Well written and thought provoking especially in light of our present day world. The book really makes you consider the fine line between revenge and justice. Do we ever really know the truth or are we so blinded by our own perceptions?

A story of revenge with a killer ending.
It's been five years since Camille lost her daughter. With the killer going free, Camille is still grieving and can't get over her loss. She unwisely attends an award ceremony for the privileged killer and loses it, yelling her grievances at a shocked crowd. Then an anonymous woman hands her a business card with only two words on it, two words that send her to a site on the dark web devoted to women who have unjustly lost someone they loved. This collective of revenge seeking women is highly secretive and the members are known just by numbers. To become a member, one must follow a set of directions to the tee and not ask questions. This sets Camille down a path she might not come back from.
If you've ever thought about how sweet revenge could be, you'll really enjoy this one. It's one hell of a ride as you follow Camille down a dark path. Even though I had an inkling as to how the story would end it was still surprising and perfect for this story.

It’s always hard for me to say I “loved” a book where murder is the theme and finding the villain is not the goal. That said, I loved The Collective. The Collective is a thought-provoking novel about a mother’s love and the need for retribution when a son or daughter dies. It wasn’t a fast paced or particularly twisty novel. That said, it had me questioning who truly was the victim and/or villain throughout the entire book and that question propelled me through the book. This is my first book by Alison Gaylin and I look forward to reading more. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Collective by Alison Gaylin

Camille Gardener is a grieving, and angry, other who five years after her daughter's death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible.

When her rash actions draw the attention of a secret group of women, the Collective, Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss, as well as the desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability. Fueled by rage, the Collective members devise and act out retribution fantasies via precise, anonymous, highly coordinated revenge killings.

As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters.

This book was amazing, especially dealing with such a difficult moral issue. What would any of us truly do if someone has taken away a loved one and there was no justice through legal means. This book dives into that question and ventures where some minds may be afraid to go.

Thank you Sam Glatt, Willam Morrow Books and Scene of the Crime for a chance to read and review The Collective.

This is the first book I've read by Alison Gaylin and I loved it! This is a thriller with a slightly different take on revenge justice, as it focuses on mothers who have lost children to crime. I admit that I don't really like Camille, the main character, but I had to remind myself that she's making decisions from a place of deep grief and anger, which I can't relate to. None of this makes sense unless you're looking through that lens of immeasurable grief.

I could not put this down once I started reading it, so I finished it in one night! It starts a bit slow but then it pulls you in and you have to keep reading. There were some twists that surprised me and I wasn't prepared for the ending. Great thriller!

I know I say this a lot, but I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN.

When it comes to revenge stories, I cannot get enough. Plus this book is also by one of my favorite authors? Double sold!

The plot of this one was sad and also infuriating. Part of me was seriously cheering these people on, part of me was scared and the other part couldn't read fast enough.

I felt so sorry for Camille, but throughout the book I think she and the reader discover how badass she really is.

Like with all thrillers, writing more will spoil it and believe me this is not one to be spoilt.

I love Gaylin's writing and could not turn pages (or listen) fast enough. I finished this one at like 2 in the morning and I remember telling myself 'STOP READING!', but I didn't listen.

The conclusion had me torn- in one way I couldn't see it happening any other way and in the other well I felt- not satisfied- but I don't know.

Now that I'm writing this review I'm realizing how conflicted I am.

Mash ups: 2 Hearts, You Are Not Alone, They Never Learn and Then She Was Gone.

This was great ~ you have to suspend disbelief but I thought it was a wild ride. I very much disliked the ending. But overall enjoyed the story and think it would make for good discussion. 3.5 stars rounded up

Engrossing and unlike any other thriller I have read! This novel will have you rethinking right and wrong. What would you do if your child was killed and the person responsible went unpunished? Would your morals stand firm? Would you leave justice to the authorities? What if there was no justice? Would you take it into your own hands? This novel explores another option...Revenge. I enjoyed this read for sure, although the ending seemed a bit quick without as much suspense as I would have preferred. Great read that takes you on a wild ride!

As a parent, I’ve thought about how regardless of what my feelings are about the justice system, my opinions would be out the window if one of my own children were killed. In The Collective, Camille Gardner is in this very situation. She can’t get past the death of her daughter Emily five years ago, especially as the boy who she feels was responsible for Emily’s death was never punished, and is in fact continuing to live a privileged life. Camille gets pulled into the dark web, communicating with a group of other angry and desperate mothers who have lost their children and seek to avenge their deaths. Revenge is what Camille wants, isn’t it?

This book was both thrilling and heartbreaking. Having only heard stories about “the dark web,” this story paints a chilling picture of what can be found and accomplished through the dark web. At the same time, front and center is how the death of a child (or children) affects the lives of those left behind. The Collective would make a great book club choice, as the subject matter could fuel amazing discussions.

As a thriller, The Collective has it all: great writing, a well-developed main character (should we sympathize with Camille or not?), twists and turns, and a solid, thrilling ending. Thank you to @bookclubgirl and @williammorrowbooks for the advanced copy to review!

Camille Gardner lost her daughter five years ago and is still angry and grieving. After a public incident, she joins a Facebook group for grieving mothers. From there, Camille is drawn into the dark web and a collective of women who seek revenge on those who killed their children. Unsure if this group is real or not, Camille finds herself pulled into the group, unsure if its members are survivors or murderers. And finding out the truth may lead to her own demise.

This was such a dark thriller--it pulled me in immediately. It's twisted and a little crazy in its plot, but it's so mesmerizing and keeps you guessing the entire time. Camille's grief and anger seeps through the pages, and the themes of loss and motherhood are prominent throughout the story. It's such a tense tale, as you keep reading and wondering, along with Camille, about the collective and its intentions. The book makes you question yourself and how far would you go to protect or avenge your family.

Overall, this is a twisty and dark thriller with an original and emotional plot.

Thoughts & Book Tour

I do love a good revenge story, and this one was all about it.  I mean ALL about it.  Camille's daughter was raped and murdered 5 years ago, but she can't move on.  Before she died, she was able to say the name of the boy who was responsible.  The accused is a rich, white college age male who didn't spend a day in jail or do an hour of community service.  No, he is off living his life while Camille not only lost her daughter, but also her husband who has moved on and literally out of the state.  It's not fair, and a group known only as The Collective agrees.  Camille joins the group and feels like people finally see her, and feel her pain because they have also lost a child.  Unfortunately it's too late before Camille realizes that this is not just a support group, but a group that takes action.  There is no way out, and she must complete every assignment or else they will come for her. 

I flew through the first 100 plus pages of this book.  It was so intense!  I wanted revenge for Camille and her daughter.  I wanted her to be there when the group enacted their revenge upon the accused, but she is not.  This is where the story line turned for me.  I wanted this to be all about Camille seeking revenge, but it's more than that.  I was disappointed in a few parts that I won't name because that would ruin it for those who haven't read this.  

Overall the author does an amazing job of sucking you into the story where you need more.  It was a book I looked forward to picking back up again after I put it down.  

Thank you Bibliolifestyle, William Morrow Books and Author Alison Gaylin for my #copy!  This one is available now! 

Book Rating: ⅘

Wine Pairing: Meiomi Cabernet Sauvignon

I enjoyed this suspenseful story. This is a fast paced story where the author's writing style brought the story to life on each page. Their attention to details made the story realistic. A well written story where the characters make the story engaging and hard to put down. This is a story about a group of women who make their own justice and revenge. A story of survival as the truth about the collective is revealed. What happens next I highly recommend reading this book to find out. A story full of action and entertaining to read. The characters are relatable and truly made the story for me. This is worth the pick up and worth the read for sure.

I really don't know what to say here. There was so much intrigue and misdirection and second-guessing as the story unfolded. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child at the hands of another in a senseless manner that no one is held accountable for. How can you move on and not let dreams of revenge overtake every part of your life until there is nothing left but hate? How easy it would be to find a group of like-minded individuals and fall into participating in and letting your own form of justice play out. I was so thoroughly engrossed by this story, but absolutely did not like how it all played out in the end.

Wow. This is the word that appropriately fits how I feel about finishing The Collective by Alison Gaylin. After a bit of a slow burn, this book took off to its fiery, stunning conclusion. I love when an author can shock me and Gaylin more than managed to do it. Every character is written in a way that you can clearly imagine them and their motivations make all their actions feel as if they are justified in their thinking. Morally gray characters can tend to come across too vigilante at times but Gaylin perfectly toes the line with this. I really loved this book and it made me realize this is why I buy so many books that I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to read. Just the chance of having a story like this waiting for me is too good to pass up.

I’ve enjoyed Alison Gaylin’s books since I read the Brenna Spector series years ago. This one was no exception. This was an engrossing story about revenge killing. It’s been though provoking and will have you questioning your own morals. It’s super twisty and I loved the clues and red herrings throughout. I highly recommend this thriller.

"No killer goes unfinished."

The Collective is a group of grieving mothers seeking justice for the death of their children. Camille lost her daughter, Emily, five years ago and finds The Collective when she hits rock bottom. This will change her life forever.

The emotion in this book felt so relatable. The rage and desire for revenge were so strong. Camille was a mess, and understandable so. We see injustice like these stories all the time and get frustrated when we feel like we can't do anything about it. I loved the storyline and flawed characters throughout.

The writing style was fabulous. I've struggled to find time to read lately, but The Collective is totally bingeable, quick-paced and well written.

The twist at the end was surprising to me, despite clues placed throughout. Gaylin cleverly wove the details together to create an addictive thriller. I will definitely read more from this author!

This sounded like an interesting premise for a book. Getting pulled into a group that supports you and offers a way to avenge your child's death at the same time sounds like a page turner.

However, I found parts of this story hard to follow and confusing. It just kept building and building and then bam, it ended. The ending was unsatisfying.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. How far would you go if your child was murdered? What would you do? To the ends of the earth? This book takes a interesting approach surrounding a women who call themselves the collective. Who will do just that. They take revenge on those who have murdered their young. And their reach goes far. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is mommy-noir like it's meant to be written! A recommended first purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

This is the first book by Alison Gaylin that I have read. “The Collective” reminded me of the book “The Chain.” How far would you go to get revenge against the murderer of your child?

The killer of Camille’s daughter not only has gotten away with the murder, shockingly he was just awarded a Humanitarian Award. Camille goes ballistic and attracts the attention of a group of women calling themselves The Collective. Accessed on the dark web, the women share their stories of grief over losing their children and vent their anger. They all want justice. The Collective makes that happen.

But when does justice become revenge? Is revenge killing ever justified? Is collateral damage acceptable? There is a lot to think about here.

Camille swears loyalty to The Collective but what happens when she wants out? I was completely immersed in the story but didn’t see the ending coming even though I should have.

Excellent writing. A somewhat slow start that quickly gained momentum. Twists that worked well with the story. And a stunning conclusion.