The Girls Are Not So Nice Here
Ambrosia Wellington is happy and successful, living in New York with her husband Adrian – that is until an invitation to attend her 10-year reunion at Wesleyan University arrives. Amb has never spoken of what happened there in her freshman year, of the friends she lost, the things she did, the girl who would never graduate because of her…
After all this time, you would think things would have changed. But the second Amb is back in the dorms, everything feels like it’s falling right back into place. Will she be able to face her demons so she can finally move on, or will her sins finally catch up to her?
This book captured my attention immediately, with its mean girls and academia vibes. I don’t know why I am drawn to stories about secretive, socially-frowned-upon mean girls, but here we are. The most obvious parallel here is Pretty Little Liars -which is a comfort show of mine- although when it comes down to it prissy Alison DeLaurentis and chaotic Sully don’t share a whole lot in common, aside from their dangerous magnetism, and penchant for doing the wrong thing.
I haven’t read a whole lot of thrillers if I’m honest, and even though I don’t think this is the very top of the list, The Girls Are All So Nice Here really captured my attention and my imagination. The secrets and the descent into deviance and betrayal is a slippery slope that many have narrowly avoided, and many more have indulged in, to a much lesser extent than Amb and Sully. Every time that Amb took another step over the line and did something horrible or wild, I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes, and remember what it was like to be so desperate to be someone’s favourite. Her actions were stupid and unforgiveable, but in a weird way many of them were understandable. I say many, because at a certain point Ambrosia stops being our semi-protagonist, to being someone willing to hurt people in the most hideous ways, and for me that is where my sympathy came to an end.
Peer pressure is one thing but taking the reins and ruining lives is another whole tea kettle.
I enjoyed that Ambrosia, who wanted to be an actress, wasn’t drawn to the classic popular girls with perfect hair and manicured nails, but to the wild and fascinating party girl who blurred all the lines. I think there is a realism there, that isn’t always acknowledged in fiction. We don’t all want to be the queen bee type, some of us just want to be accepted by the people we find most interesting.
All The Girls Are So Nice Here is an intoxicatingly ugly story about what it takes to fit in. It is youthful and fun at times, and heavy and mature at others. I hope that the official copies of this book carry a trigger warning, for suicide and bullying specifically.
I would recommend this book to fans of Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, and Megan Miranda.
After all this time, you would think things would have changed. But the second Amb is back in the dorms, everything feels like it’s falling right back into place. Will she be able to face her demons so she can finally move on, or will her sins finally catch up to her?
This book captured my attention immediately, with its mean girls and academia vibes. I don’t know why I am drawn to stories about secretive, socially-frowned-upon mean girls, but here we are. The most obvious parallel here is Pretty Little Liars -which is a comfort show of mine- although when it comes down to it prissy Alison DeLaurentis and chaotic Sully don’t share a whole lot in common, aside from their dangerous magnetism, and penchant for doing the wrong thing.
I haven’t read a whole lot of thrillers if I’m honest, and even though I don’t think this is the very top of the list, The Girls Are All So Nice Here really captured my attention and my imagination. The secrets and the descent into deviance and betrayal is a slippery slope that many have narrowly avoided, and many more have indulged in, to a much lesser extent than Amb and Sully. Every time that Amb took another step over the line and did something horrible or wild, I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes, and remember what it was like to be so desperate to be someone’s favourite. Her actions were stupid and unforgiveable, but in a weird way many of them were understandable. I say many, because at a certain point Ambrosia stops being our semi-protagonist, to being someone willing to hurt people in the most hideous ways, and for me that is where my sympathy came to an end.
Peer pressure is one thing but taking the reins and ruining lives is another whole tea kettle.
I enjoyed that Ambrosia, who wanted to be an actress, wasn’t drawn to the classic popular girls with perfect hair and manicured nails, but to the wild and fascinating party girl who blurred all the lines. I think there is a realism there, that isn’t always acknowledged in fiction. We don’t all want to be the queen bee type, some of us just want to be accepted by the people we find most interesting.
All The Girls Are So Nice Here is an intoxicatingly ugly story about what it takes to fit in. It is youthful and fun at times, and heavy and mature at others. I hope that the official copies of this book carry a trigger warning, for suicide and bullying specifically.
I would recommend this book to fans of Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, and Megan Miranda.