Reviews

This is eerie story where the past tragedy gets intertwined with the recent cases of the missing girls.

The horror-like atmosphere with the dark, mysterious tone and settings are the most catchy assets of the story. The scarred face woman with her ghostly presence is the connecting point in this dual timeline story of past horrors and nowadays struggles. And this atmosphere works, I was definitely immersed in it. The construction of a story is bit weaker in my opinion, especially for the present cases of the missing girls - the cases are covered, but only in the few last chapters. Also, there are aspects of the story where one needs to suppress the critical thinking, as the present is no Middle Ages, but the society with ever-present cameras and working police services. But still, there is an internal logic, the plan to get from the point A to the point Z, which I appreciate.

grownscaredofghosts's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. It’s quite slow for awhile and then accelerates…I wish the first 3/4 or so were sped up a bit and the last quarter a bit slower. The main character was interesting and complex- other characters less so.

abookwormwithwine's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I knew after reading A Dark and Secret Place that I would always read Jen Williams' thrillers and was so excited to get a copy of Games for Dead Girls. This is an atmospheric slow burn, and I thought Williams did an impressive job setting the scene. The book alternates back and forth between Charlotte (Charlie) and Emily as children from when they first meet to what happens next, and Charlie as an adult who is not only trying to hide from her past but also trying to solve the case of missing girls in Hithechurch. I enjoyed how the two different stories worked in tandem with each other until we find out what happened in the past and get fully immersed in Charlie's present. I loved the exploration of urban legends in the area (which is how the book actually starts), and how that became a very real scenario for the girls. There was another viewpoint as well that popped up on occasion, but you can just wait and see for that.

The end of the book gets SO creepy, and I was definitely on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen. There are things that readers will probably find implausible like Charlie carting her niece Katie around an area where young girls are going missing, but I was so lost in the story that I wasn't even thinking about those things. I also loved the audiobook and Mhairi Morrison was the perfect person to narrate and bring Charlie to life. I would highly recommend the audio to keep yourself invested as well, and audiobooks are my favorite thing when there is a book that is on the slower side. Especially when the narrator adds to the atmosphere which Morrison certainly did. I did find myself getting a little confused about who some of the characters were, and I would recommend making sure you are paying attention. I am such a huge fan of Williams and Games for Dead Girls was just as dark and delicious as I was hoping it would be.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

heamarhar's review

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4.0

3.5 rounded up. Maybe. I loved it but the ending was too short. So I'm bitter.

This gave me the same feelings as when I read The First Day of Spring. I felt so helpless and sad seeing these children make such irresponsible decisions progressing to a horrific yet completely avoidable outcome. I loved the past vs. present POVs and the merging storylines.

My only complaint about this novel is that it ended so abruptly after SO MUCH backstory. I wanted everyone's perspectives, but I was given crumbs instead. I demand a better resolution! They could have made room for a better ending if there were significantly fewer instances of Charlie/Sarah being a super unreliable narrator.