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A review by toggle_fow
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Love a good YA mystery/thriller.
I picked this up wanting an effortless brain break, and that's exactly what I got. The chapters follow Pip's amateur sleuthing, which ranges from mildly reckless to downright moronically stupid, as she attempts to re-investigate a hometown murder.
Half of it is pseudo epistolary, in the form of Pip's notes, research, emails, and text messages -- a gimmick I am always down for. The other half is regular narrative. The mystery itself was enjoyable, with enough detail and suspense to keep me hooked the whole time. The characters were nothing special, definitely taking a backseat to the plot, which is as it should be in a thriller.
The only real problem I care to mention is the fact that Pip didn't get herself quietly killed at least six times. Unrealistic. She has a mix of cleverness, gall, and naivete that combined very dangerously, like, a LOT. I'm choosing to interpret the fact that she's not dead yet as a testament to the nature of her close-knit, sleepy town.
I picked this up wanting an effortless brain break, and that's exactly what I got. The chapters follow Pip's amateur sleuthing, which ranges from mildly reckless to downright moronically stupid, as she attempts to re-investigate a hometown murder.
Half of it is pseudo epistolary, in the form of Pip's notes, research, emails, and text messages -- a gimmick I am always down for. The other half is regular narrative. The mystery itself was enjoyable, with enough detail and suspense to keep me hooked the whole time. The characters were nothing special, definitely taking a backseat to the plot, which is as it should be in a thriller.
The only real problem I care to mention is the fact that Pip didn't get herself quietly killed at least six times. Unrealistic. She has a mix of cleverness, gall, and naivete that combined very dangerously, like, a LOT. I'm choosing to interpret the fact that she's not dead yet as a testament to the nature of her close-knit, sleepy town.