Uh... This just wasn't for me. I thought I was going to like it. I mean who doesn't like a bachelorette gone wrong? But this just didn't execute well.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

She Started It is Sian Gilbert's debut novel, and while it has elements of other thrillers I have read before, I still had no idea how it was going to turn out! All of the friends get a viewpoint in this story, with Poppy coming through in diary entries from when she is growing up. With each entry you feel worse and worse for her, and angrier at the hideous things Annabel, Esther, Chloe, and even her so-called friend Tanya put her through. This is Mean Girls to the max and young Poppy is pretty much the only likable character in the story. All throughout it felt a lot like a mix of The Guest List by Lucy Foley with a dash of You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa. So, if you liked one or both of those, I think there is a fair chance you will enjoy this debut as well.

If you're also in the market for a very well-done audiobook, I would recommend She Started It for that as well. There is a full cast of 6 different narrators (yes, 6!) and I thought they all did an incredible job. With so many viewpoint changes the full cast was basically a necessity and I am extremely grateful the audio was done in this way. It was nice having a different voice to go with each POV, and I think other listeners will appreciate this as much as I did. A lot of readers are calling this a popcorn revenge thriller and I can't help but agree. You will need to put aside implausibility to enjoy the ride, but this would make a great beach read and it's an easy attention holder. I probably should have guessed the ending, but I didn’t, and it did make my mouth drop open and gave me a chill! I loved quite a few things about this one and I can't wait to see what Gilbert will have in store for her sophomore novel!

I loved this twisty thriller! All of the characters are pretty unlikable which makes the series of events pretty entertaining. This is a super quick, fun read that would be great for the beach!

I wanted to love this, I did. The cover is so fun and the synopsis had me going. But this one suffers from me having read this plot too many times. So if this sounds amazing to you, slide right over my review and head to those 4 and 5 star ones and get excited.

But for me, I guessed it all about 10 chapters in. I felt like there were so many clues laid out that I could easily connect the dots. The characters are pretty awful people so I wasn't really rooting for anyone.

I definitely liked the banter and found a lot of the chatting and dramas easy to read, so I will definitely look for more from this author. This was just too similar of a plot (hen do, secluded island, etc) for me to love it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

She Started It by Sian Gilbert
William Morrow
5 stars

Amazing!! I completely enjoyed reading this book from beginning to end. One of my favorite things about books especially when it comes to mysteries and thrillers are the dual timelines. Specifically in this book because the dual timelines helped to give the ending an extra wow factor. All the secrets and lies while trapped together on an island is filled with chaos, terror, and fun! All of my favorite things that I like to read about. I did love that when I started reading this book, it matched up with the dates in the book, especially since it was also my birthday weekend then (5/22). It was a funny coincidence. So, spending that weekend reading this incredible book was a nice birthday treat for myself. I can't to read more of Sian Gilbert's works in the future!
Thank you, Netgalley, William Morrow books, and Sian Gilbert, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fun, over the top and a train wreck all in a good way. Great quick summer read with the perfect scenic backdrop. Read in 2 sittings and liked the twist even if I figured it out a bit early.

3.5 stars rounded up. ‘She Started It’ held my attention throughout. It was a page turner that kept me reading, and while some of the revelations toward the end of the story were predictable, the main twist didn’t play out exactly the way I thought it would. I was still somewhat surprised, which I always appreciate in a thriller that’s clearly been building up to a big reveal at the end. Some of the plot points felt a little over the top or contrived, but overall I was entertained from start to finish, and the ending left me mostly satisfied. If you liked ‘The Guest List’ by Lucy Foley, definitely check this out!

Thank you author, William Morrow Publications and Netgalley for sending this book.


Wow what a thrilling and suspenseful revenge saga this was ! A group of young women in a remote secluded island supposedly having fun hen party with drinks and games to enjoy, turns out it's anything but that . All the secrets, hidden motives tumble out shockingly. While you can predict a couple of the reveals it was still endlessly twisty . I couldn't put the book down all the way to the end.

This was a fun read! The pace was quick and the writing was straightforward, which made for a great afternoon of reading! The story was predictable and the characters were not ones to root for, but all in all, I enjoyed my reading experience and will definitely read Sian Gilbert's next novel! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the chance to read this galley in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve found a new thriller to scratch the itch I have for satisfying revenge plots carried out by a woman who deserves to relish in every bit of misery she inflicts on others.

You immediately know where this is headed from the minute the girls arrive on the island but as I mentioned before, it's truly satisfying. Even though everyone is unlikeable, I found myself rooting for Poppy pretty early on. There's a ton of mean girl drama, secrets, lies, and murder. I couldn't stop reading. The flashback journal entries from Poppy's time in high school might be a bit rough to read if high school was rough for you too, I actually got pretty emotional a few times. And this is a debut!! I'm impressed and excited to see what this author comes up with next.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an arc in exchange for my thoughts!

All I can say is, wow! What a great debut novel! I was so intrigued from the beginning that I needed to find out where the story was headed and I just couldn't put it down!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley!

When I first heard the premise of Sian Gilbert’s SHE STARTED IT, I was pretty excited. To me, it sounded like LORD OF THE FLIES set during a bachelorette party, which instantly piqued my interest!

Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe, childhood best friends, are shocked when they’re invited on an all-expenses paid bachelorette party for Poppy, a girl they mercilessly bullied through school. Once they arrive on the private Caribbean island Poppy has booked for them, they find that they’ve been duped: Poppy doesn’t want to celebrate her upcoming nuptials with them — she wants revenge.

For me, this book had so much potential, but I was a little let down by the execution.

There’s a LOT going on here. The chapters are written in alternating POVs from each of the women, and there are also flashback chapters from Poppy’s childhood diary. While this often works well for locked door thrillers like this one, in the case of SHE STARTED IT, it almost felt like whiplash. The perspectives of each woman weren’t unique enough to differentiate. They’re also all HORRIBLE people and there was nothing in here that helped me root for any of them. It’s one thing when the characters are awful but compelling, but in here, I honestly didn’t care what happened to many of them. There aren’t many surprises in this book. While there is a twist that comes pretty late in the game, I had already figured it out.

Despite these qualms, I had a fun time with this one. I thought the premise was really unique and interesting, and although everything that happened felt super over-the-top, I couldn’t help but enjoy being along for the ride. Bullying is a huge theme of this novel, and I think Gilbert’s revenge fantasy was a unique way to portray it.

Loved that the characters were both likable and unlikabke at the same time. Plot kept my intrest and the writing was good. Rated 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author and publisher for a copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

When I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley I couldn't wait to get started. Shortly after starting the book the reality of the characters sank in, they were boring. I had high hopes for this book so I kept reading, the flashbacks were supposed to tell the story of how a group of friends ended up bullying Poppy. Poppy is the bride-to-be that has invited 4 friends to a private island for a hen party. The story is told from the character's perspective, it was often confusing and I sometimes couldn't remember which POV is was reading. The characters are boring, and the story lacked depth.

Good idea, but not a great book. I love a good frenemy thriller and throw in the fact they are stuck on a desert island. Sign me up all day. But, it disappointed me. Really hard to keep the characters straight and whose chapter it was (each character had their own rotating chapter) and they were all terrible (and not in a good way).

Oh my goodness this book literally kept me guessing until the very end! And even then, the twists keep coming

Perfect summer beach read! I really enjoyed this book, it kept me engaged and anticipating what would happen next. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

An entertaining and twisty thriller, with secrets from the past, revenge, and an island set away from everyone and everywhere. There's nowhere to hide from the past. A solid debut.

Loved this. A revenge thriller! 4 mean girls get invited to an all expense paid bachelorette party at a private Caribbean island. Unfortunately they have forgotten how they treated the bride to be in the past. This could be a great Lifetime movie!

She Started It is a compulsively readable mystery about five childhood "friends" on a private island who meet for a bachelorette party. Poppy invites her childhood bullies, ten years after she last saw them in high school. The story reminded me of Lucy Foley's mysteries. The characters are unlikable, but the story intrigued me. I wanted to know what would happen next and loved all the juicy reveals. This was such a wild, salacious read perfect for summer!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I’ve been eyeing Sian Gilbert’s upcoming thriller, SHE STARTED IT, the moment I saw this breathtakingly stunning cover! Ummm, hello?! 😍😍 I’m happy to report that this book’s story is just as gripping as the cover too! The story centers around a group of friends, Annabel, Chloe, Tanya, and Ester—four long-term friends since high school—invited to a former “friend’s” hen (bachelorette) party in the Caribbean on a private island all expenses paid. They’re not only invited for this beautiful and luxurious trip but they’re also asked to be bridesmaids. Poppy Greer has reached out after years of not speaking with them and they didn’t end on the best terms. Why does Poppy want to reconnect with these women after so long?

SHE STARTED IT made me tear up. Major triggers are detailed below (may be spoilers), but bullying is definitely a core theme in this story. I resonated with this book so deeply and can relate to the narrative immensely. The mystery itself plays out pretty straightforwardly, but there are definitely twists I didn’t expect at all! The dynamics between the five women and their journeys together were so immersive.