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!