The Payback Girls is a fun, drama-filled ride that starts off a bit slow but quickly picks up momentum. Once the story gets going, it’s packed with revenge, friendship, and plenty of satisfying twists. The dynamic between the main characters is a highlight, and their bond adds a lot of heart to the plot.

There are a few moments where it feels a little choppy, and some transitions could have been smoother, but overall, it’s an engaging and entertaining read. If you love stories about strong friendships and well-earned payback, this one is worth checking

🔥 THE PAYBACK GIRLS 🔥
💔 Cheating Ex? Forget Moving On—It’s Time to Get Even. 💔

🎭 High school drama just turned deadly.

Meghan had it all—top grades, the perfect boyfriend, and a bright future. That is, until she finds out she’s not Nate’s only girlfriend.

💥 Turns out, Robin and Bria were dating him too.
💥 Nate’s lies? Exposed in front of the entire school.
💥 And then—Nate is found unconscious in the locker room.

Suddenly, Meghan, Robin, and Bria aren’t just girls scorned—they’re the prime suspects. With gaps in Meghan’s memory and the evidence stacking up against them, the three girls must work together to clear their names.

But as secrets unravel and betrayals cut deep, one question lingers…

🔪 What really happened to Nate that night?

💣 What to Expect:
✨ Revenge, but make it messy
👀 Secrets, twists, and unreliable memories
🎭 Prep school drama with a dark twist
🕵️‍♀️ A mystery where no one is innocent
📖 For fans of John Tucker Must Die & One of Us Is Lying*

💬 Drop a 🔪 if you love dark academia, high school revenge, and twisty thrillers!

#ThePaybackGirls #AlexTravis #HighSchoolThriller #RevengePlot #EnemiesToAllies #DarkAcademia #MessyFriendships #WhoDunnit #PrepSchoolMystery #BookTok #SourcebooksFire

There are parts I loved about this book. I loved the strength of the Black girls as they're portrayed as the villains who attacked the guy who was cheating on them. The Sapphic subplot was interesting but a little strange given the circumstances.

I still had unanswered questions by the end, which is kind of annoying. I suspected the person who did it from the beginning, so I wasn't surprised by the ending. I liked the writing, loved Meghan's sisters, and the highlighted aspect of social media drama and bullying was interesting to read. Solidly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

While Meghan Landry’s family is part of the middle class and most people would agree that her family is not poor, her acceptance into the school is considered an act of charity by her schoolmates who come from much wealthier families.

That’s one reason why Meghan is bullied at her new school.

Meghan, Robin, and Bria are the only black students at a prestigious private school.That’s not all they have in common. It turns out all three girls had the same boyfriend, Nate, who happens to be the star football player, and his friends don’t approve of Meghan.

That’s the second reason Meghan is bullied.

After all three girls discover their boyfriend has been triple timing them, they plot to get revenge. But before they can put their plan into action, Nate is brutally attacked one night after a football game, and the girls become the prime suspects. To make matters worse, Meghan wakes up in bed with Robin the day after Nate was attacked and doesn’t remember what happened the night before.

That’s the third reason Meghan is bullied at school.

Now all three girls must work together to clear their names even as they suspect one another is responsible for the attack on Nate.

~~~~~~~~~

Wow. This book was better than I had expected. I thought I was going to read another regular mystery. But Alex Travis weaves in several tough situations that many teenagers face these days -- dating violence, bullying, love, racism and the acceptance of one’s own identity.

What I Liked:

Character arc: Meghan, Robin, and Bria felt like real teenagers going through real struggles and by the end of the book, they are changed as a result of their experiences.

The bonding between these three girls during the course of the book. They start out as rivals but learn to rely on one another as a source of strength while also discovering their own voice and agency.

CW: dating violence, some underage drinking

Secrets, lies and backstabbers.

When Meghan finds out her boyfriend, Nate, is cheating on her with not one, but two girls, she gets out immediately. She drowns her sorrows which inevitably leads to a black out. When she wakes up, Nate is in the hospital fighting for his life. Who could have put him there and did she have anything to do with it? Someone sure thinks so and is trying to set up his three lovers. Can the girls put their differences aside and find the real attacker or will they let emotions and pettiness get in the way?

I loved the premise of this, but the execution was a little convoluted. Some things didn’t quite make sense and it was hard to follow. I loved the sapphic representation and the message of girl power. I also enjoyed Meghan’s sisters. Unfortunately, most of the other characters were vapid and hard to relate to.

The ending was pretty good though and even though I figured out the who dun it, it was still surprising as to why and a shocking conclusion. I think many people will enjoy this YA thriller!

The Payback Girls follows Meghan who is dating Nate. She learns that two other people are also dating Nate. Nate's body is found bloodied and unconscious in the locker room. All three of the girls are prime suspects. The three come together to find a way to clear their names. But the more clues they uncover the more responsible they look.

When I heard that this book had John Tucker Must Die / One of Us Is Lying vibes I was sold. Unfortunately, this was not the best YA thriller I have ever read. This book was a bit repetitive to me. I also felt like the drama was annoying. I also didn't really find this book that thrilling. I was just bored. I don't think this book was bad. I just am a huge YA thriller person and this did not live up to my expectations. But I still think it is worth the read and I would read another book by this author.

Thank you so much Alex Travis and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC of this. This comes out on April 1.

3.5-4/5 stars!! I absolutely devoured this book. I had a bit of a hard time at first 100~ pages due to how much dialogue there is. I definitely prefer world building over loads of dialogue in books I read, but I felt like I couldn’t put this down. I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next.
This book also allowed me a glimpse into how it feels for black girls in the world, when they’re targeted by everyone including authority. It was also great to finally see a murder mystery/thriller novel that focuses on black women & men instead of the same white murder mystery every time where the plot is easily guessed and there’s no strong emotions behind it.

*The Payback Girls* by Alex Travis pulled me right into a world full of lies, drama, and a brutal social media war. What starts as your typical high school drama quickly turns into a mix of cozy mystery and fast-paced YA thriller.

Meghan is such a fascinating and complex narrator. Her memory of that fateful night is full of gaps, her uncertainty feels so real – which makes her the perfect unreliable narrator. The web of lies keeps growing, and one thing’s for sure: you can’t trust anyone. Every girl is lying, and each of them had a solid reason to go after Nate. But now he’s in a coma, and only he knows the truth about who really attacked him.

The fact that former enemies have to team up to figure out what really happened makes for some explosive tension. I also loved how naturally the book includes queer identities – no clichés, no forced drama, just real and well-written characters. Meghan, Bria, and Robin felt so authentic that I was completely invested in their stories.

One of the most chilling parts was the social media war. Instead of caring about truth or justice, the internet just has a blast pitting the girls against each other. An anonymous account spreads scandals, frames people, and fuels the fire, while the online community eats it all up. It felt disturbingly real and gave me actual chills.

Even though the girls are the ones who got cheated on, they’re treated like the villains in this whole mess. Instead of blaming the unfaithful basketball star, everyone turns on them, forcing them to defend themselves. *The Payback Girls* holds up a mirror to society – and it’s sharp as hell.

Alex L. Travis delivers a ruthless, clever, and insanely relevant YA thriller that isn’t afraid to tackle tough topics like sexism, racism, and bullying. The story is gripping, packed with twists, and drenched in a toxic atmosphere that won’t let you go. If you love high school thrillers with bite, you won’t be able to put this one down!

