She Was the Quiet One

I absolutely loved Michele Campbell's book "It's always the Husband" and have been looking forward to reading her new book "She was the Quiet one." The beginning of the book truly hooked me. However, I was a little disappointed with the ending. I expected more of a twist. Having said that, it was still a very well written book and worth the read.

She Was the Quiet One takes us into the lives of twins Rose and Belle, whose looks and temperaments could not have been more different. When their mother dies, they are sent tfrom CA to live with their grandmother in NE, who in turn sends them off to Odell, a rich kids' private school. Rose loves it, believing she can reinvent herself. Belle, however continues on the way she always has. Unfortunately, they grow further and further from each other, until one of them dies.

She was the Quiet One is a well-crafted, suspenseful story with a wide diversity of well-drawn characters. The reader knows from the opening that twin sisters are involved, that they are at a boarding school, and that one of them is suspected of killing the other.

The story alternates between very credible transcripts ofpolice interviews and incidents from the point of view of each of a half dozen central characters. There is more than one mystery at play: Who murdered the twin? Which twin was murdered (readers don't learn this until the end)? Will the wrong person be prosecuted for the murder? And will more murders follow?

Several reviewers suggested this was a YA book. Hmmm. Campbell did indeed skillfully capture adolescent angst. But there were plenty of adult issues, including marital loyalty and willful denial. As for the epilogue (which other reviewers have questioned), my thought was "Ah So that's what happened to her!"

This was an advance reader's copy from NetGalley.

With the death of their parents, twins Rose and Bel Enright are sent to live with their father's mother. Their Grandmother they barely know. The wealthy woman outfits them with the latest clothes and send them off to her old alma mater, The Odell School, a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire. 

At the school they are separated and put in different floors with new roommates. Rose is the smart one. Plain Jane and not at all popular she is just trying to fit in and get along. She loves the school and her advisor Sarah Donovan.

Bel, not know for hard work or studies falls in with an older, popular and vicious crowd. She even turns her anger to Rose. She hates school but loves her advisor, Heath Donovan. See where I'm going with this? The girls couldn't be more different.

Wanting so badly to be accepted, Bel does anything the older, wealthy and seemingly untouchable girls demand of her. And they are vicious. Even when it comes to her sister, Bel can't stop.

Mr. Donovan has a secret. He plagiarized a book and got caught. They are lucky to have found this teaching position and to have been named Dorm Heads. But Heath has loftier goals. He has his sights on the Headmaster's job. 

But he has a very dark side, which all of the girls will discover. When there is a murder on campus, questions begin and we see the ugly side of what money can do to a person. But who killed who and who was in on it? The answers will having you pulling your children out of boarding school and questioning a lot of things.

Well Done!

Netgalley/July 31st 2018 by St. Martin's Press

Read Ms Campbell’s first Book and loved it. Same with this one. Will buy any book with her name on it!

I love the story...I was hooked by it.
The only reason I won't recommend to my students would be because of the realtionship between a teacher and student which is not appropriate..
But, I will certainly recommend it to my friends.

Hold onto your seat belts because She Was the Quiet One contains some exciting twists and turns. Bel and Rose are twin sisters whose mother has just died. They are sent to live with their wealthy paternal grandmother who promptly ships them off to an elite boarding school. The fun begins when one sister is drawn into a click of mean girls while the other twin excels academically but struggles to make friends. In the meantime, there is a morally challenged teacher with a lovely wife and kids who get drawn into the twins’ lives. The book cleverly teases you about a murder by interspersing the chapters with police interviews.
I’ve seen some questions in reviews about whether this is a young adult novel. The boarding school setting combined with the simple language may initially lead the reader to believe this book is for young adults. However, after finishing the book, I thought it was intended for adults. There are adult themes in this book including sex, violence, and murder.
Although the book starts out a little slow, by the midway point I was thoroughly engaged. By the last third of the book, I just had to stay up and keep reading to find out what happens. I was a little tired in the morning, but it was worth it. The quick pace of the book, the compelling mystery, and the clever plot devices make this book a recommended read.

What did I just read??? Wow!!.Splendid.

This is what a thriller book feels like. The suspense, drama, jealousy, betrayal- it has everything a reader hopes for.
The book is so good. The flow of the story, the character development - everything about this book is awesome. The book hooks you up from start to end. I like the way the author keeps the suspense of which one of the sisters is dead.

I just loved it. An awesome thriller book.

Michele Campbell has struck gold with She Was the Quiet One!
Teen angst, jealousy, handsome male teachers, private boarding school and twin sister rivalry! Add a dash of malice, blackmail, adultery and murder-you've got a 5 star edge of your seat best seller!

I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Let me tell you that this book grabbed me in from page one and kept me engaged the whole way thru! Also, what an ending! I loved how the story went from the police investigation back to the story, this helped me try to piece all the clues together! Definitely, a stay up past your bedtime page turner!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I’ll admit, I wasn’t crazy about it at first. If you’ve read the Private series by Kate Brian you’ll have a touch of deja vu, but please keep reading!

My favorite part of this book is you don’t know which twin is dead until the end 😍

Michele does a fabulous job of giving us clues that make us think it’s Bel’s dead, then she makes us think Rose is dead.
Michele also does a good job of giving the characters enough background to make them interesting, without going overboard. They’re all intricately woven, and I was suspicious of almost everyone.

This book is truly wonderful, and I am so excited for y’all to get your hands on this one!

Let me start by saying O. M. G. If you have the chance to read this book, do it! Michele Campbell is such an amazing author. Her writing sucks you in from page 1, makes you feel like you are there and won’t let you go. It took me about a week to read it but when I wasn’t reading it, it’s all I thought about. Having such a hectic schedule (work, college, daughter in extracurriculars and husband) really put a damper on things. This book pretty much tells you who you should think did it right from the start. It reiterates it several times throughout the book as well. There were so many twists and turns. I had an idea of who did it early in the book but actually learning who it was and how they did it was jaw dropping. I felt my heartbreaking for a few of the characters. I’m not one to give away spoilers so I will say this: if you want a good thriller, without it being horror, this is the book for you. It’s right on par with her last book, It’s Always The Husband (which I highly recommend as well).
Received arc courtesy of Netgalley and St Martin’s Press.

I think I actually enjoyed this even more than it's always the husband . I curled up in my arm chair and read this in just one sitting it was really good . When twins Bel and Rose are enroled in an elite boarding school Odell academy , Bel falls in with a bad crown , when a hazing prank gets out of hand the sisters are pitted against each other . Thrown in to the mix a womanising ambitious teacher , some blackmail and murder and you get all the ingredients for a fantastic thriller . Brilliant . 5 stars

Not your typical man street and couldn't decide who to like or dislike. But tats oartmof what makes the book so appealing. Really enjoyed it and recommend!

This is the story of fraternal twin girls whose father died when they were five and whose mother died when they were fifteen. Following her death, they went to their only living relative their paternal grandmother who lived on an estate in Connecticut. She outfits the girls and sends them to a very exclusive boarding school her family had attended for generations. Bel, the dark haired free spirited sister, immediately got involved with some senior girls who were rule breakers and partied whenever possible. Rose, the blonde sister was the good girl, studied, behaved and befriended others in her sophomore class. The girls were competitive and often bickered because their attitudes were so dissimilar. Eventually Bel and some cohorts came into Rose’s room and hazed her roommate. They also took pictures of her nude and put them on the internet. Bel is stoned during this episode on prescription meds. She has also developed a relationship with one of her teachers who is also her advisor. His wife is Rose’s advisor. He helps Bel develop a good story that keeps her from being disciplined in any way for the hazing. Rose is unhappy about this. When one of the girls is brutally murdered, the other is suspected of being her killer. The investigation and it’s ultimate outcome will keep the reader engrossed. I thought the book was a solid 3 1/2 stars upped to four and would have given it a full five had it been more tightly edited. There were times it felt as convoluted as this review! Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin Press for an ARC for an honest review.

Twins Rose and Bel Enright have enrolled in a very prestigious boarding school, and while Rose excels there, Bel falters. She starts hanging around with a dangerous crowd of spoiled rich kids who dare Bel to haze her own sister and the twins fall out. While Rose seeks advice and counseling from her dorm mother, Sarah, Bel gets her attention from Sarah’s husband, Heath, who is a teacher at the school. The fallout from these relationships seems inevitable, but Campbell throws more than a few twists into her reader’s paths until they may find the ending very surprising

5 stars for She Was the Quiet One by Michele Campbell!!!

Add this to your TBR shelf right now - this book is terrific!!! The story drew me in quickly, and kept me glued to the pages way past my bedtime. I found the characters likable, the story compelling, and the setting to be interesting. Truly, the story was so good that I had to figure out how to enlarge the font size on my Kindle so I could read even later into the night once my contacts were removed from my eyes.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I was so drawn into this story that I read it in two sittings! Have you ever read a book full of so much drama that you're happy that your life is completely boring and the biggest enemy you have is the girl at Lowes who gives you dirty looks? That's how this book made me feel. But holy amazeballs, it makes for great entertainment.
She Was the Quiet one is centered around a tangled web of secrets and deceit between two recently orphaned teenage twins and a gaggle of students and faculty at their prestigious boarding school. Complete opposites in every sense, Bel and Rose arrive at their new school unaware of how much their world is about to change. Between navigating through the loss of their mother and finding their place in their new school, a rivalry arises that takes their situation from bad to worse and somehow ends in murder. But of who? And by whom?
This is far from your usual whodunnit mystery. For the majority of the novel the victim isn't revealed so you're left trying to answer not one, but two questions throughout it's entirety. Oh man is that fun! I went through dozens of different scenarios and possibilities before it became clear what had transpired.

I found this an enjoyable read. At times slow, rather predictable but still a book I found fun to read. I would recommend this book to others who like a good mystery.

