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Under This Red Rock
Neely’s monsters don’t always follow her rules, so when the little girl under her bed, the man in her closet, and the disembodied voice that shadows her every move become louder, she knows she’s in trouble.
With a history of mental illness in her family, and the suicide of her older brother heavy on her mind, Neely takes a job as a tour guide in the one place her monsters can’t follow—the caverns. There she can find peace. There she can pretend to be normal. There . . . she meets Mila.
Mila is everything Neely isn’t—beautiful, strong, and confident. As the two become closer, Neely’s innocent crush grows into something more. When a midnight staff party exposes Neely to drugs, she follows Mila’s lead . . . only to have her hallucinations escalate.
When Mila is found brutally murdered in the caverns, Neely has to admit that her memories of that night are vague at best. With her monsters now out in the open, and her grip on reality slipping, Neely must figure out who killed Mila . . . and face the possibility that it might have been her.
Award-winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a powerful psychological thriller, deftly exploring the dark places in the earth and the human mind, where what is real and imaginary isn’t so easily distinguishable.
With a history of mental illness in her family, and the suicide of her older brother heavy on her mind, Neely takes a job as a tour guide in the one place her monsters can’t follow—the caverns. There she can find peace. There she can pretend to be normal. There . . . she meets Mila.
Mila is everything Neely isn’t—beautiful, strong, and confident. As the two become closer, Neely’s innocent crush grows into something more. When a midnight staff party exposes Neely to drugs, she follows Mila’s lead . . . only to have her hallucinations escalate.
When Mila is found brutally murdered in the caverns, Neely has to admit that her memories of that night are vague at best. With her monsters now out in the open, and her grip on reality slipping, Neely must figure out who killed Mila . . . and face the possibility that it might have been her.
Award-winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a powerful psychological thriller, deftly exploring the dark places in the earth and the human mind, where what is real and imaginary isn’t so easily distinguishable.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2024
71 people are currently reading
7401 people want to read
About the author
Mindy McGinnis
29 books4,292 followersMindy McGinnis is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-apocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy.
While her settings may change, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews
did-not-finish
April 25, 2024i've soft dnf'd this at 14% - i know i know i probably didn't give it a fair shot so i'm not going to give it a rating or add it to my read shelf
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
25/04 5:46pm ୨ৎ
ok how many pages do i need to read i just this is so odd to me?
25/04 1:28pm ୨ৎ
is it a bad sign if im already wanting to dnf this? i just seem not interested at all - i am also unwell at the moment so it might be that
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
look at me getting through my tbr - even though this is a new release so does it really count? i'm excited to read a shorter book after reading a court of mist and fury. this is a thriller - I'm predicting a 3.5/5 - let's see how well I know my own tastes.
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
25/04 5:46pm ୨ৎ
ok how many pages do i need to read i just this is so odd to me?
25/04 1:28pm ୨ৎ
is it a bad sign if im already wanting to dnf this? i just seem not interested at all - i am also unwell at the moment so it might be that
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
look at me getting through my tbr - even though this is a new release so does it really count? i'm excited to read a shorter book after reading a court of mist and fury. this is a thriller - I'm predicting a 3.5/5 - let's see how well I know my own tastes.
Want to read
July 22, 2023i don't know what the f- mindy mcginnis is on but i'm into it
May 26, 2024
Under This Red Rock by Mindy McGinnis is a young adult psychological thriller novel with a slight edge of horror to it. The story in Under This Red Rock is one that contains some highly sensitive subjects such as mental illness and suicide so it may not be for everyone with such triggers.
Neely has always been different from others with the exception of her own family. Neely’s family have all had a history of mental illness right down to Neely and her brother but after the loss of her parents and her brother’s suicide Neely has learned to deal with the voices of the monsters in her head all on her own.
The one place Neely gets some relief from her troubles is down in a place known as the caverns. Neely decides to apply for a job as a tour guide through the caverns giving her hours of relief while she is working. This is where Neely meets Mila who she finds herself falling for until one night Mila is found brutally murdered in the caverns and Neely isn’t too sure she isn’t the murderer.
Mindy McGinnis is widely known for her intriguing young adult thrillers, some of which I have read and enjoyed myself in the past so I was excited to dive into Under This Red Rock. I have to say though that for me this wasn’t among the author’s best work as for one I figured things out way too early on which always puts a damper on my excitement which also made the story feel a little slow moving to me afterwards just hoping for a twist or two to come to knock me off my feet. I’m sure some will still love this one even if not my favorite though.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Neely has always been different from others with the exception of her own family. Neely’s family have all had a history of mental illness right down to Neely and her brother but after the loss of her parents and her brother’s suicide Neely has learned to deal with the voices of the monsters in her head all on her own.
The one place Neely gets some relief from her troubles is down in a place known as the caverns. Neely decides to apply for a job as a tour guide through the caverns giving her hours of relief while she is working. This is where Neely meets Mila who she finds herself falling for until one night Mila is found brutally murdered in the caverns and Neely isn’t too sure she isn’t the murderer.
Mindy McGinnis is widely known for her intriguing young adult thrillers, some of which I have read and enjoyed myself in the past so I was excited to dive into Under This Red Rock. I have to say though that for me this wasn’t among the author’s best work as for one I figured things out way too early on which always puts a damper on my excitement which also made the story feel a little slow moving to me afterwards just hoping for a twist or two to come to knock me off my feet. I’m sure some will still love this one even if not my favorite though.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
September 25, 2023
Mindy McGinnis stans unite
Also... FINALLY... after reading her books for like 6 years straight... the wlw UNDERTONES have become OVERTONES
Neely has had a rough one... her dad had mental illness and left, her mom died in a car accident, and her only other nuclear family member, her brother, has recently killed himself. Both she and her brother also have similar mental illnesses as their father - they either see and/or hear things that aren't there. Neely has a couple recurring characters in her life that aren't real.
She lives with her grandparents and gets a summer job at these caverns she always visits. Underground is the only place she knows for sure she won't hear her voices, plus she's good at giving the tours because she knows the place like the back of her hand.
She gets to know some of her coworkers, one of whom was her late brother's best friend, and one of whom is a girl she ends up really liking.
And well, something happens that's in the synopsis, but I didn't read the synopsis, so I was fully surprised and I hope you may allow yourself to be as well.
I think this book is a really interesting look into mental illness, the way things devolve over time when left untreated, and the way your brain keeps you from trusting yourself when you're deep in a mental health crisis. I think there are a few little twists that are really shocking and it's just generally engrossing.
I love Mindy McGinnis's writing and she always is unhinged which is what I love about her lol. This is definitely a new direction for her, but at the same time it's not, because her stuff is always pretty dark and painful lol. I don't know that this would be where I told a non-fan to start out in her body of work, but if you love her books, you'll love this one just as good.
Also... FINALLY... after reading her books for like 6 years straight... the wlw UNDERTONES have become OVERTONES
Neely has had a rough one... her dad had mental illness and left, her mom died in a car accident, and her only other nuclear family member, her brother, has recently killed himself. Both she and her brother also have similar mental illnesses as their father - they either see and/or hear things that aren't there. Neely has a couple recurring characters in her life that aren't real.
She lives with her grandparents and gets a summer job at these caverns she always visits. Underground is the only place she knows for sure she won't hear her voices, plus she's good at giving the tours because she knows the place like the back of her hand.
She gets to know some of her coworkers, one of whom was her late brother's best friend, and one of whom is a girl she ends up really liking.
And well, something happens that's in the synopsis, but I didn't read the synopsis, so I was fully surprised and I hope you may allow yourself to be as well.
I think this book is a really interesting look into mental illness, the way things devolve over time when left untreated, and the way your brain keeps you from trusting yourself when you're deep in a mental health crisis. I think there are a few little twists that are really shocking and it's just generally engrossing.
I love Mindy McGinnis's writing and she always is unhinged which is what I love about her lol. This is definitely a new direction for her, but at the same time it's not, because her stuff is always pretty dark and painful lol. I don't know that this would be where I told a non-fan to start out in her body of work, but if you love her books, you'll love this one just as good.
January 3, 2024
"Rock Bottom can make you lose your faith in humanity, strip the last bit of naivete from your life, and show you things you’ll never unsee."
Monsters lurking around every corner, dark caverns that carry secrets, and a murder that shocks the community. Mindy is ready to set the world ablaze and never look back.
I know when it comes to Mindy she never disappoints and this one is no different. She gets deep, emotional, and dark with this story and it still gives me goosebumps.
Neely is not your typical MC but she makes things interesting in this book. Her mental illness makes her see things that aren't really there at times and it throws you through a loop throughout this read. Your brain works overtime trying to figure out what truly is happening and I was loving every second of that.
I loved the buildup to the mysterious death. The friendship between two characters that were so different was one of my favorite parts but then you sit and think about what happened between them and if any of that actually took place. My brain exploded with overthinking. It made me giddy. It was perfect.
The only thing that held me back was piecing this entire thing together for that to be the result. I guessed it within the first part of the book and that always disappoints me. There was just something that stuck out that made me figure out the mystery quickly.
Under This Red Rock was a fantastic read. You'll love the uniqueness of this just as much as I did.
Monsters lurking around every corner, dark caverns that carry secrets, and a murder that shocks the community. Mindy is ready to set the world ablaze and never look back.
I know when it comes to Mindy she never disappoints and this one is no different. She gets deep, emotional, and dark with this story and it still gives me goosebumps.
Neely is not your typical MC but she makes things interesting in this book. Her mental illness makes her see things that aren't really there at times and it throws you through a loop throughout this read. Your brain works overtime trying to figure out what truly is happening and I was loving every second of that.
I loved the buildup to the mysterious death. The friendship between two characters that were so different was one of my favorite parts but then you sit and think about what happened between them and if any of that actually took place. My brain exploded with overthinking. It made me giddy. It was perfect.
The only thing that held me back was piecing this entire thing together for that to be the result. I guessed it within the first part of the book and that always disappoints me. There was just something that stuck out that made me figure out the mystery quickly.
Under This Red Rock was a fantastic read. You'll love the uniqueness of this just as much as I did.
March 20, 2024
4.5*
Sometimes, I wish Mindy McGinnis could publish multitudes of books per year, like some sort of Cyborg Author™, but then I wonder if they would not hit as hard as when we were graced with our yearly offering. I digress, but man I love her books. Under This Red Rock is no exception. Since this is a mystery, I will keep it short and sweet!
Neely is a mess. You can't help but feel for her. She lives with her grandparents after the deaths of her mother and brother (on two very different, very horrific occasions). She suffers from mental illness, but she has been told her whole life that she had to hide her inner demons, basically. And so, she tries, because she doesn't want to put her grandparents through any more awfulness. But she still hears (and talks to) people and things that are not really there. Needless to say, she's not particularly popular, and she finally finds some people to connect with when she gets a job at the local caverns, which happen to be a place she has always enjoyed.
But turns out, the staff get into some drug and alcohol infused hijinks after hours, which is bad enough for people who aren't already suffering hallucinations. Neely reacts poorly, and when someone she deeply cares about winds up dead... well, Neely wants to know how this happened, even if she has to look closely at herself, too. There is a lot of mystery and excitement, but also a lot of character growth as Neely has to confront a lot of dark information about herself, her family, her past, and her present.
Bottom Line: Couldn't put it down. Is it time for Mindy's next book yet?
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Sometimes, I wish Mindy McGinnis could publish multitudes of books per year, like some sort of Cyborg Author™, but then I wonder if they would not hit as hard as when we were graced with our yearly offering. I digress, but man I love her books. Under This Red Rock is no exception. Since this is a mystery, I will keep it short and sweet!
Neely is a mess. You can't help but feel for her. She lives with her grandparents after the deaths of her mother and brother (on two very different, very horrific occasions). She suffers from mental illness, but she has been told her whole life that she had to hide her inner demons, basically. And so, she tries, because she doesn't want to put her grandparents through any more awfulness. But she still hears (and talks to) people and things that are not really there. Needless to say, she's not particularly popular, and she finally finds some people to connect with when she gets a job at the local caverns, which happen to be a place she has always enjoyed.
But turns out, the staff get into some drug and alcohol infused hijinks after hours, which is bad enough for people who aren't already suffering hallucinations. Neely reacts poorly, and when someone she deeply cares about winds up dead... well, Neely wants to know how this happened, even if she has to look closely at herself, too. There is a lot of mystery and excitement, but also a lot of character growth as Neely has to confront a lot of dark information about herself, her family, her past, and her present.
Bottom Line: Couldn't put it down. Is it time for Mindy's next book yet?
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
April 4, 2024
Bit more suspension of disbelief is required here than what I’m used to from a McGinnis book, but I do appreciate her continuing to tackle tough themes.
December 29, 2023
nothing will ever top the initial insult, but this was pretty darn close.
Want to read
June 26, 2023I kind of wish I hadn’t read the blurb because I feel like it gives too much away… but it’s Mindy McGinnis. Auto-read for me!
May 1, 2024
Overall Rating : A
"Sometimes I am okay."
I will never not love a Mindy McGinnis book and this one made my heart hurt - but I think that was the whole point anyway.
"Sometimes I am okay."
I will never not love a Mindy McGinnis book and this one made my heart hurt - but I think that was the whole point anyway.
August 31, 2024
This was a really well done thriller with a good twist at the end. Recommend!
November 20, 2023
moving, deep, disturbing at times, but well worth the read
February 21, 2025
Wow.
…I’m not entirely sure how to articulate this book but it’s easy to say it’s incredible. The main character struggles with her mental health in a way that produces auditory hallucinations and the way it’s written makes you feel as though you’re experiencing them with her.
The author did an amazing job humanizing something that we, as a society, like to try to ignore. But this isn’t easy to read. There are also some parts that are incredibly graphic (this isn’t frequent throughout but the intensity is such that it deserves mention).
Observe trigger warnings, but otherwise read it immediately. Unbelievable book.
…I’m not entirely sure how to articulate this book but it’s easy to say it’s incredible. The main character struggles with her mental health in a way that produces auditory hallucinations and the way it’s written makes you feel as though you’re experiencing them with her.
The author did an amazing job humanizing something that we, as a society, like to try to ignore. But this isn’t easy to read. There are also some parts that are incredibly graphic (this isn’t frequent throughout but the intensity is such that it deserves mention).
Observe trigger warnings, but otherwise read it immediately. Unbelievable book.
June 12, 2024
This was quite good. I found the main character and her state of mind while dealing with her mental health struggles really interesting to follow, and I was honestly shocked by the ending!
As always, Mindy McGinnis' writing was very good, and I liked how this book was paced with the different plot points. The caves were a very interesting setting!
I don't have that much to say about this, but I did really enjoy it, and while it's not my favorite from the author, I would still recommend it. Especially if you are interested in reading about mental health.
As always, Mindy McGinnis' writing was very good, and I liked how this book was paced with the different plot points. The caves were a very interesting setting!
I don't have that much to say about this, but I did really enjoy it, and while it's not my favorite from the author, I would still recommend it. Especially if you are interested in reading about mental health.
March 23, 2024
Mindy McGinnis DOES. NOT. FAIL. Another amazing read.
March 17, 2024
Classic Mindy McGinnis. I was weirded out from the beginning but also sucked in. Love the darkness and the twists!
November 30, 2023
Mindy McGinnis is an auto-read favorite of mine -- she's the master of balancing on a knife's edge between disturbing and disgusting and I LOVE IT. She writes f-ed up, rage-filled teenage girls better than anyone, and our girl Neely is capital-F f-ed up. Her dad was mentally unstable and bolted when she was a kid, her mom died in front of her in a car crash, and her brother recently died, gruesomely. Oh, and she sees monsters/ghosts who harass her -- telling her lies, incessantly asking for water, and making her yell "shitbird" multiple times a day. The only place she gets any peace is deep underground in her town's tourist attraction cave. Unfortunately, trouble follows her into the cave and she loses yet another person.
This book was weirdly funny, deeply sad, and kind of all over the place. I never quite felt like I understood what was going on, so this wasn't my favorite by McGinnis. That said I will be first in line to get my grubby hands on whatever she writes next because she's amazing.
* thanks to HarperCollins Childrens Books & Katherine Tegen Books for the NetGalley review copy. UNDER THIS RED ROCK publishes March 19, 2024.
This book was weirdly funny, deeply sad, and kind of all over the place. I never quite felt like I understood what was going on, so this wasn't my favorite by McGinnis. That said I will be first in line to get my grubby hands on whatever she writes next because she's amazing.
* thanks to HarperCollins Childrens Books & Katherine Tegen Books for the NetGalley review copy. UNDER THIS RED ROCK publishes March 19, 2024.
July 18, 2024
This had a slow beginning, but the end felt way too fast. Neely was a hard character to connect with, but really she was failed by all the adult figures in her life for not recognizing she had a mental illness and needed help. I feel the book raises a lot of big topics, but didn't spend enough time exploring them. There was mental illness, suicide, death of a parent, rape, killing of a pet, and murder. I also hated the reveal towards the end. Overall I felt the book was messy--it didn't need to resolve everything, but definitely needed to tidy up some of it.
November 11, 2024
“Lastly, greatest thanks, respect, and support to all the educators, librarians, and booksellers operating on the front lines during the current onslaught of book banning. They take the brunt of the charge, and books like mine are available to read because of the personal and professional risks that they take. Solidarity, my friends.” <- if you don’t read the acknowledgments at the end of the book you’re a loser in my book, sorry! mindy speaks the truth.
read this in one day while camping and such an immediate FIVE STARS! i LOVE not seeing things coming and mindy never ever disappoints. queen of getting under my skin. so unsettling. truly such a thrilling and enjoyable read. if you want to be a bit spooked and taken for a wild ride, i highly recommend this one.
read this in one day while camping and such an immediate FIVE STARS! i LOVE not seeing things coming and mindy never ever disappoints. queen of getting under my skin. so unsettling. truly such a thrilling and enjoyable read. if you want to be a bit spooked and taken for a wild ride, i highly recommend this one.
April 11, 2024
FIVE STARS!
Oh, man. This was amazing. I have enjoyed pretty much every Mindy McGinnis book I've read, but this one is definitely up there with Female of the Species. She just has this amazing way of writing strong, bad-ass female characters, and her books always have some kind of mental illness aspect and don't get me started on the messed up/broken families. Loved. This. Book.
Oh, man. This was amazing. I have enjoyed pretty much every Mindy McGinnis book I've read, but this one is definitely up there with Female of the Species. She just has this amazing way of writing strong, bad-ass female characters, and her books always have some kind of mental illness aspect and don't get me started on the messed up/broken families. Loved. This. Book.
February 13, 2025
Do you like your books dark? Really dark? How about inside-a-cave dark? Thats what this book is, a quiet secret, a snake curled in the back of a cave, horrifying and shocking and quietly compelling. It was the perfect October read and the setting was *chef’s kiss* and while I did get some trauma fatigue, I still really enjoyed it.
April 2, 2024
Speechless, I think?
Mindy McGinnis is a weirdo and I love it. Her duology of The Initial Insult and The Last Laugh was one of the most unhinged things I read and definitely made my top 10 last year (was it last year?)
The cover designer and the narrator were back for Under This Red Rock, which pleased me. It felt very much in the same vein as All’s Well by Mona Awad (which I hated.) Red Rock falls in that category of weird, inexplicable mental illness, not everything gets explained, but in a way that made me want to keep reading rather than go ask the bookseller why the heck he would recommend this.
There is absolutely nothing lighthearted about this, and Neely’s ghosts follow her well beyond where they should. A narrator that sees and hears voices isn’t to be trusted, and most of the book I spent waffling back and forth between, “she 100% did it” and “this is a red herring.” I will say things would have been twistier if the copy was written more vaguely; I’d have loved the surprise of the murder rather than spelling it out for me in the description. That being said, there’s so much darkness in this book that maybe everyone thought it would be better coming with a warning.
I won’t give anything away, but the last 30 minutes of the audiobook really *rocked* me.
I liked it, but it was no Poe retelling and I’m ruining my average review rating by giving everything a 4 so it’s time to get serious again. 3.5 stars rounded down, and one recommendation-but-not-a-recommendation from me.
Mindy McGinnis is a weirdo and I love it. Her duology of The Initial Insult and The Last Laugh was one of the most unhinged things I read and definitely made my top 10 last year (was it last year?)
The cover designer and the narrator were back for Under This Red Rock, which pleased me. It felt very much in the same vein as All’s Well by Mona Awad (which I hated.) Red Rock falls in that category of weird, inexplicable mental illness, not everything gets explained, but in a way that made me want to keep reading rather than go ask the bookseller why the heck he would recommend this.
There is absolutely nothing lighthearted about this, and Neely’s ghosts follow her well beyond where they should. A narrator that sees and hears voices isn’t to be trusted, and most of the book I spent waffling back and forth between, “she 100% did it” and “this is a red herring.” I will say things would have been twistier if the copy was written more vaguely; I’d have loved the surprise of the murder rather than spelling it out for me in the description. That being said, there’s so much darkness in this book that maybe everyone thought it would be better coming with a warning.
I won’t give anything away, but the last 30 minutes of the audiobook really *rocked* me.
I liked it, but it was no Poe retelling and I’m ruining my average review rating by giving everything a 4 so it’s time to get serious again. 3.5 stars rounded down, and one recommendation-but-not-a-recommendation from me.
October 5, 2024
CW;
rape, suicide, mental health issues.
I feel like 1 star is harsh, but I hated this experience. There's some mild spoilers in here, but I found it important to not spoiler a few basic things because I need you to know them before going into this book. But please, don't read this book.
🪨 THE PLOT 🪨
- Plot what plot. I think the marketing of this book is an absolute disaster; what is introduced as our core premise in the blurbs of this book actually only happens about 50% in. That really impacted the pacing of this book negatively for me. I was expecting a thriller, instead I mostly got... a lot of teen angst.
- The first half of this book drags. It's all introductory exposition, but that really, really ought not to take until halfway in. My summary of the plot and my opinions on it are short because... well, honestly, there hardly is any. Lance (Neely's brother) killed himself, and also she's a closeted lesbian. That's most of what we hear for that entire first half, alongside the fact that .
- Ending spoilers:
🪨 THE CHARACTERS 🪨
- As shallow as a puddle. I believe everyone was given maybe 1-2 core traits, and that's about it. We don't learn much about anyone, including our protagonist. She hears dead people, she's a closeted lesbian, and she's upset her brother killed himself. That's about all there is to her until maybe the last 10%. Neely is deeply unlikeable, and I understand that depression doesn't make you the most pleasant person to be around, but... it was rough wanting to root for her at all when she started actively endangering others.
- This just has way too many unnecessary characters. Characters get introduced and then removed from the book pretty frequently, and many of them contribute nothing but a few throwaway lines. It felt like most characters only existed to serve as plot devices, whether they were meant to be red herrings or convenient "oh we know this because XYZ's convoluted relationship with ABC".
- Almost every man in this is an unapologetic rapist or to-be rapist, which you know. Fantastic, nuanced character writing. At one point the book tries to make us feel bad for two of the rapists for no reason? I understand that Neely is an unreliable narrator, but still. Yeesh.
- We just never address that Mila was lowkey a sexual predator. Alright man. Sapphic rep breadcrumbs I guess.
🪨 OTHER 🪨
- The random animal death scenes contributed very little in the end and I felt they were unnecessary.
- A big plot point in this is that Neely refuses to give herself an alibi because
- I really, really hated the true villain's motivation. God. I'm tired of people writing these un-nuanced takes that boil down to "all men are rapists". It's not helpful; it doesn't understand how the incel pipeline works. And yes, I understand that for some men (and people in general), they just sorta become evil, but... it's bad writing in a book like this!
- I hate, hate the shallow demonisation of addicts/drug use/etc. Look, I'm not saying drug trafficking is peachy, obviously, I'm against that. But it's so much more complex than that in the real world. People don't usually go into drug trafficking because they're purely evil, nor does that instantly make them evil. I implore you to look up stories of people like this, of people that did their time and how they ended up there. It's not pretty.
- This book wants to be a suicide awareness book so bad, but it handles it so, so terribly. For most of the book, the character that commits suicide is demonised, and hell, a similar demonisation leads to our own protagonist wanting to end her life. But this fails to be anything meaningful about suicide and depression; most people aren't like Neely or Lance where they (wish to) die because there's some evil heroin dealer incel rapist trying to fuck up their life.
- Neely is deeply mentally ill and nobody, including the adults, gives her any help for that, but you know what, that part is accurate at least.
- I keep accidentally reading books that have random hints of incest in it. Whack.
- Again, pretty much none of the plot threads go anywhere. One of the major subplots, the rape (and revenge film) of a character just... dissolves. It's not followed up at all. At some point we're sort of expected to sympathise with the rapist too? What the hell man. Why did we put him in (gestures at that scene) that situation at all? Why did we get two weirdly sympathising scenes. We could've easily been shown Neely lashing out at other characters that didn't deserve it. Instead, we get these narratively confusing scenes where she lashes out at literal (to-be) rapists, and the focus is on how scary it is that she's "going crazy". Really?
- I'm sorry, I really did not like the writing in this. I haven't read McGinnis' other books, so I don't know if that's her style or Neely as a character, but having almost every single thought followed up with 1-2 forced metaphors was exhausting.
- I wish we'd gotten more caves. I love cave stuff man.
🪨 IN CONCLUSION 🪨
I feel like there's so much more I could say, but there just isn't enough substance, and I'm not dedicated enough to want to spend more time thinking about this book.
Under This Red Rock is an abomination of awful pacing, meaningless characters, and plot threads that go absolutely nowhere whatsoever. Save yourself the time and headache and don't pick up this book.
I feel like 1 star is harsh, but I hated this experience. There's some mild spoilers in here, but I found it important to not spoiler a few basic things because I need you to know them before going into this book. But please, don't read this book.
🪨 THE PLOT 🪨
- Plot what plot. I think the marketing of this book is an absolute disaster; what is introduced as our core premise in the blurbs of this book actually only happens about 50% in. That really impacted the pacing of this book negatively for me. I was expecting a thriller, instead I mostly got... a lot of teen angst.
- The first half of this book drags. It's all introductory exposition, but that really, really ought not to take until halfway in. My summary of the plot and my opinions on it are short because... well, honestly, there hardly is any. Lance (Neely's brother) killed himself, and also she's a closeted lesbian. That's most of what we hear for that entire first half, alongside the fact that .
- Ending spoilers:
🪨 THE CHARACTERS 🪨
- As shallow as a puddle. I believe everyone was given maybe 1-2 core traits, and that's about it. We don't learn much about anyone, including our protagonist. She hears dead people, she's a closeted lesbian, and she's upset her brother killed himself. That's about all there is to her until maybe the last 10%. Neely is deeply unlikeable, and I understand that depression doesn't make you the most pleasant person to be around, but... it was rough wanting to root for her at all when she started actively endangering others.
- This just has way too many unnecessary characters. Characters get introduced and then removed from the book pretty frequently, and many of them contribute nothing but a few throwaway lines. It felt like most characters only existed to serve as plot devices, whether they were meant to be red herrings or convenient "oh we know this because XYZ's convoluted relationship with ABC".
- Almost every man in this is an unapologetic rapist or to-be rapist, which you know. Fantastic, nuanced character writing. At one point the book tries to make us feel bad for two of the rapists for no reason? I understand that Neely is an unreliable narrator, but still. Yeesh.
- We just never address that Mila was lowkey a sexual predator. Alright man. Sapphic rep breadcrumbs I guess.
🪨 OTHER 🪨
- The random animal death scenes contributed very little in the end and I felt they were unnecessary.
- A big plot point in this is that Neely refuses to give herself an alibi because
- I really, really hated the true villain's motivation. God. I'm tired of people writing these un-nuanced takes that boil down to "all men are rapists". It's not helpful; it doesn't understand how the incel pipeline works. And yes, I understand that for some men (and people in general), they just sorta become evil, but... it's bad writing in a book like this!
- I hate, hate the shallow demonisation of addicts/drug use/etc. Look, I'm not saying drug trafficking is peachy, obviously, I'm against that. But it's so much more complex than that in the real world. People don't usually go into drug trafficking because they're purely evil, nor does that instantly make them evil. I implore you to look up stories of people like this, of people that did their time and how they ended up there. It's not pretty.
- This book wants to be a suicide awareness book so bad, but it handles it so, so terribly. For most of the book, the character that commits suicide is demonised, and hell, a similar demonisation leads to our own protagonist wanting to end her life. But this fails to be anything meaningful about suicide and depression; most people aren't like Neely or Lance where they (wish to) die because there's some evil heroin dealer incel rapist trying to fuck up their life.
- Neely is deeply mentally ill and nobody, including the adults, gives her any help for that, but you know what, that part is accurate at least.
- I keep accidentally reading books that have random hints of incest in it. Whack.
- Again, pretty much none of the plot threads go anywhere. One of the major subplots, the rape (and revenge film) of a character just... dissolves. It's not followed up at all. At some point we're sort of expected to sympathise with the rapist too? What the hell man. Why did we put him in (gestures at that scene) that situation at all? Why did we get two weirdly sympathising scenes. We could've easily been shown Neely lashing out at other characters that didn't deserve it. Instead, we get these narratively confusing scenes where she lashes out at literal (to-be) rapists, and the focus is on how scary it is that she's "going crazy". Really?
- I'm sorry, I really did not like the writing in this. I haven't read McGinnis' other books, so I don't know if that's her style or Neely as a character, but having almost every single thought followed up with 1-2 forced metaphors was exhausting.
- I wish we'd gotten more caves. I love cave stuff man.
🪨 IN CONCLUSION 🪨
I feel like there's so much more I could say, but there just isn't enough substance, and I'm not dedicated enough to want to spend more time thinking about this book.
Under This Red Rock is an abomination of awful pacing, meaningless characters, and plot threads that go absolutely nowhere whatsoever. Save yourself the time and headache and don't pick up this book.
April 20, 2024
This one was INTENSE. A lot of this can probably be very triggering. The ending was amazing. I wish it could have been explained a little on Neely’s part. I went in pretty blind and want others to too so no big long review. Just know that this deals with mental illness and someone suffering from delusions. This is my second Mindy McGinnis book and I’ll be sure to read more now.
July 5, 2024
3.5⭐️
In my opinion this is Mindy McGinnis’s darkest book with an important depiction of mental health struggles, specifically when they’re not talked about.
I think the miss for me was the lack of tension. the promise of the book is a who-done-it but the urgency isn’t there and the reveal isn’t very surprising…but maybe that’s because the character is written so spot on that I could tell from the jump that they were trash.
Content Warning: the depictions of suicide are graphic and frequent.
In my opinion this is Mindy McGinnis’s darkest book with an important depiction of mental health struggles, specifically when they’re not talked about.
I think the miss for me was the lack of tension. the promise of the book is a who-done-it but the urgency isn’t there and the reveal isn’t very surprising…but maybe that’s because the character is written so spot on that I could tell from the jump that they were trash.
Content Warning: the depictions of suicide are graphic and frequent.
March 29, 2024
4.75
Cover 4; characters 5; Plot 4; Pace 5; Intrigue 5; Logic 4; worldbuilding 4; Writing 5; Enjoyment 5; cry*
I'm not even sure I have the ability to put my thoughts about this book into words right now. Holy hell. Mindy really knows how to take some of your darkest, deepest thoughts, apply them to characters and ponder, "what if?".
CONTENT WARNING: This book deals heavily with suicide and suicidal ideation, please be in the right head space before reading. It also deals with drug use, death of a parent, mental health issues, and sexual violence against women.
It's weird to have loved such a dark book. I think our MC was so well put together. She's definitely an unreliable narrator from the point that she can hear people talking when they're not there. She has heaps of childhood trauma including the fairly recent suicide of her older brother. I would also say that the voices she hears are borderline alternate personalities due to things that we learn as the book goes on.
Mindy did a great job of putting this mystery together and though I was able to guess how things were going to come together, it was a fantastic reveal. If you can handle the subject matter of this one, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Cover 4; characters 5; Plot 4; Pace 5; Intrigue 5; Logic 4; worldbuilding 4; Writing 5; Enjoyment 5; cry*
I'm not even sure I have the ability to put my thoughts about this book into words right now. Holy hell. Mindy really knows how to take some of your darkest, deepest thoughts, apply them to characters and ponder, "what if?".
CONTENT WARNING: This book deals heavily with suicide and suicidal ideation, please be in the right head space before reading. It also deals with drug use, death of a parent, mental health issues, and sexual violence against women.
It's weird to have loved such a dark book. I think our MC was so well put together. She's definitely an unreliable narrator from the point that she can hear people talking when they're not there. She has heaps of childhood trauma including the fairly recent suicide of her older brother. I would also say that the voices she hears are borderline alternate personalities due to things that we learn as the book goes on.
Mindy did a great job of putting this mystery together and though I was able to guess how things were going to come together, it was a fantastic reveal. If you can handle the subject matter of this one, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
July 3, 2024
Love McGinnis, my favorite yet!!!
September 13, 2024
It was enticing the whole time- but REALLY dark
like creepy sexual things and “dark side of Reddit” kinda dark
like creepy sexual things and “dark side of Reddit” kinda dark
April 12, 2024
girly pops have i not mentioned yet how much i fucking love mindy mcginnis??? because i do, with all my soul
her stories are ugly and dirty and i love everything about them. her charaters and stories are so achingly real and raw. also the small town feels ✨✨✨
her stories are ugly and dirty and i love everything about them. her charaters and stories are so achingly real and raw. also the small town feels ✨✨✨
June 15, 2025
This one was interesting as I heard her speak about how she came up with the storyline. Did I love it? No. Could I put it down? Yes. Would I recommend? Probably not. Am I glad I got to see her brainstorm turn into a book? Yes.
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