Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this title. This is my honest review. This book was fairly well written. I just felt like the story went nowhere. I felt we were being lied to the whole time I was reading this. I did feel that every character had issues and a backstory that contributed to the plot, but I always felt I was missing something and hoping I didn’t have to wait until the end of the story. The story flowed enough to keep me reading and we did learn a lot about each of the characters. I just didn’t like the fact that not one character was likable, especially Mary. By the end of the book, I really didn’t care who murdered either girl, Hopefully someone else enjoyed this book because it wasn’t all that bad.

Received this as an arc from the Book Club Girl book club as an early read. Unfortunately this missed the mark for me as a thriller/murder mystery. The main character Mary was extremely unlikeable, which I’m not sure if that was the author’s intention and throughout the book I just didn’t feel bad for the predicaments she found herself in. I also struggled with the background storyline of why she was kicked out of school. The reveal wasn’t as jaw-dropping as I though it should have been and I’m not sure how it really made any impact on the story expect for us thinking she had killer tendencies. The ending was also very hard to get into. I did not like how it went into a very graphic, horrific manner of death and then the book kind of just ended. There was no backstory into why the killer killed, or why his choice of murder was so horrific. It just seemed wild and outlandish for no real reason. This was just wasn’t for me.

"Ivy League Mary" never fit into her hometown of Liberty Lake, Minnesota and dreamed of escape once she made it big in college. But it all came crashing down in the blink of an eye during her senior year, and she found herself back at her dad's house, working in a local grocery store and with no clear plan for her future. Then, one day, her childhood friend, teenage bully and town golden girl, Olivia Willand, goes missing. And suddenly the remains of another local girl are found. Mary thinks the two cases must be connected and desperately tries to figure out what's going on but soon she realizes that not only can she not trust anyone around her, but no one will listen to a fallen "nice girl," (see what I did there?).

This book really got me hooked right from the beginning. Not only did I NEED to figure out what was going on with Mary, but as soon as the storyline with Olivia got going, I was on the line like a fish who took the bait. There's a lot of suspense right from the beginning, from the motivations of the characters to the mystery itself.

And even though I had pretty much worked out who the bad guy was by the time he was revealed in the end, I wasn't disappointed. The overall solution and how things worked out was unique and I enjoyed it. It wasn't boring or stale at all, there's many layers to things here. I just wish that the very end had some more finality to it. I can't say much more than that, but that's really my only complaint.

Mary herself is a bit of a conundrum. She can be grating at times, impulsive and sometimes I wanted to slap her. But I think that plays true to her character, and making her likable or relatable would've been completely ridiculous: she's a 21-year-old who is bitter about her life, thought she knew everything and got out of her small hometown, only to find it all come crashing down around her. But still, she does some really stupid stuff. And that was a little frustrating, you know?

Overall, this book was a winner of a suspenseful thriller that fans of mysteries aren't going to want to put down. I'll be on the lookout for more from this author in the future.

This debut-thriller by Catherine Dang was a page-turner from beginning to end and reminds me of the popular "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" series. The ending felt a little chaotic and maybe a bit far-fetched, but I still couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it during a break at work because I couldn't wait until the end of the day. I think this is only the beginning of great things to come for this debut author!

"Ivy League Mary" finds herself back at home and living with her father after an incident at college. She gets a job at a grocery story and finds herself face-to-face with friends and neighbors that she has known her whole life and everyone wonders why she's back in town. A few weeks after Mary returns to Liberty Lake, Olivia Willand, a rising social media star from their hometown, goes missing and everyone becomes obsessed, including Mary. When another missing persons case is brought to light, Mary is convinced they are connected, even if the police don't and she will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of it.

If you're looking for a thriller that you won't be able to put down, add this one to your list. It truly had me hooked from page 1!

