The Quarry Girls was a nonstop page turner and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a story about a small town in St. Cloud, Minnesota that is harboring a lot of dark secrets.  It has creepy underground tunnels that connect all the houses.  When young girls go missing and found dead Brenda is determined to find answers.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Jess Lourey for the ARC for my review.

Overall, I did enjoy this one. It was a bit slow going at first but the second half really picked up and I flew through it. I thought I had things figured out but then another twist was thrown in and caught me off guard. I would have enjoyed a bit more character development but overall, this was a good, quick read.

5 stars all the way!

‘My home, my neighbourhood, whirling like a tuned-up clock as poison rotted it from the inside. Had it always been like this? Bright and happy on the surface, dark and decaying beneath? Was this how every neighbourhood was, or was it the tunnels that cursed Pantown, weakening our foundation from the start?’ 

I knew it was only a matter of time until Jess Lourey wrote something equally as memorable and unputdownable as Unspeakable Things. I read The Quarry Girls over two days – couldn’t put it down, had to finish, had to know how it ended. Loved the eerie apprehension of this one, and I was in a constant state of foreboding, fearful for the safety of teenage narrator Heather, her younger sister, her two female best friends, and all the girls of the small Minnesota town of Saint Cloud in the Summer of 1977. This town sure had a dark underbelly lurking everywhere, permeating everything.

Given the graphic content, and because it involved underage teenage girls being taken advantage of in pretty much every way possible, it was dark, distressing, disturbing, and often bleak. But, it was also suspenseful, tense, atmospheric, emotional, compelling, and the characters and setting were vivid and unique, and there was justice and hope for the future to be found by the end. The notion of a maze of tunnels running beneath the residential neighbourhood of Pantown on the outskirts of Saint Cloud, accessed via the basements of every house further connecting to an abandoned, derelict factory really creeped me out. Adored all the 70’s pop culture references peppered throughout.

I’m very excited for whatever Jess Lourey writes next. She totally nailed everything correctly with The Quarry Girls.

I’d like to thank Netgalley US, Thomas & Mercer, and Jess Lourey for the e-ARC.

This is a new author to me, and I enjoyed The Quarry Girls very much, so will be keen to read more. Vividly described, the prose is evocative of the era and I felt that I really routed for the main character, caring about the outcome for her. With lots of plot twists it is page-turning and I highly recommend it. Couldn't put it down!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this before it was released! I have enjoyed all of Jess Lourey's 1970s Minnesota crime books. This one was great, too. I loved the setting in the creepy tunnels under St. Cloud, MN, and the quarry pits outside of town. This one features smart teenage girls, creepy adult men, a garage band, and a kindnapped waitress

The quarry girls was a a couldn’t put down book for me. A story about a small town and missing girls and creepy tunnels  where everyone i seems to be a suspect

highly suspenseful, great read that reminds you to be cautious even with those you know. page turner and will definitely pick up another by the author

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read a copy of The Quarry Girls.  

This is my second book from Jess Lourey and I can't wait to read more.  I loved the fact this was based off a true story.    There are some very disturbing/hard issues to read, but worth it.  I did find some parts of the book predictable, but still enjoyed the story.

This book was really interesting! The twists and turns surprised me. The tunnels were really creepy, and I think they made the story unique in an interesting way that I haven't noticed in other young adult mysteries. The characters were compelling as well, and I liked that they suffered from relatable issues. For example, some of them struggle with mental illness.

The Quarry Girls was my first book by Jess Lourey.  I am definitely interested in reading more.  To be honest, I had to start and stop The Quarry Girls a few times just because the content was too intense for me.  Its difficult to talk much about it without spoiling anything, so I will just say the themes of underage sexual abuse as well as the idea of a vast conspiracy of people in trusted roles (police, parents, etc.) doing things that are harmful to women and children are extra intense given how frequently that happens in real life.  The story was very engaging and I was hooked early on.  I liked the two narrators and was rooting for each of them. 

With all the heaviness the themes of The Quarry Girls made me feel, I definitely still enjoyed it as a thriller.  The late 1970's setting was also a really great device that added to the thrill of the book.  No cell phones, limited news options, no internet....how did people survive back in those days?!?!?!?  Haha.

I'm a fan of this author, and the writing in The Quarry Girls was wonderful. So wonderful, that I eventually had to put the book down because the subject matter was just too much. I certainly recommend the book for anyone who feels comfortable with the subject matter.

⭐⭐⭐ -- Love this cover!

I mostly enjoyed this one. It kept me hooked and turning the pages. That said, I also found it quite predictable. I had most of the story figured out very early on. However, that could be because it reminded me of a book I read a while back (can't remember the name) that had a similar plot. In any case, like I said, it was an enjoyable way to pass a few hours!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

The Quarry Girls is a spooky novel for readers who want to experience high school in 1977. Heather and Brenda, soon to head to college, spend their last days of summer, just as they always do, hanging out at a St. Cloud, Minnesota quarry. They become wrapped up in a mystery they promise to keep secret. The Quarry Girls is a great escape read for fans of coming-of-age fiction. Also recommended as a crossover, new adult read.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2023 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2023/01/2023-reading-list-announced-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Based on a true story of kidnapping that occurred in Minnesota, The Quarry Girls follows the stories of 3 friends in the 70s. When one of them goes missing, along with another local girl, the remaining friends set out to try to find out what happened. What they discover on their way to the truth will tear apart many lives in town plus put their lives in danger.

References on this book are so good, a lot music, hair styles, food, tv shows references from the 70s. The author made the story come to life with all the realistic details, the town with its underground tunnels and the quarry nearby created such a creepy atmosphere that gives you goosebumps.

I really enjoyed the small town vibe and the creepiness factor with the tunnels and quarries.

A true-crime based thriller, set in a neighboring county to where I currently live & where I grew up?! Sign me up! I just may be retried to enter Stearns County again for a little bit 😉😂

Set in rural Minnesota, The Quarry Girls is the story of small-town secrets in 1977. A thriller that has one very clear plot line, while the other leaves you searching & wondering about answers to the who’s & why’s. 

The book has all the good thriller elements - suspense, questioning, eerie settings, questionable characters & more! I was very drawn in by the different themes that were in this book - girls/women and their roles in society, family dynamics, corruption & all the secrets. It kept me on my toes and desiring to figure out who did what! So good! 😌

Jess Lourey is a local Minnesotan author who writes books based on true crimes that occurred in Minnesota. A big thanks to my friend Maddie for introducing me to Jess’ books - as it’s always great to support local authors, especially with books that have settings that you recognize & are familiar with! I was fortunate enough to meet Jess at my local indie bookstore in December which was such a fun time, getting to chat about her craft & she signed a few copies of her books for me 🙌🏼 She’s the sweetest & I am so glad I was able to attend that signing! 😌

I read The Quarry Girls in two days, it was difficult to stop reading as the story was so compelling and engaging that you just wanted to reach the end and understand what had happened. I was also very surprised by the author's notes at the beginning of the book. I've never really stopped to think why there seemed to have been found more serial killers in the US than elsewhere. As Ms.Lourey mentions the story happens in the late '70s when there was a lot of experimenting going on mainly among the younger people, it has a great plot, and although the main issue is about killing people it's done in a way that violence mingles with the youngsters naiveté. 
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I really enjoy Lourey’s ability to immerse her readers in a time period. Every one of her books does this so well. I enjoyed this book, although it wasn’t my favorite of hers. The plot was well-paced and full of action, and her characters were all fleshed out really well. 4 solid stars.

What happens when your friends start to go missing and who can you trust? Heather and her friends are doing the things teenagers do: dabbling in partying, sex, and just having fun. But one night they see something they shouldn't, and everything in their seemingly perfect world starts to unravel. And the kicker is: the people who you should trust, might also be involved. I really enjoyed this book. It was a refreshing change of pace to the typical psychological thrillers I usually read. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4.

The Quarry Girls is a thriller set in in the 1970s in Minnesota. While based on true crime, this book is fiction, and it follows a group of teenagers living in a suburb of Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The story starts with the abduction of a teenager from another school as she finishes her evening shift at a local diner. Complicated family dynamics and underground tunnels that link the basements of all of the houses in the town only add to the intrigue and mystery.

This book deals with a lot of heavy topics, including kidnapping, rape, and sex, though many of the scenes are not explicit. The writing was easy to read, and the plot kept me interested in the story, though I did find some of the plot points and reveals predictable.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.