She Started It Book Review: A Thriller by Sian Gilbert

Today in my She Started It book review we’re going to be discussing what might be the strangest bachelorette party ever! That’s right. I said it. There are plenty of books, television episodes, and movies about bachelorette parties gone wrong. I mean, Bridesmaids starring Kristin Wiig is a cult classic.

But while the bridesmaid situation in Bridesmaids was petty drama, She Started It is different. You might think things would be all peachy on the private island with no cell service. They should all be soaking up the sun and relaxing. But the jealousies between these characters gets scary.

Even deadly.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book at first. I have trouble getting into stories about bullies, bullying, and mean teenagers. I recently read Summer Rental by Rektok Ross and the characters were so mean. I didn’t care for any of them which made the story difficult to get through.

But She Started It took a turn after a few chapters. It was a really wild ride and not a straightforward read. I have a feeling I’m going to be recommending this book quite a lot in the months to come. Keep reading to find out my full thoughts on the thriller novel She Started It by Sian Gilbert.

This is the perfect twisty summer debut thriller to take on vacation with you. And hey! If you enjoy these review, make sure to check out some of my other book discussions here.

What is She Started It About?

She Started It is advertised as being perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty. It’s a thriller that takes it’s cues from classic books like And Then There Were None and Lord of the Flies. What starts out as a dreamy Caribbean bachelorette party turns into a terrifying nightmare for the group of young women who attend.

The story focuses on a group of childhood best friends: Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe. As adults they’ve drifted apart. This often happens during early adulthood. But they all share a surprise when each of them is invited to be a bridesmaid at Poppy Greer’s wedding.

It’s unexpected, but not unwelcome. Who wouldn’t want a first-class plan ticket to an extravagant bachelorette party on a scenic island in the Caribbean? An all expenses-paid vacation is just what each of them needs. But while they expect for the trip to be the party of a lifetime, filled with days of white sand and too much prosecco, Poppy has something else in mind.

If you enjoy a psychological thriller with flawed characters and big twists, She Started It is the book for you. Follow these women as they enjoy their party and all of the island’s accommodations. What could go wrong when you’re with your closest friends?

Well, with a single twist, quite a lot. Hopefully they enjoy their summer vacation, because for some of them it may be their last summer vacation.

The Characters

The characters in this book are close friends from childhood who have grown up and moved on with their lives. They are all flawed and share secrets from the past. But while this book is an entertaining read, it can be difficult at times to read because of the unlikeable characters.

But the story is a great read about awful things. So I suppose that makes sense!

I felt bad for Poppy and wished that I could jump into the story and befriend her. I know that bullies choose to pick on other people because they have their own issues but it’s really upsetting to read about. Poppy deserved a hug!

The Themes

Some of the main theme in this novel are female friendship, bullying, and revenge. But at the end of the day, these are all great elements for thriller novel.

The Plot

I wasn’t sure what to think about the plot. Right off the bat it felt like this book was going to be too much for me. The story is told partially in present day and partially through flashbacks to the past. Bullying is a difficult topic to read about and I felt so bad because Poppy wanted so badly to fit in with the other girls but they ridicule her for everything including her physical appearance.

But I decided to keep an open mind and keep reading. Karma always wins in the end.

Sian Gilbert Books

As of 2024, Sian Gilbert has only 1 published work. She Started It is her first novel. Hopefully there will be more because this story about a hen party that takes a sinister turn was very original and kept me guessing! I’d love to see what other creative story lines she will come up with next.

My Thoughts

I’ve never been on a first-class flight and I would love a first-class plane ticket to anywhere, so I found the idea behind this story to be very fun. But you know… after that the whole bachelorette party thing lost its appeal. Haha.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I read this before going to my best friend’s bachelorette party in July. It’s the perfect summer thriller because you can read about vacation when you’re on vacation!

This book went in a direction that I did not expect, and I liked that. While the story focuses on a cast of characters, I felt like Poppy could be considered the main character since the whole book is about her bachelorette party. She (along with her darkest secrets) surprised me as the story went on.And to be honest, every single character kept me guessing with what awful thing they would do or say next.

The Writing

I really enjoyed the way that Sian Gilbert crafted this story. It’s always great when you get different character perspectives in a story with lots of characters. It helps that the story was told partially in current day and partially in the past. It helped to learn the back stories of all the girls in high school.

It didn’t justify their actions by any means, but it did explain them.

I felt like this was a really strong debut book by Sian Gilbert. Sian Gilbert’s writing style was very interesting and the story was one that really kept my attention. I read it in just a day or so because I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.

Trigger Warning

This book does contain the serious topics of bullying, depression, and suicide. If these are topics that upset you, I would suggest skipping this book. It’s a good book, but it’s not worth risking your peace of mind over it.

In Closing

She Started It is a thriller about mean girls, that contains lots of twists and turns. The end of the book is not what I expected and I can’t wait for my reader friends to check this book out so that we can discuss it together. This book is anything but a straightforward thriller and I think fans of the genre will appreciate that.

But wait, there’s more!

If you’d like to check out more of my book discussions (do it! It’s the right choice!) then click here.

xo Marian