Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

I read this book right after finishing a longer series and it was exactly what I was looking for. It was a quick, fast paced read that I finished in a few hours. From page 1, I was hooked- Cady is tied up and doesn't know where or who she is but along the way - she realizes though she doesn't remember anything about herself or her family, she is quite capable and her body takes over and does what she needs it to do - like mixed martial arts to fight assailants, drive a car, etc. It's like a surprise to her each time she does because she doesn't remember anything - not her name or her age, nothing. The kidnappers want and need information from her - but she doesn't remember. Will she be able to save herself and possibly her family she doesn't remember?

Characters relationships: I loved the relationship and trust between Ty and Cady - though they had only met, it was an instant connection. Ty, a former homeless teen who was barely making it, had people that had helped get him off the streets and in return wanted to help Cady even though he knew he was putting his life at risk in doing so. I'm not sure how many people would be willing to do this in real life but the connection between the characters was so strong and it was believable.

Trigger warning - I'm reading this is 2021 while we are still in the midst of COVID-19. This book contains a deadly virus that threatens like pneumonia/flu and people die rather quickly and there are plans to use it for biological warfare. It's obviously different than COVID but my mind immediately went there and I could see how this could trigger people who have lost friends, family, etc because of COVID-19.

Content Warnings

graceheiberger's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

nickoliver's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I found this book really interesting at first, but then it just got stupid and extremely predictable. The main character was also extremely naive. She kept believing people told the truth even after knowing they were the villains and knowing they had lied to her before already, several times. Also, there's this side character who helps her throughout the entire book, and so many of the revelations came from him instead of her, like she was completely incapable of ever figuring shit out on her own.
Also, why was there a romance. Why do YA thrillers always need romance, and always with some mediocre dudes with a hero complex. There was zero reason for these two to end up together at all; like, you never really see any chemistry. Do YA authors know they could just *gasp* make them friends? Wild concept, I know.

Content Warnings

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