Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Pretty Girls

Fave lines:
> Lydia could still remember what it felt like back when she was fronting the band. Men had fought for the privilege of accommodating her. She never had to open a door for herself. She never had to buy a drink or a bump or a Baggie. She said she wanted something and it was placed in front of her before she could finish the sentence.
She told Rick, “The world stops for you when you’re pretty. That’s why women spend billions on crap for their faces. Their whole life, they’re the center of attention. People want to be around them just because they’re attractive. Their jokes are funnier. Their lives are better.jokes are funnier. And then suddenly, they get bags under their eyes or they put on a little weight and no one cares about them anymore. They cease to exist.”

> “I guess I see your point, but there’s more to people than how they look.”
“But you only get to know somebody because you like what you see.”

> Claire spoke the only truth she was certain of. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”
“I don’t forgive you, but you’re still my sister.”

>Having a teenager is like having a really, really shitty roommate. They eat all your food and steal your clothes and take money out of your purse, and borrow your car without asking.” She put her hand over her heart. “But they soften you in ways you can’t imagine. It’s so unexpected. They just smooth out your hard lines. They make you into this better version of yourself that you never even knew was there.”

>I knew that was it. No more holding my hand. No more sitting in my lap. No more throwing your arms around my waist when I walked through the front door or standing on my shoes while we danced around the kitchen. I would be the bank now. The ride to your friend’s house. The critic of your biology homework. The signature on the check mailed away with your college application.

> You have thoughts I will never know. Desires I will never understand. Friends I will never meet. Passions I will never share. You have a life. You have an entire world in front of you.

Spoiler alert! - The story is about two sisters Lydia and Claire, who have been estranged for many years following the disappearance of their eldest sister Julia, twenty years earlier. Plot started when there was another girl had gone missing again in their town same age as Julia (teens)

Paul who was Claire's husband was also murdered. While Lydia was living her own life and upon learning of Paul's death, she and her sister were able to reunite again and together they have discovered that things didn't seem as they were. They were also able to know the truth behind their sister's killer and who were the people involved in a series of rape and murder of young girls in their town. They were brought suddenly in a very dangerous path that they were able to realize the essence of their family and their love for each other.

I love how the writer never held back in describing the gruesome murders that took place.
I would love this book to be a movie but it would be scary and thrilling to watch.
I sooo love the letters that their father wrote. At first I was confused because there were different perspectives in the book.. All characters have. But their father's was the most hartwarming and at the same time I got hooked because he was smart like a detective and was able to really discover who was the killer if only he wasn't murdered first.

While the book captivates with its vivid storytelling, there is a character named FBI Fred Nolan, even after reading the book. I was still not entirely sure why he was there and why act the way he did. Like it was really not necessary to be like a drunk, mean FBI agent. Anyway.. very nice read.

Content Warnings

annabananaful's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

kschaeffer6's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

marissanbullis's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

jennjoy's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

So dark. Check trigger warnings. There’s some really graphic nightmare causing stuff in here.

Content Warnings

clarklyn's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Really only taking away a star due to a the sometimes graphic SA/gore which was difficult to read. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book! There were moments that made me gasp out loud and I was on the edge of my seat.

Content Warnings

rachelmclmcm's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

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