Tress is an impoverished high school student who lives with her grandfather in a trailer on the grounds of the semi-legal Amontillado Zoo, also know as White Trash Zoo. Felicity is Tress's former childhood best friend whose fate in life and family's standing in the Amontillado community is changed the night Tress parents takes Felicity home and disappears without a trace. Tress is convinced that Felicity knows the truth about her parents' vanishing, she's been plotting for years how to extract that knowledge from Felicity, the razing of the old Allen House the day after Halloween, gives Tress the perfect opportunity learn the truth about her parents' disappearance and build her evidential case against Felicity layer by layer, one brick at a time.

So, I really did enjoy this book even if the ending fell a tiny bit flat, but Initial Insult is book 1 in a duology, so I think some of the resolutions we hoped to receive in book 1 will most likely be answered in book 2. Nevertheless I still really liked this book. It is a modern interpretation of a short story by Edgar Allen Poe which is one of my favorites, A Cask of Amontillado, which got me started on my love of macabre gothic horror. I think McGinnis does a fantastic job of retelling this story, she provides you with two frenemies whose fates are intricately linked because of the horrors of one night. Their story is told through Tress and Felicity's dual points of view, presented as a series of flashbacks from middle school to high school, and the reader is made to feel like a juror hearing evidence presented through each character's recollection of events. McGinnis shows no favorites in this book which I liked, she puts the reader in the mind of Tress and Felicity and I found myself empathic to each character's plight. In addition, Initial Insult, overtly tackles small town high school politics as well as stealthily telling the story of Amontillado's families legacy, and small town politics social structure, and stigmas. So, if you like your young adult fiction mixed with elements of mystery and horror, simple prose but elevated social commentary/critique, then this book is for you.

Mindy McGinnis does it again.

In this new duology, Tress and and Felicity were best friends until the moment Tress’s parents went missing and Felicity was in the car with them. Felicity can not remember what happened and Tress is determined to prove that she is lying and she must learn the truth. This is a dark mystery that I fell in love with. The story is rooted in town history and the perception of a “name”. I can not waiting to read the second book.

“Welcome to Amontillado, Ohio, where your last name is worth more than money, and secrets can be kept… for a price.”

I listened to this book 5 months ago. I had an early copy from NetGalley; my first ALC with a synthetic voice - not a copy of the official audiobook. I still rated it 5 stars. Mindy is my favorite YA author; her material is definitely on the darker side. The Initial Insult is a Poe-inspired YA thriller that draws from elements of Edgar Allan Poe short stories - The Cask of Amontillado, The Black Cat, and The Masque of the Red Death.

This is the expertly crafted story of Tress Montor & Felicity Turnado and the dissolution of their friendship. The two BFF’s are no longer speaking. It was hard enough to maintain their friendship; one is from an affluent family (Felicity) & the other considered white trash (Tress). One night, Tress’s parents go missing while driving Felicity home. No one knows what happened to them except Felicity, but she doesn’t remember. Tress now has to live with her drunken, one-eyed grandpa at his white trash zoo. There are 3 POV’s: Tress (read by Lisa Flanagan), Felicity (read by Brittany Pressley), and the panther (read by Tim Campbell). Tress engineers a way to get Felicity to finally tell her what happened to her parents. The Initial Insult is graphic & fueled by vengeance. Just imagine the possibilities of what could possibly go wrong at a white trash zoo...(hello Tiger King). My favorite things about it: the retelling aspect had me wondering if Poe came back from the dead to write one more story; the suspense builds at such a great pace; Mindy’s plots are tight, she doesn’t use fodder...the audiobook is only 7.5 hours. I hope this book does well! I highly recommend! 5/5

Where do I even start with this flipping book?!?!

It's a mash up of Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat, and Cask of Amontillado. Let's begin there. The way Mcginnis interwove them seamlessly in her own way yet paid homage to Poe's stories has never been done in such a way.

The two main characters, Tressa and Felicity. Like, how are they so fatally flawed so perfectly?!?! The story goes in between both of their POV with sharp AF precision.

People, don't let this sleeper hit pass your TBR by. Seriously. I'm still processing it (and definitely check it out on audiobook because it was perfection).

A Ribbit-y or Huge (Hugh) 5 out of 5 stars.

I love Mindy McGinnis. I love her darkness. I love her tragedies. I love her shock factor. This story had all of that, and I plan on listening to the REAL audio book again before book two is released.

While I am so thankful to have received an advanced audio copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley, I was not thrilled with the synthetic voice. It really pulled me out of the story and I struggled to keep up. Going forward I will pay more attention to which audio requests I put in.

