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The Girls Are All So Nice Here
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER Two former best friends return to their college reunion to find that they’re being circled by someone who wants revenge for what they did ten years before—and will stop at nothing to get it—in this shocking psychological thriller about ambition, toxic friendship, and deadly desire.A lot has changed in the years since Ambrosia Wellington graduated from college, and she’s worked hard to create a new life for herself. But then an invitation to her ten-year reunion arrives in the mail, along with an anonymous note that reads “We need to talk about what we did that night.” It seems that the secrets of Ambrosia’s past—and the people she thought she’d left there—aren’t as buried as she’d believed. Amb can’t stop fixating on what she did or who she did it larger-than-life Sloane “Sully” Sullivan, Amb’s former best friend, who could make anyone do anything. At the reunion, Amb and Sully receive increasingly menacing messages, and it becomes clear that they’re being pursued by someone who wants more than just the truth of what happened that first semester. This person wants revenge for what they did and the damage they caused—the extent of which Amb is only now fully understanding. And it was all because of the game they played to get a boy who belonged to someone else, and the girl who paid the price. Alternating between the reunion and Amb’s freshman year, The Girls Are All So Nice Here is a shocking novel about the brutal lengths girls can go to get what they think they’re owed, and what happens when the games we play in college become matters of life and death.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2021
864 people are currently reading
49726 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
8 books1,423 followers Laurie Elizabeth Flynn is a former model who lives in London, Ontario with her husband and their four children. She is the author of three young adult novels: Firsts, Last Girl Lied To and All Eyes On Her, under the name L.E. Flynn.
Her adult fiction debut, The Girls Are All So Nice Here, was named a USA Today Best Book of 2021 and became an instant bestseller in Canada. It has sold in 11 territories worldwide. Her second adult novel, Till Death Do Us Part, was an instant USA Today and national Canadian bestseller, and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick.
When she’s not writing, you can likely find her hiking in the woods, perusing thrift stores for vintage dresses, or bingeing on reality TV dating shows.
Her adult fiction debut, The Girls Are All So Nice Here, was named a USA Today Best Book of 2021 and became an instant bestseller in Canada. It has sold in 11 territories worldwide. Her second adult novel, Till Death Do Us Part, was an instant USA Today and national Canadian bestseller, and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick.
When she’s not writing, you can likely find her hiking in the woods, perusing thrift stores for vintage dresses, or bingeing on reality TV dating shows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,392 reviews
July 15, 2020
I wrote this. I hope you like it.
The girls aren't nice at all. ;)
The girls aren't nice at all. ;)
June 22, 2022
Wowza! Another brilliant, deliciously juicy, gripping mean girls at college theme conquered my mind from the first chapter!
What makes this story unique and different from the other mental abuse, bullying stories? Well this time our narrator is one of those means girls: ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to meet with Ambrosia Wellington! She did something really bad and hurt someone: there is no turning back from that deadly mistake and she has been paying her dues for 10 years.
She is mostly laying low, not chasing her acting dreams but working full time as PR job, married with five years younger, easy going, naive, college dropout husband who loves to spend his time on couch , playing consul games instead of chasing his writing dreams.
But that’s okay for Ambs, at least she’s away from accusing, prejudged looks of people from her school circle. She thinks she left her past behind. Till she starts getting invitations for 10th year reunion of her college and her husband dearest Adrian finds out, pushing her to accept the invitation.
But the person who sends her invitation also wants to talk what happened 10 years ago which will open can of worms and destroy her secluded, safe life she’d built in small apartment in Astoria/ Queens forever.
I’m not gonna give so much clues that usually do at my reviews. The main things attracted my attention of this story are intriguing, captivating writing style going back and forth between past and present/ reunion.
The chapters were riveting, keeping your attention intact, making you question what those mean girls involved in and which one is the worst to be blamed on.
Ambrosia awakens different feelings inside you. You just want to decide between punching her face or caressing her hair to soothe her. You hate her, you want to shake her by grabbing her shoulders, you want to scream at her face , you pity on her, you disgust her, you feel sorry for her and finally you understand her motives, her way of her thinking, her dilemma, why she did things and why she’s so insecure. It’s well portrayed anti-heroine.
And of course Sloane/ Sully was hell of a mean girl! And Flora, a sweet-swoon-soft girl like she belongs to a romcom.
It’s a great written story about betrayal, lies, insecurities, relationships, rape, friendship, manipulation, mind games, deadly secrets.
I enjoyed characterization and story’s development. Twists are predictable but ending was still satisfying and well played.
I’m giving my five blazing psychological thriller, meanest,ugliest,most dangerous mean girls stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon&Schuster for sharing this fast paced arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
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What makes this story unique and different from the other mental abuse, bullying stories? Well this time our narrator is one of those means girls: ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to meet with Ambrosia Wellington! She did something really bad and hurt someone: there is no turning back from that deadly mistake and she has been paying her dues for 10 years.
She is mostly laying low, not chasing her acting dreams but working full time as PR job, married with five years younger, easy going, naive, college dropout husband who loves to spend his time on couch , playing consul games instead of chasing his writing dreams.
But that’s okay for Ambs, at least she’s away from accusing, prejudged looks of people from her school circle. She thinks she left her past behind. Till she starts getting invitations for 10th year reunion of her college and her husband dearest Adrian finds out, pushing her to accept the invitation.
But the person who sends her invitation also wants to talk what happened 10 years ago which will open can of worms and destroy her secluded, safe life she’d built in small apartment in Astoria/ Queens forever.
I’m not gonna give so much clues that usually do at my reviews. The main things attracted my attention of this story are intriguing, captivating writing style going back and forth between past and present/ reunion.
The chapters were riveting, keeping your attention intact, making you question what those mean girls involved in and which one is the worst to be blamed on.
Ambrosia awakens different feelings inside you. You just want to decide between punching her face or caressing her hair to soothe her. You hate her, you want to shake her by grabbing her shoulders, you want to scream at her face , you pity on her, you disgust her, you feel sorry for her and finally you understand her motives, her way of her thinking, her dilemma, why she did things and why she’s so insecure. It’s well portrayed anti-heroine.
And of course Sloane/ Sully was hell of a mean girl! And Flora, a sweet-swoon-soft girl like she belongs to a romcom.
It’s a great written story about betrayal, lies, insecurities, relationships, rape, friendship, manipulation, mind games, deadly secrets.
I enjoyed characterization and story’s development. Twists are predictable but ending was still satisfying and well played.
I’m giving my five blazing psychological thriller, meanest,ugliest,most dangerous mean girls stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon&Schuster for sharing this fast paced arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
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May 3, 2024
Most of the enjoyment in The Girls Are All So Nice Here is about discovering the twists , rest is your age old story of mean girls trying to run away from past.
March 29, 2021
Wow! This book was shocking, disturbing, dark, twisted...I finished this earlier today and I literally can't shake the feeling this gave me. There are mean girl stories.. and then there is this story. This is one of those books that was so dark.. that you almost feel guilty to say that you enjoyed it.. yet a part of you must have because you couldn't stop.. you couldn't look away...no matter how hard it was to read.. you devoured it.
Little girls are sugar and spice and everything nice. However, not in a world with Ambrosia and Sloane. These two made college a living hell for some girls...a dual timeline gave us a look at Then and Now. Then was when these two did everything on earth to shock people...SHOWTIME...that is what they would say before they set out to do their best work. Now is when they had the nerve to show up to their college reunion. Unable to resist the temptation to quench their thirst of knowing if someone knew exactly what they had done.
The first half was a slow build but wait for it.. the second half had me glued to the pages. Could it get any more evil? Yes, the answer is yes! The ending was twisted, fantastic and in a dark way...satisfying....
Trigger warnings all over the place.....just expect to be disturbed...This is actually higher than a 4 for me...4.5 stars
Little girls are sugar and spice and everything nice. However, not in a world with Ambrosia and Sloane. These two made college a living hell for some girls...a dual timeline gave us a look at Then and Now. Then was when these two did everything on earth to shock people...SHOWTIME...that is what they would say before they set out to do their best work. Now is when they had the nerve to show up to their college reunion. Unable to resist the temptation to quench their thirst of knowing if someone knew exactly what they had done.
The first half was a slow build but wait for it.. the second half had me glued to the pages. Could it get any more evil? Yes, the answer is yes! The ending was twisted, fantastic and in a dark way...satisfying....
Trigger warnings all over the place.....just expect to be disturbed...This is actually higher than a 4 for me...4.5 stars
November 8, 2020
The Girls Are All So Nice Here...NOT!!
Ambrosia “Amb” Wellington receives a note regarding her 10-year college reunion. She is instantly appalled with the thought of attending. She remembers being the new girl during freshman year, and somehow making friends with Sloane “Sully” Sullivan. The thing is, Amb was a decent human being before attending college...and Sully wasn’t. Caught up in the high of being noticed by Sully, they were both detrimental in the destruction of another college student.
Now, Amb is married to a great guy. The only reason she decides to go to the reunion is because of an anonymous note attached to one of the invites...
“We need to talk about what we did that night.”
Amb and Sully come face to face to figure out who sent that note...and to find out who knew what they did that night years prior.
This is a promising adult fiction debut by author Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (she previously wrote YA fiction), but while I was initially engaged, the thrill of the story didn’t last.
Writing a story about former (possibly former) mean girls has got to be tough. It’s a common topic. In the recently released GIRL GONE MAD by Avery Bishop, I felt for the main character. I felt her growth throughout the years, and found the twists surprising. In this one, I never really warmed to Amb. She is cold throughout, and only has remorse because of how it might affect her now. Interestingly enough, the book really loses steam as it races towards the conclusion. I wasn’t surprised by the turn of events, and eventually stopped caring.
That being said, it’s fairly enjoyable even though it doesn’t offer anything new. I look forward to seeing Flynn’s follow-up in adult fiction. A solid 3-star read, but I wish it was a bit more ‘fetch’. (And YES, I’m still trying to make ‘fetch’ happen.) 😉
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ambrosia “Amb” Wellington receives a note regarding her 10-year college reunion. She is instantly appalled with the thought of attending. She remembers being the new girl during freshman year, and somehow making friends with Sloane “Sully” Sullivan. The thing is, Amb was a decent human being before attending college...and Sully wasn’t. Caught up in the high of being noticed by Sully, they were both detrimental in the destruction of another college student.
Now, Amb is married to a great guy. The only reason she decides to go to the reunion is because of an anonymous note attached to one of the invites...
“We need to talk about what we did that night.”
Amb and Sully come face to face to figure out who sent that note...and to find out who knew what they did that night years prior.
This is a promising adult fiction debut by author Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (she previously wrote YA fiction), but while I was initially engaged, the thrill of the story didn’t last.
Writing a story about former (possibly former) mean girls has got to be tough. It’s a common topic. In the recently released GIRL GONE MAD by Avery Bishop, I felt for the main character. I felt her growth throughout the years, and found the twists surprising. In this one, I never really warmed to Amb. She is cold throughout, and only has remorse because of how it might affect her now. Interestingly enough, the book really loses steam as it races towards the conclusion. I wasn’t surprised by the turn of events, and eventually stopped caring.
That being said, it’s fairly enjoyable even though it doesn’t offer anything new. I look forward to seeing Flynn’s follow-up in adult fiction. A solid 3-star read, but I wish it was a bit more ‘fetch’. (And YES, I’m still trying to make ‘fetch’ happen.) 😉
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2023
This is a Psychological Thriller. I have to say the ending was everything, and the twist was so good. I did not love the writing style of this, and that took away for me loving this book. I did like this book, but I had trouble caring about any of the characters. This was not my favorite thriller. I think Young Adult's books are just not totally for me anymore. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Simon & Schuster) or author (Laurie Elizabeth Flynn) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
May 1, 2022
Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. I saw this story promoted on CBC Reads about a year ago, and since I enjoy a good psychological thriller, I added it to my WTR list; and,
2. my audiobook hold finally became available.
Positives:
1. the dual timelines (THEN and NOW) worked for me! When one time frame chapter was ending, I would look forward to the next;
2. the author successfully made the two main characters unlikeable; and,
3. the author also skillfully led me to think various characters were the guilty party. She was so good at it that I did not see that outcome, including a most interesting epilogue.
Niggles:
1. some narrator voices sounded alike to me - I had trouble differentiating between male characters; and,
2. maybe I'm too old for this storyline, but Dear Lord, I am so grateful that I attended university back in the day without all this backstabbing drama (and also, computers, laptops and cell phones were very faint glimmers into the future.) It was jaw-dropping for me to hear about all the promiscuity, including naked sex parties, drug and alcohol abuse (okay, I admit, booze was readily available in my day.) Also, if profanity and bullying are triggers, you may wish to avoid this book.
Personally, I felt no connection to the two main female characters and thought that whatever happened to them, well, they had it coming! Also, the "Sodom and Gomorrah" lifestyles got a bit too much for me. I'm happy that my daughters didn't get mixed up with "nice girls" like these in their university days!
1. I saw this story promoted on CBC Reads about a year ago, and since I enjoy a good psychological thriller, I added it to my WTR list; and,
2. my audiobook hold finally became available.
Positives:
1. the dual timelines (THEN and NOW) worked for me! When one time frame chapter was ending, I would look forward to the next;
2. the author successfully made the two main characters unlikeable; and,
3. the author also skillfully led me to think various characters were the guilty party. She was so good at it that I did not see that outcome, including a most interesting epilogue.
Niggles:
1. some narrator voices sounded alike to me - I had trouble differentiating between male characters; and,
2. maybe I'm too old for this storyline, but Dear Lord, I am so grateful that I attended university back in the day without all this backstabbing drama (and also, computers, laptops and cell phones were very faint glimmers into the future.) It was jaw-dropping for me to hear about all the promiscuity, including naked sex parties, drug and alcohol abuse (okay, I admit, booze was readily available in my day.) Also, if profanity and bullying are triggers, you may wish to avoid this book.
Personally, I felt no connection to the two main female characters and thought that whatever happened to them, well, they had it coming! Also, the "Sodom and Gomorrah" lifestyles got a bit too much for me. I'm happy that my daughters didn't get mixed up with "nice girls" like these in their university days!
November 6, 2020
I was thankful to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to read it in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited by the cover and the plot summary but I just didn't connect with the read, I wish I could say that I enjoyed it more but perhaps I wasn't the right audience.
This story tells, in alternative chapters, the story of Ambrosia Wellington's freshman year at Wesleyan College as well as her life 10 years later at her college reunion. Ambrosia is now married to a loving husband and is no longer in contact with anyone she went to college with. In those days, she had a sweet roommate, Flora, and a wild and manipulative best friend, Sully. Current day, she doesn't seem to want to go to the reunion, never mind think of the events of her freshman year. But, she is getting personal notes that seem to know she did something terrible and the person writing them wants to talk about what happened. The novel is spent in both flashbacks describing the first few months of her college life and also current events as she tries to keep all of the events and secrets hidden while discovering who knows those secrets and is bent on confronting her.
I love a good psychological thriller and some bad female characters but I just didn't feel connected to this book until the very end. I had a difficult time getting through it. The flashback scenes were full of very graphic detail and seemed gratuitous to me. I felt like, for me, I needed the current Ambrosia fleshed out more, I don't mind mean and self serving but I want to see motivation. I don't have to like the character, but I need to see her, I wanted more depth. But who I really got to know was a 19 year old girl and I felt more like I was reading a slightly older YA novel about private school mean girls who are completely out of control. I wanted more from young Ambrosia, but it was party, rinse, be mean, repeat. So I feel like this maybe just wasn't my niche read but may appeal well to a different audience!
Now the end started to get my attention but unfortunately I saw most of it coming and wasn't connected enough to feel compelled by it. But, it was twisty and turned things upside down and gave Ambrosia some new growth so that was good.
As an FYI, there are multiple triggering subjects in this novel so a warning there for anyone about to read, I don't want to discuss what they are as it gives away plotlines! I am hopeful there would be note at the end of the book talking about mental health outreaches for young people and adults alike. Reading these things didn't bother me emotionally and I just wish I had connected more with the story. I think I was waiting for a sudden revelation that would draw things together and show me some layers but all I could see were thoughtless girls and I guess that wasn't what I was looking for.
Some of the girls in this book are definitely not nice! 🤷🏼♀️
I was so excited by the cover and the plot summary but I just didn't connect with the read, I wish I could say that I enjoyed it more but perhaps I wasn't the right audience.
This story tells, in alternative chapters, the story of Ambrosia Wellington's freshman year at Wesleyan College as well as her life 10 years later at her college reunion. Ambrosia is now married to a loving husband and is no longer in contact with anyone she went to college with. In those days, she had a sweet roommate, Flora, and a wild and manipulative best friend, Sully. Current day, she doesn't seem to want to go to the reunion, never mind think of the events of her freshman year. But, she is getting personal notes that seem to know she did something terrible and the person writing them wants to talk about what happened. The novel is spent in both flashbacks describing the first few months of her college life and also current events as she tries to keep all of the events and secrets hidden while discovering who knows those secrets and is bent on confronting her.
I love a good psychological thriller and some bad female characters but I just didn't feel connected to this book until the very end. I had a difficult time getting through it. The flashback scenes were full of very graphic detail and seemed gratuitous to me. I felt like, for me, I needed the current Ambrosia fleshed out more, I don't mind mean and self serving but I want to see motivation. I don't have to like the character, but I need to see her, I wanted more depth. But who I really got to know was a 19 year old girl and I felt more like I was reading a slightly older YA novel about private school mean girls who are completely out of control. I wanted more from young Ambrosia, but it was party, rinse, be mean, repeat. So I feel like this maybe just wasn't my niche read but may appeal well to a different audience!
Now the end started to get my attention but unfortunately I saw most of it coming and wasn't connected enough to feel compelled by it. But, it was twisty and turned things upside down and gave Ambrosia some new growth so that was good.
As an FYI, there are multiple triggering subjects in this novel so a warning there for anyone about to read, I don't want to discuss what they are as it gives away plotlines! I am hopeful there would be note at the end of the book talking about mental health outreaches for young people and adults alike. Reading these things didn't bother me emotionally and I just wish I had connected more with the story. I think I was waiting for a sudden revelation that would draw things together and show me some layers but all I could see were thoughtless girls and I guess that wasn't what I was looking for.
Some of the girls in this book are definitely not nice! 🤷🏼♀️
March 26, 2021
Uhhhh.. Regina George... this one’s for you!
Shortest Summary Ever: Ambrosia Wellington begrudgingly returns to Wesleyan for her ten year reunion thanks to her adorable hubby Adrian. See, she didn’t have the best college experience - she and her BFF Sully kinda helped kill someone. Allegedly. I mean that’s what everyone has murmured mouth to ear since that day. Now Amb returns where everyone is eyeballing them, whispers abound, and rumors are reborn while fake kisses and hugs prevail. Though Amb is married, she has kept this part of her past in the past and wants to keep it there. One problem - someone is sending “I-know-what-you-did” type letters to her and Sully. Who could know the truth? Can she keep this from her husband and can she come to terms with what happened ten years ago?
Thoughts: First time reader of this author and I’m in awe of the dark psychology of this one. It’s the mean girl POV and it’s sinister. It’s everything you hate about catty girls. It makes Regina George look like a kindly nun. Here’s how my reading of this went - annoyed... annoyed ...annoyed... (sigh) annoyed... hate you... holy biscuits.... OMG... best...ending...ever. There is nothing redeeming about the two main characters - they are Regina George twins on steroids with growth hormones and copious amounts of Miracle Gro. And FYI? Don’t sign me up to go to Wesleyan. Yikes.
What’s strangely enjoyable about this book is it’s a romp through the worst people you’ve ever met and you hate them. It’s that car accident. But it’s weirdly enjoyable because you hope and pray karma comes around.
Gripping my every page turn was the realization that evil teen girls are about as evil as it gets. Then it dipped into a pool of depravity 50 feet deeper. Then 100. Get ready for the muck of wicked people. Wade in it. But watch out for the sharks. They are circling.
All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.
Genre: Psychological Mystery/Dark Mystery
Recommend to: You have to be able to put up with some eye rolling over these gorgeous young women going out and being vicious excuses for humans. But trust me - wait for it. It’s dark and dirty
Not recommended to: Those looking for light and fun mysteries
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me happy to be NOT a mean girl.
Shortest Summary Ever: Ambrosia Wellington begrudgingly returns to Wesleyan for her ten year reunion thanks to her adorable hubby Adrian. See, she didn’t have the best college experience - she and her BFF Sully kinda helped kill someone. Allegedly. I mean that’s what everyone has murmured mouth to ear since that day. Now Amb returns where everyone is eyeballing them, whispers abound, and rumors are reborn while fake kisses and hugs prevail. Though Amb is married, she has kept this part of her past in the past and wants to keep it there. One problem - someone is sending “I-know-what-you-did” type letters to her and Sully. Who could know the truth? Can she keep this from her husband and can she come to terms with what happened ten years ago?
Thoughts: First time reader of this author and I’m in awe of the dark psychology of this one. It’s the mean girl POV and it’s sinister. It’s everything you hate about catty girls. It makes Regina George look like a kindly nun. Here’s how my reading of this went - annoyed... annoyed ...annoyed... (sigh) annoyed... hate you... holy biscuits.... OMG... best...ending...ever. There is nothing redeeming about the two main characters - they are Regina George twins on steroids with growth hormones and copious amounts of Miracle Gro. And FYI? Don’t sign me up to go to Wesleyan. Yikes.
What’s strangely enjoyable about this book is it’s a romp through the worst people you’ve ever met and you hate them. It’s that car accident. But it’s weirdly enjoyable because you hope and pray karma comes around.
Gripping my every page turn was the realization that evil teen girls are about as evil as it gets. Then it dipped into a pool of depravity 50 feet deeper. Then 100. Get ready for the muck of wicked people. Wade in it. But watch out for the sharks. They are circling.
All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.
Genre: Psychological Mystery/Dark Mystery
Recommend to: You have to be able to put up with some eye rolling over these gorgeous young women going out and being vicious excuses for humans. But trust me - wait for it. It’s dark and dirty
Not recommended to: Those looking for light and fun mysteries
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me happy to be NOT a mean girl.
October 31, 2020
Ambrosia Wellington, now Turner, is invited to the ten year reunion at Wesley. She so doesn’t want to go but with a heavy heart and a sick feeling she agrees and oh boy, does she have ‘music to face’ for her toxic manipulative behaviour with Sloane aka Sully. The storyline alternates between Then and Now which works extremely well.
One of the biggest strengths of the novel is the characterisation and the variety. We have lovely, fragrant Flora who is wholesome and pretty to the absolute extreme end of the spectrum or polar opposite of Sully. Ambrosia or Amb as she prefers to be known (and who wouldn’t being lumbered with a name like that) is an enigma. She’s sucked into a mean, dark, monstrous world which makes her feel alive, it gets her noticed and not overlooked. She has hatred for everything that she is not and exacts a perverse revenge against the girls who have it all. In the present day - does she have guilt?? It’s very hard to tell as she evades all the lies she has told and so it’s more a case of not getting caught out. It becomes very apparent that someone is out for revenge in this dark tale of nasty, manipulative deeds, of destructive loss, deception and betrayal which is very chilling and shocks to the core. The finale when it comes is pitch perfect as the truth is finally extracted and a vengeful justice is achieved. Karma really is a .......!
Overall, this is a good debut. If you like your reading ‘on the dark side’ then this one is for you! I like the irony of the title too.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the arc.
One of the biggest strengths of the novel is the characterisation and the variety. We have lovely, fragrant Flora who is wholesome and pretty to the absolute extreme end of the spectrum or polar opposite of Sully. Ambrosia or Amb as she prefers to be known (and who wouldn’t being lumbered with a name like that) is an enigma. She’s sucked into a mean, dark, monstrous world which makes her feel alive, it gets her noticed and not overlooked. She has hatred for everything that she is not and exacts a perverse revenge against the girls who have it all. In the present day - does she have guilt?? It’s very hard to tell as she evades all the lies she has told and so it’s more a case of not getting caught out. It becomes very apparent that someone is out for revenge in this dark tale of nasty, manipulative deeds, of destructive loss, deception and betrayal which is very chilling and shocks to the core. The finale when it comes is pitch perfect as the truth is finally extracted and a vengeful justice is achieved. Karma really is a .......!
