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Vicious Little Darlings

by Katherine Easer (Goodreads Author)

3.19 of 5 stars 3.19 · rating details · 400 ratings · 104 reviews

Sarah Weaver wasn't looking forward to starting at an all-girls school. But that was before she met Maddy. Maddy and her best friend, Agnes, are fun and rich and interesting-and for some reason, they seem to really like Sarah. Before long, Maddy and Agnes have moved Sarah into a big house off campus, where they cook together, buy each other presents, and share each other's

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Hardcover, 310 pages

Published June 21st 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

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2011 Debut Authors (Young Adult and Middle Grade Lit.)

98th out of 306 books — 2,029 voters

Best Cover Art 2011 (Non-YA)

82nd out of 265 books — 1,355 voters

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Nov 26, 2011 Vone Savan rated it 4 of 5 stars

*4.5 Stars*

I love off the wall things; things that are weird and strange and random and goofy and campy and ridiculous. Things that aren’t always so logical or predictable or sensible. Off the wall things add color and flavor to the world; and often times, these things crack me up. And I like to laugh—a lot! Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer encompasses this “off the wall” attitude that more fiction needs to embrace—and then some.

Sarah Weaver, a senior in high school, lives with her si...more *4.5 Stars*

I love off the wall things; things that are weird and strange and random and goofy and campy and ridiculous. Things that aren’t always so logical or predictable or sensible. Off the wall things add color and flavor to the world; and often times, these things crack me up. And I like to laugh—a lot! Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer encompasses this “off the wall” attitude that more fiction needs to embrace—and then some.

Sarah Weaver, a senior in high school, lives with her single, conservative grandmother in Beverly Hills, after both her parents—more or less—abandoned her. One day, said grandmother catches Sarah in the throes of passion with Brad Taylor, the most popular guy in school. Needless to say, grandmother was not pleased with what she saw. So, after graduation, grandmother gave Sarah two options: Attend Wetherly (an all-girls college located in Massachusetts that was grandma’s alma mater) or go to a college of her own choice; only, with the second option, grandmother wouldn’t pay for tuition. Left with very little choice and a lot of reluctance, Sarah chooses Wetherly.

Once at Wetherly, she meets her new soon-to-be roommates: Madison Snow (the innocent, pretty friend, who everyone adores) and Agnes Pierce (the more masculine, “less attractive” friend, who seems to be in love with Madison herself). The friendship amongst these three girls sets into motion one of the most bizarre, fun, entertaining, laugh-out-loud, clap-my-hands in glee stories I have ever read—and I love it!

Easer embraces what fiction is supposed to be. I’m not going to attempt to summarize the plot because in her story, she includes a River Phoenix poster, a hurt fawn, an ominous gypsy, hair clots, a ketchup bottle, a naked party, an eighties party, obsession, manipulation, sabotage, secrets, lies—basically everything but the kitchen sink. And all this adds up to one great page-turner.

The character themselves are all so colorful and prominent. I liked how Easer made each of them strange and full of contradictions, which not only coincided with the one of the themes of this book (ambiguity of human nature), but it also amplified the entertainment value. I liked how Sarah, the protagonist, rambled on and on, revealing not only her random thoughts to us, but also her contradictions. For example, when she first met Sebastian (Madison’s boyfriend), she thought his lack of intellect made him unattractive, but still, she couldn’t deny that she was sexually drawn to him. I like that honesty in Sarah because not only did she show her flaws—even as a protagonist—but it also played into the endless mind games that the characters perpetuated. Super thumbs up for the cohesion of elements.

The one negative thing I will say about the book is that even though Easer offered an onslaught of contradictions and confusion to play with the reader’s emotions, her confusion didn’t necessarily hide the secrets that perhaps, she was hoping for. And though I wasn’t able to guess the ending by any means, I was able to predict many aspects around it. But, even with that said, my accurate predictions couldn’t take away from how entertained I was with the book—at all.

I loved that Easer didn’t play it safe for her debut novel. She was provocative and daring and cool. This book really appealed to my sensibilities; especially my sense of humor. And if you want a fun, campy, creepy, eighties-inspired, WTF thriller about the extremities of friendship, obsession, loyalty, and love, then I can’t recommend a better novel. This is it! You can’t go wrong. Now, the only bummer is having to wait for Easer’s next novel. I just hope that when it finally comes out, it’ll surpass this one in terms of sheer outlandishness—and also that it includes a kitchen sink.

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Dec 12, 2012 dontouchmychocolate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*some spoilers

Vicious Little Darlings did not make sense. Period.

Some shit in this book was just too effing weird.
Taking in a deer that you accidentally ran over to nurse back to health? To your dorm? Christ, I understand mothering a chipmunk, bird or something else but a deer? One that has some sort of irritable bowel syndrome? If the author was advocating for PETA or the fact that she adores all creatures great and small, this was a disgusting, bizarre and unreal way to do it.

Sarah, as a prota...more *some spoilers

Vicious Little Darlings did not make sense. Period.

Some shit in this book was just too effing weird.
Taking in a deer that you accidentally ran over to nurse back to health? To your dorm? Christ, I understand mothering a chipmunk, bird or something else but a deer? One that has some sort of irritable bowel syndrome? If the author was advocating for PETA or the fact that she adores all creatures great and small, this was a disgusting, bizarre and unreal way to do it.

