This is a really gripping story about childhood friends and the secrets they keep that they don’t want to ever be exposed. I really enjoy books that follow childhood friends and multiple povs with dual timelines, so if you like that too I’d recommend this!

I did find this pretty predictable but it was still an enjoyable read and I liked reading from the different girls perspectives and they were all really interesting characters, but they were all pretty unlikable and I wasn’t really rooting for anyone.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This story encompasses so much; friendship, obsession, betrayal, mental health…..the list goes on.
You are immediately sucked into the lives of Liz, Sami, Mo, and Amy, as they navigate life inside and outside of their foursome. Once a bond stronger than anything, never letting anyone hurt one another, it depicts the fierceness of a friendship everyone needs in life. But as they grow closer to adulthood, the cracks in their friendships and within themselves start to show.

I’d be silly to go long without mentioning my absolute adoration for Mo. Not sure how many mixed feelings people will have on her, but I felt like she was the realest one. There is something refreshing to me about a brutally honest friend, who will go to the ends of the earth to protect me. Mo’s story was important to tell, because it is the perfect example that “money doesn’t buy happiness”

Overall, the writing was outstanding. Shannon did an amazing job at character development and keeping up with bouncing between years and povs.
The end fell short to me. It was sort of an abrupt closing to the story, to all of their stories. However, I am still very pleased with the book itself and would recommend!

Four best friends, Liz, Mo, Amy and Sami celebrate Graduation and turning 18 by having one of their slumber parties. But this night ends in tragedy and the death of one of the group. Friends who thought they would always be in each other’s lives then going their separate ways and to now only start to speak to each other 10 years on when Liz starts to receive notes from the grave. Told from the 4 friends points of view, the story engages in lies, cheating, abuse, jealously, sabotage and toxic friendship.
A fast paced book with short chapters, each leaving you wanting to know what happened next in their characters life. With plenty of twists and surprises, this book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotion. 5 stars to Shannon Hollinger.

The Slumber Party by Shannon Hollinger is a captivating thriller that will keep the reader guessing and turning pages to the very end. The author uses dual timelines and points of view to tell the story of a group of friends. Liz, Sami, Ami and Mo have been friends since childhood, a tightly knit group who would do anything for each other, and they are now on the verge of leaving high school and going to college. All of their plans are disrupted however when one of them dies and the others, desperate to cover up what really happened that night , hide the body and pretend that she has gone travelling. Inevitably the secret puts a strain on the friendship and the girls gradually drift apart but still stick to their story. The ruse has worked for years, but when the body is found fifteen years later the police begin asking questions and when one of the women, Liz, gets an ominous note saying "I'm back, did you miss me?" she is worried that the night that destroyed her life once before will do it all over again and cost her her family and her freedom.
This was a real page turner of a book, I loved the four characters, Liz the bubbly and optimistic girl next door, Ami the dreamer with the voice of an angel, studious Sami who quietly took everything in and was the keeper of secrets and Mo, the popular charismatic leader of the group who would go to any lengths for her gang.
The plotting is tight and the pacing is sharp with short snappy chapters that make the reader want to read just one more , and the use of dual timelines is very effective in driving the momentum of the book forward and there were plenty of twists that left me gasping,
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this story, which is equal parts mystery and thriller, very much. It's sharp. The plot is tight. The characters are gripping and engaging. The tension is palpable. Even though I thought one of the biggest twists was a little easy to pick, it still had good impact in the story.

What this story does is make the reader assume. We assume because the main character, Liz, assumes. The reader can be forgiven for this, of course, because the author is doing their job well. Every time we assume it adds to the tension in the story, and if our assumptions prove wrong, that just adds another great twist and sucker punch. Shannon Hollinger seems to have an instinct for timing those twists to the best moment in the story. And I was thrilled to see that the twists appear throughout the story, and not just towards end. It always makes me happy to know an author can write early twists and still keep the reader engaged. It may sound like a small thing, but I can't begin to tell you how many authors cannot seem to do this well.

I'm not a fan of books that flip back and forth between past and present, but for some reason I didn't mind it in this book. Could I be changing? I don't think so. I think it just comes down to the writing style, and the sharp chapters. It didn't bog me down into big chunks of past, and the past sections of the book were key to the story. This book has to get points for winning me over on the past and present structure to the chapters.

And a shout out for creepy character, Francine!

This books makes me want to read the author's catalogue. So that's another point in its favour!

I feel slightly chuffed to have been able to read this as an early ARC release. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me this ARC in exchange for a honest review

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of The Slumber Party by Shannon Hollinger. Childhood friends experience tragedy and become estranged. The story is told in multiple POVS and dual timelines so we get to see different characters’ perspective on incidents, which was interesting but got repetitive. I found the POVs all sounded the same so it was often hard to distinguish them. I really enjoyed the story at first, but there were so many hints about what was going on the first reveal was not a surprise. There were also plot points that didn’t make sense and took away from the story. This wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t great for me. If you haven’t read a lot of thrillers, you would probably love this one. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

The Slumber Party by Shannon Hollinger

Published: March 22, 2023
Bookouture
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pages: 308
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Shannon Hollinger is a Florida based author with degrees in Crime Scene Technology & Physical Anthropology, and she hasn't just seen the dark side of humanity - she's been elbow deep inside of it! She finds writing to be a much cleaner way to spend her time than the autopsy suite. Most days it smells better, too.

“Some secrets are meant to be forgotten.”

Having a best friend is one of life’s best gifts; having three is almost too good to be true. And for Liz, Mo, Amy, and Sami their bond is deadly.

HOLY HEADLOCK. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed how this story was told, with multiple narrators and alternating timelines. It was seamlessly delivered and engaging.

