What do you think?
Rate this book
Girl on Trial
Does doing one bad thing make you a bad person?
Sixteen-year-old Emily Keller, known by the media as Keller the Killer, is accused of causing the deaths of four family members, including young children. Emily is one of the youngest females to be accused of a crime so heinous, making this the nation’s biggest trial of the year. But what really happened that fateful night―and who’s responsible―is anything but straightforward.
Living in a trailer park in Baltimore with her twin brother and alcoholic mother, Emily’s life hasn’t been easy. She’s had to grow up fast, and like any teen, has made questionable decisions in a desperate attempt to fit in with her peers. Will her mistakes amount to a guilty verdict and a life in prison? It’s up to the jury to decide.
For readers who enjoy Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.
Sixteen-year-old Emily Keller, known by the media as Keller the Killer, is accused of causing the deaths of four family members, including young children. Emily is one of the youngest females to be accused of a crime so heinous, making this the nation’s biggest trial of the year. But what really happened that fateful night―and who’s responsible―is anything but straightforward.
Living in a trailer park in Baltimore with her twin brother and alcoholic mother, Emily’s life hasn’t been easy. She’s had to grow up fast, and like any teen, has made questionable decisions in a desperate attempt to fit in with her peers. Will her mistakes amount to a guilty verdict and a life in prison? It’s up to the jury to decide.
For readers who enjoy Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2023
50 people are currently reading
7299 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Fine
2 books134 followersKathleen Fine received her Master’s in Reading Education from Towson University and Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from University of Maryland, College Park. She is a member of the Maryland Writers Association, International Thriller Writers, and Author’s Guild. When she’s not writing and selling real estate, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to the Outer Banks, and of course, reading anything she can get her hands on. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband, three children, and Sussex Spaniel. Her debut novel, Girl on Trial, will be released in the Fall of 2023.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
September 28, 2023
This is a story that should be wrought with emotions but it felt surface level. It lacked a depth, especially for a book with such a serious subject manner. It was told almost clinically, and parts where I should have been indignant or crying, I just felt like I was reading a report of events.
Emily is being tried for manslaughter of a family of four after leaving the stove on when she babysat. It felt like the trial was more about Emily as a person than it was about the alleged crime committed. Multiple times the prosecutor reminds us this is negligence, not a premeditated intentional act, and yet so much time in the trial was spent on events that had nothing to do with the night the family died. Any halfway decent attorney would have objected for relevance for most of what the prosecutor brought up. Instead the defense attorney spent the time trying to prove Emily wouldn’t intentionally kill anyone, when the very charges brought against her already stated it wasn’t intentional. Honestly, the whole trial was extremely messy.
With the trial focused on Emily the girl and not really the purported crime she committed, it’s surprising that Emily didn’t really have a personality. Even in the 2018 chapters (the past), her sole character trait is that she wants to be friends with a popular girl. Supposedly she was smart, and we are constantly told of her hardships, but none of this came through in her personality. It made it hard to feel connected to her.
However, it did hold my curiosity as to what was the truth of what happened November 9th when four people died.
TW:
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Emily is being tried for manslaughter of a family of four after leaving the stove on when she babysat. It felt like the trial was more about Emily as a person than it was about the alleged crime committed. Multiple times the prosecutor reminds us this is negligence, not a premeditated intentional act, and yet so much time in the trial was spent on events that had nothing to do with the night the family died. Any halfway decent attorney would have objected for relevance for most of what the prosecutor brought up. Instead the defense attorney spent the time trying to prove Emily wouldn’t intentionally kill anyone, when the very charges brought against her already stated it wasn’t intentional. Honestly, the whole trial was extremely messy.
With the trial focused on Emily the girl and not really the purported crime she committed, it’s surprising that Emily didn’t really have a personality. Even in the 2018 chapters (the past), her sole character trait is that she wants to be friends with a popular girl. Supposedly she was smart, and we are constantly told of her hardships, but none of this came through in her personality. It made it hard to feel connected to her.
However, it did hold my curiosity as to what was the truth of what happened November 9th when four people died.
TW:
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
September 10, 2023
4⭐️
i cannot express how much i loved this book. like this was actually so good????
the story follows the current and past events of emily, known as, “kellan the killer,” who is on trial for the murder of a family of 4. the book starts out going through the current events and each day of trial while jumping to the past dates leading up to her trial. emily comes from a tough background always feeling the need to fit in and is determined to make friends and be popular; then she meets hannah and everything starts taking a turn for the worse.
CAN WE JUST APPRECIATE THAT ENDING AND THE CONSTANT TWISTS AND TURNS???? like this book was so good it was baffling. i will be recommending this to anyone who loves a juicy thriller. i could not put this down for the life of me. this book goes into the dark side of broken family’s and mental health and i feel like it was portrayed so well. i found myself relating to emily so much throughout the story. i really appreciated how well this was written and how smoothly it flowed. the only reason i knocked it down a star was solely because it wasn’t an absolute favorite and i don’t like handing out 5 stars unless i’d sacrifice my life for a book.
⚠️TRIGGER WARNINGS INCLUDE SELF-HARM, ALCOHOLISM, RAPE, SEXUAL ASSULT⚠️
thank you netgalley, camcat books, and kathleen fine for a copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review!! <3
i cannot express how much i loved this book. like this was actually so good????
the story follows the current and past events of emily, known as, “kellan the killer,” who is on trial for the murder of a family of 4. the book starts out going through the current events and each day of trial while jumping to the past dates leading up to her trial. emily comes from a tough background always feeling the need to fit in and is determined to make friends and be popular; then she meets hannah and everything starts taking a turn for the worse.
CAN WE JUST APPRECIATE THAT ENDING AND THE CONSTANT TWISTS AND TURNS???? like this book was so good it was baffling. i will be recommending this to anyone who loves a juicy thriller. i could not put this down for the life of me. this book goes into the dark side of broken family’s and mental health and i feel like it was portrayed so well. i found myself relating to emily so much throughout the story. i really appreciated how well this was written and how smoothly it flowed. the only reason i knocked it down a star was solely because it wasn’t an absolute favorite and i don’t like handing out 5 stars unless i’d sacrifice my life for a book.
⚠️TRIGGER WARNINGS INCLUDE SELF-HARM, ALCOHOLISM, RAPE, SEXUAL ASSULT⚠️
thank you netgalley, camcat books, and kathleen fine for a copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review!! <3
June 10, 2023
Blurb: Emily Keller, a 16-year-old girl, is charged with manslaughter for unintentionally causing the death of a family of four. Told in dual timeliness, the events leading to that horrific night and the trial, Emily recounts a tale of peer pressure, underage drinking, and the teenage desire to "fit in". She wonders this one question: "Does doing one bad thing makes you a bad person?"
Review: The author Kathleen Fine takes a seemingly innocent seeming act and woves it in an incredible thriller. At first i was a little skeptical about the initial reason Emily was charged with manslaughter, the idea seemed a little minor at that time. But Girl On Time isn't just a crime thriller. It's a honest take a teenage girl's inside thoughts, and how peer pressure and underage drinking and carelessness can have drastic effetcts in the long run. Kathleen's protaganist is just so Honest. Emily behaves just like a teenage would, and her need to fit in at her high school drives the plot. She makes bad decision under the influence of peer pressure, but owns up to her own action in the end, making her a flawed, but a good and honest protaganist.
