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Good Girls Die Last
Today, nothing is going right for Em. And it's about to get much worse.
Heartbroken by a recent split, with her 30th birthday looming, she loses her job and her home in the same morning because of two swaggering, dishonest men - the boss who sexually harassed her and the flatmate sleeping with her behind his fiancée's back. But all Em can think about is catching a flight to attend her sister's wedding and see her dying mother.
With a record-breaking heatwave, and a serial killer making the streets unsafe, London is completely gridlocked. Em's life has always been full of men getting their own way, and today the scorched city teems with them standing between her and home. As Em's troubled past returns to haunt her, she refuses to let them win. Her defiance leads to shocking consequences that soon spiral wildly out of control.
In a world where men don't listen, and girls have no voice, one woman can change everything.
Today, no one will be staying silent.
Heartbroken by a recent split, with her 30th birthday looming, she loses her job and her home in the same morning because of two swaggering, dishonest men - the boss who sexually harassed her and the flatmate sleeping with her behind his fiancée's back. But all Em can think about is catching a flight to attend her sister's wedding and see her dying mother.
With a record-breaking heatwave, and a serial killer making the streets unsafe, London is completely gridlocked. Em's life has always been full of men getting their own way, and today the scorched city teems with them standing between her and home. As Em's troubled past returns to haunt her, she refuses to let them win. Her defiance leads to shocking consequences that soon spiral wildly out of control.
In a world where men don't listen, and girls have no voice, one woman can change everything.
Today, no one will be staying silent.
384 pages, ebook
First published May 1, 2023
78 people are currently reading
1122 people want to read
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June 23, 2023
I’m sure that many of you are too young to have seen the iconic film, Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas. It’s about an ordinary man whose life has been beset with recent problems and on one, hot, trying day, everything gets too much for him to bear any longer and he loses control, making a series of decisions that lead to a catastrophic chain of events. It’s a book about the oppression of the working man and how every human being’s tolerance for personal injustice has its limits.
When I heard the pitch that Good Girls Die Last was a feminist ‘Falling Down’ for the #MeToo generation, I knew I was going to have to read it and it was going to be brilliant. I am a member of the generation that straddles the period where sexism and the objectification of women has, thankfully, begun to go from the norm to unacceptable but who can see that there is still a long way to go. I’m a mother of two daughters, a stepmother to three, eldest of three girls, aunt to 7, daughter and peri-menopausal woman and, let me tell you, the feminist rage is still real, my friends.
Natali has taken that rage, the centuries of BS that women have put up with, the daily headlines featuring violence against women, the baseline routine misogyny we still have to deal with, every mother’s fear for her teenage daughters going out into the world, and condensed it into this defiant, outraged scream of a novel that will speak to every woman who walks around with the internalised roar of ‘NO’ reverberating through her bones.
But, very cleverly, Natali has crafted a tense, vibrating, captivating thriller from these ideas in a way that will appeal to people who perhaps don’t live with these feelings every time they see the news, browse Twitter or look at their daughters. Who might, through following Em’s journey through what seems like an ordinary day in just one ordinary life, look at what women have to navigate all the time and how it might eventually, just become unbearable. She’s given us a character to whom we can relate, a scenario that is plausible, and shown how it can spiral out of control. Anyone who wonders how the Sarah Everard situation became what it did would do well to read this book and see. We aren’t equal, we aren’t safe, and we are mad as hell.
I know you might read this and dismiss me as another middle-aged, hormonal woman who forgot to dose herself with HRT last night. Who might do well to look at how far women’s rights have come since the 60s and stop moaning. Who takes life too seriously and is exaggerating the state of the world. To you I say, such dismissals are part of the problem and you need to read this book more than anyone. Look at the statistics on violence against women. Look how few sexual assaults get prosecuted. Look at the lionising of men like Andrew Tate and ask yourselves if the problem is solved. It isn’t, women are still screaming and this book is one very loud, very intelligent, very illuminating yell. It’s bloody fantastic.
When I heard the pitch that Good Girls Die Last was a feminist ‘Falling Down’ for the #MeToo generation, I knew I was going to have to read it and it was going to be brilliant. I am a member of the generation that straddles the period where sexism and the objectification of women has, thankfully, begun to go from the norm to unacceptable but who can see that there is still a long way to go. I’m a mother of two daughters, a stepmother to three, eldest of three girls, aunt to 7, daughter and peri-menopausal woman and, let me tell you, the feminist rage is still real, my friends.
Natali has taken that rage, the centuries of BS that women have put up with, the daily headlines featuring violence against women, the baseline routine misogyny we still have to deal with, every mother’s fear for her teenage daughters going out into the world, and condensed it into this defiant, outraged scream of a novel that will speak to every woman who walks around with the internalised roar of ‘NO’ reverberating through her bones.
But, very cleverly, Natali has crafted a tense, vibrating, captivating thriller from these ideas in a way that will appeal to people who perhaps don’t live with these feelings every time they see the news, browse Twitter or look at their daughters. Who might, through following Em’s journey through what seems like an ordinary day in just one ordinary life, look at what women have to navigate all the time and how it might eventually, just become unbearable. She’s given us a character to whom we can relate, a scenario that is plausible, and shown how it can spiral out of control. Anyone who wonders how the Sarah Everard situation became what it did would do well to read this book and see. We aren’t equal, we aren’t safe, and we are mad as hell.
I know you might read this and dismiss me as another middle-aged, hormonal woman who forgot to dose herself with HRT last night. Who might do well to look at how far women’s rights have come since the 60s and stop moaning. Who takes life too seriously and is exaggerating the state of the world. To you I say, such dismissals are part of the problem and you need to read this book more than anyone. Look at the statistics on violence against women. Look how few sexual assaults get prosecuted. Look at the lionising of men like Andrew Tate and ask yourselves if the problem is solved. It isn’t, women are still screaming and this book is one very loud, very intelligent, very illuminating yell. It’s bloody fantastic.
June 11, 2023
It's not the big things that send you over the edge, it's the little things. The stuff that sneaks up on you, while you're busy holding on to the things that matter."
I'm a woman. I have had men leer at me, hands crawling on me as I pass in the bar. The suggestive comments because of what I'm wearing. I've held my keys between my fingers whilst walking home alone at night. I've avoided taking short cuts because it's not well lit.
I am not alone. We live in that kind of society. Sometimes a news item will stir up the country and have us all up in arms and demand a safer world for women. But, will there ever be a change?
"Aren't we all brought up to believe that good girls die last? That's what the horror movies tell us. These girls weren't asking for it, not like the stupid woman who stays with her violent husband or the crack whore wandering the streets half naked at night. Which means, with a serial killer, it could be any one of us. Even us nice girls. Ooooh, the thrill!"
This story follows a woman who's life has been spiralling in front of her. Little things happening in her life. But, she stayed silent. She's smiled and got on with life. We join her as she leaves for work ready for a meeting. Remember the little things.
I loved how this story develops, we don't really know what the MCs real name is for ages, just what other people call her. As she goes about her day it's so easy to relate to some of the stuff that she encounters. We've all been there.
This story is hard-hitting and thought-provoking. It's a tense thriller that got me angry and it also made me sad.
"Perhaps it's not people we fear but the unknown, the things we don't understand. All the things we can't predict."
I'm a woman. I have had men leer at me, hands crawling on me as I pass in the bar. The suggestive comments because of what I'm wearing. I've held my keys between my fingers whilst walking home alone at night. I've avoided taking short cuts because it's not well lit.
I am not alone. We live in that kind of society. Sometimes a news item will stir up the country and have us all up in arms and demand a safer world for women. But, will there ever be a change?
"Aren't we all brought up to believe that good girls die last? That's what the horror movies tell us. These girls weren't asking for it, not like the stupid woman who stays with her violent husband or the crack whore wandering the streets half naked at night. Which means, with a serial killer, it could be any one of us. Even us nice girls. Ooooh, the thrill!"
