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A review by beanjoles
The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
WARNING for people like me who read reviews before finishing a book: This review has some mild spoilers, so read at your own risk! Heavy plot spoilers are tagged appropriately. :)
Overall impression: For a thriller, this was quite boring. I only finished because I wanted to understand the Then chapters. The characters, aside from Becca and Ryan, were mostly forgettable. The ‘supernatural’ element alluded to in the synopsis is delivered upon only in the vaguest of ways, and because Heather barely believes it herself, the reader has no incentive to, either.
Some other gripes:
This book is full of stilted dialogue that didn’t feel real or impactful.
Heather really suffered from an initial lack of character-building. Because her character was so bland, it was difficult to muster up any interest in her motivations and increasingly erratic behaviour.
That ending… We’re introduced to a character that we never knew existed, who apparently had a hard-on for “justice” for the daughter she was fine ignoring during her life and forgetting about for nearly 30 years after her disappearance? And Heather’s mom not only helped cover up the murder, but then refused to even talk to her daughter about it—instead encouraging her to FORGET about it?? . Come on, now… In my eyes it could still have been salvaged if only Heather had used some of her clinical training to reflect on Becca and her past self. Motivations are lightly pointed out, but it’s hard to feel the full tragedy of the situation because of this lack of depth.
I’ll end this review on a positive note: annoying and obvious as it sometimes felt, reading Heather’s descent into paranoia and mental breakdown was emotionally affecting. The sense of disconnection from her surroundings and loved ones was palpable, and I appreciated that this alienation didn’t immediately go away once she explained the situation to her people in the epilogue.
Overall impression: For a thriller, this was quite boring. I only finished because I wanted to understand the Then chapters. The characters, aside from Becca and Ryan, were mostly forgettable. The ‘supernatural’ element alluded to in the synopsis is delivered upon only in the vaguest of ways, and because Heather barely believes it herself, the reader has no incentive to, either.
Some other gripes:
This book is full of stilted dialogue that didn’t feel real or impactful.
Heather really suffered from an initial lack of character-building. Because her character was so bland, it was difficult to muster up any interest in her motivations and increasingly erratic behaviour.
That ending…
I’ll end this review on a positive note: annoying and obvious as it sometimes felt, reading Heather’s descent into paranoia and mental breakdown was emotionally affecting. The sense of disconnection from her surroundings and loved ones was palpable, and I appreciated that this alienation didn’t immediately go away once she explained the situation to her people in the epilogue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Toxic friendship