One Sentence Synopsis

High school senior Pip decides to try and prove that a closed case in her town isn’t as straight-forward as everyone thinks.

Favorite Quote

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile.“

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You know that feeling when you love a book so much that, when you try and put your love into words, you keep coming up blank?

Yeah, that’s me right now.

I picked this book up because I was in a thriller mood and this was E V E R Y W H E R E. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in: the hype train has been both kind and cruel to me. Thankfully, I needn’t have worried because this was incredible!

This story follows a high school senior named Pip who has picked quite the topic for her final project. She has decided to write about a high profile case in her town and prove why the person everyone knows committed the crime… didn’t do it. In the process of trying to prove the suspect’s innocence, Pip finds herself wrapped up in town secrets that threaten more than just her grade.

If you want an example of the perfect YA thriller that captures your attention and keeps you guessing from jump, might I suggest this gem of a book. I mean, I’m probably one of the last people to read it, but if you haven’t PLEASE DO! This was such a perfectly paced, perfectly structured thriller. I loved the mystery and watching Pip working her way through it all. And I do love a thriller where I can’t quite figure out the twist and this one definitely delivers!

Another aspect of this story that I adored was our main character, Pip. Pip is an overachiever, Type A student that reminded me a lot of myself in high school. She is a perfectionist who can be judgmental, but she also refuses to give up when she knows that justice needs to be done. She’s tenacious and strong and is such a great character! Does she always make the best decisions? Nope! But the decisions she makes are believable and relatable. She’s an incredible, vivid character and I loved following her as she works on her senior project. Holly Jackson writes some beautifully nuanced characters and I’m excited to get to know them more in the subsequent books.

Final thoughts: This is a top-notch YA thriller that I absolutely flew through! It has incredible pacing, fantastic characters, and the twists and turns will keep you on your toes. The fact that this is just the first in a series makes me so happy. If you’re looking for a gripping, dark thriller that will make you want to read it in one sitting, I think you should give A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder a try!