This story follows a woman who's life has been spiralling in front of her. Little things happening in her life. But, she stayed silent. She's smiled and got on with life. We join her as she leaves for work ready for a meeting. Remember the little things.
I loved how this story develops, we don't really know what the MCs real name is for ages, just what other people call her. As she goes about her day it's so easy to relate to some of the stuff that she encounters. We've all been there.
This story is hard-hitting and thought-provoking. It's a tense thriller that got me angry and it also made me sad.
"Perhaps it's not people we fear but the unknown, the things we don't understand. All the things we can't predict."
June 26, 2023
This book has been featuring all over Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and everyone is raving about it, so suffering from Acute FOMO, I quickly finished my current read and started this book without really looking at the blurb or reviews.
If you think you're having a bad day - then you really need to meet Em. It's Friday, she's about to leave London to travel home for her sister's wedding in Spain, she's hoping to get a permanent position in the company she's working at, having completed a 3 month temporary contract, it's also her 30th birthday this weekend plus she's nursing a broken heart and she's sleeping with her landlord.
On top of this, she's been lying to her family about her career and love life and has managed to avoid seeing them for 3 years. However, London is the midst of a record-breaking heatwave, causing total gridlock, halting all modes of transport and she needs to get to the airport desperately.
There's also the additional complication of a serial killer on the loose - targeting young women in London, d causing panic and mayhem everywhere. Em has had enough - literally, she's been abused, ridiculed, used, discarded, ignored, objectified and mocked by men and now she's taking back control and making a stand.
Good Girls Die Last is a shocking yet topical story featuring situations which sadly every female has probably encountered in their life.
This books is GRIM, it's BRUTAL, it's UNCOMFORTABLE and it's DEEPLY DEPRESSING, so if you are looking for a bit of light relief, then this really isn't the book for you. However, it's also carries a very important message, is utterly THOUGHT-PROVOKING and so POWERFUL that it left me with a little book hangover.
If you think you're having a bad day - then you really need to meet Em. It's Friday, she's about to leave London to travel home for her sister's wedding in Spain, she's hoping to get a permanent position in the company she's working at, having completed a 3 month temporary contract, it's also her 30th birthday this weekend plus she's nursing a broken heart and she's sleeping with her landlord.
On top of this, she's been lying to her family about her career and love life and has managed to avoid seeing them for 3 years. However, London is the midst of a record-breaking heatwave, causing total gridlock, halting all modes of transport and she needs to get to the airport desperately.
There's also the additional complication of a serial killer on the loose - targeting young women in London, d causing panic and mayhem everywhere. Em has had enough - literally, she's been abused, ridiculed, used, discarded, ignored, objectified and mocked by men and now she's taking back control and making a stand.
Good Girls Die Last is a shocking yet topical story featuring situations which sadly every female has probably encountered in their life.
This books is GRIM, it's BRUTAL, it's UNCOMFORTABLE and it's DEEPLY DEPRESSING, so if you are looking for a bit of light relief, then this really isn't the book for you. However, it's also carries a very important message, is utterly THOUGHT-PROVOKING and so POWERFUL that it left me with a little book hangover.
June 22, 2023
Em is having, quite literally, the worst day. As she heads into work for an important meeting on the morning she is also due to leave for her sister's wedding, wheeling her purple suitcase along behind her we get a sense of how kind-hearted she is. But the meeting doesn't exactly go to plan when she is instead fired on the spot. Devastated at no longer having her dream job she heads for home in the heat as London has been experiencing a heatwave that has no end in sight only to find she doesn't have her keys. And the day goes from bad to worse, trekking across the city in heels when transportation lines go down, contemplating the recent slew of murders around the city, and the loss of the love of her life we learn just how much a person can take.
The words on the cover of this book really say it all. It was electrifying, amazing, I didn't want to put it down to sleep, thus resulting in two extremely late nights. I'm not usually a huge thriller reader, but after hearing about this book for so long I knew it was one I had to get my hands on one way or another. What's even more fun is also being 29 and only five months away from turning 30 myself. I completely related to the "I was meant to have my life in order by now" mindset. Really I related to Em very easily, which I think gives even more power to the book, how many people can relate to her? Whether you're almost 30 or not, she's one of the most relatable characters I've ever come across. And I've come across a lot of characters. I loved the addition of Rose, every girl should have a friend like her. She puts her heart out there to help her friends, new and old. She had barely met Em and was willing to go to such lengths to help this woman who was clearly having a bad day. I want to say more about her, but she has such a large part near the end of the book, I don't want to give anything away. Basically, all I can say is this, go pick up this book. You won't regret it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley & Headline books in exchange for an honest review.
The words on the cover of this book really say it all. It was electrifying, amazing, I didn't want to put it down to sleep, thus resulting in two extremely late nights. I'm not usually a huge thriller reader, but after hearing about this book for so long I knew it was one I had to get my hands on one way or another. What's even more fun is also being 29 and only five months away from turning 30 myself. I completely related to the "I was meant to have my life in order by now" mindset. Really I related to Em very easily, which I think gives even more power to the book, how many people can relate to her? Whether you're almost 30 or not, she's one of the most relatable characters I've ever come across. And I've come across a lot of characters. I loved the addition of Rose, every girl should have a friend like her. She puts her heart out there to help her friends, new and old. She had barely met Em and was willing to go to such lengths to help this woman who was clearly having a bad day. I want to say more about her, but she has such a large part near the end of the book, I don't want to give anything away. Basically, all I can say is this, go pick up this book. You won't regret it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley & Headline books in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2023
I LOVED 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦 𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 by Natali Simmonds, and it really got under my skin in the best way.
Thank you to Headline for sending me a copy of the book, which I read with the Squadpod ladies.
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𝗜 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲.
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Good Girls Die Last follows our main protagonist Em, on a nightmare day, where everything comes crashing down around her.
At times it was a painful read, but I flew through it, like something awful playing out infront of you that you just can't tear your eyes away from.
I'd describe it as a grown up 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦 meets Joaquin Phoenix's 𝘑𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘳 but with a feminist lens, and as a powerful depiction of what life for women is genuinely like.
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'𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀. 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀.'
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Em starts her day expecting to receive a permanent job offer after covering for someone on maternity leave, but instead is let go, after being accused of having an obsessive crush on one of the Directors; an accusation that couldn't be further from the truth.
She also has to get to the airport to go home to her family in Spain in time for her sister's wedding, but due to the ridiculous heatwave in London, a fire breaks out, and public transport breaks down.
She sets out for the airport on foot, with no phone battery, no charger, a bursting bladder, dehydrated and hungry, and to top it all off she is due to start her period.
But if you thought her day couldn't get much worse, you would be very wrong.
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'𝗜'𝗺 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀.' 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲. '𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝘀𝘀, 𝗘𝗺. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.'
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There were times throughout the story where I did feel frustrated with Em, and I wanted to shake her and tell her to get a hold of herself and to stop letting other people treat her so poorly.
The whole situation with her flatmate Matt, and how Em was practically homeless every weekend because he had his girlfriend over, was despicable. And it made me mad that Em could stand to let him do that to her.
But as her past and her story unfolded I understood, and I did have a lot more empathy for her situation. After all, it took me until I was in my 30s to confront my abuser, and these splinters and scars we obtain in our childhoods really do stay buried deeply.
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'𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘅 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀. 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻.'
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I ADORED ROSE as a character, and I especially loved how Em initially misjudged her. Em soon learns firsthand just how deceiving appearances can be.
Rose is an absolute firecracker of a character. She has self respect in spades, and doesn't seem to be afraid of anyone or anything. Though we of course know deep down she is as afraid as anyone else, she tells that fear to Eff Off, along with anyone (especially men) who bothers her and gets in her way.
