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kenziewol's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Minor: Car accident and Cancer
bookishlysimsy's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Grief, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Gun violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
cunong's review against another edition
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Death, Cursing, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Grief, Gaslighting, and Blood
Minor: Violence, Death of parent, Car accident, and Cancer
lisabreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Reckless Girls is a fun travel thriller with a little locked door mystery mixed in. Put a bunch of strangers on a tropical island and find all of them have mysterious pasts and alternate motives. Probably be a better movie than book but it was a fun and very quick read for those looking to escape the news and the cold this week!
Content Warnings
Minor: Car accident, Toxic friendship, Grief, Drug use, and Death of parent
Drinking and drug use common in bookkellfaulk's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship
krdavis02's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is a 4.5 for me. I’m still very new to thrillers such as only 4 thrillers since 2020. 😅 So, please bear with me.
The island setting was spot on from the descriptions to how it sit up the atmosphere. It was a creepy setting due to being stuck on a Pacific Island, in the middle of no where, and the dark mysterious history of Meroe Island. The setting is one where will the characters will go a little bit nuts too.
The length was alright for an average reader like me, only 300+ pages. The books is easily digestible so you’ll be able too so you can read it in one setting or in a couple of days. The pace is also fast in the beginning, then, it slows down in the middle part of the hook. In the 3rd quarter-the ending of the book, it picks up again.
The language has a lot of cuss words yet can be descriptive at some points. It’s nothing special type of writing or very unique. The writing does sink you in though and keeps the book from lagging. The ending is also very messy from the plot holes to how unrealistic that twist was.
s words yet can be descriptive at some points. It’s nothing special type of writing or very unique. The writing does sink you in though and keeps the book from lagging. The ending is also very messy from the plot holes to how unrealistic that twist was.
This book is very good for starters with thrillers or if you want a fun easy read. It’s published on January 4th of 2022. This book was a good way to end my 2021 reading year too!
The island setting was spot on from the descriptions to how it sit up the atmosphere. It was a creepy setting due to being stuck on a Pacific Island, in the middle of no where, and the dark mysterious history of Meroe Island. The setting is one where will the characters will go a little bit nuts too.
The length was alright for an average reader like me, only 300+ pages. The books is easily digestible so you’ll be able too so you can read it in one setting or in a couple of days. The pace is also fast in the beginning, then, it slows down in the middle part of the hook. In the 3rd quarter-the ending of the book, it picks up again.
The language has a lot of cuss words yet can be descriptive at some points. It’s nothing special type of writing or very unique. The writing does sink you in though and keeps the book from lagging. The ending is also very messy from the plot holes to how unrealistic that twist was.
s words yet can be descriptive at some points. It’s nothing special type of writing or very unique. The writing does sink you in though and keeps the book from lagging. The ending is also very messy from the plot holes to how unrealistic that twist was.
This book is very good for starters with thrillers or if you want a fun easy read. It’s published on January 4th of 2022. This book was a good way to end my 2021 reading year too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual content
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was easily readable and I finished it in less than two days. I was intrigued by the characters—Lux's narration draws you in and I found myself rooting for her even as I was unsure if I really liked her. But I think I did like her more than anyone else as all these characters are pretty unlikable (especially the guys...no decent men to be found anywhere in this book).
The standout of this book was the setting—a remote island with a bad history and no cell service, and you really feel that isolation with the characters! I loved how the story turned from the beginning to the middle, and how we learned about the other characters through flashback scenes, things that Lux doesn't know.
The one thing I didn't like was the ending—it was too abrupt for me and wrapped things up in an unexpected way that had me skeptical. But this whole book was definitely a wild ride and a fun read if you're looking for a quick thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read an eARC!
The standout of this book was the setting—a remote island with a bad history and no cell service, and you really feel that isolation with the characters! I loved how the story turned from the beginning to the middle, and how we learned about the other characters through flashback scenes, things that Lux doesn't know.
The one thing I didn't like was the ending—it was too abrupt for me and wrapped things up in an unexpected way that had me skeptical. But this whole book was definitely a wild ride and a fun read if you're looking for a quick thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read an eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, and Death of parent
thesaltiestlibrarian's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Solitude and claustrophobia are two of my favorite tropes when it comes to thrills, chills, and overall suspense. Throw in a dash of toxic masculinity, a generous pinch of privilege, and a tropical island that gets too humid for its own good, well...I'm sold.
