Blog Tour: Review of The Spite Game by Anna Snoekstra

Author: Anna Snoekstra

Publisher: Mira

Date of  publication: November 1. 2018

Everyone does bad things when no one is watching

Mercilessly bullied in high school, Ava knows she needs to put the past behind her and move on, but she can’t—not until she’s exacted precise, catastrophic revenge on the people who hurt her the most.

First, she watches Saanvi. Flawlessly chic and working hard at a top architectural firm, Saanvi has it all together on the surface. But everyone does bad things when they think no one is watching and Ava only wants what’s fair—to destroy Saanvi’s life the way her own was destroyed.

Next, she watches Cass. She’s there as Cass tries on wedding dresses, she’s there when Cass picks out a cake, she’s there when Cass betrays her fiancé. She’s the reason Cass’s entire future comes crashing down.

Finally, Ava watches Mel. Mel was always the ringleader and if anyone has to pay, it’s her. But one tiny slip-up and Ava realizes the truth: Mel knows she’s being watched, and she’s ready to play Ava’s games to the bitter end.

The Spite Game is about Ava who was bullied in high school by three mean girls.  Unable to let it go, she sets out to seek revenge on them later in life.  I'll be honest, I can't put my finger on what I feel about this book.  In a way, I liked it because who doesn't like a good revenge story. The ending did have a ice twist.  But on the other hand, I felt kind of unsatisfied by the end. Because, how much did Ava really change?

I struggled to like Ava or feel sorry for her. A lot what happened to her in her life was her own fault. Yes, she was bullied and what happened to her was gross. But once she got out of school, wasn't it time to get over it and move on? I mean we all have hurts from our school days.  Yet, she never really did; going so far as to almost lose what was right in front of her.  Every time Ava got "revenge", it didn't seem to make her any happier.  I think I'll have to put this one out as one to read and judge for yourself.  It was compelling enough for me to finish yet it left me a bit unsettled in the end.  I'll probably be thinking about this one for a while.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Anna Snoekstra

Anna Snoekstra was born in Canberra, Australia to two civil servants. At the age of seventeen she decided to avoid a full time job and a steady wage to move to Melbourne and become a writer. She studied Creative Writing and Cinema at The University of Melbourne, followed by Screenwriting at RMIT University.

After finishing university, Anna wrote for independent films and fringe theatre, and directed music videos. During this time, she worked as a christmas elf, cheesemonger, a waitress, a barista, a nanny, a receptionist, a cinema attendant and a film reviewer.

Connect with Anna

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Instagram Tour:

Monday, October 29th: @_ebl_inc_

Monday, October 29th: @amberafterglowreads

Tuesday, October 30th: @ladyofthelibrary

Wednesday, October 31st: @bookishconnoisseur

Thursday, November 1st: @jessicamap

Thursday, November 1st: @dropandgivemenerdy

Friday, November 2nd: @girlsinbooks

Saturday, November 3rd: @bookclubwithbite

Saturday, November 3rd: @love_my_dane_sailor

Sunday, November 4th: @bookishwinterwitch

Sunday, November 4th: @jennblogsbooks

Review Tour:

Monday, October 29th: @scaredstraightreads

Tuesday, October 30th: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, October 31st: Jathan & Heather – review and excerpt

Thursday, November 1st: Cheryl’s Book Nook

Friday, November 2nd: Wining Wife

Monday, November 5th: @wherethereadergrows

Tuesday, November 6th: 100 Pages a Day… Stephanie’s Book Reviews

Wednesday, November 7th: A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, November 8th: Why Girls Are Weird

Friday, November 9th: Books & Bindings

Monday, November 12th: Midwest Ladies Who Lit

Tuesday, November 13th: Staircase Wit

Tuesday, November 13th: @thecityofdarkclockwork

Wednesday, November 14th: @mountain_reader and Really Into This

Thursday, November 15th: Books a la Mode – excerpt

Friday, November 16th: @novelgossip

Monday, November 19th: Thoughts from a Highly Caffeinated Mind

Tuesday, November 20th: @bibliotrix.lestrange

Friday, November 23rd: Kahakai Kitchen

Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra

Author: Anna Snoekstra
Publisher: MIRA
Date of publication: October 2017

What happens when ambition trumps the truth?

A town reeling in the wake of tragedy

An arsonist is on the loose in Colmstock, Australia, most recently burning down the town's courthouse and killing a young boy who was trapped inside.. 

An aspiring journalist desperate for a story

The clock is ticking for Rose Blakey. With nothing but rejections from newspapers piling up, her job pulling beers for cops at the local tavern isn't nearly enough to cover rent. Rose needs a story-a big one. 

Little dolls full of secrets

In the weeks after the courthouse fire, precise porcelain replicas of Colmstock's daughters begin turning up on doorsteps, terrifying parents and testing the limits of the town's already fractured police force. 

Rose may have finally found her story. But as her articles gain traction and the boundaries of her investigation blur, Colmstock is seized by a seething paranoia. Soon, no one is safe from suspicion. And when Rose's attention turns to the mysterious stranger living in the rooms behind the tavern, neighbor turns on neighbor and the darkest side of self-preservation is revealed.

Little Secrets is about a small working class town in Australia where too many secrets and too many hot tempers end up causing a lot of damage to the community.  In the wake of a tragic fire where a child was killed, dolls start showing up on the door steps of the children in the town.  They strangely look like the children they are left for.  Rose is looking for a story that will give her a big break in the world of journalism and uses this one as her jumping board.

I really disliked this book.  I probably should have DNF'd it, but I kept holding out hope I would end up least liking something.   It also took me forever to read and I ended up switching to audio to finish it out quicker.. Nothing happens in a large majority of the book.  I know not every story can have all likable characters, but at least one could go a long way to making the story good.  I couldn't find one nice character in this book.  Even the little kids are kind of brats.  The protagonist almost had my sympathy for a while, but she ended up being just as detestable as the rest of them.

I never really felt the mystery aspect of the book.  Finding out all of the secrets was kind of a let down.  There was one twist that did take me by surprise, but it seriously wasn't enough to save the book for me. Even that twist, which was one of the big ones, never really was addressed again after it was revealed.  You would think there would be some repercussions, but no.  In the end, they all kind of got what they deserved and were probably looking at miserable lives ahead.  I'm not really sure I would recommend this one.  It's is really dark and I guess if you like that sort of book, you could give it a shot. Otherwise, I would say skip it.