A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Holly Jackson deserves a standing ovation because she did the impossible, she has single-handedly made me fall in love with the young adult thriller genre! Before this book I didn't even think it was possible because all the young adult thriller novels I have read before were mediocre at best and the vibe they gave off was too naive and they made me feel super old. Not this book. This book didn't even read like a young adult novel and it kept me guessing until the very end, even when I thought I already knew who the bad guy was and have solved the mystery myself. Well, I was extremely wrong.

The book is about a very good student, Pippa, who decides that the subject of a school project for her will be a murder case that happened a long time ago and as she starts looking into this case and gathering up information for her project, she realizes that things might not be as solved as people in her town believe. I loved every second of this plot. It was intricate and I didn't know where it was going to go at any point in the story, which is usually not the case for me in young adult novels. I loved that it felt raw and real and didn't feel as “schooly” as most young adult novels that take place in schools do for me. The only word I can think of to describe it would be- genius. I also loved the pace at which the story developed and how information was revealed all throughout, not just at the very end or the climax. This made for an addicting read that I couldn't put down because I had to find out who the bad guy really was. I will undoubtedly be reading the other books in these series and any other books that Holly Jackson decides to write, I might even pre-order the second book in this series soon, that's how much I freaking loved it!

Secondly, the characterization in this novel was superb. Pippa is undoubtedly one of my favorite heroines of all time and I loved that she was a good girl, through and through and that she felt the need to fight for what she thought was right. I have always been like that and it was very easy for me to relate to her. Some of the things she did was terrifying but I learned to truly appreciate her for her courage and her strong-willed, albeit very good-hearted personality. What a genuinely good person, we need more people like her in the real world. All the other characters were also amazing in their own way and didn't feel like they were just written in to move the story along and serve as place fillers for the story. Well done!

Finally, the writing was precise and to the point, as I love it to be. It wasn't too simple though, like YA writing style usually is, it was a bit more complicated than that and I was there for it. It was a joy to read through this amazing book and I raced through it, imagining what was happening in the book as I went through the story. I love that it took a young adult thriller and made me feel like I was reading an adult one. I think a wide array of different people and ages will love this story as much as I did.

In conclusion, I had no idea I would enjoy this story as much as I did. It took me completely by surprise and I am glad I gave it a chance, even if it was a YA novel and not my usual adult one. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller, regardless of your age or any other characteristics. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out and will be pre-ordering it ASAP! I rarely pre-order books but I just can't hide my love for the world and characters that Holly Jackson has created in her novel! Go and read it now, you won't be disappointed!