*The Glennmare Girls* is a compelling and atmospheric novel that delves into the complexities of friendship, secrets, and the darker side of adolescence. Set in the isolated and eerie Glennmare Academy, this story is a masterful blend of suspense, psychological drama, and mystery that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

Glennmare Academy is no ordinary boarding school. Located on a windswept island off the coast of Seattle, it serves as a refuge for the unruly daughters of affluent East Coast families. The novel’s protagonists—Kitty, Bernie, Coretta, Diane, and Jolie—are more than just roommates; they share a bond that feels more like sisterhood. This deep connection is tested and intensified by the mysterious disappearance of Kitty, whose absence looms large over the narrative.

Mora excels in creating a rich, immersive setting that enhances the story’s haunting tone. The academy, with its strict rules and isolated location, becomes a character in its own right, contributing to the sense of foreboding and tension. The imagery of teenage girls with ribbons in their hair, symbolising a lost innocence, adds to the book’s dark, almost gothic atmosphere.

The characters are well-drawn and complex, each grappling with their own secrets and personal demons. The dynamics between the girls are fraught with tension, loyalty, and unspoken truths, making their interactions both compelling and believable. The enigmatic teacher who quotes obscure poetry and seems to understand the girls on a profound level adds another layer of intrigue and potential danger to the story.

Anya Mora’s writing is both lyrical and gripping, capturing the intensity of teenage emotions and the suspense of the unfolding mystery. Her ability to weave a dark, twisty tale while maintaining a deep empathy for her characters makes this novel a standout in the psychological thriller genre.

*The Glennmare Girls* is a deliciously dark and utterly gripping novel that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and stories about the complexities of female friendship. Anya Mora has crafted a story that is as thought-provoking as it is suspenseful, making this a must-read for anyone looking for a well-written, twisty, and emotionally resonant mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Glennmare Girls is a dark academia mystery that alternates between different character viewpoints. Although I found the story interesting, the pacing felt off and I struggled to stay interested. There are some good red herrings to keep the narrative moving forward, but I found the number of characters to be confusing and it ultimately slowed down the pacing.

I thought I’d like this but it was trying too hard to be dark academia, instead being kind of just awful. The portrayal of teenage girls from men’s perspectives - especially scummy men - was icky. Also, animal abuse isn’t fun. I feel like the author wanted to be edgy and do something like Secret History, but it came off as amateur and silly.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I had a hard time with this book. I wanted to like it but it just wasn't for me. The premise was good but the story and characters fel flat.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Absolutely loved this book. Surprises around every corner. Great atmosphere and setting. I was hooked from the very beginning.

I’m was really intrigued by the premise of this book and it did not disappoint me. It was thrilling and captivating from start to finish

A great book with a creepy vibe. I love the gothic atmosphere with a strange school and characters. Very suspenseful and twisty.

"The Glennmare Girls" by Anya Mora is a gripping and suspenseful read that took me into the world of a group of teenage girls at an elite boarding school on a remote island off the coast of Seattle. As a reader, I was immediately drawn into their secrets, friendship, and mystery world.
The story is told from multiple perspectives, creating an engaging and dynamic narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters are well-developed and intriguing, each with their secrets and motivations. The author does a great job of building tension and suspense throughout the book, leading to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.
One of the standout aspects of the book is its setting. The isolated and atmospheric setting of Glennmare Academy adds an extra layer of mystery and intrigue to the story. The descriptions of the island and the boarding school are vivid and immersive, making me feel like I’m with the characters.
Overall, "The Glennmare Girls" is a compelling and well-crafted mystery thriller that kept me hooked from beginning to end. If you enjoy stories about friendship, secrets, and suspense, this book is worth a read.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I really wanted to love this book but it was just meh. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of it. The girls sounded 13 not 18 which made everything seem worse with Wells. Also I feel the whole step sibling thing could've been left out. It really didn't add anything important to the story.

A lot of twists and turns in this book. I like the dark and mysterious theme.
Sometimes it’s a bit difficult with all the point of views.
But it’s fast paced and not to long, making it a good book.
I would definitely read a book by this author again.

What did I just read?

I picked this one up because 1) the cover was gorgeous and 2) I'm always intrigued by a mystery that takes place at a secluded all-girls school. However... this one was just weird in a way that was more laughable than interesting.

Maybe it would have been better in a visual media format, but when a chapter was told from the perspective of all the girls as one combined force, I rolled my eyes. Speaking in "we"s and plurals was so silly to me.

And then we never actually really know what happens at the end? No spoilers, but it's kind of left as a "choose how you think this happened" sort of story. For a story that already only has like 250 pages to it, I don't care enough about the story or the characters to feel more strongly one way or another.

AND AN ACTUAL SPOILER - WHY WERE WE SO FOCUSED ON TILLY/TIBBY/WHATEVER HER NAME WAS AND FREDDIE BEING STEPSIBLINGS? I hate when books try to make it super taboo that teens who met before their parents did and had a connection, then become step siblings because their parents got married AFTER THESE TEENS ALREADY HAD CRUSHES ON EACH OTHER, are romantically involved. They are not biologically related. They were not raised as siblings - THIS IS NOT INC*ST! But the author made it super weird and uncomfy in the book so that made me feel gross all over.

Overall... not worth your time.

At Glennmare, each bed is filled with a teenage girl who wears ribbons in her hair, a nod to innocence we lost long ago. When we were sent out into the world, away from home, to fend to for ourselves.

I'm a sucker for a YA mystery set at a boarding school. I had high hopes for this one and it was fine, but a little disappointing. I still enjoyed it, though.

A mystery involving a girls school, tarot cards, legends, a young teacher involved with his students, missing persons, death and amnesia. The answer was surprising.

<i></b>No quotes because ARC, 3.5 stars because this was a tricky read for me.</b></i>

<b>One Line Review:</b> A group of girls, shrouded away from society on a small island and a teacher with hidden secrets. When one of the girls goes missing, no one seems to want to talk. Will detectives be able to figure out where she is before the worst of everyone’s fears becomes reality?

<b>Synopsis:</b> Kitty and her friends have a bond unbroken, in a world that seems to exist for only them. Glennmare Academy and their teacher Wells Halifax has changed them for the better, or so they believe, and the girls develop what most would call an unhealthy attachment to him. When Kitty goes missing, and Wells is found on the shoreline with no memories, detective on the island are on a race against the clock to try and figure out who is telling the truth, and why too many seem to be covering something up. The truths that emerge are darker than they could’ve imagined…

<b>My Thoughts:</b> Oh man, there are some <b>warnings to be stated</b> regarding topics in this book (i.e. animal abuse, inappropriate relationships, self-harm etc.) To say I was caught off guard in discovering what two large parts of this plot were an understatement. Heed the warning, if you have any issues about descriptive animal abuse/ritualistic slaughter, reconsider reading this. That warning aside, this book does a great job of pulling you in to the point where you feel as though you cannot be pulled away. I am not completely in love with the writing style, because you must be able to recollect about a dozen characters, as the author switches back and forth between each chapter. I will say, that as the book progressed, it does get a lot easier to read!

Located on an island close to Seattle, Glennmare Academy is a strange place for unruly young women of affluent East Coast families that is stringent with its no-technology teaching.

The young women who attend are isolated. They immerse themselves in their studies and friendships to a toxic degree.

One of the most popular among the cohort is Kitty Calloway. She’s a girl who leaves a lasting impression on everyone she meets – but she’s now missing.

On the same night, her literature teacher, Wells Halifax, is found on the remote boarding school’s beach unconscious. Once awoken, he has no recollection of the last six months and his close friends are quick to travel to his aid.

Everyone at Glennmare Academy is shocked by the turn of events and detectives and staff are left suspicious of the night’s happenings.

Surely her tight-knit friendship group knows more than they are letting on and just how close was Mr Halifiax to his students?

Told cleverly in multiple narratives, The Glennmare Girls by Anya Mora slowly builds suspense with many different points of view. Its short and snappy chapters ensure a great pacing.

The main characters are well-developed and complex. However, more insight into some secondary characters and their interesting backstories would have been appreciated.

Despite this, there’s lots of clever detail throughout alongside twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

Please note, difficult themes include: sexual assault self-harm, eating disorders, mental health, grooming and animal abuse.

Thank you netgalley for an advanced ARC of this book

Unfortunately I was not able to finish this book and I could not get into the multiple povs

The twists are so good! Multiple POVs, social hierarchy and etiquette in play and it makes such a wonderful page turner. It reads like The Testimony by Anita Shrieve: you don't truly understand why certain parts are included until the very end. Great novel, I would definitely recommend it!

Unfortunately, this one was not for me and I did DNF it around 15% in, so you may take this review with a grain of salt. I was interested in the mystery and enjoyed how the parts I did read felt very faced paced, but sadly that wasn't enough to keep me interested enough to finish the book. I personally didn't enjoy the writing style, and felt that there was a lot of telling instead of showing, which made the book feel clunky at times and overall made it unenjoyable for me.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had everything that I was looking for with the twist and the boarding school elements. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed about the genre. Anya Mora has a great writing style and I enjoyed what I was reading from this type of novel. It really grabs you from the first page and the characters worked well overall.