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The Good Girls: A Feminist Young Adult Thriller About High School Murder and Buried Secrets
One of Us Is Lying meets Sadie in this twisty, feminist thriller for the Me Too era. The troublemaker. The overachiever. The cheer captain. The dead girl. Like every high school in America, Jefferson-Lorne High contains all of the above. After the shocking murder of senior Emma Baines, three of her classmates are at the top of the suspect Claude, the notorious partier; Avery, the head cheerleader; and Gwen, the would-be valedictorian. But appearances are never what they seem. And the truth behind what really happened to Emma may just be lying in plain sight. As long buried secrets come to light, the clock is ticking to find Emma's killer—before another good girl goes down.
368 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2020
222 people are currently reading
14544 people want to read
About the author
Claire Eliza Bartlett
3 books424 followersClaire Bartlett lives in an enchanted forest apartment in Copenhagen with too many board games and too few cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 753 reviews
December 19, 2020
2.25 stars
My level of interest in writing a review for this book is at the same level as that of police in solving the case in this book. Zero
(Extra .25 stars for the cover.)
My level of interest in writing a review for this book is at the same level as that of police in solving the case in this book. Zero
(Extra .25 stars for the cover.)
August 17, 2020
This is a solid 4.5 stars rounded up. More of a slow-burn, character driven suspense read than a breakneck, page-turning thriller, but I enjoyed the "mood" of the book a lot and enjoyed returning to the pages and sitting with the characters. In particular, I loved the small town Colorado feel; the town was vivid for me, as were the typical "types."
Where I think for some readers they might not be as sure-footed with this one is that it's in third person and it's multi-POV, with some chapters a bit more omniscient. There are also many chapters that are half police interview/half narrative. I enjoy close third person, and it's part of what contributed to the tone I ended up liking about it--it had a grander feel than a typical 1st person might have. But the trade-off is definitely that more almost languid mood and there's a little bit of distance to the story. This wasn't a "whodunnit" read for me, but more of a whydunnit... even with the things I was able to piece together relatively quickly, I enjoyed the journey and what the book had to say. It's all about high school girl stereotypes, the assumptions we make, etc.
So really it's all about the characters: Claude the "slutty" bad girl, Avery the peppy cheerleader, Gwen the intense academic, and Emma the "good girl." Emma is murdered at Anna's Run, a treacherous stretch of river and Claude, Avery, and Gwen are suspects--they all had a reason to want Emma gone. We get Emma as a character through her diary entries from the year+ leading up to her death. She was obsessed with solving the murder of another girl who also died at Anna's Run--Lizzy, Gwen's older sister. You move through Emma's diary, seeing how deep she got and who might have actually killed her... while the present day narrative covers a 48 hour stretch as the police hyper-focus on Claude, Avery, and Gwen.
There was just one aspect of the ending structure that I'm not 100% sold on, though it's a quibble (and one I won't elaborate on for spoilery reasons). There were also a few moments where the book's message as a bit heavy-handed, and I could see some readers chafing against it.
Ultimately a solid multi-POV moody suspense read that I think will appeal to many Actual Teens. The girls are well drawn and in many cases play against type (or when they play to type, they do so with depth). There's also solid LGBTQIA rep I know many readers will be drawn to/appreciate. One main character is bisexual and another is a lesbian. One is out, the other is not, and there are no forced outing scenes or scenes of bigotry/violence against queer characters. No gays are buried, either!
Where I think for some readers they might not be as sure-footed with this one is that it's in third person and it's multi-POV, with some chapters a bit more omniscient. There are also many chapters that are half police interview/half narrative. I enjoy close third person, and it's part of what contributed to the tone I ended up liking about it--it had a grander feel than a typical 1st person might have. But the trade-off is definitely that more almost languid mood and there's a little bit of distance to the story. This wasn't a "whodunnit" read for me, but more of a whydunnit... even with the things I was able to piece together relatively quickly, I enjoyed the journey and what the book had to say. It's all about high school girl stereotypes, the assumptions we make, etc.
So really it's all about the characters: Claude the "slutty" bad girl, Avery the peppy cheerleader, Gwen the intense academic, and Emma the "good girl." Emma is murdered at Anna's Run, a treacherous stretch of river and Claude, Avery, and Gwen are suspects--they all had a reason to want Emma gone. We get Emma as a character through her diary entries from the year+ leading up to her death. She was obsessed with solving the murder of another girl who also died at Anna's Run--Lizzy, Gwen's older sister. You move through Emma's diary, seeing how deep she got and who might have actually killed her... while the present day narrative covers a 48 hour stretch as the police hyper-focus on Claude, Avery, and Gwen.
There was just one aspect of the ending structure that I'm not 100% sold on, though it's a quibble (and one I won't elaborate on for spoilery reasons). There were also a few moments where the book's message as a bit heavy-handed, and I could see some readers chafing against it.
Ultimately a solid multi-POV moody suspense read that I think will appeal to many Actual Teens. The girls are well drawn and in many cases play against type (or when they play to type, they do so with depth). There's also solid LGBTQIA rep I know many readers will be drawn to/appreciate. One main character is bisexual and another is a lesbian. One is out, the other is not, and there are no forced outing scenes or scenes of bigotry/violence against queer characters. No gays are buried, either!
November 11, 2022
Absolutely amazing! A new favorite.
I don't exaggerate when I say Scribd has changed my life.
I saved a ton of audiobooks there so I have books to listen to while multitasking. These are those books that I'm kinda interested in, but don't see myself physically reading them. This one was one of them. Final Draft was another. And both became my favorites.
I love how random books can become favorites. Especially those that don't have high ratings on Goodreads. They prove not to believe the ratings. Plus because two of my most hated books have 4.38 stars, while this amazingness has only 3.64 and final draft has 3.5.
At first I was confused, because it's multi pov and I wasn't sure if I'll be able to differentiate everyone, but the characters were amazing. I loved them and loved how all of them had/done at least one thing I didn't agree with.
Even if I started to suspect who was the murderer maybe halfway through, there was still a few surprises at the end and my brain got twisted more than once.
I read it in one day. I just couldn't sleep until I knew how it ends.
Oh, and I'm in love with the cover.
[IDK if this is considered a spoiler or not, so only read it if you don't care.]
The one thing I didn't like that much was the cheating and how it was handled. I mean it was nice, that they reamined friends and there was no big drama, but in reality I don't think this is how it goes. Or how it should go.
It's just me, or queers get out of cheating pretty easily in ya books?
The ones they have cheated on are always so understanding, but like it is still cheating and betraying their trust. I understand it's a small town that was left behind in the Stone Age, but they should at least show some remorse.
I don't exaggerate when I say Scribd has changed my life.
I saved a ton of audiobooks there so I have books to listen to while multitasking. These are those books that I'm kinda interested in, but don't see myself physically reading them. This one was one of them. Final Draft was another. And both became my favorites.
I love how random books can become favorites. Especially those that don't have high ratings on Goodreads. They prove not to believe the ratings. Plus because two of my most hated books have 4.38 stars, while this amazingness has only 3.64 and final draft has 3.5.
At first I was confused, because it's multi pov and I wasn't sure if I'll be able to differentiate everyone, but the characters were amazing. I loved them and loved how all of them had/done at least one thing I didn't agree with.
Even if I started to suspect who was the murderer maybe halfway through, there was still a few surprises at the end and my brain got twisted more than once.
I read it in one day. I just couldn't sleep until I knew how it ends.
Oh, and I'm in love with the cover.
[IDK if this is considered a spoiler or not, so only read it if you don't care.]
The one thing I didn't like that much was the cheating and how it was handled. I mean it was nice, that they reamined friends and there was no big drama, but in reality I don't think this is how it goes. Or how it should go.
It's just me, or queers get out of cheating pretty easily in ya books?
The ones they have cheated on are always so understanding, but like it is still cheating and betraying their trust. I understand it's a small town that was left behind in the Stone Age, but they should at least show some remorse.
December 16, 2020
Why do mysteries keep disappointing me...? Don't get me wrong, the 2 stars are for the cover.
If you want to experience some cliché elements, you can read this book. There's nothing wrong about the writing, the problem lies in the whole plot. It talks about things that we have read over and over and over again.
No disrespect to the author, but this was disappointing...
Didn't work for me, but might work for you.
If you want to experience some cliché elements, you can read this book. There's nothing wrong about the writing, the problem lies in the whole plot. It talks about things that we have read over and over and over again.
No disrespect to the author, but this was disappointing...
Didn't work for me, but might work for you.
December 6, 2020
3.75
i am once again asking gr to give me HALF STAR OPTIONS
i am once again asking gr to give me HALF STAR OPTIONS
March 15, 2023
The thing is, girls can tell. There’s a little voice in our heads that says „get out, get out“, but men spend years convincing us to ignore it. To tell ourselves we’re wrong.
Drei Jahre ist es her, dass Lizzy Sayer gestorben ist. Suizid, sagt die Polizei. Mord, sagt Emma Baines. Doch niemand hört ihr zu. Lizzy Sayer war ein gutes Mädchen, aber in den Monaten vor ihrem Tod ist alles bergab gegangen. Wäre doch nur zu verständlich, dass das Ganze in einem Selbstmord gipfelt. Niemand will sich mit Emma und ihren kruden Ideen zu Lizzys Tod auseinandersetzen.
Und jetzt ist Emma auch tot. Im Internet kursiert ein Video davon, wie sie von einer unerkennbaren Person in die gefährlichen Stromschnellen von Anna’s Run gestoßen wird. Diesmal ist es wirklich Mord. Doch wer hätte ein Motiv, die brave, strebsame Emma Baines zu töten? Auch sie war – wie Lizzy – ein gutes Mädchen, das vor seinem Tod (wenn auch auf andere Art und Weise) für Aufmerksamkeit gesorgt hat.
Die Polizei fasst schnell drei Verdächtige ins Auge, Schülerinnen der örtlichen High School. Doch was die Mädchen im Gegensatz zur Polizei erkannt haben: Im verschlafenen Bergstädtchen Jefferson-Lorne gehen viel dunklere Dinge vor sich, als die Meisten ahnen.
_____________________
Ooooh, das war genau das, was ich erwartet und worauf ich mich gefreut habe. Super spannend, tolle Charaktere, wichtige Themen, die man nicht in allen Jugendbüchern findet.
Ich verstehe zwar, weshalb manche Rezensenten sagen, die Charaktere wären sehr stereotyp, aber irgendwie waren sie trotzdem so ausgearbeitet, dass man (bzw. ich) sie sehr liebgewonnen hat.
Mir hat vor allem der Fokus auf dem Thema „sexuelle Gewalt an Frauen“ sowohl im großen, politischen Kontext als auch im direkten Kontext vor Ort sehr gut gefallen. Es ist halt einfach eine so schlimme, aber gleichzeitig so realistische Situation für viele Frauen.
Eigentlich ein typisches 4-Sterne-Buch für mich, aber eine Sache hat mich ziemlich gestört: Die fehlende Kommunikation über das Konkrete, Wichtige. Zu oft geschieht es in diesem Buch, dass eine Person sagt: „Tell me! […]“ und die andere Person sagt dann irgendwas in Richtung „I’m sorry. I need to go“. So viel Kommunikation, die ins Leere läuft!
Ich verstehe ja sogar, dass man irgendwie Spannung aufbauen will, damit der Leser nicht alles sofort weiß, aber das geht ja wohl echt auch eleganter als diese ständigen „Ablenkungsmanöver“, bevor man etwas Interessantes erfährt.
Drei Jahre ist es her, dass Lizzy Sayer gestorben ist. Suizid, sagt die Polizei. Mord, sagt Emma Baines. Doch niemand hört ihr zu. Lizzy Sayer war ein gutes Mädchen, aber in den Monaten vor ihrem Tod ist alles bergab gegangen. Wäre doch nur zu verständlich, dass das Ganze in einem Selbstmord gipfelt. Niemand will sich mit Emma und ihren kruden Ideen zu Lizzys Tod auseinandersetzen.
Und jetzt ist Emma auch tot. Im Internet kursiert ein Video davon, wie sie von einer unerkennbaren Person in die gefährlichen Stromschnellen von Anna’s Run gestoßen wird. Diesmal ist es wirklich Mord. Doch wer hätte ein Motiv, die brave, strebsame Emma Baines zu töten? Auch sie war – wie Lizzy – ein gutes Mädchen, das vor seinem Tod (wenn auch auf andere Art und Weise) für Aufmerksamkeit gesorgt hat.
Die Polizei fasst schnell drei Verdächtige ins Auge, Schülerinnen der örtlichen High School. Doch was die Mädchen im Gegensatz zur Polizei erkannt haben: Im verschlafenen Bergstädtchen Jefferson-Lorne gehen viel dunklere Dinge vor sich, als die Meisten ahnen.
_____________________
Ooooh, das war genau das, was ich erwartet und worauf ich mich gefreut habe. Super spannend, tolle Charaktere, wichtige Themen, die man nicht in allen Jugendbüchern findet.
Ich verstehe zwar, weshalb manche Rezensenten sagen, die Charaktere wären sehr stereotyp, aber irgendwie waren sie trotzdem so ausgearbeitet, dass man (bzw. ich) sie sehr liebgewonnen hat.
Mir hat vor allem der Fokus auf dem Thema „sexuelle Gewalt an Frauen“ sowohl im großen, politischen Kontext als auch im direkten Kontext vor Ort sehr gut gefallen. Es ist halt einfach eine so schlimme, aber gleichzeitig so realistische Situation für viele Frauen.
Eigentlich ein typisches 4-Sterne-Buch für mich, aber eine Sache hat mich ziemlich gestört: Die fehlende Kommunikation über das Konkrete, Wichtige. Zu oft geschieht es in diesem Buch, dass eine Person sagt: „Tell me! […]“ und die andere Person sagt dann irgendwas in Richtung „I’m sorry. I need to go“. So viel Kommunikation, die ins Leere läuft!
Ich verstehe ja sogar, dass man irgendwie Spannung aufbauen will, damit der Leser nicht alles sofort weiß, aber das geht ja wohl echt auch eleganter als diese ständigen „Ablenkungsmanöver“, bevor man etwas Interessantes erfährt.
November 13, 2020
The thing is, girls can tell. There’s a little voice in our heads that says get out, get out, but men spend years telling us to ignore it. To tell ourselves we’re wrong.
A lot of the discussions really stuck out to me in The Good Girls and I think it’s a great addition into the teen thriller genre. It’s unique in that it is far more character driven and has a much slower pace than what many of us are used to. However, the little twists that are sprinkled throughout will still keep you guessing. Bartlett’s writing is quite seamless and flows really beautifully as we cross between the third person point of view chapters, police interviews and diary entries. There’s definitely a moody vibe in here that lends well to the book’s overall content.
As mentioned, there are multiple points of view in The Good Girls, but no one gets lost. We follow four main girls: Emma, the good (and dead) girl, Claude, the resident ‘bad girl’ who owns her sexuality but is belittled for it, Avery, the picture perfect cheerleader and Gwen, the focused and dedicated student. When Emma is missing and presumed dead at the beginning of our story all of the girls are under suspicion. Each girl was wonderfully fleshed out and I really felt I understood them all. We get to experience their lives and it helps us understand the underlying motives behind each person.
I will say, that while I was able to guess a lot of what was happening that didn’t take away from the story at all because it still left the question of why it was happening, and that was the deeper question of the book. This could definitely have fallen to the classic ‘children/teens handling something that they should have gone to an adult for’ but in the context, I believe it can makes sense. This is a small town and something like the situation these girls are in is already difficult enough to see justice for (deliberately trying to be vague here).
Really appreciated the queer rep in here! We have a main character who is bi and discusses the idea of performative actions and the deep feeling of being misunderstood, especially when in a relationship with someone of the opposite gender (because guess what they’re still bi!). There’s also a non-out lesbian lead as well and while I don’t come from a small town I think the handling of this and how much it means to come out on your own terms is dealt with really well.
*ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review*
February 13, 2021
I like what this book was going for from a thematic standpoint. A queer, feminist YA thriller for the #MeToo era is definitely something I’m here for. HOWEVER, I was not a fan of the execution of the story at all. I thought the more interesting plot took place before the book started. We just get to see glimpses of it in police interviews or diary entries rather than actually getting to read those scenes playing out.
