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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A sad story of childhood abuse/neglect. I like the way this author writes. I couldn’t put it down and appreciate the lack of detail/description when it comes any of the sex (adults) and abuse in this story. I find such filth and gore quite unnecessary and often used to cover for the fact that an author can’t write. This one sure can!
Fabulous debut. This is a tragic story. It leaves you in no doubt what happened to Girl A and her siblings during their childhood, but without being overly graphic. It deserves its tag line of a hotly anticipated 2021 read, recommended!
Spoiler
everything is so sad and tragic and all the things they had experience. what a twist. I had been bored a lot of times since i did not know where the story was going or what the story wants to reveal but then after reading and seeing all what people think and going back, this is a great book. a very disturbing story. they all deserve to be happy and not experience those things. I hope ethan goes to jail. he carried that abuse and became that monster, which maybe he really was.
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Girl A has become a global bestseller, and unsurprisingly so. Google lawyer Abigail Dean has managed to concoct a deeply harrowing and unforgettable tale, one that is dark, shocking, and at times disturbing. Fundamentally, Girl A is about healing, specifically Lex’s attempts to heal in the decades-long aftermath of a childhood characterised by pain, suffering, and deprivation. Through frequent flashbacks we learn about the the cruelty experienced by the Gracie children, all seven, all recognisable by the shock of their blonde hair. At 11 Moor Woods Road, now known as the notorious ‘House of Horrors’, the Gracie children were subject to the erratic and abusive behaviour of their father, a fanatic with a boundless personality that went unsubdued. Over a decade later, following the death of their mother in prison, Lex and her siblings are forced to reckon with the trauma of their shared pasts.
Yet their childhoods are only shared to some extent, as the subjectivity of memory and trauma, as well as the objective differences between their experiences, has effectively cast them different roles in the wider story. As shared, intimate, and unique as their past is, their memories of it are far from unified. Some have their own special relationships, with a unique closeness between them, that was forged in the fire of their childhood – namely Lex and her little sister Evie, and Delilah and younger brother Gabriel.
Girl A is a gripping look at collective, familial healing and how raw and complex this journey and experience can be. Lex is a fiercely convincing protagonist: she’s intriguing, with a distinctive voice and outlook on the situation. Lex is an individual, and the product of Dean’s incredible skill as an author. Dean’s writing has made for an exceptionally strong debut – making those that read Girl A excited for her next title, which she is currently working on.
You can read my full review here: https://readbyjaniene.com/2021/05/30/girl-a-book-review/
And check out my bookstagram: @readbyjaniene
Yet their childhoods are only shared to some extent, as the subjectivity of memory and trauma, as well as the objective differences between their experiences, has effectively cast them different roles in the wider story. As shared, intimate, and unique as their past is, their memories of it are far from unified. Some have their own special relationships, with a unique closeness between them, that was forged in the fire of their childhood – namely Lex and her little sister Evie, and Delilah and younger brother Gabriel.
Girl A is a gripping look at collective, familial healing and how raw and complex this journey and experience can be. Lex is a fiercely convincing protagonist: she’s intriguing, with a distinctive voice and outlook on the situation. Lex is an individual, and the product of Dean’s incredible skill as an author. Dean’s writing has made for an exceptionally strong debut – making those that read Girl A excited for her next title, which she is currently working on.
You can read my full review here: https://readbyjaniene.com/2021/05/30/girl-a-book-review/
And check out my bookstagram: @readbyjaniene
I was expecting this to be a thriller/page-turner and it wasn’t. It was very dark. Reminded me of Educated and The Glass Castle except this one is not a memoir.
4.5 - I’m a sucker for true crime - is that somehow concerning? - and this was based loosely on the House of Horrors story that broke in ~2018. But. Instead of spending all her time on the ins and outs of the horrors (holy trauma!), she explores the aftermath of how such a history might affect siblings afterwards. Really well written, def wouldn’t recommend for sensitive friends because OOF.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Girl A is not an easy read, but it’s a fascinating one.
At the age of fifteen our main character, Lex, fled her home - dubbed the ‘House of Horrors’ by the press - and then people learn the shocking truth about her home life. Now a successful lawyer, Lex has some understandable issues and things she does to protect herself from the trauma she lived through. These become more apparent when she is asked to be the executor of her mother’s will.
As Lex deals with the realities of managing an estate of someone who was complicit in her suffering years of neglect and abuse, we see her fracture.
Alongside the focus on Lex in her present, we also learn of the gradual decline in her family situation which, ultimately, resulted in the deaths of some of her siblings and their enduring mental and emotional scars. It’s hard to feel sympathy for the adults in this, but there is an attempt to help us to understand the way this situation developed and to get into the head of the main perpetrators.
I was pleased that the author chose to not dwell on the abuse hinted at. Seen through Lex’s eyes it seemed to be a way of trying to come to terms with her feelings for those she’s interacting with now. While I came to admire Alex’s resolve and courage, it was clear that she was a long way from okay. Her relationship with her older brother, Ethan, was a difficult one and only felt more fragile once we learned of his role in events.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for granting me access to this in advance of publication, and while it’s not a pleasant read it is definitely highly recommended.
At the age of fifteen our main character, Lex, fled her home - dubbed the ‘House of Horrors’ by the press - and then people learn the shocking truth about her home life. Now a successful lawyer, Lex has some understandable issues and things she does to protect herself from the trauma she lived through. These become more apparent when she is asked to be the executor of her mother’s will.
As Lex deals with the realities of managing an estate of someone who was complicit in her suffering years of neglect and abuse, we see her fracture.
Alongside the focus on Lex in her present, we also learn of the gradual decline in her family situation which, ultimately, resulted in the deaths of some of her siblings and their enduring mental and emotional scars. It’s hard to feel sympathy for the adults in this, but there is an attempt to help us to understand the way this situation developed and to get into the head of the main perpetrators.
I was pleased that the author chose to not dwell on the abuse hinted at. Seen through Lex’s eyes it seemed to be a way of trying to come to terms with her feelings for those she’s interacting with now. While I came to admire Alex’s resolve and courage, it was clear that she was a long way from okay. Her relationship with her older brother, Ethan, was a difficult one and only felt more fragile once we learned of his role in events.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for granting me access to this in advance of publication, and while it’s not a pleasant read it is definitely highly recommended.