Scan barcode
yvo_about_books's review
3.25
“The combination of thunder and seeing the helpless baby had dug up her memories. Memories she'd rather forget.”
I came across this series when I was browsing my kindle for titles to read to help complete my kindle freebies goal, and since I've been meaning to try Carla Kovach's writing for a while now I decided to give in. The Next Girl is the first book of a detective thriller series, and it starts on a heavy note with a kidnapping case as well as a focus on domestic abuse. It's not a bad read, but somehow there wasn't really anything that made this thriller stand out from other books in the genre either. I think this had a lot to do with the main character Gina, who I was unable to warm up to. She seemed too much like your stereotypical flawed detective with a troubled past, and the rest of the cast wasn't overly developed either. The many references to her past and psychological consequences in the present not only made her seem less competent as a detective, but also started to annoy me considerably. The fact that she was sleeping with her boss didn't really help either to be honest. The plot itself dragged in parts as well, and as a result it took me longer than expected to read The Next Girl . The case itself had a lot of potential and there were moments that were more suspenseful, but as a whole I felt that something was lacking. And while the final part was more engaging, it couldn't fully save this story for me. All in all it wasn't a bad read, but I don't think I will be continuing with this series... I still have too many other detective thriller series I want to start/continue instead.
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Dementia, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Stalking, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Rape
chandraleanne's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse
mandarose79's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, and Emotional abuse
sarahaupt's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Minor: Rape, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
emory's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
Graphic: Kidnapping, Stalking, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Confinement
pinkvogue's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Kidnapping and Stalking
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, and Domestic abuse
alex1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Physical abuse, Stalking, Rape, Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Murder
elliphant's review
- 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
2.75
The pace, writing, and dialogue were a bit awkward and, at worst, repetitive and cringey.
I don’t know what the descriptions meant with “heart-stopping twist” cause there certainly wasn’t any.
Graphic: Blood, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
katieb94's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It all starts with an abandoned baby which links to an old four year cold case. I really liked this link as it went back and forth between the police, the victim, and her family. It made the story feel much more real.
I will admit, I felt some of the parts of the story were a little bit far fetched and seemed to be there just to pad out the story but on the whole I really enjoyed the crime and the way the police worked together to solve what happened and save the woman involved.
The characters all had lives outside of the case and I liked to see what they did outside and how it affected them. Secrets are unveiled the more the story progressed which meant it felt more realistic.
I’m definitely interested in reading more in this series and following DI Harte on more of her cases and hope to pick up more in the series soon.
4/5 stars.
Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
wrappingpaper's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
At first I was sceptical about the writing style, but I really felt like the story was real. We meet a lot of characters and learn a lot about them and their lives. Overall I would’ve loved a bit more about (spoiler) Debbie’s life after being saved, however it’s possible that’ll be featured in the next book. I felt really connected to the story and really felt for the characters during their struggles.
Highly recommend if you’re into crime novels and looking for a fast paced engaging read.
Graphic: Confinement, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty and Cancer