My new mantra is going to be: if the book is marketed "For fans of Gone Girl," then I'm going to run the other way. Because even though I loved [b:Gone Girl|19288043|Gone Girl|Gillian Flynn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397056917s/19288043.jpg|13306276], any book that claims to be like it is decidedly not.

"Beware That Girl" is marketed as a "psychological thriller." I cannot tell you how many times I fell asleep while reading this. It took me an inordinate amount of time to finish this book compared to others I read. "Thriller" it is not.

I realize that this book is supposed to be YA, so I did keep that in mind while reading. Given the target audience, I appreciate that this book wasn't overly graphic (I much prefer suspense over explicit books, anyway). The female protagonist is strong, which I also appreciate for a YA audience. However, this book just had too many issues and an overall feeling of "meh" for me to be able to recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

A terrifically trashy teen thriller, just in time for beach season.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the advance reading copy. ( )

3.5 stars

(From www.pingwings.ca)

I was really in the mood for a twisty thriller when I picked up Beware That Girl. It started out strongly enough, with opening chapters that hinted at a dark, twisty story, and a main character who was a self-proclaimed liar with a dark past. So far, so good!

I liked the alternating perspectives – some chapters were told in Kate’s first-person voice, while others were told in third-person.

And the story was a page-turner. I read it in a couple of days, and was super curious to find out how things turned out.

Overall, I liked the book, but I didn’t love it. Nothing about the characters really pulled me in after the first couple of chapters. The synopsis talks about twists, but I didn’t find anything too twisty or surprising here.

Recommended for YA mystery fans, but I don’t think this holds up to the expectations I had from that synopsis! ( )

Powerful psychological thriller with multiple mysteries is set against the backdrop of the mega wealthy elite of New York City. Toten delves into the mesmerizing yet dysfunctional world of those who manipulate but seem ever so charming. With its gripping pace and Hitchcockian twists, Beware That Girl will keep readers guessing until the very last line.

FROM AMAZON: The Haves. The Have-Nots. Kate O'Brien appears to be a Have-Not. Her whole life has been a series of setbacks she's had to snake her way out of - some more sinister than others. But she's determined to change that. She's book smart. She's street-smart. And she's also a masterful liar.

As the scholarship student at the elite Waverly School in NYC, Kate has her work cut out for her: Her plan is to climb the social ranks and land a spot at Yale. She's already found her "people" among the senior-class "it" girls - specifically in the cosseted, mega-wealthy, yet deeply damaged Olivia Sumner. As for Olivia, she considers Kate the best friend she's always needed, the sister she never had.

When the handsome and whip-smart Mark Redkin joins the Waverly administration as head of fundraising, he immediately charms his way into the faculty's and students' lives - becoming especially close to Olivia, a fact she's intent on keeping to herself. It becomes increasingly obvious that Redkin poses a threat to Kate, too, in a way she can't reveal - and can't afford to ignore. Mark has his own plan for a bright future and never doubts that he can pull it off. How close can Kate and Olivia get to him without having to share their dark pasts?

I decided to stop reading after the first few chapters, it just seems like the typical boring storyline. Not to do any spoilers but it was predictable and there was no "oh, what" it was more of "of course". ( )