Bad Habits

I enjoyed Heald's playful mocking of academic pretenses--particularly the plays on "negation"-- without for a minute believing her portrayal of the a PhD program was authentic or realistic. I have a PhD and have taught at universities for years and encountered nothing like the behaviors of Heald's faculty members. It was amusing to see a woman cast as the major predator as well. The levels of vengeance and retribution were way over the top. So a fun read without offering much real insight into human behavior. And I found the "twist" at the end totally unbelievable and too easy a conclusion.

Amy Gentry is the author of the best selling thriller, Good as Gone, a book I Must read Now after finishing her latest, Bad Habits, a wildly dervish thriller, in a weekend.When Mackenzie, "Mac," a professor who's come from nothing, and now goes by her middle name, Claire, runs into her former best friend, Gwen, who's always had it all, their chance meeting sets off a labyrinthine plot to settle old scores.The subplots are topical and I especially enjoyed Tess' plight as Gentry took great care to frame the subject matter as victim who eschews victimization becomes victim anyway; and more importantly, the ensuing silence of those who could at least say something.The story is told in flashbacks and skips pleasantly to the present; maybe not exactly the present, as much of the action occurs a few months from now, yet Bad Habits never appears off track.Just by reading the inside flap, Bad Habits is murder. But within its academic and plush settings, it doesn't feel murderous. It's something much more dangerous ... intellectual property that seethes. But Gentry's effusive writing (she takes glee in casting Mac in so many shades of shadow), and subtle yet effective plot twists had me in a vise until the very last page.

Holy cats, I loved this book. The story of a toxic friendship in a venomous grad school program, Bad Habits is a rollicking, smart, twisted novel that smolders with fury until its final pyrotechnic conflagration. Every detail fits together with a go-for-the-jugular elegance that weds sleek minimalism with painstaking construction, like a deceptively simple designer dress made of hundreds of carefully cut slips of fabric. I don't want to give away any part of this novel's gorgeously constructed plot. Clear your weekend, pour yourself a glass of wine, and strap in for a shudderingly good read.

Needs to be listed under the LGBT label. Could have been a good read if not for the main faculty couple’s sex habits and the word “Joyner” repeated 200+ times.

Gentry outdid herself on this one. Set in the world of academia, the intertwined stories of Gwen and Claire propel the reader to a climax which is both unexpected and gripping. Gentry takes us through many surprising twists to a final unanticipated ending. The book is well written and smoothly navigates the reader back and forth through the years of Gwen and Claire's relationship. A gripping look at academia which I couldn't put it down once I started reading. This is Gentry's best book yet!

The characters were well drawn without becoming predictable; I didn’t know what to expect of them throughout. The portrayal of academia is a caricature, but an intentional one, and Tess’ experience seems all too true (except for its resolution).

Amy Gentry is brilliant. I’ve never had a favorite contemporary writer until she came along. I loved Good as Gone for how it kept me on my toes and Last Woman Standing for how raw it was and how close it hit to home. Bad Habits is the best yet. It is delicious and shameless and I’m already hungry for her next offering.

This compelling novel about a woman who will do anything to get ahead is well written and interesting.The ending has a surprise twist that is shocking and satisfying.