The Girls of Summer

"It packs an incredible punch, switching assuredly between teenage Rachel swept up in the giddy rush of freedom and feeling desired by a man, and adult Rachel piecing together hard truths she has desperately suppressed. The dark undertow of an idyllic summer and the lies girls are told and tell themselves are captured with stark, affecting honesty and evocative prose." --The Times (UK)

"A lyrical, emotional novel...Reminiscent of HBO's hit The White Lotus, Bishop's tale will draw readers in with its realistic descriptions of the island. The obvious read-alike is My Dark Vanessa, and the plot-driven tension will appeal to fans of psychological suspense." --Booklist (starred review)

"This promising first novel is a timely exploration of the way predatory older men seduce and manipulate young women...Bishop's unflinching dissection of male abuse and power and the strength of female solidarity deserves attention." --Publishers Weekly

"This novel is unputdownable with mystery, relatable marriage woes, identity issues, a sense of urgency, and a bold new voice. This is the book of the summer." --KatieCouric.com

"This book is one of my recent favorites, an escapist guilty pleasure. Propulsive, steamy, and set in the most gorgeous location." --Zibby Owens

"Moving seamlessly between past and present, body and mind, and myth and reality, The Girls of Summer is a searing study of the exploitation of girlhood's naïveté and its far-reaching consequences. A poignant and lyrical exploration of the past's power to haunt us, the novel expertly unravels the intricacies of relationships of all kinds to show the power dynamics that underlie each. Bishop is an undeniable master of emotional crescendos, guiding readers toward realizations that are at once shocking and inevitable. At once about a particular moment in history and timeless, The Girls of Summer will by turns seduce, entrance, devastate, and move anybody who has ever been young." --Rachel Kapelke-Dale, author of The Ballerinas

"Atmospheric and powerful, The Girls of Summer is a propulsive examination of the line blurring trauma and love in a relationship, a distinction which--in a post #MeToo world--is more important than ever. Bishop has crafted a haunting, tense, psychological debut, and a final reckoning that will stick with me." --Carola Lovering, author of Tell Me Lies

"A stunning study of abuse and consent." --The Irish Examiner

"This debut should be on every summer reading list...The Girls of Summer explores consent, the power discrepancies in relationships, control, and the intoxication of lust in a gripping read that is visceral and raw. Buy it." --Glamour UK

"It lures you in then shakes you up. A very timely read about consent and control. I LOVED it." --Nikki May, author of Wahala

"It's been a long time since I've read such a compelling debut. Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking, The Girls of Summer sizzles with suspense. It's the book I'll be recommending that all my girlfriends pack for their holidays this summer." --Lucy Clarke, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Castaways

"A mesmerizing, unsettling and gripping debut." --Catherine Ryan Howard, internationally bestselling author of Run Time

"Smart, tense and on-the-nose about shame and coercion and the way we force our own painful histories into a narrative we can live with."
--Tammy Cohen, author of Stop At Nothing

"Such a clever, subtle, simmering read of a sun-drenched summer romance that is not all it seems. Timely, powerful, and must-read material around consent and buried trauma." --Claire Daverley, author of Talking At Night

"Bishop's engrossingly dark debut simmers with the seductive power of first love against a backdrop of truths too horrible to confront. This is a powerful story of exploitation and retribution; I loved it." --Louisa Reid, author of The Poet

"An absolutely scorching debut deftly mixing the glamour of an island holiday with shadows of coercive control. One of the best psychological thrillers I've read this year." --Alice Clark-Patts, author of The Cover