Sarah, as a protagonist, was just an idiot. A slutty idiot. She bragged about her sexcapades, sleeping with people less than 24 hours after knowing them (Reed) and mounting her crazy friend's boyfriend in a friggin' closet (Sebastian).
Her idiocy is proved further by the fact that she's part of a friendship triangle that spells weird. Why someone would want to be part of something so messy without having common sense is beyond me.

Further, even when she sees all the "darkness in Maddy's soul", instead of running and throwing an 'eff you, bitches!' over her shoulder, she stays put, explaining that there's no way she would leave Maddy. Apparently, Maddy's childlike exterior makes everyone want to protect her like some helpless female bird.
Even further, she agrees to help Maddy plot a murder against Agnes. MURDER. God, that whole book turned into some B-rated movie.

Why does Sarah agree to this insane plot? The author explains that Maddy had put a spell on Sarah to agree to it. A spell.
This was a half-ass explanation because in the first place, this book has no supernatural crap as much as it was said to have. And apart from Maddy's fascination with dying young and getting her future told by gypsies, there's no mention of dark magic, so a spell to make someone agree to what she says? Author, please. Don't insult our intelligence.

Agnes on the other hand was just a creepy character. She's their ATM and housekeeper, paying the rent, buying and cooking the meals, and apparently, she loves it all, because when they were kids playing with their Barbies, her and Maddy made eye contact and bam! Friends for keeps, which was really a weird non-sexual love connection that the two had.

I really wanted to see a confrontation between Agnes and Maddy, especially after the truth had been discovered. It didn't happen. Agnes was painted a martyr in the end, and I hated that, because it would have been a great chance for the author to let Agnes see just what kind of person Maddy really was instead of carrying around that intense love she had for her.(less)

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Jan 12, 2013 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fast-paced-and-engrossing, it-s-you-not-me

2.5

i'm not sure if i'm being a bit too generous or harsh with my rating but maybe you can decide for yourself by the end of this review.

sarah's grandmother basically sends her packing to an all girls school after she catches her with a guy. there she meets her roommate- maddy - and maddy's best mate agnes. as she starts spending more time together with these girls, she eventually gets caught up in their world - and not for the better.

very early on it becomes apparent that something isn't quite...more 2.5

i'm not sure if i'm being a bit too generous or harsh with my rating but maybe you can decide for yourself by the end of this review.

sarah's grandmother basically sends her packing to an all girls school after she catches her with a guy. there she meets her roommate- maddy - and maddy's best mate agnes. as she starts spending more time together with these girls, she eventually gets caught up in their world - and not for the better.

very early on it becomes apparent that something isn't quite right with agnes or maddy. may it be the odd behaviour, their erratic personalities or the mean looks they give her when they think she isn't looking- it definitely keeps you on your toes and wondering just what in the world is their problem?

there is one key problem with this book though. it has some very rookie mistakes. i often felt like i was being talked down to. and this might just be me but i really don't like being spoon fed information. i don't want you to tell me that agnes is lusting over maddy. that there's a connection between them. i don't need to be told these things. this should be for me to decide and to pick up on from the way they interact. I would have much rather preferred to have kept guessing if they did or didn't rather being force-fed the info. there's a few plot holes too. how in the world did the deer heal from a fatal wound without being tended to (i doubt that a bandage would do the trick) and what exactly happened with reed?

all in all it does have its flaws. it is filled with cliches and dramatic moments but darn it i would be lying if i didn't admit that i was hooked. it's a very quick read, and i devoured it from start to finish. just to let you know there is a bit of mystery that will keep you turning the pages, as well as the curiosity to know what will happen at the end, but for me the ending was just annoying. by the end all three girls are so bloody annoying and horrible that i could not have cared less about them. also, this book could not for the life of it seem to decide what genre it was.(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 Apricotteacup rated it 1 of 5 stars

Katherine Easer’s Vicious Little Darlings is an unbelievable train wreck. It’s compelling awful. The plot is so peculiar and the characters are so unlikable that sheer bafflement will power your journey through page after page of illogical nonsense, but your effort will never be rewarded with cleverness or good writing. In short, if you’re at all tempted to check this book out based on all the positive reviews it has here on goodreads, don’t.

VLD reads like the diary of a fickle teenager sufferin...more Katherine Easer’s Vicious Little Darlings is an unbelievable train wreck. It’s compelling awful. The plot is so peculiar and the characters are so unlikable that sheer bafflement will power your journey through page after page of illogical nonsense, but your effort will never be rewarded with cleverness or good writing. In short, if you’re at all tempted to check this book out based on all the positive reviews it has here on goodreads, don’t.

VLD reads like the diary of a fickle teenager suffering from a debilitating lack of personal awareness. The protagonist, Sarah, is unabashedly slutty. She’ll sleep with any man that looks in her direction, even if she thinks he’s creepy, stupid, disgusting or irritating. But she’s not sexually confident or empowered, nor is this an empowering novel or sexually confident novel. The descriptive passages of each of the many sex scenes follows the following template:

We have sex. Ten minutes later, we’re done.

