Rose and Bel Enright are fraternal twin sisters. They are the offspring of a privileged New England college student and a Mexican scholarship student. Now they are fifteen years old and orphaned. Sent to live with their wealthy grandmother in Connecticut, they have been enrolled in Odell, a prestigious boarding school, the one where their parents met.

Rose is the 'good girl'. Smart, studious and active in school activities. Bel is the prettier of the two girls but she has poorer judgment and struggles academically. She immediately falls in with the 'wrong' crowd. A bevy of 'mean girls' with little moral compass. The girls couldn't be more different. After moving to Odell, the twins are separated by a rift - seemingly insurmountable.

Then Bel's new friends begin a contest - a test to see who can first seduce the handsome new teacher/dorm head, Heath Donovan.

Heath and Sarah Donovan are academics who have been hired by Odell to clean up the unsavory reputation of Moreland Hall, one of the dorms. They are the dorm's resident supervisors. They have two young children.

The task is daunting because the students at Moreland are spoiled, rich, over-privileged teens who spend a lot of their time socializing and tormenting the other students. Sarah and Heath also serve in an advisory capacity to some of the students.

Events at Odell escalate. A hazing ritual turns ultra nasty. Students are expelled. Other students are ostracized. Lawyers get involved. The social dynamic within the school gets turned on its head.

Then, one of the twins is brutally stabbed and killed.

Sarah and Heath Donovan's marriage is in jeopardy. Who can Sarah believe? She is faced with a difficult moral choice.

MY THOUGHTS

When I was a teenager, I thought it would be wonderful to attend a boarding school. The nerd in me feels resentful that luscious, historical boarding schools always have to be sullied with social conflict. I would have approached the whole boarding school experience in much the same way as Rose did in this novel. The reader in me realizes that without the conflict there would be no story.

This thriller will be loved by many, though it didn't resonate with me as much as I had hoped. It is a novel with themes of jealousy, infidelity, betrayal, cliques, intimidation, love triangles, lost trust, and blinding ambition. It was plotted in a clever way - in that you weren't sure who the murder victim was until near the end of the book.

From a literary standpoint, this novel has great pacing, an atmospheric setting and is very well written. From a content standpoint, just not my cup of tea. If you like 'mean girl' stories then you would probably love this one. I don't think this was a bad book, but it wasn't a personal favourite.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for NetGalley

3.5 stars!

Bel and Rose Enright are twins, but they could not be more different. Rose loves academics and following the rules. Bel is a rebel and makes her own rules. After some changes in their family, the girls end up at the prestigious Odell Academy in New England. Bel falls in with an unsavory crowd and is pitted against her sister. Bel starts toto obsess overHeath, her advisor/teacher and the husband of Sarah, who Rose adores. As the story continues you begin to wonder who could have committed the crime, and better yet, can any of them really be trusted? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved that the chapters were told in different POV and even pulled the investigation into parts of its own. The plot was pretty original and unpredictable, which I always appreciate!

After the death of their mother, twins Rose and Bel Enright wind up at Odell Academy in New Hampshire. They are sent by their wealthy grandmother, who has no idea what to do with the teenagers now foisted upon her. Rose is the good twin--good grades, good friends, good behavior. Bel, on the other hand, is known for going a bit wild. But it was Bel their mother favored--much to Rose's consternation. Floundering after the loss of their mother, Bel winds up with the wrong crowd at school and then turns on Rose when she calls her out on it. Meanwhile, Heath and Sarah Donovan have been brought in to clean up Moreland Hall, the dormitory where the twins are staying. It has developed a reputation for trouble. It's a daunting task, especially since so many of the girls come from storied, rich Odell families. Both Sarah and Heath are Moreland alums--they met at the school--and not all of their memories are pleasant. As for Heath, his dreams extend far beyond teaching high school English. But something in his past holds him back; he's hoping to parlay their time at Moreland into something more. But soon things at Moreland--and Odell--are out of control, with the Enright twins and the Donovans right in the middle of all the trouble.

From the beginning of the novel, we immediately know that an Enright sister is dead, but not which one. The narration from Bel, Rose, and Sarah is interspersed with snippets from police interviews, as we try to piece together exactly what happened to lead to murder. This was perhaps my favorite part of the story--trying to figure out who had been killed--and why the other sister is the prime suspect. The format of the novel is very well-done and extremely compelling.

In the beginning, some of the dialogue seemed stilted: I couldn't imagine the sisters really talking to each other in particular ways, for instance. Rose and Bel's instant fighting seemed rash, and it was hard to take. In fact, the entire boarding school drama seemed a little too much, at times. I understand the fact that girls can quickly turn on each other--especially when they all live together--but the twins threatening to kill each other over a sweater? It was tough and it was a lot of drama, so fast, so often. Rose was incredibly prissy and tough to like for a lot of the novel. And then poor Sarah, who was such a doormat, with an incredible lack of judgement--she was a hard character to find sympathy for as well.

The novel also seemed to march toward a fairly inevitable conclusion. I kept waiting for a big twist or surprise to throw me off and while the epilogue offered a little bit of that, there really wasn't much. The book focuses more on the unraveling of the families than twists and turns, and that was a little disappointing for me. I like to be thrown off the trail a few times.

Still, I really enjoyed the format of this one: wondering and waiting to find out who was dead, along with the pieces from the interviews. I liked the boarding school setting and how it added to the story. While I didn't always enjoy all the characters, I really came to feel for for Bel Enright, and I did sympathize with Rose, as well. Even if things were fairly predictable, Campbell kept me reading and interested the entire time. 3+ stars.

You would think that twins sisters would have a bond like no other. Especially if they had lost both parents and all they had were each other. Are Bel and Rose Enright an exception to this rule? Bel is outgoing, a fashion trend setter, artsy, makes friends easily. Rose is quiet, polite, studious, the rule follower. They are twins but they couldn't be more different.

Bel and Rose lose their mother leaving them no other family except for their grandmother. Their grandmother greets them with less than open arms. Instead of nurturing the twins in their time of grief, she keeps with family tradition by shipping them off to an exclusive boarding school. Thrown into a new life with no friends or family to turn to, the girls cling to the Donovan's whom are the dorm heads.

This twisty tale is exactly what you would think a high end co-ed boarding school full of teenagers would be like. This is a very realistic view of present day problems- bulling, cliques, teenage attractions, obsessions and rebellions. Throw in some snap chat and face book and you have a real life drama. Except things go too far. How well do you know your spouse, your sister, your friend? Are you sure? You may be surprised at the secrets they keep. Would you cover for them? No matter what? Even if you would be destroying lives?

This is a suspense filled read that kept my interested until the end. This is my first book by Michele Campbell and I look forward to reading more from her!

Thanks to Michele Campbell, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thru Net galley I received an ARC for an exchange for an honest review. She Was The Quiet One by Michele Campbell tells the story of two twins, their new lives at The Odell Academy nestled in New Hampshire and some of the people that reside within this elite school. Rose and Isabel Enright (called Bel) lost both parents in tragic ways, and then having to move in with their Grandmother. After what appears to a great solid home life, once again the girls are up rooted again and set to the private, elite, prestigious school. Bel seems to revel in her new found clique, where Rose tries to rekindle their sisterly bond, only to have it shattered over and over again.
Enter in Sarah and Heath Dovovan and their young family. Both were once students at this elite school and now are back as teachers. Sarah loves her husband and family fiercely, but does Heath feel the same way as Sarah? She Was the Quiet tests the power of what this sisters Rose and Bel define as sisterhood,
There is more than meets the eye within the Academy, and some secrets are set to surface from the walls within.
I truly enjoyed this tale written by Michele Campbell. I like the inner battles of the characters within the book, even the ones in the background, so to speak, and how this event shaped, and re-defined some people. The book kept me hooked, and one I could not put down.

She Was the Quiet One was one of those books that was so good I couldn't put it down. Michelle Campbell weaves such an interesting storyline that kept me guessing the entire time, and the characters were interesting, flawed, and complex. Definitely the best mystery/thriller I have read in a while. I look forward to reading more of Campbell's books.

I really enjoyed the story and setting of this one, although I felt at times that the teenage characters spoke like how an adult would write a teenager. The mystery was solid and and I was guessing until the end. I was given this arc for my honest review.

2.5 stars I guess I wasn’t as enthralled with this book as others. For some reason the writing did not work for me. At times, it seemed somewhat juvenile, and at other times, the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic. I also felt like the plot never really soared and was one dimensional. I’d have to agree with others that this is not the type of thriller with twists or turns. The reveals are few and far between and lack the surprise element. It’s more of a slow burn mystery that shows it’s hand midway through the story. There also seemed to be a lot of internal dialogue from characters whose only purpose was to lead the reader by the hand and spoon feed the dilemma. I prefer not to be told but rather come to the conclusions on my own so it sometimes felt repetitive and annoying.

With that said, the book kept my interest during pivotol moments of plot development as I was intrigued to see where the storyline would go. Up until the last third, I had high hopes for a zinger ending. I’d have preferred the ending if it had been written with more shock factor and suspense but folks who enjoy action thrillers may get more out of it than I did. I have also read a number of high caliber psych thrillers of late so it could be that this fell flat compared to those. I guess one can’t love them all and She Was The Quiet One held promise but in the end didn’t deliver for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Michele Campbell for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Publication date was July 31.

When She Was The Quiet One opens we learn there has been a murder, but we don't know who was killed or why or by who. There are several protagonists. Orphaned teenage fraternal twins, Rose and Bel are now with their wealthy grandmother. She enrolled them at Odell Academy, an exclusive boarding school, which was fine with Rose, but not so much for Bel. Rapidly, their already fragile relationship deteriorates. Sarah and Heath, themselves former students, are teachers at the school who have been made dorm heads. On the surface they appear to be a happy family, but they have baggage. Over time, their lives and that of the twins intertwine with frightening results.

The characters are well defined, some flawed more than others. The story is told in different voices and as a result we get to know the characters quite well. The narrative deals with complex sibling relationships, narcissism, and infidelity. In this precisely crafted and suspenseful novel, lives spiral out of control and the characters find themselves in unforeseen situations . I found this book to be well worth reading. Highly recommended.

4.5-stars! She Was the Quiet One is an Adult Thriller that takes place at a private school for very wealthy kids. Let's get this out of the way real quick - I am absolute TRASH for any story that takes place in a private school or prep school. I went into this book blind and had no idea that this was the type of story this was, so yeah, elated at that.

The plot centers around twins, Bel & Rose Enright, who after losing both parents get sent to Odell Academy, a prestigious New England boarding school (aka. playground for the priviledged) by their wealthy Grandmother. Rose, the more grounded and studious of the two, looks at this as a blessing - a place where she can reach new academic heights and strive toward loftier goals than ever before. Bel, the 'wild one', if you will, devastated by the recent loss of her beloved mother is more of a loose cannon and falls in with a group of 'bad girls' almost immediately.

The story also follows a married couple, Heath and Sarah Donovan, who work at the school as teachers and dorm heads. Their marriage is explored in detail and although perfection on the outside, holds its own troubles, resentments and buried secrets. Heath has lofty goals of his own - dreaming of one day becoming headmaster of the school; Sarah the supportive wife is left on the sidelines a lot of time.

Heath and Sarah's relationship is definitely where the adult element comes from, there are a lot of complicated themes woven into this storyline. The interactions between the students at the school, on their own, could fit in very well in a YA Thriller; it's when the adults and kids begin to mix that things become messy. If you are the type of reader who doesn't enjoy teenage drama, you may find this one tedious, so just know that going in. There is bullying, hazing, general romantic drama but for me, it absolutely worked.

In my opinion, this wasn't wickedly suspenseful - it was more that things began to unravel before our eyes at a steady pace until the final scene. I loved the format of it - which mixes in detective interviews...okay, back up...a crime has been committed, you do not know to who or by who and that is what is revealed throughout the entire story. It was really well done and I applaud the author for keeping the pace steady and engaging the whole way through!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves Adult Thrillers and I also would recommend this to readers who may be looking to transition from more YA books to Adult books, as it has elements of both. I would however say trigger warning for sexual assault, hazing, bullying and unlawful sexual contact. If these are topics that you are sensitive to please be aware before going in.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for providing me the opportunity to read this book and provide my opinions. I had so much fun with it and definitely plan to pick up Michele Campbell's other book, It's Always the Husband.

This was such a good psychological thriller. It follows the lives of orphaned twins Bel and Rose while enrolled in the prestigious Odell Academy boarding school, a school full of privileged kids with big ambitions, lots of secrets, and a whole lot to lose.

The story is told from different POVs of unreliable narrators. The character development in She Was The Quiet One was excellent. They're not exactly what I would consider likable people, but chances are you will find yourself picking sides from pretty early on.

This intense murder mystery develops beautifully and masterfully with twists and turns throughout. The epilogue quite honestly surprised the heck out of me.

The book was compelling and thrilling and impossible to put down. I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

Twin sisters, a forever bond, and even if there are differences, someone that always has your back in good times and tragedy right? Or not so right.. I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller about Rose and Bel, orphaned and sent to boarding school. Bel, a true bad girl, running with the older bad crowd and Rose, the studious, not as attractive nerd. The story quickly draws the reader into the complex relationship between the girls. Trying to help the girls fit into their new school are Mr. and Mrs. Donovan, teachers, advisors and dorm heads of Moreland Hall, with a bit of conflict within their own relationship. The author did a great job developing the characters with depth so that I cared for them and could feel their emotions coming off the page. The twist at the end was one I did not see coming. I will definitely watch for more books from Michele Campbell.

Thrilling book! I really enjoyed this book. It kept you guessing most times. The ending was a bit drawn out but this is still a great book!

3.5 Stars. Thank you to Netgalley and, St. Martins Press for this copy.

Twin sister Bel and Rose have had a rough go, after their mother passes away they are sent to live with their grandmother. The girls are attending a prestigious boarding school and fall into very different crowds. Bel finds the popular crowd and is quickly accepted in. Rose just wants to make a good impression and study hard, has a harder time finding friends. One of the twins is murdered and everyone is pointing finger at each other, was

I love a good thriller with a lot of drama, scandal, and murder. This was a quick, easy read that had me flipping pages fast to see what was going to happen next, I was able to figure out did it about half way threw, but I really liked the directions it went with the teens, all the rumors, and speculations. I could have done without epilogue.

Twins Bel and Rose start at Odell Academy, a boarding school full of wealth and opportunity, but also temptations and malice. As the sisters choose sides, their relationship, and that of those around them, change for the worse, leading to destruction and tragedy.

This book starts out with a lot of suspense. The first few pages pack a real punch, and had me flipping pages to find out what had really happened.

I also really liked the use of police interview transcripts. I thought this was a really clever way to hint at what had ended up happening.

This book became very predictable for me about 1/3 of the way through. I knew what was going to happen essentially every step of the way, and what did happen seemed very cliched to me.

This book wasn't bad, it was an interesting read, but it was far too predictable and cliched. It felt like a subject that had been done before, and done better.

Sometimes the experiences you have had in life make details in books hard to believe. Such was the case for me in reading She Was The Quiet One by Michele Campbell. This book is about twin sisters Rose and Bel who after the death of their mother gets sent to a boarding school by their grandmother. The sisters are very different, one loves to follow the rules and the other doesn’t. They look different, act differently and view school differently. These differences mean the girls are often fighting and out to get one another, using other people at the school to help them. The novel opens with a murder and then flashes back between different characters and police interviews until you find out who was murdered and by whom.

I attended a boarding school when I was in high school. It was a school for the arts so most of the kids wanted to be there. So maybe that was part of the difference in my experience and the experience of the characters in this book. But I think the thing I had the biggest trouble with in this book was believing how easy it was for the kids to leave their dorms and the freedom they seemed to have in going all over the place. Because boarding schools are filled with underage kids and the school is responsible for those underage schools they make it much harder to break rules then this school seemed to. I didn’t find the ease of breaking rules to be very believeable.

I also didn’t like a single character. Not that I have to like characters to enjoy reading about them. But every single character in this book was so incredible selfish and had such low self esteem that after awhile it got pretty old and it seemed like I was just reading different variations of the same character.

Reading gives me an opportunity to look into lives that are different than my own. The Odell School and being surrounded by such confused and selfish people is not a life I would want to have. I also like books where character raise above the challenges they face and grow and become better. I didn’t get that from this book either.

This book just wasn’t for me but if you did not attend a boarding school as a teenager and like very dysfunctional people then try this novel out.

This book had a lot going on!

At times it read like a ya novel, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it was very predictable as to who the murder was but perhaps that’s because I read this genre a lot. I would recommend this if you were just staring to get into the thriller genre.
Bit slow paced in the middle however I was keen to see how it all panned out. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the different points of view, it kept me reading until the end. It was an easy read and fairly engaging.
One thing I will say is that I did not think the epilogue added anything.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Despite the rave reviews on this novel, I didn't like it much at all. To the point where I didn't finish reading it. I got several chapters in and gave up. The dialog is lacking so much that it was not entertaining at all. Kids don't speak the way that Campbell writes, and it was off-putting.

I enjoyed this mystery very much. Boarding school relationships are always ripe for a myriad of conflicts. I would recommend this book and thank you for letting me read it,

I had heard good things about this book and was excited to get an ARC from NetGalley. However, I was very disappointed once I started reading it. The writing was very simplistic and the characters were one dimensional stereotypes. I figured how who did it pretty easily and there weren't really any surprising twists in the book.