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A Good Girl
Ses amis la pensent parfaite, et pourtant...
Ce qu'il faut savoir sur Riley Stone :
1. Riley Stone est la perfection incarnée (Demandez autour de vous.)
2. Elle a un faible pour son prof de français, Alex Belrose. (Qu'elle soupçonne ne pas être indifférent à son charme.)
3. La vie entière de Riley est déjà planifiée. (Ce n'est pas négociable.)
4. Elle a toujours su préserver ses petits secrets. (Toujours.)
5. Riley est persuadée que sa vie est sur la bonne voie. (Et rien ne pourra y changer quoi que ce soit.)
6. Elle n'a rien d'une adolescente ordinaire. (Et ne s'en cache d'ailleurs absolument pas.)
7. Les petits jeux, ce n'est pas vraiment son truc. (Mais s'il faut s'y prêter, elle gagne toujours.)
L'un de ces jeux est sur le point de commencer, elle le sent... Sauf que Riley a un plan. Et elle compte bien l'emporter. Car elle ne perd jamais.
Entre Pretty Little Liars et Gone Girl, un roman percutant sur une fille parfaite (ou presque), prête à tout – absolument tout – pour s'assurer que ça ne change pas.
367 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2017
34 people are currently reading
1829 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
June 14, 2017
This was going to be a 2 star read for me, but the book was just so dang readable that I couldn't put it down; therefore the extra star. While I was hoping for something just as twisty and mysterious as Pretty Little Liars, this felt more like something trying to hard to be too many things. While it made for excellent drama and compulsive reading, I couldn't shake the fact that everything fell into place a little TOO perfectly. This was one of those stories where everything is wielded to fit into a specific space and there is no wiggle room for raising realistic questions. Overall, a highly entertaining read, but one that felt a little too "matchy matchy perfect" in the end. Full review to come.
April 10, 2017
About: Such A Good Girl is a fiction novel written by Amanda K. Morgan. It will be published on 6/20/17 by Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, paperback, 288 pages. This book is intended for readers ages 14 and up, grades 9 and up. The genres are young adult fiction and contemporary.
My Experience: I started reading Such A Good Girl on 4/6/17 and finished it on 4/8/17. This book is so twisted I didn’t even see it coming! I enjoy reading this book and I just couldn’t put it down. I like the suspense and the twists. I like reading about Riley and her friends, even though their perfection seems unrealistic. I like the organization of this book with some pages that talks about Riley and her accomplishments. I even like the hot French teacher. I like that old bookstore and definitely would want to shop there.
“It’s not like I’m stupid. It means he didn’t ask. It means he lied. It means nothing has changed and I’m just a fool who is wasting her time. And I am not a girl to be made a fool of.” p.197
In this book, readers will follow the point of views of Riley Elizabeth Stone, the good girl & the overachiever. She volunteered & made a difference in her community at many stages in her life. I like how careful she is when she goes to a forbidden place. I like that she is not easy and in control. There was an awkward to how the love started and maybe Riley only started to take notice of him because her friends told her to do something outside of her comfort zone. Another weird area is Riley throwing up as a reaction to him. How much of it is her strategy? I wish Riley discuss her strategies during this time. At the end, it seems to be in favor, but it’s unrealistic how all the guys throw themselves away for Riley, especially him. It would have been easier to understand if this book has his POV too.
“You just need to practice not giving a shit for once in your entire life.” p.53
Two things I like reading about in this book: suspense & forbidden love. This book is an easy read and a page turner. I like Riley’s brother, Ethan, and his views on life. He’s so easy going and doesn’t take things too seriously. I like his talks about a giant set of dominoes. This book has some diversity. I can tell Kolbie’s bf is Indian because his name is Jamal and the friend is Sandeep. I didn’t expect the ending to be that way. Overall, this book is a good read and at times addicting. I prefer being in on the strategies discussions more than being left in the dark and getting the surprise in the end, but at the same time, it’s good to get the unexpected surprise. I do recommend everyone to read this book!
Pro: smart characters, twists, suspense, humor, friendship, forbidden love, secret, fast paced, page turner, couldn’t put down
Con: awkward getting into the crush and little to no info on Riley’s plans
I rate it 4.5 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review. Please assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com
My Experience: I started reading Such A Good Girl on 4/6/17 and finished it on 4/8/17. This book is so twisted I didn’t even see it coming! I enjoy reading this book and I just couldn’t put it down. I like the suspense and the twists. I like reading about Riley and her friends, even though their perfection seems unrealistic. I like the organization of this book with some pages that talks about Riley and her accomplishments. I even like the hot French teacher. I like that old bookstore and definitely would want to shop there.
“It’s not like I’m stupid. It means he didn’t ask. It means he lied. It means nothing has changed and I’m just a fool who is wasting her time. And I am not a girl to be made a fool of.” p.197
In this book, readers will follow the point of views of Riley Elizabeth Stone, the good girl & the overachiever. She volunteered & made a difference in her community at many stages in her life. I like how careful she is when she goes to a forbidden place. I like that she is not easy and in control. There was an awkward to how the love started and maybe Riley only started to take notice of him because her friends told her to do something outside of her comfort zone. Another weird area is Riley throwing up as a reaction to him. How much of it is her strategy? I wish Riley discuss her strategies during this time. At the end, it seems to be in favor, but it’s unrealistic how all the guys throw themselves away for Riley, especially him. It would have been easier to understand if this book has his POV too.
“You just need to practice not giving a shit for once in your entire life.” p.53
Two things I like reading about in this book: suspense & forbidden love. This book is an easy read and a page turner. I like Riley’s brother, Ethan, and his views on life. He’s so easy going and doesn’t take things too seriously. I like his talks about a giant set of dominoes. This book has some diversity. I can tell Kolbie’s bf is Indian because his name is Jamal and the friend is Sandeep. I didn’t expect the ending to be that way. Overall, this book is a good read and at times addicting. I prefer being in on the strategies discussions more than being left in the dark and getting the surprise in the end, but at the same time, it’s good to get the unexpected surprise. I do recommend everyone to read this book!
Pro: smart characters, twists, suspense, humor, friendship, forbidden love, secret, fast paced, page turner, couldn’t put down
Con: awkward getting into the crush and little to no info on Riley’s plans
I rate it 4.5 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review. Please assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com
June 11, 2017
I am not sure how to feel about this book. To be clear, I am 100% on board with mindfuckery and unreliable narrators and the synopsis gave off that vibe.
Riley was an interesting MC. She's smart and driven and I liked that she was more focused on school and getting into college. There were several times Riley wondered why it was important and expected for her to have a boyfriend and that really stood out to me.
Plot wise, I sort of don't have words. It was pretty clear from the start that something was off. There was a weird, creepy feeling and I kept trying to guess what was going to happen. There are a few revelations and some things I definitely didn't see coming, but I had my WTF face on through pretty much the entire book. For several reasons. {And yes, I'm being vague on purpose. There were a lot of WTF moments I liked and a lot I didn't. I don't have the ambition to clarify.}
Overall, it was a quick read with some interesting threads. I would have liked just a little bit more explanation at the ending, but it all worked.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**
Riley was an interesting MC. She's smart and driven and I liked that she was more focused on school and getting into college. There were several times Riley wondered why it was important and expected for her to have a boyfriend and that really stood out to me.
Plot wise, I sort of don't have words. It was pretty clear from the start that something was off. There was a weird, creepy feeling and I kept trying to guess what was going to happen. There are a few revelations and some things I definitely didn't see coming, but I had my WTF face on through pretty much the entire book. For several reasons. {And yes, I'm being vague on purpose. There were a lot of WTF moments I liked and a lot I didn't. I don't have the ambition to clarify.}
Overall, it was a quick read with some interesting threads. I would have liked just a little bit more explanation at the ending, but it all worked.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**
February 14, 2018
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
I'll be discussing the twists in detail, so please turn away now if you're planning to read this book.
