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The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense
Every year, it comes. And every year, it reminds Grace that someone knows her deepest secret--the secret whose silence has tormented Grace over the years. That secret began with an innocent gang of teenage friends who called themselves The Kitty Committee.
The Kitty Committee of Grace's youth was ostensibly a group of friendship and support. But the friends fell victim to the ringleader's manipulative personality and recklessness, which set the girls on a course of vigilante justice, culminating in an act that will forever change their lives, an act that becomes their shared secret.
Grace's silence and guilt has led to over twenty years of disappointing relationships, an inability to commit, and a crisis of morality. And no matter how much Grace has suffered and lost, still it comes every year. The reminder that someone out there wants The Kitty Committee to suffer--someone who won't forget and won't forgive.
The Kitty Committee of Grace's youth was ostensibly a group of friendship and support. But the friends fell victim to the ringleader's manipulative personality and recklessness, which set the girls on a course of vigilante justice, culminating in an act that will forever change their lives, an act that becomes their shared secret.
Grace's silence and guilt has led to over twenty years of disappointing relationships, an inability to commit, and a crisis of morality. And no matter how much Grace has suffered and lost, still it comes every year. The reminder that someone out there wants The Kitty Committee to suffer--someone who won't forget and won't forgive.
- GenresAdult FictionMystery
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2018
2 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
September 21, 2018
Let me begin with saying that Kathryn Berla's writing is so seductive that I was cast in its spell until turning the final page.
Grace grew up traveling with her missionary parents and brother Luke. She spent most of her childhood being raised in South America. When her father has a back injury that requires surgery they return to California where they decide to make a life for themselves. Grace is completely unfamiliar with the customs of teenagers so to enter into a public school system at 13 is more than daunting for her. On arrival she realizes just how different she is from the other kids with her Goodwill clothing and little boy haircut.
At the local public pool Grace gets the attention of the gorgeous and confident Carly and the sweet girl-next-door Maggie. They quickly take her under their wing forming The Kitty Committee where as each girl has to promise to always have each others back, boys are never to come between them, and should you ever leave the group or break a rule then you are considered dead to the remaining members.
"That was the day The Kitty Committee truly came into it's own, displaying it's sharp claws for the rest of the world to see."
It becomes clear that Grace and Maggie are just pawns in Carly's schemes. To say Carly is a mean girl would be an understatement. She is clearly a sociopath that can manipulate nearly any situation to her benefit. Grace and Maggie are both blinded by her beauty and cool confidence to see what she really is.
"As long as Carly continues to take my calls, I'll continue to make them. Why do I care so much what Carly thinks? Because she doesn't care at all."
When Carly feels she's been wronged then the only acceptable thing to do is to seek revenge and Grace and Maggie must participate to show her just how much her friendship means to them. That is until a tragic event and secret shatters their lives as they know it.
"Carly was a spider, spinning a web around my defenses with her words. I couldn't think or act quickly enough to keep up with her."
Unfortunately for these young ladies some one else knows their secret and on the first week of March for the next twenty years these three women receive an email taunting them with warnings that they know exactly what they did and that they will receive punishment.
"If time heals all wounds, the email was the means to reliably rip the scab from the wound in a predictable way. Never forget. And I never did."
Wow! So very good this one! Highly recommended! 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Grace grew up traveling with her missionary parents and brother Luke. She spent most of her childhood being raised in South America. When her father has a back injury that requires surgery they return to California where they decide to make a life for themselves. Grace is completely unfamiliar with the customs of teenagers so to enter into a public school system at 13 is more than daunting for her. On arrival she realizes just how different she is from the other kids with her Goodwill clothing and little boy haircut.
At the local public pool Grace gets the attention of the gorgeous and confident Carly and the sweet girl-next-door Maggie. They quickly take her under their wing forming The Kitty Committee where as each girl has to promise to always have each others back, boys are never to come between them, and should you ever leave the group or break a rule then you are considered dead to the remaining members.
"That was the day The Kitty Committee truly came into it's own, displaying it's sharp claws for the rest of the world to see."
It becomes clear that Grace and Maggie are just pawns in Carly's schemes. To say Carly is a mean girl would be an understatement. She is clearly a sociopath that can manipulate nearly any situation to her benefit. Grace and Maggie are both blinded by her beauty and cool confidence to see what she really is.
"As long as Carly continues to take my calls, I'll continue to make them. Why do I care so much what Carly thinks? Because she doesn't care at all."
When Carly feels she's been wronged then the only acceptable thing to do is to seek revenge and Grace and Maggie must participate to show her just how much her friendship means to them. That is until a tragic event and secret shatters their lives as they know it.
"Carly was a spider, spinning a web around my defenses with her words. I couldn't think or act quickly enough to keep up with her."
Unfortunately for these young ladies some one else knows their secret and on the first week of March for the next twenty years these three women receive an email taunting them with warnings that they know exactly what they did and that they will receive punishment.
"If time heals all wounds, the email was the means to reliably rip the scab from the wound in a predictable way. Never forget. And I never did."
Wow! So very good this one! Highly recommended! 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 21, 2018
This reads like PREP meets PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. In fact, her writing is very Sittenfeld as well.
I don't know why it was listed as women's - almost the entire story is teenage years while written in a grownup language. This was kind of the best and also the weirdest thing about this book. While I kept thinking this is going to be hard because this is raising the bar for YA books (that tend to be written in a form of chit-chat sometimes, even when addressing drugs, alcohol, teenage death, divorce, rape etc.), and this book has a SIMPLY STELLAR LANGUAGE.
Half of my copy is highlighted just with original descriptions and chains of thoughts. That I also don't believe any high schooler would ever have. That's why I said - it's also the weirdest thing.
This reminded me of Sittenfeld's "Prep," that I also kept reading and thinking it's not very likely that a college kid would use such words in her own head.
It's more like a teacher's journal of a teenager's behavior.
I couldn't care less about the plot. In fact, the whole structure keeps jumping back and forth so much, sometimes even within the same chapter that so many things literally are re-written just to keep the reader in tune with what's going on. It felt like yet another version of Mean Girls gone bad, and despite the fact that there are deaths mentioned it feels like something distant, happening in the neighbors' yard, not yours.
I'm still in love with her writing and will download all of Berla's other books.
I don't know why it was listed as women's - almost the entire story is teenage years while written in a grownup language. This was kind of the best and also the weirdest thing about this book. While I kept thinking this is going to be hard because this is raising the bar for YA books (that tend to be written in a form of chit-chat sometimes, even when addressing drugs, alcohol, teenage death, divorce, rape etc.), and this book has a SIMPLY STELLAR LANGUAGE.
Half of my copy is highlighted just with original descriptions and chains of thoughts. That I also don't believe any high schooler would ever have. That's why I said - it's also the weirdest thing.
This reminded me of Sittenfeld's "Prep," that I also kept reading and thinking it's not very likely that a college kid would use such words in her own head.
It's more like a teacher's journal of a teenager's behavior.
I couldn't care less about the plot. In fact, the whole structure keeps jumping back and forth so much, sometimes even within the same chapter that so many things literally are re-written just to keep the reader in tune with what's going on. It felt like yet another version of Mean Girls gone bad, and despite the fact that there are deaths mentioned it feels like something distant, happening in the neighbors' yard, not yours.
I'm still in love with her writing and will download all of Berla's other books.
April 28, 2018
The Kitty Committee is a beautifully-written book about the power of friendship and how it can become catastrophic. The pace of the book was great, seeing as I read it in one sitting. Grace as a narrator was easy to follow, and I enjoyed the narration’s knack for moving around in time and describing the entirety of her life.
The tone of the book never shifted throughout the teenage years, which I appreciated, because this was an adult talking about what she's been through. It created a story-telling kind of feel to the narrative and I loved that. Going down memory lane with her was like talking to an old friend, and all the descriptions of her journeys and relationships she formed along the way had a nostalgic vibe that helped us connect to the character’s soul and understand how her younger years formed the person she has become.
The dynamic between the girls in the Kitty Committee was compelling, and it was easy to see how things would escalate because the seeds of deception and control were planted there from the beginning. Carly was a very intimidating and interesting antagonist, and I found her fascinating to read about. Her motives and mannerisms and her need of control kept the mystery going. That was aided by the beautiful atmospheric writing and descriptions, along with the mystery of what exactly happened to these girls.
Overall, this was a greatly written, compelling book that I enjoyed so much! It kept you wanting more and had a main character that kept you emotionally invested.
The tone of the book never shifted throughout the teenage years, which I appreciated, because this was an adult talking about what she's been through. It created a story-telling kind of feel to the narrative and I loved that. Going down memory lane with her was like talking to an old friend, and all the descriptions of her journeys and relationships she formed along the way had a nostalgic vibe that helped us connect to the character’s soul and understand how her younger years formed the person she has become.
The dynamic between the girls in the Kitty Committee was compelling, and it was easy to see how things would escalate because the seeds of deception and control were planted there from the beginning. Carly was a very intimidating and interesting antagonist, and I found her fascinating to read about. Her motives and mannerisms and her need of control kept the mystery going. That was aided by the beautiful atmospheric writing and descriptions, along with the mystery of what exactly happened to these girls.
Overall, this was a greatly written, compelling book that I enjoyed so much! It kept you wanting more and had a main character that kept you emotionally invested.
June 23, 2018
I took a while to get in to this with the time frames switching every few chapters and I never really connected to the superficial main character. Her choices, although understandable, were not commendable and not remotely relatable. There were some twists and the main event driving Grace’s torment was huge enough to give a proper insight into her feelings of guilt but mostly I felt adrift and not connected to the story.
August 12, 2018
I feel like this book tried to do too much and failed. This seemed like two stories inelegantly combined into one. One that was a coming of age type about a girl/woman raised in various countries by her missionary parents and trying to reintegrate into an American high school. Later as an adult, she embarks on a backpacking trip through Europe. I found this fairly enjoyable and liked reading about her travels as I backpacked to most of the same destinations as a young adult. Revisiting these cities gave me serious nostalgia for my own days of living in hostels and meeting fellow travelers.
The second story was the suspense/thriller aspect which I felt was less well done. Right from the start we know that these girls did something horrible and there is some tension in waiting for the terrible event to occur, however the build-up took too long and frankly I lost interest. When the big secret was finally revealed near the end it was anticlimactic as it wasn’t as bad as I had expected and anticipated. This story becomes overly convoluted and ridiculous with the reveal of the identity of another player in this drama and I felt like the personality switch was too great and too unbelievable. It was also an unnecessary addition to the story and while it didn’t add anything for me it did annoy me and make me roll my eyes.
The main character’s complete lack of personality made it very hard for me to connect with her and I just did not care at all about her. It took away some of the suspense as she became increasingly guilty and stressed about their secret and feared exposure and I failed to feel any empathy for her or interest in the outcome. I understand that she was brought up in an unconventional way and left to be an adult at a too early age and this prevented her from developing her own identity. This left her susceptible to being controlled by a stronger personality like Carly but it made her very hard to engage with and I didn't have any investment in her fate.
The Kitty Committee was a bust for me. While it started out promising with a “Mean Girls” story-line which, while not new was at least interesting, it devolved into a listless and boring suspense story with very little suspense. Unfortunately this one was not my cup of tea.
Thank you to Amberjack Publishing for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
The second story was the suspense/thriller aspect which I felt was less well done. Right from the start we know that these girls did something horrible and there is some tension in waiting for the terrible event to occur, however the build-up took too long and frankly I lost interest. When the big secret was finally revealed near the end it was anticlimactic as it wasn’t as bad as I had expected and anticipated. This story becomes overly convoluted and ridiculous with the reveal of the identity of another player in this drama and I felt like the personality switch was too great and too unbelievable. It was also an unnecessary addition to the story and while it didn’t add anything for me it did annoy me and make me roll my eyes.
The main character’s complete lack of personality made it very hard for me to connect with her and I just did not care at all about her. It took away some of the suspense as she became increasingly guilty and stressed about their secret and feared exposure and I failed to feel any empathy for her or interest in the outcome. I understand that she was brought up in an unconventional way and left to be an adult at a too early age and this prevented her from developing her own identity. This left her susceptible to being controlled by a stronger personality like Carly but it made her very hard to engage with and I didn't have any investment in her fate.
The Kitty Committee was a bust for me. While it started out promising with a “Mean Girls” story-line which, while not new was at least interesting, it devolved into a listless and boring suspense story with very little suspense. Unfortunately this one was not my cup of tea.
Thank you to Amberjack Publishing for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
September 18, 2018
3,5 stars
THE KITTY COMMITTEE grabbed me from the very first page. The story sets up in such a way that you know there is a mystery as to the what, why and who. I was looking forward to digging in and moving into the story.
The story is told from the protagonist's point of view and we are immediately introduced to an antagonist. I could not understand why Grace would even call Carly because Carly clearly didn't care about what was going on. I was angry from the get go. Like why??? For me, it didn't get much better than that.
Grace "tells the story" in flashbacks between high school, now, after college, high school, etc. and at times it was a little frustrating because it was too seamless. Almost like a puzzle with pieces that fit so perfectly together yet they are from different puzzles (does that make sense?). Also, there is a lot of build up and then ~shoulder shrug~ It's over.
I read A LOT and I don't always remember what authors names that I have read. I absolutely have authors I will "one click" because I've enjoyed their past works and others I look forward to being introduced to based on friends recommendations. This is an author whose work I have always enjoyed but didn't recognize until I looked up what she had previously written. I've enjoyed her previous work, this book just wasn't my cup of tea.
THE KITTY COMMITTEE grabbed me from the very first page. The story sets up in such a way that you know there is a mystery as to the what, why and who. I was looking forward to digging in and moving into the story.
The story is told from the protagonist's point of view and we are immediately introduced to an antagonist. I could not understand why Grace would even call Carly because Carly clearly didn't care about what was going on. I was angry from the get go. Like why??? For me, it didn't get much better than that.
Grace "tells the story" in flashbacks between high school, now, after college, high school, etc. and at times it was a little frustrating because it was too seamless. Almost like a puzzle with pieces that fit so perfectly together yet they are from different puzzles (does that make sense?). Also, there is a lot of build up and then ~shoulder shrug~ It's over.
I read A LOT and I don't always remember what authors names that I have read. I absolutely have authors I will "one click" because I've enjoyed their past works and others I look forward to being introduced to based on friends recommendations. This is an author whose work I have always enjoyed but didn't recognize until I looked up what she had previously written. I've enjoyed her previous work, this book just wasn't my cup of tea.
August 8, 2019
Reads like a slightly-more-adult Pretty Little Liars. Less twists and turns (I guessed who the mysterious person sending threatening messages was) but I thought the characters were interesting and multi-faceted.
August 27, 2018
Review to come.
September 15, 2018
Interesting Insight On Love and Friendship
This author usually writes for young adults and teens, so it was with ease that she writes about catty girls on the road to adulthood. She gets all the angst right, that's for sure. This story is quite a "head trip," so pay attention to who does what. An interesting story, especially for young adults.
This author usually writes for young adults and teens, so it was with ease that she writes about catty girls on the road to adulthood. She gets all the angst right, that's for sure. This story is quite a "head trip," so pay attention to who does what. An interesting story, especially for young adults.
September 1, 2018
The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense
By: Kathryn Berla
5 out of 5 stars
The story The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla is a thrilling mystery book. It does a wonderful job of grabbing your attention from the very beginning and I soon found myself lost in the pages. It is a book that had me wondering what was going to happen next. The story does a great job of smoothly going from the past to the present and I was impressed on how well I was able to feel the emotions that Grace and the other characters felt themselves. I enjoyed not only the plot but also reading about the character of Grace. A secret kept can lead to your life being molded by it. The emotions that can rule over you run deep and lead to guilt. Grace is a woman who has such emotions. Self-doubt is a constant companion. Some of it has to do with her time in The Kitty Committee. A group of inseparable friends who all share in a secret with Grace. What is the secret that they keep? Every year a letter is sent. Who knows about The Kitty Committee’s secret? I found Grace to be a character that does a lot of thinking about what sort of person that she was and has become. She seems to be searching for happiness in her life that alludes her. What does the future hold for Grace and the other Kitty Committee members? Read this story to find out. I also enjoyed reading about many of the other characters in the book, the part that each of them plays in it and how they interact with Grace. This is a well-written story that I would recommend reading. I found myself thinking about it long after I had finished the book. I can’t wait to read what the author writes next.
By: Kathryn Berla
5 out of 5 stars
The story The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla is a thrilling mystery book. It does a wonderful job of grabbing your attention from the very beginning and I soon found myself lost in the pages. It is a book that had me wondering what was going to happen next. The story does a great job of smoothly going from the past to the present and I was impressed on how well I was able to feel the emotions that Grace and the other characters felt themselves. I enjoyed not only the plot but also reading about the character of Grace. A secret kept can lead to your life being molded by it. The emotions that can rule over you run deep and lead to guilt. Grace is a woman who has such emotions. Self-doubt is a constant companion. Some of it has to do with her time in The Kitty Committee. A group of inseparable friends who all share in a secret with Grace. What is the secret that they keep? Every year a letter is sent. Who knows about The Kitty Committee’s secret? I found Grace to be a character that does a lot of thinking about what sort of person that she was and has become. She seems to be searching for happiness in her life that alludes her. What does the future hold for Grace and the other Kitty Committee members? Read this story to find out. I also enjoyed reading about many of the other characters in the book, the part that each of them plays in it and how they interact with Grace. This is a well-written story that I would recommend reading. I found myself thinking about it long after I had finished the book. I can’t wait to read what the author writes next.