This book should’ve been so thrilling, but it was a chore to get through. A lot of the dialogue felt really clunky and at times the characters felt more like caricatures. I really wanted to love this book since it has so many things I typically love… oh well.
This book should’ve been so thrilling, but it was a chore to get through. A lot of the dialogue felt really clunky and at times the characters felt more like caricatures. I really wanted to love this book since it has so many things I typically love… oh well.
December 14, 2020
THE GOOD GIRLS is an interesting story with complex characters and beautiful word building. Sounds like a 4-5 star review, right? Not so much.
Reading THE GOOD GIRLS, despite all its positive attributes, felt like a chore. I kept picking up, then putting down the book. Claire Eliza Bartlett’s words are clever and engaging, the pacing however was dreadful.
While some of characters THE GOOD GIRLS were tropes, they also had a complexity and depth that made me want to root for them. I bet I’d enjoy a movie or miniseries version better, with good acting and pacing.
Reading THE GOOD GIRLS, despite all its positive attributes, felt like a chore. I kept picking up, then putting down the book. Claire Eliza Bartlett’s words are clever and engaging, the pacing however was dreadful.
While some of characters THE GOOD GIRLS were tropes, they also had a complexity and depth that made me want to root for them. I bet I’d enjoy a movie or miniseries version better, with good acting and pacing.
May 5, 2021
The second time reading this I realized something important: this book was kinda forgetable. When I picked up the book I thought to myself, "I think I've read this before, but I don't know..." well it turns out I have read this, and simply forgot I had. Besides that I have all the same feelings as I did the first time reading the book. However, since I literally forgot I read it, and that never happens to me, I'm taking off a star from my original rating. ___________________________________________________________
Wow.
I kinda expected one of the biggest plot twists towards the middle, but the other ones were a complete shock until the information was given to us in pieces.
I loved the way it was written. There were article entries, diary entries, interviews, police reports, and a regular novel format. I'm a sucker for mixed media books.
Anyways, love this book.
Trigger Warnings: rape, sexual abuse, pedophila, eating disorders, suicide, abuse, underage drinking, and underage drug use.
Wow.
I kinda expected one of the biggest plot twists towards the middle, but the other ones were a complete shock until the information was given to us in pieces.
I loved the way it was written. There were article entries, diary entries, interviews, police reports, and a regular novel format. I'm a sucker for mixed media books.
Anyways, love this book.
Trigger Warnings: rape, sexual abuse, pedophila, eating disorders, suicide, abuse, underage drinking, and underage drug use.
July 26, 2022
It wasn’t bad, I definitely enjoyed it.
I wanted more lesbians. From the cover, I was expecting more ✨homosexuals✨ and there wasn’t as much as I wanted.
On the story side of things, you get the answer of the murderer only halfway through, and it made it less fun because I wasn’t reading it to figure out who the killer was.
I read this one on audiobook which was a good decision, as this one was in interview form. I usually enjoy interview form, however, there were so many pointless chapters that had nothing to do with the storyline.
Anyways more mystery, more lesbians. Thank you and goodnight.
I wanted more lesbians. From the cover, I was expecting more ✨homosexuals✨ and there wasn’t as much as I wanted.
On the story side of things, you get the answer of the murderer only halfway through, and it made it less fun because I wasn’t reading it to figure out who the killer was.
I read this one on audiobook which was a good decision, as this one was in interview form. I usually enjoy interview form, however, there were so many pointless chapters that had nothing to do with the storyline.
Anyways more mystery, more lesbians. Thank you and goodnight.
December 19, 2020
I started this one hoping for a page-turning thriller that would really draw me in which this is not. It's definitely more a slow build, which isn't bad, just made it a little boring overall. I also felt that the characters, especially the "bad guy" were very flat, surface level, and stereotypical. Unfortunately not my fave.
Read
June 29, 2021DNF at 80% - nothing felt compelling!
June 30, 2022
be gay do crimes résume bien ce livre
February 27, 2021
3.5
rep - personnages bi, lesbiennes
cw/tw - mort/meurtres
un livre que j'ai bien aimé lire et qui m'a bien divertie !
les personnages sont tous très intéressants.
les différents point de vus (journaux intimes, pov, interrogatoires) apportent les différents profils et intérêts, ce qui est cool. on ne se perd pas entre les différents personnages et évènements (passé et présent). par contre.. virez cette équipe de police. ils sont inutiles.
autrement, c'est un thriller jeunesse. je n'ai pas vraiment été à fond dans l'histoire et si investie que ça. je n'ai pas ressenti cette atmosphere ou quoique ce soit.
en conclusion,
des sujets assez lourds abordés qui étaient plutôt pas mal. des personnages intéressants.
un bon livre pour les jeunes qui veulent se lancer dans le thriller !!
rep - personnages bi, lesbiennes
cw/tw - mort/meurtres
un livre que j'ai bien aimé lire et qui m'a bien divertie !
les personnages sont tous très intéressants.
les différents point de vus (journaux intimes, pov, interrogatoires) apportent les différents profils et intérêts, ce qui est cool. on ne se perd pas entre les différents personnages et évènements (passé et présent). par contre.. virez cette équipe de police. ils sont inutiles.
autrement, c'est un thriller jeunesse. je n'ai pas vraiment été à fond dans l'histoire et si investie que ça. je n'ai pas ressenti cette atmosphere ou quoique ce soit.
en conclusion,
des sujets assez lourds abordés qui étaient plutôt pas mal. des personnages intéressants.
un bon livre pour les jeunes qui veulent se lancer dans le thriller !!
