Kathryn Berla | THE KITTY COMMITTEE

Plot (via Goodreads):

Every year, it comes. And every year, it reminds Grace that someone knows her deepest secret—the secret whose silence has tormented Grace over the years. That secret began with an innocent gang of teenage friends who called themselves The Kitty Committee. 

The Kitty Committee of Grace’s youth was ostensibly a group of friendship and support. But the friends fell victim to the ringleader’s manipulative personality and recklessness, which set the girls on a course of vigilante justice, culminating in an act that will forever change their lives, an act that becomes their shared secret.

Grace’s silence and guilt has led to over twenty years of disappointing relationships, an inability to commit, and a crisis of morality. And no matter how much Grace has suffered and lost, still it comes every year. The reminder that someone out there wants The Kitty Committee to suffer--someone who won’t forget and won’t forgive.

Review:

So, I am ready to admit when I am unfair or wrong and I am willing to eat my words. When JKS Communications reached out to me about reading THE KITTY COMMITTEE by Kathryn Berla, I really had to think about it for a moment. When I saw the title, I thought "Probably not for me..." but I was wrong. I read the plot to this novel and combined with the title, I then thought this would be a cozy mystery or maybe a lighter thriller. Nope, wrong again. THE KITTY COMMITTEE is a darkly beautiful novel that is fantastically written and combined some of my favorite things...

First of all, coming of age novels that feature female characters are my JAM! This novel is a great example of a darker version of Pretty Little Liars combined with I Know What You Did Last Summer...with a side of Eat, Pray, Love. No joke. Like, reading about these girls in high school was so entertaining. The way Berla began this novel in present time and then quickly started the next chapter nearly 22 years ago was great. I liked how realistic the characters were. Each had their place and purpose in the novel, none feeling forced or cliched. It was exciting, eerie, and reminiscent of Dare Me by Megan Abbott. I was completely immersed and rather in love with this novel. 

As the novel treks along and we follow Grace on a journey into adulthood following this ominous event that made her flee after high school and get as far away as possible. What follows this is not only a journey that is soul-searching and emotionally taut, but really added depth to Grace's character and showed me how quickly things can escalate and was terrifyingly real as to how a decision you make can haunt you for time to come. Then, traveling back to high school and back to adulthood was not only beneficial to this story, but really guided me into getting a full comprehension as to what was to come when I finally got to the bottom of two mysteries. What happened in high school that made these girls relationships so toxic? Who is sending letters to them every single anniversary? Well, you have to read to find out. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Special thanks to JKS Communications and Amberjack Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5