Mmm, titillating.

Sarah isn't sure what fuels her desire for unfulfilling sexual exploits. She often alludes to the fact that there are reason why she’s emotionally unavailable and jumps into bed with every guy she meets (her parents screwed her up, duh), but it’s never made explicitly clear, because the author doesn't know herself. In fact, the author doesn't know this character at all. She spends little to no time at all fleshing Sarah out and gives her no conceivable motivation to do any of the baffling things that she does. Her opinions on people and situations are constantly in flux. She goes from feeling anxious that her new boyfriend will break her heart to blowing him off for being too clingy all on the same page.

The plot is illogical and jarring. Characters show up and do strange things for no reason. Stuff happens that doesn't further the plot. The only thing the story has going for it is it’s lack of predictability. But that’s only because no one in the story behaves in a believable manor and the story isn't restrained by anything like logic, good sense, or plausibility.

The author is obviously inexperienced at writing. I’m tempted to believe that a month before writing VLD, she picked up her very first novel, read it, and thought ‘Hey, I can do that!’ Katherine Easer is the literary equivalent to talent-less socialites who decide to become DJ’s on a whim. Her book is an insult to real writers who take the time to learn the craft of writing and make an effort to turn out something cognitive and meaningful. Do Easer a favor and don’t read her embarrassingly awful first novel.(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 PrincyJessie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

I can across this book by curiousity because it said it was off of Pretty little liars and I gotta admit it was better and soo much more suspense! This book drove me insane and blew my mind completely!
Characters- Sarah= Omg this main character she is like us just learning all about the two girls and she is loyal to her friends and just not any simple innocent girl she has her fair share of hanging out with guys too. When she met the two girls I love how she trusts them and watching her uncover a...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, suspense, romantic-like, kid-teen-issues, friendship, appeal-element-plot, appeal-element-character

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Characters weren't particularly engaging (for me) - did like the main character's attitude toward sex in that it wasn't really a HUGE deal to her - she doesn't feel good about sleeping with her friend's boyfriend, but that's because he is her friend's boyfriend, not because she regrets having sex. Things seemed alternatively dragged out and rushed. I didn't get a clear enough picture of the idyllic time when the three of them "fit together like a triangle" (paraphrased) and everything went well...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Laura (Bookish Belle) rated it 3 of 5 stars

The premise of this novel seemed very promising to me and I was very excited to read it. The beginning was okay, albeit a little slow, but the writing was interesting so I kept going. About fifty pages from the ending, I was still waiting for it to get creepy and suspenseful.

As I said, the writing was really interesting at first and I was intrigued, however nothing happened in the book to make my mouth open and be a complete page turner. I found Sarah to be very self involved and egotistical, no...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Kay.Anne rated it 1 of 5 stars

Vicious Little Darlings is a gripping novel which you will either hate or love. The one thing that doesn’t change is the knowledge you will want to read it through time after time. Emotive and diabolical, Katherine Easer’s first novel is nail biting and packed with drama and a touch of the paranormal.
From a broken home Sarah Weaver has two choices, have her Nana pay for her tuition at Weatherly Women’s Collage or make her own way at UCLA. Poorer than poor Sarah chooses the former- not that her...more

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Aug 14, 2011 May rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-mystery, depressing-and-epic

Here is the entire review on my blog: http://oopsireadthatbook.blogspot.com/2011/08/vicious-little-darlings-by-katherine.html
Disturbing.
Chilling.

For a YA book it was surprisingly gritty and unexpected.

The book was promoted as being similar to Pll.

But it’s not.

It’s so much better.

The summary doesn’t really give out much and that was perfect because I devoured the book hungrily. I couldn’t put it down till I finished it. And even when I did it left me breathless and I couldn’t really disconnect fr...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Madison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-read, owned

Okay, Vicious Little Darlings was definitely a weird book. I personally didn't find it as scary or disturbing as some of the other reviewers did (probably because I've read so much worse by other authors), but it certainly still had it's fair share of creepiness (especially for a Young Adult novel). The story revolves around three first-years at an all woman's college- Sarah (the narrator), Agnes, and Maddy. Sarah was just an okay character. At the beginning of the novel, I really liked her spun...more Okay, Vicious Little Darlings was definitely a weird book. I personally didn't find it as scary or disturbing as some of the other reviewers did (probably because I've read so much worse by other authors), but it certainly still had it's fair share of creepiness (especially for a Young Adult novel). The story revolves around three first-years at an all woman's college- Sarah (the narrator), Agnes, and Maddy. Sarah was just an okay character. At the beginning of the novel, I really liked her spunky personality and opinionated views. But by the end, I was starting to get sick of her fast. The girl is full of contradictions. She doesn't believe in love... but yet, falls deeply madly for a guy after only meeting him once or twice, to the point where she feels lost with every moment that he's gone. This would settle okay with me after a while, if she then didn't LATER let him walk away from her, simply because Maddy told her to, and they got in a minor argument. It also bothers me a bit that Katherine Easer didn't let you know what else happened to Reed after the argument. Basically, Sarah tries to get in contact with him again, but he doesn't answer his door all day, respond to her email, and all of his numbers seem to be disconnected. For a while, I thought this had something to do with Maddy and Agnes, but Easer really never fills in that tidbit. I could understand if he didn't want to talk to Sarah again, but it doesn't seem like he would go to such lengths to do so. Anyway, speaking of Maddy and Agnes, these two characters were much more interesting than Sarah. Maddy's your classic beautiful, innocent girl that everyone can't help but love. And then you have Agnes (my personal favorite of the three), who is quite the opposite: dark, mysterious, and completely in love with Maddy. I really wish the story would have focused a little bit more on Agnes, instead of giving you so much information on Sarah and Maddy.

But, characters aside, I'm not even going to go very far into the plot. You can get a good idea of it from the other reviews and the book description itself. Basically, it's all about these three girls and how things start to get weird after they move into their own house (especially between Maddy and Agnes). Overall, I found the plot to be very strange. But... not in a bad way. Quite honestly, I loved this book until the end. I thought the first 250 pages were great- they were interesting, creepy, and just really pulled you in. After that, I could kind of predict how it was going to turn out (Maddy lies constantly throughout the book- but when she tells Sarah that Agnes did something horrible to her, Sarah mostly believes her and agrees to help Maddy get revenge right away- if Sarah were smarter, she would have at least talked to Agnes first. It would have probably made the ending a lot happier). The ending itself I didn't like, either. The climax was a whole ten pages, and then it was over. I feel as if Easer should have done something to make this not such an immediate ending- whether it would be starting the climax earlier or writing more of a conclusion- this book just needed a little more. I felt it a little unfair to read the whole thing only for such a short climax and short conclusion afterward. The way the end actually turned out was a kind of disappointment to me, as well. Someone obviously dies (that shouldn't be much of a spoiler if you've read the book description), but the character that does, I felt should have lived, instead of giving their life for someone else's. But, that's probably my own personal preference.

I don't really even know what to say in reaction to this book. It's a quick and easy read, that was great as it went along, but left me feeling disappointed at the end. When I finished reading it, I felt as if I had wasted my time. But, looking back on it now, I don't think I really regret reading the whole thing. If the ending had been different, I would have definitely given this novel 4-5 stars (probably only 4, as I reserve 5 stars for those books that really are amazing). I'm not sure if I would recommend it to others or not. I suppose if it sounds interesting and you're okay with a twisted conclusion, then go ahead and read it. But, I would definitely suggest borrowing it from a friend or library, instead of blowing sixteen dollars on it. Also, as a quick side note, you should be aware that Vicious Little Darlings deals with a little more supernatural ideas than it lets onto at the beginning- there are gypsies, Maddy believes she's physic, and at one point Sarah and Maddy believe that they've talked to the dead. I personally have never been one for supernatural books, but this one added just enough in that I could deal with it. But, if that kind of thing seriously bothers you, then be aware of it before you start. Anyway, as much as I hated the ending, I still believe that Katherine Easer is a good writer (I'm picky about writing, but I didn't have much of a problem with her style), so I'll probably pick up anything else she writes out of pure curiosity.(less)

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Mar 24, 2011 Annie McElfresh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-awesomeness, my-favorites

A good young adult contemporary novel, to me, is gritty and real, with a plot that is reasonable, yet has a great twist. A twist I can't guess by the second chapter of the novel. Well, my friends, I am so happy to tell you I found that in Vicious Little Darlings.

I really didn't know what to expect when I started this ARC, but when I got into chapter one, I fell in love with the main character, Sarah. She was different, with tons of flaws, which makes a great character. I love how she had this...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sarah is exiled to Wetherly College after her grandmother catches her having sex. It's an all girls' school and her grandma's alma mater. So yeah, NOT thrilled to be there. Fortunately, she soon makes friends with her roommate, Maddy, and Maddy's best friend, Agnes. Soon they move off-campus into this amazing house (all paid for by Agnes). Except all is not as it seems. Agnes is obsessed with Maddy and there's definitely more to Maddy than meets the eye, too.

This was a weird book. Part of it ste...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, teen-fiction, single-star, not-overly-impressed, teenage-drama

I had numerous problems with this book. Firstly, the main character (Sarah) was dull, vapid, and just clueless enough to come off as really annoying. She sleeps with three or four guys in the course of the book, makes herself "emotionally unavailable" supposedly because of her parents failed marriage-- but then falls in love overnight with a random stranger because he "seems sweet". Also, her sensibilities are childish, contradicting, occasionally downright ridiculous, much like the rest of the...more I had numerous problems with this book. Firstly, the main character (Sarah) was dull, vapid, and just clueless enough to come off as really annoying. She sleeps with three or four guys in the course of the book, makes herself "emotionally unavailable" supposedly because of her parents failed marriage-- but then falls in love overnight with a random stranger because he "seems sweet". Also, her sensibilities are childish, contradicting, occasionally downright ridiculous, much like the rest of the book. Overall, the entire plot just felt clunky and contrived, a little like Katherine Easer was trying to juggle with the various subplots yet wasn't particularly skilled at doing so. I had a really hard time connecting with any of the characters, and began to actually detest Sarah early on in the book after the scene involving her pregnancy scare (in which she says about taking a pregnancy test: "But what if this one turns out positive? I'm not mom material. It's not in my genes. If by some stroke of bad luck I'm pregnant, I'll just have to get rid of it. There's no other way. God, how did I get into this mess? I don't have money for an abortion. I don't even know how much an abortion costs. And it would be a hassle, not to mention traumatizing. I'm seventeen; I can't be dealing with shit like this!")-- I wanted to punch her in the face after reading that; she's so flippant and careless about a weighty decision like having an abortion. Having had my own been-there-done-that experience with the subject, her whining about it (Oh, it's such a hassle! Why me? I shouldn't have to deal with this!) absolutely infuriated me. That was pretty much the scene that sold me on the fact that I was not going to enjoy this book-- and I wasn't wrong. Final summation: irksome characters that are too shallow to connect with, a plot that felt like a poorly constructed sandcastle, and a "dramatic" climax that had me seriously rolling my eyes (here's an idea, how about a suicide pact? That seems just charming!) It was painfully obvious that this was Katherine Easer's first attempt at a novel (and unless the gods have a twisted sense of humor, hopefully it will be her last).(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Karissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, kindle-read

Sarah Weaver comes from a broken home in California and is now attending an all girls university in New England. She's missed the first year orientation so she hasn't gotten time to meet her roommate, who was too busy during the summer to respond to any of her emails. Her roommate is a strangely beautiful and Sarah finds herself instantly attracted to the other girl for some reason. At least, after she's gotten over catching the girl giving her boyfriend a blow job on the first day. But not all...more Sarah Weaver comes from a broken home in California and is now attending an all girls university in New England. She's missed the first year orientation so she hasn't gotten time to meet her roommate, who was too busy during the summer to respond to any of her emails. Her roommate is a strangely beautiful and Sarah finds herself instantly attracted to the other girl for some reason. At least, after she's gotten over catching the girl giving her boyfriend a blow job on the first day. But not all is what it seems.

I read this for my book club and was honestly surprised it slipped through just because of the fact that there are two high school students in our Young Adult book club and while I would have been fine reading this, they may not be so much. The constant references to sex totally through me off. For her to be so casual about all the boys and teachers she slept with is a little unreal to me. And for in the very first chapter to have her walk in on her roommate giving her boyfriend a BJ. And then to have them sleep together in the closet, that I could believe, but then for her to go on a date and then sleep with another guy within the same day without learning his name is another leap of faith for me.

I've seen this book compared to Pretty Little Liars and if it's supposed to be better than that, I'm glad I've never taken the time to read those books. Or watch the show for that matter. Maddy is simply a crazy bitch that Sarah should stay away from. She should have never moved into the house with them. If she hadn't then everything would have turned out differently. Sort of. Maddy and Agnes would still be dead probably.

And the fact that Sarah brushes off the fact that she was under a spell so easily boggles my mind. Shouldn't she have been at least a little bit worried? Or at least wondered how many other spells she may have been under? And to have Agnes so willing to pay for everything, cook and clean for everyone and to have such faith in Sarah that she would show her where she kept thousands of dollars worth of cash? I don't think so. Both Agnes and Maddy were simply bat shit cray cray. Honestly.

Oh, and when you're "friend" is constantly lying to you, you should probably take the hint and get out fast. If a friend of mine told me she lost her virginity and then found ketchup I was just looking for in her bedroom, I might be a little more suspicious. Honestly. Sarah even admits to herself that she lies as well to her friends, but not as badly as Maddy does. Once again, do warning bells not go off in your head?

And yet another thing, there seemed to be a slight mistake right after Sarah gets her hair cut. I'm pretty freaking positive that when you get your hair cut that short, as Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted, that you can NOT put it in a ponytail.

The writing style was easy and the book was a quick read for me. I was honestly sucked in after the first page and wanted to continue reading, but by the time I got to the end I was slightly disgusted. This book definitely reenforced my want to never touch a Pretty Little Liars novel. After writing this review, I really want to give it one star, but I will leave it at two because it did manage to suck me in and keep me reading until the very end. And the fact that it was a super quick read helps as well. (less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Olivia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Vicious Little Darlings is one of the best books I have ever read. EVER. Katherine Easer has sculpted a novel which is perfect in all areas. Her writing is descriptive and detailed, she has created deliciously deceptive characters and her storyline is gripping. I devoured this book, every word, every chapter drew me deeper into the story; I was totally enthralled. The book is told in Sarah’s point of view, a poor, family-less teenager who finds herself in some complicated and sometimes hilarious...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

When I made the decision to read this book it was because the title made it sound as though there was betrayal, vicious rumors, and revenge in store and while there was a betrayal or two I spent the first 200 pages scratching my head. But, like all train wrecks, I couldn't look away.

When Sarah walked into her new room and walked in on an intimate moment and retreats to thr bathroom and is met there by her new roommate, Madison, I expected a bitch on wheels. Instead I got childlike Maddy. This w...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

The storyline was ok, very slow in fact. The main characters - I think there were just 5 of them - were subpar. I mean, I could barely connect with any of them at all. The main girls of the story - Sarah, Maddy, and Agnes - were all weird and unrelatable. It's hard to figure out which audience the author is trying to entertain here. It's like a book for 12 year olds but there's too much sexual contents; it could be for teens or young adults, but the story was so poorly constructed I think even 1...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be: Bizarre! And creepy....very creepy. However, it was so creepy and bizarre that I could not stop reading it! I had to find out what was happening and why.