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𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆? 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻. 𝗦𝗼, 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆.
'𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀��� 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗯*𝘁𝗰𝗵?' 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀.
'𝗪𝗼𝗮𝗵! 𝗪𝗲'𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁, 𝗹𝗮𝗱𝘀,' 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁. '𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘆.'
'𝗦𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘆. 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹.'
'𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹.'
'𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗵, 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘆.'
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Rose and Em seem unlikely friends at first, but Rose is there for Em when noone else is. She is the embodiment of those glorious women you meet on nights out, usually in the loos, who amp you up and celebrate you even though you're complete strangers.
Women who love and support other women, women who stick together, and women who recognise each other's worth.
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𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗿, 𝗷𝗮𝘇𝘇 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲.
'𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀, 𝗘𝗺, 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀, 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿.'
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Simmonds' ability to write characters who feel real, and as though their lives are continuing out of sight off the page, is excellent.
Moby, aka Sam, was another gorgeous character. And it's great to see a story focussed on a homeless person that isn't solely focussed on their trauma, or addiction, or any of the other reasons that people tell themselves the homeless person has somehow brought their situation on themselves.
He is also there when Em needs a friend the most, and they help each other in so many important ways.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 - 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
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The pressure mounts for Em as she tries to get herself to the airport and to make her sister's wedding: pressure from familial expectations, of being the eldest daughter, and yet not always being there for her family; pressure Em has put on herself with the falsehoods she has told her family, about her career and her love life, and; internalised societal pressures, because Em has not accepted herself for who she really is, and she needs to stop minimising herself and stand up for herself and those she cares about.
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𝗠𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝘂𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗸.
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Family is a key theme throughout the book, and I thought the journey that the reader went on with Em in how she feels about her family was masterfully depicted by Simmonds.
Initially we feel that Em is seen as a bit of a black sheep, who is being nagged and pressured by her family as they fully expect her to let them down. And before she even sets off for the airport, she has in some ways already let them down.
When we see some of Em's backstory of what happened in her home, I felt angry at Em's family. The times she did try to stand up for herself she was punished, and her mother and sister stood by in silence, making themselves small and reducing themselves. It's no wonder Em learned to do the same.
I know Em's mother and sister were both also victims, but I do find it difficult when a mother allows her children to be abused by another caregiver. One parent's love, no matter how strong, can never cancel out abuse from another caregiver.
In the end, though, Em realises that all her family want for her is for her to be happy. They 𝘥𝘰 love her for who she is, she just hasn't let them in to get to know the real her.
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(Continued in comments)
Thank you to Headline for sending me a copy of the book, which I read with the Squadpod ladies.
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𝗜 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲.
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Good Girls Die Last follows our main protagonist Em, on a nightmare day, where everything comes crashing down around her.
At times it was a painful read, but I flew through it, like something awful playing out infront of you that you just can't tear your eyes away from.
I'd describe it as a grown up 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦 meets Joaquin Phoenix's 𝘑𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘳 but with a feminist lens, and as a powerful depiction of what life for women is genuinely like.
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'𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀. 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀.'
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Em starts her day expecting to receive a permanent job offer after covering for someone on maternity leave, but instead is let go, after being accused of having an obsessive crush on one of the Directors; an accusation that couldn't be further from the truth.
She also has to get to the airport to go home to her family in Spain in time for her sister's wedding, but due to the ridiculous heatwave in London, a fire breaks out, and public transport breaks down.
She sets out for the airport on foot, with no phone battery, no charger, a bursting bladder, dehydrated and hungry, and to top it all off she is due to start her period.
But if you thought her day couldn't get much worse, you would be very wrong.
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'𝗜'𝗺 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀.' 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲. '𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝘀𝘀, 𝗘𝗺. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.'
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There were times throughout the story where I did feel frustrated with Em, and I wanted to shake her and tell her to get a hold of herself and to stop letting other people treat her so poorly.
The whole situation with her flatmate Matt, and how Em was practically homeless every weekend because he had his girlfriend over, was despicable. And it made me mad that Em could stand to let him do that to her.
But as her past and her story unfolded I understood, and I did have a lot more empathy for her situation. After all, it took me until I was in my 30s to confront my abuser, and these splinters and scars we obtain in our childhoods really do stay buried deeply.
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'𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘅 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀. 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻.'
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I ADORED ROSE as a character, and I especially loved how Em initially misjudged her. Em soon learns firsthand just how deceiving appearances can be.
Rose is an absolute firecracker of a character. She has self respect in spades, and doesn't seem to be afraid of anyone or anything. Though we of course know deep down she is as afraid as anyone else, she tells that fear to Eff Off, along with anyone (especially men) who bothers her and gets in her way.
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𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆? 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻. 𝗦𝗼, 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆.
'𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀��� 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗯*𝘁𝗰𝗵?' 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀.
'𝗪𝗼𝗮𝗵! 𝗪𝗲'𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁, 𝗹𝗮𝗱𝘀,' 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁. '𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘆.'
'𝗦𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘆. 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹.'
'𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹.'
'𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗵, 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘆.'
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Rose and Em seem unlikely friends at first, but Rose is there for Em when noone else is. She is the embodiment of those glorious women you meet on nights out, usually in the loos, who amp you up and celebrate you even though you're complete strangers.
Women who love and support other women, women who stick together, and women who recognise each other's worth.
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𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗿, 𝗷𝗮𝘇𝘇 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲.
'𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀, 𝗘𝗺, 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀, 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿.'
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Simmonds' ability to write characters who feel real, and as though their lives are continuing out of sight off the page, is excellent.
Moby, aka Sam, was another gorgeous character. And it's great to see a story focussed on a homeless person that isn't solely focussed on their trauma, or addiction, or any of the other reasons that people tell themselves the homeless person has somehow brought their situation on themselves.
He is also there when Em needs a friend the most, and they help each other in so many important ways.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 - 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
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The pressure mounts for Em as she tries to get herself to the airport and to make her sister's wedding: pressure from familial expectations, of being the eldest daughter, and yet not always being there for her family; pressure Em has put on herself with the falsehoods she has told her family, about her career and her love life, and; internalised societal pressures, because Em has not accepted herself for who she really is, and she needs to stop minimising herself and stand up for herself and those she cares about.
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𝗠𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝘂𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗸.
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Family is a key theme throughout the book, and I thought the journey that the reader went on with Em in how she feels about her family was masterfully depicted by Simmonds.
Initially we feel that Em is seen as a bit of a black sheep, who is being nagged and pressured by her family as they fully expect her to let them down. And before she even sets off for the airport, she has in some ways already let them down.
When we see some of Em's backstory of what happened in her home, I felt angry at Em's family. The times she did try to stand up for herself she was punished, and her mother and sister stood by in silence, making themselves small and reducing themselves. It's no wonder Em learned to do the same.
I know Em's mother and sister were both also victims, but I do find it difficult when a mother allows her children to be abused by another caregiver. One parent's love, no matter how strong, can never cancel out abuse from another caregiver.
In the end, though, Em realises that all her family want for her is for her to be happy. They 𝘥𝘰 love her for who she is, she just hasn't let them in to get to know the real her.
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(Continued in comments)
July 4, 2023
When you reach for Good Girls Die Last you can expect a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to end. This book had me racing from page to page eager to find out what was going to happen.
The author digs into the fear women live with daily. The fear of being alone on a dak street, the fear of strange men and the fear of speaking out at work. She creates a character that experiences the worst day imaginable and leaves her facing one challenge after the other. You are drawn into this woman’s life and you find it impossible to walk away. This book has shows that as a woman there are so many things we still have to be afraid of and that the world still has a long way to go before woman will be in a position where they feel truly safe.
Em is convinced that all her dreams are about to come true as she gets ready for work. She is convinced that she will be permanently employed before the end of the day and she is headed home to Spain to see her mom and sister for the first time in years and she will have the life they think she already does.
