Friend Request by Laura Marshall was one of my top anticipated reads of 2017. We all use social media right? And I guess we all know there can be a dark side – not hidden away in murky corners of the web, but right there in front of us every day. Facebook, quite honestly, gives me the chills at times, with the airing of dirty laundry, contrived impressions people present to the world and just the stalkerish nature of it all. Who hasn’t scrolled through an old school pals or work colleagues profile at some point out of curiosity?

So for this very reason I knew Friend Request had the potential to be a creepy, tense and relevant read. I was right! The minute I sat down to read this book I was hooked. Imagine getting a friend request from someone who died long ago? That would be terrifying, but there are some sick people about and it’s quite believable someone would create an account to cause distress and upset. However, what if you were somehow complicit in that death, and had been keeping a secret for a very long time? Cue an intense, thrilling and emotional unraveling of Louise’s past as buried secrets are revealed, old resentments resurfaced and doubt and mistrust lurks at every corner.

Laura Marshall sets the pace just right, delivering short chapters which switch deftly between past and present and urge the reader on to ‘just one more’. I really liked how she crafted Louise to be complex yet relatable. The book tackles the issue of teen bullying, and while the situation she gets herself into is deplorable, I was able to sympathise with her and see how it could happen, how a desire to fit in with the crowd can lead to a loss of control and reason. Yes, it’s extreme, but I imagine smaller scale situations play out every day in every school.

There is also an unknown narrator who crops up every few chapters with short italicised passages adding intrigue and suspense. I was pretty shocked when I found out who this is, yet it made total sense. Friend Request is a chilling book, particularly as it isn’t too much of a stretch to imagine this actually happening, and with a fast flowing, page turning narrative, kept me gripped from beginning to end. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, then I recommend Friend Request thoroughly – however, you may think twice before looking up those long lost school friends on Facebook in the future!

A gripping and thrilling ride.
Disturbing in a manageable way. Great writing and plot twists. Makes you wary of social media..
Will be recommending this to many people.

highly recommend storyline brilliant the twists you wont see coming

I really did enjoy this book I read it in one sitting on a 17 hour flight. I enjoyed they way the book was written switching from present to past. The book at times was a little bit predictable but it did not spoil the enjoyment I got from reading it. I think the characters where well thought out and the subject matter of pier pressure and bulling is a very reverent topic of today's society. Its a physiological thriller you are going to want to read and will not be able to put down!!

Friend Request had me hooked from the very beginning. I was instantly drawn into the story and enjoyed the way it was told mainly in present day but also had flashbacks to the past.

It's a thriller that has plenty of suspense and makes you want to keep reading to find out how the story evolves. I found the main character tonne believable, wanting to move on from the past and hope her secret remains hidden but also wanting to do the best for her son. The book had the right amount of characters interspersed throughout the plot and the little titbits thrown out especially when the story went back to 1989 definitely kept my interest.

Great writing by the author and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. I would give this book 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author for the chance to review.

I'm not a huge fan of thrillers but every now and then one comes along with a killer (see what I did there) blurb that pulls me in and makes me want to know more. Friend Request was one of those books!

It jumped straight into the action with a Facebook friend request from beyond the grave which then took Louise on a trip down memory lane. Unfortunately it wasn't a very enjoyable journey for her.

I found Louise's agonising over Facebook etiquette highly amusing, she certainly seemed to over analyse every little part of the social media site, although perhaps I'd be the same if I'd just received such a spooky friend request.

For me, the big mystery started with a question: What happened all those years ago with Maria? Finding out the answer piece by piece kept me interested and kept me flipping those virtual pages. The question of who was responsible for Maria Weston's Facebook activity was something that played on my mind even when I wasn't reading and I couldn't wait to get back to my Kindle so I could find out more.

The whole situation was chilling but not in an overwhelming way. I got goosebumps during some scenes but not to the point where I felt like I couldn't read that particular part - I have been known to skim through seriously scary parts of books.

Towards the end, as revelation after revelation tumbled out, I sat staring at my Kindle screen in wide-eyed shock!

The storyline highlighted the effects and after-effects of bullying with outstanding accuracy. It also brought to light just how easy it is to be sucked into these things and how, later in life, events from the past can appear very different indeed.

A tense atmosphere right from the start made Friend Request a heart pounding stomp of a read.

FRIEND REQUEST by Laura Marshall is a very current, fresh, and compelling psychological thriller that will reel you in from the very first line and keep you interested to the very last sentence.

