She started it: a novel
Description
A hot, twisty summer debut thriller about a Caribbean bachelorette party that takes a sinister turn. It’s Lord of the Flies meets And Then There Were None...but with Instagram and too much prosecco.
The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected...
Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.
None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?
The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected...even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.
Endlessly twisty, sharply observant, and deliciously catty, She Started It is sure to shock readers until the very end.
More Details
Cullum, Sarah Narrator
Fulford-Brown, Billie Narrator
Gilbert, Sian Author
Lynch, Ella Narrator
9780063286313
9780063286320
Also in this Series
Published Reviews
Library Journal Review
DEBUT Poppy's surprise bachelorette party on a lush private island in the Bahamas is a can't-miss event for childhood friends Annabel, Chloe, Esther, and Tanya, now in their late 20s. Annabel is a bored housewife; Chloe lives her life online as a social media influencer; investment banking takes all of Esther's time; and Tanya hops from party to party as an event planner. Though they hadn't heard from their former classmate Poppy in 10 years, the lure of a first-class, all-expenses-paid vacation took away any hesitation. Their high expectations begin to go awry when they arrive on the island and realize that the beautiful, confident Poppy is no longer the social misfit they mercilessly teased at school. As long-held secrets are revealed and alliances shattered, the extravagant celebration quickly turns into a fight for survival. VERDICT Gilbert's debut thriller is an intensely compelling and clever tale of revenge. Readers who enjoy multiple perspectives unveiling the storyline, as in the works of Liane Moriarty, will relish this.--Joy Gunn
Library Journal Reviews
Once close friends who have drifted apart, Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe decide to accept an invitation for an all-expenses-paid meetup in the Bahamas from Poppy Greer, who always hopefully skirted their group. Poppy is clearly prospering, and the island is gorgeous—but it's also remote and precisely the sort of place where ugly secrets can come out in the open and wreak havoc. With a 50,000-copy first printing.
Copyright 2023 Library Journal.Library Journal Reviews
DEBUT Poppy's surprise bachelorette party on a lush private island in the Bahamas is a can't-miss event for childhood friends Annabel, Chloe, Esther, and Tanya, now in their late 20s. Annabel is a bored housewife; Chloe lives her life online as a social media influencer; investment banking takes all of Esther's time; and Tanya hops from party to party as an event planner. Though they hadn't heard from their former classmate Poppy in 10 years, the lure of a first-class, all-expenses-paid vacation took away any hesitation. Their high expectations begin to go awry when they arrive on the island and realize that the beautiful, confident Poppy is no longer the social misfit they mercilessly teased at school. As long-held secrets are revealed and alliances shattered, the extravagant celebration quickly turns into a fight for survival. VERDICT Gilbert's debut thriller is an intensely compelling and clever tale of revenge. Readers who enjoy multiple perspectives unveiling the storyline, as in the works of Liane Moriarty, will relish this.—Joy Gunn
Copyright 2023 Library Journal.