If you were intrigued by the "Slenderman" crimes, you should pick this up. It's fictionalized, but really delivers on what it would be like to survive an attack like that.

"My father created Mister Tender, and Mister Tender nearly killed me."

This book is 60 chapters of bone chilling twists and turns! Not only is it a terrifying thought that people can be so obsessed to kill because of a fictional character, but it is absolutely incredible that this story is based on a true crime.

Alice is a strong, but fragile character. I felt her fear and paranoia and then her anger and resolve to not be the victim anymore. The events leading up to the finale are excruciatingly intense and this book is the epitome of what a psychological thriller should be. If you like fast-paced, psychological thrillers with some graphic depictions, reserve it today. It goes on sale in February 2018. You won't regret it!!

Holy cow I am blown away. I would have never even come across this book had I not been following another blogger The Suspense is Thrilling Me and happened upon their review. Goodreads tells me it took about ten days to finish, what it doesn't tell anyone else is that in that ten days I also finished two other books and only got the chance to read this one on my phone either at night or before work. So in all actuality it's almost like it only took me two or three days!

This book took all sorts of twists and turns, not just occasionally but through it's entirety. From Alice discovering she's being stalked, to her confronting people from her past, to her impromptu oversea's trip and subsequent visit to the girls that started her misery. All of it twisted this story into the perfect thriller for me. Another thing I absolutely loved was that every character written was extremely believable. They all behaved how I imagine people put in these situations would actually behave (more or less). But the thing that absolutely sold me on this book, the thing I'm praising above all else, the flipping ending. I didn't see what was going to happen until right before she took her walk.

The only thing about this book that truly bothered me was the last three pages. The big showdown was phenomenal and I loved everything leading up to it but after the huge climax those final couple pages felt like a let down. That's the only reason this book received a four and a half star rating rather than a five star.

The Bad News: This book was NOTHING like what I had expected it to be.
The Good News: It didn't even matter what I expected because this book far surpassed what I would have wanted anyways.

Mister Tender's Girl is a fantastically written, fast faced, and insanely twisted ride that had me flipping the pages almost faster than I could read. I am new to Carter Wilson's writing but I have a feeling that after reading this one, I am going to want to go back and read some of his other books.

ABOUT THE BOOK
One may assume that this book is about the near death experience that the heroine, Alice, experiences after she is repeatedly stabbed by two of her classmates who are using her as an almost human sacrifice for Mister Tender. You may also assume it follows Alice when she is a young adult- before and after- these being stabbed. This however is NOT the case. For me, I picked up the book because I thought this was what it was about but I was seriously wrong.

Alice was stabbed and nearly killed and readers will learn about it in depth as the story progresses. But it is not a young adult thriller and doesn't follow Alice in her teens. It actually follows her as an adult, 14 years later, when she thinks all of this is behind her. Unfortunately, she is dead wrong. Mister Tender is back. He's stalking Alice and sending her into panic inducing states. But not only this, she is trying to come to terms with her brothers illness, her fathers death, and her mothers decent into insanity (well, what I would call insanity because I got to know her through the book).

Even more, readers will follow Alice on her journey to discover the truths and lies that have been turning her life inside out. And what a twisted, roller-coaster ride this is!

For some, you may not like Alice as she is almost devoid of any personality because of what happened to her as a kid. But others, like me, will love the intricate mind of her character, and find themselves sympathizing with her and wanting to help her out on the journey that has been waiting for her nearly half of her life.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
I really LOVED this book. It's unique, thrilling, filled with suspense, and unputdownable. The author was clever in turning what appears to be a "Slender Man" book into something so unique, yet so close, to the original story that it's hard to separate the two. There are some similarities, yet so many differences that it stands perfectly on it's own whether you know the Slender Man story or not. It's truly a gem and I hope many readers will give it a chance.

One of the drawbacks that I felt for the story (although it didn't stop me from stamping 5 big stars on the story) is that I wanted MORE of what happened to Alice when she was stabbed. A little it more of a backstory may have changed the whole story, but it's what I was suspecting so I was a little let down when it wasn't truly incorporated. Perhaps if the author did some past and present shots? That would have been really cool. Regardless of this though, I still really enjoyed this one and couldn't put it down for a minute. I think many readers will feel the same.

If you're looking for a dark and twisty ride, one with characters who remind you of the heroines from Sharp Objects and Dark Places, then this is your kind of book. I highly recommend it.

Mister Tender's Girl was such a unique thriller, I couldn't put it down!

I first requested this book because of the fact that it was loosely based on the Slenderman stabbing (plus look at this gorgeous cover!), and I am so glad that I did! I rarely find a book where I can't figure out what the hell is going on, and my mind was going in so many directions I truly couldn't figure it out until closer to the end.
There were a couple of elements that I found predictable (I won't give any spoilers) but they weren't intrinsic to the main plot-line so it didn't bother me all that much.

I enjoyed the characters in the book, they were very real. I loved seeing how Alice's mind worked, and how she was coping with all of the things that were happening to her along with what had happened to her in the past.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!

So when I saw this title I was thinking it would be a stalking case from a tinder app match or something like that and I was like, meh.

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Then I read the synopsis and found this is not exactly true. This thriller is so much more than that. Mister Tender’s Girl is a deliciously morbid psychological thriller that keeps you on your toes and full of suspense until the very last page.

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The characters are just awesomely developed. Alice is our main character and though she is damaged and beautifully flawed she is an incredible character. It seems her whole family is incredibly flawed in fact and just about every other major character in the book.

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Let’s follow Alice through 14 years of hell to culminate on one fateful Halloween night. From the bazaar knife attack she lived through to the the stalker that will kill to save her.

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Alice’s life is one struggle after another but in the end how whole can she be? How much strength would she have to have to endure all that she has and come out strong in the end? Will she?

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If you are into thrillers, especially psychological thrillers, then you will thoroughly enjoy Mister Tender’s Girl by Xxxxx. There were times I literally had to force myself to stop reading this book to go to sleep (I do have adulting I have to do)!

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So, my little booklings, if a page turning edge of your seat thriller is something you are looking for, look no further! This book is your thrill ride of the year! Definitely look for it when it hits shelves in February.

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I give Mr. Tender himself a 2 ( you may ask yourself why but I won’t give him away) but Mister Tender’s Girl is definitely a 5 out of 5 stars!

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I received a copy of Mister Tender’s Girl from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this title. This thriller was fantastic! The plotting was so well done, I never saw some of the twists coming. And I found the main character, if not relateable based on my own experience, then at least understandable and fairly logical in her choices and actions. I hate when the heroes and heroines keep doing things that make no sense. I could not put this one down once I started and will be recommending it to all my thriller fan friends.

The suspense and tension built steadily from the first page, until I simply could not put it down. It is definitely a page-turner, filled with lots of twists and turns, and lots of unforgettable characters. I am not sure what I think of the ending. As a reader it left me a bit unsatisfied.

As someone who strives to avoid being a rubbernecker, who tries not to be the kind of person who pores over terrible topics made sensational, I don't know all that much about the details of the girl who was victimized in the name of Slenderman. I know that it happened because I remember the headlines, but I've shunned the world of creepy fetishists...at least until I read about this book.

Maybe because it's fiction I found the idea of rummaging through the personal life of a victim more palatable. And between the creepy twins, graphic novel references, and the awareness of too many prying eyes, this book had me hooked.

There was also an unexpected current of humor throughout many parts of the book and it balanced out some of the horror of the story while also just serving to hit that macabre sweet spot I have for finding humor in even the darkest of times.

As always, I want to keep this review strictly spoiler free, but I will say there is such a deep confluence of terrible people in Alice's life that I frowned not only at the idea of people like this existing, but occasionally at how convenient that is for a horror-style story. And there are multiple events throughout the story that would require some kind of consequence that never comes, which sometimes feels like "luck" for the sake of maintaining high-stakes moments, i.e. guns being fired that draw no attention from anyone in a resident neighborhood. I don't love loose ends and improbable "I got away with it" moments, but it's not enough to detract from the story as a whole.

Overall, there was a certain "it-factor" to the story and the style that kept me turning pages, finishing the book in just one evening and one morning. I loved that Alice knew how to defend herself and absolutely had to root for her as character.

I'm sure most of you have heard of Slender Man, or the Slender Man Stabbing. Slender Man is a fictional internet character, and a number of people over the years have attempted murders in his name. Mister Tender's Girl by Carter Wilson is a fictional thriller loosely based on the Slender Man Stabbings, in which two young girls tried to stab their friend to death in under the premise of pleasing a fictional character.

This story follows Alice, the victim of the attack, now an adult trying to move on with her life. Alice has panic attacks and is very untrusting, but she has changed her last name, moved to the US from London where the attack occurred, bought a coffee shop and embraced fitness, and is doing well enough for herself. That is, until characters from her past start to show up in her new life. First an old drug dealer comes to collect, bringing back memories of an unpleasant period of her life she'd like to forget. Then she receives an eerie present, an unfinished book featuring Mister Tender comics, some of which feature her in images that only someone who had private access to her life would see. Seeing that her father actually created this character, one would think he sent her the book, but he has been dead for three years and intentionally abandoned the comic after Alice's attack.

Now, Alice must deal with the reality that she has a stalker, someone obsessed with her and her history, who has been watching her for all these years with a morbid fascination. With the help of her tenant Richard and her brother Thomas, Alice fights to discover who has been watching her, hoping to finally be able to put her past behind her once and for all.

This book was really good! It was a quick read, and easy to follow, with a fast moving plot and a good cast of characters. It was also not predictable AT ALL. The whole time I was trying to guess who was behind everything, and I didn't have a clue. My biggest problem with this book, and hence knocking off a star, is that it was unrealistic. Multiple murders happen in this book that are seemingly forgotten or ignored by the police, when in reality there would be an extensive search for the killer and many traces of evidence left behind.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks to Sourcebooks for early access to a digital copy of this book! Mister Tender's Girl hits shelves on February 13th, so be sure to pick up a copy!

Unfortunately I'm DNF it 100% ,been trying to get into the story and just couldn't do it. So I won't be finishing it at all. With that said I would like to think Netgalley for giving me the chance to at least to and read it.

Mister Tender's Girl by Carter Wilson was inspired by the Slenderman meme and the resulting real-life case. Mister Tinder, however, is perhaps a more interesting character, charismatic and handsome, but just as deadly.

This is a creepy thriller that held me fast throughout the majority of the book. Mister Tender, a popular graphic novel created by Alice Hill's father, fascinates a large audience. Mister Tender, a handsome bartender, listens carefully to the complaints of his customers, then asks what they would be willing to sacrifice to attain what they want.

When Alice was fourteen, she is brutally stabbed by two of her classmates who have not only been influenced by the graphic novels, but have received letters from Mister Tender. Yet...Mister Tender is a fiction. Right?



Her father quits writing the novels, her parents eventually separate, and her mother takes Alice and her brother to the U.S.

In the last two years, Alice has been able to establish herself in better circumstances. She owns a popular coffee shop and a home, but still suffers from PTSD and severe, disabling panic attacks that can last for hours.


As the yearly anniversary of the attack approaches, Alice discovers that someone is watching her, invading her privacy, and has even established an online site that focuses on Alice and the attack. The invasion into her life is chilling--the publication of her new name and address and prurient interest in her life terrifies her.

Moving to the U.S., changing her name, and developing her self-defense skills are not protecting Alice from the disturbing sense that things are going from bad to worse. Very soon, the bad begins to happen and the worse is yet to come.

Even as Alice tries to fight her harrowing circumstances, the knowledge of her watcher is usually a step ahead of her.

Sinister, full of menace throughout most of the book, Mister Tender's Girl took a few turns at the end that lowered my opinion. Nevertheless, if you want a book that will keep you glued to the pages, this one will do it.

Read in Jan.: blog review scheduled for Feb. 7, 2018.

NetGalley/Sourcebooks Landmark

Thriller. February 13, 2018. Print length: 400 pages.

Thick black hair, high cheekbones, and dark jade eyes. He is a part bartender and part demon. He will listen to your woes but he needs for you to act. "So, then, what is your fight against the world today"

Mr. Tender is a central character in a graphic novel created by Alice Hill's late father. A fiction that has created and caused tragedy in the Hill household in England. Alice almost lost her life by the actions based on the novel. Two twin teenage girls, stabbed Alice, leaving her scared physically and emotionally for life. They told the authorities Mr. Tender had told them to commit the act. Mr. Tender character and Amy's father was laid to rest soon after the attack.

Fourteen years later, Alice has outsmarted her past, and with a new alias, leaving her haunting past behind in England, living a quiet life in New Hampshire. Or so she thinks. But one day a mysterious package arrives at her coffee shop. A book titled Mr. Tender last call and inscribed to Alice. As she opens the book, she falls headfirst into an old world of scars and shadows of the past.

What a unique psychological thriller! The title is different but intrigued me to request the book from Netgalley. Carter Wilson has a great gift of telling a story with gripping prose and quotes that will make you reread what you have read. As we follow Alice down the "Rabbit Hole" we are engaged in this character's past and present while she navigates her way through a creepy entanglement with a stalker.

"Alice, what did the penguin always tell you?"

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Creepy tall-tale like crime novel. Thoroughly enjoyed it while hiding from Mr. Tender.

Mister Tender's Girl takes two "ripped from the headlines" events-the near fatal stabbing attack of a young Wisconsin girl by two of her friends who claimed "Mr. Slenderman"-(an internet created "superhero" character who stalks children) told them to do it, and the death of a Parisian cartoonist killed by extremists who were offended by a cartoon of Mohammed the artist had drawn-and combines them into one tantalisingly twisty tale. Fourteen years after Alice Hill fled to America from London after two of her friends stabbed her, claiming they were commanded by "Mister Tender"- a popular graphic novel character Alice's father created-Alice again finds herself being stalked by someone still fascinated with Mr. Tender. Although her father stopped writing Mister Tender comics after Alice's attack (and three years after he was killed by terrorists), Alice receives an unfinished Mister Tender book with drawings of Alice's current life in a style that is strikingly similar to her father's. Although physically recovered from her stabbing, Alice is still so scarred by the attack she refuses to have knives in her house. Along for the ride are Alice's mother ( a clearly disturbed woman who makes "Mommy Dearest" look like June Cleaver) and her brother Thomas, who has demons of his own. No one but her family knows about Alice's history (including she changed her name to Alice Gray when she turned 18 and is hiding a secret almost as disturbing as her attack), yet someone is clearly following her and appears to want her dead. Alice has so many neuroses and paranoias you begin to wonder if she is a victim of her own mind, but it soon becomes apparent her fear is real. Mr. Wilson writes with such a staggeringly intense style it's impossible not to become mesmerized by Mister Tender and the hold he has on his devotees. Although Mr. Tender's Girl has a "conclusion" there are enough unanswered questions that it's possible we've not seen the last of him. Here's hoping Mr. Wilson has more "Tender" tales to tell.

This was a remarkably well written and compelling story. The characters drew me into the pages and their story webs. There are so many different twists and turns in the book that keep the readers on their toes and the edge of their seat. I definitely recommend this book to any mystery fan.

Alice’s father created the Mister Tender graphic novel when Alice was a young girl. When 2 classmates of Alice stab her repeatedly at the orders of “Mister Tender”, her world is forever changed. Her mother takes Alice and her brother from London to America to start their lives over again. But even in a new city with a new name, Alice’s past life still haunts her.

This was a very interesting book, based somewhat on the childhood “monster” the Slenderman. If anyone had one of those monster tormenting them as a child, this book will bring back nightmares. I liked this book because the author had you continually guessing about who was good and who was bad. I felt like Alice really had no one on her side that she could trust. The ending was surprising and not what I thought would happen, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat. A good psychological thriller that will keep you up at night!

14 year old Alice Hill's father is the creator and illustrator of a series of graphic novels portraying Mister Tender; a demonic bartender who convinces people to do very bad things. When young Alice is suddenly befriended by two of her classmates, the Glassin twins, she is unaware that she is their intended sacrifice to Mister Tender. One night they lead her into the park and brutally stab her multiple times leaving her to die.
Over a decade later Alice has moved and changed her name in an attempt to leave her demons behind but Mister Tender is not finished with her yet.

I got the chance to read an excerpt from this novel and instantly knew I was going to love it. This novel was inspired by the horrific and true crime events surrounding the Slender Man stabbings that occurred in 2014. If that overview is not frightening enough, the author takes the plot into a much darker direction in which the protagonist, now grown up, is unable to escape her past due to a stalker obsessed with the crime. The plot continues down a deadly web of events that all connect to the pop-culture fictional character Mister Tender. This novel was a frightening psychological thriller that I could not put down. I predict this will be a top read for 2018 and cannot wait to add it to my library.

Oh my! Now.... that was a unique psychological thriller! Hello Mister Tender ;)

Now, who do you ask is Mister Tender?! At the age of fourteen, Alice Hill was viciously attacked by two twin girls that were obsessed with mister tender. Mister Tender is a fictional character that Alice's father created through a series of graphic comics.

Alice survived this crucial attack and moved away from her horrible past with her brother and mother. She changed her name to Alice Gray and opened a cute coffee shop called The Rose. Unfortunately, Alice is suffering from panic attacks and PTSD from her severe attack.

The one day, Alice receives something in the mail that turns her entire world upside down. Alice finds out that she has been stalked and watched everywhere she goes. Alice has a dark, sinister, and creepy fan club that shows her life on display. But, who could possibly be doing this to her? Is it Mister Tender? But, Mister Tender isn't real is he?

Oh my goodness I was sucked in from page one... wow what a brilliant storyline that Carter Wilson has created. I could feel Alice's anxiety with every small clue that was slowly and ever so brilliantly revealed by Wilson.

Now, why do you ask I have not given this 5 stars? This story was epic until the ending. Once, Mister Tender was finally revealed it was like "MERP" for me. I was a little sad and to me I wanted a little more sprinkle to my cookie with this one. Don't get me wrong this was a seriously addicting read, I just was a tad disappointed in the overall bang to the buck.

Overall, a strong 4 stars and I have a feeling this is going to be a top seller for 2018 thrillers! I will be looking forward to more from Carter Wilson..

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an arc in exchange for an honest review .
Publication date is 2/13/18.

Mister Tender's Girl is one of the strangest books I have ever read. It is violent about many sick people who believe in the cartoon character, Mister Tender. They take violent action against Alice who tries to stay same amongst all the insanity. Although well written in first person. it is not an enjoyable story to read and is sure to haunt my dreams.