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Until Alison
The night Alison was murdered, Rachel could have stopped it.
When Rachel Nardelli finds out Alison Petrucci—her childhood rival—is found dead in Pleasant Pond, the same place the two girls had first said goodbye to each other back in eighth grade, the town of Waterbury is outraged by the fear of losing one of their own—the heir to Maine’s largest construction company. But it’s a little more complicated for Rachel. She saw Alison the night she died. Callous, she said something she shouldn’t have. She stirred up the past. The next morning, Alison was gone.
Plagued by the complicated memories around Alison, Rachel joins her journalism crew to investigate the murder. But as she revisits their fraught relationship, she falls into a web of cruelties that threaten to undo everything she understood about her past. An explosive literary thriller from the acclaimed Kate Russo, Until Alison is a brilliantly incisive and resonant novel that is at once about class, gender, and the arbitrary nature of violence.
When Rachel Nardelli finds out Alison Petrucci—her childhood rival—is found dead in Pleasant Pond, the same place the two girls had first said goodbye to each other back in eighth grade, the town of Waterbury is outraged by the fear of losing one of their own—the heir to Maine’s largest construction company. But it’s a little more complicated for Rachel. She saw Alison the night she died. Callous, she said something she shouldn’t have. She stirred up the past. The next morning, Alison was gone.
Plagued by the complicated memories around Alison, Rachel joins her journalism crew to investigate the murder. But as she revisits their fraught relationship, she falls into a web of cruelties that threaten to undo everything she understood about her past. An explosive literary thriller from the acclaimed Kate Russo, Until Alison is a brilliantly incisive and resonant novel that is at once about class, gender, and the arbitrary nature of violence.
301 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
June 29, 2026
I received a free copy of, Until Alison, by Kate Russo, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Rachel Nardelli saw Alison on the night she died. Rachel is not a friend you want to have, I did not like this book at all, the language was horrible too.
June 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Until Alison.
** Minor angst-y spoilers ahead **
When Rachel learns her childhood frenemy, Alison, has been murdered, she wonders if she could have done something to prevent it.
She was the last person to see Alison alive.
As she and her colleagues on the college newspaper probe for clues into the investigation, Rachel must confront her childhood traumas and accept how she and Alison will forever be inextricably linked.
This was SOOO not for me.
I thought this was a straightforward mystery/thriller where clues are uncovered to find the murderer but the murder is a subplot to the core of the narrative; flashbacks to the past and how Alison and Rachel's friendship unraveled and Rachel's complicity in the bullying that plagued most of Alison's young life.
I didn't like Rachel or Alison and I don't think we're supposed to.
Rachel isn't a terrible person, she's just not a good friend nora compelling main character.
She's not interesting, smart or ambitious, and a closet alcoholic.
Honestly, I still don't understand the rivalry between Rachel or Alison.
The only thing that bound them was they both liked the same boy.
This was well-written but boring and tedious.
I wasn't interested in the angst-filled turbulent years of junior high and high school.
I was a very angst-ridden teenager and I wouldn't want to relive those years for a millions. Not even five.
I wanted a mystery, not a reflection on why Rachel was a lousy friend and how their friendship deteriorated due to a boy.
That's so dumb but I remember being that age when hormones ruled your world and having a boyfriend was the most important thing you ever wanted.
When you're young (we all used to be at some point) and dumb, those kinds of things mattered then; boys, making friends and wanting everyone to like you.
It's only when you’re older do you realize how petty and silly all that stuff is.
When I was young my mom used to say, when you're older, none of these things will matter.
Of course, when you're young those are the only things that matter and who listens to their parents when they're teenagers anyway?
There are flashbacks into how Rachel mistreated Alison and her own revelations as she dealt with puberty and the not nice things boys will do because they think they own everything...and us.
The identity of the murderer is a non-issue as the narrative is really about how Rachel will now cope with the loss of Alison and how her death will continue to impact her life in the present and future.
Read this if you're a fan of the author and enjoy introspective narratives, not if you're looking for a suspenseful or thrilling read.
I'm not the right audience but I'm sure there are readers who will enjoy this.
** Minor angst-y spoilers ahead **
When Rachel learns her childhood frenemy, Alison, has been murdered, she wonders if she could have done something to prevent it.
She was the last person to see Alison alive.
As she and her colleagues on the college newspaper probe for clues into the investigation, Rachel must confront her childhood traumas and accept how she and Alison will forever be inextricably linked.
This was SOOO not for me.
I thought this was a straightforward mystery/thriller where clues are uncovered to find the murderer but the murder is a subplot to the core of the narrative; flashbacks to the past and how Alison and Rachel's friendship unraveled and Rachel's complicity in the bullying that plagued most of Alison's young life.
I didn't like Rachel or Alison and I don't think we're supposed to.
Rachel isn't a terrible person, she's just not a good friend nora compelling main character.
She's not interesting, smart or ambitious, and a closet alcoholic.
Honestly, I still don't understand the rivalry between Rachel or Alison.
The only thing that bound them was they both liked the same boy.
This was well-written but boring and tedious.
I wasn't interested in the angst-filled turbulent years of junior high and high school.
I was a very angst-ridden teenager and I wouldn't want to relive those years for a millions. Not even five.
I wanted a mystery, not a reflection on why Rachel was a lousy friend and how their friendship deteriorated due to a boy.
That's so dumb but I remember being that age when hormones ruled your world and having a boyfriend was the most important thing you ever wanted.
