Praise for Mindy McGinnis’ A Madness So Discreet: “McGinnis excels at rich character development; every person readers meet makes a dramatic impact on the story and on Grace. Grace herself is flawed, complicated, and struggling with intense pain that leads her to some very dark and murky moral places where she asks people to do what may be the wrong thing but for the right reasons. This book is highly recommended.” - School Library Journal
Praise for Mindy McGinnis’ A Madness So Discreet: “A bountiful buffet of twisted, dark intrigue. While others are writing about relatively ‘normal’ heroes and heroines, McGinnis takes the less-traveled route to bring us a heroine damaged physically and mentally, and to the far reaches of her soul. McGinnis can surely tell a story.” - USA Today
Priase for Mindy McGinnis’ A Madness So Discreet: “Grace’s story shines. Every person she encounters, mad or trapped by the label of madness, feels achingly real. Readers will wish they could watch her and Thornhollow solve murders for pages and pages more. A dark study of the effects of power in the wrong hands, buoyed by a tenacious heroine and her colorful companions.” - Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Mindy McGinnis’ A Handful of Dust: “A very satisfying journey, by turns philosophical and riveting.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Praise for Mindy McGinnis’ Not a Drop to Drink: “The intensity of action moves the story forward, but not at the expense of character development. The complex, authentic characters are neither fully evil nor unbelievably good. The honest and hopeful ending—while not “happily ever after”—will resonate with readers and leave them asking for more.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
★ “All three teens are haunted by the memory of Anna’s murder, and Alex’s inclination to both considering and exacting revenge with cruel efficiency leads them all inexorably to an explosive, terrible finale. An unflinching look at rape culture and its repercussions.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A Must-Read YA Book of Fall 2016 - Brightly
“It’s raw. Not ‘raw for YA.’ Real-deal raw. And violent. And unforgettable. McGinnis explores both and she goes there in a way no one really has before in YA. This is Kill Bill in high school, but with more nuance, bolder choices and a true female perspective.” - The Globe and Mail
“Your heart may still be pounding after you’ve finished this book. It is uncannily well timed to our current political situation...McGinnis, who dedicates her book to ‘the victims,’ examines this dichotomy of hope and violence, love and hate, with dexterity and grace.” - The New York Times Book Review
McGinnis’s novel about a teenage girl who avenges her sister’s rape and murder and becomes a self-created human weapon is a gut punch that will leave you reassessing everything you thought you knew about the lives of young women.” - NY Mag
“Holy crap is it good.” - Bustle
★ “This is an astoundingly dark but beautifully written tragedy, brimming with sexual assault, violent murders, and accounts of animal abuse that will be difficult for most individuals, but also tempered with glimpses of genuine human emotion and extremely touching displays of kindness that cross social barriers and species. Sexual abuse and assault are treated with sensitivity here but also portrayed with the necessary weight and power, and the dangerous repercussions of poor self-esteem, limiting social expectations, and secret-keeping are discussed openly and frankly. Highly recommended for collections serving teenagers, this book will likely be especially well received by those who enjoyed any of Gillian Flynn’s novels.” - School Library Journal (starred review)
★ “An astoundingly dark but beautifully written tragedy, brimming with sexual assault, violent murders, and accounts of animal abuse...but also tempered with glimpses of genuine human emotion and extremely touching displays of kindness that cross social barriers and species. Highly recommended for collections serving teenagers.” - School Library Journal (starred review)
“The ending of this dark novel leaves much to be unpacked, and it would certainly spark heated discussion in a book club or classroom.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
★ “McGinnis gracefully avoids the pitfalls of creating a teenage vigilante, instead maintaining a sense of piercing realism. Alex is a pained girl in dangerous free fall, whose fierce independence is challenged by newfound friendships, even love, though neither may be enough to stave off the inevitable.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ “Whether a catcall, an unwelcome touch, or more, sexual aggression towards females happens daily; McGinnis explores how one teen uses violence for justice in this gripping story that should be read and discussed by teens, as well as those who work with them.” - Booklist (starred review)
★ “Each word has been specifically chosen, each character superbly and humanly sculpted, the plot line masterfully completed. To say more would be to dilute the experience. McGinnis plays with the readers and they are at her mercy.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)