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tawnarita's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
2.5
I was enjoying this book up until the ending I really didn’t like where it went. I feel like there were a lot of other better options.
The dog did not need to die, and so carelessly!
The dog did not need to die, and so carelessly!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Murder
steffiark's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexual violence
mariananiekamp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
kitkatkatdog's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of my favorite books of all time. Easily my favorite YA. Holly Jackson is an instant read author for me, and this was my first. This review is actually from my 3rd time reading it.
I absolutely love the story, the characters, and the suspense. Pip is a homework loving nerd who decides she wants to use her senior project as a way to shed some light on a local murder from 5 years ago. As she delves deeper into the secrets of the two teens involved in the alleged murder-suicide, her own obsession with the case and the anonymous threats that begin showing up start to prove dangerous. Will she find the answers she’s looking for? Does she even know what the truly is yet?
Great book, great group of small town living characters, the mysteries pile on and the twists somehow keep coming and yet always keep you guessing.
I absolutely love the story, the characters, and the suspense. Pip is a homework loving nerd who decides she wants to use her senior project as a way to shed some light on a local murder from 5 years ago. As she delves deeper into the secrets of the two teens involved in the alleged murder-suicide, her own obsession with the case and the anonymous threats that begin showing up start to prove dangerous. Will she find the answers she’s looking for? Does she even know what the truly is yet?
Great book, great group of small town living characters, the mysteries pile on and the twists somehow keep coming and yet always keep you guessing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Grief, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Rape, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
ksmith_23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Emotional abuse and Alcohol
mightyfrenchbookworm's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Vu la durée que ça m'a pris pour le livre je sais que ce n'est pas un 5 ⭐ page turner. C'était une bonne intrigue. Je n'avais pas l'impression que les indices lui tombaient entre les mains ultra facilement ou que c'était complètement impossible pour une ado. J'ai apprécié le fait qu'elle continuait d'aller à l'école et qu'elle préparait ses examens. Bref, la vie continue. Le meilleur selon moi était l'absence de romance entre les 2 protagonistes. Ça aurait vraiment été de trop. Globalement correct mais rien pour écrire à sa mère.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Vomit, and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
splurglofl's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racism, Self harm, and Grief
raekoch's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Loved it! I predicted wrong though! I thought it was going to go a different way at the end but definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, and Kidnapping
witcherswife's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Title and Author: “A good girl’s guide to murder” by Holly Jackson. The book has a UK and a US version. I have read the UK version.
- Genre: YA Crime Thriller
- Main Theme: Small-town murder mystery
- Setting:Little Kilton, UK; 2017
- Brief Overview: Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an A-grade senior at Little Kilton Grammar School, chooses a five-year-old murder case for her final year project. The case involves Andie Bell, allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh. While the town and police believe Sal guilty, Pippa is convinced of his innocence. She teams up with Ravi, Sal's younger brother, who is certain his sibling is blameless. Determined to uncover the truth, Pippa pursues every lead, knocks on every door, and compiles a list of suspects. Despite receiving threats from the apparent killer, she persists. She constantly puts her life at risk but she won't rest until she proves Sal's innocence and brings closure to the Singh family.
Personal Reflection (Contains Spoilers):
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It’s a gripping tale that keeps you hooked throughout, although at times I felt the pace was a bit slow. I loved playing detective alongside Pippa, with her list of persons of interest, and I found myself adding my own suspects too! The book kept my brain engaged the whole time. Pip is not just another nerd—she’s funny, smart, determined, and very meticulous. As she says, “Who do you think I am, an amateur?” I also loved the Pip-Ravi duo and their banter, though the transition from friendship to romance felt a bit off and lacked depth. It didn’t feel like a smooth progression, and I wasn’t sure if they were officially in a relationship by the end. I mean, Ravi kissed her at the end, so they are practically dating, right? To me, they still felt more like partners than a romantic couple.
Pip has a large friend group, but most of them are irrelevant except for Cara. One thing that bothered me was how one of the guys in her group seemed to have a crush on her, but that was never pursued or brought up again, which seemed odd. The story could have done without the large group of friends, except for Cara, for obvious reasons. What purpose do these characters serve? Absolutely nothing. Introducing so many characters only confuses the readers, and I had to make a mental tree to keep track of who was connected to whom.
Pip’s fearlessness is admirable, but it often lands her in dangerous situations. I hated how she would deliberately put herself at risk with potential murderers, especially when she followed Howie and then called Ravi to barge into his house. The leverage she had over Howie seemed almost comical. He’s a drug dealer—you don’t just walk into a criminal’s house, threaten them, and come out alive. The fact that Howie let her go made me question whether he was poorly written or just a very dumb drug dealer.
The book’s structure was interesting. Part 1 was fast-paced and engaging, with plenty of leads and possibilities. I loved the diary entries and little diagrams scattered throughout. However, Part 2 felt slower and a bit repetitive—they were going in circles, and it could have been shorter in my opinion. Part 3 picked up the pace again, but the ending felt rushed. I was surprised by the twists, especially the revelation about Becca, although I had my suspicions. The family dynamics gave clues: one sister is praised for her looks, while the other is criticized. I thought Becca and Daniel might have been involved together in the murder, but I was wrong. Daniel was brought up far too many times, along with Stanley, and their connection with Howie was left unresolved. Even Nat’s involvement felt incomplete, but since I haven’t read the other books, this might be a setup for future instalments, which is clever in a way. It leaves questions unanswered, making me eager to read more.
