The Collective by Alison Gaylin on November 2, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Amateur Sleuth, Fiction / Thrillers / Crime, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
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“None of these monsters are evil. It’s the evil of others that makes them powerful. Beaten down by the world, shunned, robbed of what they love, they don’t curl up and die. They don’t apologize. They fight back. They get bigger, stronger, more terrifying. You are a monster. We all are. Be grateful for THAT.”
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 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.
A truly unique, dark and enthralling plot. The book started off strong, but it lost steam for me after halfway. I liked the characters but never felt connected or truly invested in them. For me, it was a matter of enjoying this as being a fun, escape read, not a gripping, believable one. It wasn’t as intense as I had expected, but it was a solid suspenseful story that I enjoyed escaping into. There’s some part of me that cheers the thought of vigilante justice, but this book makes me rethink that! I think this would make an excellent book club book and would lead to a lively discussion!
I gave this a 3.5-star rating. Though I liked seeing a bunch of bass-ass moms seeking revenge for their children, some parts of the story dragged a bit. The ending had a pretty unexpected plot twist! It’s not necessarily a new all-time favorite, but I had a lot of fun reading this one!