Overall, this is a good debut. If you like your reading ‘on the dark side’ then this one is for you! I like the irony of the title too.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the arc.
December 19, 2020
“We need to talk about what we did that night.”
So, the only time I have to read anymore is in the middle of the night. It's unfortunate, but at least it's nice and quiet (with the exception of the snoring coming from my two hundred pound St. Bernard and three Pugs), and I can really focus.
Normally, I divide a book into thirds, and try to read around 33% for three consecutive nights. With The Girls Are All So Nice Here, I read 34% the first night, and the rest last night...because I could not put this book down. It's not unusual for me to stay up until 3 AM...but last night, it was 5. I'm exhausted, but satisfied.
Told from dual narratives, one thread occurring during Ambrosia's freshman year at Wesleyan, and one ten years later at her class reunion, I was engrossed. These girls were AWFUL. This story felt like a car wreck I couldn't look away from.
I will say I found the freshman year chapters more interesting than the those occurring at the reunion. I didn't feel thirty-year old Ambrosia was nearly as fleshed out as her younger self. I honestly would have liked to know more about her life and motivations. What we got instead was a character who showed next-to no growth or maturity.
The conclusion was satisfying, but not unexpected.
Bottom line: I highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy a good 'mean girls' story. (Although I think these girls went far beyond mean and well into vile territory.)
Available March 9, 2021
My sincere appreciation to Edelweiss, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for my review copy.
So, the only time I have to read anymore is in the middle of the night. It's unfortunate, but at least it's nice and quiet (with the exception of the snoring coming from my two hundred pound St. Bernard and three Pugs), and I can really focus.
Normally, I divide a book into thirds, and try to read around 33% for three consecutive nights. With The Girls Are All So Nice Here, I read 34% the first night, and the rest last night...because I could not put this book down. It's not unusual for me to stay up until 3 AM...but last night, it was 5. I'm exhausted, but satisfied.
Told from dual narratives, one thread occurring during Ambrosia's freshman year at Wesleyan, and one ten years later at her class reunion, I was engrossed. These girls were AWFUL. This story felt like a car wreck I couldn't look away from.
I will say I found the freshman year chapters more interesting than the those occurring at the reunion. I didn't feel thirty-year old Ambrosia was nearly as fleshed out as her younger self. I honestly would have liked to know more about her life and motivations. What we got instead was a character who showed next-to no growth or maturity.
The conclusion was satisfying, but not unexpected.
Bottom line: I highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy a good 'mean girls' story. (Although I think these girls went far beyond mean and well into vile territory.)
Available March 9, 2021
My sincere appreciation to Edelweiss, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for my review copy.
November 2, 2020
Girls are bitches. Change my mind.
Wow! This book packs a wallop and leaves a bruise on your soul. I don't remember the last book that left me as unsettled as this one. I believe this is a debut work for Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, and she is absolutely one to watch for in the future. I don't want to give too much away about it because part of the draw is figuring out who knows what and when, but needless to say, it a dark, twisted ride that left my mouth hanging open at the end.
This is a dual-timeline book that focuses on the story of Ambrosia "Amb" Wellington, whose ten-year college reunion is coming up, and it's the last place she wants to return. She is keeping dark secrets, and her husband has no idea, as she has tried to completely change her persona since college. She doesn't even plan on going until notes start arriving that suggest that someone knows the secrets she and friend, Sloane, have been keeping since their freshman year.
You learn from the college timeline that freshman Amb has no clue as to her own identity and is constantly searching for validation among her peers. She thinks she has finally found it in wild girl, Sloane. It doesn't take Amb long to learn that Sloane thrives on manipulative games, and Amb tries to impress her by playing overtly skanky hookup games with the guys on campus and bullying the weaker girls. When Sloane decides Amb's sweet, innocent roommate, Flora, is her next prey, Amb plays along with a ruthless game, until her heart gets involved. Sloane hones in on Amb's weakness and plays her own manipulative game with them all, which ultimately leads to a dangerous obsession and a mysterious death.
The present day timeline focuses on the reunion and the unraveling of Ambrosia and Sloane's story. Both girls are still fantastic liars as adults, and it was hard to know who to believe for a good part of the book. You know that someone is still hell-bent on revenge and has found the perfect opportunity in the form of the ten-year reunion, but the unreliable narrator and slow-to-reveal freshman year events make it exceedingly tricky to figure out. I think what I loved most was that even after you know "who," there is still craziness that follows in spades, and it all becomes relative to the big picture.
There were so many possibilities and directions that the plot could have taken, and I thought the ultimate direction was brilliant. While I somewhat figured out a few key points, I could not have drawn out the execution any more perfectly than Flynn did. I loved the ending - chilling and twisty in it's very best form. It really is a jarring, eye-opening take on the insecurities of young girls and the dark complexities of social dynamics.
If you dig a thriller that's rich with toxic friendships, manipulation, and ambition, then don't miss this one! There are parts of it that are deeply troubling and devastatingly dark, but overall, there is no way I can not give this debut all of the stars!
Wow! This book packs a wallop and leaves a bruise on your soul. I don't remember the last book that left me as unsettled as this one. I believe this is a debut work for Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, and she is absolutely one to watch for in the future. I don't want to give too much away about it because part of the draw is figuring out who knows what and when, but needless to say, it a dark, twisted ride that left my mouth hanging open at the end.
This is a dual-timeline book that focuses on the story of Ambrosia "Amb" Wellington, whose ten-year college reunion is coming up, and it's the last place she wants to return. She is keeping dark secrets, and her husband has no idea, as she has tried to completely change her persona since college. She doesn't even plan on going until notes start arriving that suggest that someone knows the secrets she and friend, Sloane, have been keeping since their freshman year.
You learn from the college timeline that freshman Amb has no clue as to her own identity and is constantly searching for validation among her peers. She thinks she has finally found it in wild girl, Sloane. It doesn't take Amb long to learn that Sloane thrives on manipulative games, and Amb tries to impress her by playing overtly skanky hookup games with the guys on campus and bullying the weaker girls. When Sloane decides Amb's sweet, innocent roommate, Flora, is her next prey, Amb plays along with a ruthless game, until her heart gets involved. Sloane hones in on Amb's weakness and plays her own manipulative game with them all, which ultimately leads to a dangerous obsession and a mysterious death.
The present day timeline focuses on the reunion and the unraveling of Ambrosia and Sloane's story. Both girls are still fantastic liars as adults, and it was hard to know who to believe for a good part of the book. You know that someone is still hell-bent on revenge and has found the perfect opportunity in the form of the ten-year reunion, but the unreliable narrator and slow-to-reveal freshman year events make it exceedingly tricky to figure out. I think what I loved most was that even after you know "who," there is still craziness that follows in spades, and it all becomes relative to the big picture.
There were so many possibilities and directions that the plot could have taken, and I thought the ultimate direction was brilliant. While I somewhat figured out a few key points, I could not have drawn out the execution any more perfectly than Flynn did. I loved the ending - chilling and twisty in it's very best form. It really is a jarring, eye-opening take on the insecurities of young girls and the dark complexities of social dynamics.
If you dig a thriller that's rich with toxic friendships, manipulation, and ambition, then don't miss this one! There are parts of it that are deeply troubling and devastatingly dark, but overall, there is no way I can not give this debut all of the stars!
June 2, 2021
Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Lies and Deception!
Everyone knows they always come back to haunt you!
Who: Ambrosia Wellington
What: 10 Year College Reunion; Invitations Sent Out by Mail and Email
Where: Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.
When Ambrosia Wellington receives the invitations to attend her 10-year college reunion, she is, shall we say, LESS than enthused. Nor does she have any plans to attend.
Then her husband Adrian gets wind of it and can’t wait to go. Now Ambrosia (“Amb”) is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Amb has been keeping quite a few secrets from her dearly beloved and if they attend her reunion, everything could come crashing down.
Told in both the past and the present, “The Girls Are All So Nice Here” is a suspenseful tale of college that turns ugly quite fast.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, right?!
Thrilling, Shocking, and Twisty Turny, this Suspenseful Tale made me glad I commuted to college.
3.75 Stars
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy of the audiobook narrated by Erin Mallon who kept me entertained throughout.
Published on Goodreads and Twitter.
Lies and Deception!
Everyone knows they always come back to haunt you!
Who: Ambrosia Wellington
What: 10 Year College Reunion; Invitations Sent Out by Mail and Email
Where: Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.
When Ambrosia Wellington receives the invitations to attend her 10-year college reunion, she is, shall we say, LESS than enthused. Nor does she have any plans to attend.
Then her husband Adrian gets wind of it and can’t wait to go. Now Ambrosia (“Amb”) is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Amb has been keeping quite a few secrets from her dearly beloved and if they attend her reunion, everything could come crashing down.
Told in both the past and the present, “The Girls Are All So Nice Here” is a suspenseful tale of college that turns ugly quite fast.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, right?!
Thrilling, Shocking, and Twisty Turny, this Suspenseful Tale made me glad I commuted to college.
3.75 Stars
Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy of the audiobook narrated by Erin Mallon who kept me entertained throughout.
Published on Goodreads and Twitter.
December 3, 2020
What a chilling book about the evil teenage girls can do to eachother!
(It should also be noted that this book needs a “trigger warning” for almost every horrible issue a woman can experience.)
“Mean girls” who did bad things in their teenage years (and are forced to reckon with them as adults) have been a common trope in popular thrillers all year, so at first I thought this book would underwhelm me (especially after reading the great “Girl Gone Mad” on a similar theme). The book starts a little slow and appears at first to be more of a college girl romance drama than it is thriller. But the main character of Ambrosia, who is also the first-person narrator, soon gives new meaning to the phrase “unlikable narrator.” The things she and college pal Sully did to others in their college years were so horrible I felt viscerally uncomfortable and sometimes almost physically unable to read them.
I agree with my Goodreads friend Ceecee that the characterizations here are exceptionally strong. The book builds and builds, making you more and more uncomfortable. Thought the book was a good and scary 3.5 until the ending, which was fantastically executed with a final twist that brought this reading experience to a sold 4 for me. (I do looooove a good, twisted ending.)
This book and author are recommended. Laurie Flynn has a great writing style and really kept me turning the pages with her characterizations, and the story was thought-provoking and scary even when it was uncomfortable.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, and NetGalley for the ARC. Laurie Elizabeth Flynn is a dark and unique new voice in the thriller genre and I look forward to seeing what else she has to offer.
(It should also be noted that this book needs a “trigger warning” for almost every horrible issue a woman can experience.)
“Mean girls” who did bad things in their teenage years (and are forced to reckon with them as adults) have been a common trope in popular thrillers all year, so at first I thought this book would underwhelm me (especially after reading the great “Girl Gone Mad” on a similar theme). The book starts a little slow and appears at first to be more of a college girl romance drama than it is thriller. But the main character of Ambrosia, who is also the first-person narrator, soon gives new meaning to the phrase “unlikable narrator.” The things she and college pal Sully did to others in their college years were so horrible I felt viscerally uncomfortable and sometimes almost physically unable to read them.
I agree with my Goodreads friend Ceecee that the characterizations here are exceptionally strong. The book builds and builds, making you more and more uncomfortable. Thought the book was a good and scary 3.5 until the ending, which was fantastically executed with a final twist that brought this reading experience to a sold 4 for me. (I do looooove a good, twisted ending.)
This book and author are recommended. Laurie Flynn has a great writing style and really kept me turning the pages with her characterizations, and the story was thought-provoking and scary even when it was uncomfortable.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, and NetGalley for the ARC. Laurie Elizabeth Flynn is a dark and unique new voice in the thriller genre and I look forward to seeing what else she has to offer.
March 26, 2021
The Girls Are All So Nice Here is a thrilling story of mean girls and college drama. Amb and Sully attend their ten year college reunion after receiving threatening notes saying “We need to talk about what we did that night.” Neither of them knows who sent the note and whether they can trust each other. The story alternates between the past and the present. In the present day, Amb is trying to figure out who sent the note and trying to keep her husband from finding out about her past. In the past, Amb and Sully are living the life in college. They are mean girls that are drinking, doing drugs, and sleeping around. I loved seeing the characters in the past and present. They all changed from growing up and based on what happened in college. This book grabbed my attention from the first page. I loved all the drama and suspense, and I am very glad this book was not similar to my college experience. I recommend The Girls Are All So Nice Here to fans of Mean Girls and thrillers.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Erin Mallon and Alex Allwine and loved their narration. They were the perfect voices for this story and I am so glad I listened to the audiobook. This was one of the audiobooks where I just sat on my couch listening to it.
Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the audiobook of The Girls Are All So Nice Here.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Erin Mallon and Alex Allwine and loved their narration. They were the perfect voices for this story and I am so glad I listened to the audiobook. This was one of the audiobooks where I just sat on my couch listening to it.
Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the audiobook of The Girls Are All So Nice Here.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
May 9, 2021
Two stars means "it was okay" and that is about the most I can muster for this one. I found it to be too long, too repetitive, and too much. It had the vibe of I Know What You Did Last Summer but it lacked the suspense and tension. The writing seemed YA but the content was crass and too sexual for that genre. In fact, in the spirit of this alcohol-fueled sex party of a novel: if one were to take a shot every time a character used the f word, alcohol poisoning would set in pretty early on. I don't have an issue with profanity or sex, but I've never read a book that had girls constantly talking about "getting f*cked." You should f*ck him/who are you going to f*ck/did he go down on you/did you suck him off/she needs to get f*cked/fill in the blank is f*cking fill in the blank...it was so overdone and became predictable and boring. I bet Weslyan is psyched to be the setting for this book. What the hell goes on there? There is a bigger story here beyond all of that but it requires some significant suspension of disbelief and it drags on and on. The last two hours of this one were almost painful and the ending was very convenient. 2 stars
April 7, 2021
3.5 stars - rounded up! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not a bad debut!
One thing I can say, the characters in this book would give Regina George a run for her money!
The girls are definitely NOT all so nice here!
This is a very dark tale with lots of revenge, secrets, and manipulative characters. Ambrosia Wellington gets an email inviting her to her college reunion. Attached to this email is an interesting little nugget: a note that says “We need to talk about what we did that night”. Hell yes! I’m in!
I’m usually not a fan of slow burns, but I found this to be entertaining enough where I found it hard to put down at times. This might be one of the handful of books that I’ve read in my life where every single character was just vile, but it works and you find yourself liking them - maybe a little.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Laurie Elizabeth Flynn for my advanced copy to read and review.
Not a bad debut!
One thing I can say, the characters in this book would give Regina George a run for her money!
The girls are definitely NOT all so nice here!
This is a very dark tale with lots of revenge, secrets, and manipulative characters. Ambrosia Wellington gets an email inviting her to her college reunion. Attached to this email is an interesting little nugget: a note that says “We need to talk about what we did that night”. Hell yes! I’m in!
I’m usually not a fan of slow burns, but I found this to be entertaining enough where I found it hard to put down at times. This might be one of the handful of books that I’ve read in my life where every single character was just vile, but it works and you find yourself liking them - maybe a little.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Laurie Elizabeth Flynn for my advanced copy to read and review.
May 3, 2021
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
Talk about misleading titles! The girls AREN’T all so nice here. In fact, they’re terrible. This is a story about mean girls being mean just because they can, and I hate that. I’m all up for morally corrupted characters making debatable choices, but only if there’s some kind of motivation behind their acts, not only for the sake of it. Here there isn’t any motivation at all!
I found both main characters so despicable I had a really hard time getting into this. Sully is the quintessential manipulative mean girl and Ambrosia is just a pathetic and insecure girl seeking her approval. I could not warm up to any of them nor in the past line, nor in the present one. If I were supposed to feel some empathy for Amb in the present the author didn’t get it right. I found her very self-centered, worrying only about her life not going up in pieces and not showing any real remorse for what they did. It was disgusting! I hate it when a character’s justification for their acts is “he/she doesn’t deserve what they have, but I do, so it should be mine”.
I didn’t find the present line mystery of who was behind the notes that exciting. There were some character that seemed to be there just to add suspects to the pool, but they didn’t have a real role in the story. The ending was in part predictable but still managed to surprise me with some details, although I’m not so sure how realistic they were.
After finishing it I learnt this is the author’s first adult novel and that previously she has written several YA. I’m sorry to say that this one still read like YA to me. Mean young girls behaving like mean young girls with mean young girls motivations.
Although not my favorite I’m still willing to give the author’s next work a chance as long as there’re no mean girls involved! 😅
Talk about misleading titles! The girls AREN’T all so nice here. In fact, they’re terrible. This is a story about mean girls being mean just because they can, and I hate that. I’m all up for morally corrupted characters making debatable choices, but only if there’s some kind of motivation behind their acts, not only for the sake of it. Here there isn’t any motivation at all!
I found both main characters so despicable I had a really hard time getting into this. Sully is the quintessential manipulative mean girl and Ambrosia is just a pathetic and insecure girl seeking her approval. I could not warm up to any of them nor in the past line, nor in the present one. If I were supposed to feel some empathy for Amb in the present the author didn’t get it right. I found her very self-centered, worrying only about her life not going up in pieces and not showing any real remorse for what they did. It was disgusting! I hate it when a character’s justification for their acts is “he/she doesn’t deserve what they have, but I do, so it should be mine”.
I didn’t find the present line mystery of who was behind the notes that exciting. There were some character that seemed to be there just to add suspects to the pool, but they didn’t have a real role in the story. The ending was in part predictable but still managed to surprise me with some details, although I’m not so sure how realistic they were.
After finishing it I learnt this is the author’s first adult novel and that previously she has written several YA. I’m sorry to say that this one still read like YA to me. Mean young girls behaving like mean young girls with mean young girls motivations.
Although not my favorite I’m still willing to give the author’s next work a chance as long as there’re no mean girls involved! 😅
March 7, 2021
3.5 Mean Girl Stars
What happens when mean girls grow up? Do they mature and become better people? Or is there always that mean girl inside who can get back out?
In this case, we have Ambrosia Wellington (now Turner) and the book alternates between her time as a college student at Wesleyan and 10 years later, especially events at her college reunion. In her past, we meet her sweet roommate Flora and the resident bad girl Sully. I wondered if Amb would have become such a mean girl if there hadn’t been Sully egging her on. College is such an interesting time where most of us are trying to find ourselves and can be swayed by strong personalities. We get some clues that some terrible events happened at Wesleyan.
At first Amb ignores the reunion invitations and mysterious notes, but her husband Adrian catches wind of the events and really wants to go. It seems that Amb and Adrian are a good couple and Amb has become a better person. There also seems to be someone trying to get to the bottom of the events in college and Amb finds it hard to stay away.
The tension builds at the reunion along with the events in the past getting closer to the truth of what happened. A mix of shock about what these girls did along with elements of revenge propel this debut psychological thriller.
Thank you to Book Club Favorites and Simon and Schuster for the copy of this one to read.
What happens when mean girls grow up? Do they mature and become better people? Or is there always that mean girl inside who can get back out?
In this case, we have Ambrosia Wellington (now Turner) and the book alternates between her time as a college student at Wesleyan and 10 years later, especially events at her college reunion. In her past, we meet her sweet roommate Flora and the resident bad girl Sully. I wondered if Amb would have become such a mean girl if there hadn’t been Sully egging her on. College is such an interesting time where most of us are trying to find ourselves and can be swayed by strong personalities. We get some clues that some terrible events happened at Wesleyan.
At first Amb ignores the reunion invitations and mysterious notes, but her husband Adrian catches wind of the events and really wants to go. It seems that Amb and Adrian are a good couple and Amb has become a better person. There also seems to be someone trying to get to the bottom of the events in college and Amb finds it hard to stay away.
The tension builds at the reunion along with the events in the past getting closer to the truth of what happened. A mix of shock about what these girls did along with elements of revenge propel this debut psychological thriller.
Thank you to Book Club Favorites and Simon and Schuster for the copy of this one to read.
May 11, 2021
College Reunion Time!
Ambrosia "Amb" Wellington has received her invitation to her 10 year college reunion but she really has no desire or intention of going except she also received a notice that said "We need to talk about what we did that night!"
Why, after all these years? Who would have sent this note to her that feels threatening somehow. Amb thinks she knows who sent it but why? They know what happened that night so why send this to her now? Something bad happened Amb's freshman year but that didn't stop her from graduating and moving on but she has never forgotten what happened. How could she? Amb is not that person anymore, at least that's what she tries to make herself believe but she knows there are many others that hold her responsible no matter what the truth is. Amb is trying to lead and live the best life as a good person even though she feels as though she is an actress in an award winning film. Maybe Ambrosia needs to return to her college days and find out the truth about herself and what really happened on that night even if it kills her to find the answers because someone isn't going to let her get away from hiding the truth anymore and someone else knows what really happened on that fatal night.
This was a fast paced and intriguing story that kept my interest from the first page until the climatic ending. A very well-written story with not so likeable girls. Sadly, there are probably girls like these in every college and you can only hope your daughters and sisters don't become these girls or caught in their crosshairs. One can only hope that there are much better people in this world than some of the characters in this story. The author caught the aura of the nastiness and hurtful actions that were displayed by these girls and whenever someone gets away with evil there is always someone in the shadows watching and waiting their turn to finally turn the tables around.
I want to thank the publisher "Simon & Schuster" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I highly recommend this thrilling book and have given a rating of 4 Captivating 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
Ambrosia "Amb" Wellington has received her invitation to her 10 year college reunion but she really has no desire or intention of going except she also received a notice that said "We need to talk about what we did that night!"
Why, after all these years? Who would have sent this note to her that feels threatening somehow. Amb thinks she knows who sent it but why? They know what happened that night so why send this to her now? Something bad happened Amb's freshman year but that didn't stop her from graduating and moving on but she has never forgotten what happened. How could she? Amb is not that person anymore, at least that's what she tries to make herself believe but she knows there are many others that hold her responsible no matter what the truth is. Amb is trying to lead and live the best life as a good person even though she feels as though she is an actress in an award winning film. Maybe Ambrosia needs to return to her college days and find out the truth about herself and what really happened on that night even if it kills her to find the answers because someone isn't going to let her get away from hiding the truth anymore and someone else knows what really happened on that fatal night.
This was a fast paced and intriguing story that kept my interest from the first page until the climatic ending. A very well-written story with not so likeable girls. Sadly, there are probably girls like these in every college and you can only hope your daughters and sisters don't become these girls or caught in their crosshairs. One can only hope that there are much better people in this world than some of the characters in this story. The author caught the aura of the nastiness and hurtful actions that were displayed by these girls and whenever someone gets away with evil there is always someone in the shadows watching and waiting their turn to finally turn the tables around.
I want to thank the publisher "Simon & Schuster" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I highly recommend this thrilling book and have given a rating of 4 Captivating 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
May 11, 2021
2.5 stars, rounded up
If you like stories about mean girls/women, then this will be a perfect book for you. If not, then you might want to steer clear.
This is a dual timeline story with events from Ambrosia "Amb"'s college days in the early 2000s, alternating with Amb and her husband and "friends" returning for their ten year reunion. She has received an ominous note saying "we need to talk about what we did that night." She doesn't want to go to the reunion, but agrees and then the reader begins to get some insight into Amb's freshman year and all of the terrible things that happened.
So this could have been a great book, but for me it ended up just being an okay read. I could never get a grasp on Amb--she is too narcissistic to be a pushover, yet too weak to stand up for herself. I thought that Sully's manipulation of her was so blatant and overt that I couldn't believe Amb was falling for it. I also couldn't bring myself to believe that someone would make the choice to act so abhorrently towards another person--I never really got Amb's motivation.
I am SO glad that my college experience was not like this. I went to my share of wild parties, but are naked/sex parties actually a thing? They sure weren't in the 80s, maybe things have changed or maybe I just went to the wrong school, either way I'm totally grateful.
This is a very dark book. The characters do mean, nasty, evil things to other characters and then deny deny deny. As I said earlier, I didn't ever get Ambrosia, and that's what made me disconnect from the book a bit. The ending is a stretch to believe and when it does finally happen I felt dispassionate about it, mostly because I absolutely didn't care about the characters and what happened to them.
