What a cast of talented narrators! This book is so twisty and fast-paced and every single one of these narrators is top notch! I love when a book with multiple points of view has different narrators for each person. It definitely makes it easier to tell who’s who.

If you’re a fan of Mean Girls, get this book! The lengths these women go to to exact revenge is out of control! Yes, they’re petty, and yes, some have held a grudge for ten years but it all makes for such a thrill ride! And that ending? I did not see that coming!

Pick this one up if you’re a fan of:
- stranded on a private island.
- girls behaving badly.
- perfectly plotted revenge.
- all female main characters.
- scavenger hunts.

If you’ve not chosen your BOTM book this month, you can add this one to your box!

Unfortunately this one was a DNF @25% for me. I couldn't get into the story at all. It keep jumping back and forth in time, there were a lot of characters and I didn't see where things were going. I also wasn't a huge fan of the British narrators either. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Twisty and shocking. Annabelle, Chloe, Tanya and Esther are childhood friends who have grown apart in adulthood. However, their secrets keep them banded together. They receive an invitation to be bridesmaids and attend an all-expenses paid trip to the Bahamas on a private island for a hen party. However, the bride, Poppy Greer, is someone they used to torment mercilessly. But seeing as how it's a free trip to the Caribbean, how could they say no?
This was the ULTIMATE revenge scheme. Seems like Poppy hasn't completely forgiven then for their past treatment of her. What comes next is a roller coaster of insidious fun!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this full-cast audio e=arc.*

I just finished this book and I'm FLOORED. There were so many beautifully crafted twists. I'll admit I started out thinking it was a slow read and felt too much like The Guest List, which was kind of a disappointment, but I was wrong. This book was fabulous. Granted, the characters put themselves into this mess being absolutely stupid enough to agree to a hen party, but that's that. The themes woven into the story and that story, my god! I loved this. I kept thinking it was going to end in one of two predictable ways, so I was geared up for a disappointing ending, but no. I will definitely be recommending this for a book club pick, because there's so much to talk about.

While I did figure out how the story was gonna shake out before the end, I very much enjoyed the ride. Full of drama and revenge. Enjoyable and satisfying to the end.

This book is an excellent debut about a beautiful island, a friends’ reunion, and sweet, sweet revenge. Four childhood friends were invited to a beautiful private island, all expenses paid for an old classmate’s bachelorette party. They all jumped at the opportunity without any suspicion that the same classmate invited them they had bullied for years. The classmate, Poppy, got her dreams crushed during her senior year of high school after a prank went horribly wrong, and now she is out for revenge.

The setup for the book was great. The girls were so oblivious about getting a free vacation that they did not suspect the trip they were invited on would be their living nightmare. The book will also make you consider how you treat people and take accountability for your actions. Poppy never got over the torture she endured, and her past made her vindictive toward those who hurt her. That led to some serious destructive consequences. The big twist at the end was very unexpected and very satisfying. I did not expect that ending even after things spiraled. She Started It is a fun, twisty locked room thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat thinking revenge is nicer served on a deserted tropical island!

Also, the audiobook was great to listen to. Each narrator ( Sarah Ovens; Anne-Marie Piazza; Ione Butler; Billie Fulford-Brown; Sarah Cullum; Ella Lynch) did an excellent job differentiating between the different characters.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Harper Audio for giving me a copy of the audiobook.

Anyone who has been bullied, or been a bully, will quickly consume this one by Gilbert. Poppy is bullied mercilessly all through her high school years in England by her former best friend, Tania, and Tania's new friends, Esther, Annabel, and Chloe. After they finish A levels and leave school, the four don't give Poppy another thought. They never thought they had done anything out of the ordinary Until, ten years later, they all receive invitations to an all-expenses paid trip to a private island in the Caribbean for Poppy's hen party.

Annabel is married, though doesn't seem too enthralled by her husband at this point. Chloe is building up a website to be an influencer, Esther is working for family friends, and Tania had a party/events planning business. The four can't pass up a free trip, even though it's Poppy who has invited them. Upon arrival, they are shocked by how much Poppy has changed and how fantastic she looks. Poppy says she's a doctor now.

As the week goes on, the four guests begin to learn that Poppy has learned secrets about all of them. Secrets they don't want exposed. But, it's payback time and as a violent storm thrashes the secluded island the women are forced to accept some unpleasant, and violent, truths. They all learn a lot about one another. Fans of Liane Moriarty and Gillian Flynn will enjoy the twists and turns Gilbert presents in this work.

This was a fun thriller that takes place on an island with four friends and a fifth "friend" from the past. They are all self-absorbed outrageous bullies, some in the past, some in the present, and some in both. They're all hiding something and naturally everything eventually comes to light. A bit predictable at times, but still an enjoyable read.

A fabulous who-do-it that left me questioning until the very end. This book is a dark reminder to be nice to everyone because you never know what will happen in the future.

4.5 stars
I could not stop listening to this audiobook! I loved the storyline and all the wonderfully awful characters. And there were so many juicy secrets and terrible past events that were shocking to learn about!
The only reason I am not giving it a full 5 stars is because I felt that the two big reveals were fairly obvious. But even so, that did not take away from my overall enjoyment of this mystery/suspense novel.

Wow! What an outstanding debut with over 11 hours for an audio, I finished it in 2 days. You should absolutely not miss this one! Call it Karma or Revenge either way be careful who you taunt and bully in High school it may come back to you in threefold. The narrators were also a stunning additive to this book making it into my top ten books this year! Great job to the author Sian Gilbert and Sarah Ovens, Anne-Marie Piazza, Lone Butler, Billie Fulford-Brown, Sarah Cullen and Ella Lynch...you made this an event to attend.
Poppy, an aspiring art student in high school was accepted into one of the top universities for art and more than ready to leave her bullies behind. Mean girls are in every school, but Poppy suffered more than any child could ever imagine at the hands of Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe. Ten years later they are successful, still beautiful and popular! They all receive an invitation to a private island in the Caribbean to be hosted by Poppy...their target in school...for her bridal bachelorette party. Even though they haven't spoken to her since HS they aren't hesitant to accept due to it being an all expense paid trip to a luxury island.
This will anger you what Poppy endured in high school mainly revealed through her diary entries. As she simply stated I just wanted to do my art and make a few friends. The mean girls made her life miserable. They are unlikable, evil and ignorant of their cruel demented antics.
This book was a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed every angle of the girls' POV and Poppy's. What they did to her would make a saint mad. Not saying revenge is a way to handle your anger towards your enemies but this will seem justifiable.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for this incredible eARC! This author is one to watch for...TALENTED!!

The description, 'For fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty', was somewhat on point. I felt that storyline connection 'The Guest List' by Foley immediately, and it's not a new idea - heading to a private island to invoke revenge. While it wasn't unique, this was a good debut listen and I know many thriller readers at my library would gladly scoop this up. I did end up purchasing for the collection after starting it.

The audio narration was done really well for the most part. My only complaint would be that it was difficult to tell the narration for Annabel, Esther, and Tanya apart. I felt like Poppy, Wendy, and Chloe had clear differentiation in the tone for their storylines.

It was very hard to connect with any of the characters, I don't think there was one redeemable quality amongst any of them. But I suppose you don't read a novel like this for characterization, it's a novel for those that enjoy an dramatic plot line.

I felt like you could see the twist (not sure if you could call it a twist?) from about a mile away.

Despite some the negatives, I did find myself getting through this audiobook very quickly and looking forward to coming back to it for the most part.

I found the last flashback with Poppy before she commits suicide to be incredibly difficult and painful to listen to, and I was glad it didn't go into more detail of the suicide.

Overall, a quick, entertaining read. However, I would not pick up a second book if the author wanted to continue the story.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

A story all about getting back at the mean girl(s). This story takes revenge to a final conclusion. Full of deception and revelation.

What’s there not to love about this book.
Frenemies with secrets from each other.
Bullied girl with a revenge story to execute.
All in a secluded island.

The narrator did incredible.

I’m shocked that this is a debut novel. This author is officially on my radar.

Book Title: She Started It
Author: Sian Gilbert (Debut AUthor)
Narrators: Sarah Ovens, Anne-Marie Piazza, Ione Butler, Billie Fulford-Brown, Sarah Cullum, and
Ella Lyuch
Publisher: Harper Audio
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
My Rating: 😥😥😥😥.4 Emotional Stars
Pages: 352

This story is told in the past from Poppy’s diary and the present.
Present: Chloe, Esther, Tanya, and Annabel have been friend since childhood and share many secrets. They all receive an invitation to attend a hen aka bachelorette party on a beautiful island in the Bahama from Poppy Greer another schoolmate. They are a bit surprise as they were truly ‘Mean Girls’ and were never nice to Poppy. They always made fun of her over-weight appearance as well as everything and anything else about her.
The invitation to a beautiful all-expenses paid trip in a private island in the Bahama for three days is something they cannot turn down.
What can go wrong?

As the story goes on and we hear more from Poppy’s diary; as we hear in Poppy’s words the bulling that took place, it breaks your heart as well as makes you angry. It is difficult to understand why these four nasty girls lack empathy. They excuse their action by saying ~ it is just a joke!

"She Started It" is a story of revenge that will have you cheering as well as crying!
The story sure had me curious and I couldn’t stop listening (same as page-turning!)
I do read a lot of psychological thriller so have to admit the twists weren’t a shock.

The story is very sad.
As a high school Guidance Counselor I am all too aware that Poppy’s story was too real.

Since Poppy was a victim of physical and mental abuse by the mean nasty bullies. I was hoping author Sian Gilbert would offers resources. When authors tackle tough subjects, I like when they also offer resources that may help!
Often audiobooks don’t have Author’s Notes and Acknowledgements that are typically in the back of a book so perhaps the resources are offered in the book.

The narrators were all great in performing their character!

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio for granted me this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 13, 2023.

Thanks to Harper Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one is definitely a twisty, vengeful thriller, with some highs and lows.

The highs:
The voice acting is very, very good.
The story (mostly) hangs together
The tension is very high

The lows:
The writing is sometimes clunky
The plot twist can be seen from space
The characters are pretty much all terrible, so it's challenging to root for or feel bad for them

3 stars; I'm interested to see what Sian Gilbert does next, but this one would have utterly crashed and burned without the excellent cast

Diabolical mean girls all grown up, revenge best served cold, party on a private island--what's not to like? Those who liked Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars will enjoy this one as well. I chose the audio version of this novel because of the full cast of narrators. They did a fantastic job! As the depth of the cruelty of the mean girls was revealed little by little, I found my jaw dropping further and further toward the floor. However, I saw the major plot twist coming a mile away, and was disappointed with the ending. There were a couple things left hanging, but not really enough to support a second book in my opinion.

This was an entertaining read and the back and forth timeline of past and present made an interesting telling. It was a fun thriller to listen to however, there were times that it was difficult to follow who was talking on the audio version. The twists were clever and I was surprised a few times throughout the book. Would definitely read more by this author! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC.

This book was one of the few books that went into my "could not stop until finished" category. I specifically remember telling my own daughter, I hope you never bullied anyone, ever!

The writing was contagious, the descriptions of detail were visually adapting and the twisty-turny plot was so well put together, you could figure out what was actually happening, but then you simply shook your head because you were wrong and surprised! I also loved the actual theme, Bullying. I could see this happening to the person next to me, the whole plot was so real and doable!

Thank you so much, William Morrow and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

#saingilbert #williammorrow #harpercollins #5starbook #arcbooks #bookish #instagram #mysterybooks #pageturner #booklovers #bookreview #bookrecommendations

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ALC of She Started It.

First of all, congrats to Sian Gilbert on an amazing debut novel as well as having the distinct honor of having written the first book I've read in 2023 that left me an utter wreck and dripping in tears by the end. I'm now a tremendous fan and I can't wait to see what Gilbert creates next! In the meantime, pour yourself a glass of wine + settle in to enjoy a fantastic twisty summer thriller with "She Started It".

"She Started It" isn't a redemption arc story. No, this is a tale of revenge on a bunch of bully bitches who have it coming. The core four: Annabel, Esther, Tanya + Chloe, aren't keen on accepting Poppy's invitation to her private hen party, but they decide to do so that they can see how the shy, quiet, chubby art girl they used to make fun of (I'd honestly say torture) has changed. Poppy's Instagram portrays a gorgeous successful doctor, a night + day difference from the girl they knew in school. This self-absorbed group is swayed to accept when they see how they can benefit from attending, like posting photos to Instagram to gain followers of course! It also helps that Poppy's offered first-class accommodations, which these women still manage to find fault with, complaining about services on the flight as well as the island's remoteness with lack of WiFi. Oh boo, guess your followers won't be seeing this after all.

But Poppy has ulterior motives for inviting these cackling hens to her hen-do. Because these four women have major memory problems in recalling all the awful things they did to Poppy as teens and it's time for Poppy to remind them of that ( and get some of her own back). I greatly enjoyed her games in taking them down with such classics as: "Never Have I Ever" and "Truth or Dare", one by one, coercing them into revealing the secrets they held for (and from) each other, until the pinnacle peak of watching them question everything they thought they knew about one another, even questioning if one of them is a killer...

I don't know what that says about me as a person that I loved every minute of Poppy's games, literally cheering her on in her strategic game of chess against those four. It was extremely satisfying to watch as Annabel, Esther, Tanya + Chloe's lives crumble. I was literally the Michael Jackson gif, enjoying my popcorn as these four whined about the demise of everything they held dear. It was fantastic and cathartic and so, so satisfying. Knock, knock bitches. It's karma.

Things I Loved:

1. The characters. We first meet the core four: Annabel, Esther, Tanya + Chloe onboard their first-class flight to the island and right from the start you know these women are awful humans and for the remainder of the story, they stay that way. Gilbert does an excellent job at building backstory around each of them, through both the present narrative of those at the hen party as well as Poppy's diary entries as a child. And even though there are no redeemable qualities to be found, you at least understand the insecurities that lie at the heart of their bullying. Because that's all bullies are: insecure little shits determined to make everyone else feel as bad as they do. Hurt people hurt people. So do yourself and everyone around you a favor and get yourself into therapy. Thank me later.

2. The setting. There's something so satisfying about what should be an idyllic summer getaway being an absolute nightmare. I love a remote setting, especially one which removes cell service/WiFi/etc and forces the characters to reckon with their choices and ultimately leads them to a breaking point. Throw a storm in the mix that cuts all power to add to the already electric tension of the group dynamic and you've got a killer setting on your hands. Literally.

3. The last line: “Those bitches might have started it, but I sure as hell finished it.”
Chef's Kiss, amazing.