A review by gillian0231
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I truly did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Once again, I think I greatly underestimated a YA book and was kind of turned off by the title. As amazing as this book is, you have to admit that the title is a little cringey and definitely put me off of this book for a while. However, I listened to the hype and I am so glad I did. I really enjoyed the different "forms" the story took--normal chapters, texts, investigation entries, interviews, pictures, hand-written notes, etc.. It made for a very interesting story and not only helped Pip, but also helped the reader keep every lead and clue in order. The story also did a very good job about leaving clues for the reader to pick up on and start figuring out the mystery for themselves, but not too much to make the ending super obvious. Yes, there were a few "plot-twists" but I don't think it was at the expense of the story, which you often see in some murder mysteries. I became much more attached to the characters and their storylines than I thought I would. The last ~75-80% of the story had me in a chokehold--I couldn't put it down and was emotional the entire time.
The MC was a bit immature at times, which might just be a symptom of being a teenager in a YA novel. My only major complaint is that Pip was often very stupid and put herself in obvious danger. She did things and confronted people that no one in their right mind would ever do in the real world. There were quite a few times that she probably should have been killed because she was digging way too deep into dangerous people. The were also a few loose ends that I think should have been tied up a little better--namely the da Silva's--but nothing too major that the story seemed unfinished.
Overall, I really loved this book and think it had a very satisfying ending. It action-packed, full of a good balance of likable and unlikable characters, great red herrings, interesting clues and backstories, and full of suspense. I can't wait to continue the series and hope that Jackson has other books because I really enjoyed her writing.
The MC was a bit immature at times, which might just be a symptom of being a teenager in a YA novel. My only major complaint is that Pip was often very stupid and put herself in obvious danger. She did things and confronted people that no one in their right mind would ever do in the real world. There were quite a few times that she probably should have been killed because she was digging way too deep into dangerous people. The were also a few loose ends that I think should have been tied up a little better--namely the da Silva's--but nothing too major that the story seemed unfinished.
Overall, I really loved this book and think it had a very satisfying ending. It action-packed, full of a good balance of likable and unlikable characters, great red herrings, interesting clues and backstories, and full of suspense. I can't wait to continue the series and hope that Jackson has other books because I really enjoyed her writing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death, Grief, Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault