Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - The Girl Before

TW: Rape, Domestic Violence, Eating Disorder, Miscarriage

What a great mystery. I thought this story had such good pacing. Most thrillers end the chapters reminding you that one of them won't make it home alive but this novel didn't do that at all. I really REALLY enjoyed that Emma's story never progressed until Jane found information that allowed her story to progress. I think the only redeemable character in this story is Jane everyone else is so terrible which I think was the point. I have a hard time telling when characters are meant to have a redeeming aspect to them in thrillers. I also think Edward should just go see a therapist and get diagnosed.

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raysh3ll's review against another edition

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dark mysterious

Loveable characters? No

2.0

I wasn't a fan of this one.

I read this book after I went through J.P Delaney's 3 other books. I think maybe I would have liked it a bit better if I hadn't had the others as a comparison. I felt like there was a fair bit of overlap and repetition in terms of what J. P Delaney writes about in his books (children with disabilities, technology, unreliable narration, twist endings, unrealistic expectations etc). Maybe I over did it with his books, but I felt his other books did a much better job with the things that intersected.

I didn't really feel much for the characters, beyond finding myself annoyed by Emma.

Overall, it was just meh for me.

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e_vhx's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Do not get it twisted - this is a very well-written and spooky thriller. However, SA and narcisstic/abusive relationship themes are triggering for me. So my overall enjoyment was inhibited by that. I would definitely read more by this author.

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shereadsmysteries's review

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

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_mack_jack_'s review

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dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

it was out best by another review i saw: yet another book choosing to subvert expectations with a nonsensical twist instead of giving the plot and characters the follow-through they earned. this book was a page-turner but ultimately lackluster.

what i wanted from the book initially was to be shocked and to have my expectations subverted. as i learned more about the characters, i wanted to see the natural conclusion come about. i think the author focused on shock value over realism when coming up with plot points. the complexities of the characters, specifically the men, are unexplored to their fullest because the author takes them off course at random. the women are flawed and emotional humans, which is always good to see, but emma specifically is written to be almost a villain as the book progresses. at first it was a captivating twist, but again the path it took broke my suspension of disbelief.

did i enjoy reading it? yes. would i recommend it? no.

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