, this isn’t the finish product I truly enjoyed this story of friendship and loss. It was beautifully told and full of creepiness and tragic moments. I feel like it’s best to go into this one knowing as little as possible. With that being said this is a Poe inspired tale that will happen in two parts. A Cask of Amontillado retelling.

I was quickly pulled into this story. Many twist and turns along the way. I highly recommend reading this one verse listening to it on audio. With the jumping over a lot of time periods, it made it at times a tad bit difficult to follow. I have read a couple of Mindy’s books and I love her writing style. This one does not disappoint.

Weird in the best way possible? I have found a new love in murder mystery and this YA debut did not disappoint. As a Cask of Amontillado retelling it would be PERFECT to pair if you do a Poe unit. I know a lot of our 7th/8th grade teachers use Poe frequently, and he was one of my favorites growing up so I couldn't wait to dive it. I think I need to reread Cask and then read Initial Insult again once it comes out. Highly recommend.

This story is told between 2 points of view, bouncing back and forth between mistaken viewpoints. And listening to this via audiobook, sometimes it is more confusing than anything. The story itself was interesting and what made me keep reading was the mystery that surrounds each girl. However, there were certain times I didn't understand the viewpoint in the chapter. It's hard to describe without giving it away. I think I would have preferred to read a physical copy instead of audiobook.

DNF: This was the first audiobook arc I have received from Netgalley and maybe that is why the formatting was difficult for me to get into. I think this story would be interesting to read as a finished product though. Maybe I will try to get through it at another time but for now I just couldn’t keep listening.

⭐4 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨! ⭐

Included in this book are a town rooted in history, well-rounded secondary characters, a mysterious illness and a prowling wild panther, but the 💛 of this book lies in the two main characters.

𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 - in 4th grade her parents drove her then best friend home and were never seen again. She's sent to live with her alcoholic uncle on his trashy wild life zoo. Now a high school senior, she decides to do whatever it takes to find out what really happened to her parents.
Tress is a nasty little thing! She responds to conflict with either violence or sulking and doesn't care who she hurts to get what she wants.
Most of her grievances are soooo petty - 3 chapters about how sad it made her that she was blamed for having lice in the 7th grade - so obviously I didn't like her. But I'm not sure the reader is meant to, especially knowing the Poe character she's molded after.

𝙁𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 - Tress's ex- best friend that was with her parents when they disappeared. She's a complex character who's trying to move on from the past and has secrets of her own. Confident and feisty, she makes an entertaining opponent for Tress.

This book is the first of two and I felt like enough of my questions were answered that I was satisfied with the ending, but also intrigued by the tease of what's to come in the next half!

Also, some seriously racy content for a YA book 😁

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this audiobook.

This was a brilliant homage to one of Poe's greatest short stories. It was tense, riveting, and had characters who wouldn't let you look away. That's everything I've come to expect from a Mindy McGinnis book, and the way she reinvented the source material was thoughtful and well-crafted.
My only complain was the ending--I know it's a duology, and I know it needed to end on a cliffhanger (and presumably, because this is McGinnis, a horrifying one), but I felt the circumstances of the cliffhanger were a result of misunderstanding and miscommunication, as well as coincidence, and to me that is a downfall of thrillers, where the plot happens because the author needs it to happen. I don't want to be more specific because of spoilers, but I'm hoping the second book in the duology is able to redeem that a bit for me.
But truly--aside from that one small note, it was astounding. And I'm desperate to read the second one.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to listen & review an ARC of this audiobook!**

For me, this was a deliciously horrific & twisted story. I was so excited to receive a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley & to jump into it during Halloween season! Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
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Things I Liked:
-the mystery/thriller aspects
-the inclusion of the panther's point of view in the story...it added to the on-the-edge-of-my-seat feeling I had throughout
-the way the author wrote about the night the parents went missing...it kept me guessing
-how the story pointed out systematic discrimination in the town
-the honesty of how different people respond to tragedy (some want to help, some want to stay away, some want to judge, some want answers)

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-It was weird listing to this with an automated/computerized voice doing the reading (this will change in the future though)
-Tress was not a likable character for me
-that cliffhanger! I can't wait for the next book in this duology!!!

Overall, I gave this audiobook 4 stars. It was an impactful & resonating read for me. I think it would be a great read for those who enjoy thrillers, mysteries, or macabre storylines.