A review by jackalope_hope
The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

3.0

Objectively, I think this is a 3.5, but I had so much fun listening to it that I'm rounding up to a 4.

This has major Nancy Drew x The Magnus Archives vibes. I love the friendship group that forms in the book between Dare, Quinn, and Holly. I also like how this book really leaned into its horror elements.

I think that some themes and questions raised in the epilogue were interesting, but weren't as fully explored in the story as I think they could have been, particularly

Spoiler

the bit about how the town overlooked the deaths at Arrington because the girls were all outsiders

. One of the characters also had motivations that didn't make sense. I had figured out the twist around her already, but her actions didn't make sense based on what we were told her goal was. I also think some of the stakes didn't matter;

Spoiler

e.g., when Dare is trapped in a garage and at risk of a low blood sugar episode without her supplies, but then is released immediately, so the danger never really matters

.