Carefree and wild, the girls at Wesleyan are anything but nice.

When Amb leaves her small hometown of New Jersey to attend Wesleyan, she's determined to become the person she thinks she has always deserved to be - pretty, popular, desired. But once on campus, Amb realizes that everything she thought she knew about becoming an "it" girl was wrong and the girls at Wesleyan are effortlessly everything she wants to be which means she needs to try even harder.

Sloane "Sully" Sullivan is a wild child. She doesn't care what anyone thinks of her and her only goal for college seems to be to sleep with as many guys as possible and party harder than anyone else. With an "I don't care" attitude and brimming with self-confidence, girls and boys alike flock to Sully, vying for her attention and affections. When Sully turns her gaze on Amb, Amb will do whatever it takes to keep it. But Sully gets bored easily, and as their fun turns more dangerous and more vindictive, Amb must decide how far she's willing to go keep Sully's friendship.

Years later, at their ten year college reunion, Amb and Sully are reuniting for the first time in nearly fourteen years. Their reckless freshman year and "Dorm Doom," aptly named after things got out of control for Amb and Sully, have haunted Amb. Now, she's receiving notes that suggests someone else knows what her and Sully did and they want revenge.

This was a really fun read that in many ways brought me back to my college days - trying to fit in and find my place at a new school and partying with friends I thought I would have forever. At Wesleyan, everything seemed to be taken up several notches. The parties were every parents' worst nightmare with free flowing drugs and sex, and the girls were so pretty and sweet at face value, but ruthless and cutthroat in reality.

The novel alternates between the past (Amb's freshman year) and the present (the reunion). Amb is dreading going back to her college campus, worried her husband will find out about what really happened all those years ago. Slowly, we learn about the chaos that Sully and Amb created and the cruelty with which they inflicted their wrath.

This is one of those books where you really dislike the lead characters, and that may not work for some people. I thought the author did a really good job of developing Amb's character and slowly pushing her closer and closer to the dark side. With each small act of cruelty, it was easier to see how Amb was justifying her behavior to herself and who she was truly becoming.

I wouldn't say anything about the book is entirely unpredictable, but there were definitely a couple surprise moments that added to the wow factor. Some parts dragged a bit and felt repetitive, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

“We need to talk about what we did that night.” This is the note that arrives at Ambrosia Wellington’s home along with an emailed invite to attend her 10 year reunion at Wesleyan College. Knowing she needs to deal with her past friendships and deadly choices, she and her husband go. What comes after keeps you turning the pages until the conclusion.
I could not put this thriller down and read it in two days. The story was a mix of Mean Girls and I Know What You Did Last Summer and, although, the ending was slightly predictable, it was still satisfying. Add this to your to read list now!

Girls are brutal. We are brutal to ourselves. We are brutal to those around us. Why? Why must our insecurities turn into fear; lashing out at ourselves, those around us.

Ambrosia starts her freshman year at Wesleyan as Flora's roommate. Flora is disgustingly nice, kind, encouraging, supportive and madly in love with her boyfriend, Kevin.
Ambrosia hangs out with Sully- parties every night; alcohol and drugs; plummeting grades. Flora's concern spurned as ridicule.
Ten years later reunion time has arrived. But Ambrosia refuses to attend. Until her husband hears about the reunion. Ambrosia has never told him what really happened- the tragedy, the rumors, the guilt.
They arrive - and it all comes back.
Great plot. Great characters. Great twist.

2.5⭐

I have mixed feelings on The Girls Are All So Nice Here. I was very interested at the beginning, and the story was mysterious. It's a fairly fast-paced read, and I kept wanting to see what happened. Eventually, it went off the rails, and got really far-fetched. I probably would not have picked this book up if there were more details in the synopsis. Rape and suicide seemed to be added in for shock value, and suicide storyline is gratuitous. The story was missing some depth and characterization, and the ending felt contrived. However, I was still interested enough to finish the book, and I liked the overall concept.

CW - fatphobia, cheating, drug usage, bullying, rape, suicidal ideation, suicide (detailed), mentions of overdosing

A twisty turny thrill ride through memory lane... makes one look back upon the college years. The dynamics of the relationships formed, and finding ones place in new community where the girls are all so nice. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

I liked this book, but didn't love it. The characters were difficult to relate to. However, the twist at the end was unexpected, so kudos to the author for that! All in all, a quick read, with an eerie feeling throughout that I liked.

I discovered @netgalley the other day and got this e-ARC of 👯‍♀️ The Girls Are All So Nice Here 👯‍♀️ by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, coming out in one week on March 9th! I’m so excited to review it after devouring it in one afternoon.

The Girls Are All So Nice Here alternates between flashbacks to Ambrosia Wellington’s freshman year at Wesleyan and her ten year reunion, when she returns to Wesleyan after a mysterious night involving her roommate, a boy, and a charismatic, attention-seeking friend. The flashbacks are the heart of the book, and give the book a little extra weight thematically, beyond the mystery thriller aspect. Flynn is incredible at capturing the consuming dynamics that can spring up in friendships between women, how desperately we want to feel liked and how devastating it is to feel awkward, left out, or wrong in our own skins.

But the present day thriller side was equally great! It’s got a little bit of my favorite dark academia vibes, always something I love in a book. Flynn is equally good at describing adult life as she is at adolescent. And the ending was one I didn’t see coming at all - no spoilers, but I’ll say I wasn’t close to guessing!

I’d absolutely recommend The Girls Are All So Nice Here for an easy, enjoyable, and surprising read. Check it out when it goes on sale on March 9th!

Did I read this in under 24 hours? Yes. Did I get any sleep last night? LOL. This was INCREDIBLE. I love the mean girls trope but pair it with college instead of high school? YES PLEASE. I was hooked from the very beginning. Let me read EVERYTHING by Laurie Flynn!

Here’s a secret: No they’re not. In fact, I’ve never met a group of girls that I’ve disliked so much before – and I’ve lived through both middle school and high school – but Flynn knows this and does this on purpose.

Personally, I loved the back and forth between what happened in the past and what happened in the present. There were clever hints at what was to come, what had yet to be revealed, and just how easy it is to manipulate not only a friend, but your reader! Think one character is dead? You might be wrong. It might be someone else entirely.

Honestly, I’d recommend this one. I think the only reason it didn’t score higher for me was because I really just didn’t love the characters – even though that was the point. It was a mix between cheaters, manipulators, sociopaths – and NO ONE took college seriously.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this advanced reader copy!

The Girls Are All So Nice Here is a story about some very not nice girls. The story centers on Ambrosia Wellington, who received an invitation to her 10-year college reunion. Although she is hesitant to attend, Amb goes and comes face-to-face with her larger than life college best friend Sloane “Sully” Sullivan. They embark on a journey of confronting their past and piecing together what happened on a fateful night back in college.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I felt like I had read this mean girls story before. I didn’t really like Amb either. I found myself losing interest and was not surprised by the twists and turns.

That being said, I do think many readers will like this story and Flynn’s writing was excellent.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read the debut novel by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn - 4 stars for a look into some really mean girls!

Ambrosia (aka Amb) started off her freshman year as Wesleyan just wanting to fit in. She had a sweet roommate, Flora, but fell under the spell of bad girl, Sully. Ten years later, Amb is married to Adrian and has no intention of attending her college reunion. But she receives a hand-written anonymous note she can't ignore saying - We need to talk about what we did that night. When she arrives at the reunion, both her and Sully continue to receive increasingly-threatening messages and Amb starts questioning everyone's actions both in the present and the past.

Told in alternating chapters between the past and at the reunion, we learn just how mean girls can be. This is also an eye-opening look into what we will stoop to in order to fit in and be who we think others want us to be. This storyline kept me glued to the pages to see exactly who did what to whom!

One thing's for sure after finishing this - the girls are all definitely not so nice here! This was such a great read, an unrelenting & vicious glimpse into just how far those in toxic friendships are willing to push one another.

The story captured my attention right from the beginning! I was a huge fan of the dual timelines here, they worked really well & added to the suspense throughout. The characters were well thought out & the Mean Girls-esque ways in which they act with one another were executed perfectly. What these girls do to one another is brutal - CW if you're triggered in any way by bullying, sexual assault, & suicide. It didn't feel exploitative, however - in fact, I was instantly reminded of a highly publicized murder trial a few years back centered entirely around text messages. Unfortunately, behavior that may seem far fetched for some is a harsh reality for others.

