Scan barcode
A review by asipofcozy
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I am keeping this review shortish because my brain is blah today! So I enjoyed Good Girl, Bad Blood (GGBB), still not as much as I enjoyed AGGGTM. AGGGTM focused on solving a murder case, and due to my love of true crime, I preferred that over a missing person's case, which is what Good Girl, Bad Blood focused on.
I will admit Holly Jackson does a great job of writing a mystery. Just like in AGGGTM, I really couldn't guess the whole ending. I put together some pieces early on, but that's it, and I am known for guessing a mystery very early on 😬.
Pip and her character development were interesting, to say the least. At first, you think that she has come out reasonably unscathed with solving the murder of Andie and Sal; however, the further you get into this book, you start to realize Pip is not all there, and she is slipping back into old and worse habits. She is so desperate for the truth that she is willing to do anything. However, with that being said Pip believes herself above the law. If someone else commits a crime, they are guilty. If she herself does something it's okay. Towards the end of GGBB, Pip becomes very hypocritical and self-centered.
GGBB could have been done without the "romance". The romance between Ravi and Pip was so silly and out of place. It's more of a best-friend relationship than a romantic one. GGBB isn't focused on romance and is all about mystery. So it's jarring when Ravi comes into a scene and you are reminded, "oh, that's right, they are together," and it happens every time. Also, Pip treats Ravi like trash in GGBB when he enters the few scenes he is in. She care's little for his thoughts and makes him feel like he is out to get her.
Finally, what really irked me about Pip was her taking away the voice of the sexual assault victims. She, herself, was never assaulted yet she makes the Max Hastings trial about her and only her. She pushes the true victims aside and tries to take the spotlight in the whole scenario. She took the victim's voices away, even if it was unintentional. That is NOT okay.And when she finds out he is not guilty, she goes on this rampage as if her world was torn down around her and not the victims. Destroying his home and taking revenge for herself and not the girls that were assaulted by him.
I will admit Holly Jackson does a great job of writing a mystery. Just like in AGGGTM, I really couldn't guess the whole ending. I put together some pieces early on, but that's it, and I am known for guessing a mystery very early on 😬.
Pip and her character development were interesting, to say the least. At first, you think that she has come out reasonably unscathed with solving the murder of Andie and Sal; however, the further you get into this book, you start to realize Pip is not all there, and she is slipping back into old and worse habits. She is so desperate for the truth that she is willing to do anything. However, with that being said Pip believes herself above the law. If someone else commits a crime, they are guilty. If she herself does something it's okay. Towards the end of GGBB, Pip becomes very hypocritical and self-centered.
GGBB could have been done without the "romance". The romance between Ravi and Pip was so silly and out of place. It's more of a best-friend relationship than a romantic one. GGBB isn't focused on romance and is all about mystery. So it's jarring when Ravi comes into a scene and you are reminded, "oh, that's right, they are together," and it happens every time. Also, Pip treats Ravi like trash in GGBB when he enters the few scenes he is in. She care's little for his thoughts and makes him feel like he is out to get her.
Finally, what really irked me about Pip was her taking away the voice of the sexual assault victims. She, herself, was never assaulted yet she makes the Max Hastings trial about her and only her. She pushes the true victims aside and tries to take the spotlight in the whole scenario. She took the victim's voices away, even if it was unintentional. That is NOT okay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Stalking, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual assault