I don't usually read suspense, but a bunch of our patrons and two of my colleagues loved THE WIFE UPSTAIRS (which I have yet to read), so I put RECKLESS GIRLS higher on my priority list. I'm glad I did.
Lux McAllister is a waitress in a ritzy SoCal restaurant when she meets Nico, a rich sea-and-surf type who feels an instant attraction to her. Lux has just been through a horrible ordeal with her mom being diagnosed with cancer, having to drop out of college to take care of her, and then losing her mother and being left as an island unto herself. Her father is a right jerk and is basically like, "Your mom took you and left me and now I have a new family, so excuse me if I don't care about her sickness, byyyyeeee." So with no one and nothing else to anchor her to SoCal, she agrees to meet Nico in Maui, then take off into the Pacific on the Susannah, his boat.
Whoops! The boat's got an issue with the hull. Looks like Lux is stuck working at a hotel and resort as a housecleaner. "Wait," I hear you say, "you said Nico is rich? Like, disgustingly wealthy." Yeah, well, turns out Mr. Trust Fund Baby is too proud to ask his family for help and too entitled to work a job himself. Consequently Lux works her behind off to save money and fix the Susannah. A break seems to come their way when, after being fired for DEIGNING to crack a joke after having to clean up an array of sex toys left in a guest's room, a pair of girls who are college friends offer to pay Nico and Lux to take them to a small uninhabited island. The two girls, Amma and Brittany, have been traveling the world together after suffering a similar tragedy, and they've heard about this little island and want to spend a couple weeks out there as a sort of last hurrah before they go home: they want to investigate the island, as it was used for an airstrip in WW2, and shipwrecks there led to tales of cannibalism and murder. What fun!
With the caveat that they have to pay to fix the Susannah, Lux and Nico agree. On Meroe Island, which is purported to be cursed, another sailing couple from Australia show up with their sleek luxury cruiser and all is well in the land of small island partying.
Until it's not.
I really appreciated the buildup of tension here. Hawkins really knows how to utilize dramatic irony and partial information to keep people reading to find out what happens. Sometimes the amount of disbelief one has to suspend for a novel like this requires too much energy, or the author isn't skilled enough to have you trust them. The trickiest thing about suspense is needing to believe that these things could really happen. Fantasy and science fiction are easy to get caught up in even when it's cheesy, because you know this world has a slim probability of existing alongside or within our own. If the world makes sense, it's fun to read. But good on Hawkins for her skill in RECKLESS GIRLS, because realistic fiction actually has to make more sense than any fantasy novel.
The pacing is taut, the characters are awful in their own rights, and the setting is just so well done. I'm honestly 100% certain that I'll be checking out THE WIFE UPSTAIRS at the end of my shift. Well done, Hawkins. You deserve all the recognition this one gets!
Solitude and claustrophobia are two of my favorite tropes when it comes to thrills, chills, and overall suspense. Throw in a dash of toxic masculinity, a generous pinch of privilege, and a tropical island that gets too humid for its own good, well...I'm sold.
I don't usually read suspense, but a bunch of our patrons and two of my colleagues loved THE WIFE UPSTAIRS (which I have yet to read), so I put RECKLESS GIRLS higher on my priority list. I'm glad I did.
Lux McAllister is a waitress in a ritzy SoCal restaurant when she meets Nico, a rich sea-and-surf type who feels an instant attraction to her. Lux has just been through a horrible ordeal with her mom being diagnosed with cancer, having to drop out of college to take care of her, and then losing her mother and being left as an island unto herself. Her father is a right jerk and is basically like, "Your mom took you and left me and now I have a new family, so excuse me if I don't care about her sickness, byyyyeeee." So with no one and nothing else to anchor her to SoCal, she agrees to meet Nico in Maui, then take off into the Pacific on the Susannah, his boat.