At times disturbing, many twists and turns, an overall enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

Michele Campbell's debut, It's Always the Husband was a book I very much enjoyed in 2017 and since this one was announced, I had been looking forward and am pleased to announce it did not disappoint. There is something about books set at boarding schools that immediately intrigues me, I'm not sure why, but usually this is a breeding ground for salacious drama (my favorite kind)! One other thing I love - TWINS! and twin drama!

Read this book and understand exactly who is "The Quiet One" and what that means...you'll be glad you did.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Michele Campbell does an excellent job at bringing adult readers back to their teen years by recreating the angst, peer pressure, social hierarchy, and amplified feelings that one feels during that pivotal transition time. Cat Fights? Check. Frenemies? Check. Drama? Check. Backstabbing? Check. Naughty Behavior? Check. Mean Girls? Check. It's all here!

Michele Campbell also paints a very vivid picture of Odell Academy, a beautiful, traditional, ivy-covered, exclusive boarding school in New Hampshire, where generations of privileged moneyed families send their pedigreed offspring. She shares an inside peek into what naughty boarding school students are up to: drinking, smoking weed, pill-popping, hazing, sexual contests and secret challenges.

As the book goes on, I speculated on which twin died and who was the murderer. My guess kept changing as more details were uncovered. This psychological thriller kept me twisting and fully engaged until the end the truth was revealed. It was nothing like I thought.

This book is easy to read and entertaining. I enjoyed Michele Campbell's sophomore novel, but I think that her first book It's Always The Husband (my review is here) is better. She Was The Quiet One has more of a YA flavor, especially in Part One. Teen girls will enjoy it, and empathize with the characters. Adults might relive their wild teen years through this book. In any case, it's a good solid psychological mystery that appeals to all ages.

I was sucked in from page one. I love stories about boarding schools with all their drama and secrets and coverups. Which twin was killed?! And why? Does it have anything to do with a certain handsome teacher? Could one twin murder the other? Could another student have done it? There were a few different possibilities that kept me guessing. I found part one very compelling and suspenseful. I was so absorbed in the story that I felt like I was there. But once I got into part two my interest started to wane. I found it repetitious, it dragged on and on. Some things were convenient. And I didn't really care for the ending. Overall though I did enjoy this book.

I received this book complimentary through Net Galley. Twins Bel and Rose's parents die and they are sent to live with their grandmother who sends them to the prestigious Odell boarding school. The story begins with one twin dead and the other accused of her murder. Good story that kept me interested and wanting to know how it all ends. I didn't trust boarding school teacher Heath from the get-go and hated how naive his wife Sarah seemed to be with all of his excuses and lies. Lots of mean girl activity going on at the school. Good story with a twist at the end.

First I want to thank netgalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book for my kindle! This book was a bit slow in the beginning but wow a few chapters in you were introduced to a set of twins named bel and rose. Rose is more the reserved twin and bel is the rebellious. After losing their mother they move in with grandma who sends them to a boarding school, that there family has gone to in the past. Bel joins the group of friends who is constantly getting into trouble and hold a contest on which girl can sleep with the handsome teacher named Hearh Donovan who is married to another teacher named Sara. He’s also in the running to become headmaster. Bel soon has a crush on him and he isn’t the perfect husband. Sara his wife is either a bit naive or chooses not to believe rumors. When bel ends up dead and her twin sister is found with the knife that’s where the mystery begins! I enjoyed this book! I loved the back and forth chapters for each twins point of view. I found my jaw dropping at the end! Nice easy read for me !

I found this book to be very suspenseful, I could not put it down until the very end.! There were so many twists and turns that I suspected everyone. The writer is talented in digging to the depths of the characters personalities and demons.

If your looking for a page turning plot twisting Psychological Thriller go no further. She Was The Quiet One is all that and more. Two sisters, fraternal twins and complete opposites have been dealt with some unfair things in life but when they land as Sophomores at an expensive boarding school life throws them into a world they are not ready for. A world filled with secrets and people they can’t trust. Will their secrets be revealed, will they find someone to support and believe in them... was it the Quiet One? A must read for those that love a great Suspenseful Thriller!

Fantastic story! I loved the suspense. It kept me hooked from beginning to end. I will definitely read more by this author.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I got a little frustrated and annoyed at some of the characters and their decisions but I still really enjoyed it. I also had to remind myself that they’re 15/16 year old girls and then I felt like their behavior was understandable. I felt like the villain was also well done and not too over the top. Overall I really liked this and would recommend this.

This story captured my attention and didn't let go until the epilogue which stunned. What a twist! I didn't think she would just go away quietly.

I enjoyed this book so much. It kept me enthralled from start to finish. I just couldn't decide who was the culprit. I also had a ton of issues with Heath (Blue Eyes) Donovan. I couldn't help but like him at the same time., I wanted to strangle him, Its weird. I had a love/hate thing going on with the loser. His wife also got on my nerves. Like lady all the writings are on the wall what do you need,? You have photographic evidence and even that you deny. There's just no hope for you. This was a great read.