A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
A Review by Satvika Suresha.
‘When you ask people what happened to Andie Bell, they’ll tell you without hesitation:
“She was murdered by Salil Singh.”
No “allegedly”
No “might have”
No “probably”
No “most likely.”
He did it, they say. Sal killed Andie.
But I’m not so sure.”
Seventeen-year-old Pippa ‘Pip’ Fitz-Amobi is your ideal high school student. An overachiever, workaholic, clean record, good student. So, it’s a big surprise when she decides to solve a murder that occurred 5 years ago for her senior capstone project.
Pip starts to delve deeper into the past, uncovering the secrets and the real players behind the murders of Sal and Andie that someone wants to desperately keep hidden. And if the real murderer is out there, still alive, how far will they go to quiet Pip and let their secrets die with them?
I originally picked up this book at the Alpha school library because of the cover. ‘Red string, white paper and an ominous title? Seems like the read for me!’ I was attracted to the title, the description and the cover art.
Shallow, I know.
And so, I curled up in the corner of my bed, picked up the book and started to read, with ‘Throne of Glass’ beside me as a backup in case the book ended up being a dud. But as I burned through the pages, and started to read see the mystery unfold, I was wholly, undoubtedly,
Hooked.
The character arcs and design themselves are magnificent. It’s obvious that the author hasn’t used any cookie-cutter templates or created any Mary Sues-they’re all beautifully original.
But the plot. Oh, the plot is a piece of art! Chef’s kiss! Fantastique! The plot is well-developed and interesting-lots of plot twists and scares. The mystery that is embedded into the book is cleverly made, that one could only say that is immaculate.
Even after rereading it multiple times, I can say confidently that I cannot find any faults in this book. Everything, from the plot to the characters, to the mystery is so intricate and perfect that there cannot be any faults.
I rate this book a 10/10 and whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone, whether it be fantasy fans, sci-fi, fans, romance fans, but especially mystery and drama fans. Actually, scratch that, any YA reader, PLEASE read this book.
Content warning: Has mentions of sex, drugs, rape/sexual assault and other topics that may trigger trauma or panic attacks. Please read mindfully.