The Guest List

Introduction: 

Going into this I was a little worried that I would not like the book as I have read another book (The Paris Apartment) by the author and absolutely hated it. Like most books I read, I went in completely blind. Basically, the overall gist is that a rich couple is getting married on this mysterious island with a tragic background. The bridal party comes to the island a few days prior to the wedding itself and big secrets from the past start being revealed and everyone is more connected than they initially thought. 

I had to keep a list of the characters in my head to keep track of everyone involved and who had their own POVs. The point-of-view (POV) changes constantly between various members of the bridal party and the host (Aiofe) who owns the house on the island. 

Jules, Will (briefly I think), Johnno, Olivia, Hannah, Aiofe each had their own POV. There was also a POV that was written in third person that took place the night of the wedding. Everyone else’s POVs are from before the wedding and leading up to the wedding. 

In depth discussion WITH spoilers at the very bottom

Check your triggers as there is mention of self harm out of fucking nowhere relatively early on!

Conclusion:

Overall I was not impressed with the book. I did not hate it as much as The Paris Apartment, but I definitely did not have a good time. I think there were too many POVs. It was less confusing that I thought it would be, but it could have been done with fewer changes and still gotten the same points across. It became quite predictable as things started being revealed. I am not a fan of when the reveals are just one giant “what the FUCK are you talking about” type moment. As in the things happening were so wild they felt fake if that makes sense. 

It felt like the book wasn’t truly wrapped up. Someone took the blame and then everyones all lalala it's over and bam it ends? Nothing was wrapped up, no one was confronted about their secrets. It made the ending feel very rushed. 

One Star

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THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS

I will be going in depth about the secrets and how each character is connected.

Will, Johnno, Femi, Angus, and Duncan went to school. Will used Johnno and he usually had to take the brunt of everything. Will is famous because he is on a show called “Survival.” The show is based on something they used to do to “haze” other students at their boarding school. They would essentially kidnap a fellow student blindfold him, and then tie them up in some random location where they were then supposed to get free and make it back to the school. The show is similar because Will is dropped in random desolate locations and uses his survival skills to make it back to civilization. 

Will is terrible for a lot of reasons.

Will and Johnno were also super mean to this one kid and made him clean their room, boots, and basically made him their bitch. They referred to this kid as “loner” and he had a friend they called “fatfuck.” I don’t honestly remember why they were extra mean to him in general or enough to include him in the Survival. During this Survival they indirectly, but also directly killed Loner. They tied him to a post down by the water and Will conveniently forgot (he didn’t actually forget) that the tide was high that day. Johnno did not realize this, but unlike Will, Johnno actually felt really horrible about it. It is implied that someone (Fatfuck) saw them taking Loner that night. 

Will met Olivia (Jules’ sister) on a dating app where he called himself Steven. Will is much older than Olivia and he groomed the shit out of her. On one of their dates Olivia took “Steven” to a company party of her sister’s where she got super drunk trying to calm her nerves and “Steven” ended up calling a cab and sending her home. Later it is revealed that this is how Will met Jules. During their time together “Steven” and Olivia were not being safe and she got pregnant. When she told him this he ghosted her. Her mother took her to get an abortion. Later, Jules invited Olivia and their mother to meet her new fiancé and of course Olivia recognizes him. She wants to tell Jules, but Jules is kind of a bitch to Olivia and she just drops it. This is Olivia’s secret. 

Charlie is a long time best friend to Jules. It’s hardcore hinted at that they used to be an item back in the day. Johnno even asked if they slept together early on in the book. Jules is still very much into Charlie. Charlie is married to Hannah. Charlie’s secret is that he fucked Jules RIGHT AFTER HANNAH GAVE BIRTH TO THEIR LATEST CHILD. Garbage man. Ew. Ew. Ew.

Hannah bonded with Olivia - Olivia told her about “Steven” and her secret - because Hannah had a sister who had committed suicide while at college. Someone posted revenge porn and it ruined her life. Guess which terrible person was the person who posted the revenge porn that led to her sister’s suicide? Fucking WILL.

Then Jules DOES know about them and smacks him with cake. They keep talking about the knife so DUH that’s gonna be used. Like to the point that Aoife’s caterer husband said “this is so sharp it’ll cut through cake like butter” because it’s meant for MEAT.

Previously mentioned that when they took Loner that night someone saw them leaving. It’s mentioned a few times so I knew it was going to come back around as a big reveal. It was foreshadowed SO hard that at one point in a Will POV he thought “What she’s doing with a fat fuck of a husband like Freddy is anyone’s guess.”  CAN YOU GUESS WHO FATFUCK IS NOW? Freddy is Aiofe’s husband who barely had any parts in the whole damn book!!!! One of the worst reveals of the whole damn book

Will’s dead (good) book ends but nothing truly wrapped up? Johnno took the blame - like always. Olivia and Jules just hugged but didn’t really say anything about what truly happened. Hannah knows that’s who revenge porn’d her sister so happy he’s dead but then also cheating husband?? And then it’s just over ????