When you're young (we all used to be at some point) and dumb, those kinds of things mattered then; boys, making friends and wanting everyone to like you.
It's only when you’re older do you realize how petty and silly all that stuff is.
When I was young my mom used to say, when you're older, none of these things will matter.
Of course, when you're young those are the only things that matter and who listens to their parents when they're teenagers anyway?
There are flashbacks into how Rachel mistreated Alison and her own revelations as she dealt with puberty and the not nice things boys will do because they think they own everything...and us.
The identity of the murderer is a non-issue as the narrative is really about how Rachel will now cope with the loss of Alison and how her death will continue to impact her life in the present and future.
Read this if you're a fan of the author and enjoy introspective narratives, not if you're looking for a suspenseful or thrilling read.
I'm not the right audience but I'm sure there are readers who will enjoy this.
May 8, 2025
Thank you to Booklist and Putnam for the ARC and the opportunity to review this title.
During her boyfriend’s exclusive college party, Rachel sees her childhood frenemy Alison leave with a stranger. Feeling drunk and petty, Rachel doesn’t stop her and instead shouts an insult. The next morning, Alison is dead. Racked with guilt, Rachel is plagued by memories of their tumultuous relationship—the many times she looked away while Alison was bullied or occasions when Rachel did the bullying herself. Keeping her last sighting of Alison a secret, Rachel uses her position at her college newspaper to investigate. Who did Alison leave with? Could Rachel have prevented her death? Russo’s (Super Host, 2021) sophomore novel and thriller debut is a thought-provoking and incisive treatise on the sum of a life’s choices, the crippling and long-term effects of bullying, and the general dangers of being a woman. Inspired by her own experiences in Maine and as a journalist, Russo also pays tribute to the true story of a decade-old murder. Recommended for readers who enjoy intense suspense novels with unreliable narrators, such as those by Stacey Willingham and Paula Hawkins.
During her boyfriend’s exclusive college party, Rachel sees her childhood frenemy Alison leave with a stranger. Feeling drunk and petty, Rachel doesn’t stop her and instead shouts an insult. The next morning, Alison is dead. Racked with guilt, Rachel is plagued by memories of their tumultuous relationship—the many times she looked away while Alison was bullied or occasions when Rachel did the bullying herself. Keeping her last sighting of Alison a secret, Rachel uses her position at her college newspaper to investigate. Who did Alison leave with? Could Rachel have prevented her death? Russo’s (Super Host, 2021) sophomore novel and thriller debut is a thought-provoking and incisive treatise on the sum of a life’s choices, the crippling and long-term effects of bullying, and the general dangers of being a woman. Inspired by her own experiences in Maine and as a journalist, Russo also pays tribute to the true story of a decade-old murder. Recommended for readers who enjoy intense suspense novels with unreliable narrators, such as those by Stacey Willingham and Paula Hawkins.
June 19, 2026
*2.5, rounded down*
RECAP: When Rachel’s childhood rival, Alison Petrucci, is found dead, the town is devastated. Rachel saw Alison the night she died & can’t shake the guilt of their final conversation. As she investigates the murder with her journalism team, long-buried secrets & painful truths about their past begin to surface.
REVIEW: I struggled to get through this one. It took a long time to get going, and when it finally did, it felt more like a YA novel than I expected. There was a lot of buildup & backstory, but the payoff didn’t feel worth it. I wish the book had focused more on the present-day story & less on what happened back in 8th grade.
RECAP: When Rachel’s childhood rival, Alison Petrucci, is found dead, the town is devastated. Rachel saw Alison the night she died & can’t shake the guilt of their final conversation. As she investigates the murder with her journalism team, long-buried secrets & painful truths about their past begin to surface.
REVIEW: I struggled to get through this one. It took a long time to get going, and when it finally did, it felt more like a YA novel than I expected. There was a lot of buildup & backstory, but the payoff didn’t feel worth it. I wish the book had focused more on the present-day story & less on what happened back in 8th grade.
February 15, 2026
Read this in one sitting...I didn't love the characters, but I loved the plot and the writing. Completely captured my interest!
September 27, 2025
Ending was rushed :(
August 11, 2025
Words can’t describe how bad this book is. There were several issues, but here are the broad strokes:
There were no redeemable characters (maybe Alison—but she’s not even fleshed out enough to be sure). The characters are defined by what I call toxic feminism. From the journalist women, to the teacher, to even the mom. The derision towards men was palpable. Not to mention that they created no solid men characters at all. The protagonist’s father is dominated by the protagonist’s mother, with no spine to run his own household. The childhood boys are terrible, and I felt sorry for Rachel’s boyfriend Cam in the end. He was treated terribly solely for being a Republican and being himself.
The protagonist didn’t grow. At all. She started as a sheep going along, and then continued that way. She has no thoughts of her own, no sense independence. She reacts the way she thinks she should, not based on a values compass. She also acts like an apologist for her boyfriend, when she shouldn’t, and acts appalled when he steps out on her for being embarrassed around him. Not to mention Alison’s parents were way too blasé about her and Alison. Like her not making a bad situation worse was a win.
The one reason I kept reading was to find out what happened to Alison, and that never happened. You find how who did it, but not what happened. So the whole mess never feels resolved, and a waste of time. Run away from this one.
There were no redeemable characters (maybe Alison—but she’s not even fleshed out enough to be sure). The characters are defined by what I call toxic feminism. From the journalist women, to the teacher, to even the mom. The derision towards men was palpable. Not to mention that they created no solid men characters at all. The protagonist’s father is dominated by the protagonist’s mother, with no spine to run his own household. The childhood boys are terrible, and I felt sorry for Rachel’s boyfriend Cam in the end. He was treated terribly solely for being a Republican and being himself.
The protagonist didn’t grow. At all. She started as a sheep going along, and then continued that way. She has no thoughts of her own, no sense independence. She reacts the way she thinks she should, not based on a values compass. She also acts like an apologist for her boyfriend, when she shouldn’t, and acts appalled when he steps out on her for being embarrassed around him. Not to mention Alison’s parents were way too blasé about her and Alison. Like her not making a bad situation worse was a win.
The one reason I kept reading was to find out what happened to Alison, and that never happened. You find how who did it, but not what happened. So the whole mess never feels resolved, and a waste of time. Run away from this one.
August 18, 2025
“I knew perfectly well that the stories we write are never quite like the stories we tell ourselves.”
I am so over the we all hate each other because of our political affiliation. In a murder mystery I’m finding this very lazy.
I am also over the man hating and class hating. The mystery is completely lost in all of the hate for those that are different than you. These characters, even the adults, are insufferable. It’s a miracle I even finished this one.
One example…“‘A lot of kids at school are like you, Dad.’ ‘Meaning?’ ‘They don’t like rich people.’” Oh that’s a great lesson to teach your children.
I am so over the we all hate each other because of our political affiliation. In a murder mystery I’m finding this very lazy.
I am also over the man hating and class hating. The mystery is completely lost in all of the hate for those that are different than you. These characters, even the adults, are insufferable. It’s a miracle I even finished this one.
One example…“‘A lot of kids at school are like you, Dad.’ ‘Meaning?’ ‘They don’t like rich people.’” Oh that’s a great lesson to teach your children.
September 19, 2025
A literary thriller involving a student newspaper? Sign me up. This was a really thoughtful and nuanced look at cruelty and I thought it avoided the tropes of a high school bullying storyline very well. It was suspenseful but I found the prose a bit clunky or overwritten in parts, and the “solve” of the mystery wasn’t really satisfying. I think this goes to the author’s point that no one really deserves anything but I think for me the ending was too blunt. I still couldn’t put it down in the last half and enjoyed revisiting the 2016 college scene. 3.5.
July 8, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I hate to be harsh on this book, I really do, but I am not really sure the point of it. There was a main focal point to the story, but the journey to get there wasn’t very compelling. A lot was being talked about, but it never really amounted to anything actually.
Rachel was a terrible person. She was unlikable, and not in the fun way.
I couldn’t tell if the author was trying to make the reader sympathetic towards Rachel and hate Alison, but I couldn’t hate Alison because she literally didn’t do anything wrong. She was a victim of bullying and just because she was a “rival” to Rachel, doesn’t mean that she deserves that. It was so one sided. Rachel seemed to be in a competition with her, but that’s not really Alison‘s fault. Alison especially doesn’t deserved to be bullied just because she was rich. It was just weird to me why all her classmates did that to her. I know kids can be cruel, but still.
If the author was trying to get us on Rachel side, it did not work, and if she wanted Rachel to not be a good person, but have her be the main character, that’s not really a great strategy.
A lot of the men in this book were really disgusting, especially Cam. I hated reading about him as much as we did. I could tell that they were supposed to be bad, but it was still icky to read.
I disliked Brad, but I kind of liked that him and Rachel became friends at the end too. They had a weird back and forth dynamic, so it made sense they ended up where they did.
I thought I knew who killed Alison, but I didn’t. It would have been more compelling if it was who I thought it was in my opinion. I didn’t really care to figure out who killed her though. She didn’t have enough substance for me to latch on to, to care what happened. Maybe because we were seeing her through Rachel’s eyes, and Rachel didn’t like her. I still should be able to care to find out how Alison died.
It talked about a lot of heavy topics. It was good to talk about how it is not okay for men to force themselves onto women, and how women feel pressured by men to say yes even if they don’t want to, but it also wasn’t talked about strongly enough. It was almost mentioned in passing. If the author wanted that to be the main takeaway of the book, it should have been touched on more. That is just my opinion. Not that I want to read more of that happening, but there should be more justice for Rachel. I did feel bad for her that kept happening.
I kind of liked that it broke the fourth wall at the end, but it also threw me off.
This was just not for me at all. A little too all over the place for my liking, and I didn’t care about any of the characters.
I hate to be harsh on this book, I really do, but I am not really sure the point of it. There was a main focal point to the story, but the journey to get there wasn’t very compelling. A lot was being talked about, but it never really amounted to anything actually.
Rachel was a terrible person. She was unlikable, and not in the fun way.
I couldn’t tell if the author was trying to make the reader sympathetic towards Rachel and hate Alison, but I couldn’t hate Alison because she literally didn’t do anything wrong. She was a victim of bullying and just because she was a “rival” to Rachel, doesn’t mean that she deserves that. It was so one sided. Rachel seemed to be in a competition with her, but that’s not really Alison‘s fault. Alison especially doesn’t deserved to be bullied just because she was rich. It was just weird to me why all her classmates did that to her. I know kids can be cruel, but still.
If the author was trying to get us on Rachel side, it did not work, and if she wanted Rachel to not be a good person, but have her be the main character, that’s not really a great strategy.
A lot of the men in this book were really disgusting, especially Cam. I hated reading about him as much as we did. I could tell that they were supposed to be bad, but it was still icky to read.
I disliked Brad, but I kind of liked that him and Rachel became friends at the end too. They had a weird back and forth dynamic, so it made sense they ended up where they did.
I thought I knew who killed Alison, but I didn’t. It would have been more compelling if it was who I thought it was in my opinion. I didn’t really care to figure out who killed her though. She didn’t have enough substance for me to latch on to, to care what happened. Maybe because we were seeing her through Rachel’s eyes, and Rachel didn’t like her. I still should be able to care to find out how Alison died.
It talked about a lot of heavy topics. It was good to talk about how it is not okay for men to force themselves onto women, and how women feel pressured by men to say yes even if they don’t want to, but it also wasn’t talked about strongly enough. It was almost mentioned in passing. If the author wanted that to be the main takeaway of the book, it should have been touched on more. That is just my opinion. Not that I want to read more of that happening, but there should be more justice for Rachel. I did feel bad for her that kept happening.
I kind of liked that it broke the fourth wall at the end, but it also threw me off.
This was just not for me at all. A little too all over the place for my liking, and I didn’t care about any of the characters.
Read
May 9, 2026This is a very good character study disguised as a mystery novel. Rachel is a fairly unmoored college journalist whose childhood friend/frenemy Alison is killed at the university they both attend. It’s less a whodunnit and more an unpacking of their relationship and the mistakes they made. Nuanced, relatable, honest.
July 31, 2025
3.5/5 ⭐️
June 26, 2026
I guess the best thing i can say is, I finished it. Unlikeable characters, very juvenile writing.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
June 14, 2025
A riveting murder mystery x journey of self-acceptance/growth. Rachel’s childhood frenemy is dead. She isn’t forthcoming about how well she knows Alison and is tasked with writing a story about her for her college paper. To make things even more complicated, Rachel is pretty sure she saw Alison a few hours before she died.
This was really tense and engaging. As Rachel grapples with how much information she should share with investigators, she reminisces about how awful she was to Alison in junior high. Overall an exciting and emotional novel that is hard to put down once you start reading.
Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
This was really tense and engaging. As Rachel grapples with how much information she should share with investigators, she reminisces about how awful she was to Alison in junior high. Overall an exciting and emotional novel that is hard to put down once you start reading.
Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
Read
March 29, 2026Definitely more of an introspective story about growing up and finding your identity than a mystery but still good.. I think?! The crime set the stage for the author to look back on Rachel and Allison’s childhood in little vignettes. I don’t think Rachel and Allison’s friendship was well established before we launched into their frenemy era so I was a little thrown off by that. I just didn’t see the depth to the relationship I think the story required. We didn’t ever get Allison’s point of view so she remained unlikeable until her murder (maybe intentional?). Also fuck literally every male character in this book. Ultimately not my fav but I’d still recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2025
Spoilers may be in here so if you haven’t read it yet don’t read it.
I just wanted to start off by saying this book made me get in the mind of Rachel and express the emotions she was feeling like I was her.I got this book off of Goodreads giveaway the book came pretty soon after I won.I started reading it may 17 finished may 22 so I finished it in about 4 days..To get into it this book was predictable towards the end how the mystery guy from the party was the killer.I get how they tried to throw us off with Ethan and Brad and the backstory of her bullies in school but it was pretty obvious I will say that’s one thing I don’t like in the book.But I will give them credit with there intro to the book I was hooked the first chapter BUT as it went on it felt more like I could guess who was the killer.I do wish that they focused on more topics and didn’t breeze by it the author did execute it good but I wish they didn’t just keep throwing the storyline from one point to one point.Im referring to how she basically got sa by Ethan and how it effected her but it didn’t effect her in her adult hood like only in that moment she wanted to cry.I know people process things differently but it would’ve been good to maybe see her feel differently about cam especially because he was a frat boy and he was sex crazy.I figured something would’ve trigged with that.I do say the Cam & Allison plot-twist at the end was crazy and she executed that well because I felt Allison’s angry in me for her.Overall the book was good there were some things I wish was different but I give this book a 4 star review overall.
I just wanted to start off by saying this book made me get in the mind of Rachel and express the emotions she was feeling like I was her.I got this book off of Goodreads giveaway the book came pretty soon after I won.I started reading it may 17 finished may 22 so I finished it in about 4 days..To get into it this book was predictable towards the end how the mystery guy from the party was the killer.I get how they tried to throw us off with Ethan and Brad and the backstory of her bullies in school but it was pretty obvious I will say that’s one thing I don’t like in the book.But I will give them credit with there intro to the book I was hooked the first chapter BUT as it went on it felt more like I could guess who was the killer.I do wish that they focused on more topics and didn’t breeze by it the author did execute it good but I wish they didn’t just keep throwing the storyline from one point to one point.Im referring to how she basically got sa by Ethan and how it effected her but it didn’t effect her in her adult hood like only in that moment she wanted to cry.I know people process things differently but it would’ve been good to maybe see her feel differently about cam especially because he was a frat boy and he was sex crazy.I figured something would’ve trigged with that.I do say the Cam & Allison plot-twist at the end was crazy and she executed that well because I felt Allison’s angry in me for her.Overall the book was good there were some things I wish was different but I give this book a 4 star review overall.
December 29, 2025
I picked up this book purely because one of the main characters shared my name, Alison. Unfortunately, that's where the excitement ended for me.
SPOILERS AHEAD
From the start, I struggled to connect with the characters. The main character, Rachel, had little to no growth throughout the story. In fact, none of the characters were particularly likeable and I found their dynamics frustrating and shallow. The constant tension over political or social class differences felt forced and lazy, especially for a murder mystery. I'm tired of this trope being used as the sole source of conflict in modern mysteries.
One plot point especially annoyed me was how an entire middle school apparently hated Alison just because her family was rich. Really? That's not only unrealistic it's weak character motivation. The rivalry between Rachel and Alison, still unclear to me. If it really stemmed from a middle school crush, then Rachel's obsession with Alison all through high school and college (to the point of cyberstalking) makes her seem unhinged. If anything, Rachel came off as the one with the real issues not Alison, whose only "flaws" seemed to be wealth and being a bit quirky.
As for the ending, it felt rushed and unsatisfying. we find out who the killer is but the reveal comes with little to no motive or deeper explanation. It left me wondering what the point of the whole story even was. for a book marketed as a thriller/ mystery, it just fell flat.
In the end, the book had potential but it didn't deliver. A great title and premise but weak execution, frustrating characters and a disappointing payoff.
SPOILERS AHEAD
From the start, I struggled to connect with the characters. The main character, Rachel, had little to no growth throughout the story. In fact, none of the characters were particularly likeable and I found their dynamics frustrating and shallow. The constant tension over political or social class differences felt forced and lazy, especially for a murder mystery. I'm tired of this trope being used as the sole source of conflict in modern mysteries.
One plot point especially annoyed me was how an entire middle school apparently hated Alison just because her family was rich. Really? That's not only unrealistic it's weak character motivation. The rivalry between Rachel and Alison, still unclear to me. If it really stemmed from a middle school crush, then Rachel's obsession with Alison all through high school and college (to the point of cyberstalking) makes her seem unhinged. If anything, Rachel came off as the one with the real issues not Alison, whose only "flaws" seemed to be wealth and being a bit quirky.
As for the ending, it felt rushed and unsatisfying. we find out who the killer is but the reveal comes with little to no motive or deeper explanation. It left me wondering what the point of the whole story even was. for a book marketed as a thriller/ mystery, it just fell flat.
In the end, the book had potential but it didn't deliver. A great title and premise but weak execution, frustrating characters and a disappointing payoff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2026
Rachel and Alison grew up as classmates through eighth grade and crossed paths again in college. There was a pretty clear ending to any friendship they had one summer day at the end of middle school, so when they see each other in college, they don’t reconnect. However, Rachel sees Alison leave a party with a stranger one night, and says something she regrets. The next morning, Alison is found dead - at the same location they had their falling out at all those years ago. Rachel joins her school’s journalism crew to try to uncover what happened and ends up going down a rabbit hole on their past.
This almost felt more coming of age than thriller to me. It was definitely more on the suspense side than the thriller side but it kept me interested and engaged. I enjoyed the narration - we get a single POV from Rachel. The characters were definitely flawed and felt realistic to their age group.
Thanks to @prhaudio for my gifted ALC
This almost felt more coming of age than thriller to me. It was definitely more on the suspense side than the thriller side but it kept me interested and engaged. I enjoyed the narration - we get a single POV from Rachel. The characters were definitely flawed and felt realistic to their age group.
Thanks to @prhaudio for my gifted ALC
February 11, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
This was a hard book to read, to remember how awful teenagers can be. But I thought Kate Russo did a great job of getting into the head of someone who was in that middle ground of not quite bullied/not quite a bully, and acknowledging the guilt that accompanies that position. I only wish we had learned more about Alison’s life between high school and college, to get a better understanding of who she was at the end.
Also, maybe spoiler: it frustrated me that the police said they “thought” the body was Alison. They held a press conference with the entire town without having a formal ID? That seemed completely unprofessional and made me expect that there would be some body-switch/“she’s been alive the whole time!” nonsense.
This was a hard book to read, to remember how awful teenagers can be. But I thought Kate Russo did a great job of getting into the head of someone who was in that middle ground of not quite bullied/not quite a bully, and acknowledging the guilt that accompanies that position. I only wish we had learned more about Alison’s life between high school and college, to get a better understanding of who she was at the end.
Also, maybe spoiler: it frustrated me that the police said they “thought” the body was Alison. They held a press conference with the entire town without having a formal ID? That seemed completely unprofessional and made me expect that there would be some body-switch/“she’s been alive the whole time!” nonsense.
May 29, 2025
I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this book. The way it was told through past and present made it easy to follow the history of the characters and helped me to draw my own conclusions about each along the way as I (like many characters in the book) tried to solve the age old question of who did it. It was a mix of coming of age and a mystery thriller. Kate Russo did a fantastic job at putting us in Rachel’s mind so we could understand her feelings especially guilt and regret. I’ll definitely read future books by Russo! She earned a new fan with this one.
May 15, 2025
Nobody deserves anything.
Themes of sexism, bullying, being a bully and becoming a bully…an unconfident FMC that experiences minimal growth. A bit weird how much she’s fixated on a girl from middle school that she fell out of friendship with. I had a hard time relating which impacted my ability to enjoy this story. I do think it could make a good book club read for groups that like to discuss complicated themes.
Themes of sexism, bullying, being a bully and becoming a bully…an unconfident FMC that experiences minimal growth. A bit weird how much she’s fixated on a girl from middle school that she fell out of friendship with. I had a hard time relating which impacted my ability to enjoy this story. I do think it could make a good book club read for groups that like to discuss complicated themes.
February 11, 2025
When Rachel learns that her childhood best friend-turned-rival, Alison, has been found dead, their complicated past resurfaces, forcing her to confront old wounds—both the ones she carries and the ones she caused. This poignant novel explores the duality of adolescence, where kindness and cruelty coexist.
August 31, 2025
There was a mystery that didn’t matter really in the end. Friendships kinda investigated but not really. The backstory was kind of…mid? What was the point of Cam? Was everything supposed to be surface level because the narrator was having a hard time? I just feel like a lot of the book was missing?
April 9, 2025
I enjoyed this book and loved the switching between present and past. I found some of the themes a little hard to read, mainly because I can remember what school was like and how bullying affects people.
February 13, 2026
Middle school is toxic and no one in this book is likable. I was bored 1/2 way through but wanted to find out what happened to Alison. The ending was abrupt and not worth the effort.
September 21, 2025
3 stars for a book with tremendous potential that I, in all honesty, just didn’t love.
I think part of the problem is the way this book was marketed. From the book jacket and the blurbs, it’s set up as a thriller, but Until Alison is most decidedly not a thriller. The death is not even the main plot. It’s a vehicle for a slow burn in the truest sense - a nearly-agonizing look at the narrator’s eighth grade year, revealed through flashbacks.
A few things about this book made it challenging for me to enjoy:
1. The pacing of these flashbacks was too slow for me. I also didn’t particularly care about the content of the flashbacks. Eighth graders’ friendship drama, attempts at dating, etc. just fundamentally does not interest me. I think this level of detail about kid drama only works when it’s set in high school rather than middle school. And even then, sometimes it’s just hard to invest an adult in the inner life of a child.
2. I don’t know if it was the writing style or what, but nearly every character seemed simultaneously unlikeable and unbelievable. So many characters were flattened and reduced to tropes - the terribly misogynistic Republican boyfriend who is casually racist toward his own girlfriend, the queer social justice activist art reporter, the friendless middle schooler who gets bullied in an almost cartoonish way. The “stock character” portrayal felt almost like a made for TV movie, with the Sociology 101 elements feeling like an after-school special.
3. Among this too-large cast of characters, I found Ethan and Rachel to be the two most interesting ones. But with so many characters to cover, the author couldn’t really let us into the inner lives of either of them…even though Rachel was ostensibly the narrator.
4. Many of the plot points strained credulity. A random dude just killing a random woman? A professor who involves herself in students’ personal lives in a way that’s appropriate and not inappropriate? Student reporters trying to do the work of cops? That last part in particular felt very YA fiction and just completely took me out of the plot. I also found a lot of the middle school bullying scenes to be extremely overwrought.
All that said, though, there were definitely elements of this book that I did enjoy. I thought the exploration of sexual assault in the context of teenagers’ attempts to figure out their own sexuality was an interesting take that I wish the author had delved further into. I also thought the exploration of class interactions in a “town and gown” setting was something I genuinely wanted to read more about.
Honestly, a book solely written about Rachel and Alison‘s respective transitions to college, and how each of them felt differently coming from the same town but different economic classes — with no murder at all — would have been better in my opinion.
Four stars for potential, two stars for execution, three stars overall.
I think part of the problem is the way this book was marketed. From the book jacket and the blurbs, it’s set up as a thriller, but Until Alison is most decidedly not a thriller. The death is not even the main plot. It’s a vehicle for a slow burn in the truest sense - a nearly-agonizing look at the narrator’s eighth grade year, revealed through flashbacks.
A few things about this book made it challenging for me to enjoy:
1. The pacing of these flashbacks was too slow for me. I also didn’t particularly care about the content of the flashbacks. Eighth graders’ friendship drama, attempts at dating, etc. just fundamentally does not interest me. I think this level of detail about kid drama only works when it’s set in high school rather than middle school. And even then, sometimes it’s just hard to invest an adult in the inner life of a child.
2. I don’t know if it was the writing style or what, but nearly every character seemed simultaneously unlikeable and unbelievable. So many characters were flattened and reduced to tropes - the terribly misogynistic Republican boyfriend who is casually racist toward his own girlfriend, the queer social justice activist art reporter, the friendless middle schooler who gets bullied in an almost cartoonish way. The “stock character” portrayal felt almost like a made for TV movie, with the Sociology 101 elements feeling like an after-school special.
3. Among this too-large cast of characters, I found Ethan and Rachel to be the two most interesting ones. But with so many characters to cover, the author couldn’t really let us into the inner lives of either of them…even though Rachel was ostensibly the narrator.
4. Many of the plot points strained credulity. A random dude just killing a random woman? A professor who involves herself in students’ personal lives in a way that’s appropriate and not inappropriate? Student reporters trying to do the work of cops? That last part in particular felt very YA fiction and just completely took me out of the plot. I also found a lot of the middle school bullying scenes to be extremely overwrought.
All that said, though, there were definitely elements of this book that I did enjoy. I thought the exploration of sexual assault in the context of teenagers’ attempts to figure out their own sexuality was an interesting take that I wish the author had delved further into. I also thought the exploration of class interactions in a “town and gown” setting was something I genuinely wanted to read more about.
Honestly, a book solely written about Rachel and Alison‘s respective transitions to college, and how each of them felt differently coming from the same town but different economic classes — with no murder at all — would have been better in my opinion.
Four stars for potential, two stars for execution, three stars overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2025
Until Alison by Kate Russo is a explores adolescent angst and a college murder mystery. It is recommended. This novel will be appreciated more by New Adult readers
In Waterbury, Maine, Rachel Nardelli and Alison Petrucci were friends as children, had a fall out during middle school, and Rachel really hasn't talked to her since they were 14. Alison was bullied and considered the weird girl in grade school and middle school. She came from a wealthy family and later went to an exclusive high school due to the bullying. During their senior year at college, Rachel was drunk at her boyfriend Cam's party when Alison showed up and later left with a guy. Alison's body was found in a pond the next day.
Rachel is a journalism major and part of the college newspaper staff so she starts investigating the murder with her fellow journalists. She also privately reflects on her former relationship and interactions with Alison, but neglects to mention until much later her previous relationship with Alison or the fact that she saw her leave Cam's party with a young man.
For mature adult readers it should be noted that this is really a new adult novel. The narrative reads exactly like an immature college student ruminating about her past. Most college students have matured, move on, etc. and don't dwell on or deeply ponder events from middle school to this extent. They are usually looking toward the future, leaving their childhood and many of the people they knew from school behind them, in the past.
As the narrator of the story, Rachel is unlikable and a large part of it, for me, is her immaturity. Rachel mistakenly thinks because she saw Alison that night she could have prevented her murder. She was also so removed from Alison in the present that she should have easily shared the fact that she knew her from years ago. They had no current connection with each other. Alison is never really developed as a sympathetic character other than her oddness in middle school when she was the target for bullies.
The quality of the writing is good, but it also seemed like Russo wanted to write a social commentary about class, gender, political alignments, and violence against women rather than a mystery. These topics are present in the narrative but don't feel incorporated into the plot in a natural manner. The novel held my attention and Russo gets points for her writing ability but the presentation could have been better.
Until Alison would be a good choice for New Adult readers on the younger side. Thanks to Penguin/Putnam for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/0...
In Waterbury, Maine, Rachel Nardelli and Alison Petrucci were friends as children, had a fall out during middle school, and Rachel really hasn't talked to her since they were 14. Alison was bullied and considered the weird girl in grade school and middle school. She came from a wealthy family and later went to an exclusive high school due to the bullying. During their senior year at college, Rachel was drunk at her boyfriend Cam's party when Alison showed up and later left with a guy. Alison's body was found in a pond the next day.
Rachel is a journalism major and part of the college newspaper staff so she starts investigating the murder with her fellow journalists. She also privately reflects on her former relationship and interactions with Alison, but neglects to mention until much later her previous relationship with Alison or the fact that she saw her leave Cam's party with a young man.
For mature adult readers it should be noted that this is really a new adult novel. The narrative reads exactly like an immature college student ruminating about her past. Most college students have matured, move on, etc. and don't dwell on or deeply ponder events from middle school to this extent. They are usually looking toward the future, leaving their childhood and many of the people they knew from school behind them, in the past.
As the narrator of the story, Rachel is unlikable and a large part of it, for me, is her immaturity. Rachel mistakenly thinks because she saw Alison that night she could have prevented her murder. She was also so removed from Alison in the present that she should have easily shared the fact that she knew her from years ago. They had no current connection with each other. Alison is never really developed as a sympathetic character other than her oddness in middle school when she was the target for bullies.
The quality of the writing is good, but it also seemed like Russo wanted to write a social commentary about class, gender, political alignments, and violence against women rather than a mystery. These topics are present in the narrative but don't feel incorporated into the plot in a natural manner. The novel held my attention and Russo gets points for her writing ability but the presentation could have been better.
Until Alison would be a good choice for New Adult readers on the younger side. Thanks to Penguin/Putnam for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/0...
September 4, 2025
As I read this book, I had the nagging feeling that I was the wrong audience for this tale of bullying, angst, young adult regret and the emo world of teenage hormones. Yes, there is a murder early on but the author seems to spend less time tackling the whodunit mystery than chapter upon chapter of rehashing a childhood friendship gone terribly awry.
Rachel and Alison started out as friends but the "mean girls" world of Junior High sends them in different directions, leaving Alison as a pariah among her classmates because she is "different." The fact that both girls have a crush on the same boy exacerbates the situation. Enter the class bully and the capitulation of the rest of the class, including Rachel, and Alison disappears from their lives by transferring to a private school. College reunites the former friends but Rachel's guilt and cowardice prevent her from reconciling with Alison.
Things come to a head when Alison is murdered after attending a party thrown by Rachel's boyfriend, Cam. He is a preppy, shallow social climber from an affluent world diametrically opposite of Rachel's working class background. As a writer on the school paper, Rachel is expected to follow the investigation and report on it. A new set of "mean girls" on the college newspaper staff, as well as her own history of alcohol abuse and the complicated relationship with her boyfriend push Rachel to her limits. She also believes she is one of the last people to have seen Alison alive, leaving the party with a mystery man.
None of the characters in this book are likable, some even less so than others, but they do represent the typical range of personalities in a small town public school as well as an expensive liberal arts college. Russo obviously drew upon her experiences growing up in central Maine with its juxtaposition of blue-collar families and people of wealth. Rachel's college experiences in an atmosphere of entitlement could have been explored more, although the scene where Cam comes to visit her family begins to explore the contrasts.
The resolution of the murder was definitely anti-climactic with very little relevance to the rest of the book. As a murder mystery I would have to give it low marks but as an exploration of the challenges of adolescence and early adulthood it fared much better.
Rachel and Alison started out as friends but the "mean girls" world of Junior High sends them in different directions, leaving Alison as a pariah among her classmates because she is "different." The fact that both girls have a crush on the same boy exacerbates the situation. Enter the class bully and the capitulation of the rest of the class, including Rachel, and Alison disappears from their lives by transferring to a private school. College reunites the former friends but Rachel's guilt and cowardice prevent her from reconciling with Alison.
Things come to a head when Alison is murdered after attending a party thrown by Rachel's boyfriend, Cam. He is a preppy, shallow social climber from an affluent world diametrically opposite of Rachel's working class background. As a writer on the school paper, Rachel is expected to follow the investigation and report on it. A new set of "mean girls" on the college newspaper staff, as well as her own history of alcohol abuse and the complicated relationship with her boyfriend push Rachel to her limits. She also believes she is one of the last people to have seen Alison alive, leaving the party with a mystery man.
None of the characters in this book are likable, some even less so than others, but they do represent the typical range of personalities in a small town public school as well as an expensive liberal arts college. Russo obviously drew upon her experiences growing up in central Maine with its juxtaposition of blue-collar families and people of wealth. Rachel's college experiences in an atmosphere of entitlement could have been explored more, although the scene where Cam comes to visit her family begins to explore the contrasts.
The resolution of the murder was definitely anti-climactic with very little relevance to the rest of the book. As a murder mystery I would have to give it low marks but as an exploration of the challenges of adolescence and early adulthood it fared much better.
July 6, 2026
It's an interesting choice to make a main character who is so unlikeable. The flap of the book may call Rachel and Alison rivals, but that is completely mischaracterizing their relationship. In truth, Rachel bullied Alison for years.
I find it fascinating that she feels an incredible amount of guilt for seeing Alison leave a party with someone, insisting that she could have stopped Alison's murder - as if it wouldn't be an incredibly unhinged thing to do to stop your childhood friend that you have been horrifically mean to from consensually leaving a party with a man that you don't know. And the one helpful thing she could do here - tell the cops - is something she refuses to do for the majority of the book, only reluctantly admitting that she knew Alison at all.
It's somewhat mismarketed as a thriller. It's more of a character study. Ultimately, from that perspective, it did have some interesting aspects. I almost wish the author had taken it further, because there are such complex facets of female friendship through puberty and social dynamics in high school and the idea of mourning someone that you didn't like but who also didn't ever do anything mean to you - I think if more had been fleshed out in the high school portions, it would have been more compelling.
I find it fascinating that she feels an incredible amount of guilt for seeing Alison leave a party with someone, insisting that she could have stopped Alison's murder - as if it wouldn't be an incredibly unhinged thing to do to stop your childhood friend that you have been horrifically mean to from consensually leaving a party with a man that you don't know. And the one helpful thing she could do here - tell the cops - is something she refuses to do for the majority of the book, only reluctantly admitting that she knew Alison at all.
It's somewhat mismarketed as a thriller. It's more of a character study. Ultimately, from that perspective, it did have some interesting aspects. I almost wish the author had taken it further, because there are such complex facets of female friendship through puberty and social dynamics in high school and the idea of mourning someone that you didn't like but who also didn't ever do anything mean to you - I think if more had been fleshed out in the high school portions, it would have been more compelling.
June 23, 2026
Review of uncorrected eBook file
For six years, when they were both young, Rachel Nardelli and Alison Petrucci were friends. But junior high school mean girls and a boy turned them into frenemies.
When Alison leaves a college party hosted by Rachel’s boyfriend, Cam, Rachel sees her go. She’s with a stranger, but Rachel does not stop her.
The next day, Alison is dead.
Who was the stranger? Did he kill Alison? And could Rachel have stopped it?
=========
This book is less a murder mystery and more an introspective look at life choices, behaviors, guilt, and the effects of bullying. Backstory, looking at the girls’ relationship throughout the years, keeps the story moving between the present and the past. There are no characters that readers are likely to relate to; social pressures and guilt play a large part here; and politics don’t fit too well with a murder mystery.
And, although readers will discover the identity of the murderer, they never learn why Alison was killed. Adding to the frustrations for readers, the unnecessary overuse of a particularly offensive expletive is likely to be off-putting for many readers and lowers the rating for the book.
I received a free copy of this eBook from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam / G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#UntilAlison #NetGalley
For six years, when they were both young, Rachel Nardelli and Alison Petrucci were friends. But junior high school mean girls and a boy turned them into frenemies.
When Alison leaves a college party hosted by Rachel’s boyfriend, Cam, Rachel sees her go. She’s with a stranger, but Rachel does not stop her.
The next day, Alison is dead.
Who was the stranger? Did he kill Alison? And could Rachel have stopped it?
=========
This book is less a murder mystery and more an introspective look at life choices, behaviors, guilt, and the effects of bullying. Backstory, looking at the girls’ relationship throughout the years, keeps the story moving between the present and the past. There are no characters that readers are likely to relate to; social pressures and guilt play a large part here; and politics don’t fit too well with a murder mystery.
And, although readers will discover the identity of the murderer, they never learn why Alison was killed. Adding to the frustrations for readers, the unnecessary overuse of a particularly offensive expletive is likely to be off-putting for many readers and lowers the rating for the book.
I received a free copy of this eBook from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam / G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#UntilAlison #NetGalley
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