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vonderbash's review
1.0
I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
I really, really wanted to love this book, but it just left me feeling bored and confused. Caroline is one of the worst, most selfish main characters I’ve come across.
I really, really wanted to love this book, but it just left me feeling bored and confused. Caroline is one of the worst, most selfish main characters I’ve come across.
ambeesbookishpages's review
4.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
*Thank you so much Kids Can Press and Netgalley for letting me read and review THROWAWAY GIRLS*
*Content Warnings: Talk of suicide, conversion camps, disappearance of a loved one, implied sexual assault, anxiety attacks*
It's been a few days since I've finished Throwaway Girls and I still can't form a coherent sentence on much I loved this book and its characters. I read 75% of this book in one sitting because I just had to know: What happened to Madison? It takes a lot for a book to hit me on a personal level and Throwaway Girls did just that.
Caroline is so close to freedom that she can taste it. She can't wait to get away from her parents who can't accept who she is, the fancy prep school that is smothering her and trying to forget the girl who ran off to California and broke her heart. Everything changes when Caroline's best friend Madison goes missing. Not trusting the police herself Caroline takes matters into her own hands and learns that she didn't know as much about Madison as she thought she did. In her search, Caroline comes across multiple missing girls who aren't from good parts of town and are assumed to be "runaways." But Caroline learns pretty quickly that there is a common denominator between all these missing girls: herself.
I think my favorite aspect of this book is that we get occasional POV chapters from an unknown character who isn't revealed until the end, when all the huge secrets are beginning to unfold. I spent most of the book thinking that this POV was one character, when it really wasn't a character I was expecting at all. I think in Cantos doing this is added a lot more depth to this character that we might not have gotten to see otherwise.
There is so much to talk about but so many ways this book can be spoiled at the same time. But I will give it this: It makes you think. It makes you think about all the missing girls you see in the news and how they are assumed to be runaways because they aren't from the ideal situations. The stigma that is surrounding girls who don't come from middle class or upper class families and them gaining justice.
Cantos debut novel is a strong one and I am excited to see what she is going to have in store for her readers next. Throwaway Girls left me on the edge of my seat for the whole story, desperate to know how it was going to end. Throwaway Girls is perfect for fans of Sadie and other books that fall under that genre.
*Thank you so much Kids Can Press and Netgalley for letting me read and review THROWAWAY GIRLS*
*Content Warnings: Talk of suicide, conversion camps, disappearance of a loved one, implied sexual assault, anxiety attacks*
It's been a few days since I've finished Throwaway Girls and I still can't form a coherent sentence on much I loved this book and its characters. I read 75% of this book in one sitting because I just had to know: What happened to Madison? It takes a lot for a book to hit me on a personal level and Throwaway Girls did just that.
Caroline is so close to freedom that she can taste it. She can't wait to get away from her parents who can't accept who she is, the fancy prep school that is smothering her and trying to forget the girl who ran off to California and broke her heart. Everything changes when Caroline's best friend Madison goes missing. Not trusting the police herself Caroline takes matters into her own hands and learns that she didn't know as much about Madison as she thought she did. In her search, Caroline comes across multiple missing girls who aren't from good parts of town and are assumed to be "runaways." But Caroline learns pretty quickly that there is a common denominator between all these missing girls: herself.
I think my favorite aspect of this book is that we get occasional POV chapters from an unknown character who isn't revealed until the end, when all the huge secrets are beginning to unfold. I spent most of the book thinking that this POV was one character, when it really wasn't a character I was expecting at all. I think in Cantos doing this is added a lot more depth to this character that we might not have gotten to see otherwise.
There is so much to talk about but so many ways this book can be spoiled at the same time. But I will give it this: It makes you think. It makes you think about all the missing girls you see in the news and how they are assumed to be runaways because they aren't from the ideal situations. The stigma that is surrounding girls who don't come from middle class or upper class families and them gaining justice.
Cantos debut novel is a strong one and I am excited to see what she is going to have in store for her readers next. Throwaway Girls left me on the edge of my seat for the whole story, desperate to know how it was going to end. Throwaway Girls is perfect for fans of Sadie and other books that fall under that genre.
taylorlechat's review against another edition
4.0
This probably would have been a five star read if 1. I didn’t take a break to read a Christmas book and 2. Someone hadn’t spoiled the ending by asking a question on Goodreads
jmj697mn's review
5.0
This was SO good. I spent a lot of time thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. Highly recommended for fans of ya thrillers.
ameserole's review
3.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Throwaway Girls was good book, don't get me wrong. It just sucks that the first half of the book bore me to pieces. It just took way too long for things to get me interested which just disappoints me to no end. When I got the email that I was approved for this ARC I was so freaking excited.
First off, I love mysteries and it has been a while since I dove into a good one. Second, after meeting Caroline, I fell in love with her character. She was just a very realistic teenager in this book with every day real world problems. Well, other than the fact that's she kind of like Nancy Drew and solving the disappearance of her friend.
I loved getting to see the little glimpses of romance throughout this book. Especially when it came to Caroline's POV. However, I will admit that I was sometimes confuse as to who's pov I was reading. Caroline or Willa's. It took me a page, or two, to figure it out but it would've been a lot easier to let me know at the beginning of the chapter - ya know?
Other than that, the mystery kept me on my toes. I honestly had no idea who was behind it all and when it was all revealed.. my mind was blown. Long story short, Caroline might've been self-absorbed but she definitely deserves better friends. Stick with Aubrey kid.