Finally a murder mystery that kept me guessing every second! Powerful black characters all throughout and some amazing bisexual representation! An unexpected enemies to lovers romance that made me jaw drop in the best ways. I can't wait to see this all over bookstagram and I hope to read this author's work again soon!

To be honest, this book was a huge slog to get through. I just never found myself excited to pick the book back up and continue the story. It took me almost a month to finish it. It was very clear to me who the murderer was very early on. The funny thing is, they were probably the character I enjoyed the most. I could go on more, but I’ll just say it wasn’t for me and move on. I’m sure a lot of YA readers will enjoy this book.

The Payback Girls is a suspenseful read following the actions of three girls involved with a star basketball player as they try to figure out who attacked and put him in the ICU fighting for his life. Meghan, the current “girlfriend”, is new at school and completely oblivious that his previous girlfriend and mistress still had skin in the game. It’s inconvenient that she discovers this right before Nate is attacked. After someone releases her recorded fight for all to see, she gets labeled the prime suspect of the three by her peers, who don't seem to like her much yet. Once a site goes live constantly dropping bombs on the three girls to determine who's most likely at fault, they team up to find out who's really responsible (while continuing to suspect each other).

I made my pick for the murderer straight off, stuck with it and it paid off. It just seemed the most likely culprit to me. But there are still a lot of characters in play in this novel that are thrown at you in the beginning. It was confusing trying to understand who was linked to who, who was friends with who, who was on what team or a part of which club. I was about ready to make a spreadsheet just to try to keep it all straight. It’s a lot. Even by the end, I was having a hard time trying to keep it all straight. It would probably take me a second read to get it all down.

There’s a lot of extreme bullying in this novel. Like open physical assault in the hallway where no one batted an eye. So much so, it’s hard to believe no one in the school system would’ve stepped up to tone it down, especially with cameras recording it all. Seemed like a slam-dunk for a lawsuit if they didn’t. I sure hope schools aren’t like this now. Makes me want to consider home-schooling my kiddo! I also found it a little odd that Meghan continued to consider Nate as a viable option even after what he’d done. I loved that she found a possible new love interest. However, I wish she would’ve grown more by the end of the novel to realize she’s worth more than what she got from Nate, and that she also deserved better than the one she was falling for, IMO. I feel like if the choice hadn’t been made for her, she may not have had the strength to reject him to pursue something else. And after everything the three girls did to each other while trying to prove their own innocence, I’d be hesitant to consider them besties moving forward. Frenemies, at best.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read. Anyone who’s a fan of high school drama and strong family dynamics will definitely find what they’re looking for in The Payback Girls.

<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RFQ-Iyn2pmE/TyYJrTX2SLI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/2d3P3ro1Dk4/s583/3%2520dream%2520catchers.png" width="275" height="100" alt="description"/>

ARC provided by SOURCEBOOKS FIRE for honest review.

I think this book did a great job at character development and talking about social issues, but for some reason I just could not get into the story. This book will definitely work well for some other readers, and it has all the makings of a great YA thriller.

I would give this a four star rating. It was suspenseful and nostalgic of early 2000s high school revenge movies like John Tucker Must Die. Social issues were relevant and woven into the story seamlessly.

This is the first book I have read by Alex Travis and it will not be the last. I absolutely loved this book. The pace the suspense had me at the edge of my bed reading faster trying to figure out who attacked Nate.

Robin, Bria, and Meghan are all dating the same boy when they find out that he has been attacked at the school. The three of them are soon suspects and they come together to clear their names. They form a bond and start to research who could have hurt Nate.

There is so much going on in this story that it will have you on the edge of your seat. The pace was amazing and the suspense keeps you wondering who did it. I have to say that when I found out who it was I was shocked. I was like no way in hell could it be that person but it was.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I love YA thrillers but this one just did not work for me, I couldn't get into it at all, I had to DNF.

The Pay Back Girls, by Alex Travis
3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️

TRIGGER WARNINGS-
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.
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Violence, drinking, racism, bullying, death, murder

Three senior girls, Meghan, Bria, and Robin find out that their football star boyfriend was cheating on them, all three of them, with each other and to make matters worse he was later found bloodied and unconscious in what appears to be an attempted murder. Now everybody thinks that one or all of them did it as scorned lovers. With Nate in a coma the girls set out to prove their innocence.
I found that it grabbed my attention at some parts, (mostly towards the end), but it lost my attention a lot during the beginning. It was overly descriptive at times and the pace moves kind of sluggish here and there but the events seem to go fast and it’s a bit…like jumpy???- like they weren’t friends, Meghan didn’t hang with them at all- too boom! they’re friendly-ish and teaming up. It bothered me that they were still pining after Nate even when they found out he was a serial cheater, (how he managed to date 3 girls at once and they never found out plus his other side affairs…) I also found it bothersome that Meghan seemed to just skirt over and forgive Robin so easily for using her cause she had a crush on her…
I like that the book had strong, positive characters that were black, privileged/underprivileged, and LGBTQ+ and that they were seen in a positive light. Even when they were underprivileged like Meghan, her sisters and her mom, they were still portrayed as educated-her mom being a nurse, even though they were severely under privileged compared to Meghans schoolmates both black and white.
Overall it was a good read and I’d recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book:
THE PAYBACK GIRLS by Alex Travis
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the Earc (
Review:
4⭐
Meghan is dating Nate, but...so are Robin and Bria. When Nate is found after an attack, Meghan, Robin, and Bria are the suspects---he was dating each of them afterall. Meghan doesn't think she did it, she can't remember that night. But the clues point to her---the clues point to all of them.
THE PAYBACK GIRLS started off with drama that never seized to exist. Bullying, racism, cheating, fights, and an attack---all in the first few chapters. The drama hooked me, but as the mystery unfold, I was kept on my toes, thumbing through the pages trying to gather the evidence to push me in the direction of the whodunit.
The questions that arose were ones that I didn't have the answers too, ones that the answers to were shocking to say the least. (Who attacked Nate? Who's behind that account? Etc.?) This book delivered the plot twists and kept delivering them. From the halfway point and onward it was twist after twist, revelation after revelation. Let me tell you, I gasped at the whodunit it. Blindsided, never would have seen that coming. It was crazy and, wow, that explanation made it crazier.
THE PAYBACK GIRLS was a thrilling mystery that delves into racism, cheating, and scandals. It shows empowerment and not backing done as accusations surge. It offer some semblance as Meghan, Robin, and Bria learn to stand with each other even though they don't know if one of them hurt Nate. Definitely a must read

Figured out the villain pretty quickly. No “aha” moment for me.

Blurb makes comparison to the incomparable “One of Us is Lying”. It’s close. But it’s not the same.

If you will, imagine there’s an awards ceremony. There’s a difference winning 1st place and just being in the top ten. The author’s book is in the running but it didn’t attain first or second place for me.

She features all female black teen protagonists. That’s a plus as well as dissecting the stereotypes that are perpetuated in society. But once I figured it out (more the identity rather than motivation) it became an ok read.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Payback Girls" is a YA thriller/mystery novel by Alex Travis. Meghan is a senior at a new school and seems to have everything together (though a violent incident with a student at her former school is alluded to). She's dating high school basketball star Nate Walker and everything seems to be going well when Nate's cheating is exposed (with two other girls at the school. Coincidentally the two other Black girls in the grade). At first we think this book is going to be about the drama of the cheating and getting back at Nate, but when he's left in a coma after a party due to a blow to the head, Meghan and the other girls, Bria and Robin, now need to find out who did it before they get arrested.
The book has a lot of good representation about what Black girls go through as well as bisexual representation (and mentions about bisexual stereotypes that prove that the author knows her stuff). A must-buy for YA fiction collections, especially where mystery/thrillers are popular.

You tell me something is like John Tucker must die, and I am IN! That movie was part of my childhood, and I had high expectations for this book, and it did not disappoint. I got much more than I thought with this book: an excellent thriller, great/dynamic female characters, healthy relationships between teen girls, and racism. That sounds like a lot but the author handles these issues with such care and write this book so well that I could not put it down, I read it in one sitting. It's an excellent thriller but a great book for people new to the thriller world because it touches on so many other topics!