All the Missing Girls Book Review

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

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Blurb:

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda's novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women - a decade apart - told in reverse.

It's been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne's case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne's boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic's younger neighbor and the group's alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic's return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards - Day 15 to Day 1 - from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor's disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

Review by Brittany:

I was invited to view this book on NetGalley based on feedback for a book that was similar. I was intrigued by the idea of this story being told backwards to solve the two missing person cases.

From the beginning of the book, I was hooked. The backwards storytelling required that I pay attention to every detail, and it gave the author an opportunity to foreshadow events that had already happened and would soon be revealed to the reader. Miranda did a great job of building the story backwards, still leaving plenty of reveals for the reader all the way through.

The story of what happened to Corinne and how it would tie into what happened to Annaleise was explored all the way through. Nic served as a bit of an unreliable narrator, holding onto the pieces of the story that she didn't want to come to terms with. As she was finally able to come to terms with what happened 10 years ago, the pieces of Annaleise's story finally came together.

I also loved the way this book examined relationships. It went deep into friendships and romantic relationships and picked at the painful parts, forcing the reader to come to terms with the ways in which relationships aren't so beautiful and aren't so candy-coated. I loved that. There were no characters in this book who were innocent or who didn't have a secret that could have changed everything.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought the author did a fantastic job of keeping the reader in suspense, particularly in the way she handled telling the story in reverse. I also thought the author created really in-depth characters who were so human and real in their flaws. Fantastic book that I'd definitely recommend!

Notable quotes:

I was more generous with people's flaws. Everyone had his or her own demons, including me.

That a story is the most simplified version of events - something to file away into a sound bite, dulled and sharpened at the same time.

But she was just a kid, eighteen, and bursting out of her skin. Believing the world would bend to her will.

People were like Russian nesting dolls - versions stacked inside the latest edition. But they all still lived inside, unchanged, just out of sight.

Then they would've seen that perhaps there is nothing more passionate than loving someone in spite of yourself.

The facts were fluid, and changed, depending on the point of view.

But maybe there was nothing more intimate than someone knowing all your secrets, every one of them, and sitting beside you anyway, buying your favorite food, running his fingers absently through your hair so you can sleep.

There is nothing more dangerous, nothing more powerful, nothing more necessary and essential for survival than the lies we tell ourselves.

The Sister Book Review

The Sister by Louise Jensen

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Blurb:

Grace hasn't been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie's last words, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie's. Soon it becomes clear there was a lot she didn't know about her best friend.

When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie's father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie's sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family, and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan's home.

But something isn't right. Things disappear, Dan's acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace's mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace is terrible danger?

There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie...or was there?

Review by Brittany:

This book was a NetGalley request I made based on the blurb. Psychological thrillers are always a bit intense but very interesting reads for me, and this one sounded like it would fit that idea.

This book jumps between the past and present, explaining how Grace and Charlie became such good friends and chronicling their lives as it leads up to Charlie's death. The present focuses on Grace in the aftermath of Charlie's death and her quest to learn about Charlie's life and meet her father, who Charlie herself never got to meet. I enjoyed the transitions from past to present and the way they kept me in the loop as it went along. The breaks in time also served to reinforce the suspense throughout the novel.

Anna's character was a bit of a trick. From the beginning she made me feel uneasy, the convenience of her being Charlie's sister a little too unreal for me. At the end of the novel, Anna's true identity and relationship to Grace is made clear, and it really didn't turn out the way I thought it would.

Interestingly, I think Dan's character was the most sinister of the book. Without giving away any spoilers, let me just say that I expected better from Dan. His behavior was the most surprising out of all the characters.

I do wish there had been more closure at the end of the book. I feel like there are a lot of threads still hanging for Grace and I have no idea what happened with the plot line of her job. Some things got a bit lost in the climactic ending, and I would have liked for those pieces to come together in some way.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think Jensen created some good, creepy characters. I do think that Jensen can develop her plot lines and character motives more in future novels, but I really liked reading this debut.

Notable quotes:

Strangers become friends, become lovers, become everything - and then become nothing. A full circle.

In the Clearing Book Review

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni

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Blurb:

Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crimes.

So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate and protege, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years earlier, Tracy agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny's detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town's memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community's fabric. Can Tracy uphold the promise she's made to the dead girl's family and deliver the truth of what happened to their daughter? Or will she become the next victim?

Review by Brittany:

I always comment on books that are part of series but work fine as a standalone, and that's what this one does. It's the third in the Tracy Crosswhite series, but a reader could pick this one up without needing to know the full stories of the other two. As is usually the case, reading the previous books will enhance this novel, but it's not necessary.

I've read the other two and knew that I was going to love this one. Dugoni writes characters who are smart and quippy, building relationships between characters in just a few short lines. There are some characters - other detectives - that Tracy does not interact with much in this novel, but Dugoni is able to express the relationship they have in the short time they're in the story. Tracy's relationship with her long-term boyfriend, Dan, is also emphasized in this novel. I feel as if new readers to the series would still be able to believe the relationship between the two characters, even without all of the backstory. I consider this to be a clear indication of the author's skill.