The Dual timeless are very well done, the writing to easy to grasp! And the plot is so interesting and engaging and fast-paced.
Thanks to the author for the ARC :)
Review: The author Kathleen Fine takes a seemingly innocent seeming act and woves it in an incredible thriller. At first i was a little skeptical about the initial reason Emily was charged with manslaughter, the idea seemed a little minor at that time. But Girl On Time isn't just a crime thriller. It's a honest take a teenage girl's inside thoughts, and how peer pressure and underage drinking and carelessness can have drastic effetcts in the long run. Kathleen's protaganist is just so Honest. Emily behaves just like a teenage would, and her need to fit in at her high school drives the plot. She makes bad decision under the influence of peer pressure, but owns up to her own action in the end, making her a flawed, but a good and honest protaganist.
The Dual timeless are very well done, the writing to easy to grasp! And the plot is so interesting and engaging and fast-paced.
Thanks to the author for the ARC :)
August 29, 2023
This novel focuses on sixteen-year-old Emily, who is on trial for the manslaughter of two adults and two children after, it is claimed, she accidentally left on a stove burner while babysitting, causing them to be poisoned by carbon monoxide. Emily, who lives in a trailer park in Baltimore with her addict mother, has had a difficult adolescence; drifting away from old friends, she fell in with a new and rougher crowd. But is Emily really responsible for this family's death, or is something more going on? This debut thriller felt tremendously uneven to me: there are a few things about it that are unexpectedly good, such as the well-observed details about Emily's daily life, and the complex portrayal of her mother, who could easily have been pigeonholed as an out-and-out villain. It's also well-paced and immersive, and I liked that Emily was facing more realistic stakes rather than being on trial for murder (for example). But it's ultimately very unconvincing (would a crime like this really attract so much press attention, let alone the nickname 'Keller the Killer'?) and I didn't find the courtroom scenes believable at all. It's awkwardly written, especially the dialogue, and badly edited, as other reviewers have pointed out. The message about 'peer pressure' is hammered home so hard it feels like it should be written as 'the moral of the story' at the start, and I also felt this was a short-sighted, limited portrayal of adolescence. So, some promise here, but it felt like an early draft rather than a finished novel.
I received a free proof copy of this novel from the publisher for review.
I received a free proof copy of this novel from the publisher for review.
January 23, 2025
This book angered me and saddened me because this is the reality of many people and families. The peer pressure between high school kids and then the child neglect from the parents made this story very emotional. I really was rooting for Emily the whole time.
October 4, 2023
I received a free copy of, Girl on Trial, by Kathleen Fine, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Sixteen year old Emily Keller is on trial for murder, of a family of four. Emily has not had an easy life, with an alcoholic mother. I thought this book was only ok, it was such a sad story all around,. Nobody was a winner is this book, I did not care for any of the characters except the children.
November 14, 2023
maybe it didn't appeal to me as much as it did to others but somehow I wasn't really invested in it like i'm not saying the plot wasn't good. it was actually excellent and managed to keep me at the edge of my seat for most of the time but still it was lacking the gut wrenching feeling that I was hoping for when I requested it. the attention to details was impeccable so were the characters. they felt real because they were flawed and nuanced. but books like these could use a little bit ambiguity and this didn't have any. regardless, it was good enough for a debut mystery & thriller I guess.
May 5, 2023
Thank you BookSirens (and Kathleen Fine!) for allowing me to read this ARC!
What an introduction! We are immediately plunged into the aftermath of the crime, which we aren’t aware of at this point in the novel, with a simple but very impactful scene. This author writes addiction with much empathy, which I gathered from the prologue alone. The grief, coping, and guilt of this main character matters more than anything and this was displayed well throughout the book.
As someone with a shorter attention span, I really appreciated the shorter length chapters. I did feel the book was dragging on at times though. What our main character had for breakfast is not necessarily the most important aspect of a scene, but it was given so much time. 40% of the way through and I felt like we were barely getting to tension. The constant switching between past and present, while it does provide context, gives me a bit of whiplash. I couldn't get attached to emotional moments at first. Ultimately, as soon as we get any momentum, the chapter ends (in the first half of the book). The conflict FLIES by and becomes just underwhelming. At the same time, the book itself was going rather slow and gave us too much time to connect dots and to make up our own conclusions. I found myself guessing the plot twist early on in the book.
I will also say that there were SO many characters and some of them weren’t distinct enough to remember quickly. Most of the names were so generic sounding and ran together. By the end of the book, I would still mix up certain names.
Despite these things, there was a great mix of physical/enviroment detail and internal thoughts. In other words, characterization was both physical and mental. Emily is a great example of a victim that isn’t “perfect”, as most people aren’t. We often can’t stomach that people who’ve suffered greatly are not perfect people and that’s why I appreciated this kind of characterization. She made bad decisions, but ultimately, was driven to these behaviors by her own grief and turmoil.
Once we got through a bunch of exposition and context, the story truly engaged me. As there were more bumps in the road for Emily (ie. more tension and conflict), the back and forth was not as whiplash-y and left me on the edge of my seat. The twists and turns of the story, while sometimes expected, were very impactful. Sometimes the things we expect from traumatic events like this are just realistic, not cliche! I applaud the author for handling certain sensitive subjects with such care. It’s very refreshing to see this being discussed with sensitivity, as a lot of popular books dealing with similar issues tend to romanticize it.
Ultimately, this type of fiction is new for me. I am often reading Adult Fiction, but I wanted to try something new. I am pleasantly surprised at what this book is exploring thematically. The plot is incredibly interesting and I was extremely compelled by Emily’s character. This novel made me consider my own morals and judgements, as well as my privileges. I found myself trying to figure out how I might feel if I was her, if I was a juror, and what fate Emily might ‘deserve’. In the end though, I think this story is much more than giving or not giving a conviction to a young girl. It’s about abuse, trauma, and grief. How Emily copes, how she attempts to reconcile with and forgive herself, and how everything went down, is at the center of this story. While I had difficultly with pacing and some of the characters fell flat for me, the story’s message makes up for that. The end wasn’t terribly satisfying for me, but I think that’s what life is. You survive even when it’s not pretty, even when you’d rather move on and forget your past life.
What an introduction! We are immediately plunged into the aftermath of the crime, which we aren’t aware of at this point in the novel, with a simple but very impactful scene. This author writes addiction with much empathy, which I gathered from the prologue alone. The grief, coping, and guilt of this main character matters more than anything and this was displayed well throughout the book.
As someone with a shorter attention span, I really appreciated the shorter length chapters. I did feel the book was dragging on at times though. What our main character had for breakfast is not necessarily the most important aspect of a scene, but it was given so much time. 40% of the way through and I felt like we were barely getting to tension. The constant switching between past and present, while it does provide context, gives me a bit of whiplash. I couldn't get attached to emotional moments at first. Ultimately, as soon as we get any momentum, the chapter ends (in the first half of the book). The conflict FLIES by and becomes just underwhelming. At the same time, the book itself was going rather slow and gave us too much time to connect dots and to make up our own conclusions. I found myself guessing the plot twist early on in the book.
