The Bookish Ashley

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, Olivie Blake returns with something sharp, wicked, and a little bit glossy. Girl Dinner is a clever blend of dark academia, social satire, and psychological unease—served up like a beautifully curated charcuterie board with something rancid hiding underneath.

This book is for anyone who loves campus novels with teeth, feminist horror that hits too close to home, and stories about ambition wrapped in ritual.

The Premise: When “Living Well” Turns Predatory

At the center of the novel are two women at very different life stages, both desperate for stability and belonging:

Nina Kaur

A sophomore still haunted by a freshman-year trauma she doesn’t talk about, Nina sees The House—the most elite sorority on campus—as her shot at reinvention. The girls are flawless, magnetic, and terrifyingly put together. Being chosen feels like salvation… until it doesn’t.

Dr. Sloane Hartley

An adjunct professor and new mother whose postpartum fog is painfully real. Her return to academia is shaky at best, and her invitation to be The House’s academic liaison feels like a lifeline. The alumnae seem effortlessly successful, the polished ideal she can’t quite reach.

Both women are starving for control. The House is all too happy to feed them.

What Works

⭐ The Atmosphere Is Deliciously Dark

Blake excels at building a world where beauty is a weapon and every candlelit ritual feels like it was Pinterest-boarded by a coven. The aesthetic is immaculate: think silk dresses, Instagrammable salads, and something sinister simmering under the kombucha.

⭐ Sharp Commentary on Wellness and Womanhood

Girl Dinner skewers the idea that women can “optimize” their way into perfection. Blake dissects the pressures on young women, mothers, academics, and influencers with a sarcastic, almost gleeful precision.

⭐ Dual POV That Actually Works

Nina’s desperation and Sloane’s unraveling feel distinct and real. Their journeys echo one another in ways that keep the pages turning.

⭐ Creepy, Clever Sorority Lore

The House is part cult, part MLM, part self-help sisterhood from hell—and Blake clearly had fun writing it.

Where It Fell Just Short (But Only Slightly)

A 4/5 for me because:

The themes—perfection, belonging, bodily autonomy—are strong, but occasionally the commentary gets a little on-the-nose. The pacing dips in the middle as the rituals and revelations spool out slowly. Readers expecting Atlas Six–level worldbuilding might find this one more straightforward and metaphorical.

Still, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise delightfully twisted ride.

Final Thoughts

Girl Dinner is a satirical, seductive, feminist horror novel that manages to be both fun and unsettling. Olivie Blake serves a story about hunger—emotional, social, literal—and the ways women are taught to sacrifice themselves to be “good.”

If you love dark academia, culty sorority vibes, or stories where femininity becomes a battleground, this is absolutely worth devouring.

4/5 stars: a gorgeously written, unsettling treat.