Amazing book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Left me wanting to know about what was happening between Tress and Felicity. Or maybe was it the cat I want to know more about. Interesting incite into the mind high school teenage girls that are drive apart by an unforseen event. This is a must read.

This was my first experience with an audiobook narrated by a synthetic voice. I didn’t hate it.

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis is an ambitious work of fiction. The plot is multifaceted and the characters are complicated and layered. The content is appropriate for the YA category and parties, drunks, drugs, abuse, drama, and violence abound.

So, about the story itself. Missing parents, a missing panther, a neurological condition, a dysfunctional family, a soured friendship, a shady zoo, and a combination of typical and seriously atypical teen behavior all take turns as the focus in this novel. It is obvious that the author invested enormous energy and love in her writing. You can feel it in how the characters are brought to life. Although the resolution ties together all of the disparate pieces, the story was lacking in focus for me and didn’t come together well-enough to justify the numerous plot points.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for access to this voice galley in exchange for my honest review.

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I'm not posting this review on Goodreads. Unfortunately, I was unable to finished the book or get a good feel for it due to the emotionless synthesized voice narrating the story. Hopefully when the book is published, the audiobook will be much better. I plan on attempting another read of the book when it's actually published with a different narrator.

This book is a fun combination of a town filled with family rivalries and Poe's Tell Tale Heart. It is a bit of an interesting combination. For the first portion of the book, we get introduced to our main characters Tress and Felicity. Something has gone awry in their friendship, but things turn very dark very quickly in this riveting tale of betrayal, grief, and capitalism.

Too many chapters, many of which were just a few sentences and very unnecessary to have.

The synthetic voice messed up my ability to really get into the story and follow super closely, so if I missed some details, that is who I blame.

The cat. A problematic and honestly useless plot device. I didn't need to hear it's point of view. I actually really disliked that.

Overall I felt like it was a lot of buildup for very little pay off. Tress just assumes she's dead? You don't die and then revive after a seizure.

I won't post to goodreads since I currently have a negative view. I may be willing to read/listen again when they have a real narrator and the final edits are made, but overall...not a fan.

When Mindy McGinnus puts pen to paper i know the story will be extraordinary. This is no exception, and DAMN you for making we wait for book 2 when book one isn’t even out yet. Now that that is out of my system…

Friends drift apart. It’s natural, it happens, especially when transitioning between grades. However, there is a difference between drifting and being torn apart. In this case the tear is a set of missing parents, and a ride home that never made it there.

Tess is a parentless girl. She now lives in the “white trash zoo” with a poor excuse for a grandfather. She has an important family name and family line Montor, but she is no longer important, just a girl on the fringes of society who acts as a punching bag for those who see themselves as her betters.

Felicity turnado, may not have the name, but her family has the money. As long as they don’t show it off too much that is. Felicity was present when Tess’s parents disappeared but remembers none of it. She knows she is the reason Tess is a pirah, but between her secret health issues, mistrust of others around her, and her want to remain at the top of the social ladder, she is a mess.

Then Halloween happens and a grand master plan kicks off. However, Halloween is not just Halloween. There is some flu going around the town, and they have canceled everything, including football games and dances. But teens will be teens and the party must go on. But unknown to a lot of them, there has been an escapee from the local zoo, who stalks his prey and will get what they want, blood and all.

This story is super unique. There are so many things going one. The story is told in multiple points of view including the view of the animals at the zoo. I was privileged to listen to this as an audiobook. And even though the narrator was an AI reader, it didn’t matter. I was hooked. I binged it and could not stop. I had to know what happened next!!! I still need to know what happens next. This book is one of the best horror/thriller books for YA I have ever read, and I can't shut up about it. It’s not out til Feb 23, but add it to your TBR, put your preorder in, or ask your library to buy it, because I can guarantee you don’t want to miss this book.

I was provided a free copy of the audiobook from NetGalley for an honest review*

A retelling of Poe with Mindy McGinnis raw, dark and gritty writing is the story I didn't know I needed. I loved the play on names and how she twisted the story to make it fit her style just perfectly. Exceptional story that kept me drawn in. Betrayal of friendship, big cats, seeking revenge, and a long waited answer to the question of what happened to her parents.

I've always been a Poe fan and McGinnis has taken one of my favorites and turned it on its head in the best way. While the myriad nods to Poe are a fun diversion, the story itself is layered and intriguing, building on characters and revealing different facets as the story progresses. What seems at first a simple revenge story turns into so much more and I was left guessing what would happen next. I'm dying to get my hands on the next book to see where the story goes!

I got this audiobook because I adore Mindy McGinnis! I own every one of her books and I have loved them all and this one was just as great as those. This waa such a great thriller. The back and forth narrative made this book a bit confusing and wild but I loved it. Neither narrator seemed fully reliable which just added to the confusing whirlwind that was this book.
McGinnis is the super star when it comes to making books feel wild and brilliant with just her writing style and this book is a shinning example of that. You are racing to get answers along with Tress and Felicity. The later it gets the fast and more manic the characters get and it is brilliant making your heart race and the pages fly by. This book is just a shinning example of what a good YA thriller could be!

Whoa! A retelling of The Cask of Amontillado + The Tiger King!
My students will LOVE this title! Our school is about an hour away from Joe Exotic's "zoo" featured in the Tiger King, so we are able to easily visualize the "White Trash Zoo" where one of the main character's, Tress, lives.
Mindy McGinnis always brings the crazy and The Initial Insult is full of the McGinnis madness. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and Mcginnis does an excellent job making them unique and endearing-- even the other main character, Felicity-- the small-town popular, rich girl/ ex-bff who has a "shameful" secret.
I had to listen to the last 6 short chapters for a 2nd time because the ending arrived before I was prepared. Then I remembered that this is part 1 of a duology! Great! Because I definitely need more!

3.5 stars rounded to 4
(FYI: I don't recommend the audio ARC-- the computerized reading doesn't bring the same feels)

I received this as an eARC audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As in, I couldn’t get enough of it. It was an extremely fast-paced book told from rivaling POVs. Tress believes Felicity knows more than she’s letting on about the disappearance of her parents... but Felicity has other secrets that keep her from being able to reveal what happened. Now her former best friend is trying to force the truth out brick by brick, layer by layer. It’s action packed throughout, but we really reach the climax at the end and I can’t wait for the second in the series!

Also, how the hell does Mindy McGinnis come up with this stuff????

This book is about two high school girls, Tressa and Felicity, who used to be best friends. One night Tressa’s parents are driving Felicity home when they disappear. Felicity is found, but she can’t remember what happened. Tressa is sent to live with her Tiger King like grandfather and her life makes a complete change from what she knew before.

The story is told between the past and present and both girls’ perspectives. There is also a few chapters from a quite unique perspective.

Being that this is Mindy McGinnis, this book is dark and gritty and hits on some tough situations for teens. Mindy has done a fabulous job taking from Edgar Allen Poe and creating a modern day story. If you are a Poe fan, you will love the references.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the sequel. Thank you NetGalley for the free audio in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, and can I say it again? WOW. I have read This Darkness Mine, so I had an idea of what I'd signed up for with a Mindy McGinnis book but my mind was still blown by her impressive prose. McGinnis has crafted two amazing main characters, Tress and Felicity, that switch POV's throughout the book. This creates an interesting dynamic of perspectives as we settle into a Cask of Amontillado type situation. That's right, someone is getting entombed behind a brick wall Edgar-Allan-Poe-Style! I absolutely loved this premise, and I found the flashbacks to their friendship falling apart (told by both sides) to be completely fascinating.

McGinnis has perfectly crafted yet another psycho-thriller and I can't wait for the second half of this duology. I thought I knew where this was going but was so intrigued by the flashback stories that I didn't care too much, and then BAM! My expected ending did NOT happen. I was so shocked I had to re-listen to the last couple of chapters to confirm I wasn't dreaming! The ending was so abrupt it left me reeling, and it would have been a perfect ending point to the entire story, no second half needed, if I wasn't left with so many unresolved flashback questions. You could say I'm dying to ind out what happens next!

* I was provided an audiobook arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

The first thing I have to say about this Poe retelling is how well written it is. It’s so creative and captivating a story, I couldn’t stop listening. We have 3 different perspectives telling us this tale, and all 3 of them are interesting and well rounded. I think that’s what makes this so special. As for the story itself, Tress has lost her parents, in the most literal sense, and possibly locked somewhere in her former best friend’s memory is the how and why. I loved the different perspectives of Tress and Felicity as they recall their childhood together and the memories which ripped them apart. There was something about the way they’re written that reminded me of the voice of Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird) and I truly enjoyed being on this book. I do have to mention this is a duology and the second book is not available yet, but it’s one I’ll for sure be picking up as that ending was shocking and I need answers to all the mysteries remaining.

This book is amazing. The non narration was not so amazing. The cadence wasn't there so while I enjoyed the plot following along was just tough.
Overall a great story if you enjoy not knowing what will happen next and multiple povs.

WOW!
So, I'm a long time fan of Mindy McGinnis. By 'fan' I mean I'm borderline obsessed. I love the rich characters, dark plots, and realness she brings to her books. When I first heard the premise for 'The Initial Insult' I was hooked. Edgar Alan Poe meets The Tiger King checks all my boxes. Right on brand, this book brings a darker side to teens, life in the Appalachian areas, and the human will for survival. This book did not disappoint with anything other than waiting for the next installment.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Children's - Katherine Tegen Books for this audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first audiobook arc I've listened to on Netgalley and I thought it was decent for being a synthetic voice--it didn't distract me at all. Overall, I thought the premise was interesting and loved how it's Poe-esk. The book is about two young girls and how their friendship became strained after the one's parents disappear after they try to take home the other girl in the middle of a sleepover. Tress, the girl who's parents disappeared, believes her old friend, Felicity, knows what happened that night even though she claims she doesn't remember anything. So Tress comes up with a plan to try and get the truth out of Felicity.

There was a lot going on and it got a little confusing towards the end once the chapters were short and hopped between the multiple characters with this audiobook. I wasn't too thrilled about the ending and it really didn't satisfy the itch I had while listening to the majority of the book. I see that this is number 1 of a duology so how it ended makes sense but ah! I want answers now! :)

3.5/5

I feel that the synthetic voice really detracts from the emotion and drama happening in the story. Hearing a robotic voice read expletives and talk about slutty Halloween costumes is not fun. I will give the e-book a try instead.

This was a DNF got me, which I almost never do.

I was so excited about the premise of this book. I listened to over 50% of this story, and I just could not find interest or engage in the story or with the characters.

I received an advanced audiobook copy from Harper Children's and Katherine Tegen Books. All opinions are 100% my own.

I was absolutely hooked, and when I hit the ending....I wasn't ready to be done!
It was creepy, beautiful, and tragic. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author