I would put this book at around 3 or 3.5 stars for logic/plotting issues, but maybe 4 stars for Riley's interesting characterization, which I loved, despite its inconsistencies. She's intriguing as a person, and it was easy to breeze through the book in a few hours to find out what would happen next.
This book seems like it's going to be a relatively innocuous high-school book about an ultra-competitive yet good-hearted, down-to-earth popular girl with a touch of forbidden romance. And, for about 45% of the book, that's what we get. But then, some strange, jarring twists came out of nowhere. And I still have so many unanswered questions.
Riley has a jealous, vengeful streak that is quite disturbing. It doesn't really fit well with everything else that was hinted about her (her psychological issues that only seem to span need for perfection and the amount of pressure she puts on herself). So when these feelings flared up in her, it came across as cartoonish or unbelievable. In this book, she essentially avenges herself on numerous people who have wronged her all in one convenient explosion, while making herself appear saintly or like a hero. That's to be expected if she's a sociopath, but we just really don't get any hints of that AT ALL from the way she's characterized. She seems like a girl who craves attention from her parents, who are wrapped up in her troublemaker older brother. She bends the truth a little to get Alex's sympathy when they're younger, but that is perhaps the only hint that there is something dark or unreliable about Riley. It's a far cry from making her teacher-lover swear a blood oath to her, if that account can be trusted, or musing that things would be easier if she were a killer. By approximately 65% of the way into the book, you can tell things have taken a really dark turn, but Riley is inconsistent. Things don't add up.
The problem is that there is some faulty logic somewhere. We understand by the end that Riley is an unreliable narrator, and that she has managed to manipulate people and their actions/deaths so that things turn out well for her. But which parts of the books were real? How much was fabricated by Riley in her testimony? Did she really have feelings for Alex, which turned sour when she saw that he lied about the necklace and leaving his wife? Or was she playing him all along, knowing his wife Jacqueline was the woman who caused her to lose the modeling show at age 15 (if she wasn't playing him all along, then Jacqueline being his wife is a HUGE coincidence)? How did Jacqueline and Rob end up in the car that Alex wanted to set fire to and push over a cliff? Did Riley put them in there (it doesn't seem so...there is nothing that hints it was her doing) or was Alex off his rocker as well, as she depicts him? We know he wasn't the one who took photos of her in her bedroom (Riley faked that on her own), but Alex shows confusion and claims he didn't schedule the meeting with her parents, but he *was* at the meeting, telling her parents she had (faked?) failing grades -- so she couldn't have imagined/arranged that part. If Alex is demented as well, what are the chances that both characters are murderously insane? I'm just really confused by all the little details that aren't adding up, which is NOT a sign of a well-plotted story.
Alex and his behavior with Riley doesn't strike me as believable. For example:
- having the L'Amant book ready to hand to her at the bookstore (did he see her before she knew he was there? when did he have time to grab the book, since it seems they start talking right after she notices Alex and his wife and tries to hide?). Did he really suggest that book to her, or is it something Riley planned to implicate him?
- his forwardness with her, despite the risk to his job as her teacher.
- never really alluding to his past history with her (as Riley's brother's friend), which you'd think they'd talk about...after all, why is he interested in her...he never actually says why he prefers her over, say, someone older? They just go from tentative flirting to horny makeouts, and we don't get any sense of a solid relationship developing.
- how neither of them mention his wife Jacqueline the first few times they're together, even though her existence clearly hangs over their relationship.
- his dark ways of escalating when she ignores him or is out with other boys -- are all of these fabricated by our unreliable narrator (in which case we can give him a pass for not being realistic), or does he actually do these things?
- his excuse about the wine club ladies being mean to Jacqueline sounds flimsy, so I can't tell if he's the dishonest one or if Riley made this up later.
- the fact that he seems completely nice and sane as a French teacher -- but is supposedly hiding this dark, desperate side (at least according to Riley's testimonial...which certainly no student can corroborate).
SO confused. And making the reader feel muddled doesn't make for a powerful narrative.
(I was a little sad that L'Amant was never mentioned again after the story started taking the dark and unexpected turn.)
I loved Riley's female friendships. Kolbie and Neta are great. They do seem a little too perfect and a little too teenagery (throwing around a lot of recent slang) to be real, but this book seems to be about heightened reality, so I'll accept.
Was there any significance to the moments when Riley ties the dark pink ribbon in her hair (which happens 3 times: when she cuts gym class, takes brownies to Jacqueline, and goes on a date with Sandeep in the epilogue)?
Also, who writes e-mails back and forth instead of texts when they're on their phone? I can buy that in the beginning, but they must have exchanged phone numbers at some point so that they could text. Also, if Riley has access to Alex's phone password (it's never explained how), are all the messages from Alex actually from Riley?
Is the lavender scarf Riley is wearing at the bookstore (that Alex subsequently takes/keeps) the same scarf that they joked over while volunteering at the clothing drive when they were younger? If yes, why does Riley tell Kolbie that she bought it while shopping with Kolbie and Neta? (It seems like a big coincidence if not...did she seek out a similar scarf due to that memory?) This is not a big issue, it just seems unclear. Was the reader supposed to assume it's the same scarf? If it's not the same scarf, why even have this dialogue about it?
The characterization of Riley's parents is all over the place. They seem distracted and uninterested in her in the dinner scene, but later it's shown that her mom remembers that she got an acceptance from Princeton. They take an interest in her when Rob comes over. However, in Riley's memory of the clothing drive, she tells Alex about them, and partly to get his sympathy, she says her dad is a black-out drunk and her mom seems hollow -- but from her inner dialogue, it sounds like there's something truly wrong in her family that she feels concerned about (so she takes his "everything will be all right" to heart) -- yet we never find out what's wrong with them.
They really seem like normal concerned parents in the meeting about her French grades. They seem like reluctant parents when it comes to her past experiences with therapy -- eager to get her out of therapy. They did normal things like being proud of Riley in Pee Wee football and switching her to gymnastics/cheerleading -- and later modeling. And they chaired multiple charity events when she was a child. There's not much sign of anything darker (that would warrant Riley's unspoken worries when talking to Alex) or that lack of attentiveness that Riley seems to be pushing against.
To me it feels as if Morgan wanted to shock readers with twists, but took these twists to a really dramatic, heightened level that the groundwork (Riley's characterization, which parts of Alex were fabrication vs. real) did not support. As a result, they come off unrealistic and out of the blue instead of making the reader think, "Wow, I was surprised by this/these fantastically dark and demented character(s) and the disturbing things they've done!"
I'll be discussing the twists in detail, so please turn away now if you're planning to read this book.
I would put this book at around 3 or 3.5 stars for logic/plotting issues, but maybe 4 stars for Riley's interesting characterization, which I loved, despite its inconsistencies. She's intriguing as a person, and it was easy to breeze through the book in a few hours to find out what would happen next.
This book seems like it's going to be a relatively innocuous high-school book about an ultra-competitive yet good-hearted, down-to-earth popular girl with a touch of forbidden romance. And, for about 45% of the book, that's what we get. But then, some strange, jarring twists came out of nowhere. And I still have so many unanswered questions.
Riley has a jealous, vengeful streak that is quite disturbing. It doesn't really fit well with everything else that was hinted about her (her psychological issues that only seem to span need for perfection and the amount of pressure she puts on herself). So when these feelings flared up in her, it came across as cartoonish or unbelievable. In this book, she essentially avenges herself on numerous people who have wronged her all in one convenient explosion, while making herself appear saintly or like a hero. That's to be expected if she's a sociopath, but we just really don't get any hints of that AT ALL from the way she's characterized. She seems like a girl who craves attention from her parents, who are wrapped up in her troublemaker older brother. She bends the truth a little to get Alex's sympathy when they're younger, but that is perhaps the only hint that there is something dark or unreliable about Riley. It's a far cry from making her teacher-lover swear a blood oath to her, if that account can be trusted, or musing that things would be easier if she were a killer. By approximately 65% of the way into the book, you can tell things have taken a really dark turn, but Riley is inconsistent. Things don't add up.
The problem is that there is some faulty logic somewhere. We understand by the end that Riley is an unreliable narrator, and that she has managed to manipulate people and their actions/deaths so that things turn out well for her. But which parts of the books were real? How much was fabricated by Riley in her testimony? Did she really have feelings for Alex, which turned sour when she saw that he lied about the necklace and leaving his wife? Or was she playing him all along, knowing his wife Jacqueline was the woman who caused her to lose the modeling show at age 15 (if she wasn't playing him all along, then Jacqueline being his wife is a HUGE coincidence)? How did Jacqueline and Rob end up in the car that Alex wanted to set fire to and push over a cliff? Did Riley put them in there (it doesn't seem so...there is nothing that hints it was her doing) or was Alex off his rocker as well, as she depicts him? We know he wasn't the one who took photos of her in her bedroom (Riley faked that on her own), but Alex shows confusion and claims he didn't schedule the meeting with her parents, but he *was* at the meeting, telling her parents she had (faked?) failing grades -- so she couldn't have imagined/arranged that part. If Alex is demented as well, what are the chances that both characters are murderously insane? I'm just really confused by all the little details that aren't adding up, which is NOT a sign of a well-plotted story.
Alex and his behavior with Riley doesn't strike me as believable. For example:
- having the L'Amant book ready to hand to her at the bookstore (did he see her before she knew he was there? when did he have time to grab the book, since it seems they start talking right after she notices Alex and his wife and tries to hide?). Did he really suggest that book to her, or is it something Riley planned to implicate him?
- his forwardness with her, despite the risk to his job as her teacher.
- never really alluding to his past history with her (as Riley's brother's friend), which you'd think they'd talk about...after all, why is he interested in her...he never actually says why he prefers her over, say, someone older? They just go from tentative flirting to horny makeouts, and we don't get any sense of a solid relationship developing.
- how neither of them mention his wife Jacqueline the first few times they're together, even though her existence clearly hangs over their relationship.
- his dark ways of escalating when she ignores him or is out with other boys -- are all of these fabricated by our unreliable narrator (in which case we can give him a pass for not being realistic), or does he actually do these things?
- his excuse about the wine club ladies being mean to Jacqueline sounds flimsy, so I can't tell if he's the dishonest one or if Riley made this up later.
- the fact that he seems completely nice and sane as a French teacher -- but is supposedly hiding this dark, desperate side (at least according to Riley's testimonial...which certainly no student can corroborate).
SO confused. And making the reader feel muddled doesn't make for a powerful narrative.
(I was a little sad that L'Amant was never mentioned again after the story started taking the dark and unexpected turn.)
I loved Riley's female friendships. Kolbie and Neta are great. They do seem a little too perfect and a little too teenagery (throwing around a lot of recent slang) to be real, but this book seems to be about heightened reality, so I'll accept.
Was there any significance to the moments when Riley ties the dark pink ribbon in her hair (which happens 3 times: when she cuts gym class, takes brownies to Jacqueline, and goes on a date with Sandeep in the epilogue)?
Also, who writes e-mails back and forth instead of texts when they're on their phone? I can buy that in the beginning, but they must have exchanged phone numbers at some point so that they could text. Also, if Riley has access to Alex's phone password (it's never explained how), are all the messages from Alex actually from Riley?
Is the lavender scarf Riley is wearing at the bookstore (that Alex subsequently takes/keeps) the same scarf that they joked over while volunteering at the clothing drive when they were younger? If yes, why does Riley tell Kolbie that she bought it while shopping with Kolbie and Neta? (It seems like a big coincidence if not...did she seek out a similar scarf due to that memory?) This is not a big issue, it just seems unclear. Was the reader supposed to assume it's the same scarf? If it's not the same scarf, why even have this dialogue about it?
The characterization of Riley's parents is all over the place. They seem distracted and uninterested in her in the dinner scene, but later it's shown that her mom remembers that she got an acceptance from Princeton. They take an interest in her when Rob comes over. However, in Riley's memory of the clothing drive, she tells Alex about them, and partly to get his sympathy, she says her dad is a black-out drunk and her mom seems hollow -- but from her inner dialogue, it sounds like there's something truly wrong in her family that she feels concerned about (so she takes his "everything will be all right" to heart) -- yet we never find out what's wrong with them.
They really seem like normal concerned parents in the meeting about her French grades. They seem like reluctant parents when it comes to her past experiences with therapy -- eager to get her out of therapy. They did normal things like being proud of Riley in Pee Wee football and switching her to gymnastics/cheerleading -- and later modeling. And they chaired multiple charity events when she was a child. There's not much sign of anything darker (that would warrant Riley's unspoken worries when talking to Alex) or that lack of attentiveness that Riley seems to be pushing against.
To me it feels as if Morgan wanted to shock readers with twists, but took these twists to a really dramatic, heightened level that the groundwork (Riley's characterization, which parts of Alex were fabrication vs. real) did not support. As a result, they come off unrealistic and out of the blue instead of making the reader think, "Wow, I was surprised by this/these fantastically dark and demented character(s) and the disturbing things they've done!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2017
This book was physically painful to read.It was just so horrible,unrealistic,offending and idk how could someone actually enjoy it.I am not usually this harsh BUT OHMYGOD this book made me so mad.I am all about flawed characters but WTF was that?What was the point?Is it me?Am i that stupid?And my expectations were not hight at all-i expected something fun,dark in a cliche way (think Pretty Little Liars or Dangerous girls/boys)and easy to read,with a twist in the end and all i got was UGH,UGH AND UGH????
September 2, 2017
GRADE: A-
4.5 STARS
Riley Stone is perfect. Just ask her. Shoo-in for valedictorian, cheerleader captain, volunteer. She's even kind to her classmates. Not wanting to lose focus, she's never been on a date, by choice, although she has a crush on her Alex Belrose, her French teacher. When her older brother suggests Riley let loose, she embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Riley plays to win. And when she doesn't win, bad things happen.
Riley is SUCH A GOOD GIRL. Or is she? My opinion about her shifted throughout the book. As narrator, she initially seemed like the annoying perfect girl in high school bordering between confident and cocky. She had a sense she of entitlement or maybe she just worked hard and wanted what she earned. My thoughts changed.
Amanda K Morgan built the character and plot with expert precision. Every few chapters was a page Facts on Riley Stone, interesting omniscient tidbits about Riley she hadn't mentioned and subtle clues. Saying anything more would be spoilerish.
I had an inkling of the twist and enjoyed the execution. I will have to reread to see all the clues I missed!
4.5 STARS
Riley Stone is perfect. Just ask her. Shoo-in for valedictorian, cheerleader captain, volunteer. She's even kind to her classmates. Not wanting to lose focus, she's never been on a date, by choice, although she has a crush on her Alex Belrose, her French teacher. When her older brother suggests Riley let loose, she embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Riley plays to win. And when she doesn't win, bad things happen.
Riley is SUCH A GOOD GIRL. Or is she? My opinion about her shifted throughout the book. As narrator, she initially seemed like the annoying perfect girl in high school bordering between confident and cocky. She had a sense she of entitlement or maybe she just worked hard and wanted what she earned. My thoughts changed.