Sarah's grandma sends her to Wetherely College so she will "become a lady". Sarah's parents are nonexistent and her grandma does not approve of Sarah's wild and promiscuous ways. Once at Wetherely, Sarah finds her room...and her roommate Maddy. In fact, she walks in on Maddy and Maddy's boy...more If I had to describe this book in one word it would be: Bizarre! And creepy....very creepy. However, it was so creepy and bizarre that I could not stop reading it! I had to find out what was happening and why.

Sarah's grandma sends her to Wetherely College so she will "become a lady". Sarah's parents are nonexistent and her grandma does not approve of Sarah's wild and promiscuous ways. Once at Wetherely, Sarah finds her room...and her roommate Maddy. In fact, she walks in on Maddy and Maddy's boyfriend in a very private moment.

From there, things just get weird. Maddy and Sarah go to a cafe to eat and meet Maddy's very best friend, Agnes. Agnes is classy and old fashioned and extremely protective of Maddy. Agnes is almost obsessed with Maddy. On the way home Agnes hits a fawn and the girls take it to their dorm room and hide it while they nurse it back to health.

Then Agnes decides that they need to move off campus into a house together. Agnes and Maddy are both very wealthy and Agnes tells Sarah she will pay for all the expenses. Sarah doesn't know whether the girls are friends or lovers and spends her time there trying to decipher their relationship.

Sarah is your average girl. She is always trying to please people because she really just wants to feel like she belongs somewhere. Sarah is not wealthy and has problems with taking things from Agnes for free. Sarah tries to get a boyfriend and a job but these things are mysteriously sabotaged.

Maddy was crazy. She had a very Jekyll and Hyde personality. She appears to be a chronic, pathological liar. She seemed like a young child to me most times. She has this strange obsession with dying young and death in general. She was someone that kept me on my toes!

Agnes is very cold and detached unless it has to do with Maddy. She doesn't like Sarah at all but puts up with her because Maddy likes her. She is very possessive and appears to be a lesbian and madly in love with Maddy.

This has got to be one of the strangest books I have ever read. I never knew what was going to happen and I loved it! I could not put the book down at all just because I had to find out who was good and who was pure evil.
(less)

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Sep 07, 2011 Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, 2011

Ages 14+ (sex, language)

Exiled to an all girls college across the country for sexual improprieties, Sarah starts off her school year by walking in on her new roommate Maddy fellating her sexy-but-dumb boyfriend, Sebastian. It continues with all the lies, sex, manipulation, madness and cohesiveness of a B-list movie.

Maddy and her best friend, Agnes, are crazy rich and it doesn't take them long to rent a big house and move Sarah in. Oh, also they adopt a fawn that they almost kill by hitting it...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Lindsay Heller rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, we-really-want-to-be-secret-history, ya

This book was absurd. It was filled with ridiculous choices, unrealistic characters, and choices that made absolutely no sense. However, it was a really fun read that I sped through really wanting to know what happens in the end. It served it's purpose but didn't go any further.

Sarah Weaver is given a choice by her grandmother, go to alma mater, Wetherly, a women's college in New England, or go it alone at UCLA. Not wanting to be stuck with insurmountable student loans she chooses the former, m...more This book was absurd. It was filled with ridiculous choices, unrealistic characters, and choices that made absolutely no sense. However, it was a really fun read that I sped through really wanting to know what happens in the end. It served it's purpose but didn't go any further.

Sarah Weaver is given a choice by her grandmother, go to alma mater, Wetherly, a women's college in New England, or go it alone at UCLA. Not wanting to be stuck with insurmountable student loans she chooses the former, much to her chagrin. On her first day she walk in on her roommate giving her boyfriend, Sebastian, a blowjob but the awkwardness is soon forgotten and Sarah finds herself drawn in to Maddy's world and that of her best friend, Agnes, who holds a platonic infatuation with Maddy. Soon the threesome move into an expansive Victorian home and for a time everything seems perfect until the tiny oddities continue to add up and Sarah realizes that this world is far from perfect. It might even be deadly.

Let's start with Sarah. She is a massive slut. I mean, that's cool and everything but it doesn't make her all that sympathetic when she beds her roommates boyfriend who she continually refers to, rightly, as obnoxious. In fact, most of her sexploits come off as bragging. I'm no prude. Quite honestly I like a female character with a healthy sexual appetite. But the way she comes off is really just short of terribly annoying. But at least it doesn't go on forever. Relatively soon she falls in love with Reed, a rather typical art school fellow who puts up with her shit for too long.

Agnes doesn't make much sense either. She pays for everything, cleans the house, cooks the food, and does it all with a smile because she's so enamored of Maddy. It seems that when they were little they saw into each other's souls and Agnes has just been waiting for Maddy to see reason and devote herself to Agnes as much as Agnes has devoted herself to Maddy.

Maddy is kind and erratic. Manipulative but sweet. When both her parents died she got a feeling that she could read the future and is sure that she's going to die young. She's so obsessed with this fact, in fact, that she will not listen to reason and soon the idea all but consumes her to the point where she'd do pretty much anything to prevent her untimely death.

As you can see all the characters are stupid. Yet, in a way their sort of endearing. I read this book quickly, speeding through to see how they would all eventually come to a head. And they did, spectacularly so. It was a fun read, but I couldn't recommend it to anyone without a severe warning. (less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Ixachel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: g-r, giveaway-wins, read-in-2012, young-adult, first-reads, reviewed

After her grandmother caught her having sex, Sarah Weaver has two choices: go to the college of her choice but pay for it on her own, or go to her grandmother's alma mater on her grandmothers dime. She chooses the later and finds herself at Wetherly College, and all-female school. There she meets Madison, her new roommate, and Agnes, the bizarre best friend.

Maddy is your quintessential beauty. Everyone seems to just love her. Worship her, even. There is a darker side though. Her initial quirkine...more After her grandmother caught her having sex, Sarah Weaver has two choices: go to the college of her choice but pay for it on her own, or go to her grandmother's alma mater on her grandmothers dime. She chooses the later and finds herself at Wetherly College, and all-female school. There she meets Madison, her new roommate, and Agnes, the bizarre best friend.

Maddy is your quintessential beauty. Everyone seems to just love her. Worship her, even. There is a darker side though. Her initial quirkiness starts to take on a sinister edge. Agnes is Maddy’s best friend and bank account. Agnes is intensely loyal to Maddy, and her undying affection keeps her blind to the truth.

Sarah comes from a broken home, and all she wants is a family to call her own. She finds one in Maddy and Agnes. So enamoured she is with the new home they’ve created that she overlooks or accepts all the weird and crazy things that happen. The lies and deceptions, she rarely questions. Some of the deceit she even takes a compliment! She is very immature and irrational in this way. And as things spiral out of control, she just goes along for the ride. It’s infuriating at times. I found myself wanting her to just grow up, to just take charge of her situation.

Sarah is promiscuous. She refuses to get into relationships, citing her parents’ failed marriage. She feel love inevitably fails, that she might not even be capable or worthy of it. She has sex with Maddy’s boyfriend Sebastian on their second meeting, and with Reed on their first. With Reed, however, things are different. She feels that she can love him. She does love him, in fact...after about two meetings. Their love is that instant, shallow variety that features entirely too often in young-adult novels. It’s revolting. Reed often drops that “do you even love me” bomb typical of a unhealthy relationship. And our immature little Sarah accepts this as well.

Another bizarre element to this novel is the supernatural. All three girls believe in it and cite it frequently. Psychic intuition and gypsy readings are all taken to be real by the girls. It’s hard to tell if the reader is supposed to believe that supernatural elements are a true part of the novel’s world or just something the girls believe in. For instance, a ritual is spoken of as completely crazy, and yet a spell is used as a legitimate explanation of certain actions. The novel seems confused in this regard, like the author couldn’t decide how far into the realm of magical realism she wanted to go.

I wasn’t going to mention this initially . . . but how could I possibly leave out the deer? It’s a phenomenally absurd situation, unlikely to ever happen in the real world. Wanting to nurse a deer back to health is reasonable. Hiding one in your dorm and then at the St. Regis hotel is completely crazy. The only explanation I can come up with is that the author threw it in to show how unhinged these girls are. Yes, that has to be it.

Katherine Easer’s Vicious Little Darlings, despite its flaws, is an engaging read. Once I started, I was hooked. I wanted to see just how far these girls would go, how low they would sink. I had to know how things would resolve themselves. If you’re into young adult novels and don’t mind some absurdity, you may want to check this one out. It’s definitely a fast, fun read.

[Full disclosure: I received this book through Goodreads' First Reads Giveaway. Also posted on Futuresfading.](less)

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Feb 26, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sarah and her three friends adopt a fawn, name it Hope and hid it in their college dorm room - sounds like a comedy, right? But all three girls have secrets - and for one of them, the secret means life and death.

Sarah wants to feel like she belongs to someone, maybe anyone will do after a mistake with Brad--who totally wasn't worth it--makes her angry grandmother send her to a far away all-girls boarding school. There she meets Agnes and Maddy who let her and the fawn into their group as they mo...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Hana❀Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-2011, ridiculously-sexy-guys, the-best-of-the-best

Twisted? Check.
Funny? Check.
A cool main character? Check, check and check.

It was pretty good! Kept me interested from pages one but I wish they would have cleared things up a bit more at the end but I guess thats part of it's allure, because the ending sure did give me goosebumps. (Even though I had NO FREAKING IDEA OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED)

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Aug 17, 2012 Aira rated it 3 of 5 stars

If the author meant for this 'heroine' (she doesn't deserve the title but i'll feel bad insulting her so let's call her blady as in this blady girl argh i would like to be an octopus and multi slap you) as i was saying, if the author meant for blady to be an annoying (view spoiler), sex crazed (view spoiler)...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Candace rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is how I envision the inspiration for this book: one day the author was watching Wicked Attraction on Discovery ID / investigative discovery and was inspired enough by some odd teenage girl crime to ask herself, "How the hell did that one girl get those two girls to do that?!?!" Sadly, there are so many crazy real life stories about wicked and vicious things that teenage girls have done that this one just fits right in. Fortunately, when I finished reading it all I could think to myself was...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Annabelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-mystery

This book was absolutely nothing like I was expecting.
First of all, I wasn't expecting the protagonist to be so damn amazing. Sarah Weaver is a complete person, with complexities and faults, and she actively participates in the world around her- making moves and mistakes that create consequences and push events into motion. She's funny and witty and a little strange and I just love her.
I honestly wish she was given a better story to live in.
Let me just say that I could not put this book down. I...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Lisa (Badass Bookie) rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Short Story? – A dark and twisted tale for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Imaginary Girls. Easer has written a sinfully filling debut about what happens when friendship gets real nasty. Addictive and entertaining, Vicious Little Darlings will challenge the meaning of friendship and push the limits of too far. A thriller like no other, Vicious Little Darlings will haunt you long after the last page.

The Long Story? – This book can only be described as the offspring of Pretty Little Liars and...more The Short Story? – A dark and twisted tale for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Imaginary Girls. Easer has written a sinfully filling debut about what happens when friendship gets real nasty. Addictive and entertaining, Vicious Little Darlings will challenge the meaning of friendship and push the limits of too far. A thriller like no other, Vicious Little Darlings will haunt you long after the last page.

The Long Story? – This book can only be described as the offspring of Pretty Little Liars and Imaginary Girls. All the twisted darkness and dirty secrets of PLL balanced with the artfully blurred sense of reality of Imaginary Girls. Vicious Little Darlings was very original and it really made me think. You couldn’t really separate a lie from the truth and throughout the whole book it’s like a mass of highly entertaining confusion. Loaded with secret agendas, betrayals, lies and death plots, the novel is dark and twisted and surprisingly addictive. Beautifully written, it’s comfortable to read and it really flows so you pretty much devour the novel. Easer has wonderfully complimented her complex and unpredictable plot with beautiful prose.

The whole novel is based around three girls, there are novels where the characters are fitted into the story but this is a novel where the story is fitted around the characters. The whole plot is based around the friendship of Maddy and Agnes and the intrusion of the new girl, Sarah. The novel is told through the perspective of Sarah who is embraced into the rich and glamorous lives of Maddy and Agnes however soon she find herself caught in a web of lies and a twisted friendship. Sarah wasn’t very well-developed physically, I still have no idea what she looks like or whether she’s pretty but she has depth and character which is more what the book is based around. The psychological side of things. Maddy and Agnes really did my head in because until the very end, it wasn’t clear who the nice one was and who was the mean one. Very deceptive characterization, Easer has created these very strong characters with hidden agendas.

Quite plainly, Vicious Little Darlings is a debut that really surprised me. A very psychological approach to telling a story yet the dark and twisted nature of the characters was transferred to the readers. Again, it’s sinfully filling and highly entertaining. The reality is blurred hiding secrets and lies behind the grime. Easer has written an unforgettable debut about a friendship turned vicious.(less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Sherry Fundin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, signed

Sarah's Nana sent her away to Wetherly Colege, an all girls school. She would be staying at Haven Hall with Maddy as her roommate. She meets her when she walks into her room and Maddy is on her knees in front of her boyfriend, Sebastian. Even though he's a real jerk, Sarah feels attracted to him.

Maddy is nice and pretty and draws attention to herself just by walking into a room. They end up in a bit of trouble at a bar where they went looking for food. Agnes bails them out. Maddy and Agnes had...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Marie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I didn't like this one too much. The main character Sarah was an unlikeable skank, and the book was mostly really boring - the build up of Sarah's relationship with Agnes and Maddy took forever. The good stuff happened a few chapters after the fawn died. I never was able to muster up any sympathy or caring for Sarah at all. I thought the relationship between Agnes and Maddy was far more interesting. I only finished it to see how many random strangers Sarah would sleep with (only two; three if yo...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Jill Hathaway rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book kind of reminded me of one of my favorites, THE SECRET HISTORY, in the best possible way. Would definitely recommend (but only on a day you can lounge on the couch for hours until you finish the book).

1 like · like · see review

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About Katherine Easer

Katherine Easer was born in Kansas City, Kansas, and now lives in Los Angeles. VICIOUS LITTLE DARLINGS, her debut YA novel, will be published by Bloomsbury in June 2011.

Author photo by Kenneth Dolin

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Quotes from Vicious Little Darlings

“Here's something I've learned from seventeen years of living: there's nothing you can do to make someone love you.” — 20 people liked it

“A few weeks ago I had a dream. I dreamed I was back at the house, in the red room, reading my microeconomics textbook. Maddy outside playing with Hope, and Agnes was preparing dinner. It was just like old times. I was elated. I knew all along that they weren't really dead. It was all just a terrible mistake. Maddy joined me in the library. Strangely, she didn't smell like anything. Not her usual crème brulee or green apples or candy. That's when I realized she was dead, though I didn't know I was dreaming. She apologized for everything and then proceeded to explain why things had turned out the way they had. Her story made complete sense. It was what I needed to hear. Finally I had an answer. Finally I could let go. And then she vanished
When I woke up, in a pool of sweat, I couldn't remember a thing Maddy had said.” — 4 people liked it

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