Content warnings: alcohol, anxiety, car accident, cults, depression, divorce, gore, murder, poisoning, rape, stalking, violence

Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Camille Gardener is a divorced and grieving mother over the loss of her child five years ago. When a public stunt draws the attention of a secret group of women, referred to as the collective, Camille is intrigued about what the collective says it can achieve: justice for grieving mothers where their children's killers have walked free. Convinced the tasks are all just a game, Camille finds herself immersed in this world, able to devote nearly all her time to following through with the tasks, no matter what has been asked. Soon, Camille begins to question if it's right to be doing this and tries to find a way out. Will Camille be able to leave?

This is a read in a day, quick page turner of a book that doesn't necessarily keep you guessing but rather you just want to know what happens next. The collective operates with a hive mind and is hellbent on getting gruesome justice, where no part of a dark and twisted imagination is cast aside but in fact encouraged.

There aren't many characters in the book and besides Camille, get little in much of attention or imagination. Camille herself has a one-track mind and is obsessed with wanting her child's murderer to die in a fashion more horrible than her daughter's death, thinking this will finally bring her peace. Although it's mentioned that Camille works for herself as a website designer, I find it a bit hard to believe that she can put her work on hold for the length of the novel (a few weeks) with no repercussions. Regardless of the settlement money, mentioned briefly at the beginning, that paid off the house and spending little of it, there seems a disconnect to me.

The ending was nothing what I expected. It's not that it was lackluster but more so, really?

Spoiler

I understand that not every story does, or should, end with the "bad people" losing and the "good people" winning, but it was anticlimactic and just subpar the way it was done. I did appreciate the tie in with Camille's therapist, Joan, and her death. However, the circumstances of Joan's death don't seem like they'd make a mother snap and seek out revenge. Yes, Camille was the last one on the phone with her, but it just seems farfetched that would deem Camille a murder.

All in all, if you want a quick, page-turner of a read and don't mind some of the nastier side effects of living, this book is for you. Do pay mind to the content warnings, however, as there are many pieces in this book that could be upsetting for folks.