Whoops! The boat's got an issue with the hull. Looks like Lux is stuck working at a hotel and resort as a housecleaner. "Wait," I hear you say, "you said Nico is rich? Like, disgustingly wealthy." Yeah, well, turns out Mr. Trust Fund Baby is too proud to ask his family for help and too entitled to work a job himself. Consequently Lux works her behind off to save money and fix the Susannah. A break seems to come their way when, after being fired for DEIGNING to crack a joke after having to clean up an array of sex toys left in a guest's room, a pair of girls who are college friends offer to pay Nico and Lux to take them to a small uninhabited island. The two girls, Amma and Brittany, have been traveling the world together after suffering a similar tragedy, and they've heard about this little island and want to spend a couple weeks out there as a sort of last hurrah before they go home: they want to investigate the island, as it was used for an airstrip in WW2, and shipwrecks there led to tales of cannibalism and murder. What fun!
With the caveat that they have to pay to fix the Susannah, Lux and Nico agree. On Meroe Island, which is purported to be cursed, another sailing couple from Australia show up with their sleek luxury cruiser and all is well in the land of small island partying.
Until it's not.
I really appreciated the buildup of tension here. Hawkins really knows how to utilize dramatic irony and partial information to keep people reading to find out what happens. Sometimes the amount of disbelief one has to suspend for a novel like this requires too much energy, or the author isn't skilled enough to have you trust them. The trickiest thing about suspense is needing to believe that these things could really happen. Fantasy and science fiction are easy to get caught up in even when it's cheesy, because you know this world has a slim probability of existing alongside or within our own. If the world makes sense, it's fun to read. But good on Hawkins for her skill in RECKLESS GIRLS, because realistic fiction actually has to make more sense than any fantasy novel.
The pacing is taut, the characters are awful in their own rights, and the setting is just so well done. I'm honestly 100% certain that I'll be checking out THE WIFE UPSTAIRS at the end of my shift. Well done, Hawkins. You deserve all the recognition this one gets!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Murder, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
brittanyisbooked's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was an excellent mystery/thriller. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I honestly couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. I will admit, as a thriller lover I was able to predict parts of the ending based on how it was set up, but honestly, it was more appreciation for the craft and execution than disappointment that I wasn't surprised. I think Hawkins gave us a genius novel and I can't wait to see more from this author.
Synopsis: Lux followed her boyfriend Nico to Hawaii with the promise of being able to travel the world aboard his ship. It has been several months and Lux has done nothing but work in a swanky hotel. One day, she is caught breaking protocol and loses her job. At the same time, Brittany and Amma approach Nico about using his boat to travel to , an atoll with a dark history. Many say the island makes you crazy, will that fate befall this group too? When they arrive, the see that another boat is already there with Jake and Eliza. The quartet and duo make quick friends with one another and the remainder of the novel follows their friendship and time on the island closely. The novel is narrated primarily in the voice of Lux, with additional chapters set "before" narrated by others.
I truly enjoyed piecing this novel together. I found that it was so much fun to try to follow the information presented to figure out what was going to happen to the group, and also how the Before stories fit in to the present day. One thing that I really appreciated was that all of the "Before" carried a very significant meaning in the end. These chapters were used to enhance the book and were executed wonderfully. I loved this thriller and would recommend it to other thriller lovers!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this book!
Synopsis: Lux followed her boyfriend Nico to Hawaii with the promise of being able to travel the world aboard his ship. It has been several months and Lux has done nothing but work in a swanky hotel. One day, she is caught breaking protocol and loses her job. At the same time, Brittany and Amma approach Nico about using his boat to travel to , an atoll with a dark history. Many say the island makes you crazy, will that fate befall this group too? When they arrive, the see that another boat is already there with Jake and Eliza. The quartet and duo make quick friends with one another and the remainder of the novel follows their friendship and time on the island closely. The novel is narrated primarily in the voice of Lux, with additional chapters set "before" narrated by others.
I truly enjoyed piecing this novel together. I found that it was so much fun to try to follow the information presented to figure out what was going to happen to the group, and also how the Before stories fit in to the present day. One thing that I really appreciated was that all of the "Before" carried a very significant meaning in the end. These chapters were used to enhance the book and were executed wonderfully. I loved this thriller and would recommend it to other thriller lovers!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Car accident
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