July 12, 2022
Einige Dinge waren vorhersehbar, aber an sich ein toller, kurzweiliger Jugendthriller.
December 28, 2020
You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
Review: 3.5 Stars
I requested an ARC of The Good Girls because I really enjoyed The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett. The Good Girls is completely different from The Winter Duke and not what I normally read, so I was a little nervous that I wouldn't like it. I picked it up because I needed a change of pace from my typical reads and I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The Good Girls was a fast paced YA thriller that wound up tackling some really important issues.
While I feel like the mystery aspect of this novel was poorly done I still really loved this book, and not for the reasons that I expected to. The Good Girls dove into some heavy topics and the struggles that teenage girls face. It focused on three girls who each struggled with some pretty big issues. Avery struggled with perfectionism and parents who placed some really unhealthy expectations upon her. Claude struggled with being labeled a slut because she was sexually active. Gwen struggled with competing for a scholarship for her only chance to get into college while also grieving her sister's death. This book really highlighted the struggles that young girls face and I thought that all three of these girls' struggles were so real and easy to relate to and empathize with.
The thing I found so interesting about this novel is that it explored how parents can affect their teens. There were several different parenting styles explored and it was easy to see how these parents had affected their children's actions. Personally I found Avery's relationship with her parents the most interesting. It was extremely unhealthy and it made me so angry. On the other hand, I felt that Claude's relationship with her mother was a little too far on the other side of the spectrum. While Avery's parents were extremely controlling and expected her to be perfect, Claude's mom was a little too hands off. I feel like parents are hardly ever present in YA and while not all of the relationships were healthy I think it added important context to the lives of teenagers. I would like to see more parents in the YA genre and this book delivered flawed families that felt real.
One thing I totally didn't expect was that this novel was told in different formats. I'm actually really intimidated by different formats for some reason, so I don't know if I would have picked it up if I knew, but I actually loved that aspect of the novel. It included diary entries, blog posts, police interviews, text messages and more. All of that was alongside the stories following the three girls. The formatting of this novel really brought it to life and made it interesting. I felt like including those aspects added to the whole story and now I am much more willing to give books told in different formats a chance.
I did feel like this book fell apart a bit at the end. I felt like the reveal had no build up to it and fell a bit flat and the twist just had me confused. There were a few holes and motivations that didn't make sense to me. As a mystery I think that this book falls a bit flat, but that's not to say that I wasn't on the edge of my seat at times or invested in the story. Plot wise I think this book struggled at times, but character wise it was a lot deeper than I expected.
Review: 3.5 Stars
I requested an ARC of The Good Girls because I really enjoyed The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett. The Good Girls is completely different from The Winter Duke and not what I normally read, so I was a little nervous that I wouldn't like it. I picked it up because I needed a change of pace from my typical reads and I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The Good Girls was a fast paced YA thriller that wound up tackling some really important issues.
While I feel like the mystery aspect of this novel was poorly done I still really loved this book, and not for the reasons that I expected to. The Good Girls dove into some heavy topics and the struggles that teenage girls face. It focused on three girls who each struggled with some pretty big issues. Avery struggled with perfectionism and parents who placed some really unhealthy expectations upon her. Claude struggled with being labeled a slut because she was sexually active. Gwen struggled with competing for a scholarship for her only chance to get into college while also grieving her sister's death. This book really highlighted the struggles that young girls face and I thought that all three of these girls' struggles were so real and easy to relate to and empathize with.
The thing I found so interesting about this novel is that it explored how parents can affect their teens. There were several different parenting styles explored and it was easy to see how these parents had affected their children's actions. Personally I found Avery's relationship with her parents the most interesting. It was extremely unhealthy and it made me so angry. On the other hand, I felt that Claude's relationship with her mother was a little too far on the other side of the spectrum. While Avery's parents were extremely controlling and expected her to be perfect, Claude's mom was a little too hands off. I feel like parents are hardly ever present in YA and while not all of the relationships were healthy I think it added important context to the lives of teenagers. I would like to see more parents in the YA genre and this book delivered flawed families that felt real.
One thing I totally didn't expect was that this novel was told in different formats. I'm actually really intimidated by different formats for some reason, so I don't know if I would have picked it up if I knew, but I actually loved that aspect of the novel. It included diary entries, blog posts, police interviews, text messages and more. All of that was alongside the stories following the three girls. The formatting of this novel really brought it to life and made it interesting. I felt like including those aspects added to the whole story and now I am much more willing to give books told in different formats a chance.
I did feel like this book fell apart a bit at the end. I felt like the reveal had no build up to it and fell a bit flat and the twist just had me confused. There were a few holes and motivations that didn't make sense to me. As a mystery I think that this book falls a bit flat, but that's not to say that I wasn't on the edge of my seat at times or invested in the story. Plot wise I think this book struggled at times, but character wise it was a lot deeper than I expected.
June 10, 2022
trigger warnings: sexual assault, adult/minor relationship, r*pe, biphobia, death, homicide, drug use
after emma baines’s death is ruled a homicide, three of her classmates land on the top of the suspect list: claude, the partier, avery, the head cheerleader, and gwen, the valedictorian. this book follows those three girls and their lives as they look to catch the killer before he gets someone else.
in my opinion, this book focused on the characters and the actual investigation equally, instead of focusing more on the investigation as is common a lot of mystery books. i did mix up their stories a bit, especially in the beginning, but as the book went on each one became more distinct. i enjoyed learning more about each of the girls and how they’re more than just the labels given to them.
if you enjoyed sadie by courtney summers, i think you’ll like this one!
after emma baines’s death is ruled a homicide, three of her classmates land on the top of the suspect list: claude, the partier, avery, the head cheerleader, and gwen, the valedictorian. this book follows those three girls and their lives as they look to catch the killer before he gets someone else.
in my opinion, this book focused on the characters and the actual investigation equally, instead of focusing more on the investigation as is common a lot of mystery books. i did mix up their stories a bit, especially in the beginning, but as the book went on each one became more distinct. i enjoyed learning more about each of the girls and how they’re more than just the labels given to them.
if you enjoyed sadie by courtney summers, i think you’ll like this one!
April 11, 2025
A very predictable story, but its characters are so well-written that it was worth getting to know their development and fate. It shows that even a story full of clichés and stereotypes can work if the author manages to get readers to connect with the characters.
There's just one small detail that makes me uncomfortable.
But I'll only say that it's not just women who need to be heard, because violence has no gender.
“People, find yourselves a love who looks at you the way Emma Baines looks at her burrito.”
There's just one small detail that makes me uncomfortable.
But I'll only say that it's not just women who need to be heard, because violence has no gender.
January 8, 2021
RATING: 3 STARS
2020; HarperTeen/HarperCollins
I enjoyed The Good Girls, but I think this book struggled between being a a great suspense mystery and being a social commentary on the culture of teens, rape, sex, pressure, etc. The characters are cliched, but it is meant to be that way to show that beneath the label, there is a lot more to people. I read in reviews that many found the pacing was slow. I listened to it on audio and in one shot, so maybe that's why I avoided that issue. Had I put it down, I am not sure I can say I would be clamouring to pick it up. The mystery aspect the novel was okay. There are enough clues to figure out what is going on if you pay half attention, so there is no twist, at least for me. Having grown up in the 90s, as a teen, I did find it interesting how things are different, yet so much the same for young adults. I would read another novel by Bartlett, and if it's a mystery, I think I will read it as a realistic teen fiction.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2020; HarperTeen/HarperCollins
I enjoyed The Good Girls, but I think this book struggled between being a a great suspense mystery and being a social commentary on the culture of teens, rape, sex, pressure, etc. The characters are cliched, but it is meant to be that way to show that beneath the label, there is a lot more to people. I read in reviews that many found the pacing was slow. I listened to it on audio and in one shot, so maybe that's why I avoided that issue. Had I put it down, I am not sure I can say I would be clamouring to pick it up. The mystery aspect the novel was okay. There are enough clues to figure out what is going on if you pay half attention, so there is no twist, at least for me. Having grown up in the 90s, as a teen, I did find it interesting how things are different, yet so much the same for young adults. I would read another novel by Bartlett, and if it's a mystery, I think I will read it as a realistic teen fiction.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
March 28, 2021
Oh, how I wanted to love this more than I did! While I admire its intention, I thought it was poorly executed, hindered by jarring switches in perspective and stereotypical characters. It reads so much like a Riverdale or Pretty Little Liars season that I have to wonder if it'd be better suited to television. A bummer!
Read
March 6, 2023new hobby unlocked: listening to ya books on audio and getting terribly bored which builds up internal excitement to read an actual good book
February 1, 2021
I received this in my December 2020 Rainbow Crate Book Box as part of my rep agreement with RBC. All opinions are my own.
This was so freaking fun!! I'm definitely here for this kind of thriller. When Emma Baines is suspected of being murdered, three girls are at the top of the list: Claude, the notorious partier; Avery, the head cheerleader; and Gwen, the would-be valedictorian. But the truth is much more convoluted than these supposedly simple labels. Can the killer be found out before another girl is found dead?
The Good Girls was such a fast read for me. I loved every single minute of it and trying to put all the pieces together of what happened to Emma and of what happened to Gwen's sister a year ago. I loved that the overwhelming message of this was that girls are never just one label. They're fierce creatures capable of anything despite what society thinks.
At first, I honestly had no idea who did it. But towards 50% and past I had several ideas and hopes. I was right with some of them and it made me really happy. For the parts I didn't guess, it wasn't hard to see how it had happened. The very last 15% moved super fast and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending. I kind of wish we had more answers as to where all the girls went at the end, it was something I was really curious about.
Bring on more queer thrillers, I want them.
This was so freaking fun!! I'm definitely here for this kind of thriller. When Emma Baines is suspected of being murdered, three girls are at the top of the list: Claude, the notorious partier; Avery, the head cheerleader; and Gwen, the would-be valedictorian. But the truth is much more convoluted than these supposedly simple labels. Can the killer be found out before another girl is found dead?
The Good Girls was such a fast read for me. I loved every single minute of it and trying to put all the pieces together of what happened to Emma and of what happened to Gwen's sister a year ago. I loved that the overwhelming message of this was that girls are never just one label. They're fierce creatures capable of anything despite what society thinks.
At first, I honestly had no idea who did it. But towards 50% and past I had several ideas and hopes. I was right with some of them and it made me really happy. For the parts I didn't guess, it wasn't hard to see how it had happened. The very last 15% moved super fast and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending. I kind of wish we had more answers as to where all the girls went at the end, it was something I was really curious about.
Bring on more queer thrillers, I want them.
July 28, 2023
4.5/5
this book just solidifies the idea that men suck (jamie wasn’t horrible though, the food bouquet 😭😭)
i loooove mysteries so that’s ultimately why i picked this up, i did not expect it to become a new favorite. the vibes in this book were so similar to the first book in the a good girls guide to murder trilogy and one of us is lying, i loved that. i was hooked from the very start and couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of the mystery in this town. what actually transpired was nothing like i thought. seeing girls come together to stand by eachother and right a wrong was so satisfying. all of the girls are incredibly likable in their own way because they all represent a different person.
obviously the best part of any mystery is when everything comes together and this book did it so well. when we got to chapter 30, which is titled the truth, i could not put the book down. i was on the edge of my seat reading about what actually went down that night. mostly everything was completely perfect i just do wish we saw what happened to emma, like what did she do after ken was shot and she published that article???
this was such a great book, and sadly realistic. the storyline revolving garson was so sad and scary because that stuff happens so often but women just aren’t believed. emma’s article was excellently written and really encapsulates the stigma around so many things. more people need to read this book, it’s a great mystery that has amazing writing and some pretty great characters!!
this book just solidifies the idea that men suck (jamie wasn’t horrible though, the food bouquet 😭😭)
i loooove mysteries so that’s ultimately why i picked this up, i did not expect it to become a new favorite. the vibes in this book were so similar to the first book in the a good girls guide to murder trilogy and one of us is lying, i loved that. i was hooked from the very start and couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of the mystery in this town. what actually transpired was nothing like i thought. seeing girls come together to stand by eachother and right a wrong was so satisfying. all of the girls are incredibly likable in their own way because they all represent a different person.
obviously the best part of any mystery is when everything comes together and this book did it so well. when we got to chapter 30, which is titled the truth, i could not put the book down. i was on the edge of my seat reading about what actually went down that night. mostly everything was completely perfect i just do wish we saw what happened to emma, like what did she do after ken was shot and she published that article???
this was such a great book, and sadly realistic. the storyline revolving garson was so sad and scary because that stuff happens so often but women just aren’t believed. emma’s article was excellently written and really encapsulates the stigma around so many things. more people need to read this book, it’s a great mystery that has amazing writing and some pretty great characters!!
March 19, 2023
2.5 so predictable it hurts 😭 also the clichés were so annoying, the plot made no sense at times and none of the characters were likable
May 22, 2022
This is a YA mystery/thriller surrounding the deaths (one declared suicide, the other murder) of two different high school girls in a small town in Colorado. The story surrounds three different high school girls-- the "slutty" partier, the cheer captain, and the academic achiever-- who are questioned by police after "good girl" Emma Baines goes missing (and is presumed to be murdered because of a video circulating of a person pushing a small blonde off a bridge).
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was hard for me to put it down: I read it in a day, which I don't do often especially for 200+ page books. It was that good to me! I loved the different points of view and the both pace at which and the way everything unraveled throughout the novel. There were enough twists to keep it interesting. Its predictability at times was just enough; the right level to make me feel less anxious than I normally would be reading a mystery/thriller. I appreciated that, as this is not a genre I read often and I hate feeling anxious while reading!
My biggest issues, and the reasons I couldn't give it a 5-star rating, are these: Emma's diary entries and the girls' stories were much more detailed than they realistically would be at a police questioning, but I understand this was for storytelling purposes. The police were also just conveniently really stupid, to the point where I found it unbelievable, but then again it certainly wouldn't be the first or last time that cops were lazy and incompetent.
There were also a few plot holes, and some plot points that were almost too convenient in my opinion, but I was able to overlook this because I enjoyed the characters and writing style so much. Most importantly, it lacked diversity in representation: there should have been characters of colour. I can honestly only think of one character in the book who was described as having brown skin; there's no reason why there couldn't have been characters of colour in this book.
This is also minor in the grand scheme of my critiques, but it's something I always like to point out: I really wished that the word lesbian had been used at least once for Gwen instead of always "gay": that's my larger critique about lesbian characters in media. But I want to reiterate to that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
A lot of the content was super heavy and dark, so please read the content warnings below before picking up the book. If it's safe for you, I do think this is an amazing book that I thoroughly enjoyed. But if you can't read it, or you have to put the book down, or can't finish it, that's absolutely okay.
CW: rape, sexual assault, rape culture, pedophilia, drugs, alcohol, addiction, guns, murder, death, mentions of suicide, eating disorders, body image issues, dismissing and demonizing of SA survivors, cops threatening violence, cheating, classism, imbalance of power dynamics, biphobia, homophobia
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was hard for me to put it down: I read it in a day, which I don't do often especially for 200+ page books. It was that good to me! I loved the different points of view and the both pace at which and the way everything unraveled throughout the novel. There were enough twists to keep it interesting. Its predictability at times was just enough; the right level to make me feel less anxious than I normally would be reading a mystery/thriller. I appreciated that, as this is not a genre I read often and I hate feeling anxious while reading!
My biggest issues, and the reasons I couldn't give it a 5-star rating, are these: Emma's diary entries and the girls' stories were much more detailed than they realistically would be at a police questioning, but I understand this was for storytelling purposes. The police were also just conveniently really stupid, to the point where I found it unbelievable, but then again it certainly wouldn't be the first or last time that cops were lazy and incompetent.
There were also a few plot holes, and some plot points that were almost too convenient in my opinion, but I was able to overlook this because I enjoyed the characters and writing style so much. Most importantly, it lacked diversity in representation: there should have been characters of colour. I can honestly only think of one character in the book who was described as having brown skin; there's no reason why there couldn't have been characters of colour in this book.
This is also minor in the grand scheme of my critiques, but it's something I always like to point out: I really wished that the word lesbian had been used at least once for Gwen instead of always "gay": that's my larger critique about lesbian characters in media. But I want to reiterate to that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
A lot of the content was super heavy and dark, so please read the content warnings below before picking up the book. If it's safe for you, I do think this is an amazing book that I thoroughly enjoyed. But if you can't read it, or you have to put the book down, or can't finish it, that's absolutely okay.
CW: rape, sexual assault, rape culture, pedophilia, drugs, alcohol, addiction, guns, murder, death, mentions of suicide, eating disorders, body image issues, dismissing and demonizing of SA survivors, cops threatening violence, cheating, classism, imbalance of power dynamics, biphobia, homophobia
October 26, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!
THE GOOD GIRLS has a solid message and theme, taking rape culture and misogyny and putting both at the forefront, and exploring them through different characters who have different perspectives and backgrounds. I really enjoyed how Bartlett showed how girls who are perceived differently by their peers (be they seen as promiscuous, prudish, innocent, or outsiders) have different experiences with misogyny, but it is still damaging nonetheless. We get the perspectives of Claude (the party girl who has a reputation), Avery (the cheer captain who hides her sadness), and Gwen (the overachiever with few friends), and see how they handle the potential murder of classmate Emma (an all around good girl). The mystery is what happened to Emma, but there are bigger things at play, and when we focused on those themes and messages, it worked pretty well. All that said, none of the characters really went beyond the boundaries you'd expect of their tropes. There were a couple of surprises and twists, but none of them really blew me away. I think that if you go in more interested in a character study or an examination of how rape culture can be detrimental to many different people in different ways, this will be a pretty okay read. If you are going in for a fast paced mystery, you may be disappointed.
Overall THE GOOD GIRLS has a lot of things going on, and some of those things work better than others.
THE GOOD GIRLS has a solid message and theme, taking rape culture and misogyny and putting both at the forefront, and exploring them through different characters who have different perspectives and backgrounds. I really enjoyed how Bartlett showed how girls who are perceived differently by their peers (be they seen as promiscuous, prudish, innocent, or outsiders) have different experiences with misogyny, but it is still damaging nonetheless. We get the perspectives of Claude (the party girl who has a reputation), Avery (the cheer captain who hides her sadness), and Gwen (the overachiever with few friends), and see how they handle the potential murder of classmate Emma (an all around good girl). The mystery is what happened to Emma, but there are bigger things at play, and when we focused on those themes and messages, it worked pretty well. All that said, none of the characters really went beyond the boundaries you'd expect of their tropes. There were a couple of surprises and twists, but none of them really blew me away. I think that if you go in more interested in a character study or an examination of how rape culture can be detrimental to many different people in different ways, this will be a pretty okay read. If you are going in for a fast paced mystery, you may be disappointed.
Overall THE GOOD GIRLS has a lot of things going on, and some of those things work better than others.
September 13, 2022
The premise and message for this book was amazing but the execution was absolutely horrendous. The timeline of this novel is so jumbled and poorly laid out, there could have been a better way of doing it. Not to mention it didn’t even feel like a story, it felt like I was being told a summary of events. Overall, I wish the story had been organized differently and the writing less of a play-by-play account
October 16, 2021
2.5 stars bc the cover is pretty
I am disappointed. I praised the author to hell and back for her book 'The winter duke' and reading this I am like: Wow. That's so bad. (I still kinda liked reading it tho until the end made me feel like this is all bs)
TW: Rape, Sexual Harassment/ Assault
Characters
For my taste way too many characters got introduced from the beginning. There are three different POVs- it was a chore to keep up with which POV I was reading in the first place. Ngl, I liked the characters as they were interesting and engaging but they did not really grow or develop as the story went on. (Except the few growth aspects in the end of the book but once again I feel they are very rushed and not explained well, especially bc they were parts of deeper aspects like PTSD and coping with sexual abuse.)
Plot
A thriller/murder story which has to explain itself to make sense in the end is not a good thriller/ murder story. During the whole book (except ending) there was no to little tension, because the police in this town had NO motivation in solving the case whatsoever. While the 'killer' had not really elaborate plans to keep killing and what not. No tension. Whatsoever. No dread or need to solve the mystery asap. There were parts of evidence that were forgotten until the end of the book. They felt random to put them in the first place.
The serious themes in this book were handled well, but still I cannot be more than disappointed, because they felt crammed in and not as well explored as they could have been.
I am disappointed. I praised the author to hell and back for her book 'The winter duke' and reading this I am like: Wow. That's so bad. (I still kinda liked reading it tho until the end made me feel like this is all bs)
TW: Rape, Sexual Harassment/ Assault
Characters
For my taste way too many characters got introduced from the beginning. There are three different POVs- it was a chore to keep up with which POV I was reading in the first place. Ngl, I liked the characters as they were interesting and engaging but they did not really grow or develop as the story went on. (Except the few growth aspects in the end of the book but once again I feel they are very rushed and not explained well, especially bc they were parts of deeper aspects like PTSD and coping with sexual abuse.)
Plot
A thriller/murder story which has to explain itself to make sense in the end is not a good thriller/ murder story. During the whole book (except ending) there was no to little tension, because the police in this town had NO motivation in solving the case whatsoever. While the 'killer' had not really elaborate plans to keep killing and what not. No tension. Whatsoever. No dread or need to solve the mystery asap. There were parts of evidence that were forgotten until the end of the book. They felt random to put them in the first place.
The serious themes in this book were handled well, but still I cannot be more than disappointed, because they felt crammed in and not as well explored as they could have been.
March 23, 2025
2,5 ⭐
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