Part dark academia, part psychological thriller, and deeply rooted in the chaos and uncertainty of 2020, it explores what happens when a group of intelligent girls stop believing the future has a place for them.

The story follows five best friends known only by bird nicknames. Crow, Goldfinch, Starling, Wren, and Cuckoo. They are all bright students attending an underfunded school in Bristol. When the pandemic abruptly shuts the world down, their exams are cancelled, their carefully planned futures disappear overnight, and the isolation begins to wear away at them.

What starts as sneaking out during lockdown quickly spirals into increasingly reckless and dangerous behaviour, leading to a summer that changes all of their lives forever.

Seven years later, the surviving girls are estranged and barely holding themselves together as adults. But when it becomes clear someone knows what happened that summer, they’re forced back into each other’s orbit along with all the guilt, anger, and unresolved trauma they tried to bury.

What stood out most to me was the emotional tension running through the entire story. There’s this constant feeling of frustration, claustrophobia, and simmering resentment that perfectly captures that specific era of fear, uncertainty, and isolation. The book does such a good job portraying how quickly loneliness and hopelessness can push people toward destructive choices.

I also really appreciated how distinct the girls felt despite the large cast. The shifting perspectives gave each of them emotional depth, and the story spends a lot of time exploring class, ambition, friendship, and the crushing pressure of trying to build a future in a world that suddenly feels broken.

The pacing is slower at times especially in the first half, but I found myself completely invested in both the group dynamic and the unravelling mystery. The tension builds gradually. It’s darker, more introspective, and much more interested in guilt, anger, identity, and the long shadow left behind by one terrible summer.

Thank you so much Blackstone Publishing, Sian Gilbert, and NetGalley for the #gifted earc.
All opinions are my own 🖤

What an absolutely awesome ride from Sian Gilbert!

The year is 2020 and five best friends who are also known for being especially bright are thrown for a loop when the pandemic hits. Suddenly, all their studying and smarts are worthless as the world descends into unknown territory. What was supposed to be a final rush to their exams and a fun summer before adulthood is now quiet and lonely as they are stuck at home.

The girls decide to break the rules for once and meet under the cover of darkness, defying the law saying to quarantine. The five- all with bird nicknames- quickly discover they enjoy being bad. Unfortunately, they go too far and it shatters their worlds forever.

Seven years later, and they haven't spoken since the pandemic. They have gone their separate ways and are trying to carve the futures they wanted. But then they realize that someone knows what they did. They must band together again and figure out who it is and what they have to do if they want any hope at a normal life.

The book is fantastic in world-building and goes between the different POVs so you understand each girl's background. I almost forgot there was going to be a second act- I was so connected to the first and interested in where it was all going.

The Five of Us gets five stars from me!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

*The Five of Us* is dark, unsettling, and utterly compelling. It has stayed with me long after I turned the final page. Sian Gilbert expertly explores the intensity of female friendship, the kind of closeness that can feel comforting, all-consuming, and dangerous in equal measure.

The relationship between the five girls is the heart of the novel. Their bond is beautifully drawn, filled with loyalty, shared dreams, private jokes, and an unspoken understanding that only comes from years of friendship. Yet Gilbert never shies away from the darker side of that intimacy. Beneath the affection lie jealousy, resentment, insecurity, and the pressure to belong, creating a constant sense of tension that simmers throughout the story.

The atmosphere is wonderfully claustrophobic and foreboding. As secrets begin to surface, the girls' once-unbreakable connection becomes increasingly fragile, and the story takes on a chilling sense of inevitability. Gilbert captures how easily love can become obsession, how loyalty can turn toxic, and how one devastating event can alter the course of multiple lives.

Beautifully written, emotionally sharp, and deliciously dark, *The Five of Us* is a haunting exploration of friendship and its consequences. A gripping thriller with real depth and one of the most convincing portrayals of close-knit relationships I have read in a long time.

"A suffocating, sun-soaked masterclass in tension—The Five of Us is a razor-sharp, unputdownable thriller where old secrets carry a deadly body count."

☕ The Logline: When five old high school friends reunite for an exclusive, luxury birthday trip on a remote Mediterranean island, paradise quickly becomes a claustrophobic nightmare as long-buried resentments, betrayals, and dark secrets resurface.

🔍 Why It Works:
• The Setting: The remote island setting feels like a trap from page one. The juxtaposition of luxury, bright sunshine, and creeping dread makes the atmosphere feel completely suffocating.
• The Dynamics: The character web is an absolute trainwreck in the best way possible. Every single member of the group has something to hide, making everyone an unreliable narrator and a suspect.
• The Pacing: Short chapters and relentless cliffhangers keep the momentum moving at a breakneck speed until the final, shocking reveal.

✨ Tropes & Vibes:
✦ Locked-location / Isolated island
✦ Reunited friend group with a secret
✦ Unreliable narrators
✦ High-stakes drama & dark twists

🎯 The Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 — A tense, binge-worthy thriller perfect for fans of The Guest List or One of Us Is Lying. A total must-read if you love watching toxic friendships unravel under pressure.

📩 Approved ARC review for Plotting Between the Covers.

This book really had me in a chokehold from beginning to end! Five girls, the brightest students in an underfunded inner city school on the cusp of graduation get antsy when lockdown changes their whole world and potentially their futures.

Exams are cancelled and now their futures feel so uncertain to them. They start sneaking out at night to an abandoned house and that is where things go downhill. I felt that each character was so well developed where we got a feel for all of their motivations.

My jaw dropped several times during this book. Definitely a page turner for me!