However, when she walks into her meeting with HR, the carpet is pulled from under her feet and she is finds herself embarking on the most horrific day imaginable – all while a serial killer is haunting the streets of London.
My heart broke for Em, how much can one woman deal with? I loved the way the author shares Em’s emotions. You feel as if you are facing her struggles with her as everything possible goes wrong.
Em is a quite, reserved woman who has been taught that it is better to keep quite – no matter what happens to you, if you keep quite horrible situations will go away faster. The author shows how wrong that theory is. Just when you start believing that Em will never fight back she surprises you and you start to see a change in this woman. She goes from keep quiet to speaking her mind. When Em starts standing up for herself you see her transform into a strong, determined woman. The author did a fantastic job with this character and you will find yourself loving this woman.
I lost myself in Em’s world, so this one has earned a place on my loved list for 2023. Unfortunately, this book convinced me that I never want to visit London, there was nothing nice about the city on this book.
If you are looking for a furiously gripping thriller that questions what’s the best way for a woman to stay safe – then this is the book for you. Be warned, this book will keep you awake at night as you will not want to put it down.
https://featzreviews.com/good-girls-d...
The author digs into the fear women live with daily. The fear of being alone on a dak street, the fear of strange men and the fear of speaking out at work. She creates a character that experiences the worst day imaginable and leaves her facing one challenge after the other. You are drawn into this woman’s life and you find it impossible to walk away. This book has shows that as a woman there are so many things we still have to be afraid of and that the world still has a long way to go before woman will be in a position where they feel truly safe.
Em is convinced that all her dreams are about to come true as she gets ready for work. She is convinced that she will be permanently employed before the end of the day and she is headed home to Spain to see her mom and sister for the first time in years and she will have the life they think she already does.
However, when she walks into her meeting with HR, the carpet is pulled from under her feet and she is finds herself embarking on the most horrific day imaginable – all while a serial killer is haunting the streets of London.
My heart broke for Em, how much can one woman deal with? I loved the way the author shares Em’s emotions. You feel as if you are facing her struggles with her as everything possible goes wrong.
Em is a quite, reserved woman who has been taught that it is better to keep quite – no matter what happens to you, if you keep quite horrible situations will go away faster. The author shows how wrong that theory is. Just when you start believing that Em will never fight back she surprises you and you start to see a change in this woman. She goes from keep quiet to speaking her mind. When Em starts standing up for herself you see her transform into a strong, determined woman. The author did a fantastic job with this character and you will find yourself loving this woman.
I lost myself in Em’s world, so this one has earned a place on my loved list for 2023. Unfortunately, this book convinced me that I never want to visit London, there was nothing nice about the city on this book.
If you are looking for a furiously gripping thriller that questions what’s the best way for a woman to stay safe – then this is the book for you. Be warned, this book will keep you awake at night as you will not want to put it down.
https://featzreviews.com/good-girls-d...
July 23, 2024
Easy to Read but for me the plot was so slow, most of the book she spent walking to the airport!
June 25, 2023
Good Girls Die Last is an emotional, gripping, largely relatable and hugely thought provoking read.
The novel begins with a tweet and we are thrown straight in to Em’s world. The events proceeding happen over only a few days but the change and impact in such a short time is huge.
I was drawn to Em and felt invested in the story from the outset. Her journey, both physical and emotional, her history, resilience and determination are admirable and I found myself drawn to the collective course of actions. The past and Em’s memories are woven through and help to create an insight into her true self. Her background and her mistakes are extremely detailed and I feel like you really get to know a rounded version of her as the book progresses.
The presence of social media, primarily Twitter, in the novel is something I found interesting. I enjoyed the outside perspective and the reality of the way things can spiral in the modern world is nicely presented. People are influenced and how things are interpreted is important.
Having London as a backdrop for the novel made it feel even more realistic for me. It took me back to living there and the realities of when the heat shuts things down. The feelings of being lost, the tube trips and DLR trains, exploring lesser known parts of the city.
Natali Simmonds has done a really fantastic job with the multitude of references to problems in society, particularly hierarchy and misogyny but there are many more. The amount of issues she discusses and how many things I related to were astounding, yet made me realise how truly sad that is.
I liked the inclusion of news articles, tweets and threads providing external explanations of events. It made the story feel more realistic and like it’s happening in real-time.
The story is a strong one and although it felt like a run of bad luck, it felt an accumulation of occurrences. Many of these could happen to any of us as things pile up and actions have repercussions. The descriptions made me able to feel the pressure build-up. The stifling heat, the continual thing after thing after thing… It was a powerful pressure chamber.
The novel begins with a tweet and we are thrown straight in to Em’s world. The events proceeding happen over only a few days but the change and impact in such a short time is huge.
I was drawn to Em and felt invested in the story from the outset. Her journey, both physical and emotional, her history, resilience and determination are admirable and I found myself drawn to the collective course of actions. The past and Em’s memories are woven through and help to create an insight into her true self. Her background and her mistakes are extremely detailed and I feel like you really get to know a rounded version of her as the book progresses.
The presence of social media, primarily Twitter, in the novel is something I found interesting. I enjoyed the outside perspective and the reality of the way things can spiral in the modern world is nicely presented. People are influenced and how things are interpreted is important.
Having London as a backdrop for the novel made it feel even more realistic for me. It took me back to living there and the realities of when the heat shuts things down. The feelings of being lost, the tube trips and DLR trains, exploring lesser known parts of the city.
Natali Simmonds has done a really fantastic job with the multitude of references to problems in society, particularly hierarchy and misogyny but there are many more. The amount of issues she discusses and how many things I related to were astounding, yet made me realise how truly sad that is.
I liked the inclusion of news articles, tweets and threads providing external explanations of events. It made the story feel more realistic and like it’s happening in real-time.
The story is a strong one and although it felt like a run of bad luck, it felt an accumulation of occurrences. Many of these could happen to any of us as things pile up and actions have repercussions. The descriptions made me able to feel the pressure build-up. The stifling heat, the continual thing after thing after thing… It was a powerful pressure chamber.
June 29, 2023
If you plan to pick up Good Girls Die Last then can I suggest you clear your calendar as if you’re anything like me you won’t want to put to down. It is an intense read, one that will take you on a real rollercoaster of a journey as you reflect on some of the things women have to deal with in today’s world but boy is it good!
Em is having a bad day - her contract at work has not been renewed primarily due to the say so of a lecherous boss, she can’t go back to her flat thanks to a flatmate for whom she has become a ‘bit on the side’ and on a sweltering hot day London is gridlocked - and she needs to make it across London to fly to her sister’s wedding in Spain. Oh and by the way there is a serial killer on the loose on London who is targeting women.
It is a book that is hard to sum up - to call it a thriller is an oversimplification as it is so much more than that. It’s hard hitting, thought provoking and I raced through it fully engaged in Em’s story as things spiral out of control, but often recoiling in horror at events and attitudes which felt all too real. The tension never lets up, and the fact it is set in a heatwave fully contributes to the atmosphere as the story races along to its dramatic conclusion. This is certainly a book I won’t forget in a hurry.
Em is having a bad day - her contract at work has not been renewed primarily due to the say so of a lecherous boss, she can’t go back to her flat thanks to a flatmate for whom she has become a ‘bit on the side’ and on a sweltering hot day London is gridlocked - and she needs to make it across London to fly to her sister’s wedding in Spain. Oh and by the way there is a serial killer on the loose on London who is targeting women.
It is a book that is hard to sum up - to call it a thriller is an oversimplification as it is so much more than that. It’s hard hitting, thought provoking and I raced through it fully engaged in Em’s story as things spiral out of control, but often recoiling in horror at events and attitudes which felt all too real. The tension never lets up, and the fact it is set in a heatwave fully contributes to the atmosphere as the story races along to its dramatic conclusion. This is certainly a book I won’t forget in a hurry.
