This book had many elements that usually make a great mystery but for some reason, it didn't work for me. McGinnis is a gifted writer who can craft an intricate story using a few words but it was some of those words that caused me a problem. McGinnis relied too much on the grotesque to build the mood for this book. The story is about a teen girl bricking up a classmate into a wall for revenge. The revenge story is grotesque, I didn't need pages of description about an entire party of high schoolers getting the flu. Also, I had a problem with the depiction of Tress's life after her parents disappeared. I know there are issues with children getting placed in unhealthy environments when they are in foster care but I don't understand how Tress would be left with her grandfather, especially when her mother had other family members. Plus, the book states Tress's father was from a very important family. Why didn't any of the Montors take her? However, even with those issues, I found myself hooked on the mystery and I know that I will read the second book when it comes out next year.

Interesting connections and a fun read. The story and characters are engaging and will keep reluctant readers moving forward.

I did not realize when I picked this title that it was a retelling of A Cask of Amontillado with female protagonist. The narration switches between the two protagonists and panther. The panther's narration is written inverse. Probably one of the nicest parts of this book is that there were actual true comedic relieve, in a dry sarcastic form.

Poe is really popular with teens right now, expect this title to be circulate often.

"Tonight, I'm going to ask the one person who knows something, the one person that pure human decency has kept me from talking to. I'm done with that. What I've got in mind isn't decent, not by a long shot.
And I need those manacles."

It's been seven years now since Tress Montor's life changed. Since her parents disappeared in the night, and she and Goldie-Dog had to move in with her grandfather Cecil, where she now lives in a trailer and helps with the animals of Amontillado Animal Attractions. It's also when her relationship started to shift with her best friend, Felicity Turnado. Because she was there. Felicity was the last person who saw Tress's parents, as they drove her home after midnight, but she has no memory of what happened to them. No one knows about Felicity's seizures aside from her parents and Hugh, who is always there to help, and Felicity herself doesn't know what happens during the seizures. Felicity's mother insists on secrecy. Status in Amontillado is determined by one of two things: the history of your name, and money but Felicity's mother believes their money can't make up for this.

Seven years. Now it's Halloween night their senior year. The crumbling Allan house is finally going to be torn down, so the high schoolers are having one last party before it goes. And if there's a party, it means people will be there wanting what Tress has to sell. Those people include Felicity, who has turned to whatever keeps her from her thoughts. Tress has a plan. To get the truth from Felicity, not only about what happened to her parents, but a more recent insult - "White Trash Zoo" was spray-painted onto the sign for Amontillado Animal Attractions, and although she knows better than to have gotten close, Goldie-Dog was eaten by the alligator. So when Tress tells Felicity to meet her in the basement of the Allan house during the party for the deal, she's prepared to get the truth, with manacles, an empty coal chute, bricks, and mortar. And while the interrogation and party are ongoing... the panther escapes his cage.

This was the first Mindy McGinnis I've read, and I found it pretty engaging. Chapters come from the point of view of Tress, Felicity, and the panther, whose chapters are in free verse. The chapters are all fairly short, which really kept the pages turning, especially during scenes from the past. Both girls have chapters from various points in the past - fourth grade, freshman year, etc. I believe every time we went into the past, we got a chapter from both girls, showing context for how the situation played out for both of them. Some of the bullying in this book seemed over the top to me, but I was never really in a situation of being bullied or bullying so I can't compare it to my own experiences. Probably someone has experienced bullying of this level, but it's so outlandish that it kind of framed all of this town's teens as complete jerks willing to go along with cruelty?

I was glad to read a retelling that's not of a folk or fairy tale. I had a couple questions at the end about what actually happened. I see that there's a sequel, though I don't know that there's enough left here for another story? The ending felt a little confusing and unsatisfying, but I don't know that another book will remedy those things for me. An obvious rec for those who like this one is The Cask of Amontillado, and A Room Away From the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma hits some of the same notes (gothic, unreliable narrator).

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC. The Initial Insult will be published February 23 2021.

Tress blames former childhood friend, Felicity, for the car accident that caused the disappearance of her parents and subsequently changed her life. Felicity is a beautiful and popular teen who struggles with survivors’ guilt and a seizure disorder that she feels she must conceal from the people in the town. Tress lost everything after her parents’ death- her money, her home and is forced to live with her terrible Grandpa Cecil, an abusive alcoholic who runs a seemingly illegal zoo with exotic animals. Tress is poor and makes money selling drugs while Felicity looks like she is thriving (although she is using drugs to cope with her unhappy life). Tress decides to get the answers to what happened on the night of her parents’ accident. She picks a Halloween party in an abandoned home as the spot to coerce Felicity into telling her the truth by walling her up in a basement a la The Cask of Amontillado. Several things occur at this party and things definitely do not go as planned which makes for a very interesting cliff-hanger at the end of the book. The tone of this book is very reminiscent of the author’s The Female of the Species, which I also enjoyed.

