Alison Gaylin

Three and one-half stars

Review of eBook

Camille Gardener lost her fifteen-year-old daughter, Emily, some five years ago after a gone-tragically-wrong fraternity party she’d attended with Harris Blanchard, a college freshman she’d deemed a “nice” boy. But, exonerated in court, he returns to his rich and privileged life, leaving Camille incensed over the lack of justice for her daughter.

When the young man receives a prestigious accolade, Camille creates a scene at the ceremony. Shortly show more afterward, she finds herself with an invitation to join a group of mothers in similar circumstances . . . they’d lost a child and the legal system failed to hold the responsible person accountable.

As Camille becomes entrenched in this group, known as the Collective, she finds some peace with the knowledge that, finally, there is some justice for a grieving mother.

But who exactly is in charge of the collector? And is their justice truly justice?

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Filled with a group of largely unlikeable characters and a plot that, at times, seems to glorify vigilante justice, the narrative, ultimately, presents a morality that is gray and rather difficult to defend. It’s a story that’s dark and sad, overflowing with grief. Still, readers are likely to find the vehement hatred that follows the grief a bit difficult to accept.

In this often-predictable narrative, the rich and privileged become the “antagonist” group always absolved of all blame and never held accountable for their actions. [This is the failure of the justice system.] And while mothers who have lost a child form a group that no one wants to become a member of, readers may find it difficult to accept so many women bent on dishing out retribution. By naming themselves judge, jury, and executioner, they become no better than the people who stole their children’s lives in the first place.

And while the plot may make for an exciting tale, readers are sure to find they need a strong dose of suspension of disbelief. No one [except Luke, one of the few likable characters in the telling of this tale] comes close to realistic behavior; contrary to the opinion expressed here, the tragedy of losing a child does not turn every mother into a crusading avenger.

Nevertheless, most of the story is intriguing; however, readers may find the rather disappointing denouement a let-down. show less

Seldom do I love or even like, all the main characters in a story, but I did in this one. I have never read this author, but I have to say that she did a fantastic job of writing both the adult and the teen characters...all were very well-developed. The mystery was well-paced, keeping the tension high, and holding my interest. There were other surprising reveals along the way, some that related to the main crime, and others that didn’t. All the storylines were handled competently and show more wrapped up nicely. This novel dealt with a wide range of issues that affect both the adults and the teens...single parenting, past trauma, grief, bullying, isolation and social ostracization, and how easily what we say on social media has the power to ruin lives. I thought the quote that I read concerning this book sums it up very well, "It takes the gulf that naturally develops between teenagers and their families and stocks it with sharks. show less

The Collective by Alison Gaylin is a 2022 William Morrow publication.

Five years ago, Camille’s only daughter, Emily, was raped and murdered and the person responsible got away with it.

Camille’s marriage disintegrated and she now survives on grief, anger, and anti-depressants.

When Camille is approached by a woman inviting her to join a secret group on Facebook, Camille signs up, and finds that it feels good to vent her frustrations online, which leads to an invitation to join another show more group- but on the dark web, this time.

The members are all women who have lost children and never got the justice they deserved. The group is called 'The Collective' and they plot revenge against those who never paid for their crimes.

Camille initially thinks it’s like a role-playing game- it’s cathartic, and for a while she starts to feel better again..

Until she realizes this is no game…

Okay, first things first. You need to know going in that this is not your ordinary thriller. The premise is not intended to be hardcore realistic, but to examine human frailties, a broken justice system, the underbelly of the internet, and how grief, without the proper closure, can eat away at even the most ordinary, honest, law-abiding citizens, and how vigilante justice can seem like a way to relieve that pain and grief…

Until the unconsidered consequences arise.

The tale is a dark portrait of grief and revenge, but it also shows how anyone might get blamed disproportionately and might end up on the radar of some underground ‘collective’, But are they a candidate for vigilante justice or just plain old revenge?

At first I felt sympathetic towards these ladies who had lost so much. Though my favorite mantra is ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right’- who in Camille’s shoes wouldn’t have entertained dark fantasies of revenge?

But then things start to get a little dicey. Who gets to decide what passes for a legitimate crime and if they really deserve vigilante justice?

I thought the author did a great job on this one. The vengeful planning is cunning, well thought out, and truly twisted. How easy would it be to jump down a rabbit hole when your heart or head is not in a good place?

I think it would be easier than one might think because we hear about people falling down rabbit holes on YouTube or secret internet groups or apps, to the point where they lose their grip on reality. They too feel like they are working towards a specific, even honorable, purpose and it's scary has all get out. So, while this story does require some suspension of belief, there's a lot of plausibility in here too- more than we'd like to believe, I'm sure.

Overall, this story is fast-paced, riveting, and truly terrifying. I really was on the edge of my seat! It's one wild roller coaster ride- full of surprises, with an incredibly taut atmosphere. It many ways it’s a cautionary tale, and the ending is absolutely chilling!

Hate is a bottomless cup; I will pour and pour.

4 stars show less

Camille Gardner is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible.

When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability and perpetrators emerge unscathed. Fueled by show more mutual rage, these women orchestrate their own brand of justice through precise, anonymous, complexly plotted and perfectly executed revenge killings, with individual members completing a specific and integral task in each plan.

As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive. show less