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The Collective
The USA Today bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author of Never Look Back and If I Die Tonight plumbs the dark side of justice and the depths of diabolical revenge in this propulsive novel of psychological suspense that melds the driving narrative of Then She Was Gone with the breathtaking twists of The Chain and the violent fury of Kill Bill.
Just how far will a grieving mother go to right a tragic wrong?
Camille Gardner is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible.
When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability and perpetrators emerge unscathed. Fueled by mutual rage, these women orchestrate their own brand of justice through precise, anonymous, complexly plotted and perfectly executed revenge killings, with individual members completing a specific and integral task in each plan.
As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.
Just how far will a grieving mother go to right a tragic wrong?
Camille Gardner is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible.
When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability and perpetrators emerge unscathed. Fueled by mutual rage, these women orchestrate their own brand of justice through precise, anonymous, complexly plotted and perfectly executed revenge killings, with individual members completing a specific and integral task in each plan.
As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.
338 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2021
845 people are currently reading
60913 people want to read
About the author
Alison Gaylin
44 books1,761 followersUSA Today and international bestselling author Alison Gaylin has won the Edgar and Shamus awards, and has been nominated for many more, including the L.A. Times Book Prize, the ITW Thriller, the Strand Book Award, the Anthony and the Macavity. She is currently at work on her 15th novel.
Series:
* Samantha Leiffer Mystery
* Simone Glass Mystery
Series:
* Samantha Leiffer Mystery
* Simone Glass Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,778 reviews
December 2, 2021
Blasted through this thriller in a day, I love the concept of this book -- it has major good for her energy. We love to see a bunch of badass moms seeking revenge for their children. And the ending had a pretty unexpected plot twist! Some parts of the story dragged a little bit, and it's not necessarily a new all time favorite, but I had a lot of fun reading this one!
May 1, 2022
How far would you go to avenge your child's death? How about join a secret group of mothers that are willing to give you final justice? Camille thought the collective would be the thing to finally ease her rage, give her some peace. She quickly finds out if you are not all in then you will be put out, permanently.
Solid **3.5** read. I feel the author missed a lot of great wtf moments. It just wasn't twisty and dark as it could have been.
Solid **3.5** read. I feel the author missed a lot of great wtf moments. It just wasn't twisty and dark as it could have been.
January 9, 2022
3.5 stars
Easy and entertaining!
Camille is introduced to an online group for grieving mothers who have lost a child and struggle move on. Camille finds comfort knowing she is not alone. This group shares their emotions and thoughts encouraging and empowering the members to create retribution fantasy situations where they seek vengeance on the person responsible for their child’s death.
A truly unique, dark and enthralling plot. The book started off strong! Although it lost steam for me after halfway, it kept me interested and entertained from beginning to end. The writing was smooth, making it easy to fly through the chapters. I liked the characters but never felt connected or truly invested in them. For me, it was a matter of enjoying this as being a fun, escape read, not a gripping, believable one. It wasn’t as intense as I had expected, but it was a solid suspenseful story that I enjoyed escaping into.
Overall, it was a good experience reading this author for the first time. Go into this one expecting a fast paced, unique, entertaining read. Nothing deep or gripping, but extremely easy to escape into and get lost in.
Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan!
Easy and entertaining!
Camille is introduced to an online group for grieving mothers who have lost a child and struggle move on. Camille finds comfort knowing she is not alone. This group shares their emotions and thoughts encouraging and empowering the members to create retribution fantasy situations where they seek vengeance on the person responsible for their child’s death.
A truly unique, dark and enthralling plot. The book started off strong! Although it lost steam for me after halfway, it kept me interested and entertained from beginning to end. The writing was smooth, making it easy to fly through the chapters. I liked the characters but never felt connected or truly invested in them. For me, it was a matter of enjoying this as being a fun, escape read, not a gripping, believable one. It wasn’t as intense as I had expected, but it was a solid suspenseful story that I enjoyed escaping into.
Overall, it was a good experience reading this author for the first time. Go into this one expecting a fast paced, unique, entertaining read. Nothing deep or gripping, but extremely easy to escape into and get lost in.
Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan!
August 22, 2022
Thank you Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.
3.5 rounded UP.
SYNOPSIS
5 yrs after Emily's untimely death, Camille (understandably) continues to grieve like it happened yesterday. After an incident with her daughter's accused murderer/rapist goes viral, Camille is recruited into a "secret society" of grieving mothers who take justice into their own hands. DUN DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNNN!!!
MY OPINION
Ok this was the perfect guilty pleasure weekend read. However, this could also be titled The Misandry Manifesto, so if you can't get down with a lil (a LOT) of man bashing, stay clear. But since I'll slam on a man like I'll slam on Colleen Hoover's Verity, I was vibing aggressively.
This is part Audrie & Daisy documentary, part The Hit List by Holly Seddon, and part The Last Invitation by Darby Kane. All three of which I immensely enjoyed. The Collective tackles how the entitled white and rich be getting away with every damn thing—even murder. It was nice to see the ladies take justice into their own hands. Like Camille, I'd rather be waterboarded than forgive my daughter's rapist. Forgiveness wouldn't even be on my radar.
Anyways. The "downfall" of this book was Camille's big dummy energy at time. Gwurl... ROLE PLAY?? You can't be serious lmao. Also I had a hard time believing she was 50+ yrs old. She was giving me more early 30s. For once an author could put an outfit together... sometimes I have to wonder if these authors are colour blind. I read a book where this detective wore a maroon suit and a bright red shirt. ARE YOU GOOD??? What in god's green earth would possess you to combine those two colours. Ok sorry... got a lil off track there.
I also enjoyed the humour and sarcasm throughout, it kept it from going into My Dark Vanessa depression territory. I wouldn't say this was as profound as MDV or Cate Ray's Good Husbands; the messages were pretty banal and the characters lacked any dimension. The last twisty twist was OTT... so X couldn't just turn on a light? Seems like a personal problem.
All in all if you need something light or maybe you just broke up with your mans and wanna get your hate on, pick up this book. It's fast paced, a lil funny, and well-written for the most part. AGAIN, if man bashing puts you off, avoid this.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: solid writing, jokey jokes, juicy premise (Audrie & Daisy + The Hit List + The Last Invitation), well-paced, quick guilty pleasure read
Cons: characters were one dimensional, Camille seemed immature and switched up real quick, ending was doing too much
3.5 rounded UP.
SYNOPSIS
5 yrs after Emily's untimely death, Camille (understandably) continues to grieve like it happened yesterday. After an incident with her daughter's accused murderer/rapist goes viral, Camille is recruited into a "secret society" of grieving mothers who take justice into their own hands. DUN DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNNN!!!
MY OPINION
Ok this was the perfect guilty pleasure weekend read. However, this could also be titled The Misandry Manifesto, so if you can't get down with a lil (a LOT) of man bashing, stay clear. But since I'll slam on a man like I'll slam on Colleen Hoover's Verity, I was vibing aggressively.
This is part Audrie & Daisy documentary, part The Hit List by Holly Seddon, and part The Last Invitation by Darby Kane. All three of which I immensely enjoyed. The Collective tackles how the entitled white and rich be getting away with every damn thing—even murder. It was nice to see the ladies take justice into their own hands. Like Camille, I'd rather be waterboarded than forgive my daughter's rapist. Forgiveness wouldn't even be on my radar.
Anyways. The "downfall" of this book was Camille's big dummy energy at time. Gwurl... ROLE PLAY?? You can't be serious lmao. Also I had a hard time believing she was 50+ yrs old. She was giving me more early 30s. For once an author could put an outfit together... sometimes I have to wonder if these authors are colour blind. I read a book where this detective wore a maroon suit and a bright red shirt. ARE YOU GOOD??? What in god's green earth would possess you to combine those two colours. Ok sorry... got a lil off track there.
I also enjoyed the humour and sarcasm throughout, it kept it from going into My Dark Vanessa depression territory. I wouldn't say this was as profound as MDV or Cate Ray's Good Husbands; the messages were pretty banal and the characters lacked any dimension. The last twisty twist was OTT... so X couldn't just turn on a light? Seems like a personal problem.