Mary, Ivy League Mary, is back home and hiding the truth from everyone. With a job at the grocery store, a friendship with a fellow unsuccessful, and a disappointed father, Mary feels like she's at the lowest, but then an old friend goes missing. Mary turns into a sleuth, but she doesn't trust herself and she doesn't trust anyone around her. As she digs into the missing girl she realizes that she's just as likely as anyone to be the next victim.

I found myself really enjoying the pacing of Nice Girls, Catherine Dang knows how to keep a story fraught with tension, I just didn't feel like the story was as fully fleshed out as it could have been. What initially felt like a story about class, race, and political attention quickly turned into just a story about a girl with depressive issues seeking just about anywhere to succeed. Her self-centered nature and desperate desire for acceptance soon took over everything. There's little background or detail to all of Mary's suspects, just feelings and vibes. The ending was rushed, there's so much that I felt could have been done with it. I know I'm no author myself, but this ending had none of the tension nor details that the previous 75% of the book had. I needed that to continue, it would've taken this book into instant success.

I devoured this book, it's certainly a quick, packed read and I think other readers might just love it.

The cover hints at what's to come in Catherine Dang's dark, tense, and compelling debut: neon pink text over a remote cabin location. the bright text at odds with the eerie, almost sinister location. This is perfect, because Dang's novel doesn't have any nice girls in it (that's the point). Featuring one of the most fully-realized narrators that comes to mind in recent memory, this debut might wobble a little bit near the dismount, but it manages to stick the landing. A thriller that will keep readers guessing until the end, Dang manages to explore the intersection of race and class while also skewering the concept of "savior syndrome." There are no nice girls here, but there are also no good choices. The result is a memorable and smart thriller that I won't soon forget. An author to watch.

As generic of a debut thriller as any could be. Predictable narrative with hints of white savior stereotypes. Mary Sue narrator is actually named Mary. But she has a dark, violent secret—(she justifiably slapped a mean girl once! What a misunderstood, flawed, nuanced female lead.) Laughably inconsequential character development sandwiched by obvious true-crime-podcast armchair detective work, I could hardly hang on til the end. But I did, because I’m a glutton for punishment and thought there might be a twist ending that would make the 11 hour audiobook worth it!

I was wrong.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley

Mary used to be a nice girl and was doing what was expected of her until she got kicked out of Cornell at the beginning of her senior year and won't tell anyone why. So, she goes back home and ends up working in the local grocery store. Shortly after her return a social media star girl goes missing. Mary knows that the personality of this gal is not what everyone thinks it is. As the town is searching for her, Mary wonders if this could be linked to another missing teen that happened previously.

I enjoyed this story and it kept me reading it. Good characters and good suspense. I will look for other books from this author!

I love small town mysteries and this one did not disappoint. I had my eyes on a certain someone throughout the story as the whodunit and was right! But what really intrigued me was the why, which was perfectly explained. A word of caution, there are moments of nauseating violence that were cringeworthy, but overall, a really enjoyable story and the perfect one for those looking to don their detective caps and get to work.

Solid debut novel. I’m a sucker for a female driven mystery novel and this kept me on the edge of my seat.

The protagonist’s consuming angst over past high school slights made me feel old and I didn’t find her likable or sympathetic. Luckily I don’t find that necessary to enjoy a book.

I was really excited about this one because I love a good thriller. Unfortunately I found myself pretty bored with it and just ready for it to be over. Not a bad book, but also not one that I couldn’t put down. Average at best.

Ivy League Mary gets kicked out of Cornell and is forced to move home to Liberty Lake, Minnesota. Back in Liberty Lake, Mary’s ex best friend, the popular Olivia Willand, has gone missing along with another girl named DeMaria. As Mary begins to investigate the disappearance of the two girls, she discovers secrets that threaten to destroy the town and everything she knows to be true. I was given this book as an ARC and was immediately drawn to it because it’s the author’s debut novel and it’s set in MINNESOTA (my home state!). It was addicting and dark and offered a fresh take on the “girl goes missing” genre. I will always read a book set in Minnesota so I am definitely bias but I enjoyed Nice Girls and am excited to see the next novel from Catherine Dang! (4 Stars!)