Overall, I had a really great time with "The Girls Are All So Nice Here" & this sits strongly somewhere between 4 & 4.5 stars for me! Thank you so much to Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, NetGalley, & Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ambrosia and Sloane went to college together, and Sloane took Ambrosia under her party wing. "Amb" and "Sully" partied hearty. Amb's roomate during freshman year was a sweet girl Flora who talked by phone every night with her boyfriend Kevin who attended Dartmouth. Amb met Kevin one day, not knowing who he was, they exchanged friendly emails. Then the emails got personal.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me this arc in exchange for a review. This book will be on sale March 9!

I had a hard time getting into this book. I felt like the world of Amb and Sully is one I just couldn’t get into and it was hard to stay engaged. I think that this book will have great success but it’s just not for me. The writing is good and I think if you like toxic friendship type thrillers you’ll dig this one.

Amb and Sully did something awful when they were freshman at Wesleyan. Now, Amb has remade her life, is happily married to Adrian, and is living life with only a little twinge in the back of her head. Until their ten year reunion rolls around. She's sent a note, as is Sully, so the two of them go to the event and, well, you can guess that it isn't good for either of them. This switches between past and present. Amb is meant to be the more sympathetic and Sully the crueler one but decide for yourself how you feel about them. The basic plot- mean girls being called to account for their actions- resonates because of the fresh characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fast read.

The Girls Are All So Nice Here… just kidding, that’s a lie. The girls are downright awful.

Ten years ago, Ambrosia was a freshman at Wesleyan. Amb’s straitlaced roommate Flora is lovely and sweet, continuously offering friendship that Amb rebuffs. Desperate to shed her New Jersey roots and be popular, Amb instead becomes fast friends with Sully. Sully is wild and manipulative, and Amb will do pretty much anything to gain Sully’s attention and good graces. Before long, Amb is down a rabbit hole of partying, drinking, drugs, and horrible Mean Girls antics. She never meant to let it get so far out of hand…

Fast forward to the present, and we meet Amb as an adult – married to great guy, solid career in public relations, and her college days firmly tucked away as a distant memory. When the invitation for her college reunion arrives, Amb has no intention of going, but her husband (who of course has no idea about Amb’s dark past) persuades her to attend. An ominous note arrives with the invitation, making it clear that someone knows the terrible things that happened a decade earlier and is intent on making sure the perpetrators pay for their deadly deeds.

Wow, can Ms. Flynn weave a tale that keeps readers on the edge of their seats! Told in alternating timelines between “Then” and “Now”, both current and past strike dread in the reader’s heart as the suspense builds and the terrible events unfold. This can be a difficult technique to pull off, but in this case, both storylines were well developed, with the tension ratcheting up equally well. The characters are complex, and nobody is exactly who they seem to be. The twists are plentiful and unpredictable, with an ending I did not entirely see coming.

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn is about "mean girls" in a college setting. Although this topic is rather common, Flynn upped her writing by using characterization, that really made you feel empathy or disdain for the characters, Her use of an alternating timeline to tell the story, provided deeper insight. Those tricks plus some unexpected twists and turns made it a fun and enjoyable read that kept you coming back for more!

These girls are not so nice!! This story was very well written, some of the characters were so ruthless! This story shows how some people can be manipulated into doing things they would not normally do to be one of the “popular” kids. It also shows how weaker kids can be destroyed by bullying. This book was very intense and I thought had a surprise ending. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this novel so much!!!!! I've never read anything by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn but I'm gonna look up more of her books as soon as I can!!!!!!!!! This book was a slow but devious, delicious burn. It makes you feel like you're about to die to find out the big secret & when you do you're blown away!!!!!!! It really makes you think about mean girls & the effects they have on girls self esteem.

Wow this one is a rollercoaster. It took me a little while to get into but because I knew from the synopsis of the book that things were bound to get interesting, I knew I had to go forward. This was extremely well-written and though I felt like it could be detail heavy at times, I really appreciated the amount of thought the author put in.