Book Review - She Started It by Sian Gilbert

Title: She Started It
Author: Sian Gilbert
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2023
 
Description: 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. The one day they receive awoly unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome, invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all the her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class ticket 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 Peppy 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’ve anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, an 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.
 
Review: We meet old friends Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe. Adults now, they have all made a good life for themselves. All with successful careers and status. Even though they aren’t as close as when they were children, an invitation for the bachelorette party of a former classmate brings them together again. They have no idea why this girl, Poppy Greer, would invite them after not having contact with her for 10 years. But they simply can’t turn down an all-expenses-paid luxury trip to a private island in the Bahamas.
 
We follow the story from different perspectives: The four women invited to the bachelorette party and a young Poppy, through diary entries. This way you get to know the women better. And you also find out that the four women are all awful, selfish, materialistic bitches.
 
Let’s start with the things I liked about “She Started It”. I enjoyed the drama, the rich girl drama. This made this book entertaining enough for me to finish it. But that’s about it.
 
 Most characters just make no sense. For some reason they never feel that taking this trip is a bad decision, they don’t have any remorse for what they did when they were younger, they are just too self-absorbed. What these four women did as children is just horrible, but they all believe it was them just joking around, because they were just kids. They still don’t see how awful they were back then. And these characters, besides their jobs and social life, were exactly the same. 
 
Very early on I the book I had an idea of what the intention of this trip was and what the big reveal was going to be. Which is okay. If it later turns out to be something completely different and surprising, that’s just great. But it’s really a bummer when it turns out to be exactly that. And it was written as if it was supposed to be this big surprise reveal or shocking twist. Well, it’s not. There are enough hints in the book that should help you figure it out way before it’s revealed.
 
Even though the drama of these selfish, horrible women is entertaining, I really hated this book.
 
Rating: 1/ 5