Reviews with content warning for Blood - Grzeczna dziewczynka, zepsuta krew

✩ 3,5 stars
✩ young-adult, murder mystery, thriller
✩ 417 pages

Sequel to AGGGTM, "Good Girl, Bad Blood" follows Pip in a new investigation after the disappearance of her friend’s brother, Jamie; while learning how to manage the growing hype around her true-crime podcast.

I found the pace of this second book a bit unbalanced. It started really well, but the investigation slowed down, hence the end feeling rushed. The mystery in itself felt a bit far-fetched sometimes. I had my own theories as I was approaching the last chapters (I was wrong, of course), but I felt a bit underwhelmed.

The first book was so busy I could feel the suffocation of crippling anxiety as I was diving into the pages. I didn’t feel the same with this sequel, at least for the first half. But I have to admit, I was taken by surprise by the "Child Brunswick" subplot, even though I’d have appreciated to hear about it earlier in the book so it didn’t appear out of the blue. The same goes for some characters.

The characters and their writing is the strongest aspect of this book. You can really feel connected to them as they are all going through difficulties in their lives: Pip, Ravi, Cara and Connor. They are a very interesting quartet. I’d have liked to see a bit more of Cara and Ravi and how they coped with the events of AGGGTM, so I can’t wait to read more about them in the next book.

However, I have mixed opinions about Pip in this book and honestly, I’m quite scared of what she’s going to do/become in the third book. I was here for her character’s development after the events of AGGGTM, and if I understood her at the very beginning regarding conducting a new investigation or not, I didn’t really feel connected to her by the end. Yes, she’s traumatised by past events and battles her insecurities, but she also has this flaw to never ask for help. I think this is an interesting situation to discuss, but at some point your character should evolve out their flaws. And I don’t know why, I’m pretty sure it won’t be the case in the last book.

In conclusion, mixed feelings for this sequel. It was good, but didn’t meet the expectations I had after the end of the first book. It felt to me like a filler sequel, while waiting for the third and last book of the trilogy (as it is for a lot of second books). I’ll take care to lower my expectations for the finale, even if I heard it was the best of the trilogy.

📌 Content/Trigger warnings:
arson, blood, catfishing, child abuse, death of a child, death of a sibling (past, recounted), drug dealing, drugging (non-consensual), grief, gun violence, kidnapping, murder, rape (past, recounted), violence.

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spazzcats's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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lifeofchrstnlvly's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Initial rating: 3.5
Reread rating: 5.0

Everytime I read a book in this series, I cry. I cry because I am so amazed at how Holly Jackson's mind can be this phenomenal. I cry because I see fragments of myself in Pip. I cry because Ravi is perfect.

Stanley Forbes, they could never make me hate you.

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kimberlynpeterson50's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Book two had a slower start, though the action at the end made up for the rest! Holly Jackson knows how to draw in the reader, slowly building tension, peppering in just enough false leads and regular life to keep you off balance, then slamming in front of you a twist that no one could see coming. 3.5 stars, but enough to make me anxiously seek out the next book in the series.

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elliotjackson's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This story had a slow start but picked up during the investigation into Jamie’s disappearance. I loved the reappearance of characters and things we learned from the first book. It made the world feel more cohesive and realistic for things that happened in the past to still be affecting the characters in a way we can empathize with and understand. I picked this up almost immediately after finishing AGGGTM, so I recognized a lot of the information that was recalled throughout this story. The trauma the characters undergo was handled in a way that can make readers feel seen. The writing style is unmatched, and I cannot wait to read the last book in the series.

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emilyacv's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

3.25

This is the sequel to a Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and I actually think I enjoyed it more than the first. It felt more mature, the characters were definitely more developed, and I felt like the clues came together better at the end. In this one, Pip is a true crime podcaster, taking us along as she (reluctantly) becomes involved in another mystery. She’ll never be Nancy Drew, but she can try! I liked the little “exhibits” included throughout, they really brought the story to life. It touches on some important topics, and ends with a question of the grey-ness of morality… good and bad aren’t so black and white after all. Not something I would re-read (it still has a teen fiction vibe, obviously as that’s the target audience) but it definitely was more of a page turner for me than GGGTM!

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josoko's review against another edition

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4.75

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