This is the perfect story for fans who enjoyed Pretty Little Liars, very similar. I found it took me a while to get into this story but when I did I was right there beside Lauren until the end.

What was meant to be a quick visit home soon turns dark, spooky and creepy with anonymous messages being sent to Lauren and several others in the town…

Secrets, truths, lies, loves and loss. This story has it all. Brilliantly written. An unexpected outcome noone could see coming. Keep the reader guessing and intrigued throughout. A well deserved four stars from myself. I also love the cover (sucker for good covers). Highly recommend.

3.75*
(“..stop digging, you don’t know what you might unearth…”)

Lauren Winters is now well settled in Cornwall, in a good relationship, together with their cat Kiana. She is however drawn to return to Hitchin for a short while. This is where she grew up, went to school and where her father continues to live.

A memorial service is taking place at the school she attended, for Hannah White, who was the daughter of her father’s new partner, Tracy. It is 10 years since she died. The two girls grew up together in their teenage years but Hannah, the stunning step sister, funny, sharp and ahead of her years, is now dead. Was she, however, really the wonderful young woman or has there been some assiduous air brushing?

Going back is hard for Lauren, all those teenage memories, those groups, angsts and dynamics that are as fresh today as they were then. There is the mystery of Hannah’s diary and as the memorial approaches, there is clearly someone trying to intimidate and frighten – threatening texts suddenly appear on Lauren’s phone, and she is not the only one who is receiving these unwanted missives. Scrawled messages, items posted through the letterbox… almost as though they are coming from Hannah herself. There are clearly secrets that have been festering.

The author tackles many serious issues that can be part of a teenager’s world – bullying, parental harm, blended families, abuse, suicide, rape and more. There is also a photo that impacted on Lauren a great deal and she is now indeed forced to confront what happened all those years ago.

The book is divided between Now and Then. The author has an easy-to-read writing style and clearly relishes writing descriptive passages. She is keen to establish the era of the “Then” chapters, mainly through musical references.

The characters pass through the pages, many former pupils at the school are now, of course, much older but perhaps not so much wiser. A little more fleshing out of the people might have made the story a little more immersive. A few twists and turns do stretch credibility but it is nevertheless a competent debut.

The setting for the book is Hitchin, 30 miles or so north of London, but in terms of TripFiction and literary wanderlust there are few references to locale.“Hitchin always was a strange town a mix of affluent and disadvantaged families”.

A fantastic read. Hooks you in right from the beginning and I flew through this book. Lauren returns home to attend her friend’s 10 year memorial and she also feels responsible for Hannah’s death. With so many friends involved and a diary filled with Hannah’s thoughts and it seems everyone has secrets and it is hard to pin point the possible suspect. This was a debut novel and it was an awesome read. Look forward to see what she writes next. Also, want to thank Bookouture and net galley.com for this ARC which received for an honest review

Synopsis
(Taken from NetGalley)

‘I know all your secrets, Lauren.’

Lauren has spent years running away from her home town, her childhood and the memories of her best friend, Hannah.

Until the tenth anniversary of Hannah’s death forces her to return home and to the group of friends she abandoned there. It should be a quick visit, just so Lauren can pay her respects.

At home, Lauren finds Hannah’s old diary. A diary full of secrets. The terrible things Lauren did, the lies she’s told, the reason she ran away. And she receives a message:

‘I don’t know why you’re back, but I know why you left.’

But no-one else has seen the diary, and Hannah’s dead, isn’t she?

A suspenseful psychological thriller full of twists and turns – you won’t be able to stop turning the pages of The Diary. Perfect for fans of The Sister, The Girl on the Train and We Were Liars.



Review
The Diary is unlike other psychological thrillers in several ways.

First, this book has a strong female ensemble leading the way – all the way.

Secondly, it has a much slower pace than your usual thriller but in a gloriously good way. Most psych thrillers move at a quicker pace, keeping you on the edge of your seat and turning pages at a rapid rate but The Diary really slows it down, allowing you to enjoy and digest each key event.

The timeline is split between then, and now and paints an intricate picture of the relationship between Lauren, Hannah and their friendships past and present.

The Past timeline captures the essence of teenage angst and it’s told honestly and so realistically that it is close to merging with my own teen memories. It takes a group of diverse girls and makes them real – with their strengths weaknesses and faults. It explores friendships between teen girls as well as issues such as bullying, depression and rape.

The present timeline focuses more on the central character of Lauren with the other characters making an appearance as the plot unravels. From the beginning, it is hinted that there are hidden secrets and these are dangled temptingly in front of the reader and then whipped away and saved for another time. Clues and reveals are given sparingly and although the twist was predictable, it was still thrilling when it eventually came.

Overall this is a psychological thriller with a different feel to a more traditional one. It’s an excellent debut novel and I highly recommend it.

Absolutely brilliant! A well thought out, spine tingling, thrilling and fast paced story that I absolutely loved! One of the best books I've read this year! An incredibly assured debut from an author to watch!

A juicy and compelling story full of secrets, misconceptions, and lies!

Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.

six girls, six secrets, 10 years,and a mystery...This book had a definite Pretty Little Liars vibe to it, and bonus you find out who “A” is in the first book! (Although her name is poly in this book, not A) Vikki Patis did a really good job of juggling six characters and two timelines... I was never confused, each girl had a distinct personality... additionally the teenagers acted like teenagers and when they were adults they acted like adults... you could definitely see the growth and changes in each and every girl... I also appreciated all the pop-culture references, I always enjoy those in books!


Lauren returneds home after being away for 10 years, to attend her childhood BFF Hanna’s memorial... Lauren already feels responsible for Hannah’s death, but when she starts receiving Messages from an unknown number suggesting that they know her secret, she begins to question her decision to return home... after running into her friends from the past she realizes she is not the only one receiving these messages... each girl has something to hide, something that Hannah knew, but who did Hannah share their secrets with? With everybody having things to hide and a diary filled with Hannah’s true thoughts, everybody is a possible suspect...

A well-crafted story that dealt with so many issues that so many teenagers face... I am certain everyone will be able to find something to relate to when it comes to the teenage angst in this book.... some of the subject matter was disturbing, but handled very well... Lauren was a very likable character and you felt her guilt and regret right along with her... The other characters weren’t quite as well fleshed out, but it’s hard with such a large cast... and I think they were all important to the story, because it really shows the true group dynamic of teenage friendships.... The ending was unexpected, but made complete sense! This is Vikki Patis’s debut, and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us!

Absolutely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller with plenty of characters and a well constructed plot, I also believe this is a thriller that will appeal to fans of young adult...

*** Big thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

Such a good book. I thought it was someone else all through it

Couldn’t put it down can’t wsit for the next one

This was cited as a psychological thriller, however the writing style and themes were definitely more young adult.
It is an accomplished book for a debut and the storyline was engaging. Overall, I’ve given it 4 stars but it’s probably more like 3.5 stars.

Not sure how I felt about this book - the premise was good, a woman returning to her home town for the memorial of her best fried/step sister, Hannah and finds Hannah's diary from before her death - then the threatening texts start with information only Hannah knew....

So yes, the idea sounded great but I had two issues with the book. Firstly the relationship between Hannah and her best friend/sister Lauren - what exactly where they? Bestfriends? Sisters? At the memorial Lauren is referred to as Hannah's sister, in other chapters they are called best friends, then Hannah moved in with Lauren and her dad when she was older. I just found it a bit confusing, and found it hard to get their relationship right in my head - maybe that was just me.

It was also a little bit too long, I got about 3/4 through and was ready for the book to wrap up.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book this is my honest opinion.

Honestly I didn't have so much expectations because I've read lots of these "homecoming - back to the past" books...but no, I had fun from start to end! It was long but never boring, the way it was told really suited me. I never got confused by the Then and Now, it was exactly the right amount of information, and the characters, esp. the leads, were presented very well and deep, so you can relate easily.
Thanks to the publisher for providing this very good and enjoyable read and I'm sure the book will be a great success!!!

Lauren does the one thing she never, ever wanted to do. She responds to her father’s plea to visit him. Lauren had left her home in Hitchin years ago after her best friend Hannah committed suicide. When Lauren left, her friend’s loss was only one of the bad memories that she was escaping.

It is the tenth anniversary of Hannah’s death and Lauren is reluctantly reunited with her friends from school. Not only are they all hiding secrets, they begin receding terrifying and threatening text messages. Shockingly, Lauren unearths a diary that Hannah had hidden. This diary, coupled with the messages, are certain to topple over the careful world Lauren has built. She really thought her carefully constructed life could erase the tragic memories of her past.