I will also say that there were SO many characters and some of them weren’t distinct enough to remember quickly. Most of the names were so generic sounding and ran together. By the end of the book, I would still mix up certain names.
Despite these things, there was a great mix of physical/enviroment detail and internal thoughts. In other words, characterization was both physical and mental. Emily is a great example of a victim that isn’t “perfect”, as most people aren’t. We often can’t stomach that people who’ve suffered greatly are not perfect people and that’s why I appreciated this kind of characterization. She made bad decisions, but ultimately, was driven to these behaviors by her own grief and turmoil.
Once we got through a bunch of exposition and context, the story truly engaged me. As there were more bumps in the road for Emily (ie. more tension and conflict), the back and forth was not as whiplash-y and left me on the edge of my seat. The twists and turns of the story, while sometimes expected, were very impactful. Sometimes the things we expect from traumatic events like this are just realistic, not cliche! I applaud the author for handling certain sensitive subjects with such care. It’s very refreshing to see this being discussed with sensitivity, as a lot of popular books dealing with similar issues tend to romanticize it.
Ultimately, this type of fiction is new for me. I am often reading Adult Fiction, but I wanted to try something new. I am pleasantly surprised at what this book is exploring thematically. The plot is incredibly interesting and I was extremely compelled by Emily’s character. This novel made me consider my own morals and judgements, as well as my privileges. I found myself trying to figure out how I might feel if I was her, if I was a juror, and what fate Emily might ‘deserve’. In the end though, I think this story is much more than giving or not giving a conviction to a young girl. It’s about abuse, trauma, and grief. How Emily copes, how she attempts to reconcile with and forgive herself, and how everything went down, is at the center of this story. While I had difficultly with pacing and some of the characters fell flat for me, the story’s message makes up for that. The end wasn’t terribly satisfying for me, but I think that’s what life is. You survive even when it’s not pretty, even when you’d rather move on and forget your past life.
August 30, 2023
Emily and her twin brother Nate live with their single mom Deborah in the small trailer she’s 16 and has always wanted to be part of the popular group and although she’s had a lifelong friend in Steph the grass always seems to be more greener at the popular girls house. So when a girl named Hannah who is part of that group starts wanting to hang out with them Ali she is Uber excited about it she even invites Hannah over and they drink some of her mom Deborah‘s beer because Deborah is a big-time alcoholic and this makes Hannah think Emily is cool when they go to babysit the Thompson’s girls Kayde and Sophie Emily isn’t comfortable with leaving them home alone to go across the street to the park to meet Hannah‘s boyfriend topper in his best friend chuck due to her wanting to be popular she does it anyway and when Chuck acts like he was owed sex for his appearance at the park she is totally turned off by him and eshe’s glad to make her escape when little Sophie woke up. She also finds it weird that Hannah thinks Mr. Thompson is good looking and when Emily runs into him at the thrift store and he insist on buying her expensive boots and then taking her home she gets a creepy feel from him so when he drops her off she is happy to get out of the car. One night after a party however when Emily gets sick from too much drinking she asked Hannah to bring her home but Hannah said she will call her a car only for creepy Mr. Thompson to show up and instead of bringing her home he brings her to his house because his wife and two daughters are out of town and he totally takes advantage of the situation and it leaves Emily traumatized so when Hannah once again ask her to babysit the Thompson’s kids because she herself will be out of town at her grandmas funeral Emily refuses but when her mom finds out she guilt Emily into doing it everything goes wrong and Emily finds herself on trial for the families murder. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I also enjoyed the fact that the author made it clear that money and status does not make good parents in bad parents can be found at any class level. Emily‘s mom loved her and her twin brother Nate but at the same time was an enabler an alcoholic and a serial dater but having said that I still love this book and highly recommend it I want to think Net Galley and books go social media for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
November 7, 2023
This was a debut novel? WOW! A truly heart-wrenching story of a teenage girl getting caught up in a life she didn't want and couldn't see a way out of. Peer pressure, drinking, drugs, sexual assault, which all inevitably led her to trial as a defendant accused of manslaughter... at only 16 years old.
As a woman, this was a heavy read. As a mother, it was even harder to get through. I shed many tears. I screamed at the pages. "No, don't do it! Someone do something!" I set the book down and heaved giant shakey breaths for all the women and children this fictional story represents in a very real way.
I loved Emily so much and really felt for her situation. The character development was so realistic for someone who had grown up with some emotional abuse and had social insecurities as a result. Even though the people in her life had some deep struggles, I really loved them too. It was clear they were all just doing the best they thought they could, but the growth they all went through by the end was really beautiful to watch.
I'm also not a big fan of legal-lingo heavy books and I found that this story had such a refreshing balance of court room scenes merged with emotional stories really allowing us to feel for Emily's personality behind her actions.
Are we all essentially responsible for our own decisions or lack of decisions in some cases? Yes. Do we always have a safe space to make those decisions for ourselves? No.
I don't know if a book has ever gripped my heart as tightly as this one has.
As a woman, this was a heavy read. As a mother, it was even harder to get through. I shed many tears. I screamed at the pages. "No, don't do it! Someone do something!" I set the book down and heaved giant shakey breaths for all the women and children this fictional story represents in a very real way.
I loved Emily so much and really felt for her situation. The character development was so realistic for someone who had grown up with some emotional abuse and had social insecurities as a result. Even though the people in her life had some deep struggles, I really loved them too. It was clear they were all just doing the best they thought they could, but the growth they all went through by the end was really beautiful to watch.
I'm also not a big fan of legal-lingo heavy books and I found that this story had such a refreshing balance of court room scenes merged with emotional stories really allowing us to feel for Emily's personality behind her actions.
Are we all essentially responsible for our own decisions or lack of decisions in some cases? Yes. Do we always have a safe space to make those decisions for ourselves? No.
I don't know if a book has ever gripped my heart as tightly as this one has.
September 23, 2023
Girl on Trial by Kathleen Fine. Thanks to @camcatbooks @netgalley and the author for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sixteen year old Emily Keller is starting her trial for causing the deaths of a family of four. The media calls her Keller the Killer. Living in a trailer park in Baltimore, her life hasn’t been easy but she never expected this.
I started this one last night before bed and didn’t finish it until it was over. I literally could not put it down. It starts with major suspense, wondering what the main character did and how, and doesn’t let up, quickly moving into the trial itself. There are a lot of topics here that will appeal to young adults- namely peer pressure and the desire to be included, but the suspense and drama keeps adult attention as well.
“Does one mistake make me a bad person even though I’ve lived my life being a good person? Can good people do bad things to good people?”
Girl on Trial comes out 10/24.
Sixteen year old Emily Keller is starting her trial for causing the deaths of a family of four. The media calls her Keller the Killer. Living in a trailer park in Baltimore, her life hasn’t been easy but she never expected this.
I started this one last night before bed and didn’t finish it until it was over. I literally could not put it down. It starts with major suspense, wondering what the main character did and how, and doesn’t let up, quickly moving into the trial itself. There are a lot of topics here that will appeal to young adults- namely peer pressure and the desire to be included, but the suspense and drama keeps adult attention as well.
“Does one mistake make me a bad person even though I’ve lived my life being a good person? Can good people do bad things to good people?”
Girl on Trial comes out 10/24.
August 25, 2023
3.5*
High school student Emily is on trial for manslaughter for causing the death of two young girls that she babysat and their parents. Having grown up in a trailer with her alcoholic mother and twin brother, Emily felt pressured to make something of herself and regularly bent to the requests of others. Those requests led to Emily making many careless mistakes that fateful evening and now she faces ten year in prison.
Emily knows she would never purposefully hurt anyone. But as her classmates are called to testify, a picture is laid out of the days leading up to the accident that paint a motive for killing the family. And Emily must process the moment that started the train reaction to the end of her life.
I'm not sure what I told myself this would be about, but it didn't match what I had pictured. Just by the summary and the cover I was expecting this to be a trial of the century murder trial with drugs involved but it was really just a careless accident in an unfortunate chain of events. And the drugs, while an important issue, weren't a big player in the over arching story. There felt like a lot of topics that were put forward but the thought process wasn't followed through.
Once I reset my expectations, this was a good story to remind people that actions have consequences. Even if the death of this family was an accident, Emily leaving the girls unattended could have easily have lead to the same consequences. While Emily tried to excuse a lot of things by saying that she hadn't wanted to do xyz but someone else had insisted does not change the fact that Emily was the one who did it.
Thank you Book Sirens and Kathleen Fine for providing this ARC to me!
High school student Emily is on trial for manslaughter for causing the death of two young girls that she babysat and their parents. Having grown up in a trailer with her alcoholic mother and twin brother, Emily felt pressured to make something of herself and regularly bent to the requests of others. Those requests led to Emily making many careless mistakes that fateful evening and now she faces ten year in prison.
Emily knows she would never purposefully hurt anyone. But as her classmates are called to testify, a picture is laid out of the days leading up to the accident that paint a motive for killing the family. And Emily must process the moment that started the train reaction to the end of her life.
I'm not sure what I told myself this would be about, but it didn't match what I had pictured. Just by the summary and the cover I was expecting this to be a trial of the century murder trial with drugs involved but it was really just a careless accident in an unfortunate chain of events. And the drugs, while an important issue, weren't a big player in the over arching story. There felt like a lot of topics that were put forward but the thought process wasn't followed through.
Once I reset my expectations, this was a good story to remind people that actions have consequences. Even if the death of this family was an accident, Emily leaving the girls unattended could have easily have lead to the same consequences. While Emily tried to excuse a lot of things by saying that she hadn't wanted to do xyz but someone else had insisted does not change the fact that Emily was the one who did it.
Thank you Book Sirens and Kathleen Fine for providing this ARC to me!
November 16, 2023
I absolutely loved Girl on trial! It’s the kind of book that sticks with you long after you’ve returned it to your bookshelf.
The main character, Emily, took a little bit to grow on me, but the more I got to know her and her situation, the more I cared and liked her. She really does portray the dichotomy of being a good person and making bad decisions. She’s also a classic teenager that I think young people can relate to, and hopefully learn from.
Kathleen Fine is an incredible writer and this story is so worth the time to read it. The pace was fantastic. I liked the switch between past and present in each chapter and the revelation of truth.
I definitely recommend!
The main character, Emily, took a little bit to grow on me, but the more I got to know her and her situation, the more I cared and liked her. She really does portray the dichotomy of being a good person and making bad decisions. She’s also a classic teenager that I think young people can relate to, and hopefully learn from.
Kathleen Fine is an incredible writer and this story is so worth the time to read it. The pace was fantastic. I liked the switch between past and present in each chapter and the revelation of truth.
I definitely recommend!
October 18, 2023
Thank you to Kathleen Fine, CamCats Books and NetGalley for this E-ARC. These are my own opinions.
Girl on Trial follows Emily Keller during her trial for manslaughter of the Thomas family. The dualing timelines helped to understand why the deaths of the Thomas' happened. The two timelines (past: about two months before the accident and the present: the trial) come together at the end to a nice conclusion. This story broke my heart. It proves the saying "You can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes." Everyone had their own demons and I enjoyed how everyone got the help that they were needing. The characters were very well developed. Mrs Jelly was my favorite character.
**Trigger warmings**
Alcoholism
Underage Drinking
Drug Use
Sexual Assault
Rape
Death
Self Harm
Girl on Trial follows Emily Keller during her trial for manslaughter of the Thomas family. The dualing timelines helped to understand why the deaths of the Thomas' happened. The two timelines (past: about two months before the accident and the present: the trial) come together at the end to a nice conclusion. This story broke my heart. It proves the saying "You can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes." Everyone had their own demons and I enjoyed how everyone got the help that they were needing. The characters were very well developed. Mrs Jelly was my favorite character.
**Trigger warmings**
Alcoholism
Underage Drinking
Drug Use
Sexual Assault
Rape
Death
Self Harm
August 27, 2023
Firstly thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This is the authors debut and it was certainly a 5 star read for me.
The story is of teenager Emily Keller dubbed “Keller the killer” who is on trial for the manslaughter of a family of four. The book jumps back and forth through the days of Emily’s trial and also the days leading up to the incident in question.
I raced through this book and found it hard to put down. The story covers sexual abuse, rape and self harm and is also quite a sad thriller.
The story is of teenager Emily Keller dubbed “Keller the killer” who is on trial for the manslaughter of a family of four. The book jumps back and forth through the days of Emily’s trial and also the days leading up to the incident in question.
I raced through this book and found it hard to put down. The story covers sexual abuse, rape and self harm and is also quite a sad thriller.
October 4, 2023
i think i’ve concluded that YA books just aren’t really my thing. this was my second and while it wasn’t bad by any means, it just wasn’t as exciting for me as adult thrillers. i felt the same way about the last YA book i read too. If you prefer young adult books i’m sure you’d probably like this one. i did enjoy the courtroom/legal thriller aspect of this book as well as the portrayal of a narcotics anonymous meeting. the verbiage was SPOT ON lol thanks to the author for sending me an ARC 🥰
September 11, 2023
ARC Review - Girl on Trial
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TW - SA, SH, Substance abuse
WOW this book was an absolute amazing read.
The story follows teenager Emily as she faces her trial for the manslaughter of the Thomas family. Going between the trial (current) and the past to layout to the reader the events that occurred.
I read this book super quick and was absolutely hooked from the get go. I have not read any of Kathleen Fine’s work before but after reading Girl on Trial I definitely will seek out more.
There are a number of serious topics discussed in the duration of the book with these issues being discussed in a very open and raw manner. There were also trigger warnings at the start of the book and helpline contacts at the end which I feel a lot more authors should do.
The book brings in the question of if a good person does a bad thing does that make them a bad person, using tales Emily’s teenage endeavours including both alcohol and drug use to do so. As we hear of these we see the teenage naivety and the impact peer pressure can have during these years.
Overall I just could not put this book down and can’t recommend it highly enough! Be sure to read yourself when the book is published the 24th October 2023
Thank you @netgalley and @kathleenfineauthor for the opportunity to read this amazing book🥰❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TW - SA, SH, Substance abuse
WOW this book was an absolute amazing read.
The story follows teenager Emily as she faces her trial for the manslaughter of the Thomas family. Going between the trial (current) and the past to layout to the reader the events that occurred.
