SYNOPSIS: 4 former sorority sisters are meeting back up to welcome new members into the sisterhood. But that’s not the only reason they are all back. Years ago their pledge class wrote their deepest darkest secrets in a “Spill Book” which wasn’t supposed to be unearthed for another 100 years. Surprise! It’s been dug up and someone wants to dish secrets!

As a former sorority girl myself, I couldn't wait to dive into this one! This felt like Pretty Little Liars meets Bama Rush. Each chapter is told from a different POV and then also alternates between present day and back when the girls were in college, This book does deal with a lot of subjects that could be triggering to some to some, including s*xual a**ualt, drugs, drinking and hazing. I loved that the author let us in on the secrets of the 4 girls with their entries into the books as chapter headings. The stories all intertwine and remind the girls what brought them together in the first place. So much drama to get wrapped up in and perfect for a summer beach read!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC!

Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

2 ⭐️

The premise of “rush week” had me captured, but the book just didn’t deliver the same intrigue & wonder as the summary promised.

Rush week follows a group of young ladies who are rushing the same sorority, adl. We follow them becoming friends, parties, ootds, Greek toks, drugs, only fans, zaddies and more drama.

We then are switching back and forth between their modern day lives and their former lives. Someone is trying to blackmail them all. They are all summoned back to the university of Alabama for rush week. They are all on a mission to figure out who is blackmailing them.

We find out asana was also in a secret society that was attempting to take down the machine. This is the part the book totally lost me.

It all seemed very immature and petty. Maybe I am just not the demographic for this book.

Unfortunately, would not recommend.

3.75 STARS

The drama, the twists and turns!

I am a sucker for sorority stories... especially thrillers. I love the way Michelle Brandon used the sweetness of sisterhood to balance out the sinister underbelly of secret societies, betrayal. jealousy, and more.

Like Pretty Little Liars: College Edition.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book. 3 stars overall - the plot moved along really well, but had a hard time keeping all of the characters apart - it wasn't until about halfway through the book that I finally got everyone sorted out. I did think the final ending/twist felt a little flat; Was still a nice book (and would be a great beach read) but not 5 star worthy.

Rush Week was a phenomenal read, combining suspense and women behaving badly along with the power of said women supporting each other to make a fairly unique story that captured my attention.

For any who have seen the TikTok storm of Bama Rush, or the documentary following that, this gives an inside look into that but throws in a look at what might happen to some of the more privileged of a sorority sisterhood. I loved the first hand accounts of rush and how our main characters, four women who all have out of the ordinary upbringings, grew up together and apart throughout their time in their sorority. None of these women start out especially endearing but as we dive deeper into their time in college (alternating with the present five years post graduation) they start to become more understanding and their wicked deeds, which are about to be exposed, make a little more sense.

Completely fun, this isn’t for shrinking violets as we have storylines focused on OnlyFans, Sugar Babies, a more privileged and more secretive version of Ashley Madison, and sexual assault. But if you aren’t offended by any of that, Michelle Brandon writes a most colorful and salacious tale that is a grown up look at what happens next for Alabama Sorority Sisters that, while likely not realistic, felt like the sequel we could only hope for with those TikToks.

This was a bit of a miss for me and I DNF. timelines felt sloppy, and the plot just felt a little too silly for me. May work for some!

This was a ride, the story went back and forth between the past and present POVs of 4 friends while they try to find out who is threatening them it was a good book. I wasn’t expecting the ending.

I know I was pretty invested in all things Alabama Sorority Tik Tok so I don’t think any of this felt new to me but it was highly enjoyable. It’s very much a rich people’s problems book, which I love. White Lotus vibes where you’re watching people make the most ridiculous decisions. This would be a great beach read.

This was interesting. I enjoyed it but was looked for a little more hook to the story. I am fascinated by greek life so that sold me, I just wanted a little more intrigue to the characters and their motives.

I was unable to finish this.
Set at University of Alabama during rush week, over important and self-deluded sorority sisters are blackmailed to return to rush week to figure out who stole a book in which they wrote secrets.
I'm trying to think of something I liked and unfortunately, I'm coming up empty.
The characters were unbelievable. They are in their upper 20s and we're to believe the amount of success they've achieved in that time (actually, the influencer is believable).
The book didn't flow, which made reading it a chore. Each chapter switched between four women.
I made it 1/3 through the book and nothing had changed. I still had no interest, so I allowed myself to close the book for good.

2 stars

Taylor, Annabelle, Brooklyn and Asana.

All incoming freshman at the University of Alabama. All rushing. All want a place at Alpha Delta Lambda…as far as they are concerned, it’s the only place to be. Follow the girls through their college years and ten years later as they reunite to try to prevent their secrets from coming out.

So, I was in a sorority (Southern girl at a Southern school so no surprise there. I was a Chi Omega, and it was a truly great experience.) so I’m a bit of a sucker for Greek life nonsense. THEN when I saw this book was “based on BamaRush TikToks, I knew I had to read it. A whole book based on Bama rushees’ OOTDs (that’s “Outfits of the Day” for those not in the know)?!? How could this be anything other that a great big glorious mess?

And it mostly is. There’s a fairly lame plot here (you idiots want me to write down my biggest secrets and give them to you? Um, I was never that dumb, but thanks!). The women of ADL are not learning to be their best and brightest selves. There is some fairly surface level talk of The Machine (THAT is a great Alabama rabbit hole to go down if you don’t know about it and have the time. It’s pretty disheartening.) I was glad to see it wasn’t ignored. But, overall, not a great read for me.

A Twisty College Thriller That Almost Hits the Mark ★★★☆☆

Rush Week has all the ingredients for a great dark academia thriller—secrets, ambition, and a college campus full of people you probably shouldn’t trust. The premise is solid: a bright but financially struggling student, a cutthroat sorority, and a murder that shakes up everything. I was ready for some serious suspense.

The main character, Amy, is desperate to secure a future that doesn’t involve scraping by, so when she gets the chance to pledge a prestigious sorority, she jumps at it—despite the whispers about its questionable past. But when a fellow pledge is found dead, Amy realizes she’s in way deeper than she expected. The story has some good twists, and the elite, high-pressure college setting makes for a fun, dramatic backdrop.

That said, the execution didn’t fully deliver for me. The pacing felt uneven—some parts dragged, while others (especially the ending) felt rushed. I also wanted more from the characters. Some of the side characters, especially the mean-girl sorority types, felt a little one-note. I love a good morally gray cast, but here, I found myself wanting a deeper look into why these girls were the way they were.

Overall, Rush Week is a decent, entertaining read, but not one that totally blew me away. If you love campus thrillers with secret societies and don’t mind a few predictable moments, it’s worth a shot! Just don’t expect Jawbreaker levels of sorority drama.

Rush Week by Michelle Brandon is a brilliant and captivating debut that perfectly captures the intensity and drama of college life, while exploring the complexities of identity, friendship, and the pursuit of belonging. From the first page, Brandon’s sharp, witty writing pulls you into the world of Greek life, where the pressures of fitting in, the allure of prestige, and the hidden tensions of rivalry create a whirlwind of emotions and events.

The novel centers around a group of freshmen as they navigate the high-stakes rush week at a prestigious university. Brandon does a fantastic job of portraying the inner lives of her characters, particularly the protagonist, who is trying to balance personal ambition with the need to fit into a system that can be both seductive and suffocating. The multi-dimensional characters feel authentic, and their struggles—ranging from self-discovery to dealing with peer pressure—are both relatable and compelling.

One of the standout elements of Rush Week is its exploration of the darker undercurrents of Greek life, which are often glossed over in other novels. Brandon doesn't shy away from addressing the toxic dynamics, the subtle manipulation, and the emotional toll that this world can impose on its participants. However, she balances this with moments of lightness and humor, keeping the tone engaging and never losing sight of the heart of the story.

The pacing of the novel is spot-on, with just the right mix of tension and reflection. As rush week progresses, the stakes get higher, and Brandon keeps readers on edge with unexpected twists and turns that keep the story fresh and exciting. The writing is sharp and evocative, painting vivid pictures of both the glamorous and grittier sides of college life.

At its core, Rush Week is about finding one’s place in the world and the complexities that come with it. Brandon crafts a compelling narrative that examines friendship, loyalty, and the lengths we go to fit in or stand out. It’s an insightful, thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after the final page.

For fans of character-driven stories with rich, layered themes, Rush Week is a must-read. Michelle Brandon has crafted a novel that is both entertaining and emotionally resonant, delivering a knockout punch of heart, humor, and social commentary.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Michelle Brandon and Harper Collins publishing for the advanced copy of this book.

Overall this book was good. I must say ,as a former sorority girl ,I was incredibly nervous what this book was going to be. I think it poked fun at the stereotypes upfront but truly focused on deeper topics throughout. While the characters are all known for embracing some wild, taboo and possibly illegal habits it is about them individually not the organizations mentioned. If you are into juicy, drama filled, and a messy revenge plot this is the book for you.

When life digs up your deepest darkest secrets , literally, what do you do? That is precisely the situation all of our main characters face throughout this book. Somehow you both love and hate them equally throughout. While the pacing starts a bit slow it picks up after a bit and you are waiting for the next page to reveal the next secret or clue.

Would be a perfect beach read!

Thanks to NetGalley & Avon for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I was in Greek life in college & thought this might be a fun book — the timeline jumps were disorganized and challenging for me to follow. The characters were caricatures and felt so shallow and unrealistic - I would have appreciated more depth. Truth be told - it was hard to tell them apart…. I struggled to stay interested and didn’t feel a strong connection to any of the characters.

I expected to relate since I was a sorority girl myself, but only found one scene to connect with, which was a girl stealing her big sister’s strawberries lol

I am not sure who I would recommend this book to - perhaps someone who isn’t familiar with Greek life who is looking for a chaotic scandalous story. I really wanted to love this book & I do feel disappointed.

Rush Week by Michelle Brandon is perfect for any reader who has been sucked into the world of sorority rushing via social media. A guilty pleasure read (at least for me) the story follows four graduated sorority sisters who decide to return to the University of Alabama for Rush Week after receiving anonymous notes that their burn book was stolen. All of the characters are purposefully unlikable, much like a gross reality tv show you can't look away. Rush week is enthralling enough, however I found the time jumps confusing and a bit messy.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC!

So my honest review is: I was about to do not finish this book only because I could not get into it however I finished reading it to the end and I must say I was wrong. It was good. the description had be interested from the start but reading almost 10 chapters I just couldn’t get interested enough but I read it. What I didn’t like what the ‘then and now’ chapters, I couldn’t understand it until closer to the end of the book. 4* and 7/10 rating in my opinion.

The four women who meet on the first day of rush week at Alabama go through not only the excitement and stress of joining a sorority, but also the personal secrets and drives that they only share in one place: the Spill book. Annabelle, Asana, Brooklyn and Taylor are firm friends throughout most of their college days, but in the five years since graduation, they haven't had much contact. Now they have been called back to their former sorority house for some alumni events taking place during rush week. They are all being blackmailed by a mysterious figure who knows all of their deep, dark secrets. When they were students, Taylor devised the Spill book, telling her fellow pledges that anything they wrote in there would be kept secret forever. She told everyone it was a "trust exercise" but of course Taylor herself kept the book, read the contents, and wasn't above using them as blackmail to force people to do what she wanted. At the end of their four years together, Taylor bought a time capsule which was buried in the back yard of the sorority house, not to be opened for 100 years. It seems that after just 5 years, someone has dug up the book and now wants to get revenge on the four girls.

The story moves back and forth between the times the girls were together in college and their messy lives in the present day. The biggest hurdle for me to get over was that they would all jump eagerly to write their worst deeds into a book that could have fallen into the wrong hands at any time (and eventually did). I was also expecting a bit more twists and turns, but the entire book just sort of fizzled out. I suppose the target audience of high school and college-aged people might enjoy reading the outrageous exploits of rich, beautiful, and ruthless people. If that's not your demographic, you might end up slightly disappointed in the lack of a big ending to tie it all together.

📖 Book Review 📖 Hazing was 💯 not allowed in my sorority and strictly enforced. And Facebook was just invented when I pledged a sorority and you definitely still needed a .edu email to join. Embarrassing photos posted for all to see…definitely not a thing so vicariously living a much darker and digital Greek world through the writing of Michelle Brandon’s Rush Week was a real treat. An invitation arrives for a reunion for University of Alabama’s Alpha Delta Lambda chapter with an attached note with the threat of blackmail to unleash a secret hiding from the past. This suspenseful light sorority thriller unpacks a punch that is delightfully thrilling. While my sisters definitely did not get into any shenanigans quite like this, this was a really fun throwback to college with a mysterious twist!

I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t that great. I kept expecting more mystery and dark secrets. The “secrets” weren’t really that bad, and The Machine storyline made absolutely no sense. Very disappointed all around.