The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
heather425's review against another edition
4.0
I love the way Megan Abbott writes. Her phrasing is beautiful and she captures the attitudes and thoughts of adolescence so well. And yet...a lot of the story line just feels too big for high school cheerleaders. Too adult. Too dark. I don't want to give away the plot in my review, but it just felt the story between Coach and Sarge could have been left out and the author still could have demonstrated Beth's hold on Addy and the rest of the squad.
_radioactiveredhead_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ecote525's review against another edition
3.0
meh, the teenage girl dialogue didn't really ring true to me but the attitudes and personalities do. Still a page-turner.
amandavano's review against another edition
1.0
I gave it a chance for a few chapters but it is so sullen and un engaging that I didn't want to waste more time reading it.
mdeck24's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rizzykaye's review against another edition
4.0
Great short read, loved the visceral imagery- it was vague enough to let your imagination take over and descriptive enough to be really dark. I really enjoyed how dark and weird the dialogue was, especially for a story about cheerleaders. I was sad the ending fell a bit flat for me, but otherwise I enjoyed it. I love weirdness like this.
regmarie328's review against another edition
3.0
Easy summary a twisted version of Bring It On with some Pretty Little Liars thrown in....
tawnsolo's review against another edition
2.0
No one dared anyone to do anything.... Disappointing title. Also, I'm not that into cheerleading so it was a somewhat uninteresting book. The murder mystery part was only the last half of the book, and it was also pretty lackluster.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
3.0
In this case, it was a mistake to watch the TV adaptation before reading the source material. The story here is dark and moody, focusing on the complex power dynamics within a cheerleading squad and exploring the meaty themes of ambition and loyalty. Abbott's writing is often biting and smart, absolutely nailing the essence of teenage girls, but the story didn't fully engage me and I never came to care about the characters' ultimate fates. In contrast, the TV show does a lot more with the book by giving the characters additional depth, which worked wonders for mostly one-dimensional Beth on the page, and increasing the perspectives to widen the tale's world.