I liked Liz. She was calm, kind, and loyal. I liked Sami and her mysteriousness. Mo was a deep character, and you always felt that void. Amy seemed eager, almost desperate, but she wanted to be accepted.

The connection between these women was strong, and it was real. I loved watching their bond grow, then dissipate before my eyes.

This was an intense ride, and each time I thought I had figured out the twist, I was wrong. I did figure out one aspect of the big reveal, but boy, the rest was an avalanche of things I did not see coming.

I love how Shannon tells a story. Her stories are so complicated but beautifully told. There is no confusion or disconnect. She is such a gifted writer, and I am excited to read her work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Shannon Hollinger and I will be reading all her books after this one!!

4 childhood best friends have a slumber party and 1 doesn't wake up the next morning. The girls do not speak again after this night then 15 years later a secret comes out. How well do you really know your best friends? Lies, cheating, sabotage, jealousy and abuse are all in this book. Right from the start I was hooked. It is told in all 4 girls perspectives and in past/present but surprisingly I really enjoyed it. The quick chapters were a definite bonus. The twists and turns kept coming and I found myself having to know what was going to happen next. The only reason for the 4 stars is the ending felt a little rushed, I wanted more!! No lose ends were left but I just wanted a little more.

I highly recommend this fast paced thriller. You will not be disappointed!!!

This one reminded me of Pretty Little Liars and Big Little Lies,its mostly about childhood friends and a mystery for the reader to solve. Fast paced read, great characters and a couple of unsuspected twists. Definitely will be looking forward for mor from Shannon Hollinger.

Thanks to Netgalley and to the author for the chance to read this book

Years ago, four best friends had a slumber party, and one wouldn't wake up alive the next morning. Modern day, Liz gets a note from someone she thought long gone. At the same time, a body is discovered. Will the truth about that night come out?

I thought this book was going to draw me in more than it did. I don't think there was enough suspense built early on because I wasn't dying to know what happened, unlike other thrillers.

Liz, Sami, Mo, and Amy are good friends. They have had each other's back since they were 5 yrs old. Making sure no bullies or other girls harm any of them from the group
They have grown up together and are now in high school
But how well do you know your friends. Do you know when they are hurting, depressed or what they hide behind your back. Do friends tell you everything as they should or do they leave parts out
What about your friends,
Do they envy you or want what you have deep down
Can you trust your friends to always be there no matter what

Thank you #NetGalley and #Bookouture for giving me the honor of reviewing another one of #ShannonHollinger books. #TheSlumberParty was a wonderful book. It was a roller coaster ride until the end and the twist was amazing. Shannon is quickly becoming one of my fav authors. I cannot wait for her to release more books.

A gripping novel about friendship and secrets.

Four childhood friends. They thought nothing could destroy their bond until one terrible night ruined it all.

The concept isn't anything new, but I love all the twists and turns. I can't wait to read more novels by this author.

***A big thank you to NetGalley, Shannon Hollinger, and Bookouture for graciously sending me the ARC to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.**

I received an advanced copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley.

Ten years ago Liz, Sami, Ami, and Mo were inseparable. They were the best of friends and everyone knew it but one of them was not going to survive the end of school. Now when the secret they have been hiding comes back to haunt them and they are all going to have to suffer the consequences.

The part of this book that I really enjoyed was the part from Liz's perspective. At times I felt that the book was pretty predictable. This book advertised best friends and that they would do anything for each other but the relationship between the four girls was so toxic.

This was a wild ride that kept me wanting to know what happened. Staying up late in to the night to read just a few more pages. I think the synopsis was wrong though. It said 10 years later things unravel but I could have sworn the daughter was 14 I might have read it wrong.

4 best friends in high school part ways at graduation. Years later a secret is found and things unravel. Lies, abuse, the past and the present. Who will be the villain?

The very end felt unnecessary. They could have ended it with the previous chapter. But I loved it. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy!

The Slumber Party by Shannon Hollinger

My rating: 4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

They were the 4 best friends anyone could have. But years later, they are not in contact with each other because of a secret shared from prom night many years ago. What happened on that night and what secrets will be revealed?!

What a refreshing thriller to read after a couple of books that I wasn’t quite a fan of lately 👍🏼 this one was so good and I really enjoyed it! I read it in about 2 days and enjoyed it! This was a fast paced thriller with lots of bread crumbs and kept me interested the entire time. I absolutely loved the multiple POVs and quick chapters. I absolutely recommend. The only reason I didn’t give it a 5 was because I felt the end was a little quick and I wanted more!

Thanks netgalley for this ARC that will be published March 22 2023! Highly recommend!

There's nothing like the friends you make in school. Liz, Mo, Amy and Sami have a friendship that others can only wish they had. That is until prom night when things changed forever.

Told in dual timelines and multiple points of view.

Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout.

The characters felt like real people, not made up people. We get to know them through flashbacks. But do we really know them??

I don't want to give too much away so I'll just say read it for yourself.

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the arc

I felt like I should have shouted ta-dah at the end of this book as everything was tied up with a great flourish. I thought it was great and I read really quickly and thoroughly enjoyed it. Brilliant 🤩

Four very close childhood friends are struck by tragedy on prom night. A night that should be a highlight of their high school years.
The story is told in alternating voices and of course each girl has her own memories and perspectives.
As is the case with a group of girls, there are secrets or rather a secret very worth keeping.
This is a quick read with a satisfying ending. Friendships are tested. Plenty of twists and turns to keep the pages turning.
While this is my first read by this author, it will not be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advanced edition of this book in exchange for my review considerations, All opinions are my own.

A dark and twisted story told via past and present. Jaw dropping twists and turns throughout. Fast paced and suspense galore. The characters feel like people you know. This was well written and well structured to flow perfectly. Never a dull moment. An absolutely astonishing twist finishes this one with a flourish!
Heart racing and stomach clenching!