Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this title. What a crazy rollercoaster of a story. It meandered a bit in the middle, but the last 100 pages were a breakneck pace to the end. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller!

I tend to love books about high school, or boarding school, or college, or… whatever. I don’t know what it is. But I guess kids in school just really know how to create the best drama. So when I read the description of Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop, I just knew I wanted to read it. Thankfully, I managed to snag a copy of it from NetGalley for review.

Plot Details
Girl Gone Mad takes place from the viewpoint of Emily, a therapist. Some of the chapters are about her current life, whether it be with her fiance Daniel or talking to her therapist, Lisa. Some of them take place back when she was a member of the Harpies back in middle school. The Harpies were ultimately a middle-school clique. Emily didn’t even like them all of the time, but she still did whatever it took to fit in, even when it included Grace, the new girl. Now, years later, the Harpies are dying. One after another, they seem to be committing suicide. But why? What did they do back in middle school that they all want to forget? How were they so horrible to Grace? And is she now somehow back for revenge?

My Thoughts
As I said, I tend to love books about crimes or drama involving school. I don’t know what it is, but they always tend to interest me and involve a lot of good drama and secrets. Kids in school are great at having secrets. And it always seems to make for a good setting and great story. Girl Gone Mad was no exception. This was another one where I loved trying to figure out exactly what happened. There’s a lot of twists in this one. What happened with the Harpies in school? What did they do to Grace Farmer? And why do some of them now seem to be committing suicide 14 years later? I enjoyed getting sucked into this one and trying to figure out what was going on.

Girl Gone Mad was yet another one I had trouble putting down. This is why I read thrillers! There are so many good twists and turns. They always involve a good mystery. When I started reading a lot as a kid, I got my start with Nancy Drew. I wanted to be a detective when I grew up. It didn’t happen, but obviously the girl that loves a good mystery is still in there somewhere. The only thing I wasn’t too sure about with this one was how it ended. Without giving away any spoilers, it seemed farfetched. Sometimes a good twist is almost TOO twisty. I love a twist or surprise as much as the next person, but I also enjoy a plausible story. Not to say Girl Gone Mad wasn’t, but… it was a bit out there. Nevertheless, I definitely had a hard time putting it down and would recommend it as a great thriller. It’s free right now on Kindle Unlimited, so go grab it and enjoy a good weekend read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Avery Bishop for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I won't lie, what originally drew me to this book is that the main character shares the same name as one of my closest friends, and it is set in Pennsylvania, the state I grew up in. And I am very glad I requested this, as it was an engrossing thriller that I couldn't put down.

Emily Bennett is in her 20s and working as a therapist, mainly with children. She chose this role in part to the guilt she felt for being one of the mean girls in high school - a Harpy. As a Harpy, Emily and her friends were the queen bees of school up until nearly the 8th grade, when something terrible is done to newest Harpy, Grace Farmer. This event is what has lead her to to an appointment with Chloe, a young girl who is depressed and has been cutting. After their intake appointment is completed, Emily checks her phone to see multiple messages from her mother, alerting her that a former Harpy, Olivia, is dead. Her mother also gave Emily's details to another former Harpy, Courtney. Once a Harpy, always a Harpy, so Courtney and Emily go to Olivia's funeral, where here sister tells the women how Olivia died, saying that she'd seen "A Ghost"' - a description that triggers them both.

Through many twists and turns, we are taken on a twisting thriller as Emily and Courtney try to figure out who, after all these years, seems to be set on taking out the Harpies, one by one. Bishop writes a highly engrossing thriller that I took every moment of my free time to finish. There may be more twists than an M. Night Shyamalan film, but the path they weave brings the story along so satisfyingly, you won't even notice. A quick read, and well worth if for fans of an intriguing thriller. I would definitely recommend this!

What an ending. There were parts of the book that just didn't do it for me and I started to skim ahead but the ending was mind blowing.

Always refreshing to read an original and suspenseful novel in this genre.  Think Pretty Little Liars, with a splash of 13 Reasons Why, and finish off with Mean Girls.  If that sounds appealing, that's exactly what Bishop has to offer with Girls Gone Mad (with less plot holes, of course).  The novel is well written, the pace feels great, and it really keeps you interested twist after twist.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-book version of Girl Gone Mad. 