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley from HarperCollins Children’s Books. Tress’s parents go missing when she’s in the 4th grade. The last person to see them is her best friend Felicity. Now it’s senior year and Tress’s life is far from perfect, she lives with her drunk grandfather who manages animal attractions and a pot farm. Al la Edgar Allen Poe, Tress starts closing Felicity behind a brick wall hoping with each brick she places Felicity will break down and give her the answers she wants about her missing parents.

Mindy McGinnis reminds me of A.S. King and Andrew Smith. Her writing is gritty and thought provoking. This is the first part of a duology and I have every intention of finishing it. The story smoothly alternates between the two character perspectives while also including flashbacks from grade school and high school. I loved the secondary characters, Hugh and Ribbit. While I don’t think this book had the same momentum as some of Mindy’s previous books, I was very compelled by the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

The Inital Insult is a mash-up of/homage to The Cask of Amontillado and The Black Cat. It's a thriller/revenge fantasy tale taken to the max. Tress has the most powerful of grudges to hold against Felicity--Felicity is the last person to have seen Tress' parents before their disappearance when the girls were in fourth grade and she has provided no information about it. Tress is sure Felicity must remember something and uses a party in an about-to-be-demolished house as the opportunity to get her answers. Tress begins to close up Felicity in a basement wall brick by brick as the two talk about a series of past wrongs, and a black panther that has escaped from Tress' grandfather's "White Trash Zoo" prowls ever closer to the party.

Tress' deep pain over the loss of her parents and, well, everything, has propeled her to desperation and brutality that is palpable. Felicity undergoes some changes in attitudes and feelings as she realizes just how wholly Tress has been affected by loss, yet it is not enough for her to divulge her family's embarrassing secret. And this is all taking place in a basement below a huge-party-turned-social-media-spectacle.

The Poe is strong in this one--maybe too strong. And for me, this is where the book falters a bit. Most character names are nods to Poe's poetry or short stories, and after a while it begins to feel a bit forced. One more HUGE thing is happening at the party--a strange flu that has been ravaging the town is making its way through the teen revelers. Sound familiar--yep, The Masque of the Red Death. For me, this inclusion did little to propel the plot forward, but maybe that will become more important in book two of this duology. Considering the book is for young adults, perhaps the Poe-overload will be lost on many readers, as they are less likely to be as familiar with his works.

Additional thoughts: The tension building in this book works very well, as does the inclusion of many short, immediate-feeling chapters.. Raeders will be horrified by actions, situations, and the amount of gore that is included. The black panther has a voice in the "Cat" chapters, and McGinnis does a great job of making that voice seem "animal" even though it is written in human language. And the cliff-hanger ending is sure to leave readers clamoring for the second book.

This is a bat shit crazy book, in ALL the right ways. What the hell just happened? This book has left me with a huge book hangover and I don't know how I'm going to make it until 2022 for the sequel. It's too much. I have so many questions.

I was sucked into this story immediately. I had all the feels. I was mad, sad, horrified, excited and mesmerized. I do not read much YA anymore. I am sick of the self aware Dawson's Creek/Scream crowd. The characters in this book felt very real to me, and none of them are perfect, or even likeable.

I am firmly Team Tress. I wanted her to get her answers about her parents disappearance, no matter how she got them. Her life was so rough and then Goldie Dog...the last straw.
I can't imagine what it would be like to have your whole safe world ripped away in one night when you are so young. And, on top of that, to lose your best friend and not know why. I started feeling for Felicity as the book went on, but was never fully on her side. I wanted to shake both of them.

And what was wrong with EVERY adult in this book? Felicity's mom was a cold nightmare. Cecil was a terrible man. But to me Lenore was the worst. Why didn't she take in Tress, her own niece? How could she let Tress stay with her drunk abusive father?

To sum it up - kids are cruel, but so are most adults. And what the f*ck is going on with the panther?!?!? You just have to read it to find out (maybe). I can't wait for the next book.

Thank you to #Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Intensity in ten cities!!! As a lifelong lover of Poe, I couldn't pass this one up, and it certainly did deliver on its premise. It's mostly a retelling of The Cask of Amontillado, but there are tons of other Poe references in the novel as well. It's visceral and gross and not for the faint of heart. At heart it's an unflinching tale of the way class gets in the way of friendships. Recommended for those who love a revenge tale.

The Initial Insult is beautifully writen and absolutely spell-binding, wrapping you tight as it binds you in a tale of terror that ends on a genuinely unsettling note. I can't wait for the second book in this thought-provoking and suspenseful duology and love that it's been inspired by Edgar Alan Poe because the displays for it, both for YA and adult readers, pretty much make themselves!

This book has messed with my mind big time. Although this story takes place in contemporary reality it truly feels like a completely different world. A world where your last name gives you power and status and where power and status is all that matters.

I was definitely intrigued by the premise of a girl slowly killing her former best friend to uncover the truth behind her parents' disappearance. There were parts that I found more boring than others but overall I was really hooked on the story.

The author doesn't shy away from darker subjects and painting a harsh truth for the reader, but it all fits together really well in this book.

This one started slow, but once the pace picked up, I was definitely hooked. But.....I am left with soooooooo many questions, and I do not like that. I can't list the questions, because......spoilers, but if you read this one, please reach out to discuss. I see now that this is a duology so maybe some of my questions will be answered in the next book? It just feels like this should be a standalone with no questions left remaining.....

Set for a publication date of February 23, 2021, The Initial Insult is a riveting story of two girls, Tress and Felicity, who used to be best friends until one fateful night in when Tress's parents disappear and Felicity is found alone, being the last to see them alive. Since then, Felicity has moved on to stay in the cool crowd with her family having money and power. Tress was left living with her grandfather, whom she calls Cecil because they were never that close. Tress was left living in a trailer, taking care of wild animals for Cecil's Animal Attraction, sleeping on a mattress on the floor, and pretty much becoming a social outcast who garners nothing but pity.

Tress has always wondered what happened to her parents. Are the alive or dead? What really happened that night? And what has Felicity not told her. Tress decides to find out by threatening her former best friend's life by sealing her inside a coal chute one night at a party. As Tress interrogates Felicity, bits and pieces of the past come back to Felicity and Tress begins the process of sealing her in the chute with every denial, wrong or unwanted answer-one row of bricks at a time.

This is the first book in a duology, and based on the ending of The Initial Insult I am intrigued by what Book 2 might have in store. I really enjoyed this one! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for granting me this early copy!

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis is the first in a duology. A dark tale of revenge and secrets and broken friendships.
***
Tress Montor lost her parents years ago, the night they took her best friend, Felicity Turnado, home from a sleepover. Her best friend’s body was found by the water’s edge unable to recall what happened, but of her parent’s no trace has been found. Taken in by her half blind grandfather who runs what is known as the “white trash zoo” Tress went from happy family and well off to scrounging for everything she has and at the bottom of the social ladder in their small town of Amantillado where certain families rule due to name alone and everything means something. Tress is sick of being that girl whose parents went missing and she wants answers. There was one person who was there the last night she saw her parents and she doesn’t believe that she doesn’t know anything. She will get her answers, even if she has to kill her to do it, and she just might.
Felicity has a secret she’s been trying to hide for awhile now, unfortunately for Tress it’s not what she’s looking for.
***
This is a dark, dark story. Heavily inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s works you might be able to see where this story is going, maybe you won’t. I think you’ll enjoy it all the same.
It’s the story of a strong friendship that was broken by secrets, and shame, and the lengths one is willing to go to to get answers. It’s a story of anger, fear, and pain.
***
I was on the edge of my seat the entire read. I had suspicions, I had guesses. I wanted to know what happened to Tress’ parents so bad but also really wanted to root for the friendship Tress and Felicity had.
The ending had me screaming, and I can’t believe I have to wait for the second book so long, but I will because I need more after that ending.

Intense and gripping, couldn't put it down. Definitely will be looking out for the sequel and recommending for purchase.

A modern retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous “The Cask of Amontillado,” which I’m sure you all had to read at lest once in school, Mindy McGinnis’ The Initial Insult follows two teenage girls, Tress Montour and Felicity Turnado. Once best friends, the girls had a falling out in the fourth grade when Tress’ parents go missing while driving Felicity home. Felicity is the only person who knows what happened to Tress’ parents, but she has no memory of the event, thanks in part to a seizure and also trauma. Tress, however, doesn’t believe Felicity, and she is prepared to do whatever it takes to finally get some answers.

After Tress’ parents go missing, she is sent to live with her grandpa, Cecil, at his “white-trash zoo” Amontillado Attractions. At the zoo, Tress helps takes care of the animals, a zebra, an ostrich, an alligator, an orangutan, and even a panther, but she also helps out with the zoo’s biggest asset, the back 20 acres, where Cecil grows marijuana, that Tress sells to her peers. Tress went from having a loving family, a room of her own in a nice clean house, and a best friend, to being poor, a burden on her only family left, and friends with only the animals she cares for in just one night.

Felicity’s family isn’t one of the big founding names in town, but they do have money, and in Amontillado that still means power. She wears all the right clothes, has all the right friends, and attends all the right parties. But, there is one thing about Felicity that isn’t right, she has seizures, and no one can ever know about them. Not if she wants to secure herself a decent husband. On top of hiding her seizures from everyone, Felicity is also hiding a drug problem. Oxy has become one of the only ways that Felicity can escape the stress of her life, and hide from the guilt she constantly feels. But getting Oxy means she has to talk to Tress Montour, and Tress is the whole reason she feels so guilty in the first place.

When an old house is about to be torn down, it is the perfect excuse for a party. And for Tress, the party is the perfect place for her to finally get the answers she has been searching for her whole life. But torturing your best friend for answers turns out to be a little more complicated than she expected, made even more so by the panther getting lose. The story goes back and forth in perspective between Tress and Felicity, and also shifts between the past and present, as the two girls relive all the hardest moments in their relationship since the night Tress’ parents disappeared. This constant shifting actually worked quite well, it never felt too confusing or over the top, though it does get a little difficult to keep track when the perspective starts shifting very rapidly toward the end. The one perspective I wasn’t sure of was that of the panther. We get the occasional chapter from the cat’s perspective and while I understand that this is being used as a tool to see what is happening from an outsider’s perspective, instead of just the two extremely biased main characters, it still felt a little forced and unnecessary.

The other thing that I struggled with in this novel was how hard it was trying to be a Poe retelling. The city and all the names, and even the school mascot, have to be things straight out of a Poe story and it felt so unnecessarily forced. This would still be a Poe retelling without inserting all these key Poe names and phrases into it. If someone wants to read a Poe retelling, they will most likely pick up on the parallels to the original story without the author having to go “HEY! Look at all these character’s that share names with character’s from Poe’s stories. Do you get the connection between my story and his now!?” Every time I read another Poe name it pulled me out of the story. I think I would have enjoyed this novel a lot more without this.

All in all, The Initial Insult is exactly what you would expect out of a Poe retelling. It has an intriguing mystery, plenty of dark and creepy gore, and a depressing ending where nobody really wins. I would recommend this one cautiously, but in the right hands this will be devoured and leave the reader begging for more. Thank goodness this is the first in a duology!

I gave this book a 4.5 star rating.

If you are a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, then this book needs to be on your to be read list. Mindy McGinnis did a fantastic job of weaving all the favorites of Poe and brings them together in a thrilling story.

We have our main characters of Tress and Felicity, who were best friends until the night that Tress's disappear and Felicity was there, but can not remember what happens. Felicity basically goes on with her "picture perfect" life (which it isn't), and Tress is forced to live with her grandfather and care for the animals at the road side zoo that her grandfather owns.

You are drawn into the story from the start and learn bits a pieces of both girls lives as the story goes. It is a real rich against poor setting in this town and Tress feels the brunt end of it.

This story is told in a multi person POV. You have Tress, Felicity, and a surprise third party which I am not going to say as I think you just need to read it to fully understand.

Some parts of the story feel a bit too forced, but nothing that takes away from the story itself. It does end with a cliffhanger, so yeah, I am ready for book two already!

I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy YA thrillers/mysteries. And like I said before if you are a fan of Poe. I think Mindy McGinnis will draw in a whole new crowd to the wonderful world of Edgar Allan Poe.

I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't live up to them. The writing was okay, but the pace was off for me. I also had a hard time liking the characters. Some of their actions just didn't make sense and left me feeling a bit confused. Too many questions were left unanswered. Too many characters who seemed to have minimal roles and were unnecessary. Too much time was spent on the friendship and hardship angle. The ending didn't leave me wanting to read more.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I need the next one to be out so I can continue it. The story was intriguing and compelling and I wanted to know the answers just as much as Tress did. This makes me want to pick up all the other books the author has written cause I loved the style so much.

Suspenseful, dark, and page turning. Poe would be proud! In Amontillado, only some families come from old money...and even that doesn't ensure an easy existence if you're a teenager. Former best friends Tress and Felicity have a colorful past and one Tress can't soon forget. In fact...she can't let it go...and it has dangerous consequences. It's definitely a book I will recommend to my high school students looking for a thriller!