June 29, 2023
Good Girls Die Last by Natilia Simmons
Thank you to Random Things Book Tours and Headline for the ARC.
We are following Em after her recent breakup and a career downgrade
We see Em's dynamics of family life and how she's hid some of herself from them.
I like being cooperation of social media in this book making it more relatable to real life situations.
I had some of them hmm snort moment whilst reading this book I felt for Em throughout.
Rose I was not sure about her character at first but I ended up loving her. She such a fighter and a great friend to Em.
I really like the end how Em is basically doing her own #MeToo movement and this is definitely needed.
Em goes through so much and sown of them side characters give me the ick such as Paul and Matty. However we have the saving graces with Rose, Kate and Dantia.
Once I started reading I did not want to stop. Though it broke my heart as well.
Thank you to Random Things Book Tours and Headline for the ARC.
We are following Em after her recent breakup and a career downgrade
We see Em's dynamics of family life and how she's hid some of herself from them.
I like being cooperation of social media in this book making it more relatable to real life situations.
I had some of them hmm snort moment whilst reading this book I felt for Em throughout.
Rose I was not sure about her character at first but I ended up loving her. She such a fighter and a great friend to Em.
I really like the end how Em is basically doing her own #MeToo movement and this is definitely needed.
Em goes through so much and sown of them side characters give me the ick such as Paul and Matty. However we have the saving graces with Rose, Kate and Dantia.
Once I started reading I did not want to stop. Though it broke my heart as well.
June 22, 2023
I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this!
London is in a blistering heatwave while a serial killer is on the loose. Our girl Em wakes up in bed of her landlord/room mate (who has a girlfriend), and gets ready for work where she is confident she will be made permanent in her role, then plans to head to Spain for her little sisters wedding. That was the plan. In the most catastrophic of ways, her day did not go to plan.
We’ve all had bad days, which makes Em likeable and relatable in her actions in the first half of the book. As the book progresses and she meets some unexpected characters, who turn out to be friends and influences for her, Em strengthens and grabs empowerment by the big ones!
This book is intense!!! It faces into some of the most important, yet heavily debated, topics that face women everywhere. We look at rape culture, sexual harassment, slut-shaming, staying quiet for an ‘easy life’. The story unfolds as we desperately want to know more about Em - what about Nikki? What happened with her dad? And what is her real name?
I read this book, and after finishing, I was ready to take to the streets and fight! Some of this book was hard to read as it was so realistic, but the author dials the intensity up and down throughout, making you desperate to follow her journey.
A 5⭐️ read for me!
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
London is in a blistering heatwave while a serial killer is on the loose. Our girl Em wakes up in bed of her landlord/room mate (who has a girlfriend), and gets ready for work where she is confident she will be made permanent in her role, then plans to head to Spain for her little sisters wedding. That was the plan. In the most catastrophic of ways, her day did not go to plan.
We’ve all had bad days, which makes Em likeable and relatable in her actions in the first half of the book. As the book progresses and she meets some unexpected characters, who turn out to be friends and influences for her, Em strengthens and grabs empowerment by the big ones!
This book is intense!!! It faces into some of the most important, yet heavily debated, topics that face women everywhere. We look at rape culture, sexual harassment, slut-shaming, staying quiet for an ‘easy life’. The story unfolds as we desperately want to know more about Em - what about Nikki? What happened with her dad? And what is her real name?
I read this book, and after finishing, I was ready to take to the streets and fight! Some of this book was hard to read as it was so realistic, but the author dials the intensity up and down throughout, making you desperate to follow her journey.
A 5⭐️ read for me!
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Read
June 29, 2023Really great – a very tense, atmospheric feminist thriller with some brilliant characters.
February 28, 2023
Where to even start with this one?! It's not often you find yourself with a tear in your eye after reading a thriller but here we are lol. This is an amazingly well written and timely thriller about the terrifying realities of being a woman in todays world.
It's so fast paced and you are just dragged along for the ride. It really is so much more than just a thriller! I don't even know how to accurately articulate that. Basically it's about a serial killer targeting women in London and the author creates such a heightened state of tension and fear that grows throughout the story. Its just so relatable and realistic, the dismissive attitudes, the turning a blind eye, the keeping quiet, the fear and paranoia that is felt, even in broad daylight because you hear footsteps or when men "banter" and tell you to smile more and just how quickly they can switch to violence if you aren't nice enough by their standards. This is such an accurate study of thr current climate and the tension and tempers are amplified by the insane heat wave because let's be honest, we Brits don't cope well with and extreme weather!
My jaw was on the floor with some of the twists that were thrown in, especially a few things that closed out the book.
You got the main characters story along with a 2nd narrative from her twitter feed which again, is scarily accurate to the time we live in! And the fact that some times it helps and sometimes it hinders. I can't get over just how captivating this story was, possibly because its just so relatable and real. Which makes it even more terrifying.
The characters are well written and humanised. I know all of these characters in my real life, from the smarmy boss to the homeless lad on the street. This feel like having your pal sit and tell you about a complete nightmare of a day she's had and you can't help but care because all the situations are relateable and have happened to us. Even ending up leaking through your pad is something we've all faced and the hassle of having to try and clean up in public loos if you can't get home
And as someone who is Scottish and mixed race with a very unusual name, the attitudes to the main characters real name and going for the easy option of just letting people rename her was all too relatable. Of being assumed to be an immigrant because of how she looked, being asked if she understood English, the white guys who claim to be ethnic and say they can relate your struggle because their great great great grandad was from Italy/Greece etc (i dated one of those..... it was interesting)....... the many microagressions were soooo realistic but none if these things were really highlighted or made a big deal of which I liked. The author doesn't preach about the unjust nature of being a woman or racism or whatever, its all just laid out in this fast paced story for survival, and these are just incidental things that happen to her to cause her to eventually rise up and reclaim her power
This book will easily be one of my top reads of the year! It's powerful, it's honest, it's scary, it's brave and I'm so thankful to the author for bringing it to life.
It's hard not to think of Sarah Everard when reading this book and the vigils held in her name. At the time of reading this (feb 23) firemen have just been caught taking and sharing pics of car crash victims with their underwear exposed. And commenting of course! Aswell as the abuse that the female firefighters have had to experience when all they want to do is do their job sooooooo yeah, this is an amazing thriller but it's also a snapshot of current life for women and the fact that you just never can tell which men are just a holes and which will.escalate to murder
It's so fast paced and you are just dragged along for the ride. It really is so much more than just a thriller! I don't even know how to accurately articulate that. Basically it's about a serial killer targeting women in London and the author creates such a heightened state of tension and fear that grows throughout the story. Its just so relatable and realistic, the dismissive attitudes, the turning a blind eye, the keeping quiet, the fear and paranoia that is felt, even in broad daylight because you hear footsteps or when men "banter" and tell you to smile more and just how quickly they can switch to violence if you aren't nice enough by their standards. This is such an accurate study of thr current climate and the tension and tempers are amplified by the insane heat wave because let's be honest, we Brits don't cope well with and extreme weather!
My jaw was on the floor with some of the twists that were thrown in, especially a few things that closed out the book.
You got the main characters story along with a 2nd narrative from her twitter feed which again, is scarily accurate to the time we live in! And the fact that some times it helps and sometimes it hinders. I can't get over just how captivating this story was, possibly because its just so relatable and real. Which makes it even more terrifying.