I read this book super quick and was absolutely hooked from the get go. I have not read any of Kathleen Fine’s work before but after reading Girl on Trial I definitely will seek out more.
There are a number of serious topics discussed in the duration of the book with these issues being discussed in a very open and raw manner. There were also trigger warnings at the start of the book and helpline contacts at the end which I feel a lot more authors should do.
The book brings in the question of if a good person does a bad thing does that make them a bad person, using tales Emily’s teenage endeavours including both alcohol and drug use to do so. As we hear of these we see the teenage naivety and the impact peer pressure can have during these years.
Overall I just could not put this book down and can’t recommend it highly enough! Be sure to read yourself when the book is published the 24th October 2023
Thank you @netgalley and @kathleenfineauthor for the opportunity to read this amazing book🥰❤️
August 29, 2023
Honestly, this book reminded me a lot of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. It had the same vibes and gave me the same kind of suspiciousness every time a new piece of information was introduced and I loved that so much!
Despite my giving this book a 3.5/5 rating, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The characters proved to have depth and personality not just based off of surface level, trivial things, but more serious, real issues, which was one thing that drew me in. Emily, Hannah, Debbie, and everyone else were written so well, I actually disliked Hannah for a while, even Mr. Thomas (who I hate hate HATE) and Chuck (who I hate to the same extent that I do Mr. Thomas) and Topper felt so real I couldn't help but feel some genuine upsetting feelings and emotions! Another big thing that made me really like this book, was the fact that it didn't include unnecessary information or descriptions of things that didn't have anything to do with the plot! It stayed on track, and it kept me engaged by being interesting, enfuriating, disgusting (at times), and took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.
The only reason I couldn't give this book a 4/5 rating, was because just like The Girl on the Train, it started off a bit slow, though this is only in my opinion, and other readers might find this to be completely untrue and this is where preference come into play. But know this, just because I couldn't give it 4 stars, does not make it any less of a good read.
I genuinely enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone who liked The Girl on the Train. I promise this was just as good!
Despite my giving this book a 3.5/5 rating, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The characters proved to have depth and personality not just based off of surface level, trivial things, but more serious, real issues, which was one thing that drew me in. Emily, Hannah, Debbie, and everyone else were written so well, I actually disliked Hannah for a while, even Mr. Thomas (who I hate hate HATE) and Chuck (who I hate to the same extent that I do Mr. Thomas) and Topper felt so real I couldn't help but feel some genuine upsetting feelings and emotions! Another big thing that made me really like this book, was the fact that it didn't include unnecessary information or descriptions of things that didn't have anything to do with the plot! It stayed on track, and it kept me engaged by being interesting, enfuriating, disgusting (at times), and took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.
The only reason I couldn't give this book a 4/5 rating, was because just like The Girl on the Train, it started off a bit slow, though this is only in my opinion, and other readers might find this to be completely untrue and this is where preference come into play. But know this, just because I couldn't give it 4 stars, does not make it any less of a good read.
I genuinely enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone who liked The Girl on the Train. I promise this was just as good!
October 18, 2023
Don't judge this book by its cover. Even though it may seem pretty basic and nondescript, whatever happens between the pages is not.
I suppose I should mention a few trigger/content warnings here pertaining to r*pe, substance abuse, alcoholism, family dysfunction, cutting and underage sex/pregnancy. Wow, I know that seems bleak, and in a way it is, but these are all elements of the plot, and you should not be deterred, since they are presented as a reflection of the reality of society as it exists today.
“Does one mistake make me a bad person even though I’ve lived my life being a good person? Can good people do bad things to good people?”
'Girl On Trial' is the story of what happens when you make one bad decision. That can snowball and lead you down a path that destroys your life completely, and what happens when you make bad decisions repeatedly, only because of your own insecurities, and your desperate need to belong.
The story begins with Emily Keller, former addict, who has been clean for one year, and is sharing her story in the circle at Narcotics Anonymous.
Emily Keller is on trial at the age of sixteen. Her crime? Manslaughter of a family of four-husband, wife, and their two daughters, aged four and six. Everyone hates her, and the media has also coined a name for her - 'Keller the Killer'.
The story follows two timelines: one in the past that recounts the story as it actually unfolded, and one in the present, that covers the ongoing trial.
Emily lives in a trailer park with her brother Nate, and her alcoholic mother. They have no money, and sometimes they don't even have food in their pantry. Despite this, she is a good student, and knows that education is her ticket out of her trailer park life in Baltimore.
She's had a best friend, Steph, since childhood, but they drift apart, because she feels that Steph is childish, and she can't really relate to her anymore. She's looking to be part of the gang of cool kids.
She becomes friends with Hannah, and is so desperate to be accepted by her, that she goes along with whatever she says, even if she doesn't want to. Her friend drinks, lies to her parents, is promiscuous, and even though Emily is not comfortable with her friend's lifestyle, she goes along with whatever she suggests.
One day, takes her to the home of the Thomas family, for a babysitting gig. It is this seemingly harmless thing that sets the ball rolling and plunges Emily into a downward spiral that destroys her life and takes her from a clean-cut, straight-A student to becoming 'Keller the Killer'.
You may be tempted to think that with a background and family like hers, it's only inevitable and a matter of time that she would end up where she is. And would you really want to read about a FMC that has killed an entire family? Yes, she's on trial, and she's innocent until proven guilty, so you might want to give her a chance.
As an adult, it seems inconceivable to me that someone would endanger their whole life and future, just for acceptance from their fellow-students (who never accept her anyway). But this is a sixteen-year-old girl that we're talking about.
Her mother is an alcoholic who is working most of the time, and passed out drunk the rest of the time, she has no father figure (he skipped out on her mom when she got pregnant), they have no money, and very little food, and yet she has managed to remain on the straight-and-narrow and keep her nose clean, and be a good student to boot. She just longs for ONE GOOD FRIEND, and unfortunately for her, she picks the wrong one.
There were two characters that I really disliked in this story (well, more than two) but apart from Mr. Thomas (who was a complete and utter a**hole), and Topper and Chuck, the lawyer who did a bad job of defending her client, it was the mom and the character of Hannah that I really disliked.
Debbie is the very definition of white trailer trash, even if it's not PC to say that, but since this is a fictional character, we're talking about, I'll go with it. Right from the clothes, make-up, the alcoholism, substance abuse, promiscuity, and complete disregard for the safety of her kids, the complete and utter failure as a mom, she embodies it all. If her kids have turned out okay (till this incident occurs) she can take none of the credit for it, because they have mostly raised themselves. I mean, mess up your life as much as you want, but do good by your kids; don't turn them into an addict like yourself. Such a mess of a woman, that her daughter doesn't even have enough faith in her to tell her about the absolutely horrible thing that happened to her.
Emily herself is pretty annoying at times, that you just want to catch her and shake her. But again, she's sixteen. Imagine wanting to fit in so badly that you will do ANYTHING to win brownie points with your friend. Or not being able to say 'No' or put your foot down, even when it means putting yourself in harm's way. Imagine going back to a place and within close proximity of a person who assaulted you just because you gave into peer/parental pressure??!!
And Hannah…wow! She's a piece of work. You might think he has an excuse for her behaviour, but no. She's from a family that's doing well, she lives with both her parents, seems to have a normal family life, a car, no money problems, but yet, she's an alcoholic, lies to her parents, is promiscuous, shoplifts, lies, and is all-round a bad apple. But again, she's sixteen.
But what is unforgiveable about Hannah is that she brings her friend into a situation and into the periphery of a person who she knows by personal experience will most likely hurt her, She leaves Emily alone with this person, without any warning or concern for her safety. And despite this, Emily never questions her about why she would knowingly lead her into a situation like that. They behave like everything is hunky-dory in the end. Excuse me, what???
I can’t really say that anyone is likeable in this book, except for the two kids and also Nate. It's just a story of a girl and the underlying question of 'What if you had to make a different decision/speak up/ say 'No', etc. I think what it means to say is that even though you're what you consider a 'GOOD' person, you can still make bad decisions, or be punished for things that are not your fault. It can happen to anyone.
The reveal, or the 'new evidence' that comes to light was just a little bit lame and unbelievable. Why would a camera be placed in that location? He disregards all other necessary security measures yet installs a camera THERE? For what purpose?
Also, her lawyer couldn't come up with the argument by herself that someone else could have done what Emily was accused of doing? I mean, if other people were in the house, it seems like a logical assumption, right? It just seems scary to think that someone can just be arrested, vilified, and thrown in jail for something that they may not have done despite lack of concrete evidence.
Overall, an interesting book that I did enjoy reading and would recommend to other readers as well.
I wish to thank Netgalley and CamCat Books for a digital ARC of this title in return for an honest review.
I suppose I should mention a few trigger/content warnings here pertaining to r*pe, substance abuse, alcoholism, family dysfunction, cutting and underage sex/pregnancy. Wow, I know that seems bleak, and in a way it is, but these are all elements of the plot, and you should not be deterred, since they are presented as a reflection of the reality of society as it exists today.
“Does one mistake make me a bad person even though I’ve lived my life being a good person? Can good people do bad things to good people?”
'Girl On Trial' is the story of what happens when you make one bad decision. That can snowball and lead you down a path that destroys your life completely, and what happens when you make bad decisions repeatedly, only because of your own insecurities, and your desperate need to belong.
The story begins with Emily Keller, former addict, who has been clean for one year, and is sharing her story in the circle at Narcotics Anonymous.
Emily Keller is on trial at the age of sixteen. Her crime? Manslaughter of a family of four-husband, wife, and their two daughters, aged four and six. Everyone hates her, and the media has also coined a name for her - 'Keller the Killer'.
The story follows two timelines: one in the past that recounts the story as it actually unfolded, and one in the present, that covers the ongoing trial.
Emily lives in a trailer park with her brother Nate, and her alcoholic mother. They have no money, and sometimes they don't even have food in their pantry. Despite this, she is a good student, and knows that education is her ticket out of her trailer park life in Baltimore.
She's had a best friend, Steph, since childhood, but they drift apart, because she feels that Steph is childish, and she can't really relate to her anymore. She's looking to be part of the gang of cool kids.
She becomes friends with Hannah, and is so desperate to be accepted by her, that she goes along with whatever she says, even if she doesn't want to. Her friend drinks, lies to her parents, is promiscuous, and even though Emily is not comfortable with her friend's lifestyle, she goes along with whatever she suggests.
One day, takes her to the home of the Thomas family, for a babysitting gig. It is this seemingly harmless thing that sets the ball rolling and plunges Emily into a downward spiral that destroys her life and takes her from a clean-cut, straight-A student to becoming 'Keller the Killer'.
You may be tempted to think that with a background and family like hers, it's only inevitable and a matter of time that she would end up where she is. And would you really want to read about a FMC that has killed an entire family? Yes, she's on trial, and she's innocent until proven guilty, so you might want to give her a chance.
As an adult, it seems inconceivable to me that someone would endanger their whole life and future, just for acceptance from their fellow-students (who never accept her anyway). But this is a sixteen-year-old girl that we're talking about.
Her mother is an alcoholic who is working most of the time, and passed out drunk the rest of the time, she has no father figure (he skipped out on her mom when she got pregnant), they have no money, and very little food, and yet she has managed to remain on the straight-and-narrow and keep her nose clean, and be a good student to boot. She just longs for ONE GOOD FRIEND, and unfortunately for her, she picks the wrong one.
There were two characters that I really disliked in this story (well, more than two) but apart from Mr. Thomas (who was a complete and utter a**hole), and Topper and Chuck, the lawyer who did a bad job of defending her client, it was the mom and the character of Hannah that I really disliked.
Debbie is the very definition of white trailer trash, even if it's not PC to say that, but since this is a fictional character, we're talking about, I'll go with it. Right from the clothes, make-up, the alcoholism, substance abuse, promiscuity, and complete disregard for the safety of her kids, the complete and utter failure as a mom, she embodies it all. If her kids have turned out okay (till this incident occurs) she can take none of the credit for it, because they have mostly raised themselves. I mean, mess up your life as much as you want, but do good by your kids; don't turn them into an addict like yourself. Such a mess of a woman, that her daughter doesn't even have enough faith in her to tell her about the absolutely horrible thing that happened to her.
Emily herself is pretty annoying at times, that you just want to catch her and shake her. But again, she's sixteen. Imagine wanting to fit in so badly that you will do ANYTHING to win brownie points with your friend. Or not being able to say 'No' or put your foot down, even when it means putting yourself in harm's way. Imagine going back to a place and within close proximity of a person who assaulted you just because you gave into peer/parental pressure??!!
And Hannah…wow! She's a piece of work. You might think he has an excuse for her behaviour, but no. She's from a family that's doing well, she lives with both her parents, seems to have a normal family life, a car, no money problems, but yet, she's an alcoholic, lies to her parents, is promiscuous, shoplifts, lies, and is all-round a bad apple. But again, she's sixteen.
But what is unforgiveable about Hannah is that she brings her friend into a situation and into the periphery of a person who she knows by personal experience will most likely hurt her, She leaves Emily alone with this person, without any warning or concern for her safety. And despite this, Emily never questions her about why she would knowingly lead her into a situation like that. They behave like everything is hunky-dory in the end. Excuse me, what???
I can’t really say that anyone is likeable in this book, except for the two kids and also Nate. It's just a story of a girl and the underlying question of 'What if you had to make a different decision/speak up/ say 'No', etc. I think what it means to say is that even though you're what you consider a 'GOOD' person, you can still make bad decisions, or be punished for things that are not your fault. It can happen to anyone.
The reveal, or the 'new evidence' that comes to light was just a little bit lame and unbelievable. Why would a camera be placed in that location? He disregards all other necessary security measures yet installs a camera THERE? For what purpose?
Also, her lawyer couldn't come up with the argument by herself that someone else could have done what Emily was accused of doing? I mean, if other people were in the house, it seems like a logical assumption, right? It just seems scary to think that someone can just be arrested, vilified, and thrown in jail for something that they may not have done despite lack of concrete evidence.
Overall, an interesting book that I did enjoy reading and would recommend to other readers as well.
I wish to thank Netgalley and CamCat Books for a digital ARC of this title in return for an honest review.
October 28, 2023
Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: hard-hitting, emotional, realistic; the characters and their motivations are appropriate/make sense; beware some "graphic" scenes; YOUCH!; dual POV dance between "past" and "present" in a well-done way
TRIGGER WARNINGS: SA, underage substance abuse, substance abuse, self-harm, self-defense
HUGE thanks to Kathleen Fine, CamCat Books Publishing, and Rockstar Book Tours for sending a free copy of this title my way in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this read.
Emily felt a heaviness in her chest as if Hannah had just added a pile of cement books on top of her fragile heart. She wasn't sure if she was being a good friend or a bad one. This was unfamiliar territory to her, and she didn't want to mess it up. Then Hannah reached over and squeezed her hand, giving her the reassurance she needed. A small book lifted off her heart, leaving a lighter pile behind.
And what an emotionally challenging, heart-wrenching read this was! To start, please note the trigger warnings I listed out above. Please take care of yourselves and make your decisions on whether this is the right read for you. Your health and safety should always come first, y'all. That said, this book will challenge you. It will force you to look at the world from a different point of view. It will ask you to step outside of the rumor mill and form your own opinion. It will make you challenge the parts of you that most want to just "follow the crowd" when it comes to big-hitting news stories. It will leave you reconsidering everything...and looking for shadows on even the brightest days. I had a LOT of fun trying to guess at the answers, look for the clues, and reveal the truths on my own!
Kathleen Fine used a dual-POV technique to weave this journey in a seamless way, alternating between past and present day. This enabled her to provide only the details we needed in that moment...and therefore withhold the sneaky twists in the story for the exact right, most vulnerable, revealing time. With that, these characters will dig under your skin and leave you feeling, jumping to life from the page. You will feel all the same things our FMC feels--elation; confusion; nerves; fear; anger; hurt; guilt.
"Forgiving her will help your recovery. Holding onto resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die,"
I definitely recommend this to those looking for an emotionally upheaving, hard-hitting read. Kathleen Fine challenges readers to look at the world (and world events) from a different point of view...and tackle the habit of just "following the crowd" with their beliefs. Are YOU ready to find out why this girl is on trial, Penguins?
Quick Reasons: hard-hitting, emotional, realistic; the characters and their motivations are appropriate/make sense; beware some "graphic" scenes; YOUCH!; dual POV dance between "past" and "present" in a well-done way
TRIGGER WARNINGS: SA, underage substance abuse, substance abuse, self-harm, self-defense
HUGE thanks to Kathleen Fine, CamCat Books Publishing, and Rockstar Book Tours for sending a free copy of this title my way in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this read.
Emily felt a heaviness in her chest as if Hannah had just added a pile of cement books on top of her fragile heart. She wasn't sure if she was being a good friend or a bad one. This was unfamiliar territory to her, and she didn't want to mess it up. Then Hannah reached over and squeezed her hand, giving her the reassurance she needed. A small book lifted off her heart, leaving a lighter pile behind.
And what an emotionally challenging, heart-wrenching read this was! To start, please note the trigger warnings I listed out above. Please take care of yourselves and make your decisions on whether this is the right read for you. Your health and safety should always come first, y'all. That said, this book will challenge you. It will force you to look at the world from a different point of view. It will ask you to step outside of the rumor mill and form your own opinion. It will make you challenge the parts of you that most want to just "follow the crowd" when it comes to big-hitting news stories. It will leave you reconsidering everything...and looking for shadows on even the brightest days. I had a LOT of fun trying to guess at the answers, look for the clues, and reveal the truths on my own!
Kathleen Fine used a dual-POV technique to weave this journey in a seamless way, alternating between past and present day. This enabled her to provide only the details we needed in that moment...and therefore withhold the sneaky twists in the story for the exact right, most vulnerable, revealing time. With that, these characters will dig under your skin and leave you feeling, jumping to life from the page. You will feel all the same things our FMC feels--elation; confusion; nerves; fear; anger; hurt; guilt.
"Forgiving her will help your recovery. Holding onto resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die,"
I definitely recommend this to those looking for an emotionally upheaving, hard-hitting read. Kathleen Fine challenges readers to look at the world (and world events) from a different point of view...and tackle the habit of just "following the crowd" with their beliefs. Are YOU ready to find out why this girl is on trial, Penguins?
September 15, 2023
kathleen fine’s debut is about 16-year-old emily keller, or “keller the killer”, who is on trial for the manslaughter of a family of four. the book follows a dual-timeline structure, where one chapter follows the events leading up to the deaths of the thomas family, and the next follows emily’s trial in court. in the chapters prior to the trial, emily is quite an unlikeable narrator; she is judgmental, jealous, and desperate for attention. these characteristics mean that when she starts a friendship with a popular girl, hannah, emily is willing to do pretty much anything to stay in hannah’s favour; drinking, drugs, meeting up with older boys, going to parties, and being negligent babysitters. i really enjoyed the flipping between different timelines as it kept me engaged, and the short chapters meant that the pace was very fast-moving. i especially liked the courtroom chapters, as i felt they were done really well; they weren’t meanderingly dull but kept to the point and told us exactly what we needed to know.
emily’s unlikability and immaturity also begs the question of whether forgiveness and redemption are really possible, as emily makes a lot of mistakes throughout the book - but were they enough to amount to murder?
this really reminds me of a cross between the hard-hitting content of girl in pieces (kathleen glasgow) and the suspenseful mystery elements of a good girl’s guide to murder (holly jackson).
content warnings: alcoholism, drug use, sa, sh, child neglect.
emily’s unlikability and immaturity also begs the question of whether forgiveness and redemption are really possible, as emily makes a lot of mistakes throughout the book - but were they enough to amount to murder?
this really reminds me of a cross between the hard-hitting content of girl in pieces (kathleen glasgow) and the suspenseful mystery elements of a good girl’s guide to murder (holly jackson).
content warnings: alcoholism, drug use, sa, sh, child neglect.
September 9, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This was a little different to the current genres that I'm into at the moment but it started with a bang and kept going.
Emily is a 16 year old with a loving but consistently drunk mum, a brother she is close to and a life she is unhappy with. Determined to make new friends this year at high school, she quickly strikes up a friend ship with Hannah, someone who she admires but quickly realises is a very bad influence on her.
This book is set in different time lines, flipping before the incident and the trial days - both timelines were gripping and held my attention. Each character was well-written and Emily definitely embodied the stereotype of a naive 16 year old who hasn't experienced much of life and quickly comes to terms with the consequences of her poor decisions.
My only critique would be that after about 50%, the story did begin the drag a bit before picking up again and I can fully see this book being made into a film.
3.5/5 stars.
Emily is a 16 year old with a loving but consistently drunk mum, a brother she is close to and a life she is unhappy with. Determined to make new friends this year at high school, she quickly strikes up a friend ship with Hannah, someone who she admires but quickly realises is a very bad influence on her.
This book is set in different time lines, flipping before the incident and the trial days - both timelines were gripping and held my attention. Each character was well-written and Emily definitely embodied the stereotype of a naive 16 year old who hasn't experienced much of life and quickly comes to terms with the consequences of her poor decisions.