The story follows Tress and her former best friend, Felicity. There is a lot of time jumping and multiple points of view, which made it especially hard for me to follow along with the synthetic voice audio file.

I honestly believe that if I would have been able to read an ebook or listen to the actual actors for the audio, I would have enjoyed this so much more!

<I> I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</I>

The Cask of Amontillado is one of my favorite Poe stories! Mindy McGinnis has written an excellent retelling that kept me on my toes until the very last page. There is so much going on in this book, and I'm not sure where to start! Should I begin with the fact that there's a JAGUAR POV that pops up throughout the book? Because that alone was amazing. It was eerie, haunting, and AHHH! Loved it!

This was also my first experience with a synthetic voice. I didn't hate it, but it was difficult to know who was talking unless I paid really close attention. Normally, I clean the house or do something else that occupies my hands, but the sameness of the voice required me to pay more attention to the chapter changes and what was going on. I saved this audio for when I was alone and painting the new house, so I was able to concentrate more on the story. My overall enjoyment wasn't impacted by the lack of a "real" voice, but I do think this book will be even better when properly narrated.

The Initial Insult is dark, and I don't mean because it takes place at night (which it does). If you don't like it when bad things happen to animals (insert sob here), then you might need to mentally prepare yourself before starting this one. I still can't think about what happened without wanting to cry. I know that means McGinnis is just really good at her job, because she made me feel BIG emotions for her fictional characters and their pets.

If I haven't lost you after that last paragraph, I think it's worth noting that Tress's entire plan is dark and disturbing. I totally understood her motives, but damn. Everyone has secrets in their small town, and she's determined to find out what they know about her parents. Felicity's flashbacks show that even Tress's parents had secrets, and how those may have played a role in their disappearance. It all ties together somehow, but I still don't know the specifics. Apparently, this is going to be a series (I didn't know that at first), so we're left with a pretty big cliffhanger. We learn something massive about Tress's parents, Tress herself makes a huge mess of things, and everyone at the party... just wow. McGinnis did me dirty with that ending, but I can forgive her since this retelling was awesome. I am definitely looking forward to the next one! (★★★★☆)

I decided to try another book by Mindy McGinnis (after reading The Female of the Species) and this one seemed promising because I love Edgar Allen Poe and I am always intrigued with a retelling. McGinnis has a knack for writing dark books with no hope of finding light at the end of the tunnel. This book fit that bill. Tress and Felicity's relationship is complicated through the entire story and does not let us at all. I enjoyed all of the nods to Poe, from the plot line to the names of people and places in the town. McGinnis pulls off an excellent twist to the story with these two young females and their drama, especially surrounding the disappearance of Tress's parents.

There were parts of this story I really liked- I enjoyed the mystery behind the disappearance of Tress's parents, and the relationship between Tress and Felicity. I also enjoyed the depiction of Felicity's medical condition. I did not enjoy the panther as a narrator and the overall darkness of the book. There was also A LOT happening in this book and there is a whole slew of content warnings that need to be addressed before the book begins. I didn't realize this is a duology before I started reading and because of that, there is no wrap-up ending to this dark story, which feels very heavy.

First of all, I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the digital arc.
I have been a fan of this author for a while so that is why I requested this book. This being a take on a classic Poe tale just added to my intrigue. MindyMcGinnis has a way of taking tough topics and blending them into captive stories that brings awareness and entertainment. Her writing style not only keeps the perfect pace but will also keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The emotional relationships between the characters are realistic and I found myself sympathetic to a couple of them that I thought I would dislike. I could forgive their faults.
I recommend this novel, especially to mystery and Poe fans.

It wasn't that long ago that Tress' life was "normal." Before her parents went missing, before having to move into a trailer at a homegrown zoo with her surly, alcoholic grandpa, Cecil. Before her best friend, Felicity, abandoned her, keeping the events of the night her parents disappeared to herself.

But Tress is tired of being the town charity case, her plight their joke. It ends tonight. She's going to confront Felicity Turnado and get the answers she's looking for, by any means necessary.

Told from three perspectives (Tress, Felicity, and a panther), this book is a fever dream of misguided intentions. If you read and enjoyed The Female of the Species, you won't be disappointed by this twisty, gritty mystery. An ode to Edgar Allen Poe, this tale will throb in the back of your mind like a beating heart beneath the floorboards.

Thank you to Katherine Tegen Book's for letting me listen to an early audiobook copy of The Initial Insult. Also, Happy Publication Day to Mindy McGinnis!

This book follows Tress Montor as she tries to find answers on what really happened to her parents the night they disappeared from the one and only, Felicity Turnado. Tress's former best friend and who was the last person to be seen with her parents that night. But things could be turning deadly.

We get to view things from three different perspectives, Tress's, Felicity's, and the "cat". I'm still not entirely sold on the "cat's" point of view playing a roll but I'm intrigued to see where it goes when the second half of this duology comes out. There is mention of drug use, seizures, underage drinking.

Overall this was a fantastic read and pulled me in right from the start! I needed to know those answers just as much as Tress did. I can't wait to pick up a finished copy and do a physical read!

A first for me – listened to this as a voice galley which is created with a synthetic voice for early review use.

Synopsis:
Tress Montor has had a tough time since her parents disappeared seven years ago. She now lives with her grandpa who runs the “White Trash” zoo. Felicity, a former friend and a not so much friend anymore, was with Tress’ parents when they disappeared. In Amontillado, Ohio your name and money means everything, and Tress has lost both. Tress has had it with the “in girls”, especially Felicity who she is convinced knows more than she is saying about what happened to her parents, so she has a revenge plot to get answers, but of course nothing ever goes as planned, especially with a wild panther on the loose.

My Thoughts:
A YA revenge story with unstable characters (mostly teenagers) and some intense themes around drug and alcohol abuse, bullying and animal cruelty just to name a few. An interesting concept of giving a large cat (ok a wild panther) a POV. The story was interesting, but I had a tough time following along with the voice galley. This is the first book in a duology, and I am interested in the next book to see what happens after the fateful night.

Holy Moley!!! Girls can be savage to each other, but how far will it go? The Initial Insult takes that questions with a pinch of revenge and than ups it by adding a wild cat! Mindy McGinnis take those everyday relationships and has a way of making them relatable. No matter how much you may hate them you still feel for them.
When I started The Initial Insult I had no idea what rabbit hole Mindy was taking me down, but I never expected the savagery of the girls volatile relationship. After Tress looses her parents one night while taking her best friend Felicity home her life has no been the same. Now living with her Grandfather in his wildlife preserve she is an outcast, all but forgotten by her ex-bff. But Tress has not forgotten and she wants answers any way she can get them.
Has the story goes in between both Tress and Felicity's pov of both the current and what had been, there is the Cat who speak periodically has it makes it's way through the town.
The cat is beautiful and natural in it's way and if you feel like I do about animals, you kinda find yourself rooting for it.
This book will mess with you in it's raw-ness. I can't wait for the second in the series. I need answers to SO many questions!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis.
The Initial Insult is a YA missing person mystery about two estranged tfriends in a small town where everyone knows everyone and your last name is very important.

Tress is an impoverished teenage forced to move into her grandfather’s trailer (who is running a sketchy roadside zoo) after her parents disappeared a decade ago when driving her friend Felicity home from a sleepover. Felicity has never been able to recall the events of that night which has never stopped gnawing at Tress and she vows to get the truth out of Felicity by any means necessary at a party on Halloween night.
As more and more secrets are revealed and the past comes into focus the reader is pulled into the story and toward the stunning conclusion.

As a reader I appreciated how Mindy McGinnis manages to capture the darker inner life of teens but not for cheap thrills or to titillate her audience. With the exception of likable side characters (like Hugh) there are no heroes here as Tress risks her soul to get answers to what happened to her parents.

This is a tragic story where the adults and their decisions allow teenagers to head down dark paths that can only end in heartbreak.
4 stars

A loose reimagining of THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO, The Initial Insult takes Poe’s classic tale and infuses it with plenty of modern elements while still keeping true to the bones of the familiar story.

Much like Poe’s tale, McGinnis’s centers around two friends and a plan to bury one of them alive. Well, not *exactly* bury them, but merely build a wall around them, literal brick by agonizing brick. Tress doesn’t want to kill Felicity, exactly, just scare her into finally telling the truth about the last night her parents were alive. Felicity was the last one to see them and Tress knows she’s hiding something. But Tress’ plan goes horribly wrong on many fronts — from a mysterious flu that’s infecting people at the Halloween party where Tress plans to bury Felicity, to an escaped black panther with bloodlust, and everything in between.

Mindy McGinnis definitely proves her ability to tell a fantastically dark story with her latest book, and this is precisely the reason she’s one of my favorite authors. She brings readers a delightful small town with quite a bit of history, and plenty of residents that stick to the belief that people still care about “good” families and Old Money. Tress and her family have certainly fallen out of that favor, while Felicity and her family’s new money are trying to weasel their way in. The characters were also spectacular and I loved both Felicity and Tress and their complicated and pain-filled relationship. And much like McGinnis’ other books, don’t go into this book expecting rainbows and happy endings because you won’t find them. This is a dark tale and Mindy McGinnis is a certainly a master of the dark tale.

This story wraps up nicely, though there are still plenty of questions that need answers. Luckily this is the first book of a duology, and I can’t wait to see what the second book holds for these characters. 4.5 stars.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for the audio ARC!

“The Initial Insult” was a teenage, dark, slow-burn of a thriller. While intriguing to try to find out what happened to a teenager’s family, I found it difficult to always follow what was going on. However, I was listening to an advanced copy of the audiobook, which was synthetically voiced, so perhaps that was a reason for some of that difficulty. It was a bit darker that I anticipated for a teenage book, but solid nonetheless. 3 ⭐️ rating.

Mindy McGinnis is an "auto-buy" author for me --- meaning: I will read anything she writes because I am a huge fan of her talented writing and a masterful storytelling.

This story, THE INITIAL INSULT, is one that left me shaking my head at the end.

Did I like it? Did I love it? Did I hate it? I had to take a few weeks just to process what I'd digested.

It's a complicated story (which I love). It's a weird/unique story (which I love). It was exceptionally written (love). The timeline was nonlinear (which I personally struggle with oftentimes). This is the first of two books, and plotlines are not yet resolved (which is hard for me, because I'm an impatient person). I listened to an early audio edition that was read by a non-human voice (which I disliked). Side note: I've noticed a lot of other reviews give Mindy less stars on the review because of the awful synthetic audio, but that is NOT Mindy's fault, for heaven's sake! So that in no way influences this review. And rest assured, the finished audio book for sale to the general public is recorded by a professional narrator.

However, I do think that this is the type of story that is better served by a visual copy of the book because of the timeline jumps, point-of-view shifts, and unusual name pronunciations.

Overall, I loved this complicated and unusual story of teenage revenge, and I look forward to the next book!

Thanks, Mindy, for another great rollercoaster of a story.


[I received an early audio copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. This is no way influenced my opinion.]

I really enjoyed the story! I'm a big fan of Mindy's, and I will definetely buy a hard copy when the book is officially out.

I was provided an advanced digital copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes, all opinions are my own.

This book had many elements that usually make a great mystery but for some reason, it didn't work for me. McGinnis is a gifted writer who can craft an intricate story using a few words but it was some of those words that caused me a problem. McGinnis relied too much on the grotesque to build the mood for this book. The story is about a teen girl bricking up a classmate into a wall for revenge. The revenge story is grotesque, I didn't need pages of description about an entire party of high schoolers getting the flu. Also, I had a problem with the depiction of Tress's life after her parents disappeared. I know there are issues with children getting placed in unhealthy environments when they are in foster care but I don't understand how Tress would be left with her grandfather, especially when her mother had other family members. Plus, the book states Tress's father was from a very important family. Why didn't any of the Montors take her? However, even with those issues, I found myself hooked on the mystery and I know that I will read the second book when it comes out next year.

2.5/5 rounded down

yikes ok i was kind of looking forward to this ever since i read one of mindy mcginnis’s book last year, be not far from me, which i enjoyed so this was a big let down ngl

i was so confused the whole time and i have no idea still what tress’s plan was, i could hardly tell which pov i was in (speaking of pov wtf why was there a panther’s pov??? added nothing but confusion), i couldn’t remember any of the character’s names, and i have no idea what the plot was

i really tried to like it and focus but i really couldn’t get into the world. this felt like the kind of story that would possibly work better as a movie and didn’t really feel like a book. even though it felt like a movie, i couldn’t visualize anything because 1) i had no idea what was going on and 2) there were no descriptions of any of the characters that i was aware of.

i also don’t really know why it needed to be a duology. the ending left on a “wait wtf are they fr??” note but like i don’t see a reason to drag this out??? i have no idea where this will be going and tbh ill probably pass on reading it.

in conclusion, lots and lots of confusion, little to no world visualization, a not needed sequel on the way, and lots of disappointment. i might revise this review after i collect my thoughts but yuh lolz

7 years ago, Tress Montor's parents disappeared while driving her best friend home. Now, Tress lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the "White Trash Zoo," - a wild animal attraction featuring a zebra, a chimpanzee, and a panther, among other things. Felicity, Tress's ex-bff, was with Tress's parents the night they disappeared and holds the secret to what happened. Tress plans to pry the truth out of Felicity during a Halloween costume party at an abandoned house. Tress plans to slowly seal her former best friend into a coal chute, brick by brick (Poe!). I loved this and need book two... right.... now.