Girl Gone Mad

A Novel

By: Avery Bishop

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

They say everything is fun and games until someone gets hurt. Well, someone did—and now the game has changed....

Emily Bennett works as a therapist in Pennsylvania, helping children overcome their troubled pasts—even as she struggles to forget her own. Once upon a time, Emily was part of a middle school clique called the Harpies—six popular girls who bullied the new girl to her breaking point.

The Harpies took a blood oath: never tell a soul what they did to Grace Farmer.

Now, fourteen years later, it seems karma has caught up to them when one member of that vicious circle commits suicide. But when a second Harpy is discovered dead shortly after, also from apparent suicide, the deaths start to look suspicious. And when Emily starts seeing a woman who looks a lot like Grace Farmer lurking in the shadows, she's forced to wonder: Is Grace back for revenge? Or is Emily's guilt driving her mad?

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but the Harpies are about to find out just how much words can hurt you.

©2020 Avery Bishop (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Slow start, worth listening

The story was questionable at the start, I thought it was geared towards a younger audience (late teens / early 20s); it quickly Peaked my interest

Quite the struggle

I like the last Avery Bishop book I listened to so when I started struggling to stick with this one, I was surprised. I got through it but end is slightly climactic. Also, at the beginning it says this book is for anyone who's been bullied... it's not. I had to listen to the book at 1.25 speed because the narration was incredibly slow and the story just needed to get to the point. It's an okay book if you have a lot of time to kill.

Mah Emoji

At times, this book was like trying to gargle with peanut butter. Far too many unnecessary details and descriptions. Great, clogging chunks of backstory that stopped the plot, and sometimes there was a back flash within the backstory. Also, the "mean girls" are cliche, inhabiting nearly every teenage movie and book that exists these days--rich and pretty with one leader who is the richest and prettiest. It's not that hard to come up with something fresh and original.
This author is a good writer, but there's nothing wrong with trying to stretch from good to great by leaving behind worn-out old stereotypes and deleting sections that do nothing but take up space. Predictable and dull, but with some really good passages.

It is okay

I was surprised with the good reviews for the book. It’s not bad, but I did not find it good either.
It seemed hard to believe so much revolving around middle school girls lives from 14 years prior. Listening to the book made it hard at time to keep up with the characters, because there were a handful of different girls.
I also thought it could be a trigger for someone who has dealt with rape/sexual abuse.
I finished the book to see how it ended. Unless your really adamant on wanting to read, I’d pass and find another one.

Avery Bishop never disappoints

So many twists and turns! Avery knows how to really spin a story. And her characters in this are complex and very human. No idealized heroes. And Yet the end is morally satisfying.