Who doesn’t love a creepy story of murderer girlfriends? This blogger LOVES those sort of stories — especially when there is a lot of information to unravel AND a mystery and CIRCUMSTANCES. You guys, I just love circumstances. So, technically, Hysteria by Megan Miranda should have been a no-brainer fall head over heels in love sort of book for me. Yet, I just feel so lukewarm toward the book. I’m actually still trying to work out whether my feelings are just me and my circumstances or if it was the book.
Hysteria starts out with a bang. Main character Mallory has murdered her boyfriend with a knife. Mallory doesn’t really remember much of the night — she can’t quite remember the whole event except that she stabbed Brian to death in her kitchen instead of running out the door. As Mallory’s family is super worried for her, and because she wasn’t charged and got off on it being self defense, her parents decide to send her to Monroe school in New Hampshire, a boarding school that her dad went to. Mallory resists because she wants to stay home with her best friend Colleen. Alas, it is not meant to be. While at school she reconnects with this guy Reid, who shot her down years and years ago when she tried to kiss him… on the night of his dad’s funeral. Anyways, Mallory is pretty convinced that she’s being haunted by Brian’s ghost, or at least that someone has it in for her.
I never connected with Mallory. Like there was never a point during reading Hysteria where I thought to myself, hey I could be friends with this person. I am sure stabbing her boyfriend has something to do with it. It’s not that she’s whiny or weak or annoying — she isn’t. I did like Mallory’s friendship with Colleen and how those two would do anything for each other. Yet, I don’t know, I just felt so detached from Mallory. And also, I just couldn’t get into her whole romance with Reid, like her ex boyfriend hasn’t been cold in the ground for too long. Granted, there are reasons — but still. I think that had to do with some of my indifference towards Mallory.
Unfortunately this book took me forever to read. I am not sure if it’s because my week was insanely busy or if it was my general lack of interest in what happened to Mallory. What I can say is that I seemed to read This Is What Happy Looks Like much faster, and that book is way longer. I was in no way hooked by the story, and that sucks because I came in totally wanting to love the book. ALSO. I should say, one of the things that frustrated me was how long it took to find out the whole circumstances of Mallory’s killing her boyfriend. It just seemed to drag on and on, and I was all JUST TELL US ALREADY.
I will say, although Hysteria was a dud for me, I will still try Megan Miranda’s other book, Fracture. You guys, the whole reason I didn’t connect could have been either my stress or the book and it’s really up in the air at this point. So what I am really trying to say is — don’t discount Hysteria because of me. Chances are you might really like it and connect with Mallory. Personally, I didn’t but I would still recommend this book to people who like books that are subtly chilling with a hint of a ghost story.
Disclosure: Received for review, but I also purchased a copy yesterday.
Other reviews of Hysteria by Megan Miranda:
Chick Loves Lit – “HYSTERIA certainly delivers”
Pure Imagination – “it was exhausting”
The Nocturnal Library – “This book was a lot of things, but mysterious it wasn’t”
Latest posts by April (Books&Wine) (see all)
- A Christmas To Remember by Beverly Jenkins | Book Review - December 5, 2024
- Make The Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake | Audiobook Review - December 4, 2024
- Christmas at Corgi Cove by Annie England Noblin | Book Review - December 3, 2024
Thanks for your thoughts April! I didn’t really connect with Mallory either but I was super excited about her friendship with Colleen and wish there could have been more of that especially since Reid was kind of a dud.
Never read the book but I’ve noticed the mixed reviews. Still want to read it and find out how good or bad it is myself.
I actually really liked this book, but it’s still very intersting to see why it didn’t click the same way for you. I got completely engrossed in the mystery, and I wanted to know what had really happened. At the same time, the shcool mystery had me on my toes as well.
Great review April 🙂
Hmmm. Well, you know I love creepy, possible-ghost stories. I’m not sure I will connect to Mallory either, but I will still give this one a try. You know, because I already bought it and got it signed yesterday 🙂
This book sounds interesting to me especially because of my (obsessive) interest in the Jodi Arias trial. She killed her ex and supposedly doesn’t remember what happened. And is trying to get off on a self-defense claim. It’s kind of creepy how similar these are. I might want to read it just for the connection!
Raquel
Based on the other reviews I’ve seen for this, sadly it’s probably not just you. 🙁 This makes me sad, because I so badly wanted this book to be amazing.
This plot sounds like it should be amazing! Where did this go wrong? Well, Mallory apparently. It sucks when you just don’t connect, because it’s often like “that’s nice…is this over yet?” Definitely seems like romance was not needed in this story. Like, it would have been stronger without that I suspect.
I liked Fracture a lot, though the paranormal stuff was a little weird. That heroine was much more likable and the romance was sweet.
I keep seeing mixed things about this. It is definitely discouraging that you had so much trouble connecting to the heroine. I do like the creepy plot though. I have heard that it’s not easy to tell whether the book is paranormal or contemporary and I like that as well. But I’m not raving to get my hands on this book. I will keep it on my radar though. Thanks for the review!
I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews regarding this book and the bulk of it really boiled down to whether or not the reader connected with the characters. In your case, it sounds like that just didn’t happen. I do, however, love the concept though I’m not sure I can get down with the plot dragging along. If a thriller can’t keep the suspense going long enough, in the end, it’s almost not worth it. Sorry this one didn’t work out for you!
I read Fracture and I had a hard time understanding the main character Delaney because her words and thoughts seem more like a 14 year old instead of a 17 year old. I was hoping Hysteria would be better. I’ll still give it a chance.
I liked Hysteria alright for this genre, which is not my favorite genre. I do tend to support NC authors, so I tend to run quickly to grab Megan Miranda’s books and read them in a hurry. ALSO I really really liked Fracture – I actually liked Fracture a lot more than this book, so hopefully when you pick that one up you’ll connect with that story more.
This book sounds properly creepy and mysterious, but I worry that I’m not going to be able to connect with Mallory. It’s hard for me to enjoy reading books where I can’t relate to or at least find some connection with the MC, and that’s what makes me hesitate when it comes to this one!
I have this one on my shelf right now, but I’ve kind of been putting off reading it because I’m worried I won’t like it as much as I hope to. I was thinking of just returning to the library, but your review kind of has me intrigued now haha. I want to see if it was your stress or the book. And I totally want to connect to Mallory but I don’t know if that’ll be very possible since she murdered her boyfriend and all. I guess we’ll see!
Oh, aww, I’m sorry you didn’t like it.
I read Fracture and didn’t like it much, had trouble connecting with the girl, 😛
But good luck, maybe you’ll like that one.
This is disheartening to hear. I was really looking forward to Hysteria. I have a copy that I plan to read soon. Not connecting with the MC would really make a book hard to enjoy.
Your reviews never ever fail to crack me up!
I must say, I haven’t heard much about this book but I think I will have to check it out. I am totally down for a “kill your boyfriend, forget why you did it, and then attempt figure it out” type of book. Although some of whats going down in this book seems a bit strange to me, it also sounds a tad bit interesting in a creepy sort of way. Awesome review April!
Yeah, I definitely didn’t love this one. I though Fracture was fantastic, though!