I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book when I first picked it up, but I ended up devouring it (no pun intended) in just a few days. It's a very entertaining and easy read, with a unique cast of characters that I could never fully decide if I wanted to root for or against. There are some aspects of the book that I wish were more fleshed out, but I recognize the author intended this to be more of a satire than a deeper commentary on feminism. The mostly short chapters and the switch between two narrators kept me engaged the entire time, although I sometimes found Sloane's chapters to be incredibly repetitive, especially on the topic of motherhood. I would have been interested to learn more about some of the other sorority sisters, and even to hear parts of the story from their perspective. This was my first introduction to Olivie Blake's work, but I will definitely be checking out some of her other books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The writing in this book was divine and made me a better reader and writer for it!

Unfortunately, I give stars more for story than writing, which brings us to a three-star review. My version of: “It’s a book that was interesting enough to keep me from DNFing but not amazing enough to recommend to a friend.”

The heavy topics on feminism were interesting but felt repetitive as the story went on. I found myself getting depressed by the injustice of being a woman and wishing someone (ANYONE) would pull back the curtain on a silver lining (seriously. I’ll take the tiniest glimmer of positivity. I’m not picky!!!).

The ending was satisfying however and caught me by surprise. So the pay off was nice.

Still—I’m sorry—wouldn’t recommend to a friend. One who agrees with the guaranteed feminine injustice will only get angrier. And one who disagrees but understands it does happen will only fall into a deep-seated state of depression.

And I can’t do that to any of my friends.

**Edit: Just went into a long rant about feminism to my husband. This book would make an interesting book club discussion! …. I just wouldn’t attend that night because, to be honest, angry women scare me.**

I have a feeling this will be one of those books that stays with me long after I’ve put it away.

(Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!!!!! I am honored!)

Olivie Blake may not be the author for me... While I think the premise of Girl Dinner is compelling, the execution falters at times. The pacing is uneven, with certain sections feeling drawn out; the satirical elements, though biting, may not resonate with all readers. The tone shifts between dark humor and horror, which might be jarring for some. Thank you, NetGalley!

Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake is a dark deep-dive into ambition, power, and the performative veneer of perfection. With biting commentary and an unflinching eye for the grotesque glamour of institutionalized womanhood, Olivie Blake spins a dual narrative between Nina Kaur, a sophomore clawing her way toward law school redemption, and Dr. Sloane Hartley, a disillusioned academic reeling from postpartum depression and a husband who wrote the definition of weaponized incompetence. Their connection through The House (which is a sorority as intoxicating as it is insidious) becomes a mirror reflecting their compromises, self-deceptions, and the high price of belonging. The writing is phenomenal. She doesn’t flinch from critiquing the myth of female empowerment as filtered through elitism and white feminism, and the result is as thought-provoking as it is haunting.

This world is full of characters who are just flawed, hungry, and trying not to drown. Nina’s desperation is palpable, and Sloane’s quiet rage simmers beneath every page. There’s something deeply uncomfortable and true in watching these women twist themselves to fit into a house that was never really built for them. Girl Dinner is sharp, strange, and devastatingly on point. I knocked off half a star only because the ending felt slightly rushed compared to the slow, deliberate burn of the rest...but it’s still one of the most searing books I’ve read this year. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc <3

This book is AMAZING! It was highly entertaining. I really enjoyed the dual POV between professor and student both managing life as a woman and what it means to be the perfect woman in today’s society. The exploration of feminism, motherhood, sisterhood, and just womanhood in general was so well done. I even enjoyed the ackowledgement section where Olivie Blake dives a little more into the inspiration and motivation on exploring feminism in today’s work. This book is important- especially in today’s world.

Thank you NetGalley, Olivie Blake, and Publishers for this ARC. This was one of my most anticipated releases this year and it exceeded my hopes for it.

*will post reviews on other social medias closer to release date*

Wow. Wow?! I needed to take a few minutes to stare into the void after this one. It’s been a little bit since a book sent me down a spiral into the deepest depth of my mind.

I settled on four stars ⭐️
Dare I say…. I ate Girl Dinner up?

• Let me start by saying, I really don’t know if this book will be for everyone but I think everyone should read it anyway. I really don’t know if this book will be for everyone but it was certainly for me! This was basically my brain on paper but written in a way I could never achieve. Olivie Blake… forehead kisses for you!

💫 It was very very very political. It was very very very focused on feminist, patriarchal and pop culture topics. It was very very very question and answer and often times read like a sociology essay with a poetic, sarcastic and humorous prose (seriously, I was laughing out led while also being blown away). It was very very very disturbing and gross at times and I couldn’t tell you why without spoiling it.

