Dead Girls Society

Dead Girls Society
Author(s)
Age Range
12+
Release Date
November 08, 2016
ISBN
978-0553508024
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You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares. Tell no one, and come alone. If you dare. Hope is sick of everyone treating her like she’s breakable. Sure, she has cystic fibrosis (basically really bad lungs), but she’s tired of being babied by her mom and her overprotective best friend, Ethan, not to mention worrying about paying for her expensive medication and how she’s going to afford college. And she’s bored with life in her run-down New Orleans suburb. When an invitation arrives from a mysterious group that calls itself the Society, Hope jumps at the chance for some excitement. This could be her ticket out. All she has to do is complete a few dares and she might win some real money. But the Society isn’t all it seems . . . and soon Hope finds that playing the game isn’t a choice—it’s a requirement.

You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares. Tell no one, and come alone. If you dare. Hope is sick of everyone treating her like she’s breakable. Sure, she has cystic fibrosis (basically really bad lungs), but she’s tired of being babied by her mom and her overprotective best friend, Ethan, not to mention worrying about paying for her expensive medication and how she’s going to afford college. And she’s bored with life in her run-down New Orleans suburb. When an invitation arrives from a mysterious group that calls itself the Society, Hope jumps at the chance for some excitement. This could be her ticket out. All she has to do is complete a few dares and she might win some real money. But the Society isn’t all it seems . . . and soon Hope finds that playing the game isn’t a choice—it’s a requirement.

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A Page-Turning Thriller About Dares!
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WOW. Buckle up readers and get ready for a wild ride of dares and mystery! Dead Girls Society is THE BOOK to read if you are looking for a page-turning read full of shocks, twists and turns, even a bit of love!

What I Liked:

I can't remember the last time I read a book where the main character has a terminal/serious illness, let alone someone who doesn't let her condition bring her down. Hope has cystic fibrosis and her days are basically numbered, but she's still not ready to give up on life yet. She is strong even when her lungs falter. She gets dragged into a dangerous game of dares that at first brings her freedom then fear, but she still manages to live through it all. Hope is a survivor in every possible way and a character to be admired.

One thing that I particularly liked about Hope is how she tries to make her mom happy by complying (mostly) to her wishes to stay at home or to be smothered by her because she knows how much it means to her. I'm used to reading books where the characters shake off their parents as too much and not realizing how mean it is, but Hope does. She appreciates everything that her mother does and has done for her, so when it comes the time to act a bit against her protection, she doesn't do it lightly. I liked this a lot.

In this book we also get other interesting characters besides Hope, from her best friend (and crush) Ethan, to the other four girls who also get an invite from the Society. Starting with Ethan, I have to say that I fell in love with him because he's a sweet guy who clearly cares about Hope and she can count on him when she truly needs him. And I loved Farrah, Nikki, Hartley, and Lyla because each girl brings something unique into the storyline with their personal stories and treat Hope as if she weren't sick. They, along with the Society's dares (in a twisted way), push her to not be limited by her illness.

However, my favorite aspect of Dead Girls Society is the whole mystery. From dare to thrilling dare, I got hooked ever since the first mysterious invitation from the Society turns up in Hope's email inbox. I wasn't expecting such a wild, messed up ride, but I loved the surprise of it all. As I went from page to page, I kept mentally ticking off characters from the suspect list trying to guess who was part of the society, yet I never guessed right until it became too obvious in the last few chapters of the book. I basically found out along with Hope.

And oh my, when we find out who is behind it all, for the reasons that person creates the Society--not what I was expecting at all! I'm still in shock, to be honest. The build-up to this mystery is quite a roller coaster and much darker than how I thought it would be. It still gives me the chills just by thinking about it.

It also doesn't help with the evil ending author Michelle Krys leaves us. My heart stopped cold and the shocked feeling hasn't quite faded away. There will be a sequel, right? I sure hope so because the thought of this being the definite end doesn't sit well with my sanity.

What Left Me Wanting More:

There's nothing that I didn't enjoy from this book! It's a fantastic read, but I do wish for some confirmation for the sequel. I'm pretty sure every reader out there who come upon this book will demand it. We need more!

Final Verdict:

Dead Girls Society is a thrilling read that will capture fans of mysteries and thrillers alike, and even those who shy away from these genres! It is a captivating read that will have any reader flipping pages non-stop trying to figure out who is behind the society while also falling in love with a great cast of characters, all with a spectacular and interesting personality of their own. I highly recommend this book!
Good Points
Great mystery, had me guessing until the very end!
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Hope is smothered by her mother and limited by her Cystic Fibrosis, desperate to get out and be a normal teenager. She watches her best friend Ethan go to parties and date, when what she really wishes is that he was dating her. All of that changes when Hope receives a mysterious invitation to an exclusive club which dares the selected girls to complete some challenges that get at their worst fears- offering both threats if they don't and gifts if they do complete them. Hope thinks about chickening out, but seeking some adventure, she finds herself pushing her limits and doing things she never would have before. Despite this, bad things are happening to her and the other girls competing. Hope becomes desperate to solve the who and why before it's too late.

"Dead Girls Society" is a delicious young adult thriller/mystery. It kept me engaged and guessing all the way to the very end. Hope is your typical teenage girl- hating her illness and the way her mother smothers her. It was nice to see her learn more about the other girls' lives and realize that she's not the only one trapped and unhappy- and really, life as she has it, isn't so bad. The connection between them is fascinating and doesn't become clear until the end.

As for the romance, I was really cheering for her and Ethan all the way through, and I really enjoyed the pieces of that plus her burgeoning dating life, which were nice interludes between the dangerous dares. The book moves quickly with nary a dull moment and was so much fun to read/hard to put down. It is well written too, without any obvious plot holes or lack of motivation/clarity by the end. Krys has done a fantastic job!

This is a spellbinding mystery/thriller in the vein of Caroline B. Cooney and the other YA greats! The ending makes me think there will be a sequel? Let me be the first to hope for it and sign up to read it- I could definitely see Hope becoming one of my favorite characters.

Please note that I received this book from Random House through netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
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