This book was intense. Graphic and gruesome, Pretty Girls is a story of sisterhood and standing up to misogynistic men—to the extreme, of course, but there’s no denying that this book features two women fighting against men who hate them and mean them harm, just for being women. 

As thrilling and gruesome as it was, though, my favorite parts of this book were between the sisters. I have two siblings, and usually the way siblings are written in books doesn’t quite feel right. Most of the time, they’re side characters and don’t appear in the story much, and/or they feel more like “regular” friends or acquaintances—which is the case in some families that aren’t close. But generally speaking, siblings are their own breed, with their own slang of inside jokes, bickering, and general overall vibe of: “I love you and I’d die for you, kill for you, help you bury a body—but if you take my ____ without asking again, I swear to god…!” And, between the drama and  suspense and fighting for their lives, these were the first characters I’ve come across in a while that have that playful antagonism that made it believable, like “yup, those are definitely two sisters.”

If you like thrillers and the trigger warnings aren’t a deal breaker for you, I recommend giving this book a try. This was the first book I’ve read by Karin Slaughter and it definitely won’t be the last.