Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop

☆☆☆☆
ebook, 342 pages
Expected publication: September 1st 2020 by Lake Union Publishing
About the Book:
They say everything is fun and games until someone gets hurt. Well, someone did—and now the game has changed…Emily Bennett works as a therapist in Pennsylvania, helping children overcome their troubled pasts—even as she struggles to forget her own. Once upon a time, Emily was part of a middle school clique called the Harpies—six popular girls who bullied the new girl to her breaking point. The Harpies took a blood oath: never tell a soul what they did to Grace Farmer. Now, fourteen years later, it seems karma has caught up to them when one member of that vicious circle commits suicide. But when a second Harpy is discovered dead shortly after, also from apparent suicide, the deaths start to look suspicious. And when Emily starts seeing a woman who looks a lot like Grace Farmer lurking in the shadows, she’s forced to wonder: Is Grace back for revenge? Or is Emily’s guilt driving her mad? Sticks and stones may break your bones, but the Harpies are about to find out just how much words can hurt you.

He didn't know just how ruthless we could be. How conniving. How feral.

I need to say that Avery Bishop is a master at writing suspense...I was blown away how phenomenal this book was. The entire cast of characters in Girl Gone Mad are well developed and the story-line was thoroughly and intricately planned out. The twists and turns were shocking and unexpected—Loved that. The pacing is spot on...trust me when I say it’s unputdownable.

We girls—girls who will eventually become women—will do whatever it takes to survive. Even if it means destroying everybody else.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written psychological thriller. Girl Gone Mad is as much about hard-earned redemption and self-awareness as it is about a mystery needing to be solved. And even if you guess the ending - and thus, by the nature of this story, the beginning - I think the plot’s arc of resilience and self-reconciliation still keep the story fresh and inspiring, and ward off any disappointment that would be felt with just a basic whodunit.

Thank you NetGalley, Avery Bishop and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#GirlGoneMad #NetGalley