Pretty Girls

This was probably the hardest book I've ever gotten through. Not because it was badly written or had a boring plot, no, on the contrary, it was everything that a great mystery thriller should be. I can easily say that it's probably the best mystery thriller I have read so far and Karin Slaughter will forever be one of my favorite authors and I will be reading everything else by her shortly. I had a hard time getting through it because I was so invested in the characters and I was worried about what was going to happen to them. This novel is definitely not for the faint of heart and it will give me nightmares probably but it was also beautiful and very meaningful in so many profound ways. It follows the story of Claire and Lydia, who's sister disappeared a long time ago and when Clair's husband dies everything begins to unwind and things start becoming clear. It was turn after twist after turn and even though it was one of the longer books I have read, I couldn't put it down from beginning to end.

To begin with, Slaughter has created one of the most intricate, complicated yet exciting plots I have ever come across in my reading experience so far. There are just so many levels to the plots intricacy and the characters are beautifully interwoven into it and also to each other as well. We don't only get a sense into the main characters as stand alone individuals but also in relationship to each other and what significance that truly holds. The twists and turns didn't let up until I finished the book and I was on the edge of my seat, holding my breath the whole time because I was anxious about the characters' fates. They became deeply rooted in me and will not be letting up anytime soon. Shortly put, they weren't just characters on a page, they felt like tangible, real people and that made this book even harder to get through without being completely anxious.

In addition, the writing style is what I would call “sophisticated” but to the point. The sentences weren't too drawn out and long but they also weren't the shortest sentences I have ever come across as well. This made for a really vivid, heart wrenching reading experience and even though there were over 500 pages in this book, they flew by. As I have already stated, I will be reading all of Slaughter's other works. I am coming to the conclusion that booktube really gets my tastes and likes and I am beyond glad that I gave this novel a try.

In conclusion, this book is one of a kind. If you love mystery, thriller, suspense novels and aren't triggered by very heavy topics (torture, rape...etc.), you really should check this book out. It's definitely not light reading but I felt like I got a lot out of this novel and it will stay with me for sure. I may have to read something lighter next but I will be returning to this author.