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Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Amber Dean, for the ARC.

📝 Short Summary
Hysterical follows a story steeped in psychological tension, where fear, control, and unraveling realities collide. As the narrative unfolds, the line between what is real and what is perceived begins to fracture, pulling the reader into an increasingly intense and unsettling experience that refuses to let up.

Review
This book was intense in the best possible way. From the opening pages, Hysterical creates a suffocating atmosphere that tightens with every chapter. The psychological tension is relentless, building a sense of dread that feels deeply personal and invasive rather than distant or abstract. Amber Dean’s writing is sharp and immersive, drawing the reader straight into the emotional and mental turmoil at the heart of the story. What stood out most was how controlled and deliberate the pacing felt, allowing the intensity to rise naturally while never losing momentum. The story does not rely on cheap shocks but instead digs into discomfort, fear, and instability in a way that feels raw and powerful. This was one of those reads that completely consumed my attention, leaving me unsettled and thinking about it long after I finished. It was gripping, unsettling, and incredibly well executed.

✅ Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely yes. This is a must read for fans of intense psychological horror and thrillers that focus on atmosphere, emotional tension, and a slow but devastating unraveling.

This book is more 4.5/5. Definitely top 10 favourite book I have read this year.

Hysterical by Amber Dean is a bold, unsettling novel that thrives on discomfort. The protagonist, Jessie is an intensely messy, impulsive and often unreliable narrator. But her rapidly unravelling mind is exactly what makes this story so compelling. Dean refuses to soften her edges or offer easy explanations, allowing Jessie's anger, instability and overall, a desire to be needed feel raw and painfully human.

The not-so-happy ending is one of the book's strongest choices. Rather than wrapping everything up in a happy Hollywood ending, it stays true to who Jessie is and leaves a lingering sense of unease. Hysterical won't suit readers looking for redemption or comfort. But for those, like me, who appreciate flawed characters and unresolved endings, Hysterical is a memorable read. Bravo Dean on your debut novel. Cannot wait to read what you have in store next.

Thank you to NetGallery and Victory Editing for providing a copy of Hysterical for my review.

Amber Dean - I thank you for giving voice to a woman's anger and how does a woman cope.
The horror of real life - unrequited slightly obsessive love of a best friend and toxic friendship all around; the use of men; men who see women harmed but do nothing.
And that urge - that powerful urge to move on. But not being all cute and coy.
Rage - a woman's rage, must have outlets.
This book fed my soul.

This is a filthy, unhinged masterpiece. Demented and delicious. I devoured it.
If you ever read something with obsession and rage and find yourself saying you wanted a little more… well, this is it!
Take Basic Instinct and Single White Female, but those are like the gateway for this slowly unraveling slide into depravity.

This book will absolutely not be for everyone. But it is certainly for me.
(The writing is supreme, and the juxtaposition of luxuriousness and repulsion throughout is 👌)

“Not calm. not stable. But broken in a way that bleeds beautiful. The kind of woman who turns pain into poetry, who leaves scars like love letters.”

Thank you, Amber Dean, for this. And thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the eARC!

Raw, with spurts of unforgettable imagery!

This was an easy read. It unravels gradually, along with the FMC, until we reach the final ghastly scene. It is a story about desperate longing & tenebrous desires, loneliness, insecurity, and deep-rooted paranoia.

There is something deeply wrong with Jessie. And yet, as untethered as she undoubtedly is, she is also incredibly relatable. Jessie is vulnerable, obsessive, and literally hysterical - as in, bonkers, cray cray, COMPLETELY UNDONE. All she wants is to be wanted, needed, understood. But how far will she go to make the ones she loves stay?

Looking forward to reading more from Amber Dean!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this eARC!

Ho-ly frick… what did I just read? I’m obsessed!

I tore through this in a little under two days, and it is utterly unhinged and deeply disturbing (major disclaimer: This is not horror for beginners) — but also so, so ridiculously good.

The lifestyle and atmosphere, the way relationships are portrayed, the slow, brutal unravelling of the MC, and the absolute brutal violence… I devoured every second of it. Incredibly written, unapologetic, and just plain wild.

I know this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s fine. But I’m already impatiently waiting for Amber Dean’s next book.

After hearing how unhinged this book was, I needed to get my hands on it and see for myself.

Hysterical is told through the perspective of Jessie as she navigates her wild life in New York City. Full of steamy encounters, illicit substances, and a hefty amount of murderous tendencies. We get both her obsessive daydreams and violent fantasies while she goes through her dark encounters

This book is pitch dark and fairly demented but all told through an elegant prose that frames the vulgar in a charming almost pretty way. This book was high octane and fast paced but that could definitely be a testament to how pulled in I was by the story. While some of the sensual aspects weren't exactly for me, they were written with a care and delicacy that didn't make them too uncomfortable to read.

This book is a must read for fans of Maeve Fly, feminine rage, unreliable narrators, and squelchy viscera presented on a pretty silver platter