Mindy McGinnis

The Initial Insult

Denaiir

4.5 stars
very original and with dark points of view as usual for the author, loved it (despite the animal cruelty and animal deaths)
looking forward to the next book!

Lane Hokanson

Whoa, this was a good one. Never knew what was going to happen next and a thrilling tale the whole time through. Audiobook was an excellent option with 3 amazing narrators. Absolutely recommend this quick and compelling read!

Alexa M

SECOND READ 3/14/2022:  literally the easiest reread i've ever done in my life - soooo easy to fly through! i didn't love it  as  much the second time around but that's just because i remembered most of the big shockers. i am SO excited to get my hands on the sequel tomorrow and immediately dive in -- I NEED ANSWERS

 FIRST READ 2/26/2021:  i FLEW through this in one sitting. finally finally another Mindy McGinnis book i LOVE.
okay im like wtf just happened? this was so enthralling i couldn't put it down if i wanted to and that ENDING?? i cant believe i have to wait another year for the sequel ugh!!!

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Initial Insult

Author: Mindy McGinnis

Book Series: The Initial Insult Book 1

Rating: 3.5/5

Diversity: Character with epilepsy

Recommended For...: ya readers, mystery lovers, thriller seekers

Publication Date: February 23, 2021

Genre: YA Mystery

Recommended Age: 16+ (animal death and violence, epileptic episodes, drugs and alcohol usage, language, slight sexual content, gore)

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 384

Synopsis: Tress Montor knows that her family used to mean something—until she didn’t have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. She might still be a Montor, but the entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the “White Trash Zoo,” – a wild animal attraction featuring a zebra, a chimpanzee, and a panther, among other things.

Felicity Turnado has it all – looks, money, and a secret that she’s kept hidden. She knows that one misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she’s worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can’t even remember what it is… only that she can’t look at Tress without having a panic attack.

But she’ll have to.

Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity – brick by brick – as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. With a drunken party above them, and a loose panther on the prowl, Tress will have her answers – or settle for revenge.

Review: For the most part I thought that this was an okay book. The world building was very well detailed and the character development for the two main characters was very well done. Also felt like well this is a little bit of a mystery, that the point of their friendship was pretty good.

However, there were some things in the book that I did not like. I feel like the pacing was very slow and the book want was a little non-existent. I also really hated the use of animal violence in this book. I felt like the author you said to create a creepy atmosphere, but all it did was make me very sick at my stomach. I also felt like she used the animal violence and animal death as a shock Factor rather than a plot point.

Verdict: It was good, just slightly disappointing.

Danica Holdaway

Gossip girl tiger king Edgar Allan Poe what the eff

Elodia

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I wanted to read this ever since I heard it was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, but I don't think it delivered. The plot was intriguing enough, but I feel like it could have been shorter since there is still a sequel to come. The first half was boring, but it definitely picked up towards the end. 

The points of view were not distinctive enough, so I wasn't always sure who's PoV we were in. All the other characters were unlikeable. I also don't see the need for having the cat's point of view, though it made the story different it added nothing to the story. The ending was the strongest part of the book, and it made up for the rest.

This was still a thrilling book, but not what I was expecting. I still want to read the sequel to figure out what actually happened.

Nikki Sojkowski

An ARC of this audiobook was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, and can I say it again? WOW. I have read This Darkness Mine, so I had an idea of what I'd signed up for with a Mindy McGinnis book but my mind was still blown by her impressive prose. McGinnis has crafted two amazing main characters, Tress and Felicity, that switch POV's throughout the book. This creates an interesting dynamic of perspectives as we settle into a Cask of Amontillado type situation. That's right, someone is getting entombed behind a brick wall Edgar-Allan-Poe-Style! I absolutely loved this premise, and I found the flashbacks to their friendship falling apart (told by both sides) to be completely fascinating. 

McGinnis has perfectly crafted yet another psycho-thriller and I can't wait for the second half of this duology. I thought I knew where this was going but was so intrigued by the flashback stories that I didn't care too much, and then BAM! My expected ending did NOT happen. I was so shocked I had to re-listen to the last couple of chapters to confirm I wasn't dreaming! The ending was so abrupt it left me reeling, and it would have been a perfect ending point to the entire story, no second half needed, if I wasn't left with so many unresolved flashback questions. You could say I'm dying to find out what happens next!

**The one thing that I do have to warn about is that there is some sexual content, so this might not be the 'young adult' book for everyone!

Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[rape (implied), seizures, alcohol and drug use, death of a pet, animal attack, graphic physical injuries, blood and gore depiction, kidnapping, captivity, graphic emesis, graphic illness (specifically flu breakout), drug dealing, death of a friend, death of parents, grief depiction (hide spoiler)]

~ review to come.


  Note: Review copy (audio) received via Libro.FM. This does not impact opinions within this review.


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Happy reading! ❤

Becca Futrell

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early audiobook of The Initial Insult in exchange for an honest review!

When I finally decided to start The Initial Insult, I had completely forgotten what it was about so imagine my surprise when a panther is on the loose and someone is being sealed into the wall. What the frick. When things got violent in The Initial Insult, I found myself being all in; my attention being glued to the audiobook until the closing line. 

The Initial Insult jumps around timelines; providing us with the current going-ons of Tress attempting to get answers from her former best friend, Felicity, along with different memories during their school years & ultimately showing the decline of their relationship. 

Mindy McGinnis switches the POV between the two characters (along with some chapters being in the perspective of the panther). This allows us a deeper look into Felicity and Tress's mind, something that, in the end, makes us feel a more intense connection with the two. 

I really did enjoy The Initial Insult and am looking forward to the sequel in 2022!

Haleigh Buchanan

I read this book in under 6 hours. Once I started I could not stop! It was fast paced, dark, hilarious read that I will recommend time and time again. Have no idea it was a duology until I reached the end! But that’s okay because I’m super excited to go back into this world! I will warn that it caused a massive book slump! Read this book! You’ll have a great time

Fadila Villagomez

Ends on such a cliffhanger! Didn't realize it was a duology but it hooked me from the beginning! The writing style really captivated me and the flashbacks were done so well. Super excited for book 2

Kaitlyn Featherstone 

In the first book of a suspenseful YA duology, award-winning author Mindy McGinnis draws inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe and masterfully delivers a dark, propulsive mystery in alternating points of view that unravels a friendship . . . forevermore. Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Truly Devious! Tress Montor's family used to mean something--until she didn't have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. The entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the "White Trash Zoo." Felicity Turnado has it all: looks, money, and a secret. One misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she's worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can't even remember what it is . . . only that she can't look at Tress without feeling shame and guilt. But Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity--brick by brick--as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. Tress will have her answers--or settle for revenge.

britt

Gwyn Dill

Leticia Leal

Lamia Hajani

Raven Walker

Gretchen Sartele

meaghan leger 

An Amazon Best Book of the Month! In the first book of a suspenseful YA duology, award-winning author Mindy McGinnis draws inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe and masterfully delivers a dark, propulsive mystery in alternating points of view that unravels a friendship . . . forevermore. Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Truly Devious! Tress Montor’s family used to mean something—until she didn’t have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. The entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the “White Trash Zoo.” Felicity Turnado has it all: looks, money, and a secret. One misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she’s worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can’t even remember what it is . . . only that she can’t look at Tress without feeling shame and guilt. But Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity—brick by brick—as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. Tress will have her answers—or settle for revenge.

The Initial Insult

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