A review by yvo_about_books
The Revenge List: A Novel by Hannah Mary McKinnon

4.5

 Finished reading: May 14th 2023


"No doubt in my mind, my past self was who I detested the most. I'd never forgive myself for the things I'd done, no matter how many times I attended these anger management sessions."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and MIRA in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I've been meaning to try more of Hannah Mary McKinnon's work after an excellent first experience with her writing last year, and I saw this blog tour for The Revenge List as the perfect opportunity to finally do so. The fact that the blurb of this newest psychological thriller sounds absolutely fascinating only made me want to read it more... And I've been looking forward to dive in. My expectations were high, and I have to say that they were more than met! I absolutely loved my time with this twisted and highly engaging psychological thriller.

The premise of The Revenge List hooked me from the very beginning: the main character Frankie with anger issues, the forgiveness a.k.a. revenge list, the people on that list mysteriously getting hurt... I mean, how can you not be intrigued by all that?! To make you even more invested, the story starts with a bang that will leave you wondering how on earth the story ends up escalating to that point. Instead of being frustrating, this flashforward only managed to draw me in from the very first chapter, and I was immediately invested in Frankie's story.

The main character Frankie is also one of the reasons this story worked so well for me. It's true that she is a morally grey character with a bucketload of flaws, but somehow I managed to warm up to her straight away. There was something about her character that was both likeable and frustrating at the same time, but somehow it just worked for this story. I enjoyed spending time with her and seeing the events through her eyes; both the flashbacks to the past and information about the people on her list giving more insight in her past and helping you understand why she is how she is.

I don't want to discuss the plot in too much detail to avoid spoilers; The Revenge List is one of those stories where it's best to go in blind to experience the full effect of the plot twists and new reveals about Frankie's past. What I can say is that there are plenty of heavier topics incorporated into the plot, and Frankie and the characters go through a lot both in past and present. The plot twists themselves are effective, and I never guessed the full truth about it all. And what a way to end the story with a cliffhanger! I'm not sure if there is going to be a sequel or not, but the ending definitely leaves things wide open.

The Revenge List is a well written, suspenseful and captivating psychological thriller I simply couldn't get enough of. Revenge meets being incriminated meets family meets forgiveness meets crime, all with a main character that will keep you on your toes the whole time. I will be looking forward to whatever Hannah Mary McKinnon comes up with next! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings