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rkuschmider 's review for:
Girl A
by Abigail Dean
BIG SPOILERS AHEAD
Let me start by saying I loved this book. I like the characters, I liked way it flipped from past to present, and I liked the exploration of what happens to kids who grow up in traumatic circumstances.
What I didn't like was cascade of big twists. The ending would have been stronger if the big reveal had been just about the oldest brother being complicit in the torture. The shocker about the dead baby felt a little like an extra horror thrown in for good measure. It didn't add or detract from the plot. The twist about Evie, however, was just annoying. The "She was dead the whole time!" twist has been done in too many other books to feel fresh or original. I saw it coming from the earliest chapters and didn't find it satisfying or surprising.
A story about straightforward grief would have been just as good. In fact, it might have been better.
Let me start by saying I loved this book. I like the characters, I liked way it flipped from past to present, and I liked the exploration of what happens to kids who grow up in traumatic circumstances.
What I didn't like was cascade of big twists. The ending would have been stronger if the big reveal had been just about the oldest brother being complicit in the torture. The shocker about the dead baby felt a little like an extra horror thrown in for good measure. It didn't add or detract from the plot. The twist about Evie, however, was just annoying. The "She was dead the whole time!" twist has been done in too many other books to feel fresh or original. I saw it coming from the earliest chapters and didn't find it satisfying or surprising.
A story about straightforward grief would have been just as good. In fact, it might have been better.