September 12, 2018
3 Stars
The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla is full of secrets, suspense, mystery, manipulation, haunted memories, torment, and fear. It had a Pretty Little Liars vibe to it.
Grace has been haunted by her past, never fully ‘living, always looking back, worrying, wondering, remembering. Every year she gets a reminder that someone else out there knows what happened, too- and won’t ever let her forget. It’s 20 years on- but she’s stuck in the past. What happened you may ask? What is the burden that she’s carried for all these years? Who knows her secret and sends the yearly reminders? What, and who are The Kitty Committee? All these answers can be found in this suspenseful tale.
I have read all of Ms. Berla’s books now and was really excited to see she had written a suspenseful novel. I love a great suspense, so I quickly snatched up a copy to jump into. The story had a good pace, although it was somewhat slow to get going. The story switches back and forth from past and present perspectives. I spent a good majority of the time torn between needing to know what the secret was, thinking how the dialog didn’t really seem to suit a teenager, absolutely detesting Carly and wondering how no one saw through her, and feeling like the story just wasn’t meshing as well as I had hoped for. And when the big ‘reveal’ came, it felt rushed and wasn’t as detailed as I would have liked, or had expected from Ms. Berla.
This isn’t my most favourite read of hers, which pains me because I normally rally love her work, but I will keep a lookout for her next release.
Thank you, Ms. Berla!
The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla is full of secrets, suspense, mystery, manipulation, haunted memories, torment, and fear. It had a Pretty Little Liars vibe to it.
Grace has been haunted by her past, never fully ‘living, always looking back, worrying, wondering, remembering. Every year she gets a reminder that someone else out there knows what happened, too- and won’t ever let her forget. It’s 20 years on- but she’s stuck in the past. What happened you may ask? What is the burden that she’s carried for all these years? Who knows her secret and sends the yearly reminders? What, and who are The Kitty Committee? All these answers can be found in this suspenseful tale.
I have read all of Ms. Berla’s books now and was really excited to see she had written a suspenseful novel. I love a great suspense, so I quickly snatched up a copy to jump into. The story had a good pace, although it was somewhat slow to get going. The story switches back and forth from past and present perspectives. I spent a good majority of the time torn between needing to know what the secret was, thinking how the dialog didn’t really seem to suit a teenager, absolutely detesting Carly and wondering how no one saw through her, and feeling like the story just wasn’t meshing as well as I had hoped for. And when the big ‘reveal’ came, it felt rushed and wasn’t as detailed as I would have liked, or had expected from Ms. Berla.
This isn’t my most favourite read of hers, which pains me because I normally rally love her work, but I will keep a lookout for her next release.
Thank you, Ms. Berla!
September 12, 2018
Okay, so this is a difficult review for me to write because I normally adore, absolutely adore, Katheryn Berla’s novels and the words for the reviews just flow freely for me. Unfortunately, when it comes to The Kitty Committee, things just continuously fell short for me. The plot was there, and it was strong. Immediately upon reading the blurb and knowing the author I was sold and ready to dive into this novel. However, when I got a good 25% in I was so completely frustrated. I saw where Berla was going with Grace, but there was nothing about her that was connectable. I kept waiting for this big explosive event or ta-da moment and it just really wasn’t ever there for me. She really seemed like unnecessary filler to me. Then there were those lovely time jumps. Out of NOWHERE. It just completely threw me off guard, tossed me around, and then confused the holy crap out of me. Quite frankly, it lost me, made it near impossible to want to finish, yet I did, and I truly don’t know what for. What happened here??? So with that all said, Katheryn Berla usually writes with a message behind her novels. A strong plot that usually has a mission to make you think long and hard, yet you don’t even know realize that you are doing so. I will say that I can see where this was trying to go. Women are mean ya’ll. We are. We love fiercely and we can sometimes love so fierce it can cause pain unintentionally. I believe that is was she was trying to portray here. I may be wrong. Anyways, on to the next adventure, and awaiting the next one with Katheryn at the helm! Happy reading!
August 30, 2018
Once I started reading this book, I had a hard time putting it down. I really wanted to know what this secret was that had been chasing Grace and the rest of her group of high school friends, the Kitty Committee. Something happened in high school, something so bad that Grace can't forgive herself or let anyone know the 'real' Grace. As the readers, I feel we're supposed to have an insight into who this real Grace is, but really she's not all that likable or real. I didn't find myself caring about her or any of the other characters - I just wanted to know what this secret was.
The first time the book jumped in time, I was a bit thrown off. There was no real explanation or seeming reason, and I felt like some chapters just got put into the book out of order. Eventually, I came to sort of understand it, because the book does jump around a bit - sometimes taking place during the high school years and sometimes at different times in the time after high school. It's pretty much up to the reader to put the pieces together and figure out when is when and what everything has to do with the story as a whole. Overall it does work pretty well. Once you get used to it.
So, it did keep me reading and trying to figure it out up until the end, but the ending was a bit disappointing. It just seemed to wrap up neatly and quickly, and I still didn't really care about Grace or any of the others.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC
The first time the book jumped in time, I was a bit thrown off. There was no real explanation or seeming reason, and I felt like some chapters just got put into the book out of order. Eventually, I came to sort of understand it, because the book does jump around a bit - sometimes taking place during the high school years and sometimes at different times in the time after high school. It's pretty much up to the reader to put the pieces together and figure out when is when and what everything has to do with the story as a whole. Overall it does work pretty well. Once you get used to it.
So, it did keep me reading and trying to figure it out up until the end, but the ending was a bit disappointing. It just seemed to wrap up neatly and quickly, and I still didn't really care about Grace or any of the others.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC
September 26, 2018
The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla was a breath taking mystery novel. Grabbing my attention from page one and not letting go until the back cover. I easily lost myself in the pages, getting tangled in the words intertwining the past and present as the characters moved from one memory to the next. The mystery aspect of the story really made this story a unique test that I wasn’t prepared for but really showed how well the author could pull you into a story. Getting to know Grace and how secrets from the past could steer her life in such ways. The self-doubt and constant questioning of who she is not only as a woman but as to how her life has turned out really made this for an interesting book. Grace’s friends have all created a sort of “Kitty Committee” and this group all share the same secret as Grace. But can a group of people really be trusted with a secret this big. When tragedy strikes the Kitty Committee it will take them all sticking together to make it out alive. Berla is a new to me author, but I am so happy that I picked this story up. She pulled me in from page one and didn’t let go until the very end. If you are looking for a great story that is sure to keep you guessing and heart racing than this is one you definitely need to own for your collection. I can’t wait to see what Berla brings her readers next, because if it is anything like this story I will be first in line to buy it.
September 13, 2018
The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla
5 Stars
I've read most of this authors books and she always has a way of getting me hooked early...This one took a bit and I wasn't sure whether I understood what was going on till somewhere around the middle of the book. I knew she was building up to something I was just trying to keep myself on track to know what that was.
Even before understanding what the secret was I was pulled in and could not put this book down. Now I think back and wonder what took me so long.
This was an awesome story, and the ending floored me...I was so totally off base and had no idea who was behind the yearly reminders that someone obviously knew the secret that only 3 people should have known.
I couldn't help but feel so very sorry for Grace through most of this book, I loved her and I really loved Maggie, although a few times throughout I just wanted to bang their heads together and wake them up.
I love this author, and she always finds a way to surprise me with her stories, you never know what your going to dive into when you pick up one of her books, Im a forever fan and will be watching for what comes next. I highly recommend this book, but pay attention and don't give up if it takes you a bit like it did me, you won't be sorry you hung in there.
Loved It!!
5 Stars
I've read most of this authors books and she always has a way of getting me hooked early...This one took a bit and I wasn't sure whether I understood what was going on till somewhere around the middle of the book. I knew she was building up to something I was just trying to keep myself on track to know what that was.
Even before understanding what the secret was I was pulled in and could not put this book down. Now I think back and wonder what took me so long.
This was an awesome story, and the ending floored me...I was so totally off base and had no idea who was behind the yearly reminders that someone obviously knew the secret that only 3 people should have known.
I couldn't help but feel so very sorry for Grace through most of this book, I loved her and I really loved Maggie, although a few times throughout I just wanted to bang their heads together and wake them up.
I love this author, and she always finds a way to surprise me with her stories, you never know what your going to dive into when you pick up one of her books, Im a forever fan and will be watching for what comes next. I highly recommend this book, but pay attention and don't give up if it takes you a bit like it did me, you won't be sorry you hung in there.
Loved It!!
September 14, 2018
The Kitty Committee by Kathryn Berla is a dark coming of age story. It tells the story of Grace, a naïve girl who gets caught up in a dangerous friendship group.
The narrative switches between different points in time, so we get Grace’s experiences as a teenager and the impact it has on her as an adult side-by-side. This is very effective – we know something bad will happen and have some clues as to what but have to wait to find out what.
It reminded me a lot of Mean Girls at times. Grace’s parents are missionaries and she has spent most of her life away from America. Initially, she has a hard time adjusting to high school until she is accepted by Carly and Maggie. It also reminded me a bit of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, particularly nearer the start. I was worried at times that it was going to be too much like Mean Girls (not that I have anything against Mean Girls!) but the structure allows for the girls’ choices and actions to have much deeper and more serious consequences.
There’s a lot going on in this story – sometimes it feels like a bit too much to follow everything at once but it’s also very enjoyable. Grace spends some time travelling around Europe which was particularly fun to read about!
For me, this is a four star book. I’d recommend it to fans of high school stories like Mean Girls who are after something a bit darker.
The narrative switches between different points in time, so we get Grace’s experiences as a teenager and the impact it has on her as an adult side-by-side. This is very effective – we know something bad will happen and have some clues as to what but have to wait to find out what.
It reminded me a lot of Mean Girls at times. Grace’s parents are missionaries and she has spent most of her life away from America. Initially, she has a hard time adjusting to high school until she is accepted by Carly and Maggie. It also reminded me a bit of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, particularly nearer the start. I was worried at times that it was going to be too much like Mean Girls (not that I have anything against Mean Girls!) but the structure allows for the girls’ choices and actions to have much deeper and more serious consequences.
There’s a lot going on in this story – sometimes it feels like a bit too much to follow everything at once but it’s also very enjoyable. Grace spends some time travelling around Europe which was particularly fun to read about!
For me, this is a four star book. I’d recommend it to fans of high school stories like Mean Girls who are after something a bit darker.
September 10, 2018
The Kitty Committee is a suspense novel by Kathryn Berla AND it is her first novel written for adult readers. I have read her YA story “Going Places” and I absolutely fell in love with her writing so when The Kitty Committee popped up on my radar then I went … hmmm, let’s see how she is when writing to adult readers …
She did not disappoint me! Her writing was good as ever … she has given us a story that shows us what far reaching consequences might our decisions have that we take as teenagers, influenced by our friends and loyalties at the time … unfortunately, the decisions and actions of this group of girls, oh my, they have disastrous consequences and the shadow the lives of so many people …
I loved how the timeframe kept changing as it kept me sharp and on my toes … I liked that at no point did the writer fall into the ‘language’ of teenagers … I have to say though that at times I had hard time to relate/feel for Grace as I felt that she never really found her feet as a person in her own rights … on the other hand, one could really feel the lasting impact that the act of her youth had on the rest of her life … The writer forces us to think and feel and to understand why we think and feel the way we do … The story is really worth while reading …
She did not disappoint me! Her writing was good as ever … she has given us a story that shows us what far reaching consequences might our decisions have that we take as teenagers, influenced by our friends and loyalties at the time … unfortunately, the decisions and actions of this group of girls, oh my, they have disastrous consequences and the shadow the lives of so many people …
I loved how the timeframe kept changing as it kept me sharp and on my toes … I liked that at no point did the writer fall into the ‘language’ of teenagers … I have to say though that at times I had hard time to relate/feel for Grace as I felt that she never really found her feet as a person in her own rights … on the other hand, one could really feel the lasting impact that the act of her youth had on the rest of her life … The writer forces us to think and feel and to understand why we think and feel the way we do … The story is really worth while reading …
September 1, 2018
Here’s another story by Kathryn Berla that makes you go hmm. This time however, the story is a little more twisted. Usually Berla’s stories make you take a good look at yourself, this time though we are forced to look at the evils of others. We should look into ourselves. We should learn to depend and believe in ourselves. We all have something special about us. Berla’s stories make us think more.
“All I had to do was believe in its power, in my power to forgive and to love, myself as well as others.”
This story is easy to read. The flash backs are well defined from the current time. The telling of the story, through Grace’s eyes, made you feel for Grace. She was looking for attention, someone to tell her she was enough. Grace found that through her so-called friend, queen of the mean girls, Carly. I would like to read this story through Carly’s eyes.
There were times during this story that I wanted to shake Grace and tell her to get the heck away from Carly. In fact, I wanted Maggie and Jane to grab Grace and RUN from Carly.
Once again Berla has brought out different emotions and made me glad I read another book by her.
“All I had to do was believe in its power, in my power to forgive and to love, myself as well as others.”
This story is easy to read. The flash backs are well defined from the current time. The telling of the story, through Grace’s eyes, made you feel for Grace. She was looking for attention, someone to tell her she was enough. Grace found that through her so-called friend, queen of the mean girls, Carly. I would like to read this story through Carly’s eyes.
There were times during this story that I wanted to shake Grace and tell her to get the heck away from Carly. In fact, I wanted Maggie and Jane to grab Grace and RUN from Carly.
Once again Berla has brought out different emotions and made me glad I read another book by her.
September 2, 2018
The Kitty Committee: A Novel Of Suspense by Kathryn Berla is a story about a shared secret that defines the life of a group of friends for over 20 years.
Grace lives her life knowing that every year she can’t escape what is to come. Every year, no matter how many years pass, there will always be the reminder about what happened when she was younger.
Once a member of The Kitty Committee she had a group of friends that everyone would want. Inseparable and supportive they were all each other needed. Until one single act jeopardised everything.
And even now, years later, Grace can’t forget and move on. Every year she isn’t allowed to.
This book is a great mystery. Even when reading the blurb I wanted to know what they had done. The book captures my attention immediately and I found the pages were so easily turned. Grace was a gray character. Her life has been entirely defined by what happened and you can see it reflected in everything she does. I found myself trying to work out what had happened all the time. This was a new author for me but I will be looking at more of her work for sure.
Grace lives her life knowing that every year she can’t escape what is to come. Every year, no matter how many years pass, there will always be the reminder about what happened when she was younger.
Once a member of The Kitty Committee she had a group of friends that everyone would want. Inseparable and supportive they were all each other needed. Until one single act jeopardised everything.
And even now, years later, Grace can’t forget and move on. Every year she isn’t allowed to.
This book is a great mystery. Even when reading the blurb I wanted to know what they had done. The book captures my attention immediately and I found the pages were so easily turned. Grace was a gray character. Her life has been entirely defined by what happened and you can see it reflected in everything she does. I found myself trying to work out what had happened all the time. This was a new author for me but I will be looking at more of her work for sure.
September 5, 2018
The Kitty Committee by Kathryn Berla
4 Stars
This is a story about growing up and relationships. It is about how secrets can destroy lives and how guilt can eat away at your soul. It shows us that the truth can set you free. The book jumps back and forth between the past and the present to show us what happened and the future repercussions. The Kitty Committee was innocently started to be a support group between friends but later turned into something much darker.
Being raised as a child of the world in a family of missionaries, all Grace wanted was to fit in and have some friends. When Carly befriended her, Grace became enamoured. Carly was smart, sophisticated and seemed to know everything. Grace would do anything to stay on her good side. Carly was intimidating and manipulative. A perfect sociopath that led them astray. It took Grace more than twenty years to get over the train wreck of her life that Carly made.
I found the story to drag at times and become long with scenes that had no relevance to what was going on. Besides that, it was a compelling story that drew me in. I think it is a book worth reading.
4 Stars
This is a story about growing up and relationships. It is about how secrets can destroy lives and how guilt can eat away at your soul. It shows us that the truth can set you free. The book jumps back and forth between the past and the present to show us what happened and the future repercussions. The Kitty Committee was innocently started to be a support group between friends but later turned into something much darker.
Being raised as a child of the world in a family of missionaries, all Grace wanted was to fit in and have some friends. When Carly befriended her, Grace became enamoured. Carly was smart, sophisticated and seemed to know everything. Grace would do anything to stay on her good side. Carly was intimidating and manipulative. A perfect sociopath that led them astray. It took Grace more than twenty years to get over the train wreck of her life that Carly made.
I found the story to drag at times and become long with scenes that had no relevance to what was going on. Besides that, it was a compelling story that drew me in. I think it is a book worth reading.
September 8, 2018
The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Katheryn Berla was an interesting novel. There definitely was a huge aspect of suspense and how “catty” female relationships can be. This story took a long time for me to get through. There did not feel like much was going on in the story and then when things were happening, it jumped around a lot. I did not connect with Grace except her travel stint. I loved reading about it and how she was opening herself up a little. But I felt as though she was very closed minded and then as soon as something bad happened she ran back into the familiar. She seemed to lack likable qualities because she was very agreeable and willing to please but aside from her Europe trip never did anything on her own free will. The story wasn’t especially hard to follow despite the flashbacks. I know there will be many people who enjoy this book because the suspense is well written. I also believe that the author had good intentions with the characters and storyline. I would read another story by this author to one give them another chance and two because I did like the story, I just believe the delivery could have been clearer.
September 11, 2018
The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla is a great novel that is, as the title suggests, full of suspense.
The story is split between the present day and also back to when our main character and her friends are in high school. Grace is holding a terrible secret from her high school days and every year she receives a letter or email from someone who knows her terrible secret.
The Kitty Committee was formed by Grace and her friends Carly, Maggie and Jane. The Committee had strict rules of membership and the girls were required to do tasks that proved their allegiance to the group.
I have to be honest and admit that I hated Carly. She is a twisted, evil girl and I wanted to slap Grace so many times for being so taken by Carly and giving in and doing everything Carly asked.
The story was well written and flowed well between present and past and we are given great insight into each of the girls.
So what is the big secret that is tearing Grace apart? Who knows the secret and has been sending the yearly messages to the girls? Will Grace confess the secret and her part in it? I’d recommend that you read this book and find out for yourselves.
The story is split between the present day and also back to when our main character and her friends are in high school. Grace is holding a terrible secret from her high school days and every year she receives a letter or email from someone who knows her terrible secret.
The Kitty Committee was formed by Grace and her friends Carly, Maggie and Jane. The Committee had strict rules of membership and the girls were required to do tasks that proved their allegiance to the group.
I have to be honest and admit that I hated Carly. She is a twisted, evil girl and I wanted to slap Grace so many times for being so taken by Carly and giving in and doing everything Carly asked.
The story was well written and flowed well between present and past and we are given great insight into each of the girls.
So what is the big secret that is tearing Grace apart? Who knows the secret and has been sending the yearly messages to the girls? Will Grace confess the secret and her part in it? I’d recommend that you read this book and find out for yourselves.
September 14, 2018
The Kitty Committee: a Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla
4 out of 5 stars
The thrilling mystery book is one white knuckled, page gripping book. While thrillers are not my normal genre that I lean towards, after reading the synopsis, I was oddly drawn into this book. The author has such a urique way with her words, style of writing, and her plot development that you are easily enveloped into this riving world of Grace and her friends, all of whom, share a secret.
The Kitty Committee is the name of Grace and all of her friends, and the secret? Well for that you will have to crack open the pages of the book to find out, but it will not be what you are expecting. What worries the Committee, is that someone else knows their secret too.
Grace grows in this story and so do many of her friends. I said that the plot development is what draws you into this book but the characters are what makes it so easy to read. This author has gone far and above to create characters that are easy to love, connect with, and to understand. I would HIGHLY recommend this book for a book club!
4 out of 5 stars
The thrilling mystery book is one white knuckled, page gripping book. While thrillers are not my normal genre that I lean towards, after reading the synopsis, I was oddly drawn into this book. The author has such a urique way with her words, style of writing, and her plot development that you are easily enveloped into this riving world of Grace and her friends, all of whom, share a secret.
The Kitty Committee is the name of Grace and all of her friends, and the secret? Well for that you will have to crack open the pages of the book to find out, but it will not be what you are expecting. What worries the Committee, is that someone else knows their secret too.
Grace grows in this story and so do many of her friends. I said that the plot development is what draws you into this book but the characters are what makes it so easy to read. This author has gone far and above to create characters that are easy to love, connect with, and to understand. I would HIGHLY recommend this book for a book club!
September 16, 2018
The Kitty Committee is a great read for people who like coming-of-age stories blended with a bit of suspense. This book has a lot of attention to detail which is both a tribute to the author’s effort to tell a good story, and a drawback in that (at least for me) the extent of detail started to become tedious about halfway through the story.
This book follows the life progression of Grace Templeton, a girl who has lived abroad for most of her young life due to her parents being missionaries. Grace’s family moves back to the states during Grace’s high school years. She has been out of the loop and her first year is rough, but she meets up with a couple of other girls who shape her path.
Carly, the ringleader of the group that calls themselves The Kitty Committee, is an interesting character…subtly manipulative to those who aren’t paying attention. She masterfully shapes things to fit her needs and desires. Grace gets caught up in the glow of being accepted and cared for. Decisions are made that set an ominous tone for the future. With a heavy secret hanging over her, Grace tries to navigate her adult life, but it isn’t easy.
This book follows the life progression of Grace Templeton, a girl who has lived abroad for most of her young life due to her parents being missionaries. Grace’s family moves back to the states during Grace’s high school years. She has been out of the loop and her first year is rough, but she meets up with a couple of other girls who shape her path.
Carly, the ringleader of the group that calls themselves The Kitty Committee, is an interesting character…subtly manipulative to those who aren’t paying attention. She masterfully shapes things to fit her needs and desires. Grace gets caught up in the glow of being accepted and cared for. Decisions are made that set an ominous tone for the future. With a heavy secret hanging over her, Grace tries to navigate her adult life, but it isn’t easy.
May 10, 2018
I received an ARC for The Kitty Committee and devoured it. It's the story of a woman named Grace, who lives with guilt for her mean girl days, led by a girl, Carly, for whom treachery seems to be second nature. Grace was younger and had lived a sheltered life so she was susceptible to the stronger-willed girl but not everyone has that excuse. Why do they succumb?
But that's only one question this book will spark. Who's sending the Kitty Committee cryptic messages over the years? Will he/she be satisfied with that torment or does more retribution hang over them? What did they do that was so terrible and how will Grace ever forgive herself?
All these questions are wrapped in an engrossing story and beautiful, evocative prose of feelings and settings, almost unbelievably lucky encounters and stare-worthy men.
Over all is the sense of hope. Grace has opportunities for good things, if she can accept her past and vow for better for her and from her in the future.
A thriller-mystery with heart and spirit.
August 6, 2018
The "Kitty Committee" of Grace Templeton's youth was a group of teenage friendship and support. But over time, the group falls victim to a ringleader’s manipulative personality. Set on a course of vigilante justice, and a violent act that will forever change their lives, Grace and the other girls spend the next 20 years battling the guilt born from their shared secret. But someone outside the group knows what they did all those years ago, and won’t forgive—or let them forget.
The Kitty Committee was slow to get off of its feet but once there, it took off. I really enjoyed the character development and the plot so I felt the slow burn was somewhat needed. This book deals with some very real subject matter.... Mean girls, manipulation and bullying and the future ramifications.
I think this would be appealing to any age from YA to WF but, be forewarned, it has it's fair share of strong language.
I very much enjoyed The Kitty Committee and thank Netgalley and Amberjack Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
release 8/14/18 read 7/18
The Kitty Committee was slow to get off of its feet but once there, it took off. I really enjoyed the character development and the plot so I felt the slow burn was somewhat needed. This book deals with some very real subject matter.... Mean girls, manipulation and bullying and the future ramifications.
I think this would be appealing to any age from YA to WF but, be forewarned, it has it's fair share of strong language.
I very much enjoyed The Kitty Committee and thank Netgalley and Amberjack Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
release 8/14/18 read 7/18
September 6, 2018
Kathryn Berla’s The Kitty Committee: A novel of suspense, will do just as the title says. It will have you hooked and on the edge of your seat the whole way through. The novel follows Grace and a mysterious secret that has been haunting her and her high school clique. Grace was once a member of the Kitty Committee until manipulative ringleader pushed them all a little too far. I really enjoyed the pacing and the way the story shifted back and forth between past and present. This helped slowly unravel all the suspenseful secrets and twists in the story. I really enjoyed Grace as a main character and her complexities and the way she was wrote. The story was incredibly written and wove both timelines perfectly. I really enjoyed all the drama and the tension as built throughout the novel. This book is like if the pink ladies of Grease mixed with the girls of Pretty Little Liars and they were filled to the brim with suspense.
Overall I gave The Kitty Committee: A novel of suspense 4/5 stars
Overall I gave The Kitty Committee: A novel of suspense 4/5 stars
September 6, 2018
The Kitty Committee is a stand-alone novel from author Kathryn Berla. This is my fourth read from this author and she continues to surprise me. This is a completely different genre of book from her that I was surprised to see that she writes that genre. But what really surprised me was how much more I enjoyed this one from her than her others and that’s saying a lot considering I enjoyed the others so far.
This book was well written, captivating and compelling and had me hooked from the start. There was some definite twists and turns that leave you wondering what could happen next. I liked the the back and forth between the past and the present it was seamless and flowed, and I didn’t get confused.
The characters that are in this book are great to read and Grace stands out to me the most, but we cannot forget how great the secondary characters are, as they help progress this story further, and help Grace tell the story even more.
I can’t wait to see what else this author brings and how she will keep surprising me. I’ll look forward for more to come.
This book was well written, captivating and compelling and had me hooked from the start. There was some definite twists and turns that leave you wondering what could happen next. I liked the the back and forth between the past and the present it was seamless and flowed, and I didn’t get confused.
The characters that are in this book are great to read and Grace stands out to me the most, but we cannot forget how great the secondary characters are, as they help progress this story further, and help Grace tell the story even more.
I can’t wait to see what else this author brings and how she will keep surprising me. I’ll look forward for more to come.
September 15, 2018
The Kitty Committee: A Novel of Suspense by Kathryn Berla is a story about a group of friends from High School who are tied together with a secret but who knows about this wicked secret.
The story is narrated really by Grace and follows her remembering and retelling stories from her teenage years. She is a troubled soul who each year is sent a eerie reminder of the secret only three other people know, but who could the phantom letter sender be.
As some people have already said the story had a Pretty Little Liar vibe to it but it does not detour from the story, although I have to admit I could not really get into it that well. I feel the overall story was a great plot with a twist at the end but I felt I could not really get going in the book with the all the different flashbacks every so often with the chapters.
Although the characters were great and the story was a well write book, I felt at times getting frustrated with Grace. Although that said I would recommend the book for the story as some peoples expectations are different than others and you may feel differently.
The story is narrated really by Grace and follows her remembering and retelling stories from her teenage years. She is a troubled soul who each year is sent a eerie reminder of the secret only three other people know, but who could the phantom letter sender be.
As some people have already said the story had a Pretty Little Liar vibe to it but it does not detour from the story, although I have to admit I could not really get into it that well. I feel the overall story was a great plot with a twist at the end but I felt I could not really get going in the book with the all the different flashbacks every so often with the chapters.
Although the characters were great and the story was a well write book, I felt at times getting frustrated with Grace. Although that said I would recommend the book for the story as some peoples expectations are different than others and you may feel differently.
September 19, 2018
The Kitty Committee by Kathryn Berla is a five star novel. I was roped into this story right off the bat. I found it intriguing how Grace was raised as a daughter of missionaries. Coming back to the United States is hard for s teenager and trying to integrate into normal high school life. Being a girl is hard. Being a girl in high school when you don’t know the normal customs is extremely difficult. As Grace tries to find her way, she becomes friends with the mean girls. She didn’t know it at the time, but after they formed their own type of ‘sorority’ called the Kitty Committee, she realizes she is on the wrong path but feels that she can’t do anything about it. Now that she is in, she knows too much to leave. Some things they have done will never be forgotten. Someone out there knows their secret also. The letters in the mail prove it. What they do with that information, she doesn’t know. She just knows it is scary and can’t understand what is going to come of it. Can there be forgiveness to a decades old situation?
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