This book kept me interested but I found the ending disappointing and confusing. I loved the authors style of writing but hated every character. I guess you were supposed to but it just felt like there was a dark cloud over the entire book. I would try another by this author.

Nice Girls by Catherine Dang is the author’s first novel and I will be back for more! Mary is a college senior at Cornell, The first person in her town to ever get into an Ivy League school. The whole town has nicknamed her Ivy League Mary. She gets into trouble at the very beginning of the book and gets kicked out. Her dad has to come get her and move her home and she is very embarrassed. Her dad is very disappointed and upset with her.
After moving home and getting a job, Olivia, a former friend of Mary’s and a current social influencer on Instagram, goes missing. The whole town is up in arms looking for her. Meanwhile nobody’s paying attention to the case of DeMaria, who went missing months before. She was a young, single, black mother and nobody seems to care. Mary takes it upon herself to start investigating both cases. What she finds will rock this town and turn it upside down.
I very much enjoyed this book. The character of Mary is somewhat unlikable, but in a way that makes me like her even more. I like characters that have flaws and are real. The author nicely captures the feeling of being 22 and back in your hometown. I remember having this feeling when I was that age and came back from college. It’s an awkward time where you run into people you used to know and maybe used to not like. The plot was very original in my opinion. I could not wait to find out what happened to the two missing young women and what was going to happen to Mary.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A worthy read with the potential of a 5 star. Some of the book is a tight murder mystery involving two seemingly unrelated young women’s deaths. The tie in works but is not written in such a matter that really doesn’t make the reader really care. The ending falls flat although it is tied up. I would like to read more from this author as this is a good debut.
#williammorris #catherinedang #netgalley

This was my first listen on Net Galley. I totally enjoyed the book. Mary is nice girl. She revisits her younger years and starts to explore why two girls disappeared and if they were kidnapped, or run always, etc. The book engages your attention, and keeps your attention until the end. I did feel a little bit like I had heard this before, but overall it was a good book.
Net Galley granted me a first read for an honest opinion.

Oh, Ivy League Mary. I felt for her….to a point. Halfway into Nice Girls, my exasperation with her motivations (or lack thereof) for her actions was off the charts. Did I finish this? Of course. However, this had the potential to deliver in a literary “Jennifer’s Body” kind of way, and it fell short. Thank you to #NetGalley and #WilliamMorrow for providing me with an advance copy for review.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

There’s just something so appealing about picking up a debut novelist’s book. There are no expectations because you don’t know what the writer’s style is, so you can just jump into the book and enjoy it for what it is. And that is exactly what I did here…and bonus points for it being a thriller that involves missing girls. I love those types of stories!

This book totally grabbed my attention from the beginning and never really let up. I loved that the tension and suspense slowly build over the course of the book and that there is this sense of unreliability from just about everyone we meet. There are definitely mean girl vibes here, yet it is much darker.

This is one of those books where I definitely didn’t like many of the characters but I needed to know what happened to those missing girls and I really wanted to know why Mary was expelled from school. It’s talked around many times but we aren’t given the reason until much later in the book. This kept me glued to the pages because like a car wreck that you just need to see, I needed to know what had happened that would force her to return to the last place she really wanted to go.

There are so many addicting parts to this story that combine to make a great read. While it starts off as a slow burn, it eventually picks up pace with twists that keep you flipping the pages to see what comes next. It delves into some heavy topics that the author handles with ease and for that alone, I am so excited to see what she writes next. She is definitely one to keep an eye on!

Things don't exactly go as planned for Ivy League Mary. All she really wanted was a remarkable and successful life. Unfortunately she finds herself booted from school and back home working a low level job. On the flip side things are going very well for Olivia, a former childhood friend. That is, until she disappears.
This was a terrifically fun book! Deliciously dark it sucked me right in until I got to the jaw dropping end! Thank you so much!