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Dead Girls Society
You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares. Tell no one, and come alone. If you dare.
Hope is sick of everyone treating her like she’s breakable. Sure, she has cystic fibrosis (basically really bad lungs), but she’s tired of being babied by her mom and her overprotective best friend, Ethan, not to mention worrying about paying for her expensive medication and how she’s going to afford college. And she’s bored with life in her run-down New Orleans suburb.
When an invitation arrives from a mysterious group that calls itself the Society, Hope jumps at the chance for some excitement. This could be her ticket out. All she has to do is complete a few dares and she just might win some real money.
But the Society isn’t all that it seems…and soon Hope finds that playing the game isn’t a choice—it’s a requirement.
Hope is sick of everyone treating her like she’s breakable. Sure, she has cystic fibrosis (basically really bad lungs), but she’s tired of being babied by her mom and her overprotective best friend, Ethan, not to mention worrying about paying for her expensive medication and how she’s going to afford college. And she’s bored with life in her run-down New Orleans suburb.
When an invitation arrives from a mysterious group that calls itself the Society, Hope jumps at the chance for some excitement. This could be her ticket out. All she has to do is complete a few dares and she just might win some real money.
But the Society isn’t all that it seems…and soon Hope finds that playing the game isn’t a choice—it’s a requirement.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 2016
140 people are currently reading
15286 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Krys
12 books630 followersI'm the author of the YA novels HEXED, CHARMED, and DEAD GIRLS SOCIETY, all from Random House Children's Books, plus the forthcoming THIS TOWN IS NOT ALL RIGHT, written under the name M.K. Krys, out August 11th, 2020 from Penguin Workshop. Visit me at michellekrys.com or follow @MichelleKrys on Twitter or @michellekrysbooks on Instagram.
*PLEASE NOTE: I don't respond to messages on Goodreads. If you want to contact me please email me directly at michelle.k.krys@gmail.com*
*PLEASE NOTE: I don't respond to messages on Goodreads. If you want to contact me please email me directly at michelle.k.krys@gmail.com*
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 579 reviews
August 18, 2016
When I first saw this book appear on Netgalley I was pretty excited, despite it not being the sort of book I normally read. For whatever reason it had a distinct “Pretty Little Liars” vibe and that was actually a bit of a turn off for me. (Although I was probably just being a snob in that regards since I had never actually watched or read the series).
However the title, the cover, the plot, drew me in and I found myself fervently crossing my fingers, hoping that I would soon get that beautiful approved email in my inbox from the publisher. Well the Fates must have been in my favour because miracles of miracles I was approved and so soon began my complete devouring of this story.
Right from the beginning, even while still harboring some whispers of skepticism that I would ever enjoy a YA Mystery I found myself quickly hooked. The mystery was so good, so intriguing and best of all at no point did the author insult the readers intelligence by throwing heaps of obvious hints all over the book. I was left guessing the entire time and it was fun, not frustrating as I might have thought to go back and forth over “who'dunnit”.
The characters were all well done, although it did take me a little while to figure out who was who when introduced to four new female characters all at once. Luckily they were all quite unique so soon enough I understood which character was which.
The entire story was a perfect balance for me for a YA Mystery. It was thrilling, with an edge of your seat mentality without ever crossing into gory or overly violent. The comradery of the group felt natural and fresh and the hint of romance in the story was a nice little cherry on top.
Overall for someone that doesn't normally read mysteries I found this to be great fun. I would definitely recommend this for anyone seeking a quick and clever mystery that will leave them smiling when they close the book. I think this story would make a great movie and I will have to keep my eyes peeled for more from this author. 5/5!
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy
Check out more of my reviews here
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2016
Lovers of Panic by Lauren Oliver, Nerve by Jeanne Ryan or Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard will likely enjoy this fast paced read about a group of girls being blackmailed to participate in a game of dare. A little predictable, a little overdramatic; if you're a YA mystery veteran, this might not bring anything new and exciting to the table for you.
December 17, 2016
Similar to Michelle Krys's debut novel, this book only offers one good thing, an interesting premise.
Overall, Dead Girls Society has a terrible execution. The writing is shoddy. My attention span started waning after reading the first chapter. As if that isn't terrible enough, The Bury Your Gays trope was also used to make the plot somehow edgier. It didn't worked. It's just another one big fuck you to wlw readers. I highly advise skipping this one.
Overall, Dead Girls Society has a terrible execution. The writing is shoddy. My attention span started waning after reading the first chapter. As if that isn't terrible enough, The Bury Your Gays trope was also used to make the plot somehow edgier. It didn't worked. It's just another one big fuck you to wlw readers. I highly advise skipping this one.
October 17, 2018
3,5 stars. What do you do when you have cystic fibrosis and want a break from your sheltered life? You join a deadly game of dares, duh.
*Evil Laugh* Haha, this was just the fun YA thriller to kick off this spooky month of October! A nice cast of leading ladies, a couple of messed-up challenges, and plenty of possible culprits to kick off your paranoia.
Because while the deadly dares are the highlight of this novel (my god, the one in the swamp!), the suspicion about the blackmailing Society itself is just as fun. The plot itself isn’t so complicated or special, but learning about the skeletons of these rich privileged girls heightened the risks and fleshed them out nicely.
I liked following Hope as a main character, because as terrified and ill as she is, she does realize that the dares open up her world and give her confidence. I was less fan of her romance: Ethan was boring and things with her other crush went way too fast.
The climax of the novel was nail-biting though – the Society was more complex than I thought – but sadly this book does suffer from the “Bury Your Gays” trope (and this character already has it difficult enough).
So if you’re looking for an addictive contemporary YA thriller in line of Pretty Little Liars, or just a fun mystery, Dead Girls Society is a pretty good choice.
*Evil Laugh* Haha, this was just the fun YA thriller to kick off this spooky month of October! A nice cast of leading ladies, a couple of messed-up challenges, and plenty of possible culprits to kick off your paranoia.
Because while the deadly dares are the highlight of this novel (my god, the one in the swamp!), the suspicion about the blackmailing Society itself is just as fun. The plot itself isn’t so complicated or special, but learning about the skeletons of these rich privileged girls heightened the risks and fleshed them out nicely.
I liked following Hope as a main character, because as terrified and ill as she is, she does realize that the dares open up her world and give her confidence. I was less fan of her romance: Ethan was boring and things with her other crush went way too fast.
The climax of the novel was nail-biting though – the Society was more complex than I thought – but sadly this book does suffer from the “Bury Your Gays” trope (and this character already has it difficult enough).
So if you’re looking for an addictive contemporary YA thriller in line of Pretty Little Liars, or just a fun mystery, Dead Girls Society is a pretty good choice.
October 21, 2016
Why the cliffhanger? Now I have to wait till the next book... if there is one... For a full review, follow the link: https://suereadingcorner.wordpress.co...
October 23, 2016
3.5 stars
I was sold on the secret society dare club synopsis. I love both of those things, so I was eager to read it.
I really liked Hope. She's really sick and wants nothing more to be treated like every other seventeen year old girl. There are a few other girls who are also "club members", but I'll let you find them on your own.
The plot line was interesting, but not quite captivating for me. I was surprised at who it was and why and I didn't expect the level of intricacy that was involved. I did want to know how it turned out, but I could have easily walked away.
Overall, a quick read with an ending that I liked and found slightly irritating.
**Huge thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**
I was sold on the secret society dare club synopsis. I love both of those things, so I was eager to read it.
I really liked Hope. She's really sick and wants nothing more to be treated like every other seventeen year old girl. There are a few other girls who are also "club members", but I'll let you find them on your own.
The plot line was interesting, but not quite captivating for me. I was surprised at who it was and why and I didn't expect the level of intricacy that was involved. I did want to know how it turned out, but I could have easily walked away.
Overall, a quick read with an ending that I liked and found slightly irritating.
**Huge thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**
May 1, 2020
"Dear Hope Callahan",
"You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares. That is, if Mommy will let you out of the house. Come to 291 Schilling Road at Midnight tomorrow. Tell no one and come alone. If you dare".
Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys
Nothing like secret societies and secret dares.
This was a fun dark edgy little piece of writing that I quite enjoyed. I liked also that it takes place in New Orleans as that added to the atmosphere.
And I liked the main character very much. This is a quick read and fun in its way. As YA mysteries go, it will not show you anything shockingly new but it will offer a few hours of fun and absorbing reading.
SPOILERS ABOUT THE END:
I have to discuss the end as my rating of three pertains to this fact.
I rate this 3.5 stars but my rating would have been higher but..was baffled by the end. I do not understand if it is meant to be a series but it did not say "part of a series" on the book. The ending, wile absolutely being shocking, was impossible to understand and that brought my rating down a bit.
I still enjoyed it. It's a fun if bewildering little mystery. I think fans of YA mysteries will enjoy it.
"You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares. That is, if Mommy will let you out of the house. Come to 291 Schilling Road at Midnight tomorrow. Tell no one and come alone. If you dare".
Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys
Nothing like secret societies and secret dares.
This was a fun dark edgy little piece of writing that I quite enjoyed. I liked also that it takes place in New Orleans as that added to the atmosphere.
And I liked the main character very much. This is a quick read and fun in its way. As YA mysteries go, it will not show you anything shockingly new but it will offer a few hours of fun and absorbing reading.
SPOILERS ABOUT THE END:
I have to discuss the end as my rating of three pertains to this fact.
I rate this 3.5 stars but my rating would have been higher but..was baffled by the end. I do not understand if it is meant to be a series but it did not say "part of a series" on the book. The ending, wile absolutely being shocking, was impossible to understand and that brought my rating down a bit.
I still enjoyed it. It's a fun if bewildering little mystery. I think fans of YA mysteries will enjoy it.
April 2, 2022
دیگه نتونستم جلوی خودمو بگیرم که امروز تمومش نکنم.
خیلی خوب بود.👍🏼
خیلی خوب بود.👍🏼
August 14, 2016
OMG THAT ENDING! There better be a book 2.
RTC!
RTC!
March 19, 2017
Awful. Just plain awful.
To hell with defending your entire gender! The hot jerk is trying to be nice!
And that’s just one of the examples where this book fails to be anything remotely close to girl power. One character, Sadie, is the most stereotypical “bitch” character ever, and all the main girls are just as terrible of stereotypes as she is. Multiple times in this book, the main character states “the Bad Girl, the Smart Girl, the Rich Girl, the Sporty Girl, and the Sick Girl”, which is all these girls ever truly are. There’s a vain attempt to bring them all into the real world, make them three dimensional, but it’s so obviously a ploy to make them more relatable and is all thrown in by the means of explaining the “blackmail”, that it seems forced.
I liked the idea of a character with an illness, but the problem was, was that was Hope’s only defining character trait, other than her obsessive crush on her best friend, who BY THE WAY, is such a jerk, and manipulates Hope into feeling guilty for dating another guy even though he has a girlfriend, and while he still has said girlfriend, shares a very intimate moment with Hope for all to see. Nope.
The other love interest, Tucker, is a nice guy, and I guess sort of defies “rich boy” stereotypes, but only so much as to be the cliche “deep and thoughtful rich guy with a secret heart of gold” (which, I might add, )
AND THEN we get to the “Bury your gays” problem, which just made me really mad, because one, obviously that’s terrible, but two, HER SEXUALITY WASN’T EVEN INTRODUCED UNTIL ALMOST PAGE 200. There was no point to making the character gay except to add character depth, a failed attempt when you insert it way too late and then kill the character off anyway. It was weird and forced and not all romantic or had any chemistry. And her death was supposed to serve as the reasoning for the MC’s new found look on life, and that could’ve definitely been done without a death in the mix.
Now, I’ve read a lot of YA mystery, and sometimes you can guess the killer or the big bad right off the bat, which isn’t very much fun, but the way to avoid doing that isn’t to completely avoid any clues or hints until the big reveal. The reveal came out of ABSOLUTELY nowhere, because the reasoning behind the big bad is something that’s mentioned twice, a hundred pages apart, has no relevance to the story at all, and when it is mentioned, it’s mentioned in a sentence at a time. () . A mystery should have clues, but those clues should be subtle. Subtle means they should still BE THERE.
()
I actually enjoyed the last maybe 30 or so pages of the book, but I really wish I hadn’t wasted all my time reading the rest of the book because as much as the ending was good (minus the unnecessary “cliff-hanger” that was added in just to make sure a sequel could happen), it wasn’t good enough to make the rest of this any less painful.
Overall, don’t wast your time. This book took me an entire week to read because I just couldn't deal with the stupid that was happening, the 2D characters, and the annoying supporting stereotypes, I mean supporting characters.
“You’re not like other girls I know.” he says. I hate when guys say that, like it’s some sort of compliment to say girls suck in general. But I don’t say so. I can tell he’s trying to say something nice.”
To hell with defending your entire gender! The hot jerk is trying to be nice!
And that’s just one of the examples where this book fails to be anything remotely close to girl power. One character, Sadie, is the most stereotypical “bitch” character ever, and all the main girls are just as terrible of stereotypes as she is. Multiple times in this book, the main character states “the Bad Girl, the Smart Girl, the Rich Girl, the Sporty Girl, and the Sick Girl”, which is all these girls ever truly are. There’s a vain attempt to bring them all into the real world, make them three dimensional, but it’s so obviously a ploy to make them more relatable and is all thrown in by the means of explaining the “blackmail”, that it seems forced.
I liked the idea of a character with an illness, but the problem was, was that was Hope’s only defining character trait, other than her obsessive crush on her best friend, who BY THE WAY, is such a jerk, and manipulates Hope into feeling guilty for dating another guy even though he has a girlfriend, and while he still has said girlfriend, shares a very intimate moment with Hope for all to see. Nope.
The other love interest, Tucker, is a nice guy, and I guess sort of defies “rich boy” stereotypes, but only so much as to be the cliche “deep and thoughtful rich guy with a secret heart of gold” (which, I might add, )
AND THEN we get to the “Bury your gays” problem, which just made me really mad, because one, obviously that’s terrible, but two, HER SEXUALITY WASN’T EVEN INTRODUCED UNTIL ALMOST PAGE 200. There was no point to making the character gay except to add character depth, a failed attempt when you insert it way too late and then kill the character off anyway. It was weird and forced and not all romantic or had any chemistry. And her death was supposed to serve as the reasoning for the MC’s new found look on life, and that could’ve definitely been done without a death in the mix.
Now, I’ve read a lot of YA mystery, and sometimes you can guess the killer or the big bad right off the bat, which isn’t very much fun, but the way to avoid doing that isn’t to completely avoid any clues or hints until the big reveal. The reveal came out of ABSOLUTELY nowhere, because the reasoning behind the big bad is something that’s mentioned twice, a hundred pages apart, has no relevance to the story at all, and when it is mentioned, it’s mentioned in a sentence at a time. () . A mystery should have clues, but those clues should be subtle. Subtle means they should still BE THERE.
()
I actually enjoyed the last maybe 30 or so pages of the book, but I really wish I hadn’t wasted all my time reading the rest of the book because as much as the ending was good (minus the unnecessary “cliff-hanger” that was added in just to make sure a sequel could happen), it wasn’t good enough to make the rest of this any less painful.
Overall, don’t wast your time. This book took me an entire week to read because I just couldn't deal with the stupid that was happening, the 2D characters, and the annoying supporting stereotypes, I mean supporting characters.
March 31, 2021
This was a fun thriller. I think this story was written at a great pace and had a cool concept. Some of it was really far fetched. I would sum this up as good, not great.
First the good: I like Hope as a person. I love the idea of the society with all these different personality types working together. There is such diversity in the group, and even a LGBT is represented
I loved that this story started right off with the first letter. Like I said before, the pacing was right on. I liked that I didn’t have to wait for the society to appear in this book, it pretty much gets introduced in chapter one. The mystery of who the society is becomes really important as the story moves forward. I enjoyed guessing who done it, and was shocked at the reveal. I am sure most readers will be surprised as well. (that might be because we are not given enough information, and a key detail is left out of the narrative until almost the end, which leads me right into…)
The Not So Good: First things first, Hope’s frailty. Cystic fibrosis would have been bad enough, but this story went a little too far. In a conversation Hope’s mother states that she was born 4 and 1/2 months premature. 4 AND 1/2 MONTHS! My son was born 4 months premature (24 weeks) and I can tell you right now that sort of prematurity alone would have been almost fatal. She was 22 weeks pregnant when Hope was born. Most hospitals in this country wouldn’t even consider a 22 week pregnancy viable (the survival rate is 2%-9% at 22 weeks). Cystic fibrosis is awful and deadly, and I think the author should have stopped right there. It does explain why her mother might have a been a bit overprotective.
The only visitor Hope has is her crush. Hmm, that seems mighty coincidental. Ethan as the love interest made me yawn. He is so ideal and boring I don’t understand why he was needed in the story. There were a lot of extreme characters in this story which made me roll my eyes. Characters are really bad, really rich, really smart, really sick, really good looking, and/or really evil.
I don’t think a lot of readers will be able to relate to Hope. She is hard to imagine with her illness, close family, and her hot best friend. Hope is also a lot less awkward then originally described. She is graceful in social situations and despite being really sick, she is still bullied? I really didn’t get why a bullied kid would want to go back to school so badly.
In Conclusion: I think this story was okay, but some elements were really immature. I can’t imagine readers will find this to be an original story as it uses so many overdone elements. I had major issues with a few things in this story, but it was an okay read.
December 11, 2016
“Dead Girls Society” is a young adult thriller that delivers on its promise of suspense.
The main character, Hope, has cystic fibrosis and an extremely over-protective mother. Those things lead her to be sucked into a deadly game of truth or dare. All of the secondary characters are diverse, have their own reasons for playing the game, and are interesting and well-developed. The plot is tense and moves quickly. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, as well as up way past their bedtime.
“Dead Girls Society” is a good read for young adults and adults who enjoy a good thriller.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
The main character, Hope, has cystic fibrosis and an extremely over-protective mother. Those things lead her to be sucked into a deadly game of truth or dare. All of the secondary characters are diverse, have their own reasons for playing the game, and are interesting and well-developed. The plot is tense and moves quickly. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, as well as up way past their bedtime.
“Dead Girls Society” is a good read for young adults and adults who enjoy a good thriller.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
December 15, 2016
Oh my gosh. Oh My Gosh. OH MY GOSH!!!! This was, hands down, one of the best books of the year. I read it in two sittings, and I'm just mind blown on how good this book is. I mean I guessed the suspect a little after half way, but I didn't expect to be right! But all the things they had to do was so unexpected and thrilling. This book had me at the edge of my seat the whole time, and…And just, I can't put into words on how good this book was and if you have money and own a car/laptop, BUY IT NOW!
It won't waste your time, I promise you. I kind of need to rethink life for a second.…
It won't waste your time, I promise you. I kind of need to rethink life for a second.…
July 20, 2016
Page-turning thriller full of dares set against the backdrop of a main character dealing with a chronic illness (but not being defined by it) and the repercussions that's had on her relationship with her mother. Plenty of plot, action, mystery, girl characters and romance too. Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars!
Read
February 28, 2018My second DNF of the week. Thankfully. like the other book I DNF'd, I got this from the library. I read the first hundred pages and was too bored to continue. It wasn't horrible or anything, it was just really tropey and too much teen romance stuff for me. When I pick up a thriller or a horror, I am not looking for half of it to be about a unrequited love with a best friend. No, just start knocking the kids off ! I'm not going to review this one since I didn't read it all the way through and I'm not adding it to my reading challenge.
July 26, 2016
I loved this book! I stayed up until 4am reading because I was dying to find out who was behind the invites. I never would've guessed who it was! Such a satisfying ending. This was a tightly paced read, full of unexpected twists and turns. Other things I enjoyed about it: the diverse cast of characters (loved the LGBT representation), the complexity and depth of the characters, and the setting (New Orleans really came alive). Fans of Pretty Little Liars will go apeshit for this book haha.
December 30, 2016
Actual rating 3.5 stars
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This review talks about the Cystic Fibrosis representation from an #ownvoices reviewer perspective, check it out as well: http://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/11...
Critically
Plot – 3.4 out of 5 stars
This book was really mysterious and intense. It’s full of adrenaline and action packed because of what the main characters are going through. Sometimes it could get a little cheesy and almost immatureish. I feel like the romance that was introduced and carried out was unnecessary and didn’t really do anything for the plot. And the ending was really annoying and infuriating.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style was really simple yet fast paced. It was easy to read and it had an emotive and creepy quality to it. The mystery was really entertaining and well done. I think the choice of narrator was really interesting and I think unconventional but it had it’s moments where it felt whiny, immature though the character definitely showed off her smarts.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I had a problem connecting with the characters in this series. I don’t know if it was because of the point of view or because of the way they were presented but I didn’t care about them as much as I wanted or expected to. Hope is the main character and I found her to be an interesting choice, most notably because she has cystic fibrosis. I can’t say if it was a good or bad representation of the disease and what it does to the body and to the person but I thought it was an interesting aspect of her character. However, she’s really immature and whiny. She can be very petty and though smart, sometimes things felt like they were too easy for her. She’s brave and a fighter but some of her choices throughout the book are definitely questionable. There are four other side characters that take on a primary role in the book but I felt like they were stereotyped and very predictable. Even the main characters notices! Though at some point the other makes sure to point out parts of her individuality, I still saw that coming and pretty much continued the predictable characterization.
Emotionally
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This review talks about the Cystic Fibrosis representation from an #ownvoices reviewer perspective, check it out as well: http://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/11...
Critically
Plot – 3.4 out of 5 stars
This book was really mysterious and intense. It’s full of adrenaline and action packed because of what the main characters are going through. Sometimes it could get a little cheesy and almost immatureish. I feel like the romance that was introduced and carried out was unnecessary and didn’t really do anything for the plot. And the ending was really annoying and infuriating.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style was really simple yet fast paced. It was easy to read and it had an emotive and creepy quality to it. The mystery was really entertaining and well done. I think the choice of narrator was really interesting and I think unconventional but it had it’s moments where it felt whiny, immature though the character definitely showed off her smarts.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I had a problem connecting with the characters in this series. I don’t know if it was because of the point of view or because of the way they were presented but I didn’t care about them as much as I wanted or expected to. Hope is the main character and I found her to be an interesting choice, most notably because she has cystic fibrosis. I can’t say if it was a good or bad representation of the disease and what it does to the body and to the person but I thought it was an interesting aspect of her character. However, she’s really immature and whiny. She can be very petty and though smart, sometimes things felt like they were too easy for her. She’s brave and a fighter but some of her choices throughout the book are definitely questionable. There are four other side characters that take on a primary role in the book but I felt like they were stereotyped and very predictable. Even the main characters notices! Though at some point the other makes sure to point out parts of her individuality, I still saw that coming and pretty much continued the predictable characterization.
Emotionally
November 1, 2020
I had pretty low expectations for this as I haven’t seen it around much or heard anything about it really but I ended up being very pleasantly surprised and enjoying the hell out of it. It was way more brutal than I was expecting for a YA novel and I loved it! It was a nonstop, fast paced thrill ride and it shocked the hell out of me a couple times. This is definitely a twisty turny one and I always like it when a book can keep me guessing. I liked the characters a lot too, they were each so different and had their unique quirks and I enjoyed them quite a bit! My only minor complaint with this book and why it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is the weird love triangle/love square that was going on. I always HATE it when that trope pops up, it just irritates the freaking hell out of me because it’s just SO overdone.
December 3, 2016
This.Was.Amazing! I am so glad I read this one. I haven't had that much luck with YA this year, but this one is definitely a hit!
It will keep you guessing for all of the book. Who is the Society? What is their goal?
I haven't had any luck writing the review, sometimes it words don't come. But I do want to write something, so I will go for my trusty: Good/Bad kind of review.
Let me start with Good:
-The Society. I was just so excited to find out who was doing these things, who was making up the dares, who picked these girls and why, how could they afford all that money and the prizes. Questions just kept tumbling through my brain, and I loved it. Each page brought us closer to the uncovering of The Society. Each page brought more information.
Of course The Society went from just a cute game to earn money to something much much more dangerous.
-The actual revelation was a brilliant thing, and I totally loved it. I had my suspicions, but I have seen enough books that suddenly had a twist at the ending that would flip your world.
-The dares. They were dangerous, but oh so exciting. I thought them very creative, as it really pushed the contestants to do things they might normally not dare to do.
-Our MC's illness. I can see that the author did some great research on the topic.
-The MC herself. I loved how she wanted to do things, even while knowing that she might not live that long, or might have to takes medicines and all sorts of other things to make her life better. Some people might give up, but not the MC, she wants to see the world, she wants to try out things. She doesn't give up, and I loved that so much. Go go girl!
-The romance. It didn't feel weird, though I do have to say I was a bit annoyed that it took them so long to find out that they both liked each other. :P I mean, seriously, from the first mention of the guy I knew she liked him, and that he liked her. I think anyone who reads this one will see it immediately. I won't say anything if they get together or not, you will have to read the book.
-I love the cover! It is what I imagine is how the envelope looks like. The envelope our girls get.
-Various side characters are great. Some took me a bit to start liking, but some I immediately liked.
-The ending, on the one hand I am a bit angry, but on the other hand, now I just want more.
Bad:
-Well actually I just have one bad. Yes. One. The mother. I know she means well, I know she is worried, but you have to let your daughter take her own decisions. She is now 16/17, and sorry, you can't lock her up like a princess. You can't deny her the world.
I get that it is hard. I get that you are worried she might get worse. But she has to learn about the world, do you want her to die eventually without having had a life of her own? No. Well then, let her be free. I am sure she knows how her meds work, I am sure she knows who to call when it goes wrong. And yes, she will make mistakes, yes, she might get worse, but she needs to be free and explore the world, she needs to get up on her own legs and live her life.
I also didn't like how the mom went into the school with her daughter. Nice trust you have there. Maybe next time just call the nurse at the end of the day and ask if she knows everything there is, and if she has questions. Just trust your kid a bit more.
So as you can see, a lot of good, and just one bad. I truly loved this book, and I am so happy that I read it. I just love books about dares, about societies, about mystery.
I would highly recommend this one to everyone.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
It will keep you guessing for all of the book. Who is the Society? What is their goal?
I haven't had any luck writing the review, sometimes it words don't come. But I do want to write something, so I will go for my trusty: Good/Bad kind of review.
Let me start with Good:
-The Society. I was just so excited to find out who was doing these things, who was making up the dares, who picked these girls and why, how could they afford all that money and the prizes. Questions just kept tumbling through my brain, and I loved it. Each page brought us closer to the uncovering of The Society. Each page brought more information.
Of course The Society went from just a cute game to earn money to something much much more dangerous.
-The actual revelation was a brilliant thing, and I totally loved it. I had my suspicions, but I have seen enough books that suddenly had a twist at the ending that would flip your world.
-The dares. They were dangerous, but oh so exciting. I thought them very creative, as it really pushed the contestants to do things they might normally not dare to do.
-Our MC's illness. I can see that the author did some great research on the topic.
-The MC herself. I loved how she wanted to do things, even while knowing that she might not live that long, or might have to takes medicines and all sorts of other things to make her life better. Some people might give up, but not the MC, she wants to see the world, she wants to try out things. She doesn't give up, and I loved that so much. Go go girl!
-The romance. It didn't feel weird, though I do have to say I was a bit annoyed that it took them so long to find out that they both liked each other. :P I mean, seriously, from the first mention of the guy I knew she liked him, and that he liked her. I think anyone who reads this one will see it immediately. I won't say anything if they get together or not, you will have to read the book.
-I love the cover! It is what I imagine is how the envelope looks like. The envelope our girls get.
-Various side characters are great. Some took me a bit to start liking, but some I immediately liked.
-The ending, on the one hand I am a bit angry, but on the other hand, now I just want more.
Bad:
-Well actually I just have one bad. Yes. One. The mother. I know she means well, I know she is worried, but you have to let your daughter take her own decisions. She is now 16/17, and sorry, you can't lock her up like a princess. You can't deny her the world.
I get that it is hard. I get that you are worried she might get worse. But she has to learn about the world, do you want her to die eventually without having had a life of her own? No. Well then, let her be free. I am sure she knows how her meds work, I am sure she knows who to call when it goes wrong. And yes, she will make mistakes, yes, she might get worse, but she needs to be free and explore the world, she needs to get up on her own legs and live her life.
I also didn't like how the mom went into the school with her daughter. Nice trust you have there. Maybe next time just call the nurse at the end of the day and ask if she knows everything there is, and if she has questions. Just trust your kid a bit more.
So as you can see, a lot of good, and just one bad. I truly loved this book, and I am so happy that I read it. I just love books about dares, about societies, about mystery.
I would highly recommend this one to everyone.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
August 15, 2016
Hope is smothered by her mother and limited by her Cystic Fibrosis, desperate to get out and be a normal teenager. She watches her best friend Ethan go to parties and date, when what she really wishes is that he was dating her. All of that changes when Hope receives a mysterious invitation to an exclusive club which dares the selected girls to complete some challenges that get at their worst fears- offering both threats if they don't and gifts if they do complete them. Hope thinks about chickening out, but seeking some adventure, she finds herself pushing her limits and doing things she never would have before. Despite this, bad things are happening to her and the other girls competing. Hope becomes desperate to solve the who and why before it's too late.
"Dead Girls Society" is a delicious young adult thriller/mystery. It kept me engaged and guessing all the way to the very end. Hope is your typical teenage girl- hating her illness and the way her mother smothers her. It was nice to see her learn more about the other girls' lives and realize that she's not the only one trapped and unhappy- and really, life as she has it, isn't so bad. The connection between them is fascinating and doesn't become clear until the end.
As for the romance, I was really cheering for her and Ethan all the way through, and I really enjoyed the pieces of that plus her burgeoning dating life, which were nice interludes between the dangerous dares. The book moves quickly with nary a dull moment and was so much fun to read/hard to put down. It is well written too, without any obvious plot holes or lack of motivation/clarity by the end. Krys has done a fantastic job!
This is a spellbinding mystery/thriller in the vein of Caroline B. Cooney and the other YA greats! The ending makes me think there will be a sequel? Let me be the first to hope for it and sign up to read it- I could definitely see Hope becoming one of my favorite characters.
Please note that I received this book from Random House through netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
"Dead Girls Society" is a delicious young adult thriller/mystery. It kept me engaged and guessing all the way to the very end. Hope is your typical teenage girl- hating her illness and the way her mother smothers her. It was nice to see her learn more about the other girls' lives and realize that she's not the only one trapped and unhappy- and really, life as she has it, isn't so bad. The connection between them is fascinating and doesn't become clear until the end.
As for the romance, I was really cheering for her and Ethan all the way through, and I really enjoyed the pieces of that plus her burgeoning dating life, which were nice interludes between the dangerous dares. The book moves quickly with nary a dull moment and was so much fun to read/hard to put down. It is well written too, without any obvious plot holes or lack of motivation/clarity by the end. Krys has done a fantastic job!
This is a spellbinding mystery/thriller in the vein of Caroline B. Cooney and the other YA greats! The ending makes me think there will be a sequel? Let me be the first to hope for it and sign up to read it- I could definitely see Hope becoming one of my favorite characters.
Please note that I received this book from Random House through netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
July 19, 2016
-I won a free copy of this book from a goodreads giveaway in return for an honest review-
I'd firstly like to say that this is my first ever review so apologies in advance if the standard is poor.
From the moment that I began reading this book I was hooked and could not put it down. I found that I could relate to the main character in some aspects, especially due to being around a similar age, which enabled me to engage more with the storyline. Some of the other character's had slight stereotypical and cliché behaviour, however this didnt affect my interest in the storyline. I found the plot of the story very exciting and engaging and it also kept me guessing throughout, which caused the ending to be a huge surprise for me. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would honestly recommend it to over readers.
I'd firstly like to say that this is my first ever review so apologies in advance if the standard is poor.
From the moment that I began reading this book I was hooked and could not put it down. I found that I could relate to the main character in some aspects, especially due to being around a similar age, which enabled me to engage more with the storyline. Some of the other character's had slight stereotypical and cliché behaviour, however this didnt affect my interest in the storyline. I found the plot of the story very exciting and engaging and it also kept me guessing throughout, which caused the ending to be a huge surprise for me. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would honestly recommend it to over readers.
December 30, 2016
Full disclosure: I received this book for free because I won a Twitter contest run by Courtney Summers. But wait! If you want to send me free books, you don’t have to get me to retweet anything at all. You can just do it! Contact me for more details.
Fuller disclosure: Michelle Krys is from Thunder Bay, my hometown and place of residence, so that does give her bonus points.
Fullest disclosure: (I actually have nothing else to add, but I felt like going all the way to the superlative.)
Anyway, I suppose I should, as they say on Monty Python, GET ON WITH IT….
I’m not sure what I was expecting with Dead Girls Society. Outside of where they intersect with science fiction and fantasy, YA thrillers have not been something I’ve reach much of lately. So while I’m used to YA books that deal with some dark and deep issues, the level of unhinged shit that goes down, especially during the climax, is a pleasant surprise here.
Hope Callahan suffers from cystic fibrosis, and it is bad enough that she has been out of school for a few months now. She receives a mysterious, anonymous invitation from the eponymous society. The goal: participate in—and win—a series of dangerous challenges to win $100 000. Though Krys is Canadian, the book takes place in the States (Louisiana, it seems), so that much money would seriously help Hope’s family pay for her medical treatment. But Hope can’t tell anyone else about this game, and it is dangerous enough that it might very well take her life.
Meanwhile, as if she doesn’t have enough problems, she’s developing feelings for Ethan, her best friend, and trying to navigate a return to school. One of the richest, most popular guys is putting the moves on her, and she kind of likes it—but Hope can’t trust anyone, because she soon learns that the Dead Girls Society has representatives and minions everywhere.
I found the main plot very exciting and tightly paced. Krys is frustratingly good at ending her chapters on cliffhangers, and I kept having to put the book down to do boring real life stuff just when I wanted to find out whether Hope was going to live or die! While I can’t speak to the verisimilitude of her portrayal of a teen with CF, I will say that I think Krys does a good job balancing the risks of Hope’s condition with portraying her as a vital, vibrant person. Hope is not an invalid, neither is she an athlete. Her illness does not define her, but it informs her relationships with other people—particularly her family.
Hope’s mother could easily have been a caricature of an over-protective parent, so concerned for her child that she forces her to live in a bubble. Indeed, there are shades of this at the very beginning—but Krys is quick to dispel these. In particular, I love how Hope reasons with her mother on multiple occasions, swaying her mom through the application of logical arguments. It’s kind of refreshing to see teen drama that isn’t so over-the-top. (And if you’re looking for that, don’t worry, it shows up later.)
Krys consistently increases the stakes with each “challenge” and the occasional reprisals that follow. What starts as an intriguing mystery transforms gradually into a literal life-or-death confrontation. Hope is torn between playing the game—whether out of a desire for the money or simply fear of reprisal if she stops—and trying to outsmart/undermine the Society. I loved watching her try to befriend and enlist the other girls involved. At first the other girls seem to fall into stock character types, or, as Krys lampshades it: “the Bad Girl, the Smart Girl, the Rich Girl, the Sporty Girl, and the Sick Girl”. Yet she quickly belies these labels, fleshing out each of the other characters in turn. I don’t want to spoil the story by going into details, but it’s nice to see each of them become more three-dimensional. In particular, I loved Hope’s interactions with Farrah and the way they help her slowly slot back into high school society. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to try to get back into “regular life” and socializing after being confined to one’s house for so long.
Now, there are subplots here that do very little for me, as an ace and no-longer-so-young adult. The “falling for my best friend” plot is pretty old, and Krys doesn’t do much new with that. Likewise, morally ambiguous rich guy falling for main character is another oldie-and-not-always-goodie. I appreciate that Krys exploits that moral ambiguity of Tucker’s for maximum effect, doubling down on the doubt by first undermining Ethan’s revelation of the criminal record and then pulling the rug out from beneath Hope when she least expects it.
Similarly, some of these subplots are also very rushed, or at least underdeveloped. Again, when it comes to the Hope/Tucker relationship, he makes his move the very same day she is back at school and things accelerate … quickly. There is little chance to build tension or for Hope to process what’s happening. (Then again, hormones? I guess?) Ethan’s conflicting relationship with another girl lives mostly in the background, the girlfriend coming to the fore only once or twice before being put on a bus. Fortunately, the main plot comes with enough tension to carry the rest of the story forward like an out-of-control train on greased-up tracks.
There’s more to Dead Girls Society than just thriller material too—there is commentary, both subtle and more obvious, about class and sexuality and gender. Krys contrasts Hope’s working-class family and its struggles to get by with the effortless glamour of Farrah, Tucker, and Nikki’s families—and the political consternation that hangs in the balance when these teenagers fuck up. Some stories, in their eagerness to critique the rich/poor divide, portray one side or the other in one dimension; this is where I find many dystopian YA stories let me down. Krys humanizes everyone, allowing us to understand—if not actually sympathize, because Tucker is a huge dick—why they act the way they do. I appreciate how Krys works these issues into the novel even though they aren’t a central feature.
Going to have to temper my enthusiasm slightly because of that ending, which almost has enough sugar mixed into it to dull the bitter taste of the rest of the book. This is a matter of personal taste, I guess. If you like “happy endings” where the protagonist gets all that she wants and maybe more, I guess you’ll enjoy this one. I prefer endings that are more ambiguous, endings that reflect the true uncertainty of life, endings that offer up the suggestion of hope (pun intended) but never the promise. While Krys does try to introduce an element of mystery right at the end (is there going to be a sequel? I’d read a sequel!), overall I feel like she wraps the story up in too much of a big bow before handing it to the reader.
I was decidedly lukewarm about Krys’ debut, Hexed, and consequently didn’t check out its sequel (even though I said I would, but hey, terrible person and all that). With Dead Girls Society I wanted to give her another try (and not just because she’s local—though that doesn’t hurt), and I don’t regret it. For all that it’s a smart and tightly-plotted thriller, it also doesn’t skimp on character development, and that is a balance I can get behind. Also, just realized I kind of bookended my year with Michelle Krys books. I should try doing that with more authors!
Fuller disclosure: Michelle Krys is from Thunder Bay, my hometown and place of residence, so that does give her bonus points.
Fullest disclosure: (I actually have nothing else to add, but I felt like going all the way to the superlative.)
Anyway, I suppose I should, as they say on Monty Python, GET ON WITH IT….
I’m not sure what I was expecting with Dead Girls Society. Outside of where they intersect with science fiction and fantasy, YA thrillers have not been something I’ve reach much of lately. So while I’m used to YA books that deal with some dark and deep issues, the level of unhinged shit that goes down, especially during the climax, is a pleasant surprise here.
Hope Callahan suffers from cystic fibrosis, and it is bad enough that she has been out of school for a few months now. She receives a mysterious, anonymous invitation from the eponymous society. The goal: participate in—and win—a series of dangerous challenges to win $100 000. Though Krys is Canadian, the book takes place in the States (Louisiana, it seems), so that much money would seriously help Hope’s family pay for her medical treatment. But Hope can’t tell anyone else about this game, and it is dangerous enough that it might very well take her life.
Meanwhile, as if she doesn’t have enough problems, she’s developing feelings for Ethan, her best friend, and trying to navigate a return to school. One of the richest, most popular guys is putting the moves on her, and she kind of likes it—but Hope can’t trust anyone, because she soon learns that the Dead Girls Society has representatives and minions everywhere.
I found the main plot very exciting and tightly paced. Krys is frustratingly good at ending her chapters on cliffhangers, and I kept having to put the book down to do boring real life stuff just when I wanted to find out whether Hope was going to live or die! While I can’t speak to the verisimilitude of her portrayal of a teen with CF, I will say that I think Krys does a good job balancing the risks of Hope’s condition with portraying her as a vital, vibrant person. Hope is not an invalid, neither is she an athlete. Her illness does not define her, but it informs her relationships with other people—particularly her family.
Hope’s mother could easily have been a caricature of an over-protective parent, so concerned for her child that she forces her to live in a bubble. Indeed, there are shades of this at the very beginning—but Krys is quick to dispel these. In particular, I love how Hope reasons with her mother on multiple occasions, swaying her mom through the application of logical arguments. It’s kind of refreshing to see teen drama that isn’t so over-the-top. (And if you’re looking for that, don’t worry, it shows up later.)
Krys consistently increases the stakes with each “challenge” and the occasional reprisals that follow. What starts as an intriguing mystery transforms gradually into a literal life-or-death confrontation. Hope is torn between playing the game—whether out of a desire for the money or simply fear of reprisal if she stops—and trying to outsmart/undermine the Society. I loved watching her try to befriend and enlist the other girls involved. At first the other girls seem to fall into stock character types, or, as Krys lampshades it: “the Bad Girl, the Smart Girl, the Rich Girl, the Sporty Girl, and the Sick Girl”. Yet she quickly belies these labels, fleshing out each of the other characters in turn. I don’t want to spoil the story by going into details, but it’s nice to see each of them become more three-dimensional. In particular, I loved Hope’s interactions with Farrah and the way they help her slowly slot back into high school society. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to try to get back into “regular life” and socializing after being confined to one’s house for so long.
Now, there are subplots here that do very little for me, as an ace and no-longer-so-young adult. The “falling for my best friend” plot is pretty old, and Krys doesn’t do much new with that. Likewise, morally ambiguous rich guy falling for main character is another oldie-and-not-always-goodie. I appreciate that Krys exploits that moral ambiguity of Tucker’s for maximum effect, doubling down on the doubt by first undermining Ethan’s revelation of the criminal record and then pulling the rug out from beneath Hope when she least expects it.
Similarly, some of these subplots are also very rushed, or at least underdeveloped. Again, when it comes to the Hope/Tucker relationship, he makes his move the very same day she is back at school and things accelerate … quickly. There is little chance to build tension or for Hope to process what’s happening. (Then again, hormones? I guess?) Ethan’s conflicting relationship with another girl lives mostly in the background, the girlfriend coming to the fore only once or twice before being put on a bus. Fortunately, the main plot comes with enough tension to carry the rest of the story forward like an out-of-control train on greased-up tracks.
There’s more to Dead Girls Society than just thriller material too—there is commentary, both subtle and more obvious, about class and sexuality and gender. Krys contrasts Hope’s working-class family and its struggles to get by with the effortless glamour of Farrah, Tucker, and Nikki’s families—and the political consternation that hangs in the balance when these teenagers fuck up. Some stories, in their eagerness to critique the rich/poor divide, portray one side or the other in one dimension; this is where I find many dystopian YA stories let me down. Krys humanizes everyone, allowing us to understand—if not actually sympathize, because Tucker is a huge dick—why they act the way they do. I appreciate how Krys works these issues into the novel even though they aren’t a central feature.
Going to have to temper my enthusiasm slightly because of that ending, which almost has enough sugar mixed into it to dull the bitter taste of the rest of the book. This is a matter of personal taste, I guess. If you like “happy endings” where the protagonist gets all that she wants and maybe more, I guess you’ll enjoy this one. I prefer endings that are more ambiguous, endings that reflect the true uncertainty of life, endings that offer up the suggestion of hope (pun intended) but never the promise. While Krys does try to introduce an element of mystery right at the end (is there going to be a sequel? I’d read a sequel!), overall I feel like she wraps the story up in too much of a big bow before handing it to the reader.
I was decidedly lukewarm about Krys’ debut, Hexed, and consequently didn’t check out its sequel (even though I said I would, but hey, terrible person and all that). With Dead Girls Society I wanted to give her another try (and not just because she’s local—though that doesn’t hurt), and I don’t regret it. For all that it’s a smart and tightly-plotted thriller, it also doesn’t skimp on character development, and that is a balance I can get behind. Also, just realized I kind of bookended my year with Michelle Krys books. I should try doing that with more authors!
June 27, 2017
Dead Girls Society was the perfect blend of Nerve and Never Missing, Never Found with a splash of Pretty Little Liars. If you adore those sorts of thrillers then you’ll be in for a treat! The plot had an irresistible, almost addictive quality to it that left you effortlessly flipping through the pages. Hope, our protagonist, was a pleasant MC and the whole cast of characters was well-rounded and engaging. If the ending had not been quite as predictable and the writing style had been a little bit more than I definitely would have adored the socks off this one.
I am usually a character-focused reader but it was the plot and thriller vibes that drew me into this particular story. The mysterious email which kickstarted the story was a little cheesy and cliched, but the more the story progressed, the more it built. I don’t think I have ever read something that used these tropes in combination before so I was actually kept on my toes trying to anticipate what would happen next. There were moments that really had my heart beating, although there were probably just as many moments which had me rolling my eyes. Did I predict the ending? Absolutely. From the very first breadcrumb, in fact, which was a massive disappointment. Unfortunately, if you read a lot of books like this - like I do - you’ll probably have the same problem. As a whole, I think the plot did a pretty great job of balancing predictable and addictive though.
Hope was an okay protagonist and I did enjoy the wider cast but they were just… not memorable. I don’t know how else to put it. Nothing about the characters really spoke to me or stood out. I didn’t think they were unrealistic or dull, they were just not as fleshed out as I would have liked. I never felt that we got to know them particularly well and some of their interactions were a little… off? I did like Farrah and Lyla but I thought Ethan was wishy-washy. I definitely didn’t feel invested in his and Hope’s relationship and I didn’t like Tanner much. I also wished that we had gotten a bit more from the familial relations, particularly Hope and her sister. Also, I need to say that I absolutely disliked Hope’s mother. Yes, she was amazingly supportive of her medical condition but dear God, she is one of those cringy mothers that baby their kids and is clueless about teenagers. The school scene made me suffer from second-hand embarrassment so frigging much.
One minor aspect of the story that pissed me off, and needs mentioning, was how the affluent characters in this story were treated. Hope was so judgemental towards them, mocking them behind their backs and assuming they were all snobbish or bitchy. She actually acted shocked and blown away to find out that Tanner - who was wealthy - was just (a) not the jackass she’d expected him to be and (b) actually had some problems with his home life. Does she assume that wealthy people buy their mental health and happiness? I don’t know why else she would expect someone to have a perfect life just because of the wealth of their parents. I do understand that Hope came from a lower socioeconomic family who struggled to afford her medication and living expenses simultaneously - and it was probably jealousy that caused her internalised bias - but it doesn’t excuse why she was genuinely rude towards certain people or how she acted superior to people who did not have money problems.
I did love the author’s effortless incorporation of diversity. Our main protagonist has cystic fibrosis - which I have never seen portrayed in YA before - and I felt that it was seamlessly incorporated into the story. I would have liked a little more from Hope’s personal experience with it, especially because it is a fatal condition and affects almost every aspect of her life, but I liked that it was always present and talked about. The multiple POC secondary characters and the prominent f/f relationship were also a nice touch.
Overall?
Dead Girls Society was a thrilling read but I had some problems with the predictability of the ending and the blandness of the characters. I would definitely consider picking up more of Krys’ books in the future if she continues to write solid contemporary thrillers like Dead Girls Society.
I am usually a character-focused reader but it was the plot and thriller vibes that drew me into this particular story. The mysterious email which kickstarted the story was a little cheesy and cliched, but the more the story progressed, the more it built. I don’t think I have ever read something that used these tropes in combination before so I was actually kept on my toes trying to anticipate what would happen next. There were moments that really had my heart beating, although there were probably just as many moments which had me rolling my eyes. Did I predict the ending? Absolutely. From the very first breadcrumb, in fact, which was a massive disappointment. Unfortunately, if you read a lot of books like this - like I do - you’ll probably have the same problem. As a whole, I think the plot did a pretty great job of balancing predictable and addictive though.
Hope was an okay protagonist and I did enjoy the wider cast but they were just… not memorable. I don’t know how else to put it. Nothing about the characters really spoke to me or stood out. I didn’t think they were unrealistic or dull, they were just not as fleshed out as I would have liked. I never felt that we got to know them particularly well and some of their interactions were a little… off? I did like Farrah and Lyla but I thought Ethan was wishy-washy. I definitely didn’t feel invested in his and Hope’s relationship and I didn’t like Tanner much. I also wished that we had gotten a bit more from the familial relations, particularly Hope and her sister. Also, I need to say that I absolutely disliked Hope’s mother. Yes, she was amazingly supportive of her medical condition but dear God, she is one of those cringy mothers that baby their kids and is clueless about teenagers. The school scene made me suffer from second-hand embarrassment so frigging much.
One minor aspect of the story that pissed me off, and needs mentioning, was how the affluent characters in this story were treated. Hope was so judgemental towards them, mocking them behind their backs and assuming they were all snobbish or bitchy. She actually acted shocked and blown away to find out that Tanner - who was wealthy - was just (a) not the jackass she’d expected him to be and (b) actually had some problems with his home life. Does she assume that wealthy people buy their mental health and happiness? I don’t know why else she would expect someone to have a perfect life just because of the wealth of their parents. I do understand that Hope came from a lower socioeconomic family who struggled to afford her medication and living expenses simultaneously - and it was probably jealousy that caused her internalised bias - but it doesn’t excuse why she was genuinely rude towards certain people or how she acted superior to people who did not have money problems.
I did love the author’s effortless incorporation of diversity. Our main protagonist has cystic fibrosis - which I have never seen portrayed in YA before - and I felt that it was seamlessly incorporated into the story. I would have liked a little more from Hope’s personal experience with it, especially because it is a fatal condition and affects almost every aspect of her life, but I liked that it was always present and talked about. The multiple POC secondary characters and the prominent f/f relationship were also a nice touch.
Overall?
Dead Girls Society was a thrilling read but I had some problems with the predictability of the ending and the blandness of the characters. I would definitely consider picking up more of Krys’ books in the future if she continues to write solid contemporary thrillers like Dead Girls Society.
February 14, 2021
اونطوری که توقع داشتم هیجان انگیز باشه نبود. ولی واسه سرگرمی و اینکه یه داستان متفاوت خونده باشید کتاب خوبیه فقط همین.
November 7, 2016
I received a copy of this title from NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
Hope has cystic fibrosis and an overprotective mother. She just wants to live life like a normal teenager, or at the very least be able to leave her apartment once in awhile. When she gets a shady invitation to “participate in a game of thrills and dares”, she decides to do it, even though she knows it’s probably not a good idea. There she meets four other girls who got invitations from The Society. Together they decide to do the dares for the opportunity to win the cash prize.
I liked the idea of the novel, but it didn’t quite live up to it’s potential for most of the book. The dares, while slightly dangerous, seemed kind of pointless. I was expecting them to somehow benefit the Society in some way, but they were just kind of random. It took until close to the end of the book for the stakes to get high and things with the “Society” to actually make sense. Though I did begin to suspect what was going on, I did think the twist was pretty well done.
I thought the characters were all pretty well done, as well. Though none were as developed as Hope, Krys did a good job of collecting a diverse group of characters that all had their own story going on. I liked the development of her relationship with Ethan and I also liked that the romance didn’t overwhelm the plot.
Overall, Dead Girls Society was a quick, enjoyable read. Though I thought it took a little long for the dare game to really live up to it’s potential, it did eventually get there. Hope, the likable main character, made me want to keep reading, even when the story was dragging a little and I liked how her disability was handled. I would recommend this to YA lovers who enjoy mild mystery and suspense.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars
Hope has cystic fibrosis and an overprotective mother. She just wants to live life like a normal teenager, or at the very least be able to leave her apartment once in awhile. When she gets a shady invitation to “participate in a game of thrills and dares”, she decides to do it, even though she knows it’s probably not a good idea. There she meets four other girls who got invitations from The Society. Together they decide to do the dares for the opportunity to win the cash prize.
I liked the idea of the novel, but it didn’t quite live up to it’s potential for most of the book. The dares, while slightly dangerous, seemed kind of pointless. I was expecting them to somehow benefit the Society in some way, but they were just kind of random. It took until close to the end of the book for the stakes to get high and things with the “Society” to actually make sense. Though I did begin to suspect what was going on, I did think the twist was pretty well done.
I thought the characters were all pretty well done, as well. Though none were as developed as Hope, Krys did a good job of collecting a diverse group of characters that all had their own story going on. I liked the development of her relationship with Ethan and I also liked that the romance didn’t overwhelm the plot.
Overall, Dead Girls Society was a quick, enjoyable read. Though I thought it took a little long for the dare game to really live up to it’s potential, it did eventually get there. Hope, the likable main character, made me want to keep reading, even when the story was dragging a little and I liked how her disability was handled. I would recommend this to YA lovers who enjoy mild mystery and suspense.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars
May 18, 2020
I have wanted to read this book for so long.
The Cover... It is beyond gorgeous. It is going to look great on my finished book shelf.
The Plot... So Intriguing.
Secrets, Lies, Betrayals....this was just the book I needed.
I found this novel to be pretty fast paced, lots of dare action and trying to figure out who is a part of The Society.
I thought the reasoning behind the dares was believable. I enjoy that Michelle puts her medical background to use and I enjoyed that the main character had a condition that not most people are probably aware of (although I'm writing this review and reading this novel after 5 Feet Apart came out and was a huge success, so most people are probably aware of CF by now).
I enjoy that Michelle puts all of her heart into her novels and always has crazy twists and turns. You never know who to trust.
That Ending...
Totally worth the read, buy it, own it..breath in the pages. This novel is totally worth it.
The Cover... It is beyond gorgeous. It is going to look great on my finished book shelf.
The Plot... So Intriguing.
Secrets, Lies, Betrayals....this was just the book I needed.
I found this novel to be pretty fast paced, lots of dare action and trying to figure out who is a part of The Society.
I thought the reasoning behind the dares was believable. I enjoy that Michelle puts her medical background to use and I enjoyed that the main character had a condition that not most people are probably aware of (although I'm writing this review and reading this novel after 5 Feet Apart came out and was a huge success, so most people are probably aware of CF by now).
I enjoy that Michelle puts all of her heart into her novels and always has crazy twists and turns. You never know who to trust.
That Ending...
Totally worth the read, buy it, own it..breath in the pages. This novel is totally worth it.
December 12, 2016
Once again I am picking up the YA genre. This recent release was a decent read - definitely had the vibe of books like Pretty Little Liars or Reconstructing Amelia. Books that have a plot that revolves around jealous high school girls and the lengths they go. I think this will be more popular with the young crowd as I didn't think it had a strong adult crossover. Or maybe I am just not that entertained with this kind of plot? Either way - I thought it started out strong and had a good mystery to it...but fizzled the last 75%.
October 28, 2021
نمیشه بگم کتاب خیلی خوبی بود اما بد هم نبود . برای من که عادت به خوندن کتاب های جنایی دارم و کتاب های خیلی بهتری خوندم داستان متوسطی داشت .
توو کمتر از ۳ ساعت خوندمش و تموم شد .
اینطور نبود که نخوایی بخونی کشش داشت اما خیلی داستان قوی و پر از چالشی نبود .
شخصیت پردازی ضعیف و سطحی بود .
موضوع هم خیلی خاص نبود و حتی یه کم دور از ذهن.
امتیاز بین ۲/۵ تا ۳
توو کمتر از ۳ ساعت خوندمش و تموم شد .
اینطور نبود که نخوایی بخونی کشش داشت اما خیلی داستان قوی و پر از چالشی نبود .
شخصیت پردازی ضعیف و سطحی بود .
موضوع هم خیلی خاص نبود و حتی یه کم دور از ذهن.
امتیاز بین ۲/۵ تا ۳
February 10, 2019
Breakfast Club meets Nerve meets Pretty Little Liar. Entertaining and enjoyable!
November 25, 2018
You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares.
Tell no one.
Come alone.
If you dare.
Hope Callahan is a young girl with cystic fibrosis, affecting the way she breaths, and the way she lives her life. One night she receives an email. It has the insignia of a rose, and instructs her to go to an abandon warehouse, in the middle of the night. Hope is hesitant, not wanting to be caught, but she goes anyway.
There she runs into four other girls. Hartley, Nikki, Farrah, and Lyla.
The Bad Girl, The Smart Girl, The Rich Girl, The Sporty Girl, and The Sick Girl.
In the warehouse they learn the rules of this new "game" and the consequences if they don't play.
Fail the dare, and you will be eliminated.
Tell anyone about the game, and you will be punished.
Cheat in the game, and you will be punished.
Refuse to play the game? We think you know what happens.
And if they win, they get a grand prize of 100,000 dollars.
The games takes a dangerous turn, and it's no longer exciting for Hope, it's a matter of life or death.
And remember: Some letters shouldn't be opened.
4/5 stars.
Tell no one.
Come alone.
If you dare.
Hope Callahan is a young girl with cystic fibrosis, affecting the way she breaths, and the way she lives her life. One night she receives an email. It has the insignia of a rose, and instructs her to go to an abandon warehouse, in the middle of the night. Hope is hesitant, not wanting to be caught, but she goes anyway.
There she runs into four other girls. Hartley, Nikki, Farrah, and Lyla.
The Bad Girl, The Smart Girl, The Rich Girl, The Sporty Girl, and The Sick Girl.
In the warehouse they learn the rules of this new "game" and the consequences if they don't play.
Fail the dare, and you will be eliminated.
Tell anyone about the game, and you will be punished.
Cheat in the game, and you will be punished.
Refuse to play the game? We think you know what happens.
And if they win, they get a grand prize of 100,000 dollars.
The games takes a dangerous turn, and it's no longer exciting for Hope, it's a matter of life or death.
And remember: Some letters shouldn't be opened.
4/5 stars.
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