Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Wow, Mindy McGinnis has done it again with another nail biter, edge of your seat, faced paced thriller. My heart broke over and over again for Neeley. McGinnis knows how to get you hooked and write an unputdownable book. Her characters are memorable and stay with you. Major book hangover after this one. Be sure to be aware of trigger warnings and sensitive content.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Every Mindy McGinnis book I have read has been so delightfully unhinged, all in different ways, and this book is no exception to that rule. I did figure out whodunnit a little more than halfway through, but I put that down to pattern recognition and not it being crazy easy to figure out. The resolution was very satisfying, and the whole thing was just a perfect October read,

Beautifully written, poignant and heart-breaking, "Under This Red Rock" is a dark read both literally and metaphorically. The main character, Neely, has auditory. hallucinations and a history of mental illness in her family. She finds respite in caves, yet her safe place becomes tainted when a girl is found murdered. Mindy McGinnis is an excellent writer and handles this material well. Recommended for young and/or adult readers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #UnderThisRedRock #NetGalley

Mindy McGinnis is such a dark, twisty writer, and I love seeing where she goes with each new book she writes. Under This Red Rock was no exception to the exploration of dark corners, both literally and figuratively. Neely is not a reliable narrator--she has auditory halucinations and a family history of mental illness. She has secrets she has to keep and memories she can't quite unearth. The only way she can quell the dark voices is when she goes underground in the caves. This book could be triggering for people with depression and mental illness as we are following Neely's confusion and continued breaks with reality. However, there are bright moments such as when she finds friendship, a crush, and the thrill of the cave tours. When a girl is found murdered in the cave, and all evidence points to Neely, we finally begin to unravel the mystery as well as the origin of her hallucinations.

I thought this was an outstanding work of horror, coming of age, and healing. If anyone needs a dark twisted horror, I would recommend this to teens and adults.

This book was amazing. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, it just drew me in and didn’t let go.

The anticipation of the big bad thing has such a slow burn effect. It’s almost tortuous, and then when it happens, it’s a shock to the system. It’s like the world upends itself and the next adventure starts.

Mindy has this way of describing mental health matters in a way that neither sugarcoats, nor over-dramatizes. I have found that some books offer and romanticized version of mental health discussions and this is the opposite. This is is gruesome without being horrific. It’s honest, without being over-the-top. It’s a necessary discussion and it was necessary to the story.

Overall, amazing. I am reminded over and over as to why Mindy is an autobuy author and I am so happy I was able to read this from NetGalley.

I don't know why I put off reading the ARC of this. Like...it's Mindy McGinnis, of course I am going to be edge-of-my-seat invested in every chapter.

It's also just very surreal to continue to see so much of my part of Ohio reflected back to me when I read her work. I mean it makes sense, because she grew up and still lives just two counties over from where I grew up, but you don't often see that part of the country in YA lit.

Anyway, another terrifying, beautiful book by McGinnis.

When I tell you I would read anything Mindy McGinnis writes I tell you with my whole chest! I adore every book McGinnis writes and this one is no exception! I read this whole book in one sitting! I can not praise McGinnis enough and this is one of her best works. Do yourself a favor and read this book! It's worth it!

I love a good Mindy McGinnis novel. She's an author that is incredibly reliable, I know I will always love any book she writes. She's incredible at building tension and suspense and Under This Red Rock is no exception. I absolutely could not put this book down, there was not a point in this book I could have predicted. I loved it. I LOVED IT!

This book was CRAZY! Full of ups and downs and twists that you would not have seen coming, and then to find out that that isn't what happened at all over and over? And then the huge plot twist at the end? The book was just so good!

<b>”Sometimes you have to.”</b>

Mindy, wtf?! I want to eat Mindy’s brain and just live there because it fascinates me and terrifies me all the same.

I freaking loved this book! I wish I could just tell you what happens but you wouldn’t believe me anyway bc like I said, Mindy wtf!!

I never thought I’d be freaked out and laugh and cry all in the same book as much as I did in this one. Neely, is so strange and we freaking love that about her. I won’t stop thinking about her and all her people for a while.

She’s gone through so much it’s sad. I just wanted to give her a hug but she would have hated that. Sometimes her thoughts and even the things she actually said are hilarious. Morbid, dark humor. Other times she was alone and scared and… that’s her normal.

She gets a job under ground where her monsters can’t speak. And then everything seems to follow her on a downward spiral from there.

The ending actually took me for a little loop. I felt betrayed! We trusted, we felt comfortable, we dropped our walls and thought this was it. And then Mindy slinks in and twists everything you know.

<b>And can I just say, I hope all my cats are real…</b>

Mindy McGinnis has once again made me feel something. Her books - especially this one - are always so raw and vulnerable and real, and that's what makes them a standout to me.

Under This Red Rock discusses generational mental illness and what can happen when it goes undiagnosed, not medicated, and have a professional to talk to.

Neely hears what she considers monsters, but they have rules and the only place she cannot hear them is in the caverns. So she starts working as a tour guide in the caverns to get away from her monsters. She then meets Mila and soon becomes infatuated with her. One night after a party with alcohol and drugs her monsters are now visible and Mila is dead inside the caverns. Who killed Mila and was it her?

Neely is struggling with severe mental illness, being the last of her immediate family, and having grandparents who care but aren’t sure how to help her. When Neely gets a job at the caverns, she meets Mila; a girl who is everything that she is not. Infatuation borders on full fledged obsession as she gets closer to Mila, until after a staff party, Mila is found brutally murdered. Neely must now try to figure out who would hurt Mila… or if it could have been her.

Mindy McGinnis perfectly handles the severe and heavy topics that make up this book. This book shows how everyone has demons and skeletons in their closet, encapsulating the silent but deadly illness that is mental illness. This a book you will want to stay up all night reading, as you grow more attached to the characters. I wouldn’t suggest this for the faint of heart and to tread lightly when picking up this book, as the themes are dark and disturbing a lot of the time.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but I ended up loving it and reading it in one day.
It is intense and unexpected.

I didn't know what to expect going into this book but in the end I did enjoy the story and the overall plot of the book.

Mindy McGinnis never fails to create dark, twisting stories that take us into the minds of dark, twisting girls, and her newest book, Under This Red Rock, is no exception. Despite having loved everything that I've ready by Mindy McGinnis, I went into this book hesitantly because of the subject matter. Themes of insanity, suicide, murder, and violence can be especially tricky to write about. However, McGinnis deals with these topics with a deft touch, not shying away from the difficult details, but not reveling in them, either. She does not pull punches in any of her books, and we experience everything that main character Neely experiences in a confused and painful way. I would absolutely recommend this book, but would also suggest that readers enter into this world with caution; tread lightly, and watch your step.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book.

Under This Red Rock is intense and unexpected. Every time I thought I knew where things were headed, Mindy McGinnis took a hard left into new territory, and I enjoyed the ride.

I felt so many emotions throughout the reading of this book, and it's going to be a great addition to my list of books that highlight various mental health conditions.

Boy, this was a wild ride. I've read Mindy McGinnis before, so I knew it would be intense, but I was not prepared for this one.

I love books with unreliable narrators and it was interesting to read one where the protagonist can't even trust herself. There was a lot of character development throughout the story, not all of it positive, but it made for very unique characters.

I wasn't expecting the plot twist and it broke my heart. I was rooting for Neely until the end and I'm glad she got the help she deserved. My one complaint is that the ending felt a bit rushed. I would have liked more details on how Neely was able to tell her side of the story and start working toward healing.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, intense story that created an honest conversation about mental health and how we should rethink harmful stereotypes. I would definitely recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading this.

dnf @ 37%


I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the narrative voice and the world the author fleshed out. But I felt like the book itself dragged -- by the 30% point, I still wasn't sure precisely where we were headed, and I didn't feel enough tension to draw me further along. I would like to try more from this author in the future, but this one unfortunately didn't hold my interest, despite the parts I did like.

Mindy McGinnis never fails at delivering immersive, creepy, and just plain messed up thrillers. I had the pleasure of meeting her at an author visit at my library, and she's such a cool person. I was so excited to receive a copy of this book. Neely has such a crazy backstory, and her struggles with auditory hallucinations added another layer of creepy to what she was going through. This one kept me guessing right up until the end.