Amanda K Morgan built the character and plot with expert precision. Every few chapters was a page Facts on Riley Stone, interesting omniscient tidbits about Riley she hadn't mentioned and subtle clues. Saying anything more would be spoilerish.
I had an inkling of the twist and enjoyed the execution. I will have to reread to see all the clues I missed!
June 7, 2017
4 out of 10
Yet another book I had to read for work. Not bad, guys, not bad (there were curious twists and stuff), but definitely not my cup of tea. I just can't feel it. The author made up interesting things, but couldn't bake them in the right way.
September 7, 2017
Thank you to the author, Amanda K. Morgan, and Olivia (who manages the review chain) for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Where do I even begin with this book? I have very mixed feelings about it. Let me explain:
1. The theme. When you start out, there isn’t too much of a theme happening. The story follows Riley, a perfect, high school senior, as she navigates the last year of high school and the pressures of romance. That’s when things start to take an unpleasant turn. I found Riley’s love interest to be rather creepy to be honest. If I were her, I would have run in the other direction as soon as possible. But in any case, it seems like there’s the whole ‘love will prevail’ theme happening which was fine and dandy. And then the author brings in the whole ‘why do women even need to be dating someone to warrant attentions?’ debate which was slightly unexpected but not at all unwelcome. But the ending! The ending just threw everything through a loop. It usurps the themes and changes everything you thought you knew which was completely wonderful! I just wish the author had done it in a slightly more obvious way. I read this book through twice and I only got the subtle references to the change in message and ending the second time around. It was completely worth the reread, though.
2. The characters. Like I said previously, I found Riley’s love interest to be creepy and I didn’t really enjoy Riley’s scenes with him. Perhaps that was the point, however, which I’m willing to concede to. Riley herself is wonderfully portrayed and painted. I honestly connected with her quite a bit (especially with the bookstore scene!) and I loved being in her head. Riley’s friends, Kolbie and Neta, however, are a different story. While they are nice characters, I didn’t feel as though they were completely fleshed out and felt. They were there and they were fine but they weren’t spectacularly built. I felt much more from Riley’s parents, surprisingly enough.
3. The plot. Like I mentioned in the theme portion, the ending takes a wonderful twist but until then, the plot is simply standard. While I was completely sucked in (I finished it in one sitting both times through), it wasn’t anything remarkable. After the second read I have come to admire the ending the author crafted, though, and the last chapter is truly stunning. Think Agatha Christie type breadcrumbs left for you after you realize what has been happening all along. It’s quite lovely and an honestly beautiful construction.
4. The romance. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I found Riley’s love interest very strange and off-putting. You could practically spot the red flags from a mile away. Sadly, Riley doesn’t seem to recognize that until it’s too late and she’s turned down a path she didn’t want. I did enjoy the dynamic the author created by introducing other love interests into the mix. Not as a love triangle (or square) formation but as a comparison of what a relationship should be like and what Riley perceives it to be.
The Final Verdict:
Once I delved deeper with a second reading, the true merits of this book shone beautifully. However, some might find the subtle twist in the ending too slight and could find the book lackluster (like I did the first time around).
3.5 stars
Quotes:
“For about two seconds, I play with the normal teenage girl hope that rises up in my chest. Maybe dating someone wouldn’t be so bad. Then I pinch it out like a candle. I am more than all of that.”
“Of course, I also heard she ahs an insane temper and almost got fired five years ago when she threw a hammer against the wall when someone questioned her knowledge of table saws, but maybe you get that way from years of systemic sexism.”
“So of course my mom came downstairs to see what the hell her daughter was doing vacuuming so late at night (or at all), and saw Rob, who of course ma’am-ed his way into my mom’s heart immediately, and I’m relatively certain she had him mapped out as my prom date and possibly as my husband before he’d left.”
“The space heater starts to make an odd metallic noise. I hope it’s not going to explode. My mom is always going on about space heaters exploding and starting stuff on fire and everyone dying.”
“Weird that it took a guy for them to notice that their daughter was here, around, a sentient being instead of a picture to straighten on a wall. Weird that I wasn’t enough on my own when I was being the perfect child and pinning awards and ribbons to my dream board and filling my bank account I can’t touch with grants and my future with scholarships. It took a boy and bad grades to even get them to look at me.”
Where do I even begin with this book? I have very mixed feelings about it. Let me explain:
1. The theme. When you start out, there isn’t too much of a theme happening. The story follows Riley, a perfect, high school senior, as she navigates the last year of high school and the pressures of romance. That’s when things start to take an unpleasant turn. I found Riley’s love interest to be rather creepy to be honest. If I were her, I would have run in the other direction as soon as possible. But in any case, it seems like there’s the whole ‘love will prevail’ theme happening which was fine and dandy. And then the author brings in the whole ‘why do women even need to be dating someone to warrant attentions?’ debate which was slightly unexpected but not at all unwelcome. But the ending! The ending just threw everything through a loop. It usurps the themes and changes everything you thought you knew which was completely wonderful! I just wish the author had done it in a slightly more obvious way. I read this book through twice and I only got the subtle references to the change in message and ending the second time around. It was completely worth the reread, though.
2. The characters. Like I said previously, I found Riley’s love interest to be creepy and I didn’t really enjoy Riley’s scenes with him. Perhaps that was the point, however, which I’m willing to concede to. Riley herself is wonderfully portrayed and painted. I honestly connected with her quite a bit (especially with the bookstore scene!) and I loved being in her head. Riley’s friends, Kolbie and Neta, however, are a different story. While they are nice characters, I didn’t feel as though they were completely fleshed out and felt. They were there and they were fine but they weren’t spectacularly built. I felt much more from Riley’s parents, surprisingly enough.
3. The plot. Like I mentioned in the theme portion, the ending takes a wonderful twist but until then, the plot is simply standard. While I was completely sucked in (I finished it in one sitting both times through), it wasn’t anything remarkable. After the second read I have come to admire the ending the author crafted, though, and the last chapter is truly stunning. Think Agatha Christie type breadcrumbs left for you after you realize what has been happening all along. It’s quite lovely and an honestly beautiful construction.
4. The romance. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I found Riley’s love interest very strange and off-putting. You could practically spot the red flags from a mile away. Sadly, Riley doesn’t seem to recognize that until it’s too late and she’s turned down a path she didn’t want. I did enjoy the dynamic the author created by introducing other love interests into the mix. Not as a love triangle (or square) formation but as a comparison of what a relationship should be like and what Riley perceives it to be.
The Final Verdict:
Once I delved deeper with a second reading, the true merits of this book shone beautifully. However, some might find the subtle twist in the ending too slight and could find the book lackluster (like I did the first time around).
3.5 stars
Quotes:
“For about two seconds, I play with the normal teenage girl hope that rises up in my chest. Maybe dating someone wouldn’t be so bad. Then I pinch it out like a candle. I am more than all of that.”
“Of course, I also heard she ahs an insane temper and almost got fired five years ago when she threw a hammer against the wall when someone questioned her knowledge of table saws, but maybe you get that way from years of systemic sexism.”
“So of course my mom came downstairs to see what the hell her daughter was doing vacuuming so late at night (or at all), and saw Rob, who of course ma’am-ed his way into my mom’s heart immediately, and I’m relatively certain she had him mapped out as my prom date and possibly as my husband before he’d left.”
“The space heater starts to make an odd metallic noise. I hope it’s not going to explode. My mom is always going on about space heaters exploding and starting stuff on fire and everyone dying.”
