The Spite Game

by Anna Snoekstra

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Paperback: 336 Pages

Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (November 1, 2018)

Everyone does bad things when no one is watching

Mercilessly bullied in high school, Ava knows she needs to put the past behind her and move on, but she can’t—not until she’s exacted precise, catastrophic revenge on the people who hurt her the most.

First, she watches Saanvi. Flawlessly chic and working hard at a top architectural firm, Saanvi has it all together on the surface. But everyone does bad things when they think no one is watching and Ava only wants what’s fair—to destroy Saanvi’s life the way her own was destroyed.

Next, she watches Cass. She’s there as Cass tries on wedding dresses, she’s there when Cass picks out a cake, she’s there when Cass betrays her fiancé. She’s the reason Cass’s entire future comes crashing down.

Finally, Ava watches Mel. Mel was always the ringleader and if anyone has to pay, it’s her. But one tiny slip up and Ava realizes the truth: Mel knows she’s being watched, and she’s ready to play Ava’s games to the bitter end.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

As far as the social strata went, we were barely in the equation. We were cooler than the kids with chronic acne who played cards in the back of the library, but not by much… I felt ready. I wanted to see the true potential of my life, to have fun and get drunk and kiss boys and skip school. I wanted to see what I was capable of. I was just waiting for my in.

 

There had been always been an ache in my chest. I hadn’t known it was there until now, when it was gone. I knew all I had to do was relax, not say or do the wrong thing, and every moment would be entirely perfect… As long as I didn’t muck it up, things would stay golden… I wanted to pause this moment, because I knew, inevitably, I’d somehow do something to ruin it.

 

I don’t think I’m the right person to ask about being normal, but I’ve always thought the best way to live is to embrace your crazy. I’ll tell you now it’s always a hell of a lot more fun.

 

I had worried so much about being a “psycho,” but maybe I shouldn’t have. I’d be happier if I was one, that was for sure. If I was a psycho, I’d do something to Mel. I’d get even. I’d been worrying so much that there was something terribly wrong with me. But maybe the thing that was wrong with me was the only thing that was right.

My Review:

 

As someone who was bullied in high school, I can honestly attest to the brilliance and keenly observant insights tucked into this author’s well-crafted tale. High school was over forty years ago for me, but the painful sting of personal humiliation remains ever so sharp, regardless of the massive amount of years and tons of dust in between.   I was absorbed by this emotive and cunningly written tale. The cleverly constructed narrative was laced with captivating and compelling characters and active with engaging, dynamic, and heart-squeezing scenarios. I required considerable motivation and enticement to put my Kindle down for those pesky chores like eating, sleeping, and adulting. I know it may not the politically correct or altruistic thing to confess, but I reveled in the ending with a glorious fist pump.

 

About Anna Snoekstra

Anna Snoekstra was born in Canberra, Australia to two civil servants. At the age of seventeen, she decided to avoid a full-time job and a steady wage to move to Melbourne and become a writer. She studied Creative Writing and Cinema at The University of Melbourne, followed by Screenwriting at RMIT University.

After finishing university, Anna wrote for independent films and fringe theatre and directed music videos. During this time, she worked as a Christmas elf, cheesemonger, a waitress, a barista, a nanny, a receptionist, a cinema attendant, and a film reviewer.

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