The characters are well written and humanised. I know all of these characters in my real life, from the smarmy boss to the homeless lad on the street. This feel like having your pal sit and tell you about a complete nightmare of a day she's had and you can't help but care because all the situations are relateable and have happened to us. Even ending up leaking through your pad is something we've all faced and the hassle of having to try and clean up in public loos if you can't get home
And as someone who is Scottish and mixed race with a very unusual name, the attitudes to the main characters real name and going for the easy option of just letting people rename her was all too relatable. Of being assumed to be an immigrant because of how she looked, being asked if she understood English, the white guys who claim to be ethnic and say they can relate your struggle because their great great great grandad was from Italy/Greece etc (i dated one of those..... it was interesting)....... the many microagressions were soooo realistic but none if these things were really highlighted or made a big deal of which I liked. The author doesn't preach about the unjust nature of being a woman or racism or whatever, its all just laid out in this fast paced story for survival, and these are just incidental things that happen to her to cause her to eventually rise up and reclaim her power
This book will easily be one of my top reads of the year! It's powerful, it's honest, it's scary, it's brave and I'm so thankful to the author for bringing it to life.
It's hard not to think of Sarah Everard when reading this book and the vigils held in her name. At the time of reading this (feb 23) firemen have just been caught taking and sharing pics of car crash victims with their underwear exposed. And commenting of course! Aswell as the abuse that the female firefighters have had to experience when all they want to do is do their job sooooooo yeah, this is an amazing thriller but it's also a snapshot of current life for women and the fact that you just never can tell which men are just a holes and which will.escalate to murder
June 3, 2023
Good Girls Die Last by Natali Simmonds is an emotional thriller and one of the best books I’ve ever read. I could not put it down!
The main character Em is every woman who’s ever been tossed aside, condescended, and silenced. She was taught from a young age to simply sit and watch. Her voice doesn’t matter. She is nothing but a disappointment to everyone, her mother and sister included.
One day she snaps, decides it’s time her voice is heard, and she suddenly becomes a hero to everyone. Everyone except herself. While using her voice has left women finally feeling empowered, valuable and worthy, Em is left, once again, wondering if life is even worth living. She finds herself on the run while still trying to please her mother, sister, and the only true love she’s ever known, Nikki.
Simmonds tells the story earnestly and gives life to what women experience daily. I wanted to join Em in her fight and let her know she isn’t alone. I wanted to thank her for speaking out, not to get the last word or win, but to simply be heard, to be seen.
While reading this book, I felt nervous, angry, sad, and anxious. I was shaking my head, and at times I wanted to scream. By the time I reached the end, the weight of emotions was so heavy, I was speechless.
I don’t know that I’ve read any other book that resonates so deeply, and I hope this isn’t the last thriller Simmonds gives us.
The main character Em is every woman who’s ever been tossed aside, condescended, and silenced. She was taught from a young age to simply sit and watch. Her voice doesn’t matter. She is nothing but a disappointment to everyone, her mother and sister included.
One day she snaps, decides it’s time her voice is heard, and she suddenly becomes a hero to everyone. Everyone except herself. While using her voice has left women finally feeling empowered, valuable and worthy, Em is left, once again, wondering if life is even worth living. She finds herself on the run while still trying to please her mother, sister, and the only true love she’s ever known, Nikki.
Simmonds tells the story earnestly and gives life to what women experience daily. I wanted to join Em in her fight and let her know she isn’t alone. I wanted to thank her for speaking out, not to get the last word or win, but to simply be heard, to be seen.
While reading this book, I felt nervous, angry, sad, and anxious. I was shaking my head, and at times I wanted to scream. By the time I reached the end, the weight of emotions was so heavy, I was speechless.
I don’t know that I’ve read any other book that resonates so deeply, and I hope this isn’t the last thriller Simmonds gives us.
March 28, 2024
I felt it was a total waste of time to listen to this book. I might get refund from Audible for it, but I will never get the time I spent listening to this book. In which century did bus drivers abandon buses middle of the road due to heat wave in London? I can understand underground getting closed due to extreme heat, but bus drivers? I have spent enough 40+ C summers in this city to realize how ludicrous this claim is. In which century does a girl walking from Trafalgar Square to City Airport cant find a single McDonald's or a nice cafe to go to toilet and ends up in pubs full of molesters where they molest her and no one says anything? I can understand the abusive boss, abusive flatmate, her past, her struggle, park catching fire and flights getting cancelled, credit card not working and not being able to pay for the hotel and ending up on road middle of the night, but I cant understand why someone needs to walk from Trafalgar square to City airport to catch a flight. The reason why it is important is that these small things add up to the frustration (as claimed by the author) and justifies her breaking down at the end, but if these small things are absolutely unrelatable and not real, then her breaking down is not justifiable. I couldn't help but be reminded of the Black Mirror episode Nosedive, which also set on a similar theme - when pushed by small things, how someone can snap. Nosedive is set in a futuristic dystopian world with highly unrelatable situations - even Nosedive seems more relatable than this novel which is actually set almost in my neighbourhood!
And what happened to the serial killer in the end? Who was he and why was he killing? Isn't that the promise an author makes when they write about serial killers that by the end of the book the readers would know who is the killer? This book was a real test of patience for me.
This novel doesn't only paint an extremely unrealistic picture of present day London, it sets a painstakingly incorrect picture of the power of social media as well. No one cares about anyone - people might retweet and comment from the comfort of their houses, but when the real help is needed no one cares to gather at Trafalgar Square to save someone. I thought people know that post pandemic. The author seems to be extremely naive to expect that one tweet will send thousands of women marching to save someone. In short, it was a total waste of time to read this book.
And what happened to the serial killer in the end? Who was he and why was he killing? Isn't that the promise an author makes when they write about serial killers that by the end of the book the readers would know who is the killer? This book was a real test of patience for me.
This novel doesn't only paint an extremely unrealistic picture of present day London, it sets a painstakingly incorrect picture of the power of social media as well. No one cares about anyone - people might retweet and comment from the comfort of their houses, but when the real help is needed no one cares to gather at Trafalgar Square to save someone. I thought people know that post pandemic. The author seems to be extremely naive to expect that one tweet will send thousands of women marching to save someone. In short, it was a total waste of time to read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2023
A RED HOT TRIUMPH and a masterclass in thriller writing!
Where. To. Start?
The tension builds in sync with London's searing heatwave as Em's day goes from bad to worse to catastrophic on a level of epic you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. And yet... the beauty of this book is that all of us as women can relate to parts of it. Sadly, unfortunately, furiously. At a point in time when women are still battling to be heard in many parts of the world and seeing their rights taken away in others, Em really shouldn't be experiencing the inequalities and prejudices she faces (and witnesses). Not in twenty-first century London. But that's exactly what happens, of course, because that is the silent, swept under the carpet reality that the majority of females have known and continue to know. Dressed up, hidden, disguised, but always there. Like an irritating mosquito with a background hum. To that end, there were times when I wanted to literally jump into my Kindle and duff the perpetrators.
I've never felt like that over a work of fiction before. Powerful scene-setting and storytelling indeed...
But there is so much more to this feminist thriller. Its message that it is high time for change has the potential to send the kind of ripple effects into the world that ensure we never go back to the dark ages. Small wonder that it's been optioned for TV! I cannot wait to see it on the big screen and I cannot wait to recommend it to the women and men in my life. I will also be buying a copy for my daughter and my son when they come of age.
Because EVERYBODY needs to read this. It really is that good. Believe the hype.
Where. To. Start?
The tension builds in sync with London's searing heatwave as Em's day goes from bad to worse to catastrophic on a level of epic you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. And yet... the beauty of this book is that all of us as women can relate to parts of it. Sadly, unfortunately, furiously. At a point in time when women are still battling to be heard in many parts of the world and seeing their rights taken away in others, Em really shouldn't be experiencing the inequalities and prejudices she faces (and witnesses). Not in twenty-first century London. But that's exactly what happens, of course, because that is the silent, swept under the carpet reality that the majority of females have known and continue to know. Dressed up, hidden, disguised, but always there. Like an irritating mosquito with a background hum. To that end, there were times when I wanted to literally jump into my Kindle and duff the perpetrators.
