Scan barcode
thecav57's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
freesien's review
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
This is a dark mystery set in a small town in southern America. It was very atmospheric and engaging and well written. The characterization was also well done and I moreover liked the complex relationships between the characters.
The only thing I would have preferred is a more personal narrator, there was a distance to the characters that put me off.
This is a dark mystery set in a small town in southern America. It was very atmospheric and engaging and well written. The characterization was also well done and I moreover liked the complex relationships between the characters.
The only thing I would have preferred is a more personal narrator, there was a distance to the characters that put me off.
eillieellie's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed the book but there were definitely too many characters which took me a while to get into the book and to have a good understanding of each of the characters and their relation to each other.
dougie_c's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
linzhuu's review
3.5
Wish they could have elaborated more and given more backstory. The plot was slightly too obvious but if the characters motives and stuff like that had been explained better it would have been better
anniejohnson10's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
myrdyr's review
4.0
3.6/5 stars. Well written with complex characters and a good storyline, but waaaay too much religion for me.
ne0's review
0.5
I hated _haaated_ the writing style. don't ask me why, git barely trough and just skimmed half the book which made it even worse.
noveldeelights's review
4.0
Summer Ryan goes missing from her home town. She’s not the first girl to disappear. Four other girls, all sweet church going ones, have vanished from a neighbouring town. They’ve not been found, nor the person responsible who they call The Bird. The local police force is tired and feels beaten. So when Summer goes missing, it’s Raine who throws herself into the search for her twin sister.
There is a dark cloud hanging over the small town of Grace, Alabama. In more ways than one. I mean, there really is an actual dark cloud threatening a huge storm. But there’s more than that as tension in the town rises and people turn on one another.
I have to say this book wasn’t at all what I was expecting. At its heart, it’s crime fiction dealing with missing girls but there is so much more to it than that. All the Wicked Girls is quite slow and incredibly dark but the tension is palpable throughout. It’s incredibly intelligently plotted and amazingly descriptive. Not having read the author’s previous book, Tall Oaks, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. While it took me a while to get used to the very distinct writing, it was the atmosphere that sucked me in as it oozes from the pages. I could hear the Southern drawl in my head, hear the crickets chirping at night and completely imagine the oppressiveness of living in a small and poor town in Bible Belt country.
These characters will stay with you for a long time as the author really brings them to life. It’s all incredibly realistic and believable as the town residents try to cope with the challenges life throws at them, with topics ranging from child abuse to drug addiction to dealing with the loss of a child. And yet somehow, the author manages to occasionally lighten the mood with brilliantly witty one-liners.
There is a dark cloud hanging over the small town of Grace, Alabama. In more ways than one. I mean, there really is an actual dark cloud threatening a huge storm. But there’s more than that as tension in the town rises and people turn on one another.
I have to say this book wasn’t at all what I was expecting. At its heart, it’s crime fiction dealing with missing girls but there is so much more to it than that. All the Wicked Girls is quite slow and incredibly dark but the tension is palpable throughout. It’s incredibly intelligently plotted and amazingly descriptive. Not having read the author’s previous book, Tall Oaks, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. While it took me a while to get used to the very distinct writing, it was the atmosphere that sucked me in as it oozes from the pages. I could hear the Southern drawl in my head, hear the crickets chirping at night and completely imagine the oppressiveness of living in a small and poor town in Bible Belt country.
These characters will stay with you for a long time as the author really brings them to life. It’s all incredibly realistic and believable as the town residents try to cope with the challenges life throws at them, with topics ranging from child abuse to drug addiction to dealing with the loss of a child. And yet somehow, the author manages to occasionally lighten the mood with brilliantly witty one-liners.
myjourneywithbooks's review
4.0
Summer Ryan, model student and all-round good girl, is missing and the local authorities prefer to believe it's just another case of a runaway teen. Summer's twin Raine is convinced there's a more sinister reason for her sister's disappearance and launches into an investigation of her own.
The story itself was interesting and well written. The ending was not something glaringly obvious from about halfway through the book (I hate it when that happens in mysteries and thrillers) though the author has managed to cleverly and inconspicuously drop some hints throughout. But what set this apart from most of the other thrillers I've read is how real and well-defined the characters were. Noah and Purv's friendship was the highlight of the story for me and Raine really earned my admiration. I loved how although Summer herself is not part of the present day narrative, the author managed to bring her character to life through the chapters that were dedicated to her first person recollections of past events that eventually led up to the secret of her disappearance.
If you have a hankering for a thriller that's captivating and at the same time easy to read, I would definitely recommend this one.
The story itself was interesting and well written. The ending was not something glaringly obvious from about halfway through the book (I hate it when that happens in mysteries and thrillers) though the author has managed to cleverly and inconspicuously drop some hints throughout. But what set this apart from most of the other thrillers I've read is how real and well-defined the characters were. Noah and Purv's friendship was the highlight of the story for me and Raine really earned my admiration. I loved how although Summer herself is not part of the present day narrative, the author managed to bring her character to life through the chapters that were dedicated to her first person recollections of past events that eventually led up to the secret of her disappearance.
If you have a hankering for a thriller that's captivating and at the same time easy to read, I would definitely recommend this one.