Scan barcode
A review by lauraborkpower
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
3.0
I read this almost immediately after finishing Lauren Beukes's Broken Monsters, so I can't help but compare the two. And, honestly, I prefer Broken Monsters.
I'm not sure if I prefer Broken Monsters because I wasn't keen on the narration for The Shining Girls (Khristine Hvam reads Kirby, and she just sounds so overly sassy that it's hard to like her), or if it was the overall story of Broken Monsters that I liked more. Clayton Broom (B.M.) is a more interesting killer than Harper Curtis (T.S.G.). Broom is haunted and not really in control; the "art" he creates is horrible and fascinating. Harper, on the other hand, is just a killer of women who happens to have a time traveling house at his disposal. Now, I have nothing against time traveling houses (way cool), but I just wasn't as scared of or horrified by Harper as I was of Clayton.
I also really enjoyed that Broken Monsters has protagonists--Gabriella and Layla--who are women of color. It's not something I see often in the horror or thriller genres, but it's something I'd like to see more of. Additionally, the regular horror of what a group of teenage boys does to Layla's friend Cass is almost as awful as the murders Clayton commits--it certainly had me yelling at the book. That adds something to Broken Monsters that The Shining Girls just doesn't have.
I'd have liked The Shining Girls more if I'd read a hard copy. It's still a good book--it's an interesting bend on both the thriller and the horror story, and it takes place in Chicago, which is fun. But if you're starting out with Beukes, I'd recommend Broken Monsters first.
I'm not sure if I prefer Broken Monsters because I wasn't keen on the narration for The Shining Girls (Khristine Hvam reads Kirby, and she just sounds so overly sassy that it's hard to like her), or if it was the overall story of Broken Monsters that I liked more. Clayton Broom (B.M.) is a more interesting killer than Harper Curtis (T.S.G.). Broom is haunted and not really in control; the "art" he creates is horrible and fascinating. Harper, on the other hand, is just a killer of women who happens to have a time traveling house at his disposal. Now, I have nothing against time traveling houses (way cool), but I just wasn't as scared of or horrified by Harper as I was of Clayton.
I also really enjoyed that Broken Monsters has protagonists--Gabriella and Layla--who are women of color. It's not something I see often in the horror or thriller genres, but it's something I'd like to see more of. Additionally, the regular horror of what a group of teenage boys does to Layla's friend Cass is almost as awful as the murders Clayton commits--it certainly had me yelling at the book. That adds something to Broken Monsters that The Shining Girls just doesn't have.
I'd have liked The Shining Girls more if I'd read a hard copy. It's still a good book--it's an interesting bend on both the thriller and the horror story, and it takes place in Chicago, which is fun. But if you're starting out with Beukes, I'd recommend Broken Monsters first.