One thing that felt unrealistic was how a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old boy were able to solve one of the town’s most mysterious cases without being seriously questioned by anyone—except the killer, who periodically sent threats. Ravi’s parents, for instance, should have been questioning him, and they should have been introduced earlier in the story, not just at the end when everything was already resolved. Also, Pip was handed a lot of information very easily. How is it that everyone agreed to be interviewed, even people she stalked on Facebook and had no prior connections with? It felt unrealistic, but since this book is written for a young adult audience, I’ll give it a pass.
What I can’t overlook is how Andie was portrayed as a horrible person throughout the book, making it difficult to sympathize with her or feel bad about her murder. I felt worse for Becca, and the fact that her storyline was rushed left me unsatisfied with the ending. Additionally, Cara and Naomi suffered major losses due to Pip’s investigation, yet there wasn’t much focus on how it impacted them or how Cara and Pip repaired their friendship. Cara was massively overlooked, even though she was a very important character. She lost her mother at a young age and then had to face the possibility of losing her sister and ultimately her father. That’s deep trauma that deserved more exploration. Considering Cara was supposed to be Pip’s best friend, her part should not have been rushed.
The overall writing and pacing of the novel were good, and I loved how it touched on various social issues like racism, bullying, drug use, drink spiking, and sexual assault. The mystery was well-maintained throughout, and I enjoyed how Pip’s mind worked as she pieced things together.
Would I read it again?: I’m not sure. But since it has been adapted into a Netflix series, I’m definitely eager to watch it and compare the two.
Who would I recommend this to?: Teens and young adults who are relatively new to mystery thrillers will likely enjoy it. However, readers who binge-read thrillers for fun might have read more compelling works and might not find it as appealing.
Rating: 3.5/5
- Genre: YA Crime Thriller
- Main Theme: Small-town murder mystery
- Setting:Little Kilton, UK; 2017
- Brief Overview: Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an A-grade senior at Little Kilton Grammar School, chooses a five-year-old murder case for her final year project. The case involves Andie Bell, allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh. While the town and police believe Sal guilty, Pippa is convinced of his innocence. She teams up with Ravi, Sal's younger brother, who is certain his sibling is blameless. Determined to uncover the truth, Pippa pursues every lead, knocks on every door, and compiles a list of suspects. Despite receiving threats from the apparent killer, she persists. She constantly puts her life at risk but she won't rest until she proves Sal's innocence and brings closure to the Singh family.
Personal Reflection (Contains Spoilers):
Pip has a large friend group, but most of them are irrelevant except for Cara. One thing that bothered me was how one of the guys in her group seemed to have a crush on her, but that was never pursued or brought up again, which seemed odd. The story could have done without the large group of friends, except for Cara, for obvious reasons. What purpose do these characters serve? Absolutely nothing. Introducing so many characters only confuses the readers, and I had to make a mental tree to keep track of who was connected to whom.
Pip’s fearlessness is admirable, but it often lands her in dangerous situations. I hated how she would deliberately put herself at risk with potential murderers, especially when she followed Howie and then called Ravi to barge into his house. The leverage she had over Howie seemed almost comical. He’s a drug dealer—you don’t just walk into a criminal’s house, threaten them, and come out alive. The fact that Howie let her go made me question whether he was poorly written or just a very dumb drug dealer.
The book’s structure was interesting. Part 1 was fast-paced and engaging, with plenty of leads and possibilities. I loved the diary entries and little diagrams scattered throughout. However, Part 2 felt slower and a bit repetitive—they were going in circles, and it could have been shorter in my opinion. Part 3 picked up the pace again, but the ending felt rushed. I was surprised by the twists, especially the revelation about Becca, although I had my suspicions. The family dynamics gave clues: one sister is praised for her looks, while the other is criticized. I thought Becca and Daniel might have been involved together in the murder, but I was wrong. Daniel was brought up far too many times, along with Stanley, and their connection with Howie was left unresolved. Even Nat’s involvement felt incomplete, but since I haven’t read the other books, this might be a setup for future instalments, which is clever in a way. It leaves questions unanswered, making me eager to read more.
One thing that felt unrealistic was how a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old boy were able to solve one of the town’s most mysterious cases without being seriously questioned by anyone—except the killer, who periodically sent threats. Ravi’s parents, for instance, should have been questioning him, and they should have been introduced earlier in the story, not just at the end when everything was already resolved. Also, Pip was handed a lot of information very easily. How is it that everyone agreed to be interviewed, even people she stalked on Facebook and had no prior connections with? It felt unrealistic, but since this book is written for a young adult audience, I’ll give it a pass.
What I can’t overlook is how Andie was portrayed as a horrible person throughout the book, making it difficult to sympathize with her or feel bad about her murder. I felt worse for Becca, and the fact that her storyline was rushed left me unsatisfied with the ending. Additionally, Cara and Naomi suffered major losses due to Pip’s investigation, yet there wasn’t much focus on how it impacted them or how Cara and Pip repaired their friendship. Cara was massively overlooked, even though she was a very important character. She lost her mother at a young age and then had to face the possibility of losing her sister and ultimately her father. That’s deep trauma that deserved more exploration. Considering Cara was supposed to be Pip’s best friend, her part should not have been rushed.
The overall writing and pacing of the novel were good, and I loved how it touched on various social issues like racism, bullying, drug use, drink spiking, and sexual assault. The mystery was well-maintained throughout, and I enjoyed how Pip’s mind worked as she pieced things together.
Would I read it again?: I’m not sure. But since it has been adapted into a Netflix series, I’m definitely eager to watch it and compare the two.
Who would I recommend this to?: Teens and young adults who are relatively new to mystery thrillers will likely enjoy it. However, readers who binge-read thrillers for fun might have read more compelling works and might not find it as appealing.
Rating: 3.5/5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Car accident
Minor: Violence and Sexual harassment
chronic_listener's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Kidnapping, and Death of parent