Louise Williams is a divorced, single mum who runs her own business and is slowly building up her confidence after all that she has been through. But when she receives a Facebook friend request from an old school mate Maria Weston, all of her insecurities and fear from the past spring to life again. Louise has tried hard to forget about that time of her life and how is this even possible? After all, Maria has been dead for over twenty-five years...

With the perfect timing of her old school reunion, Louise must revisit her teenage years and all of its ugliness if she is to protect herself and her little boy, but as she starts to delve into the past and what happened to Maria, danger seems to be waiting.

FRIEND REQUEST by Laura Marshall jumps from past to present, giving the reader the full experience of what happened to the characters - from bullying to that desperate search for popularity, we feel it all alongside those that it is happening to. There is a tense atmosphere present on every page and I found myself urging Louise to face the past head on yet there was still something extremely unlikeable about Louise's character, and most of the characters in this novel.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers then FRIEND REQUEST by Laura Marshall is well worth a read.

So, what would you do if someone you’d gone to school with, but had sadly died years ago, sends you a friend request on Facebook? Would you accept it or would you immediately think it couldn’t be possible and delete it? I know it would freak me out and probably make me stay away from Facebook for days, but of course that wouldn’t make a fast paced psychological thriller though, would it?

This started off really creepily and had me flipping the pages on my device so quickly I couldn’t get enough of it. As the story developed and Louise, the main character, became more unsure of what was going on, I really like the way it was headed. As with reading any thriller there were so many suspects amongst the cast of minor characters, but that also meant that there were probably lots of red herrings. This was a great way to draw me in and had me constantly wondering changing my mind as to what was going on.

Unfortunately for me as got past the half way mark I got very irritated with the main character’s emotions, and the way she was behaving, making some of the plot rather far-fetched. I kept reading though because I really wanted to find out what was going on. The first twist was okay, but towards the end of the book, the second twist felt like it was from a different book, with something much darker going on that I personally felt didn’t fit in with the original story.

Even though I was disappointed I still think this would a good book if you don’t normally read this genre.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, and Little Brown Group UK, Sphere for my digital copy.

This book held my attention all the the way through and the ending was an eye opener. Great writing by Laura Marshall with twists and turns all the way.

Friend Request deals with a very relevant and current subject, and one we all pretty much use in our daily life's, the addictive but dreaded Facebook, we all reveal details of our life, what we ate, where we went on holiday, things we've done, but do you ever think about who could be reading your posts, looking at your photos without your knowledge? Are they really who they say they are? Well once you've read this book the paranoia will kick in and I'm sure like me you will be checking your privacy settings and friends list time and time again!
When Louise Williams receives a friends request on Facebook, a normal day occurrence for most of us, but for Louise it's not everyday you get a request to befriend someone who has supposedly been dead for over twenty years! It's apparent from the start that Louise is hiding something regarding Maria’s disappearance, the what and why’s are intricately revealed layer by layer in this tense psychological thriller.
Friend Request switches between the present and 1989 which reveals the events leading up to Maria’s disappearance, by using this ploy the author heightens the suspense and there's a undercurrent of disquiet and foreboding running throughout this novel. As Maria’s messages escalate Louise is forced to examine what happened all those years ago, memories that she was preferred to keep buried.
At this point I must admit I found it hard to like any of the characters in this novel, now normally this can spoil the read for me, but fortunately it actually heightened my enjoyment as I couldn't help but hope some of the characters would get “their just deserts”. Friend Request is a chilling psychological thriller that explores many relevant issues, with an highly original plot and taut with suspense Laura Marshall has written a very accomplished debut psychological thriller. A great read for the summer and one I would highly recommend.

This review will be published on my blog Friday 21st July

Well I am completely and utterly speechless, I'm going to attempt to review this book but I'm pretty sure I won't do it justice as there are just no words to explain how amazing and gripping this book is.

I spent majority of the book sitting on edge of my seat in anticipation of what will happen next.

The story plot was well written and very cleverly done, had me guessing throughout as to what was going on. It flicks from past to present seamlessley, wasn't confusing at all. All characters were very well written and thought out and very real life like, definately believable.

As for the twist at the end, wow didn't see that coming, absolutely brilliant. Loved it from start to finish.

I'll definitely be looking forward to this authors next book.

I read this with a friend.

Honestly, I went into this one just because I needed to read it before publication, but I wasn't exactly excited about it. I just thought it was going to be another throwaway thriller - fun while I was reading it, but nothing special. I was certainly surprised when I went into it and it sucked me in straight away! Unfortunately, its ending was a major let down and I can't see me using this as a recommendation when someone asks.

One of the great things about this novel is that there are lots of characters to try and pin the blame on. You think you're happy with a theory you've come up with and then all of a sudden something pops up with someone else and you get suspicious again. I love novels like this where you can't make up your mind on who you think the bad guy is!

I also enjoyed the writing in this one. I'm not saying it's anything super special, it's reasonably simple and there aren't a lot of beautiful descriptions of things, but it's easy to read and definitely keeps you reading. I also thought the characters in this novel were very believable which isn't always the easiest to do, so props to Marshall for that!

Now, for the negative. Agh, both me and Nicki were so disappointed by the ending of this one! Personally, I felt that all the build up to the reveal led to something very mediocre. Nicki came up with such an excellent ending about Maria that I was so sure she had got it right because it would have been amazing! But, alas, It was not what we thought and turned out to be something much more boring.

I don't want to give anything away by saying too much but at the end, there are two reveals and one of them felt like it was put into the story just for the sake of having another "dun, dun, dunnn" moment. It was still good for concluding the novel but it was a bit left field.

I also think some parts of the book dragged out a bit and could have been edited back. It would have been punchier and quicker had a few bits been taken out.

I don't hate this novel, but I also don't love it. It was definitely a page turner to begin with, but it slowly got less interesting and then ended on a downer. I would have definitely given it 4 stars had it not been for the ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This psychological thriller switches from the present to 1989 when Louise was at school and events which would effect her future started then .I thought the story was very good to start off with but as I got further into the book I found it a bit repetitive and Louise quite irrational and annoying .The story picked up near the end and was very gripping ,the ending was surprising and I am not sure I believed it .

Once I got over my initial reservations about main character Louise's behaviour being a little, shall we just say, stupid, I actually enjoyed this book, so much so that I am glad I gave it that chance.
Something happened in Louise's childhood schooldays. Her friend Maria goes missing, presumed dead, at her senior leavers' party. Back in the present day and Louise gets a Facebook friend request from her. Intrigued by the request and wanting to know more she accepts. I guess the reasoning was that it could be someone who knew her secret and, as such, a big threat to her livelihood so her initially dubious behaviour became totally justified and also quite important. Common sense would have been to ignore and block, but who is this person, is it really Maria and, if not, who is it and what do they know? And then when the friend request is followed by an invitation to a class reunion things really hot up for Louise. She tracks down another of her old friends, desperate to find out more about this online "Maria" before making the, again rather unwise, decision to attend.
The book flits between present day and 1989. Being a child of the 80s, I really loved the trip down memory lane that these parts gave me. I really did get lost in my own past a little whilst reading. These past times tell the story of how Louise met Maria and how the fight for popularity reigned the school corridors with social status crucial for survival. Maria's pasts is also a little intriguing and the way that rumours sprung up was very disconcerting and led to quite a lot of bullying behaviour.
In the present, Louise is divorced with a son who she co-parents with Sam, who she was also at school with. They have a tense relationship but get on for their son's sake, and also to a certain extent, the secret they share from their joint past at school.
The whole premise of the rest of the story is centred around Louise's guilt at her behaviour at school. Especially in the days leading up to that night and the part she played. We do not know the truth about that night until towards the end of the book, but the story doesn't just stop there. Just when you think you know the truth, BAM! along comes another slap in the face that basically turned the whole book upside down and inside out! Didn't see that coming, well done Ms Marshall.
Another thing this book highlights is the way someone can expose themselves too much on social media, especially with the "friends of friends" connection. Definitely food for thought and even though I already have my social media settings set for high privacy but after reading this book, I have to admit that I did go back and check... just to be sure.
I believe that this is the author's debut novel. If this is true, I am even more impressed as the quality of writing, characterisation, pacing and indeed balance is very high. So much so that I am literally counting the days until she releases her follow up book.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Wonderful - loved reading this and could not put it down!! Did not want it to end - very easy read and enjoyable

Interesting and puzzling story told in flashback to 1989 and in 2016 .The main theme is that a dead girl has somehow sent a friend request and the book delves into the past and tells the story of Louise and Maria who was bullied and ignored because she didn't fit in at school.But did she die? that is the question and if she did who is pretending to be her.Well I wonder...... This was a well crafted and interesting book I liked the use of flashbacks and didn't have much of an idea well no ideas at all really about what was going on.It kept me page turning and interested.good book.

