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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
⭐⭐⭐.5 /5
The Burning Girls has been a highly anticipated read for me, and unfortunately, it fell a little flat compared to my expectations.
The book started strong with an exorcism gone wrong and then takes you to the introduction of Jack, the vicar who has a dark past and plenty of secrets.
With the beginning of the book so strong and the underlying plot of ghosts and exorcism, I was hoping for more of a paranormal twist that was sadly left out.
Though I found the vicar gone wanna be private eye interesting, I felt that there were a few subplots that could have been expanded on further to give the reader even deeper chills as you uncover more and more of the secrets the church hides.
The Burning Girls has been a highly anticipated read for me, and unfortunately, it fell a little flat compared to my expectations.
The book started strong with an exorcism gone wrong and then takes you to the introduction of Jack, the vicar who has a dark past and plenty of secrets.
With the beginning of the book so strong and the underlying plot of ghosts and exorcism, I was hoping for more of a paranormal twist that was sadly left out.
Though I found the vicar gone wanna be private eye interesting, I felt that there were a few subplots that could have been expanded on further to give the reader even deeper chills as you uncover more and more of the secrets the church hides.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book felt weirdly homophobic, ableist, and racist all wrapped into one meandering plot with an infuriatingly quirky protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Racism
While the twist was shocking to me, I felt that all those past chapters were silly now that we know who Jack really is.
This was a great thriller that had me wanting to keep reading while also wanting to take a break because it actually had me on edge. I’m such a softie when it comes to thrillers, so I found this to be one that pushed me just past my limits but still kept me interested.
While reading this book I was struggling to understand what plot line I was supposed to be most focused on. In the end, this all ended up tying together really well with a twist that I didn’t see coming at all! The constant suspense up until the last 10 pages really had me hooked once I got into this.
The story was a bit hard to get into at first, and reading from almost 4 different point of views without much explanation at first was confusing for me. Once I got used to each difference, it made it interesting to see from everyone’s different stories. Overall still a great book!!
While reading this book I was struggling to understand what plot line I was supposed to be most focused on. In the end, this all ended up tying together really well with a twist that I didn’t see coming at all! The constant suspense up until the last 10 pages really had me hooked once I got into this.
The story was a bit hard to get into at first, and reading from almost 4 different point of views without much explanation at first was confusing for me. Once I got used to each difference, it made it interesting to see from everyone’s different stories. Overall still a great book!!
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist."
[b:The Burning Girls|53387949|The Burning Girls|C.J. Tudor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608637998l/53387949._SY75_.jpg|76013027] by [a:C.J. Tudor|15754327|C.J. Tudor|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1512059556p2/15754327.jpg] is another spooky, claustrophobic, OMG thriller from a talented author. Tudor shows us once again that she is a master at intertwining various threads that keep you guessing until the end…& then she drops one more little twist…& then another one… & maybe, one more.
Five hundred years ago, in Chapel Croft, eight protestant martyrs were burned at stake. Two of those were little girls. These girls are referred to as "The Burning Girls." Thirty years ago, two more girls went missing. Looking for a new start, Reverend Brooks & daughter Flo relocate to Chapel Croft to take the job as the interim Vicar. This is a tiny village where everyone knows everyone & is big on tradition. Something is off in this village, many secrets are being kept, & Reverend Brooks is determined to get to its bottom. Digging up secrets can prove to be dangerous, but how far is Reverend Brooks willing to dig?
Much like Tudor's other books, it's suspenseful & keeps you on the edge of your seat, guessing. Even if you think you've figured out parts of the mystery as the characters narrate the story, you will still be surprised. This is a fast read! Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. I loved the atmosphere created within the story; the setting was pastoral & rural & contrasted perfectly with the intense pace of unfolding events.
This book is not your standard thriller. It's more of a supernatural horror thriller, written very much in the same vein as an old-school Stephen King novel. While reading, it's almost impossible not to see the similarities to King in both style & tone. Tudor even gleefully meets the comparison head-on by pointedly referencing the beloved author in the narrative. It's creepy, horrifying, thrilling, & twisty, & I couldn't get enough. I'm still reeling from that last big reveal!
I like reading about small towns, small and suffocating communities, where everyone knows each other, where newcomers are not welcomed. Chapel Croft is a town with a dark past, with a lot of secrets that are very well hidden, until a new vicar and her daughter move in…
This book is mysterious and disturbing, quick paced and gripping, the ending is surprising a bit and all unexplained threads have been solved in an interesting way. However, I must admit I liked The Chalk Man more
This book is mysterious and disturbing, quick paced and gripping, the ending is surprising a bit and all unexplained threads have been solved in an interesting way. However, I must admit I liked The Chalk Man more
I struggled with the first half of this book, but I flew through the second half!
Also, I felt like the entire thing was like an old-fashioned video game: "You should go there", "You might find a clue at that location", "Go talk to him, he'll know what you should do next"
Also, I felt like the entire thing was like an old-fashioned video game: "You should go there", "You might find a clue at that location", "Go talk to him, he'll know what you should do next"
"If you see the burning girls, something bad will befall you."
Summary
The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor is a mystery thriller novel set in the small village of Chapel Croft. The story revolves around a new vicar, Jack Brooks, and her teenage daughter, Flo, who move to Chapel Croft to start a new life after a traumatic event. However, the village has a dark past that soon starts to haunt them.
Thoughts
Thriller novels with religious themes don't always appeal to me, but the atmosphere in this wasn't heavily focused on around the church - in fact it was almost more historical (VERY gothic). The book does an excellent job of building suspense and creating a sense of unease and uncertainty throughout.
The characters are well-drawn and complex, and I found myself invested in their fates. This one definitely keeps you guessing right till the very end and while I had suspicions, I still wasn’t aware of the complete picture (just pieces of it) and it kept me guessing until the very end.
I'm definitely going to have to check out some of her other books, and I'm very excited to see how this novel is developed as a mini series!
Summary
The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor is a mystery thriller novel set in the small village of Chapel Croft. The story revolves around a new vicar, Jack Brooks, and her teenage daughter, Flo, who move to Chapel Croft to start a new life after a traumatic event. However, the village has a dark past that soon starts to haunt them.
Thoughts
Thriller novels with religious themes don't always appeal to me, but the atmosphere in this wasn't heavily focused on around the church - in fact it was almost more historical (VERY gothic). The book does an excellent job of building suspense and creating a sense of unease and uncertainty throughout.
The characters are well-drawn and complex, and I found myself invested in their fates. This one definitely keeps you guessing right till the very end and while I had suspicions, I still wasn’t aware of the complete picture (just pieces of it) and it kept me guessing until the very end.
I'm definitely going to have to check out some of her other books, and I'm very excited to see how this novel is developed as a mini series!