I listened to part of this as an audio book and the narrator does a good job conveying Amb and her personality. This is a decent choice if you like dark tales with a hint of mystery.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
If you like stories about mean girls/women, then this will be a perfect book for you. If not, then you might want to steer clear.
This is a dual timeline story with events from Ambrosia "Amb"'s college days in the early 2000s, alternating with Amb and her husband and "friends" returning for their ten year reunion. She has received an ominous note saying "we need to talk about what we did that night." She doesn't want to go to the reunion, but agrees and then the reader begins to get some insight into Amb's freshman year and all of the terrible things that happened.
So this could have been a great book, but for me it ended up just being an okay read. I could never get a grasp on Amb--she is too narcissistic to be a pushover, yet too weak to stand up for herself. I thought that Sully's manipulation of her was so blatant and overt that I couldn't believe Amb was falling for it. I also couldn't bring myself to believe that someone would make the choice to act so abhorrently towards another person--I never really got Amb's motivation.
I am SO glad that my college experience was not like this. I went to my share of wild parties, but are naked/sex parties actually a thing? They sure weren't in the 80s, maybe things have changed or maybe I just went to the wrong school, either way I'm totally grateful.
This is a very dark book. The characters do mean, nasty, evil things to other characters and then deny deny deny. As I said earlier, I didn't ever get Ambrosia, and that's what made me disconnect from the book a bit. The ending is a stretch to believe and when it does finally happen I felt dispassionate about it, mostly because I absolutely didn't care about the characters and what happened to them.
I listened to part of this as an audio book and the narrator does a good job conveying Amb and her personality. This is a decent choice if you like dark tales with a hint of mystery.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 1, 2021
4⭐️!
This was probably one the darkest books I’ve read and I’ve read some pretty messed up books.
Going into a book like this, it’s pretty obvious a general theme is going to be bullying which I honestly didn’t mind and thought it would change up the setting of my usual domestic thrillers.
Not to totally wear my heart on my sleeve, but I didn’t realize how much of a trigger that was going to turn out to be! Some girls out there are downright awful (and I went to a high school and college that can confirm that!) Thank the Lord Almighty I’ve got my girl group and support system. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have made it through this book.
So, first and foremost, if bullying is a trigger for you, tread lightly with this one. There are other trigger warnings I wish I could address but cannot do so without spoilers!!
This was definitely a nail-biter of a story and I was consistently in edge-of-my-seat mode! The ‘then’ chapters were my favorite and typically held the most ‘juice.’ The ‘now’ chapters weren’t bad, but they didn’t hold my attention as well.
I probably would have given this 4.5 ⭐️ had the ending wrapped up a little more intense than it did. It seemed all too convenient for me. The epilogue was definitely crazy though and I welcomed that twist of events!
This was probably one the darkest books I’ve read and I’ve read some pretty messed up books.
Going into a book like this, it’s pretty obvious a general theme is going to be bullying which I honestly didn’t mind and thought it would change up the setting of my usual domestic thrillers.
Not to totally wear my heart on my sleeve, but I didn’t realize how much of a trigger that was going to turn out to be! Some girls out there are downright awful (and I went to a high school and college that can confirm that!) Thank the Lord Almighty I’ve got my girl group and support system. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have made it through this book.
So, first and foremost, if bullying is a trigger for you, tread lightly with this one. There are other trigger warnings I wish I could address but cannot do so without spoilers!!
This was definitely a nail-biter of a story and I was consistently in edge-of-my-seat mode! The ‘then’ chapters were my favorite and typically held the most ‘juice.’ The ‘now’ chapters weren’t bad, but they didn’t hold my attention as well.
I probably would have given this 4.5 ⭐️ had the ending wrapped up a little more intense than it did. It seemed all too convenient for me. The epilogue was definitely crazy though and I welcomed that twist of events!
April 27, 2021
Girls being mean to other girls for no reason is my biggest pet peeve. I need a reason for them to be like this but they were just mean for the sake of being mean and it is so frustrating I wanted a villainous background story or something but they just picked on the nice girl.
Sully and Ambrosia annoyed me and pissed me off. This felt like a high school drama instead of university students having a reunion. Even as an adult, Ambrosia still sucks. I had a feeling I wouldn’t like this one and my feeling was correct.
Sully and Ambrosia annoyed me and pissed me off. This felt like a high school drama instead of university students having a reunion. Even as an adult, Ambrosia still sucks. I had a feeling I wouldn’t like this one and my feeling was correct.
April 27, 2021
Growing up, I always had a ton of female friends. That being said, it never seemed that any of them enjoyed hanging out together, and if I wanted time with one the other two would sometimes get upset. I never really understood this until I read this novel.....WOW!! To me, this book was a clear portrayal of just how devious and EVIL some girls can be to another, for no other reason than out of pure jealousy! These turbulent, toxic friendships seem to be a specialty of L.E. Flynn's, as her fantastic YA novels read similar to this, her adult debut. There is some great, exceptional writing here folks! Told in dual timelines, from when these 'mean girls' were attending Wesleyan College in 2007, to present day as adults in 2017, we begin this story when our protagonist (or maybe antagonist?) Ambrosia Wellington receives a Ten-Year Reunion invitation email, which she in turn quickly discards. She's put the horrible events of her first year at Wesleyan behind her, and believes this will be the end of it, until she receives a cryptic follow-up note written in beautiful calligraphy saying 'You need to come. We need to talk about what we did that night.' Of course Am believes the note was written from none other than her bff at the time, Sloan Sullivan, known as just 'Sully' to her, who she has not maintained contact with since her freshman year. Despite her better judgement, Am and her husband, Adrian, attend the reunion. Almost immediately, we find out that Am's freshman year roommate, Flora, tragically lost her life at the end of the school year under the most mysterious circumstances. Could this be the very reason why Am resisted coming back, ten years later? What does her former bestie Sully have to do with the events of that night?
Through dual timelines, a very sinister and sometimes hard to read story unfolds. A story that really had me cringing at times at the shocking extreme these girls would go to just to 'one-up' the other, out of pure insecurity. These girls were quite simply put EVIL! I had immediate empathy for Flora, and wanted to jump through the pages and give her a big hug! I wanted to warn her not to trust Am and Sully.
I enjoyed this novel almost immediately, and just knew I was in for a treat, and as usual, Flynn did not disappoint! This story was darker than her YAs have been, and I ate it right up! I will put it out there that this story may have some triggers, as it not only deals with pure, palpable jealousy, it also addresses rape, which was hard for me to read. If I had to give any sort of criticism here, I'd say that the ending seemed a bit abrupt and it was somewhat predictable, for me anyway. That being said, overall this was stellar. I'm extremely excited that Flynn has decided to give adult fiction a chance, and I truly believe this will be a story many thriller/suspense fans will absolutely love. I simply can't wait to read Flynn's follow-up release!!
Through dual timelines, a very sinister and sometimes hard to read story unfolds. A story that really had me cringing at times at the shocking extreme these girls would go to just to 'one-up' the other, out of pure insecurity. These girls were quite simply put EVIL! I had immediate empathy for Flora, and wanted to jump through the pages and give her a big hug! I wanted to warn her not to trust Am and Sully.
I enjoyed this novel almost immediately, and just knew I was in for a treat, and as usual, Flynn did not disappoint! This story was darker than her YAs have been, and I ate it right up! I will put it out there that this story may have some triggers, as it not only deals with pure, palpable jealousy, it also addresses rape, which was hard for me to read. If I had to give any sort of criticism here, I'd say that the ending seemed a bit abrupt and it was somewhat predictable, for me anyway. That being said, overall this was stellar. I'm extremely excited that Flynn has decided to give adult fiction a chance, and I truly believe this will be a story many thriller/suspense fans will absolutely love. I simply can't wait to read Flynn's follow-up release!!
July 8, 2021
The characters in this book make Regina George look angelic. The antics of “mean girls” reach new heights in this dark, disturbing tale where ambition, desire and desperation lead to destruction. The story is told in two different timelines. The past and present collide when Ambrosia attends her ten year college reunion. What demons have been haunting her all this time? What secrets has she been desperately trying to keep? Is Ambrosia a tragic victim of manipulation or the worst kind of monster? Ambrosia states, “I didn’t know who I was when I wasn’t trying to be someone else.” This book proves that it’s always better to be yourself. It also demonstrates that revenge is definitely a dish best served cold.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my ARC.
