Release date: August 6, 2024
Publisher: Disney Books
Pages: 304
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

Murdered bad girl Annie Lane is back from the grave and hellbent on revenge . . . she just has to figure out who killed her.

This fast-paced thriller by a talented debut delivers a horror-infused hunt for justice that’s at once furiously feminist, darkly funny, and utterly satisfying.

Between her careless mom, her cheating ex-boyfriend, and her rotten reputation around town, Annie Lane is used to being left behind. But she’s never been left for dead before—until she wakes up to find her body’s been dumped on a mountain rumored to raise the dead.

Annie can’t remember who killed her, but she’ll stop at nothing to figure it out and make them pay. Because girls like her don’t get justice unless they take it for themselves.

Codie Crowley’s propulsive debut presents a furious and cathartic thriller skewering society’s condemnation of “unlikeable” girls.

Review

Here Lies A Vengeful Bitch is a dark and insanely gripping thriller from Codie Crowley. The story follows teenager Annie Lane, who has returned from the grave with only one thing on her mind – to find out who murdered her and make them pay.

I could not tear myself away from this book. It was fast paced, twisty and full of dark humour. I ended up reading this in nearly a single sitting because I just had to know what was going to happen next. The title certainly drew me in but the plot will absolutely have you on the edge of your seat. The story is well developed with plenty of mystery. When the murderer was revealed it wasn’t who I expected and Crowley did a brilliant job of keeping the reader guessing. Crowley has weaved so many different elements into this story, it’s got gripping mystery thriller elements as well as dark and eerie paranormal elements too.

The thing that shines most in Here Lies A Vengeful Bitch is our main protagonist Annie. She has such a strong narrative voice and I was absolutely rooting for her to get her revenge. Annie isn’t the most likeable character but she’s loyal to her friends and she’s determined to see justice done. There are also some pretty sad moments showcasing Annie’s home life and Crowley handled this topic really well.

Crowley has crafted a really impressive debut and I am very keen to read more from this author in the future. If you love compelling YA paranormal thrillers with a vivid, kick ass main character this is definitely one you should add to your wishlist.