“Weird that it took a guy for them to notice that their daughter was here, around, a sentient being instead of a picture to straighten on a wall. Weird that I wasn’t enough on my own when I was being the perfect child and pinning awards and ribbons to my dream board and filling my bank account I can’t touch with grants and my future with scholarships. It took a boy and bad grades to even get them to look at me.”
April 3, 2022
Once again I’m the minority on a book. This was my fault, I really should have read some reviews before I started reading this book. I saw this at Barnes and Noble and decided to pick this up. BIG MISTAKE! I was so annoyed while reading this that my eyes should be stuck in the back of my head from rolling them so much.
Riley is one of the most annoying and self-centered characters I have read about in a while. She is an overachiever, she gets good grades and even volunteers for good causes. She’s a good girl.
If I would have know that majority of the book was about 17 year old girl having an affair with her very older MARRIED teacher I would not have read this. Hell, I still don’t know what I just read. The author tried to make this a mystery and somewhat thriller but it fell so short on that aspect. The execution of it was not there for me.
I’m still confused by that ending. Everything just worked out so perfectly in the end. Was that coincidence or planned? As a reader, this was completely frustrating. I would have liked more explanation than it just ending like that.
It was a quick read but that's all I have to say left about it.
Riley is one of the most annoying and self-centered characters I have read about in a while. She is an overachiever, she gets good grades and even volunteers for good causes. She’s a good girl.
If I would have know that majority of the book was about 17 year old girl having an affair with her very older MARRIED teacher I would not have read this. Hell, I still don’t know what I just read. The author tried to make this a mystery and somewhat thriller but it fell so short on that aspect. The execution of it was not there for me.
I’m still confused by that ending. Everything just worked out so perfectly in the end. Was that coincidence or planned? As a reader, this was completely frustrating. I would have liked more explanation than it just ending like that.
It was a quick read but that's all I have to say left about it.
October 16, 2017
http://www.leslecturesdemylene.com/20...
18/20 - Pffffffffffffiou je ne m'attendais pas du tout à une intrigue comme ça et j'ai adoré être bluffée !
18/20 - Pffffffffffffiou je ne m'attendais pas du tout à une intrigue comme ça et j'ai adoré être bluffée !
July 11, 2017
I love to read books but I find life moving so fast that I rarely have time to read a book or at least finish one. I was so excited to get the opportunity to read "Such A Good Girl" and give my honest review. When I read in the email something about it being like "Pretty Little Liars" I was sold. I am a huge fan of that show which is based on a book series. As a 43-year-old woman I still much enjoy shows and books that are based on high school or college age story lines. Now here goes my review of "Such A Good Girl".
As I have already mentioned on my social media channels I was hardly able to put this book down. I read it in a total of three days and for me that says a lot. I often read at night/early morning after work and before my sleep time. Any book I finish and read that quickly gets a definite five stars from me.
The main character Riley and her friends seem to be the popular girls at school. They all have their strong suites. Riley excels in academics but is less experienced socially than the other girls. She does not date much although there is definitely some interest.
Riley tries her hand at being a little more outgoing in certain areas while having a little something secretive going on around her. This seemingly "good girl" may not be as good as some think she is.
This story line definitely kept me interested throughout and wanting more. The ending without giving things away definitely surprised me. There is definitely more to Riley than meats the eye that much is for sure.
I would definitely recommend this book as a good read. If you like these types of story lines like I do it should be right up your alley. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
As I have already mentioned on my social media channels I was hardly able to put this book down. I read it in a total of three days and for me that says a lot. I often read at night/early morning after work and before my sleep time. Any book I finish and read that quickly gets a definite five stars from me.
The main character Riley and her friends seem to be the popular girls at school. They all have their strong suites. Riley excels in academics but is less experienced socially than the other girls. She does not date much although there is definitely some interest.
Riley tries her hand at being a little more outgoing in certain areas while having a little something secretive going on around her. This seemingly "good girl" may not be as good as some think she is.
This story line definitely kept me interested throughout and wanting more. The ending without giving things away definitely surprised me. There is definitely more to Riley than meats the eye that much is for sure.
I would definitely recommend this book as a good read. If you like these types of story lines like I do it should be right up your alley. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
June 2, 2017
At first I was a bit hesitant starting this book, I'm usually not into reading about high school stories. But this book caught my attention right from the first page on. Amanda knows how to use her words and manages to describe everyone pretty great.
The main character Riley is an over-achiever an A student. Basically perfect, except when it comes to boys. A teacher, seriously Riley? I was a tad annoyed by her character now and then, she came off as arrogant a few times. But then again, she does get good grades and knows how to handle her stuff. And not getting any attention from your parents, while watching your brother soak it all up must be pretty annoying. I also liked how Amanda gave us some bullet points with information about Riley. The reader gets to know her better without it interupting the storyline.
Alex.. Well Alex seemeed quite sweet at first, but he became more creepy as the story proceeded. I never expected him to get to such lenght to be with Riley, this twist caught me off guard.
All in all it was a great and exciting story, leaving me wondering what's going to happen next throughout the whole story. And no sight of any sappy romance which I appreciate greatly.
The main character Riley is an over-achiever an A student. Basically perfect, except when it comes to boys. A teacher, seriously Riley? I was a tad annoyed by her character now and then, she came off as arrogant a few times. But then again, she does get good grades and knows how to handle her stuff. And not getting any attention from your parents, while watching your brother soak it all up must be pretty annoying. I also liked how Amanda gave us some bullet points with information about Riley. The reader gets to know her better without it interupting the storyline.
Alex.. Well Alex seemeed quite sweet at first, but he became more creepy as the story proceeded. I never expected him to get to such lenght to be with Riley, this twist caught me off guard.
All in all it was a great and exciting story, leaving me wondering what's going to happen next throughout the whole story. And no sight of any sappy romance which I appreciate greatly.
November 18, 2017
This book was not good. It was not well written, the characters were never given enough emotional weight for me to care or feel connected to any of the story, and there were multiple spelling/grammar errors which make me wonder if anyone even proofread this? On top of that, the plot was either so bizarre it didn't sound like realistic people interacting or it was non-existent and just focused on Riley and Alex kissing, which is gross because he is a grown man and a teacher and she is in high school . Also, I didn't exactly get what we, the readers, were supposed to glean from the "things to know about Riley" parts since most of the things really didn't add or effect plot, or even really help me to figure out who Riley was. And almost every character in this book is either a wonderful Mary Sue or the complete devil if you listen to Riley's narration, which I get is supposed to show she's unhinged but mostly its just boring and annoying to read.
Honestly the most baffling thing about this book is that so many people gave it more than one star. Did you read the same book I did? Because this was garbage.
Honestly the most baffling thing about this book is that so many people gave it more than one star. Did you read the same book I did? Because this was garbage.
November 17, 2017
https://merlin-brocoli.blogspot.fr/20...
Des personnages fades, une intrigue peu épaisse et une chute aussi prévisible et subtile qu'un semi-remorque. BOARF !
Des personnages fades, une intrigue peu épaisse et une chute aussi prévisible et subtile qu'un semi-remorque. BOARF !
June 28, 2017
This is the second book of Amanda K. Morgan I have read and loved this one even more then the first one.
This book follows Riley Stone who is a perfect model student. She presents evidence on why she is perfect and why she is the best student in the school. Riley has never gotten in trouble in her life. Riley is a logical character and really thinks things through.
The author does an amazing job really leading you down one path, while still giving you some suspicion the path might not be fully correct. There are so many twists in the book that I just didn’t see them all coming. The ending left me going wow Amanda you totally got me I didn’t see that coming at all. I love when I finish a book and just can’t let the ending go.
I liked Riley as the main character. I felt right off the bat she had something to hide because it felt like she was pouring on the perfect too much. Riley really does open up during the book and show more of her personality. At parts I felt like we could see the beginning of almost a split personality coming out. Riley is trying to make the most of her high school life and trying to start to live it up while also maintaining her perfect student mode. I also loved that we got a look at Riley’s family life and that it wasn’t as perfect as she wanted it to be. It felt like Riley was working hard to keep up her appearances the entire book.
The book is told entirely through Riley’s point of view and I think this works perfectly for this book since her personality isn’t that stable. The author does a great job making you think is Riley a reliable narrator.
The author creates one relationship in this book that is very interesting. I enjoyed that we kind of got a look back into where the relationship started and it didn’t 100% come out of the blue so for me it worked. I loved the lengths that Riley was willing to go for this relationship.
I can’t think of any complaints about the book that really stick out to me. I am only giving it 4 stars because I can’t think of a reason I would want to reread this book. The book was great and really kept my attention, but I don’t think I would sit down and read it again any time soon.
I would suggest this as a beach or weekend read when you have more time to fully digest what is going on. I had trouble putting the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
I received a copy of this book from The Fantastic Flying Book Club to provide an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book.
This book follows Riley Stone who is a perfect model student. She presents evidence on why she is perfect and why she is the best student in the school. Riley has never gotten in trouble in her life. Riley is a logical character and really thinks things through.
The author does an amazing job really leading you down one path, while still giving you some suspicion the path might not be fully correct. There are so many twists in the book that I just didn’t see them all coming. The ending left me going wow Amanda you totally got me I didn’t see that coming at all. I love when I finish a book and just can’t let the ending go.
I liked Riley as the main character. I felt right off the bat she had something to hide because it felt like she was pouring on the perfect too much. Riley really does open up during the book and show more of her personality. At parts I felt like we could see the beginning of almost a split personality coming out. Riley is trying to make the most of her high school life and trying to start to live it up while also maintaining her perfect student mode. I also loved that we got a look at Riley’s family life and that it wasn’t as perfect as she wanted it to be. It felt like Riley was working hard to keep up her appearances the entire book.
The book is told entirely through Riley’s point of view and I think this works perfectly for this book since her personality isn’t that stable. The author does a great job making you think is Riley a reliable narrator.
The author creates one relationship in this book that is very interesting. I enjoyed that we kind of got a look back into where the relationship started and it didn’t 100% come out of the blue so for me it worked. I loved the lengths that Riley was willing to go for this relationship.
I can’t think of any complaints about the book that really stick out to me. I am only giving it 4 stars because I can’t think of a reason I would want to reread this book. The book was great and really kept my attention, but I don’t think I would sit down and read it again any time soon.
I would suggest this as a beach or weekend read when you have more time to fully digest what is going on. I had trouble putting the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
I received a copy of this book from The Fantastic Flying Book Club to provide an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book.
September 9, 2017
I don't even know what's true and what's not in Such A Good Girl. Riley is delusional and self absorbed. She's definitely not a reliable narrator because she changes the story to suit her image of a good girl and to diminish her responsibility. The ending was meh and surprising, I guess. I read and watch a lot of thrillers and mysteries so the ending didn't blow me away. I sort of expected it.
I didn't like Riley at all and I feel she uses people. The French teacher, Alex, gave me the creeps. I'm not sure if she was ever in a relationship with him or not. Non of the characters were likeable or just not memorable so i'm being generous with my 3 stars for this book.
It was quite readable so there is that!
I didn't like Riley at all and I feel she uses people. The French teacher, Alex, gave me the creeps. I'm not sure if she was ever in a relationship with him or not. Non of the characters were likeable or just not memorable so i'm being generous with my 3 stars for this book.
It was quite readable so there is that!
June 10, 2017
I'm having a hard time deciding how I feel about this book.
This has been compared to Pretty Little Liars, which i can see in some aspects. It is told from perfect, "good girl" Riley Stones perspective. Right from the beginning there is a weird ominous tone, and that feeling that you are constantly on the verge of something crazy happening. So to me, she presented as an unreliable narrator. Hard to trust.
She seems to have a great group of friends, even if they constantly seem to be encouraging her to get a boyfriend. As if there aren't more important things in life. This aggravates me a little.
There are just things that don't add up for me, even with the little "explanations" provided via the "Things You Should Know About Riley Stone" list randomly thrown throughout the book. I really don't want to get into detail on the big THING happening in this book, so I will spoiler tag some stuff, so there is your warning. Do not click if you want to be surprised at all by this book! The stuff inside this link will spoil basically everything. This will be long and ranty inside this tag, so be prepared:
So if you like any pf the relationship drama of PPL, and the manipulative characters, and the completely far fetched and improbable plots, then yes, I can easily see the comparisons to this book and I think you will like it a lot!
As for me, I am left slightly underwhelmed. I can't say that I didn't like this book, I just didn't love it. It was missing some things for me, like better reasoning for actions. I need things to add up more. I don't mind a vague ending to a book, but this just wasn't done well enough to sit right with me.
**ARC provided via Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing in exchange for an honest review!**
This has been compared to Pretty Little Liars, which i can see in some aspects. It is told from perfect, "good girl" Riley Stones perspective. Right from the beginning there is a weird ominous tone, and that feeling that you are constantly on the verge of something crazy happening. So to me, she presented as an unreliable narrator. Hard to trust.
She seems to have a great group of friends, even if they constantly seem to be encouraging her to get a boyfriend. As if there aren't more important things in life. This aggravates me a little.
There are just things that don't add up for me, even with the little "explanations" provided via the "Things You Should Know About Riley Stone" list randomly thrown throughout the book. I really don't want to get into detail on the big THING happening in this book, so I will spoiler tag some stuff, so there is your warning. Do not click if you want to be surprised at all by this book! The stuff inside this link will spoil basically everything. This will be long and ranty inside this tag, so be prepared:
So if you like any pf the relationship drama of PPL, and the manipulative characters, and the completely far fetched and improbable plots, then yes, I can easily see the comparisons to this book and I think you will like it a lot!
As for me, I am left slightly underwhelmed. I can't say that I didn't like this book, I just didn't love it. It was missing some things for me, like better reasoning for actions. I need things to add up more. I don't mind a vague ending to a book, but this just wasn't done well enough to sit right with me.
**ARC provided via Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing in exchange for an honest review!**
May 22, 2025
3/5⭐️
September 17, 2017
I loved it!Such a good book
5/5 stars
5/5 stars
June 28, 2017
Such A Good Girl is a YA contemporary thriller about a girl named Riley. Riley lives a seemingly perfect life and everyone loves her. However, her crush on her French teacher might change everything.
This was a very interesting read. The story kept me engaged and wanting to continue reading the entire time. In fact, I read it in only one sitting. It started out feeling like other YA contemporary stories, about a girl and her friends in high school. But as I kept reading I could feel there was more to the story that was brewing beneath the surface. There were lots of twists and the ending left me with my jaw on the floor.
The blurb calls this book Pretty Little Liars meets Luckiest Girl Alive. While I have never read Luckiest Girl Alive, I can absolutely see the Pretty Little Liars similarities. Overall I thought this was a fun read. I enjoyed the little facts about Riley between chapters and the writing made it completely un-put-downable.
**Thank you to Simon Pulse for providing me a copy of the book via NetGalley and The Review Chain in exchange for my honest review!
This was a very interesting read. The story kept me engaged and wanting to continue reading the entire time. In fact, I read it in only one sitting. It started out feeling like other YA contemporary stories, about a girl and her friends in high school. But as I kept reading I could feel there was more to the story that was brewing beneath the surface. There were lots of twists and the ending left me with my jaw on the floor.
