A review by samanthanleroy
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

4.0

3.5 stars, rounded to 4. I'm completely blown away by how much I enjoyed this book, so much so I actually finished it in a little over a day (while I marked it as reading on the 12th, I didn't start until the 14th at ~6 pm). This was everything I want out of a YA mystery, a perfect blend of light-heartedness with genuine drama and intrigue. The mystery was nicely plotted with the right beats and secret reveals, and I even fell victim to a red herring. The writing, especially in the way of dialogue, left a bit to be desired, particularly when the villains explain their motives. Those parts, while thick with tension, just didn't feel realistic enough. I also really dislike the school project plot device, its just weird to me and I wish a pre-established interest in true crime was the catalyst for Pippa being involved in the case. And some of the choices Pippa makes are just..... so stupid. You never enter someone's house when you're going to be excusing them of murder. You just don't. Finally, I admire the book for not being afraid to handle some rough subject matter. Most YA mysteries I've read seem to shy away from the darker aspects of true crime media, leaving only the vague image of murder. Some content warnings for this book: animal death, sexual assault, drug abuse. Holly Jackson handled these aspects pretty respectfully and it added a level of realism to the story that I appreciated as someone who consumes true crime media on the regular.