All in all if you need something light or maybe you just broke up with your mans and wanna get your hate on, pick up this book. It's fast paced, a lil funny, and well-written for the most part. AGAIN, if man bashing puts you off, avoid this.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: solid writing, jokey jokes, juicy premise (Audrie & Daisy + The Hit List + The Last Invitation), well-paced, quick guilty pleasure read
Cons: characters were one dimensional, Camille seemed immature and switched up real quick, ending was doing too much
November 18, 2021
Rating: 2.5 stars
~ Quick Summary ~
Camille wants nothing more than for her daughter’s murderer to pay. Her wish comes true when she joins the Collective - a group made up of grieving and vengeful mothers who take matters into their own hands to take out the privileged who deserve it.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind ~
😮 A crazy plot, just be ready to suspend belief!
🐢 Slower pace. Picks up a tad (just a tad) in the second half.
~ What I Enjoyed ~
Sadly, this book did not do much for me. The ending and twist was not bad though.
~ What I Didn’t Enjoy ~
This was half way between wanting to be a popcorn thriller vs a thought provoking drama with complex characters and some mystery/thriller on the side. For me it didn’t hit the mark on both. Overall it was too slow and boring but I didn’t feel like there was much character depth or development either. The relationship between Camille, Luke and Joan was weird. Super duper weird.
The first half was very slow and then it increased to slow in the second half. There were a few moments that really piqued my interest, but in between them and during Camille’s investigation it was uneventful. Most of the assignments (except for 1) were extremely boring because there were a lot of everyday tasks and no to little tension. For example go buy something, make a scene at a bar, pick this person up, etc and in detail as well. It's not until after do you find out why, which was pretty cool but I was already bored.
I’m all for crazy and unrealistic plots however I have a low tolerance for characters doing silly things and I just can’t imagine anyone following instructions so easily from people on the dark web!! I was so interested to learn about the Collective but they turned out to be a dull bunch. The Facebook messages felt like I was reading comments from haters.
~ Quick Summary ~
Camille wants nothing more than for her daughter’s murderer to pay. Her wish comes true when she joins the Collective - a group made up of grieving and vengeful mothers who take matters into their own hands to take out the privileged who deserve it.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind ~
😮 A crazy plot, just be ready to suspend belief!
🐢 Slower pace. Picks up a tad (just a tad) in the second half.
~ What I Enjoyed ~
Sadly, this book did not do much for me. The ending and twist was not bad though.
~ What I Didn’t Enjoy ~
This was half way between wanting to be a popcorn thriller vs a thought provoking drama with complex characters and some mystery/thriller on the side. For me it didn’t hit the mark on both. Overall it was too slow and boring but I didn’t feel like there was much character depth or development either. The relationship between Camille, Luke and Joan was weird. Super duper weird.
The first half was very slow and then it increased to slow in the second half. There were a few moments that really piqued my interest, but in between them and during Camille’s investigation it was uneventful. Most of the assignments (except for 1) were extremely boring because there were a lot of everyday tasks and no to little tension. For example go buy something, make a scene at a bar, pick this person up, etc and in detail as well. It's not until after do you find out why, which was pretty cool but I was already bored.
I’m all for crazy and unrealistic plots however I have a low tolerance for characters doing silly things and I just can’t imagine anyone following instructions so easily from people on the dark web!! I was so interested to learn about the Collective but they turned out to be a dull bunch. The Facebook messages felt like I was reading comments from haters.
May 12, 2022
So, I don’t really know what to think of this book. The book was interesting and suspenseful enough to keep reading but I did not like it. The book doesn’t feel like it has much of a point or meaning behind it. It was just all around weird and I hated the ending. It definitely is not for me, and I wouldn’t recommend to anyone.
April 24, 2022
The Collective by Alison Gaylin is a 2022 William Morrow publication.
Five years ago, Camille’s only daughter, Emily, was raped and murdered and the person responsible got away with it.
Camille’s marriage disintegrated and she now survives on grief, anger, and anti-depressants.
When Camille is approached by a woman inviting her to join a secret group on Facebook, Camille signs up, and finds that it feels good to vent her frustrations online, which leads to an invitation to join another group- but on the dark web, this time.
The members are all women who have lost children and never got the justice they deserved. The group is called 'The Collective' and they plot revenge against those who never paid for their crimes.
Camille initially thinks it’s like a role-playing game- it’s cathartic, and for a while she starts to feel better again..
Until she realizes this is no game…
Okay, first things first. You need to know going in that this is not your ordinary thriller. The premise is not intended to be hardcore realistic, but to examine human frailties, a broken justice system, the underbelly of the internet, and how grief, without the proper closure, can eat away at even the most ordinary, honest, law-abiding citizens, and how vigilante justice can seem like a way to relieve that pain and grief…
Until the unconsidered consequences arise.
The tale is a dark portrait of grief and revenge, but it also shows how anyone might get blamed disproportionately and might end up on the radar of some underground ‘collective’, But are they a candidate for vigilante justice or just plain old revenge?
At first I felt sympathetic towards these ladies who had lost so much. Though my favorite mantra is ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right’- who in Camille’s shoes wouldn’t have entertained dark fantasies of revenge?
But then things start to get a little dicey. Who gets to decide what passes for a legitimate crime and if they really deserve vigilante justice?
I thought the author did a great job on this one. The vengeful planning is cunning, well thought out, and truly twisted. How easy would it be to jump down a rabbit hole when your heart or head is not in a good place?
I think it would be easier than one might think because we hear about people falling down rabbit holes on YouTube or secret internet groups or apps, to the point where they lose their grip on reality. They too feel like they are working towards a specific, even honorable, purpose and it's scary as all get out. So, while this story does require some suspension of belief, there's a lot of plausibility in here too- more than we'd like to believe, I'm sure.
Overall, this story is fast-paced, riveting, and truly terrifying. I really was on the edge of my seat! It's one wild roller coaster ride- full of surprises, with an incredibly taut atmosphere. It many ways it’s a cautionary tale, and the ending is absolutely chilling!
Hate is a bottomless cup; I will pour and pour.
4 stars
Five years ago, Camille’s only daughter, Emily, was raped and murdered and the person responsible got away with it.
Camille’s marriage disintegrated and she now survives on grief, anger, and anti-depressants.
When Camille is approached by a woman inviting her to join a secret group on Facebook, Camille signs up, and finds that it feels good to vent her frustrations online, which leads to an invitation to join another group- but on the dark web, this time.
The members are all women who have lost children and never got the justice they deserved. The group is called 'The Collective' and they plot revenge against those who never paid for their crimes.
Camille initially thinks it’s like a role-playing game- it’s cathartic, and for a while she starts to feel better again..
Until she realizes this is no game…
Okay, first things first. You need to know going in that this is not your ordinary thriller. The premise is not intended to be hardcore realistic, but to examine human frailties, a broken justice system, the underbelly of the internet, and how grief, without the proper closure, can eat away at even the most ordinary, honest, law-abiding citizens, and how vigilante justice can seem like a way to relieve that pain and grief…
Until the unconsidered consequences arise.
The tale is a dark portrait of grief and revenge, but it also shows how anyone might get blamed disproportionately and might end up on the radar of some underground ‘collective’, But are they a candidate for vigilante justice or just plain old revenge?
At first I felt sympathetic towards these ladies who had lost so much. Though my favorite mantra is ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right’- who in Camille’s shoes wouldn’t have entertained dark fantasies of revenge?
But then things start to get a little dicey. Who gets to decide what passes for a legitimate crime and if they really deserve vigilante justice?
I thought the author did a great job on this one. The vengeful planning is cunning, well thought out, and truly twisted. How easy would it be to jump down a rabbit hole when your heart or head is not in a good place?
I think it would be easier than one might think because we hear about people falling down rabbit holes on YouTube or secret internet groups or apps, to the point where they lose their grip on reality. They too feel like they are working towards a specific, even honorable, purpose and it's scary as all get out. So, while this story does require some suspension of belief, there's a lot of plausibility in here too- more than we'd like to believe, I'm sure.
Overall, this story is fast-paced, riveting, and truly terrifying. I really was on the edge of my seat! It's one wild roller coaster ride- full of surprises, with an incredibly taut atmosphere. It many ways it’s a cautionary tale, and the ending is absolutely chilling!
Hate is a bottomless cup; I will pour and pour.
4 stars
October 17, 2022
Sorry but this sounded like it was going to be one exciting read but it was slow slow slow it was unrealistic & if I read Facebook one more time I’d barf 🤢 I didn’t like the characters & thought it was cheesy it was more like a melodrama than a thriller very disappointed to say the least, I did fell for Camilla losing her daughter the way she did it wasn’t twisty at all was very OTT at times which got on my nerves.
August 19, 2021
I started this one, put it down, read another book, and then decided to pick it back up - and I'm glad I did. It is an engrossing, unique thriller that had me guessing until the last page!
Five years after the death of her fifteen-year-old daughter, Emily, Camille Gardner is obsessed with the fact that Emily's accused killer, Harris Blanchard, never faced any consequences for his actions. Disgusted to learn that Harris is being bestowed a humanitarian award at his university, she attends the award ceremony and has a breakdown that is recorded and splayed all over social media. Shortly after the incident, Camille is approached by a woman who hands her a card with one word on it. She soon learns there are other mothers out there who have had been wronged and who want justice - aka revenge. Her search leads her to the dark web, where she joins a group called The Collective. The group is shrouded in darkness and mystery, and it doesn't take Camille long to learn that revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be, but once you start, it's not easy to get out.
Everything about this one is fresh - it sounds like a classic revenge tale, but with grieving mothers as the main characters, it takes on a whole new approach. I will say though that I didn't particularly connect with Camille. I could sympathize with her feelings, but she annoyed me most of the time. You know it's bad when you start siding with the "villains" in a book! Still though, her character is memorable, and I couldn't wait to find out how her story would end.
There are a lot of moral gray areas in this one that make you think about the very fine line between justice and revenge, which I liked. The issue with playing judge, jury, and firing squad is that you cannot always be certain the person on whom you are exacting revenge was truly deserving, and that dilemma came through loud and clear in the plot. I also thought I had an idea of where things were headed, but I was completely wrong, as the ending was very unpredictable! Were there a few moments that bordered on outlandish? Possibly. But in the end, it all seemed to work to make this a book I won't soon forget. 4 stars.
Five years after the death of her fifteen-year-old daughter, Emily, Camille Gardner is obsessed with the fact that Emily's accused killer, Harris Blanchard, never faced any consequences for his actions. Disgusted to learn that Harris is being bestowed a humanitarian award at his university, she attends the award ceremony and has a breakdown that is recorded and splayed all over social media. Shortly after the incident, Camille is approached by a woman who hands her a card with one word on it. She soon learns there are other mothers out there who have had been wronged and who want justice - aka revenge. Her search leads her to the dark web, where she joins a group called The Collective. The group is shrouded in darkness and mystery, and it doesn't take Camille long to learn that revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be, but once you start, it's not easy to get out.
Everything about this one is fresh - it sounds like a classic revenge tale, but with grieving mothers as the main characters, it takes on a whole new approach. I will say though that I didn't particularly connect with Camille. I could sympathize with her feelings, but she annoyed me most of the time. You know it's bad when you start siding with the "villains" in a book! Still though, her character is memorable, and I couldn't wait to find out how her story would end.
There are a lot of moral gray areas in this one that make you think about the very fine line between justice and revenge, which I liked. The issue with playing judge, jury, and firing squad is that you cannot always be certain the person on whom you are exacting revenge was truly deserving, and that dilemma came through loud and clear in the plot. I also thought I had an idea of where things were headed, but I was completely wrong, as the ending was very unpredictable! Were there a few moments that bordered on outlandish? Possibly. But in the end, it all seemed to work to make this a book I won't soon forget. 4 stars.
November 25, 2021
A very interesting plot line makes for a ride on the wild side.
Perhaps a person has wronged you in so many ways, that all you see that person is with eyes that are full of hatred. It does seem sometimes that many a guilty party goes scot free, and our ire at the injustice of the world gets the better of us. We are consumed with hate, enough so that we can't go forward and lose everything else that was once of value to us.
It's been five years since the death of her daughter that Camille Gardener has been grieving. She has cut herself off from her former husband, her friends, and things that could allow her to move beyond the tragedy that had occurred.
Camille knows that the young boy who killed her daughter is free, a member of a privileged family, a boy who has it all. After all this time is there a way to extract revenge? When an invitation comes to join a secret, dark web group, that pledges to carry out acts of revenge in a clever and somewhat anonymous manner to those who escaped justice the first time, Camille decides to join.
The question comes down to are these people carrying out a vigilante justice or are have they themselves become the very people they have pledged to hate?
There are a number of plot holes, but overall it's a tense story that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.
Perhaps a person has wronged you in so many ways, that all you see that person is with eyes that are full of hatred. It does seem sometimes that many a guilty party goes scot free, and our ire at the injustice of the world gets the better of us. We are consumed with hate, enough so that we can't go forward and lose everything else that was once of value to us.
It's been five years since the death of her daughter that Camille Gardener has been grieving. She has cut herself off from her former husband, her friends, and things that could allow her to move beyond the tragedy that had occurred.
Camille knows that the young boy who killed her daughter is free, a member of a privileged family, a boy who has it all. After all this time is there a way to extract revenge? When an invitation comes to join a secret, dark web group, that pledges to carry out acts of revenge in a clever and somewhat anonymous manner to those who escaped justice the first time, Camille decides to join.
The question comes down to are these people carrying out a vigilante justice or are have they themselves become the very people they have pledged to hate?
There are a number of plot holes, but overall it's a tense story that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.
July 25, 2022
4.5
Do you believe in Karma? Is payback a xxxxx? However it might be best to remember “while seeking revenge, dig two graves – one for yourself”. Camille Gardner makes her way to the Braeburn club where her Harris Blanchard is to become the recipient of an award. Camille hears about as much as she can take and makes a scene which goes viral.
Is she justified in her outburst? She is charged with disturbing the peace but she doesn’t care as she’s been living a nightmare for five years, her wounds just won’t heal. Is Harris responsible for the death of her teenage daughter? The courts don’t think so and exonerate him. Camille‘s actions catch the attention of a shadowy dark web group – a collective of women full of rage about the losses they have suffered. At first, Camille vents her anger, hatred and vitriolic bitterness to a receptive audience who feed her rage but then finds a self drawn into something much deeper, darker and very secretive. We follow Camille as she goes on one heck of a journey. Is this a case of be careful what you wish for?
Wow. This is one heck of a twisty rollercoaster ride with a fast paced jet black tumultuous plot. Whilst there may be a couple of plot holes to me it doesn’t matter much as it sure makes you think about a lot of things. Camille is definitely a dark pit of despair, full of hatred, anger and obsession and via her story you question ‘justice’ amongst other things. Is justice blind? Can we rely on it or do monsters hide behind the safety curtain of family money, a prestigious school which guards reputation fiercely and a fancy, slick, obviously expensive lawyer? How far would you prepared be prepared to go to right perceived wrongs in certain circumstances? Does that make you a monster too??
Camille‘s emotions and how her personal tragedy has irrevocably changed her is done very well. You definitely feel some empathy but as the plot unfolds do you still feel that same sympathy? The ending is excellent with one final twist you do not foresee.
This is a high quality enjoyable psychological thriller and definitely a case of “on wrongs swift vengeance waits“ – Alexander Pope.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Do you believe in Karma? Is payback a xxxxx? However it might be best to remember “while seeking revenge, dig two graves – one for yourself”. Camille Gardner makes her way to the Braeburn club where her Harris Blanchard is to become the recipient of an award. Camille hears about as much as she can take and makes a scene which goes viral.
Is she justified in her outburst? She is charged with disturbing the peace but she doesn’t care as she’s been living a nightmare for five years, her wounds just won’t heal. Is Harris responsible for the death of her teenage daughter? The courts don’t think so and exonerate him. Camille‘s actions catch the attention of a shadowy dark web group – a collective of women full of rage about the losses they have suffered. At first, Camille vents her anger, hatred and vitriolic bitterness to a receptive audience who feed her rage but then finds a self drawn into something much deeper, darker and very secretive. We follow Camille as she goes on one heck of a journey. Is this a case of be careful what you wish for?
Wow. This is one heck of a twisty rollercoaster ride with a fast paced jet black tumultuous plot. Whilst there may be a couple of plot holes to me it doesn’t matter much as it sure makes you think about a lot of things. Camille is definitely a dark pit of despair, full of hatred, anger and obsession and via her story you question ‘justice’ amongst other things. Is justice blind? Can we rely on it or do monsters hide behind the safety curtain of family money, a prestigious school which guards reputation fiercely and a fancy, slick, obviously expensive lawyer? How far would you prepared be prepared to go to right perceived wrongs in certain circumstances? Does that make you a monster too??
Camille‘s emotions and how her personal tragedy has irrevocably changed her is done very well. You definitely feel some empathy but as the plot unfolds do you still feel that same sympathy? The ending is excellent with one final twist you do not foresee.
This is a high quality enjoyable psychological thriller and definitely a case of “on wrongs swift vengeance waits“ – Alexander Pope.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
November 23, 2021
The Collective was an incredibly enjoyable tale of suspense that also really pulled at my heartstrings in a memorable way. I don’t recall reading a book that’s made me tear up in sadness one chapter, only to have me at the edge of my seat full of suspense the next! I'm fairly certain this will go down as one of my favorite thrillers of 2021!
Prior to reading this novel, I’d never read an Alison Gaylin book. Now that I know she’s got the goods to garner a 5-Star rating from me, I will be going back and reading her previous work.
At the beginning of this novel, we meet Camille Garner, a grieving and incredibly angry mother who lost her daughter five years earlier to what she believes was murder. Unfortunately for her, the authorities, public and media did not agree with her, writing her daughter’s death off as another tragic accidental teenage death. Her daughter, who had been drinking that night, was in the company of a privileged young college student, only to allegedly wander off campus and into the surrounding forest, pass out and succumb to the elements by the time she was discovered the next day. There were indications she’d had a sexual encounter, however the student alleged it was consensual, so no crime had been committed. Camille believes this to be a lie and is still obsessed with the young man she believes is directly responsible all these years later. Her actions have inevitably gone viral and attracted the attention of a secret group of women – called The Collective.
At first, Camille finds this select group of grieving women as a forum and haven to share her unfiltered emotions with, until her fantasies of revenge are actually carried out in real life one day. As a result, Camille learns she’s indebted to the group and must follow through on her assigned acts of vengeance, resulting in the death of several evil men. Men that assuredly deserve to pay for their crimes. Or do they? Are the women of The Collective truly avenging angels, or something more? Are they in fact the evil ones? If so, can Camille find a way out of this group, or is she in too deep?
I loved how this one played out! In addition to loving all of the characters, I never thought it would end the way it did and literally gasped out loud as I read the final pages! The combination of heart-wrenching tales of loss followed by acts of vengeance really had my emotions all over the place throughout this lightening-paced read! Of course, one may have to suspend their disbelief while reading this, but if that’s not an issue then this is the book for you!
What a wonderful way to begin the last quarter of 2021, an excellent year of reading! Now that she's on my radar, I'm excited to see what Gaylin comes up with next!!
Prior to reading this novel, I’d never read an Alison Gaylin book. Now that I know she’s got the goods to garner a 5-Star rating from me, I will be going back and reading her previous work.
At the beginning of this novel, we meet Camille Garner, a grieving and incredibly angry mother who lost her daughter five years earlier to what she believes was murder. Unfortunately for her, the authorities, public and media did not agree with her, writing her daughter’s death off as another tragic accidental teenage death. Her daughter, who had been drinking that night, was in the company of a privileged young college student, only to allegedly wander off campus and into the surrounding forest, pass out and succumb to the elements by the time she was discovered the next day. There were indications she’d had a sexual encounter, however the student alleged it was consensual, so no crime had been committed. Camille believes this to be a lie and is still obsessed with the young man she believes is directly responsible all these years later. Her actions have inevitably gone viral and attracted the attention of a secret group of women – called The Collective.
At first, Camille finds this select group of grieving women as a forum and haven to share her unfiltered emotions with, until her fantasies of revenge are actually carried out in real life one day. As a result, Camille learns she’s indebted to the group and must follow through on her assigned acts of vengeance, resulting in the death of several evil men. Men that assuredly deserve to pay for their crimes. Or do they? Are the women of The Collective truly avenging angels, or something more? Are they in fact the evil ones? If so, can Camille find a way out of this group, or is she in too deep?
I loved how this one played out! In addition to loving all of the characters, I never thought it would end the way it did and literally gasped out loud as I read the final pages! The combination of heart-wrenching tales of loss followed by acts of vengeance really had my emotions all over the place throughout this lightening-paced read! Of course, one may have to suspend their disbelief while reading this, but if that’s not an issue then this is the book for you!
What a wonderful way to begin the last quarter of 2021, an excellent year of reading! Now that she's on my radar, I'm excited to see what Gaylin comes up with next!!
November 2, 2021
4 Revenge Stars
What are your thoughts on justice and vengeance? Do you agree that murderers should be murdered themselves? Or does our criminal system usually do the right thing and criminals get the punishment they need through that system? Would you feel differently if it was a family member who had suffered, perhaps was even killed? What would you be willing to do?
This book explores those concepts, especially for mothers who have lost their children to crime, often violent crime. A chat room on the dark web gives these women the opportunity to vent, to write about their fantasies for making perpetrators pay for their crimes. And even act on those fantasies.
We meet Camille, whose teen daughter died five years ago. The alleged perpetrator was never tried or punished for his crimes and Camille is becoming increasingly obsessed with destroying him. Soon, Camille is introduced to “The Collective” chat group and is sucked into spending hours interacting with the other women. Everyone in the group is anonymous and identified only by a number. Camille receives a message asking if she’s really serious about seeking vengeance and the darker parts of the book begin.
This complex web has each woman completing small tasks to prove their worth. Camille isn’t sure if there’s an end game or just doing things to gain more trust in the group.
This one built to a stunning conclusion that I did not see coming although most of the clues were there for me. There’s some part of me that cheers the thought of vigilante justice, but this book makes me rethink that!
I think this would make an excellent book club book and would lead to a lively discussion!
Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow Custom House and NetGalley for a copy of this one to read. Available today!
What are your thoughts on justice and vengeance? Do you agree that murderers should be murdered themselves? Or does our criminal system usually do the right thing and criminals get the punishment they need through that system? Would you feel differently if it was a family member who had suffered, perhaps was even killed? What would you be willing to do?
This book explores those concepts, especially for mothers who have lost their children to crime, often violent crime. A chat room on the dark web gives these women the opportunity to vent, to write about their fantasies for making perpetrators pay for their crimes. And even act on those fantasies.
We meet Camille, whose teen daughter died five years ago. The alleged perpetrator was never tried or punished for his crimes and Camille is becoming increasingly obsessed with destroying him. Soon, Camille is introduced to “The Collective” chat group and is sucked into spending hours interacting with the other women. Everyone in the group is anonymous and identified only by a number. Camille receives a message asking if she’s really serious about seeking vengeance and the darker parts of the book begin.
This complex web has each woman completing small tasks to prove their worth. Camille isn’t sure if there’s an end game or just doing things to gain more trust in the group.
This one built to a stunning conclusion that I did not see coming although most of the clues were there for me. There’s some part of me that cheers the thought of vigilante justice, but this book makes me rethink that!
I think this would make an excellent book club book and would lead to a lively discussion!
Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow Custom House and NetGalley for a copy of this one to read. Available today!
November 8, 2021
The Collective is a killer good story (see what I did there ha... please don't unfriend me).
But seriously, this was an engrossing story that explores the moral justification of revenge killing. I thought this was going to be more of a fist pumping, adrenaline-fueled revenge gratification read. But boy was I wrong. Although the plot does feel a little popcorn thriller at times, and it will certainly make a great movie, the author still delivers a thought-provoking story that will have you recalibrating your moral compass.
This is twisty. And the best part is there are clues galore! Very clever weaving of plot details. It's possible to get to the ending but there are many red herrings along the way. I love love love the ending, but I'm seeing many early reviewers did not.
My only real complaint is that I never got a good feel for who Camille was. Some of her decisions seemed in opposition of what I thought I knew about her. A lot of her choices were just convenient for the plot to move in a particular direction.
4.5 stars, rounding down. November 2021 BOTM
If you're a The Bachelor fan, then you'll probably love all The Bachelor side talk. And there was plenty. It was all over my head though 😊
But seriously, this was an engrossing story that explores the moral justification of revenge killing. I thought this was going to be more of a fist pumping, adrenaline-fueled revenge gratification read. But boy was I wrong. Although the plot does feel a little popcorn thriller at times, and it will certainly make a great movie, the author still delivers a thought-provoking story that will have you recalibrating your moral compass.
This is twisty. And the best part is there are clues galore! Very clever weaving of plot details. It's possible to get to the ending but there are many red herrings along the way. I love love love the ending, but I'm seeing many early reviewers did not.
My only real complaint is that I never got a good feel for who Camille was. Some of her decisions seemed in opposition of what I thought I knew about her. A lot of her choices were just convenient for the plot to move in a particular direction.
4.5 stars, rounding down. November 2021 BOTM
If you're a The Bachelor fan, then you'll probably love all The Bachelor side talk. And there was plenty. It was all over my head though 😊
July 15, 2021
The Collective is your next addiction: A diabolically clever thriller filled with spine-tingling twists, it’s also a psychologically rich exploration of vengeance and justice. I can’t stop thinking about this book. One of the best of the year.
January 13, 2022
How big is the collective? How much do they know?
The idea behind this book was pretty fascinating to me. Grief can do terrible things to people, so it wasn’t that far-fetched of a plot to have a group of women who have lost children create a revenge group on the dark web. Although if there actually are any for real, I hope they are slightly less insidious and far-reaching than this one, the idea of people being everywhere and anonymous is preeeetty creepy. In terms of reasons for plotting murder though, their motivation seems the most sympathetic. While I certainly don’t condone murder, a group of grieving mothers makes for a fascinating group of characters. Of course, the subject matter is pretty dark and gets pretty messy. The idea of meting out fatal judgments and all the grey areas of humanity that tie into that. What makes someone a truly bad person, and how do you decide they actually deserve to die? How well do you really know anyone?
We start with our protagonist Camille, who is barely functional and so full of anger toward the man she holds responsible for the death of her daughter 5 years earlier. Seeing her struggle with her feelings/sense of morality and the influence from this group of women throughout the book as things escalate is riveting and heart-wrenching. For me, this was less of a thriller (although it was *very* thrilling) and more of a fast-paced character study. It’s hard not to focus on what’s going on in Camille’s head the most. She works through so much from the beginning to the end.
The mystery of the group leader, their utter and unsettling control and influence also had me on the edge of my seat. The tension was really there all the way to the end, I l couldn’t put it down.
This book was well-written and executed with compassion. Definitely recommend, although emotionally it was a bit of a tough one.
The idea behind this book was pretty fascinating to me. Grief can do terrible things to people, so it wasn’t that far-fetched of a plot to have a group of women who have lost children create a revenge group on the dark web. Although if there actually are any for real, I hope they are slightly less insidious and far-reaching than this one, the idea of people being everywhere and anonymous is preeeetty creepy. In terms of reasons for plotting murder though, their motivation seems the most sympathetic. While I certainly don’t condone murder, a group of grieving mothers makes for a fascinating group of characters. Of course, the subject matter is pretty dark and gets pretty messy. The idea of meting out fatal judgments and all the grey areas of humanity that tie into that. What makes someone a truly bad person, and how do you decide they actually deserve to die? How well do you really know anyone?
We start with our protagonist Camille, who is barely functional and so full of anger toward the man she holds responsible for the death of her daughter 5 years earlier. Seeing her struggle with her feelings/sense of morality and the influence from this group of women throughout the book as things escalate is riveting and heart-wrenching. For me, this was less of a thriller (although it was *very* thrilling) and more of a fast-paced character study. It’s hard not to focus on what’s going on in Camille’s head the most. She works through so much from the beginning to the end.
The mystery of the group leader, their utter and unsettling control and influence also had me on the edge of my seat. The tension was really there all the way to the end, I l couldn’t put it down.
This book was well-written and executed with compassion. Definitely recommend, although emotionally it was a bit of a tough one.
January 20, 2022
Five years after Camille's daughter is killed at a fraternity party, the young man responsible lives a privileged life without ever being brought to justice. Camille is obsessed with grief and anger. She attracts the attention of a secret group of women," the collective," and is drawn into the darkest corners of the internet, the dark web where mothers who have lost their children due to the actions of others share their rage and desire for justice without mercy.
Things turn dark when Camille is asked to complete some tasks, unaware of why and things turn deadly.
Things I loved
Alison Gaylin boldly explores the darker side of grief, playing on our heartstrings while blurring the lines with the desire for revenge, making this a dark, uncomfortable, and engaging revenge thriller. Camille's pain and anger felt so real and contagious.
Alison Gaylin adds a unique spin to tropes of obsession by exploring grieving mothers as avengers. She plays on their grief and obsession with the person responsible for their children's death, creating a great sense of dread and a thought-provoking, emotionally-charged page-turner.
I enjoyed trying to piece the clever well-plotted tasks Camille was asked to complete and why. I questioned along with Camille whether the women were avenging angels or monsters. It all comes together brilliantly, unpredictably, and unexpectedly.
What I didn't love as much
While I thought the story's climax was exciting with escalating stakes and wrapped up in a twisty way, the motivation didn't pack the punch I was looking for.
I received a copy from the publisher on EW
Things turn dark when Camille is asked to complete some tasks, unaware of why and things turn deadly.
Things I loved
Alison Gaylin boldly explores the darker side of grief, playing on our heartstrings while blurring the lines with the desire for revenge, making this a dark, uncomfortable, and engaging revenge thriller. Camille's pain and anger felt so real and contagious.
Alison Gaylin adds a unique spin to tropes of obsession by exploring grieving mothers as avengers. She plays on their grief and obsession with the person responsible for their children's death, creating a great sense of dread and a thought-provoking, emotionally-charged page-turner.
I enjoyed trying to piece the clever well-plotted tasks Camille was asked to complete and why. I questioned along with Camille whether the women were avenging angels or monsters. It all comes together brilliantly, unpredictably, and unexpectedly.
What I didn't love as much
While I thought the story's climax was exciting with escalating stakes and wrapped up in a twisty way, the motivation didn't pack the punch I was looking for.
I received a copy from the publisher on EW
May 23, 2025
This book redefines "Mama BEAR" in the most diabolical way! It's an absolutely gripping story about a mother's relentless pursuit of revenge and justice for her child. And oh man, was it good!
Camille's 14-year old daughter was tragically killed by a boy who faced no punishment, never saw a jail cell, and is truly living his best life. Camille, a grieving mother, can't forget, or forgive her daughter's killer and is determined to expose his actions. She uncovers an underground "Collective" - a group of mothers who have also lost children and work together to seek vengeance. "We're everywhere Camille."
The plot was incredibly clever and nail-biting, keeping me hooked from beginning to end. I simply could not put it down!
This is my first experience with Alison Gaylin, but she has immediately become an "auto-buy" author for me!
I'm giving this one 4.5 diabolically delicous bloody red wine glasses! (rounded down to 4 only because I didn't "love" the ending, though I certainly didn't hate it - I just wished for a slightly different conslusion) 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Camille's 14-year old daughter was tragically killed by a boy who faced no punishment, never saw a jail cell, and is truly living his best life. Camille, a grieving mother, can't forget, or forgive her daughter's killer and is determined to expose his actions. She uncovers an underground "Collective" - a group of mothers who have also lost children and work together to seek vengeance. "We're everywhere Camille."
The plot was incredibly clever and nail-biting, keeping me hooked from beginning to end. I simply could not put it down!
This is my first experience with Alison Gaylin, but she has immediately become an "auto-buy" author for me!
I'm giving this one 4.5 diabolically delicous bloody red wine glasses! (rounded down to 4 only because I didn't "love" the ending, though I certainly didn't hate it - I just wished for a slightly different conslusion) 🍷🍷🍷🍷
November 20, 2021
Brutal, raw, and beautifully wrought THE COLLECTIVE is top drawer psychological suspense. A mother’s grief ignites into rage, leading her down a dark, twisting, dangerous road to a certain brand of justice. Alison Gaylin doesn’t pull a single punch in this layered, engrossing, and nerve shattering thriller where wrong is right and revenge is a dish served white hot.
October 31, 2021
It’s been five years since Camille Gardener’s fifteen-year-old daughter Emily was murdered. While attending a frat party at nearby Brayburn College in upstate New York, Emily was taken to the woods by seventeen-year-old Harris Blanchard. There, after a night of drinking, he raped her and left her to die. Blanchard was acquitted after his wealthy parents’ lawyers painted Emily as a wild party girl. Camille cannot move her life ahead from this tragedy. She is now divorced. When Blanchard is given a humanitarian award by Brayburn, she is compelled to attend and cannot control herself at the ceremony. While there, she is approached by a woman who gives her a card about an online group of grieving mothers who have similarly lost children and their murderers never paid for their crimes. What appears to be a harmless Facebook group of women seeking support evolves into a dark web meeting place for mothers seeking true revenge and justice.
At first Camille does not believe that the group (The Collective) truly intends on carrying out each mother’s violent fantasy for revenge. But she soon sees how serious the group is and once she’s pledged to be a part of the group’s plans, it might be too late to turn back. Author Alison Gaylin has created a very dark and tense story that sucked me into this compelling story. There are some very good twists and turns as the rage escalates.
Many thanks to William Morrow | Custom House | HarperCollins, Scene of the Crime and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Collective in advance of its November 2, 2021 publication date.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
At first Camille does not believe that the group (The Collective) truly intends on carrying out each mother’s violent fantasy for revenge. But she soon sees how serious the group is and once she’s pledged to be a part of the group’s plans, it might be too late to turn back. Author Alison Gaylin has created a very dark and tense story that sucked me into this compelling story. There are some very good twists and turns as the rage escalates.
Many thanks to William Morrow | Custom House | HarperCollins, Scene of the Crime and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Collective in advance of its November 2, 2021 publication date.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
July 6, 2024
Vigilante justice is a sliding slope!
4.5.
It’s been five years since Camille Gardner’s 15-year-old daughter, Emily, was murdered by college freshman, Harris Blanchard. But, due to a lack of evidence he got off Scot-free. Knowing that he’s out there living a privileged life, without a care in the world, is too much for Camille to stomach, and she’ll do anything to see him rightfully punished. A business card handed to Camille by a stranger sees her logging onto the dark web – where she finds a group of mothers known as The Collective – who have all lost a child to violence. At first, it’s just a forum for Camille to vent her rage – a safe space to share her grief and loss, and fantasies of Harris’ death. Until she receives a private message from a user stating that The Collective could really make it happen – they could kill Harris for her – all Camille has to do is join them.
The Collective was a fast-paced, anxiety-inducing, cat-and-mouse game of thrilling psychological domestic suspense with twists aplenty. Camille was in a very dark place at the beginning of the novel, utterly consumed with revenge and hatred towards her daughter’s killer. She had been let down by the legal system, her daughter’s memory slut-shamed, and Camille was viewed by the general public as crazy and unhinged for her continued harassment of Harris – a young man who had just won a humanitarian award. By the 80%-mark Camille’s life had spiralled so far out of control in ways she never could’ve possibly have foreseen, and those last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat, cumulating in a shocking, ironic, emotional and chilling conclusion.
Given the heavy plot The Collective contained its fair share of dark, distressing, and bleak material, but I didn’t find anything to be overly graphic, but it was definitely heart-wrenching. It also posed many a moral dilemma and thought-provoking questions surrounding vigilantism and revenge, what is fair and just, and the far-reaching consequences of taking the law into one’s own hands. I’d even go as far as to characterise The Collective as a cautionary tale.
I recently purchased this in an audible sale and Laurel Lefkow’s narrational style hit all the right emotional notes. With the exception of one chapter, the novel centred on Camille’s first person POV and Laurel completely nailed Camille’s state of mind throughout.
This is my third read by Alison Gaylin, and I’ve rated all her books highly, and have no hesitation in recommending The Collective. I read this over a day, couldn’t put it down, had to know how far Camille and The Collective were willing to go.
4.5.
It’s been five years since Camille Gardner’s 15-year-old daughter, Emily, was murdered by college freshman, Harris Blanchard. But, due to a lack of evidence he got off Scot-free. Knowing that he’s out there living a privileged life, without a care in the world, is too much for Camille to stomach, and she’ll do anything to see him rightfully punished. A business card handed to Camille by a stranger sees her logging onto the dark web – where she finds a group of mothers known as The Collective – who have all lost a child to violence. At first, it’s just a forum for Camille to vent her rage – a safe space to share her grief and loss, and fantasies of Harris’ death. Until she receives a private message from a user stating that The Collective could really make it happen – they could kill Harris for her – all Camille has to do is join them.
The Collective was a fast-paced, anxiety-inducing, cat-and-mouse game of thrilling psychological domestic suspense with twists aplenty. Camille was in a very dark place at the beginning of the novel, utterly consumed with revenge and hatred towards her daughter’s killer. She had been let down by the legal system, her daughter’s memory slut-shamed, and Camille was viewed by the general public as crazy and unhinged for her continued harassment of Harris – a young man who had just won a humanitarian award. By the 80%-mark Camille’s life had spiralled so far out of control in ways she never could’ve possibly have foreseen, and those last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat, cumulating in a shocking, ironic, emotional and chilling conclusion.
Given the heavy plot The Collective contained its fair share of dark, distressing, and bleak material, but I didn’t find anything to be overly graphic, but it was definitely heart-wrenching. It also posed many a moral dilemma and thought-provoking questions surrounding vigilantism and revenge, what is fair and just, and the far-reaching consequences of taking the law into one’s own hands. I’d even go as far as to characterise The Collective as a cautionary tale.
I recently purchased this in an audible sale and Laurel Lefkow’s narrational style hit all the right emotional notes. With the exception of one chapter, the novel centred on Camille’s first person POV and Laurel completely nailed Camille’s state of mind throughout.
This is my third read by Alison Gaylin, and I’ve rated all her books highly, and have no hesitation in recommending The Collective. I read this over a day, couldn’t put it down, had to know how far Camille and The Collective were willing to go.
August 11, 2022
What’s the worst thing you can imagine? For many people it would be losing a child. What if you lost a child though, through - I don’t know, a hit and run, or they were bullied into killing themselves or they were beaten up and left for dead? What if that happened and the person responsible for it got off scot free? Wouldn’t you want them to pay for what they did? What if someone offered you the chance to do just that? Would you take it? This is the choice that faces Camille Gardener.
She is invited to the Brayburn College alumni dinner where the young man, Harris Blanchard, who killed her 17 year old daughter, Emily 5 years ago, is due to receive the Martha L. Koch humanitarian award. He was acquitted of any wrongdoing at his trial. She shouldn’t go but she does. And she makes a drunken fool of herself as she calls him a murderer which, of course, ends up on social media. But the other thing it does is provide the opportunity for someone from the Collective to reach out. She gets a card pressed into her hand which has a single word embossed on it - Niobe.
So Camille looks into this Niobe group, it is a support group for mothers who have lost children and it encourages them to “let it all out”. They openly discuss the ‘punishments’ they would like to see meted out to the guilty. She finds some like minded individuals here but she ends up going down the rabbit hole into a darker domain together. Aglayan Kaya, located on the dark web, is a smaller group of mothers who are actively “making them pay”. They are all assigned numbers and led by the enigmatic 0001.
Camille eagerly agrees to the rules and is given some assignments to complete. At first they seem harmless - buy this, send that, leave this object here…. but eventually she finds herself complicit in a murder. Well it was inevitable wasn’t it? That’s the whole point of the group - right? They all deserve to die, don’t they? But what happens to those who question the rules and rationale of this group?
This is a really good, edgy thriller that leaves you asking yourself some of these questions. Of course life is not black and white. The important thing is not what fate throws at you but how you choose to deal with it. Cammile’s final decision might surprise some but, to me, it made perfect sense. Yep, I did enjoy this one even though the only character that was explored in any depth was Camille but she went through the whole gamut of emotions.
It was an interesting thought experiment and I wonder how many people would sign up to do exactly what Camille did! I don’t know what I would do. I don’t think you can answer a question like that until you are put in that situation. Food for thought! Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
She is invited to the Brayburn College alumni dinner where the young man, Harris Blanchard, who killed her 17 year old daughter, Emily 5 years ago, is due to receive the Martha L. Koch humanitarian award. He was acquitted of any wrongdoing at his trial. She shouldn’t go but she does. And she makes a drunken fool of herself as she calls him a murderer which, of course, ends up on social media. But the other thing it does is provide the opportunity for someone from the Collective to reach out. She gets a card pressed into her hand which has a single word embossed on it - Niobe.
So Camille looks into this Niobe group, it is a support group for mothers who have lost children and it encourages them to “let it all out”. They openly discuss the ‘punishments’ they would like to see meted out to the guilty. She finds some like minded individuals here but she ends up going down the rabbit hole into a darker domain together. Aglayan Kaya, located on the dark web, is a smaller group of mothers who are actively “making them pay”. They are all assigned numbers and led by the enigmatic 0001.
Camille eagerly agrees to the rules and is given some assignments to complete. At first they seem harmless - buy this, send that, leave this object here…. but eventually she finds herself complicit in a murder. Well it was inevitable wasn’t it? That’s the whole point of the group - right? They all deserve to die, don’t they? But what happens to those who question the rules and rationale of this group?
This is a really good, edgy thriller that leaves you asking yourself some of these questions. Of course life is not black and white. The important thing is not what fate throws at you but how you choose to deal with it. Cammile’s final decision might surprise some but, to me, it made perfect sense. Yep, I did enjoy this one even though the only character that was explored in any depth was Camille but she went through the whole gamut of emotions.
It was an interesting thought experiment and I wonder how many people would sign up to do exactly what Camille did! I don’t know what I would do. I don’t think you can answer a question like that until you are put in that situation. Food for thought! Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
March 22, 2022
This really had me until the twist. I thought Camille was being really dumb but I still was having a heck of a time until I got to the very end. The Collective was fun, intriguing and definitely shocking. I really thought this was going to be like a 4 or 5, despite my annoyance at Camille. However, I can't really rate a thriller highly if the ending sucks. I think I'm in the minority when it comes to the ending but I don't know why. All that build up only for it to end up like that. Maybe it's just me but that was such a sucky way to end a really good thriller. Especially a thriller that was so blatantly anti-revenge.
November 25, 2021
The Collective was definitely a #bookstagrammademedoit
I was seeing it everywhere and after hearing Renee @itsbooktalk gush about it and say that she binged it in a day on audiobook, I used one of my precious credits and downloaded it. And it was totally worth it.
I binged it in a day as well, after thinking I would just listen to a few chapters. The story had me hooked from the start, and who doesn't love a revenge story. The narrator, Laurel Lefkow was fantastic and really brought the story to life for me.
How far would you go for revenge? Camille Gardner has been grieving the death of her daughter for 5 years. Her marriage has broken down and she can't stop thinking about bringing the man she believes to be responsible down. When she joins The Collective, an online group of mothers out for justice on the dark web, she has to ask herself how far is too far. How much does she want him gone?
It is dark and disturbing and has an ending that really shocked me. It was clever and unexpected and worked so well.
You have to read this book!
I was seeing it everywhere and after hearing Renee @itsbooktalk gush about it and say that she binged it in a day on audiobook, I used one of my precious credits and downloaded it. And it was totally worth it.
I binged it in a day as well, after thinking I would just listen to a few chapters. The story had me hooked from the start, and who doesn't love a revenge story. The narrator, Laurel Lefkow was fantastic and really brought the story to life for me.
How far would you go for revenge? Camille Gardner has been grieving the death of her daughter for 5 years. Her marriage has broken down and she can't stop thinking about bringing the man she believes to be responsible down. When she joins The Collective, an online group of mothers out for justice on the dark web, she has to ask herself how far is too far. How much does she want him gone?
It is dark and disturbing and has an ending that really shocked me. It was clever and unexpected and worked so well.
You have to read this book!
April 9, 2022
🍿March 2022 Overbooked Book Club Pick🍿
💻 The Collective: Book Review 💻
Not only was this book 5 ⭐️ but it has the potential to be my favorite book of the year!!!
Alison Gaylin boldly goes where other thriller authors wouldn’t dare. This isn’t a fantasy book, so why would her character’s fates be anything less than what would really happen? Life isn’t fair & it certainly doesn’t end all wrapped up in a little bow.
Karma does exist, it will find you, & it’s a real bitch.
Camille’s teenage daughter Emily is taken from her far too soon, at the hands of a college boy who left her for dead in the freezing cold after raping her.
The boy, Harris Blanchard is legally exonerated for the crime & continues on with his life, even winning a humanitarian award. He is—seemingly unaffected.
But five years has gone by & Camille still feels the pull to seek justice for her baby girl, as any parent would. She’s tried both therapy & medicine but her grief has only grown stronger & even caused her marriage to crumble. She’s alone against the world, most days feeling she has nothing left to live for.
After getting herself into some trouble & landing herself in the police station, she knows something’s got to give. People caught her actions on video which causes Emily’s story to spark public interest again. She’d like to resist going online altogether, but her work revolves around it. Although she’s quick, it only takes a second for the Facebook Group Invite to arrive.
What if there was a clan of women out there who knew EXACTLY how Camille felt? People within her reach who also lost their children because of the actions of another & seek revenge. But they don’t just dream of it, they type in great detail exactly what they want to do to these murderers & then they make it happen.
“There is strength and power in a collective rage…”
An ending that’s so eerily gratifying! I still have chills.
This is a book you buy, not borrow. You’ll want it on your shelves to reread over & over again. Perfect for discussion groups!
Through the entire book you’ll question your own mindset. Could you; would you do the same?
🎤 Stay tuned for my exclusive interview with author Alison Gaylin featuring Overbooked Book Club.
5 stars and BEYOND 🤯
💻 The Collective: Book Review 💻
Not only was this book 5 ⭐️ but it has the potential to be my favorite book of the year!!!
Alison Gaylin boldly goes where other thriller authors wouldn’t dare. This isn’t a fantasy book, so why would her character’s fates be anything less than what would really happen? Life isn’t fair & it certainly doesn’t end all wrapped up in a little bow.
Karma does exist, it will find you, & it’s a real bitch.
Camille’s teenage daughter Emily is taken from her far too soon, at the hands of a college boy who left her for dead in the freezing cold after raping her.
The boy, Harris Blanchard is legally exonerated for the crime & continues on with his life, even winning a humanitarian award. He is—seemingly unaffected.
But five years has gone by & Camille still feels the pull to seek justice for her baby girl, as any parent would. She’s tried both therapy & medicine but her grief has only grown stronger & even caused her marriage to crumble. She’s alone against the world, most days feeling she has nothing left to live for.
After getting herself into some trouble & landing herself in the police station, she knows something’s got to give. People caught her actions on video which causes Emily’s story to spark public interest again. She’d like to resist going online altogether, but her work revolves around it. Although she’s quick, it only takes a second for the Facebook Group Invite to arrive.
What if there was a clan of women out there who knew EXACTLY how Camille felt? People within her reach who also lost their children because of the actions of another & seek revenge. But they don’t just dream of it, they type in great detail exactly what they want to do to these murderers & then they make it happen.
“There is strength and power in a collective rage…”
An ending that’s so eerily gratifying! I still have chills.
This is a book you buy, not borrow. You’ll want it on your shelves to reread over & over again. Perfect for discussion groups!
Through the entire book you’ll question your own mindset. Could you; would you do the same?
🎤 Stay tuned for my exclusive interview with author Alison Gaylin featuring Overbooked Book Club.
5 stars and BEYOND 🤯
November 14, 2021
Camille Gardner lost her daughter five years ago and is still angry and grieving. After a public incident, she joins a Facebook group for grieving mothers. From there, Camille is drawn into the dark web and a collective of women who seek revenge on those who killed their children. Unsure if this group is real or not, Camille finds herself pulled into the group, unsure if its members are survivors or murderers. And finding out the truth may lead to her own demise.
This was such a dark thriller--it pulled me in immediately. It's twisted and a little crazy in its plot, but it's so mesmerizing and keeps you guessing the entire time. Camille's grief and anger seeps through the pages, and the themes of loss and motherhood are prominent throughout the story. It's such a tense tale, as you keep reading and wondering, along with Camille, about the collective and its intentions. The book makes you question yourself and how far would you go to protect or avenge your family.
Overall, this is a twisty and dark thriller with an original and emotional plot. 4+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow and Custom House and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram
This was such a dark thriller--it pulled me in immediately. It's twisted and a little crazy in its plot, but it's so mesmerizing and keeps you guessing the entire time. Camille's grief and anger seeps through the pages, and the themes of loss and motherhood are prominent throughout the story. It's such a tense tale, as you keep reading and wondering, along with Camille, about the collective and its intentions. The book makes you question yourself and how far would you go to protect or avenge your family.
Overall, this is a twisty and dark thriller with an original and emotional plot. 4+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow and Custom House and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram
September 21, 2021
A twisty psychological thriller about grief and revenge.
April 13, 2022
The Collective was a quick read because it had an intriguing premise. I might not have been fully satisfied with the direction the story took but I give the author credit for the ending. She made a bold creative choice.
Camille Gardner lost her teenage daughter five years ago. She's obsessed with the man she believes is responsible for her death. She's put in touch with an online group of women. They share their stories of grief and their desire for justice. However this drive for holding people accountable isn't going to take place in a courtroom. Will revenge have disastrous consequences or will it finally give Camille a sense of peace and closure?
The story practically begs you to picture yourself in Camille's situation and imagine what choices you would make if you were her. That's what makes it a compelling read. There's a train wreck quality but it works for the story more so than against. While the pacing is pretty good my focus did start drifting a bit in the second half. Camille is a character I wanted to follow but not really one I cared about if that makes sense. I was more invested in the plot and where the author was going to take the story rather than Camille herself.
Given the subject matter it might not be the best book for every reader so keep that in mind when making your decision. For many people it will be like a beach/vacation read but if you've lost someone it might cut on a deeper level.
Camille Gardner lost her teenage daughter five years ago. She's obsessed with the man she believes is responsible for her death. She's put in touch with an online group of women. They share their stories of grief and their desire for justice. However this drive for holding people accountable isn't going to take place in a courtroom. Will revenge have disastrous consequences or will it finally give Camille a sense of peace and closure?
The story practically begs you to picture yourself in Camille's situation and imagine what choices you would make if you were her. That's what makes it a compelling read. There's a train wreck quality but it works for the story more so than against. While the pacing is pretty good my focus did start drifting a bit in the second half. Camille is a character I wanted to follow but not really one I cared about if that makes sense. I was more invested in the plot and where the author was going to take the story rather than Camille herself.
Given the subject matter it might not be the best book for every reader so keep that in mind when making your decision. For many people it will be like a beach/vacation read but if you've lost someone it might cut on a deeper level.
January 17, 2022
4.5 stars
Nothing quite says Christmas like a revenge story, you know? That's why I was all in for Alison Gaylin's new thriller, The Collective .
Camille hasn’t been the same since her teenage daughter was raped and murdered five years ago. Although she has a graphic design business, she spends much of her time obsessing over the young man who was accused of, and then exonerated for, her murder.
When she captures the attention of the Collective, a secret group of grieving mothers who come together on the dark web to share their stories, their all-encompassing grief, and their rage toward those unpunished for their children’s deaths. The women talk about their desire for revenge, for enacting retribution in specific, grisly detail.
She thinks this is just an exercise in group therapy, but the more time she spends among these women, she starts to wonder if they are actually enacting the revenge scenarios they discuss. Suddenly she feels free of the burdens she’s been carrying.
“I’m willing to commit to this role-play, to believe in it when I haven’t believed in anything at all for the past five years. I’m willing to work my hardest to get every one of these steps to-the-letter-right because of the way this all makes me feel—as though my rage has a purpose. As though I have the power to kill, and I’m no longer alone.”
The deeper she gets in this group, the more she questions whether revenge is actually justified. But once she’s in the middle of it all, can she extricate herself from the group or will that prove dangerous?
I’m a huge fan of Gaylin's writing, and this book was both addicting and thought-provoking. I didn’t love the ending, but I couldn’t get enough of the story. Thanks to William Morrow Books for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Nothing quite says Christmas like a revenge story, you know? That's why I was all in for Alison Gaylin's new thriller, The Collective .
Camille hasn’t been the same since her teenage daughter was raped and murdered five years ago. Although she has a graphic design business, she spends much of her time obsessing over the young man who was accused of, and then exonerated for, her murder.
When she captures the attention of the Collective, a secret group of grieving mothers who come together on the dark web to share their stories, their all-encompassing grief, and their rage toward those unpunished for their children’s deaths. The women talk about their desire for revenge, for enacting retribution in specific, grisly detail.
She thinks this is just an exercise in group therapy, but the more time she spends among these women, she starts to wonder if they are actually enacting the revenge scenarios they discuss. Suddenly she feels free of the burdens she’s been carrying.
“I’m willing to commit to this role-play, to believe in it when I haven’t believed in anything at all for the past five years. I’m willing to work my hardest to get every one of these steps to-the-letter-right because of the way this all makes me feel—as though my rage has a purpose. As though I have the power to kill, and I’m no longer alone.”
The deeper she gets in this group, the more she questions whether revenge is actually justified. But once she’s in the middle of it all, can she extricate herself from the group or will that prove dangerous?
I’m a huge fan of Gaylin's writing, and this book was both addicting and thought-provoking. I didn’t love the ending, but I couldn’t get enough of the story. Thanks to William Morrow Books for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
December 12, 2021
I jumped right on board with this one!
Camille led us on a crazy adventure Where she made terrible decisions in the name of revenge! We seriously don't have enough female villains. I enjoyed watching it all unfold and finding out who actually led the collective. What a smart, diabolical woman!
The middle drug for me and I got a little annoyed with seeing Camille do incredibly stupid things. This is a GROUP OF WOMEN WHO KILL PEOPLE.
Fast-paced, addicting from the beginning, and an awesome mystery at it's core. A great thrilling read even with that weird middle part!
Camille led us on a crazy adventure Where she made terrible decisions in the name of revenge! We seriously don't have enough female villains. I enjoyed watching it all unfold and finding out who actually led the collective. What a smart, diabolical woman!
The middle drug for me and I got a little annoyed with seeing Camille do incredibly stupid things. This is a GROUP OF WOMEN WHO KILL PEOPLE.
Fast-paced, addicting from the beginning, and an awesome mystery at it's core. A great thrilling read even with that weird middle part!
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