The Deviants by CJ Skuse

Growing up in the sleepy English seaside town of Brynston, the fearless five – Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane – were always inseparable. Living up to their nickname, they were the adventurous, rowdy kids who lived for ghost stories and exploring the nearby islands off the coast. But when Max’s beloved older sister Jessica is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.

Now years later, only Max and Ella are in touch; still best friends and a couple since they were thirteen. Their lives are so intertwined Max’s dad even sponsors Ella’s training for the Commonwealth Games. But Ella is hiding things. Like why she hates going to Max’s house for Sunday dinner, and flinches whenever his family are near. Or the real reason she’s afraid to take their relationship to the next level.

When underdog Corey is bullied, the fearless five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them. But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves?

I've been a fan of CJ's for a good few years now and with every new book of hers, she continues to surprise and entertain me, not to mention getting increasingly darker. This tim, we follow the reunion of five friends as they band together to get revenge againist Corey's bully, who happens to be the fifth member of their old group. 

I'm going to talk a little about the dark stuff but first I want to mention how incredible the characters and their friendships were. CJ has always managed to just get teenagers, and this group of nutters is no exception. Ella in particular was perfectly flawed; a competitive runner, as well as carrying around a horrible secret, she was definitely a biased narrator as she is so angry at quite a few people in her life. But when she and Max reunite with Fallon and Corey and it's as if no time as passed, it shows that some people are just meant to be in your life.

Now, the dark stuff. I don't want to spoil anything but I think it should come with a trigger warning. There were some utterly shocking and heart-wrenching twists that I really did not expect; they were incredibly written and worked so well with the story, I'm just saying that it broke my heart and made me feel a little sick. 

All in all, an amazing story that I flew through, desperate to understand. Definitely dark in a skin-crawly way but amazing characters, some you love and love to hate, and an unforgettable story about the perils of revenge.

Published October 2016 by Mira Ink. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.