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A review by backpackingbookworm
Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
I didn't realise when I requested Girl, Forgotten that it was a sequel to Pieces of Her (Karin Slaughter is an auto-request author for me, I don't even bother reading the book blurbs). That being said, Pieces of Her was one of my least favourite Slaughter novels so I went into this one with some trepidation. Andy was such an annoying character that I didn't think I could handle 14 hours of reading/listening to her make more stupid decisions.
However, always happy to be proven wrong and this is one such case.
Where Andy was weak and pathetic in book one, newly recruited US marshall, Andrea, is the complete opposite (which I found hard to believe but hey, happy to roll with it if means she's grown a damn backbone). For the majority of the novel, she was smart, savvy, and switched on - something I love to see in female law enforcement. While I couldn't see at first why this book wasn't written as a stand-alone, it soon became clear when the backstory started falling into place.
Sent to the hometown of her manipulative and imprisoned father, Andrea is set two tasks - one public and one secret - 1) protect the esteemed judge who is receiving death threats and 2) find evidence that her father was responsible for raping and murdering a young girl from his culty friendship group forty years prior to prevent his release.
As per the author's usual style, this book may be long but it is by no means filled with fluff. Every sentence is relevant and you're constantly left pondering certain actions or revelations. Slaughter knows when to take it slow (setting the scene and introducing new characters) and when to ramp it up, making this one a rollercoaster thriller that leaves you constantly questioning people's true motives.
The intertwining storylines were brilliantly plotted; I was particularly invested in the flashbacks leading up to Emily's murder and her own investigation into who raped her while she was drugged and got her pregnant. I wanted answers just as much as she did and while I wasn't overly enamoured by the outcome, I thought the motives were strong and believable.
It was the sequel I never knew I needed that concluded with me only craving more. The ending sets us up for a third instalment so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for sending me a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating breakdown
Plot/narrative - 4.5
Writing style/readability - 4.6
Characters - 4.3
Diverse themes - 4.4
Ending - 4.6
Overall - 4.5
However, always happy to be proven wrong and this is one such case.
Where Andy was weak and pathetic in book one, newly recruited US marshall, Andrea, is the complete opposite (which I found hard to believe but hey, happy to roll with it if means she's grown a damn backbone). For the majority of the novel, she was smart, savvy, and switched on - something I love to see in female law enforcement. While I couldn't see at first why this book wasn't written as a stand-alone, it soon became clear when the backstory started falling into place.
Sent to the hometown of her manipulative and imprisoned father, Andrea is set two tasks - one public and one secret - 1) protect the esteemed judge who is receiving death threats and 2) find evidence that her father was responsible for raping and murdering a young girl from his culty friendship group forty years prior to prevent his release.
As per the author's usual style, this book may be long but it is by no means filled with fluff. Every sentence is relevant and you're constantly left pondering certain actions or revelations. Slaughter knows when to take it slow (setting the scene and introducing new characters) and when to ramp it up, making this one a rollercoaster thriller that leaves you constantly questioning people's true motives.
The intertwining storylines were brilliantly plotted; I was particularly invested in the flashbacks leading up to Emily's murder and her own investigation into who raped her while she was drugged and got her pregnant. I wanted answers just as much as she did and while I wasn't overly enamoured by the outcome, I thought the motives were strong and believable.
It was the sequel I never knew I needed that concluded with me only craving more. The ending sets us up for a third instalment so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for sending me a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating breakdown
Plot/narrative - 4.5
Writing style/readability - 4.6
Characters - 4.3
Diverse themes - 4.4
Ending - 4.6
Overall - 4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Eating disorder, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexual assault