This is a book that really keeps you on your toes until the final moments. I think readers of all genre interests would enjoy this story as well. Mindy McGinnis has quickly become one of my favorite new authors and for good reason!

This was a quick read and it was mostly entertaining. Teens looking for a quick read and suspense will enjoy this.

I was definitely drawn into this book based on the connections to Edgar Allen Poe. As a former English teacher, I have always been intrigued by Poe's life and stories so I loved the little references sprinkled throughout this book. I loved the plot, the characters, and as a teacher, I saw so many of my students reflected in Tress and Felicity.

Now that I have finished the book, I cannot wait to read part two. So many threads still unraveled and I have to know how it ends up!

Thank you to NetGalley for this free review copy. These opinions are fully my own.

I used to love reading YA thrillers/mysteries but over time they all started to run together. This was not one of those books. I am not lying when I say that I have never read (and probably will never read) another book quite like this one. The characters were well developed but confusing (in a good way). The Initial Insult was equal parts unhealthy relationships, revenge, suspense, and teen angst. I was on edge from cover to cover. It made me feel sick to my stomach and left me craving more at the same time. I could never in a million years have predicted the ending. I almost threw my kindle. If you like dark characters, unfortunate family situations, violence, and friendships gone wrong, this one's for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the review copy of this book in exchange for a review. This book was incredible! At first I was nervous about one of the POVs being cat, but it definitely added to the overall horror atmosphere of the book. This book reconstructs an entire friendship that is full of some fun highs and some devastating lows. It also brings into play a town where not only the amount of money in your bank account, but also how long you've had said money, and what your last name is, are all deciding factors of your value as a person. With multiple POVs of not only the cat but also Felicity and Tress, we get an overview of not only a horrific Halloween costume party, but also a life time of mistakes and the consequences of those mistakes. The final chapters will leave you in a stupor as we all wait with bated breath for the conclusion of this duology.

This was quite the book on many levels. I so enjoyed the dynamic between Tress and Felicity which was l=told through their different POV. It was a little unnerving to see into Tress's world after so much has happened to her and where she is at the moment but the ending was worth the torment, I really loved this book and can't wait to read more from Mindy!

I've not read a Mindy McGinnis that I actually really enjoyed. Each of her books have had flaws that I couldn't overlook. Here comes The Initial Insult and I've been proven wrong. This was a really good read.

Tress and Felicity used to be best friends. Then over the years their friendship just falls apart. I feel Tress just holds a grudge on Felicity for her life to become the way that it is now. Essentially, we sit along with Tress and Felicity talking about what went wrong and then reminiscing on the past and how it all unfolded.

The only thing that didn't make any sense to me was the cat. There was symbolism there, and his chapters meant something . . . however, they just went over my head and I don't understand anything in that regard.

I didn't expect the ending. There was a twist and it just never turned back. I was thoroughly impressed with that twist and the ending! There was one thing that I wish was hashed out a little more, but in the end it was still a great ending and a lovely "what. the. hell?" moment.

I want to give this book ALLLLLL the stars! This book was fantastic and will have readers on the edge of their seat and then left with the most INTENSE cliffhanger EVER! McGinnis knows how to do suspense masterfully and this book is an exceptional example of a title that can appeal to every type of reader, even reluctant ones, as everyone eagerly awaits its companion.. Additionally, her characters are flawed, well developed, and so finely nuanced that you can help but connect to them. Highly, highly recommend and will definitely be putting this into the hands of teens and adults.

Unfortunately my Amazon account got hacked numerous times and I had to close my account;therefore, I am unable to retrieve the kindle arc for this title to perform a review.

DNF @ 34%
I really hate to give a 1 star rating to books I don't finish but this book and now this author is rubbing me the wrong way. I really liked her previous book "Be Not Far From Me", which was a great survival story. But this book was so one note, Stephen King wannabe story about an angry girl who now hates her former best friend and starts to go Edgar Allen Poe revenge style at a party. Like many of the other people who didn't like this book, I think this book was not well executed. Knowing it's a duology genuinely confuses me. Why not just do one book?? Plus why leave your friend to be publicly and virtually humiliated with being drunk and eventually naked in front of EVERYONE in the school, where there's not one good person? I feel like all this author writes are dark stories were no one is a good person, the poor girl hates the popular girl, no one says how they really feel, lots of animal cruelty and nothing is happy. So this was a waste of time...

I wish I would have read this a lot sooner. I really enjoyed this thriller- a modern retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's stories. Tress Montor's parents disappeared on a night that they were driving her best friend (Felicity Turnado ) home, and Felicity doesn't know what happened. It's a fantastic, dark thriller and perfect to go into a high school curriculum.

What’s the last book that made you stop and think, “what the actual hell am I reading?” Because that’s exactly what The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis did to me! I’ve never read anything by McGinnis before and wasn’t sure what to expect, but it sure as hell wasn’t whatever I just finished reading.

This story follows two POVs, from teenage ex-best friends, Tress and Felicity. Tress lost her parents, and Felicity was with them the night they disappeared, but she doesn’t remember anything. Now, years later, Tress wants answers and is willing to do anything to get information about her parents, including keeping Felicity hostage.

In this book we see everything from flashbacks to terrible childhood memories, a trashy, roadside zoo, drunk teenagers, drama, dysfunctional families, and of course, a desperate need for answers. I felt like the book was a bit disjointed and had too much packed in, but then realized it’s actually part one of a duology. I can only assume the second book will bring everything together and provide more answers than questions.

If you’re looking for a YA thriller that’s more on the wild side, check out this book. But keep in mind that it’s not a standalone, and you’ll be waiting to see what happens. For real. The ending is nuts and will make you scream and immediately want more information!

Thank you so much Harper Collins Canada and HCC Frenzy for sending me a digital ARC of The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis. It’s available now wherever books are sold.

BOOK REPORT for THE INITIAL INSULT by Mindy McGinnis

Cover Story: Cat in the Coal Shute
BFF Charm: No, Hell No, and OH HELLLLLLLL NO
Swoonworthy Scale: 1
Talky Talk: McMessy
Bonus Factors: Edgar Allen Poe, Tiger King
Factor: Series Starter
Relationship Status: Expect the Unexpected

Cover Story: Cat in the Coal Shute

This is how I imagine a conversation about this cover would go:

Person 1: *scratches head* “What is going on? Is that crumbled brick? And a panther’s shadow?”
Person 2: “Yes it is, and yes, both of those things are in this story.”
Person 1: “Seems like a bunch of random elements thrown together.”
Person 2: “Yes. Much like the story…”
Person 1: “And even though it seems random and messy, it somehow works?”
Person 2: “Yes. Much like—"

You get it.

The Deal:

Tress Montor’s last name used to mean something in Amonttillado, Ohio, before her parents disappeared forever. Now, she lives with her alcoholic grandfather at his “White Trash Zoo” – a Tiger King-esque attraction on the outskirts of town. Tress has nothing – when she lost her parents, she also lost her home, what little financial security she had, and her best friend, Felicity Turnado.

Felicity has everything that Tress doesn’t. She’s beautiful, rich, and popular, but ever since the car accident when Tress’ parents were taking Felicity home and no one ever saw them again, Felicity has had seizures. Felicity swears she doesn’t remember what happened the night of the wreck, but Tress is determined to get the truth from her.

So one night, during a raging party in a house that’s about to be demolished, Tress chains Felicity inside a coal chute in the basement and begins to seal her inside it, one brick at a time, in an attempt to pry the truth from Felicity. All while the party upstairs gets more out of control, a flu-like illness is spreading quickly through town, and the panther from the Montor Zoo has escaped and is on the prowl. Through alternating points of view and flashbacks between Tress and Felicity (along with some verse-like chapters from the panther’s POV!), we find out how things became bad enough for Tress to want to kill her former best friend.



BFF Charm: No, Hell No, and OH HELLLLLLLL NO

At first, it seems like Felicity Turnado might be the villain of this story – despite the fact that she’s being bricked into a coal chute. She’s keeping secrets about the night Tress’ parents disappeared, and she seems to have sold out her former best friend (and her principles) for a shot at popularity. She does some pretty unforgivable things in Tress’ eyes. For me, Felicity’s failings come from a weakness to stand up for what she believes in and an obsession with how others perceive her. Once you’re in your mid-30s it’s hard to sympathize with someone whose biggest fear is being considered uncool in high school.

Meanwhile, there’s Tress. Anyone who gets revenge on their former bestie by bricking them up into a coal chute in the basement of a house that’s gonna be demolished is NO friend of mine. Even if her anger and resentment do seem justified. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but admire Tress. She’s mad, she’s a bitch, and she’s tired of EVERYONE’S bullshit. She’s also learned how to hustle to survive.

And finally, there’s the panther, who recently escaped from the Montor’s White Trash Zoo, speaks in atmospheric verse, and is on the prowl for human flesh. Suffice it to say, the panther will not be getting a slumber party invite from me.

Swoonworthy Scale: 1

There are a LOT of things happening in this book, but swoon isn’t one of them. Not really, at least. There’s this guy who for years has been helping Felicity keep it a secret that she has seizures – not because they’re dating, but because he’s a genuinely nice guy who understands and wants to help. It’s clear that feelings hath been caught, but not acted on.

Talky Talk: McMessy

In college, I wrote a short story from a dog’s point of view. Despite having made A’s on every project in that class so far, I made a D on my dog short story. My creative writing professor told me that writing from an animal’s point of view like that doesn’t work. I was offended! I thought my short story had been imaginative! Anyway, I kinda get it now. Because Mindy McGinnis is an unbelievably talented writer, but my professor was right: the panther’s POV just didn’t really work for me. I don’t think that it added anything to a book that was already chock full of STUFF.

Luckily, the panther’s chapters were very short, sometimes just a few words. The majority of the story alternates between Tress and Felicity’s POV’s both in the present and through flashbacks. The reader quickly learns that these two girls and their friendship are MESSY. It’s all so complicated, and they are complicated, and I felt like I was on a rollercoaster of emotions. But then again, isn’t that the Mindy McGinnis way?

Bonus Factor: Edgar Allen Poe

The Intial Insult draws inspiration from a handful of Poe short stories, including The Cask of Amontillado, The Black Cat, and The Masque of the Red Death. There’s also a lot of little EAP Easter eggs sprinkled throughout, for you literary goths looking to have a little fun.

Bonus Factor: Tiger King

I can’t say *for sure* but it certainly FEELS like Mindy McGinnis lived through the Tiger King obsession phase of quarantine like the rest of us.

Factor: Series Starter

I’m telling you because no one told me: this is the first book of a duology. I spent the first 24 hours after finishing this in a sort of PTSD/TEABS combo haze, only to go check out the Goodreads reviews and find it was listed as The Initial Insult #1.

Relationship Status: Never A Dull Moment With You

Book, you aren’t perfect, but you are unexpected. Your prose is fearless and dark and beautiful, but your story juggled too many plot points. Knowing we’ll get a second date may help tie up some loose sends, but overall I thought you could’ve used a bit more tightening.

A less talented writer may not have been able to pull off a story so full of stuff - multiple points of view, flashbacks, Poe references, murder plots, unsolved mysteries, talking panthers, and a pandemic, just to name a few. But McGinnis' talent shines brightest when she's delivering her signature brand of WTFery. The Initial Insult is compulsively readable and will have you biting your nails from page one.

I have to be honest and say that this one didn't really work for me the way that I was hoping it would. Mindy McGinnis (one of my all-time favorite authors) mixed with The Cask of Amontillado (my favorite Poe story) should have been absolutely everything to me, but the writing style of this one felt really... weird? to me and kept pulling me out of the story instead of immersing me further and I am SO bummed about it. I will most likely carry on and finish the duology because I love Mindy's work and I'm curious to see where she's going to take this strange story, but this first installment wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

I am not really sure what in the world I read after finishing this one. I kind of liked some things about it but others I am at a loss for words. Crazy and insane might be the best way to describe it. This one has a lot of trigger warnings as well from drugs and alcohol to wild animals on the loose to child neglect to even more. It's just insane how much crazy is in this book. I think that if you are a fan of the crazy this one might get you.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC of The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis. I have all of Mindy McGinnis's books and I'm always impressed with the writing style. The Initial Insult was no exception. There are a few confusing flashbacks, but I love the nod to Edgar Allan Poe and his short story the "Cask of Amontillado." (one of the best short stories ever!). I am looking forward to book two...I want to know what happens to these characters! 3.5/5

I want to give this 5 stars but I just don’t know how I feel right now. Mindy McGinnis knows how to mf WRITE. And she knows how to write some messed up stuff that’ll make your stomach hurt. Trigger central.

And she’s really gone and done it this time since this is book one in a duology - and book one leaves off on a VERY time sensitive matter. And book two like... doesn’t even have a publication date right now. So I’m a bit stressed about holding this story in my brain for a year.

Essentially, Tress and Felicity live in a small town where your family name is important. They were best friends until one night when Tress’s parents and Felicity went missing together and only Felicity came back. Felicity doesn’t remember what happened, and Tress falls from grace pretty quickly as she goes to live with her weird and drunk grandfather. He has some exotic animals on his farm and Tress becomes almost sort of feral in a way from the lack of nurture and the farm work. There’s just a lot of factors that ended in their friendship ending.

Tress has no clue what happened to her parents but she really thinks Felicity does. Of course, Felicity can’t remember, but Tress thinks under certain circumstances, it’ll all come back to Felicity.

Well, there’s going to be one last party at an old house in town before it gets torn down and everyone is going. Tress and Felicity meet up and something stressful goes down - I forgot to reread the synopsis before going in so I had no clue what was going to happen so I highly recommend just diving in blindly if you can!!

Also, this story is based on some works of Edgar Allan Poe, but I’m tragically unfamiliar other than recognizing the names Usher and Amontillado. I want to say that might give you a hint at the tone of the story, but genuinely it’s probably worse. If you’re sensitive, this might not be the story for you, or else tread lightly. It gets pretty graphic at times.

The characters have realistic reactions to things around them, there’s a pretty realistic representation of class struggle, and none of the characters are morally black or white at all. It’s hard to know if you like a character in this story, for sure. But even though the story LARGELY centers on Tress and Felicity, there’s a few fully fleshed out supporting characters that add to the atmosphere.

Without giving too much away, this story is about the seemingly small transgressions that Tress has perceived from Felicity, and then Felicity’s side of the story proving that intentions or reality was at times much different. It brings the question - what’s more important, intention or perception? If you hurt someone’s feelings but didn’t mean to, how off the hook are you? At what point is it accidental enough that you’re not morally responsible at all? Does it at some point just become the other person’s fault because they can’t just let things go? Yeah, these girls’ dynamic is a really interesting one and this story is really just a head shaker when you think about it all when it’s over.

Basically I don’t know what I’ve just read, and I don’t know how I’ll cope with the wait for book two. I’m not sure who I’d recommend this to - it’s sort of white trash gothic sort of Shameless-esque mixed with high school drama a la The Clique series. It’s a quick read, so if it sounds intriguing definitely give it a shot! But for real, if you’re sensitive to reading graphic things, including things involving pets, make sure you’re prepared when you go in.

Wow this book.
That ending.
The prose.
This is basically a ‘cat and mouse game’ between to ex-best friends, but things get very dark and there’s a lot more to it.
I can’t wait for the next book, *warning* this ends on such a cliff hanger.
I will say, if you can go into it blindly, you will not be disappointed.

I'm normally a big Mindy McGinnis fan (particularly loved Heroine and Be Not Far From Me) but this one missed the mark. Neither character was particularly likeable and it was just over the top. While the Poe references are clever, only the most well-read in the YA audience will appreciate them. I found myself just wanting to get to the end. I'll only skim the sequel. Perhaps my students will like it better than I did.

Wow. This book sucked me in and I had to keep reading. While the plot is not exactly realistic, there's a fair amount of things that seemed like a stretch to me, I didn't really care because the tension and hooks within each chapter were so strong that I just went with it because I needed to know what happened.

The Initial Insult is a masterful retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" along with many, MANY other Poe references. It's dark. Like, pretty dang dark for YA, and I LOVED IT.

Tress Montor is a girl with literally nothing to lose. Her life is crap since the disappearance of her parents, and Felicity Turnado is the last one to have seen them. Using the High School Halloween party as a cover (which occurs inside a building scheduled to be demolished), Tress slowly tortures and BRICKS IN her former best friend until she gets the information she wants.

I loved how primal Tress's thoughts were. It reflected the years she spent working at the Amontillado Animal Attractions with her drunken grandfather, taking care of herself and the animals without anyone looking out for her. The theme of survival was a multi-layered one indeed. It also added to her thought process about possibly going to jail and being caged like the animals at the zoo.

Written with alternating points of view, often with quick, even single sentence, chapter breaks, the pacing is top notch tense and obsessive even.

There's an occasional third POV written in poetry form from the panther escaped from the "white trash zoo." I didn't understand a lot of the panther's early chapters, so I could have done without them, but they got better as it went along and it was a unique element to add.

Overall, The Initial Insult is a frightening story of revenge and relationships. This one will haunt you.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.