The premise of this book is incredible. I think there's something to be said about books that can create a protagonist that's not a "good guy." The You series really revolutionized those types of stories, and created a space for authors to write stories that are a bit unorthodox but oh, so interesting.

I was frustrated by so many pieces of the book. The story could've been great, and I was surprised by the ending. But there were many places where I was very underwhelmed, and there were many pieces that were lacking or things that I felt were rushed or not fully explained.

The biggest issue was the timeline and pacing were all very weird. I didn't understand many of the jumps in the story and how things would go from one time to the next so suddenly - again, very frustrating.

I did like that overall idea of the plot, and I'm very interested in reading books from the POV of psychopaths and/or sociopaths.

I've been hesitant to read and request thrillers as of late because I've pretty much given up on them. The market is so saturated with the same ol' tired tale of an unhappy marriage or a seemingly perfect marriage gone awry. If I do end up reading a mystery/thriller these days I want there to be some substance to it, some thing that makes it unique and special.

With this novel, I felt the premise was unique enough to keep me reading and wasn't wholly bad in terms of characterization and plot. However, you can definitely tell this is a debut and the writing isn't quite there. But I found the twists to be developed enough to keep the pace fast (which is the point of a thriller) and the fact that all the characters were unreliable and you have no clue who you can trust.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Quite a different story that had me creeped out when a group of psychopaths enrolled in a study, Chloe was all set for revenge. This had many side stories and different POV which at times were difficult to stay focused on. The book did drag out a bit, but the cold characters and the increased body count would interest many. A

Had such a fun time with this story. Could the characters have been more developed? Yes. Did I care? Not really. I had a blast.

Such a unique and fairly ridiculous premise, and so much fun. Perfect for those who are tired of the same characters with the same motives in practically every thriller and are willing to shelve their disbelief for a while and just go with the fast-paced plot. There will be many times while reading that you'll say, "sure......that seems plausible" and "well, okay........we'll go with that" but you'll never think "this is boring".

I first heard about this book through a book buzz with the publisher and was immediately intrigued. Psychopaths aren't typically the subject of novels and when they are, delving into their lives isn't done. I don't read a ton of thrillers, and the twist definitely surprised me. This is one of my favorite books of the year.

Posted on The Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/scriptationist

"Psychopathy is defined as a mental (antisocial) disorder in which an individual manifests amoral and antisocial behavior, shows a lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, expresses extreme egocentricity, and demonstrates a failure to learn from experiences and other behaviors associated with the condition."

Walking in the minds of psychopaths, hearing their thoughts and reasonings, was quite a different way to experience a story. With this multiple points of view story, we get to read this book almost as we would watch a murder mystery play out in a movie. The suspense of not knowing who the killer really is or whether it could be one of the characters we are seeing the story play out with, makes this even more intriguing to read.

For me, I could not fathom the reasoning of Chloe and Charles most of the time. They don't see the world in emotional colors, nor can they empathize with the people around them, justifying their motives much more easily than I ever could.

The characters each have a distinctive voice, easily discernable from one another. And I definitely did not see the ending coming, the small details that I both saw and missed. An impressive debut novel from Vera, an author to watch!

Did not get to this book in 2021.
My review is not a reflection of the work or the writing/plot itself, but rather speaks to other books that caught my attention more.
Hate I didn't manage to squeeze this one in, but there are so many books and only so much time.

I would look to Goodreads or other reviewers on Netgalley who read the title and will offer their unbiased opinion.

Really enjoyed this one - I was really engrossed with the story the entire time! Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Loved this book! It was such a thrill to read and I would highly suggest it to anyone looking for a high paced thriller!

A group of college-age psychopaths get free tuition to college in exchange for participating in a study by a psychologist who thinks he can help them become functioning, constructive members of society. But someone is killing them off and Chloe (one of the psychopaths) is trying to stay alive while working to fulfill a vendetta of her own. Interesting premise, but just so-so writing and execution.

I was pulled back into campus life so comfortably and realistically I never saw the threatening presence lurking. Vera Kurian is a gifted writer with an eye for detail and a solid descriptive flair. The story never lags and the ending was satisfying.

What a story! I never knew I needed a novel about psychopaths until I read this. Chloe was such an interesting anti-hero. I really enjoyed her character even though, as an empath, I can't imagine what it's like to not understand things through other's perspectives. This story kept me guessing throughout the entire book and I was still thrown off at the end!
Also, I love that the author is a licensed professional in this field as well, which made me feel like I was learning something through her writing- which was fantastic. I highly recommend this thriller/suspense story!

This was a super fast-paced book centering around a college whose Psychology department studies psychopaths. Have you ever wondered if you've been sitting next to someone who would be considered a psychopath? Well, Chloe is one. But you'd never know it because she looks and acts like everyone else on her college campus. Except that she has a plan to kill a young man who wronged her so many years ago, right after she does yogalates. I loved this book! It was intriguing, twisty, and kept me hooked until the last page.

An interesting peek into a psychological research project. Secrets, lies, psychopaths, what more could you need to keep the pages turning.?

At times like this I really wish you could do half stars because this is solidly 3.5 for me. But I'm rounding up because a) it was fun and b) I was happy to see a book with a DC setting that had nothing to do with politics. I went to AU and this might be the first book I've even heard about that centers uni students in the district. In the author's note, she mentions DC as the city of her heart, and that definitely translated onto the page. And finally c) I really respect what this writer pulled off which was taking objectively terrible people (confirmed psychopaths) and making them compelling protagonists. The voice reminded me of You with that sort of charming, incisive narrative that pulls you in, even though you know this person is bad, you like them, and soon enough you forget you shouldn't until all of a sudden wait, why are you murdering people, oh right, psychopath. A few things were still too weird for me to get behind (spoiler: Are we supposed to ship Chloe & Charles? Like, find them cuddling in his hospital bed at the end cute when his girlfriend has just left the room? I was kind of hoping she was the murderer and the final group member to be honest) but overall a fun, fast read.

I was gripped through most of the book but the ending was a little flat. Also, the story contained a narrative about a study to prove that psychopaths can lead a normal life and then another narrative showing the psychopath obsessed with murdering so I was confused as to what the author was trying to show.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it fell short for me. I listened to it on #audiobook and found myself unable to stay invested with the story or characters 😪 I do think that the premise was interesting, but the follow through just didnt happen for me. If you enjoy dark academia books with a bit of psychopathic killers, this may be the perfect read for you!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have never wanted to have a book made into a movie so much in my entire life. I really enjoyed this book the whole way through. I chuckled through part of it. It took me back to the 90s/00s and movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. A fast, intriguing read. A unique story.

I found the plot put me to sleep, with nothing much actually happening, the writing was choppy which meant that the story didn't flow and I found it didn't hold my interest. The characters didn't fascinate me in the slightest (as I thought they would), even though the concept of them being psychopaths was right up my alley. Nope, this story just didn't deliver.