She Started It

A Novel

By: Sian Gilbert

Narrated by: Sarah Ovens, Anne-Marie Piazza, Ione Butler, Billie Fulford-Brown, Sarah Cullum, Ella Lynch

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

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 listeners until the very end.

©2023 Sian Gilbert (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Good read

Overall good book. Kind of creepy but I like the story itself. The characters are presented well. I feel really bad for the main character poppy, I really feel the emotion with her.

Whoa.

Holy buckets. This was like Mean Girls to the max. The build-up was brutal, and the way Poppy was treated was genuinely heartbreaking.

The characters were all so well done, even though they were despicable. Annabel refused to acknowledge the past. It’s over, old news, and she isn’t bothered. Chloe is shallow and self-involved, living as a social media influencer. Esther and Tanya are also living their lives without regret.

But they all have secrets. This was such a twisted display of toxic friendship, bullying, jealousy, and how easy it is for someone to fall between the cracks and be forgotten.

The way this story was told was clever. Multiple narrators, with multiple points of view and alternating timelines, reveal the truth, past and present, with a twist that will leave you shocked.

This was brilliantly performed. Each of the narrators was fantastic, bringing their character to life and giving this story a realistic element that makes each twist more intense.

I'm not sure

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. Characters were not likable. definitely a surprise ending that pulls at your heart strings.

I loved it!

I honestly didn’t see that ending coming. Hoping for a part 2 or an epilogue.

Couldn’t put it down!

Amazing story!! So many twists and turns I just couldn’t stop reading! You think you know what’s going on to an extent but then you’re totally thrown for a loop, so if you think you’re predicting it you’re close but not at all!! I love the point of view characters in the story telling. I really hope a sequel comes out!?

Wow!

This story was so good. So many twists, each one more unexpected than the last and the ending… woah.. i highly recommend this one! It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year!

Unremarkable ending!!!

This book was a little slow to start but wow what a great book once u get into it!! 10/10

Why did they ruin the twist in the first chapter!?

Overall this was a miss. Insanely predictable. Don’t tell me the twist in chapter one and then name a chapter the twist. Amateur. This author does have promise though as I really hated Annabel, Tanya, Esther and Chloe. I think they need a better editor and narrators that actually sound different from one another.

Left me wanting more.

I LOVED this book, kept me hangin on & wanting more!! I hope there’s a 2nd book to follow.

A Good Read

This is a good read. I did find it a bit predictable enjoyed it very much. I felt the readers performers did a good job. Time to find a new book to read!