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singalana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Minor: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
sheebsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
rachellbc's review
- 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
Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
bookishly_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking
booksandbabble's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
alice_in_bookland9's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement and Cursing
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
hazychapters's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
✩ young-adult, murder mystery, thriller
✩ 417 pages
Sequel to AGGGTM, "Good Girl, Bad Blood" follows Pip in a new investigation after the disappearance of her friend’s brother, Jamie; while learning how to manage the growing hype around her true-crime podcast.
I found the pace of this second book a bit unbalanced. It started really well, but the investigation slowed down, hence the end feeling rushed. The mystery in itself felt a bit far-fetched sometimes. I had my own theories as I was approaching the last chapters (I was wrong, of course), but I felt a bit underwhelmed.
The first book was so busy I could feel the suffocation of crippling anxiety as I was diving into the pages. I didn’t feel the same with this sequel, at least for the first half. But I have to admit, I was taken by surprise by the "Child Brunswick" subplot, even though I’d have appreciated to hear about it earlier in the book so it didn’t appear out of the blue. The same goes for some characters.
The characters and their writing is the strongest aspect of this book. You can really feel connected to them as they are all going through difficulties in their lives: Pip, Ravi, Cara and Connor. They are a very interesting quartet. I’d have liked to see a bit more of Cara and Ravi and how they coped with the events of AGGGTM, so I can’t wait to read more about them in the next book.
However, I have mixed opinions about Pip in this book and honestly, I’m quite scared of what she’s going to do/become in the third book. I was here for her character’s development after the events of AGGGTM, and if I understood her at the very beginning regarding conducting a new investigation or not, I didn’t really feel connected to her by the end. Yes, she’s traumatised by past events and battles her insecurities, but she also has this flaw to never ask for help. I think this is an interesting situation to discuss, but at some point your character should evolve out their flaws. And I don’t know why, I’m pretty sure it won’t be the case in the last book.
In conclusion, mixed feelings for this sequel. It was good, but didn’t meet the expectations I had after the end of the first book. It felt to me like a filler sequel, while waiting for the third and last book of the trilogy (as it is for a lot of second books). I’ll take care to lower my expectations for the finale, even if I heard it was the best of the trilogy.
📌 Content/Trigger warnings:
arson, blood, catfishing, child abuse, death of a child, death of a sibling (past, recounted), drug dealing, drugging (non-consensual), grief, gun violence, kidnapping, murder, rape (past, recounted), violence.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Murder
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This one is we even more heartbreaking and at some times a hard read. Also, the characterization of Pip seemed to me to diverge from the first, which I didn’t love too much. But I appreciate how the trauma of the previous case makes you feel like a live wire and how your reactions are just that much more intense than your normal.
I think the missing person element wasn’t as fast-paced as the first and I just didn’t feel as invested in comparison, but the last quarter of the book really unfurled at a breakneck speed that I just couldn’t put down.
Generally though, I do think this book benefits from having read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder right before this one because there are many references to the characters in the first book, which is helpful to have fresh in your mind.
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, and Kidnapping
dkamada's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
viaviaggi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Cancer, Child death, and Drug use