The Diary is delivered from Lauren’s first person point of view and is told in both the present and the past. Her story reveals how she and Hannah got to know on another and in so doing details much about the angst-ridden young life that she and Hannah experienced. The tragic reasons and result of this teen suicide is sadly recounted. While Lauren’s past is replayed, the circumstances involving her high school friends and their lives then and now are presented and is more than often quite tragic.

I found The Diary to be a compelling read. Not only is the story very tragic, it is rather thrilling with a definite edge of danger to Lauren and her former friends. It was very sad to see that Lauren’s memories of Hannah were even more dismal than she ever had imagined. It was also rather shocking to see the secrets and lies this group of young people shared while growing up, all while presently trying to bury such an awful past.

It was indeed quite a mystery to imagine whoever could have been sending the horrible text messages and I was on the edge of my seat truly wondering if Lauren or any of the other characters that made up part of the group of people would experience even more tragedy.

To discover that the author, Vikki Patis, is a debut writer was a true delight. She has a very persuasive manner of writing that kept me riveted to this story. It was well-paced, well-written. It is of interest to note that the author explains at the end of the book that she herself dealt with some similar experiences while she was growing up. Of course, this adds a touching sense of realism for her own life’s experiences to be fictionalized as she has done here. Vikki Patis is definitely an author to watch.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lauren left home 10 years ago following the suicide of her best friend Hannah. She has tried to forget what happened all those years ago and is living happily with her girlfriend. After receiving an invite to Hannah’s 10 year memorial, Lauren decides to go and stays with her dad. Whilst there, she meets their old friends, and realises that there are some secrets which have been kept for years.

An interesting blurb made me keen to read this book. A word of warning that the book does broach on the subject of suicide, so this may not be to everyone’s taste. The story alternates between present day and then has flashbacks to 10 years ago before Hannah died, where you get to understand Lauren and Hannah’s friendship and what really happened to them. The story does build up a crescendo of tension and suspense and you find yourself turning the pages faster and faster to reach the conclusion.

The book is obviously all about ‘The Diary’, which turns out to be Hannah’s diary, found by Lauren hidden 10 years before. It’s also a book about secrets, as it seems that almost all of the characters appear to have their own secrets of some sort, which leaves you wondering who is responsible for some of the things that are happening. Not wishing to give away any spoilers, I won’t go any further into the story, but I will say if you enjoy a nice steady build up with some really intriguing characters, which leads to an unexpected ending then this is the book for you. My first book by this author and it was a really enjoyable thriller. I will definitely keep an eye out for future releases!

Lauren travels back to her hometown to attend a memorial for her close friend Hannah who was almost a sister to her. As soon as she arrives she begins experiencing feelings she tried and failed to leave behind when she originally left home. Reuniting with old friends reignites old feuds and tensions and somebody is determined to make her confront her past but she has no idea who.

This is a powerful novel exploring several important themes. Vikki Patis has a strong narrative voice which pulled me in straight away and took me with Lauren on her journey to confront her demons and find out what really happened ten years ago. The author realistically portrays teenagers and their fallings out and shows the devastating effects the traumatic experiences Lauren went through continue to affect her in the present.

I particularly liked the character of Kate, who doesn’t feature in a great deal of the action but her presence is felt throughout – her character is so well portrayed, as is Lauren.

I had no idea who was tormenting Lauren – my theory was completely wrong - and the ending was fast paced and satisfying. The issues in the book are dealt with sensitively and realistically and Lauren goes on a satisfying emotional journey.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

This psychological thriller started out very promising. It drew me in from the start, alternating between before and now, the chapters neatly marked as such at the beginning of each one. It was clear I was dealing with at least one unreliable character; lies and intrigue were abundant. As advertised, it was very addictive: I really wanted to find out what happened to the girls a decade ago, and I was anxious to know what would happen to Lauren in the present.
I bonded with Lauren right from the start. I mean, she likes to read, she has a cat, she watches Netflix, she likes her home spic and span, she’s basically me!
Patis also uses some cultural references that resonated with me: Nirvana, Cruel Intentions, The Craft (only my 2 favourite movies from the ‘90s!). There is a Pretty Little Liars vibe to the novel that I quite liked and I also liked her writing style, I’d never guess this is a debut novel. In other words: I had a great feeling about this novel!
You can feel the “but” coming, right? Here it is: but there is a theme of abuse in this story, which made me enjoy it less. I have the utmost respect for Patis and everyone and anyone who has ever been abused in any way, but I’ve read too many novels lately in which abuse is an explanation, or an excuse and a plot is built around it and it’s become a trigger for me, I’ve become overly sensitive to it. To be clear: there is little to none explicit content. If you’re on the fence and want to know more in order to decide, feel free to contact me. I’d like to reiterate here that it’s absolutely me, not this book! This is a personal hang-up and it does not diminish the quality of Patis’ writing or this story. Above all, this is a twisty psychological thriller with a satisfying ending I did not see coming and a story of (female) strength and friendship and forgiveness.

I read an ARC provided by Vikki Patis, Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to all.

Nothing gets my goat more than books that are misleadingly titled and genre labelled and The Diary violates both of these quite spectacularly. For starters, the diary that is alluded to as playing a substantive part in the plot is rather elusive and quite frankly irrelevant to the story. It feels like a desperate attempt to muster some intrigue, although it appears I am one of only a few to have realised. It is never going to end well when a reader feels they've spent time, money or both on something that has duped them when they could've spent it reading something more to their tastes. Secondly, labelling it as a psychological thriller is highly inaccurate. We all make mistakes that we may go on to rue and regret, but if reliving past mistakes and missed opportunities now counts as inspiration for a psychological thriller then I don't hold out much hope for the genre.

What the author does do well is create an emotional journey and a timeline that moves seamlessly between past and present and goes some way to building a tense atmosphere. She also explores some prevalent real-life issues sensitively and compassionately. However, it was rather slow moving and extremely repetitive with certain phrases and questions being repeated countless times. The characters were very one-dimensional with little in the way of differing traits which made distinguishing them from one another a struggle, and despite them all being adults they come across as immature and are more than a tad annoying as a result. I also found it difficult to maintain my interest and only finished after pushing myself. If you are looking for a thriller, of which this claims to be, then I would advise you to look elsewhere as there are plenty of fantastic ones out there. If you enjoy women's fiction or stories about the impact of school life, bullying and mental health on a persons life choices then pick this one up.

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Wow, that was a powerful emotional ride and it really got me thinking about how horrible teenagers can be to each other and what a lasting impact that can have on someone's life! The author does a fantastic job of building up the tension in this story, mixing the past, which is ten years ago, and the present, until we find out exact what happened and how it has shaped the events of the present day.

Hannah died ten years ago and it is a memorial event that pulls all of the characters back to the place where it happened, bringing back powerful memories of the events leading up to her death.

The storyline covers a couple of serious topics, which I won't go into detail about in case I spoil the story for readers, but the author handles them with care and depth and weaves an emotional atmosphere that pulls the reader in. I loved the main character (and her dad!) and the story broke my heart in places and got me really fired up in others. I questioned who I could trust, who was telling lies, who was being genuine. It definitely had me puzzling over what was really going on. Loved it!

I loved this book!! The secrets of the past are coming back to haunt a group of high school friends...in a big way!!

Lauren left home 10 years ago - after the suicide of her best friend Hannah. She returns home for first time for the 10th anniversary of her death. She is reunited with friends from school, all of whom are hiding secrets of what really happened at that time. When Lauren finds Hannah's diary hidden away in her old bedroom she realises how little she really knew her friend. Then she starts to receive threatening text messages...

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

This book turned out to be pretty good. It did annoy me in some parts just because it seemed to drag and drone on, but then I cried and all the tension was released between these two very damaged young women. 4.5 stars.

Lauren has moved away from the place she grew up and has tried to forget all the bad things that happened when she was younger. She’s now living with her girlfriend and enjoying life.
She then receives an invite to a memorial for her friend who died when she was a teenager.
Lauren hasn’t been back since she left over ten years ago and soon bumps into people who she grew up with.
Her Dad is happy to have her stay but knows something is worrying Lauren.
Through a series of flashbacks we learn what happened to Lauren and Hannah.
When Lauren starts to feel more comfortable back home she receives more messages relating to the past and then finds out that her other friends have been getting them too.
The story comes to a dramatic conclusion and is a real page turner.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a really good read. The writing style makes it seem more like a young adult read but this is still a gripping story. The story is well thought out and there are shocks and twists in the plot. This book really shows how cruel bullying can be.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.