I've never felt like that over a work of fiction before. Powerful scene-setting and storytelling indeed...
But there is so much more to this feminist thriller. Its message that it is high time for change has the potential to send the kind of ripple effects into the world that ensure we never go back to the dark ages. Small wonder that it's been optioned for TV! I cannot wait to see it on the big screen and I cannot wait to recommend it to the women and men in my life. I will also be buying a copy for my daughter and my son when they come of age.
Because EVERYBODY needs to read this. It really is that good. Believe the hype.
July 4, 2023
" 'Were you not scared?' I ask. She shrugs. 'When are we ever not scared?' "
GOOD GIRLS DIE LAST is a story of being a woman -- of being voiceless, abused, mistreated, and sexualized; and to top it all off, she is having a monumentally bad day. It's a book written from anger and thus is raw in its message. Be good. Be quiet. Be small. Then it's not your fault. This book says to BE LOUD. BE ANGRY. AND FIGHT.
GOOD GIRLS DIE LAST is a story of being a woman -- of being voiceless, abused, mistreated, and sexualized; and to top it all off, she is having a monumentally bad day. It's a book written from anger and thus is raw in its message. Be good. Be quiet. Be small. Then it's not your fault. This book says to BE LOUD. BE ANGRY. AND FIGHT.
June 29, 2023
Good Girls Die Last is an intense thriller by Natalie Simmonds. The novel follows Em over a twenty four hour period during one of London’s worst heatwaves, while a serial killer stalks the streets killing young women. Em is desperately trying to make her way to the airport to catch her flight for her sister’s wedding in Spain. Her mother is also seriously ill and Em knows that this may be the last chance she gets to see her mother before she dies. But London is at a standstill. With the heat the trains aren’t running, and for Em, getting on any form of transport seems near impossible. So she is forced to make her own way around London on foot with the threat of danger around every corner.
You can really feel the anger and tension in this book. It has echoes of recent horrific news stories, particularly with the protests on the streets and the comments made on social media. The writing is really strong as Natalie Simmonds tackles these topics, and you can feel the emotion coming through in the character’s words and actions. There was one scene in particular, when Em was with her friend, who confronts a group of teenagers that made me really angry as I read it, especially at how Em and her friend were treated. I could see why Em’s friend reacted towards the teenagers in the way that she did.
Em was a very well rounded character, and I felt as though I really got to know her over the course of the novel. I felt angry for her, especially at the way how random men in the street treated her. The intensity in the novel only grows and it reaches boiling point, and there are some shocking twists.
This is also a very personal story for Em. As Natalie Simmonds reveals more about her past, we see the horrors that she has experienced, right from an early age from when she was a child living with her parents in Spain. This is gradually revealed and there are some heartbreaking revelations as the novel reaches its conclusion, as Natalie reveals more truths about Em and her family.
Good Girls Die Last is a brilliant and powerful novel that needs to be on everyone’s TBR pile. It explores some tough topics that Natalie Simmonds delves into really well, and I’m sure it’s a story that will stay with readers long after they’ve read it.
You can really feel the anger and tension in this book. It has echoes of recent horrific news stories, particularly with the protests on the streets and the comments made on social media. The writing is really strong as Natalie Simmonds tackles these topics, and you can feel the emotion coming through in the character’s words and actions. There was one scene in particular, when Em was with her friend, who confronts a group of teenagers that made me really angry as I read it, especially at how Em and her friend were treated. I could see why Em’s friend reacted towards the teenagers in the way that she did.
Em was a very well rounded character, and I felt as though I really got to know her over the course of the novel. I felt angry for her, especially at the way how random men in the street treated her. The intensity in the novel only grows and it reaches boiling point, and there are some shocking twists.
This is also a very personal story for Em. As Natalie Simmonds reveals more about her past, we see the horrors that she has experienced, right from an early age from when she was a child living with her parents in Spain. This is gradually revealed and there are some heartbreaking revelations as the novel reaches its conclusion, as Natalie reveals more truths about Em and her family.
Good Girls Die Last is a brilliant and powerful novel that needs to be on everyone’s TBR pile. It explores some tough topics that Natalie Simmonds delves into really well, and I’m sure it’s a story that will stay with readers long after they’ve read it.
June 15, 2025
This novel is one of the very rare books I have sat down to finish before I am anywhere near the end. I read the second half of the book in one sitting. It follows Em over a twenty four hour period during one of London’s worst heatwaves, but it seems to go on so much longer. Em was a very well rounded character and I felt as though I really got to know her, except for her actual name. I felt angry with/for her, especially at the way random men treated her and let’s be honest, every woman will recognise her experiences and empathise.
You can really feel the anger and tension in this book. It has echoes of recent horrific news stories, particularly with the protests on the streets and the vigil after Sarah Everad’s murder and the comments made on social media which lead to the Southport riots.
The intensity in the novel grows until it reaches boiling point with some shocking twists. But as this all happens we don’t know her back story and the horrors that she had already experienced. I had tears in my eyes by the end of the book.
Not every woman has been abused by her father and sexually abused and been afraid of commitment due to her history and allowed her body to be manipulated by selfish individuals. However at the same time she is every woman. I’m even considering a semi-colon tattoo.
You can really feel the anger and tension in this book. It has echoes of recent horrific news stories, particularly with the protests on the streets and the vigil after Sarah Everad’s murder and the comments made on social media which lead to the Southport riots.
The intensity in the novel grows until it reaches boiling point with some shocking twists. But as this all happens we don’t know her back story and the horrors that she had already experienced. I had tears in my eyes by the end of the book.
Not every woman has been abused by her father and sexually abused and been afraid of commitment due to her history and allowed her body to be manipulated by selfish individuals. However at the same time she is every woman. I’m even considering a semi-colon tattoo.
June 13, 2023
Ever feel like everything is going wrong in your life all at one time?! Meet our MC, Em.
Em loses her job, gets sexually assaulted, abused, loses her relationship, and is trying to get on a flight to see her sister who was getting married and ill mother during a heat wave with almost no money. Em is a badass, there is no question of that. After all she's been through, she is not going to let life beat her down.
The main part of the book I didn't like was the fact that it felt like a roller coaster. The pace and excitement would go up and down, up and down, etc. Most it was Em trying to get to the airport and chaos along the way.
I feel like this book was setting up for a sequel because it ended on what I felt like was a cliffhanger. I personally am not the fan of books that end like that.
This book wasn't for me but I could see why people would enjoy it. I will check out more from this author.
Thank you Natali Simmonds, NetGalley and Headline for the ARC of this book.
Em loses her job, gets sexually assaulted, abused, loses her relationship, and is trying to get on a flight to see her sister who was getting married and ill mother during a heat wave with almost no money. Em is a badass, there is no question of that. After all she's been through, she is not going to let life beat her down.
The main part of the book I didn't like was the fact that it felt like a roller coaster. The pace and excitement would go up and down, up and down, etc. Most it was Em trying to get to the airport and chaos along the way.
I feel like this book was setting up for a sequel because it ended on what I felt like was a cliffhanger. I personally am not the fan of books that end like that.
This book wasn't for me but I could see why people would enjoy it. I will check out more from this author.
Thank you Natali Simmonds, NetGalley and Headline for the ARC of this book.
June 7, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, honestly I have no words. I don’t know where to start. Em is a 29 year old woman whose day keeps going from bad to worse with dire consequences.
I loved this book, and honestly couldn’t put it down, finishing it in one day! This book features very topical issues, and I imagine that every woman either knows or has sadly encountered in their life. The book feels real and very thought-provoking and gripped me from the start.
Em was the perfect main character and felt all the side characters added depth to the story, I’m glad she met Rose and feel like every woman should have a friend like her! I loved their dynamic and felt like they learned a lot from each other. You could definitely relate to Em, and the things that happened to her throughout the story. One of my favourite quotes is ‘…”it’s not the big things that send you over the edge, it’s the little things. The stuff that sneaks up on you, whilst you’re busy holding on to the things that matter.”’
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. A great gripping thriller with real life issues, that really makes you stop and think.
Wow, honestly I have no words. I don’t know where to start. Em is a 29 year old woman whose day keeps going from bad to worse with dire consequences.
I loved this book, and honestly couldn’t put it down, finishing it in one day! This book features very topical issues, and I imagine that every woman either knows or has sadly encountered in their life. The book feels real and very thought-provoking and gripped me from the start.
Em was the perfect main character and felt all the side characters added depth to the story, I’m glad she met Rose and feel like every woman should have a friend like her! I loved their dynamic and felt like they learned a lot from each other. You could definitely relate to Em, and the things that happened to her throughout the story. One of my favourite quotes is ‘…”it’s not the big things that send you over the edge, it’s the little things. The stuff that sneaks up on you, whilst you’re busy holding on to the things that matter.”’
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. A great gripping thriller with real life issues, that really makes you stop and think.
July 26, 2023
It took me a long time after reading to fully gather my thoughts on this book to be able to write a review. More than any book I've read in recent years, it took some processing once I was finished. I've read other books by this author so thought I knew what to expect, but this is a new genre for her and was a complete departure from what she's written before.
From start to finish, there's a tension to this novel, and this is not the 'comfortable' kind of tension you expect to get with your standard thriller. Nothing in this book is standard. There's a raw realness to the experiences of main character Em, especially for female readers, which makes it all too relatable. I found Em a little frustrating at first but once the novel got going and she came roaring out of her shell, with the encouragement of the fantastic Rose, I was behind her 100%.
This novel won't be everyone's cup of tea but I would strongly recommend that everyone at least give it a try.
From start to finish, there's a tension to this novel, and this is not the 'comfortable' kind of tension you expect to get with your standard thriller. Nothing in this book is standard. There's a raw realness to the experiences of main character Em, especially for female readers, which makes it all too relatable. I found Em a little frustrating at first but once the novel got going and she came roaring out of her shell, with the encouragement of the fantastic Rose, I was behind her 100%.
This novel won't be everyone's cup of tea but I would strongly recommend that everyone at least give it a try.
April 17, 2024
It’s a boiling hot day in Central London and Em is trying to catch a flight home to Spain. It’s her sister’s wedding and she has to be there. But everything is going wrong; she’s just lost her job, her flatmate kicks her out of his flat every weekend so his girlfriend can stay over, then the London transport system goes haywire and the city grounds to a halt. How can Em get to the airport in time?
Oh and there’s a serial killer in town. No woman is safe. As Em makes her way through the roasting streets she begins to understand how true that statement is as she’s accosted, abused and threatened.
Wow what a powerful and empowering book. Written not long after the murder of Sarah Everard, this is a story that channels into the behaviour of men and the safety of women. I loved Em, she was gutsy, ballsy but also normal. I adored the characters she met along the way. Her travels through London were incredibly evocative - the heat of the city hugely adding to the drama and tension.
Natalie Simmonds is one to watch out for. This is a book that will make you laugh, cry and scream. Women should read it. Men should read it. It really is for everyone.
Oh and there’s a serial killer in town. No woman is safe. As Em makes her way through the roasting streets she begins to understand how true that statement is as she’s accosted, abused and threatened.
Wow what a powerful and empowering book. Written not long after the murder of Sarah Everard, this is a story that channels into the behaviour of men and the safety of women. I loved Em, she was gutsy, ballsy but also normal. I adored the characters she met along the way. Her travels through London were incredibly evocative - the heat of the city hugely adding to the drama and tension.
Natalie Simmonds is one to watch out for. This is a book that will make you laugh, cry and scream. Women should read it. Men should read it. It really is for everyone.
July 8, 2023
Such an evocative read, I simply couldn't put it down! Full of very difficult subject matter, but incredibly emotive and fabulously well written.
Em is having the day from hell. She has lost her job, London is in the midst of a heatwave, a serial killer targeting women is on the loose, the transport network has gone down, and all she wants is to get to the airport. She decides to walk and, along the way, meets feisty Rose. What follows is a story of instant friendship, a spotlight on women's safety, and the most thought-provoking book I've read in a very long time. An absolute must read!
Em is having the day from hell. She has lost her job, London is in the midst of a heatwave, a serial killer targeting women is on the loose, the transport network has gone down, and all she wants is to get to the airport. She decides to walk and, along the way, meets feisty Rose. What follows is a story of instant friendship, a spotlight on women's safety, and the most thought-provoking book I've read in a very long time. An absolute must read!
August 1, 2023
What a page turner! I enjoyed the set up - such a gritty depiction of a sweltering London, and I found Em a very relatable character. I immediately loved Rose when we met her. Then the further through I got, the harder it was to put down. I'll happily admit that this kept me up way past my bed time, desperate to know what was going on, and what happens next. The ending gave me goosebumps. This book has stayed with me long past reading it, for so many reasons.
August 8, 2024
I wasn’t sure about this one to start with as I have mostly had positive relationships with the men in my life, but we’ve all met a Matt or a Paul. There’s always another bit to learn about Em’s life, which is infuriating and griping at the same time. Totally immersive and struggled to put it down. Actually stayed up to read more as I couldn’t sleep where I’d left it.
June 17, 2024
Absolutely loved this book! There are parts in this book that every woman in the world can relate to, and the absolute chaos that surrounds the main character is so real that it’s almost unbelievable!
July 3, 2023
This is one of the most powerful books that I have read in quite some time, and it made for an utterly compelling read. I doubt there is a single woman who cannot identify with some of the main characters experiences.
If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:
https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...
If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:
https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...
July 10, 2024
“I can never get away from everything I hate, because everything I hate is inside of me.” Never have i heard anything from a book resonate so deeply.
If you have ever been hurt, abused and silenced by a man, this one is for you! Without fail, it hits. Hard.
A crucial read for everybody, men and women need to read this.
It has a deep meaning, but it is such an easy read and easily relatable. The whole story surrounds the theme of “it’s not one big thing, it’s a build up of lots of little things and then we snap.”
I got to 50% through the book and was still in the same scene pretty much, the same 2 characters but there was NO pain I was bored, or the writing got stale. There was such detailed description I literally felt claustrophobic and hot in my skin. She’s an incredible writer and I’ll definitely be reading more.
The author was inspired after hearing about the death of Sarah Everard. And this story is for every woman who says nothing to be safe, don’t raise the alarm and make things worse. Just do nothing and you’ll be okay. I cried after reading this, I loved the ending but we need more Em!!
Highly recommend!!
#Fuck them #Save Em
If you have ever been hurt, abused and silenced by a man, this one is for you! Without fail, it hits. Hard.
A crucial read for everybody, men and women need to read this.
It has a deep meaning, but it is such an easy read and easily relatable. The whole story surrounds the theme of “it’s not one big thing, it’s a build up of lots of little things and then we snap.”
I got to 50% through the book and was still in the same scene pretty much, the same 2 characters but there was NO pain I was bored, or the writing got stale. There was such detailed description I literally felt claustrophobic and hot in my skin. She’s an incredible writer and I’ll definitely be reading more.
The author was inspired after hearing about the death of Sarah Everard. And this story is for every woman who says nothing to be safe, don’t raise the alarm and make things worse. Just do nothing and you’ll be okay. I cried after reading this, I loved the ending but we need more Em!!
Highly recommend!!
#Fuck them #Save Em
July 6, 2024
I nearly gave up around the page 150 mark.. but I kept on and am pleased I did, it got going and was hard to put down by the end!
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