💫 This was the height of satire. This was the height of exploring womanhood. This was the height of taking a question “what makes a good woman in this world that has set women up to lose regardless?” and turning it into a creepy, moody, and somehow still humorous horror novel.

💫 I was so incredibly sat for this. I highlighted half the book.

So why only four stars?

- I really felt like the ending could have given me a bigger bang. I did like it, but it wasn’t as explosive and pointy as the rest of the book felt. I wanted it to shock me and throw me around like other parts of the book were doing.
- Some of the inner monologues of Sloane specifically started to feel a bit repetitive towards the end. I had to actively try not to skim some of her spirals.



⭐️ Overall, I can’t WAIT for the girls to get their hands on this one. There is so much to discuss. I highly highly recommend this one and even more so I recommend doing this as a buddy read. There will be A LOT to talk about.

I loved the concept of this book.. a sorority of sisters who are slightly unhinged and get what they want through the means of cannibal ritualism.. odd, slightly humorous and unique for sure..

What didn’t hit the mark was the middle part of the book, what kicked off to an enticing start, slowly dissolved into a long winded slow burn. I’m glad i stuck with it as the ending came back with a vengeance but the author definitely lost me for a while in the middle there.

Overall an interesting take on some twisty topics,

Thank you for the gifted copy!

Publish date : October 21st

2.5 I really enjoy Blake's writing. It's always accessible, and it's clear that she has a certain sense of rhythm/familiarity when writing, but unfortunately this book fell relatively flat for me. The pacing and the repetitive nature felt jarring at times, made it semi-predictable. Both sorority stories and now cannibal stories are not new in the canon, and I didn't find anything new within this one. That being said, it was a very easy read with interesting characters and an interesting premise.

This story has a strong, feminist storyline which, I enjoyed. It was refreshing. What could go wrong with sororities and cannibalism? You heard me right. The story kind of petered out towards the end and the strong female storyline took a different direction. I liked the bold, horror satire and was a fun read!

Thank you for the opportunity!

Who doesn’t love sorority girls who eat people? I loved the dark take on wellness trends and sisterhood. While also having conversations about the patriarchy & questions we should be asking! I love Olivie Blake so much I knew she was going to knock it out of the park!

I loved this book. It might be the time of my life that im in, but this reflected all my worst fears of early parenthood back in such a stark way. The characters are so well fleshed out, and their frustrations and fears and hunger for the security that power can give you will be familiar to any woman. I only took .25 off because I wish we got one more chapter to satisfy my curiosity - ending felt a little jarring which is honestly probably the point. So so so good.

Intelligent and satirical, Girl Dinner definitely isn't for the faint of heart, that is for sure. While it had a very strong start, I did find it lacked a bit in the middle. I was very close to DNF-ing but I'm glad I stuck with it as the twists came fast by the end. A solid 3.5 star read for me.

I was a fan of this up until the very end. I dunno. I love the concept of a sorority getting what they want via ritual cannibalism. I loved Sloane's slow discovery of self. I loved Nina's dedication. And I thought I loved where it was going. But then Blake took a sharp turn somewhere I wasn't following and the ending just felt so cynical and depressing. I understand what she was doing and why she was doing it, but it felt so anticlimactic and honestly it was a huge let down. Some of it felt like maybe Blake just needed to have this conversation about feminism out loud, and maybe a whole book wasn't the route she needed to take.

Olivie books and I had our differences before Girl Dinner, but this book may be the best modern day fiction I've ever read? Olivie gives us a "day in the life of a modern woman" with a horrific twist and I ate it up. Give me what life as a woman is actually like, and make it girly pop with a little bit of murder and cannabilism!

Read all the content warnings and be warned about what kind of themes are in the book, but I ate this up, because it was literally the perfect Girl Dinner!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

"Girl Dinner" by Olivie Blake is a captivating read that truly deserves 5 stars. The narrative is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the writing style is immersive. Blake's storytelling keeps you hooked from start to finish, making it a delightful book that’s hard to put down. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

Olivie Blake’s Girl Dinner is a sharp, intimate exploration of feminine hunger—emotional, physical, and existential. Known for her lyrical prose and deeply introspective characters, Blake delivers a novel that feels both deliciously surreal and brutally honest. Through fragmented storytelling and a haunting inner monologue, she captures the quiet chaos of a woman grappling with identity, consumption, and control.

The book doesn’t follow a traditional narrative arc, which may not work for everyone. But for readers who enjoy introspective, character-driven fiction with a touch of the uncanny, Girl Dinner serves a potent dish. Blake’s talent for turning internal disarray into something strangely beautiful is on full display here.

It loses a star for occasionally overindulging in abstraction—some passages feel a bit too esoteric or repetitive—but overall, it’s a thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page.

“Girl Dinner” is a satirical and quirky story of sorority sisters with unusual appetites and strange rituals. This book isn’t meant to be read with too critical of a lense as far as the writing and execution, but unfortunately I couldn’t look past some of the glaring issues that made this book totally miss the mark for me.
I’m always excited for a new addition to the “good for her” genre, especially with some cannibalism sprinkled in. Given the title, I knew this book would be somewhat satirical. The issue lies in the author trying to blend quirky dialogue between characters with extremely lengthy, run on monologues about hot topic issues, the current political climate, and the oppression and exploitation of women. While I appreciate the message being conveyed and think they are important and worthwhile to discuss in media and literature, these run on paragraphs took me out of the story and were too on the nose. It felt like I was being repeatedly hit over the head with a baseball bat by the author who *really* needed me to know her stance on these issues. Add into the mix internet and gen z slang, which further took me out of the actual story and made the entire thing feel clunky and disjointed.
The plotting was lacking in direction and execution, leaving me confused at times where we were and where we were going. The plot didn’t feel like it truly picked up until the 60% mark, causing me to lose interest. I feel the plot and characterization were overlooked and ultimately sacrificed so that the author could go on a tangent for multiple pages. There was so much potential for this book to get intense and go off the rails in a way that a lot of readers like myself enjoy, and I wish it had. A huge miss for me, but hopefully it will work for others.

I devoured this book and it was *delicious*, with absolutely all the puns intended. The dark humor was impeccable. I wasn't sure if I would love a book about rich moms, sorority girls, and wellness trends, but man, I really did love this!

I don't usually (ever) read or enjoy horror, but this was different. The sense of unease about it all fit perfectly for the horror genre without being "scary". This is "I love women's rights and women's wrongs" at its finest. Olivie Blake is a must-buy for me, but Girl Dinner stands apart from her other work for me.

If you want Barbie meets cannibalism, try a bite of Girl Dinner. If you like female rage and sharp wit, this is for you. I loved it!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake. It was truly a wonderful read. I would re-read this and recommend it to every woman I know and/or encounter. It's a 5/5 from me! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Blog post goes live Oct 21st
Imgur link goes to instagram post scheduled for Oct 21st (possibly earlier depending on scheduling)
Will be discussed in Friday Reads for May 2nd and October Releases
Amazon & Barnes & Noble reviews will go live when avaliable

**TL;DR**: I’m not sure that this went as far as it could have.
**Source**: Netgalley - Thank you so much to the publisher!

**Plot**: A young woman joins a sorority with secrets while a professor is caught in the mix.
**Characters**: Absolutely no one here is a good person. It’s interesting, I’ll give it that.
**Setting:** The setting was probably the weakest part of this. That is especially sad considering the idea of the ‘The House’.
**Satire/Horror**: It could have been darker and I think it would have had more impact.

**Thoughts**:

Perhaps satire isn’t for me, or perhaps I like it a bit more intense than this but Girl Dinner didn’t quote satiate me like I hoped it would. A critique of the societal expectations of women, girls, moms, etc was what I was expecting. Instead it felt as if we were sunk into the psyche of two women who were drowning, a feeling I know but don’t want to read about.

Ultimately for me this book lacked the absurdity or truly off the wall ending you’d want to gain catharsis from. We spend the entire book following Nina, naïve and excited who is facing the world and The House. We also follow Sloane who honestly just read as a depressed woman struggling in a bad marriage. The two of them are each in their own way grappling with ‘womanhood’ and I would argue ‘personhood’.

The build and tension in the book culminated in a fairly lackluster peak with little to none of the biting satire I expected. While I didn’t hate the story I found myself more annoyed than anything and relishing the tiny crumbs of horror we got.

This one was a bit underwhelming, and for my first Olivie Blake it was fairly disappointing. I’ll continue trying her work as I know she dabbles in different genres and styles but this wasn’t it for me.

4.25!!
This was so good! I was hooked from page 1 and really enjoyed both points of views.
The 25%-50% mark did slow down a bit too much for me, but then it picked right back up around halfway.
I think if the pacing was a little more even it would’ve been better, but still really really good!
Definitely would read more horror from Olivie Blake.