Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Title: Hysteria

Author: Megan Miranda

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Published: Feb 2013

ISBN: 978-1408834848

Rating: 4.5/5

I’ve seen both the US and the UK book covers for this, and prefer by far the UK one, I just don’t see anything interesting in a girl in a dress holding up a picture frame..the UK one is more attention grabbing imo.

Where do I start with this?  What seems to be an open-shut case of a girl stabbing her boyfriend progresses into far more in Hysteria when Mallory is sent to Monroe Prep boarding school; something or someone is following her.  Can she remember that night or will she end up going insane?  Mallory can’t remember what happened the night she stabbed Brian, so along with the building suspense, Mallory is also trying to remember.

Mallory goes to the same school her father attended decades before and recognises Reid from her father’s alumni meetings.  I watched as Mallory tried to integrate into a society who already knew her history and what she’d done.  Colleen is a faithful friend, and is so girly!

My favourite character in this is Reid; who shows his vulnerability at his father’s funeral and he is the main support for Mallory when she’s at Monroe Prep, as he doesn’t give up on her regardless what his peers think of her.

This story tilts so many times, and each time it made sense and seemed very realistic and spine chilling.  I didn’t guess the extent of the story which is masterfully told, although some part of this had me wanting to shake Mallory to her senses and remember her past clearly.

Book synopsis:

Mallory's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear . . . When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

Source – Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley, an ecopy was received in return for an honest review.