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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Good thriller-ish book, predictable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse
dark
emotional
sad
So freakin sad like my chest hurts
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a dark and disturbing book that was less a fast paced thriller and more a psychological crime with some thriller elements. It explored the life long effects of childhood abuse and trauma and focused on the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator.
Overall this book was a miss for me. I felt the setting and characters of the book were never fully established which hindered my ability to connect with this novel in any meaningful way. I struggled with the constant switching of present and past timelines. The short paragraphs of the novel made the switching feel disjointed and confusing and while this may have been a technique the author was using to reflect the protagonists fragmented memory, it just didn’t work for me. I felt I really lost the present story and was only trying to understand what happened in the characters childhood.
On the plus side, the book was interesting enough to keep me reading, I didn’t always predict what would happen and whilst the content of this book was very heavy it was never overly graphic.
I think my lack of connection really stopped this book being anything above a surface level exploration of childhood abuse and while I think it was an interesting idea, the execution left a lot to be desired.
Overall this book was a miss for me. I felt the setting and characters of the book were never fully established which hindered my ability to connect with this novel in any meaningful way. I struggled with the constant switching of present and past timelines. The short paragraphs of the novel made the switching feel disjointed and confusing and while this may have been a technique the author was using to reflect the protagonists fragmented memory, it just didn’t work for me. I felt I really lost the present story and was only trying to understand what happened in the characters childhood.
On the plus side, the book was interesting enough to keep me reading, I didn’t always predict what would happen and whilst the content of this book was very heavy it was never overly graphic.
I think my lack of connection really stopped this book being anything above a surface level exploration of childhood abuse and while I think it was an interesting idea, the execution left a lot to be desired.
Is it perfect? No. Is it compelling? Hell yeah. 4 stars!
I enjoyed this in a way I wasn’t expecting. It was marketed like a bad thriller, but it was much better than that. I found it sad and scary and thoughtful. Most people will see the twist long before it comes, but it still has some impact, which surprised me.
You don't really 'like' this book, I think. The subject matter is just too beyond, even compared to a gross serial killer mystery, to 'like'. In fact I feel gross for the prurient curiosity that led me to read Girl A. And yet, if I hadn't, I'd have missed this intense, heartbreaking look at many important topics: guilt, shame, anger, trauma. And love. The complex wonderful sibling love that builds us from birth for good or bad. Lex is unlikeable but believable, unflinching, broken, but has a core of love that made me ache for her.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated