McGinnis throws too many Poe allusions into this twisted and convoluted tale of revenge that also includes random poetry from a panther. ( )

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Children's/Katherine Tegen Books for letting me listen to and review this audiobook. This was done with a voice galley so I can't comment on the audiobook narrator at this time.
I was excited to read/listen to this because I like retellings of Edgar Allan Poe most of the time, but unfortunately, for me, this one, I didn't like as much.
This came across to me as mostly a kind of retelling of the Cask of Amontillado with other Edgar Allan Poe influences and such. I know that Edgar Allan Poe's work is dark, but I thought this was a bit darker than I was expecting it to be. So, basically, this is a story with a bit of teen angst, betrayal, and such and a troubled relationship between ex-best friends seems to be the main focus.
It's about Tress who lives a troubled life with her crazy grandpa on a farm/white trash zoo - I'm not entirely sure about the part with the animals. Her troubled life began when she lost her parents one night when she was young and they were driving her best friend home one night and her parents disappeared. Tress is shunned as the town outcast and her ex-best friend is the popular one with the seemingly great life, but her ex-best friend also has problems of her own and guilt about the night that Tress's parents disappeared. Felicity, the ex-best friend can't remember what happened the night that her best friend's parents disappeared because she's buried it deep down, but every time she looks at her ex-best friend, Tress, she feels horrible.
Then one night, Tress and Felicity are at the same party, a Halloween party at an old, abandoned house on an old farm in the outskirts of town and Tress sets things up and makes a plan to trap Felicity and get the truth out of her about what really happened to her parents on the night they vanished without a trace. This is where Tress demands her answers or else she'll put Felicity away in an old coal chute in the basement brick by brick.
I've had a hard time thinking about this to review it because it was really not what I thought and while it's a decent retelling of Edgar Allan Poe and such, it's a bit too dark for me and I also had a hard time getting through this because of the language and such - it was a bit too much for me with all the profanity along with everything else.
If you like Edgar Allan Poe, dark stories, and such, then feel free to check it out, you might like it better than I did, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me. ( )

I don’t even know where to start. First this was an incredible retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s cask of amontillado. However, there were so many other Easter eggs of all of his other incredible short stories. Poe lovers everywhere will love the story. I think I figured out the mystery of what happened to Tress’s. Parents. This was so twisty it absolutely blew my mind. This really should be 4 1/2 stars not four. It was suspenseful, it was mysterious, it was horrifying, all wrapped up in one. I may add more to this review later as I think about it a little more. ( )

Another terrific book by Ohio's own, the awesome and terrifying author Mindy McGinnis! A wonderful dark and gritty homage to Edgar Allan Poe stories, set in the small Ohio town of Amontillado, with characters named Turnado, Montor, and Allan to name a few--the Poe hints are everywhere. The first of a duology, this book begins with former childhood friends Tress and Felicity now in high school, and Tress planning to get revenge on Felicity for many many slights over the years. The latest one involves Tress's beloved dog and her family's "White Trash Zoo" of caged wild animals, but the girls stopped being friends years ago, after Tress's parents went missing and Felicity was the only witness--a useless witness, for she can't remember what happened that night. Tress is determined to get the truth out of her, even if it literally kills her. This is a story for mature teen readers that covers jealousy, friendship gone wrong, class differences, and family secrets. Plus, a panther has escaped from the backyard zoo--and it shows up at the wild party where teens are oblivious, drinking and carrying on...while Felicity is trapped in the basement with an increasingly unstable Tress.... There's a TON going on in this book: from flashbacks of the girls' former friendship, to intensely suspenseful present-day scenes, to poems from the panther's point of view, which I found especially unique and cool to read. Definitely for high school readers and up, but a great book for those who love McGinnis' other books or just a good suspenseful, emotionally wrought, psychological thriller. ( )

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! ( )