My only critique would be that after about 50%, the story did begin the drag a bit before picking up again and I can fully see this book being made into a film.
3.5/5 stars.
October 22, 2023
Being a Marylander this was an extra fun book for me because of all the references (Ravens, Berger cookies, etc). The book was very well written and I enjoyed the plot and how well we as readers got to know Emily and her life. I especially wasn't expecting the ending! I'm a twin too so the fact that Emily also had a twin brother was something I could relate to. I loved most of the characters and thought the story was well told.
I will caution others that this book included rape, alcoholism, and drug use.
There was mild formatting issues but as this is my first Netgalley book I'm unsure if it's a kindle issue or if this is normal. It kept repeating the title and author throughout the book randomly as well as the chapter headings were formatted weirdly. The timelines jumping between past and present were also very difficult to follow at times as I wasn't sure "where I was" so to speak.
Due to not being warned about the subject matter fully and the time skips being confusing and hard to follow at times, I give this 4 stars. I am interested in picking up other works by this author and hope they are also as gripping! Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
I will caution others that this book included rape, alcoholism, and drug use.
There was mild formatting issues but as this is my first Netgalley book I'm unsure if it's a kindle issue or if this is normal. It kept repeating the title and author throughout the book randomly as well as the chapter headings were formatted weirdly. The timelines jumping between past and present were also very difficult to follow at times as I wasn't sure "where I was" so to speak.
Due to not being warned about the subject matter fully and the time skips being confusing and hard to follow at times, I give this 4 stars. I am interested in picking up other works by this author and hope they are also as gripping! Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
September 27, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!! emily's story broke me - i want to fight everyone who hurt her !!
i really liked how the story was told with a dual timeline, alternating between the past events that led up to emily's conviction and the present day of her going through the trial. i also really enjoyed the short, simple chapters!!
i will say that i was a bit confused on a couple of things in the ending, but overall, it was a really engaging book!!
THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!! emily's story broke me - i want to fight everyone who hurt her !!
i really liked how the story was told with a dual timeline, alternating between the past events that led up to emily's conviction and the present day of her going through the trial. i also really enjoyed the short, simple chapters!!
i will say that i was a bit confused on a couple of things in the ending, but overall, it was a really engaging book!!
October 10, 2023
I really enjoyed this book.
I liked the chapters that jumped between the past and present day. I felt it painted a better picture of what was happening in the story. I did feel it would be more focused on her "addiction" but I am glad it wasn't.
I got into the characters (even though I did not like most of them - which is something I personally enjoy in a book. I'm a bit weird.) I really hoped Hannah would get hers in the end, as would Em's mum. Nasty woman. They were all well written I loved to hate them… and Mr. Thomas.
I would recommend this book to young adults to help them understand that saying NO is always a viable option.
I liked the chapters that jumped between the past and present day. I felt it painted a better picture of what was happening in the story. I did feel it would be more focused on her "addiction" but I am glad it wasn't.
I got into the characters (even though I did not like most of them - which is something I personally enjoy in a book. I'm a bit weird.) I really hoped Hannah would get hers in the end, as would Em's mum. Nasty woman. They were all well written I loved to hate them… and Mr. Thomas.
I would recommend this book to young adults to help them understand that saying NO is always a viable option.
March 21, 2024
This novel focuses on sixteen year old Emily's trial for manslaughter and the events leading up to the fateful night that killed four people. This story is told through a dual timeline: the trial itself and "the past".
The State says she accidentally left a stove on while babystitting, killing the family via carbon monoxide poisoning, but is that really the case?
This was definitely a YA novel. I was expecting more depth for the characters and more evenness throughout the plot, but overall this was a pretty good read. I felt that Emily's daily life was very well portrayed along with the complex portrayal of her mother. It was well paced, but I felt like the courtroom chapters were a bit disconnected and could have been better written.
The State says she accidentally left a stove on while babystitting, killing the family via carbon monoxide poisoning, but is that really the case?
This was definitely a YA novel. I was expecting more depth for the characters and more evenness throughout the plot, but overall this was a pretty good read. I felt that Emily's daily life was very well portrayed along with the complex portrayal of her mother. It was well paced, but I felt like the courtroom chapters were a bit disconnected and could have been better written.
August 26, 2023
This book captured my attention from the very beginning. The author's use of the dual timeline kept me interested and impatient to learn what happened leading up to the trial. I loved that the characters felt real and normal. This could be anyone's family or any teenager faced with real life challenges and making normal teenage mistakes. I felt very invested in the main characters as well as the supporting characters. There are a lot of triggers in this book, so if that is a concern for a reader I would recommend being aware of that up front (rape, sexual assault, alcohol and drug abuse, child neglect, peer pressure). Thank you BookSiren for the free ARC. These thoughts are my own and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
August 26, 2023
This book captured my attention from the very beginning. The author's use of the dual timeline kept me interested and impatient to learn what happened leading up to the trial. I loved that the characters felt real and normal. This could be anyone's family or any teenager faced with real life challenges and making normal teenage mistakes. I felt very invested in the main characters as well as the supporting characters. There are a lot of triggers in this book, so if that is a concern for a reader I would recommend being aware of that up front (rape, sexual assault, alcohol and drug abuse, child neglect, peer pressure). Thank you BookSiren for the free ARC. These thoughts are my own and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
September 11, 2023
I went into this book thinking it could be good, like interesting and thought provoking and such. And I finished this book like what did I just read.
I feel like this book deals with so important and serious topics, and it is not for YA, heck I felt like this book was just throwing around stuff like hey, drug addiction, alcohol problems and rape, let's put everything into it, oh a bit of manslaughter too. Like it was a lot and I feel like it was not executed well.
I feel like this book deals with so important and serious topics, and it is not for YA, heck I felt like this book was just throwing around stuff like hey, drug addiction, alcohol problems and rape, let's put everything into it, oh a bit of manslaughter too. Like it was a lot and I feel like it was not executed well.
September 17, 2023
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Emily Keller is sixteen years old and she did some things and some things were done to her and because of a sequence of events she finds herself in a courtroom with murder being spoken. The book bounces between her trial and going back in time to before the main event and up to it. Thankfully the book is clearly edited, so the reader knows when and where they are and can easily follow the timelines.
This was not an easy read and I had to stop a few moments to gather myself because I felt so much for Emily for the childhood and life that she was building and how hard it was with what she was given. Her childhood was so different from mine and I couldn't imagine trying to start life the way she did. I wish she had the opportunity for more attentive parents that could possibly have interjected and prevented her from so many of the events and it was hard to watch the dominos fall knowing that she would end up in a courtroom.
Emily Keller is sixteen years old and she did some things and some things were done to her and because of a sequence of events she finds herself in a courtroom with murder being spoken. The book bounces between her trial and going back in time to before the main event and up to it. Thankfully the book is clearly edited, so the reader knows when and where they are and can easily follow the timelines.
This was not an easy read and I had to stop a few moments to gather myself because I felt so much for Emily for the childhood and life that she was building and how hard it was with what she was given. Her childhood was so different from mine and I couldn't imagine trying to start life the way she did. I wish she had the opportunity for more attentive parents that could possibly have interjected and prevented her from so many of the events and it was hard to watch the dominos fall knowing that she would end up in a courtroom.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews