Hi friends! I am back today with a new review for a book my sister bought me and… well let’s just say she knows my bookish taste pretty well. Let’s get to it!
There are no spoilers in this review.
? The book
Charlie Calloway has a life most people would kill for – a tight-knit family, a loyal set of friends, and top grades a privileged boarding school. But Charlie’s never been interested in what most people want. Like all Calloways, she’s been taught that she’s different, special – better. So when her school’s super-exclusive secret society extends a mysterious invitation, Charlie’s determination to get in is matched only by her conviction that she belongs there.
But their secrets go deeper than she knows.
Charlie finds herself thrust into the centre of a decades-old mystery – one that implicates her family in not one terrible crime, but two. Uncovering their past may destroy everything she knows – or give her the answer she’s always craved: Who or what was behind her mother’s disappearance ten years ago?
I ENJOYED… ❤️
?
- I really enjoyed the way this story was told: multiple POV and between past and present, leaving us to put together the pieces of the overall mystery and giving this read a compelling dimension, too. I liked how this book was focused on a family mystery before anything else and to discover both her parents and Charlie’s POV.
- The setting was, for me, a win overall: I love boarding schools settings, I really liked the whole secret society part and the life of the rich students in the boarding school, too.
- Each of the characters were complex and flawed, making them more human and making me root for them. If at times, I had a bit of a hard time with Charlie’s POV and attitude, I liked seeing her grow though the story. I also really enjoyed her mother Grace’s POV added to the story.
- I liked the friendships in the story, too, especially the one developing with Grayson, an old family friend, and Charlie.
I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…?
?
- Some aspects of the mystery ended up being a teensy bit predictable, unfortunately, which made me a bit sad. Thankfully some twists and turns still surprised me, so that was good!
- I wish that we could have learned more about the secret society overall, I feel like we only got to see what was happening on the surface and I would have loved to get into the roots of it all a little more.
OVERALL
If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining mystery thriller, I would recommend All These Beautiful Strangers for sure. The storytelling and mystery made this a compelling, intriguing read from begining to end.
Final rating: 4 drops!
Trigger warnings: child abuse, talk of suicide, one joke about self-harming (p.162 in the paperback edition), forced kiss, domestic violence, rape (one scene).
Do you want to read All These Beautiful Strangers? Why, or why not?
Do you have any recommendations of books set in boarding schools, or books with great mysteries? I’d love to hear them! Let me know in comments!
I’m going to add this to my TBR! For the longest time I hadn’t given mysteries a chance, but all of a sudden they’re my top reads!
WICKED CHARM by Amber Hart had a great mystery!
Ahhh that’s great! I hope you’ll enjoy it 🙂
Oh I don’t know that one at all, will need to check it out. thank you so much!! 🙂
Ooh this sounds so good! I love boarding school books too! *_*
It was really good, I hope you’ll pick it up! And YES, boarding school settings are my favorites 😀
Thank you so much <3
Great review ??
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Now you make me want to read it too Marie as I love boarding schools and secret society plot!
Ahhhh, I hope you’ll pick it up sometime Sophie, it was a really good book 😀
Oooh this sounds so good! I am instantly in whenever I hear secret society. Did you ever read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks? It is one of my all time faves about a girl who decides to one up her boyfriend’s stupid all male secret society and my love for it drives me towards ALL books with secret societies ever since.
AHHHH I did read this book and I really really enjoyed it,it was SO good! 😀 I’ve always been fascinated by secret society plots and such so I had to read that one. Always looking for more books like these 🙂
I hope you’ll want to give this one a try 😀
Ah glad you enjoyed this one Marie! I read this from BooksandLala’s recommendation and really enjoyed it – it was really fun (I love boarding schools) but I do agree that there was a little left to be desired about the Secret Society!
Ohh thank you Taasia, I’m glad you enjoyed that one too 🙂 I felt a little frustrated on that part, unfortunately, if only there were more about the secret society overall it would have been even better 🙂
Great review Marie and yes I want to read it! I also love those page edges, I just received Need to Know that has them too and I totally such a design!
Oh agree I love these page edges SO much, they look SO cool haha 🙂
Thank you so much Inge! 🙂
Ooh I hadn’t heard of this one and I’m really intrigued! The setting sounds awesome, and I always love it when boarding schools end up having secrets and dark undercurrents. Nothing like a good distraction from studying ?
Exactly ? I really liked the setting, but I’m always such a fan of boarding school settings overall, so….
I hope you’ll give this one a try someday, Cait! Thank you so much <3 <3
Awesome review! Glad you liked it 🙂
I really enjoyed the chapters from the past, told by the mum.
Ahhh I’m glad you read and enjoyed that one! 🙂 Same here, I really liked these flashback chapters a whole lot and… I liked the mom, too, maybe even more than the daughter sometimes ?
Thank you so much! <3
This sounds like a really good book, I was kind of intrigued by the blurb but reading your review has cinched it and I need to add All These Beautiful Strangers onto my TBR list. 🙂 There are times when I love a good mystery story; also like you I kind of love the boarding school settings (throwback from reading Harry Potter when I was growing up I guess), Charlie sounds like an interesting character, and to be honest you probably had me when you mentioned the friendships! 🙂
Great review Marie. 🙂 <3
OH thank you so much Beth, I’m so glad I could convince you! I hope you’ll give this book a try soon and that you’ll enjoy it, it was a good read overall 😀
I love this format for reviews <3
Aww thank you so much! 🙂
This sounds intriguing, for sure! I might reach for it if I ever feel like reading a mystery – this happens less frequently than I’d like ?
I love the aspect of the secret society, it sounds amazing.
Great review, Marie! ❤
OH well I hope that you’ll pick it up whenever you’re feeling in the mood for it, it really was a good read! 🙂
Thank you so much! <3 <3
This book wasn’t on my radar at all but it sounds really interesting! Great review, Marie!
Oh well I’m so glad I could put it on your radar! Thank you so much 😀
I love this setting too and the friendships worked for me as well. And I loved how complex the characters were as well. I definitely see what you mean about it being predictable- though for some reason, in this book it didn’t bother me as much. It was a very entertaining read for me as well though! Great review! <3
Oh thank you so much <3 I'm so, so happy you read and enjoyed this book as much as I did 😀