As for the story, the main case is the cold case Tracy is working, but there's another murder case that her partner has picked up that is being worked as well. Both cases kept me interested and I was equally eager to find out "whodunnit" in each scenario. What struck me as interesting about the cold case was that all of the evidence was basically already there for Tracy - photographs, reports, interviews. However, in 1976 the evidence could not be interpreted in the same was as it can in present day, the one hindrance that the investigating deputy seemed to have. While he clearly had a grasp on what happened, he could not prove it based on his evidence. Reading along as Tracy was able to decipher the evidence he had gathered and piece together what happened to Kimi was incredibly interesting and sad.

Dugoni wrapped up the case nicely, leading the reader along with Tracy to the big reveal. One thing that Dugoni does that I love is he throws in that one last surprise. Even once the case seems wrapped up, there's one more piece of the story that Tracy figures out at the very end.

I loved this book. It has suspense, character development, and good relationships. Dugoni is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and I will definitely continue to read this series.

The Last Good Girl Book Review

The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta

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Blurb:

Emily Shapiro has gone missing. A freshman at a Michigan university, Emily was last seen leaving a  bar near Beta Psi, a prestigious and secretive fraternity. The main suspect is Dylan Highsmith, the son of one of the most powerful politicians in the state. At first, the only clue is pieced-together surveillance footage of Emily leaving the bar that night...and Dylan running down the street after her.

When prosecutor Anna Curtis discovers a video diary Emily kept during her first few months of college, it exposes the history Emily had with Dylan: she accused him of rape before disappearing. Anna is horrified to discover that Dylan's frat is known on campus as the "rape factory".

The case soon gets media attention and support from Title IX activists across the country, but Anna's investigation hits a wall. Anna has to find something, anything she can use to discover Emily alive. But without a body or any physical evidence, she's under threat from people who tell her to stop before she ruins the name of an innocent young man.

Inspired by real-life stories, The Last Good Girl shines a light on campus rape and the powerful emotional dynamics that affect the families of the men and women on both sides.

Review by Brittany:

I requested a copy of this book through NetGalley because the blurb intrigued me. I didn't realize that it was a part of a series at the time, but I can honestly say that my lack of background knowledge did not hinder my reading experience at all.

Being such an avid reader, I don't always read books that make me disappear into the story and itch to keep turning pages - but this one did that. From the opening chapter, this book was full of suspense and fantastic storytelling. I loved that the focus of this book was on sex crimes in college because that is a very real problem in today's society, and I think it needs to be addressed, even fictionally.

The pace of this novel was done fantastically well. The case progresses at a steady pace, and the addition of scripts from Emily's video blog and documents regarding her disciplinary suit against Dylan helped keep the reader in the loop while also keeping the plot moving. I also thought the video blog was a great touch because it helped the reader get to know Emily without her being active in the story.

Although I haven't read the other books in this series, I was still very invested in Anna's relationship with Cooper and her past relationship with Jack. The author gave enough information for me to understand the situation between all of the characters and to help me get invested in Anna's dilemma. Being invested in Anna's personal life as well as what was going on in the case to find Emily gave the book another dimension to it that kept reading.

The end of the book was a bit of a surprise, not the way I would have expected it, but it fit perfectly. I liked that the author didn't go the way I was thinking she would with the ending. Emily's story does not tie up perfectly, but it comes to enough of an ending that I felt satisfied. Anna's relationship dilemma also clears up some by the end of the book, leaving room for more development in the next novel.

I loved this book. I wish I had started reading this series from the very beginning, but the fact that I didn't definitely didn't hinder the reading experience. I definitely recommend this one!

Notable quote:

She didn't want to think about tomorrow or yesterday. She didn't want to analyze or annotate or figure anything out. She just wanted to be here, now...

The Pursuit of Pearls Book Review

The Pursuit of Pearls by Jane Thynne

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Blurb:

In the spring of 1939, the drums of war beat throughout Europe, but nowhere more ferociously than in Berlin. The film studio where Clara Vine works in churning out movies, but each day that she stays in Germany is more dangerous than the last. Spying on the private life of the Third Reich, passing secrets to contacts in the British Intelligence, falling into a passionate affair - any of these risky moves could get Clara shot. So she is wholly shaken when someone close to her is murdered instead. The victim is Lottie Franke, an aspiring costume designer and student at the prestigious Faith and Beauty finishing school that trains young women to become the wives of the Nazi elite. White the press considers Lottie's death in the Grunewald forest the act of a lone madman, Clara uncovers deeper threads, tangled lines that seem to reach into the darkest depths of the Reich - and to a precious discovery that Hitler and his ruthless cohorts would kill for.

Review by Brittany:

I have gradually become a fan of World War II fiction as I have gotten older, which is why I requested this book on NetGalley.

This book felt to me like it was saturated with details. There were so many characters and so many tiny events that were described so fully that I occasionally felt bogged down in the details and lost the thread of the story. I think that some of these details prevented the plot from moving forward at a steady pace, so that the story invariably felt like it was moving slowly.

That being said, there were certain aspects of the plot that I thoroughly enjoyed. Clara is a fantastic character with a lot of layers to her. I have not read the previous novels in this series, so I jumped in without having background about Clara. This book does a great job of essentially catching up those readers who have not read any of the previous books. The story explains how Clara came to be working for the British Intelligence and why her living in Germany is so risky. Her courage through her fear made her an admirable character to me, particularly in the scene where she is arrested and interrogated by the Gestapo. I can't imagine how scary that might be.

I also liked the character of Hedwig. Here's a girl in the Faith and Beauty school who is supportive of Hitler and is being groomed to be the perfect German wife. She simply does what she's told to do in order to achieve the best life she can have while under Hitler's command. When she inadvertently gets mixed up with those who are against Hitler, it completely throws her world into a tailspin.

I also enjoyed reading about Conrad Adler. He is an officer under Hitler who takes an interest in Clara, which is at times scary to her. There's something about his confidence and complete lack of empathy when it comes to Hitler's reign that makes him a very intriguing character and one that I would like to read more about. He's very much a "follow orders" kind of guy, a trait that Clara can barely stand about him, which makes their interactions interesting.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think the plot could have moved along faster and, as is obvious by my review, it was mostly the characters that drove me to finish reading the book. I do recommend this book for those who already have an interest in fiction revolving around this time period.

Notable quotes:

Red Queen Book Review

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

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Blurb:

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood - those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard - a growing Red rebellion - even as her heart tugs in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Review by Brittany:

For me, this book had a bit of a Hunger Games feel to it. Mare is disgusted with the way the world works and gets put into a position in which she has an opportunity to try to change things. She hones her skill set in order to be a useful member of the rebel group.

Of course, there are parts of this novel that differentiate itself, particularly the use of supernatural abilities to set characters apart. There were some really neat ideas - different types of healers, those who can manipulate elements like water and steel - and I thought this added a nice touch to the story that made it different than other books I've read in this genre.

This book does also have a bit of a love triangle, with Mare feeling torn between her feelings for both Cal and Maven. This is also pretty standard for this genre, although the focus of the novel is not on this triangle but instead on the battle between the Reds and Silvers, particularly the rebel cause.

I think my favorite part of this book was the last 25%. The ending reveals multiple twists and surprises that I didn't expect and that completely changed my perception of the story. I think there's a certain talent for an author to be able to reveal something that completely alters the tone of the novel in hindsight.

Overall, this book was just fine. It felt pretty typical of the genre, with nothing that really stood out for me too much. I know this book is kicking off a series, but despite the surprises at the end of the first book, I don't know that I'll continue reading this series.

The Woman Who Stole My Life Book Review

The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes

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Blurb:

In her own words, Stella Sweeney is just "an ordinary woman living an ordinary life with her husband and two teenage kids," working for her sister in their neighborhood beauty salon. Until one day she is struck by a serious illness, landing her in the hospital for months.

After recovering, Stella finds out that her neurologist, Dr. Mannix Taylor, has compiled and published a memoir about the illness in Stella's voice. Her discovery comes when she spots a photo of the finished copy in an American tabloid - and it's in the hands of the vice president's wife! As her relationship with Dr. Taylor gets more complicated, Stella struggles to figure out she was before her illness, who she is now, and who she wants to be while relocating to New York City to pursue a career as a newly minted self-help memoirist.

Review by Brittany:

This is the first book of Keyes' that I've read in a while, and I absolutely loved it and devoured it. Keyes is an author who always delivers. Her characters are always believable, and I love how all of her female characters are a little self-deprecating and a lot funny. Her take on Irish families makes me laugh out loud, like when her main character thinks, "I wasn't bred for compliments."

This one touches on some tricky subject matter. Stella comes down with a rare disease that causes her to become paralyzed. She is trapped in her own body for a long period of time, aware of what's happening and fully capable of experiencing thoughts, but she has no way of letting them out. This causes strain in her marriage and in her relationship with her kids, and it leads to an unusual bond between her and her neurologist.

Despite how heavy some of the book gets, Stella still managed to crack me up. Her sister Karen was one of my favorite characters because of her harsh bluntness and fearlessness when it comes to saying whatever she wants to say. Even though this often manifests itself as criticisms toward Stella, I still adored her as a character.

Keyes understands how to make her books a little bit grey. There's nothing totally black and white, no choices that are clearly right or wrong, no characters who are all good or bad. Everything is in shades of grey, which makes her characters and novels feel very real without being real-life boring.

I love Keyes. If you're a fan of the chick lit genre, she's a must read. And if you're already a fan of hers, don't hesitate to pick this one up!

Notable quotes:

I'll have to confront this passive-aggressive warfare at some stage, but I'm feeling so defeated by my pointless day and my pointless life that, right now, I'm not able.

Things in life, relationships, don't "just happen". You can flirt with danger, you can test the edge of your marriage, and you can pull back from the brink.

...you only get one life and you should live it as happily as you can.

Well, I had no real choice but to believe him. Living any other way would just send me mad.

As I ran, I cried, and the tears froze on my cheeks, and I thought: I'm not able for this life. I'm not tough enough.

As Mannix had said, the world was full of young and beautiful women. If I regarded them all as threats I'd be utterly destroyed.