Throwaway Girls was good book, don't get me wrong. It just sucks that the first half of the book bore me to pieces. It just took way too long for things to get me interested which just disappoints me to no end. When I got the email that I was approved for this ARC I was so freaking excited.
First off, I love mysteries and it has been a while since I dove into a good one. Second, after meeting Caroline, I fell in love with her character. She was just a very realistic teenager in this book with every day real world problems. Well, other than the fact that's she kind of like Nancy Drew and solving the disappearance of her friend.
I loved getting to see the little glimpses of romance throughout this book. Especially when it came to Caroline's POV. However, I will admit that I was sometimes confuse as to who's pov I was reading. Caroline or Willa's. It took me a page, or two, to figure it out but it would've been a lot easier to let me know at the beginning of the chapter - ya know?
Other than that, the mystery kept me on my toes. I honestly had no idea who was behind it all and when it was all revealed.. my mind was blown. Long story short, Caroline might've been self-absorbed but she definitely deserves better friends. Stick with Aubrey kid.
theillumiletty's review
2.0
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos. I have very mixed feelings on this book. I enjoyed the story line and the main character, Caroline, is a realistic flawed teen heroine. I admire her determination and tenacity in the face of numerous problems. I will always stan a strong lgbtq character. The supporting characters are fine, the parental figures are atrocious.
Over all book was a slow burn, it really took a while for things to get moving, and once they did I can’t honestly say I was all that invested. The alternating chapters were mildly confusing and then the ending just seemed a little too pat.
Over all book was a slow burn, it really took a while for things to get moving, and once they did I can’t honestly say I was all that invested. The alternating chapters were mildly confusing and then the ending just seemed a little too pat.
kagold240's review
Vaping was mentioned at LEAST 100 times. Jesus Christ, I get that the characters are ~edgy rich teens~ but I don’t care what flavor cartridge they’re currently using. Also fuck Caroline. That victim blaming towards Madison she (and I guess the author by extension) engaged in at the end was absolutely infuriating.
lesbrary's review
4.0
This book was a real rollercoaster of a read: I was intrigued by the beginning, felt the middle dragged, and then I was completely on board again by the end. This is, unsurprisingly, a dark book. It begins with the lines “Everything started with the body at the edge of the lake. I know that now.” On top of Caroline’s abusive family, there’s another unnamed narrator who has gone through her own horrors: she’s living in poverty, and has seen two of her mother’s boyfriends overdose. (Unlike Caroline, who goes to a prestigious private school.)
I recommended this book on All the Books, where I have recently become a cohost. I read a few reviews in preparation, and I found out that a lot of readers didn’t like the main character. They felt she was mean, and “unlikable.” Personally, when I hear someone say a book has an “unlikable” female main character, I head straight for it. Usually, it just means they’re flawed. In Caroline’s case, I think it’s because she’s angry, and rightfully so. Do I agree with all her decisions? No, but I understand them, and I can even respect them. She is a survivor. She hasn’t had a safe environment to grow up in. So she’s always got an exit plan, and she’s not afraid of using it, even if it’s “mean.”
For me, the ending made me glad I stuck with it, though I can also understand why it lost some people. If you’re interested in reading about an angry, flawed character who finds herself discovering a system that considers poor and racialized victims “throwaway girls,” check this one out.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
I recommended this book on All the Books, where I have recently become a cohost. I read a few reviews in preparation, and I found out that a lot of readers didn’t like the main character. They felt she was mean, and “unlikable.” Personally, when I hear someone say a book has an “unlikable” female main character, I head straight for it. Usually, it just means they’re flawed. In Caroline’s case, I think it’s because she’s angry, and rightfully so. Do I agree with all her decisions? No, but I understand them, and I can even respect them. She is a survivor. She hasn’t had a safe environment to grow up in. So she’s always got an exit plan, and she’s not afraid of using it, even if it’s “mean.”
For me, the ending made me glad I stuck with it, though I can also understand why it lost some people. If you’re interested in reading about an angry, flawed character who finds herself discovering a system that considers poor and racialized victims “throwaway girls,” check this one out.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
_reedmylife_'s review
4.0
I read this book at the most perfect time. I received the arc for this book last year and never got around to it until now.
This was everything that I needed right now. It gave me A Good Girl's Guide To Murder vibes and I became obsessed with this book. It was engaging and surprising. I had no clue who was taking all of the girls until the big reveal happened. I was shocked and it was brilliant.
With conversations about privilege, sexism, justice and who really matters when they go missing, this is a stunning book that brings to light that truth of who really matters in the eyes of law enforcement.
This was my first Andrea Contos book and I hope that there are more thrillers to come. Contos is a genius when it comes to setting up a perfect thriller and stringing the reader along to only have our mouths drop when the truth is revealed. Do I wish I read this earlier? Yes, but also I don't think I would have appreciated it as much as I do now.
This was everything that I needed right now. It gave me A Good Girl's Guide To Murder vibes and I became obsessed with this book. It was engaging and surprising. I had no clue who was taking all of the girls until the big reveal happened. I was shocked and it was brilliant.
With conversations about privilege, sexism, justice and who really matters when they go missing, this is a stunning book that brings to light that truth of who really matters in the eyes of law enforcement.
This was my first Andrea Contos book and I hope that there are more thrillers to come. Contos is a genius when it comes to setting up a perfect thriller and stringing the reader along to only have our mouths drop when the truth is revealed. Do I wish I read this earlier? Yes, but also I don't think I would have appreciated it as much as I do now.
hitbooksnotgirlz's review
4.0
It was a little slow to start and seemed longer than necessary, but the story did end up to be quite intriguing and I enjoyed it.