A review by katyisreading
The Herd by Andrea Bartz

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

 WHAT I LIKED: 
- Effective prologue that lingered in my mind as I read 
- I was really intrigued by the concept of this book; the set-up was well done and I flew through the first half in one day 
- I thought having the two POV characters be sisters and examining the tension between family members in the same friend group was interesting 
 
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
 - The female friendships – and the way women treated each other in general – felt really stereotypical, and I think there was an opportunity to make this more than a cliched storyline about resenting the one friend who is more successful 
- A lot of the suspense was created by the reader not knowing the main characters’ secrets, which was frustrating, especially in a first person POV novel. Just tell me!! 
 
Overall, if you’re a thriller lover (and not a thriller skeptic like me), I think you’ll like this! But if you’re looking for an intriguing book about a women’s co-working space, I would grab A SPECIAL PLACE FOR WOMEN instead. I also recommend WE WERE NEVER HERE by the same author if you’re looking for a good friendship-focused thriller. 

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