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A review by shelbsies
The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
The Burning Girls is an eerie, dark, tangle of thrills. I did not want to put this book down. The atmosphere was so vivid, I felt like I was watching an A24 film or a show like Bly Manor or Hill House.
Though this story has many twists and turns, it had many threads throughout it that allowed me to slowly weave all the mysterious bits and pieces together. The "plot twist" (if it can even be called that) was executed so well; the truth of the various mysteries was shown in snippets and tangled threads throughout, in a way easing the reader into an understanding of what happened while still keeping me on my toes, which I quite enjoyed. I didn't have to act surprised at a big twist because Tudor really guides the reader into what happened by first giving hints and then verifying what's true.
For a moment I thought the ending was going to disappoint me, but it all came together so gracefully I was immediately able to disregard what bothered me. Despite everything that happened, there was a moment that felt a bit too far fetched and I had to suspend my belief, but upon further reading I realized it did really fit into the nearly unbelievable chaos of this book (and I also accepted that this is fiction and anything is possible).
If you're curious, it was Wrigley's plot that bothered me. I found it hard to believe this town had housed so many twisted teenagers through the years (Jacob being the other and honestly Rosie too), yet I was completely unfazed every time a burning girl apparition was seen... but as the scene in the church passed I got over it.
Though this story has many twists and turns, it had many threads throughout it that allowed me to slowly weave all the mysterious bits and pieces together. The "plot twist" (if it can even be called that) was executed so well; the truth of the various mysteries was shown in snippets and tangled threads throughout, in a way easing the reader into an understanding of what happened while still keeping me on my toes, which I quite enjoyed. I didn't have to act surprised at a big twist because Tudor really guides the reader into what happened by first giving hints and then verifying what's true.
For a moment I thought the ending was going to disappoint me, but it all came together so gracefully I was immediately able to disregard what bothered me. Despite everything that happened, there was a moment that felt a bit too far fetched and I had to suspend my belief, but upon further reading I realized it did really fit into the nearly unbelievable chaos of this book (and I also accepted that this is fiction and anything is possible).
If you're curious, it was Wrigley's plot that bothered me. I found it hard to believe this town had housed so many twisted teenagers through the years (Jacob being the other and honestly Rosie too), yet I was completely unfazed every time a burning girl apparition was seen... but as the scene in the church passed I got over it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Bullying, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gore, Child death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis