I was hooked from the cover and description, it was everything that was promised and enjoyed the overall feel of this book. It was engaging and thought the overall storyline was so well done and was hooked from the first page. The characters had that feel that worked and I enjoyed how different the voices were in this type of book. Heather Colley wrote this so well and was glad I got to read this.

Oh my goodness this was so good! So dark and disturbing and engrossing.

Colley put into words so many weird and sad and true feelings and experiences that happen during this time in life. This is definitely not a feel good book. The truths that Colley brings out about girlhood, college life, misogyny, and female friendships are really dark. That said - loved it. Totally worth the read.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

How far are you willing to go to balance the sanctity (depravity) of D1 school Greek life and maintaining a certain image? Heather Colley’s debut novel asks this question and more. With 2 first person POV’s and a 3rd person omniscient to get into the minds of more minor characters and add context, the book after about the first 1/3 really picks up pace and becomes something you won’t want to put down.

I think there is a lot in this book grounded in reality, but sometimes there’s a suspension of disbelief needed, at least for myself based on my own undergrad experiences being involved in Greek life at a smaller D1 school, ironically not super far away from Ann Arbor. However, for a reading experience, I could get around my suspension of disbelief and really enjoyed this novel.

Colley writes exciting and stimulating prose, and I am excited to read more of her work in the future. A solid debut novel. If you enjoy dark academia and the seedy underbelly of college life, you will enjoy this book.

'We all know exactly what beauty is. And we all know what it is not.'

First, some constructive criticism:
The narration of the POV characters felt very similar. On one hand, it makes sense because they are the products of the same flawed time, but on the other hand, there should still be flavors to them. It was only towards the end, when they talked/thought about each other, that it became apparent that they were, in fact, different people. I think if there had been more external reminders of what the other sounded like, e.g., halfway, one of the POV characters mentions that the other has a meeker voice, and vice versa, then it would've been easier to distinguish them.

The praise:
This book captures perfectly what it was like to be a young woman in the millennial generation. The brutality of the hierarchical ranking of girls in how they appease patriarchal systems. The extensive brainwashing that leads to external abuse and self-betrayal. All with a very engaging writing style.

I've read this in two days, and the moods I was in heavily shaped my experience.
On day one, I was in a bad mood because I was sick, sleep-deprived, and just all around bitter. Then I picked up this book with its dry and straight-shooting narrative, and it felt like exactly what I needed. I was no longer alone in my bitterness, and this book was like getting to confide in the kindred spirit I've been looking for my entire life! Every single description felt like hitting the nail on the head on an experience I thought I had long forgotten, but suddenly felt completely emersed in again.
The second day, I had enough sleep and overall felt better, and from then on, the book was just heartbreaking. I felt so much for the POV characters, and I found myself grateful for how far I've come in unlearning the horrors that were once normal to instill in the minds of young women.

Overall, great read.

Thank you for trusting me with the ARC. I have also posted on Goodreads.