The blurb calls this book Pretty Little Liars meets Luckiest Girl Alive. While I have never read Luckiest Girl Alive, I can absolutely see the Pretty Little Liars similarities. Overall I thought this was a fun read. I enjoyed the little facts about Riley between chapters and the writing made it completely un-put-downable.
**Thank you to Simon Pulse for providing me a copy of the book via NetGalley and The Review Chain in exchange for my honest review!
July 21, 2017
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.
Well, in June, when I just started the book I read only the first chapter, then I found out the place I am renting is getting sold and my life got complicated. Alas, yesterday I finally made time for this book and I read it in two days.
Welcome to the unreliable narrator trend, although it could have been done better and have me suspect it less. Anyhow, the book is hard to put down once you get into the story and even if I did not trust the narrator completely, I was able to ignore that something-could-have-been-way-better-here and simply be entertained by the story.
The synopsis is already giving enough about the story so I will not go and talk about it, but it does have a little bit of Pretty Little Liars strangeness and creepiness which adds points to the book. It is an easy read with a strong main character and there are a lot of twists I did not expect. It is a book that can easily change the tone without ruining the experience.
Towards the end, when the short chapter intros begin to reveal more it gets even more interesting - the chapter intros were my favourite things. And I did enjoy the ending plot twist quite a lot. It wasn't too WOWZA, but it was really nice.
Such a Good Girl does not have the best beginning, but once it hooks you, you cannot stop reading. Looking forward to trying more from Amanda K. Morgan, especially if her other books are just as Pretty Little Liars as this one.
Well, in June, when I just started the book I read only the first chapter, then I found out the place I am renting is getting sold and my life got complicated. Alas, yesterday I finally made time for this book and I read it in two days.
Welcome to the unreliable narrator trend, although it could have been done better and have me suspect it less. Anyhow, the book is hard to put down once you get into the story and even if I did not trust the narrator completely, I was able to ignore that something-could-have-been-way-better-here and simply be entertained by the story.
The synopsis is already giving enough about the story so I will not go and talk about it, but it does have a little bit of Pretty Little Liars strangeness and creepiness which adds points to the book. It is an easy read with a strong main character and there are a lot of twists I did not expect. It is a book that can easily change the tone without ruining the experience.
Towards the end, when the short chapter intros begin to reveal more it gets even more interesting - the chapter intros were my favourite things. And I did enjoy the ending plot twist quite a lot. It wasn't too WOWZA, but it was really nice.
Such a Good Girl does not have the best beginning, but once it hooks you, you cannot stop reading. Looking forward to trying more from Amanda K. Morgan, especially if her other books are just as Pretty Little Liars as this one.
January 16, 2019
I went into this not having any clue what type of book it was other than a good girl falls for a teacher and... That was it.
I was hooked by page one. Riley Stone was such a compelling and creative character, as well as Alex Belrose, and the subtle twists and turns along the way that started revealing who they were as well as Alex's issues were so craftily done that I applaud Ms. Morgan for that. At first, I thought this story was going to be a basic contemporary. Either Riley would fall for the teacher and get in a lot of trouble/get burned, or Alex was going to be a creep.
Oh boy, was I not prepared.
It was so much more than that. Alex is married, so that throws a complication into the story, and his comments start off as flirtatious, but slowly turn to looking like he's grooming Riley, such as when he praises her when she does what he wants by calling her "good girl," like a pet.
Riley's friends felt like cardboard. They had their purpose, but everyone was a bit too perfect (again, that's kinda the point of the story). That aside, they fit into the story and aided in the twist and ending.
EVERYTHING BELOW IS SPOILERS
------------------------------------------
I loved that the whole point of the book is that Riley is a psychopath (a narcissist?). She makes everyone dance to her tune because she has such a draw and facade that everyone thinks she's an angel. Even after you read the book, you have to sit there and wonder if the story is even true because she's revealed to be such an unreliable narrator. The only things you can know for certain are the lists in between chapters that tell about what she's done in her life.
The fact that she's so caught up on being the perfect person that she would resort to potentially seducing a teacher, murdering two people, and framing the entire thing on him while walking away unscathed is just mindboggling. She has everyone wrapped so well around her finger that no one suspects her at all. The only people who saw the warning signs were all the therapists she visited as a girl, but she manipulated her parents so well that they took her out of therapy.
Alex legitimately gave me the creeps, and I do think, in some aspect, he was grooming her. His comments to Riley and how he asked her to do stuff was a little too aggressive and demeaning.
I genuinely thought, minus not fully-fleshed out side characters, that this story was great. The twists were super subtle, and the focal characters were fascinating--you just want to watch the train wreck that you know is coming.
I was hooked by page one. Riley Stone was such a compelling and creative character, as well as Alex Belrose, and the subtle twists and turns along the way that started revealing who they were as well as Alex's issues were so craftily done that I applaud Ms. Morgan for that. At first, I thought this story was going to be a basic contemporary. Either Riley would fall for the teacher and get in a lot of trouble/get burned, or Alex was going to be a creep.
Oh boy, was I not prepared.
It was so much more than that. Alex is married, so that throws a complication into the story, and his comments start off as flirtatious, but slowly turn to looking like he's grooming Riley, such as when he praises her when she does what he wants by calling her "good girl," like a pet.
Riley's friends felt like cardboard. They had their purpose, but everyone was a bit too perfect (again, that's kinda the point of the story). That aside, they fit into the story and aided in the twist and ending.
EVERYTHING BELOW IS SPOILERS
------------------------------------------
I loved that the whole point of the book is that Riley is a psychopath (a narcissist?). She makes everyone dance to her tune because she has such a draw and facade that everyone thinks she's an angel. Even after you read the book, you have to sit there and wonder if the story is even true because she's revealed to be such an unreliable narrator. The only things you can know for certain are the lists in between chapters that tell about what she's done in her life.
The fact that she's so caught up on being the perfect person that she would resort to potentially seducing a teacher, murdering two people, and framing the entire thing on him while walking away unscathed is just mindboggling. She has everyone wrapped so well around her finger that no one suspects her at all. The only people who saw the warning signs were all the therapists she visited as a girl, but she manipulated her parents so well that they took her out of therapy.
Alex legitimately gave me the creeps, and I do think, in some aspect, he was grooming her. His comments to Riley and how he asked her to do stuff was a little too aggressive and demeaning.
I genuinely thought, minus not fully-fleshed out side characters, that this story was great. The twists were super subtle, and the focal characters were fascinating--you just want to watch the train wreck that you know is coming.
October 23, 2017
Une bonne surprise. Ce livre est un parfait mélange de la série Pretty Little Liars et du livre Les Apparences de Gillian Flynn.
Il faut une petite centaine de pages pour que l'intrigue se lance et que l'on commence à voir la toile se tisser. Petit à petit le final se dessine. Et croyez-moi, impossible de lâcher ce roman. Seulement, j'ai été un peu gênée car j'aurais aimé un peu plus d'explications à la fin du livre. Un peu plus de développement sur la psychologie de Ridley. Même si j'ai beaucoup aimé (écrire très agréable), "A good girl" me laisse un petit goût de pas fini.
www.celineonline.fr
Il faut une petite centaine de pages pour que l'intrigue se lance et que l'on commence à voir la toile se tisser. Petit à petit le final se dessine. Et croyez-moi, impossible de lâcher ce roman. Seulement, j'ai été un peu gênée car j'aurais aimé un peu plus d'explications à la fin du livre. Un peu plus de développement sur la psychologie de Ridley. Même si j'ai beaucoup aimé (écrire très agréable), "A good girl" me laisse un petit goût de pas fini.
www.celineonline.fr
August 23, 2017
Eh 3.5*
This book was so frustrating to read. But I kept wanting to know what would happen until the last page. Read in one sitting. I couldn't put it down though. Full review to come.