February 5, 2022
Adrian’s eyes crinkle up. “I bet you were such an adorable poetry nerd. I hope you didn’t get made fun of. Even if you did, wait till we show up. All the mean girls are gonna be jealous.”
Oh, sweetie. We were the mean girls.
I take a sip of his beer. He pictures me trudging across a leaf-starred campus, backpack turtled on my back, always studious, never late for class. He has no idea.
I can’t change what we did.
What I did.
I turned into a monster, but the world knows exactly how to make monsters out of girls who want what they can’t have.
When I say this was so addictive I stayed up til 4am to finish it, I'm not exaggerating or making up stories.
I've got eyebags that prove just how much I enjoyed it and I'm wearing them proudly.
It's been ten years since an horrible tragedy has hit Wesleyan University and Ambrosia Wellington did all she could to forget and move on. The past, though, didn't forget about her and actually has plans for her at the ten-year alumni reunion.. Ambrosia and her frenemy Sully, both received an invitation they can't ignore and will have to deal with their shared history full of lies, regrettable mistakes and dark secrets, even if it means putting at risk the new life she's worked so hard to have.
Because after all, Ambrosia is not the girl she was before. Or is she?
Dun dun duuuuuuuuun.
I know what you're thinking.
This is old news. You've probably heard this kind of plot before, but what you don't know is that by reading this book, you become part of a story that has so many twists and layers it sucks you in and doesn't let go.
The Girls Are All So Nice Here is a freaking page-turner and an emotional rollercoaster that'll make your heart bleed and your soul scream, and it's also the pure example of what happens when you put one of the most hateful main characters in charge of the narration. You can't help but loathe her, her pretentiousness and her actions, but at the same time, you can't help but love hating her for the same reasons.
It's both a psychological thriller and the distructive descent to hell of a devil in denial who blames everyone but herself for her failures and mistakes.
I don't know if it's just me, but there's something morbidly fascinating about mean girls drama (and when I say mean, I mean really fucking awful) in books; I just can't stay away from it and when it's well done, like this book 100% is, I can't help but let it affect me, even just for a bit.
The fact is that, young or old, intentionally or not, we've all been on both ends when it comes to mean girls, and the familiarity of it all (although it's been dialed up to 1000 for shock value), the way we get to see how consequences and various scenarios could play out, can be both reassuring and reprimanding.
It doesn't hurt that Flynn's writing is shockingly good, too. It's no surprise that Megan Miranda appreciates: I found their style (even the switching from present to past) very similar and in my book being compared to the egregious Miranda is always one of the biggest compliment I can give a writer.
I'm not giving it 5 full stars because I feel like some things were rushed or brushed aside (), but overall it was everything I wanted from this book and maybe even something more.
February 21, 2021
Ambrosia Wellington and Sloan Sullivan, two former best friends, return to their college Alma mater for their 10 year reunion after receiving threatening messages. Someone knows their secrets. How? What exactly happened that night? Who is sending the notes and why?
To be honest, I was hesitant to request this book, as I tend to stay away from YA thrillers. Seeing that this is Fynn’s first adult thriller, I wasn’t sure it would turn the corner in its maturity. Well, I was wrong and very pleasantly surprised at the complexity of its adult themes and her brilliant execution. Flynn masterfully gives the reader a peak into the mind of an insecure college student, switching from past to present time in order to depict the growth or lack thereof in Ambrosia. She deals with serious themes of peer pressure and suicide and how characters’ actions or inactions can effect the outcome of tragic events. The plot is absolutely perfectly paced and executed. This would have been 5 stars for me, but part of the ending lacked a believability that the rest of the story contained. I am now really looking forward to reading more of Flynn’s adult thrillers!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of The Girls are So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
To be honest, I was hesitant to request this book, as I tend to stay away from YA thrillers. Seeing that this is Fynn’s first adult thriller, I wasn’t sure it would turn the corner in its maturity. Well, I was wrong and very pleasantly surprised at the complexity of its adult themes and her brilliant execution. Flynn masterfully gives the reader a peak into the mind of an insecure college student, switching from past to present time in order to depict the growth or lack thereof in Ambrosia. She deals with serious themes of peer pressure and suicide and how characters’ actions or inactions can effect the outcome of tragic events. The plot is absolutely perfectly paced and executed. This would have been 5 stars for me, but part of the ending lacked a believability that the rest of the story contained. I am now really looking forward to reading more of Flynn’s adult thrillers!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of The Girls are So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
March 22, 2021
This one is definitely not for me.
Perhaps I should not be rating it.
A younger audience may enjoy it a lot more.
I did not like the characters (which should not be a problem if it was well written).
There are two good things about this book: the structure and the ending. I really thought that it ended well, but the whole development was a non-sense to me.
Who are these girls?
Why do they feel the need to behave like that? What for?
Plenty of mindless and irresponsible sex, drugs, alcohol, parties. Nothing original.
Anyways, don’t mind me.
Perhaps I should not be rating it.
A younger audience may enjoy it a lot more.
I did not like the characters (which should not be a problem if it was well written).
There are two good things about this book: the structure and the ending. I really thought that it ended well, but the whole development was a non-sense to me.
Who are these girls?
Why do they feel the need to behave like that? What for?
Plenty of mindless and irresponsible sex, drugs, alcohol, parties. Nothing original.
Anyways, don’t mind me.
December 22, 2021
3.5 rounded up
Great beginning, awesome ending, but some lenghts in the middle.
Some parts were hard to read, but I like books that analyze the mind of villains. It's not fun, but it's another side of the human nature (an ugly one!).
I know this isn't for everyone, so you can read other reviews if you want to know the triggers before adding it!
Great beginning, awesome ending, but some lenghts in the middle.
Some parts were hard to read, but I like books that analyze the mind of villains. It's not fun, but it's another side of the human nature (an ugly one!).
I know this isn't for everyone, so you can read other reviews if you want to know the triggers before adding it!
April 11, 2021
Mean Girls, a 10 year reunion and anonymous notes - you know you want to read this one! The Girls Are All So Nice Here is an addictive read that although the story is dark and unsettling, you won't want to stop reading. There is something about a book filled with nasty characters that I just can't pass up and this book certainly delivered on all the hype.
I started reading late in the afternoon and really wanted to finish it that night. My eyes however had other ideas. So I was up early the next morning, desperate to find out what was going to be revealed and who would pay. It was a satisfying ending to a compulsive read.
Ambrosia Wellington, now Turner is happy that her college days are over. She is now married and living a life different to the one she had dreamed of but life does that. When she receives an invitation to her 10 year reunion she is absolutely not going to go. But the reminders keep coming and then her husband finds out and she can't think of a good enough excuse to get out of it. Her husband knows nothing of her college years and she wants it to stay that way. She did something really bad and she has never forgiven herself. And now somebody wants her there - they need to talk about what happened. But who is it and what do they know?
There is a reason why not much is said about this one in the publishers blurb. You really need to read this without knowing too much and just go along for the ride. Told from Amb's point of view in the present and the past, we piece the pieces together of what happened, why it happened and who is responsible.
Psychological thriller lovers - you gotta read this!!
thanks to Harlequin Australia for my advanced copy of this book, it was fantastic
I started reading late in the afternoon and really wanted to finish it that night. My eyes however had other ideas. So I was up early the next morning, desperate to find out what was going to be revealed and who would pay. It was a satisfying ending to a compulsive read.
Ambrosia Wellington, now Turner is happy that her college days are over. She is now married and living a life different to the one she had dreamed of but life does that. When she receives an invitation to her 10 year reunion she is absolutely not going to go. But the reminders keep coming and then her husband finds out and she can't think of a good enough excuse to get out of it. Her husband knows nothing of her college years and she wants it to stay that way. She did something really bad and she has never forgiven herself. And now somebody wants her there - they need to talk about what happened. But who is it and what do they know?
There is a reason why not much is said about this one in the publishers blurb. You really need to read this without knowing too much and just go along for the ride. Told from Amb's point of view in the present and the past, we piece the pieces together of what happened, why it happened and who is responsible.
Psychological thriller lovers - you gotta read this!!
thanks to Harlequin Australia for my advanced copy of this book, it was fantastic
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