The novel revolves around a tragic incident during a climbing expedition where a girl mysteriously dies, leading those involved to question whether her death was an accident or if something more sinister occurred.

While the premise was intriguing, I found the book a bit dull at times, and my attention wavered more than usual. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but it might have been due to the plot pacing or perhaps the way the characters were developed. However, a significant positive aspect of the book is its inclusion of LGBTQ characters, providing much-needed representation in literature. This element was a refreshing and appreciated addition to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio!

I am going to preface this review by saying: I am not a usual mystery/thriller consumer and I'm not a consistent audiobook listener.
The audiobook narrator often took me out of this. A lot of background noise like swallowing and breathing. And I will say it again: I am not an audiobook listener, so this may just be par for the course.
The entire time listening to this, I just found myself wanting to skip to the end to know. I guess I'm just not a fan of building suspense, I just want answers haha.
The characters felt somewhat surface level, but I did love the unreliable narrator, and I loved the representation of manipulation and emotional abuse in queer friendships/relationships (haven't seen this much outside of 'In the Dream House').

Despite narrator Sophie Loughran's best efforts, I never really connected to Girl Falling. The characters were not particularly engaging and the story so laden with irrelevant details that listening to the end was a burden. What should have been a surprise ending was, rather elicited, "oh, really? Well, ok then." I hope Scrivenor's next book resonates more deeply with me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor.

I listened to this book in tandem with reading the ecopy. The narrator was fantastic and perfect for the story. It was a great psychological thriller that kept you guessing with an unreliable narrator.

3.7 stars - Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC audiobook of 'Girl Falling'. This was a quick and engaging read, with an easy-to-follow narrative despite its shifts between past and present. However, I struggled to connect with the characters—Daphne’s manipulation and control over Fin made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the story. That being said, the final twist took me by surprise—I only saw it coming about a chapter before the reveal. While I appreciated that element, I found the overall ending somewhat disappointing. The conversation and reflections on the cliffside left me wanting more—whether it be resolution, accountability, or a big dramatic/tragic moment lol.

Hayley Scrivenor returns after the success of 2022's Dirt Creek. I went into Dirt Creek expecting a thriller and I was met with an interesting character study with a mystery underneath, much like Tana French.

Going into Girl Falling with a better idea of Scrivenor's writing was a huge help because I really enjoyed Girl Falling. After a tragic accident kills her girlfriend, Finn spends a lot of time unraveling her childhood and the affect it has had on her. Finn begins to realize that perhaps it wasn't an accident after all. Twisty and turny, with a lot to think about, Girl Falling is not a rip-roaring kind of thriller, but a much quieter mystery willing to dig deep into it's characters. For those patient and willing to give it the time, this is a great read and Kayley Scrivenor is once again showing us she's got lot to offer.

Thank you to Hayley Scrivenor and MacMillan Audio (#MacAudio2025) for the ALC!

Finn and her best friend, Daphne, share a special bond, both having lost sisters to suicide. They are so close that when Finn begins to see a girl named Magdu, Daphne has a hard time sharing her friend. What a dark tale of mean girls, lost love and how well can you really trust those closest to you. I also really enjoyed the concept of rock climbing, which was deeply woven into the story. I loved Finn’s personality, her quirkiness made her very endearing. Told in dual timelines, we see how Finn met Daphne and Magdu, and then he aftermath of a terrible accident - or was it?

“Girl Falling” releases March 11, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor. I really enjoyed this book but was a little disappointed with the ending. I appreciated the twist and was not expecting it, but it felt a little rushed. The toxic friendship was well written and an accurate portrayal of narcissistic abuse.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book at all. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and I went in thinking it would be a thriller but it was more of a friend drama with romantic suspense.

And the overexaggerated details about getting her period, and then also about having dental work, literally each and every step was just so strange and unnecessary to me.

I didn’t care for the narration either, as you could hear the narrator swallow between most sentences.

If I had read the physical book and not been expecting a thriller, my review might have been different. Unfortunately, this was a DNF at 56%

It wasn’t for me, but maybe it will be for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC.

I loved Dirt Creek so I was beyond excited to read this one. Scrivenor doesn't disappoint. Beautiful narrative. Beautiful writing. Dark and twisted story. She isn't afraid to dive into the dark areas of human psyche. Highly recommend.

Finn and her best friend, Daphne, grew up together in a small town in the Blue Mountains, NSW, bonded by the shared trauma of losing younger sisters to suicide. Now in their twenties, their lives are diverging: Daphne is at university, while Finn works in the Mountains and is falling in love with Magdu, a beautiful newcomer. Struggling to share Finn’s attention, Daphne’s behavior becomes increasingly controlling, culminating in a mountain climbing trip where Magdu falls to her death. Is it suicide, a tragic accident, or something far more sinister?

I was very intrigued by this book for most of the journey, but maybe as a literary ficton / queer fiction title rather than a mystery or thriller. The tension was balanced and the characters developed thoroughly (it's a very character-driven title), and the story deeply engaging, however, the ending left me wanting more.

I tried really hard to get into this one, and while I'm really thankful to Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and Hayley Scrivenor for granting me advanced access to this title, I think I'd much rather hand it off to a friend for them to take a stab at it.

Interesting story, the twist definitely got me. This is great if you enjoy easy to follow mystery novels.
The narrator is great, she did a great job of making the reader understand which character is speaking when.
Very quick read that keeps you hooked once you get into it.

the audiobook was super high quality. excellent first chapter and portrayal of anticipation and anxiety

OMG the dynamic between daphne and fin was so delicately written. it was such a real representation of narcissistic abuse. the author really spared no detail.

I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down. I nearly finished it in a day and would've had I not been pull away with work. I liked the audiobook narrator a lot as well. I think she really helped bring each character to life. The switch between the past and present left a breadcrumb trail with just enough information that made me feel like I knew what each twist would but left enough obscured that at the end I was still surprised. I wish we had a little more of a conclusion at the end of the book but honestly that was my only disappointment.

Unfortunately I dont think this book is for me. That doesn't make it a bad book, but its not what I thought it was by the description. I would struggle to call it a thriller. I listened to the audiobook version. I enjoyed the narration as it was narrated by my favorite audio company however the storyline fell flat for me. I'm a fan of a good twisty thriller. This book seemed to focus more on female friendships/relationships and if anything I think it was just categorized wrong. I think it was written well, and I think a lot of women could find value out of it, it just wasn't for me.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The characters were all thoroughly unlikeable, though the novel was well written.

I enjoyed the narrators in this book very much!

The stroryline and the plot were awesome… kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading till the very end!

Awesome book would definitely recommend it!

This book was pretty good, I liked the characters and wanted to see how things were going to turn out. The end was a surprise and I'm not mad at it! LOL

This novel was a bit lackluster for me. The premise is good, and the characters are well built. It starts well and does become obvious that this won't be a typical fast-paced thriller. I really liked how the author described the toxic female friendships and how deep they went. The queer romance and friend jealousy felt realistic... but the extent that the toxic blackmail went into the adult relationships didn't. I would have been much more on board with the slow build if the twist had felt believable. Building the characters so well actually did a disservice to the ending twist because it just didn't feel true to the character.

The audio narration was great, love the accent!