Friend Request is a book which moves between the past and present as it tells the story of Louise, a single mother with a successful interior design business. She is shocked to receive a friend request on Facebook from an old school friend, Maria. It is particularly shocking since Maria died more than 25 years ago and Louise has been racked with guilt ever since, believing she played a part in her death. She discovers a reunion has been arranged for her year and decides to attend to try to uncover exactly what happened on the night Maria disappeared. Through the scenes set in the past we see how Louise was led into doing things by other school friends because she wanted to stay in the popular set. Maria was the unfortunate target of their bullying campaign, although I would say that Louise was also a victim of the bullies. The addition of italicised parts of the novel from the point of view of an anonymous narrator really added to the unsettling atmosphere as I wondered who this person was. Could Maria really be alive after all and if not, who was the narrator? Friend Request is a fast paced read and a real page-turner, particularly towards the end as Louise and her son seem to be in real danger.  Friend Request is a book which will have you checking your social media privacy settings and thinking carefully about what you share!

Receiving a Facebook friend request from a girl she knew at school should have made Louise Williams happy, but there was one major problem: Maria Weston has been dead for over twenty years. Knowing that she was partly to blame for the girl’s disappearance at a school leavers’ party, Louise is forced to make contact with people from her past as she tries to discover just who is behind the Facebook account. When a school reunion is organised, and another school friend’s body is discovered in the woods by her old school, Louise knows that she cannot trust anyone in her quest to find out exactly what happened to Maria.

I opted to read Friend Request after seeing so many positive reviews from fellow bloggers and I am so pleased that I did. Switching between the years 2016 and 1989, we first meet Louise as the divorced mother of a young boy before learning about her formative years at Sharne Bay High School. It is obvious that Louise has changed a lot in the intervening years, largely down to the incident involving Maria Weston. Bullying plays a pivotal role in the plot and although Maria was the target, I did have a lot of sympathy for Louise as she struggled to be accepted by the ‘cool kids’ whilst maintaining friendships outside of that clique. It is interesting to think that these events happened before the advent of social media and dread to think what would have happened to Maria if it had existed in 1989.

Throughout the book, Louise becomes more and more isolated as she doesn’t know who she can trust, suspicion being cast everywhere. This made for a tense read, especially when ‘Maria’ ups her game and makes it obvious that Louise is firmly in her sights. I liked the fact that there were several examples of misdirection so that you didn’t know which incidents were down to ‘Maria’ and which had a perfectly logical explanation.

The author’s characterisation is very authentic, especially when writing about the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl at secondary school. I’m sure everyone reading could relate some of the characters to people they knew during their own education.

For a debut novel, this is an excellent story which is well-written, pacy and gripping. I look forward to reading more of Laura Marshall’s work.

Wow I loved this book. Very apt storyline with all the social media interaction everyone had nowadays! I liked the character of Louise even though you knew she was guilty of something awful.

Can't say much or I'll spoil it but Louise gets a friend request from a dead old school friends and from then on after accepting it things get weird, and scary and her life is turned upside down.

A great book with lots of twists I thought I had the culprit but I was wrong lol a really enjoyable book a must read!!!!

Remember the peer pressure at school? You were a nice person really, but those popular girls you so wanted to impress and be part of, they made you say and do things you didn't want to do; do things you knew you shouldn't do. That's just how Louise feels in trying to be best friends with gorgeous and popular Sophie. Then Maria, the new girl at school who quickly became Louise's best friend, she disappears after a party, falls off a cliff into the sea. No body was ever washed up or found.

Twenty-six years later, Louise gets a friend request into her Facebook account from Maria Weston, coinciding with a school reunion in a couple of weeks time. From chapter 2 we go back to 1989 when the group of teenagers were at school and what started as mild bullying and peer pressure started. The two timelines neatly explore the girls personalities and the back timeline answers questions and gives explanations of the present timeline.

I found much of the book to be quite gripping. The question on both the characters and the readers mind continues through to almost the end of the book – is Maria Weston alive and has she come back to seek revenge? There are lots of tense moments, never any dull ones, and the telling of the story, the plot, is very well thought out and realistic. I can hardly believe that Friend Request is Laura Marshall's debut novel, she reads like a seasoned author. I can only expect that future works will be even better.