Whitney

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder – I didn't like it

I decided to read it after it was recommended to me and it is so highly reviewed but it just left me.. disappointed. It almost became an official DNF but I powered through.

I keep trying to tell myself that it's a YA novel and written for that age group but you have got to be kidding me with some of these plot points...

Spoilers ahead

so Pip decides to interview Mr Ward and when she finds out he lied, she goes back and is all “You lied, tell me why” and he's all “okay, I'll tell you intimate details of my job and how business is conducted and this detailed story. No problem” even though she is a highschool student talking to a teacher

Then she basically does the same to a drug dealer and fearlessly runs in demanding information with her romantic interest. I'm sorry but Ravi demanding the list of drugs and the drug dealer being like “ok!” Is just too much

I did enjoy the twist of it not actually being Andie in the attic, but it just felt so rushed at the end for everything to tie up so nicely. I wanted more of that back story and not just a quick few lines to try to explain it away.

I read a lot of YA fiction and I felt like beyond big “wow” moments (like the camping trip and losing Barney) that were there for shock factor, Pip encountered little to no resistance in her quest and all these adults were just so eager to tell her everything from secrets to illegal activities, to sexual assaults occurring and they don't even know her.

Not to mention the stagnant dialogue where a character would start to reveal some of their backstory, and Pip would just proceed with a “That's cool. So ANYWAYS..”

Honestly? Wouldn't recommend! It just didn't have any believability for me.

I would give it a 3.5/5.

I understand what the author was trying to do, but (in all honesty) I found it very boring to read. Sad? Yes. Compelling? Sure. Thought provoking? Absolutely. But boring.

At the end, it would have really helped it altogether for me if we would have seen the reaction of the men once they returned. Then finish with the rabbit and the squirrel reflection. Especially since we are following along with a story told by a man who stayed behind. I wanted to see the consequences, even if it was just a glimpse.