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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
holyyyyy moly i have been waiting for a book like this forever.
lately i’ve discovered that i just love books that feature a podcast. not entirely sure why, but that different form of media within the book just always excites me.
and THIS ONE knocked it out of the park.
the FMC was incredible. strong, intelligent, perseverant, badass. and focus of the book being a serial killer cold case was so intricately developed. at times i almost forgot it was a work of fiction.
but what i REALLY loved was the focus it put on society’s obsession with true crime, and not in a shameful way. it provided a view of why we’re so fascinated by it (women especially) but also reminded us that it’s the victims that need to be talked about more.
i started this yesterday and couldn’t put it down. if you love suspense novels, mystery novels, and/or cold cases - this is the book for you.
lately i’ve discovered that i just love books that feature a podcast. not entirely sure why, but that different form of media within the book just always excites me.
and THIS ONE knocked it out of the park.
the FMC was incredible. strong, intelligent, perseverant, badass. and focus of the book being a serial killer cold case was so intricately developed. at times i almost forgot it was a work of fiction.
but what i REALLY loved was the focus it put on society’s obsession with true crime, and not in a shameful way. it provided a view of why we’re so fascinated by it (women especially) but also reminded us that it’s the victims that need to be talked about more.
i started this yesterday and couldn’t put it down. if you love suspense novels, mystery novels, and/or cold cases - this is the book for you.
I don’t know what it was about this book…but something about it just rubbed me the wrong way. I can’t identify anything about it that makes it different from your typical thriller. Maybe serial killer thrillers just aren’t for me? To read any thriller you have to suspend a certain amount of belief…but with this particular one, I think you had to suspend a little extra. That could be part of it.
I think in particular, a lot of belief had to be suspended when it came to the characters, all of whom were difficult fo connect with. Elle, the protagonist, was downright self-centered, but tried to cover that up by saying she cared about others. There were a few places where it seemed like the author remembered that she was supposed to be this empathetic, stubborn person who cared deeply about children…but it didn’t fit with a lot of Elle’s other actions. Other characters also seemed to just forgive her for the ways she betrayed them or put their lives at risk…which was kind of irritating. And they didn’t really seem to have personalities outside of their connection to Elle. Additionally, Natalie did not strike me as a 10 year old, or even a real portrait of a child.
None of this is out of the ordinary for a thriller or even a crime drama. But for some reason…it just bothered me.
I do want to give Amy Suiter Clark props for some diversity in terms of the characters. A good portion of the characters were not white. Some of them had different family structures. And while that was mentioned, it wasn’t the basis of their character. That is to say, they weren’t tokens.
The writing wasn’t bad. A little too detailed at times, but not bad. I did feel compelled to finish, and the one twist did take me by surprise. (I’m not sure that others wouldn’t be able to connect the dots, though.) However, I wasn’t really on the edge of my seat at any point. And the religious connection and MO of the killer were…kind of weak? And unoriginal.
I found the podcast structured chapters interesting. They were a unique addition. (I listened to the audio version and those chapters were read like a podcast, with different narrators and sound design - albeit poor sound design.) I’m not a fan of switching perspectives unless they are consistent throughout, which was not the case here, so I didn’t love that. But I think that’s just a me thing.
Overall, I didn’t hate it. I’ve read thrillers that were much worse by authors whose works I will probably never seek out again. And there were some positives about it. But I didn’t love it, either. If I figure out what exactly drove me bonkers and rubbed me the wrong way, I’ll update this review.
I think in particular, a lot of belief had to be suspended when it came to the characters, all of whom were difficult fo connect with. Elle, the protagonist, was downright self-centered, but tried to cover that up by saying she cared about others. There were a few places where it seemed like the author remembered that she was supposed to be this empathetic, stubborn person who cared deeply about children…but it didn’t fit with a lot of Elle’s other actions. Other characters also seemed to just forgive her for the ways she betrayed them or put their lives at risk…which was kind of irritating. And they didn’t really seem to have personalities outside of their connection to Elle. Additionally, Natalie did not strike me as a 10 year old, or even a real portrait of a child.
None of this is out of the ordinary for a thriller or even a crime drama. But for some reason…it just bothered me.
I do want to give Amy Suiter Clark props for some diversity in terms of the characters. A good portion of the characters were not white. Some of them had different family structures. And while that was mentioned, it wasn’t the basis of their character. That is to say, they weren’t tokens.
The writing wasn’t bad. A little too detailed at times, but not bad. I did feel compelled to finish, and the one twist did take me by surprise. (I’m not sure that others wouldn’t be able to connect the dots, though.) However, I wasn’t really on the edge of my seat at any point. And the religious connection and MO of the killer were…kind of weak? And unoriginal.
I found the podcast structured chapters interesting. They were a unique addition. (I listened to the audio version and those chapters were read like a podcast, with different narrators and sound design - albeit poor sound design.) I’m not a fan of switching perspectives unless they are consistent throughout, which was not the case here, so I didn’t love that. But I think that’s just a me thing.
Overall, I didn’t hate it. I’ve read thrillers that were much worse by authors whose works I will probably never seek out again. And there were some positives about it. But I didn’t love it, either. If I figure out what exactly drove me bonkers and rubbed me the wrong way, I’ll update this review.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fantastic thriller told in the format of a podcast- the audiobook is amazing as well! I loved the story, though the main character is the most reckless person I’ve ever read about! Can’t wait to read more of this authors work!
was into it! but I found the ending anti-climatic and I wanted the little girl to die just for something to happen. the main aspect/"twist" about the killer was sadly unimaginative. I liked the proper investigation part.
very "lib" with like focusing on the victiims and all the mentions of 'trauma' lol. annoying MC but it gave her dimension.
very "lib" with like focusing on the victiims and all the mentions of 'trauma' lol. annoying MC but it gave her dimension.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really liked the last chapter. The rest was okay but rather forgettable.
Overall, "Girl, 11" was suspenseful and I had no idea how everything would play out. Nevertheless, a lot of it was too convenient/ unbelievable. Like how nobody could remember the killer's voice or face. I also didn't sympathise with the main character. She was reckless, but also whiny and arrogant.
The production of the audio book was great, though.
Overall, "Girl, 11" was suspenseful and I had no idea how everything would play out. Nevertheless, a lot of it was too convenient/ unbelievable. Like how nobody could remember the killer's voice or face. I also didn't sympathise with the main character. She was reckless, but also whiny and arrogant.
The production of the audio book was great, though.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes