I found the characters were underdeveloped the chapters were also very short switching to 2014 to the mid 1996-1999 with different P.O.V. The storyline held my interest and it had some twists I saw coming and some I didn’t. It wasn’t the best psychological thriller I’ve read. I still look forward to reading more from Shannon Hollinger.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Slumber Party by Shannon Hollinger for a honest review of the book

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this preview in exchange for my honest review. This was a hit and miss to me all rolled into one. The chapter are short but choppy. The characters were underdeveloped but held my attention. This plot was wild and all over the place but v twisty. I recommend of you want a fun fast read if you are willing to go with the flow and jump off the rails.

This book had a few twists and turns. I’m usually pretty good at figuring out what is going to happen and I have to say I couldn’t with this book. A close group of friends in high school is what most people want. They would stick up for each other no matter who came at them. What they didn’t realize is they really needed to look out for themselves. Great book, would recommend

Four girls - Mo, Amy, Liz and Sami - are lifelong friends.  They have known each other since early childhood and are as close as can be.  But are they?  This book has dual timelines from when they are in high school and 15 years later as adults.  However, something happened at Senior prom and it changed all of their lives forever.  

We find out that one of them died that fateful night, but who died and were any of the friends responsible for the death?   

This was such a fast paced read and I was here for all of it!  I couldn’t wait to learn more about each of the characters and what really happened.  This book kept me guessing until almost the very end and I didn’t see the jaw-dropping twist at all.  

This was my first book by Shannon Hollinger and it won’t be my last.  I cannot wait to read another one of her books.  A very satisfying read for sure.

I was hooked on the book when I read the first page. I could not put it down. I love a really good psychological thriller. The plot was so convincing that I thought I knew who it was then at the end, mind changing change. I will definitely tell people to read this book once it comes out!

I read this in 24 hours and I could not put it down! This one had me guessing throughout and I love how the author continued to surprise me! Great, quick read!

Unimaginable brain flowery here with 4 besties who aren't so bestie anymore!
We're going all the way back to prom night, a shooting, and some freaky shiite with drinks, drugs, guns, and oh, yeah sex and pervs.
Anybody and anyone can get laid or so it seems but it takes skills to pay the bills and be called the slut in high school. Sorry, Mo...I'm just being honest.
Oh, wait....I'm a bit confused did I just say, "MO"?
Ok, let me start over...there's Amy, Mo, Sami, and Liz. Liz is married to David but that's on the rocks with their daughter Olivia. Olivia was the result of this prom night at just 18 yo to Liz.
Speak now or forever hold your peace --comes to my mind ---all of a sudden!
Sorry, I digress!
Let me explain...Amy and Mo are quite close but could there ever be more than just friends?
HOLD UP- bones have just been found in the woods. Could it really be Mo's aka Morgana Ripley?
You know as I'm typing this review...there's been so much news lately about all this new D.N.A. testing kits and such that I'm wondering if that might be necessary in this story?
Did I mention David hasn't always been given the, "Greatest Dad of the Year" award but his time might also be coming very soon.
Oh, snap!
Olivia's gone missing now too? Where is she? Was she kidnapped? Is she in jail? Is she dead?
Speaking of which that reminds me about this friend I knew that was a conniving lil biotch...Oh, never mind! We're out of time.
These characters have left me with nails that are now bitten to the tip....Thanks, lol.
Oh, snap!
Did you just hear that...was that a gun? Fireworks? Have you seen David lately?
I best be gone...this is too dangerous.
Thank you to Shannon Hollinger, Bookouture, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Secrets from your past will eventually come to light….

Secrets, betrayal, shocking discoveries, and so much more! I loved the multiple character perspectives and dual timelines. It kept my attention throughout and I flew through it! There are twists left and right and it will definitely keep you on your toes. It was a fun and mysterious read, and it gave me Pretty Little Liars vibes which made me love it even more.

Thank you so much Bookouture and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

I throughly enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. I love books that have a best friends since childhood, but then a secret tears them apart, only for it to come back and haunt them story line. It was an intriguing mystery that had Pretty Little Liars vibes. It enjoyed the past/present and different character POV. I did have my suspicions that proved correct, but there were a few surprises along the way. I appreciate the opportunity to read this advanced copy, and I will definitely seek out more of her books!

Thank you bookouture, Shannon Hollinger, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of “The slumber Party,” due to be published march 22 2023.
Summary:
Sami, liz, Amy and Mo were childhood best friends that lasted up until prom night when tragedy struck. Now years later Liz with a child of her own now starts receiving letters from her dead best friend who died prom night.
How could she send a letter if she’s dead? This and matter other questions were asked. And one evening Liz’s daughter goes missing and Liz doesn’t know what to do . Will she be safe? Who took her? Why did they take her? These are questions you’ll ask yourself while reading.

What I loved?
I think I loved the whole book in entirety. From the writing to the twists I couldn’t put this down till I finished it. Just like the previous book I read from this author called Best Friends Forever. I highly recommend this one as well.

There was a twist almost every turn of the story. I had no idea how it was going to end even though I made a few guesses of my own throughout the book.

This book was one twist and turn after the other. Hollinger is a ‘new to me’ author and after reading this, I’m a big fan! I didn’t expect all of the things that happened and I really enjoyed the characters, different as they were. This is one of those books one can’t wait to finish to see what happens, but sad when you don’t have it to read any more. Highly recommend.

Thankyou so much Netgalley and Shannon Hollinger for giving me the ARC of this book.
This was such a gut wrenching and thrilling read. This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was predictable sometimes and sometimes it threw me off balance. The short chapters and the gripping characters made it a very fast paced read. The dual time lines and multiple pov was done really well and smoothly that it didn't feel jarring.
This book reminded me of a very famous show about best friends - Pretty Little Liars. It's a very gripping read.
If you love books filled with mystery, thrill, best friends who share a secretive past, and if you're the fan of PLL - then you should definitely read this book!
Rating : 4.5/5

If there's a specific kind of mystery thriller I'm a total sucker for is definitely Group Of Now Estranged Best Friend's Mysterious Past Comes Back To Bite Them In The Ass And Everything Goes To Absolute Shit From There.

The Slumber Party follows a formula that's already a winner one by itself, if and when it's properly developed, but it's also a formula that readers who enjoy this genre probably now way too well.
It'd be easier to sum it all up by saying that yes, while this was easy to read and very enjoyable, it was also not that original in the end, the execution was nothing special and the twists were indeed a tad too predictable. It'd be easier, but it wouldn't be the actual truth.
I must admit that while I was reading things from this book I couldn't help but think I'd already read them somewhere else, in other occasions, but there's a thin line that separates an original book to one that takes an overused concept and crafts it in a way that is interesting and entertaining.
I'm glad to announce Shannon Hollinger knew what she was doing when she took the second path and wrote this fast-paced, page-turner novel. Sure, her writing isn't breath-taking and her narration sometimes felt messy and approximate, but there was also a raw simplicity to her words that glued me to the pages.
I feel the same way about the characters. I think they could have used more distinct voices, and at the same time, found them very well characterized.

The Slumber Party may not be the most amazing thriller I've ever read nor the most mind-blowing one, and it definitely has its own flaws, but I had fun with it and was never bored.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

🟢FINAL RATINGS 3,5/5🟢

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shannon Hollinger for this Advanced Reader’s Copy.

This is my first book by Shannon Hollinger and I look forward to reading more from her. This book was fast paced and twisty, although the twists were pretty easy to figure out in my opinion. I enjoyed the short chapters and the different perspectives of each of the girls. This book is told from many different points of view and switches from past to present.

This book was an excellent fast paced read which kept me guessing all the way from the beginning until the very end. All the characters were well described and the ending was good.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I can thoroughly recommend.

Did you go to sleep over’s as a kid?

I had one best friend in high school and I practically lived at her house. We were inseparable. Then I moved and we grew apart. But I will always remember the time we spent together and the chocolate peanut butter milkshakes we would make!

We swore nothing would break us, until one of us became a killer on prom night and our lives were changed forever.

Now years have passed, and the past is coming back to haunt us and reveal what happened that night. With the killer free, is everything that is held dear at risk?

Review:

I enjoyed this one. It had dual timelines, when the friends were in high school, and the present. I always love a good dual timeline if it’s done well. This one did get a little messy because there were multiple characters, and the past and present timeline. It was just a lot to track but I did enjoy it, it just took extra effort. This novel was full of suspense and intrigue. It felt that the pacing was on the slower side for me, I would have preferred maybe some more action, but it worked. This story was far from boring and did hold my interest. The twist on this one was fairly anti-climatic as there were large clues left along the way.

This is my first book by this author, but I would not be opposed to reading more. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a solid suspense novel.

Check this one out March 22nd.

Thank you to the publisher Bookouture, @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author, for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Congratulations on a great book! I really love it and it was hard to put down. Had me guessing until the very end.
I would have loved more about Francine, especially with then ending and why she felt so guilty, but I liked it regardless.

Posted on Goodreads:

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me an ARC for this one.

This is a captivating story of four friends, Amy, Mo, Liz, and Sami, that have what they think is an unbreakable bond. However, as they get older, and they each have their own secrets, that bond does start to break. Told through the girl's point of view, between when they were younger and now, you might think that you know what happened, but it will leave you guessing until the end.

Great book. Well written. It held my attention throughout. Having the multiple view points and being told between then and now added to the suspense and made it hard to put down.

Will be posted on Instagram on publication day!

It was at times hard to keep the characters straight but there were twists and turns throughout and I could not put it down!

I thought "Best Friends Forever" was good, ""The Slumber Party" blows it out of the water. It's a story of best friends and how they can support you and tear you down at the same time. It's about a mother doing what it takes to save her daughter. This books has twists and turns and a surprise ending. It's an easy read that keeps your attention from the get go. Shannon Hollinger is an author to follow. She's extremely talented and her characters are relatable. She's able to bring the teenage years to life and makes you think about how rough they could be at times. She is on my list of favorite authors. I recommend picking this book up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shannon Hollinger for this ARC.

The Slumber Party is an exciting thriller that follows Liz, Sami, Mo, and Amy - four close-knit high school friends who share everything -- until they don't. Was it that teenage distrust that caused their friendship to fall apart or was it more? A little over 15 years later, Liz hasn't talked to any of the other three; however, she soon finds threatening notes around her house, and a detective shows up on her doorstep. What happened all those years ago? Liz now has to face the others (at least those who remain of the others) again, not only for her sake but also for her daughters.

The story is told through multiple POVs and timelines. Having chapters told through each of the main characters' perspectives definitely added to the overall narrative. I thought the characters were well- thought-out and -developed. Each had their own personality, quirks, strengths, and weaknesses. In a character-driven book, it's definitely important for the characters to stand out, even if the characters are mostly unlikable. The only character that I didn't understand/thought was unnecessary was Francine.

Overall, I did think a lot of the book was predictable, including the ending. With that said, I still actually really enjoyed it.