2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Guest List by Lucy Foley.

Pages: 330 pages

Length: 1 Month (April)

Participants: Sandra, Allie, Ushashi, Rachael, Surabhi, Sneha, Alyana.

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

I am not part of the buddy read (yet), but I have been wanting to read this book for a while and I just saw it was available in the ebooks catalog in my library. I don't know if I actually have the time to read it the upcoming month, but if I do, I'll happily join the discussion :)

Hi Michelle! Welcome! Happy to have you here!

I started this a couple of days ago for the readathon as it completes some prompts. I am liking it so far.

I am starting today.

Have never done a buddy read, but I just started this book and about 10% in and I’m already hooked! Excited to join :)

Ramya wrote: "Have never done a buddy read, but I just started this book and about 10% in and I’m already hooked! Excited to join :)"

Welcome Ramya!

good luck and have fun with this one everyone :) i'm going to keep up to date with you all since i'm keen to read this! enjoy!!

Finished it. It certainly lived up to all the hype it got last year. I loved the pace and the atmosphere. It gave me a And Then There Were None vibe. Looking forward to discussing with everyone.

Ushashi wrote: "Finished it. It certainly lived up to all the hype it got last year. I loved the pace and the atmosphere. It gave me a And Then There Were None vibe. Looking forward to discussing with everyone."

Finished it today too.
(view spoiler)[ I was kind of dissatisfied with the ending, I felt like there was more into it? (hide spoiler)]

I just finished it and can’t wait to hear other opinions. I’m so surprised I didn’t like it. It just seemed entirely too predictable and the ending left me very little closure. I am wondering what everyone else has liked about it!

I started this now anyways, as an extra book for the readathon and I'm about 15% in. I feel like the book is very slow starting and it is throwing me off a bit. I find it hard to get into the different perspectives and persons, but that may resolve once the story actually starts and the book stops introducing characters. I have the feeling nothing has happened yet...

Not part of this buddy read but I just finished this one and liked it! It definitely starts off very slow and it’s difficult to get connected to all the different characters at first, but it redeems itself halfway through! It became a complete page-turner for me after like a third of the way through

(view spoiler)[though I do feel like the ending was super rushed? There could’ve been better closure and a more satisfying resolution, but the book just ended so quickly after everything was found out :( (hide spoiler)]

manni wrote: "Not part of this buddy read but I just finished this one and liked it! It definitely starts off very slow and it’s difficult to get connected to all the different characters at first, but it redeem..."

I agree with you Manni.
(view spoiler)[ That is what I felt too. It started off really slow, too many character introduction which I sometimes I got confused to be honest. And then halfway through, it got interesting with the revelations. The ending feels like rushed and it could've been better. I would've like if it was Hannah who planned everything all along since her character was the one that I think was the more consistent. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, it's a 3.5 star rounded up to 4.

I too agree about the ending. (view spoiler)[ It seemed a bit more closure was needed for all the characters. After all the revelations it became easy to guess the victim. Also the fact that so many people he had wronged ended up in a same place was farfetched. But it's a novel so that kind of things happen. (hide spoiler)].
But I quite liked the beginning. It worked as a nice character and atmosphere build up for me.

I started this today...it's a bit slow & though there are so many POV's & characters, the tension-filled setting making me curious to read more. I'm really loving it....

Sneha wrote: "I started this today...it's a bit slow & though there are so many POV's & characters, the tension-filled setting making me curious to read more. I'm really loving it...."

Hi Sneha, I hope you'll enjoy the book :)

I have started reading this. So far, it is a very quick and gripping read. I read The Hunting Party by the same author last year and at times, I feel like this book is very similar but then I can also see how Lucy Foley's mystery writing has improved.

Rachael wrote: "I have started reading this. So far, it is a very quick and gripping read. I read The Hunting Party by the same author last year and at times, I feel like this book is very similar but then I can a..."

Hi Rachael, I am currently reading The Hunting Party and you were right, the style of writing with how the story is developing is similar.

It's such a page-turner. (view spoiler)[ I think that letter was sent by Olivia. I'm just guessing. I'm so curious to read the climax (hide spoiler)]

I'm currently just over half way finished with this book! I can't wait to finish it!

oh my goddd!!! (view spoiler)[ I guessed it and I least expected Will & Alice. Is Hannah behind all this chaos? or Will killed Olivia or Hannah killed Will? ohh I'm so so curious to know. Ok ok I think I have to calm down. (hide spoiler)]

Sneha wrote: "oh my goddd!!! [spoilers removed]"

Hi Sneha, I'm guessing you are really liking how to story is going on. :)

And then the lights go out. (view spoiler)[ who is going to kill Will...OMG Jules, Hannah, Olivia and and Johnno????? (hide spoiler)]

Alyana wrote: "Sneha wrote: "oh my goddd!!! [spoilers removed]"

Hi Sneha, I'm guessing you are really liking how to story is going on. :)"

Yes Yesss Alyana :) a lotttt

Finished it. I loved it. As earlier Alyana & Ushashi said (view spoiler)[ it could have a better ending. or somewhere in the middle it feels like a bit dragged on. I also predicted who will be the victim...but all stories made me curious to know who the murderer...and I never expected that... (hide spoiler)]

At 73% (view spoiler)[I have guessed who will be killed. Not sure yet who the murderer is, lots of clues and I keep changing my mind. (hide spoiler)]

I finished the book yesterday evening and I did like how everything played out in the end. However, I still feel like it is a bit off balance. Most excitement seems to be in the end while the beginning is a bit too slow for me.

Finished. (view spoiler)[Thought that Johnno was the obvious choice for whodunnit so knew it wouldn't be him. I was convinced it was going to be Hannah so was surprised when it wasn't her. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed (hide spoiler)]

Rachael wrote: "Finished. [spoilers removed]"
yes totally agree with u...I never expected that twist

Sneha wrote: "I started this today...it's a bit slow & though there are so many POV's & characters, the tension-filled setting making me curious to read more. I'm really loving it...."

I agree. I felt the atmosphere Foley created was what made the book much more interesting for me.

Rachael wrote: "I have started reading this. So far, it is a very quick and gripping read. I read The Hunting Party by the same author last year and at times, I feel like this book is very similar but then I can a..."

I want to read The Hunting Party.

Interesting thoughts regarding the ending (view spoiler)[feeling 'rushed'. I didn't get that feeling. It just felt as if it was "Here are the answers without much adieu since you've patiently been reading and waiting..." LOL 😉 (hide spoiler)]