Title: The Spite Game
Author: Anna Snoekstra
Published: October 2018, MIRA Books
Format: ARC E-book, 336 pages
Source: Netgalley via Publisher
Summary:
Everyone does bad things when no one is watching
Mercilessly
bullied in high school, Ava knows she needs to put the past behind her
and move on, but she can’t—not until she’s exacted precise, catastrophic
revenge on the people who hurt her the most.
First, she watches
Saanvi. Flawlessly chic and working hard at a top architectural firm,
Saanvi has it all together on the surface. But everyone does bad things
when they think no one is watching and Ava only wants what’s fair—to
destroy Saanvi’s life the way her own was destroyed.
Next, she
watches Cass. She’s there as Cass tries on wedding dresses, she’s there
when Cass picks out a cake, she’s there when Cass betrays her fiancé.
She’s the reason Cass’s entire future comes crashing down.
Finally,
Ava watches Mel. Mel was always the ringleader and if anyone has to
pay, it’s her. But one tiny slipup and Ava realizes the truth: Mel knows
she’s being watched, and she’s ready to play Ava’s games to the bitter
end.
My thoughts: Anna Snoekstra is an author I have really come to enjoy for her psychological thrillers and this latest one is certainly no exception. It definitely has a bit of a different feel to it, but is still a great read.
This book absolutely has a Mean Girls vibe going on…filled with characters that will definitely have you cringing at. I was sure I was going to figure out where this was going to end up, and while I did put some of the pieces together, there are quite a few good surprise that come up at the end that I did not see coming.
I really liked the way this story is told – in the present but with flashbacks to the the past, and all through Ava’s point of view. At times, it might seem like it wanders a bit, but it just seems to work. You feel the angst that Ava felt when she was in high school, you feel her pain when those “mean girls” were bullying not only her but others. And as much as she might have gone over board, you sort of get why she felt she needed to get even.
Throughout the book, my feelings about Ava were all over the place…I loved her, then I couldn’t stand her, and then I felt sorry for her. Each and every character will cause you to react in some way…they are so well drawn and developed. This book will have you digging up all your high school memories about pranks and cliques and all that nonsense that went on during that time. It really is a book that you can’t help but connect to on some level.
Anna Snoekstra has definitely found a fan in me and I cannot wait to see what comes next from her! Have you read this or her other books?