 ‘Once a harpy, always a harpy.’ Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop was a wild ride. This story follows Emily Bennett and her group of friends. When Emily was younger, she was involved with the popular girls at school, who called themselves ‘The Harpies’ and they were the mean girls of the school. Without giving anything away, one of the girls stunts goes to far and the girls all disband. Now an adult, Emily has learned that two of her friends from the group have committed suicide and she is determined to figure out what is happening. 

I thought I knew where this book was going, but the third act twists and turns were really well done and I was completely wrong and pleasantly surprised about being wrong. I look forward to reading more books by Avery  Bishop in the future.

all i can say is wow! this one blew my mind. i was immediately sucked in and i couldn't put it down. tons of twists and turns and suspense all the way from start to finish. one of the best i have read yet.

I would first like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I really enjoyed this one. It possesses so many things I really love in thrillers. It is face paced, it had a lot of psychological elements, it has flashbacks to a different timeline and lots of twists I did not see coming. It certainly is not predictable and keeps you guessing until the last page!

Several elements of this book were really dark and really hard to read in regards to bullying, suicide and abuse so those are some trigger warnings for you.

I also really love how relatable this storyline is. At some point in our lives, we've all encountered mean girls and this book just felt so raw and real while being terrifying at the same time because it is clearly an extreme case. I really loved and related to the main character and how she found light in her situation and wanted to make a change and a difference. I was rooting for her throughout the book.

Overall, I would say if you like really dark, twisty psychological thrillers, you need to give this one a try!

Ho-oh-oh-oh-oh-ly crap!

There are mean girls and then there are these besauches.

Back in middle school Emily and her friends, The Harpys, bullied Grace Farmer so viciously that the ripples in the water continue years later. But now The Harpys are committing suicide one by one and the twists just kept coming!

I loved how deliciously different this was!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for gifting me a copy. It was my pleasure to write and honest review.

Wow! This book was a truly unexpected find. I’ve never heard of the author before, but had seen a few reviews for it on Instagram. So glad I followed my gut and requested it. It was so good. I love twisty crazy books. It kept me deeply interested the whole time. A little gruesome, but I love that stuff. Highly recommended! Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy.

Wow! Girl gone mad is an amazing, thought provoking story. Emily Bennett is a therapist with a past of her own. Girl Gone Mad could be considered a first class read for the younger generation to really see the effects of bullying and learn from them. The accuracies of this heart wrenching story really make the reader think. This is a must read for any age reader.

This was a very strong story that kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I liked the twist on the effects of bullying and the characters were interesting. Kept me guessing nil the end!

Suspenseful and very intriguing. 

There were parts that made me heavy hearted to read, especially when I have a daughter myself and couldn't even bear to imagine what if she has to go through this, how would I react and how could I help. I think the author did a great job in exploring the consciousness of the bully culture and the constant struggle of self worth, Love it.

A grown up version of Mean Girls! This book has stuck with me since I finished it. I enjoyed the twists and turns, the horrible characters, the untrustworthy narration, it was just a good time. 
There were bits that I found a little unbelievable and some sections that were a bit slow, but overall this was awesome and well worth the read!

When the time comes to reflect on 2020, on my list of good things, will be the incredible mysteries and thrillers that I have read. Usually, if I am a glutton and read too many in this genre, I inevitably start enjoying them less and less and need a book break. Not so this year as the skills of the authors I've read just keep delivering intriguing plots and characters and plenty of twists and turns.
Girl Gone Mad is mostly told by Emily Bennett. She is a therapist who works with troubled teenagers, and she is happy if she can make a difference in their lives. She knows what it is like to be a bully because she was a Harpy when she was in middle school. Mackenzie, Elise, Destiny, Courtney, Olivia, and Emily were the chosen six. Popular, privileged, and rotten to the core, they bullied their way through school....just because they could.  Emily has never forgotten what they did to Grace Farmer, their last act of terror before the Harpies broke up. But as they used to say, “Once a Harpy, always a Harpy”, and maybe even fourteen years later, that is true.
When Emily's mother tells her that Olivia is dead and that she should attend the funeral, Emily wants nothing to do with her past. She relents under her mother's glare and attends the service with Courtney. When they learn Olivia killed herself under rather mysterious circumstances, and that Destiny is dead, by suicide, they wonder if Grace is finally having her revenge. 
As the tension mounts chapter by chapter and more and more secrets are revealed, is it possible that Emily is losing her mind, or has her past caught up with her? It becomes increasingly difficult to separate the villains from the victims and the cat from the mouse. Yep, this is another fast-paced ride aboard the cray cray train, and the conclusion of this tale was unexpected and twisted. Kudos to the author for also exploring a devastating topic, bullying, while taking me on a wild ride.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop.

Emily is paying penance for her behavior as a HS bully.  Now she is a therapist, helping other teens overcome their bullies and demons while she struggles to reconcile how her and her friends "The Harpies" treated Grace Farmer.  But her past doubles down on her when one of the Harpies ends up dead.  Was it Grace, coming back to get her revenge, or something even more sinister.

Teen bullying, and especially GIRL teen bullying is such a tricky subject.  How do you fight raging insecurities, hormones, and a desperate need to fit in?  That's the question to ask while we watch these "in girls" systematically torture any other girls who dare try to encroach upon their circle.  But these scars last for a long time, and it begs a question, should they have to pay for it later in life?

Social commentary aside, this was compulsively readable, fun, and deliciously b*tchy.  It's also slightly triggering seeing that I was once a HS girl once, but hey, I survived the read.

Synopsis: 
Emily is a therapist that deals mainly with children who suffer bullying at school. But Emily has a secret, she was a bully herself, with a clique of another six girls. She has always been haunted by guilt but it only grows stronger when she finds out two of her school friends who were part of the same clique died in the last six months. Are they all still haunted by their past? 

Review:
Plot: this is, without a doubt, the best thriller I’ve read this year! If I didn’t have to work, I would definitely have read this in one sitting - the plot is extremely original and hooking, full of subtle and unexpected twists and turns. The content is quite heavy though, it has many trigger warnings and it talks about bullying in a very raw way, really showing you how it can affect someone’s life.
Writing: Avery Bishop is a pseudonym for a bestselling writer with more than twelve books released! I found out a while after starting reading and I was shocked before about how precise and cohesive the writing was for a first debut. The book is written in 1st person which is fantastic for thrillers, because you become blind to all of the other character’s plans! Glimpses to the past were provided by Emily’s memories and it was great to understand how they ended up in that situation. 
Characters: I love how the book really showed the meanness that can come from school students - it can be a very traumatizing moment of one’s life and the book showed just that. By providing glimpses of the past it was possible to understand all of the characters’ motivations and where their actions were coming from. They were all unique and flawed, a perfect representation of real life. 
Verdict: The best thriller I read this year! It is dark, raw and twisted - everything I love in a book like this. Due to the high amount of trigger warnings it is not a book to be recommended to everyone, but fans of thriller will definitely be hooked by this novel. 5⭐️

Favorite Quote: “oftentimes people do a good job in hiding their depression. They know when to smile. When to laugh. How to say the right things at the right time. Until the day finally comes when the depression becomes too strong and they’re tired of fighting it.”
Soundtrack: How to Save a Life, by The Fray
Read Also: Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard

3.5 stars
I finished this book in two sittings and I don’t regret it. Girl Gone Mad is a fast-paced psychological thriller with some good plot twists. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This book was disturbing and not for the faint-hearted.

Girl Gone Mad follows Emily Bennett. She has an amazing job, gorgeous fiancé… so we thought. Until she finds out that someone from her past is coming back for revenge after what she and her former friends, dubbed the Harpies, did to them 14 years ago.

The plot was intriguing and we are thrust straight into the action from the start. It was a bit slow-moving at first but the pace picked up really quickly after. The flashbacks were a great addition to the narrative, but it was a bit disorientating because the flashbacks weren’t labeled as such and I had to figure it out myself.

Emily was an unlikeable character. But that’s what made her flawed and complex. I was on the fence on whether to support her and the Harpies or support the victim. Who are the actual villains in this story? The line was blurred. It was a messy game of cat-and-mouse between all the players and this made the plot and characters more compelling. 

Overall, this was really fast-paced and gripping. It highlighted the effects of bullying and its lasting consequences. I recommend if you're looking for a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

2.5 stars rounded to 3.

I was surprised by how many 4-5 star reviews this book has gotten on goodreads. I’ll admit, the premise was intriguing - a group of mean middle school girls “harpies” bully a new girls severely leading to her attempted suicide.  Years later, two of the harpies have killed themselves, and a few of the others are convinced it might be the girl they bullied causing these deaths. 

The book had many plot holes and confusion caused by jumping from one time or thing to the next without any explanation - I don’t know how to explain - it was just confusing at many parts, especially the second half.  I think it could have been edited to read in a clearer way and still have been able to tell the story.  

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite good, with an easygoing plot and little shocks throughout. It was slow to start with but then it soon gained momentum. I enjoyed reading it overall.