shari_russell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ianrosales08's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What I Liked
* Complex storytelling that adds a lot of layers not just to the plot but more so, to the characters as well.
* I always love a story about a mother-daughter relationship and putting it in a thriller story makes it a lot better
* The narration on the back story of some characters made me understand their motives better however, some characters were not just lovable.
What I did. not Liked
* The novel could have been shorter. It felt like there were fillers and had they been removed, the story would have remained the same.
* The ending was not as explosive as her other work that made me fall in love with Karin's writing (pretty girls)
* Complex storytelling that adds a lot of layers not just to the plot but more so, to the characters as well.
* I always love a story about a mother-daughter relationship and putting it in a thriller story makes it a lot better
* The narration on the back story of some characters made me understand their motives better however, some characters were not just lovable.
What I did. not Liked
* The novel could have been shorter. It felt like there were fillers and had they been removed, the story would have remained the same.
* The ending was not as explosive as her other work that made me fall in love with Karin's writing (pretty girls)
suvata's review against another edition
4.0
#StoryGraph: fiction mystery thriller dark mysterious tense fast-paced
480 pages | first published 2018
Series: Andrea Oliver 1
When Andrea is caught in a random violent attack at a shopping mall her mother, Laura, intervenes and acts in a way that is unrecognisable to her daughter. It's like Laura is a completely different person - and that's because she was. Thirty years ago.
Description
Andrea Oliver's mother, Laura, is the perfect small-town mum. Laura lives a quiet but happy life in sleepy beachside Belle Isle. She's a pillar of the community: a speech therapist, business owner and everybody's friend. And she's never kept a secret from anyone. Or so Andrea thinks.
When Andrea is caught in a random violent attack at a shopping mall, Laura intervenes and acts in a way that is unrecognisable to her daughter. It's like Laura is a completely different person - and that's because she was. Thirty years ago. Before Andrea. Before Belle Isle.
Laura is hailed as a hero for her actions at the mall but 24 hours later she is in hospital, shot by an intruder, who's spent decades trying to track her down.
What is Andrea's mother trying to hide? As elements of the past return and put them both in danger, Andrea is left to piece together Laura's former identity and discover the truth - for better or worse - about her mother. Is the gentle, loving woman who raised her also a violent killer?
480 pages | first published 2018
Series: Andrea Oliver 1
When Andrea is caught in a random violent attack at a shopping mall her mother, Laura, intervenes and acts in a way that is unrecognisable to her daughter. It's like Laura is a completely different person - and that's because she was. Thirty years ago.
Description
Andrea Oliver's mother, Laura, is the perfect small-town mum. Laura lives a quiet but happy life in sleepy beachside Belle Isle. She's a pillar of the community: a speech therapist, business owner and everybody's friend. And she's never kept a secret from anyone. Or so Andrea thinks.
When Andrea is caught in a random violent attack at a shopping mall, Laura intervenes and acts in a way that is unrecognisable to her daughter. It's like Laura is a completely different person - and that's because she was. Thirty years ago. Before Andrea. Before Belle Isle.
Laura is hailed as a hero for her actions at the mall but 24 hours later she is in hospital, shot by an intruder, who's spent decades trying to track her down.
What is Andrea's mother trying to hide? As elements of the past return and put them both in danger, Andrea is left to piece together Laura's former identity and discover the truth - for better or worse - about her mother. Is the gentle, loving woman who raised her also a violent killer?
nattentiondeficit's review against another edition
3.0
Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite suspense/thriller authors. This story was complex and exciting and the ending tied everything up into a neat little package. The reason for my 3 star review is the villains in this story, nick, jasper, and paula were a little much, and Andy’s inability to speak in the beginning got to be a little frustrating. As always though, I couldn’t put it down
__wander_inpages_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
finnc's review against another edition
5.0
This book kept me on the edge of my seat and constantly wanting more. The plot line was well articulated and easy to follow while maintaining the element of surprise.
kdk_2023's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
sundeviljewels's review against another edition
3.0
This was a VERY LONG book. I felt there was too much written about in 1986. I am eager to see how they do the Netflix movie, but feel that Pretty Girls blows this book out of the water.
kthomas4415's review against another edition
3.0
Some turns and excitement but was a pretty steady plot the whole time. Feeling like it missed an opportunity.