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A review by daniellecherny
The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends--Becca, Gia, and Rachel--were members of the Dead Girls Club. Self-professed lovers of serial killers and macabre, the girls exchanged stories both real--like the tales of Ted Bundy--and fake--like The Red Lady, a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Traumatized by the abusive Lauren Thomas, Becca insists The Red Lady is real and that only she can save her from the torment she experiences at home. This belief gets her killed.
Years later, Heather is now Dr. Cole, prominent child psychologist to those with tragic lives. Heather survived her childhood--and The Red Lady--but not unscathed. When a mysterious envelope arrives with the other half of her "Best Friends Forever" necklace--the very one Becca was wearing the night Heather killed her--Heather is convinced someone is sending her a message. Someone knows what really happened the night Becca died, and Heather can't hide behind her lies any longer.
While marketed as a supernatural thriller, I spent a good majority of my time immersed in the plot, wondering if The Red Lady would turn out to be a real entity. As an avid thriller reader, I expected her to be fake, a figment of the children's imaginations and an explicit representation of just how powerful our minds truly are. The way the author handled The Red Lady and her story, providing evidence for both sides, made for a thrilling, eerie, and unputdownable read.
I'm quite impressed with the character development. All four friends were affected by the events of that summer. Becca lost her life, and Heather killed her. Heather, now a child psychologist; Gia, now a physical therapist; and Rachel, now a lawyer, all work in fields that allow them to help people, especially broken, injured (either physically or emotionally) individuals. The years have not been kind to these girls, and I really enjoyed seeing how that summer changed them.
I disliked very little about this book. While some character and writing quirks became distracting (e.g. the cuticle picking and the ever-constant goosebumps), I wasn't bothered so much that I was taken out of the story. Aside from that, the ending did feel a bit rushed and wrapped up rather easily. Even so, I am satisfied with the ending, and I did not foresee the final twist. That makes me one happy reader. After all, the ending is what makes or breaks a good thriller.
Years later, Heather is now Dr. Cole, prominent child psychologist to those with tragic lives. Heather survived her childhood--and The Red Lady--but not unscathed. When a mysterious envelope arrives with the other half of her "Best Friends Forever" necklace--the very one Becca was wearing the night Heather killed her--Heather is convinced someone is sending her a message. Someone knows what really happened the night Becca died, and Heather can't hide behind her lies any longer.
While marketed as a supernatural thriller, I spent a good majority of my time immersed in the plot, wondering if The Red Lady would turn out to be a real entity. As an avid thriller reader, I expected her to be fake, a figment of the children's imaginations and an explicit representation of just how powerful our minds truly are. The way the author handled The Red Lady and her story, providing evidence for both sides, made for a thrilling, eerie, and unputdownable read.
I'm quite impressed with the character development. All four friends were affected by the events of that summer. Becca lost her life, and Heather killed her. Heather, now a child psychologist; Gia, now a physical therapist; and Rachel, now a lawyer, all work in fields that allow them to help people, especially broken, injured (either physically or emotionally) individuals. The years have not been kind to these girls, and I really enjoyed seeing how that summer changed them.
I disliked very little about this book. While some character and writing quirks became distracting (e.g. the cuticle picking and the ever-constant goosebumps), I wasn't bothered so much that I was taken out of the story. Aside from that, the ending did feel a bit rushed and wrapped up rather easily. Even so, I am satisfied with the ending, and I did not foresee the final twist. That makes me one happy reader. After all, the ending is what makes or breaks a good thriller.