A review by emma_ekb
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

i would say this book was 5 stars for me up until 50% of the way through, when it started to drag. 

here’s what i liked: the story kept me guessing. i was truly shocked by most of the plot twists. i think the relationship between claire and lydia, as well as their connections to julia and their parents, were well done. the villain was truly despicable. the book had some interesting commentary on rape culture and what it means to be a “pretty girl” - for better or for worse. i also liked the inclusion of sam’s letters to julia.

what i didn’t like: the violence was, at times, gratuitous. it was overwhelming and graphic and disgusting, which i understand could be necessary to a point but it felt overkill. in addition, i really did not like claire. she was, quite frankly, DUMB! obviously she had some character development and became less of a pushover but ultimately she irritated me. the book also probably could’ve been at least 50 pages shorter to keep the plot tight and less draggy. 
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