This book was so frustrating to read. But I kept wanting to know what would happen until the last page. Read in one sitting. I couldn't put it down though. Full review to come.
September 19, 2017
What a poorly written book.
June 27, 2017
Riley is perfect – awesome grades, stellar resume, great friends. She’s one of the It Girls at school and could have any boy she wants. But she likes the attractive French teacher, not one of the silly teens at her high school. Too bad he’s off limits. She is, after all, a good girl.
Wow. There’s not much I can say about this book without giving everything away. I’m still blown away by the ending. It throws everything off to where I’m wondering what actually happened. Riley is one seriously unreliable narrator. And here I thought she was just seriously uppity and proud. Should have seen that coming.
Then again, some of the foreshadowing that would make the ending make more sense was … missing. I put the story together with clues that were never fully fleshed out. The how’s and when’s don’t completely add up. But then, the narrator is unreliable. The whole book was told from her perspective, which means what we read is diluted by her perception of how things occurred. Is this her explanation of events? Or what she really believes happened? Or … ?
On the one hand, Such a Good Girl is beautifully crafted to keep readers intrigued and guessing. It reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe’s works and left me seriously creeped out. So many unanswered questions that lead me to create conjectures, like a great piece of literature should. On the other hand, there are way too many holes. I still don’t know what actually happened. The book has potential, but there needs to be a little something more in order to make me satisfied with it.
On a completely different note, I was a bit uncomfortable with the romantic relationship between the married teacher and the underage student. I don’t like reading books in which the characters go against the regular ethical codes. I couldn’t cheer on the romance at the beginning, and certainly not at the end. The intrigue and mystery made up for it, but it still isn’t going to make it to my favorites list.
I did enjoy Such a Good Girl. It kept me reading to the end and surprised me. I recommend it to fans of Pretty Little Liars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. I received no compensation. And all my thoughts are entirely my own.
Wow. There’s not much I can say about this book without giving everything away. I’m still blown away by the ending. It throws everything off to where I’m wondering what actually happened. Riley is one seriously unreliable narrator. And here I thought she was just seriously uppity and proud. Should have seen that coming.
Then again, some of the foreshadowing that would make the ending make more sense was … missing. I put the story together with clues that were never fully fleshed out. The how’s and when’s don’t completely add up. But then, the narrator is unreliable. The whole book was told from her perspective, which means what we read is diluted by her perception of how things occurred. Is this her explanation of events? Or what she really believes happened? Or … ?
On the one hand, Such a Good Girl is beautifully crafted to keep readers intrigued and guessing. It reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe’s works and left me seriously creeped out. So many unanswered questions that lead me to create conjectures, like a great piece of literature should. On the other hand, there are way too many holes. I still don’t know what actually happened. The book has potential, but there needs to be a little something more in order to make me satisfied with it.
On a completely different note, I was a bit uncomfortable with the romantic relationship between the married teacher and the underage student. I don’t like reading books in which the characters go against the regular ethical codes. I couldn’t cheer on the romance at the beginning, and certainly not at the end. The intrigue and mystery made up for it, but it still isn’t going to make it to my favorites list.
I did enjoy Such a Good Girl. It kept me reading to the end and surprised me. I recommend it to fans of Pretty Little Liars.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. I received no compensation. And all my thoughts are entirely my own.
January 24, 2021
J'hésitais entre deux ou trois étoiles, mais j'ai décidé de mettre trois finalement. Déjà, le livre dans son ensemble est assez gros, mais quand tu commences à lire, tu te rends compte qu'il ne se passe pas grand chose, c'est assez long comme livre quand tu attends le moment où ça va déraper et que finalement il arrive à la toute fin, mais vraiment à la fin. En lisant le résumé, on pourrait facilement croire que ce livre nous parlera d'elle et qu'il va lui arriver beaucoup de problèmes ou autres, mais pas trop en fait. Tout le livre se passe dans la même ambiance, un genre de jeu qui ressemble un peu au chat et à la souris, où dans ce cas-ci le chat serait Alex. Malheureusement, malgré mes attentes où je croyais qu'il allait arriver des moments assez lourds où on aurait eu envie de voir la suite, je n'ai lu que des chapitres un peu, ternes peut-être? Ce n'est qu'à l'avant-dernier chapitre et au dernier que tout ce passe et que tu comprends beaucoup mieux comment est Riley.
Je mets donc trois étoiles pour la fin, et aussi pour le livre car il m'a quand même plu même si j'attendais beaucoup plus venant du résumé. Je ne mettrais pas plus car je suis relativement déçu, mais assez impressionnée de la fin, donc si quelqu'un veut le lire, il faut absolument qu'il se rende à la toute fin, c'est là que se concentre le gros du roman selon moi.
Je mets donc trois étoiles pour la fin, et aussi pour le livre car il m'a quand même plu même si j'attendais beaucoup plus venant du résumé. Je ne mettrais pas plus car je suis relativement déçu, mais assez impressionnée de la fin, donc si quelqu'un veut le lire, il faut absolument qu'il se rende à la toute fin, c'est là que se concentre le gros du roman selon moi.
October 31, 2018
The crisis happens at the end of the book, but before Alex Belrose went missing he manipulated Riley, a perfect student in his honors french class, into a very inappropriate relationship based on the threat of bad grades and the promise of better ones. After a couple of weeks of being missing Alex e-mails Riley telling her to meet him at the cliffs near Porter Lane at midnight. Riley goes up to see Alex who is trying to convince her to run away with him and start a family.The crisis could have been averted if Alex just asked for a divorce so he wouldn't want to run of and start a family with riley who is not even eighteen. He did not need to let Riley into his house and flirt with her. A A danger that occurred in the book was when Riley went back into the Belrose house after Alex went missing to see if there was any evidence or signs of struggle. Riley believed that Mrs. Belrose killed Alex even though the police had already questioned her. I was worried about Riley when she was going up to Porter Lane. I was worried because Alex was missing so i wasn't sure if he was murdered or kidnapped and his kidnapper had his phone and was trying to kidnap Riley too.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys suspense, lots of twists, and some romance. Also if you enjoy other books written by Amanda K. Morgan.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys suspense, lots of twists, and some romance. Also if you enjoy other books written by Amanda K. Morgan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2022
I can’t put my finger on my exact thoughts for this book. I was embarrassed that I enjoyed it at times because it was very YA when it came to the girls in the story and how amazing beautiful and perfect and smart and kind they all were. (Gaggg)
It was so obvious what was happening within the main girl that I thought, nahhhh it’s not her, the author is just making it look like her for some crazy book twist and for it to be someone else. So I was like, it’s gotta be the brother or the new boy. But sure enough she tricked me by making it so obvious there’s no way I thought it could be true lol
Very fast read, I couldn’t put it down cause it was like psychological, and dramatic, and what not. I mean a teacher student relationship. Sheesh. Also, to add about that, it wasn’t gross or raunchy when it came to that. If this kind of story had to be written it was pretty tastefully done.
Couldn’t put it down, good read but just really typical to YA, and felt like it lacked the fullness of a really good story.
It was so obvious what was happening within the main girl that I thought, nahhhh it’s not her, the author is just making it look like her for some crazy book twist and for it to be someone else. So I was like, it’s gotta be the brother or the new boy. But sure enough she tricked me by making it so obvious there’s no way I thought it could be true lol
Very fast read, I couldn’t put it down cause it was like psychological, and dramatic, and what not. I mean a teacher student relationship. Sheesh. Also, to add about that, it wasn’t gross or raunchy when it came to that. If this kind of story had to be written it was pretty tastefully done.
Couldn’t put it down, good read but just really typical to YA, and felt like it lacked the fullness of a really good story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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