Alison Gaylin is the most underrated phenomenal author I know. Her books are thrilling from start to finish and so unpredictable. In The Collective, a grieving mother must figure out how far she's willing to go for justice. When Camille's obsession with a young man she believes is responsible for her child's death catches the attention of a secret group of grieving mothers with similar stories, Camille is intrigued. But when they all come up with revenge fantasies, Camille begins wondering if they're actually fantasies or actual plans to act out. In this story, Camille will find out just what kind of person she is. Highly recommended!!

A woman's grief over the death of her daughter creates tension on every page in another Gaylin thriller.

This book was a wild ride from beginning to end.

Camille gutted after losing her daughter 5 years ago and she is searching the web for a group for grieving mothers. She stumbles on the Collective and quickly gets taking into the deep dark web.

She is tasked with helping these women get their revenge on their children's killers.

Camille thinks this is just a game until she realizes there are real people involved.

This is a very twisty ride that is so well written you don't want it to end.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for this ARC

OMG. This book isn't like any one I've ever read before. The plot was amazing. Who doesn't love women coming together to right the wrongs? That ending too!

I love this dark and twisty thriller! You never know the darker side of people, what Happens behind closed doors!

First, I would like to start by thanking the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with this digital ARC in return for my honest opinion on this novel.

Soooo..... unpopular opinion... I was not impressed with this novel. I especially dislike the ending! I just felt like there was not very must going on in the story other than a understandably grieving mother asking for something specifically, getting said thing she wished for, suddenly growing a conscience, and therefore feels that "everyone else" involved should then feel the same way. I do have to admit that the ending did come as a bit of a surprise, but that was the most exciting but devasting part to this whole story for me as well! I just felt as though it had been built up so much that the ending just left me kind of thinking "is that really all that is coming out of all this?". I just felt like I was still left with so many unanswered questions than I had in the beginning.

Overall, I would say that this novel was an average fast-paced read to fill your reading goal with!

I FINALLY got around to reading The Collective by Alison Gaylin. It’s been a bookstagram favorite for months now, so my expectations were quite high because of all the rave reviews. Did this one live up to all the hype for me? Ehhh…not so much. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining, thrilling, and I really enjoyed the concept. A group of grieving mothers seek justice and revenge on the men who hurt, killed, or wronged their children. It reminded me of two popular books mashed together: The Change and The Chain. The plot hooked me instantly as it’s pretty dark and twisty. I was extremely invested at the beginning, but then started to lose interest at the halfway point. By the end of it, I was a tad confused and pretty much checked out. The concept was unique, but just not very well executed in my opinion. With that said, I’m going to settle on 3.5/5 stars for The Collective!

The theme of this book is revenge. When Camille's daughter is found in the forest, and she makes a statement to her mother about who did it, Camille is consumed with grief. She seeks out a therapist, Joan, for help, and she donates Emily's organs - the heart goes to Luke.
A few years after Emily's death, Emily's attacker is being lauded, and Camille goes a bit out of control. She is then contacted by a member of a vigilante group who want revenge on people who got away with terrible crimes. Camille, in her grief, decides to join this group.
However, as Camille gets deeper into the group, she senses something sinister, and realizes too late that what she thought was revenge is much scarier than she expected.
Thanks to Scene of the Crime and The Book Club Girls for this early read. #HarperCollins #WilliamMorrow

Loved this! Extremely original and full of badass women. Always a plus. Loved the revengefulness as well. Explosive ending!

Grief and revenge collide in this absolutely wild, twisted thriller by Alison Gaylin. The second half moves at breaking speed as you learn what is really going on with The Collective.

I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever read a book quite like this before! Camille lost her daughter five years before and her grief is so overwhelming I struggled through about the first third of the book. At the same time, I recognize this as the reality for so many who go through the unimaginable pain of losing a child. The way Gaylin writes Camille’s story, I can see why her grief became so all consuming that her marriage fell apart. It was almost impossible to not get dragged down with her.

But this is not simply a book about sadness, grief, and loss. This is a book about anger and revenge. As Camille spirals, lashing out at the privileged male she blames for her daughter’s death, she gets recruited to join an anonymous group of mothers going through the same thing who are simultaneously a support group (if you can call it that) and a match lighting the flame of revenge that will drive these women to seek their own form of justice.

The planning and precision of the tasks intellectually fascinated me. Each woman is assigned a job that is only a small piece of a larger plan. But the trick is, they don’t know what the plan is. I could see why Camille found the tasks soothing and cathartic in their own way. She sees this as a sort of role playing exercise where she can work through what it would feel like to seek justice in a very safe way.

I don’t want to say much more about the plot but let’s just say that things get very strange as the book goes on. These women are flawed but relatable. This is the sort of book that makes you question morality, justice, and right versus wrong.

There are tons of twists and turns and I felt surprised and shocked at every one—I was just enjoying the ride! I felt so intrigued by the anonymous group of women and how it all worked. The second half I truly couldn’t put down. The ending is unforgettable!

Ahhhh!! What was that??? A group of female vigilantes? Nobody is who they seem. Mom's want revenge but then develop a conscience after. Very unhealthy relationship with the recipient of her daughter's heart. I really tried but don't waste your time.

Interesting book about grief and the need for revenge. What lengths would you go to to avenge the wrongful death of loved one? I enjoyed the story. It was a quick read for me.

I was looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately I just did not enjoy it. The book was very slow and I actually forced myself to finish it just so I could see how it ended.

This gripping psychological thriller is a wild ride from start to finish, causing readers to wonder how far a grieving mother will go to right a tragic wrong. The story centers around a grieving, angry mother, Camille Gardner, who believes that the young privileged man she holds responsible for her daughter's death five year prior has not been held accountable. When she appears in a viral video causing a scene at an event honoring the young man, she attracts the attention of a secret group of women known only as "the collective," who share their own stories of loss and desire for justice. Camille gets pulled in deeper and deeper, while the stakes and consequences rise exponentially. Her loyalty to the group and commitment to its goals are tested, taking her to a point of no return. The pacing is excellent throughout and the ending is jaw-droppingly unexpected. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that explore female anger, this is one that should not be missed.

Many thanks to the Scene of the Crime and Book Club Early Read programs, and William Morrow for the opportunity to read the wickedly twisty tale of suspense!

Entertaining, fast read! I loved the concept of this thriller and was hooked from the start. There were some parts that seemed too far fetched if you favor realistic plots. Overall I’d recommend.

Wow so much sadness and fear in this book. Fearful of what was going to happen next with the vigilante mom group. You can see how someone in pain could easily get caught up with others plans and make wrong decisions.

Exciting thriller and keeps you very engaged.

This was a very different psychological read. The plot concept is terrifying but conceivable knowing the power of a mother’s love and the drive for justice. This story portrayed a grieving mothers journey of sorrow, apathy, obsession, rage, and justice. It was scary seeing how out of control things can get on social media hiding behind an invisible persona. There were definitely some flaws in the realistic aspects of the story but all in all it was quite gripping & faced-paced with a very unexpected ending. I highly recommend it.

I hated and loved this book! I understand the concept and it reminded me of the book, Strangers on a Train, but on a more grand scale and with technology. It was interesting how things tied together and how it ended.

The idea behind this one is really intriguing to me- what would you do or how far would you go to exact “revenge.” I love cult and “secret society” books, so this was right up my alley.

Five years ago, Camille’s teenage daughter died after a party, and she still blames the wealthy young man who was her daughter’s date. From a polished, successful, and married professional woman, she’s become a freelancer barely holding on to her accounts, a divorcée, and her outward appearance matches the chaos of her interior world.

Justice seems impossible until she receives information about a group of women—The Collective—who enact retribution when it is unavailable through legitimate means. But, there are several tests of loyalty, and Camille wonders if the network is real or an elaborate hoax—and, if real, does she really want to become a killer, like the man she hates. Although forbidden to seek out information about other members or their targets, Camille begins researching the group, and she is shocked at what she learns, unsure if she can give herself to the group or if she will try a dangerous break for freedom.

I got sucked in on page one and couldn’t put this book down! In addition to a great, twisty story it presented interesting moral dilemmas about who is responsible for punishment and how far extrajudicial actions can go. The ending is audacious and clever if a little rushed.

I was so entertained by this book and recommend it for anyone looking for a fast-paced, gripping read.